So good!!! We had the Hibiscus beer, and a few others- Food was off the chain! Pork pate, Beet Salad, Kimchi toast, and the Cauliflower type dish- all superb- Homemade pickles with everything- I love pickles!! Excellent everything, definitely will be back!! read more

Super disappointing experience tonight. Food great, beer great, but bad judgement and poor handling of the situation afterward means we are not likely to return. This is my first yelp review but I think it's important Discretion understands what happened- hopefully positive changes can be made. I placed an order at the counter, for two entrees, add pork belly to each. (Pork belly is mandatory at all times). Buzzer buzzes, go get food: only one pork belly. Bummer. I mention to the nice kitchen server that I ordered it on mine too, she says I didn't, I say ok, I did, she says I can get back in line and order it, they will bring it as soon as they can, but kitchen is busy so it may take a while. We have already waited about 20 minutes longer for our food, than our dinner companions, and they were almost done, so I go back to my table and decide to skip the pork belly and enjoy my fried rice. Soon, someone brings a bowl of pork belly to my table. Awesome! How nice! This is what I ordered in the first place! Yay! I get to enjoy my dinner! Two minutes later, the cashier who took my order comes over to my table, as I am eating, and says "did I screw up your order?" I say, "I don't know, someone did, but it's fine, they fixed it". He says, "do you have your receipt?" And I said, "my receipt showed the total, not the itemized, why?" He said, "well, can you pay me $6 for the pork belly? I've only worked here 3 days" (While I'm eating my meal). So I get out my wallet, and hand him $6, and say "i certainly don't want you to have to pay for it out of your paycheck". He says, thank you for understanding, and I said, "I'm not actually very understanding- you got my order wrong and you asked me to give you more money, while I am trying to enjoy my meal". He said, "maybe we can buy you a couple beers?", which was nice, but I was in no mood to stay, so I said, "I think we will be leaving" My husband was losing his mind, as well as my sister in law who was a waitress for YEaRS and was HORRIFIED that they would come over and ask me for $6 while I was eating to pay for the cashier's mistake. My husband tried to convey his dissatisfaction to the manager who did not seem to comprehend anything that was happening. I understand the bar and kitchen are separate here. But this mistake was handled so poorly- please make a better system of squaring up between the two sides than asking a guest to get out the receipt while eating and fork over $6 to square their accounting. Love the food, love the beer, feel sorry for the new guy, can't believe someone made him come ask for money, and I wish such a mistake in service could be handled more gracefully by both sides of the house. Ruined it for us- my husband won't ever go back. Super disappointing. read more

When I'm in Santa Cruz I make a stop by discretion brewing. My favorite stout they offer is the mickeys but unfortunately only sell during st Patrick. I got the wooden ruler imperial stout this time around and the flavor and quality are all there for the price as well. 10 oz stout in a nice glass for only 7 bucks ! A must in Santa Cruz for all my beer lovers looking for something new ! read more

Discretion Brewing - Wooden ruler imperial stout in a 10oz glass poured to the rim. I obviously couldn't wait - Breweries Near Me - Soquel, California

Stumbled across this place while at the car wash (!) next to it, and now it's my fave craft brewery (sorry Burger, Parish House, Seabreeze and sisters Mission & Aptos St BBQ - we all had exciting affairs! )Great vibe, chill bartenders, cool customers, great beer and what? The food --- finally a cut above "bar food". My god, the pork-belly sliders took me back to my childhood in Germany! Where do you get Trotorria style polenta anywhere in SC but here... The Good Faith Strong Ale is a favorite to get me started, musing over the seasonal menu. Chicken & waffles are a local fave and I watched a hungry dude next to me inhale them in 5 minutes! Thumbs up big time... read more

Discretion Brewing - Oh yeah- pork-belly sliders with pickled slaw in a fresh roll - just bitchin great! - Breweries Near Me - Soquel, California

I have loved the Beer for all of the 30 Plus times I have been there. I even have advised business travelers and local companies to seek out this place for entertaining. And the food has been good, As I've ordered it, eaten it, and been fine with it many times, but totally overrated for the price and especially the long wait required for service. But this time was the last I will visit or recommend. I was so mistreated for my kid bringing in some leftover snacks and asked to "handle the situation with the outside food". After we at out table of 6 spent collectively over $150 in food and beer not to mention my previous patronage. Just Rude! They do have a sign, yes, and they do sell food for their patrons. But really? Pick your battles! They also say dog-friendly, but make sure they like your dog and it's a dog-friendly staff! Looking for good Food and service? http://eastendpub.com/ http://seabrightbrewery.com/ http://www.scmbrew.com/ http://westendtap.com/ http://rusticales.com/ (No Food but great Place) SC has plenty of good options! Good Riddance read more

Food is great especially when Bruna is in the kitchen! I love coming here with friends and enjoying the beers on tap, I'm not a beer drinker but I really enjoyed their selection. read more

Not only is the beer here great, but the food is also incredible! There's a wide variety of beer so this is a great place to go with friends who have different preferences. I also recommend the chicken and waffles, pork belly sliders, or bread pudding. read more

Discretion Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Soquel, California

The food is absolutely amazing. Not to mention the locally brewed and crafted beers. Staff is very friendly and love music on Wednesday evenings? This place is a win. read more

Discretion Brewing - Asparagus with spicy alioli - Breweries Near Me - Soquel, California

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Great beer, food and atmosphere! We tried the pale ale and pilsner first. Price was excellent! Patio is very calming and dogs are allowed. Ceasar salad was the best thing, also the Brussels were tasty. We will definitely come back. read more

Discretion Brewing - Pale ale and pilsner - Breweries Near Me - Soquel, California

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The food here is amazing! 6 of us came from los angeles to try breweries and this one had good beer and good food. I had the chilli fried rice with pork belly and wow so much flavor. My friends had the sliders, quail and waffle and the salmon dish and all enjoyed their dinner. I definitely recommend read more

Visiting Santa Cruz area with family and decided to drop them at the beach and head to Discretion Brewing! Wow! Really great location and ambiance. Super friendly and knowledgeable staff. The beer was outstanding and the prices were very reasonable. Great selection of brewery gear and Crowler and Growler options. Will definitely go back when in town. read more

A stellar brew lineup and local ciders, but the food ... you've gotta like pickles. The innovative food combinations are amazing fun. Pork belly sliders, deviled eggs, smoked potatoes, roasted cauliflower, fried rice, eggplant, cheese and salami -- each dish garnished and enhanced by pickled vegetables. Delish. Highly recommend. read more

My cousin brought us a growler of 6th Conversation awhile back and it was good so we decided to visit the brewery for dinner. After my experience I say buy the 6th Conversation, Uncle Daves, or the Night Walk but literally NOTHING else. No food none of the other beers. For such high reviews I was honestly shocked that all three of our party walked out disappointed and feeling we paid WAY too much for what we got. ATMOSPHERE If there's any redeeming quality it's the building itself. It has a fun vibe and very relaxed setting with a nice outdoor area including logs and full benches. There's not a lot of seats inside but there's a bar if you just wanted to grab a pint. They had blankets, books, and a few games which was nice. On the negative side it's VERY "hipster" ie: the flights come in a muffin pan and the beer list is on business cards. Some people may like this but honestly it feels cheap and kind of dirty... STAFF Not very attentive, we waited about 10 minutes to be helped and you pick up your food and clean your own table so not much on the service end. BEER We came for the 6th Conversation and guess one of the 2 beers they DIDNT have!!! I tried the flight which was 6x "3oz" beers (not all filled to the top). The night walk and uncle Daves were good but everything else was a big let down. The stout tasted like watered down Guinness and all the ales were harsh or tasteless and most were UNDER 5% abv (which is unusual for a craft beer). Unless I can get a growler of 6th Conversation not sure I'll be coming back. FOOD This is where they really drop the ball! Everything on the menu was over priced. Two sliders for $9?!? Or some "risotto" for $16?!? We all settled on the chicken and waffles thinking it the bet value at $12. The waffles were good nothing to rave home about but no complaints. The chicken... YIKES! First of serving a whole waffle and chicken wings in a teeny tray is just messy. And then I tried the chicken. It was bland. It was tough and it wasn't much meat. Chicken and waffles includes FRIED chicken and waffles not uninspired "grilled" chicken. I saw many of the other options and honestly didn't see anything better. OVERALL Our food looked exactly like other pictures so it certainly wasn't a bad night but three of us feeling we overpaid and left unsatisfied. If you're looking for overpriced, poor attempt at gastropub in a hipster environment by all means try for yourself. Otherwise call ahead and see if they have 6th Conversation, being your growler in (or buy one), have it filled, go home and drink it with a delicious dinner you make (or order elsewhere). All three of us were really excited and had really high hopes, but life doesn't always work out the way you plan.... read more

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Awesome beer selection, unique and great tasting! The popcorn is addictive! Seriously amazing. They get busy but have a large crew of attentive beer tenders. Check it out! read more

Discretion Brewing - Yumm! - Breweries Near Me - Soquel, California

"A fine beer may be judged with only one sip, but it's better to be thoroughly sure." ~Czech Proverb I've been following Discretion Brewing on Facebook since well before they opened and watched the process as they finished the building, installed their brew vats, bought ingredients and finally started brewing their beer. Here is where I come in, the final piece of the puzzle, the person that imbibes this elixir and judges whether or not it is a fine beer or not. A serious responsibility if you ask me. Having shirked my beer drinking responsibilities for far too long, Astrid and I had the opportunity to check out Discretion on a busy Saturday evening last week. Once you enter the taproom, you feel right at home. There's plenty of nice touches from corner nooks where you can have a private conversation to large community tables where you can meet new friends to an outdoor beer garden where dogs are welcome. The food and beer menu is to the right when you come in, the line to order is at the left of the bar overlooking the brewing room. Since we were going out to dinner later, we decided to just have a beer and some appetizers. The food menu changes weekly based on what's fresh and vibrant so each visit brings something different. We ordered a bowl of warmed olives and the burrata served with crostini, strawberries, and rhubarb-pale ale jam as well as their Shimmer Pils, an authentic German-style Pilsner. The beer was perfect. Fresh, crisp and clean brew with the tastes of grain and a nice slightly bitter finish. The food was excellent as well, but I recommend getting the larger dishes for groups of two or more. While I only had one beer, I'm thoroughly sure that this was a good one. I'll definitely be back to try their other year round brews; particularly their Rye IPA and their Good Faith Strong Ale. They also brew seasonals as well so check their website before you arrive to see what they're pouring that night. You can also get a taste of all of their beers for only $8.00, an awesome deal...if you're wondering. I love the fact that so many brewers are making Santa Cruz their home base. Get out there and support these guys! PROST! read more

The beer tasting flight was pretty good... six samples for $9 seemed like the right choice at the right price! I'm no beer expert, so I won't even try to comment on the differences or quality of the various beers. But we did bring a growler that they were able to fill up pretty easily for us (the laws on growler refills seem pretty confusing to me). The food, however, was a huge let down. The sign claimed The Kitchen to be "beer-focused food" or something like that -- but I think it's beer-focused only because I needed to kick back a few or twelve beers before I could handle choking down the food and their prices!! The menu seemed like they were trying to be wayyyy too fancy, and the brisket sandwich that I ordered was more mushy-greens than meat, and not even that much of either. Especially disappointing considering that it was nearly $20 for just a sandwich!! Maybe it has something to do with their name, but Discretion Brewing is sorta hidden from the street, across the street from Safeway and Best Buy, but behind some furniture stores or something, with only a small sign to spot them from the street. The parking lot is also pretty small for the number of businesses around. They do also have an outdoor patio that seemed pretty nice! 4 stars for beer, 1 star for food. We'll call it 3 overall. I would come back, but next time, I'd just get some beers here and go to some other -- any other -- place for food. read more

Great Winter Circle!! Great place for lunch!! Great atmosphere!! I appreciate and approve for hanging out!!!

Local Brewery located in sometimes sunny Santa Cruz/Capitola/Soquel. My friend got a flight of their beer and overall this place had a great atmosphere. Their food pairings work well with the drinks. High quality greasy oily carbs to go with that beer. Only annoying issue is seating. My friends couldn't find a table around 1:30 pm on a saturday. In fact we had to sit on a bench awkwardly between another couple while a seat opened up. More awkwardly, the waiter served us our food and drinks before we even sat down, so we were aimlessly walking around holding our dishes looking for space. Personally, I would have appreciate if the waiter had waited until we had found a spot before dumping our food and drinks on us. read more

There really aren't enough positive ways to describe Discretion. My boyfriend and I come here at least once a week every week for the amazing beer, the DIVINE food, and the best staff in all of Santa Cruz. I almost hate to give it such good stars because we consider it our "local" brewery secret, but they're too good to keep a secret. Thanks for being you, Discretion. We love you. read more

Discretion brewing can be quite hard to find as it is in the back of a building off the main street. Beers were delicious, seating was nice and quaint outside. Only recommendation would be to have a wider variety of food options for those who want to hang out for awhile. read more

Friends invited me here. I got their signature beer "Dave's" and the Chorizo and Crustini "Morsel". I must say, I was impressed. The the helpings were generous and delicious. The atmosphere is nice while being low key at the same time. There is plenty of room between tables and there were tables that could seat larger parties. The staff is exemplary, personable, and more businesses could benefit from learning from them--how to treat patrons. I had a fantastic first experience here and highly recommend. Pricey, but sometimes you get what you pay for. read more

Discretion Brewing did not disappoint. We heard about it from a total stranger, and we were so glad we listened. This place is laid back with great beers, wonderful food and a great mix of music. We love their 'choose goodness' philosophy and I'm a fan of breweries with outdoor seating. The staff is friendly and we wish we were locals so we could back frequently. I had the fried rice and my husband had quail & buttermilk waffles. Both were awesome! read more

very clean very nice customer service August and Rochelle made us so welcome. cold brews outside patio. def would recommend for a afternoon brew read more

This is my favorite brewery in Santa Cruz area - hands down. I love the atmosphere, the decor the friendly people that work here and of course their beers and food! We ordered Risotto with pork belly dinner. I think I was moaning in pleasure after each bite! My husband and I shared the dish and it was plenty for us plus it was so rich that I couldn't have finished it and felt good afterward. I love that this place not only makes great beers but it has 5 star quality food too. My compliments to their chef and to the owner for hiring such a talented staff! I can't wait to come back and try something new! Tip- there's an outside patio which allows dogs read more

Beautiful venue, I appreciated the love that displays the area that makes the beer behind the bar. We went there in hopes of filling up our growler, so we always work with a flight to figure out which beer we want to go home with. Ended up not filling up our baby. My husband and I, did find a beer we both liked, but the other person didn't like that beer. So we left empty handed. I was digging the Tumbling Toast and he like the On The Porch Pale. Not sure if we'll be going back here, since we only enjoyed 1 out of 6 beers from the flight. read more

Like it. Went Sunday and tried Clams, Soup, Ale Chili, Sausage and Olives. Drank through Pils, IPA and Rye IPA. Professional set up. Met owners - nice folks who are committed to running a top flight brewery with outstanding food. Food is directed by Chef Chris from Main Street Garden. All were great tastes. Favorite were the clams and Pils. This is a great local spot. Excellent service. Its a winner. read more

Of all the breweries I have gone to, I think this place makes the best beer ever! We got a sampler and liked almost everything that we tried. Our absolute favorites were Uncle Daves IPA, the Oktoberfest and the Shimmerzwickel. Prices weren't bad at about $5.50 a pint. I would highly recommend this place if you like good beer. read more

Best food in Santa Cruz right now. Hands down. Was there last night and had a pork jowl dish that knocked my socks off. I live nearby and go regularly and have never been disappointed - the menu is always changing except for a few staples and it always is interesting and adventurous with flavors that compliment each other well. They work magic in that tiny kitchen. Beer here is great too. Shimmer pilsner is one of the best american-made pilsners I have tried. Pilsner is hard to make, they do a good job. I wish they had the Mickey Malone Stout year round. read more

Local friends brought me in for supper and beer. Both were quite impressive. Of course I tried the sampler flight, and enjoyed each beer. The brown is quite tasty and very sessionable, but my favorite of the sampling was the Rye IPA, which at a sharp 7% is toward the deep end of the pool. A second IPA complemented my dinner perfectly. We shared out various dishes; the menu is a fine assortment of vegetarian and meat dishes, and not one was disappointing. The pork terrine was a richly satisfying small plate, the produce, both sides and garnish was delicious, with the vegetarian garlic-potato soup a major standout, and the local burrata with crostini was again amazing. Many breweries spend years getting their menu this refined; Discretion pulled it off immediately. read more

Discretion Brewing is truly a 5 star experience. My husband and I were in the area for the weekend and had not heard of the brewery before. We were looking for a place to eat lunch (and have a few beers), so we took a chance on Discretion. The space is really open and bright, with a beer menu that's easy to read. I ordered the Pilsner (super refreshing), while my husband had the Rye IPA. We were lucky to snag a spot outside in the sunshine, and happily sipped on our beers while we waited for our food. Their food menu, by the way, is super impressive - I was not expecting such high quality and high concept food at a brewery. While it was a bit of a wait to receive our food, I was extremely happy with my choice: a corned beef sandwich with a slide of slaw. It was by far one of the best corned beef sandwiches I've ever had (and that wasn't just my hunger talking) - the beef was super moist, the sauce perfectly complimented it, and the bread was so soft and held everything together. My husband ordered a scallop and farro dish which was also very well prepared and presented. He was very happy with his choice. We saw so many other great looking dishes come out; we will definitely be back to try more items on their menu. read more

Will say right up front, I am not a beer drinker but I love going to this place. The rest of my family does enjoy beer, and in fact one family member has been brewing his own for a while, while another is in the wine and spirits business on the East Coast. They all love this beer, and my nearby family ask me to pick some up for them when I have business in this area. The quality of the food served here keeps me wanting to return--the chicken wings with waffles are outstanding, the pork belly sliders are great and I love the Caesar salad here--the dressing is outstanding. The entrees are well-executed--like salmon over a thin bed of polenta with fresh roasted tomatoes, and well-priced considering the quality of the food. There is a young creative cook in the kitchen and everything comes out really fresh. Its great to find a bar menu that is not all deep-fried same old calamari, fries, etc. I always order the Daily Refresher, its $3.00 served in a mason jar and is always great. Its light, not too sweet and is usually garnished with something like mint or even basil, with some fresh fruit. This is a real brewery with the operations in view of the bar, so its not really a surprise they don't serve sodas and such. We held a surprise birthday party here for a family member recently, and it was a real success. We ordered several appetizers and everyone got a few rounds of beer. The staff was helpful. One of my youngest family members is on a tight budget but finds the prices to be reasonable and fair. Also love sitting in the beer garden outdoors to watch some of the guests with their dogs interact. The layout is clean, and can be described as both modern and retro because of the various elements of the place. Nice staff also, not too sappy friendly but attentive and helpful with the various types of beer on the menu. read more

If I like everything -- beer, food, service, the space itself -- about Discretion but have one teeny quibble -- the food, while excellent, seems a bit overpriced for how much you get -- should I give it four stars or five? Really oughta be the full five, but on the chance that we could get a couple more bites of delish on those ever-changing small plates, here we are. So yeah, the beers are pretty uniformly excellent -- Uncle Dave's IPA has established itself as the one that goes home in the growler, but get the sampler and test-drive them all yourself. The staff is friendly and can certainly help you with food and beer choices, and, though it's not really table service (other than them bringing out the food), they're not shy about stopping by to ask how everything's tasting, clear plates and such. The building itself is really cool -- light, airy, very welcoming -- so not to worry if you can't score a spot outside. Big ups for having a well-stocked kids area, the better to keep the youngsters occupied so mom and dad can get a couple more pints. A great, great addition to the scene. Keep it up, Discretion! read more

My new favorite drinking spot in town! I discovered this place just a couple of weeks ago, and have already managed to bring a few out-of-towners by for a couple of local beers. The sampler is a good thing to start with, but I always get the IPA. Really delicious, as is the amber ale if you need something a bit lighter. It is kind of a weird ordering set up for first timers - either sit at the bar, or order from the cash register (you can still leave an open tab if you pick this option) and go sit at the tables inside or out. They will bring all beers and food out to you. I love the outdoor seating on wooden stumps, and it is dog friendly. I just wish they were open later! At least on Friday and Saturday, 9pm isn't late enough. Please? read more

I learned about this new craft brewery in the Santa Cruz area through Facebook. Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery gave them a shout out in one of their posts, and so I liked the page. Tons of positive comments came streaming through my news feed, and I decided I needed to check them out some time. My chance occurred when the Princess need a lift back to school at the end of her spring break. We loaded up the car and started to head north, 7 hours later we were hungry, thirsty, and found ourselves at Discretion. We started by sharing the sampler. I have to tell you that every beer we tasted was a solid brew, really not a bad one in the bunch. Stand outs were the Rye IPA and the Pils, but anything you order will please. The brewer knows what he's doing. The food here is good, too. then menu is going to change based on seasonally available fresh, locally sources ingredients, so I won't dwell on specifics, What I will applaud them on is the use of beer in many of the menu items. Beer can be a difficult ingredient to work with in the kitchen, and so many brew pubs will only have token dishes made with trace amounts of beer. The chef here goes all-out. If I have one criticism or concern about this place, it's that the are starting out too small. What they are doing, they are doing so well, they are quickly going to out-grow their space. I predict long lines for a seat in the taproom , and tremendous demand for their beer. read more

Discretion is wonderful. Not a bad seat in the house. Dog and family friendly with amazing food and service. Make sure to get the pork belly and grits, i still dream about it. read more

I popped into discretion on a whim while driving down to Big Sur from the Bay Area. This ended up being my favorite brewery during my trip to the coast. I had a flight +1, and I enjoyed every single brew. So much that I had to get a few bottles to bring home with me. I ordered the chorizo, which came out so beautifully presented, I simply could not believe it was only $5. It had wonderful pickled veggies, crostini, and a smear of dijon. It was just what I needed for my little pit-stop. I hope to make it back out that way...that, or I hope they start to distribute to the Midwest! read more

A step above the typical "garage" brewery is an actual building with a bar, an inside eating area, and a patio. Like a restaurant. They serve food. Dogs and kids welcome. They had a good 12 beers on tap, the flight I had was 6 pours. The outdoor area has a cool log bench area in gravel. read more

Amazing food and beer. Prices were a bit high but completely worth it. The location is cute with a very industrial/rustic feel. Minimal seating but a few tables for medium sized groups. This location does not allow dogs (we brought our smal dog). Luckily they were very kind about it and just reminded us dogs were only allowed outside. 10/10 would reccomend! read more

OK. I must agree with the other reviewers, Uncle Dave's Rye IPA is the BOMB! Now, however, they have a food menu, and some of the items are outstanding. I personally LOVE the Caesar Salad with house made croutons. Incredible and the Hot Roasted nuts with Sea Salt and Rosemary was 'to-die-for.' Hubby had the Pork Sliders, delicious! To say the least, the tap room is beautiful, the patio area is divine and the service is outstanding! read more

We had to drop in and have some of the great beer that I was reading about. We were not disappointed. I had their version of the Resilience IPA and it was the best that I have tasted. My wife had the 6th Conversation and loved it. Full of flavor. We took home a growler of it. They will be one of our go to places for amazing beers. read more