Finished running a bunch of errands and recognized that we were in the neighborhood. Dropped in for a few pints. Entered and immediately greeted by the bartender and two customer dogs lol. Ordered some beers that we hadn't heard of for the first round (Ghost Town "Sardonic" - great, and Ghost Town "Hop Clot" - good but with a funky aftertaste), and ordered Pliney the Elder for our second (always a safe pick.) Friendly bartender, friendly interactive clientele, clean bar, clean bathroom, just a nice relaxing afternoon in San Carlos. read more

Ale Arsenal - Pubs Near Me - San Carlos, California

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Came here Friday night around 6:30ish. It wasn't too busy. They have both outdoor and indoor seating. They have beer and wine. We all got hazy IPAs and sat outside. They allow dogs outside. read more

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Just wanna say your draft list is always top-notch, maybe one of, if not, thee best in CA based on the size and attention to detail on the selections for all the styles. The spectacular stout/strong ale section is always siliva inducing but that is not to discount the rotating ipa list which is always stellar too. I will pop in any time i am traveling that way. I am envenious of people who live near by. I should move read more

Dive, casual, relaxed, chill, no drunkards, happy, overall comfortable. Beers and ciders. In and outdoor seating. Great service. Fridge near entrance for cans, too. read more

Ale Arsenal - Cidah! - Pubs Near Me - San Carlos, California

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I want to really like this place - but for some reason I do t get to go here as often as I would want to. Definitely being a beer bar reduces my choices for alcohol types - but they do good with catering to a clientele interested in the more off the beaten path beer brands. The interior is small, and designed to prevent you from lingering too long. So not great if you are with a big group. We have done a bunch of Pliney the Younger tastings with these guys - so they do end up in at least an annual circulation for me read more

This has been my new favorite bar since I found out they carry Alvarado Street Brewery. I've always heard about it but never made the opportunity to stop by and the last week I've been here twice already. So far it's been a great experience each time I've visited. The staff is very helpful and kind to assist in what I was looking for. Fairly decent size with a long bar top so you can choose where you wanna sit down and have a cool crisp beer. I can only speak for the advice for now as I've only came by for the new release of ASB Sour "pink lemonade". The location is in San Carlos at the southern end of the food/shopping strip. It is also next to the Refuge restaurant and bar so you might have a hard time finding parking. I will be coming back here soon for a sit down cold beer after work some day soon. read more

Finally got to try this place! They've got a great sour beer selection and such great service- a ticket to a great time!! I got a couple of sours and the different glass sizes here was a nice touch! They had really great holiday decor up! I recommend this place for drinks with friends, colleagues, or anyone coming in a group! read more

Small place with a really cool vibe. Very clean with a friendly bartender. This is a great place to go if you want a beer in San Carlos. There are way too many wine bars on this street. Nice selection of beer as well. I also appreciate the person who selects the music....thanks! read more

I really love Ale Arsenal. A community mainstay since a decade. Great beer, always lovely to explore new beers. Really knowledgeable beer sommeliers, they will never steer you wrong. Such a gem in San Carlos. We are so lucky to have Ale Arsenal here! read more

Love this bar! I could've sworn I had already reviewed it because I've loved this place for years! They have the best staff the best beer on tap and an incredible community of regulars. If you like craft beer this place is a must! read more

This bar has an amazing selection and a super friendly community of regulars. Felt right at home on my first visit.

There are not a lot of places open late in downtown San Carlos so Ale Arsenal was an obvious choice after having dinner with some friends at the Refuge next door. It was not very crowded on a Sunday night with plenty of bar space for our party of 6. Pretty good selection of local beers on tap at a fair price. I love that they serve the glass-bottled Mexican Coca Cola here too. The noise level from the music was loud enough where you can still have a conversation with friends without yelling. Friendly service and clean. read more

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This place is great! Local / artesanal beers ! I've been here maybe 5 times and I usually order sour beer.. which is very good. Price is good and the bartenders are very friendly. read more

This has absolutely been my favorite beer bar in the Bay Area. I've been going here since 2013/14 and have made so many friends over the years. Their craft beer selection rivals any other bar you can think of and they've never employed a lousy beertender. Although, it's not a sports bar, they'll accommodate any sports fan from 49ers to the Sharks. Early on they knew that if I walked in that an A's game was probably on and would switch one of their 4 TV's without me even needing to ask. They also love playing obscure cult classic movies for other customers and it was always a treat to see what they would play next. It was this bar that I had my very first date with my fiancee in 2017. We spent hours chatting non-stop as if we've been friends for years. Suffice to say, this bar holds a special place in my heart; I even convinced her to let us engrave the coordinates of this bar on our wedding bands! COVID-19 may have postponed my wedding and temporarily closed Ale Arsenal but if there's anything I'm sure of, it's that I love my fiancee and I love Ale Arsenal! read more

We went to ale Arsenal for years. Then we had a kid and they said you are not welcome anymore Dog are ok, but no kids. read more

Ale Arsenal - Lord Hobo Boston, MA - Pubs Near Me - San Carlos, California

Very few places where you go in after a heavy week and come out with a grin. It's like cheers in reality: everyone knows your name, but it isn't a TV show. A world-class beer selection helps, too. read more

I used to come here sporadically since they opened but it has been awhile since Alpha Acid is also so close. I was eagerly anticipating grabbing beer to stock up on, however I had a bad experience. I will not bore you with details but since then I have spoken with the owner who has been very responsive and receptive. All in all, this place is a great spot for craft brews on tap and to go. I'm simply chalking up my bad visit as a soft reopen 'off' day; or maybe I was just too early. Anyways, If you want a nice cold craft brew, Lauren and Ale Arsenal have an eclectic selection that you are sure to enjoy! read more

Best beer bar in the Peninsula, and that's not hyperbole. I've been drinking amazing beers at Ale since 2013 and it's still my favorite bar in the area. Constantly amazing selection, super knowledgeable and friendly staff, even has a superb bottle selection at Fair prices. Note that there is no food, but the bar is super friendly with takeout food (Get a cheesesteak from the Refuge next door and bring it in the bar). If you just want fantastic beer, this is the place to go. read more

Ale Arsenal - Pubs Near Me - San Carlos, California

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Just a friendly great little spot to try one of several types of beers they have on tap that day. I consider this spot a fun place to meet up with friends for a quick drink before you go somewhere else for dinner. Noticed several people brining their dogs into the bar. Small and really chill spot. read more

Ale Arsenal - Quality beer and chill spot to have a drink - Pubs Near Me - San Carlos, California

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Perfect place for a beer. Vast selection of interesting beers in many styles from interesting breweries i.e. no industrial mega-breweries. Knowledgeable servers. A few TVs. No unnecessary frills. It's all about the beer. Gotta react also to an unfair low rating given by the folks upset that their kid isn't welcome -- they might wanna catch up on what California law says about minors in bars. read more

When in San Carlos and waiting for a table at the refuge stop by and sample the several beers they offer on tap, I sampled the Devil's Canyon Hellraiser Hefeweizen not to shabby, not heavy, refreshing, slightly hoppy deliciousness on every gulp, I recommend this Hef if you like hef that is, I stayed away from the ale's since im not a fan, definitely spot to stop by if you are in the area beers **** for the hef's definitely recommend the devils canyon hellraiser hefeweizen price $ service ***** all smiles ambiance **** well ventilated, clean, friend staff read more

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Ale Arsenal is a bit informal, no high tech multi-colored screem with 30 draft beers names on them, just 2 sheets in slots in front of te bar, "drafts" or :bottles" -drafts tend to be local draft beers, are on draft bottles are from further away. beers labeled by types: saison, sour, ipa, double ipas, ciders, ales, red ales, ad nauseum. brew: "field in bloom" (7) 8% + stout -lots of body, flavor from berkeley pub. -field had many crafs on list on draugh: -barrista casually mentioed he will be working @Sauce/walnut creek in futrue,now brewery, open already in previous pyramid alehouse site. read more

Great selection of craft brews at this bar...especially the local variety. The bartenders were cool and friendly. This is the type of place I seek out if I'm in town and looking for a good beer. read more

Ale Arsenal is the best craft beer bar on the Peninsula, period. The owners have great relationships with all of the best breweries state wide, and that means there are 20+ amazing, well curated taps of IPAs, sours, stouts and more on at all times. They also have an amazing bottle and cans selection for in house consumption or to take home. It is a great place to watch a Giants, Warriors or Sharks game any night of the week, with a few big TVs. Ale also has a nice patio, and let you bring in food from any of the nearby restaurants. The regulars are friendly and the bartenders are the best. I can't wait to get back there for a beer in the near future! read more

Maybe one of the best beer bars in the bay. Worth a journey, but for me it's just 4 blocks for a post work tipple. The beer program is intensely focused on high quality local beers. Some kegs are delivered, many are driven in the back of the owners car straight from the brewery. Driving to and from Santa Cruz on a Saturday with a full keg rolling around your boot? That's what they do here. They also have an excellent can and bottle selection so you can get the best quality to go as well. I love my hazies and they have about 4 on tap on any given day, rotated frequently. They also have sours and stouts for the non ipa fans but ipa is what's up here, as it should be. No food, many order from the refuge next door. No wait service but it's rarely that crowded in any case. Cmon down!! read more

My husband and I used to be regulars here because of their great beer selection and reasonable prices, but we've had multiple negative experiences with one of the workers there, Stephen. We've always tipped well, but he's made negative comments about us whenever we order, and has always been rude when we've been friendly. Not sure why he needs to roll his eyes at us after every order we make. We gave this place/him multiple chances, but we'd rather drive further to go to other places than be met with rudeness and condescending comments. read more

Pros: - good rotating beer selection - they let you bring food in here and eat it - they sometimes have cool stuff going on in here, like reptile shows?? Cons: - not very much seating - bartenders are a little standoffish if you ask for recommendations.. or maybe it's just my super chatty cheery demeanor that offends their cool-ness I like that they moved the beer fridge to the front! Lets you peek at selection. read more

Love this place. The bf and I come here almost every weekend. Their rotating tap is constantly changing and we never see the same menu twice. My bf is a big fan of saisons as well as sours, and he's usually always able to find a new one to try. A good place to come to on a lazy Sunday afternoon to sit outside, chat and people watch. They don't serve any food though so make sure to bring some with you if you feel like snacking. read more

Beer Beer! Nothing but beer! (okay I lied. They actually have a very limited selection of wine but you are really at the wrong spot for that.) Cool place. Friendly bartender. Very chill spot to hang out. read more

Ale Arsenal - Pubs Near Me - San Carlos, California

I was there recently for Moonraker Tap takeover night and it was great. I have to shyly admit that I have not gone out drinking in quite some time, so it was quite the experience. The inside is cozy, plenty of tvs to watch from. There is a nice bar area and long counter with barstools behind it. I remember 4 tables that can accommodate up to 6, and a nice patio area, but with the rain, everyone was indoors. I started with the Dojo, then moved onto a CBS Stout. The Dojo was good, light and finishes well. Easy to drink and too easy to have too many! The CBS stout was amazing. Tastes like coffee, sweet yet dark. It goes down good but I had the usual stomach fullness after drinking it. I then drank whatever else the next two rounds were and I was done after that. The nice thing is that they allow you to bring in food from the Refuge, next door. In general, a solid ale taphouse! read more

I'm grateful to the weekly Yelp for spreading the word about the relatively new Ale Arsenal on the border of San Carlos & RWC. We were impressed by their depth of selection and the numerous craft brews available on draft (cheers to quarter kegs!) that are served with a background of lively modern tunes in a relaxed minimalist setting. My craft-beer-aficionado partner and I wandered in on the first really cold Saturday evening of approaching winter and were drawn to the nice range of craft stouts on tap. Clearly these barkeeps are preparing to keep us happy and warm this winter! On this busy night, all was being enjoyed by an all-ages hipster crowd. I look forward to returning, however I am concerned about their sole unisex restroom (those-in-waiting are easily viewed/counted by the other patrons). read more

i have been here a couple of times for a late nite beer, and it seemed normal. I was mistaken. I bought a beer to go and sat outside and started to drink it. I did not care for it, but was not interested in getting my 7 dollars back by the way, I bought it, and I accept that . I only brought it up as I saw the gate keeper and said Im sorry I didn't like the beer and he immediately said "you are not supposed to drink it here and get the fuck off our premisses".And to be clear he was rude about it. I was never told not to consume the beer away from their premies, that was never part of the instructions., I was not told to mosey on , but I was met with hostility. Perhaps many of the the people he deals with are difficult, but I am disappointed, because he stated, "you can't drink here and get the fuck off our property". It was unnecessary and could have been dealt with differently. Also I did see more people be welcomed into the place after they were clearly done serving. read more

Came on a Sunday. Three TVs and plenty of seating. Bartender was very friendly and let me know that they can change beer listings daily. I like that. Extensive bottle menu with sour ales (Cascade bottles are hands down the best sour ales if you're willing to spend the $30+ for 750mL). Ambiance is fine, nothing to note other than it is clean and the bar is high. Short people may feel like they are resting their chin on the bar. No food so eat before you come here. Would give it five stars if they had some small bites to compliment the beer. read more

Ale Arsenal - Menu. - Pubs Near Me - San Carlos, California

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Came here with a friend for cider tasting. The bartender girl was really friendly and even switched out one of the ciders I hated for one I liked (and I didnt ask, I just said which one I didnt like). It was $14 for four small wine glasses of cider. Would be great if they served food or even snacks here though! read more

Ale Arsenal - Cider - Pubs Near Me - San Carlos, California

I heart Ale Arsenal and I dearly miss the staff, the patrons and of course, the awesome beer selection. I have been going here for years and I can't wait for it to reopen!! I am looking forward to a cold beer and a cheesy movie. CHEERS!!!! read more

Im a bit sad that Flight Lounge went under. They brought some very unique wines to the public at very affordable prices. The folks are nice to boot too. I wish them the best in whatever they're up to now. However Ale Arsenal is doing somewhat of the same thing, just with beer. A very large selection of harder to find beers on tap and then they extend it with a number of bottles and cans to boot. One of my friends seemed to already be mafia here so we were warmly greeted and continued an early evening of drinking that started with a beer tasting a couple of doors down. Very cool, eclectic selection of brews. 4.5 stars read more

Ale Arsenal is like a box of chocolates...you never know what beer you're gonna get! I am overjoyed that San Carlos has such an awesome Mecca for the beer enthusiast to indulge. With constantly rotating taps, you're guaranteed the chance to try something new. Sure, we all have our staples. And of course, some people aren't the adventurous type when it comes to beer. But if you let your taste buds do the walking, you're in for a glorious treat. They also feature a plethora of California beers, and I'm always surprised when a new one catches my interest. Uncommon Brewer's Golden State out of Santa Cruz is my latest local crush...damn good. And keep your eye out for beer tap takeover nights. They had Lagunitas Brewing in a while back and it was glorious. The people behind the counter are friendly and helpful when you can't quite make up your mind. Very knowledgeable about what they're serving. And I'm thrilled to see they'll be serving up their own Ale Arsenal brews soon! Lastly, I can't forget to mention the most eye-catching aspect of Ale Arsenal...their freaking awesome logo. I mean, how ale-tastic is a WWII era pin-up riding a beer bottle? read more

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This beer pub replaced a wine bar that was really, not that awesome. Since microbrews are gaining a lot of popularity, it's nice to have such a place in San Carlos. They have a good draft selection -- not just 80% IPAs like what a lot of SF places serve. Personally, I can detect any bitterness from a mile away, so anything too hoppy is going to overwhelm my delicate tastebuds. I like the fact that they have a good variety of beer from nearby breweries that I have no idea existed. It's very nice to see support for the little guys, and most of the beers are delicious as well. The not-so-goods are the acoustics (pretty much have to shout in there), and the lack of any kind of food. This area of San Carlos isn't exactly bar food friendly, especially after a certain time in the day. A little pub mix would go a long way. read more

My favorite local watering home! Kyle, Stephen -- all awesome. Have the best, latest brews.

This is a great place to grab a craft brew. They have a great tap selection, good bottle selection and friendly, knowledgeable bartenders. The TVs are well-placed over the bar to watch a game (go Warriors!). They do seem to have a lot of Alpha Acid beers which I wouldn't mind seeing a couple of handles replaced with other CA brewers for more variety. read more