Blue Star Brewing Company

Blue Star Brewing CompanyBlue Star Brewing Company
Blue Star Brewing CompanyBlue Star Brewing Company
Brewery, Bar, Eatery

1414 S. Alamo #105
San Antonio, Texas, 78210
United States

(210) 212-5506 | map
bluestarbrewing.com
BEER STATS
Average:
3.47
Beers:
40
Ratings:
330
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.83
Reviews:
52
Ratings:
77
pDev:
12.53%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Texasfan549:
Photo of Texasfan549
Rated by Texasfan549 from Texas

4.05/5  rDev +5.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4

Jul 06, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of AlCaponeJunior
Reviewed by AlCaponeJunior from Texas

4.15/5  rDev +8.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
A pretty quaint, kinda industrial feeling part of the blue star district.

Not a huge selection of beers but a good spread, with a pilsner, a lager, two pale ales, an IPA, two Belgians, a barleywine, a quad and a couple others on tap.

Food and service were fine. No complaints at all.

Definitely stop by for a drink and lunch if you're in the blue star arts district.
Apr 12, 2022
 
Rated: 3 by Bryan12345 from Texas

Apr 05, 2019
Photo of WillieThreebiers
Reviewed by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

3.55/5  rDev -7.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.25 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3.5
Trendy brewpub on the riverwalk. Long bar seats about 20, with many tables inside and outside patio. A dozen beers on tap, the two I had were ok. Spotty service, and food was plain.
Mar 14, 2019
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.06/5  rDev +6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25
i loved this place, mellow and sort of timeless, they are one of the oldest operations in town, but their beer remains relevant, we had a great time in here on a rainy afternoon, although i couldnt help but wish it was a nice day out, they have an awesome patio and a little area over by the river too that would be idea for sunshine sipping. inside its very much the classic brewpub, smaller than it looks from the outside, with the tanks and everything right in the middle of the place, seems like when the patio is open it would close to double their capacity. we had a great bartender who walked us through the lineup and gave us some of the history. i liked the raspberry sour a lot, seriously tasted like mature lambic, but i also really dug the english ipa on cask, not enough of that around anymore, and it absolutely hit the spot for me. the classic doppelbock was also solid. mellow atmosphere in here, an easy place to pass the time, and the food looked good even though we didnt eat. not sure why the low ratings, our experience here was fantastic! i would recommend checking them out on a nice day to enjoy the outdoor seating!
Mar 01, 2019
 
Rated: 3.89 by Boone757 from Virginia

May 14, 2018
 
Rated: 5 by JDeV from Pennsylvania

Aug 30, 2017
 
Rated: 3.85 by Taphouse_Traveler from Florida

Aug 10, 2017
Photo of grover37
Rated by grover37 from District of Columbia

3.28/5  rDev -14.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2 | selection: 4 | food: 3.75
Atrocious service at the bar at noon.
Dec 21, 2016
Photo of MLDucky
Reviewed by MLDucky from Texas

4.1/5  rDev +7%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
Menu was an eclectic mix of pub and gastropub. $10 for salsa plus chips and queso is a bit much though. Good service, nice, developed part of town with great outdoor seating and average beer. Worth a try though.
Apr 11, 2016
 
Rated: 3.55 by Junichi from Texas

Feb 02, 2016
 
Rated: 4.33 by Karibourgeois from Texas

Jul 22, 2015
 
Rated: 4.11 by Pug from Minnesota

Jun 29, 2015
Photo of KTCamm
Reviewed by KTCamm from New Jersey

3.84/5  rDev +0.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Understated stop in a local artist community. Very nice menu, with a clever list of options (I liked the pig pie). Lots on tap to taste, but unfortunately there is nary a sampler to offer up. The beer I had was tasty, but would have liked the chance to test more.Worth a trip if you are in the area for sure.
Jun 07, 2015
 
Rated: 3.77 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Apr 11, 2015
 
Rated: 3.83 by Dicers from California

Feb 26, 2015
Photo of Vinegarroon
Reviewed by Vinegarroon from Texas

3.44/5  rDev -10.2%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3 | food: 3.25
Went for lunch and beers with friends.
The sour beers are definately their Flagship beer, very good for the style.
The other ales were good but not excellent.
Service was great, staff was friendly and knowledgeble.
Food was quite good but a little pricey for the small portions.
I would recomend anyone to give the place a try.
Feb 10, 2015
 
Rated: 3.36 by LXIXME from New Mexico

Dec 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by Magery from Kentucky

Dec 09, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by SmellsofMahagony from Texas

Dec 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Leschber from Texas

Nov 08, 2014
Photo of johnnyringo013
Reviewed by johnnyringo013 from Texas

4.11/5  rDev +7.3%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
Great place to meet and get primed before going to watch THE WORLD CHAMPIONS OF THE NBA.. THE SAN ANTONIO SPURS.! The atmosphere is casual and the crowd is laid back. This place is in the heart of the art district and historic downtown SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.
Aug 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Domvan from Texas

Jul 13, 2014
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -3.4%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3.25
A very beer-centric brewpub. Nine beers on tap, including two exceptional sours, as well as a cask version of their pale ale. The venue has a good size bar but too few stools .. so plenty of room to spread out or stand.
Food was modestly better than average, with the brisket being the best thing we tried.
Service was better than average, and much more knowledgeable than average.
Brewing operations in full view, along with some hanging bicycles. Adequate free parking.
Jun 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Tiernan from Texas

Jun 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by longmire from Texas

Mar 08, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Guzano from Texas

Feb 11, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by bkeller04 from Texas

Feb 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4.46 by jandadeboer from Texas

Feb 04, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by vmdominguez from Texas

Jan 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by truesolution from Texas

Dec 17, 2013
 
Rated: 5 by strangebrew1981 from Texas

Nov 13, 2013
Photo of Radome
Reviewed by Radome from Florida

3.83/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
Visited the brewery today as part of the American Homebrew Association's "Learn How to Homebrew Day". The brewery allowed the local Bexar Brewers Homebrew Club to brew some demonstration batches outside.

The interior is open and purposefully rustic-looking; Texas Old West chic. It was dominated by the brewing equipment right behind the bar. There were also tables outside and easy access to the Riverwalk pathway. There is even an electric bicycle rack right outside if you want to ride the Riverwalk.

The staff was friendly and welcoming. I did not have any food, but tried several beers. They seemed to have 5 or 6 of their own beers on tap. The Doppelbock was pleasant and malty, but a bit sweeter than I prefer. The absolute standout was a beer called "Close Encounter", described as "2 year aged sour beer blend with hints of tamarind and prunes". I am a fan of sours, especially Flemish reds and browns, and this beer was similar but also like no other I've ever had. It was malty and did remind me of tamarind. The sourness was restrained but there was a slow-developing hot pepper-like burn at the back of the throat balanced by malt and sweetness. Go try it now if you can!
Nov 03, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by jaydoc from Kansas

Oct 28, 2013
Photo of Mamlassig87
Reviewed by Mamlassig87 from Texas

2.88/5  rDev -24.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3
Well to get started as soon as I walked in the door a strange odor hit. Kinda
like the smell of a dairy, not sure if it was the kitchen or the brew tanks. I have been to a few breweries and have never smelled an odor like that.

We sat at the bar and were waited on promptly (very good bartender). I sampled the sour, not what I was looking for at all in a sour; it could have been poured better and it tasted like it had been watered down. I settled for the Texican not a bad beer, but wasn't cold enough and the smell of the place ruined the taste of my beer. We left glasses half full so sad
Jul 28, 2013
Photo of TheBeerDog
Reviewed by TheBeerDog from Texas

2.69/5  rDev -29.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 2.5 | service: 3 | selection: 2.25 | food: 2.25
I've been to Blue Star probably a half dozen times over the past two and a half years. It's the type of the place that you really want to like because it's in a cool neighborhood and has a nice feel to it, but sadly, it's pretty disappointing.

Beer - Small selection, usually only 4-6 beers on tap. Never really impressed with any beer I've had here. At their best, their beers are mediocre.

Food - A few years ago, the menu was pretty basic, and the food was ok. But I went recently and it seemed they were trying for something for upscale, and it just didn't make much sense. It's been a few months since I've been there, so I've no idea what they're doing now.

Atmosphere - Best part. Also, they offer a free shuttle to and from Spurs games, so I give them a few points for that.
May 25, 2013
Photo of elNopalero
Reviewed by elNopalero from Michigan

2.3/5  rDev -39.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2 | service: 2 | selection: 3 | food: 1.5
The oldest microbrewery in San Antonio, if I’m not mistaken. It’s never ranked very highly on my list but I felt like they were due for another visit. The service is horribly slow and borderline inept—harsh words, I know, but: my party of six had a long wait on a slow night before a server even came by, we had to repeatedly ask for water (and then glasses after that), and reorder menu items that we asked for but didn’t come out. The pizza slice I had was dripping grease—and it was supposedly a margarita slice! And to top it all off I ended up with a long splinter lodged into my toe from the patio. I don’t really frequent breweries for the food but the beer isn’t all that exciting, either.
Sep 20, 2011
Photo of lackenhauser
Reviewed by lackenhauser from Maryland

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
A bit outside of town but a very easy and leisurly walk down S Alamo St. Sets in an industrial park type area along the river. Nice, open ceiling inside with the brewery behind glass in one area and then fermenters right behind the bar. I had heard this was an extract brewery but it is obviously all grain from the looks of the equipment. They had about 6 or 7 beers on tap and a dry hopped ipa on cask.

Service at the bar was quick and attentive. The place was empty. I had a pils that was good and the cask ipa which was decent as well. I tried a sample of the smoked dark and it had lousy batch of homebrew written all over it for this kid.

I had a cup of the pork green chili that was just great. As good as it was I did not want to rate it too highly since that was all I had.

All in all a decent stop if you are only downtown. Beat the Irish pub I was in on the Riverwalk all to hell. Just another 1/2 mile or so from The Friendly Spot if you are going in that direction.
Sep 16, 2011
Photo of corby112
Reviewed by corby112 from Pennsylvania

3.54/5  rDev -7.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 5 | selection: 2.5
Stopped by this place on a recent trip to San Antonio. This place was close to my hotel so I figured I would check it out. This was a very small brewpub that was kind of difficult to find. There is a small sitting area and smaller bar with about ten stools. The size gave it a quaint feel and the visible brewing equipment added to the atmosphere.

The quality and selection of the beer weren't all that great but they did have a nice barleywine on during my visit. Even though they only had less then ten taps a wide range of styles were covered. Something for everyone.

I didn't eat but the service was the highlight of my visit. The bartender and one of the servers who came over were extremely knowledgeable about beer. I talked to them for a long time and they even recommended other beer spots for me to check out in the area.

This is a cool little spot and I would recommend it to ayone who's in the area.
Dec 17, 2010
Photo of tpd975
Reviewed by tpd975 from Florida

3.3/5  rDev -13.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
Stopped in during my stay in San Antonio. Close to the Riverwalk. Took the trolley in front of the Alamo. The brewery is tucked in back of the Blue Star complex. Not a real big place with serving tanks behind the bar. They had five or six beers on draft. I had a sour that was a bit watered down and well.... less than sour. Had the black IPA which was pretty tasty.

We did eat and the food was about average for bar food. Overall about as good as it gets near the Riverwalk area. I left wanting more though. Lucky I rented a car and hit Freetail which is the gem of the San Antonio scene.
Nov 19, 2010
Blue Star Brewing Company in San Antonio, TX
Brewery rating: 3.47 out of 5 with 330 ratings