Saturday 11th of February 2017 05:16:02 PM

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Wife Persimmon and I took a good part of 2016 and a small "taste" of 2017 to drive the good ol' US of A. Toward the end of our journey, we wanted to make our way back to the Pacific Northwest (Oregon / Washington) where we spent a grand 20 years of our life.

Fort Bragg was one of the last places along the way where we knew we could get some good beer, having stopped there on the trek down to Southern California...and it did not disappoint.

As opposed to our last visit, the service here was outstanding. (In 2011, the bartender was young, male and rude.) This time, young - female - and more than willing to accommodate our food order with a smile.

North Coast is known for its Russian Imperial, Old Rasputin...but I was looking forward to the beer aged in bourbon barrels.

"Oh, I'm so sorry sir but we only have that in bottles."

"No worries. Direct me to the nearest bottle store."

"Right there, sir."

"Really? I don't have to go to a liquor store?"

No, no I did not. So a wonderful meal, an Old Rasputin and Brother Theonius later, we departed, bottle in hand, to be consumed at a later date when the occasion demanded...

...which did not take long.

The next day.

I couldn't wait. I had been hearing about this brew for some time and I had been patient long enough...and it was everything I had read and more. Full of flavor, a bourbon back that was not overwhelming but bold and wild and packing a punch.

The brewery itself is across the street from the taproom which is relatively small but always populated. A lot of laughs in this place...people having a good time.

Parking is limited...come in the early afternoon...after lunch....mid-week. Sit and enjoy.

It's the best thing about Fort Bragg.

Monday 8th of August 2011 07:36:21 PM

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I made a couple of poor decisions while at the bar/grill. First was the Brother Thelonious. Not my kind of beer. For dinner I had the chicken with wild rice. I should have had the baseball steak dinner since my friend truly enjoyed it. I had the Scrimshaw which was a very good pilsner.

The bar and restaurant were very busy, the bartender was doing his best but it appeared he had lost 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gear. So order two beers or a pitcher.

The service was great and we had a very nice waitress that helped us pick out some dive bars and morning coffee.

Unfortunately we didn't make it to their separate brewery store but there is a gift shop within the restaurant.

Friday 14th of August 2009 03:42:23 PM

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North Coast Brewing’s brewpub is in an old building on Highway 1, right across the street from the production brewery. The entrance is in the middle of the building, directly accessible from the parking lot. On the right is the bar area and on the left the dining area. Straight ahead is a small gift shop.

The whole building has old-fashioned tall ceilings with wood trim about two feet down from the ceiling and wallpaper above it. The dining area has wooden tables and booths, red carpeting, and the walls are painted a reddish color. In the bar area, the walls are painted yellow, the wallpaper strip is a dark blue and green paisley, and the ceiling is painted midnight blue. The floors are light wood and are old and worn but are well-maintained. The bar itself is a lovely classic old oak bar with a brass foot rail. The bar back is also classic old oak with columns and mirrors. Lighting fixtures hang from the ceiling and are metal tubes with green lampshades. The most prominent decorations are a moose head and an elk head. There’s also an old stone fireplace (not in use). There are also two TVs in the bar area showing sports (sound on).

The bar area has a comfortable, true pub atmosphere, with lots of low-key conversations and a good feeling.

There’s quite a range of beer styles and the various brands made by North Coast. Available on our visit: Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, Red Seal Ale, ACME IPA and Pale Ale, Scrimshaw Pilsner, Blue Star Wheat, Old Stock Ale, and Brother Thelonius (Belgian abbey-style).

Friday 22nd of May 2009 12:07:50 AM

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What a great place to visit, if only our trip schedule allowed us to go on the tour.

If you don't know anything about North Coast beers, they can't be praised enough. Just try them. The food was top-notch as well. More expensive than many of the Californian breweries I've visited (Sierra Nevada, Medocino, Anderson Valley, Ukiah, Lost Coast) but the food a drink are top-notch.

Service was acceptable, nothing of note.

The gift shop carries limited edition barrel aged beers (varies by season and year). Expensive, but SO worth it. Four bottles of 2005 brandy-barrel aged Old Stock came home with me :-)

Friday 6th of June 2008 04:07:58 AM

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Just a damn wonderful place. World famously great beer, a true California gem. I'm not even going to bother to tell you about the beer, look at the website. They have recently started making a couple more Belgians than the Pranqster, which is a great addition to their long standard line-up.

I really love hanging out at the bar here in the afternoon when it is not too crowded. Great people work there, very kind and generously spirited, so be good to them. Well worth the drive, just be careful driving away.

Food is upscale.

Friday 4th of April 2008 07:16:47 PM

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Very nice place with very good beer. North Coast is well-known but they had some surprises in there for me. I had a few tasters, some of which were a pretty high %, and got nice and toasted before leaving. If I had stayed for a pint, I would have been drunk.
Good stuff all around though. Not a big fan of the Red Seal, but everything else I had was excellent. I didn't get a chance to have any food, but the menu was pretty simple. The pub itself looks new from the outside but seems much, much older on the inside. Almost all wood and very loud, it seems to attract mostly younger (20s) locals, who also constitute most of the staff.
Fort Bragg is very out of the way if you're not actually coming here or to Mendocino, but it's worth a detour as it's a pretty town and this place has very good beer.

Thursday 14th of February 2008 03:05:52 PM

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This person needs 3 or more reviews on the site for their scores to start counting.

I stop by the North Coast Brewing Co. when I get to Fort Bragg. I often enjoy their beer sampler. Thier Red Seal Ale is great as well as the ACME Pale Ale. The Old Rasputin Stout is quite solid and goes well with chocolate.

Of course visiting the North Coast is always a beautiful and great trip from the SF Bay Area. The atmosphere is cozy and warm in the pub. Their beer batter fish and chips are great.