Beer! Not only that, great beer! The selection is huge and you'll be feeling mighty fine after you a selection of their finest ale. You can bring outside food and there is even an outdoor patio. While it's a bit on the colder side right now, but with Spring around the corner, nothing can top the warm breeze in your face as you take down a quality beer. One of the best feelings in the world. Staff is nice and the place is a very chill location. If you're a beer fan and live in San Jose, then this is a must stop. This place truly has some of the finest beers I've tasted, and I've tasted a lot of beer in my time. read more

A Great spot get a Brew and Chill!!! This place is not for the timid or the novice beer person! ISO Beers brings quality, hard to get craft beer to San Jose. There several beer "spots" but ISO is relaxing. Get your brew, sit outside or just sit at the bar and fiddling on your phone. There was a TV-Flatscreen on, but the volume was on low, and there was no other music blaring in the back ground. I'm just tired of when ever I go out, to a place were it's very loud. The afternoon that I was here...Quite!! Almost like a library! This was my first time here. Since having kids, now toddlers, I don't get out much. I'm do plan on stopping here again when I get a chance. Parking... Good Luck!!! I parked around the corner, up the street. read more

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My best friend introduced me to this place last night, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised in some areas, and overwhelminigly dissapointed in one. I'll start with the pros first. The beer selection here is actually really quite nice. They have some exotic sours, to some imperial stouts, bottle beer, and some stuff on tap. It was all really nice. The place itself isn't all that nice, but I like it. It's quiet, and not terribly crowded. They also have a nice little patio which is nice for cool evenings. The prices are a little steep, but good beer is hard to come by. Now, on to my one and only con; the service. I was reeeeeally dissapointed with the gentleman that helped us out. My best friend had several questions, and the man wasn't at all very friendly. He gave us quite the attitude and just dealt with us. I was dissapointed with this bigger long haired causasian man. Just the way he treated us made us only buy one beer and leave due to the discomfort. Overall; Fantastic selection in beer, really nice quiet setting. Service is a huge part of the experience, especially when it comes to questions. The service in itself may be something to repel us from coming back, but who knows, maybe again we will come back. read more

Thank you ISO Beers for constantly providing a solid choice in DTSJ for finding great beers and parking all in one. I mean, Original Gravity is great but finding parking in any remote nearby area is just absolutely impossible. ISO Beers is located, instead, on Santa Clara, and although the area is a little sketch, the parking is ample within about a 1-1.5 block radius. I always found great parking in this area at all hours of the day / night / weekend so makes this place less of a hassle to visit. Outside of that, there's a great outdoor area / garden-ish to hang out in when the weather is nice and you have a larger group. Inside the steel counters really give this place a sleek and clean look. They have over 30 beers on tap easily (I haven't counted ...) but probably closer to 40-45! They're all craft and lots of nitro beer options. I'm not usually a stout fan, but put a stout on nitro and suddenly it transforms the whole thing. They also have a great selection of bottles at not exceedingly obscene prices. You can grab a bottle if you find something special and drink in or take it to go. Big fan! Wish they were open later than midnight! read more

9/20/14: REALLY huge beer selection. Plenty of great stuff I love, including lots of sours (my current favorite style.) Some really rare stuff too, and on tap! 1. Anomaly White Chocolate [NITRO] $7 (for 14oz): My friend was freaking out when he saw this on the tap list. I dunno what the whole story is, but I guess this is a beer geek's best-day-ever find? He was so happy he right away said he's gonna buy us all a glass cause he was overjoyed! Ha ha, well, anyway, the beer itself to me was just alright. Reminds me of Stone's Vertical, the edition with the Anaheim peppers. There's that roasted pepper taste, but not nearly as strong as Stone's, but still there, and me not like it. Otherwise it's pretty balanced. Anyway, I didn't like it so much, but my friend was in heaven. I give that beer a 5/10. Again, amazing selection of beers. The ambiance wasn't my thing--it was fine, but maybe not super awesome. Not sure what it was. Maybe the vibe was just a bit off. Something I can't describe. But anyway, if I was entertaining a beer aficionado, this place is the place I'd go! 4/5. #bar #beer #drinks read more

ISO Beers - Anomaly White Chocolate [NITRO] $7 (for 14oz). - Beer Bar Near Me - San Jose, California

Whether you're new to craft beer or a Jedi knight beer connoisseur, this is the beer hot spot to go. They have great beer selections from IPAs to my favorite, barrel aged sour ales. I met D, the owner, who is a really cool cat, a laid back guy behind the bar and highly knowledgeable about craft beers. They have a nice outdoor patio with bench seating where you can enjoy your beer while enjoying the outdoors but we stayed inside just drinking and chit-chatting it up with D and staff about craft beer. They don't serve food but D mentioned that they allow food to be brought in to eat, while enjoying one of their beers, now how cool is that? Really cool and chill place to drink beer. Definitely coming back! read more

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Best spot to come hang out and have a cold beer. The owner has the best employees ever super helpful, you don't know what to get just describe what you like and they will give you tastings to try. Always having different beers to try from not like more spots having the same thing. If you in the downtown area must stop by and give a try. read more

It's open! Great draft selection. The patio will be awesome as soon as the rain stops. Plenty of room inside. read more

ISO Beers - Beer Bar Near Me - San Jose, California

This place is a cool 4 star place but the guy who works here is a jerk which I will get to later. Normally if I want a beer and in the area I will go to San Pedro Square Market where they always have a good selection of beer taps and refrigerated bottles. But I'm not all that crazy with the seating situation there so sometimes I'll decide to go to ISO instead. This ISO place is much more fancy both inside with a nice bar and a bunch of available tables. It has both indoor and outdoor seating, and the outdoor tables are gorgeous. Don't use that term much but here it describes them perfectly. The beers are I think pricey. On the surface that doesn't seem expensive but when you look at the pour size they only have two sizes a 10 oz and a 13 oz and you can't pick either size because they assign one size to each beer. They do have a couple of beers for $5 but most are in the $8 range for both sizes. I'm sorry but that feels kind of steep as they are not all super high in alcohol. I will say the beers are unique here. I know a lot about beer and I hadn't tried a lot of what they had. Some of the selections I saw was Giggle Fit IPA from barebottle, Off Baseline IPA from New Glory Craft in Sac, Fiesta Saison from the Good Beer Co in Anahem. They have a sours section and a Belgium section and what is pretty cool is a whole Barrel Aged Darks section. There is a ton of options here so 5 stars for that. They also have a bunch of fridges of cold hard to get bottles of beer. They make a big point that they never will carry Pliny but they don't give you a reason so whatever. Anyway the beers in the fridge are a good selection but some don't have prices and then you have to ask this rude bartender what they cost and he thinks everyone should not care about what they cost. Again Rude! Now I'm willing to pay if the service here would be smiley and friendly but like I said the dude who works here looks like he has a chip on his shoulder. Then one time he overcharged me for a beer I bought and I had to call him back to ask why he overcharged me and he basically told me the beer I bought was the price he charged me. When I told him he said the price was half what he charged me he said that I was not listening to him correctly. So to recap, this place is pretty cool and they have good and interesting beers on tap but be prepared for sour service unless they fire this guy and get someone who is friendly and knows more about the beers he sells. read more

Their beer selection is so well-rounded, and with over 30 taps (Facebook claims 40 total!), you're bound to find something that you like. It's hard to make a decision, though, given the quality of each one. They don't serve food, but Ike's is down the street and their sandwiches sure go down easy with a beer or two. I've heard that ISO doesn't care if you bring in outside food, and I definitely ate a sandwich there and no one cared. They have plenty of seating indoors, but the outdoor beer garden area is the best! Lots of seating at picnic tables, with plenty of open floor space still available for people to stand and walk around. Great place for groups. Their bottle selection is also pretty good, but can be pricey. They don't label all of the bottle prices, so be sure to check before setting your heart on one. Lastly, they were playing some funky jazz stuff last time, which I really liked. Rock is fine for most beer places, but I like it when places keep it classy with their music selection. I will definitely be back here often! read more

As a beer beer pretty solid. Selection is strong in IPA and few TVs and long bar and high tops. Service quick and chill atmosphere. As a bottle shop it's not as good as expected. Only about 15 cans available as singles and bottles are mostly large format and $15-20 each. For two cans I was charged a little over $10. Plus $2-3 for corkage make the price pretty steep and even more than a beer at the bar. I liked the bar for a stop to drink and hang but there's better bottle shops in San Jose. read more

There's nothing not to like about ISO Beers. They have a manageably large selection of rotating taps, enthusiastic and knowledgeable employees, plenty of seating both indoors and out, a drunchie-friendly BYOF (Bring Your Own Food) allowance, and a wall of refrigerated, bottled beers. The last time I was there, their rotating taps were heavy on the IPA's, stouts, and sours, but not many pale ales. Just an FYI. The only thing I might suggest is a little TLC in the decor department. ISO has the most important bits down solid--good beers, good vibes, good location, and good clientele-- so now they can focus on making their venue look less like a half-finished add-on to a hipster frat house. read more

Be it the dim lighting, classy French door entrance, back-and-front-paged beer menu, or closeby tap-room-esque patio...whatever it is, ISO Beers...I love you. There are SO many beers here on tap, and if you absolutely want to be a prissy drinker, there are display cases of bottled beers behind you for your selective choice. They don't offer food, but I heard from previous Yelpers that you can bring in food...although I didn't see anyone carrying any food into ISO on a busy Friday night. I can't wait to come back here. They should really think about offering flight sizes because that'd really pull their "microbrewery" feel all together. The vibes, taptenders, and general layout of ISO Beers leaves me wanting to come back again. It's also off the main "strip" of downtown SJ (CREAM/55 S/nomikai, etc.) and I think it's a great advantage for ISO. It's a classier crowd that comes to ISO--real beer lovers, not just homies looking to get drunk or shwasty on a Friday night. I can't wait to come back for the cool crowd, delicious beers, and high-top tables and wooden paneling. This place is my ideal kind of hangout on a night in the town with my girlfriends, co-workers, or for a date. read more

Glad they're open again, but really disappointed they still serve beer in plastic cups. Even asked if I could have a glass and was told no because of Covid. Does that mean they didn't wash their glasses before COVID? I mean these are nice beers being poured and they don't belong in plastic cups like we're playing beer pong or something read more

This beer tender explained to me that an extremely awful tasting beer was "ok" because "he tasted it before." He refused to serve another in its place and instead, chided me on how I should have sampled it first instead. I've recommended this tap house a few times, and of all times, during my brothers birthday today, we receive this treatment-- no more. Plenty of other tap houses and breweries to support in San Jose and beyond. Save your $, save your time and quench your thirst elsewhere. read more

ISO Beers - Beer Bar Near Me - San Jose, California

Beer isn't my go to beverage but when I do want a beer, I try to enjoy a quality one. I think this is a great spot if you're like me and dabbling in craft beers or if you are at a more advanced level of beer appreciation. The room is simple and dedicated to beer. Plenty of taps to chose from, and there's a very helpful menu, organizing the selections and highlighting the tastes and alcohol percentages of each. But there are two reasons this place stands out. First, a cute outdoor area that will soon be shrouded by plants, cutting off the noise from Santa Clara street while preserving the outdoor space. And secondly, the fact you'll be able to order a snack from nearby food places and have them deliver to you, while enjoying your beer! read more

Serves awesome beer, always a great selection of hard to find craft beers on tap and good cans to go as well. Very cool atmosphere both indoors and out. Not a big fan of the staff. I've been to plenty of bars and bottle shops that are very accommodating when it comes to recommending a beer or simply making friendly conversation. I live in the area, so I frequent ISO often solely for their beer selection. After a couple sour experiences with staff, who often won't give patrons the time of day because they're too busy sharing beer with their bros behind the bar, I'd say I come here just to pick up cans. Unfortunately, ISO rips people off when it comes to pricing on their to go bottles and cans. A 4 pack that the brewery sells for $22 goes for $29 and change here. There's other bar and bottle shops in the area that have much lower prices and friendlier staff. Overall, kudos to knowing good beer, but shame on ISO for the arrogance of their staff and the gall to overcharge customers by this much. I understand the need to upsell and make a profit, but ISO is taking advantage of this. Go to Good Karma down the street or Taplands in Santa Clara for EXCELLENT service and fair prices for the same beer. read more

I finally had the chance to visit this place. It was a super chill spot for beer with friends. They have a huge selection of all kinds of beers and a spacious outdoor patio. We arrived around 8pm and the place was already packed with people. Two of my friends had a cider and the others had a stout and an IPA. All were very pleased with their selection. The only thing I did not like, is that a pincher bug crawled on the back of my neck while we were sitting on the benches outside. Overall great place, just be careful with those little bugs. read more

ISO Beers - Beer Bar Near Me - San Jose, California

In downtown San Jose location. Beers on tap and great selections! Not just on tap but fridge full of beers on the wall. It's a pretty cool place. You can also bring outside food in too and enjoy a great beer at ISO! If you're a beer person, this place is for you! read more

ISO Beers - Beer Bar Near Me - San Jose, California

Came out to ISO Beers tonight for the first time. Only tried one beer but it was good. Can't really say much about the beer selection since I only had one but my husband had 2 and he liked them both. And based off the menu, they should have something that everyone likes. Will definitely come back to try more and maybe buy a few beers from their fridge. If you haven't been yet it's worth a try! read more

ISO Beers - Mamas lil yella pills on the left - Beer Bar Near Me - San Jose, California

This place is awesome to kick it on a nice hot day out on their big patio while downing on a hazy IPA. Pets are allowed inside and outside. You can also bring your own food. Come on a Sunday after 3PM and you'll get to hear free DJ music coming from Enso day club next door. Parking is validated up to 2hr in the parking structure behind. Friendly service. read more

ISO Beers - Beer Bar Near Me - San Jose, California

Went here around 30 minutes before closing time and I don't think the staff was very fond of that when we showed up. Didn't think they were trying to be really helpful either. I get it that you're almost closing, but customer service should be good at all times. Their beer prices seem to be a bit steep in my opinion. Some of their beers are like $10-13?? I might as well go grab a cocktail and go somewhere else then. And we can't even sample their beers that are over $10...hmmm. So I wouldn't even know what I'm getting myself into if I buy a more expensive beer, which I ended up doing in the end too because the beers that I actually sampled, I didn't really like. Luckily for me, the $12 kiwi cider tasted good. read more

This is my bar!!!! I recently turned 21 and this was one of those bars that someone recommended I should go, which I did! And it was the best decision of my life! 1. Excellent cider beers: zombie killer 2. Bartenders are amazing and knowledgeable about what they serve 3. Encourage to bring food here 4. They recognize me 5. Overall good vibe! I brought them customers at times because they are THAT good. My advice, stop by and have a glass on a very hot day, you will not regret this choice. read more

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The atmosphere at this bar is amazing! My friends and I wanted to explore the night life. So we went looking for a spot where we wouldn't have to yell to hear each other, be back to back with people, and the crowd wasn't wilding out. ISO Beer fits this atmosphere so well even on a Saturday night! Lots of beers to chose from so there's definitely something for everyone. Reasonably priced. The wait wasn't long. They have plenty of seating inside and outside. You can bring your own food! I saw some adorable pups chillan while their owners chilled. This spot is definitely chill. If you're into conversation over great beers, I'd recommend this ISO Beers! read more

Ok, so obviously I'm not a fan of the corkage fee of $3, if I decide to drink a bottled beer there. But, now I understand why they do it. Rent is high in downtown, these fellas need to make their money. With that being said, I love that they update their menu on the app "Untappd", It allows me to constantly be up to date with their menu. The service is really good too. When my gf and I usually go on Friday or Saturday we usually see the same two guys. One has a dark beard and the other a brown beard, both of them always answer my questions and are super chill. The atmosphere is really dope and laid back, and best of all you can bring your own food! Cheers boys and girls! read more

Amazing beer selections in bottles and on tap! I'm usually more of a fan of cocktails and wine, but I asked the bartender for a fruitier recommendation and now it's my favorite beer. Visited with over 10 friends and they all loved the beer they ordered. For those who enjoy fruitier drinks, I highly recommend: Founders Rubaeus Nitro. You can bring your own food, so I would highly suggest going to Ike's a couple stores down before ordering your beer. There's outdoor seats, but caution for those who are allergic to dogs since there's always dogs there. read more

ISO Beers - Founders Rubaeus Nitro - Beer Bar Near Me - San Jose, California

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So this is the place to go if you're a beer person! They have a whole wall of refrigerators full of beer and they're in different sections, ranging from light brews, IPAs, and even Sours! It's a great place for a connoisseur of beers to go. They also have a ton of beers on tap. The guys that work there know a lot about each beer and can help you pick the best one for you! We went with a group of 8 people and everyone from the group found something they liked. They even have Honeys! yum! The only downfall is it is expensive! But, you pay for what you get. Quality brews cost money! read more

ISO Beers - There's a large wall of 8 fridge doors filled with different types of beer! - Beer Bar Near Me - San Jose, California

Ever since this place has opened a few years back, I've never been disappointed with the vibe and genuine beer enjoying environment. Love the free wifi so I can come study or reply to work emails while sipping a cold one. They change out their taps every now and then so you can never get bored. Plus they have an entire fridgerated section of a ton of beers for you to try. Got an awesome outdoor patio for when the weather is nice. Just overall, one of my preferred bars in the Downtown San Jose area. read more

Plenty of seating both inside and also on the patio they have out back. Central spot in downtown San Jose so it's easy to make a stop here either after work or before/after grabbing a bite to eat at one of the spots nearby. They have a good amount of beer options to choose from so chances are you'll be able to find something that works for you. They were out of a couple of things when we came by, but the bartender was able to suggest substitutes that were just as good. Overall, decent taproom worth checking out. read more

ISO Beers is THE premier spot for fine, handcrafted ales in San Jose. With a great rotating selection and a no-nonsense, easy to read menu, ISO really keeps the craft customer on their toes. Whoever runs this place definitely knows what they are doing. Although parking is generally tough in downtown San Jose, you can usually find a spot right in front. If you can't, they validate parking for any of the city run paid lots. They only have chips there for food, but they allow you to bring in food, which is a very gentlemanly move. From a distributors standpoint, these guys really love to support the core, a really classy position to take. Overall, one of my favorite spots in San Jose. Great service, boho-chic vibe, and mind-altering beer selection. read more

Great beers, knowledgable about their product, and happy to discuss it with you. A wide variety of beers from ipa to reds to sours to stouts and porters. If your are bringing a friend that's not into beer there is a sauv blanc and Zinfandel on hand, root beer, mead, and cider. They're working to set up delivery with a few local restaurants and Ike's is right next door. So bring some food enjoy some beer and hang out! read more

While looking for this place we passed it because it almost looked too dark to be open. We wanted to check out the cans to go and see what was available. Decent selection but they could probably do more as they have a big fridge space. read more

When I visit San Jose, ISO Beers is one of the beer joints I like to visit. They have a good selection on tap and bottles as well. We came here in the afternoon, so it was not that crowded. There is no food available here, so bring a few snacks and share them with me. Overall, a great vibe and cool relaxing place to hang out with friends. read more

ISO Beers - Menu - Beer Bar Near Me - San Jose, California

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Beers and prices are much better than the first time I've visited. They have a large outdoor area which is a huge selling point. They always have a large selection of beers on tap and their prices have come down. Chill place to come with a group and sit outside. read more

ISO Beers is awesome for their unique selection of beers, airy patio, and generally more mature crowd than most downtown San Jose joints. Since I am a beer only kinda gal, I appreciate that they have a wide range of options and price points. Coming here is a great way to wind down; and a great place to bring friends who like having a relaxing downtown night! San Pedro Market down the street offers the post beer dinner you're looking for ;) read more

I've been to this establishment over 10 times and there's not a single bad things I can say about it. The workers are just so friendly and informative. They don't mind asking questions. In fact it seems like they love answering whatever silly question I have about beer. My favorite aspect of this shop is the outdoor seating! Perfect for a nice summer day. If you're not into the party scene of downtown San Jose, or the hecticness of San Pedro Square, this is your place. read more

What a great place! Shane and team more than accommodated our large group. The setting was perfect, the out door area, and so many beers to choose from! I highly recommend this location for an event but also any time you want to hang out and enjoy a cool spot! read more

An amazing selection of wild ales. Beautiful outdoor area, welcomes outside food, chill vibes and good music. Normal city prices, actually got a pretty good deal on the wild ales I picked up. read more

Things I love about this place: 1. Great beer selections on tap. 2. You can also buy a bottle to enjoy to drink here or take home. 3. Great space inside and there is an outdoor seating which is a major plus. 4. You can bring outside food. 5. Friendly staff. I had the Port Older Viscosity 2013. YAAAAAAAAAS. read more

In the summer of 2012, as craft beer popularity skyrocketed, examiner.com ran this article featuring Dee of Bobby's Liquors (a long time favorite bottle shoppe of mine!) and his ambitions to open ISO in downtown San Jose (http://www.examiner.com/article/premier-south-bay-bottle-shop-bobby-s-liquors-and-soon-to-open-iso-beers); a daunting task considering the numerous outlets already installed in the area. A year and a half later, congratulations are in high order to Dee & Jen for creating such a great destination for downtown goers and a welcome & formidable addition to the craft beer scene! Pro-tip: look for the address, first timers. On my first night seeking the place out I obliviously walked by it twice, certain it would jump out at me in a spectacle of beer-related regalia and fanfare , but no. 75 E. Santa Clara St.; its not hard to find, but also isn't obviously/cosmetically a beer bar. In a way, ISO takes a quieted, sophisticated, but not elitist, turn at savoring beer. The sleek and [currently] unadorned space is an exercise in minimalism; no televisions, no brewery ads, no emblazoned tap handles, and - save for the "ISO Beers" logo and operating hours on the glass doors - not even signage. Encased in a glass on glass on glass facade of a downtown office building, ISO's interior is hip and stylish, awash in dark, stony hues from floor to ceiling, a spaciously arranged smattering of high tabletops & highchairs, 8 doors of refrigerated goodness, a bar top that spans nigh the width of the room, and a wall of taps. ...oh, that wall; that sheen, burnished, splendid rampart of polished steel(?) upraised from end to end with gleaming taps in legion, linear and uniform, a cascade of beers at the ready... oh, that wall. I'm eager for a few other amenities ISO has in the works. For now and the foreseeable future, the staff at ISO welcomes food from other establishments; [hearsay] they are even considering a food-runner/delivery arrangement with nearby eateries. Also still in development is the attached patio space for a pet-friendly biergarten, hopefully to be completed right on time for some lazily lounging, Springtime day-drinking. X-number of drafts and luxurious amenities aside, it's ultimately a knowledgeable, keen, & kind staff that makes a bar welcoming and worth patronage. In this regard, the staff at ISO, like aforementioned owner Dee (of Bobby's Liquors) and Jake (of Market Beer & Kelly's), are some of the craft beer scene's friendliest and celebrated personalities. No doubt nor surprise that patrons/friends (like myself) have followed them here from their other endeavors. In Search Of Beers? Ask the people. You've found the place. _______________________________________________ Good BEER is easy to find in San Jose; these guys have founded a good BAR. And I plan to be back again and again. read more