Temecula Brewing Company

OK, so service can go one way or the other when a place is empty. Our Temeculah experience was fine service from both our server, and the owner/brewer who noticed us eying the nicely presented classic beer can collection on the walls. These people love the types of people who become BA's. Turns out the guys who opened this place are from the northern midwest originally, which is where they honed their German style mastery.

And mastery it is. I have learned that sometimes a mallside brewpub can surprise me with its excellence, and Temeculah falls into that category. There is outdoor seating, but I found the beer and food atmosphere to be more suitable inside. Not only are there the true beer can rarities a nice touch, but there are two huge historical photos of Temeculah not looking like a paved oasis.

The hefeweizen is simply one of the best I have ever tasted. I'm a hops and/or barleywine fan, and for me to go into a bar and order more than one Hefe, that should indicate its quality. The brewer of this cloudy masterpiece totally agreed that I should forgo the lemon wedge. There is one cask option, and a pale, a lager, a red and a stout.

For lunch, I had their take on the fish taco: not greasy, fresh fish sauced and spiced right with nice presentation.