Francesca’s

No Longer In Business

Is it a dive bar masquerading as a craft beer pub or vice-versa? No matter - if you like good beer, with an awesomely curated diverse selection of brews rarely found in the area, this is the place for you. They know and appreciate beer and are happy to share the wealth with any patron who shows interest. Well connected too - one of only 3 places in the South Bay to be on allocation for Pliny the Younger, which drew a large enough crowd to run dry in a mere 30 mins. Always many interesting styles of highly rated brews to choose from, and they will give samples and pour half pints as well so you can try new things without committing to a pint up front - or just enjoy a selection of great brews in one go. Common offerings from Ballast Point, Stone, Dogfish Head, Goose Iland, Drake’s, Deschutes, Russian River, Firetone Walker, Bear Republic...what’s not to love?

Visited December 29, 2013.

Wow, talk about a diamond in the rough. It looks like a dive bar from the outside, and while it basically is a dive bar they have a lot of good taps. Bourbon County Stout, Bourbon County Barleywine, Temptation, Drakes Denogginizer. Union Jack, Lagunitas IPA, etc. Good stuff on tap for sure. It distracted a bit from dozens of Steelers fans and their damn Terrible Towels. But hey, if you’re into dark bars, pool tables, and drunk football fans you’d probably like it here. I was a little irritated by the price tag on the Bourbon County Barleywine, which was $12 for a 10oz glass or $6 for a 5oz glass. I went with the 5oz glass, and it was really good. The bartender told me that he had two more kegs of it in the back too, so I’ll likely stop back in next month when I’m in town again.

Looks like a dive. I remember going there years ago when they had three taps and shared the space with a BBQ joint. Now they are trying to upscale the beer selection, which is pretty good but dominated with west coast micros. Still populated mainly by the old regulars, who can’t imagine why anybody would pay 7$ for a pint of beer when PBR is on tap.