Central Coast Brewing

Central Coast BrewingCentral Coast Brewing
Central Coast BrewingCentral Coast Brewing
Brewery, Bar, Homebrew

1422 Monterey Street, Suite B100
San Luis Obispo, California, 93401
United States

(805) 783-2739 | map
centralcoastbrewing.com
BEER STATS
Average:
3.72
Beers:
63
Ratings:
311
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.07
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
32
pDev:
9.83%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of heymikew
Reviewed by heymikew from California

3.83/5  rDev -5.9%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75
Good location in the heart of SLO. Can get busy at times resulting in a wait at the order counter. They have a decent lineup and some standouts, including a barrel aged stout. Cans to go as well.
No food here but you can bring it in.
Nov 05, 2021
 
Rated: 4.03 by Taphouse_Traveler from Florida

Jul 28, 2019
 
Rated: 4.12 by chrisjws from California

Jun 20, 2019
Photo of sweetbrew82
Reviewed by sweetbrew82 from California

3.32/5  rDev -18.4%
vibe: 3.25 | quality: 3.25 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.25
Vibe was kinda weird, service was kinda unfriendly and the beers were unimpressive. I think we visited at a bad time because the "craft beer party bus" was in there and the crowd was kind of annoying everyone including the bartender but all of that aside I just wasn't interested enough in the beers to ever be back.
Feb 18, 2019
 
Rated: 4.36 by MoronMike from Arizona

Jul 25, 2017
 
Rated: 3.82 by Kurmaraja from California

Nov 01, 2016
 
Rated: 4.3 by JayMacIntosh from California

Jul 28, 2016
Photo of frasergrove
Reviewed by frasergrove from California

3.53/5  rDev -13.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.25
Walked by this place around 930 pm on a Friday, hoping to get a beer before going to sleep. Wait...closes at 9pm. What brewery closes at 9pm?? Let alone a brewery attached to downtown? Ok...so went back the next night, around 845pm. Ah yes...we (and all else who came in) were told how close to closing they were...and how quickly we should drink. That says it all.
Jun 05, 2016
Photo of BobbyBrewLover
Reviewed by BobbyBrewLover from California

3.92/5  rDev -3.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4
They recently brought on a new brewer from Firestone. He and the rest of the team have really expanded the beer selection, including the Monterey Street Pale which was a GABF Gold Medal Winner (Congrats Guys!)

The atmosphere is real chill. If you catch them around happy hour its standing room only. If you catch them during the day or on the weekend, you can find a seat. We have always had great service and I love their beer!

Keep an eye on this brewery, they are doing great work!
Jan 22, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by wethorseblanket from California

Dec 14, 2015
 
Rated: 3.19 by Gobzilla from California

Nov 04, 2015
 
Rated: 4.7 by MisterKilderkin from California

Jan 23, 2015
 
Rated: 4.43 by SeeingMeansMore from Oregon

Jan 16, 2015
Photo of CJNAPS
Reviewed by CJNAPS from California

4.44/5  rDev +9.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.5
Not the most welcoming place but the beer is great lol. Their lucky day IPA, Terrence Hill DIPA and Catch 23 Rye IPA are all pretty good. Anytime I'm in the area I will stop for some beers.
Jan 09, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by Anaxagoris from Washington

Dec 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Peter_Marinelli from California

Nov 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by LXIXME from New Mexico

Oct 21, 2014
Photo of ONovoMexicano
Reviewed by ONovoMexicano from New Mexico

4/5  rDev -1.7%
This visit was short and sweet, so I'll keep the review as close to that as possible. I'd have stayed longer, but my wife didn't look too happy to see me squeezing in yet another brewery visit

The space is small and visitors are face to face with the brewing instruments and an impressive bottle collection of some of the best beer in the world.

The beer selection is great and with more time I'd have run through everything, but here's what I tried:

The Belgian Single: This beer was very much an easy drinking Blonde, yet with a gentle flavor profile that made it something even a big beer kind of guy like myself would seek out on a hot day.

The Belgian Triple: This was impressive. High octane like a Belgian should be, but with lots of yeasty, fruity profiles to disguise the alcohol. I wish I'd had more of this.

Catch 23: An excellent Black IPA. This had a big, floral, hoppy nose that draws in the beer drinker, but the taste is well-balanced and offers plenty of malty, toffee and caramel notes. Again, I wish I'd stayed for more of this.

Stenner Creek Stout: First off this was on Nitro, so the appearance alone with the huge head and pitch black appearance was highly enticing. The nose was big and malty with hints of chocolate and coffee. The creamy, milky mouth was exactly what one would want from a nitro offering and really accentuated the flavors. Superb.

I'd give five stars but feel my short visit did not do justice. However, everything here points to this place blowing up and becoming a major player in Cali. I spoke to the barkeep and he explained that currently they only deliver local and, if I heard correctly, only by bike. Bummer for me.

On a last note, I was staying in Cambria and visited the excellent Cambria Ale House and found their Chai Ale. I bought it for my wife thinking she'd love it, but turns out we both found it good. This beer is far from a novelty beer. It is downright good. The owner of Cambria Ale House actually drove out to SLO to pick up a few and sell it in his store, so clearly he loved it as well.

Man, I love Cali. Craft beer heaven.
Sep 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by BreweryRun from California

Jul 23, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Rachael11 from New York

Jun 17, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by boudeysbigbrew from California

Jun 16, 2014
 
 
Rated: 4.5 by rhino54 from California

May 10, 2014
Photo of Kellya
Reviewed by Kellya from Texas

3.9/5  rDev -4.2%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4
We had their Belgian Double and the Enkel. We tasted the Imperial Stout and Hefeweizen.
I really loved the Enkel - very bright fresh flavor with good carbonation. It was balanced well - tart but smooth. I picked this one from my 3 tastings and a sample of my husband's double.
It was a weekday afternoon with only 2 other patrons so I can't comment on their normal atmosphere and service. We were well cared for.
They have self-serve water available.
They have tasting sizes. Our bill was $15 not including the tip for 3 tasters and 2 pints.
The brewing equipment is all right in the room - the feel is that of being in the brewery but though it is pretty big the bar area feels contained and separate. It is bright and clean and they had really nice music on a good sound system. There was outdoor seating. And of course the highlight of the experience was making the bathroom trek - you go to another business' building but it is California where this seems to happen a lot. That and the barkeeps handlebar mustache!
Mar 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by ODB from California

Jan 02, 2014
Photo of Chadhowie
Reviewed by Chadhowie from California

3.86/5  rDev -5.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.5
This brewery was nice and quaint. Their was virtually no separation from the brewery and the tasting area which was actually kind of cool. The beer was very good (we tried about 8 brews) and the guy behind the counter was really cool about recommending beers he thought we would like and giving us a good deal.
Jan 16, 2013
Photo of VegasBill
Reviewed by VegasBill from Nevada

3.8/5  rDev -6.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
This is sort of a strange setup, as I entered there was a bar off to the right with maybe 8stools and across from that two high top tables and behind that is the tanks, with one more table nestled right up against the tanks. There were a few empty seats at the bar and two empty tables when I arrived but they filled up within minutes. Everyone but me was a local but still very friendly including the bartender. For beer I had the Catch 23 which they call a Dark Rye IPA, I really enjoyed this pint. Next I got a sample of the Lucky Day IPA and I am glad I did, way to much Hops for me so another pint of the Catch 23.
In front of this pub is a large deck or front porch which I am sure they use in the summer and this would give them a lot more seating.
And finally they have a beer truck complete with kegs, taps and a small portable bar that goes around to local events as requested pouring Central Coast beer.
Dec 23, 2012
Photo of UCLABrewN84
Reviewed by UCLABrewN84 from California

4.14/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
I visited Central Coast over the Labor Day weekend. The outside of the place looks pretty depressing really, but inside it's quite nice with a wood top bar area right next to the brewery works. They had about 12 of their beers on tap with some of their bottles for sale as well. The quality of everything was good with a slight issue or two with a few of their beers. Service was good with a good amount of attention in the hour we were there. The selection was pretty impressive for their offerings. Prices were pretty reasonable at around $2 per taster or $4 for some of the special offerings. One of the best places I visited on my trip and a recommended stop if you are in the area.
Sep 07, 2012
Photo of ThreeWiseMen
Reviewed by ThreeWiseMen from California

4.06/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5
I've lived in San Luis Obispo for nearly six years, but last night was my first time visiting Central Coast Brewing Co. I've never been a fan of their beer, and I wasn't expecting much out of the visit. My only reason for stopping in was to use a $20 gift certificate that a friend got me awhile back. I won't need an excuse to visit next time - this is a very cool spot!

Last night, Central Coast was pouring about 6 beers from their standard lineup (Topless Blonde, Stenner Creek Stout, Old Mission Amber, etc.) and 6 experimental/small batch beers. The experimental/small batch offerings were quite interesting: a weizenbock, a double IPA, Catch 23 (a black IPA), a high ABV (10.5%) dubbel, a hefeweizen, and a barleywine-double IPA-Catch 23 blend. JustinA1 and I sampled every beer there, and while some weren't so good, the lineup was decent as a whole. We especially enjoyed the abbey dubbel and Catch 23.

Central Coast Brewing Co.'s bar area is pretty tiny, but certainly comfortable. It's squeezed right in next to the fermenting vessels, and there are only three tables and room for about a dozen people. That said, I go by this place on my daily bike route, and the (inside) crowd never appears to exceed 10-15 people. Old bottles line the walls and there's a flat screen TV that hangs above the bar. It's got a very homey feel.

I figured most of the people at CCB last night were regulars - they were definitely being treated that way. Rather quickly, however, we began receiving similar treatment. One of the bartenders overheard us discussing which beer(s) to order next, and brought over free samples so we could better decide. Each bartender was very friendly and conversational, and the free samples made the experience even better!

I'll definitely be back here in the near future. Again, the beer isn't great - it's decent - but the service and environment are both excellent. Worth checking out!
Mar 18, 2011
Photo of nerow
Reviewed by nerow from California

4.35/5  rDev +6.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
I recently stopped in here on a whim while visiting my parents. The first thing that struck me was their exceptional beer bottle collection hanging above the tasting area, otherwise the place is rather spartan. The tasting area is nestled amongst the brewing tanks, which gives it an interesting vibe. The quality of the beer was overall good, I had two which I really enjoyed (what the brewmaster called his "Experiments", high alcohol, high flavor beers) out of three. The service was wonderful, I was able to talk about brewing with the brewmaster (who served me) and managed to score a bottle of their IRS. With ten of their beers on tap, the selection is better than most places I go to regularly. Apparently they have a wood-fired pizza oven which they turn on Thursday-Saturday, but unfourtinatley I was unable to try their food. Nice people, Nice place, cheap beer. I'll be going back.
Nov 11, 2009
Photo of barleywinefiend
Reviewed by barleywinefiend from Washington

3.29/5  rDev -19.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 2 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5
A: Stopped in here on Saturday as they opened. Atmosphere was pretty laid back and chill. One of the guys working there was walking around with an axe, yeah, but he was cool.

Q: Quality was underwhelming. All beers I have had rang from poor to average overall.

S: Overall the service was good, cool, chill but the lone female behind the bar did not say one single word to me, not so cool.

S: The selection ranged from IPA, to a Imp Stout, Chai Cream Ale on tap. They had bottles and growlers to go. AT 5 for $5 you really cant beat the price. The samples are good size for a $1. the Imperials are $2-$3 each.
Sep 05, 2009
Central Coast Brewing in San Luis Obispo, CA
Brewery rating: 3.72 out of 5 with 311 ratings