Manhattan Beach Brewing Co.

Manhattan Beach Brewing Co.Manhattan Beach Brewing Co.
Manhattan Beach Brewing Co.Manhattan Beach Brewing Co.
Brewery, Bar, Eatery

124 Manhattan Beach Boulevard
Manhattan Beach, California, 90266
United States

// CLOSED //
BEER STATS
Average:
3.3
Beers:
7
Ratings:
19
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.61
Reviews:
18
Ratings:
18
pDev:
12.74%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Dogbrick:
Photo of Dogbrick
Reviewed by Dogbrick from Ohio

3.7/5  rDev +2.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
MBB is located about 15 minutes from LAX on Manhattan Beach Blvd, a couple blocks off Sepulveda. There is metered parking all around, and you can see the Pacific from their front door.

The interior is cozy and narrow, with table seating on the left and the bar on the right. Lots of wood and brick, and the brewing tanks are just a couple feet away from the bar seats.

The beer selection is pretty standard. There are six draughts and they run from Blonde to Porter, with one of the beers being a seasonal. All of the beers are average to above average. A sampler is available for all available beers for $6. They also have some bottles in a cooler behind the bar. Nothing too noteworthy there other than Chimay or Sierra Nevada.

Service here was good on a late Wednesday afternoon. The bartender knew the beers and told me a little about the brewer.

I did not try any food on this visit.

I doubt I would make a special trip again to go here but luckily there are a couple other brewopubs along Sepulveda, including Manhattan's sister site Redondo Beach Brewing.
Feb 22, 2008
More User Ratings:
Photo of DanOLeary
Reviewed by DanOLeary from Washington

4.22/5  rDev +16.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Stopped in for 2 pints of ale and was very impressed by the tap lineup as well as the beer knowledge of the bartender.

Their beer list lays out the selection of 48 beers on tap very well. Nearly all the beers were priced $5 for a 12oz or $6 for 16oz. They currently have Lost Abbey Bourbon Angles Share which is priced at $8 for an 8oz pour. All of the prices seemed very reasonable.

There is plenty of seating at the bar as well as large tall tables in the middle with numerous booths along the wall.

I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a nice beer bar in the Manhattan Beach area.
Apr 29, 2010
Photo of BeerDetective
Reviewed by BeerDetective from Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +2.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
A very nice place just off the beach. The atmosphere was very friendly, the staff knew their stuff. It was a little dark, which made the tap handles a little hard to read. A very nice place I happened to stumble into during my recent trip to the LA area. I had the Stone IPA, and a nice IPA from Avery whose name escapes me at the moment. I do wish I had tried the food, it all looked very nice. I was going to return to get some of Port Brewing's Saison, but my schedule did not allow for that. I did like the place, I was not expecting to find a good beer bar at the beach!
Mar 04, 2010
Photo of jakeskins2124
Reviewed by jakeskins2124 from California

4.5/5  rDev +24.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
This place just remodeled and have really stepped up their game.

BrewCo now has 48 diffent beers of draught. The selection is quite good and everyone will be able to find a beer they like. They have a wide variety of beers I have never seen on tap anywhere else but also have your standards for your non-adventurous friends. The bartender said they keep alot of the selection rotating for seasonals and special releases. The list seemed to have stuff from all over the world.

Also have 20+ by the bottle.

The food is better than your standard fried bar food.

Overall a great addition to the beach seen here.
Dec 01, 2009
Photo of DStro99
Reviewed by DStro99 from California

4.25/5  rDev +17.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
Newly remodeled, re-opened as of last week and re-named as Brewco Manhattan Beach, they no longer brew in-house but instead have 48 beers on tap and another 26 in bottles.

Wide selection of beers from all over the US and Europe with a nicely described beer menu. Nothing too unique or rare but a wide enough variety to please nearly any palate.

Their menu is wide and varied but they pull it all off very well. There is nothing on the menu that is over $19.95 and that includes 2 different steaks and a full rack of ribs.

This location is unparalleled being less than 25 yards from one of the nicest beaches in urban Los Angeles County. The front of the building features a glass roll-up garage door for those beautiful Southern California days and nights when the indoors becomes outdoors or is it the other way around?

Great beer and great food and great beach...what else can you ask for?
Oct 27, 2009
Photo of jneiswender
Reviewed by jneiswender from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +10.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Went to this brewpub right by the beach. On tap were about 7 brews. The most interesting and well liked by several of us was the raspberry porter. All of the beers pair well with the food. The food was pretty good too. Nothing very different than any other brewpub. Burgers, fish tacos, etc...The service was good and the food came quite quickly.

The food was reasonable for the area but expensive if you are not from California (entrees were around $15 and beers $4 a pint). Mind you that you are also 1/2 a block from Manhattan Beach which isn't all that bad. I would go back.
Aug 07, 2009
Photo of gangofmorlocks
Reviewed by gangofmorlocks from New York

3.48/5  rDev -3.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Stopped by looking for a place to eat in Manhattan Beach. Wasn't even in beer hunting mode. Came across this charming little brew pub right on the beach.

The very long bar is on the right side when you walk in with seats and tables on the left. 12 vats line up behind the bar. There's a small cooler with mostly macro bottles. I did spy some Sierra Nevada Pale Ales and a couple Fat Tires.

These beers were on tap when I was there:

Manhattan Beach Blonde
Hefeweizen
India Pale Ale
Rat Beach Red Ale
Chocolate Porter
Raspberry Porter
South Bay Bitter E.S.B.

I settled with the E.S.B and the Seafood Enchilladas. The bitter paired well with the enchilladas. Not a bad beer. Hint of diacetyl. Short Kent Goldings dry and spicy finish. Medium carbonation. The bartender wasn't 100% sure of the abv. But he thought it was 6.2. Not a bad beer.

I also tried a taste of the IPA. A little too dry for my liking. A little of a hop bomb. Weighed in at 6.8.

Overall, worth a stop. A little pricey.
Apr 17, 2009
Photo of Offa
Reviewed by Offa from California

3.78/5  rDev +4.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
This is a nice little brewpub in the heart of downtown Manhattan Beach.

The beer range is not bad, but a little small and very standard, with nothing at all unusual. The beer itself is overall pretty good but again not great and ranges from very mediocre to good and for the most part very standard in character and quality.

The food is good, with some good variety and generally done quite well.

The service seems friendly and reasonably efficient.

The atmosphere is nice, the place itself being small, btu quite attractive, with nice seats in bay windows flanking the door, open to the warm, mildly humid air and sea breezes. It is located in the heart of downtown, right on the main east-west street that goes won to the pier, about one block up from the beach.

It seems a little pricey, presumably becuase it's Manhattan Beach.
Oct 31, 2008
Photo of flannelman808
Reviewed by flannelman808 from California

3.35/5  rDev -7.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 4
I went there a few nights ago. There was a pretty good crowd, I sat at the bar. Beer selections were basic... light ipa red stout pils. I got the ipa and was dissapointed. It lacked the character i look for in a beer. my friend got the pils which was not great, and I tried the red as well. The rat red was the best beer I tried there and I would give it a b- a best. However I did get one of there usda prime burgers and it was great. The menu looked much more sophisticated then your average brew bar menu. That said , go for the burgers not the beer.
Aug 10, 2008
Photo of charlzm
Reviewed by charlzm from California

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
Visited at 2:00pm on Monday, 01/07/08. Decor is dark wood and brass and flat screen TVs showing FSN and ESPN. Booths are comfortable, bar has nice look. Service was reasonably fast and accurate. Wish they had more and better beers, but I guess I'm just spoiled. The food was pretty good but somewhat pricey: I had the BBQ salmon with fries and steamed veggies and ate every bite. Dessert menu has two items, neither of which sounded appealing to me and my friend. Not quite good enough as a restaurant to justify the prices and not good enough as a brewery to justify going for the beer. Still, I'd rather that they exist than not.
Mar 10, 2008
Photo of kleffman
Reviewed by kleffman from California

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Went here one evening with some old friends and shared a couple pitchers over dinner. Unfortunately everyone only wanted light beers so I couldn't try any of their more adventurous styles but their blonde was an alright example of the style, at least it went well with my dinner. If anything, the food was very good, and even though it was crowded we didn't have much issue getting a table. Small though, maybe it was an off night. Great location if you want a walk on the strand/pier afterwards, or would like to stop into some other bars before heading out. Manhattan Beach is a beautiful little area so it's hard to hate on this place, even though the other reviewers don't give it a great score. I'd go back any day.
Dec 24, 2007
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Reviewed by 86sportster883 from Maryland

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
I stopped in the Manhattan Beach Brewing Co. late on a Friday afternoon, and the place was mostly empty. Good thing, since the place is really not very large and it would get crowded quick as the evening crowd rolled in. Nestled among the boutique shops of Manhattan Beach Blvd, the place has a little bit of an upscale feel to it. The single narrow rectangular room is divided in half with the bar on one side, and booth seating on the other. Multiple flat screens and other TVs are suspended from every wall and music is piped in throughout.

While there, I tried two beers that I thought were very good examples of their respective beer styles: the IPA and the Chocolate Porter. Each pint cost $5 and I'm not sure if this was their happy hour price, or their regular price. I also ordered one of their large soft German pretzels ($4.95), which was so big it was almost a meal in itself. The service was prompt and the bartender certainly knew how to pour a proper pint.

In addition to their own draft beers, they offered a small selection of bottled beers that, in addition to your standard macros, included the likes of Chimay, Anchor Steam and a handfull of other quality beers. But this is not a beer bar destination. The draw here is the beer brewed on the premises, and the ones that I tried were really quite good.
Dec 15, 2007
Photo of Floydster
Reviewed by Floydster from California

2.3/5  rDev -36.3%
vibe: 2 | quality: 2.5 | service: 2 | selection: 2.5
Had 5 of their own brews and then normal domestics

Their own beer is not very good and the service was terrible

IPA was bland and overhopped, also served pretty warm with was not good

I must have been sitting at the bar for fifteen minutes and there was not that many people in there

Right on Manhattan Beach Blvd., so you get to deal with a snobby crowd

Need other guest beers to make this place worthwhile

I heard their food is good, so maybe they have that much going for them

Not my favorite place and was not worth the time and money for me
Sep 05, 2007
Photo of jjayjaye
Reviewed by jjayjaye from New York

3.28/5  rDev -9.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3
The view of the pier and the beach made my day after the long flight from upstate NY. Long, narrow facility seemed to add to the crowded sense at lunchtime. The staff worked hard to service the crowd at this touristy spot (hats off to them!!). The beer selection was good. Barkeep was kind enough to set me up with a "sampler". All of the beers we good; I particularly enjoyed the porter. They offer a fairly standard menu and everyone enjoyed their meals. Craft brew karma was going on...I would recommend a visit.
Aug 19, 2005
Photo of rowew
Reviewed by rowew from Colorado

3.66/5  rDev +1.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5
Great location right on the main strip just half a block from the pier. Nice long skinny bar area, with seating on the other side of the narrow building. Behind the bar are the fermenters (with one bubbling like crazy into a blow-off bucket!). Tried the sampler - everything was decent, but nothing to write home about. Bartenders were friendly but a little distracted, probably since it was shift change. Nice spot to stop off for a drink.

Note: Apparently this bar has some sort of investor relationship with Redondo Beach Brewing. Different owners, but the same investors. A lot of the signage is the same, and some beer names, but apparently they have different brewmasters.
Jan 30, 2005
Photo of Rumrunner
Reviewed by Rumrunner from California

3.38/5  rDev -6.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Manhattan Beach Brewing has a great location. Right in the touristy area of Manhattan Beach. The pier and beach is close and there are plenty of shops and restaurants to walk to. The hustle and bustle of Manhattan Beach if there is such a thing.

An old brick building, built in the 1930's. A long skinny restaurant with a nice long bar. Tables and chairs make up the rest of the restaurant. The atmoshphere is pub but I did not get a real beach feel even though it is in a beach town. The brewing equipment is behind the bar. The place is well lit but there is a darker feel to the place because the only windows are at the front of the place and not much natural light is exposed to the restaurant. Mirrors and beer signs dot the walls and there are plenty of t.v.s showing sports. A pretty basic set up.

The service was fine. Nothing great but not poor. We sat at the bar, and even though it was not crowded the bartenders seemed distant and were just doing their jobs.

Food is good. They have different specials every day. The menu is large. Salads, appetizers, pasta, pizza, sandwiches, desserts, burgers and the list goes on. I had the blackened salmon sandwich. It was very tasty even though is was more grilled than blackened. My girlfriend had the chicken fingers and she thought they were very good. The food is well prepared, the portions are ample and priced fairly. They have a wine selection and full bar with a drink menu serving up the lastest greatest cocktails.

The beer. Where to start? Of the beers we sampled I have to give MMB a 'ho hum.' The El Porto Porter is a quality beer. The Hefe is serviceable. The Pier Rat Red was not a favorite of mine, even if it is one of their better sellers. The IPA is weak and should not be considered an IPA or a beer for that matter. If there was a hop in that beer I would be surprised. Come on MMB, pump up that IPA. They had a couple more of their own beers that I did not try. A blonde and a pilsner. A few macros in bottles. Bass in the bottle and Boddingtons in the can. They also had Beamish on tap.

I recommend this place more for the food than the beer. Other than the El Porto I was not impressed with the beer. Okay, but that is about it. I am sure this place is fun on a weekend night. A decent place which caters to their main clientele but is lax on taking a chance with its beer.
Aug 09, 2004
Photo of Myk
Reviewed by Myk from Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -5.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5
a nice place to stop by and have a drink. The atmosphere was nice, especially with the outdoor seating area, right in the middle of a promenade. beer is respectable with a decent selection. really nothing special, but fun none the less.
Sep 18, 2002
Photo of mickeymac
Reviewed by mickeymac from California

3.5/5  rDev -3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
MBB has decent beer, but the atmosphere's a little to beachy for my taste. It seems to attract the Jimmy Buffet crowd. The food selection is not bad and the service is better than average for a bar. It's pretty typical of the southern California (fill in the blank) Beach Brewing scene.
Jun 13, 2002
Manhattan Beach Brewing Co. in Manhattan Beach, CA
Brewery rating: 3.3 out of 5 with 19 ratings