Tried to go during lunchtime on a Friday. Could not find parking anywhere, it's all reserved for the surrounding businesses. I recommend going on weekends or evenings when I assume there's more options. read more

Don't bother Came in for my Fathers Day celebration. Tried to order food and they wouldn't accept modifications. Annoying, but I asked what they had for someone with a dairy allergy. Turns out nothing. So I said please just give my wife the sandwich but hold the cheese. They would not. We cashed out and left. They say to come meet your local brewer. Well we did and we won't be back. It would be one thing if the beer was anything above average, but coupled with historically bad service, not again. read more

Popped in based on recommendation from a friend. Looks like a cool spot and it was moderately busy so likely good beer. Unfortunately for me they two guys working at the bar were more interested in talking about bikes than in selling me a couple growlers. They completely ignored me so I left without checking out the beer. Customer service super important to me regardless of if it's a bar or not hence my rating. read more

Top brewery for sure and I am a big fan of their recent release "hefty fee" - will be excited to get back here as the kitchen and their menu rips too read more

What? I can't have a little taste of the beer before I commit to a pint (which they don't have)? If you don't like beer but want to try one anyways, then this is a great place to start. Beers are fairly mellow and all come in fancy libbey glasses. By the way libbey glasses are for Belgium beers (again something not available), a simple pint glass is how an ale should be served. Half the beers on the menu are IPAs that claim to have used hops, but I'm not convinced, even though there's a flavor "profile" telling me what I should taste as though it's a swanky wine bar. Didn't have the food, but it looked good, but then again I like a heavy greasy flavorful sandwiches when drinking. So for potentially good food this place gets 2 stars, rather than 1. And also for being a local brewery. #supportyourlocalbrewer read more

Despite not being local, I am constantly down in South Orange County visiting friends, restaurants, breweries etc. I have been to Docent Brewery at least a dozen times and I have always enjoyed my experience and the beers there. I even met one of the owners about 8 months ago while having Sushi. However, I had an unfortunate experience with one of the "beeristas (?) ( dark haired, east coast accent, heavier set woman) this past Sat. I was with a friend and since there were several beers that were new to us, we asked the beerista if we could have a just a small sip/taste of just one of the beers that we were contemplating. It wasn't a crazy busy time, there was only one person behind us waiting for a beer. We were informed rather abrasive condescending tone that, "We don't do that anymore. You can either order a flight of the tasters or you can order a 4oz taster. That's a pretty good taste don't I think?" I have been to dozens of breweries and have never been denied a small sip in order to make a decision. While this may be a new policy that I was unaware of, it was the manner and tone of voice in which it was delivered that was quite off putting. I am not in my 20s and as a retired firefighter I understand pretty intimately the challenges of delivering excellent customer service even in difficult times. Perhaps this Beerista had a bad day or needs a bit of retrainining. Either way, I am reminded by a manta that was drummed into me decades ago in the fire service. " Leave your troubles, attitude, home life etc at home. When you come to work, put a smile on your face and treat everyone like they were a dear family member regardless of the challenges they may pose. You can always pick up your troubles, attitude and home life when you leave. read more

Best south county brewery IMO between the quality and variety of beer and food options. Great outside seating options and thoughtful Covid logistics to keep their fellow patrons and citizens healthy. read more

This is a BREWING COMPANY not a restaurant. Yes, they have good sandwiches and small plates but if you are coming here for fine dining and to complain that you can't have every menu item "your way" like Burger King, go somewhere else. It is a public house with a handful of fresh, local beers that rotate as they are made. They offer canned beer to go. Docent is not the Cheesecake Factory with 37 items on the menu that caters to the crazy Southern California gluten free, fat free, 32,000 deductions and additions, picky eater crowd. Highly recommended if you want a good fresh craft beer brewed by good folks. I like the Burner (IPA) and the Rube (red ale). Food was good too, especially the Ruben, but this is really a place to drink beer. read more

Went here with my friend last night and WOW! First of all, they have such a nice selection of beers to choose from! I personally gravitated towards the "Luna" beer since im a fan of wheat beer. Also, if you get hungry their sandwiches are phenomenal. The "Cabrese" sandwich was recommended to me and it's fantastic! Definitely will be coming back! read more

Docent Brewing - The "Cabrese" sandwich with a flight of beers! - Sandwiches Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

I planned a little day out with my husband and Docent was a stop on the list, not disappointed. This is one of the nicer and roomier breweries I have gone to in the OC area at least. The menu had nice vibrant colors and there were nice furniture set ups in different areas. You can sit in a more bar stool area where the taps are, there were barrels with stools, there were singular sofa chairs and small table areas, there was even a little enclosed area with one table in it. I saw some folks play Connect Four, someone playing with a string and hook not sure if that was a real game. It would be cool if they had corn hole right outside the door to play with. This brewery serves some bites that I would like to try next time. They have a pretty good set up, there is a little window near the restrooms where people picked up their food orders. Restrooms were clean and sinks to wash hands were located outside of them. The only process that was a bit confusing was the payment process. People didn't seems to know how to make a line and the cashier was a bit slow although there were two guys there. I think they need a more prominent area to order your brews at or add another station to pay. There were only three parties in the "line" and it already seemed too packed in just that area. Anyway, the glasses and pours here seem generous. Taster glasses are fairly larger than others I have been to and it's like you get two full glasses for $9 versus one glass for normally $7-$8. I think it's a great deal and would return next time. Hopefully they keep this the same. This place is surprisingly welcoming of families with children since I saw lots of parents bringing their kids. Not what you would normally see at a brewery. I think I even saw a newborn-ish baby there lol. Not like The BrewHouse down the road that has a sign that no babies and kids are welcome there, I wonder if that is why those families came here instead. Welp! Next time I have a baby I know where to go lol Anyway...brews were decent, I felt like all of their brews have the same after taste though. After tasting them for about 10 minutes it was almost undistinguishable. I would come here for just a glass at a time because I do not know if I will get a flavor variety next time. Good spot to come with others for a drink, will be back! read more

Thankfully Docent is here to show San Juan what a BREWERY is. People complaining about not being able to make food substitutions clearly have no idea what a brewery is. You're lucky they offer food as most don't. Great beers, good people, fantastic food and a great atmosphere. What more can you ask for? Easily my favorite local brewery. PS. Connie rocks. read more

Wow! Loved the beer here when we came a while ago and was super excited to come back. Walked in and was undecided between the 2 pales on the menu. I asked nicely if I could have a splash of one before I decided. This is not an unusual thing to ask for at any brewery and they are always super nice and even make recommendations. The guy was rude and asked if I was ok paying for the taster. I said I just want a splash and then I would decide right away. He was like no we don't do that. Get over yourself, Docent. Great beer but lacking in customer service. Such a disappointment. read more

What a great beer line up. Beers and food are absolutely some of the best on the market and in the surrounding area. Have had many of the sandwiches and recommend them all. All the beers are good. They do ipa"s and pale ales really well. They make some abnormal specialty beers and are always good. Ambiance is great. I've been going here a while now and was greatly beneficial when everyone didn't know about it because the lines are very long now at times but worth the wait. Maybe a second location would be good that I could invest in. Ps. Come here and stay away from left coast brewery. read more

Good in every way...deep beer offerings, great/friendly service, solid food & upbeat crowd all ages. Will be back!

Love this place! A bit tricky to find, but once you have you'll be glad you did. Fantastic beers and a really cool venue. A hidden treasure. Probably won't stay hidden for long. read more

So beyond impressed with how this place turned out. They had 6 beers on tap and all were awesome. The Tonic Nitro is amazing. We ordered the Korean Ruben sandwich and it was one of the best sandwiches I've ever eaten. Considering it's taken a while for them to open they exceeded any and all expectations. So proud to have them as San Juan's first Brewery. All of the bartenders were great and super attentive. The vibe of the brewery was very welcoming and warm as well. 10/10 would come here again, and will be visiting often. read more

Docent Brewing - Sandwiches Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

Great place in south OC. Had their barley wine which has to be my fav so far. Needs more hazy's in the menu, and they can def do stouts

We were driving down the 5 from Santa Ana and looking for cool new spots that were pet friendly cause we had our dogs and found this place. Great beer and bread rolls with cheese. The sweet pickels were are also great. So glad we stopped here! read more

Docent Brewing - We got one of each of the cheese bread rolls and sweet pickels - Sandwiches Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

So this place is amazing. The beers are tasty and creative, the staff are genuinely hospitable and happy to hang out and talk with you. I'm sure this brewery is going to be huge, absolutely love this place. We tasted the Aviador Easy IPA, The Rube, and the Peel Top-- each unique and delicious in its own way. The vibe here is relaxed and comfortable. It's a bit confusing to get in, take the time to find the entrance, though, because this place is totally worth it. read more

Docent Brewing - Rube & Aviador Easy IPA - Sandwiches Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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So nice to have a brewery close. Love the roatating IPA's. Food is yummy- pickles, cubano and mountaineer roll -believe me you'll be happy!

Love this place! It's dog friendly ,which is so cool!!! They also serve food!!! Awesome, and it's hard to find a brewery that serves food. Most don't. We didn't order food but the customers sitting next to me did and it looked tasty. We tried several of their beers and they were all great. It had a fun, upbeat vibe. It was a mixed crowd of all ages. Service was friendly. Check it out!!! read more

a real brewery fills a growler. this place doesn't fill growlers so I feel it's not a real brewery.

Great vibe, good beer, dogs allowed! Food is good but REALLY spicy, wish there were some milder things on the menu read more

great beer selection, and their take on the Reuben sandwich will blow your socks off. food feels fresh and menu is very creative. there has not been one item on the menu I haven't found delicious. read more

A brewery with a kitchen!!! Just thought that should be the first thing you know about this place. I visited this place while on a mini vacation. As far as I could tell it's the only brewery in town and I was informed they just opened a couple months ago. Large spacious brewery with games. It was pretty crowded when we arrived but that didn't stop their beertenders from giving out great service. The beertenders were very attentive and the chick Connie that took care of us was awesome! Her customer service and personality was the cherry on top of my visit. Next time I'm in town I will definitely be back! Connie from Jersey, you're awesome! read more

Love Docent!!! I was not a beer drinker until I came here and tastted. The staff is always helpful and the infinite zest is the best. We bring this beer everywhere including home and #OBCH. Can't wait to come back and I haven't even left yet. read more

Be sure and grab a seat at the bar. You will meet the best people!! Love me some locals! read more

Docent Brewing - Sandwiches Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

Super nice people and delicious beer! Visiting from Portland and this definitely should rank highly in the brewer's big leagues. read more

Docent Brewing - Rube (left) and Aviador (right) - Sandwiches Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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So great to have a local brewery with good beer that also has great food and a cozy vibe inside. It's a little harder to find than your average brewery tasting room, but it's definitely worth the effort. Tried all the beers available the day we went, with Self Titled coming out the favorite (no surprise given our predilection for belgian style beers). Also had the Climber sandwich, quesadilla and kimchi which were all very tasty. We will be back to try more beers as they're released (and food)! read more

Visited Docent Brewing Sunday and the place is 100% legit! Great beer selection, great service, great food and great MM&W playing on the stereo! I'll definitely be back! Super casual vibe! "Pillow Fight" was my favorite, but I tend to lean towards the hoppy beers. Flights gets you 4 tasters and 1/4 or 1/2 pours. Didn't have my size tshirt but now I have yet another reason to go back! read more

$6 great grilled cheese and good beer. Just need to tighten up the ordering process line. Our new fav local beer place. Try the cubano sandwich. Well done Docent! read more

Love this place! It's a very cool Vibe and atmosphere to hang out with friends. Great beer! And food choices are yummy and fairly priced. Most breweries don't offer much for food, so this is a definite plus. The nitro tonics are always delicious and amazing. I favor stouts, but my husband loves the IPA varieties. Try grandpappy ..whoa will knock you butt off at a whooping 9.5% alcohol. It is amazing! The owner Brian is the fun and friendly! Love going back to what they got new brewing and on their menu. read more

Love this place! Great beers and great food. They have games you can play too. The place is pretty big so lots of room to hang and taste some great beers and food. Food - My favorite is the Cubano sandwich and mountaineer rolls. I look forward to the weekend just so I can have a mountaineer roll. Sometimes I get there right when they open and the rolls are not ready because they bake them fresh each day. I also had the carnitas quesadilla and it was pretty darn tasty too. Beer - My favorites are the Gimme and Peel Top but most of the beers I have had have been pretty good. Great place and it gets busy so plan accordingly. Service - Excellent! Even when it's packed they get it done. So go, order a sandwich, mountaineer roll and a tasty beverage. Then grab you food at the window in 10-15 minutes. Cheers! read more

The only word I can think of is ARRESTING Or maybe PARALYZING Whatever you would use to describe the fact that if you taste any of the beers or the insane sandwiches, you're stopped in your tracks and your attention is demanded. I can't recommend the Korean Ruben enough. The kimchi is made lovingly by the owners Korean wife. I practically bit my hand,I didn't want the sandwich to end. The beers could stand to be renamed,in my opinion. I.e. The Burner to Pineapple Ipa The Rube to Grapefruit Red Self titled to Dear Abbey(abbeystylesaison) Just because you can't quite pin the flavors until you're told,and you can't untaste them once you know. I believe they would kill in the wide market if they give the taste description in the title. Each beer is incredibly solid and not overwhelmingly hopped,(like most west coast breweries.) They have nothing to prove. You MUST come try this place And bring an appetite read more

Good, large open space with a cool upstairs. They really need a water station though.

First time here. Excellent beer. Excellent vibe! Tried the Nitro stout first. Creamy and delicious , like Guinness, but with a good coffee taste. Then had the Burner IPA. Another flavorful beer. We didn't realize they sold food (we brought pizza). They were cool about it. read more

Docent Brewing - The Nitro stout! If you like stout, go for the Nitro version! - Sandwiches Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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Customer service is spot on! Great beers and food also! Pillow fight was my favorite! read more

One word; WOW! South county's newest kids on the block. They just open this absolutely awesome tasting room. If you haven't been there yet, please go check it out. I love the interior, vibe and over all design / concept. The staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. The owner is such a nice guy. Beer wise; so far my favorite beer is their IPA called Burner (the others are good too but I'm a hop head so I'm a sucker for hoppy beers!), so I'm looking forward to Taste their upcoming hoppy beers. Oh... one last thing; the head brewer was a home brewer before this and this is HIS FIRST full scale / pro brewer project .... that guy is a wizard and he's doing such a gooooood job I live three miles from this place so YES I'll see you there soon ! read more

Amazing! We were lucky to be here for the soft opening and were highly impressed! The decor is warm and inviting! The food is simply ... delicious! And the beer is ... OMG, this Jersey girl (who loves beer) is over-the-moon happy! Can't decide which beer to try? Ask for their "Field Guide" to help you make your decision. Try a flight of four (4) different beers, then stay to either try the others on tap, or relax with your favorite! Want some to go? They have a crowler machine and will pour your fresh beer into a can, then seal it for your convenience! WHAT WHAT WHAT?!?!?! You won't be disappointed! Check it out for yourself! read more

Great Brewery, Great Vibes, Great Beer. We loved the "Thirst Responder". Thank you Docent!