I've been to the Avarado Brewery in Carmel before and decided to stop in at Alvarado on Main on a recent trip to Salinas since I was unfamiliar with the area and knew the food would likely be decent and dependable. The bartender informed me that the menu is different from the one in Carmel; nevertheless, there were various appetizers, pizzas, salads, burgers, sandwiches, sides, desserts, and of course, a great beer menu as well as wine and cocktails. Overall, the atmosphere is more upscale than the Carmel location. It has a bit more of a city than a casual beach vibe. It was buzzing at 6 pm on a Friday, and those looking for a table had to wait. They have a large bar with ample seating and a seating area, and a small counter by the window behind the hostess stand for those who don't want to wait outside. Parking can be a challenge since there is a theatre across the street, but there is a large public lot and street parking, although you might need to walk for several blocks. Service was a bit slow, but it was a busy Friday night. read more

Alvarado on Main - Corn salad with chiken and avocado and a side of garlic fries - Beer Bar Near Me - Salinas, California

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We came on an on night, I think. Got a smashburger (best smashburger I've ever had - super juicy and satisfying), and their elote salad - this was really fresh, the greens had a satisfying crunch, and the dressing had just the slightest kick to it. Bathrooms are multistalled. Parking in the area is a bit tricky, but if you're willing to walk, it's not really a problem. Pretty large space (this used to be a bank - the door to the kitchen looks like the door to the old safe that they just kept as a stylistic thing). My only gripe was that my burgers came with homemade chips, and the chips are really good, but in the portion I got, all of the chips were smashed. Would have liked to see more whole chips. read more

Alvarado on Main - Elote Salad and smashburger - Beer Bar Near Me - Salinas, California

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I am usually the type of person who picks the prettiest looking drink anywhere. I was pleasantly surprised when the drink I chose was not only really insta worthy, but absolutely delicious. Alvarado on Main is a great place in Salinas for dinner. I came by during the week and it was not at all busy. My cousin and I were seated right away. This particular day was loteria day and several people were playing in the bar area (pretty sure they gave out prizes for the winners). The pizza was great (drizzled with hot honey) and is the perfect appetizer for two. I definitely recommend getting it. Their menu is not that extensive but they have several vegetarian and gluten free options. I also got the salmon (not pictured) which was wonderful and light. This is a super chill place and definitely worth visiting. read more

Alvarado on Main - Desert Rose - Beer Bar Near Me - Salinas, California

To be honest, this place stopped being one of my favorites about six months ago. The food used to be just okay, but now the quality has dropped significantly. The fried calamari was the worst I've ever had. It seemed like they were scraped from the bottom of the container and the pieces were too small and full of oil. It's a good place to have a beer with friends, but not a good place to eat. The service is decent compared to the Alvarado in Monterey. read more

Had a great meal and nice conversation with Mary Heather, the General Manager. Super nice and great service as always. read more

Alvarado on Main - Wings and fries. From two different days actually. - Beer Bar Near Me - Salinas, California

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Food 4/5 Service 3/5 The burger was pretty solid. The pizza was a little salty and a bit underwhelming. They charged us extra for Parmesan which I thought was weird. The drinks and beer are really good. The food always seems a bit overpriced for what is given. If visiting, I would stick to drinks and maybe some appetizers. The pretzel and cheese dip is really delicious. Service can be either a hit or miss depending on the day. read more

Alvarado on Main - Beer Bar Near Me - Salinas, California

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This place is sooo awesome. Compared to the way it looked before it was taken over, a complete 180. Such a good vibe, the decor is simple but fancy. The service was great and the food was delicious. The bar area was super cute and we got some swag on the way out. A great chill bar in the downtown area. read more

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I was in Salinas for work and stopped by on a Friday for lunch. It was semi-busy but I decided to sit at the bar and order a quick bite and a beer. I ended up being there for a little over an hour and appreciated that I wasn't rushed out. It did take a while to get checked on because it was after the lunch rush and slowing down. Otherwise, everyone was nice. I went for the artichoke tacos because I was intrigued by the dish and wanted to try something new. They were absolutely delicious and such a unique dish. They give you three types of salsa with various levels of heat. I loved the bright red spicy one and wish I had chips so I can finish the salsas. The artichokes had a grilled almost chewy texture and the crispy garbanzo beans were a delightful crunch. It was a lot on tiny tortillas so you definitely need your fork to scoop up the delicious stuff that spills out. I went for the pils and it was crisp, refreshing and not too hoppy, just how I like it. The space is absolutely stunning and in a historic building in downtown/Oldtown Salinas. read more

Alvarado on Main - Artichoke tacos - Beer Bar Near Me - Salinas, California

Came again and they've definitely improved! The food was amazing -- I gave the wings another try and they were perfect this time! Tried the Old Town pizza with no ricotta, 10/10! Service was really good too. Will definitely be returning! read more

Great spot in a beautiful old building in Old Town Salinas. It's art deco styled on the inside and brings back that 1930's feel. We stopped by because we love their beer but they also had an amazing happy hour as well. We bellied up to the bar and received amazing service from multiple staff members. We ordered pretzels, fresh oysters and a taco all from the happy hour menu.. and we had to get a flight of tasty beers as well. If we lived here we would visit all the time. read more

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Been her twice and I have had a very good experience both times. Service has always been amazing, we get out food and drinks quickly. Their Margherita pizza is delicious! Their Caesar salad was also very good. The drink was amazing too, it was guava flavored and had coconut shaving on top. The restaurant is beautiful and I love the ambiance. read more

Alvarado on Main - Caesar salad, margherita pizza - Beer Bar Near Me - Salinas, California

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Ambiance: the decor seems like something from the 1980's chic; rating 5/5 Service: pretty mediocre. Our waitress wasn't as much present compared to helping those who are the bar table. But she's pretty friendly 3/5 Food: overall decent, I ordered Wagyu smash burgers with a side of salad and I enjoy the salad more than my burger because it was a bit too salty for my tasting rating 2/5. I also order the prosciutto ham and fig pizza; it's was okay. It has a combination of a sweet and salty pizza but I didn't like the prosciutto ham cooked so it didn't really favor with my taste buds rating the pizza 3/5. My partner order the Main Street burger with a side of fries. He thinks his burger is bland but still good rating 3/5. The result it's okay. Just a rating of 3/5. read more

Alvarado on Main - Main Street burger with fries, Wagyu smash burger with side of salad, pig & fig pizza - Beer Bar Near Me - Salinas, California

Worst service ever.. I spoke to manager to get a box the bill and water and she said it is a bar tun on QR codes... every bartender walks by without even acknowledging you! This use to be one of our favorite places but now the worst! Our bartender took our drink order then put her purse on and left... never letting anyone else know we ordered something. My daughter ordered a Bees knees and the drink was half full. Unexceptionable!!!They changed their name, but still in Salinas. read more

Nice! So they have been open for a while now and they should have most of the small weird problems worked out. This isn't their first rodeo they should be seasoned pro's having two other public places. And yeah, they're pretty proficient. Service and our server was attentive. A party of 7 adults and 3 kiddos and she was present. That being said it took some noticeable time to get our beers, there is a huge bar in front of us and we waited 20 minutes for the first one to arrive. Nearly 5 minutes later we were told they were out of one of the ones we ordered 25 minutes ago...not okay thanks! Wings appetizer was good, cauliflower app. was good. The artichoke tacos were good also. The beer we drank was also good. All the other dishes I saw at the table looked good. We ordered a couple of the desserts to share and they were really good. I live 3 blocks away so yeah, I'll be back maybe for their Happy Hour with my wife or few of the guys and grab a beer and some appetizers. Good,good! Last words...3 stars...that's good, right? read more

Alvarado on Main - Beer! - Beer Bar Near Me - Salinas, California

The food was great excepcional flavor , Service was was okay server was attentive Good ambiance definitely coming back again Great cocktails and beers read more

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I've been here numerous times and enjoy myself every visit! The food and drinks are well crafted; I especially like the Fig & Pig flatbread pizza. I like the interior design and overall feel of the restaurant. It has a vintage-ish aesthetic, I'd guess 1920s theme, and the building is an old bank so it encourages the vintage feel. It is a nice-casual place so you can dress up for a date for example. The service is usually okay, not exceptionally good or bad. Parking is not ideal but it is expected for downtown; you can park on the street or in one of the back lots. read more

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Good food, beautiful location, delicious currant beer. The downside is the strangeness of staff members, one guy stood towards the back of the restaurant the entire time we were there, at first I thought he's just a random guy waiting for friends or something, but then noticed he's a staff member. Just standing around, watching people... for 45 minutes... Our waitress was sweet and very shy and quiet. I could barely hear her and must have apologized like 10 times asking her to repeat what she said. Very awkward. Seating is a bit tight also, you're an arms length away from the diners next to you and having a conversation is difficult in such a tightly packed space. Although the actual restaurant is quite large, the set up is just weird. Might come back for that fruity beer although not likely. read more

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Not sure why the star are on the 3's. This place was a really cool spot downtown Salinas. The service was quick and attentive. The drinks were excellent. I had the Smash Burger, which was delicious. The place is a bit overpriced, but for the location and ambiance, it's not too bad. The bar also has several TVs with sports. read more

The food was great. Calamari was delish. Surf and turf was tender, juicy and the fries were the perfect crunch. Al Pastor was so good with the perfect hint of spicy. Isaac was the best! Great service, checked on us regularly and shared his favorite meals with us (which I love getting feed back from the servers). For me, it was kinda loud but in the best way. Lotsa people, good music, make sure you make reservations - the wait is long but worth it. Went on a Saturday night at 4:30, left at 6:15. Hostess was able to seat us without reservations but we were told ideally to be our in two hours a they would need the table. read more

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We've been fans of Alvarado for years but this was our first stop at the Salinas location. OMG, this place is amazing. Great lay out of the bar and restaurant. All of the great Alvarado beers on tap for your enjoyment. But the food....the food! We started with the wings. Best wings ever. They do a 15 spice dry rub that some magician of a chef in the back created. Fried the tossed a nice sauce. Not too spicy, just amazing depth of flavor. The ranch and blue cheese dressing were home made and a perfect accompaniment. So good that my daughter ordered another one for her entrée. Next Ceaser Salad. Done just right with a toasty on top. Next the smash burger. The SMASH BURGER. Two patties of beef perfect and crispy on the outside, tender in the middle. American cheese oozing from the middle. A special sauce just perfect. There are no words that I can come up with to explain just how perfect this burger is. The fries are perfect as well. These people know how do do comfort food! As some of you know, I do a points scale for breweries that have an IPA and a burger. I've only found 4 places in the US that do it to perfection and one of them is Alvarado in Monterey. I'm happy to tell you that Alvarado Salinas just got 100 points for the Smash Burger paired with Trailing the Sun IPA, a lovely hazy hop bomb made with the experimental hop, HBC. I detect some sobro too? Do tell brewers. Just as we were about to leave they brought out the Happy Hour menu. Are you kidding me? Perfect oysters and discounted beers. We'll now plan our drive through Salinas at 3 pm. Well done Alvarado Brewing Company! read more

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Showed up around 12:30 with no reservations and they accommodated our group of 6. I've been to all three Alvarados (Monterey, Carmel, and here in Salinas) and this one by far has the fanciest vibes. It is located in downtown Salinas in an old historical building built in 1930. Street parking can be difficult depending on the time of day. Service was quick to seat us, serve us drinks, and take our orders. Our food arrived around 30 minutes after ordering and although our group was a size of 6, 30 mins seems a bit too long to wait. I ordered the Alvarado burger with fries ($20) and it was delicious. My friends ordered the butternut squash gnocchi ($26), Cesar salad w/ chicken ($22), smash burger ($19), and for dessert a sticky toffee pudding ($10). The butternut squash gnocchi looked delicious but was a fairly small serving size for the price. What shocked me most was the cost of the Cesar salad. Standard with no meat the cost is $16 and to add chicken is an extra $6. When visiting with a group of 6 or more a 20% tax is automatically added and checks cannot be split. Overall, I would recommend this Alvarado to anyone who loves craft beer and good vibes. read more

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I LOVE Alvarado in general. Used to go at least once a week... The Main St. location has such a cool style and ambience, but that manager needs to go. She so unhelpful, seems like she does the bare minimum, and I honestly try to avoid her if I can. Other team members like Kari, Isaiah, and Issac (now manager at the Carmel Bistro) are absolutely amazing though! Food is great as well, although definitely a bit on the pricier side. read more

AMAZING!!! I came here for a date night & just WOW! We were amazed with this beautiful establishment. The decor was superior, with a great waiting lounge right by the entrance. We perhaps waited for about 15 minutes before our table is ready. In the meantime, they do offer drinks while you wait, which I thought was really cool. I went ahead and ordered a desert rose, while my boyfriend ordered an IPA. We were offered our menu and given time to order. For appetizer, we decided to get the 301 wings, and boy wasn't I'm glad we did. The wings were cooked to perfection with a really good buffalo sauce. For dinner, we both decided to order the spicy southern fried chicken. We perhaps waited about 10 minutes till our food arrived. The chicken was very well seasoned & came with a side of crispy fries. Overall, we really enjoyed coming to this establishment for our date night and would definitely come back again and again. I have also came here with friends to get a drink or two and have had great experiences. Everyone who works here if very welcoming & friendly, which is hard to find in the area, (in my opinion.) read more

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This review is for Alvarado on Main in Salinas, not the actual brewery. I'll update with more detail in the coming days. But for now, here's our ratings and photos of ***ALL PAGES OF THE PRINTED MENU*** plus more. To see all the MENU photos, click "See all photos from Hana T. for Alvarado on Main" down below, otherwise if you click elsewhere, it'll only show you 10 photos. Our two visits were in December 2024. Food = 5 Ambiance = 5 Service = 4 Parking = 5 Prices = 4 because of weird tip suggestions and discrepancy with QR code's menu order summary and item still displaying despite server saying it was voided (It seems all 25 photos can currently only be seen if you click on "See all photos from Hana T. for Alvarado on Main" at the bottom of my review. I guess my review hasn't been properly updated yet.) read more

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Wow! Great opening day for the Salinas Installation of Alvarado Street Brewing Company. This place looks amazing. It is hard to believe that um this used to be a bank. The food is amazing. I choose a couple of local brews of Spooky Juice (hazy) and the Imperial Mai Tai (triple IPA). I ordered the calamari and shishito peppers which weRe spot on. I got a taste of the 301 wings and yeah you gotta get these...they have a curry flavor to it and it is a little bit spicy. There is so much potential here and the revitalization of this old back building is really what is need for the 300 Block of Oldtown Salinas. This is the beginning of a new era in Salinas. #salinas831 #foodporn #lifeinthe831 read more

Alvarado on Main - Beer Bar Near Me - Salinas, California

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WHAT A GEM!!! Make your way to Downtown Salinas to check em out. We went for happy hour, and the food on the happy hour menu was absolutely delicious and definitely tasted like it cost way more than the $10ish bucks we paid per food item (the pretzels, the Margherita pizza). We also ordered a few pints and a couple of their cocktails (Gravamente and Indigo), give their cocktails a look as well when you come here, even though they are a brewery. Love love their sours beer selection and you cannot go wrong with any of them. read more

Alvarado on Main - Their POG beer - Beer Bar Near Me - Salinas, California

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First time here and had a very good experience. We were seated pretty fast. Service was good. Food and drinks were served quickly. Overall food was okay. Mainly bar type food. Was prepared well and did taste good. Waiter was pretty cool and answered all our questions. Prices are fair. Will come again in the near future. read more

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Drew was very welcoming and made sure we had everything we needed. Chill and beautiful modern ambiance. Food was delish! We had the artichoke tacos, steamed pork buns and fries. Grab the Desert Rose cocktail if you love chamoy. Enjoyed our flight as well. Good music: muse, killers, etc. read more

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Stopped here on Friday 8/19 on our way down to SLO. Beautiful restaurant in the coolest art deco design. Food and drinks were great, you order from QR code on the table - super easy! I ordered the spicy chicken sandwich (with sambal aioli and pickled jalapenos on the side) thank god because the jalapenos were HOT. So good but would recommend removing the seeds before pickling so it's not too spicy. Overall great restaurant and worth the stop to Salinas read more

Excellent addition to the family of brewpubs offered by the Monterey Bay staple Alvarado Street Brewery in old town Salinas. The art deco building and decor alone are with the visit to this establishment. The bar is gorgeous with some TVs to catch some sports or sport center. Wide variety of beer and cocktails. The oysters are fresh and so delicious. We must have seen about 6 orders come out of the kitchen while we sat at the bar. The old town pizza is the perfect combination of spicy, salty, and sweet. The beer compliments both those flavors. And my wife's cocktail was delicious. Good pour and speedy service from our bartender. If you're in old town Salinas, it is highly recommended to stop in if just for a drink and the vibes. You can also pop in to take beer to go as there is a counter with cold beer ready for pick up. read more

Alvarado on Main - Midnight mirage - Beer Bar Near Me - Salinas, California

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Friendly service, good ambiance, delicious drinks. Food Favorites: The Old Town Pizza and the Crispy Cauliflower. All of their drinks are fantastic, but if you're having trouble deciding, the bar staff is incredibly friendly and will gladly recommend something delicious read more

Alvarado on Main - Old Town Pizza - Beer Bar Near Me - Salinas, California

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We are local, and have visited here often and generally were pleased with food and service. But recently the restaurant switched from servers and wait staff to using Toast to place your order. We ordered an appetizer and 3 entrees. Appetizer came after the food, and when I asked, I was told need to make a separate order first, then add entrees. In total we saw a server twice, when they brought drinks, and then food. No refills on soda or tea. Had to go toward back to ask for a box. The food was fine but not so much so to outweigh the subpar service driven by their push to apps and downsizing. I can go elsewhere to get similar food and better service read more

Excellent craft beer, food and service. The manager seated us and a bartender gave us excellent service. Most breweries don't have very good beer, let alone food, so it's nice to see they have the same excellent food as the original Monterey location. This location in old town Salinas is in a former bank and has an impressive Art Deco theme that's continued even on the glassware and menu fonts. If you look closely, you'll see an old safe in the corner. This is a good location to meet others, being on the corner and with a large open area with soft seating near the entrance. It feels like you're in the film "The Great Gatsby" visiting here. The only negative is that everything's expensive. The business overall is celebrating its 9th anniversary and this is one of four locations in Monterey, Salinas and Carmel. They have excellent salads you can get in place of fries with burgers and sandwiches. The beer pretzel has an interesting twist I've not see anywhere else; they come in three long sections, making them far easier to eat & share. They don't have hot mustard or specialty mustard as desired for pretzels, but their beer cheese is actually ok and I don't normally care for it. The draft tower had over 20 beers and whilst they have a code to scan on your phone for the current menu, they have a paper menu with descriptions that's easier to read. You can simply circle what you want and the server will bring you a new card with up to six selections. They charge for each tasting flight, as opposed to a flat fee, so it can make the bill look confusing at first but this may be a result of having several higher gravity beers. They have a full bar and NA choices as well, so everybody is well served. Parking is on the street and for 90 minutes free, but when I returned to my car, a minivan was parked right up against my license plate. They damaged their car but not mine, however, if you have a classic or nicer vehicle you may want to park elsewhere and walk and not along the intersection spots. A number of charming older buildings adorn Main Street and you can have a nice walk before or after visiting here. I noticed the owner mentioned in another review they have a security guard in the evenings inside the restaurant. During my daytime visit, the manager was either sitting at the bar observing, or in the front, which you don't see often. It's nice to not wait to be seated but without having to have a desk at the front. I imagine this place gets quite busy in the evening, but I like they also have a large wraparound bar to accommodate many. About 40% of the beer available in cans to-go and if you are interested in beer or beer production, you should visit the actual brewing operation, which is about 2 miles away in a Salinas industrial park. Since that doesn't open until 2 PM, it's fun to visit here first and eat before heading over to the distribution facility, which unlike on Main also isn't open on Monday. read more

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The building is an old bank and it is interesting inside. We were there on a Tuesday and had about a 20 min wait and then when we got seated it was another 10 min before we even had water. Our server apologized and took our order and we didn't see her again until she brought the check. We each had a pizza and it was a full-size pizza. We were there about 2 hours for 2 beers, a salad and 2 pizzas. There was 3-4 bartenders and seemed to people working but everything took a long time and it did not seem that busy. read more

The drinks were good. The reason why I am giving this 3 stars is because of the service. The server seem to be in a bad mood and wasn't as warm and welcome. The lunch menu was also limited and it really impacted my experience. I end up not ordering food and just drinks. I wish it was more friendly and happy. I don't know if I would come back. read more

Alvarado on Main - Right - Desert Rose left - Painkiller - Beer Bar Near Me - Salinas, California

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We arrived Saturday afternoon about 12:30. The farmer's market was still going on and it was a sunny day after so much rain so the restaurant was quite busy. There were seats available in the lounge area, but those tables are more suited to enjoying drinks not necessarily lunch so we decided to wait for a regular table. The host that greeted us expected a table to be available in about 15 minutes, but in reality we were seated much quicker. We probably only waited about 5 minutes. I've been to all three ASB locations now. While the menu is small, and their are similarities to all three menus, I do like that each location has their own twist on menu items as well - dry rub wings in Monterey vs. saucy wings in Salinas and Carmel. My husband ordered the 301 wings while mom and I split the BLT Caprese. I have to guess the Salinas location uses the Mary's Chicken just like Monterey because the wings were huge and meaty. The wings had a 15 spice rub as well as a Piri Sauce which our server explained was a habanero based sauce. They had a bit of spice to them, but not overly so. The one I tried was delicious and my husband certainly enjoyed them. The BLT Caprese featured Baker's Bacon and fresh mozzarella on Sumanos Bakery Ciabatta Roll with basil aioli, tomato and romaine. We opted to have a side salad rather than fries. That bacon had the best smoky flavor and the sandwich was simply delicious. The basil aioli added so much flavor. The portion was more than enough for mom and I to share. Our friendly server apologized for us having to wait to order drinks. It was obvious she was quite busy and we were not in a rush anyway, but the acknowledgement was appreciated. That being said we had a great experience. Food came out fairly quickly and she checked on us often enough. Alvarado on Main is located in an old bank building. I really liked the decor and vibe of the place. The integrity of the old building details were maintained while the interior decor was modern, sleek and comfortable. If I lived nearer to Salinas, I would pop in more often. read more

Alvarado on Main - BLT Caprese Sandwich - Beer Bar Near Me - Salinas, California

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We have struggled with the QR code menu in the past. Today we went back to see if that changed. We were very happy when both of the customers sitting at each side of us said they used the paper menu and gave their order to the employee. However when we tried to order, the GM Heather said no, for lunch they only use the GR code order system. When we persisted explaining we struggled with the QR system and other patrons were able to give their order directly to an employee. Heather continued to insist this is how it is. I stated if she wasn't going to take our order we would need to go somewhere else. Heather said she wasn't refusing to take our oder, we just had to use the app and did not offer to help or offer any apologies when we got up to leave. There are too many amazing choices nearby to endure lack of empathy or basic customer service skills. read more

All of the food was very tasteful! We started off with oysters and pastor tacos. We were full but the very sweet waitress told us about the crispy cauliflower and the artichoke heart tacos and while we don't normally get veggie options, we were so happy we did!!! The cauliflower is a MUST if you visit and the artichoke tacos are very filling! A great spot and great options of their beers for to go :) read more

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Beers are awesome but you can go to their brewery for that, the service is way better at that location so at least you will get some type of service experience there on Dayton St. The decor is nice food is nothing spectacular... I do believe Dubbers has better food service and atmosphere. You don't have to dress up to feel accepted at Dubbers, here it's like anniversaries and special occasions not your everyday hang out. I'd do Mangia or Patria for those events but I guess if you can't get in there here would be an option but your $ would be better spent elsewhere. read more

The food is great. Tried the BLT and it was outstanding, especially the soft bread (looked like hard ciabatta, but was super soft). The chicken sandwich was great, but spicy. Pizza was also great, as was the cauliflower appetizer. Beer selection is as good as it gets. Service was a little slow, but it was very busy. Good place to eat. read more