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    Great Notion - Berkeley

    4.5 (110 reviews)
    ModerateBrewpubs
    Open 12:00 pm - 9:00 PM

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    Recommended Reviews - Great Notion - Berkeley

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    Timothy T.

    This brewery is tucked away in a really cute and safe part of Berkeley, with plenty of street parking available on a Sunday--super convenient. The beers were above average, though I wish they had more sour options. A nice bonus is that a select few of their beers are on happy hour all day Sunday at just $5 a pint, which is such a great deal. Service was excellent. Our beertender came over to check on us, offered tasters, and even shared recommendations for other breweries in the area and in Seattle, where he's from. Really appreciated the personal touch. I was a bit surprised it wasn't busier for a Sunday, but it made for a relaxed atmosphere. All in all, a solid spot to enjoy some good beers and chill out.

    Smoothie!
    Jessica Y.

    I love smoothie beers and was so thrilled to find a yummy one here! The place is on the smaller side, but a great place to grab a drink with some friends!

    Cool art
    Kristine K.

    Their smoothie style ales are so delicious! Perfect blend of lightly sweet with just the right level of tart that my partner, who finds sours to be too tart, and I (a sour beer lover) both enjoy. Today we had the POG (passionfruit, orange, guava) and the Monkey (lime sherbet, banana, pineapple, mango). We also like their dark beers, like BBA French Toast stout. Staff were friendly and knowledgeable and I liked being there in the relaxed ambiance on a quiet Saturday afternoon.

    Bar didn't provide the cupcake, "bought" it for a donation for a school event
    Valerie

    Probably the most uncomfortable and worst bar experience I have ever had. I'll start off and say that I'm a bartender myself and would never treat guests how the bartender did. My friends and I met this girl who was a local. The next day she suggested we checkout this brewery that's in her area because we love beer. We arrived. Grabbed a beer. The girl then walked inside, sat down, and we were casually chatting for maybe 2 minutes when the bartender told us that we all had to leave and that we are not welcome. There was maybe one other person in the bar during the daytime so we were confused. Turns out it was some personal issue the bartender had against the girl. Which is none of my business and I shouldn't be kicked out of a bar after I paid for my drinks, tipped the bartender, and was just sitting there. I literally had to chug my beer and leave. At the minimum, which is still uncomfortable, tell the girl to leave. Not us. Based on the unprofessionalism and rudeness, I would not recommend this bar.

    Beer Flight
    Jonathan O.

    Great Notion Brewery is one of the best around with there amazing stouts and fun tart ales the beer itself is amazing. The service was fast and to the point and the inside of the place is clean with a huge beer fridge stacked with delicious brews. I will be back.

    Chris B.

    Great taproom in west Berkeley, in the former Sierra Nevada space. First visit with the new proprietor, so had to get a flight. Everything was solid, and would visit again, but I can't remember any of the names of the beers, if that tells you anything. Rotating food vendors pop up here, but not sure if all days or just some.

    Flight n fries!
    Vic F.

    Fruity brews, lazy Sunday afternoon, and fries (from Asian hot dog truck in front)...nice way to end a weekend! Dog friendly patio is a plus!

    Debra S.

    Great Notion makes great beer. This satellite shop has a good selection of GN's beers and merch. The service is very good, although not the warm and fuzzy vibe that I had experienced at the Mother Ship in Portland.

    Tap or take out
    Thomas B.

    Dominic and Ian have their hands full. It busy in this upscale neighborhood. This is the place to be. Great beer, food out the back door in the patio, and a clean comfortable interior. The tunes were a nice added bonus. Enjoy people watching or take a selfie with Sasquatch (you need to see to understand this) LOL. I ordered a colorful tasty flight and a Blackberry Cream Soda for my wife. There are wonderful options to non-alcoholic drinks here, Also, I see children, and pets. How cool is that? Then I set out my pic of my 2 buddies lost in war for this Memorial Day. I remember them on Veterans day too. Heroes all. Its a tradition with me. I always spill a little for the guys and remember them in story. Ian and Dominic were very understanding and totally supported this. I am a Vietnam Vet, Sgt USAF so their sacrifice is real. TY gentleman. This is why the community embraces this place. Like an English Pub, this serves the locals like an extension of their Livingroom. I recommend it. Parking around the side, great and safe place to bring a date, and the locals are friendly. See you soon That Strawberry Ale caught me off guard. Delish guys.

    Christian T.

    Stumbled into Great Notion in Berkeley and instantly loved the vibe -- colorful, laid-back, and just a fun spot to hang. The beer lineup is wild in the best way -- hazy IPAs, fruity sours, pastry stouts... they're not afraid to get weird, and it works. Tried a flight and every pour was a surprise in a good way. Bonus points for the staff being super cool and happy to chat about the beers without any beer-snob energy. If you like your craft beer with personality and want a chill place to sip and vibe, this is it.

    Tiffany Y.

    This is probably my favorite brewery in East Bay to go to after finding out about it at a Yelp Elite event. They have so many fun options, especially if you enjoy sours. I also randomly came here on a Tuesday night and learned that they host Trivia Tuesday as a fun option! I got a 5 x 5 oz flight ($19) with Passionfruit Mochi IPA, Blueberry Muffin Sour, Fruit Monster Sour, Vanillazilla, and Strawberry & Kiwi Seltzer. My favorites were the blueberry muffin sour (it actually tastes like blueberry muffin!) and the vanillazilla. They were out of the Big Papaya sour, so that will definitely be on my order when I go next time!

    You're almost there.
    Caz C.

    This place is super chill. They offer a wide variety of beers as close as something for everyone as you're likely to find anywhere. I did a flight a while back and more recently I just pick something that suits my mood. Bar keep has poured me a taste of anything that interested me in the past. This week's visit was time for something with Mosaic and Citra. Superglow delivered. Delicious brew, great service, and on Tuesdays, a pizza truck right outside -- Uncle Cheezy's.

    Flight of 5
    Jodi H.

    I love a popular out of town brewery make the Bay a home. Portland's Great Notion is here to stay, and they're a winner. PARKING Pro Tip: They're actually located pretty close from the walkway from Cesar Chavez Park, so a good idea could be to park there and walk over to save yourself some trouble with street or paid parking. I think most people who were enjoying brews in the store were local, so they didn't have to deal with parking. It's a great cozy unassuming spot for groups, dates, or catching up on some work. They have strong wifi, clean restrooms, and are dog-friendly. I love that they have treats too for doggos. They do offer flights, and y'all know I had to go for a flight of their IPA's and some of their delicious fruited sours. I gotta say, it's a rare thing when I like all of my tasters, but in this case Great Notion definitely delivered. Their sours were accurately named, all of their beers are! So props to the team that does that. My faves were def: POG IPA (so juicy), Seedless Watermelon (perf for a hot sunny day), and Ripe IPA (so tasty). The Blueberry Muffin Sour was indeed, just like it's namesake, not my cup of tea but accurately named. Synesthesia was also the taptender's rec as it is a popular IPA, I can see why. I enjoyed my time there on my weekday off, although music choice was interesting...the entire Taylor Swift album. And it was off-putting that there were a bunch of flies buzzing around the large tables. Regardless, they have a fantastic to-go selection. It's insanely beautiful, but they have SO many 4-packs and canned goodies for those who are interested in taking some brews to go, or if you particularly love any of the beers you've had while visiting. Saw lots of people come through just for their pickup orders.

    Togo beer as of 7/30/23

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    Melissa T.

    We appreciate your business Ian, thank you!

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    3 years ago

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    Melissa T.

    Thanks for coming in Elizabeth!

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    3 years ago

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    Melissa T.

    So glad you could make it in Katie!

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    Melissa T.

    Thank you Kris! We appreciate your business!

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    3 years ago

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    Melissa T.

    Glad you could make it in Jatin!

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    Melissa T.

    Glad to hear you enjoyed your visit Justin. Appreciate you coming in!

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    2 years ago

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    Melissa T.

    Thank you, we appreciate your business Jerry!

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    Melissa T.

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    3 years ago

    Ultimate ambience & drinks! Friendly staff, outside food allowed, kids allowed.. what else do you need . sGo for it!

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    Melissa T.

    We appreciate your business Pradeep, thanks for stopping by!

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    3 years ago

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    Melissa T.

    That's great to hear Simone! We appreciate your business.

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    Melissa T.

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    3 years ago

    Amazing beer coming out of this place. Staff was extremely friendly and helpful which is always a plus. Definitely recommend to all.

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    Melissa T.

    Thats great to hear, thanks for coming in Will!

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    3 years ago

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    Melissa T.

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    3 years ago

    Fun to see Great Notion Brews here in the Bay Area!!! We used to go to the Portland Brewery often! Love their hazies!

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    3 years ago

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    Melissa T.

    Thanks for coming in Rudy!

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    3 years ago

    Really good place good people nice staff will return love the blue slushy beer it's very delicious a must try.

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    Melissa T.

    Thank You Courtney! We appreciate your business.

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    Melissa T.

    Glad you enjoyed your visit John!!

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    3 years ago

    The brewery kings from Portland have a satellite location in Berkeley and it's wonderful!

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    Melissa T.

    Love the enthusiasm Ernest! Thank you for your business!

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    3 years ago

    The atmosphere it's cool and lay back, loved the place and the beer really good. The food truck outside it's perfect and delicious

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    Melissa T.

    Thats great to hear, Mariana. Glad you could make it in!

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    3 years ago

    Great service and really good beers. The taco cart outside had some good birriia tacos.

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    3 years ago

    Really cool atmosphere, the problem? Small. Not a ton of places to sit and enjoy a drink.

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    Page 3 of 3

    Ask the Community - Great Notion - Berkeley

    What kind of non alcoholic drinks are available?looking for a place that has more than one option

    Thanks for asking! We usually have our own craft soda Rated G. We also have a few hop waters available right now.… Read more

    Does GN allow outside food? I'm hoping to bring some charcuterie with my friends soon.

    Yes, our Berkeley location does allow outside food!

    When I visited last week, I tried to pay for my drinks with cash, but I was told they only accepted non-cash payment (i.e. credit card, mobile). Is this legal?

    Hey Edward, great question. As a private business, we made this decision to encourage touch free payments to keep our customers and staff safe during the ongoing pandemic. We apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused.

    Do you sell individual cans or mix match for pickup/Togo. Or do I have to get a four pack of same?

    Hi James - thanks for reaching out! Our taprooms do have build your own 4 pack specials from time to time (depends on which taproom you are looking to visit) Most of the… Read more

    Not much info on the website & they were closed when I called. Does anyone know prices? Do they have a HH? Are growler fills avail.? Is there food avail., if not, can you bring in outside food? Any info on prices and what is available would help

    Hey there, thanks for reaching out Ty! We offer beer to go in 4-packs of 16oz cans as well as… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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