Pelican Pub & Brewery

MilwaukeeCrusher

Wisconsin

4.86/5  rDev +16.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

I've been to many brewpubs and this easily has the best vibe to the place, I mean the back of the place has a deck that opens to a bay into the Pacific complete with monoliths and on this particular day, a sunset. All the beers were very good, and the Wit beer... a style I'm not as well versed on, made me want to try more of these as it is the tastiest one I recall ever having. Naturally their bigger and dark beers were also quite good, considering they are the source of the Mother of All Storms (not present). I did not try the food, but hopefully someday I will. If you have a lady friend (or boy friend) for that matter, this would seem to be a really nice place to start a romantic evening and also to try some world class beer.

10-19-2011 06:15:06 | More by MilwaukeeCrusher

fastricky

New York

4.83/5  rDev +15.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

How anyone wouldn't say this is perhaps the best brewpub in the US is beyond me!!

1. The real estate the site is on is absolutely sensational - right on the coast with a Big Sur type rock out in water. C'mon, what is better than this??

2. Interior atmosphere is warm, clear, classy, and respectful of the view out window. Tastefully done.

3. The beer. Just about the best overall in quality from beer to beer I've experienced outside of some places in Boulder Co. You just can't pick a clunker. I had the special IPA made with the hops grown yards away and it was extraordinary.

4. Food. On par with the beer. Nothing too high-fallotin' but very worthy to go with the beer.

Absolutely worth a voyage to. Regardless of whether it's a supplement to other plans or not - what I 'm saying is it's worth planning a trip around this place. Seriously!

09-30-2008 04:02:21 | More by fastricky

Metalmonk

North Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +13.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5 | $$

After a drive through some beautiful countryside, a few shabby towns and a long day of coastal adventure, Pelican was an excellent cap to an excellent day. Even before you enter the building, the beach, ocean, seastack and cliffs create an incredible mood. The place sits right on the beach, and I've definitely never been to a brewpub that comes close to matching Pelican in total atmosphere.

The interior is cozy, clean and seemingly new, with great service (although she did admittedly forget to inform us about the seasonal beers which aren't on the menu...we did that homework ourselves) and an unusual menu (my brother got spicy shark tacos...I built my own pizza).

As if all this weren't enough, the beers were absolutely tops. We tried the wet-hopped Elemental, the Brun, the Scottish ale, and the cream ale. All 4 were fantastic in their own way. Although they bottle, it's very limited, as is their distribution. Too bad...they could compete with the bigger badboys of the US micro world. Sometimes, if a brewpub's offerings aren't all that, you can fall back on guest taps...no need to worry about that here. Their beers do not leave you wanting (except for more of what they're brewing).

The evening was topped off by an impromptu tour of the brew room. We were looking in the window, getting ready to leave, and a guy walked up to us (I forget his name, but it wasn't the brewmaster). He gave us a tour of their modest facilities, and was able to answer questions and certainly didn't make a rush job of it, despite them being quite busy for a Monday night. It was the cherry on top that made this one of the most pleasant, satisfying beer-drinking experiences I've ever had. If you're anywhere in the Pacific Northwest and love beer, you have got to seek Pelican out.

10-03-2007 22:38:12 | More by Metalmonk

olympuszymurgus

Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +13.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5 | $$

f me. well, i'll say these guys do okay. running late for a meeting in astoria on our way from coos bay. rogue held us a little late. almost forgot this was on the way, dear god, what a mistake that would've been. we rip the dragonwhale into the parking lot, turn off the jambox and roll in, reeking of silliness and fanciful dreams.
we had several of their nice beers on tap before an outstanding and beautifully presented lunch. if you're at a restaurant that's on the water, always get fish unless you see cows on trying to graze on the beach. then you can say, "steak, please, that one, i want the dumb one." or whale. why aren't we eating whale in this country while the japanese live it up? the stout was delicious.
the brewer was really busy but a sales guy was there and gave us a tour of the brewery for no real reason except i think he loves the place. and i would too.
then we rock out the 04,05,08,09 stormwatchers vertical closed by "the mother of all storms" aka "the perfect storm"
we buy a few bottles and for the two of us, we find the $150 completely acceptable. even as we are broke college kids. freed from the candy store.

03-05-2010 08:34:40 | More by olympuszymurgus

yuriruley

Oregon

4.72/5  rDev +13.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5 | $$$

The atmosphere is awesome at this place. You can tell they put a lot of time and money into making this an enjoyable place to be. During the summer it looks like you can also eat outside, so you are practically sitting on the beach. The booths insides are very comfy and spacious.

The quality is great. All of their beer I have had with the exception of one or two are really great.

The service is amazing. I was there on the Mother of all Storms release date, not only was our waiter on top of things, but there was another guy (think he was the host) that was making sure we had water/drinks all the time as well. They were also all very knowledgeable about Pelican's products which is always a plus in my book.

The food was delicious. I got a breakfast burrito, it was kind of small, but they also gave me a huge bowl of fresh fruit with it.

Only downside in my book is the price. I felt the food was a bit on the spendy side, but it was also very high quality. So I can't complain too much. I can't remember what their regular lineup of beer cost per pint, I got a taster of the barleywine vertical and I think it was about $16.

This is a great brewpub, and they definitely deserved the awards they won for best brewpub a couple times. I'd love to go back when the weather is better.

02-04-2011 21:04:05 | More by yuriruley

Dansting

Kansas

4.68/5  rDev +12.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Visited on a Sunday morning for breakfast. There's nothing like a nice India Pelican Ale to go along with a nice breakfast burrito, which was what I had. Both were very tasty. The service there was outstanding, as the hostess was extremely cheerful and prompt. Our waitress was very nice as well, and very good with the service. The place is very cool looking, with it being right on the beach and having a great view of the Pacific Ocean. With the food being very good, the beers being well above average, and the great service, this was one of the best brewpubs that I have ever been to.

08-03-2008 14:40:59 | More by Dansting

mikeys01

Colorado

4.65/5  rDev +11.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4

We had the pleasure of Visiting the Pelican Pub and Brewery on our recent vacation to the Pacific Northwest, and it was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. I have to say, this place has the most fantastic and beautiful location of any brewery, brewpub, or even restaurant I've visited. The brewpub sits out on a little cape on the Oregon coast, literally right on the beach. Directly in front of the brewpub out in the water is a huge sea-stack, which if you're sitting outside you can sit and watch the whales swim around. Off to the right are humongous sand dunes and cliffs, complete with a sea-cave and tide pools at the foot. Great place to see even if there wasn't a brewpub there.
Inside of the brewpub is spacious but comfortable, excellent view of the brew room. We were lucky to be there when they were bottling the latest batch of Tsunami Stout, so we got to pick up a couple fresh as can be bottles. Nice outdoor patio overlooking the beach, we sat out there. Some overly friendly (hungry, fat) seagulls were waddling around the tables but they didn’t really bother anyone. Service was very prompt and friendly, our waitress seemed to be well familiar with the beers and food.
The food was decent brewpub food, not spectacular but good comfort food. Beers were excellent to phenomenal. We enjoyed a few while we were there, with the India Pelican ale and Tsunami Stout big winners. The brewpub also has a very well stocked gift shop, with plenty of brewery merchandise, bombers of whatever’s been brewed recently, etc. My fiancé was happy to see that they even had a few girls shirts, often a rarity at breweries. We left Pelican, full, happy, and much lighter in the wallet after having lunch, beers, and visiting the gift shop but no complaints from us. Great place, stop by if you can!

10-07-2004 02:01:15 | More by mikeys01

rdailey76

Indiana

4.55/5  rDev +9.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

This was by far the most impressive place I have visited and shared a pint. My wife and I didn't have a single complaint from our food, to the service, to the view and certainly didn't have one with the beer. As you have read previously, it is situated basically on a beach of the Pacific Ocean. We were able to get window seats both nights and the last night we sat by the fire pit and watched the sun go down over Cape Kiwanda. I thought the IPA was outstanding. I also sampled the Doryman's Brown, the Stout, the Wee Heavy and the seasonal ESB. I would pretty much rank them in the order, but they were all very tasty. The food had some typical pub favorites, but mixed in a really nice selection of pasta, seafood and pizza. I like the concept of the mega-pint for 50 cents more. If you are in town, take a little time and scramble up the 200 foot sand dune across the parking lot. Your heart might pop out of your chest, but it is worth the view.

06-01-2006 20:50:45 | More by rdailey76

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +9.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Entering, the m.d.s. was directly to the left and bench seating was to the right. The m.d.s. included one of the most colorful, multi-hued collections of logo items that I had ever seen. Proceeding aft, the brewhouse and FVs were off to the left, followed by the long, dark wood, "U"-shaped bar. Wrapping around, booths ran down the right side and along the beach. Headed aft was a nifty nautical mosaic on the left, followed by the Haystack Room, a private meeting room all of the way aft and along the beach. The Outrigger Room contained all of their medals and awards. As a retired sailor, this was probably the best atmosphere in which to drink a beer that I had experienced in a while. It featured gorgeous view of the coastline. Bobbi K. was our great server. I had salmon, again.

Beers: Kiwanda Cream Ale; McPelican's Scottish Ale; India pelican Ale (IPA); Doryman's Dark Ale; Tsunami Stout; Heiferweizen (ha ha); and Surfer's Summer Ale.

08-25-2008 23:46:15 | More by woodychandler

freed

Oregon

4.53/5  rDev +8.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4

Its rare to visit a pub that has as terrific a location as this. Its also rare that if you were to find such a pub, that it would be any good. I guess that makes this a pretty unique place, despite the fact that I've seen it on a weekly basis from my local TV station's weather cam. Sitting right on the beach with odd dunes and sediment ridges to the north, Haystack rock just off shore, and surfers braving the cold winter water. We were there early and the bright light washed the dark wooded room in a somewhat eerie way that was very reminiscent of the UK.

The production brewery is also nestled into the building and is mostly visible as you enter the pub. Its always satisfying to see the source of your beer. Especially when the beer is as incredible as Pelican's.

The staff we encountered were more than helpful and seemed to know more than enough about the product to make recommendations. That's a minimum, I would think, but they were great.

01-24-2005 01:58:29 | More by freed