Pizza Port Bottle Shop

BigB415

California

4.44/5  rDev -0.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

The only reason why I went to the pizza port carlsbad was for the bottle shop. You walk in and all the beer is in coolers which is good, there were some glassware too. The only trouble I had sometimes was seeing certain beers since the window of the cooler door was either frosted over or the cooler was dark so I had to open the cooler everytime I wanted to look at something. They had a bunch of beer I have never seen or heard of. Some I saw I've been wanting to try like Espresso Yeti from Great Divide but it was 11 bucks so that made me not want to try it. They had other Great Divide beers and bunch of California beers. They have a huge selection of european beer. I found a swedish stout I wanted to get but couldn't find it when I went back so someone bought or I was just blind. The person working was quick to help me out but he had no luck finding it either. I was frustrated that I missed out but I ended up buying a 12oz of Great Divide Titan for $1.99 and I was on my way.

03-26-2011 18:11:38 | More by BigB415

ThreeWiseMen

California

4.55/5  rDev +1.6%
quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

Stopped in here for the first time in a long time on Sunday evening. JustinA1 and I had just placed our pizza order next door.

I really love how the Pizza Port Bottle Shop refrigerates ALL of their beers. That's quality, folks!

The beer in the coolers are high-quality as well. Most of the offerings come from the west coast, with a special focus on the greater San Diego area. We saw a lot of hoppy favorites, along with a good variety of Belgian and European ales. Perusing the wall coolers was fun.

The cashier was very nice and conversational, and not pushy or invasive at all. He seemed to know a lot about craft beer too - it looked like his laptop browser was open to BeerAdvocate while he rang me up.

Pizza Port Carlsbad is a must for craft beer lovers. Visit the restaurant and bottle shop - you'll be happy you did!

01-13-2011 08:08:35 | More by ThreeWiseMen

mulder1010

Australia

4.15/5  rDev -7.4%
quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

First place I hit after getting off the plane in LAX.

Q-- Small selection but good. More like a garage but almost everything in fridges or kept in a place that gets little light.

S-- Very helpful. Answered a few questions and got good answers.

S-- Not the greatest selection I thought. But good. Strong European stuff there. Had fresh PTE and Silva Stout there.

V-- $4 dollars for Silva Stout?? Sign me up!! Good pricing, except the Euro stuff was a bit pricey I thought. Darned 3 tier system. Good selection of Jolly Pumpkin and Allagash though. Would shop there again

11-25-2010 08:26:04 | More by mulder1010

nomomentwasted

Oregon

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

I love me some PPBS.

I used to hang out up here from time to time when I lived in San Diego proper. Now that I have moved up North to Carlsbad, I've found myself here several nights a week.

It blends everything about a good beer bar that I love, along with a killer selection that is always being updated. No matter what you're in the mood for, you can pull a bottle straight off the shelf at store prices and drink it at the shop like a bar. Which is awesome.

And, if that isn't enough to get you to come visit, the staff is awesome, friendly, and helpful. It's been quite a long time since I've needed any help picking out a beer, but the staff here are more than happy to assist you with distribution dates, expected availability, and the friendly insider heads-up on what's on the horizon as far as the beer scene in San Diego.

The selection is not as big as some other stores in San Diego, but the quality is awesome. Nearly every beer in the store is one I would have no qualms about drinking. Reasonable prices, awesome staff, and great variety? Sign me up. Often.

10-16-2010 22:41:20 | More by nomomentwasted

Yetiman420

Ohio

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

On a Sunday - Monday period in Mid October, I did a tour of San Diego breweries, brewpubs and beer stores. All the bottle shops I visited received A+ ratings with a significant number of reviews. My goal was primarily Russian River brews (Pliny, Blind Pig, Supplication) and then WC IPA's that I can't get in Ohio (Alpine, Kern River).
The places I visited in order of ranking...

1. 3 Way tie - KnB Wine Cellars, Beverages 4 Less, Best Damn Beer Shop
2. Holiday Wine Cellar
3. Olive Tree Marketplace
4. Pizza Port Bottle Shop

My first overall stop of the trip was a freakin awesome stop at Pizza Port Carlsbad. From there I walked to the bottle shop where I found an exceptional collection but no RR other than Damnation and the new Belgian pale. It was nice that they had a table in the center of the room for tasting beers. There were around 4 people sharing some excellent, widely distributed beers. There were two guys working and the one with the beard was helpful and knew quite a bit about the San Diego beer scene and confirmed some of my destinations that I was on the fence about.

I think that because this is such a major beer destination, the really good stuff does not stay in stock. I had much better luck finding what I needed at some of the less popular places.

10-16-2010 22:23:43 | More by Yetiman420

gwguest

Kansas

4.85/5  rDev +8.3%
quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$$

When you go, they won't be open. That's the way it works. Cool your jets next door at Pizza Port, then head to the bottle shop when it's open. It's worth the wait.

It's an entirely different experience from Texas Liquor up the street. PPBS is tiny with a limited selection, but nearly every choice will make you smile. If you're from outside the region, you'll really love it. The outdoor area is a great touch.

There's an odd feeling of 'is this all?' simply because of the overall excellence of the options. They would all stand out in a regular shop, but here, they almost blend together in a blur of awesome.

It's a great problem to have.

09-24-2010 17:57:27 | More by gwguest

AndyNardo

California

4.8/5  rDev +7.1%
quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

This little bottle shop is great. It looks like a hole in the wall from the outside, but it's so much more. There is an open air seating area where they throw beer drinking events from time to time. You can also drink your newly purchased bottles on site. They have All About Beer Magazine available to read. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. You really couldn't ask for anything more. I noticed that they carried a lot of west coast brews and a lot of European brews. I picked up a few bottles of Damnation, Pliny The Elder and Rauch Geek Breakfast the last time I was there.

08-24-2010 00:47:21 | More by AndyNardo

jmadrigal2

California

4.15/5  rDev -7.4%
quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

The Bottle Shop has many hard to find beers that I don't see in Ca. I found DFH World Wide Sout and Mikkeller Black to name a couple. The place is small but has more beer than I thought. As you walk in the door refrigerators are on your right. I started looking at beer and picked out a few, was ready to pay when I noticed a whole row of refrigerators behind me I didn't see. Their hours kind of suck. They don't open until 12pm so if you are just passing through this can be an issue to consider. All in all a good bottle shop with a decent selection. Check it out, just might find something you didn't expect.

07-31-2010 12:59:59 | More by jmadrigal2

mithrascruor

California

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

Small but awesome shop next to Pizza Port Carlsbad. I was a bit surprised that the selection of local staples wasn't very big (besides the usual Pizza Port & Lost Abbey stuff), but they have an awesome selection of stuff from around the country and world that you rarely see in stores! Virtually everything was kept chilled. Found some great beers from Orkney that I'd never seen outside of the islands, some Unibroue beers that are harder to track down, some great American IPAs and barleywines I hadn't seen before, etc. The employees are friendly and helpful, happy to offer insight or help you find stuff. Prices are totally reasonable, some a bit higher than I would have expected, but others lower - it all evened out. I'm glad I don't live closer to here, as I'd be blowing my whole paycheck here every other week. ;-)

05-31-2010 20:04:25 | More by mithrascruor

teerinmybeer

California

4.15/5  rDev -7.4%
quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

An innocuous looking shop attached directly to the Carlsbad Pizza Port building. Shop is small, but well organized with a nice selection of quality craft brews and the occasional hard-to-finds. Staff is cool, laid back, and usually know their stuff. Back of the shop opens up to the patio and some tables so you can buy your beer and crack it open right there. Great idea! Prices are to be expected for sustaining a small shop in a pricier side of town.

All in all, a decent shop that is a MUST STOP if you find yourself mowing pizza and beers next door at PP.

05-25-2010 23:55:10 | More by teerinmybeer