Great beer and a fun atmosphere! Dogs are welcomed and there is Peking on the back too! Poor House Bistro also has a a few offerings that are yummy read more

Narrative Fermentations - Sunday Blues Band - Breweries Near Me - San Jose, California

My kind of local microbrewery!...though I wish it were more local to me. A couple of friends and I arrived at Narrative Fermentations on a recent Saturday afternoon following a hike in Calero (about 20 minutes south of here). We wanted good beer plus a little food; and NF delivered the goods (the latter via a food truck from Scratch Cookery). Chill vibe? Check! - Off the crowded main drag; easy parking; and plenty of spots to sit inside and out. (Note: The frontage has the best sun exposure but zero character; however behind-the-scenes it was all good). Friendly staff - Check. We were first served at the bar by one of the owners, who was excited to tell us about the beers. Beer quality - Double-Check! - I was very pleasantly surprised after purchasing a flight of 4 tasters. Highlights were the "Chaos & Caffeine": a delicious, smooth, imperial milk porter on nitro. Their "You Got to Pils" was a wonderfully quaffable, hopped pilsner...sooo good, and only 4.6% abv! And the "Soar like an eagle" IPA had a terrible name but a wonderful, dank, citrusy nose and flavor. I was sad they didn't have any of these in cans, but I bought a few 32 oz crowlers to take home with me. As for weaknesses, the lack of bathroom space was a big one - Just a single-room toilet & sink, so there was always a short line. And the aforementioned frontage was was way too meager - how about some canopies, or strung lights, or maybe better visual blockage from the street? Overall assessment - I'm a fan and hope to come back! read more

I love Narrative Fermentations! It's such a cool vibe in their taproom. The staff is really friendly, it's a huge space with plenty of seating (perfect for large groups!), lots of parking, and they always have rotating food trucks out in front! I always check their IG @narrative_fermentations to see what's going on before going. :) They have an amazing selection of beers, including sours and smoothie beers! My favorite is their Froooot series and sometimes on the weekend, they'll make slushie beers from the slushie machine. I've been a fan for a while because you can find their beers at local grocery stores and other taprooms, but it's so much fun and worth coming to the taproom to try their selection on tap! read more

You can't go wrong with this Brewery! The best, if not one of the best, in the Bay Area; and probably the state. Wide variety and styles. My preference in the darks, ambers and sours. All exceptional. Also great food truck lineup regularly. read more

Narrative Fermentations - Pitted...My Favorite! - Breweries Near Me - San Jose, California

I can't believe I've only just found this place when we used to come to this building all the time when it was Silicon Valley Brewing. These guys took over the place when SVB closed and do a delicious array of beers. The ones I LOVE and highly recommend trying are the coffee stout and the fruit smoothie beer. It literally tastes like an alcoholic fruit smoothie. So good. So easy to drink. Staff are lovely people. There's a big seating area out the back now as well as the few tables by the bar, so can hold more people now. Prices are on par with the other breweries in San Jose. Definitely check this place out. read more

This place is so wonderful and the staff is super friendly. Great atmosphere - family friendly and dog friendly. I have brought my dogs here several times and had a good time meeting other dogs and their owners. There is plenty of space in the back and it is well ventilated which is a great plus. Food - They usually have a pop up food vendor and every time I've tried one - it was a hit! Tio's Pizza and The Griddler are my favorites. Happy Hour - I had to plan a work meet up and I thought Narrative was perfect for our casual info night. The staff was super accomodating, attentive and easy to work with. Don't hesitate to reach out to organize a meet up or reserve a few tables for an event. What a gem! I look forward to returning very soon. read more

Great beer but horrible service. Came here 10/7 with a group of 4. I ordered 2 beers and the bartender asked open or closed and i said we have 2 more to order and he motioned his hand for us to talk faster which was so rude. Then he asked opened or closed which my friend did not hear and said yes then the bartender aggressively said open or closed. Safe to say we closed and won't be back anytime soon. So sad to see the service go down like this. read more

Love this brewery! Hole in the wall type of place. Great selection of beers and a cool atmosphere. Only downside is one of their employees (tall guy with grayish hair). Not sure if he's a manager or what but he is often rude with his fellow employees and customers. read more

The beer is ok. I get this is a new spot, but damn how can it be so cruddy? I asked to get my table wiped down and the bartender handed me a dry, dirty terry cloth towel. This place needs a deep cleaning. And I don't know if it's related, but I was there 24 hours ago and still feel nauseous. Avoid. read more

Great beer and rotating selection. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Definitely will be coming back in the near future. read more

Narrative Fermentations - Breweries Near Me - San Jose, California

Beer is ssooooooooo good! One of my faves right now. I've had many of their beers, and there's only one I didn't like. The Coconut one. I love coconut too! Had high expectations. But it wasn't good. To me! You may like it. It's a cool spot, with amazing beers. read more

Great Atmosphere and great beers, tried a flight of 8 tasters (no misses). The standouts were the Claw IPA, Presley stout - tasted like a banana split v delicious, and Frooot - a slushy style beer drink, flavored like a guava smoothie, fruity and enjoyable. Def Recommended! read more

Narrative Fermentations - Beer Flight - Breweries Near Me - San Jose, California

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First time visiting and have to say it was a great place to hang out. It was a hot day in SJ getting to an air conditioned brewery was a golden find. Good beer and friendly staff. Mox Nox was what I recommend. We will be back. read more

Narrative has always been such a gem! Definitely a 5 star brewery, but unfortunately I took a star off on my review because of one of their employees. Their employee (tallish guy with white hair/beard) comes off rude at times. My friends and I love coming here! read more

They have a small yet excellent selection of beers. Their Hazy is smoother than other hazies I've tried. They currently have a DJ and local cooks making delicious and creative beer foods. They have indoor and outdoor seating during the pandemic. Like another reviewer said, it is truly a hidden gem in San Jose. read more

Narrative Fermentations - Breweries Near Me - San Jose, California

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The beer is okay. The inside and outside are okay. The service is okay. The insulation falling from the ceiling is alright. The broken down madden machines and pga golf tour are a thing. It's just okay. I personally feel like they need to pick a direction to stand out. The food vendors are great. But that's not this place. Not bad. But not great. read more

Causal fun brewery with great beer to hang out any tiime. We've tried few in the neighborhood and this is by far the winner. Rotating food venues and live music on weekends. But recommend you bring your own noms. So far we haven't been impressed with food rotation (pizza, burger, filippino). Slow service, medicore food and expensive. read more

Narrative is the best hidden brewery in San Jose. There is nothing I dislike about this place. The brewer, bartenders, service, food trucks, and of course, the beer. It truly is a place where everybody knows you name. As they serve you the best beer you've ever enjoyed. They really know what they're doing here. read more

I was trying to escape the heat one Saturday and gladly stopped by Narrative for a few beers. Thankfully we snagged a seat inside - they have indoor and outdoor seating and usually a food truck. There is a good variety of beers to choose from. The Invasion IPA was good, but Better dhaze ahead was my favorite. It's very drinkable and for a hazy beer it wasn't too heavy or juicy. They also have lots of can options to-go! read more

Narrative Fermentations - The west coast IPA (left) and Better dhaze ahead (right) - really good and not too heavy for a hazy beer. - Breweries Near Me - San Jose, California

Great beer! I got 3 IPAs and a sour, and all of them were solid choices. I took home a crowler of the blonde ale which is also delicious. read more

Narrative Fermentations - Beer flight - Breweries Near Me - San Jose, California

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Was extremely surprised by this little hidden gem! Very quaint and quiet to be honest. The beers are so unique and taste amazing! So happy I gave this place a chance. Mmmmm can't wait to go back. read more

Narrative Fermentations - Beer, sun and fun - Breweries Near Me - San Jose, California

Okay spot overall. Lots of seating and they had smack burgers when we went which were good. There was music playing and live wrestling. I was disappointed when they did not want to fill my growler because they said "the line was too long". I understand that it was busy but there were only 4 other people in line. Don't think I'll be going back soon. read more

Just because I cannot leave no stars but as a first timer. Absolutely rude. Walked in and the bartender/waitress gave us so much attitude. We asked to see the sizes and of the different ounce glasses, and she spoke to us in a very condescending manner. read more

Easily the best brewery in San Jose for my money. They've got a lot of tasty IPAs and their sours are pretty on point. There's an IPA called Coconut Grove that is just *chef's kiss*. The set up and vibe is really good too, there's outdoor seating in front and indoor seating in the front with some benches in the back are. If you happen to be there when Scratch is there (usually Saturday) then you are in for a treat. Otherwise there's usually something fun going on or another food truck there to add to the delicious beer. Cheers! read more

I've been coming to Narrative for almost a year now. Love the atmosphere. They always got something cool going on. My favorite is when they serve burgers along with beer always the perfect combo. Sometimes it does get packed I try getting there early around noon. Down side its only one TV in each room. Service is always great! read more

We enjoyed the beer and the food truck at Narrative Fermentations. The food was Super Smash Burgers which are amazing! However I would hesitate to go there again unless they either turned down the DJ speakers or had seating outside. We went with a group of 6 and couldn't talk. The music was way too loud. It's not a concert or dance venue so keep the music in the background please. Or set up seating outside so people have the choice to be able to talk. Then we would come back. read more

Very good beer and atmosphere. Staff was great :) read more

You wouldn't know this place existed unless you were looking for it. This a really chill place to hang out and have a drink. There is also a delicious smash burger you can order in the back! They also have a big selection of beers. I'm not a huge drinker but I tried the Froot cider and it was awesome, it didn't taste like alcohol at all - tasted more like a carbonated fruit punch read more

Awesome selection...particularly their sour "Drip". Some of the friendliest staff we've come across at local breweries. Nice open air, warehouse feel in the back room. Had a particularly social musician playing acoustic guitar on the Saturday we were there. Special shout-out to to the smash burger food truck outside! Delicious! read more

Good beer. Nothing insane just a good spot to drink beer and relax with a couple of friends. The service is quick and friendly. People who are regulars are very nice. read more

There's a duo of brothers who sell nachos and wings and let me tell you, they were probably the best nachos I've ever had. They make everything fresh everyday and the cheese is FANTASTIC. There is a wide selection of beer and I have not had one that I did not like yet. read more

The best service with the best drinks and the best food pop ups! This is my go to brewery, I highly recommend!

Came the other day with friends. They had a pupusa food truck in the parking lot, and a few barrel tables set up outside under a tent. The inside seemed a little small but the design was modern and inviting. I appreciated that they had a lot of board games for guests to borrow. They were serving Micheladas that day so I had to order one, and I enjoyed the quality of mix they were using, the beer was alright. My boyfriend got a few beers that I sipped on, don't remember any of the names. Overall it was definitely a good experience but nothing wow-ed us. read more

Brandon was incredibly professional, friendly and patient with my very nervous pup today. As a fellow service industry person, I can really appreciate the customer service here. read more

The drinks are good, the smoothie is to die for. The music is just way too loud. But inside was dead quiet. It was a little odd. The music sounded great but i couldn't even think straight. The dance lessons going on were a little cringy lol Recommend to just check what's going on each day before you decide to come . read more

I absolutely love this brewery and its owners. the amount;nt of love and the quality of their ingredients totally shines through! Ive yet to try a beer by them that i haven't been impressed by and i cant see that changing! they are doing great things and look forward to their expansion. cheers to great beer ! read more

Such a fun spot to hang out with friends and be socializing! Beer selection is primo--I had a great sour and also a coffee porter tonight--and the open air is really comfortable. Pizza tonight took a while but was yummy. read more

I'm from the east bay we have beer, Gilman brewery, fieldwork,, ghost town etc. there's always room for another kick ass beer joint!! Narrative can stand alone with there craft, superb product it's all good!! Super clean west coast style Delicious!! Go there you won't be disappointed! read more

This is one of top 2 breweries in San Jose. I'd say on par with Hermitage. Glad to have another quality brewery in town. They have a nice seating area in front and back and the smash burger food stand was up and kicking out burgers the weekend we went. Go you won't be disappointed. read more

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Great beer, great music, great bartenders that provide great even though sometimes surprising advice. Overall a great place! (Feels like I am repeating myself ) read more