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    M. Special Brewing Company

    3.3 (86 reviews)
    ModerateBreweries
    Closed 12:00 pm - 9:00 PM

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    Bry H.

    Had a beer and a frosé (frozen rosé). My only complaint was the music is a little bit loud, hard to chat. But if you like loud music, maybe it's for you. Also not sure if it will be the same DJ every Sunday. Anyway, it was fun. Didn't try their food tho. Maybe next time.

    An IPA and a Mexican lager. Try 'em both!
    Sara D.

    Great beer! Great vibe! You can sit out front with a great view of State Street and people watch. One of the best IPAs I have ever had. Drop in soon!

    Lovely hazy IPA.
    Philip L.

    Great little brewery on the main drag in Santa Barbara. 10 or so beers on standard rotation with a few ciders and some seasonals available as well. Limited kitchen for Burgers etc in the building. Outdoor seating available on the street and put back. Plenty of TV's for event watching and a friendly staff. Multiple events during the week/weekend. I recommend.

    Ignacio S.

    M Special is easily one of my favorite stops on State Street. The atmosphere is super relaxed with plenty of outdoor seating, which is perfect for Santa Barbara weather. I'm a big fan of their hop-forward stuff (lots of great citrus notes), but the lineup is solid across the board. The staff always makes you feel welcome, even when it gets slammed on Friday and Saturday nights. Highly recommend checking it out if you want good beer and a lively crowd

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    2 months ago

    Poor service. Unwelcoming staff, disrespectful staff. Not worth the money for what they sell. Money better spent elsewhere

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    2 months ago

    Sorry the beer was horrible and over priced. Didn't like the vibe at all there. Staff was very rude as well. Hard pass.

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    2 months ago

    The beer wasnt good. Cool spot. Vibe was decent but like I said, the beer wasn't good.

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    6 months ago

    Great staff and great ambiance. They have 2 sour like beers which were good. I would come back

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    Also if you are looking to mix it up I recommend getting a man-mosa with the Sabado Tarde!

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    Rincon Brewery - Brews

    Rincon Brewery

    4.3(78 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    I am glad I picked Rincon for an early dinner during our recent anniversary trip in Santa Barbara!…read more A major plus, they sell food here, they have an extensive menu so it's easy to order at the bar, they bring it to your table, no hassle, running around for food from 1000 places! It might not be as trendy as other breweries in the Funk Zone area, but I don't care. Quiet and laid back was the vibe we needed! I love that they are located in an old Spanish looking house. Beautiful outdoor options, charming, quiet, great to enjoy a meal at! I don't care for their indoor area - with TV-s playing game and lacking decor. Service was great, friendly, Sam took care of us, he was nice, kind, attentive! Had their Mac Brown, a darker nice beer, smooth and started our feast with their nachos, we added chicken on which was a great decision since it was marinated and freshly grilled, you could taste the nice flavors right away. Great guacamole in top, a fun dish! We continued with the fried dill pickles (they come with Ranch and Sriracha sauce), very nice, had fried pickles before (in the South) and they were too greasy. Not here, crisp and tasty, lightly breaded. We finished with the onion rings tower, panko crusted, delicious flavor! They have locations in Ventura and Carpinteria! Great food and beer, nice service, very chill and relaxing. Rincon proved me right, gave us the fun, laid back experience we needed! Cheers to that, Mac Brown in hand!

    (Drank/Dined 02/02/24 FR @ 6:00pm): You didn't need to con me into coming to this brewery!…read more I looked for some salvation and solace in the beer suds of Rincon Brewery while I waited out the freeway traffic back to Los Angeles after a bad day. This brewery was on my list of several to try since I was scheduled to work the upcoming Santa Barbara International Film Festival. I loved beer and was always thrilled to visit a brewery new to me. Were their libations a brighter spot on what was a darker day!? PURCHASE Cetaceans Dry Hopped Marzen Lager Beer 5.2% ABV 16floz Draft ($7.75): Rich golden amber color, floral malty aroma, low body, light malty flavor, smooth finish, and light malty aftertaste. My favorite of the ones I tried. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=N2clMCdp3sxjEPMxkFIO1Q&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw Caught Inside Imperial DIPA Beer 8.6% ABV 16floz Draft ($8.50): Rich hazy amber color, earthy hoppy aroma, low body, slight bitter hoppy flavor, drying finish, and light hoppy aftertaste. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=rXWQ8wG4UFIFDlZKwH087g&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw [ONION RINGS/STRAWS/STRINGS ALERT - 4.0 of 5.0 STARS] Onion Rings ($8.00): A tower of seven plump La Reina (their own beer) lager-infused panko crusted rings all generally the same size, these were hot, lightly browned, crunchy, and had some tendency to crumble when bitten into while the onion ring (not sweet Maui) stayed intact. These were really good, I wasn't a fan of the somewhat watery ranch dipping sauce, and the "mere" seven rings surprisingly filled you up. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=n3NQ7J8Q1Uw6j6G1t3CLGw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw Bates Blonde Fish + Chips ($17.00 + $2.00): Bates (their own beer) blonde-battered cod with a choice of housemade potato chips or french fries (I opted for these), I was impressed by the three thick darker brown pieces of fish and a pile of golden crispy crunchy spud sticks. This was a hot plate, and early bites of everything released soft whispers of steam. The cod was meaty, moist, lightly seasoned, and honestly didn't require the provided tarter dipping sauce (I used it for the fries). My only issue was that the fries weren't included, so in actuality this was a "fish plus chips" meal. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=fpuwzGbFwXqCwOdssuTSbw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw Coastal American Lager Beer 5.5% ABV 16floz Can 4pk ($11.99): Bright amber color, citrusy lime malty aroma, low body, citrusy lime malty salty flavor, crisp effervescent finish, and light citrusy lime aftertaste. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=FCS5RuJzpdwz2VstJ8wlbA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw 9th Anniversary Fleurs De Mer Saison Farmhouse Ale Beer 6.1% ABV 16.9floz Bottle ($9.00): Dark amber color, fruity tart yeast aroma, low body, earthy fruity tart yeast flavor, crisp drying finish, and light earthy fruity aftertaste. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=oUt_RJDUeFzIqfUlwzLMuQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw Stickers (Varied; COMP this instance): I loved stickers and enjoyed placing them at other breweries to spread the love! https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=-E-QPl_6n-LQGn-Y3zrvoQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw SERVICE I was warmly greeted by a young man behind the bar where I sat. He gave me a quick rundown on their beers, and once I placed my order, the beer arrived immediately, while the food appeared within minutes. Everything was efficient and straightforward - thank you! PARKING (FREE) Street parking only, I found a spot along the main drag of Santa Barbara St. while there were plenty on other surrounding roads - 'nuff said! ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE Located in the "Funk Zone", the interior was an open spacious layout, a ton of places to sit, a multi-sided bar with barstools, and various surfboards hung on the walls. There was also a large exposed outdoor patio. Plenty of natural lighting came in through the large windows, obviously plenty outside, while various electric ceiling lights filled in the rest inside while decorative string lights outside. There were two TVs while Emo music (e.g. Fall Out Boy, New Found Glory, Sum 41) played in the background. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=O-v3lFvwpLlljOvdH7CpVw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL Rincon Brewery ended my day on a positive note, and I would love to return and try more of their beers. Their food was lovely and appreciated, they had a happy hour (MO-TH), it was a relaxing place, the service was very good, and the beer prices were comparable (beer flights also available). The food menu was varied and not just bar snacks. I found complete value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $71.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 5.0 STARS

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    Rincon Brewery - Saison

    Saison

    Rincon Brewery - Tap Handles (02/02/24). @RinconBreweryInc #SantaBarbara #Brewery #CraftBeer #Beer #DrinkPorn

    Tap Handles (02/02/24). @RinconBreweryInc #SantaBarbara #Brewery #CraftBeer #Beer #DrinkPorn

    Rincon Brewery - Lots of beer

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    Lots of beer

    Biergarten

    Biergarten

    4.0(277 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    First time visiting SB Biergarten and this place absolutely delivered. Perfect spot to grab a cold…read morebeer, catch up with friends, go on a casual date, or even just enjoy a solo afternoon in Santa Barbara. The atmosphere was relaxed, welcoming, and full of good energy from the moment we walked in. I had the MadeWest Hazy on draft served in an ice-cold Pint, exactly what you want on a warm Santa Barbara day. My girlfriend had a great time, and the whole experience felt effortless and fun. One of the coolest parts of the visit was meeting Chris, a local who told us this is one of his favorite hangout spots and where he brings his dog Harlo. He gave us some awesome local recommendations and really added to the laid back community vibe that makes this place special. The bartenders and hosts were all attentive, friendly, and professional. You could genuinely tell the staff enjoys what they do, and that energy carries throughout the entire place. It's refreshing to see hospitality thriving like this in Santa Barbara. Definitely adding this to my regular stop whenever I'm in SB. Great drinks, great people, great atmosphere. Highly recommend. - Ian Lantz

    Stopped by here for a beer and some food. This Smatty burger is what I ordered and got some fries…read more I was a bit surprised, meat on burger was tender, good ingredients with quality cheese. A solid burger. The fries on the other hand were pretty basic. Decent seasoning on them, mediocre flavor but the burger made it worth it here. Burger: 8.2 Fries: 6.9

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    Biergarten - Love the sauce bar!

    Love the sauce bar!

    Biergarten - Schnitzel Poutine

    Schnitzel Poutine

    Biergarten - Thanks Biergarten.

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    Thanks Biergarten.

    M. Special Brewing Company - breweries - Updated September 2026

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