Hopyard, The

tripelhops

Missouri

4.58/5  rDev +12.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$

The interior of this place is nothing too exciting, but the draft list is really nice for this area of town. I went on a Tuesday night and it was pretty crowded, a very lively place. They must have had 30- 40taps, including Russian River's Pliny and Blind Pig, Lagunitas Waldo's special, and quite a few smaller breweries I hadn't heard of. I sat at the bar and service was great, and it looked like everyone else in the place was getting served quickly. While they don't do sample paddles, they will do (4) tasters for $.25 each.
Definately a great place to check out if you're in this area.

05-02-2012 15:27:16 | More by tripelhops

vladimerjr

New York

4.73/5  rDev +16.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

I was in town for a few days for business by myself and arrived late one evening and could not find a place to eat so I drove around looking for an ATM to cave and settle for fast food so pulled into this corner strip mall. I did not find an ATM or fast food but found the Hopyard. (when I did a beerfly search for the pleasanton area this place did not come up)

I walked in and the place was well lit and homey, beer bottles and cans ringed the walls high up and other beer related decorations scattered around. Not overdone like most of the typical chain places and not bare like high end stuffy restaurants. The crown seemed very local and a lot of regulars (it was mostly weeknights) but they were very friendly and engaging. I found myself having conversations with strangers on everything from Beer, to hockey to science. Even won a free t-shirt in a free raffle.

Great beer selection of loacal micro brews (it was beer week in SF area so I don't know if it is always all locals, but in this area there are plenty of great local breweries to fill the 25-30 taps they seemed to have). Selection from Russian River, Bear Republic, Hetetic, Main St, Anchor and others. Being from the east coast and not having many of these by me it was quite a treat. The prices were also very reasonable for the type of craft beers, and they clearly label on the menu which ones are premium and have premium pricing(which is reasonable in itself). The food was a selection of typical pub fare but of a higher grade than I usually find. the bartenders were very knowledgable about the beers and were able to make good recommendations as well.

Aside from a Brewery trip I came here every night I was in town and will likely go again when I return as I will likely be in town often enough for my job.

I highly recommend this place.

02-20-2012 16:46:45 | More by vladimerjr

DoubleJ

California

3.65/5  rDev -10.3%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

It looks like a plaza filled with nothing but sole proprietorships like denistries and law firms, but hidden in this plaza is The Hopyard. With the exception of one family sitting outside on the patio and four patrons at the bar, the place was empty when I entered around 2:30pm. The atmosphere feels more like a family restaurant than a place for drunks like me. It was rather dark inside, a collection of beer bottles sat well above ialong one side of the establishment. Ironically, a small collection of different glassware, scattered behind the bar, was used for decoration than for serving.

Despite the lack of a vibe, the beer selection was exciting. About 32 taps in all, locals like Bear Republic, Russian River, Black Diamond, Moylan's, and Gordon Biersch were being poured. Outside the local market; Stone Highway 78, The Abyss 2009, Alaskan Imperial IPA, and Black Butte XXI. I didn't see any different types of glassware being used besides the boring shaker pint glass, though my Endo 10 was fresh and good. Speaking of Endo 10, I asked the bartender if he knew what kind of beer it was. He retrieves for me a lamenated note that must have come with the keg to inform the retailed about the beer. That works for me, let's taste it. And now I'd like a pint of it.

Good selection of beer to be found here, no question about that. Still, some kind of joy is missing from the air.

04-03-2011 03:42:23 | More by DoubleJ

nataku00

California

4.13/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

The Hopyard in Pleasanton is reasonably close to where I work in Dublin and I will drop by every now and then for a drink and a meal after work.

A family friendly restaurant foremost, so it's usually a mix of people who aren't there for the beer and people at the bar who are looking for a drink. Interior is almost typical sports bar design, with lots of wooden railings and wood along the walls, dimly lit with several televisions scattered around. For a place called Hopyard, (on Hopyard boulevard) there is plenty of beer related items decorating the space as well.

There are plenty of waitresses servicing the dining area, but I usually just find a seat at the bar. Bartenders there tend to know what they're doing, but most beers are poured into shaker pints. Stronger beers are sometimes poured into 10 oz tulip glasses. Bartenders are always attentive, asking if you're interested in another beer or if you might want to order off the bar menu for food.

Nice rotating 31 taps, with a good mix of locals and domestic craft. They are a Russian River account, so Elder and Blind Pig are almost always on tap.

Food is typical pub style items at the bar, a few sandwich options (that are overly greasy after being griddled), appetizers like fried calamari (decently cooked but overly breaded), and tacos. The full menu in the restaurant expands on the sandwich selection and some other appetizers and entrees available in a pub typically.

Prices for the beer is pretty typical, being in the $5-7 per pour range. Food is a bit pricier than what I expect for what you get.

A nice place that I don't mind going back to for a beer and a snack/meal.

02-26-2011 18:27:06 | More by nataku00

RunDWP

California

4.13/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Too bad I don't live in Pleasanton, or I'd be here quite regularly. It's located in a rather ordinary looking East Bay strip mall, and I'm still trying to remember what it actually looked inside, it was that forgettable. Things got a lot better from these initial bland appearances. The staff was pretty enthusiastic and eagerly shared their recommendations, often wildly conflicting with each other. The tap list had about 20 brews, some of them hard to find like Pliny the Elder and Mt. Shasta, and the list was pretty solid the day I was there, and they rotate taps fairly regularly.

The food was good, with the garlic fries a great appetizer, and my pulled pork BBQ sandwich had a great sauce. Onion rings on the side were great, too. With brew pubs, I find often if the beer is good, the food often lags or vice versa, so it was great to find a place that does both well. Look forward to coming back here again many times.

12-30-2008 03:40:01 | More by RunDWP

bbothen

California

3.25/5  rDev -20.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 3 | $$

Located in a strip mall in Pleasanton. Several tables/umbrellas outside which is nice to enjoy the weather. Long bar straight ahead & several tables throughout inside. Big square box like feel. Lots of beer memorabilia on all the walls & behind the bar.

Big selection of taps. Mostly of the standards from several west coast breweries. Nothing wrong with that. They usually always have Pliny The Elder, which is a draw for me. Bear Republic, North Coast, El Toro, Deschutes, Green Flash, Stone, etc.

Service has been average on all my visits. Nothing to complain about, but nothing great either.

Food has been hit & miss for me. Standard pub fare.

The best spot in Pleasanton for a quality pint as far as I know.

10-19-2008 20:36:17 | More by bbothen

Matty1918

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

I was recently on a business trip to California and The Hopyard was recommended to me by a fellow BA. It is located in an upscale shopping plaza. As you walk up to the place there are several outdoor tables. As you walk through the doors the floor plan is open, several tables to either side of you and a big bar up front. There is beer memorabilia on the walls, behind the bar just about everywhere. Kitchen for the most part is open. Very nice selection of beer on tap...I could only remember Pliny the Elder and Racer 5 as those where what I was drinking. Food was good...garlic/parmesean fries were outstanding. Burgeres were excellent along with the baja tacos. A very nice brew pub indeed. If I'm ever out in Cali again for business I'll sure to visit this place again. Recommended

08-29-2008 14:24:37 | More by Matty1918

carln26

Missouri

3.7/5  rDev -9.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$$

The Hop Yard is in a small strip/shopping center in a busy residential/commercial center of Pleasanton, CA. It has several tables up front, a small dining area, and a good sized bar once you enter. Neutral modern styling in the bar. Nothing remarkable. The place sits next to the Hoptown brewery. This woks out nice as several of their beers are on tap, and are wonderfully fresh.

Nice selection of draft beers. Mostly west coast regional selections although there were a few others. I was a bit excited, as I saw from their website that it was “Brewery night” When I arrived I was disappointed to discover that the brewery was Blue Moon. Uggh. No worries. Plenty of other selections including the Hoptown IPA, Deschutes Black Butte Porter, and Russian River Pliny the Elder I had.

Decent menu. I had a cup of black bean soup (really nice by the way), and a Thai chicken salad. All tasted pretty good.

Service could have been better. The bartender was more interested in the locals than he was in making sure I had a beer and a glass of water. All in all, still a nice place.

08-09-2006 02:40:23 | More by carln26

PuckLSHS

Iowa

4.3/5  rDev +5.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Visited the Hopyard after saying hi and hanging out with Crazy Dave next door. The Hopyard is great for picking up the local fare and hanging out with some good people who appreciate good beer.
I ordered quite a few tasters per Dave's suggestion, and enjoyed every one of them.

Basically, the list I had is as follows
Hoptown Golden Ale - great light beer for a warm day
Hoptown Old Yeltsin Imperial - love this beer
Hoptown Pale Ale
Hoptown Santa's Little Helper (RETIRED) - I had this in it's final run
Deschutes Jubelee
Deschutes Mirror Period Pale Ale
El Toro Duece IPA
El Toro Yo Winter Warmer
Hopyard Hefeweizen
Hopyard Vanilla Porter
Drake's Jolly Roger

I stuck with Santa's Little Helper and Duece IPA for the night because I really enjoyed them.

Played a few games of darts while drinking and had a lot of fun with the raffle that they had. Seems they do a raffle on some nights. They give away t-shirts and other beer related items. Kind of cool. If you drink beer, you can win a prize. One of my buddies got a t-shirt so that was pretty cool.

We ordered sandwiches and they turned out to be excellent for the great night of drinking we had ahead of us. The service was great. The bartenders knew everything about the beers on the menu. So, if you didn't know what you wanted they helped figure it out.

I love the Hopyard and I can see why it is one of the favorite hangouts for people in the area. I would go there if I lived near it.

04-20-2006 22:30:39 | More by PuckLSHS

ChappyCubsFan

California

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

This place is conveniently located in an upscale strip mall. The beer menu was everything it was heralded to be based on reviews of other BA's. We were not disappointed. There were beers from Marin, Russian River, Hoptown (next door), Anderson Valley, Bear Republic, etc, etc. The best of the Northern CA brewers were represented well, and all were showcased in chalk on the big board for all to see in the big dining room. There is also a nice patio out front to eat and enjoy a beer.

The food was good. The four of us ordered different items and everyone seemed to enjoy what they were served. The service was quick and friendly, but we visited them during a not too busy evening. Pleasanton has the facilities to host conferences, and so if you are in town on business, just driving through or you want to take the BART to the Bay Area's eastern frontier, visit HopYard Ale House. You will not be disappointed.

07-10-2005 16:21:41 | More by ChappyCubsFan