Original Gravity Public House

Original Gravity Public HouseOriginal Gravity Public House
Original Gravity Public HouseOriginal Gravity Public House
Bar, Eatery

66 S 1st St
San Jose, California, 95113-2406
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.25
Reviews:
19
Ratings:
38
pDev:
10.82%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by chrisjws:
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Reviewed by chrisjws from California

3.96/5  rDev -6.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 2 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.75
Cool place to get a beer. Great ambiance, decor, etc. The tap list is always turning over and all kinds of cool stuff comes through. The food is great as well. My only complaint is the staff can be rude at times and if you're not one of the people in there everyday they give you minimal attention. I get catering to regulars, but you shouldn't do that at the expense of other customers.
Apr 12, 2015
More User Ratings:
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Reviewed by PapaGoose03 from Michigan

4.36/5  rDev +2.6%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 5 | food: 4.25
My wife and I stopped here for dinner and beers. The place is located in the downtown area in a storefront setting. Parking is available in a public garage is across the street and a surface lot and some curb parking is a half block away. Some sidewalk seating is at the front, and a patio is also available at the rear. The vibe was nice except that while we were there the music was mostly rap.

The beer menu is fairly extensive with 20 taps, 30 bottles, 50 cans and some 'cellared' beers at higher prices ($90 was the most expensive). The beer list is online. We ordered a DDH Pliny and a Trummer Pils on tap. Both were very good, thus likely fairly fresh. The menu says they will sell 4-packs of cans to go.

The food menu has only some apps and a smashburger listed, and the burger was very big and very good. Fries are optional, and you choose whether they are cooked in duck fat or another oil. Duck fat was our choice and the fries were delicious. The server said that they had just reopened and the menu will expand a little bit shortly. (I didn't ask if reopening was from COVID or new ownership or whatever.) If you can put up with a limited food menu, or if smashburgers are your thing, then this is a worthy place to visit.
Aug 30, 2021
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Reviewed by BerryKumquat from California

4.23/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
In the midst of San Jose is a unique beer/food joint combo. The front bar area is for those that want to drink and eat, while the back contains a better selection with some bottles available. Good bottles ready to buy and a wide ok to decent selection of beers.
Dec 25, 2019
 
Rated: 3.8 by BarrelAgedG from California

Mar 23, 2019
Photo of smcolw
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev -2.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25
This bar is informal (like most) with many beers only available on the west coast. There are at least 20 beers on tap. Huge TV over the taps. I'm lucky enough to watch the Sharks versus the Bruins.

Solid selection of mostly local beers. Lots of locals which makes this place fun and attractive.

No food was offered.
Feb 10, 2017
Photo of cherche
Reviewed by cherche from Washington

4.68/5  rDev +10.1%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4
awesome place. lots of space, nice and clean, few different areas to choose from (outdoor, back bar, front bar). great selection of beers on tap - good variety and quality. beers have always tasted fresh and crisp out of the tap so i assume they do a good job of cleaning the lines. food is solid but menu is limited (pretty much just a bunch of different sausages) so if you are picky you might want to grab food elsewhere :)
Apr 29, 2016
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Reviewed by SunDevilBeer from Massachusetts

3.91/5  rDev -8%
vibe: 3.25 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Bar itself is a bit small, only 5 seats or so. Weird setup with order-at-the-counter beer and food with tables around like a Subway sandwich joint.

Electronic real-time tap listing, nice variety of beers. Barkeeps efficient and friendly.

Pricing was OK, better than some of the other beer places in downtown SJ, and they had a Happy Hour and some other pricing specials too.

Worth a visit if you're downtown, not a destination per se.
Feb 22, 2016
 
Rated: 5 by Claytonis from California

Dec 15, 2015
Photo of dbannister
Reviewed by dbannister from California

4.9/5  rDev +15.3%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5
I can't rate the food because its only German style meat, and I am not able to eat it....

Original Gravity is in downtown San Jose across from another popular establishment (Good Karma).

Vibe - The place has both indoor and outdoor seating. The front has most of the beers on tap and there is a middle section (dark) that has bottles you can purphase along with a couple of more taps. The back is where you can sit outside and its a very nice place to hangout on a warm San Jose day/night.

Quality - The beer selection is one of the best in San Jose. They generally have at least 2-3 barrel aged beers on tap, and they have beers across the spectrum. The quality is the biggest reason to visit.

Service - The people are very nice and they are constantly making rounds to clear out old glasses, to its always very clean.

Selection - There are usually 25+ beers on tap, and they also have bottles for purchase.

Overall, this is a great place to get quality beer that you can consume in a nice, clean location. Highly recommended.
Jul 25, 2015
 
Rated: 4.18 by Rothobinide from California

Jul 06, 2015
 
Rated: 4.2 by Leftofthedial from California

May 22, 2015
Photo of CJNAPS
Reviewed by CJNAPS from California

3.98/5  rDev -6.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3
Great vibe, bartenders loved to talk beer. Two bars in this place with different beers on tap. each bar had 20 taps and the one in the back had a nice cooler behind with about 100 bottles to choose from.
May 18, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by mayorQuimby from Tennessee

May 13, 2015
 
Rated: 4.08 by Canada_Dan from Colorado

May 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.98 by brywhite from California

Mar 04, 2015
 
Rated: 4.29 by sjrodriguez from California

Jan 22, 2015
 
Rated: 4.41 by crspytoast

Jan 05, 2015
 
Rated: 4.68 by JRod1965

Nov 18, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by LakerLeith from California

Nov 04, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by HopsAholic79 from California

Oct 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4.09 by define333 from California

Oct 27, 2014
Photo of glf60
Reviewed by glf60 from Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +11.8%
We visited Original Gravity today as our last stop before leaving San Jose.
Beer: Awesome beer selection as well as bottled beer-I selected a Parabolo to take for later.
Food: The Duck Fat Fries did not disappoint.
Staff: Again, awesome !
Sep 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Millsh from Arkansas

Aug 03, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by hacksoncode from California

Jul 04, 2014
Photo of JesseLara
Reviewed by JesseLara from California

3.99/5  rDev -6.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I really want to like this place but it gets harder and harder to with the service at times and the prices.
Tap list is awesome
food is great, although some of it a bit pricey
staff is generally nice, although when they get busy they can be a bit standoffish
I will continue to visit on occasion hoping to find that one thing.
Jul 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by ironchefkook from California

Jun 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by rowbow from California

Jun 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by largadeer from California

Jun 03, 2014
Photo of Mattodon
Reviewed by Mattodon from California

4.21/5  rDev -0.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4 | food: 4.75
There is a Beer Garden in the back patio area for anyone, and brick walls inside and wood barrels for that rustic vibe, yet very new and silicon-valley like with the clean metal tabletops and tap wall.
A large screen hangs down showing every beer on tap and every patron is cherished here. You have top notch beers to choose from if you want to spend $10 a beer, but No matter how much you want to spend you will have a great time here. They have a large selection of Bratwursts some are freshly delivered and have rare meats like rabbit, pheasant, buffalo, etc. Great fries and dips.
All the staff there are helpful and friendly cool people. You'll want to tip them.
Apr 26, 2014
Photo of NRo
Reviewed by NRo from California

4.25/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I went for Santa Clara Valley Brewing's release of New Almaden Red.

The staff were friendly, even with a crowded bar. The courtyard in the back provided ample seating, and a nice, peaceful, outside atmosphere.

They have a very good selection of beer, and you can always check their website to see what's on tap. The food is good as well. They have a variety of sausages that go great with ale. I look forward to coming back with friends.
Jan 25, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by wakeuptothesun from California

Dec 28, 2013
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Reviewed by Afty from California

3.65/5  rDev -14.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 3
Original Gravity is the go-to beer bar for my group of friends. They pour a lot of interesting beers, they host fun beer events with various local breweries, and they have a nice, hip vibe.

Their food is limited to sausages, simple sandwiches, and fries. The fries are cooked in duck fat and are delicious. I'm not a huge fan of the sausages, but they do have many different sausage choices.

Their beer choices are excellent, probably the best in the South Bay. They get a lot of unique beers that you won't see elsewhere around San Jose. Their prices are a little high -- maybe $1-2 more than I would expect to pay for those beers.
Oct 26, 2013
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Reviewed by QuakeAttack from California

4.11/5  rDev -3.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 3
I have been to OG Public House three times in the last six months. Great addition to the South Bay Beer Scene and downtown San Jose. Yes, San Jose is actually starting to have a downtown!

Atmosphere: It's small and has several TVs to watch sports. Good mix of ages between college, younger business, and old farts like myself. In the end, it's nice, but nothing special.

Quality: Both the beer selection (rotates quite often) and limited food is excellent. Some great breweries such as Stone, Firestone,and BallastPoint are available along with local breweries. Food is limited to sausages, fry's and a few other selections, but is very good. Loved the bread!

Service: Friendly, knowledgeable, and personable. You really can't ask for more.

Selection: 25 Taps with different styles which rotate often and appear both on their web site and a screen in the bar. I always find 2-3 beers that I try and often more. It would be nice to up the taps by 10-15 overtime...

Food: Limited, but quality is excellent.

Value: The cost of the beer is at least equal to those at Hofbrau House and better than Steins in Mountain View and anything in SF.
Aug 10, 2013
Photo of willjschmidt
Reviewed by willjschmidt from California

4.11/5  rDev -3.3%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4
A newish beer bar located in downtown San Jose.

Atmosphere: Located on 4th street in downtown San Jose, across the street from Good Karma. The inside space is pretty small. It gets very crowded on weekend evenings and it's difficult to move around and get to the bar. However, they have a large outdoor patio with picnic tables.

Quality: Beers are served in standard pint glasses or tulips.

Service: I've never had any issues with service here, it seems to be pretty good.

Selection: Selection is very good, especially for San Jose. They have 25 taps and are constantly rotating them. There is a video board above the board that displays the beers currently on-tap along with info such as ABV, serving size, price, and a type of beer. They also update their website in real time so you can check what they have on-tap before heading down.

Food: Food is limited but pretty good. They have about a dozen different types of gourmet sausages with toppings. They also have grilled cheese sandwiches. The best thing here are the duck fat fries, also served with a selection of dipping sauces.

Value: Pretty pricey. Also most beers are served in sizes smaller than a pint.
May 13, 2013
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Reviewed by Flyingvtard1 from California

2.43/5  rDev -42.8%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 2 | service: 1 | selection: 4.5 | food: 2
This place is a joke. The people who work there have no idea how to pour beer, and actually poured the WRONG beer a couple of times for me. Not only that but they didn't have any beer knowledge when asking them about flavor profiles of different beers. They didn't even offer a sample! Everywhere else I go, if I inquire about a beer they are more than happy to give me a small 1-3oz sample. Not this place. The food was horrible, and I love sausage. The only good thing this place has going for them is they do have some good craft beer. But if your bartender cannot even tell you about the beer or pour it properly why go back?

VERY PRICEY! An 8oz pour of Dogfish Head 120 Minute was $10 at OG, where LITTERALY accross the street Good Karma Vegan Cafe had 10oz pour for $6 or $7 of the same beer.

The overall vibe was sterile. Boring decor, NO TAP HANDLES and the other customers consisted of college students who don't know any better than to waste their money on a place like this.

I will never return!
Sep 26, 2012
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Reviewed by easong from California

4.4/5  rDev +3.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
San Jose, America's tenth largest city, has been the Sahara of interesting craft beer for way too long. (As a dedicated Shark's fan, I have had to do my pre-game exercises in Palo Alto).

No longer. Here are 25 rotating taps in a smallish new pub on a reasonably happening block of South First, run by a couple of guys who understand good beer and the people who go out of their way to get them on tap. There were multiple IPAs, including one from Denmark (Evil Twin), along with 2 from Firestone, the excellent Drake's Aroma Coma, and Heretic Evil Cousin, Ninkasi, porters, stout, and saisons from Port and Ballast Point. Barleywine. Belgian on draught too, as well as in bottles.

Food was sausages and grilled cheese. No salads. No burgers. No pizza. No room for any of that. But...there is poutine. And duck fat fries. Oh yeah. Wash that down with something 9% and hoppy.

This place is clearly a labor of love for the operators, and I wish them success. Hopefully hockey season will not be locked out this year -- they have a beautiful screen and sound system. And patio.
Aug 27, 2012
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Reviewed by InfernoBoss from California

4.78/5  rDev +12.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
A welcome addition to the South Bay craft scene. 25 taps feature a rotating selection, which can change day by day. You'll find some craft standards from Lagunitas, Green Flash, Firestone Walker, Ballast Point, Drakes, Heretic, Breury, and Lost Abbey, alongside a good variety of Belgians. You'll also find selections from outside of California, such as Oskar Blues, Victory, Ninkasi, Rogue, Deschutes, and Flying Dog. A recent visit included the Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA.

While food is still limited, the selection of sausages was top notch. Coming soon are Grilled Cheese sandwiches.

Service was energetic, with Lynn, the manager, coming over to introduce herself and inquire as to how everything was.

With the variety of dining establishments within walking distance in downtown San Jose, I'm sure that Original Gravity will solidly fill a niche for those looking for before/after dinner brews, as well as those who will camp out on the patio and make an evening of things right here!
Aug 10, 2012
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Reviewed by bayareahustla from California

3.7/5  rDev -12.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Beer is very pricey. Ambiance is cool. Nice location in downtown right in the middle of everything (half a block from Gordon Biershe) Not a ton of seating inside, but has a back patio with benches and tables which seems pretty cool. Also it allows smoking which is nice at times. Food is basically Sausages and grilled cheese sandwiches right now. The beer they had on tap was very nice, some hard to finds and some obvious choices. all around not bad, but again very pricey!!!

3 beers, total of 24 ounces, 30 bucks!!!
Aug 04, 2012
Original Gravity Public House in San Jose, CA
Place rating: 4.25 out of 5 with 38 ratings