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    Fox Tale Fermentation Project

    4.8 (208 reviews)
    Open 12:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Fox Tale Fermentation Project Photos

    Business Info

    FOX TALE FERMENTATION PROJECT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Fox Tale Fermentation Project

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    A Little Hint of Earthly Creations
    Minh T.

    This is one of the most unique meals I've ever had. Oftentimes when presented with vegan or vegetarian options I generally opt for something else but I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try something new, and I was not only not disappointed, but incredibly pleasantly surprised. First of all, the staff and owner are incredibly nice. They made recommendations for our meal so we could have the best experience. It felt personal and you could feel the chef's love and care with each bite. The space itself is small but incredibly charming. From the paintings on the walls, brick wall, cozy lighting, beautiful mural, and comfortable open seating, it really set the stage for a wonderful meal. Fox Tale Fermentation Project also has plenty of rotating alcoholic and mocktail options which pair nicely with dishes! I ordered the Cali Classic Burger, and although the protein fell apart as soon as I took a bite, however, it was delicious. These flavors are so complex and funky that you can't help but take another bite. Generally, in non vegetarian dishes, the strong flavors of the meat/protein carries the dish, but in these dishes, the condiments, veggies, and fermented elements take your taste buds on a journey beyond the dish itself! The Fox Sando that my girlfriend ordered was also delicious. The toasted ciabatta was the star vessel for the rest of the ingredients. Perfectly toasted with slight hints of char, it really absorbed a lot of the sauces and spreads. I was lucky enough to take the second half of the sandwich home and eat it for breakfast the next day. I was so shocked when the sando itself held up in the fridge and was delicious cold! The flavors absorbed themselves into the bread but didn't make it soggy. I attribute this to the fact the ingredients didn't need to be heated up again to be tasty! Overall, I would absolutely recommend Fox Tale Fermentation Project for anyone who's looking for something different and unforgettable.

    pretzel
    Minh-Chau D.

    Make a reservation if you have a larger group since seating is limited! Favorite dish was the mushroom potato special. Super unique and delicious. Nachos are good for sharing in a group. Also like their breads; very soft! For drinks, the lemonade one was pretty good.

    Angel L.

    Got the full spread and fox sando. The sandwich was the better of the two, as it had a nice flavor from the garlic and sunflower seed spread. The bread and side vegetable portion for the dipping was generous, which we appreciated. The Green Retreat (jasmine tea with osmanthus) didn't have any defined flavors; it tasted like floral water and had minimal jasmine tea flavor and no osmanthus flavor.

    Half portion of Funky Nachos
    Sonia S.

    I thought this place couldn't get any better and it did! I was here on a Saturday night around 7 pm and Fox Tale was very busy but we managed to find a table fairly quickly. The food took a little longer than usual to come out but that was normal considering how busy they were. Our order included the Funk Bowl and Funky Nachos, these are our go-to's because they're so good and filling. This time around we decided to also try the Otoño tacos, this is officially my favorite dish here and I'm hoping it never goes away! The ingredients in this dish work perfectly together and the crema is absolutely delicious, I would definitely buy a jar of this if I could.

    tacos, full spread, and half nachos
    Michelle V.

    Finally got to check off FTFP after years of having it in my bookmarks! My date and I went here at 6:40pm on a Thursday night. The place was quite crowded! It's a tight, cozy spot in downtown SJ. There's plenty of street parking as well as ParkSJ garages in walking distance. The service was amazing. The cashier helpful in giving suggestions and also noticed when we dropped some utensils. Everyone who came by to deliver our food was attentive. We got a half order of nachos, the full spread, and the tacos to share. It's plenty of food for 2 people, and we ended up having leftovers of the nachos. Nachos (nachos with mole sundried tomato, black beans, cashew queso, pepita salsa macha, habañero crema, jalapeño garlic kraut, & guacamole): Even the half size was huge! Very shareable, and the chips were kind of drowned by the massive amount of toppings. Full spread: We chose the baek kimchi, jalapeño garlic sauerkraut, and sour szechuan cabbage. This spread is enormous; it has a ton of veggies so you're going to get your fill in fiber. The plate is gorgeous too. The baek kimchi had too much of a seaweed flavor for my liking. The sour szechuan cabbage had a nice kick, although I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. The jalapeño garlic sauerkraut was my favorite by far. The texture was more shredded than the others, and the garlic taste was addicting. Tacos (blue corn tortillas with roasted royal corona bean crema, achiote golden beets, scarlet runner beans, chanterelle carnitas, salsa macha, jalapeño garlic kraut): Once again, this was huge. I loved the flavors and how the texture of the beans messes everything together. The mushrooms didn't taste like they were trying to be meat, but trying to be great mushrooms. For drinks, we got 4 sampler-sized (5oz) beers. We got the Ume sour, King Dragon (Umeboshi Inspired Sour Ale with Carbonic Macerated Ume, Purple Shiso, Umeboshi Salt Brine), Flower Bed (Grisette Style Belgian Ale with malted sunflower seeds & rose scented geranium), and Zombie Army (Black Rice Lager with Cordycep Mushrooms). The sours weren't super sour, which was nice on the stomach! The Flower Bed and Zombie Army have distinct flavors based on their ingredients. I really like that you can try drinks with ingredients that you can't find anywhere else. We had leftovers for the nachos because this was all a lot for 2 people. Overall, I really enjoyed eating here and can't wait to come back next to try more of their drinks and other items!

    Menu
    Christina W.

    Absolutely one of the most unique spots in downtown San Jose. Fox Tale Fermentation Project somehow manages to feel like an experimental brewery and community gathering space all at once. The fermentation concept is woven into everything from the beers and botanical mocktails to the food and it actually works incredibly well. The drinks are creative without feeling gimmicky, and the flavors are layered and thoughtful. The food was surprisingly memorable too, especially how vegetable-forward dishes still felt rich and satisfying. The atmosphere has this warm, artsy, almost hidden-gem energy that makes you want to stay for hours. What really stands out is that the place feels intentional. You can tell the owners care deeply about craft, community, and creating an experience instead of just another brewery. Easily one of the coolest and most distinctive food/drink concepts in San Jose right now.

    Michele R.

    This was such a fun place to have a date. It was extra busy which we found out was because they were on two TV shows that day, but it was still wonderful service. It was delicious food that I wouldn't have prepared for myself and all the flavors were just so full and rich. It was helpful that we split everything so that you didn't get bored.

    Griffin B.

    This is for sure one of the most unique breweries I have ever visited. And I've told other folks on the hunt for unusual beers to definitely keep Fox Tale on their radar. So when passing through San Jose, I just had to take the opportunity to jump over and see what was on tap. They specialize in both a bunch of sours beers, as well as others that don't really easily fit into your typical beer classes. The Tundra might be one that is most approachable to a lot of people, being a rustic ale with Juniper, it sort of "scratches the IPA itch", and is my personal favorite here. The King Dragon is a very smooth and tasty sour, flavored with umeboshi. The Zombie Army is quite and interesting black-rice lager. The Head Space is another one most folks could enjoy, being an ale infused with herbs, lemon, and jasmine tea. And then there's the "Fung Shui", which is a mushroom beer that will certainly not be to everyone's liking, but I found it intriguing and definitely worth giving it a taste. Many of these beers are available in bottles to-go, too. Plus, for those wanting something non-alcoholic, they also have a selection house-made kombuchas, teas, and mocktails. Should you be hungry, they do serve food here. The fare is MOSTLY vegan, with just a few exceptions. I wound up having the Fox Sando, which is loaded with grilled veggies, pickled stuffing, and a cashew spread. I really recommend this one, as it was incredibly delicious. And do make sure to look in their fridge case for some of their sauces, pickles, and preserves you can also purchase. Prices are ok, being about $7-9 per pour, depending on which beer you get. Though keep in mind you are getting smaller pours (12 oz. is the usual) for the price you pay. Service was outstanding, being very prompt and friendly in the extreme. Plus, this place is in such a cool hole-in-the-wall sort of building, and has a fantastic vibe and atmosphere to it. Can get rather crowded on busy nights or when hosting events, but almost every time I've been here it's been rather chill. And being downtown, it is easy to get to despite lack of parking spot right at hand. All told, Fox Tale remains one of my favorite brew spots in the Bay area, and I try to visit every time I come to San Jose. Hope anyone else passing through stops by to see for themselves. Cheers, all!

    The Funk Bowl (w Baek Kimchi) and Fluorescent Brown beer
    James S.

    Unique, healthy, and mostly very delicious. Fox Tale Fermentation Project creates wonderfully creative meals in their open kitchen, and has several beers that they produce, too. The TLDR: I loved the food and the relaxing environment; the beer didn't really work for me. True, they have several different beers to choose from, and it's entirely possible that the one I picked (a seasonal dark Belgian ale variety that featured beets) was simply not the right one for me. In hindsight, the beer was under the category of Sour/Funky Beers -- so maybe I wasn't paying enough attention. No, you can't ask for tastes ahead of time, which is understandable as these beers are super specific and require a lot of energy and resources. I totally respect that, and I might try a Flagship beer (as opposed to Sour/Funky) at some future visit. But the Food! I love the Funk Bowl that I had. It was pretty huge, and it included a choice of Ferment. Mine was a white kimchi that sat atop my Main, the Funk Bowl. (Black rice, mixed greens, seasonal vegetables, Black chickpeas, and avocado with cultured seeds, house vinaigrette. Wow ! Tons of flavor, massive textures like crispy crunch, smooth and moist, too. So much going on - in a good way. It was filling and satisfying yet I did not feel stuffed or uncomfortable. Great combination. Nice vibe there, too. They had an Open Mic night on the Wednesday I was there. The food is a great change of pace, and I definitely recommend this Project.

    Interior- order at counter
    Annie K.

    Came with my gal friend for dinner and it was soo good!! Service is so homey and heartfelt here. U can taste the love oozing from the dishes. We ordered 1/2 plate nachos and the taco salad and polenta dish. Everything was amazing!! The sour kraut on the nachos was so good makes me wanna buy it. Nachos are warm and have such quality ingredients and very filling! The taco bowl salad was soo fresh and tasty. The polenta dish is so creamy like a warm bowl so good for winter. Has beans and veggie sauces so good!! I wanna def come back and try more things and maybe buy their kimchi and sauerkraut.

    pumpkin tacos, pumpkin polenta. SO GOOD
    Jocelyn S.

    Absolutely loved my meal here. We stumbled upon their open mic night, which they'll do every other week on Wednesdays going forward. They had a lot of seasonal fall specials. We got the tacos with pumpkin and mushrooms, and the pumpkin polenta. Also the love potion kombucha. Everything was DELICIOUS! The vibes were high too for the open mic. Lots of great energy! Eager to try the rest of their stuff!

    Bravo Taco Salad
    Lindsey T.

    Great place for healthy vegetarian food! Came here on a Wednesday and it was busy! The place is a bit small and there's some table / bar style seating. When we went, they had a live singer which really enhanced the ambiance! The food was pretty good. They have a great diversity of fermented foods and the taste is good as well. I ordered a salad and enjoyed it. The chips were a bit spicy and I loved the generous serving of beans and avocados in it. It is also a HUGE salad and generally their portion sizes are large, which is nice.

    Ginger soup with noodle. Very nourishing
    Rebecca C.

    4.5 stars. This is such a fabulous place. My 6yo daughter and I shared - funk bowl with black rice, cabbage, cauliflower, black chickpeas and avocado (I didn't care for the lettuce in here but everything else was great), with kapusta fermented cabbage and mushroom - a ginger soup with noodle. Flavorful and nourishing - breakfast of champinon kombucha - very balanced flavor. Not as sour as most kombucha My little one loved the kombucha and black rice and had quite a bit of the lettuce (even though I didn't like it as much). Big portions so I would recommend sharing. Super cleansing and nourishing food. Nice music spinning in the background that gives an upbeat but relaxing atmosphere. We will be back!

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    Aw thank you Marisol!! We’re always so happy to have you visit!!

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    Page 1 of 6

    Ask the Community - Fox Tale Fermentation Project

    Do they allow dogs?

    We are a restaurant so we can only allow service animals inside, and we have a patio that is dog friendly!

    View All 2 Questions

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    Redwood Rodeo Burger ($23 + $2/Beef Tallow Fries)
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    Fried Pickles aka Frickles ($12)

    Fox Tale Fermentation Project - gourmet - Updated July 2026

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