SD TapRoom

SD TapRoomSD TapRoom
SD TapRoomSD TapRoom
Bar, Eatery

1269 Garnet Ave
San Diego, California, 92109-2913
United States

(858) 274-1010 | map
sdtaproom.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.22
Reviews:
27
Ratings:
41
pDev:
12.56%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by DNICE555:
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Rated by DNICE555 from Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

May 28, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.32 by BillRoth from Maryland

Feb 17, 2019
 
Rated: 5 by deniserat from California

Jun 16, 2016
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Reviewed by jjboesen from Maryland

4.06/5  rDev -3.8%
vibe: 3.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.25
Located several miles north in Pacific Beach, along the bar-choked Garnet Avenue, SD Tap Room is a popular sports bar-pub with an outstanding beer selection. (They also participate in the United Mileage Plus Dining program.) Although, SD is about a half-mile from the beach, it makes for a superb stop during any San Diego Brew Haj, since all the beers are locally brewed. 50 taps available, including goodies from Stone, Modern Times, Green Flash, Alpine, Lost Abby, Alesmith and one of the Pizza Ports. Try to ignore the boisterous sports bar atmosphere and focus on the wonderful selection of crafts. After all, this is why you came.
Jan 04, 2016
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Rated by Wickedasitseems from Maine

4.23/5  rDev +0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.25
My favorite place to visit while in San Diego.
Mar 06, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by HopHead84 from California

Nov 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by BrahptimusPrime from Connecticut

Nov 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by BreweryRun from California

Jul 23, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by cherche from Washington

Jul 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by _morandi_ from California

Jul 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by mbonugli from Maine

Jun 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by bennetj17 from Arizona

Mar 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by StoutSnob40 from California

Mar 10, 2014
 
Rated: 2 by chippo33 from Vermont

Dec 04, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by bcerv-ca from California

Oct 09, 2013
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Reviewed by TheStoutHound from Wisconsin

4.63/5  rDev +9.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5
The TapRoom is located are Garnett Ave. in Pacific Beach which is happening area with a ton of bars, restaurants, and shops. The bar/restaurant front is open air and the area inside is spacious with bar seating and tables/booths. Nothing outstanding about the atmosphere but the open air front is nice. The great thing about the TapRoom is the beer selection and quality. If you want to check out what’s currently on tap, visit their website where you can find a current tap list which includes the percentage of beer remaining in each keg along with kegs on deck . They have a great selection of 50 tap beers which you can purchase flights of or pints. I enjoyed some Pliny the Elder, Alesmith Speedway, and Port Night Rider when I was there. If you can't find something you would like on tap (which would be hard to believe) they have an extensive bottle list. When I visited, their bottle list included 5 or 6 variations of Eclipse ranging from $40-$50/ bottle. They also have your basic bottles at a reasonable price. I had some garlic bite appetizers and they were above average for aps but nothing ground breaking. I enjoyed my visit to the TapRoom and would recommend checking it out if you're in the area.
May 15, 2013
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Reviewed by jakengle from Florida

4.08/5  rDev -3.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I'm not a local and do not know the overall quality of beer places in SD but this place has the right ingredients from my perspective. I really like that they have the local breweries well covered and that the staff knows a decent amount about what they pour. The vibe is a bit more sports bar than i like but its open air and there is music playing not sportscast soundtrack. I just had appetisers but they were above average.

If you are in the pacific beach area and are looking for a place with some local selection you shoyld not be disappointed.
Oct 10, 2012
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Reviewed by pperrecone from California

5/5  rDev +18.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
This place rocks all the great brews from Pliny to sours. Hot babes work their that know the beer they sell. I love the owners and staff. Great beer and food. Thats why i go their almost daily. With 45 taps of craft beer how could you go wrong. their beer events are super bomb and they get the rearest beers on the market. They also have a very nice happy hour that rocks.

they also Do an event called L.A.B. which stands for local artist and beer. so they support the local arts as well. They have been around for 5 years now and really got this down.
Jan 19, 2012
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Reviewed by Schultz from Maryland

4.7/5  rDev +11.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
About a 5 block walk from the beach I got there about 7:30 on a Friday night. The bar was open and spacious and very welcoming. Had my choice between a table and sitting at the bar and chose the bar.
Loved the atmosphere, friendly staff, lots of tvs, no problem for a party of one to fit in. Chose to sit at the bar and perused their menu of over 25 taps and bottle list.
When traveling I stick to draft beer and the menu did nor disapoint. Plenty of local and imports to choose from. Staff was friendly and informative. In fact, happened to sit next to the owner and manager and enjoyed myself imensly.
Had several local beers and loved them.
Food selection was very good and moderately priced. I had the beer battered shrinp and they were excellant. The menu had many excellant choices.
I was very satisified with visiting this bar. Great beer, great food, and good company. What more could you ask for?
In previous visits to Pacific Beach i made the drive to O'Brians, a nice bar. If you are staying anywhere around Pacific Beach go here and save the drive. The beer and atmosphere her cannot be beat,
Oct 02, 2011
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Reviewed by mactrail from Washington

3.95/5  rDev -6.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Generally they have several beers from many of the local breweries, like Karl Strauss, Green Flash, Stone (including 15th Ann.), Alesmith, and Ballast Point (including Sculpin). A few Belgians on tap, including Dupont Saison. Being August, there don't seem to be as many interesting seasonals around. Big, readable chalkboards PLUS printed list with proper statistics are a hit with me.

Food was quite decent, we had a stuffed red pepper with very good red sauce, and a Greek salad. Daily specials, lots of pasta and lasagna.

Noticed that first Wednesdays they have "Local Art and Beer," but I have not checked it out. Prices are not bad, lots of room, not very noisy, and the street-facing wall rolls up for the sea air. We'll be back, it's a better atmosphere for tasting especially in this neighborhood of stumbling partygoers. While it doesn't have the oddities of the SD Toronado, it's about eight times more pleasant a place.
Aug 23, 2011
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Reviewed by LittleDon from Texas

4.35/5  rDev +3.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Summary: Your standard laid back, multi-tap, SD County beer joint and eatery. Hugh food.

Not too busy on my when I walked in. Beach bar/sports pub hybrid feel. The front of the place was open on this beautiful Tuesday night. Decent selection of many locals. Unfortunately, I was off by one night for the cask. Excellent service. I like a server who knows what beer they like and why. Humongous portions. In fact, too big. Why would I go here rather than someplace else? If I wanted to watch the game, drink great beer, and be served more food than I can eat.
Apr 21, 2011
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Reviewed by JoEBoBpr from Missouri

4.7/5  rDev +11.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
Stopped in for alate lunch on a Wednesday afternoon. Pretty empty but you could tell it was because for the time of day. Still the place had a cool vibe to it with lots of tables and a spacious bar. About 45 beers on tap especially from the San Diego area which is not a bad thing at all. They have almost all of the Stone regulars as well as many of the Ballast Point beers. They had Pliny on the menu but the bartender said they had run out last night. Still great selections.

I enjoyed a couple of the local brews as well as a nice hearty burger that I couldn't finish. It was delicious though. Great start to my San Diego vacation.
Mar 31, 2011
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Reviewed by crvcac from California

4.18/5  rDev -0.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
This place always has a great tap selection. The bartenders always seem to be knowledgeable enough to tell you about the new taps. Beer always comes poured in proper glassware. Food is great(try the fettuccini alfredo.. bomb). Atmosphere is also great. Come during the day and you can grab a great lunch/beer special while enjoying the weather through their windowless door front. At night it gets a little bussier but still retains a good vibe. Overall, a must stop destination when in search of a good beer and a good vibe in the Pacific Beach area.
Sep 24, 2010
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Reviewed by tjfinkle from California

3.95/5  rDev -6.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
First time I went to this place was during San Diego Beer week last year when they had a Karl Strauss night. I have to admit that I was moderately impressed that what appears from the outside to be yet another college bar in Pacific Beach actually had a decent beer selection.

The majority of the times that I have visited the tap room have been at night when the place becomes less of a beer bar and more of a college bar, so as a result, the ambiance has been less than extraordinary. At this time there are way more people drinking volumes to get drunk and less people drinking to enjoy the beer. Also, as one would expect when going here at these times, the service is also kind of slow. The servers seem to be moderately knowledgeable about the beer selection however less so about the "guest" beers that are often rotated in and out.

The taproom website seems to be updated regularly and has a "live beer" page showing what is available and what is coming up which has proven really helpful when I have been trying to decide what beer bar to stop at when I go out. This place has dedicated taps for the major San Diego Breweries and most of their flagship beers are there full time with some of their lesser known and seasonal beers rotating out. They also have rotating "guest" taps that often have other craft breweries and Belgian imports. They also generally have a dozen or so bottles available, but I do not know how quickly they go through these bottles or how often they update their list because last time I was there they had some lost abbey angel's share bottles from a couple of years ago, which I assume have been there for a while.

The food is pretty standard pub/bar fare. Most of the times I have eaten there I have had pizza which is adequate, but they also have burgers and sandwiches which I have not tried yet.

If you plan on visiting the Tap Room to enjoy a beer from their respectable selection, I recommend going during the day or early afternoon when they are not at their peak hours and there are fewer college kids being loud and obnoxious.
Aug 11, 2010
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Reviewed by Roeters from Michigan

3.31/5  rDev -21.6%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4.5
Stopped by in the middle of the afternoon

It is a little sports barish inside, quite loud with a few larger groups, one of which was playing flippy-cup, something that I have never seen in Michigan.
Had a large selection of draughts listed on chalkboards, and a lot of west coast stuff that I have been wanting to try. I was very happy with the beer that I got and was willing to block out the rest while I had a couple.
The server was a little slow which was compounded by the bar staff being understaffed
May 24, 2010
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Reviewed by pwoods from Ohio

4.4/5  rDev +4.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Really chill place right here. Sits on one of the main drags in Pacific Beach. Open air sitting with a large bar and plenty of high tops. Looks like it could turn into a club/college bar at night but was great while I was there in the afternoon. Very high quality stuff on tap including LA seasonals and Port one offs. Supplication was gonna be tapped soon as well but hadn't by the time I visited. The cute chick behind the bar knew the beers very well and even slid me a few samples of some of her favorites(DIPAs... she was a keeper). Selection was very good but was completely dominated by SD brews... which isn't bad at all but would have liked to see other represented as well and even some smaller breweries from the region. The food was pretty damn good. Had a really tasty Cali pizza and my dad liked his burger.
Apr 21, 2010
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Reviewed by TheAftermath from California

4.08/5  rDev -3.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
Went there for my bday with friends, none of whom enjoy beer like I do (think I need new friends). As others have already said, the selection is pretty impressive. I'd add that it's not because of the number of taps, but that all but two or three are dispensing top-notch brews.

I enjoyed Stone Chipotle Smoked Porter, Stone Old Guardian 2010, and a flight of tasters of which I can only remember Russian River Pliny The Elder (wow!)

Keep an eye on their live updated list at http://www.sdtaproom.com/beer.html

I'll definitely be back, hopefully with a fellow beer lover or two, or by myself if not :)
Apr 14, 2010
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Reviewed by yemenmocha from Arizona

4.44/5  rDev +5.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
This place seems under the radar for many BA's but they have a taplist that is nearly as impressive as the more established and well-known beer bars.

Many good West Coast and East Coast offerings, and they lean towards the hoppy beer customer. Pizza and other traditional pub fare were on the menu, but we only sampled the homemade cookies (not bad!).

Our server was pleasant and prompt, prices were on par with other beer bars in the area (Gold and Silver categories with the more rare and often imported stuff costing a buck more). They open to the street for a nice breeze and it is more spacious in here than virtually all San Diego beer bars I visited on this trip. Parking was a chore though.
Apr 02, 2010
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Reviewed by PhxHorn from Arizona

4.15/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 3
We dropped in on a Wednesday afternoon and the place had only 15 or 20 people in it. The bar itself is huge, and wraps itself all the way across the room, seating 30 people or more. 45 beers on tap, with around 35 of them being San Diego brews, according to the bartender. I just couldn't decide, so I had a 6-beer flgiht. One of the beers ended up with an inch of sediment at the bottom, and they had to replace it for me.

The beer selection, and of course the beer itself, is outstanding. We'd already eaten earlier, and so did not order food. The pizzas that were on display were swimming in grease and did not look all that appealing.

Parking was available on the street and in a lot behind the building, $5 all day or $3 for two hours.

If San Diego beers on tap are your thing, it's definitely worth your while to come to this place. It's not hard to find.
Sep 18, 2009
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Reviewed by kleffman from California

3.63/5  rDev -14%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3
Been going to the taproom quite a bit on Wednesdays lately. Always a delicious cask on among the other gems on the specialty list. They definitely cater to the local beers, which is awesome. But on the list on the wall there is almost certainly something fantastic. First had Ten fidy here, as well as their pilsner. Frequently find beers the other bars around town don't seem to get. Food is decent for appetizers, pizza is alright too. I heard the lunch special is a great deal, will have to hit that up some day.
Feb 24, 2009
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Reviewed by triggersd from California

4.03/5  rDev -4.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3
The Tap Room in Pacific Beach stands as the one bar you can go to in the area and have an above average selection of beers. Kick in enough LCD panels to appeal to the sports crowd, and friendly service and you've got your local haunt. The menu is selection is good, not great. The quality of food is good, not great as well. When you are looking to head out and grab a good beer (with more than one IPA, Stout, insert your choice, etc. to choose from), The Tap Room is your go to place.

The pricing is resonable, and the daily specials are good. It appears as the management staff is in touch and knows what will bring in the crowds.

Although it is not what the Liars Club was, at least we're not feeling left without a destination within a short bike ride away.

Thank you, Tap Room ownership and staff.
Jun 28, 2008
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Reviewed by mithrascruor from California

4.45/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Nestled amongst the various shops and trendy bars on Garnet is The Tap Room, with, well, a ton of taps! It's generally dark and peaceful in there (at least when I went there weren't many people), and though there's a few TVs I didn't find them to be intruding upon my peace. A sizable bar snakes through the place, but there's also tables and booths too. Very friendly and attentive service. The employees also seem knowledgeable on the beers they carry and are willing to make suggestions (but not in a pushy way!).

There's 36 taps, and all but 3-4 (Bud Light, Guinness, a cider, and ???) are all devoted to local craft brews from Coronado, Ballast Point, AleSmith, Green Flash, Stone, Port/Lost Abbey, Karl Strauss, and Firehouse. A great selection of the regulars from each of those, as well as a bunch of seasonals, one-offs, etc. as well. So.. the quality is in general quite excellent. Some may argue it's not the widest selection, but the focus of the bar is to show case local breweries: they do a fine job of that and of presenting a wide variety of the styles offered by those breweries.

Food is mostly pizza, appetizers, and subs. I had an appetizer (the "Beer Soakers" -- aka cheezy bread sticks) and they were really good, and it was a sizable portion too. The other food smelled & looked good as well.

The generously time-blocked daily [m-F] happy hour provides for really affordable beers and food! And the prices in general are quite reasonable as well, especially for such good quality beer.

Definitely a place to revisit; too bad I don't live closer!
May 23, 2008
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Reviewed by HalfFull from California

3.63/5  rDev -14%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
I understand that this place has been open over a year now and has adapted nicely to locals requests. Expanded number of taps for 'rotating' beers, just check the chalkboard. Generally about a dozen guest beers(local, regional or otherwise) in addition to their usual offerings of 25 or so local(San Diego) brews on tap. Some but limited bottle options, all local I believe. Recently added some pasta and salad dishes to the menu. Pizza is good though a bit oily for my thin crust tastes, skip the chicken bites! Other appetizers available.

Great place for a game, though it can be loud during March Madness; but then again, it's March Madness.

P.S., Had a sign indicating that a full liquor license was pending. Hopefully this won't reduce the number of options on tap. We'll see.

Also, they have a Cask conditioned brew every Wednesday at 5:00. I think that the relocation of the Liar's Club prompted them to fill the void, check their website.
Apr 08, 2008
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Reviewed by m1ked from California

3.08/5  rDev -27%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4
I wasn't even planning on coming to this place, total fluke. I rarely make it down to PB for various reasons, but I have been wanting to check out Liar's Club. I small group of us finally ralleyed ourselves to travel into PB to check out Liar's Club. Once we get there, closed! Are you kidding me! We did not want to waste our trip to PB, who knows when we would make it back. Hence our trip to the Tap Room.

It has all the characteristics of a beer-minded bar that I would like, but.... 1)Many, many local brews on tap, but nothing I haven't had before, nothing unique. 2) Bar food, I didn't have any, but looked ho-hum. 3) Many flat screens with sports on, but not really a sports bar. 4) Great location, on the main strip of PB with large open windows facing the street, but lacked any character.

I don't know how to express it, it had the appearance and some components of what should be a hit with me. It just felt too generic, lacking any character or soul. It felt too fabricated, almost like they could open these up all over SD and they would all look and feel the same. Granted I am somewhat biased against going to PB, if I were to go back to PB I am not sure if I would make it back here. Maybe if I had an out of towner that wanted to make to PB AND wanted some local beer, maybe. It wasn't bad, but wasn't good enough to make me want to come back. If I lived in PB, I would probably like this place more.
Jan 21, 2008
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Reviewed by oliphant from California

4.38/5  rDev +3.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5
When Liars' Club was here, there wasn't much reason to go to the Tap Room. Now that Liars' is gone, I've been giving it a chance.

I'm not a big fan of the "feel" of the place. Too large and sterile. Bad music. Hopefully it will get better as it ages.

The beer selection is good and gets better all the time. They have a solid standard selection of local beers and have more rotating beers each time I go in.

The staff is friendly and is getting more and more knowledgeable about the beers.

Beer prices are very reasonable, and they don't charge extra for the high octane stuff.

They have recently started doing a cask on Friday nights, which has been great. Hopefully they will keep it up.

This is definitely a place to support in the beach area. A few nudges in the right direction, and it could be a great spot.
Jan 07, 2008
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Reviewed by joedon from Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
My friend and I from SD visited here on a Friday afternoon just before happy hour. He had warned me that the neighborhood was very popular with young adults and Friday's were especially crowded.
We found ourselves nearly alone at 3PM and had our choice of bar stools. Atmosphere is sort of urban hip crowd. Main focus of the beer culture were the glass door coolers behind the bar filled with kegs.
Very good selection of mostly Southern California beers. Pizza Port, Stone, and several other breweries I was not familiar with. Also five taps devoted to mainstream beers (Guinness, PBR, Stella). The beers tasted fresh and were served cool in pint glasses.
Didn't have any food but pizza is the specialty of the house.
Friendly helpful service from the bartender and his lovely female assistant. I would certainly return here for more local beers.
Nov 18, 2007
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Reviewed by RustyDiamond from Georgia

4.45/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Hit the Tap Room on a recent visit, in between bocce session on PB. Tap selection was just what I was looking for: Fresh San Diego ales! Stone, Ballast Point, Green Flash, Pizza Port, Alesmith, Coronado were all on separate beer engines which made for easy picking. My first Alesmith IPA on draft was enlightening, to say the least.

Nice friendly bartender named Betty. Great open front windows for watching the goings-on in PB.

Went back later for pizza, with a pitcher of Green Flash West Coast IPA. What else can I say?
Sep 19, 2007
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Reviewed by Floydster from California

4.4/5  rDev +4.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
This place just opened a couple months back and have seen it a few times when visiting friends in Pacific Beach

About 30 taps total including Ruination IPA, Stone Imperial Russian Stout, and Lost Abbey Ten Commandments on tap as the standouts

Also had Alesmith Decadence and Old Numskull

Located on Garnet Street a block away from Fred's Mexican Cafe and Typhoon Saloon

Had to finally check it out, also next to my favorite CD store in the area, Music Trader

Where can you get a 16 ounce Alesmith Speedway Stout for $3.50?

Only one place I have ever seen and that is here, that alone would get me back here repeatedly, usually like 12 dollars a bottle

Had an amazing Lost Abbey Devotion Ale the second time around for the same price, usually like 9 or 10 dollars a bottle

Then, an Alesmith Lil' Devil which really good as well

Finally, closed out the night with a large Port Brewing Sticky Stout that had been tapped that day for only 5 bucks

Will be going to this place everytime I am in the area now

Also had pretty much all of Stone's offerings as well as Green Flash, Firehouse, Karl Strauss, Ballast Point (including some of the rare Robust series), and some ciders

Pizza was good with ricotta cheese, called the white cloud

Cool down to earth bartender that helped me with my selections

The 7 or 8 friends I went with loved it as well

Hopefully this place goes unknown for a while longer and it stays not too busy, this review is not going to help that cause but the coolest bar I have been to, so I have to be loyal to it

Best 20 dollars spent in a long time

Does not get much better in my book

Exceeded every expectation I had going into this place, cannot wait to back here and try more fantastic beers!
Sep 05, 2007
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Reviewed by theSleeper from California

4.7/5  rDev +11.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
35 or so taps of the best San Diego has to offer (which is impressive). The chalkboard has 3-5 ales not on the menu. Young owners are eager to please and the staff is very friendly. Also now have a few 22 oz. bottles such as 'Decadence'. Arrogant Bastard is always on the menu, as well as the popular Yellow Tail. They say it will be open early for the football package with breakfast served. Pizza some of the best at the beach, and salads too. Overall a great new place to add to the SD beer scene. www.pbtaproom.com gives more info.
Jul 24, 2007
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Reviewed by paulyrimz from Nevada

4.66/5  rDev +10.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Wow, what a cool new addition to the already impressive beer scene of San Diego. They have a pretty impressive lineup of beers four to six tap handles of each of the following breweries: Stone, Alesmith, Green Flash, Ballast Point, Pizza Port and Karl Strauss. Probably around 35 taps in all. Sadly, no Alpine, but that is a minor complaint as they have plenty of beer to please any palate I believe there were a couple of offerings from Firehouse and Coronado Brewing, and Guinness and a couple other macro brews.

I grabbed a pint of Green Flash Imperial IPA, Pizza Port Hop 15 DIPA, and an Alesmith Speedway Stout. All beers were served at a perfect temperature, and kegs looked well taken care of as can be seen through the glass coolers behind the bar.

An interesting note is that every beer is served in a pint glass and reasonably priced at $4 a piece. Yes, even Speedway Stout. Many beer purists might thinking drinking Speedway and others without proper glassware is blasphemy. I do agree to an extent, however I rather appreciated the amount of beer I got for the money that I spent.

Atmosphere was pretty cool. Beautiful murals of some of the local breweries and images of San Diego don the walls. Every brewery they feature has their own presentation on a faux keg with all the tap handles sticking out. It has a rather large bar counter that snakes around the place that can seat close to 30 people. Sitting right along the main stretch of bars in Pacific Beach, it is definitely an anomally to find a trendy looking place with such a great beer selection. This place seems to take a cue from Pizza Port and create a pleasant, quality-driven beer and pizza bar. Though I didn't eat the food, the pizzas that were coming out looked very delicious.

Service was excellent even on a busy Saturday night over Memorial Day weekend. No complaints.

Bottom line is that this is a great beer bar. Not quite in the elite circle of beer bars like Liar's Club and O'Briens, but worth the trek if you are in PB. Though some BAs might be put off by the overwhelming number of 20-somethings that frequent PB bars, this place is good compromise for someone who wants a great beer selection in a beach bar.
May 29, 2007
SD TapRoom in San Diego, CA
Place rating: 4.22 out of 5 with 41 ratings