Grape & Grain

Bar, Beer-to-go

227 S San Mateo Dr
San Mateo, California, 94401-4037
United States

(650) 342-9463 | map
grapeandgrainbar.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.49
Reviews:
4
Ratings:
8
pDev:
4.01%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews.
 
Rated: 4.53 by Geoffq from California

Mar 05, 2015
 
Rated: 4.85 by ak_eric from California

Jan 13, 2015
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Rated by gverissimo from California

4.28/5  rDev -4.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Nice no frills place with a good beer selection to sit with friends and chill -- or maybe play some Lady PacMan.
Jan 05, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by RBassSFHOPit2ME from California

May 14, 2014
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Reviewed by jtmartino from California

4.55/5  rDev +1.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Grape and Grain is my favorite spot to grab a beer. The crowd fluctuates depending on the day/time - they get pretty busy Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. But there's always excellent beer on tap and in bottles. Usually Matt and/or Adam (the owner) are behind the bar making suggestions and serving up drinks and just generally doing it live.

They have a limited food menu (salame, olives, cheeses, other charcuterie items) that pair really well with beer and wine tasting, but keep in mind it's not a full-service food establishment.

The interior of the bar is modern, clean, and there are a few TVs for watching the game or late-night cult movies. They also have a big selection of board games which are awesome to play at one of the high tables.

The biggest drawback about this place is the single bathroom which can get busy at times. The planned bar redesign will hopefully fix their space issues.

Oh, and Adam hosts some of the most epic BA bottle shares ever. The evidence is in the empty bottles lining the shelves. Do it live all day and all night. Just don't go bowling with them.
Jun 11, 2013
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Reviewed by flexabull from California

4.39/5  rDev -2.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 5 | selection: 4
Came here for an excellent tasting with a bunch of great beers and BAs and figured this place deserved a review.

Vibe is cool. Nice long place, a bar in the back with about 8 taps (the girl I spoke to when I arrived said they have expansion plans and hoped to add quite a few more taps, I believe a dozen more). A couple of TVs showing sports, classy looking but simple and clean looking too.

Quality was good. I saw Deschutes, Stillwater, and nothing but good stuff for sale.

Service was great. Adam was super friendly, accommodating, and knowledgable.

Selection wasn't huge for taps yet, but they had a nice bottle list too.

Overall, great little spot in San Mateo, I'd definitely return if I'm ever in the area again.
Jan 21, 2013
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Reviewed by drgarage from California

4.46/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
I go there often enough, it's probably high time that I wrote up Grape and Grain. Quite simply, it's just about the best beer place on the mid-Peninsula. The bottle list is outstanding, and though there are only 8 taps, there's never a dud among them. The current list is actually pretty representative:

Ballast Point Indra Kunindra 10oz. Draft 7.0 $6.00
Dogfish Head Punkin Ale 10oz. Draft 7.0 $5.00
Dogfish Head Urkontinent 10oz. Draft 8.0 $8.00
Green Flash Le Freak 12oz. Draft 9.2 $6.50
High Water Hop Riot IPA 16oz. Draft 7.3 $6.00
High Water Rio d'Oro Belgian Golden Ale 10oz. Draft 9.5 $5.50
Moylan's Hop Craic XXXXIPA 10oz. Draft 10.4 $7.00
Two Rivers Gravenstein Cider 16oz. Draft 5.2 $7.00

Adam, the owner, is really knowledgeable, and loves to talk beer, and is also enthusiastic to hear about stuff he doesn't know yet. It's a must-visit if you find yourself in downtown San Mateo. Just a great place to be.
Nov 03, 2012
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Reviewed by musicman575 from California

4.64/5  rDev +3.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
Until Grape and Grain came along, there wasn't a decent beer place in the entire mid to northern part of San Mateo County. It opened several months ago and I actually found it using DFH's "Fish Finder".

It is a wine and beer bar (hence grape and grain). They have 8 rotating taps and usually around 50 bottles. For some of the wines, there is a self-service sampling machine. Speaking of sampling, they recently started offering 4-oz sample glasses for people who want to do beer flights. Some popular local beers on the menu are kinda pricey, but that's only because they aren't distributed in this county. Adam, the owner and bartender, has the care to take personal trips to certain breweries. Speaking of Adam, he'll be sure to welcome you back with a handshake or a hug and he's happy to carry on beer talk between greeting folks and pouring libations.

I almost forgot to mention that they offer "small bites" - things like roasted nuts, salami and cheese, etc...

The atmosphere is pretty lively, but it's never so loud that you can't hold a conversation. Tables and booths are set up for couples or groups. If your beverages and conversation aren't fun enough, there's a set of board games. Also, they frequently play movies by the Coen Brothers. Vintage beer cans are 'littered' in the front window and across some of the shelves and 21st-Century artwork is hung about the dark painted walls. Lighting is nice and mellow with candles at the tables and the bar. Overall, the ambience is great.

The vibe at Grape and Grain is different than other beer bars. I think it is because it is a wine bar too. You get a good mix of the rowdy yet humble earthiness of beer drinkers with the class and coolness of young wine lovers. It's a gem on the Peninsula.
Jan 14, 2012
Grape & Grain in San Mateo, CA
Place rating: 4.49 out of 5 with 8 ratings