Stone Brewing Co.

arizcards

Arizona

4.15/5  rDev -7.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$$

Da Boss and I had the pleasure of visiting last Sunday for an early afternoon lunch. Being a huge Stone fan there was much anticipation for this visit!

Atmosphere & Quality- Was awesome. There was no expenses spared in putting the restaurant together. The architecture was interesting, very open and inviting. Large stones were inlaid at various parts of the place with stone inlaid walls. The bar was set in the middle of the restaurant, offering a nice venue for people watching. Restrooms were even extremely nice. The restaurant was open to a sunny February day with a view of the lovely gardens-very nice.

Service-Even though the restaurant seating was maybe 1/2 full, we were told there would be a 30-45 minute wait. That was no problem as it allowed us to mill around the shop portion of the restaurant to check out the wares and all the deserved media attention Stone has received. We decided to sit at the bar to start a beer before being lunch. However, though the three bartenders were very busy, they did not even glance our way despite serving walk-ups to the bar right next to were we were seated. After 15 minutes of this nonsense, we were finally alerted that a table was ready. Our server saved the day and took good care of us at lunch.

Selection-The beer selection was awesome! I believe there was 30 beers on tap and maybe 60-75 bottled beers. The food selection was OK but the Brunch menu was pretty limited.

Food-I have to admit that most of the food we ordered we have never had before in our lives. We tried the Deep Fried Mashed Potatoes as an appetizer. We shared the Duck Tacos and the Buffalo Burger with Onion Rings for our entrees. The food was pretty smackable.

Value- The one thing that surprised me was that this was a fairly pricey place food wise. The type of food served does not match your typical Stone beer drinker. However i can understand that they are reaching out to try to grab the upper middle class market with the wonderful architecture and the bistro food which is good for the success of this place. I did see folks in the restaurant matching this description and not drinking beer.

This is definitely a destimation for a visit!

02-24-2007 23:59:11 | More by arizcards

Stoneman78

California

4.7/5  rDev +4.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$$

Well, here comes my first BA review...

I recently moved to San Diego and have had the pleasure of going to the Stone Bistro twice in recent weeks. The first time, I spent some time at the bar on NYE afternoon partaking in the infamous "Stone Storm". I was by myself, but had a great time talking with the bartenders and other beer lovers for several hours. The second time I went for my birthday on January 13th with a group of ten people. We were able to do the tour first which was informative and fun, highly recommended. Here are my overall impressions:

Atmosphere: Wonderful exterior landscaping with lush greenery. Nice clean industrial look inside. The ever-expanding brewery is connected to the bistro so there are huge ceilings and a very open feel. The interior is decorated in a fairly contemporary style, and I really dug the pebble-look of the restroom. I think there could have been a little more of the "Stone" style in the decoration for more individuation. I also am surprised that the bar is quite small considering. Likewise, the bistro is somewhat cramped for space given high demand and limited floor space. The bistro is in the middle of nowhere in Escondido which can be good or bad depending on your perspective.

Quality: From walking down the path to the restroom style, this place is really a class act. Everyone from beer aficionados to casual diners can find something appealing and exciting in this setting. They have done a good job "classing up" your standard brewery feel, and the food and drinks certainly add to this high standard.

Service: Amazing! Being by myself on NYE, I had a blast shooting the breeze with Padrick and several of the bartenders. They were very attentive and were happy to talk with me about everything Stone-related. You can tell that everyone here really loves their job. At dinner, the waitstaff were prompt and courteous.

Selection: In addition to a wide range of current and vintage Stone varieties, there keep an amazing selection of microbrews from across California and the country. Stone is part of the San Diego Brewer's Guild and they really feel strongly about extolling the virtues of their fellow breweries. The "Stone Storm" was an amazing experience with over 50 Stone beers from the past 5-6 years on draft.

Food: The food is wonderful and tasty. Being with a large group, I was able to sample a good deal of different dishes. Favorites included: AB onion rings, stinky cheese plate, and beef rolls. Most of the entrees were great, but I think the buffalo burger is the absolute best. The only negative here is that almost *everything* on the menu uses some sort of beer ingredient. I loved it, but some of my dining companions thought this was a little overboard; some more non-beer dishes would be a nice complement to the great menu. Most dinner options are a little on the pricey side as well.

Overall, the Stone Bistro has quickly become one of my favorite restaurants in SD. I look forward to taking family and friends up there as much as possible in the coming months to enjoy great food and beer in a wonderful atmosphere. Coming home with a fresh growler of Oaked AB or Double-Hopped IPA from the Tap Room is a great bonus too!

02-08-2007 08:03:02 | More by Stoneman78

jeffjfindley

California

4.9/5  rDev +9.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$$

Yesterday was a very, very good day. My girlfriend took me to the Stone World Bistro & Gardens, and it was wonderful.

It started with the tour, which was extremely well navigated by our guide, Matt. He was very candid and informative, and obviously enjoys his job a great deal. Seriously, though, it's difficult to imagine having a difficult time enjoying working at such a great place. My only gripe about the tour would be that there were'nt any surprises among the samples offered at the end. It consisted only of the staples in Stone's lineup. Also, the facility itself, though grand feels a little cold & impersonal. This is understandable, being such a new building. I think that in a couple of years it will be a little more "lived-in" and cozy. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed that there wasn't a stronger gargoyle presence. I guess I got spoiled by the New Belgium tour, which leaves one with a delirious feeling of Willie Wonka-esque magic.

The gripes end there. Ashley waited on us, and she did a fantastic job delivering the goods when we sat down for dinner. We started with the Soft & Stinky Cheese Platter, which comes with flat bread that they make from the spent grains from the mash, and it was bloody outrageous. My girlfriend had a Stone Smoked Porter (a great match), and I had Alesmith's Brown Ale, which I'd never had and will definitely have again.

That brings to mind one of the most striking, and telling attributes of the restraurant, and Stone itself. Their beer selection consists of far more than their own formidable beers. In addition to a great selection of imports, they had selections from Victory, Ommegang, Alesmith, Avery, and many other craft-breweries that in any other industry would be competitors. This exhibits the camraderie and sense of collective purpose these small companies share, and I loved it.

The entrees were absolutely incredible. I ordered the Thai Curry Pork Tenderloin, and my girl got the Septuple Garlic Chicken thing. Both were fantastic, starting with their appearance. They looked like they were made in someone's kitchen. A really, really good cooks kitchen. As promised, every ingredient was obviously fresh and delicious. For dessert I had the Stone Pale Chocolate Tart (very spicy!), and she had the Smoked Porter Cheescake. Both were great, but I liked hers better.

If you know anything at all about Stone, you know that they built their reputation by practically redifining the term "over-the-top" in their ales. Don't expect their food ethic to deviate from this ethic. Like Double Bastard, it's adventurous, breathtaking, brilliant, and absolutely unique. My palate was totally shattered by the end of the experience, and I am absolutely certain that Greg Koch would have been thrilled to hear it.

In other words, go.

01-29-2007 23:00:19 | More by jeffjfindley

zuggy9

California

5/5  rDev +11.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$$

I had the pleasure of visiting this place, and I will be returning. The atmosphere is exceptional. At first the place looks like nothing special from the outside, but as you come up to rock sided pathway, you realize nothing was overlooked. Brick lines bounce back against the rock walls and plants, with future plant canopies coming. The entrance are giant wooden doors opening to a large foyer, and the stone theme doesn't stop here. Right there on the left is a page from BeerAdvocate's site noting there top placement. Directly ahead is the store, with growler pours, bombers and six-packs of bottles, shirts, hats, glasses and other goodies. To right is a large dining area, with hight ceilings, an internal pond and a large bar. On one wall is a huge carved gargoyles, and high on the wall and over the bar are a number of bottles and tap handles. The tables are rustic, pub style, with large forks and knives. Stone accents are everywhere. The external gardens feature tables, heaters, another larger pond and a grassy area. Must be fun on a warm night. Even the bathrooms were well thought out, with giant granite slabs.

The quality of everything was exemplary and the service friendly, knowledgeable and professional. Food service was prompt, and tap pulls perfect. Even though they are a brewery, then had an excellent selection of beers and even wines. All of there own were available, as well as local AleSmith brewery's selections.

The food is wonderful. This isn't a pub, so don't expect cheap food, but a nice selection of world foods, with vegan and vegetarian selections as prominent as meat dishes. The entres seem reasonable, but there isn't a lot of food. Order an entre and some sides to share. I recommend the Arrogant Bastard onion rings -- the size of doughnuts.

The whole place is excellent, and well worth a visit!

01-16-2007 19:48:33 | More by zuggy9

TrickKnee

Connecticut

4.88/5  rDev +8.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$$

I was hoping this bistro was going to be good as i had hoped and i was not let down. Went for brunch on a saturday afternoon and it was by far one of the best dinning experiences i have had in quite a while. The bistro has some wonderfull architecture which combines almost a zen garden with a new wave restaurant and they pull it off quite nicely. Obviously tons of stone however mixed with the wood tables and wood chairs with dark leather provides some great ambiance, along witha great view. Food was exceptional, my buddy had the buffalo burger and i had the mac and beer chesse both of which were unbelievable, would recommend both along with the arrogant bastard onion rings which could not even be called onion rings, they were a new type of appetizer that i can not explain, unbelievably tasty. If you are in the area you have to go here, there is no question. What kept me from giving it a perfect 5 was that you have to go up to the bar and order if you are eating in the bar, thats it. Two people for lunch with two beers was 46 bucks after tip, which is reasonable considering what you get. Great job Stone, Great job....

01-14-2007 02:33:21 | More by TrickKnee

SwillinBrew

California

4.65/5  rDev +3.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

I came down on a beautiful sunny so cal Saturday with IPAviator. The drive on the 5 fwy with the coast on the side was sweet. It was like leaving San Francisco for the wine country except i was leaving OC for brew country.

If i had to describe the bistro in one sentence it would be, "this is a class act!"

We got here inbetween lunch and dinner time. A prolonged stop at Port Brewing/Lost Abbey kept us a bit. We checked in with the hostess and had a 10 minute wait. First let me say it is quite large and magnificent inside. Grand would be the right words. Stone work decorates the floor and walls with huge high cathedral ceilings. As you enter glass walls on the left show you the inside of the brewery while glass walls on the right show you the gardens. I dont mean beer gardens (can be that too) i mean a full blown arboretum per se. The 30' glass walls roll up to open up into the gardens. A fancy interior but not delicate nor pretentious... i guess i'd say it's practical and a class act. Oh, forgot to mention, a stairwell goes upstairs to the upper back half for more seating room. Friggen great view.

A nice hum of people having a good time fills the air. Delicious scents grace your nose. The bistro is nicely lit however i dont recall seeing lights but again, there's 2 walls that are large windows... very nice. Complements the stone work.

Our service was quite fine. Our waitress Erika, was very personable and eager to ensure we enjoyed our food, drink and comfort. She let us know what the dishes taste like, what she liked and what sauces she reccommended. Our brews never emptied and i wanted to spend the night here. It was very hard to select a beer given the selection. I ended up having the 7th and 9th anniversary ales along with the Stonewall ale. I finished with some smoked porter. For dinner i had the mac and cheese. Now this isnt your mom's mac and cheese, but pure gourmet all the way. Mad MIke's cheeses, succulent sausage with... i cant remember but it was friggen good. I wish my portion was just a tad bigger. Oh well, more of a reason to eat more of those onion rings. Hot damn they are scrumptuous.

After dinner, i walked outside in the gardens. There's another bar outside to the left, a few more dining tables to the right and a large fire pit, or alter, with a stone bar or ring on one side of it... to sit at and enjoy your beer while keeping toasty. Streams and waterfalls run thru and give a peaceful ambiance. I didnt walk all the way to the stone bridge because i think they were still working on it. I just enjoyed by brew in the sun and thought life was good. Worth every cent.

Actually, when you're here, you'll be thinking he same "life is good"
My hats off to Stone. Oh, btw, i left with a growler of the double hopped levitation. Mmm mmm good.

01-11-2007 08:02:00 | More by SwillinBrew

Bang34

California

4.5/5  rDev +0.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$$$

So I finally made it down to Stone's new stomping grounds, their new bistro and brewery.

My brother and I went to the stone brewery this past Saturday. We went on the tour which we really enjoyed, though the guide spent more time talking about the future of stone than the actual brewing process, I enjoyed it none the less.

The tour finished with a progressive tasting of stone brews, starting with the Pale, to the smoked porter to the IPA, AB and a little bonus since the guy liked us a bit of the 10th anni.

The shop, restaurant and facility are all very well thought out. I just think back to the vLogs I saw and I can see how Greg and his folks have really worked to make this a great place to hang out as well as a great place for beer.

After the tour my bro and I had a bite to eat. The first thing that surprised us were the prices.

The beer prices were not bad, $4 a serving ranging fron a pint to sniffter for the given brew. The food however was much more expensive than we expected. We both opted for the buffalo burgers at $17.25 a piece. They came with O-Rings and a great beer reduction, but neither of us could think of a time when we had spent over $15 for a burger.

An added highlight to the night, Greg Koch happened to be roaming around the bistro and he stopped by to chat for a little bit. The fact that I was wearing my t-shirt from Russian River Brewing, where his friend Vinney is the brewmaster might have drawn him over.

Overall a great place, great beer, but a little pricey if you want to eat there. This is coming from a guy that works at a brewpub and our most expensive entree is $17. I would expect a brewery to have some pub grub more in the price range for the beer enthusiast, not the gourmet. The food was great, but I can get a burger at least as good for $10 less at my brewery or many other spots around SoCal.

Aside from the food prices, Greg et. al. have done a great job with the new brewery, it is truely a new Mecca for beer.

01-01-2007 03:20:13 | More by Bang34

rgrace99

California

4.45/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$$

Finally had a chance to get to the Bistro the day after Christmas. Headed over for dinner with the wife, her Aunt and Uncle and their two kids (17/19). First impressions - we were completely blown away, the place is beautiful. You enter through a path that is kinda like a canyon with rocks on each side and plants growing all around. You enter the restaurant proper and off to the left is a huge glass wall that looks in on the brewery itself. We ate outside and we were all stunned by the wonderful gardens , the beautiful rock formations, and water features. I was also fortunate to be there for the Stone winter storm where the beers on tap were multiple vintages of the various beers as well as impossible to find beers like the Stonewall ale and the dry-hopped 10th Anniversary ale.
Onto the food, as has been noted by others, the menu is not your typical brewpub fare. First we ordered the onion rings and the spud buds which were both wonderful. I had the garlic chicken bomb which was great, my wife's 17 yr old cousin who is the world's pickiest eater inhaled the beer mac and cheese and half of my wifes which she couldn't finish.

The only slight negative, the service was a bit slow but our server was working his tail off, and it gave us a chance to visit at the table and wander around the gardens and lookk around.

All in all, I can't wait to return, too bad I live in Long Beach and they're 60-70 miles away.

12-28-2006 19:49:18 | More by rgrace99

drewbage

California

4.7/5  rDev +4.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

Visited on a pre-Strong Ale Fest visit with jonnylieberman and barleypop.

My reaction is whoa! I've never been into a beer place quite this intense. I'm just terribly impressed by the amount of thought into this place. The design is an aggressive mix of Oriental and Industrial with an amazing outdoor space perfect for sitting with a beer and listening to the water.

The food is a somewhat controversial aspect to the place, but I like it. I'm an admitted foodie and an occasional veggie so having access to a slate of unusual and flavorful dishes. The cost is what it takes.

The beer is an amazing mix of locals and imports. It's admittedly large on the local edge of things, but that's to be expected.

Kudos to Stone and Co for working to make a damn fine place for beer. In many ways if I had the capital this is close to what I would make for my place.

12-05-2006 06:25:45 | More by drewbage

TheLongBeachBum

California

4.5/5  rDev +0.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

The bare angulated gray slip-formed concrete walls, first seen back at the Stone 9th have started to fade into memory with a cosmetic make-up. The interior of the Brewery is complete & working like a well oiled Teutonic factory, the Shop has opened too. The aforementioned exterior has benefited from some much needed decoration which helps to mask its bare concrete soul & lends character to what was an empty shell only a year or so before. The last part in the transformation of Stone from a young urban San Marcos upstart to a burgeoning Escondido teenager-to-be, with all the promise of “the best is yet to come” which this holds, is the final part of the Jigsaw. So it was with some excitement that I drove down to Escondido to meet up with fellow BA’s & experience the recently ‘opened for business’ Bistro & Gardens.

Stone have, in the words of one illustrious drinker sat at our table, “Upped the Ante” here. A tall ceiling affair, the spacious yet personable Bistro is accessed through the more sterile hospital ward that is the Stone Shop. The bar is centrally located. From the cold starch like interior of the Stone Shop, it seems like you are transferred into a wonderfully captivating Amazonian wilderness that opens up & out in all directions to reveal a Secret Garden that Frances Hodgson Burnett would have been very proud of. Lots of natural materials; wood, water, daylight, rock & plants fill the interior, yet this is cleverly embraced with some man-made materials, such as ribbed steel re-bar which is used to great effect inside hot rolled A36 steel channel to form walkway borders downstairs & a strong fence upstairs. The rust bloom on this structural steel which develops quickly during construction has, thankfully, not been eradicated. I love the way Stone have preserved the naturally induced rust bloom with its gorgeous rustic orange glow & then encased this within a clear varnish that preserves the “real” natural appearance. The steel staircase that rises to the upper deck over & above the stone wall which sits behind the bar area is hard to ignore. I found this to be the cardio-biological centre of the Bistro & it was very hard not to be drawn to this central sculpture. The stone wall, filled with irregular random shaped rocks & boulders, starts inside & works its way outside through the large forward leaning windows with its roll up doors which would not be out of place facing a modern day fire station. Follow its progression you will find yourself staring at a very impressive outside bar, complete with two banked runs of stainless steel taps. This place is going to rock, you just know it is.

What else, oh yeah, the Beer range, you know with the great environment & food it is almost too easy to forget about the excellent draft & bottled beer selection, both are positively wholesome. Lots of Stone brews, local favorites & high end Cali brews from Russian River, Bear Republic & Pizza Port with limited appearances from the highly respected bigger brews from the smaller outfits such as Craftsman on draft. Belgians in bottles too.

Food, like the beer, is extremely well thought out. The Menu seems to be work in progress, which is a good thing for me, I know of at least one item that was worked off the menu due to the fact that it didn’t work well. Being the best means admitting that you get things “wrong” once in a while. It is all about the quality & not the quantity here. I have to say that I did not try the Duck Tacos, but judging by how great they looked, I seriously wish I had, next time! I did try the Chicken Curry Massala, it comes in Mild, Medium or Hot versions: the Hot was not “burn” enough for me, but it was very tasty & being served with sweet mashed potatoes infused with Stone Porter & braised Swish chaird, it was a very interesting alternate angle to the usual conservative Rice, which worked well for me – but a little bit of Naan bread would still go nicely with that dish. Everyone enjoyed their food & its creative stance, such that I opted for a Dessert – oh my!!! The Cheesecake with stinky Rogue blue cheese & Jalapenos was the Dogs Bollocks.

The Gardens are sublime; quiet & calming, quarried rocks, some still sporting drilled holes which were added to enable the explosives which fissure the eons old slabs away from its bedrock, fill the Stone Garden all around the walkway. With its depressed basin it has a secluded yet very imposing, hidden charm, but it still retains an aggressive expressive nature which seem at odds with its quieter feel - yet in true Stone style, they seem to bond the rampant Burton with the romantic Taylor into the perfect marriage. I can see many sitting in the Gardens as the lowing Sun sets not wanting to leave here!

It will surely be a pleasure to see this place grow, in more ways than one. Mary Lennox would surely think that this was Misselthwaite Manor if she was ever to visit here. Positively Charming!

**Highly Recommended**

Last Visit: Sunday 5th November, 2006.

11-18-2006 07:01:18 | More by TheLongBeachBum