Karl Strauss Brewing Company

We had a good meal here. Service was a bit spotty, but the beer and food made up for that.
I ordered a flight to sample their large beer selection. Since I’m not big on IPAs, I had the wheat, the Kolsch, the dunkel, the Amber, and the red. Our waiter also brought small samples of their double IPA, and the imperial stout. The Kolsch was amazing, by far my favorite. The Amber and Red were both very tasty, while the Dunkel was satisfying in 4 oz, but I wouldn’t be able to drink more than that. My husband had the Belgian and loved it. I highly recommend ordering the duck fat pretzel bites to eat between the beer– something about them just brings out the variety of flavor and notes of the beer.
For dinner we had the Piggy Bank Mac and Cheese and the Zoe’s Salami Chop Salad. My husband made the better choice with the Mac and cheese. My salad was very tasty and satisfying but nothing compares to Mac and cheese and pork products.
Dessert was our waiters recommendation of the Chocolate on Tap, which paired nicely with the Stout.
Only complaints were that the waiter messed our order up several times and couldn’t remember to bring us water after we asked three times for it. He did bring us a lot of beer samples but we both agreed we needed some water in between, not just more beer.

This location is
Hidden in downtown San Diego /​little Italy.
Parking in the are was suprising my easy, and free on the street next to the restaurant, so that was a plus.
Appetizer was great (boneless wings), pretzel was hard and cheese was cold :(pretty disappointing.
Our server was awesome. Very knowledgable about the beers, food, specials and anything we asked. Plus a great personality all together. Unfortunately can’t remember his name, but I do remember he is from Virginia (just in case the manager likes to know who each review is about) :D

Was in the area for an event. Despite being standing room only when we arrived with a party of 11 on a Saturday night, we were seated within 30 minutes. Our server Leo didn’t miss a beat and had our drink orders going immediately. I started with the tower 10 which was good then switched to the big barrel based on Leo’s recommendation. He didn’t miss the mark, as it was amazing. Food side I had the duck fat pretzel bites as a starter, amazing! I ordered the drunken cioppino. It had a great kick and and the shellfish was fresh and local. Honestly, the food was better than I expect food to be in a brewery. It was also on cheaper side for the area. Leo personally earned 3 of this 5 star review though. With an 11 person party I don’t expect great service, but Leo was professional, fast and managed to take care of us as if we were a party of two. Didn’t see management while I was there, but if the owners read these reviews, Leo should be at the top of the promotion queue. Compliments to our host and chefs as well. Top notch all around.

This place is great! Happy hour you can can get $ 5 flights and $ 5 pints. They also have $ 5 appetizers! Definitely recommend. Bartender Ellie (pretty sure that’s her name) was fantastic as well!

Great beer. Wasn’t one I tired and didn’t like.
Also had the pretzel. Which came with two giant soft pretzels with two really good dips.

I had the opportunity to visit Karl Strauss when I was in San Diego recently. I decided to try their monthly flight which consisted of four of their beers. After I had completed the flight, I wanted to try two more tasters but had to order a whole flight of four more beers instead of being able to just get the tasters. Oh darn, more beer for me.
While here I tried the:
Columbia Street Amber
Follow The Sun
Red Trolley Ale
Tower 10 IPA
Aurora Hoppyalis
Six Suits a Hangin
Wreck Alley Imperial Stout
Big Barrel Double IPA
The bartender was very nice but was busy and always moving. I ordered a pretzel which is always good with beer tasting to help catch the flavors of all the different beers.

Loved loved loved all the beers I tired.
I’m a big fan of IPA and this place bought it.

BLUF — A reliable BrewPub that consistently delivers tasty food and a great beer selection.
Service — ⁵⁄₅ Prompt and friendly, completely knowledgeable about the menu and the character profile of the beers on offer.
Personality — ⁴⁄₅ I have never thought this place had a great personality, but I have never gone to Karl Strauss for that, just the beer selection. It is a comfortable and relaxed place to have beers with friends, which is all it really needs to be.
Quality — ⁵⁄₅ Beer, ⁴⁄₅ Food. Two ratings because the beer is always the star and the food is a nice compliment to it. The most unique thing there is the Mac and Cheese, which is worth the trip alone, and everything else on the menu is delicious but not gourmet.
Recommendation — ⁴⁄₅ A great BrewPub that is a good backdrop to time with friends or colleagues.

Karl Strauss is a pillar in the history of San Diego brewing. Although it’s missing the charm that the smaller breweries in San Diego have, it’s undeniably still a good place to go for brewskis. Bring your friends who aren’t that into beer here too! Their nibbles are delicious.
B E E R
* TOWER 10 (ABV 6.5%): IPA that is well balanced and malty, but otherwise forgetful.
* AURORA (ABV 7%): Solid, flavorful IPA that is kind of fruity. It’s an IPA for people who don’t like IPAs!
* BIG BARREL (ABV 9%): Nice strong IPA that is easy to drink, but very hoppy.
* WRECK ALLEY (ABV 9.5%): This is a safe choice for a stout. Very cocoa/​chocolatey flavored and heavy.
F O O D
* CHILI LIME FRIES ($ 5.95): Sweet potato fries with chili powder and lime, served with spicy ranch. The lime/​chili doesn’t come through well, but the fries themselves are solid. ~ ³⁄₅
* BUFFALO WINGS ($ 11.95): Boneless wings that were expensive for what they were. ~ ²⁄₅
* ASADA FRIES ($ 11.95): Seriously good, fancy version of my favorite drunk food! Plancha-​seared steak, house-​made jalapeño cheese whiz, gorgonzola, avocado-​chimichurri, cilantro, pickled onion, and chipotle ketchup. If that doesn’t make your mouth water, I don’t know what will! ~ ⁵⁄₅
* PIGGY BANG ($ 15.95): Bacon, ham, and andouille mac n cheese. Wow! This was probably the best mac n cheese that has passed my lips. ~ ⁵⁄₅
Nothing better than pairing your beer with good food. Our server was very friendly and accommodating, and we all had a great time. No complaints here!
Food: 4, Beer: 3.5, Service: 4, Environment: 4 Price: 3

We’ve been eating at this place for years and it never disappoints. The beer belly and Piri Piri wings are a must. Today we tried their small batch brew called lychee sour and it was soooo good.
Update – the menu just change slightly and the no longer have the Piri Piri wings. So sad, that was my favorite appetizer. However, the food is still really good and the service is always on point.

Absolutely loved this place. As soon as my husband and I got off the train we headed here for beer tasting and grub. We were not disappoint. Service, food, and beer selection were all 5 stars.
We came back here to get food and beer to-​go for our train ride back to OC.

Chill vibes, great food, great BEER, great service!
Beer flight is a MUST! They have a great selection and they’re all very tasty if you love a good tasting beer. My bf and I did 2 rounds which comes with 4 beers each.
The ahi poke is to DIE! Love this place and I’d definitely come back!

We were looking for a nice place to sit down and relax and enjoy a good beer after a long day on our feet. I searched for some local breweries and Karl Strauss kept coming up, so we decided to give it a shot. It was quite busy, but we were able to squeeze in two seats at the bar. The bar tender was very friendly and offered to let us sample anything we wanted. We each decided on a couple of IPA’s. The place had kind of an older vibe to it, but it was comfortable and the beer was good.
As we were enjoying our beers the bartender just handed us another sample of a different IPA that she thought we should try. It’s always nice when the bartender recognizes what you like and goes out of her way to make you happy.
We didn’t have any food, but everything that was ordered around us looked pretty good.

Lunch:
For a $ 15 salmon salad it was totally not worth it. The amount of salad they give you was super tiny… usually for salads it’s a good amount of greens. Like Tender Greens for $ 12 you get a good amount, but here at Karl Strauss it was such a sad amount, like a small fist full. They pile it on top to give it the illusion of bountifulness but when you start moving it around it was such a small amount. It literally felt like I ate 2 leaves of lettuce.
The salad was okay, it had a lot of fixings like dried cranberries and walnuts but I felt like with that price tag it doesn’t do it justice. They include about 5 small salmon pieces, like pulled out. The smoked salmon wasn’t anything special, felt like the smoked salmon you can get pre-​made in a bag at Ralphs… If you really want a great salmon salad for about the same price but with better quality salmon (like a real pan seared piece of whole salmon filet) and quantity wise, Currant does it better.
No wonder a lot of my co-​workers don’t like coming here for lunch. Every time I suggested it they would pass, until this time… and now I know why they’ll pass.

If there’s a CHEESE BOARD on the menu better believe I will be ordering it! Had that along with the pita bread and hummus, very good combination when in a hurry for a quick bite.
The location of this place is perfect, away from most of the clutter of the downtown area and right off the coaster and trolly drop station. Nice lighting, good layout ideal for either a large party or just a few friends…
The cheese board was a little skimpy I must say, other than that the hummus a long with the cheeses were pretty good. Definitely coming back to explore the menu a little more.

Stopped by to grab a lunch bite to eat while enjoying the sites of San Diego. Our server Laura was great, took good care of us. We started off with beers Aurora Hoppyalis and Tower 10 IPA, both were very good. We ordered the Ahi Poke (Sashimi grade chopped ahi, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, cilantro tossed in a spicy firecracker sauce) severed with Wonton Chips and the Cheddar Burger (White cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion) served with Fries. All the beer and food was good. Laura even gave us each a beer sample to go with our Ahi Poke.
Good beer, good food, nice stop for lunch.

While this location was pretty busy, they still had great service and excellent food!
I can’t pas sup on the brussel sprouts here, the best ones I have had at a restaurant yet.
Love their veggie burger as well as mac and cheese and pretty much everything else we have tried here so far.
Portions are large, the quality is great, so I feel the prices are fair as well.
Great vibe and atmosphere, the others enjoyed their beer, the sampler is a great way to try a few at once, though they offer samples as well so you can make sure you like it before you have an entire glass.
One of our favorite breweries and I would return here again.

We were looking for a new brewery to try and a dinner spot. We were having trouble matching up a restaurant and brewery near each other when it occurred to us that we should just eat at a brewery. We look up Karl Strauss and check out the food menu and decide this spot fits the bill.
What a great surprise since I hadn’t heard much about this spot before coming in. The beers here were my favorite of the breweries we tried and the food was really tasty. We didn’t have any problem getting a table around 6:00 on a Friday night.
We went with the suggested sampler of the week. All of the beers in the suggested sampler were good. I loved the Red Trolley Ale and Mosaic Session Ale the most. I liked how smooth the finish was.
The food items on the menu all sounded very interesting. It read like a hip restaurant menu, not what you’d expect from a brewery. I love that breweries are really upping their game with their food. The menu really hyped up the macaroni and cheese so I decided to give it a try. This wasn’t just hype. The Norm was one of the best macaroni and cheeses that I’ve ever had. I was also able to order a side of green beans to get the ever important vegetables. They were good and came in a nice size portion. My brother enjoyed his dinner as well.
Our waitress took good care of us during our visit. She greeted us soon after we seated, helped with menu suggestions, and was friendly. She was nice about looking into a menu item for a food allergy concern.
This spot is a win all the way around. Seriously unique and delicious foods and great beer.

Server Wesley was a donkey… Told me I was gonna get slapped by him because I ordered prior to my wife who had already told me that she needed more time. He would’ve know that but he didn’t ask anything prior to serving us. He reinforced the apparent slapping two separate times when I called him on it. The assistant server did a good job but Wesley, bearded Billy Crystal look –a-​like circa 1984, was angry and unhelpful. He got zero tip from our table for this reason. The food and beer was great but slap-​happy Wesley was rude and unprofessional. See the photo on Unilocal,I’ll put my name on this… Wesley was a jerk.

Place was packed when we arrived — but a friendly reception and we weren’t waiting long.
The beer was good — but funny enough, none of the ones I tried really stuck in my head afterward — but the service and the small plates we snacked on throughout the evening were really good. We didn’t plan to stay anywhere near as long as we did, but between the hilarious server, the good food, and finding some interesting beer, well, the night went longer than expected.
Just an overall great experience, worth the price of admission.

We’ve been eating at this place for years and it never disappoints. The beer belly and Piri Piri wings are a must. Today we tried their small batch brew called lychee sour and it was soooo good.

This spot was right next to our hotel at the Westin. It was a cool spot to grab a beer and some food for our first night in downtown. The food and service was great, and the beer was tasty.
It was a very lively atmosphere. The only reason I give this place 4 stars is because their ambiance and the name doesn’t align with their décor. It looks cheap for a brewing co. Its food, service, and beer deserve a better look. Other than that it’s a great find and I love how they bring a beer pairing with your food-​nice touch!

(Actual rating 3.5 stars)
I mean if your a beer lover then yes, this place is perfect for you. While away on a business trip in Downtown SD, I was staying at the Westin and this was the closest restaurant near by. What drew me to this place was a pic I saw of their Mac n’ Cheese. Beer and Mac n Cheese?!? 2 wonderful creations…
Walking in on a Sunday evening around 6pm, this place was packed, I mean packed. After being told that the wait time for a table or spot at the bar was going to be almost 30 minutes, I decided to order take-​out. After placing my order, it was close to 20 minutes until I received my food.
I ended up ordered Mac n Cheese (spicy style) and the loaded Asada Fries. The Asada fries were okay; they didn’t have as much steak pieces and the fries were overly cooked so they were more like potato chips– in my option not worth it. On the other hand, the Mac n Cheese was mouthwatering– delicious. When deciding ’bout what to order, go straight for the Mac. You won’t be disappointed.
Be ready to pay downtown prices.

I’ve come here several times with high hopes, only to settle for average. The food is always okay, but just okay. Whether it is the fish tacos or Mac n cheese or burger, it’s always been decent. But it’s not a place that is recommend for the food.
Rather it is a place I’d recommend as a good place if you want to meet someone and be assured you’ll get a table. It’s also an alright place to get a group together last minute because of it’s wide variety of food.
The beer is also middle of the road for San Diego. In other cities, I’m sure this place would be stellar. But in a metropolitan area with cellar three, ballast point, fall, alesmith, Societe, and others, it’s just not competitive on the beer front. Mind you, this brewery is a huge step above Miller and Coors. But it’s not a place I’d send a cicerone to impress, much like you would not send a sommelier to cupcake winery.
But the service is usually attentive. And there are plenty of middle of the road options to suit a variety of people. So I’ll be back. It’s just not a place I’ll still seek out alone.

Really like this brewery on Columbia, bartenders are always very friendly and knowledgable on the beers. Love their BBQ Chicken Salad entrée and the Red Trolley beer pairs very nicely, as the bartender pointed out and recommended. Happy Hour is 3 – 6 with $ 4 flight special — choose your own or go w the one on the menu. although not really any healthy food selections on the HH menu, but hey, it’s a brewery, so order the soft pretzel app — tasty, huge and totally splittable.

Very, very good food, I’m pretty critical so don’t be put off by the three stars.
Was a great place to grab lunch next to my hotel. Very good options for people with dietary considerations. Beer was good as well. Local chain.
I’d go back if I was near it but in San Diego, there are a lot of other great places to eat as well.

adorable spot in little Italy close to the heart of downtown which made is far from surprising that we were surrounded by business men on a Monday afternoon for lunch. there didn’t seem to be much room outside, but the little space that there is seemed beautiful. we were seated inside and greeted by a wonderful server Danielle who took great care of us.
we started with flights of 4 samples. we chose the amber ale, wind&sea, red trolley, and the peanut butter stout which were all quite good. we informed the server that we aren’t fans of hoppy beers so she put together the best flight we could have asked for! I typically choose the red trolley even when i am not at Karl Strauss locations but I liked the peanut butter stout even more. great peanut butter flavors!
Our appetizer; the bacon wrapped jalapeños were very good! fresh spicy jalapeños stuffed with homemade pepper jack & goat cheese. I didn’t want the flavor to end! the burgers didn’t wow me like the appetizer did. I got the smoked Gouda burger which sounded to die for with a fig chutney, smoked Gouda, beer onions, and more. I even added bacon & avocado and it was somehow a bit bland. the meat was tender and and obviously high quality but maybe just not seasoned enough.
there were many other entrees on the menu that seemed interesting and I’ll be back to try some of them at some point I’m sure!

I went here for happy hour and was very pleased with the happy hour foods, deals on the beer and the cheap prices!
The hummus was really good, delicious even, and served with flatbread chips that were cooked to a crunch and made for an excellent pairing. Pretzels were crunchy on the outside and warm and fluffy inside, yum! These both mixed well with the seasonal beers (obviously) and the environment was perfect for our little get together.
Overall, I was impressed with the food, surroundings and the value, will definitely go back!

Came here last weekend and was surprised at the mere 20 minute wait on a Saturday night. As the bar was full the ever gracious bartender kindly served us a few drinks at the front counter. We had intended on simple burgers but after eyeballing a few orders go by we quickly decided on the P.A.C Man Mac and cheese and Beer-​Brined Chops. The Mac was absolutely sublime with portobello mushrooms, arugula and chicken in a deliciously creamy cheese sauce. My friend delighted over the perfectly cooked pork and fluffy mashed potatoes. The customer service was top notch from the host, server and bartender. Although our appetites tend to steer us to places in Little Italy (just love me that Italian food!) we were very happy with our dinner and will surely return!

Hey I actually really enjoyed this place! We all went out for my girlfriend’s birthday in San Diego and this was going to be the first. The damn burger was fucking bomb as hell. And their windandsea award winning beer was absolutely fantastic.
Everything was for a great price, and it definitely filled me up! I will definitely return, and I highly recommend!

My friend and I stopped in here for a bite to eat and of course some beers!
I have to first comment on the great service we had. I don’t remember his name unfortunately, but he was outstanding. We order an appetizer and split an entrée. Food came out super fast and he brought a beer pairing with the food. I haven’t seen this done at many places which I thought was a really nice touch. The food and beer we got was all great.
My next comment is about their Peanut Butter Cup Porter. Omg. It was like drinking a Reese’s. You absolutely have to try this if you go here. We were borderline obsessed with it. We were flying and they didn’t have any bottles of it left, so unfortunately we couldn’t take the goodness with us.
Definitely recommended!

Came here Halloween night because my group’s hotel was close by and the Ballast Point in Little Italy was too far.
I split one of the burgers and got a flight. The burger was really good ⁵⁄₅ and the flight was only $ 6! Can’t beat that. If we were to stay longer, I would have gotten another flight. I loved the Mosaic IPA so if I go again and they have it, I will for sure get it.
The restaurant is kind of small for me but it’s still good for groups.
Only negative was the pretzels. One person in our group got it and nothing about it was good. The sauces weren’t good (not even close to good according to him) and the pretzel was hard and not fluffy/​warm.

Four stars on Unilocal is the perfect rating.
Our group of four visited for lunch. The Brussels sprouts appetizer was well received by three of us. The fourth, a German on vacation, said he dislikes three things: Brussels sprouts, cats, and the French. Who am I to argue? The sprouts were roasted and glazed, with goat cheese and bacon on the side. Not as good as Beau-​Bo in La Mesa, but pretty darn good.
My wife and I split the Beer Hamburger, and it was very good, cooked to order. It arrived with a huge side of excellent French fries. I recall it costing about $ 11. Hard to remember, since we ordered flights, and solo 16 oz beers, as well.
One condiment was memorable, a beer-​based steak sauce with a little heat. Excellent !
The service was very good throughout our meal.
The meal cost $ 94, plus tip, not bad, given the amount of beer and food consumed. We left happy and satisfied.

I had the Bahn Mi burger and it bowled me over, creative, savory, spicy and refreshing all at once. Turkey never tasted so good! The Ahi Poke with avocado and wonton crisps was fresh and tasty, for a light lunch its enough!
I appreciate the revamped menu.

This is your typical something-​for-​everyone money pit. What once was probably a respected micro-​brewery is now a touristy, crowded restaurant lacking any sense of personality. The menu is just what you’d imagine: burgers, sandwiches, salads, lots of fried stuff. It isn’t bad food, but it isn’t the least bit original either. I’ve found nearly identical menus at numerous other restaurants, from BJ’s to our local Pyramid Brewing Company to Applebee’s and so on.
Side rant: Don’t list specials as part of the main menu. Specials are what you either put on the board or have the server tell you when they greet your table. My first choice was the «Wednesday Meatloaf» which I figured was an inside joke because certainly they wouldn’t include a once-​a-​week menu item on their regular menu. Would I come back Wednesday? No, I’m a tourist like most of the people here. It’s like somebody thought, «Hey, we do 80% of our business on the weekends, why not tease them with the one dish we won’t serve?»
The beer would probably gain more respect in a different setting. Any appreciation for the craft goes out the window when you’re basically drinking it to cool your tongue after eating hot wings.
If you’re looking for an authentic taste of San Diego, look elsewhere. In a town that’s known for authentic Mexican, Little Italy and tons of fresh seafood options, Karl Strauss’s typical «American (New)» menu just doesn’t cut it. The food isn’t bad, but it’s nothing I couldn’t get absolutely anywhere else.

4 stars.
I give this place a 3 ½ stars for the food:
Banh Mi Burger, $ 13.95 — This burger came with turkey and all the regular fixings of a beloved Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich but lacked flavor. Although it lacked flavor, the ingredients were fresh and the burger was huge so I was more than satisfied with the portion. This also comes with a watermelon wedge but I substituted it with French fries instead.
Ahi Poke, $ 11.95 + $ 1.95 for the avocado — Delicious, fresh, jam packed with flavor, and spicy (just how I like it). It also comes with a side of chips which makes for a hearty appetizer.
5 stars for service:
Our server, Colton really took care of us! My gf and I unfortunately didn’t make happy hour by 5 minutes but Colton managed to squeeze in beers for us for HH prices ($ 4). He recommended the Pale Ale which I thought was light and refreshing. Thanks, Colton! You rock.
If I ever come back, I plan on getting the delicious looking Mac On Tap options (Mac ‘n cheeezeeee).

Large facility with great selection of pints. I tried the tower 20 IPA and it was ok.
The beer pretzels were legit. They came out w/​a honey stone mustard and cheese. Good price for 2.
Overall not bad, this was the brewery visit of the day.

We arrived 5 pm on a Fri and the place was almost full. I could see why! Those $ 4 beer flights are awesome. It’s a great way to try a variety of craft beers while saving room for food! And I love that the beer menu is listed from largest to smallest IBU value so it’s easy to choose which type of beer to try.
Of everything we tried, our favorite beers were Wreck Alley (very dark with espresso and chocolate notes) and Endless Summer (light and refreshing). If you’re not a fan of beer, they also have $ 4 glasses of wine.
As for food, they have $ 5 happy hour dishes from 3−6pm on Mon-​Fri. We got their piri piri boneless wings, cauliflower romesco, and spicy hummus with flatbread (so everything on the happy hour menu except the chili lime fries). Portions were generous considering everything was $ 5.
Piri Piri Wings: We devoured this way too fast! These were so juicy and tender, and love that they’re boneless. Maybe that’s why they were devoured so fast.
The spicy hummus flatbread was very flavorful and I liked how they put a side of middle eastern style pickles, olives, red onions and grilled red peppers on the side that you could mix into the hummus.
I expected the cauliflower to be boring but it came fresh off the grill. There was this creamy, slightly spicy orange sauce that was delicious.
Note: you should be able to share 1 – 2 dishes for every 2 people depending on how hungry you are. We had quite a bit of food leftover, however it’s also because we drank too much beer.