First timer: my thoughts: The place is nice great vibe. Didnt eat anything to because we had already ate so we wanted to check this place out. I would come back again and have lunch, the down fall for me is no ciders. Ive been to other brewerys and some at least have one cider and or one wine to offer. read more

Love this place and their beers. Excellent IPA's and environment! Parking is a little Deceiving if you use GPS. Go to the next driveway to what appears as the back of the brewery. read more

Excellent beer, and solid build out. Docent Brewing is a bit off the beaten path, on the south end of Orange County. It's in an industrial plaza, so it doesn't look like much as you roll up to it. They've got a large venue. The kitchen has solid and unique offerings. Don't have a growler? No worries. You can get a 32oz disposal "crowler" to bring this delicious beer to-go. PROPS: Dog and children friendly. SLOPS: I just wish it was closer :) read more

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Yes, if you're a Hound Dog and can sniff out hops from a mile away. This beer cavern, speakeasy, or Blind Pig is hidden for your enjoyment. I had an IPNA ( non alcohol) IPA, the flavor was robust and a perfect match for the epicurean Birria Taco. Located on the senic East Bank of San Juan Creek amid the ruins of a former airport, with the rustling of eucalyptus trees being blown by ocean breezes, it settles your soul so as to enjoy the Mystic Brew. read more

One of the best , everything is good here , beer , food , seating . Good place to ride your bike too

Came here to celebrate my fiancés 30th birthday and we all regularly frequent Docent. I love the beer and atmosphere, but the staff, particularly a young blonde, that we encountered last night was very rude and condescending to my group. Every interaction it seemed she was annoyed with us. It was about 5 minutes to closing when she told us we needed to hurry up and cut our cake now or "rethink it" (totally understandable and not an issue because of closing) so we decided to leave and eat in the parking lot by our cars. Yet there were at least 20-30 people still inside docent for the next half hour or more drinking. She also basically scolded us for leaving a plate on the outside patio table since they cleared all trash cans saying "for future reference there's a dumpster on the side of the building". It seems like they favorite the regulars and treat everyone else like trash. Bummer since I have had mostly good experiences here. read more

Docent Brewing was a cool venue with fantastic libations and tasty small bites. I ordered a flight of four ales, a grilled cheese sandwich and a hot pocket made from a Hawaiian roll. This place is trendy and an open space with ample seating and tables. The staff were friendly and accommodating. Can't wait to return and try different food and ale! read more

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

A group of us went there for a weekend gathering.. The beer and food were very enjoyable. The service at the bar was very good and helped me make my choice of beer(s). We did bring our dog and sat outside in the nice patio area. This is a big place and would work for a group or friend functions and events. read more

Tonight the hubby & I headed out to Docent Brewing in San Juan Cap to check out their brewski's and sammie's. I had read on Yelp that this brewery is located in the back of an industrial building, and that they can be hard to find. That is completely accurate. You will not find them off the main street but just follow the signs to get there. Or if all else fails, follow the noise! I know I'm getting old, but this place is noisy and loud! There weren't too many people when we first arrived around 6pm on a Fri. night, but by the time we left, the place was hoppin' like the hoppy IPA beers that they serve! We sat at the bar and we each ordered a beer and a sammie. Basically you order at the bar and the bartenders serve your beers, but for the food you walk up to the kitchen area to pick it up in 10-15 min. There are no food servers or number calling. It's a strange system but it seems to work. I got the Tonic coffee stout beer. It was extremely smooth, and it had notes of coffee and chocolate. Outstanding! My husband & I split 2 sandwiches - the Korean Rueben with pastrami & kimchi for $10, and the Triple Cheese for $6. I was really excited about the Korean Reuben initially, but after trying a bite of both, the Triple Cheese was the clear winner for me. It was SO cheesey and the bread was toasted perfectly! The Korean Reuben tasted weird to me, like a pair of mismatched socks (not that I've ever eaten that before), but you get the point. The crowd appears to be a friendly local bunch. Many of them seem to be regulars that know one another. They also appear to be older, or at least more so than your normal college bar crew. I would definitely return for the beer, but I could do without the loud noise. read more

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Met up with some friends while visiting from out of state. WOW! Absolutely loved this place Great staff, great beers, and Amazing food! Had the Docent bowl and went back 2 days later because I was craving it so bad! You cant go wrong with this place! read more

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My husband and I try coming here at least once every other month. We typically have their beer at one of our local spots in San Clemente, but it's always nice to taste all the other beers at the brewery. The beers here are top notch. The brewers seem to really care for their product, and you can tell in every sip. I've seen a lot of negative reviews in regards to the staff. That has never been a problem with us. Every single time we've gone there, they've all been so great. They've never made me feel rushed when placing my order, or I never got anything but friendly vibes. This goes for both the women and men that work there. The food is delicious. The Ruben, the Jalapeño sausage puff pastry thing is BOMB! Overall, we pretty much love everything here. I wish them much more success! read more

My husband loves this brewery! I personally think it's okay. Their beer selection is nice but I'm more of a sour beer person and there isn't much/any sour beers here. We love the atmosphere and the people that come here. Everyone's super friendly and we love that they have an outdoor and indoor seating. There is also a nice biking trail that runs along the brewery and so if you're out for a bike ride you can cruise on by and stop for some food and brew! read more

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Maybe my favorite brewery in OC. Quality beers, good people, good food, good vibes. I cannot recommend it more.

Probably the best beer I have ever had! Great vibe. Friendly staff. Amazing menu. Definitely a must try!!

Set back in a business complex, Docent is a bit difficult to find, but so much more than its drab "curb appeal". The clean interior is industrial spacious with a long bar, leather chairs/sofas lounge area, and a large outdoor patio in the back. The restroom was very clean too. Staff are friendly and happy to explain the menu and beer selections. We enjoyed our flight of a hazy ipa, a red ale, and two different oatmeal stouts with the shrimp taquitos and a chili verde sandwich. We will return again soon. read more

What a killer brewery! I was working down in Dana point and wanted to grab a beer and some lunch. I came across Docent and decided to give it a try. WOW the beer is all so good and the food was amazing! I loved this place so much I came 3 days in a row while working in Dana point. The chicken salad sandwich is to die for and the sides they have are all bomb, I recommend the deviled eggs! Not only was the beer and food on point but the service and ambience of this place was top notch! You feel apart of the family any time your there and you even get to see the brew masters at work creating new batches or getting ready to make something new. Come by and check it out you won't regret it! read more

Disclaimer: this review is about beer only. We haven't tried their food, and the menu looks good. Literally nothing on two flights was good or true to style. Had to look up what style each beer was supposed to be. Nice location and decor, though :) read more

This is my favorite brewery in the San Juan Capistrano neighborhood! The offerings are always different depending on the batches made. The service and atmosphere are warm and inviting. It's a great place to have a bite to eat with the simple menu. I love coming here and seeing what's new. read more

Came to Docent Brewery for a special fundraising outing. The locality is off the beaten path and a bit of a maze to get to. It's towards the back of an industrial complex. As a first timer, GPS will surely help locate Docent Brewery/Public House. Inside there is the typical bar with barstool seating, but then there is the lounge with plush couch seating, booths, bench seating for bigger parties, and a foosball table leading into a small enclave in towards the back of the that ends in a singular Pinball table. Upstairs, there is a nice rectangular sized loft that can be rented out. The loft is a good size and fit up to about 30+ adults with one park bench table, about 4 small round tables and along the walls are bar stool seating that overlooks the taproom, which I think is was a great design idea. There was also enough room to have a full size shuffle board table and Flat screen TV to keep everyone entertained. Beers: The Stallion 7.5%, Extra Pale Ale 6.2%, The Peel Top 6%, Double Nickel 5.5%. All the beers were excellent; each with it's own unique taste. The Stallion was the darkest with a bit sweeter taste at the end, Extra Pale Ale a bit hoppier, The Peel Top a more citrus profile and the Double Nickel the lightest of the bunch I've tried here. Food: There is food here. Unfortunately I didn't get to try any, but what I saw looked promising. read more

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Ventured here for the first time for Fourth of July, they had a bbq and it was busy but super fun. Really quality beer, friendly staff, cool vibe. I'm a fan. Just swing by to pickup two growlers during quarantine and the online ordering system was so quick and it was ready and waiting for me to pick up when I arrived. Check them out when you can and if you want to try them now to go is a thing! read more

Really cool brewery tucked in a business district. Awesome vibe, great beer selection and tasty food. One of my local favorites

I was gifted a beer from Docent Brewing this week and enjoyed it. Wanting to support a local business near my own I went online to review their product line and place an order. When I clicked on the "ONLINE ORDER" page I was disappointed to get an error message that read: Menu not available at this time. Items cannot be added to cart. Well darn. So much for the website's message directing me to "ORDER ONLINE HERE AND PICKUP AVAILABLE." I decided to phone them thinking I would place an order for pick-up and try a variety of their beers. Seemed like a good way to surprise my Thanksgiving dinner guests with something special. But guess what? Docent Brewery do not answer their phone, they make you listen to an outgoing message that provides their physical address, hours and a request you DO NOT LEAVE A MESSAGE, go to their website or visit them on Instagram. Augghhh! Okay fine...I'll go down there, do a taste testing and buy the beers I like. I arrive on a Sunday evening near sunset and there's no parking. Oh...there's parking spaces with signs that read NO DOCENT PARKING alerting you to expect a towing if you park there. I left cuz this was aggravation I didn't need. Decided midday on Monday would be a better time to try again. I returned today, parked and entered (passing a sign that referenced beer tastings) with plans to purchase six of their large cans and six of their smaller cans of whatever beers I liked. Nope. Docent won't let you test taste an ounce of their 16 beers...you must order 4oz samplers. I said fine, Sell me one sampler of every beer, I'll try em at home (cuz I don't drink & drive) and then the young man explained they don't come in 4oz containers, ya gotta drink em there. Now I have been drinking beer for 40 years and never have I ever been denied a taste of a new beer by any bartender. Docent has what? 16 different beers? If I wanna "test taste" them I must commit to buy 64 ounces of beer? Why not charge a 16 oz price and poor single ounce taste testers for new customers. Most breweries would comp these as a marketing deduction but not Docent...they just say no. At this point the effort to purchase their product had become an exercise in futility so for the second time I left empty handed. All business is about relationships and making customers feel appreciated and their business valued. I own two local businesses that are decades old and thriving because we place consumer satisfaction first. Docent is not being run like a business, more like the hobby of a sophomore in college. I was prepared to drop $200-$300 on their large & small beers during my first purchase and they made it impossible. This easily could and should have been a five star review if they had simply allowed me to test taste their product and take some home for the holiday. Instead I am deducting one star for a website that doesn't function properly, one star for refusing to answer your phone (might as well disconnect the thing since customer care isn't in your interest), one star for inadequate parking and another for placing false signage offering test tasting when what you are really selling are flights of beer. That's different than a taste test. I cannot believe how much time I wasted trying to buy Docent's beer! For a company operating in one of the most competitive consumer markets there is (craft beers) Docent went out of their way to leave a bad taste in my mouth. If I ever try their product again it'll be because it was gifted to me. I won't patronize a business that doesn't value customers. Docent sets the customer care bar so low you need a shovel to see it. I doubt this place is gonna last. read more

Docent Brewing - Fix your website. - Sandwiches Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

Great beers, but I feel like their food used to be better in the past. Still solid though

Good variety of beer. I recommend the Luna. It was so flavorful but light and refreshing. Ample outdoor seating and some indoor seating as well. read more

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

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such a cool brewery. their Double Nickels beer is one of the best beers i've ever had. randomly got a grilled cheese with tomato soup one time and it was delicious. read more

After having driven through traffic on our way back home to San Diego from LA we decided to turn to Yelp to make a pit stop for a drink and a snack. We landed at Docent because we were looking for something that wasn't too far off the freeway. Thanks to other reviews we kept our eyes peeled for the little sign and had no trouble locating it. There was a parking lot that wrapped around one side of the building and there was also scattered street parking. The only bummer is that there's no outdoor space to enjoy the beers but that is usually the case with most breweries as they're often located in industrial areas. The first thing we noticed when we walked inside was the noise, holy cow! Either I'm getting old or the acoustics in there aren't great, or both! Anyway it was about 6:00 on a Saturday so that's prime to enjoy a nice cold one. There was a nice variety of seating with stools at the bar as well as stools lining a counter opposite the bar. There were couches and other chairs scattered about with numerous tables. The system is easy, order drinks at the bar (they offered a couple wines for those that don't prefer beer), and then grab a seat. If you choose to order food, that's also done at the bar and they will give you a buzzer when the food is ready which you then pick up at a window toward the back at the end of the bar. What did we order? Well we tried to order the kimchi ruben based on other reviews but they were out of sourdough and serving it on ciabatta so we decided to save that for next time. We ended up with the Humble Hero which was really tasty and served with a healthy pile of chips! We only had half (had dinner plans elsewhere) and took the other half home which we toasted and it was even better warm with the crispy bread. As for drinks we enjoyed the Trabuco brown ale on nitro, the Grover IPA, and the real star of the show which was the Gimme IPA...had we not had to keep on moving I would have said gimme another please! Oh, they also had a great selection of merchandise and we ended up purchasing a hat because we thought their logo is really neat! We will absolutely add this to our list of places to return to! read more

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Can't have dogs here anymore.... HUGE BUMMER SINCE whenever I come here it's because I'm otw back down to SD from visiting my mom in La. hence I'll always have my dog with me. I believe it changed when they started serving food. Stupid health department! read more

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Decent beer. Thought service changed, but still douche person behind the bar. Doubt I will ever come back. read more

I'm one of those guys that really only cares about IPA so sorry Not sorry in advance also I don't believe from a pure beer quality perspective any brewery has much on any other I love that they always have several ipa choices going and frequently there are new ones I haven't had I bet they turn over their ipa menu every 3 to 6 months they're all good I'm not exaggerating so the beer rating is 6 out of 5 stars Food is just right they have simple affordable sandwich options slightly exotic and good companions to the brew People always nice leave a good tip these people are the backbone of our good OC living read more

This is best brewery in south Orange County if not all of OC hands down. Every single beer does not miss. I've been to all of the breweries around town and Docent blows the lid off anyone else. Every note hits it mark perfectly with every beer they have. Nose, taste and aftertaste are always an incredible pallet experience with every selection, and added bonus the food is absolutely incredible and at a wonderfully competitive price. You will not be disappointed in any way if you come here. Love you docent. read more

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

My husband and I came here after hearing rave reviews when asking about which breweries we should hit up around OC area. We, like many patrons, love a good brewery and I try not to compare too much as each place generally offers something different (types of beer, decor, kitchiness, games, etc). My husband loves IPAs and got the GeeDorah and Gimme, and I love a good stout so I ordered the GrandPappy. My husband liked his beers and I liked mine but I'll tell ya, it was a little underwhelming. I am happy to be a returning patron, even to a place that is as far away as this is from where we live. But, I'm not excited to go back. The three we chose were good, however certainly not ones we'd necessarily rave about. Also, there is no substitutions or changes with food items and as a vegan there was basically no options. I can see why people love this place. Friendly staff, great seating, games, family friendly. They certainly do not deserve lower than a 4 for the overall experience. But the beers aren't my favorite. If I am back in the area, I'll try again and update :) read more

The BEST brewery in Orange County...maybe in the world. (I'm serious). The staff is friendly, the atmosphere is awesome; and the beer is amazing. I recommend trying: 1. The Rube (a bold, yet balanced red ale) 2. Coffee Tonic (has notes of chocolate and coffee roast) 3. Aviador - Easy IPA ***They sell sandwiches and salads here too. read more

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This place is pretty neat to visit if you're in the area. Great beer and for bar food it's pretty dang good

We stopped in to Docent Brewing while camped at nearby Doheny State Beach. Yes, of course Docent is in an industrial area, sorry I almost didn't comment on it. Compass is a bright ale that's dry hopped. Pretty nice light ale. A little hop flavor at the end. Luna is a witbier with the trademark banana on the nose. A good example of a witbier here! The Rube is a red rye ale. Hazy but with a nice reddish color. Definite rye spiciness on the nose and tongue. Uncle Bert is a Scotch Ale on nitro. Nice toffee flavors, extremely smooth mouthfeel of course. I could drink a lot of these. Gimme another of the Gimme. Tasty IPA mildly hopped. SWPFTD actually enjoyed this one and she usually is not a fan of IPA's. Grandpappy is an imperial stout that has all the strong flavors you would expect from an imperial stout. Way to represent on this one. Tiny Umbrellas, an easy IPA. The hop flavor on this one didn't work well for me. Elbow Room is an IPA flavored with Amarillo, citra, simcoe, and mosaic hops. Mosaic hops just don't do it for me. They lend an aroma I associate with methamphetamine or dirty sweat socks. The flavor leaves a taste of dirt on my palate. Last sample was the Pillowfight. I'm thinking SWPFTD and I are going to have a pillow fight tonight... Sorry, that's an image you probably didn't need, of me at least. SWPFTD is hot stuff so the image of her is good! Oh, the beer, is an IPA with citra, Nelson, and Amarillo. There is a lot of hop flavor in this one. Just plain a lot going on, almost too much for my palate. I revisited The Rube with a full pour. The rye just works for me. We took a trio of crowlers with us and opted for The Rube, the Gimme, and the Uncle Bert. While tasting the beers I ordered up a Chile braised pork quesadilla and a mountaineer roll. The mountaineer roll is a sweet roll stuffed with pepperoni, salami, jack, and mozzarella cheese. It was like a sweet little pizza! Docent Brewing is the total package. Great beers, well set up tasting room, excellent food, and the staff was fun and friendly. This brewery is a must do as far as I am concerned. If anyone is a glutton for punishment, please, follow my brewery reviews from across the U.S. and beyond! https://www.yelp.com/collection/-8iscFkpiiCI563-FDfwGg and if anyone is wondering who SWPFTD is you will have to check out my review of Black Market Brewing Co in Temecula, CA to understand. read more

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So, I have been to the brewery at least 12 times. I have been there twice within the last month. Recently, my buddies, and I went after around of golf and had some great beer, great food, and great service with a female bartender who was kind and courteous. There were some new beers that she let us sample a sip before we purchased our food. Amongst the four of us was our bill was well over $100 after we got our food and had a great experience. Just last week, we came back and did the same thing. There was a male bartender, who would not let us have any samples and had quite the attitude. When we told him that we have been here many times and would have a sample of a beer he said it was against the policy and was never allowed. I told him that considering how many times we have been here before it was never and issue and Artifex, Lost Winds, Los Molinos, and the former Lost Winds would be happy too help me/us before we spend that money he gave complete attitude. A bummer because there are so many great breweries in the area that he wasn't even remotely aware of how important his cold affect left all of us leaving after one beer. Sadly, it will be a bit before we go back... Please understand a beer is going to be at least 8 bucks and with tip ten. I don't want to have a beer that isn't going to be my favorite and it isn't like we are asking for more than one taste. We all have our "go to" beer and taking a sip of a new one should be understandable. Sigh... a bummer but would love consistency and less arrogance. read more

Highly recommend the Kimchi Rueben and potato salad. Very tasty! I don't drink beer but I enjoyed their Kombucha and a glass of white wine. Came on a Sunday and the market was set up- my kids enjoyed fresh banana bread and my brother in law got a haircut at the barber read more

Bomb beers and good food. It seems that more and more breweries are popping up in business parks such as this one, and I'm constantly dumbfounded how these places are so busy and popular. Full of mostly 40 somethings and girls that probably were hot in college but are starting to decline in the looks category. Not a pretty sight. Super laid back vibe tho but NO AC! it was very very hot in the loft upstairs. The beers were well priced and very tasty though. We tried them all and none were too heavy or bitter. I never remember the names! For food, the chili verde sandwich was full of flavor, good head from the peppers and the meat was well seasoned. Super filling and great balance with the homemade chips. Also recommend the roll things they're basically pizza rolls but with more bread. read more

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Liked the vegetarian wrap, kombucha, and souvenir glass provided by Docent for a Sunday fund raising bike ride. The setting was quite comfortable for say 120 riders. The beer drinkers raved about the 12-15 types of beer offered. Pleasant music and service. Sorry to say it is tricky to keep 120 cyclists happy all looking for lunch at the same time, but Docent did a great job, mostly with non-vegetarian options. Thankfully it is clear Docent is not just about profits, but also wants to support the community. read more

Docent Brewing - Outside Docent side entrance. - Sandwiches Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

Really tasty beers. I usually have a hard time finding something I like at brewery's but I found 2 delicious beers here. Found the good to be ok but uninspired. The duck was kind of dry and the jalapeño brat was good but a little lonely without fries. I'd go back for beer but not the food. read more

Fun brewery with small bites and cool atmosphere. Located back in SJC industrial park, parking is hard. Indoor and outdoor seating, dog and kid-friendly (sort of ‍). Beer is great, definitely recommend to check out! read more