Cant believe this place closed by, was here 5+ years ago and loved the area, bummer as it shows on yelp as closed. read more

English Ales Brewery - Pubs Near Me - Marina, California

Service is super friendly here, parking is easy with the lot, beer is delicious, food is hearty and greasy pub deliciousness, and the mugs hanging from the ceiling are a whole vibe. This place has old fashioned pub down, and it is super kid friendly despite not having a kid's menu. If you're looking for stuffy and uptight, this is not the place for you. If you're looking for small town friendly vibes definitely come here. The tuna melt is amazing, fries are super thick, and burger is huge (but a little heavy on bread). They recently changed ownership but kept on staff. The new owners are fantastic and they support local schools which is a huge plus for me. We've been here a few times now and plan to keep coming back! You can even get on the mug wait list. read more

Food was absolutely delicious! This is a small little brewery that has tons of character. You can buy your own mug have it hung from the ceiling and they have a really cool number system to keep track of who is active and who's not. This place has a sentimental value because before my dad passed he loved to come here. When we went this day, it was beautiful so we sat outside and enjoyed the food Service was amazing and the girl was serving us was so sweet and caring The ONLY reason I deducted a star was the wait time for the food... it was crazy delicious but was a long wait read more

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Good beers! pass on the bangers! Got sick this morning, so either old and or sour! Glad I only had one bite. I think they're old very gamey something funky ! Deep fried too? But stay away from banger!!!!Wanted to support a small business, regret it now! Server did not ask why not eaten, Tuna melt was ok, not hot, but warm ish Burger was ok I think the fry oil is old....,fries tasted off too pastrami sando was just barley warm but kid was starving so I hate all, but neither cheese was melted on the pastrami or tuna melt so that means it wasn't grilled long enough to melt the cheese. Come for the beer, eat else where read more

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I've been visiting English Ales for years and I'm surprised I hadn't already shared a review. I'm not even sure how I came about this place, I just know it used to be a place my cousin and I would meet after work on those days we needed a beer. We'd always get 2 beers and a side of curly fries. Now, it's a place my friends and coworkers have in rotation of places to come chill. Now a favorite of my husband's too. You must try a classic Big Sur Golden. You can never go wrong. A lot of great beer options & always a chill vibe. They have indoor and outdoor seating and tv screens for those that like to watch sports. The prices are decent and if you buy one of their mugs, you get a discount each time you use it. Their service is always good. They have quite a few food options, including typical bar food. I however have yet to try it as we always go for fries, wings or appetizers. There's not much that goes on in Marina, but this place makes Marina worth the trip. read more

English Ales Brewery - Pubs Near Me - Marina, California

I've been regularly coming to English Ales for the past 2-3 years and, in terms of service, it's always been a very pleasant experience. I've gotten to know some of the servers by name and they know me pretty well; they even have my order and favourite beer memorised. It's the only restaurant I've felt comfortable enough in to spend hours enjoying the vibe. The decor is spot-on with the old English pub feel and there are lots of interesting trinkets and books to look at. For years the food was exceptional. My order is usually the tuna melt--it quickly became my absolute favourite meal--though I've tried a few other things on the menu. That being said, there has been a sharp decline in the quality of that sandwich in the past couple of months. I originally loved the tuna melt because it was crispy, warm, and perfectly melted, and the tuna salad itself is the best I've ever had. Maybe there is a new cook, but the tuna melts I've ordered recently were dry, unmelted, cold, thick with cheese all on one side of the sandwich, and not at all buttery and crispy on the outside. The bread barely held together and would break up when I tried to eat the sandwich. The classic "melted" look was gone. The sandwiches now look as if they have been thrown on a grill for a minute or so, coming out with visible marks but no melt. Overall, they're not enjoyable anymore. It's not the fault of the servers and I've never had a problem until this year, so I don't want to take off stars. But I do think the restaurant needs to know what's going on with their food. The original tuna melts were what kept me coming to the restaurant and I miss that excellent quality! As for everything else, EA has the sweetest servers and I never tire of a good Pendragon. Keep up the good work, but please bring back the old quality food. :) read more

Stopped in here with wife to get a beer and a bite. It has a small parking lot which had open spots. There is both indoor and outdoor seating. Several TVs inside and even one outside. You seat yourself where you'd like. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The waitress talked about the beers they brew there and the holiday brews they had. She even brought a few samples without me even having to ask. All the beers we tried were great. I just got chicken strips and fries. The wife got the Chile. They have several types of fries to choose from but importantly steak fries. All the food was good. Glad I finally found this place and will be back. Highly recommend. read more

English Ales Brewery - Chicken strips with fries and a beer - Pubs Near Me - Marina, California

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Service was amazing and great ambiance. The food wasn't all that great. The steak and cheese sandwich i ordered I confirmed it came with provolone and they said yes but got home and it had yellow cheese on it. If you like greasy food it is extra greasy. It's in a good location not busy. read more

Well the reviews were perfect they do have the best fish and chips the cod was amazing. Great selection of beer!! Kelly was our waitress, bartender, and she was so friendly it's like we had known her forever. The pub looked just like you would have expected. Excellent historical artifacts. It was great to see people playing cribbage and enjoying themselves. Hope to see you again soon!! read more

So glad we stopped here after an after work drive to Monterey/Marina on a Friday night. Very chill atmosphere, friendly bartenders and staff and delicious food! There was plenty to chose from on the menu but I decided to try something on their special vegan menu , Impossible Nuggets ! Perfectly cooked! Ben enjoyed his meal and the fries and side salad I tried were great too. Enjoyed a few glasses of wine and Ben enjoyed their pale ale. They have a serious mug club, mugs are hanging from every available surface!-very cool decor. Felt like a locally loved, chill place to relax. Will definitely be back whenever we visit the Monterey area. read more

English Ales Brewery - Cool logo - Pubs Near Me - Marina, California

Such an awesome little pub. Great beer selections (seemed to be all brewed in house, the ones we tried were really good) and even though we only had french fries, they were unbelievable! The bartender was really friendly, seemed to know most of the regulars there. And there are a lot of regulars because they do this beer mug club where you can buy a beer with your name on it to hang there and use every time you go in, never heard of that but sounds like a really cool idea! I'd for sure come back. read more

I really love this place. It's kind of cozy and everybody's very friendly. Sunday and Monday is fun. Wednesday is a really good day for mug club night. A few of us go there and play Scrabble or trivia. The owners are great and the food is exceptional. I feel like everybody is always having a good time there. read more

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Super friendly, felt like a local and we definitely want to come back! Nice selection of beer! read more

English Ales Brewery - Pubs Near Me - Marina, California

We were here from out of town and were told this place had the best fish and chips. They were not wrong. We started off with the fried zucchini and pretzel bites. Everything came out hot and fresh. From the appetizers to the entrees. The zucchini was great. For the the pretzel bits stole the show. A little crunch on the bottom and soft on the inside. Sooo good. Me and one other in our party had the fish,bangers and chips. Beer batter fish was crispy, the sausage was delicious and you can't go wrong with steak cut fries. The other person in our party had the Philly cheese steak. With just the meat and cheese. She said it was very good. They also have beers to choose from. The service was great! If we are ever back in the area we would definitely be back. read more

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I'm not a beer/ale drinker. I never expected to dine at an English pub on the California coast either! You never know what's coming next, right?! Life is full of surprises! I needed to find a restaurant that serves dinner past 9 pm. This was it! It's a pub, however the kitchen is open till 9:30. The place shuts down by 10 pm PST. Food turned out to be quite delicious. Salads with seafood topping of shrimp and crab or Caesar salad with chicken breast were light, nutritious and tasty. Those were around $15 to $16 each. Daughter ordered the fish sandwich with onion rings. Crispy fish, nice roll. Satisfying. Little steep in price but not surprised given the location. $60 plus with tax and tip. No alcohol. Just sodas. Our server was polite and helpful. We were the last ones to leave. Pub goers seemed like everyday local folks enjoying a beer, chatting and watching sports on several screens. There's an outdoor seating area with lamp heat warmers too. read more

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this place unfortunately is awful now due to the new owners. they are never open anymore and if they are it is dead inside. don't waste your money here , sad to see a cool place like this run down read more

We stopped in here around 8:30pm one night and they cheerfully greeted us and served us though the kitchen closes at 9pm. The lady(didn't catch her name) was very friendly and attentive. She brought us many beer samples. The food was great and the place has a lot of character. Fun pub-hope to go again soon. read more

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Didn't even get to the service. On a Saturday, got here at 9:15 PM hoping to get some late night grub and a beer, but the staff was already cleaning the restaurant, and when we thought we were waiting to get seated the staff said the kitchen was already closed. Mind you, the restaurant is still open until 11 PM. Maybe, would have been nice if they made that clear on their website that the kitchen closes early. So we left hungry and missed out on a beer too. Very unfortunate, especially for road travelers like us coming to visit the area. read more

Great local brewery! Good food, great staff, great prices. It's one of our go to places in Marina.

This was a fun little tourist spot to have dinner when we got into town. They seem to be one of the few restaurants open late in the area. There were only a few other patrons in the pub when we arrived. The server was welcoming and answered all our questions about the food and the pub. They had hundreds of beer steins hung from little hooks on the ceiling, turns out you can pay a fee to have your own personal beer stein at the pub with your name or nickname written on it and an assigned number for drinking when you're in town. The server told us it's so popular that they have a waiting list and ask people to only get one if they'll be visiting at least twice a year. There's indoor and outdoor seating available. Parking is somewhat limited, but when we visited it wasn't bad. A few of us had burgers, we also tried the fish sandwich, fried pickles, onion rings, and more. Other pictures of the fried pickles look like spears, but we got regular pickle chips. Still yummy. The food was all pretty good and they of course have a good sized beer list. Over all I would come back again. read more

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After visiting here from out of town, my fiancée and I joked that maybe we'd move to Marina just to be able to come here all the time. We both had such a good experience here. Ambiance: All the staff we interacted with were just SO nice and happily joked around with us. Our waitress even sat with us once the evening slowed down and we reminisced on our times at UC Santa Cruz. The clientele also contributed to the vibe; it's clear they have a strong local following (staff greeted several patrons by name) but it wasn't at all snooty or exclusive. You felt like part of the family being here. Food: We got fried pickles, fish and chips, a fish sandwich, and waffle fries with both meals. Everything was so fresh and fried foods were perfectly crisp. Do NOT sleep on those waffle fries. One of the regulars even stopped by our table before we ordered to make sure we knew to order the waffle fries. Good call. Beers: We tried four and each one was great! Porter was exactly what I wanted from a mid-ABV porter, and the strong ale was hoppier than I usually go for but nicely balanced with smooth malt. My fiancée enjoyed her wheat ale, which was very smooth and easy to drink, and the Big Sur ale. Our waitress was happy to bring us a taste to help us get the right drink. Already can't wait to come back here! read more

English Ales Brewery - Fish sandwich and strong ale (front), fish and chips and wheat ale behind - Pubs Near Me - Marina, California

Fabulous place to enjoy great pub food and spectacular brews! Love the past and present owners (special people) and all the friendly and familiar faces. Not just for locals, but visitors will enjoy a warm welcoming reception and great food and brews. read more

Ownership changed a few months back and changes are afoot! As regulars, when a new menu was announced, we were excited to give it a try. We tend to stop in about once a week, and also rely on a few of the same things to eat, so giving the new menu a go was in order. The first thing that struck us was the pared down options. This is a good thing as no one is looking for a Cheesecake Factory style book from a local pub. Everything looked good and they kept a few of the old favorites. We were happy to try only new items this trip. After scanning the offerings, we settled on the Parmesan Pretzel ($10) for our starter. For entrees, hubby ordered the Patty Melt with a cup of soup ($17), and I the Knuckle Sandwich with a side salad ($18). The starter came out late. Slightly after our entrees. We were disappointed in that it wasn't a pretzel at all, but a dinner role shaped like a knot. No pretzel taste and the parm seasoning was barely sprinkled on it. The accompanying beer cheese was lumpy and separated. Either it had been frozen previously, or commercial shredded cheese with anti clumping agents was used. This keeps it from a smooth melt. Tasty, but not very appetizing to look at. Unless they move to real pretzels, we won't try again. Overall Grade: D - Hubby's patty melt came with a cup of the soup of the day; chicken noodle. Tasty, right ratio of ingredients, and he powered it down pretty quick. The patty melt had a generous sized beef patty, and lots of cheese. The grilled onions were strangely stringy, and it seemed maybe the outer layer of onion was used. The bread wasn't the traditional rye, which made it attractive to order since rye isn't a fave for us. Sourdough seemed to be a great option, but the bread was sliced painfully thin and didn't hold up to the juicy beef patty. This could have been a result if how it was grilled, but regardless, it ended up being a soggy mess. The sandwich was served with lettuce, tomato, and onion slices on the side. Normally these are something one would add to a burger, but with a patty melt, you can't do it without having to pry it apart and destroying the sandwich. Hubby would have added them, but couldn't, so it was a total waste. The overall flavor was very good, so this saved the meal. He would give it another go if they can get it right. Overall Grade: C + My knuckle sandwich (chicken) looked amazing on the menu. Not so much when delivered. The side salad was generous and I really appreciated the grape tomatoes, which I love. I also enjoy red onions on a salad, which were included. The only issue was that they were diced small, so all the onions ended up at the bottom. Thin slices would have been much better than the last three bites being only onions. Now for the sandwich. Advertised as breaded chicken with Swiss cheese on sourdough with a side of ghost pepper aioli sounded delish. What I received was a sad, thin, small round chicken patty that would have fit a 1/2 sandwich or small bun, grilled with melted cheese between two (again, very thin) sourdough slices. Tomato, lettuce, and onion were provided to go on the sandwich, which I was determined to pry apart from the bread to get in there. The result was anothet mess, and a whole lot of leftover bread due to the small chicken patty. I expected a nice piece of breaded fresh chicken, but that's not what I received. It looked, and tasted, frozen. The ghost pepper aioli was a nice touch, and good, not too hot, not too mild, but getting it on the sandwich was a challenge. Overall Grade - D I know this menu is brand new, so I fully expect some kinks will be worked out in the coming weeks. At least I hope so. If not, there are still a couple of our tried and true go-to items still on the menu, and of course, the beer!! That's really what you come for, yea? read more

I am visiting from out of town and decided to stop for some fish and chips. I'm glad I did. It was delicious, and while the place is small, it is very charming. I enjoyed my meal and also interacted with the locals. They also have an excellent beer selection. A lot of English Ales I've never heard of before. If you find yourself passing through the area, I highly recommend English Ales Brewery. read more

We wanted to give a gigantic shoutout to... Megan ! She was a rockstar being our server. Her awesome personality made our experience memorable. Not only serving our group of 12 She was always checking on us, getting our food out super fast and at the end of the party kept all our tabs organized. Thank you bunches and Cheers to you. English you got a winner :-) 5 Stars read more

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My brother and husband have been here before, and this place is known for their selection of ales. They also serve food, so we all decided to go over for lunch. It was mid afternoon when we arrived, so it was fairly quiet, but we received a very welcoming greeting from the young lady behind the bar. It had a friendly, pub like ambience, with sports TV and a dartboard. Because they are known for their various ales, they have large, personalized mugs hanging everywhere! The guys ordered Pendragon ales and we all chose the Fish & Chips. It comes with a decent side of fries (chips) and good tartar sauce. The fish was good enough, but the 3 pieces were not cut thick, causing them to lose moisture when they were fried (a bit on the dry side). I like malt vinegar, so I doused them thoroughly, and dipped the bites in tartar sauce, as well. The crowd had picked up by the time we left, and I could feel the friendliness of regulars at this little pub. The bartender/waitress was also very friendly and accom-modating . All in all, it was a positive experience. The cost is $$. read more

Order a couple sandwiches to go. Food was fantastic, prep was quick, and I had a good time hanging out chatting with the bartender. This place has a great ambiance and looks like a fun hangout. Definitely recommend to anyone staying in the area needing something local. read more

4 stars because I didn't try their beers but the food was really good. We ordered a cheeseburger with curly fries and the fish, banger, and chips platter. Everything came out hot, tasty, and not greasy. The burger was served on a oval shaped sesame bun but it was toasted and the burger smelled like it just came off the grill. The curly fries were really good. The fish was crispy and not oily. I would recommend and order the fish and chips again. We enjoyed looking all the decorations and memorabilia on the walls and learning some history. It felt like we were in a museum. Friendly and good customer service. read more

All the staff were very nice and attentive, and the patio area outside was a fun place with a great community feel. Beers were refreshing and food was fulfilling. Fish and chips were quite tasty, with a nice light batter and a firm whitefish (cod?) that was nicely fried. The English banger was also a tasty addition to the plate. We plan on coming back here fairly often read more

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We live real close to this little gem of a local's place! The service is so friendly and amazing that it makes you want to come all the time- homey! The food is the best we have ever had because their waffle fries are to die for no joke! You have to try them! I love inside and the decor with all the pints on the ceiling, great for a pic like I did. Will be back and you should too (: read more

English Ales Brewery - Teriyaki sandwich and waffle fries - Pubs Near Me - Marina, California

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The beers are good but warm like all English pubs. The pub food was surprisingly meh. And the tab a tad expensive for a hole in the wall kind of place in the middle of nowhere. The service is awesome though! Had a decent time so can't complain. read more

English Ales Brewery - Pubs Near Me - Marina, California

Great food. Decent service. Wonderful vibe. We've been here at least half a dozen times. Excellent food every time. The beer flight is generous and all good. read more

English Ales Brewery - Tots - Pubs Near Me - Marina, California

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Never had English beers before, so we decided to try this place out. We dropped by here Monday around 4:30pm and it wasn't busy. We tried 4 beers and decided its like an acquired taste. They also serve ciders and wine. We usually like browns, stouts. porters, wheat, hef, light, and hazy IPAs. We ordered some wine since we weren't feeling the beers that much. They have a pretty big food menu and they serve a lot of beer appetizers. Staff were very friendly and attentive. Tables seemed spaced apart during Covid. The outdoor dining area isn't totally enclosed. A lot of air comes through because of the way the walls are designed. Almost like a fancy fence and there's an arch. There's also heat lamps. Good prices for drinks $6-9. read more

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This is a solid place for fish & chips and a pint! I truly enjoy not just their fish & chips but their other items as well like their chicken wings that are breaded, fried and then sauced as requested - yum! Their fired pickles are also amazing! Note that they only serve beer and wine. They do have outdoor seating (converted piece of their parking lot to accommodate Covid) which has a large tv out there to catch games. This business is just off Reservation road, down Reindollar and is a little strip mall type building but with out them and another two businesses (in Marina). Its worth a stop to check it out as you're passing from Monterey to Salinas. read more

Quaint little local place with GIANT portions! I ordered the calamari and couldn't eat even half of it but it was DELICIOUS! Great service and beer. Kid friendly. read more

These wings were so crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. They were really big and came steaming hot. This brewery is truly unique as you can buy a mug and leave it there for next time. The service was great, and if you needed something they were quick. read more

English Ales Brewery - Pubs Near Me - Marina, California

Never had a chance to try it since we were treated so rudely on arrival. Came around 3:40p with our baby and sat outside. They didn't have high chairs (which is completely fine!) but the woman who sat us was very weird when we inquired about food allergies. My wife asked if the bangers contain milk/dairy, and while the woman said they had no way of knowing or checking because it's packaged and comes from England she also kept saying they didn't contain dairy. There was "no one else who could check" and in general it was a strange, hostile conversation. The kitchen was also closed from 4-5p for some reason, so she probably just didn't want us to order food. Would have liked to try some local brews but there's no need to treat anyone like this. We left. read more

Found this place when I was working out in Marina, CA. I walked and was greeted by a very friendly bartender. You can tell it's a locals pub, a lot of people know each other, but I felt at home right away. The people were friendly. The food is great feel good comfort pub food. I had a grilled pastrami and cheese sandwich with curly fries. I tried the Dragon Slayer IPA and loved it. I highly recommend this place and I definitely will be back. read more

I'm not sure why all the great reviews. The beer may be great but the food is the worst. I ordered a cheesesteak sandwich and it was the worst I've had. My wife had fish and chips that was served cold. Never again. I would avoid the food here read more

Local bar, typical bar food. When you walk in the vast amounts of mugs from the ceiling sparks an interest. When I asked what's the story I was looked upon as if I crawled out of a rock and should have known. Well never really given an answer it appears if you frequently use this establishment you can buy a mug have them hold a place and when you come in they will have it for you. Food was decent I tried the fish and chips nothing great it too was out of the box deep fried as for the wife's burger it was good as was the curly fries. Nice place for a couple of drinks. read more

English Ales Brewery - Beer is so photogenic! - Pubs Near Me - Marina, California

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