Through a series of happy coincidences I was visited Iron Springs in Fairfax twice in the same week, after a year+ intermission. (I'm in SF, close but not a local, and I've been car free lately.) In my opinion they're consistently one of the best, yet underrated, Bay Area breweries. Perhaps underrated isn't the right term, since a quick search reveals they get a 93 on BA. And they just received a gold medal for their Sless' Oatmeal Stout at the recent World Beer Cup competition. But I feel they aren't on the radar with other equally impressive breweries, so consider this thread my humble attempt to remedy that. Until my last visit I had never eaten at Iron Springs, as I generally consider brewery/brewpub food to be consistent--as in, consistently bad--and I'd rather enjoy the beers. This time, however, my companion and I were hungry from a long days trip around Point Reyes. What can I say? As I've been raving about to anyone who will listen to me, everything about this visit was fantastic. The food--excellent. The beers--incredible. The service--so friendly. As they were out of The Crippla I went with JC Flyer, an old favorite. It smelled as it tasted--crisp, fresh, vibrant. Perhaps it was the day or the experience but this might have been the best pint of their IPA that I've ever had. Seriously good stuff. The dinner was as good. They make their own veggie burger in house, along with some amazing pickles, so none of that boca/garden/processed veggie burger crap that you find in most places. (Yes, we are vegetarians.) The chile relleno was also solid, accompanied by this wonderful cabbage salad. We split both portions and should have stopped with leftovers but this had long since become an occasion and it merited a grand finale. So for dessert we shared something rich, chocolate, and utterly decadent, paired with their Sless' Stout on nitro. Times past when I have visited Iron Springs I left feeling like it was the area's best kept secret. One time I spent a few hours sitting at the bar and marveled how it felt like everyone who walked in was a regular; if you weren't at the start of the evening you certainly were by the end. I can think of very few places where I've felt this way so consistently So, as I enjoy the last of the bottled goodies I brought back home with me, I wish to raise my glass and give a toast to the good people who make up Iron Springs. Salud!
Nice to see Iron Springs get some love. It is by far my favorite brewpub in Marin. Like their predecessor, Ross Valley Brewing Company, they have always delivered good food. Their homemade habanero salsa is awesome. They also make some great lagers. Cheers to Mike and Anne!
Great thread idea and great to see some well-deserved love for Iron Springs. The place definitely gets less attention than other breweries in the area and I agree that it is the most consistent and most well-rounded in Marin. I was happy to see the news about Sless' Stout's gold medal and was at the Double IPA Festival this year when Iron Springs' Compulsory triple IPA won that category in the tasting. I wish that were on tap regularly because it is a badass brew. I have eaten there many times and never had a bad meal -- it is a very solid menu.
Anyone who asks me for a recommendation in the Bay Area immediately gets an enthusiastic Iron Springs plug. There are very few places that I consider to be a perfect brewpub. This is one. They absolutely nail it on all levels.
Seems like brewpubs in general are kind of forgotten about these days. If you don't make whales, no one seems to care. Nice to see Iron Springs get some love.
It's a great spot, for sure. We've been doing training rides in Marin since the beginning of the year and more often than not ride by Iron Springs. Every time we pass it on the way back the city, I just want to say screw the rest of the ride and eat their solid pub grub and drink their awesome beers...especially the hoppy ones. Definitely got the "everyone seems like a local" vibe when at the bar and you can also get a table outside. Also had the opportunity to meet Christian at a tasting a few months back and he's a very cool guy...as most guys named "Christian" are . Definitely the class of Marin brewpubs and better than any of them in the city, too, IMO.
