Saturday 11th of February 2017 05:42:05 PM

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Wife Persimmon and I landed in Pacific Grove after a drive from Morro Bay and a stop in Paso Robles to visit Firestone-Walker brewery.

We had stayed in Carmel before...and didn't want THAT expense. So we found a delightful little cottage hotel near Asilomar where we could "hang" for a coupla days as we made our way up the coast of California into the Pacific NW.

Nearby Monterey offered several different breweries / brewpubs but glancing at the beer lists online, none of their "stock" appealed to us...except Peter B's downtown.

So onward!

What we found was disappointing.

The brewpub lies in the middle of a modern shopping "center" but to find it is a gamble.

Parking is almost nonexistent...we were fortunate that it was mid-week and very stormy so was able to grab the one and only open spot on the street.

Walked across a deserted mall and into Peter B's, a modern sports bar.

The beer list was typical West Coast...full of IPA's and Pale Ales....nothing special here although the Bruges sounded exciting. It wasn't. As with way too many California breweries and pubs, this was a Belgian full of hops throwing the balance completely off.

The food was mediocre and over-priced (perhaps not for Monterary-ians?) -- the service slow and un-smiling and consequently, we sampled...paid...left no tip and made out way back out into the rain...where it was "sunnier."

There are some cities that take themselves way too seriously...and this part of Northern California is a perfect example.

If you enjoy good beer...a pleasant atmosphere...a certain character in your brewery / brewpub....an opportunity to get to the know the brewer...good service...good food...in other words, a place to spend an hour or more with like-minded people, this brewery...this town is not your place.

To paraphrase some wise person from long ago, life is too damn short to spend time in an un-happy environment.

The NorCal coast is gorgeous...many of its inhabitants are not.

And the beer?

Meh.

Thursday 23rd of February 2012 08:08:15 PM

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There were six house-made beers on our visit: Belly Up Blonde, Fort Ord Wheat, Inclusion Amber, Legend of Laguna IPA, Stout Resistance Stout, Dark Side Ale and Chocolate Porter. The IPA was quite good.

Peter B's Brewpub is part of a hotel, but you can visit without realizing it (separate entrance, etc.). The atmosphere is largely typical sports bar but the space is pleasant enough. A large bar section has tall light wood tables with swiveling captains chairs and a fairly long wooden bar with the same chairs. The brewery is visible through windows from the bar area and from the outdoor patio section just outside the front entrance.

A gas fireplace (open on all four sides) separates the bar area from the dining room. The dining room has a carpeted floor and is filled with red padded booths. Several interesting framed reproductions of historical photos decorate the walls. Ceilings throughout are paneled with a nice unfinished wood. Also through out are countless TVs tuned to sports (sound off) - in short, you cannot avoid seeing at least one TV.

Food is sophisticated pub; a cut above the standard, yet still with classic options. The tomatillo salsa, calamari, and fish tacos we had were quite good.

Sunday 13th of January 2008 12:35:46 AM

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Although Peter B’s is part of the Portola Hotel, PB's entrance is actually on an outside alley/mall behind it (I walked through the hotel and out the back door before finding the pub). This makes it seem less like hotel dining and I found the brewery design and location very attractive. The brewing room is fully visible inside a glass solarium type enclosure. The bar area is small, but there is a nice outside patio where you can enjoy both the mall and the brewing activities. There were 9 house brews plus a root beer on tap when I visited. Unfortunately, I got there in the middle of an NFL playoff game so it was crowded and service suffered. The menu included some interesting pub fare but I didn’t get a chance to sample any. Street parking can be difficult in the area but if you're not using the hotel garage, there are public garages in front of the hotel and the State Historic Park/Custom House Plaza is just across the mall.