Latest reviews from Brea

“Visited September 2017, but have been back a few times since then as we sometimes go to lunch in this shopping center with my wife's parents. They have the usual selection of beers in the store, but also have a bar where you can order draft beers (NOOC). I guess I'm not sure if it's actually legit, but we opened beers purchased in the store in the bar area while we ate...nobody said anything. Selection of both bottles/cans and draft are fine. Not the most amazing, but you can definitely find something good here. Seems to be an emphasis on Southern California and California beers, but there will be some stuff from out of the area and definitely some fake micro stuff like 10 Barrel.“

brokensail 1005 days ago

“5 Oct 2016. Hacienda is a great bottle shop. The selection isn’t as big as a big store like Total Wine but it has a lot more hard to come by beers. It’s a bit small and hard to navigate the aisles but it is a must for anyone looking for rare bottles.“

Blairgus 2787 days ago

“Quite big place but still with an intimate atmosphere. 12 of their own beers available and they do flights. Beers were up and down, service was good and we had a good time. Just struggled with my pizza, that was covered in really strong blue cheese. I could not finish it.“

rlgk 3127 days ago

“Nice shop in the corner of a shopping area in Brea. Lots of beers and with an interesting selection. Almanac, Stone and faint-Fifty was represented on the shelves. Not very cheap,cut I got nice beers to bring home.“

rlgk 3127 days ago

“Visited around noon on a Satruday I and it was quite slow. We sat by the bar and had two flights. Decent beer, nice service and the place had a nice patio, a bar-section, and a restaurant-section. Ok place.“

rlgk 3127 days ago

“Pretty much next door to Taps, who also own this restaurant. It’s a new BBQ place, as the Q in the name might imply.

The taplist is maybe about 15 beers and while all good/solid offerings, probably aren’t terribly exciting to most other than maybe one of the Hop Concept beers from Port/Lost Abbey? And I guess the Taps beers could be if you haven’t had them before, but it was mostly their standard offerings.

Decor is pretty cool. Pretty modern for the most part in the restaurant, but the bar area has sort of a retro feel to it with subway tile and brass looking towers for the taps.

Food is good. You have some nice side dish/appetizer choices here you don’t always see in California like boiled peanuts, pimento cheese, and pork rinds.

Definitely worth checking out and a nice addition to the little downtown Brea area.“

brokensail 3312 days ago

“Visited on December22nd for the sister’s BDay. Really clean, well done decor. Solid tap list, as to be expected nowadays in California, although just 7-8 years ago the beers would be wales. Sculpin, Firestone, and a beer that is brewed for them by Taps (same owners), but I suspect its a renamed beer from the Taps lineup. Food is very good, although the portions are light. Great selections of regional BBQ sauces. A strong food spot.“

wutangfinancial 3319 days ago

“130 taps, but lots of main stream and mediocre stuff, Stella, Heineken, Bud Light. I had a hard time finding 3 beers to drink. Food is good though and the service was friendly. I would have expected to see more local brews on tap.“

Beergeek23322 3388 days ago

“Visited June 26, 2014.

I’ve been meaning to get in here for a while now for the sake of having visited all the beer places in Brea. Well, I needed to run to the Bruery to get some Reserve Society stuff and I needed some protein powder (gotta lift, bro) so this was the perfect opportunity. Even by Trader Joes standards this is pushing it. They’ve got the usual Trader Joes brand stuff like Trader Jose, the stuff made by Unibroue, and the stuff made by Gordon Biersch or who ever makes the German beers. Then there’s the requisite Stone and Bruery bottles. Not that this is a reason to get excited but I did see a couple of things that I haven’t seen at a Trader Joes before like some brewery called Ol’ Burro Brewery, which after inspecting the box I’m pretty sure is contracted by Golden Road. They also had Union Jack, Stone Go To, and AleSmith Summer Yulesmith, all of which are not refrigerated. In the end I left with out even buying my protein powder, let alone any beer, due to the sheer volume of upper middle class OC folk all fighting to get to the registers. Of course rush hour is prime time for grocery shoppers, so that was my fault for being here in the first place.“

t0rin0 3600 days ago

“Definitely designed more for fine dining than the beer connoisseur but the brews were damn tasty, well constructed, and fairly complex. Waitstaff not particularly knowledgeable about the beer but were very friendly and fairly attentive. Nice ambiance, upscale for sure. Appetizers were flavorful. Would definitely return.“

BOLTZ7555 3779 days ago

“We visited this restaurant on 20.12.2013. This is a great fish restaurant, which also brews beer. Beer is for sure not the focus here. The oysters and steamed mussels were excellent, the service very nice and professional (we were sitting at the bar) and the beers were mediocre. We had an Irish Red and an IPA. They have around 8 own brewed beers and 2 guest beers on the menu. Here you come not for the beers but for the food.“

Schlenkerla 3806 days ago

“Definitely better than the neighbor hood BevMo. Huge selection of wine and pretty good selection of spirits. The beer selection is expansive, with a few exclusives for Total Wine. Pretty good for country ticks as well. Some oddities. Decent prices, parking was easy. Overall a good stop.“

BMan1113VR 3810 days ago

“I’ve been visiting this place since 2007 or so. They’re a semi high end seafood restaurant that also makes a lot of beer. I’m impressed that they can move as much beer as they do in house. In all the times I’ve been there I’ve only eaten appetizers, never the expensive stuff. That’s more because I’m not into seafood. The beer ranges from meh to really good. The old ales (Hillbilly), the coffee beers, the XPA, and a few others are quite good. They’ve had a couple of flops like their sours but over all Victor makes some good beers. Service can be good if you’re at the bar but can be hit or miss at the bar tables. I’m not sure the low scores are justified here but it’s not really a beer geek type of place, though they usually have at least half a dozen house beers to try.“

t0rin0 3909 days ago

“This used to be my go to Total Wine since it was the closest to me. I like how large the selection is and I like how at first people didn’t care that there was Supplication and Temptation sitting on the shelves. When Firestone’s 14 came out womencantsail and I went down there and bought several cases of it. They’ve since put limits on a lot of things and they even hide some things in the back like Pliny. Prices are generally better than other stores, or at least they were until they got enough market share and then they went up, but they are still better than most other places. I also like the cheap tick section. Usually $1-$2 for singles of random beers that you just never bothered to try before. The light shining on the bottles constantly and the cases of unrefrigerated IPAs are the draw backs. Another major one is the Orange County drivers and this mess of a parking lot. Not a good combination.“

t0rin0 3909 days ago

“Stopped in with chinoskillzian a while back. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by the appearance of this place since a lot of better beer stores look like dumpy corner liquor stores. They have lots of beer crammed in this little place. The Stone Bottleworks beer had just been released so there was plenty of that along with some of the newer San Diego stuff like the Saison Diego from Green Flash (I think it’s been renamed since then). I also saw Heretic beers in southern CA for the first time here as well as a few interesting imports. Cool selection. Might have to stop in again to see what’s new.“

t0rin0 3909 days ago

“This was the first Yard House I ever visited. We used to stop in periodically with large groups of friends from school. The first time I went (at age 21) I had a good laugh at the Delerium in the goblet glass. I laughed at the goblet but drank the hell out of the Delerium. As time passed and I learned more about beer I realized that these guys only have a handful of good beers and a whole lot of stuff made by Anheuser. Still a fun place to hang out but like all Yard House locations it gets loud and full. The food is pretty good. It’s conveniently located right next door to Taps.“

t0rin0 3909 days ago

“Sweet spot. Very nice place, feels slightly upscale yet very comfortable. Service is great. 10 house taps this day, and 2 bucks for a sampler of any. Didn’t eat. Free parking just to the north/northeast.“

BVery 3931 days ago

“A place where you get your stomach filled, the portions are huge, and it tastes nice too. The beers are decent, but rather forgettable, not off in any way though. We got good and friendly service even though we sat alone on the patio. A nice place to stay, even though the beers are a bit boring.“

yngwie 3937 days ago

“Been here more times than I can count, including almost every Thursday for over two years during college. This is the original BJ’s location in southern California I believe, and reading about the various Belgian beers they used to stock is what really got me into beer long ago. The food is always pretty solid at BJ’s, and the house beers are decent. It would be cool if they still brewed here so they could make new/special beers every once in a while.“

wutangfinancial 3962 days ago

“Old rating, since then they have quit brewing but still do some barrel aging:

My roommate and I stopped here on the way to Taps last weekend. I have to say that I was impressed with what BJs had on tap at the time. They had their pumpkin beer, their barleywine, and their 08 grand cru in addition to the regular selections. There were a decent number of people there so we couldn’t do a sampler, instead we had to order a bunch of pints and split them. I thought the barleywine was interesting, it almost tasted aged. I thought the grand cru was alright and I really enjoyed the pumpkin beer.

We ordered a side of fries that was a pretty good size and tasted good. But then we had been drinking so my judgement may not have been completely objective. The service was good; the bartender was very attentive even though she was serving around 20 people by herself.

The restaurant itself was very nice too. The bar had a nice top to it, not sure exactly what stone that is, and they had a bunch of Belgian bottles lined up between the liquor bottles. On one end of the bar you could see the fermenters. I think of the 5 BJs locations that I’ve been to this is the only one that actually brews their beer on site. I think the only down side was that the bathrooms were out of order so they had some porta poties outside, which were actually pretty nice all things considered.

Overall this is a pretty nice restaurant, just so long as you don’t mind being in a full and noisy place.“

t0rin0 3968 days ago

“A couple blocks down Brea Blvd from Taps (Imperial Highway). Pretty damn good selection here, which I wasn’t entirely expecting. Good mix of imported beers and the local (southern) California stuff. Service was helpful and friendly. Pricing about average for the most part.“

brokensail 3993 days ago

“Like pretty much all of the other Lazy Dog locations. A handful of "house" beers that are just rebadges of existing beers. Decent draft list of readily available but enjoyable beers. Nice to sit out on the patio if it’s a pleasant day outside, but people do have their dogs out there, so be aware. You’re probably better off just going to Taps or Total Wine if you want a bit more variety in the area, but it’ll do for the mall.“

brokensail 4128 days ago

“Love this place. I stop in at least 5 times a week. Frank always has great stuff and it pays to be a regular. There is no reason to buy my beer anywhere else.“

jp_deluxe 4155 days ago

“4 Dec 2012. pretty good selection of imports and domestic microbrews. best prices in north orange county. staff are friendly but i’ve yet to encounter one that knows much about beer (or spirits for that matter)“

Blairgus 4188 days ago

“Nice location in downtown Brea. A little smaller than a lot of the others that are out there. A really nice outdoor patio section, which seems to be almost as big as the indoor section. Prices are on the high side but service there is good (better than some of the others I’ve been to). Nothing mindblowing on tap, but plenty of serviceable choices.“

brokensail 4312 days ago

“Pretty good selection of beers (on top of wine and spirits). Most of the stuff is kept out on the shelves, but they do have a few cooler doors and a walk in. Prices are pretty good for the most part. And they sell singles of pretty much everything, which is nice.“

brokensail 4312 days ago

“Returned here during RBSG and couldn’t understand why we were visiting...until I had their stouts. My goodness, this place is a great example of not judging a book by its commercial cover. Kind service and good seafood, but you’ll pay for it. Hope they keep developing big beers and slowly move away from their current aesthetic.“

nbutler11 4319 days ago

“Another stop on the RBSG bus tour. Service was spotty, but we were in a massive group and sort of chaotic for the staff. Still very friendly. Food was delicious but huge portions and very rich. The buffalo burger was on buttered toast and was ridiculously good but very heavy for lunch. The fries were awesome. All the food looked delicious. Tap list looked okay- house beers and guest taps. The house beers could be ordered in small glasses, didn’t see a real flight of sorts. We ordered their Balinese stout and a bottle of the Remy. Both were quite good. The other house beers were disappointing. Ambiance is like a mega mega sports bar. Enormous cavern of an interior. Sort of like a beer hall feel. Very social and casual. It was a bit pricey, but the food portions were enormous. Prepare for LEFTOVERS!!“

GT 4321 days ago

“Really good food, some nice beers. The bottled REMY was a treat. Service was pretty good considering how many of us there were.“

daknole 4321 days ago

“Nice place with good food but a bit pricy. Service was a bit sketchy but we were in a big group doing lots of ticking. Decent beers but not so special. Would be nice to eat here slowly and chill.“

KyotoLefty 4324 days ago

“Best beer store I’ve ever been to. Larget selection of beer, all shelved according to style. Easy to pick and they offer build your own six packs. Great store that I spent over an hour in selecting my beers.“

Barreras 4329 days ago

“Nice place for dinner if you don’t mind spending some cash. It is really comfortable inside with a huge bar area. The service was prompt and friendly. The food was really good and the beer was mostly above average with a few really good ones. It is spendy, but not ridiculously overpriced for a nice restaurant like this. I would come back here for sure if I’m in the area again.“

joeneugs 4338 days ago

“The BJ’s beers are offered, of course, but are no longer brewed at this particular location. This is, unfortunately, the case for just about all BJ’s restaurants. They also offer some other craft and import beers, along with a couple ciders. The beers range from pretty bad to fairly decent. All in all, they’re fairly average beers that appeal to just about any beer drinker. I did not have food on this particular instance, partially because I already know that I’m not the biggest fan of BJ’s food. The service was quick and friendly, and I was checked on several times during my stay at the bar--always appreciated. Although it’s not my favorite place, I wouldn’t outright object to coming back here.“

brokensail 4409 days ago

“Had a Taps Mocha Stout, Taps Barley Wine and the single serving Godfather pizza. What a great lunch! Classy place. Great seafood selection, if you like that. Table cloth dining, if you like that. Me, I like sitting at the bar. The Stout was unusually sweet and chocolaty, very unique. Only chocolate stout I’ve had that rates equal (but different) is at Hinderland Brewery in Green Bay WI. Barley Wine was good, but expected flavor and strength. Only complaint is that they serve beer in chilled glasses. Had to ask for a room temperature glass, and the bartenderess replaced the glassware for me. I’d bring my wife for the ambiance and seafood, I’d come back for the Mocha Stout.“

MPalecek 4448 days ago

“Great selection of craft brew! some rare gems can be found about. I love this place. Has a great selection of everyday craft as well as hard to find beers. Service is GREAT! Frank, the owner knows his stuff!“

StevenT562 4453 days ago

“A nice big upscale restaurant with lots of wood. A nice U shaped wooden bar. The food was great, service was average and the beer was good. The prices were on the high side for a brewpub, happy hour prices are more reasonable.“

Sledutah 4475 days ago

“4 feb 2012. Twelve of their own beers and one guest tap. Food is a bit pricey but very good. Beer is $6 glass. Service was good and the restraint was very clean and looks great“

Blairgus 4492 days ago

“This place is getting to big to stay good. Beers are just ok. It’s been a long time since they had a regular medal count for beers.Maybe they are too busy brewing beer for their "cookie cutter units" that don’t actually brew. Pass this one up for Taps if you are in the Brea area.“

DesertHopHead 4589 days ago

“Loved this place since day one. Victor brews some great beers and fantastic seasonals! One of my breweries favorites in OC! The real deal.“

DesertHopHead 4589 days ago

“Maybe the fanciest brewery I have eaten in. Had two house samplers and did not look at guest tap list. I had the jambalaya and my wife had the rib eye. Both were perfect. Lots of polite service. They adjusted a beer sample when I questioned which was which. Manager came around to make sure everything was great.“

presario 4610 days ago

“Went based on Ratebeer comments. Everything I could want at a beer store. Singles, seasonals and service“

presario 4610 days ago

“The place is pretty nice, but damn is it expensive. I really only like to go here during Happy Hour because that’s the only time a beer isn’t $6 or $7. If they were all good, I wouldn’t mind paying it... Beers can be pretty damn solid, but they can also be pretty damn bad. They seem to make a ton of all of them, so rotation on seasonals/limited beers is sort of slow. The food and service are both great, but the plates are very expensive here.“

brokensail 4651 days ago

“great service and food. got 8, 5oz samplers for about $8. food was great and reasonably priced.“

Blairgus 4682 days ago

“Quality from top to bottom. Beer is good but not great, but overall top notch presentation. Good value.“

Canyon24 4699 days ago

“Pretty much the same review as the store in Tustin.It looks like the store in Brea is slightly larger than the one n Tustin. They also seem to have a few different beers as well. Good selection of beers. Singles are available. There is stuff here that BevMo and Hi-Times does NOT get. And their prices may be a little to a whole lot cheaper. Worth the stop if you are in the area. They have a whole lot of stuff I haven’t tasted. Might be the best beer store in the area.“

beerguy101 4702 days ago

“Ambiance: Well let, seemed more like a store and less like a warehouse, the way BevMos feel.

Service: I was greeted with an offer of assistance, and throughout my shopping experience, there were people ready to help.

Selection: A shit ton of craft beers, the only concern is most of its hot on the shelf, and a good bit of it past it’s prime.

Value: Pretty good price, cheaper than a liquor store, but the same as Whole Foods or Bevmo.

Overall: A step up from Bevmo, and a great place to shop for other related items. They even have styro shippers at this location.“

LtDan 4721 days ago

“This store is very nice. They have a huge amount of wine and spirits and they have a boat load of different types of beer and they sell singles. Great place to check out if you are around north orange county.“

breaks808 4819 days ago

“Nice place, warm and inviting ambiance, music selection good, TV presence subdued. Our server was great, passable beer knowledge and pleasant demeanor. Food was great, flavorful and aesthetically pleasing, but we’ll be reviewing fast-food joints tomorrow...budget kind of blown. I’m glad to see brewpubs upping the ante and commanding a higher price-point, but not at my expense. Not ready for $6 pints of well-crafted but bland beer, and $60 entree specials, but that’s on me. For those that can afford it- I do recommend Taps in Brea.“

icanhasbeerz 4887 days ago

“Lively atmosphere, friendly staff. Sample set for BJ’s beer was generous, beers were just OK. Some better than avg, some below avg, and they seem to understand brewing’s not their strong suit- focus is on guest taps and bottles. On-site brewery is obviously non-functional. Server was clueless when asked who brews BJ’s beer. Friendly and bland- like Applebee’s with better beer“

icanhasbeerz 4888 days ago

“For a Dane - I’d call this a mall location - looks pretty standard from the outside. Nice inside a bit rustic with stone walls and lots of wood. 8 beers of their own on when we visited of an OK quality. Seeing the food ratings it was a shame that we started the day here before lunch.“

Ungstrup 4948 days ago