Jupiter

willjschmidt

California

4.15/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

One of the better beer bars in Berkeley. Located downtown on Shattuck across from the BART station. They brew their own beers and all of them are decent, but none are spectacular. They have 15-20 guest taps of pretty good quality. During my last visit I saw Racer X, Old Rasputin on Nitro, and a couple of Moonlight beers. Most of the guest taps are Bay Area breweries. Food is pretty good, especially the pizza. They have lots of seating but it's always a very busy place. Lots of great outdoor seating as well.

04-06-2009 15:31:05 | More by willjschmidt

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.8/5  rDev -7.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Stopped by after the Supberbowl today.... been many a year since I last visted the Jupiter alehouse.

Have always really loved the atmoshere and layout of this place, with it's wonderful red wood, copper bar tops, etc. The alehouse has otherwise a very low key, informal vibe, and so this is a great place to hang out with a beer or three. As for the beer selection, it's pretty good, with the house beer selection coupling very nicely with the well thought out guest selection. On this day, the latter included the alaskan barleywine, old rasputin, moonlight lunatic and bombay by boat, among other thigs.... Food is OK... got the gem pizza which was tasty and full of fresh ingredients.

Service was fairly friendly, but I finally had to walk up to the cash register to pay my tab. My waitress sort of realized she'd screwed up at that point, but regardless... service was friendly, but otherwise a bit distracted and unattentive.

Despite the fair at best service, I've always been a fan of the Jupiter (used to stop by all the time, but this was my first visit in some years), and had a good time here tonight as well. There are probably better places in Berkeley to grab a beer I suppose, but regardless, I had a pleasant evening as always at the jupiter alehouse.

02-06-2012 05:29:11 | More by johnmichaelsen

coldriver

Texas

4/5  rDev -2.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Visited on Dec 23, my second time. This is on Shattuck in the downtown Berkeley area, not too far from Cal. Not a large footprint but between the space downstairs, upstairs, and outside this place can seat a fair amount. I sat in the outside area which was a nice oasis perfectly situated for enjoying the world class Berkeley weather (even in December). Around 10 Jupiter beers on tap plus another 10 or so "guest" beers. The Jupiter beers that I've had are not exceptional, but certainly solid. Guest beers were a diverse selection, but nothing I'd consider outstanding. Nice college town vibe but leaning more towards an adult rather than newly minted legal ID crowd. As long as my relatives continue to live in Berkeley I'll be enjoying trips to Jupiter.

12-24-2011 01:03:47 | More by coldriver

BenHesk12

California

3.93/5  rDev -3.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Jupiter has a staple of about 10 house beers which are locally brewed. Besides their Quasar Double IPA, the house beers are low alcohol % and meant to accompany their food, which is mostly pizza. Jupiter also has a guest tap list which is usually a great selection of top notch california microbrews. Jupiter is two stories and has an outdoor area which has live bands a few nights a week, which is usually a great atmosphere. Everything is priced decently and the pizza is good restaurant quality pizza for the price. The best thing about Jupiter is the guest tap list which often brings me by for a beer or two when I find myself out and about enjoying Berkeley night life.

11-26-2011 21:50:53 | More by BenHesk12

colonelforbin

California

3.68/5  rDev -10%
vibe: 5 | quality: 2 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Pains me to write this review as I love almost everything about this place. The food is great, the atmosphere is one of the best in the bay area, the physical location is ideal and the service is very good as well.

The one thing that kills me about this place is that they have something funky going on with their tap lines, the guest tap lines in particular (outstanding guest tap list, by the way). They all seem to be running on a slight nitro burst, which works for some beers (very few), but not 95% of the beers they serve at Jupiter. I do not know why they do this and no one seems to notice.

Frankly, I am shocked that other reviewers have not noticed this. I have been going here for 6 years and it's always been like this. A weird flavor in relation to the carbonation is all I can describe it with but it's been very consistent with every beer there for a long time.

You're probably wondering why I still continue to go, well as mentioned earlier, they have a wonderful atmosphere, great food, good service and live music most nights of the week, not to mention one of the better outdoor patios anywhere in the bay area. I do put up with the off beer for these reasons but would probably go more often if they cleaned up their tap line situation.

Anyway, definitely worth checking out for all the reasons mentioned above, but beware of the nitro contamination in all their guest tap lines.

09-17-2011 06:29:20 | More by colonelforbin

HoppyMoth

California

4.18/5  rDev +2.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

This is my standard fallback for good beer and great food in campustown. The menu is pretty limited but the pizzas are fantastic and the garlic bread is amazing (whole roasted head of garlic you spread onto fresh bread).

The beers are decent, but not amazing. Their HXP (extra hopped pale) is one of my favorites, especially for lunch.

I think this place is like many brewpubs - they split the difference between either being a great restaurant or a great brewery. What you end up with is really neither, just a place doing too much. But Jupiter has mastered the food and their beers are better than most brewpubs. If you want a good meal this place will never disappoint, and they always have other great guest taps!

07-04-2011 05:48:13 | More by HoppyMoth

Arbitrator

California

4.47/5  rDev +9.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 5 | $$

I've been going here for years, since I was an undergrad at Berkeley. This is actually where I first loved a beer. It deserves a review.

The location is ideal; it's right next to the Downtown Berkeley BART stop, with an exit right in front of the bar. There is an indoor seating area as well as a beautiful beer garden out back. On a sunny summer day, I opt for the outdoor space. It's wonderful. The crowd ranges from families to cyclists to yuppies. Always a pleasant atmosphere.

I don't know what "quality" means in the context of BeerFly reviews. The house beers aren't that great, but they have 15 or so guest taps at any given time, including stuff from Moonlight, Port, Drake's (which is part of the same company), Stone, North Coast... The lines are well maintained and the selection rotates quickly. Can't complain.

Even the food is great. I love the sandwiches the most, but I'm not opposed to the brick-fired pizzas. Their Persephone (portobello mushroom sandwich) is top-notch. I frequently find myself craving it even when I'm not at the bar. I just wish it had some avocado slices in it. But anyway, for a beer place, the food is exceptional.

Very fair prices given the quality of the food. The service is fast and attentive; I never have to wait for a beer. and the waitstaff is friendly. They generally don't know much about the beer beyond what style it is, which is really all I care about.

I like to go here almost every weekend in Berkeley. I recommend it highly.

08-17-2010 16:55:59 | More by Arbitrator

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Damn, another place that did not exist between 1987 and 1989! The conspiracy continued to crumble in my sodden wake.

The layout was unique, in my estimation. The m.d.s. was in a corridor set back just inside a pathway that began at the sidewalk. By turning right at the m.d.s., I found myself in the bar area with a Vertigo-like staircase leading up two flights to a separate seating area. The walls on both sides of the first floor were lined with pressed tin (!). Turning to the right inside the entryway, standard tables and chairs lined the walls as well as the three windows overlooking Shattuck Avenue. The "L"-shaped, copper-topped bar began just past the stairwell on the right side of the space and included color chalkboards, a wood storage cabinet/cooler, and the wood-fired brick oven, all as part of the back bar. All of the way aft was the very crowded outdoor patio which could be accessed either from the m.d.s. pathway or from the bar area. Upstairs was a bunch of restaurant tables and chairs with more windows overlooking Shattuck and a short balcony overlooking the patio.

Food: I had the Andromeda (cheese) pizza from the brick-oven!

Beers: Pilsner; Hefeweizen; Quasar Double IPA; Amber; Porter; Helles Lager; Honey Wheat; IPA; Red Spot Ale; Dry Stout.

Lots of guest taps, ciders, meads and wine.

12-24-2009 19:41:57 | More by woodychandler

mjl21

California

4.18/5  rDev +2.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Recently hit up Jupiter for a nice Friday lunch. Time for a Beerfly review.

It is conveniently located on Shattuck Avenue across from the BART station. There are a few parking garages nearby so parking can be found. When you walk in the bar is right in front of you and there are two hanging chalkboards with the beers on tap. There is plenty of seating inside and they have a really nice beer garden out back.

The menu has plenty of options including salads, sandwiches, and pizza. I went with my wife and we each ordered a nine inch pizza. I had the Triton and she had the Mercury. Both were very good and we had a few slices as leftovers.

The beer selection is very good. They have a bunch of their own house brewed beers and also have a large selection of guest taps. I tried their Quasar DIPA and the Honey Wheat. Both were good. Their guest taps are very good. I had a Pliny the Elder. There were also offering from Triple Rock, Moonlight, Anderson Valley, and a few others.

The service was quick and I never had to wait for a drink.

This is a great place to go for pizza and beer. The prices are reasonable and the beers come in imperial pint glasses. Highly recommended.

05-27-2009 18:07:21 | More by mjl21

macktbone

California

4.2/5  rDev +2.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

On a Friday night in the city of S.F., traffic was terrible and parking is even worse. "Maybe we should hit up Jupiter" Only 14 miles away so why not. Being able to park with-in a reasonable distance from the restaurant is nice as well as being FREE.
With a twenty minute wait for a table we decided to wait at the bar. Nice to see Rasputin on Nitro, some good overall beers, and bar staff willing to assist you with any choices to be made.

Upon getting a table the food staff were courteous and fast. Food is awesome and decent in price, $15.00 for a gourmet pizza and $14.00 for 3 pints of beer.

I would recommend Jupiter for an evening of food and beverages. If you hit it up during the day Ledgers liqour is just down the street, so you can fix your hunger, build your thirst, and take home a bottle or two all on the same trip.

03-28-2009 06:56:27 | More by macktbone