Second Street Brewery

Second Street BrewerySecond Street Brewery
Second Street BrewerySecond Street Brewery
Brewery, Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

1814 2nd St
Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87505-3848
United States

(505) 982-3030 | map
secondstreetbrewery.com
BEER STATS
Average:
3.84
Beers:
90
Ratings:
268
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.04
Reviews:
19
Ratings:
45
pDev:
9.16%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by goochpunch:
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Reviewed by goochpunch from Texas

4.16/5  rDev +3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
This place has a decent crowd and a good selection of beers on tap. The service is just fine and I have no complaints. The beer is really good. During the week I stayed on my last visit, and the couple of trips I made there, I had the ESB, the IPA, and the RIS. All of them were solid to really good. Refreshingly far away from the whole plaza/railyard area. On this last visit I didn't have any food, but from what I had from them the time previous, I wasn't impressed. Don't get their chicken fried steak, especially if you know what a good chicken fried steak is supposed to taste like. The gravy is all weird. Back Road Pizza is just across the street from here, so I suggest going there if you're into good pizza and/or the gender-queer scene. As of a few years ago, Back Roads didn't have a booze license, and they would allow you to take growlers of beer from Second Street Brewery there. If that's still the case, I would suggest doing that in place of eating here.
Apr 30, 2007
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.3 by Beergod420 from Michigan

Tuesday at 07:47 PM
 
Rated: 3.98 by zotzot from Vermont

Jun 27, 2023
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Reviewed by slander from New York

3.79/5  rDev -6.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75
Still trying to shake the timespacepeyote crazy that was MeowWolf. All chile’d up now and looking for drink in Santa Fe, we locate Second Street Brewery out on, um, wait, where the fuck were they again, oh yeah, Second Street, on the back side of a long low. I parked the rental along (like) a rail trail bike path or something, oh, it was something all right…

Misleadingly looong cavernous space with a crescent shape ‘The Diamond’ bar but a bit bigger, or seemingly so to the rear. Light colored wood panels that slightly widen out topped with a dark wood trim, black sheet metal base, & a doubled up piping foot rail. Seating for a dozen on high backed brown leather wood chairs. Crescent bar island on the back wall holds shelved wine, glassware, & growls fronting mirrored backing. Multiple formats of growls atop, plus cans, & glassware with malt & hops, and what must be a brewery trophy.

Door to the kitchen to the left of the island, and a kitchen peek-a-boo to the right alongside a ‘Beers 4 friends’ blackboard showing who’s buying for whom. Is someone buying a beer for you? No? Well, and it’s just my opinion, but maybe if you weren’t so unpleasant, someone might buy you a beer, I’m just saying. ‘Daily specials/Happy hour’ & ‘beer on tap’ boards, chalked past there. And then server kitchen access further down the way, below mounted boards for ‘shirts’, ‘cans to go’, & a monthly ‘Cask N’ Curry event’, where they pair a cask offering with a curry inspired dish that compliments the brew. I do not want to go to this.

High vaulted walls that seem red, but fade to an orangey yellow up high, concrete floors that look like their surfaces are being replaced, and white ceilings rafters and fabric or something up there. Large spoke wheel lighting panels over the bar area, drop suction cup glass lamps in 2 rows across the room, ductwork, and spinnys down center. Large I beam across the room with tap selections on wood slats hanging, and a shit ton of past beer slat boards in rows over the nook to the side. Massive 4 panel bar scene mural over the kitchen up high, a whole lot of medals won in New Mexico & Colorado between ’97 & ’02 mounted, framed local art for sale, & flats in the corners (Monday Night Football will be bringing sadness to Met Life Stadium tonight).

A trio of cylinder three tap uprights on the service end & a sad unused handpump in front of me; the draft selections listed on an outdated paper menu (with OG, ABV, & IBU) and correctly on the aforementioned ‘beer on tap’ board with just beer & ABV. 9 beers up (Rod’s Steam Bitter, California Common, 5.4%; Black Canyon Porter, Robust Porter, 6.4%; Atalaya Altbier, 5.7%; Red & Yellow Armadillo, Imperial Red, 8.2%; Boneshaker Bitter, American ESB, 5.8%; 2920 IPA, 6.9%; IPA, 6.7%; Kolsch, 4.6%; Rod’s Best Bitter, 5.5%). Drank a few on shorty (Rod’s Best Bitter was fruity, crisp, pretty good; Black Canyon Porter was chocolate, toffee, & malt face delightful; Kolsch was very good; ESB was okay, fruity esters; 2920 IPA was adequate). The Black Canyon Porter & Kolsch were best of show. Did I mention that 4 of the 9 beers were gluten free offerings?

5 bar counter spurs on the wall behind me stooled, and 2 dozen plus square, round, & 4 seat rectables in rows and rows across the floor and into that corner nook. Windows to the side look over a wrap around outside space; a dozen tables penned and trees extending through the top of the awning there.

And now we’re off again; too much to see and so very little time. Some nice beers here and the food menu looked kicking. When in Santa Fe, hey.
Aug 17, 2020
 
Rated: 3.33 by gmale9000 from New York

Dec 06, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by denver10 from New Mexico

Nov 30, 2018
 
Rated: 4.3 by HeartofMiami from Florida

Jul 10, 2017
 
Rated: 3.68 by coldshowers from Vermont

Feb 06, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by teamwiggum from Wisconsin

Jun 28, 2016
 
Rated: 3.99 by GRG1313 from California

Jun 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.53 by Chickenshack from New Mexico

Sep 05, 2015
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Reviewed by Ron22 from Nevada

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 5
Amazing food and decent beer selection. Would meet friends for lunch or dinner, live music, overall a good place. Go check it out, you won't be disappointed, especially if you go to the location actually on 2nd street.
May 13, 2015
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Rated by DoctorZombies from Florida

4.33/5  rDev +7.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25
Busy, touristy, but staff was friendly and knowledgeable. They brew good beers too.
May 03, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Mar 11, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by PretzelCity from California

Jan 15, 2015
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Rated by Dmmflys from Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -13.4%
beer is OK, live band playing, food is good
Dec 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by kingpin1010 from California

Oct 25, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by OrestesMethuon from Montana

Oct 25, 2014
 
Rated: 4.52 by soenahs

Oct 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by gatheredwaters from Vermont

Oct 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by ONovoMexicano from New Mexico

Sep 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Hoppybob from Virginia

Sep 04, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by LXIXME from New Mexico

Sep 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4.49 by PJSamora from New Mexico

Jul 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by coombski from Maine

Mar 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by kvnklingler from Ohio

Feb 10, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Kappakoosh from Texas

Dec 26, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by nickfl from Florida

Dec 25, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by Lagerquestrian from Texas

Nov 22, 2013
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Reviewed by CBearNM

4.66/5  rDev +15.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.25
(This review is for the Second Street location, they have another location in the Railyard area)

Beer is not one of the first things that come to mind when one thinks of Santa Fe, NM. But that is changing. There are several very good places to taste the local brews and Second Street is one of the best.

As a local brewery the selection varies with on a monthly basis. Once they run out, you have to wait for the next batch. The seasonal options range from good to excellent. I tend to like trying different styles as they come up, but the standbys of IPA and Kolsh are always welcomed and available.

The names of the beers that they have available are on hanging wooden signs, but to get more detailed information on them, check out the 'menu' on the table. The listings have the ingredients as well as the ABV ratings other data. (Note, they don't serve harder alcohol, only beer and as I recall, maybe a couple varieties of wine as well as soft drinks. Remember, this is a brewery.)

If in doubt, request a sampler of their current offerings. Well worth the small investment, but I rarely find one I don't like. The narrowing process is more to help me select the best choice.

The service is very good. If you have any problems, they work hard to correct them. Ernie Bob is a great asset to the staff. He makes you feel like you've known him forever by the time you leave. And by now, he will just bring me what he thinks I'll like best.

The food is good for the typical bar variety. The green chili cheese fries and fish & chips are two standbys. But the daily specials usually offer a great value that pleases.

All in all, one of my favorite places to meet up with friends after a tough day at work. Usually, on Thursdays - Saturdays, they feature local musical acts in the evening.

Whether you are a visitor to Santa Fe or a local, it's a great place to have a bite and taste some unique beer.
Jan 29, 2013
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Reviewed by canucklehead from Canada (BC)

3.95/5  rDev -2.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I am reviewing the new location right near the railyard. I went in during that dead 2-3pm time and found it light and new looking inside with a minimum of funk. The bartender was a great guy who talked to me about the beers and made my short stay enjoyable. The beers are good with their Kolsch being top notch ( it is their entry level ale ). The IPA was the best I had tasted in Santa Fe and the Octoberfest was better than Santa Fe Brewings version. Too bad they don't bottle or can any of their beers as they are a hidden gem . The food was pretty good with some nice green chilli stew on offer.
Mar 15, 2011
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Reviewed by knm from New Mexico

4.3/5  rDev +6.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
I finally made it to this original spot. They have another location in the railyard district closer to downtown Santa Fe. I usually go there on my way through town. This place is much bigger than the branch. With a huge fire roaring as you walk in. The typical SF crowd, an amuzing care free mixed bunch. Good service and good food. I always spend more money than I plan to, but the check is always correct. Welcome to Santa Fe I guess. And I always bring at least one growler to have filled. This place is a little pricey, even happy hour pints are $3.50, and a growler refill is $10.50. Same with the food-the reubub sandwich is also $10.50. Yet I will go back again, because the beer is right! A must try in SF.
Feb 01, 2011
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Reviewed by rhoadsrage from Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -7.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 2.5
This place is easy to pass and sits back behind another building with a very small parking lot. We had to park down a dirt path by a bike path which was a bit odd especially because the bar wasn't really that crowded.

Once inside the place is a big 1/2 warehouse feel with warm wood paneling and big beams. There was a musician playing which was good but we could still hear everyone at the table talking during conversations. There was a nice patio but it was still a bit to cold to head out there. The bar is a small little half round bar in the very back corner of the room with a 1/2 open kitchen on the wall in front of it.

We ordered drinks and I asked for a vienna lager and got a Pale Ale which was very tasty and ordered another and our server was polite but didn't seem to know much about the beers. We ordered appetizers as they looked better than any of the entrees. The guacamole with tomatillos and just a hint of jalapenos was wonderful, however the mussels steamed in beer were not. 4 of the 12 were not open and the beer used was pretty bitter. We ate a few of them but couldn't finish they as the mussels tasted off. After we left we thought we should have told them they were really bad so others don't order them. They tasted a bit like they were old but the beer kind of masked that taste.

The beers were written on wooden hanging signs and written on a chalkboard with up coming beers which was a big help but they didn't really have any printed description of seasonals.

This was a nice brewpub with some decent beers but I will stick to the local fare to snack on when I go back.
Apr 16, 2009
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Reviewed by rowew from Colorado

4.2/5  rDev +4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Stopped in for drinks, too full from lunch to try the food. Very cold day, but despite that there were a couple people enjoying a pinon fire in the chiminea on the patio. Once inside it was a large area, orange and red rough walls and high ceilings. Large bar in the back, bar was full but there were some tables available. We ordered some beer samplers, and a glass of locally produced mead. Beers were all nice examples of the style, with many of them ranging towards hoppy (three pales or IPAs in the sampler). All of the beers were well made, and the staff was friendly and attentive despite a busy atmosphere. The food going out looked great - I definitely want to give it a try next time I'm in the area.
Dec 29, 2008
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Reviewed by dpkpr from Texas

4.45/5  rDev +10.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
This was the second time we have visited and it was just terrific again. They have a bountiful selection of very good beers. I had the blond and ESB. My wife and her brother stuck with one of their two IPAs. Anytime a brewpub offers more than one IPA, it gets extra points in my book. They had live music the night we visited and it was unnecessarily loud, so I've rated the atmosphere a little lower than I otherwise would. It gives of a relaxed hipster vibe; nobody was judging anyone on how they looked, which was a good thing after driving in all the way from Steamboat Springs. Food was great. I had the Salmon Salad, my wife had green chili and her brother had a steak. We all were pleased. Despite being very busy, service kept beers and water full and politely and promptly answered all our questions. We couldn't have asked for more.
Aug 02, 2008
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Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
I got off of the bus feeling a bit disoriented, so I purchased a map, anticipating a ride into their city center. I was pleasantly surprised to see that 2nd Street was quite nearby and better yet, the brewpub was within a five minute walk. Things were definitely looking up!

By looking up, I spotted their sign pointing into a small cul-de-sac. Walking in, a sign on an old barrel asked me to "Please Seat Yourself." There was a small seating area off to the right; lots of standard restaurant tables and chairs in the center; some high butcher block tables and stools all of the way aft, on the left; and a patio area outside on the left side of the space. The half-moon shaped, laminated blonde wood bar was all of the way aft on the right side, just beyond the kitchen.

This place seemed to me to be just what I had imagined that a brewpub in New Mexico would look like. There were high ceilings with lots of suspended lamps and fans, a couple of skylights, and a warm color scheme. The paint looked as though it may have been sponged onto the walls and began as a deep reddish-orange near the floor and as it crept upwards, the shades gradually reduced to a bright lemon-yellow, giving a fiery feel to the place. My server that afternoon was Josh Wiley and following my yummy lunch of fish tacos, he took me into the brewhouse to meet Rod Tweet, their brewer and his assistant, Jordy Dralle.

Beers: Five were on-tap when I visited - IPA (6.0); Golden Ale (4.5); Cream Stout (5.2); Rod's Best Bitter (4.9); and Hefeweizen (5.1) with Otowi Pale Ale (5.1) and ESB (5.6) currently out. YMMV. All were good, but the IPA was my pick, as usual.
May 24, 2008
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Reviewed by SidSales from England

4.33/5  rDev +7.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Visited this place whilst on holiday from the UK 8 Sept 07.
A taxi ride out from downtown Santa Fe which costs about $12 each way which was worth the money.

Difficult to find, its right next to the Santa Fe Southern railroad line which passes close by.

Sat outside in the patio area but got pretty pissed off with the flies and insects - nice sunset though.

As for food. I had the Herb roasted chicken and the Mrs had fish. Both were less than $10 and very plentiful.

Beers were pretty good and when we arrived it was still "Hoppy Hour" and the beers were $2.79 a pint - that is pretty cheap.

I was well impressed with the Golden Ale - A superb refreshing quaffing ale that you can just pour down your neck on a hot day.
The only beer I tried that I though was average was the IPA.

The beers on tap were pretty much the same as you seem to find at most American brewpubs, standard range beers with the odd imaginative special. Beers on tap on my visit (unfiltered):-

Belgian Witbier
Rods Best Bitter
ESB
Brown Ale
IPA
Cream Stout
Golden Ale
Oct 23, 2007
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Reviewed by benito from Oregon

3.33/5  rDev -17.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 1.5
This is the local's brewpub in Santa Fe, just a few blocks off of Cerrillos Road. It's not far from the downtown plaza, but it's hidden enough to make it clear that you're not in the tourist/art gallery mecca that is the old downtown.

From the outside, Second Street looks like an old warehouse, and its adjacency to some old train tracks reinforces the feel. They've got one long dining room with a few patios that allow for outdoor seating as well. Last time I visited Second Street, my friends and I lived it up for an afternoon of good beer and food in the warm Santa Fe sun. This time, I came through during a late winter weather spurt so I sat inside and listened to the live music--the Bill Hearne trio (a group that tours the Four Corners brewpub scene) and enjoyed my beer and dinner.

The atmosphere here is good--the liveliness of the crowd and the music give Second Street a friendly feel and the service was friendly. Unfortunately, that doesn't make up for ho-hum beer and skimpy plates of food. They had seven brews on tap--an IPA, two pale ales, a best bitter, a blonde ale, a cream stout, and an imperial stout. I sampled all of them except the imperial stout, and had pints of the IPA and blonde. All of the beers were competently done, but none of them stood out. My buddy and I had brought in an empty growler, intending to fill it with their best house brew and we left empty handed.

The food suffered from a slightly different problem: my reuben was tasty, but it looked as though they had served me a sauerkraut sandwich with a pair of slices of corned beef. The chefs here need to amp up the amount of food they're serving if they're going to keep charging $8 for a sandwich like this. In hindsight, I would have paid about $2.50.

Overall, Second Street is a run-of-the-mill brewpub with average beer and a fun atmosphere. Go for the music and the people watching; have a pint, but don't expect anything that will blow your mind.
Apr 08, 2007
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Reviewed by jim102864 from Connecticut

3.36/5  rDev -16.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5
Didn't really intend to visit this place first during my business trip to Santa Fe last week. Not that it was a bad thing that I did, but the place was not what I expected and what I'm used to back home in New England. I'm babbling. Alright, the place is located in a semi-light industrial zone. It's tiny, dusty parking lot and steel clad, wharehouse structure, didn't exactly fllip the 'ol skirt when I first pulled into the driveway. Didn't really care if the car got broken into either since I had to park in the rear of the place where it wasn't visible...it's a rental, so who cares? First impression is of the burnt orange colored walls and large wagon wheel style light fixtures above the bar. That and the large four panel painting and black and white photos of desert mountain scenes hanging on the wall. Yep. It's an art community whether you like it or not. Bar is 1/2 moon shape that seats about 15. Tried the unnamed IPA which was of course, hoppy, and bronze in color. Everything you'd expect from the style but nothing extraordinary. The barleywine was completely over the top...way too sweet. Too honeyish. More mead than beer. I noticed several medals in matted frames on the wall from the Colorado and NM State fairs. Another from the North American Brewers Association. Didn't try the food, but generally enjoyed the experience, particularly the IPA. Would I go back? Sure, if I'm ever in the area again. Given the limited options in New Mexico in general, worth the visit but I can't help believing they've not maxxed their potential for quality. Service was fine and the old farts hanging out at the bar were into NCAA hoops (tournament time), so it made the overall visit even more worthwhile. Stop in if you ever visit SF.
Mar 20, 2007
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Reviewed by bgraney from California

3.6/5  rDev -10.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4
It took a little while to find. I was going by the "behind a bakery" description from another review and forgot about the coffee shop part. There is another bakery a little further away and I kept going in and out of that parking lot looking for the place. If you are going there for the first time it is just before the railroad tracks, within a few feet.
I had samplers of the IPA and scotch ale and a pint of the cream stout. I thought they were all very good.
I didn't eat anything but from looking at the menu and glancing at what other people were eating it looked like your standard pub grub.
The crowd around the bar was into the New Mexico Bowl football game on tv while a lot of the crowd at the tables had spent the day at the slopes. To me it had a big wherehouse type feel, lots of space with some nice photography on the walls. They have live music several nights a week too.
I will definitely go back for a pint or two if I'm in Santa Fe again.
Dec 26, 2006
Second Street Brewery in Santa Fe, NM
Brewery rating: 3.84 out of 5 with 268 ratings