The Brew Project

San Diego, United States

3.9

Open now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 619-795-7890
Website:
www.thebrewproject.com
Address:
3683 5th Ave, San Diego, CA, 92103
b/t Pennsylvania Ave & Anderson Pl
Hillcrest
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
1.1 miMiddletown
1.2 miSan Diego Airport Loop Shuttle
1.4 miWashington Street
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
Yes
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Apple Pay
Yes
Good For
Brunch
Parking
Valet, Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
No
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Music
Background
Good For Dancing
No
Alcohol
Full Bar
Happy Hour
Yes
Best Nights
Fri, Sat, Sun
Coat Check
Yes
Smoking
No
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
Yes
Dogs Allowed
Yes
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
Yes
Has Pool Table
No

Today

Today 11:00 am – 12:00 am
Open now
Local time (San Diego) 15:30 Thursday, 12 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:00 am – 12:00 am
Tuesday 11:00 am – 12:00 am
Wednesday 11:00 am – 12:00 am
Thursday 11:00 am – 12:00 am
Friday 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Saturday 9:00 am – 2:00 am
Sunday 9:00 am – 12:00 am

Description

Specialties

San Diego Craft Beer, San Diego Spirits, Full Service Restaurant, Street Side Patio, Dog Friendly Patio, Private Events, Late Night, Sports Packages, Kid Friendly Dining

History

Established in 2015.

Thrillist: Best New Beer Bar 2015

Zagat: 10 Hottest Bars in San Diego

San Diego Food Finds: Hottest San Diego Lunch Spots

SD Eater: Best San Diego Sports Bars

The Brew Project is a full bar that specializes in San Diego craft beer with upscale food.

Full Bar | Dog Friendly Patio | Artisan Menu | Late Night

Meet the Business Owner

Beau S.

Business Owner

Beau Schmitt has always had a passion for craft beer, but it wasn’t until 2012 that passion was realized. After getting laid off from his corporate finance job, Beau and his buddy, Kyle, began the original Brew Project concept in their original location. In 2015, Mike Sill was brought on board when The Brew Project moved into it’s first, stand alone location in Hillcrest.

All three partners are alumni from the University of San Diego and help mentor upcoming entrepreneurs. Beau moved to San Diego in 2004 from Seattle, which is why a Seahawks flag can be seen hanging in the corner on the patio.

Beau prides himself on supporting the smallest and lesser known breweries of San Diego while maintaining strong relationships with the staple breweries that built the San Diego beer culture.

The Brew Project also recommends

Iron Pig Alehouse

507

reviews

Barbecue

,

Cucina americana (tradizionale)

Beau S. says,

«The best BBQ, comfortable atmosphere, kick-​ass craft beer selection»

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20 reviews of The Brew Project

No registration required
Place rating: 4
North Park, San Diego, CA
Awesome vibe and location. Prices are gouging, so be careful if you are on a budget. Food took some time to get to us. Service was prompt and forgiving. If you check in on Unilocal they usually have a great deal for you. I also saw that they have daily specials. They had pint night on Thursday when we went which started at 6, for 5 bucks you get to keep the glass and have a brew. We were late for that though so u gotta get there quick. We arrived at 8 :(cheers though they have a grip of good beers on tap. It looked like over 35.
Place rating: 5
San Diego, CA
This place has it all, great beer, good food, awesome people. They are always helpful, plenty of TV’s, and the beer… best beer menu in town, ALL SAN DIEGO!
Been here a handful of times and each time they go out of their way to accommodate me and my group in someway. This place is an excellent addition to the neighborhood.
Place rating: 5
Chula Vista, CA
What can I say… I’m sooooo impressed by my second visit to The Brew Project. To start off with, I’m tremendously impressed the Beau reached out to me for my first review of 3 stars… not 1 star, 3 stars… for my «less than impressive 1st visit». This shows so much about his character and pride in ownership, and that alone was enough for my husband and I to give this place another shot.
We decided to go in on a Sunday around 1 and Liz was extremely welcoming and friendly. We each had bloody Mary’s and they were the best we’ve had in San Diego. The donut holes are an amazing addition, the mix is great and the spice was perfect. We shared the Carne asada breakfast fries and they, too, were the best I’ve had in SD. The cheese sauce was great, the portion was perfect for sharing, and the egg was a welcomed addition to traditional Carne asada fries. My husband finished up with a Bold fashion. He doesn’t normally like old fashions but truly enjoyed this one. I had a nitro brew of cream ale and coffee (sorry don’t remember the exact name) and it was great.
We are very thankful that Beau reached out to us, that our second visit was great, and that you’re kid friendly. We will definitely be back and can’t wait to recommend you to friends.
Place rating: 1
Lemon Grove, CA
Service was not great especially with only 4 or 5 other tables seated. Ordered the chips and salsa along with the queso fondido. The blue chips were soggy from the grease and the white chips lacked any flavor. Their «grilled» salsa tasted like water… even Tostitos has more flavor! $ 3 for the extra queso which was probably about 2tbsp. Definitely disappointed and won’t be coming back.
Place rating: 5
San Marcos, CA
The Brew Project is great, I’ve been here a few times now and the food and service are excellent! I’ve had the carne Asada fries and the classic burger which are both really good. The patio out front has a great atmosphere and is dog friendly as well. Their beer selection is vast and includes lots of local craft beers.
I had a party here last weekend for 30 people in the upstairs lounge which is an amazing little spot. Beau and Mike were really accommodating and great hosts for us. We had a great time and will be back again for sure
Place rating: 4
San Diego, CA
This is such a hidden gem! I love this place because no one thinks to go to Hillcrest to watch sports! I came here to watch the Warriors/​OKC playoff game and we found a table right in front of a huge TV and the put the sound on so we could hear the game! The food is also good. The criss cut carne asada fries are one of my favorites but the sandwiches are also good! I have never had to wait (even on the weekends!) I would totally recommend this place!
Place rating: 5
Chula Vista, CA
I ordered for delivery from this place and was very disappointed with my food. Everything was luke warm and soggy. What a waste of $ 40 delivery. Never again
UPDATED REVIEW:
Today, I spoke with Bo — owner (who called and left me a voice mail message yesterday) to personally apologize for the unsatisfactory of the food I was delivered. He offered to refund my money and would take care of me when I decided to come into The Brew Project to try their food again.
That being said, I was very surprised and happy that the owner personally reached out to me. That’s what you call «good customer service & good integrity» that he displays for his business. I give him a 5 star for that!
I will definitely give this place another shot and come in to eat and try their food again. Thank you Bo for reaching out to me. I greatly appreciate it!
Place rating: 1
West Hollywood, CA
Ordered from this place before online via eat24 and NO ONE showed up or had the common courtesy to call.
Absolutely inexcusable for a business. Must be something about location and horrid service just like their predecessors! Plenty of competition and Hillcrest is a small community. Word of mouth is a huge thing and I’d never recommend or patronage this establishment after that experience.
Place rating: 5
San Diego, CA
I’ve only been to the Brew Project once for brunch, but it instantly became one of my favorite restaurants in San Diego.
I had a tantalizing Carne Asada Breakfast Burrito. It was one of the tastiest burritos I’ve ever tried (check out my pic).
Affordable beer flights (great selection) and bottomless mimosas. Plus you can buy beer to go.
Fun atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating. They even have huge TVs that look great to watch sports games.
Also they had amazing service. Can’t wait to be back!
Place rating: 3
San Diego, CA
I’m giving this place three stars because the ambiance is wonderful and the service is great. However If that wasn’t the case, this place would have 1 star because it is incredibly over priced for low quality food
I was so excited when this place opened because it was a great place to sit outside and watch sports games while enjoying a nice local beer from their long beer list. But wow, the food is so expensive. It is $ 16.00 for a burger, $ 13.00 for ceviche which was tomato juice and shrimp, and the chips were stale and bland, $ 11.00 for a ramekin of spinach artichoke dip with cheddar cheese on top with a side of pickled veggies.
So disappointing. Did you raise your prices and lower your standards?
Place rating: 5
San Diego, CA
I’ve never been to a bar that has every micro brew from the surrounding area, and I’ve definitely never been to a bar that used to be a house. Unless you count a house party being a bar, which I guess sort of fits. Either way, the concept here is cooler than Billy Zane.
While the ambiance is on point and the environs warm and inviting, the beer selection and food is even better. I live in Pacific Beach, yet when I can steal away from work, I still try to head over to The Brew Project for the best lunch in San Diego. It’s fast but not hurried, delicious but not pricey.
I’ve tried almost everything on the menu, but my most recent foray featured the Havana sandwich with pulled pork and a side salad. And why stop there? I finished it off with the donut holes and chocolate ganache. I’ve even heard the ganache has been personally sanctioned by one Willy Wonka.
Great lunch spot. Great dinner spot. Great beer spot. Great spot. Great.
Place rating: 3
San Diego, CA
Full disclosure — neither my wife or I are beer experts, so we don’t have much to say on that front. The beer choices are extensive and diverse.
The interior and ambiance are definitely more bar than restaurant, which is fine. The food is decent enough. We both had hamburgers. They are big — almost too big. The bun didn’t seem to hold up that well so things got pretty messy.
The music is oppressively loud. Inside Brew Project, you can barely hear yourself think. Also, I live directly across the street at Atlas. When walking in the hallways (which are open air and face 5th Ave) you can often hear Brew Project music and/​or guests on the patio.
Place rating: 3
San Diego, CA
I’ve been wanting to try Brew Project since they opened up a few months back. This past Saturday I finally got the chance to stop in for some drinks and dinner. My first impression is that I loved the layout. Hillcrest needs more outdoor/​open space places like this! I can’t wait to come here during summer. The décor is clean and simple and the bar is good size.
Food — the food was just ok BUT I blame myself. I made the mistake of ordering a salad at a bar that specializes in beers. Lame move on my part. I had the Southwest salad with carnitas and it was just meh. The lettuce to toppings ratio was way off and I don’t think there was any dressing on the salad. The carnitas were lacking in flavor as well. I did have the opportunity to try my fiancé’s wings though and boy were they DELICIOUS! The avocado brewschetta was yummy too.
Service — our waitress was super sweet but I think she was stretched a little thin. It took a while to get drinks and a long while to get water. She was so nice though that we really didn’t mind.
Overall it was a good experience. I definitely will be back and can’t wait to try some of the real bar food!
Place rating: 3
San Diego, CA
I enjoyed the outdoor patio seating with the stringed lights and heat lamps. They had good beer selections and cocktail options — a little on the pricier side but the ambiance makes up for it, I think.
I ordered the small carne asada fries ($ 12), which were criss-​cross fries topped with queso fundido, sour cream, guacamole, and carne asada. The queso fundido’s texture was similar to that of mashed potatoes, which was a little too heavy for me. While it was good, it was missing the punch I was looking for. I think fresh salsa on top would have gone a long way, adding a refreshing bite to the dish. I had asked for their spicy red pepper sauce or the green sauce on the side, hoping that it would cut through a bit of the greasiness, but they said they didn’t have any because they are changing up the recipe. Not sure why they didn’t remove it from their menu unless the server didn’t want to go through the trouble of bringing it out? Hmm…
Service was okay. It was hard to track down our server. I would have stayed for a second beer, but by the time the server came around, I was ready to leave.
Overall, good vibe and ambiance — worth checking out!
Place rating: 5
Escondido, San Diego, CA
Parking is going to be a little difficult BUT regardless of that… I called in because this has been on my check list for so long. She said there was no wait time (3:00pm) and she was right, we walked right up the hostess and got sat right outside. We ordered two beers and a side of criss-​cut fries because their kitchen doesn’t open until 4pm (I didn’t know that!)
The fries were the
. omg I didn’t even let my boyfriend touch them they were so good. I can’t even deal. We were constantly asking for ketchup & ranch (lol bc I love them so much).
But my boyfriend loved his chicken sandwich. and obvi loved our beers. love this vibe and this place so much!
Place rating: 5
San Diego, CA
Lindsay Brown and Princess are the most awesomest bartendresses super best drinks number waaannn!!!1… I had the pleasure of stopping at the bar downstairs because I spotted the one and only Mitch B having a drink in good company behind the bar.
This is a Project I support. While I enjoy making the rounds to the many awesome breweries this city has to offer, why not have a centralized location that carries a plethora of local beers on tap? Not to mention spirits for making crafty cocktails and a full kitchen with an array of tasty snacks.
The upstairs area is a neat house party venue, plus late nite Happy Hours to keep your beer budget in check. Plenty of seats and nice sight lines to the flatscreen TVs overhead if you’re into watching sporting events. HH runs from 10:30 til close, with drinks priced at $ 4-​$ 6 and a limited snack menu at $ 4-​$ 12.
Friendly service, great local beers, and fun place to hang out.
Place rating: 4
Las Vegas, NV
Met with a friend to have brunch!
Can’t really tell about their beers bec we didnt try them but our food were amazing! I was not expecting a lot but man, my carnitas breakfast tacos made my heart so happy! It was moist and so flavorful!
I highly recommend it!
Place rating: 3
San Diego, CA
Awesome gastropub in Hillcrest!
Several seating areas to mingle: patio, downstairs, & upstairs. Great selection of beer to choose from & $ 5 shots of Jack Daniels! & they were not shy to pour a hefty amount either! Appetizers were interesting but good.
Hummus Trio = Black bean, roasted garlic & garbanzo bean, & roasted tomato & cannellini bean, served with pita bread & pickled vegetables — I must say, this was my first time having pickled vegetables with hummus & it was interesting. The hummus was dry & thick.
Artichoke & Garlic Dip, served with pita bread & pickled vegetables — Good.
Place rating: 4
San Diego, CA
After my last review, I heard from Beau, the owner, and as I suspected the restaurant had been super overloaded because of the football game. I went back a month or so after my first visit and had a much different experience.
We arrived for brunch on a Saturday and were seated right away. I ordered the chicken and waffles and liked the citrusy flavor that came from the orange, lemon, and lime zested right on top of the waffles. The chicken was cooked well, but could have used a bit more seasoning. I also ordered a coffee… well, it was a beer, but it had coffee in it, so it’s totally cool for drinking it at 10am, right?
Things definitely picked up while we were there, but it wasn’t nearly as packed as it had been during our previous visit. Beau came by to chat again and said they were already at capacity for the Seahawks game the next day. Apparently, it’s possible to book a reservation through Unilocal,but there’s sometimes a disconnect between the restaurant and the reservations system. If you’re not a Hawks fan and it’s a game day, I’d still suggest going on different day.
Now that I’ve been twice for brunch, I’m looking forward to going back (next week!) to experience The Brew Project after dark. :)
Place rating: 4
San Diego, CA
Late night beer — check
Late night vegetarian food — check
Cool ambience — check
All of the above amazing — check
I rest my case: D