Sunday 29th of January 2012 03:55:14 PM

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We were looking for REI, certain it was on Palomar Airport Road in Vista.
By the time we headed into San Marcos, we knew we were wrong but having failed to bring along the iPhone or GPS, we were truly and completed without resource to find our way.
Like radar, I pulled into a parking lot, looked up and saw the sign.
"Y'know," I said to wife Persimmon, "I believe I've developed a 6th sense about finding my way to beer."
She did not argue.
A beautiful sunny Southern California day brought us out for a pair of socks. Instead, we got early supper and new brews to discover.
They were typical...a blonde, Hefe, Amber, Pale, ESB, Oatmeal Stout and 1 dark, what they called a Pompous Ale. This looked and smelled more like a Scotch than a Porter but unfortunately lost the flavor somewhere in the fermenter. For me, it bordered on a vinegar-y taste, just a bit this side of medicinal. The Oatmeal was hand-pulled and, as you would expect, another attempt to duplicate a Guinness without much success. Granted, my palate may have become a bit too "sophisticated" but Guinness (or any of the "wanna-be's") all taste like water.
The service here was stellar...even going so far as to find the REI address for us (we had missed the mark by 10 miles!); the food, typical with burgers, sandwiches and such but again, I asked that my fries by extra-crispy and indeed they were!
So if you ever find yourself lost in San Marcos, you can't miss the brewery; it's on the main drag, it offers a comfortable and green outdoor garden underneath a variety of trees and they'll go out of their way to accomodate any request.
Mine would only be to infuse their beers with more flavor.

Wednesday 31st of March 2010 07:47:13 PM

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I had dinner and beers at the San Marcos Brewery and Grill last week. The place was pretty busy and I grabbed a seat at the bar. James the bartender talked me through the 7-barrel brewery operation and the beers included in their 7-beer sampler. They had a Premium Ale, Hefeweizen, Honey Ale, Amber Ale, a cask Oatmeal Stout, Pale Ale and the Pompous Ass (kind of a big beer equivalent of a Newcastle Brown Ale). The Pale Ale was my favorite, with a dark amber color and a slightly caramel flavor. I didn’t really pick up a diacetyl flavor in the beers. For dinner I ordered a salad and the Southwest Chicken Sandwich; a Cajun grilled chicken breast with melted jack cheese and green chilies on grilled sour dough bread. Excellent! I talked with some of the regulars and all seem to like the Pompous Ass which I was told started out as a seasonal but because of the popularity it’s now on tap all the time. Military guys have been there during each of my visits; nice to see since I’m retired Navy. I also talked awhile with Dave Nutley the owner and brewer. Dave seemed very knowledgeable about the beers he brews and he takes the time to walk around the dining room to talk to each of the customers. I’ll be back the next time I’m in San Diego.

Tuesday 5th of January 2010 10:25:45 PM

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While on the way to visit some other San Diego area breweries and pubs (and needing to kill some time until the other places opened), a chance look out of the car's window discovered this place. It was still a little early for the brewery tap rooms and they were open so we figured it was worth a stop.

The place was pretty quiet just prior to lunch time on a Saturday so we ended up with the bar to ourselves. On tap were a brown ale, a stout, another beer I don't recall, and a guest wheat beer. The unmemorable beer had a fair amount of diacetyl character while the sample of the brown seemed OK. As it warmed, a bit of diacetyl character surfaced; not to my liking but not as overpowering as some other beers I've had. The stout was the winner of the three.

With so many other places to visit and the need to keep consumption under control, we didn't check out the food menu.

Monday 12th of January 2009 02:08:52 PM

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The bar area is located in the center, between the brewery and the dining rooms which had booth and table seating. There is a long bar and additional table seating in front of windows that display the brewing facility. There were seven brews on the tap list. The Old English ESB and the Oatmeal Stout (Old Goats Oats) were fairly well done however the Pompous Ass Brown had an off taste, possibly from dirty tap lines. Located in Restaurant Row, we came for dinner expecting something interesting. The menu is a bit more upscale than a typical brewpub, but nothing unusual and the items we choose were average at best. In particular, the seafood wasn’t fresh and fried items were a touch greasy. There is plenty of parking in the Row’s large lots and you might consider stopping by for brew but eating at a neighboring restaurant.