Newport Beach Brewing Company

gixxerman

Pennsylvania

1.98/5  rDev -45.5%
vibe: 2 | quality: 1.5 | service: 1.5 | selection: 3 | $$

Stopped in for a quick one, maybe if was an off day or something but it went like this.

I walked around the front and noticed the outside was a little busy, I sat at the bar inside, where there were only 2 other people.

About 10 - 15 minutes later I finally see the bartender and order up an IPA. I had not even seen any staff prior to her. Ok, I thought, maybe she was waiting on the people outside, but I noticed someone else was.

I drank about 1/2 the IPA or less, it had a real funky sour taste and smell to it.

I never saw the bartender again, so I left the money on the bar and exited.

Place seemed to be laid out pretty good, tanks behind the bar, nice outdoor area.

Service and product were way too substandard for any type of recommendation from me. Look elsewhere for better service, beer unless they turn this place around.

08-11-2010 19:03:43 | More by gixxerman

womencantsail

California

2.55/5  rDev -29.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 1 | selection: 3 | food: 3 | $$

Stopped in here yesterday with a group of friends after doing some cycling.

Things did not get off to a good start. We had 12 people in our group (fairly large, I understand) and we were given a table on the patio that could fit about 8 people. When we asked if we could get an extra small table to add on to fit us more comfortably, we were told no.

A couple people in our group were not interested in having beer, so they ordered sodas. The beer came out reasonably quickly, but we had to ask multiple times about the sodas. When they finally came, the waiter made a patronizing and sarcastic comment.

The beer was mediocre, but I already knew to expect that to be honest. The food was not too bad for your basic brewpub food, but again, a service problem showed itself.

I had ordered a turkey burger, but the waiter had (apparently) decided I wanted a hickory burger. When the food came out, we made this error known, but nothing was done about it. After waiting another 10 minutes, we found another member of the staff and told them about the error and that we were still waiting. By the time I got my food, everyone else at our table was long since finished eating.

Maybe if you just sit at the bar and have a few beers this place isn't so bad. But, I would not bother coming here for anything more than that.

While this review focused far more on the service aspect of NBBC, I feel that is honestly just as important as any of the others. You can have good food and beer, but if your service is awful, then I'm not going to enjoy myself. The inverse is true as well: if you your service is good and friendly, I'm more inclined to overlook some substandard food and/or beer.

07-05-2010 22:15:30 | More by womencantsail

gorillatantrum

California

2.6/5  rDev -28.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 2 | service: 3 | selection: 2 | food: 4 | $$

Although sports bars aren't my personal preference, I cant fault the NBBC on its atmosphere. They have the requisite massive TVs and the mildly confused waitresses that one would expect. Sadly, the beer was not at all impressive.

The IPA was not on offer tonight which was a disappointment. I mention that up front so you can, perhaps, correct for my predilections. I enjoy a big, hoppy, sweet, alcoholic beer.

I had the Pelican Pale Ale first and the first sip let me know I had come to the wrong place. It was certainly hoppy, but it was a harsh and uncomplex bitterness that leads me to the conclusion that the brewmaster prefers one long brutal boil. The body of the beer was thick and strangely opaque. The beer lacked fruitiness or any of the subtle flavor profile of an ale. In short, it was a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

The ESB was marginally more successful, with some ale flavor and sweetness and less of the annoyingly severe bitter.

I had a sip of the Octoberfest and I must say that this was the most successful beer of the evening. Its sweetness balanced or perhaps only obscured the bitter.

I will say, to make up for my harsh review, that I enjoyed my food, as did everyone in my party. I only wish that I had had a good beer to go with it. Looking at other reviews on this site, I see that NBBC hosts guest beers, and I wish I had asked about those. I think I could have done much better.

10-14-2007 05:46:16 | More by gorillatantrum

warmstorage

Georgia

2.78/5  rDev -23.4%
vibe: 2 | quality: 2 | service: 4 | selection: 2.5 | food: 3.5 | $$$

Pretty blah place, though not out of the norm for Orange County. Atmosphere is a sports bar inside, though with lots of dark wood. Loud music playing at 2:35 in the afternoon, heavy on the late 80s progressive and synth pop; place is very slow. The patio looked nice, though it is on the main drag (Newport Blvd) so I chose to sit inside. Plenty of free parking in back, and easy to find. I'm writing this from inside, thanks to the free wifi, which a couple others are also using.

The beer selection is pretty limited on this visit: six taps (steam, brown, pale, oktoberfest, blonde, ESB.) Reviews already posted for the ESB and Pale; Oktoberfest is not available as a listed beer, but is pretty average, as are the others. I wouldn't bother ordering another pint, though I might drink the Pelican Pale again if I returned. The ESB I wouldn't ever bother with again, or the Oktoberfest.

Service is friendly and efficient, and when they brought me the wrong beer (asked for Pale, got Oktoberfest) they brought a free Pale, and I got to retain the Oktoberfest. Nice. Server seemed surprised that I liked the Pale best of the three: "wow! you like hoppy beers!" as though this was very unusual. (And no, the Pale isn't particularly hoppy: pretty standard for an APA.)

Prices for the food relatively high compared to other brewpubs, but pretty standard for south Orange County. (apps $7-$11; salads $6-$11; sandwiches $8-$12, meat entrees up to $30 or so.) Food is tasty, and was ridiculously fast on this slow afternoon.

Nice to have wifi and free parking, but life is too short, and there are too many better places, for me to bother returning unless I was driving by and not able to go anywhere else.

11-07-2005 22:51:23 | More by warmstorage

CRJMellor

Arkansas

3.1/5  rDev -14.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5

Pretty cool location right in the heart of Newport Beach. (seemed that way to my touristy eyes.) Decent parking in the back which surprised me given it is SOCAL. L-shaped bar dominates the right side as you walk in and behind the bar sits the brewing equipment. Based on my quick scan, the brewing has seen better days at this establishment. Staff was somewhat friendly, although the Hell's Angle working the door was an interesting touch. Beer was basic micro with pretty poor efforts and 2 decent ones. food was actually prettty good and this seems like much more of a restaurant than a beer haven. Have to say it was decent but by California standards wasn't up to the competition.

12-27-2003 04:39:52 | More by CRJMellor

TheLongBeachBum

California

3.23/5  rDev -11%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2 | selection: 4 | $$

With the Friday VIP and Evening session coupled with a full Saturday at the Pizza Port 2006 Strong Ale Festival under our belts, what better way to spend a Sunday that drinking yet more beer!! The drive from Carlsbad back to Long Beach seemed a little too far so along with BA’s Erica, Seagoat and HoppyJess we first stopped off at Hi-Times in Costa Mesa for some beer shopping. Then it was a reasonably short ride from there down to Newport Beach Brewing.

Of all the times that I have been to Hi-Times, I simply cannot believe that I have never taken the 10 minute drive and opportunity to hit up the nearby Newport Beach, so this was my first visit here.

Set in the Balboa Peninsula area it is situated on Newport Beach Boulevard where it forks between 29th and 30th Streets, and is just off to your left as you head South, a set of lights will allow you to turn left here down 30th Street, this in turn will allow you to gain access to the Parking Lot at the back of the main building.

Parking was tight, the back lot was almost full but whilst I managed to steal the last remaining spot Seagoat and HoppyJess struggled for a while. And if you think about winging the street parking rules - Don’t!! Because the little Hitler’s that patrol the streets were here checking frequently and you will probably end up with a ticket, so park wisely.

The entrance at the back is to the right of a large grain silo, which is hard to miss thanks to the fact that it is painted in a bright canary yellow. On the Silo are the names of the many brews on sale here; of note was the fact that the words “John Wayne Imperial Stout” had been painted over and replaced with the description “Dead Cowboy Stout”…same beer but I guess they had to change the name for legal reasons maybe?

Inside it has a very laid back SoCal feel. Lots of faded varnished woods lend a seafaring feel, whilst a myriad of TV’s adding Sports Bar into the equation. There are two bars, one lies off to your immediate right, whilst another sits against the far back wall but in front of the shining Coppers and other brewery equipment. To the left a small area contains tables and chairs bounded by 3 foot tall wooden walls. To the far right is the entrance to the outside seating area and another interior seating area. We were originally told we could sit here, and then told we couldn’t, which brings me onto Service….hmmm, how can I put this? Well it *Sucks* Service is a dirty word here. If you’ve been here before you may not feel out of sorts, but if you are new then it is a “suck it and see” set up. You seat yourself and hope that one of the servers recognizes that you entered the building and are alive…..even then it may take a while to get “the nod”, this is where one server acknowledges you and then promptly ignores you for a while and then appears later all nice and cheery with one of those really annoying false Californian smiles. Also, it is hard to tell who the servers are at times too thanks to the fact that they dress just the same as the punters. Crap service is part of the deal here, so you have to live with it I guess but it is not good and the worst part of NBBC for me.

Thankfully, the beer range makes the wait worth while. During my visit they had Bisbee’s ESB, Newport Beach Blonde, Pelican Pale Ale, Pistol Packin’ Porter, Wedge Weizen and a seasonal special called Xmas Coffee Porter. In addition to the house beers they also had Stone 10th and Stone ‘Oaked’ Arrogant Bastard on Tap, so the line up is very healthy. The Xmas Coffee Porter was imbibed by all four visiting BA’s and it was very good. We opted out of the food, but the Menu didn’t seem to be anything that you can’t get at any other SoCal Brewpub and rather standard fare.

This place has a lovely set-up, a well-worn and established Brewpub that knocks out some great brews, and it is for the solid brews that you should come here, the rest is so-so and ancillary to the solid regular brews and excellent specials. I hear that the Dead Cowboy Imperial Stout is legendary, so another trip may be in order here in the coming months, or after my next visit to HiTimes even.

Thanks to Seagoat and HoppyJess for the inspiration and directions as well as the lovely Erica for the company. I’ll surely be heading back here in the future and if I play my cards right I may just get to try some of the better specials when I do.

Last Visit: Sunday 3rd December, 2006.

12-10-2006 22:42:22 | More by TheLongBeachBum

mactrail

California

3.35/5  rDev -7.7%
vibe: 3.25 | quality: 2.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 2 | $$

This enduring place hasn't been reviewed for a while, so I'll give my first impression. It really seems like the 1970s, only the TV screens have gotten bigger. In fact the tvs dominate the sights and sounds of this place. We tried three beers. They seem to try some more adventurous styles but sort of fumblingly. Ten taps with blonde, pale, IPA, and other usual styles well represented. More interesting was a tart cherry sourish stout and the 18th anniversary over-funked Belgian style.

I have to say that even expecting the usual mediocre greasy bar food, the food here was as bad as I've had in a brewpub. For $11 you get a plate of lasagna with grainy ricotta, meat ground to a paste, and everything seemingly boiled down. Mealy tomatoes on the salad, and greasy cheese on a limp slice of damp pizza-like stuff. The fish and chips had the weirdest smell of the dishwasher with a whiff of amonia. No seasoning whatsoever but the breading was unpleasantly bitter. I give points for service since the waitress offered to omit charges for the fish without being asked.

For some reason, there don't seem to be many interesting beer spots along the whole Huntington-Newport-Laguna coast. There are a couple of corporate places but not much between my favorites-- La Sirena in far south Laguna and Beachwood in Seal Beach.

04-27-2013 05:22:55 | More by mactrail

PuckLSHS

Iowa

3.36/5  rDev -7.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | $$

I hit up Newport Beach Brewing after doing a tour of Laguna and Huntington, and Hi-Time Wine Cellars. Newport was a step up after my trips to Laguna and especially Huntington Beach. It is standard brewpub decorating - signs for places that are part of the local area, beer related tin, and wood everywhere. We walk in and order the taster set. Standard fare really...IPA, Pale, Lager, Hef, and seasonal. Nothing too interesting about any of them. Nothing strikes my fancy because nothing is really big, but feels semi-watered down instead of a hearty beer for the end of my day.

The reason I rate it higher is that I had to drink Laguna and Huntington beer first...this was liquid gold compared to those.

The people were nice in the place...even the drunken local receiving an earfull from the bartender who deals with the man every single time he comes in. We enjoyed our time and left saying that we should come back and order some food that was passing under our noses smelling of brewpub goodness.

Hit up the Newport Beach Brewing instead of the other two and you won't be too sorry. Just don't look for anything big or amazing because you won't find it here...at least you won't find it here all the time.

04-19-2006 02:33:37 | More by PuckLSHS

AlexM

California

3.43/5  rDev -5.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3 | $$

Gotta love the location of this place … 3 blocks from the beach.

Decent selection of beer … although some were a bit “interesting”. I attewmpted to order three different beers … each time the waiter was like “let me bring you a sample first and then decide if you want a full pint” … went through three “tastes” before I actually found one suitable for my palette … LOL, no really into cucumber aftertaste.

Food is ok … nothing thrilling, but nothing offensive either. Prices are going to be a touch high since this is an Orange County beach town … but considering the area, very reasonable.

No special trip to this place is necessary … but if you’re in the area, by all means grab some local brew!

07-13-2011 21:45:33 | More by AlexM

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -3.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | $$$

Newport Beach Brewing is located on Newport Boulevard not too far from the PCH. There is street parking as well as a lot behind the building, and there are entrances on both sides.

The inside is very open with a lot of wood and the bar is on one side with brewing tanks right behind it (along with an inexplicably placed Cincinnati Bengals sign). We sat outside on the ground level patio, and there was an upstairs one too.

NBB's beer selection consists of 6 beers including a couple rotators/seasonals. The beers are also available in a sampler tray for $9. They included on my visit a Pils, APA, ESB, IIPA, Barley Wine and Barrel Aged Imperial Dunkelweizen. Half the beers were average and the other half were above average.

Service was decent on a late afternoon. The place was not overly busy to begin with, and our server didn't need to check on us often anyway as we only had the beer sampler.

We did not try any food on this visit.

All in all this brewpub was a nice stop a coastal-type trip we took that day. Hard to complain while having a decent brew on a patio near the ocean on a beautiful sunny day in CA.

10-14-2010 03:26:33 | More by Dogbrick