Pete's Brass Rail & Car Wash

Bar, Eatery

201 Hartz Ave
Danville, California, 94526
United States

(925) 820-8281 | map
petesbrassrail.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.01
Reviews:
10
Ratings:
10
pDev:
10.72%
View: Place Reviews
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Photo of JLK7299
Reviewed by JLK7299 from North Carolina

4.55/5  rDev +13.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Went there 3 times when I Was on vacation last summer (it is walking distance from my cousins house). Love the place. Great beer list (at least 1 Russian River offering available each trip). Had something different to eat each time. Wish I lived where my cousin did!

Im kind of confused though. There is no Brass Rail. There is no Car Wash and nobody seems to know who the hell Pete is?
Sep 27, 2017
Photo of NavyGoat
Reviewed by NavyGoat from Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -7%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
A friend told me that I should stop at Pete's Brass Rail. Always a pleasure to visit a new place. I found it to be nice but not great. The beer on tap was limited but a nice selection. The service was good but not great; one guy who had a beard could really care less about serving us in a friendly manner. I had a Highwater Camp Fire Stout which was actually very good. Once again, they had about 18-20 draft selections and no bottled beer. The burgers were ok but nothing to write home about.
Mar 06, 2015
Photo of DoctorEvil
Reviewed by DoctorEvil from California

4.25/5  rDev +6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 3.75
I've dined here well over 100 times. Service is great despite it always being packed. In fact the biggest negative is getting a table on a busy night.

Beer selection is top-notch, and they rotate beers weekly. Never joined their beer club, but should have...my name would definitely been on the wall of honor... Had my first Pliny, Racer 5, and other favorites over the years here.

Food is tasty, but hamburgers have been undercooked at times. When ordering, edge toward medium-well if you like medium normally. They have a flank steak salad that is awesome...
Jan 22, 2015
Photo of BenHesk12
Reviewed by BenHesk12 from California

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Petes Brass Rail has about 20 beers on tap with the selection changing on a daily basis. The selection is usually a mix of drinkable beers that go well with food as well as top quality choices. The food at petes is about 8-14 dollars for a large portion of delicious American style plates. The atmosphere is family oriented and friendly but don't let this stop you from coming here just for the beer.

Overall, Petes always has great beers on tap and solid food all at a reasonable price which will keep me coming back on a regular basis.
Nov 26, 2011
Photo of jdense
Reviewed by jdense from Oregon

4.13/5  rDev +3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Visited 8.10.2010 with a group of buddies.

Having been told my one of my NoCal homeys that I would be more than happy with Pete's, and this from people that know my Beervana-based passion for all things beer, I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised by my experience at Pete's.

A pretty loud and boisterous atmosphere, a 12 seat main bar and a 14 seat island bar, ample table seating along with an outdoor patio area that I am sure is always packed in good weather (we wanted to sit outside but took first available inside table). The wall is adorned with names of members of some kind of beer club, with a file cabinet holding member 'punch cards', not sure what the allure of this was ala Old Chicago, not looking for variety instead I want a 'good' beer. The taplist the day we visited was quite good, 20 taps, PtheE, Blind Pig, Snowshoe ESB and Thompson Pale, Racer 5, products from English Ales, Grand Teton and Uncommon Brewing. The service was quick, attentive, and attractive:). There was a really nice food selection, we all had lunch, typical pub grub but significant portions at reasonable prices. While I'd like to see them keep their on-line tap list up to date for the weary beer traveler, I can say I'd certainly go back here again if I was in the area. Recommended.
Aug 21, 2010
Photo of jeffjeff1
Reviewed by jeffjeff1 from California

4.13/5  rDev +3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I went to Pete's Brass Rail and Car Wash yesterday for lunch with a coworker. I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't eat anything but my coworker kept talking about the food. The plate was huge. He couldn't finish it. I had a Vertical Epic and Pliny the Elder on tap. Excellent. They have 3 Russian River beers on tap which made me quite excited. I enjoyed the atmosphere and they had a great selection of beers. Everybody at work loves it. It totallymade my day. We talked about it a bit at work and talked to customers. Awesome Experience. It's my new lunch spot.
Dec 20, 2009
Photo of doho95fu
Reviewed by doho95fu from California

4.08/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I am a transplanted east coaster and I would have killed for this place back home. I think some people are a bit jaded and spoiled when they can dismiss a place that has 15-20 decent micros and a constantly revolving selection. I joined the beer club day one which gets you 50 cents off a pint which I think leaves you at 4.50 each but they have a real good selection of mostly american micros. I have yet to see a belgian but that is fine by me. I have no clue as to the beer knowledge because I don't quiz the servers. I ask for the beers... they bring it. Done. Food is solid. There are tons of beer drinkers there at all time as well as parents with kids in soccer unis, some are even both - like me. Maybe that is why I love the place. Just got back - Had a BLT with Avocado, A Stone Sublimely Self Righteous and an El Toro IPA. Two meals for the kids. $35 - good deal in my book.
Dec 03, 2009
Photo of mjl21
Reviewed by mjl21 from California

3.88/5  rDev -3.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I'm surprised this place has only been reviewed twice. I feel it is time to add a third.

Pete's Brass Rail is located on Hartz Avenue smack dab in the middle of downtown Danville. There is plenty of parking available. It is a fairly large space with an outside patio and tons of inside seating along with a fairly large bar with roughly 20 taps. Their taps change frequently and they do a great job of updating their tap list on their website.

Every time I have gone there for food I have found it to be quite good. I tend to go with their Oriental Chicken Salad. They offer all of the usual suspects such as burgers, chicken sandos, and a bunch of daily specials.

The beer selection is very good here. When it is Pliny the Younger season, these guys get a few kegs. Expect to find Russian River, EJ Phair, Drake's, Deshcutes, Oskar Blues, and tons of other stuff.

The tablesde service is usually very prompt, but when I sat at the bar once, I found the bartender to be a little gruff.

As previously noted, I am surprised more BA's don't mention this place. I rarely go because it is far from my house, but for those on the 680 corridor, this is a good place for beer and pub food.
Jun 23, 2009
Photo of Mark
Reviewed by Mark from California

2.88/5  rDev -28.2%
vibe: 1 | quality: 2.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I had a hard time believing that a really good pub could exist in the ultra snobby, yuppified realm of Danville. I was right. I was curious when I read a very positive article about the place in the local Celebrator beer news rag. The name was interesting too, we were in the area so ... Maybe just maybe I hit the place at the wrong time but it seemed more like a busy family restaurant than a pub. The place was mostly jammed with ice tea drinking, chardonnay sipping, Danvillers and their kids attired in bleeding soccer outfits. Sorry folks but when I was a kid I played Baseball, Football and Basketball. Never Soccer and proud of it. The bar seemed like a sidelight. Mostly the place was dining tables though it tried to look pubbish with some long tables and such. The kitchen area is in full view which I did not care for. Any charm provided by the wall of fame and the pictures mentioned by the other advocate to review this place were wiped out by the above mentioned. Service was terrible. Both beers I ordered arrived headless and were lace less by the time I was finished. The glass wear is not cleaned properly or the bartender had no clue how to pour a brew. Said beers were very expensive and three beers plus two appetizers cost only two bucks less than an entire lunch plus three beers at one of our favorite local pubs the day before. The appetizers also took so long you would have thought we had ordered a 4 course gourmet meal and they had to make it from scratch. Very expensive. The plates we had were good, no problem with the food but it did seem pricey and the beers are really steep. Well over 4 bucks for most, some were 5 bucks. Too much for improperly served beer. There were some beer drinkers there but not enough. Maybe at another time I might have enjoyed it or I would enjoy it. Beer selection was actually quite good but I doubt I will go back to find out.
Oct 08, 2007
Photo of misterscooter
Reviewed by misterscooter from California

4.33/5  rDev +8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
No, there isn't a brass rail and the nearest car wash is down the street, but what Pete's does have is lots of beer, lots of names on the wall, and lots of loving customers.

One of the first things you notice about the place is the artwork. Hundreds of interpretations of "Pete" are found throughout the joint. They surround the wall of names that immortalize the regulars who have joined the beer club and drank at least 100 different beers. Some stick out more than others. Over 800 different types have been poured here. More come each week and you can count on the traditional choices to be there, too, so you can get your black and tan if you want. They may even have a full bar. I've never bothered to check.

The service has improved greatly and the sandwiches are worth the trip. Be sure to try their special ketchup. And you can choose to belly up to the bar or grab a table inside or on the patio. Anywhere is a good time at Pete's.

After moving from a tiny storefront a block away to a much bigger establishment, Pete's had some obstacles to overcome. Several years later, the many beers are still flowing, the food is good and filling, and the place is full.
Jul 20, 2004
Pete's Brass Rail & Car Wash in Danville, CA
Place rating: 4.01 out of 5 with 10 ratings