Blue Star Brewing Company

jasonjlewis

Texas

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3 | $$$

A laid back and nice place. 7 Beers on tap, one on cask. A little bit expensive 3.50-4.25 per "pint". It's really a 14 oz. glass and with the head, one gets maybe 12 oz. of beer. Growler filling is 10 bucks though and they said they'd fill any growler.

The service was great and I couldn't have asked for more. The bartender was fairly knowledgable about his job. He was in no means a beer guru, but he gave excellent service.

The beers here are hit or miss, and the ones that are good don't really stand out, but it's still a decent place.

I ordered a rueben sandwich. Their soeurkraut is pretty tasteless. I think they buy it canned. The fries were good, but the rueben sandwich tasted like they bought all the shit from a food company and heated it back up on the grill. Not worth the money for the rueben.

Try this place, don't expect to have your socks knocked off by the food and beer, but it's still a decent place nevertheless.

09-23-2007 05:51:36 | More by jasonjlewis

elNopalero

Texas

2.3/5  rDev -39.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2 | service: 2 | selection: 3 | food: 1.5 | $$

The oldest microbrewery in San Antonio, if I’m not mistaken. It’s never ranked very highly on my list but I felt like they were due for another visit. The service is horribly slow and borderline inept—harsh words, I know, but: my party of six had a long wait on a slow night before a server even came by, we had to repeatedly ask for water (and then glasses after that), and reorder menu items that we asked for but didn’t come out. The pizza slice I had was dripping grease—and it was supposedly a margarita slice! And to top it all off I ended up with a long splinter lodged into my toe from the patio. I don’t really frequent breweries for the food but the beer isn’t all that exciting, either.

09-20-2011 19:53:47 | More by elNopalero

lackenhauser

Maryland

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

A bit outside of town but a very easy and leisurly walk down S Alamo St. Sets in an industrial park type area along the river. Nice, open ceiling inside with the brewery behind glass in one area and then fermenters right behind the bar. I had heard this was an extract brewery but it is obviously all grain from the looks of the equipment. They had about 6 or 7 beers on tap and a dry hopped ipa on cask.

Service at the bar was quick and attentive. The place was empty. I had a pils that was good and the cask ipa which was decent as well. I tried a sample of the smoked dark and it had lousy batch of homebrew written all over it for this kid.

I had a cup of the pork green chili that was just great. As good as it was I did not want to rate it too highly since that was all I had.

All in all a decent stop if you are only downtown. Beat the Irish pub I was in on the Riverwalk all to hell. Just another 1/2 mile or so from The Friendly Spot if you are going in that direction.

09-16-2011 01:55:53 | More by lackenhauser

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.54/5  rDev -7.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 5 | selection: 2.5 | $

Stopped by this place on a recent trip to San Antonio. This place was close to my hotel so I figured I would check it out. This was a very small brewpub that was kind of difficult to find. There is a small sitting area and smaller bar with about ten stools. The size gave it a quaint feel and the visible brewing equipment added to the atmosphere.

The quality and selection of the beer weren't all that great but they did have a nice barleywine on during my visit. Even though they only had less then ten taps a wide range of styles were covered. Something for everyone.

I didn't eat but the service was the highlight of my visit. The bartender and one of the servers who came over were extremely knowledgeable about beer. I talked to them for a long time and they even recommended other beer spots for me to check out in the area.

This is a cool little spot and I would recommend it to ayone who's in the area.

12-17-2010 08:54:33 | More by corby112

tpd975

Florida

3.3/5  rDev -13.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5 | $$

Stopped in during my stay in San Antonio. Close to the Riverwalk. Took the trolley in front of the Alamo. The brewery is tucked in back of the Blue Star complex. Not a real big place with serving tanks behind the bar. They had five or six beers on draft. I had a sour that was a bit watered down and well.... less than sour. Had the black IPA which was pretty tasty.

We did eat and the food was about average for bar food. Overall about as good as it gets near the Riverwalk area. I left wanting more though. Lucky I rented a car and hit Freetail which is the gem of the San Antonio scene.

11-19-2010 19:27:02 | More by tpd975

bens0n

Texas

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

They have tanks and other brewing equipment in plain sight right when you walk in, although I didn't spend any time inside; I sat outside shortly after arriving.

I only had time to down 2 pints, I had a stout, which didn't really meet my expectations, but was good nonetheless. I was really impressed with the black IPA that I had after that, I believe this is a new(er) brew. There was not an expansive selection of beer to choose from, but they did offer growlers. (Was not crazy about either of the 2 beers I tried so I didn't bother getting one)

I ordered a plate of nachos (with black beans) which were pretty good, nothing special, but much better than other bar food I have had in the past.

If I lived in San Antonio I would probably come here frequently, definitely a place I will return to in my next visit to SA.

10-24-2010 01:16:31 | More by bens0n

mbonugli

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

The last time I tried to check out this place, it was closed on Sundays. Now it's open on Sundays! YEAH! Unfortunately, this time my boyfriend couldn't make the business trip with me. I got him a tshirt instead. I hope he likes it ;-).

The atmosphere was nice. Even though there was outdoor seating, it was too hot to sit outside on an August day in Texas where it was about 105 degrees. Inside it was not too cold and not too warm...just right to enjoy a nice beer...

The beer I tried was the Belgian Style WheatHead. It was "delicious". It wasn't as strong or spicey (coriander-wise) as a typical belgian wheat beer. Apparently they had a nice strong barley wine that seemed to be very popular, especially with the attendees of the next door Shakespeare play during intermission.
They also had a stout, and amber ale, a pale ale, and, I believe a cask conditioned pale ale. And, of course a light blonde called a Texican.

The menu was not too extensive, but just right for a brewpub. The fries were handcut and big, as were the burgers...Everything in Texas is big. Pints were, unfortunately, the same size.

Apparently Texas law prohibits its breweries from bottling their beer, but growlers were available and were being filled.

08-24-2010 01:12:11 | More by mbonugli

LacquerHead

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +5.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

A cozy tucked away brewery in the Blue Star Art Complex in the King William neighborhood of San Antone. Visiting my sister in S.A. and thought I should tryout a local brewpub.
Went to this place in the late evening. 8/21/2010

It has a wooden open truss ceiling with exposed duct work. They put their brewing equipment on display which was cool. Pipes and hoses run along the ceiling giving the place a slightly industrial look - the wooden beams and walls keep the industrial aspect in check giving the whole place a cozy inviting vibe.

The hostess was all smiles as we walked in. Our waitress was very friendly. I told her I was there for the beer and she quickly listed all the beers on tap without missing a beat. She knew the brewery's styles and what they were comparable to. We sat at a table so I didn't get to talk to bartenders.

The selection of beer styles was fairly basic. They have some beers written on a chalk board that aren't on the menu. I counted 7 available beers. They were all reasonably priced.

The food was good. They don't serve gut-busting portions, which I appreciated. They served just enough. The food was good. We had the fried pickles which were good and I had the fish and chips.

They had an open patio that wrapped around the outside. It looked pretty cool at night. It over looks tall trees and old houses.

A friendly atmosphere. I wasn't too impressed with the beers but it was worth the visit and I wouldn't mind going back. I wish this place well.

08-23-2010 21:41:20 | More by LacquerHead

glid02

Georgia

4/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

Made the trek over here during a recent stay in San Antonio. The place is kind of tucked back in the Blue Star complex, just know that google maps doesn't lie.

Atmosphere is nice. It's got a solid amount of patio seating in front and to the side. Inside there are quite a few tables to the right and a large bar right down the center. The brewing equipment is both behind the bar and farther back in the right-hand corner. A few TV's dot the place as well.

Quality is good. My beers came in either a pint glass or goblet so I'd like to see a bit more variety but the glassware wasn't inappropriate and the beer was served at a good temperature with proper head.

Service was really good. I never had to wait long for a beer and ended up chatting with a few of the bartenders about local beer selections. They also pointed me toward Pedicab which unbeknownst to me was right around the corner.

Selection is OK. They had a pale lager, amber lager, stout, barleywine, and pale along with a dry-hopped stout on cask.

Food is solid. I had chicken-fried chicken with white gravy and various vegetables and was pleasantly surprised.

Value is good. The beer is reasonably priced as is the food.

Overall I was a fan of this place and could see myself coming back - I just wish they had a more extensive selection or some local guest taps.

04-29-2010 02:32:42 | More by glid02

champ103

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

As you walk in there is a bar that goes along the left. The brewing equipment can be seen towards the back. There is a large wood deck that wraps around the bar. It is located in a neat little neighborhood. A great place to relax with a few pints. I really like the feel of the place.

The service was good and enthusiastic. The server was pleased to speak at length about some of their beers. Our food came out before we knew it, and no problems getting more beer samples. The food was above average, but nothing special. Anyway, on to the beer...

They had at least 8 beers on tap and a cask. That is a pretty good selection. I had the stout (on cask), the pale ale, IPA, King William Barleywine, and the kicker...a barrel aged sour:) There were several other beers that I did not try. Everything was solid, and some were very good.

Overall, an excellent place to grab some beers and a meal. I was very pleased to see a large selection to chose from, and not just a by the numbers brewpub. Check it out if you are in San Antonio.

03-21-2010 20:05:51 | More by champ103