So everyone knows the beer is great here if you like this kind of thing. But let me tell you about what happens when you bring a large group to the place as we did on my husband's 50th birthday. Our bus driver parked our bus just outside the door and immediately after we got off the bus we were corralled by the doorman for IDs and then told we were to give him our "undivided attention" while he proceeded to bark his rules at us. This door man was a little rough around the edges (think older motorcycle-gang man) but we were prepared to act respectfully and we did. We do understand that he felt the need to let us know not to bring beer outside. However I don't know that it was necessary to tell us not to be rude to the bartenders if it took awhile to get a drink because they are "busy". This was a first stop on a 50th birthday party, we were not drunk and we were not an unruly group there for a 21st birthday party. Luckily not one of us laughed during our 5 minutes of behavior training or gave him a hard time because he let us know he would escort "one or all of us out the door if we showed any misbehavior". We were shocked to have been treated like that and it became a bit of a joke between us. We really didn't feel like staying very long and decided to leave after one beer. If I were an assistant tasting room manager I would want to know that this is how a group of 30 guests was being treated even before they entered my business. But when I sent her this same email to let her know what's going on in her parking lot I received no response at all. So, I decided to post it on Yelp. For comparison we went to Green Flash next and then Cellar 3. Both of their doormen met us at the bus and checked ID and escorted us in the businesses in a friendly and professional manner. Quite a contrast in professionalism. I don't need a new best friend but I don't expect to be yelled at BEFORE I even enter either. read more

Went there yesterday in a limo with a bunch of friends. As we got out a serious bearded guy felt the need to collect all of us in a group before we could even go in and lecture us about how to behave as if we're on a junior high school class field trip. I'm 43. The youngest in our group was probably 35 and the oldest about 55. This was our 4th brewery of the day and we all had a great time and were well-behaved. Totally unnecessary. This will be the only one I will never go back to and will recommend others to not visit. read more

OVERALL RATING = 9 / 10 the YEAR-ROUNDs: Red Barn = 8 Judgment Day = 8 Devotion = 7 Inferno = 7 Lost and Found = 6 Avant Garde = 6 the SEASONALs Gift of the Magi = 9 10 Commandments = 9 Serpent's Stout = 8 Carnevale = 7 Witches Wit = 6 the NON-DENOMINATIONALs Deliverance = 10 Angel's Share (Brandy) = 9 Duck Duck Gooze = 9 Cuvee de Tomme = 9 Red Poppy = 8 Framboise de Amarosa = 8 the OTHERs Mo Betta Bretta = 7 ATMOSPHERE = 9 SERVICE = 7 APPEAL = 10 $1 for 4oz. glass of any beer on tap! They also have several of the Port Brewery beers on tap as well. More than enough reason to go. They had some local pizza place prepare food in this huge clay oven just outside the tasting room. Unsure if it's always there. The pizza was pretty good. Cheers! read more

Rude, rude, rude. Dude, don't give tours of your brewery if you don't like people asking questions. Definitely don't come trying to suck up to me after you've told me to f*ck myself during the tour because you're worried I'll complain. Beers are nothing to write home about either. read more

One of my favorite breweries in San Diego. Good selection of Belgian style of beers. I've been here many if times, but never left a review. Come and try it. read more

It was a Tuesday afternoon, the sun was shining and there was a cool breeze blowing through the roll up doors. I approach the beertender with bright blue hair Amanda. I had never been here before and she definitely pointed me in the right direction and had really good suggestions. Would highly recommend visiting this hidden gem of San Marcos read more

I really love this brewery. While it's in a business park (pretty standard for San Diego breweries), they've done an amazing job making it a fun place to hang out and drink. We visited on New Years Eve and their tasting room was packed. We were able to find a seat at the bar, and while they were busy, service was friendly and fairly attentive. Their beers are also really damn good. I'm a big fan of saisons, and their Red Barn is one of my favorites. My husband thought it was a bit too sweet, but I love the mix of spiciness and sweet. A few of the other Belgian ales were verging on too sweet for me, but were still very well done. We tried all of their IPAs (in the Port Brewing line) and enjoyed them as well. I was particularly into the Hop 15 IPA, which we took home a bottle of. And this is an extremely affordable place to taste. We did 8 tasters and took home two large bottles of beer for $15. read more

Cool hangout. Picnic tables and stools and high tops in actual brewery. Not overdone. Good crowd. Tried the Witches Wit, Soft Top, and Citrus Sin. If I get back to San Diego I will visit again. Dogs allowed. Give it a try! read more

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This place is terrible. It's literally in a loading dock. The place is dirty, grungy and stinks to high heaven. Not a pleasant place to grab a beer and enjoy the atmosphere. The bartenders don't know the first thing about beer - tried to ask them a question and all I got back was "It's a white ale" ... wasn't helpful at all and didn't answer my question in the first place. And the owner is a prick. Go to Stone Brewery, skip this place. read more

I've heard the beer is wonderful unfortunately no one would serve me. Another difficult place to find (Google Maps brings up two locations - one is wrong). Lots of locals and I thought I was at a regular bar for the Friday tasting. Although I made eye contact with a couple of servers they looked away and proceeded to converse with "regulars." I stepped to the other side of the bar and found the servers more interested in talking amongst themselves than attending to a beer-less patron. I tried a few more times without success. I could have waved money and shouted but it shouldn't be this difficult to buy a beer, especially when the service at Stone, Ballast Point, and Green Flash was so effortless (and friendly). There was no signage about tasting although I saw 7 oz glasses. No idea about the Flights. There were hot dogs for sale and snacks at the bar. YMMV. Good luck. read more

I really wanted to like Lost Abbey/Port Brewing but I couldn't. The bartender that helped us didn't smile at all. We felt very unwelcome. The tasting room had poor air circulation with flies buzzing around. And there were forklifts driving through the middle of the tasting room. And what's with the room capacity sign? It read something like "Room is limited to "420" type of people". Hm. Tried: Lost Abbey's Witch's Wit: Really light in body and color. Very muted flavors. Port brewing's Mongo and Wipeout IPA- They were both pretty good. Nothing special. Tried 1 more Port Brewing beer but it was forgettable. All in all, I'd rather go to Green Flash for $1 tasters, where there's better beer, customer service, and atmosphere (and air circulation). read more

Aaaaaaaaah such tasty beer! And the tastiness is affordable too! $1 for each taster! And wow. I got 4 tasters that were seasonal- bc they are the beers that I see as bottles that are like $20 for just a tiny bottle... I often wonder if they are worth the price. Welps. I'm here to report that YES indeed worth the money!!! I was jumping up and down with absolute joy and... Influence. It was absolutely amazing beer! Probably some of the best in San Diego! And yes, I mean it! Get out there and find the lost abbey! You will feel like a reborn beer snob after trying their beer! read more

Probably one of my favorite brewing companies along with Craftsman and Stone. This place has it all! From Maredsous ales, Inferno ales, to their famous Port Anniversaries. One dollar samplers? You got it! I assure you, if you try to one dollar sample every brew they have, you will be totally slizzarded like a G6!!! I guess we went when there was a special toy donation event going on so we donated some money up front to get in, which also included a meal ticket consisting of carne asada tacos !!! How bomb is this place?? Anywayz, when we got in my friend David and I decided to try every single brew. All the brews were so delicious that I don't remember the rest of the night (let me remind you that this was 2pm in the afternoon). Well, I do have partial bits of memory, such as the Cute drunk bartender wearing her Green elf costume who poured us half cup sampler sizes for a dollar, taking a bite out of the carne asada tacos, David throwing up his lunch in the Phil's bbq parking lot, and me spraying Febreeze into his puke...and face. FAIL Thank God my girlfriend was able to drive us back to Los Angeles. End of story. read more

The Lost Abbey could be a dangerous place for a beer lover. A VERY Dangerous place. $1 per 4oz pour + a dizzying number of beers to choose from = you standing in front of 12 different tasting glasses saying to yourself "How did this happen?! Whoops?" The staff is super friendly, and if you don't know even where to start as you stare at the menu chalkboard for a good 18 minutes, they are more than willing to help you out, make recommendations, and describe the season specials. If you head over accidently with an empty stomach, no fear, there always seems to be a food truck parked outside. Standing room only, bathrooms available, lots of room in the tasting area, always bustling, great beer. That's basically the gist! Go now! read more

Great atmosphere! Not to mention their beer selection is wonderful. Highly recommend this place for anyone who loves sours as I do... it's hard to find a place that has good beer (for the hubby) but also has good sours/ciders. Can't wait to go back and try more! read more

Let me start with saying I think lost abbeys beer is great I've always enjoyed and have nothing negative to say on that matter The real problem is that today 8/20/16 I tried to go to the brewery with my dog. I was immediately confronted before I even had a chance to make it through the thresh hold. I was told that they don't allow dogs. I tried to explain to the doorman a small round fellow with a pony tail, that she is a service animal and I would get her jacket He began demanding to know what type of service my dog provides I told him support. He continued to hassle me about my dog until I told him that I have PTSD and I have my animal for emotional support. He informed me that they don't recognize emotional support dogs as service animals and they're refusing to let the dog in. By refusing my service animal. You are refusing me. If I didn't have a job I would spend as much time as possible ruining them. read more

They refused our party bus because this wasn't the first stop, the "bouncer" was an asshole, never coming here again. There were a lot of girls with us dancing in our party bus and they said we were too drunk when half our party drove there outside of the bus. Never again, too much fun for the abbey apparently! Edit: typos read more

*For Sinners and Saints Alike* Yay, my first beer event, HOORAY BEER! The 5th Anniversary Celebration was really cool and I had fun tasting different beers that this growing brewery turns out. We met up with a few of our beer snob *cough* I mean, aficionados buddies and let them take us on a delightful journey. I experienced a wide spectrum of flavor ranging from sweet to hoppy to creamy, sweet to SOUR - YES, SOUR BEER that was super unique and somewhat addicting. Really affordable too, admission was $15 (DD Tix = $5). Both include a food ticket. I had a couple of tacos they were serving there and they were amazing! Turns out, it wasn't a catering company, but a few Lost Abbey employees just cooking up some lunch for everyone. Well done crew! I now have my first beer tasting commemorative glass and a pretty cool long sleeve T ($20) that I can rock. Hoppy Trails to you, Lost Abbey!! read more

The Lost Abbey and Port Brewing share the same location, situated within a plethora of warehouses and other quiet business buildings. The interior does have a lot of character, with paintings and designs on the walls, and you're able to see their brewing tanks and barrels of aging beer. The left side of the menu board listed a decent number of Lost Abbey beers. My friend and I came, and ordered tasters of everything Lost Abbey. Unfortunately...it was a pretty horrendous experience. Out of the 5+ tasters, only one (stretching two) tasted alright. Everything else had watered down textures, heinous notes, or just didn't taste right. My review for Port Brewing is separate on its own page, so I won't mix and match ratings. Suffice to say, I REALLY hope they serve other (better) beers than the ones we've tried...especially after reading about them and seeing their high reviews and awards. * sigh... * read more

I recently made my second trip to The Lost Abbey/Port Brewing tasting room, and it will definitely be my last. I had a bad experience with the people who run the tasting room last time (the guys at the door and the bartenders), but there was something new on tap I wanted to try so I figured I would give this place another shot. Mistake. The customer service is terrible. It is a hard vibe to describe, but it sort of reminds me of the way you sometimes get treated at pretentious nightclubs. The staff seem aloof and sort of bothered that they have to deal with customers, and the guys at the door take their jobs way too seriously. It is the tasting room of a brewery - you'd think they would appreciate that people are making a pilgrimage to come and visit their brewery and try their beers on site. The goal should be to try to turn visitors into loyal customers of the brand. The staff just don't seem like they care, and they seem to treat the customers with varying amounts of disdain. Bottom line: there are a TON of breweries with tasting rooms in the Vista/San Marcos/Escondido area (like 20+), and every one I've been too is much more laid back, adult, and pleasant that this place. Try one of them instead. Also, I will probably still drink Lost Abbey/Port Brewing beers, because it seems unfair to boycott the brand based on the children that run the tasting room. I'm sure the brewers are a totally different crowd. But this last time was undoubtedly my last trip to their tasting room. read more

A damn great brewery. This place is beautiful and definitely fit our personality and beer drinking attitude. This brewery was our second stop of the Beard's birthday brewery tour. I honestly didn't want to leave lost abbey. We had a great tour, tons of tasters of amazing ales and there were dark wooden barrels all over the place to set the vibe for a beer drinking scenery. Also worthy of mentioning is that the seating was a plenty and the service was impeccable. I had sooo much fun at The Lost Abbey and I totally appreciate the religious references when drinking brew. read more

The Lost Abbey/Port Brewing is great for the fact that you can get two different brewing philosophies in the same location. Port is more standard So-Cal with some nice hoppy options and the Lost Abbey provides some cool Belgian and Abbey style beers. Like any of the San Diego breweries, some of their beers are really great and some are just okay. I do think Lost Abbey makes some pretty kickass rare beers. The reason they are just A-Ok is because of inconsistent service that my friends and I have received. In the past we've gotten really engaging bartenders but I've also had some bartenders who make me feel like I'm bothering them when I order a beer. Additionally, some of my beer-drinking group have purchased bottles that were infected and they did not offer refunds or credit. Now that's their right to do that but there are other breweries who are quick to do whatever they can for an unhappy customer. Finally, the last time I was there, a buddy of ours had his temporary driver's license with him and they wouldn't accept it. We went to seven breweries and the Lost Abbey is the only one that told him that it wasn't enough. He had his old license with his picture, his temporary license, and plenty of credit cards. I just feel like that's a bit of a dick move. But they've got solid beer and a cool facility. Cheers! read more

Wouldn't come back. First off as you walk up it smells like you are on a chicken farm. It's from the old hops they have in a open trailer in front of the place right next to where they are selling food. Barf! Staff behind bar is rude. Didn't like one of the beers and they wouldn't allow you to swap it for a different one. They charge you for tasters $1.50. Watched a lady behind the bar carry a keg out and she said excuse me as she rammed into 3 people but kept on walking. Go to stone or rip current or even the cow shed. read more

I love craft beer, and Lost Abbey always delivers. The Good: Duck Duck Gooze!!! Prices Did I mention Duck Duck Gooze? (!!!) Selection The Bad: The Place is not easy to find. If they are having special events, hard to find parking read more

Came here for their 4th Anniversary party. For $15 we got two slices of fresh pizza-port pizza, and enough drinks tickets to get 2-5 drinks (depending on what you ordered). Huge drink selection, friendly crowd, plenty of people and plenty of space. Great event. read more

I've always been a fan of Lost Abbey. Some of their brews are first rate and I love all their quirks from the bottle artwork, to the holy water in the beer, to the good luck brewery cats (we met one of them at the door), and the no frill taster bar with keg and dextrose bag seats (oddly comfortable). This shares a office with their sister company, Port Brewing and has their stuff on tap too! If Pizza Port is too bananas, perhaps consider coming here. It was nice outside, but this isn't a air conditioned joint so on a hot day it may be a bit stuffy even though they had a lot of fans going. We did a few tasters and grabbed some glassware to take home. Our beertender was pretty easy going and nice. I have way too many beers to finish and unfortunately will be giving up beer for a while or else I would have loved to bring a ton of stuff home. Plenty of stuff on tap and many rarities on bottle for purchase so it's definitely worth the stop. read more

Awesome brewery in an industrial area in San Marcos. It's adjoined with Port Brewery and both offer $1 tasters. Pints are about $5-6. Growlers vary but range around $15-20ish. I also like how they have seasonal ales like santa's little helper. yummy! Instead of tables and bar stools, they offer barrels as tables and as charges. It works well with the kicked back feel of drinking in a brewery. I'd def come back again. PS. If you're hungry, they also have a hot dog cart outside. read more

If you live in San Diego and consume Bud/Miller/Coors, then you are a Communist. Seriously. This city caters to the beautiful craft of microbrewing and has spawned quite the collection of breweries in this town. If you live in North County, you have plenty to choose and among them is The Lost Abbey. The tasting room is in a nondescript warehouse type location. But the best things are without the bells and whistles. Due to City of San Marcos regulations on bars, your seating arrangements are on large bags of beer-making stuff perched atop kegs. It's not as uncomfortable as you suspect. For an amazing beer, go with Judgment Day. It has raisins in it. An excellent addition and flavor. And buy one to go, while you are at it. The atmosphere is very chill too and the servers/brewmasters are awesome! Also, get there early enough to avoid the beer tour crowds or else you will not get a seat. read more

Needing to kill a couple of hours after our visit to Stone and before our flight back home to Texas, we drove the few miles North to stop by and enjoy everything that Lost Abbey and Port Brewing had to offer. And because they share the same tap room and all, I'm just going to copy and paste this review for both, because it would be damn near impossible to differentiate between the two in these rambling paragraphs. The actual brewery and tap room were way smaller than I had in mind. As with other breweries, this is nestled nicely in an industrial/business warehouse park with a bunch of signage out front that let you know you're in the right place and read to be embraced by everything these breweries can offer. The taproom here is right alongside several conical fermenters and is quite long with a collection of Lost Abbey art on one wall and all of the Lost Abbey/Port tap and bottle listings on the other wall. Everything is priced out either by taster, half pint, or pint. And since this is California, land of the free, you can buy your bottles of Track #8, Track #10, or freshly hopped Port IPA right then and there. All of this while jamming out to tunes, playing board games, and enjoying the fresh SD County sunshine. If you want something a little bit lower key than the big Stone brewery in Escondido, head on up to San Marcos and stop by Lost Abbey/Port. read more

Lost Abbey is an exceptional brewery found in San Marcos, CA. To be more specific, I suppose, Lost Abbey is the brand of beers while Port Brewing is the name of the brewery. Poe-tay-toe. Poe-tah-toe. It's all about semantics at this point. Located in an industrial complex/business park, parking is plentiful but we were lucky to get "rock star" parking right out front. Just so there's no confusion, Lost Abbey is a straight production facility. This means that all they do at their location is make beer. They don't serve food or wine or distilled spirits. Just beer. Damn good beer at that! We arrived on a Friday evening. I planned to visit this place at this particular timeframe because that's when their tasting room is open to the public. Other than that, they're busy brewing away. The bar is the first thing I noticed after I got past the 30 or so people just hanging out. Terri is a spark plug of energy and friendly to the point of being insulting to some customers. Turns out they're locals and they give as good as they get. Sage, Terri's husband, is also very friendly and chill in attitude. In all, my wife and I sampled 5 different beers: 10 Commandments, Witch's Wit, Hop 15, Devotion, and Judgement Day. Devotion was my least favorite beer of the bunch. I'm not saying it sucked, it's just that there were 4 more better than it. We ended up leaving with 4 bottle and a t-shirt for Sammy. If we had more money budgeted, I'd have left with more bottles. Oh well, it just gives me a reason to head back there soon. Arguably, their beers are one of the best in San Diego. Honestly, their beers are world-class and can compete with the best of them. This is a testament to brewmaster Tomme Arthur's creativity, skill and the passion of the employees of Lost Abbey. Highly recommended! read more

Good beer, good atmosphere, good times. If you prefer Port to Lost Abbey, you can try those brews too. It's the beauty of a joint brewery - if one person likes Port better or vice versa, both of you can be happy. Or you can try two different types and share them. More beer is aways a good thing, right? If you happen to be up north, go here. Just do it. And if you happen to be somewhere like Toronado or Regal Beagle that is lucky enough to serve one of their taps try it. You'll like it. read more

Ummm..... just gonna list random points about this place. -Nice place for some Belgian style beers. -There's a live webcam here. -The food trucks vary, but generally pretty good. -Lost Abbey special releases are the best. (Try a Framboise de Amarosa or Red Poppy if you see it on the bottle/tap list!) -Do goto Lost Abbey special events (Christmas in July, Halloween/Masquerade, Barrel Night, etc). -Parking can sometimes suck. -Yes, it looks like a business park, because it is a business park. -There's a convenient Highway Patrol office and a local Alcoholic Beverage Control office just a few buildings away, for those days that you decide you want to drink and end up in jail. -I dare you to pop open a barrel and drink something. -Get drunk, have fun. read more

This place is a huge experimental lab for beer goodness. They have so many crazy beer projects going on it makes my head spin and mouth water. The way they are going about it totally reminds me of a winery with blends and meritages. All kinds of whiskey, port and wine barrels are stacked all over the place, packed with beer! They are the sister brewery of Pizza Port which produces great beer also, probably more well known, due to higher distribution. The way I think of it is that Pizza Port beers pay the bills, and the Lost Abbey is the fun side projects. Drop by for some sampling. The staff are very friendly, and hopefully they will have some unobtainable beer to sample. read more

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Simply the fact I had not reviewed this sooner is but a travesty. Now, I find I must, as I miss it so since my displacement. Lost Abbey has two distinct facets, Lost Abbey, the Belgian half, and Port Brewing a more typical to the west coast brewery. My fondness for either half cannot be described in the course of simple words. J'Adore. Love. Passion. If the building goes down, I'm going back in for the beer. The Belgian half, with it's staples of Serpents Stout, Judgement Day, Devotion, et al. And while the staples, are fantastic, where Lost Abbey shines, is the barrel aged beauties, and profound sours. Especially the limited releases, such as Angel's Share, Veritas, and my personal favourite Duck Duck Gueze. The Distinctly west coast half carries staples of IPA perfection, but of course, as proven by the Belgian half, Tomme is anything but one sided. Lagers, Black Lagers, dark barrel aged (Thick as used motor oil) viscosity, and many other styles and flavors make up a variety that is sure to please all palates. Well, unless you're a Coors light fan, for you, I have no suggestions. But, I leave out one of Lost Abbey's most charming factors: ambiance. From the events, to the guests, to the awesome bar tenders. The vibe is always warm and friendly, with the exception of the tour buses, you're surrounded by passionate beer enthusiasts on both side of the bar. Often blessed by the humble Tomme himself, this is THE brewery you must visit when in SoCal. A short drive from Orange County, and San Diego, and so close to other notable breweries. Skip the bus, make your own way, Come have a great variety of amazing beer, then Migrate to Stone for Dinner. You wont regret the visit. read more

I love the variety, the $1 tasters, the low-key feel, and the little details (such as the unique decor and bar snacks). The people who work here really know their stuff. So many great beers to try and only so much room in my tummy. Everytime I come I love it and I find a new favorite beer. My only complaint, no food other than whatever food truck may be there that day. Oh, and the bathrooms are kinda gross. Overall, I'll be back anytime I find myself in the area!!! read more

Came for my birthday with my wife. Met great people , tried many different samplers really cool, chill place to have some beers. read more

The Lost Abbey - Serpents stout - Breweries Near Me - Vista, California

Very cool brewery stashed away in an industrial area with a very relaxed environment. All the beers are listed for both Port and Lost Abbey very clearly detailing the prices of the brews. Tasters were only 1$, pints for $5, and growler fills for only $15. Fair prices and a plethora of beers to suit your taste.The pourers were very friendly and quick to grab me a beer. I had the Devotion and Witch's Wit which I really enjoyed. There is no food provided by the brewery, however, there was a food truck posted outside but I was unable to catch the menu. This is a must stop if you're in the area. read more

My son turned 21 and I thought we should find a unique brewery to visit. San Diego has so many breweries to choose from but the Lost Abbey was exactly what we were looking for. Out of the way, tucked in an industrial park which was the former location for Stone Brewery. But the best part was the beer..they have so much to choose from. I am a fan of Santa's Little Helper, their IPAs are smooth and yes, I would consider them one of the BEST! Not only that their tastings are reasonable and you really are served a lot of beer. 2 Words - Go There! You won't be disappointed! read more

I went to try and taste this "Belgian style" beer.I have to say it was AWEFUL. It had a very skunky taste and had the most distasteful after taste I have EVER had in ANY beer. It made Rolling Rock taste like Champagne. Their offerings left lots to be desired. All and all it was a complete waste of time and effort to suffer through what they call beer. I would advise they go to something less difficult maybe make some bottled water. Having spent time in Belgium I can say this is NOT even close to any Belgian brews. The Tappist Monks would have this product poured out into the gutter it's just that bad read more

Great beers, a fun environment, wacky decor and great beers.... Oh wait, did I say that already?! No dogs inside but you can tie them up on the rail right outside and keep an eye on those wagging tails! This is your typical brewery/bar-in-a-warehouse type of place. Two breweries share the space: The Lost Abbey and Port Brewing. You can tell it is a seamless connection and a good partnership. Both had different beers so it was fun to try beers from both breweries! They were still brewing when we were there (Monday of Christmas week!) so they actually had a forklift transporting the mash out of the warehouse. Pretty cool but definitely something to listen out for! The $5 beers and $1 samplers are the right price for trying all the brews- just make sure you have a DD! read more