February 10, 2009
Nice atmosphere in a ’you may well be paying too much for this beer’ kind of way. The food is just crazy awesome. As local, organic and responsible as the Stone WBG but with a little added rustic grit. Bottles of BA Speed on the menu. Four to five casks. Closes so early you’d think it was run by the Catholics.

January 28, 2009
Had dinner at The Linkery with Katie after we found out that Alesmith was sending over a CASK of Speedway! Nice location, settled off a side street in the heart of North Park, amidst all the other beer bar greats like Toronado, Hamiltons etc. Interesting setup inside, with a big wooden bar that faces the kitchen and tables behind. A projector screen was playing videos of organic farming or something of the sort. Very extensive and impressive bottle list, of which included Firestone XII and Lost Abbbey stuff. The rosemary-infused water they serve is interesting. Food is good, but way overpriced for sausages. I would go back just for the beer; come on, Speedway on cask is unbeatable.

January 21, 2009
Visited here on the first day of RBSG2008. Nice place, though it can draw a good amount of people. Not a whole lot of rare stuff on tap, but some stuff that I’d not had yet. Prices were reasonable for the stuff on tap, bottles could get a bit pricey. Within walking distance of a few of the other San Diego spots, so its worth dropping in just to check whats on.

January 18, 2009
We had a great time here. The concept for this restaurant is so refreshing--it’s great to see people making such a strong commitment to the local/organic/sustainable food movement. The menu is a lot of fun with many interesting and adventurous options for the meat/charcuterie lover--many fine artisanal cheeses as well. Their tap selection is excellent, but be wary of the bottle list. Their website hadn’t been updated so many of the items I was really excited to try were no longer available in the restaurant. When I did see something that was on the beer list in the restaurant that I really wanted they were unable to find it in the back. So, aside from this disappointment, we had a really fun evening here. Definitely seek it out while in San Diego.

September 16, 2008
Nice setting. Open air restaurant and bar. Rarities (for me, anyway) on cask and on tap. Excellent slow food thing going on. My meal was delicious, but small and expensive. Not much to say, other than I wouldn’t have been able to try Green Flash Super Freak on cask anywhere else and I’ll definitely go back next time I’m in San Diego.

August 14, 2008
OK. Well, let me start out by saying that the concept is commendable. Slow food, quality ingrediants, and most if not all things made from scratch on the premises. The restaurant itself is decently laid out and decent looking, with the sides being glass garage doors that stay open and allow the place to be airy and open. I wont mention the fact that unbeknowst to me, i was kicked out of this place at RBSG...as I heard from someone else...though I did nothing nor was ever told I was kicked out...maybe it was a lie. I dont know. I went back to this place yesterday, sat down, and had a meal to myself. The beer list. Well, the mark-up is extremely insulting for one thing, at least on the bottle list. The list is somewhat short but contains some good Lost Abbey rarities as well as other decent rarities, including Barrel Aged Speedway Stout at $38/bottle, which is probably the best and only deal on the beer menu. But let me sum up the mark-up problem with this menu item: Vertical flight of Stone Old Guardian 22oz from 06, 07, & 08 for...uh, $200. Fuck you!!! I’d rather pay $200 to pour those down the drain while the LInkery Crew and Greg Koch watched. In any event, the other bottled beers on the menu do not have that much of a retarded mark-up, but there are several mediocre and easily attainable beers at the $30, $40, $50+ level that just is insultingly a 500% markup. On to the food...Well, The artisinal Cheese plate starter at $12 contained three nice cheeses and was a good solid start. The sausage platter, the name of which has escaped me but contained sourkraut/melted cheese...was decent, though the sausages needed some work. They may be made on premises but they the brat lacked sophistication and neither of them had enough salt to bring out the flavors that were there. THe real problem however was the housemade mustard was a honey based mustard and it was the only mustard they had. Fuckin A i love mustard but I despise honey-based mustards, no matter how well made...and i find it fucking pretenious that they couldnt make another mustard out there because it clearly clashed with the sausages I chose for my platter. The tap beers were pretty sparse and boring save the Avery 15, which most people hate but i quite enjoy. My original comment was too long. Fuck you!

August 10, 2008
What a great restaurant this is! Setting was semi-fancy. Not a beer bar but more of a restaurant with a great beer list. Food was pretty good as well. Cant believev I ordered a Barrel Aged Speedway from the menu, and for a decent price!! Also had both Angel’s Shares available as well. It certainly gets some high marks for that. Decent service, although not the quickest. Still was a great experince because of the speedway.

August 5, 2008
Some of the best sausage I have ever had, allbeit a bit pricey, and a small yet decent selection on tap. Nice, urban trendy atmosphere.

July 16, 2008
This place recently moved 3794 30th Street (30th at North Park Way). I actually haven’t been to the new location, so I will have to tweek my rating when I do get there in the next couple weeks. My review is based on the old location, which I have been to probably 7 or 8 times. A fun place for dinner. The food is usually quite good, but like everything else at the Linkery, it’s hit or miss. I have excellent meals here, and I have had other things that were just ok. The service has been everything from extraordinary to down right horrible. The old location was very very small and cramped. The premise behind the food is wonderful though - they use locally grown, organic products in their food. Lots of Vegetarian and healthy choices. The house made sausages are usually stellar. The beer selection, while not amazing, is very good. They usually have a cask going, and again, local brewerires are the principal selection. Prices are fairly high - and they have been known to run up the price on the rarer beers. Still, worth a visit if you are in town.

October 1, 2007
Dark, vegetarian-friendly restaurant in a quiet part of San Diego. Plenty of street parking when we were there (8:30 on a Friday night) and no problem getting a table at that point. Beer selection was solid: nothing terribly rare, but lots of the best San Diego has to offer (Lost Abbey, Alesmith, Stone); beer served in thin wine glasses, which was a nice touch; Oaked Arrogant Bastard on cask. The food, for what I was expecting, was very disappointing, and we probably would have been better off eating at O’Brien’s: the vegetarian lasagna was miniscule and odd, and my wife’s veggie burger was nothing much. At that point in our visit, I definitely could have used a more filling meal, or at least something more than a sad bit of pasta on a gigantic plate. I’m sure some of the other entrees are better, but ours weren’t exceptional; an extra point for a least having a number of vegetarian dishes in the first place. Otherwise, a very charming restaurant with friendly waitstaff and an excellent selection of local beers. Worth a shot if you’re in the area, but don’t expect to be stuffed. Reasonably expensive ($21 a bottle for Lost Abbey Devotion).