Best Damn Beer Shop (Krisp Beverages + Natural Foods)

Yetiman420

Ohio

4.4/5  rDev -1.8%
quality: 5 | service: 3 | selection: 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

The crazy thing about BDBS is that's located in the city with a bit of riff raff hanging around outside and people mostly buying cheap "ice" beers.

I was blown away when they had all the brews I was looking for and Alpine Nelson. This would be the stop to make if you were in town for a conference and didn't have a way to make it to surrounding bottle shops. They had everything and more that the other bottle shops had.

10-16-2010 22:47:46 | More by Yetiman420

GJ40

North Carolina

4.74/5  rDev +5.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Conveniently located in downtown San Diego (though not in the best neighborhood). "Best Damn Beer Shop" is inside a family run market that's undergoing an amazing transformation. It was a typical downtown market (but with an amazing beer section) when I first started going there. But they're improving the decor, expanding the beer displays, adding fresh/local foods and building a homebrew section. It's pretty impressive and there's apparently more to come.

They're strongest in west coast beers (which is the main draw for me) but they have a lot of Belgians and plenty from the rest of the world. They had several from Russian River, AleSmith, Ballast Point and many more. Most are refrigerated but some are not. And the prices are good.

The beer is outstanding but the service equals it. Sid is a real beer enthusiast and a great guy. Be sure to ask if he's in when you visit. He's always got a good recommendation.

This is a great beer store and well worth a visit if you're in the area.

07-10-2012 23:25:53 | More by GJ40

sholland119

Pennsylvania

3.96/5  rDev -11.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

An interesting combination of bottle shop / homebrew shop / bodega / homeless shelter. We visited on a Sunday morning while strolling the Gas Lamp area after our arrival in town.

There is a very extensive selection of bottles on the right hand side of the store, with a heavy emphasis on locals and big ticket Europeans like Mikkeller. The homebrew section at the front of the store was cool as well, with a good selection of base and specialty malts, yeast and basic supplies.

The neighborhood, and the area right around the front door, were rather more heavily populated with homeless folks than average for San Diego. I have never really had a difficult encounter with homeless anywhere but it is a bit more off putting for me in a strange town.

We were planning to return with our rental car to make some purchases but then we hit KnB and blew our budget. Worth a stop for sure.

HV

02-29-2012 19:10:01 | More by sholland119

crossovert

Wisconsin

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

Stopped in here today, and boy was I glad I did. I had been goign to Bottlecraft which is a good place in its own right but stopped by here today and was thoroughly impressed. I first went and bought some food, very nice stuff, lots of organic. Then I went to the other side which is pretty much straight beer. After a few minutes of browsing Fancisco approached me and then it happened a nice 30 minute beer geek out. He told me what was new, what was good, and when the next shipment this week is in. Best of all he offered to drive me to Alpine. I mean how great of customer service is that. Def the best selection I have seen in SD, though ill give it a 4.5 just because the selection isn't mind-blowing on a national scale. The prices were extremely reasonable. They also have everything you could want for a tasting: glassware, cheese plates, fruit, chocoalte, etc.

07-25-2012 01:17:04 | More by crossovert

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -13.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Medium sized food market in the downtown area with a large beer selection that takes up almost a third of the store. They have a nice selection of local and other domestic craft as well as a large selection of imports and glassware.

The vibe of the place is odd with a mix of beer geeks, city workers and homeless people walking around. While I was in line waiting to pay a homeless man who was clearly mentally ill was screaming and threatening to fight everyone. Nobody said anything to him and he finally walked out. I'm used to living in the city so this wasn't a problem for me but I can see how this could be a turn off or really bizarre for others.

Although this place doesn't have the nicest atmosphere, they have a good selection at reasonable prices. Tons of imports including Mikkeller, Drie Fonteinen, rarer Fantome, etc. along with a lot of quality locals and a few east coast offerings. Normally I would give the selection a four but the ridiculously large selection of glassware bumped it up for me. All kind of cool glasses including Russian River ation glass, collectors edition Duvel tulips, Lost Abbey tulips and many others. Really nice!

Not the nicest place but perfect for stocking up on good bottles and cool glassware. Check it out if you are in the area.

01-19-2012 00:57:24 | More by corby112

ThreeWiseMen

California

4.39/5  rDev -2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | $$

Stopped in here for the first time yesterday and was absolutely blown away! I've never encountered such a dense and diverse beer selection before. As put by my good friend JustinA1, "They just have everything." I was particularly impressed by the amount of Russian imperial stouts available, though every style was very well represented. I honestly can't say enough - you'll just have to stop in and see it for yourself. (After reading a review below, I will second the fact that I didn't spot any Alpine IPAs. This may be a glaring blemish in some beer enthusiasts minds, but as a San Diego resident who can find Alpine at a number of other locations, this fact doesn't bother me much at all.)

Please note that Best Damn Beer Shop is located inside a typical-looking urban market (Super Jr. Market). The establishment is just a small grocery store with an amazing beer section. The woman at the register didn't offer us any assistance in our beer search, nor did she comment on any of the beers we purchased. That's all fine by me - I rarely need help in choosing beer; I don't think service should weigh into a beer store's grade (unless it's exceptionally good/bad). About half of the beer is chilled, including all of the beer not meant to be aged: lagers, pale ales, etc.

This store is amazing! An absolute must stop when you visit San Diego!

08-08-2011 04:09:12 | More by ThreeWiseMen

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -14.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | $$

I'm glad I stopped in during my most recent visit to San Diego. As others have mentioned, the beer is tucked away in a grocery store - kind of cool to find such an awesome selection in such a place. Much of the beer is kept in coolers, particularly anything that requires drinking fresh. Plenty of bottles suitablr for aging, big beers and Belgians primarily, were stored at room temp. Lots of singles, including some limited releases, as well as a decent six pack selection. It's not the largest selection that I've seen, but just about everything on the shelf was something worth drinking. I didn't experience the same service others have apparently had, but had no issues either - about what I expected for a grocery turned beer store. Definitely stop by if you're in the area.

08-22-2011 20:30:31 | More by DrJay

armock

New York

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

One of the only reasons I went to this place was because it wasn't far from my hotel and the glowing reviews of the place here. If a stranger told me to go to this place I would have kept driving this is a you can't judge the book by its cover type of place. After finding a place to park and avoiding the bums on the way in I made it to beer heaven. Sid wasn't there but I was greeted by his brother who is just as cool about talking beer and making recommendations on beer. I picked out fifteen different beers exceeding my beer suitcase limits some. Sids brother even offed up a free shirt but only had larges left and those just don't work with my extra large gut so he hooked me up with a tart lambic that I drank that night and it was good. This is a must stop location for the best bottles in San Diego.

04-23-2010 23:11:42 | More by armock

LittleDon

Texas

4.88/5  rDev +8.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Corner grocery store meets upscale beer and wine shop. Don't be fooled by the run-o-the-mill urban grocery store when you first walk in. Head to the back.

If you can look past the ho-hum exterior and urban supermarket feel when you walk in, head to the back right and you have one of the best beer shops in the US. First, the quality is top notch. While the selection wasn't colossal, everything they had was exceptional. I appreciated the outstanding collection of SD County beer, particularly the stuff I couldn't get because of the Draconian TABC laws (Alesmith, Russian River, Ballast Point, Alpine, etc.). No shelf filler here. Service was exceptional as well. Sid did an excellent job helping pick things that would challenge my palate. Wound up taking home four bottles (3 Alesmith, 1 Lost Abbey). Prices were reasonable. Definitely worth a return visit. Leave space in your suitcase.

03-05-2011 03:24:08 | More by LittleDon

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

4.21/5  rDev -6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Best Damn is inside the Super Junior Market on the outer edge of downtown. Easy on-street metered parking.

Loads of beers along one long series of shelves and more on shelves opposite. This place is definatley import/Belgian heavy, so if you want to drop loads of cash on Mikkler, this is your place. The usual suspects for SoCal though, and only a sign on the shelf where the Pliney and Blind Pig should be that states "Pliney and Blind Pig, two bottle limit". (I guess you can take down the sign if you have none to sell?)

Probably the best selection in SD proper, and certainly the go-to place since Southbay drugs closed up about a year ago. I was asked if I needed any help, which is high marks for service in my book!

10-12-2011 00:20:33 | More by brewandbbq