Sunday 29th of May 2011 10:37:31 AM

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I know better.

Stay away from the large "craft" breweries pretending to be small and local.

It just ain't true.

And although McMenamin's in Oregon and Washington do WONderful things with abandoned and historical buildings -- even though some of their food is unique (cajun-ized tater tots) -- even though their beer is OK, like all the other so-called large / small brewpubs they guarantee that, like Bud and the other biggies, one can always count on getting the same thing in each location. Terminator Stout will always taste like Terminator Stout.

This also holds true for Big Horn Brewing (The Ram Restaurants), Oggi's Pizza and Brewpubs and the others. This is not a bad thing but at times, I long for something new and different.

Son #1 asked if I had tried B.J.'s and I proudly said "no" for just the reasons stated. He "suggested" that I do so -- that the beers were "damn good."

At the end of a 7-week road trip, B.J.'s was the closest brewpub that actually had more than french fries and burgers so, we stopped.

And I must admit, although I'm sure all of B.J's are guaranteed to be the same, their beers were outstanding and like nothing I have tasted before in such a large, corporate-owned business. (The "corporate" was driven home forcibly when I asked if I might take some pictures to accompany this review. "Check with corporate" came the reply..."my hands are tied" --.so I had to be a bit
covert here. Shhhhhhhh!)

From the Blonde to the Stout, each beer was unique. The brown actually had a nutty quality and taste on the tongue...the stout was NOT a Guinness rip-off and the food was excellent. An appetizer Turkey Club thin-crust pizza was more than enough to satisfy my appetite - that should give an idea of its size.

B.J.'s can be found all over Southern Cal and, although I am still a firm believer in frequenting and supporting small breweries and brewpubs first, this large big business brewery is doing it right.

And yes, #1 son -- you were right.

There? Happy now?