Firestone Walker Brewing Company

I visited the Firestone Walker Brewery after completing a half marathon in Ventura. It was about 45 minutes away but as an avid brewery lover, I would have never forgiven myself if I had skipped one so close.
My boyfriend and I went on a Sunday afternoon around 1pm. I was not very busy. We sat at the bar and were greeted but a very friendly staff member, who may have been a manager. He took the time to ask what kind of beers we usually drank, what flavors we liked etc. and then customized a beer sampler for me. I wish I had caught his name because he was very friendly and had great customer service. He left the bar shortly after and then girl who took over was less friendly but still provided fine service.
We had some appetizers at the bar, soft pretzel and fried calamari both which were delicious before moving into the Barrelworks room which features beers with a much higher alcohol content and some wine blends. The girl in that room was much less friendly, not rude, but very stand offish.
Once finished in Barrelworks we went back to the dining area and had lunch, fish and chips for me and the BLT for my boyfriend. Both were great. The quality of the food and the beers were great. I had just wished the staff was friendlier. Seemed much more «uptight”-ish and not as laid back and many other breweries I have visited.
We didn’t bother with the brewery tour but I know they do have one available but I think you need to schedule that ahead of time!

One of my favorite places to go. The best beer and awesome food!

The universal studios of beer!
You can tour the brewery, taste the beers & learn all about the beers they brew plus get a killer bite to eat all at the same location… Sort of.
The visitors center is just for yours, tasting & info. Great place to start cause if you eat first where is all the beer going to fit?
We bought a bottle of Velvet Merkin & lots of tasters «top to bottom» all of them.
Then went across the street to the restaurant.
Great vibe, lots of locals, good service, some beers that were not at the visitors center on tap here.
I saw growlers being filled inside the restaurant also.
the visitors center has a rotation of people coming in and out… tour buses, tourists, beer geeks and locals. the tenders are all very knowledgeable and friendly. one thing i really thought spoke volumes of the company was what an employee said when asked about other breweries…“we don’t bad mouth any other breweries its just not what we do” THAT is why they have a respectful place in beer culture. talk no trash and put out product that can back up the hype.
My first Firestone beer was given to me as a form of payment for my charity work waaaay back when they only made one beer.
I had cases of the stuff handed to me and i was not familiar with the beer at all… it still is one of my favorite beers.
pros: pretty much everything.
cons: its too far from Los Angeles (Although the Venice location is opening soon)

Mark was a great host. Enjoyed our visit.

Great tour and tastings. We’ve had the 805 before and it’s a really easy drinking beer. Of all the tastings we liked the Pale Ale and especially the UDBA which unfortunately we can’t get anywhere outside the brewery. Great restaurant and luckily they had more UDBA on tap!!!

I’m a gal who loves a good brewery and I am a fan of Firestone! Went here twice on our visit to Cayucos. Once for drinks and the another day for food. Other pub menus can disappoint but we really enjoyed what we ate here. My fish and chips were delicious. The atmosphere and servers were so enthusiastic. Good drinks and good food make for a good time.

We went for dinner on Saturday night. The place was very busy. We ordered pizza and it came out limp and flavorless. Since there were six of us and we all ordered pizza I can say this was not a fluke. All the pizzas were the same flavorless, limp dishes and we were all VERY disappointed. However, we did not complain and paid for these worthless creations.
Our server was very attentive, and personable despite being very busy.
Stick with a beer here and stay away from the restaurant. This was our second visit and the first with different entrée selections was the same.

We went on the Union tour which includes four tastings and a behind the scenes peak into their barrel aging room. The tour was fantastic. Our guide was knowledgeable and enthusiastic with good answers to questions throughout the tour. We loved the opportunity to taste some of their limited release beers and some offered only at the brewery.
If you want to do the Union Tour, make sure you book in advance since they cap the tour at 12 and only do 2 a day on Saturday and Sunday.
Firestone makes some of my favorite beers and an in person visit did not disappoint. Highly recommended.

On a recent weekend getaway to San Luis Obispo, I made sure to stop at Firestone Walker to enjoy their delicious beers. While the region of Paso Robles is largely known for its wines, this craft brewing giant is developing some wonderful aroma beers. During this visit, I found the Pivo Pilsner to be a perfect combination of a smooth pilsner taste with a slight hop to add to the finish. This location is a must stop on Highway 101 to enjoy the tasting room, bottle shop or restaurant. Start at the tasting room to try a variety of 4oz tasters on their rotating board. They provide a thorough description of the development and flavors of each beer. This is also where you can sign up for a brewery tour, if you are interested in learning more about the brewery. On the tour, the guide will teach you more about the fighting bear and lion logo. Then, head over to the restaurant to try their twice breaded panko crusted onion rings. They compliment any beer perfectly and you can order off the menu anytime during the day. They bring onion rings to a whole new level! Finally, stop by the bottle shop in the back to pick up a four or six pack to bring home with you. Don’t pass up the opportunity to stop here!

Just had my first bottle of 805. One word AWESOME!!! I’m hard to please and picky. In the past several years I’ve tried so many different beers and have yet to find a mellow beer. Seems to me that there is a lot lot of hype on all these hoppy beers, IPA’s, double this and that. And believe me ive tried them uughh… But this beer was so refreshing and clean. Brings me back to how a good old beer should taste. Great job guys!!! I’ve been drinking Coors light for years. And today they have been replaced!!! Sorry old faithful but I’ve found a new yummy friend
Mr.805!!!
«805 fan out»

I’m a huge fan of Firestone Walker and their flagship Paso Robles location is a great visit for beer lovers. Note they are going to be renovating and expanding their brewhouse in the next couple of years.
FW is separated into the Visitor’s Center, Taproom, and Brewery Store. I recommend all 3, but if you don’t have much time and/​or money to blow, the Visitor’s Center is the place to go.
Visitor’s Center holds all the 805 merchandise and has specialty pours you can purchase tasters of. Price ranges from $ 1.50 to a little over $ 3 for a 3 oz taster. They also do growler fills but they tend to not have 32 oz growlers available, only 64 oz. They only fill their own growlers but you can bring in another growler and get the refill price (in which they pretty much give you an empty growler for free). Growler fills go anywhere from $ 15 to $ 25 for some of the rarer stuff. I suggest any of their barrel aged or Barrelworks releases to try; they are all delicious. You can also sign up for brewery tours ahead of time online (free on weekdays and $ 3 on weekends), which include a couple of tasters throughout the pretty brief tour. If you’re lucky, you may be able to catch Brewmaster Matt in action in the brewing facilities. I enjoyed the tour but had a little trouble hearing our tour guide. I think if you purchase a flight of 4 (or 5?) or more, you get a token for $ 1 (or maybe $ 2) off your next purchase. Sorry I don’t know the exact details, clearly I didn’t get a token when I came here, lol.
The Brewery Store is kind of far and behind the Taproom but worth a visit if you’re looking for bottles, gear, or accessories. Here they have a specialty pour sometimes (over the holidays it was Parabajava) and a fully stocked store of FW/​805 merchandise and bottles available for purchase. They tend to have some Barrelworks bottles here, which is nice if you’re unable to make the trek down to Buellton. Around the holidays, they are well stocked and can find some gems though the price tag can get hefty.
The Taproom is also nice if you want to sit down and grab a bite to eat or want full pours, as the other locations only offer tasters. You can order 10 oz or 20 oz pours of their signature beers here with some rotating specialty brews – just ask the bartender for the rotating taps. Bartenders are all really nice and you can also get tasters/​flights here for less of a wait (and even less money for some). I think a taster was $ 1.40 each. TVs here so you can enjoy the games on (they even played hockey on a Saturday where I expected them to be airing all the college football games). Food is your standard bar food. I got a pretzel here and I really like the DBA mustard that you get with it.
Don’t hesitate, come here asap.

If you’re a beer lover, you should definitely swing by this place for some tasting. They have quite a selection from light to dark and the staff is super friendly. You pay per tasting which starts at $ 1.50 so you can pick and choose whichever you want. I only like blond ales so I only tried the 805.

I wish I had more time to spend here. We stopped through as a detour on a road trip from OC to Oakland. Yea, it was some detour but well worth it. This is one of those breweries that if you’re a true beer lover you have to get here at some point in your life. FW makes the best beers. Sours, pilsners, anything barrel aged… it’s all great.
We just popped in for a tasting and the tasting room is pretty cool. Normally tasting rooms are some bar stools, old barrels, and the actual silos where the beer is. FW was a bit more stepped up. You can still see the silos and tanks where the brewing happens but they’re tucked away behind a door that you only see if you’re going on the tour or headed to the restroom.
We did a few tasters of some things that we hadn’t tried yet and even sampled some tried and trues like DBA and Oaktoberfest. Everything was great and the service was awesome. We even picked up some snifter glasses to use for the stronger brews.
I definitely need to actually plan a trip to Paso to take in the full experience.

This is a must stop everytime I visit the central coast. I’ve been in love with their beer, especially the 805 honey ale. 805 is their everyday line, but they specialize in craft beer that are limited in quantity. Some of them are only sold in their brewery store which is a turned away from their tap room and visiting center. There is a huge walk-​in refrigerator which you can browse different kind of beer, there is also a pricing chart inside.

Made an impromptu stop here on the drive up from the central coast. We were hoping to get a tour of the place, but unfortunately they were all booked up and had a long waiting list. My boyfriend and I enjoyed looking at all of the merchandise they had and seeing the different types of beer that we didn’t know they made. We figured that we would grab a taste since we were there anyway. Their samples cost between $ 1.50-$ 3 per glass. The staff is very frinedly and knowledgeable. They are more than happy to help you decide which beer would be best for your palate. The tasters came in very cute cups and they give you a decent amount for $ 1.50. We tried the Pilsner, which was meh, and the Rye Ale, which we ended up purchasing.
Next time I think we will make a more planned stop here and wait to go on the tour. We’ll probably try out the restaurant as well.

Paso is the perfect place to stop between San Francisco and Santa Barbara. It’s usually sunny, warm, and there’s just enough dining options.
Usually breweries aren’t my go-​to for a meal. That doesn’t mean I won’t try the beer, but ask most folks in the industry and they’ll agree: food isn’t their forte.
Firestone Walker is an exception. Maybe it’s because they’re on the Central Coast and have access to fresh produce? Perhaps it’s the local demand? I dunno, but they get props for their salads, sandwiches, fries and traditional American fare. Pair it with a saison or pilsner and you’ve got a TGIF meal for sure.
Reasonable prices and nice servers make this a great stop along the way to SoCal. Tour or not, try the beer… DUH.

So what! Yeah they have some good beers.
Good beer doesn’t make a good tasting room.
Cruising down the coast for the day, stopping in for a tasting the wife and me. We’re older but not «ancient» either. We slip up to the bar between some hipster youths spending some money buying signs and bottles to go and a couple throwing names around like there family. We half heartily get our flight, pay and good buy.
Now, I say all that not because I’m hurt and feel unimportant. Working with the public for 35yrs. I have a since of fairness. Profiling is alright when your in danger but tasting rooms… not so mush.
Last words… I’ve got money… we would’ve bought more.

I am not the hugest fan of Firestone Walker beers, but since it is on tap at my regular sushi place, I’ll often enjoy one with my meal.
We were up in Paso for a few days of wine tasting, when I decided to take a beer tasting tour here and follow it up with lunch at their restaurant.
The tour was a good one, with plenty of tastes, lots of good stops — from the quality control room (which I have never seen on any other brewery tour) to the blind tasting area to the bottling area –, a fun tour guide who photobombed me, and a lot of interesting info.
After the tour finished, we left the gift shop and tasting room and walked across the parking lot to their restaurant. We grabbed a seat at the bar and ordered lunch and some full sized quaffs.
I had a the Ahi Tostada for lunch which was D-​LISH-​OUS! No doubt in my mind that was the best tostada that my mouth ever greeted.
The wife had the very hearty bratwurst sandwich: I had a couple of bites of that, and it gets a very solid thumbs up as well.
Between the fun tour and the good food at the restaurant, I am giving this place 4.5 stars for the whole experience, and rounding it up to a 5.

As a non beer drinker, I wasn’t super excited about stopping by this place on our road trip, but I’m always down for trying new things!
There’s two Firestone locations here, the actual brewery where they’ve got tastings, a gift shop, and the brewery tour and then there’s the TapRoom restaurant next door. They’ve also got tastings and a gift area, but it’s not a brewery experience, it’s a restaurant.
We went to the brewery, being told it was funner tasting there. They offer about 10 different of their beers to taste in little sniffer glasses, each ranging from $ 1.50-$ 3.25, not bad if you ask me!
That said, I tried their barley wine, Agrestic, Easy Jack, and 805. I was excited when I saw the word «wine» but do not be misled as I was friends, it is a far cry from wine. It’s got bourbon in it, and is their most alcoholic thing on the tasting menu. I got a big chocolatey after taste, something I normally love but not so much in my alcohol. The 805 is the lightest on the menu and it was my favorite.
It’s a fun place to stop by for a quick visit, stretch your legs, and have a beer sample or two. Fellow beer drinkers will enjoy themselves.

A very nice pit stop on the road to/​from SLO, that’s for sure!
PARKING.
There’s no lot, but there is tons of street parking both in front of the place, and facing the highway, so even when it’s crowded, it isn’t too bad.
LOCATION.
The place is split up into two buildings — the brewery itself, and the restaurant (with a bar). We ended up sitting at the bar for a little bit to enjoy a sampler of some of their beers (huge variety, seriously), but headed over to the brewery after to check it out. Both locations are quite nice.
THE BREWERY.
Our biggest regret was that we didn’t book a tour of the brewery in time. Spaces fill up fast, and we didn’t feel like waiting to see if they’d add us on at the last minute. The place itself is basically a taproom, with the brewery right behind it. It’s much smaller than the restaurant area, so getting served can be hit or miss, depending on the day/​time.
Overall, I’m a fan of this place. They have some fun beers on tap (including one or two you can only buy there!), and have growlers for the beers that you want to keep enjoying later on. Well worth the stop!