Thorn St Brewery

One of my favorite breweries in the neighborhood! They are dog and kid friendly so the environment is very relaxed. They even have board games and dog biscuits! I love that they can open up the roof on the second story. They frequently have fun events like beer floats on certain days or beer and donut pairings. My favorite beers are probably the coconut porter, the jalapeño IPA (not always there) or one of their Belgian style ales. There is always typically a food truck outside that will bring food inside to you. This is a great neighborhood joint to swing by for a casual pint.

As with most small and large San Diego craft beer bars and breweries this place has more IPAs than everything else on tap combined. It’s a small place that fills up fast with a lot of LOCALS. Everyone that is cooped up in the small houses and apartments near by come and coop themselves in with all the other cocks n hens of the hood here at thorn st. brewing for their favorite beer. It was a chill place, not good, not bad. I tried it once and can say that there are more enjoyable roomier breweries/​tasting rooms in the greater North Park area. CHEERS.

Great beers, great service, great atmosphere. Everything you want out of a local watering hole and tucked back in a neighborhood.
They are dog friendly and I love the upstairs patio. It’s perfect for events and gathering with friends and it’s never too loud that you can’t have a conversation.
I love all of the beers here but there secret gem for those people who aren’t a fan of beer is the home made root beer. Give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.
Food trucks are always out front but if you want some BBQ I would head right next door to Grand Olé BBQ Y Asado.

Maybe it’s having so many breweries to choose from in San Diego, but for whatever reason I keep looking for something to dislike about Thorn St, and I can’t come up with anything!
I love the layout of this brewery– with a small bar/​tasting room in the front of the brewery, and a large brewing space and second bar in the back that they open up on busier nights, there always seems to be somewhere to sit, even with bigger groups. I’ve come here for many different occasions, including a lot of birthdays and just random stop-​ins to fill up growlers or when I’m next door at Grand Olé (which happens more and more frequently as of late). I love their beer selection– there are always a few great IPAs on tap, and they have great variety for the non-​IPA drinker: porters, belgians, ambers, reds, stouts, etc. It’s a pretty impressive list, and their tasters are great deals and a good way to go if you’re checking the place out.
On my many visits it’s also been great to see the variety of events they host, as well– from $ 3 pint nights on Mondays to trivia nights, food and beer pairings, and brunches– they always seem to have something going on! Also, as they don’t have a kitchen (and when Grand Olé isn’t open on Monday/​Tuesdays), they always have a food truck out front that will be willing to deliver your order inside the bar when ready. What else could you ask for?
This place is exactly what you’d expect for a true local brewery, and I hope they stick around for a long time to come.

This brewery is right down the street from my house and it’s pretty legit. It’s so cool to have a local brewery in the neighborhood that is all about the beer instead of the label. My favorite beer is their Relay IPA, with had great bitter flavor and strong af. They usually have a food truck out front, so if you’re hungry you can hit that up and bring your food in. Keep in mind there are two main areas, one in the front and one in the back, so you’re not just limited to the to what you see when you first walk in.
Park on the street, not hard to find
Check it out!

A small brewery in North Park. They had quite a variety of English-​style brews — pales, IPAs, stouts, etc. Honestly, it was refreshingly different from than all the beers with over-​the-​top-​hops that so many West Coast breweries are producing today.
Thorn Street is a small operation. Step inside to a cozy bar that feels a bit like an English Pub (go figure). Head around back for more seating that surrounds the actual brewing setup. Hell, bring your dog and baby — no problems here. During our visit, there were a few groups of people hanging out and enjoying a few drinks in the late afternoon. As we left, a food truck pulled up out front to feed the nighttime drinkers. Nice. They’ve got a fine operation running at Thorn St Brewery.

I heard of them at a Unilocal Event. I want to say I had 2 – 3 beers that night from them. It was that good. There was others I could have had but I kept going back to them. I even bought one of their truckers cap. I had been wearing this now for 3 months. People had seen with the hat and told it was a great place. So I had to make this trip. And glad I did. I have been searching for a good Porter. I have started getting tired of all the IPAs out there. Don’t get me wrong I do like them still. And you can find some good ones here also. But Porters and Stouts are my loves. So I Unilocal and got their address and the adventure began.
Small neighborhood bar. Cool spot. People were really cool. Their was a young feel to it at first then some older people walked in. Ok a mixture. Then people were talking sports. Great That’s me. Then a regular. A lady had come in with her dog. Yes dogs allowed. So this place had it all. But the one thing they had in common was they all loved the great taste of Thorn St. Brewery Beer. From Their IPAs to their Belgium’s. And all in between.
Both bartenders were pretty laid back. I sat right at the bar when you walk in. I first had their Porter. It was very smooth but yes its up there in alcohol. I believe it’s 8.4%. But you can’t taste it. Not strong taste. It was a Coconut Porter. Just a bit of a hint of Coconut. They let me sample about 4 – 5 different beers. I ended up just drinking 2 types. I could have done a flight. But chose not to this time. They have seasonal beers and beers they make year round. You need to look at the chalk board to see what is on tap at that moment.
This place is so laid back that they will fill up your Growler even if its not with their label. I heard one of the bartenders say People drink in many places. But only here will they fill another. This place is like the Macy’s in Miracle on 34^th Street. They go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. I didn’t make it to the back. But enjoyed myself in the front. I know I will be back. Ill do it then.
Parking. Well If you are lucky you might get one in front. But this place is in a middle of a neighborhood. You might have to park up to a block away. But free parking.

Super chill — the guys that work here are fun to chat with.
I only had one beer here because we were brewery hopping, but I really liked it! Their selection is pretty awesome. I’ll definitely come back to check it out and update my review :)

Came to Thorn St Brewery with my fiancée on Sunday.
If youre reading this– you would know already. CHECK IN FOR A FREE 5oz taster!
Parking in the area is hard to find– be patient and one will open up. Its worth circling around for TSB
This was a pretty cool spot to hang out at. TSB has a that outdoor-​ish feeling to it. Big Windows! Mellow/​Comfortable ambiance– Nothing loud or crazy.
Didnt get a chance to check out the upstairs part of it– as there was an event. So my fiancée and I just sat at the bar and enjoyed the Flight of beers.
All the beer we tried were actually really good. Good enough that we wanted another serving of our fav of the day–
Mine was the Dark Tsar– RIS– the flavor was poppin– Bourbon Barrel Aged — i loved every drop of it. 11oz for $ 9. and a 5oz for $ 4. its a 10%.
My fiancée loved the Relay IPA– Her review will reflect her thoughts.
We liked this place. We have already discussed coming back, so we can check out the upstairs part of the brewery.
Theres alot of breweries in San Diego– And TSB is one that is a-​top our list. See you soon TSB.

1. Great beer. Love their Santos coffee stout and the Coco porter. The other beers I’ve tried there have also been great too.
2. Friendly service. Every time I’ve been in there the people working have been friendly and helpful.
3. Always a place to sit. Doesn’t seem to get too packed and there’s always room to grab a seat or table and enjoy your beverage of choice.
4. Has a great neighborhood vibe. People bringing their awesome dogs in and just hanging out.
5. Usually a food truck right outside, and then right around the corner is Grande Olé BBQ and Asado which has some of the best barbecue I’ve ever had and one of the rare places that actually competes with true Texas bbq.
Basically, this place is great.

I really like this laid back neighborhood brewery. It provides that home style feel with that terrific backyard patio, and to top it off, they make some great craft beers. Oh yes, and they let you bring in food, like the full slab of smoked pork ribs I gobbled down from a place nearby with one of their fine beers.
The beer I tried was the Hipster Wit, which was very light, crispy, and refreshing to drink. I have to admit, it went very well with the heavy flavored and smoked ribs I was eating. The beer, a Belgian strain, had a good citrus flavor and crisp finish. I thought I detected a slight peppery flavor. The color was unique, in that it was light but and kinda foggy. It sort of looked like grapefruit juice. In the end, I liked it very much and I am not even a Hipster!
The bar keeps were a very nice bunch. The young lady who tapped by beer had a great sense of humor and made sure to fill my beer to the rim. I don’t mind gently slurping my beer off the rim before taking it off the bar!
Great place and when I retire, I can see myself hanging out at a place like this and becoming a permanent feature.

Thorn St was the final stop on our North Park beer discovery tour and it was a nice way to wrap things up for the night.
Tucked away in a residential neighborhood, away from most of the traffic and other businesses, Thorn St Brewery is an experience like no other in North Park. It was about 10 minute walk through the ‘hood from our previous stop and we found the place half-​empty on a Sunday night. Football game was on and the bar seating was wide open. There was about 12 beers on offer and we tried about 8. The Menace (9.7%, Triple IPA) was really good and I also enjoyed their darker stuff. If I lived in the neighborhood, this would be my go-​to spot to kick back and watch football on a Sunday night.
Even though the back room where the brewery is located was closed, the staff let us take a quick peek to check out their system. This is a super-​cool place to hang out at while enoying the view… beer nerds only please LOL
Hopefully I will be back soon to North Park and re-​visit Thorn St. With their small system and enthusiastic staff, it is always fun predicting what will be on tap next time.

North Park Beer Crawl!
While it’s been long-​established now that San Diego is a craft beer Mecca, a more recent development has been the emergence of North Park as a craft beer Mecca within the craft beer Mecca. On a recent weekend trip down to SD from NorCal, I made the rounds of North Park’s burgeoning craft beer presence.
& no beer crawl of North Park would be complete without a visit to Thorn St. Brewery. That’s because, while only a few years old, Thorn St. is North Park’s OG (pun intended) brewery. Considering North Park’s 1^st actual brewery is so young only further demonstrates just how much craft beer is blowing up in this neighborhood.
Me & the homebrew partner managed to squeeze in Thorn St. Brewery as the 6^th & final stop on our epic North Park Beer Crawl right as night fell. We walked 1 block down & 8 blocks over (about 0.4 miles) from our last stop, the Modern Times Flavordome. From the outside, the cutesy, cozy factor of a small neighborhood brewery was immediately obvious.
Inside, the cutesy, cozy continued with lots of wood furnishings/​trim, a stained glass window for a Renaissance Faire feel, & seriously cool aged heavy steel sliding doors for the restroom. The place was mostly empty on a Sunday night. Even with football on the TV next to the bar. Curious. I know if I lived in the neighborhood, this would be my spot to watch the game.
As it was, we had staff’s full attention. They were very friendly, conversational, & accommodating. Since it was getting late, they were closing down the back patio but they still let us look around the little 7bbl brewhouse which is also back there. Pretty cool. At the bar up front, it was taster time, yet again. Below are my notes from Untappd:
* North Park Pale Ale: 3.75÷5, decent, light body
* Station Pale Ale: 3.5÷5, ok, light body
* Smugglers Agave Amber Ale: 3.25÷5, macro would say «not to be dissected» but this has stuff going on I can’t quite figure out, bottom line ok
* Relay IPA: 3.5÷5, hops & dextrose
* Relay IPA W/​Citrus Burst: 3.5÷5, different hops & dextrose
* Santos Coffee Stout: 4/​5, solid, good stuff
* Coconut Porter: 3.5÷5, more coconut would be better
* The Menace: 4.25÷5, maybe the best thing they do, great if you’re a hop-​head
For the 8 tasters I had, by my personal scoring, it’s an average a hair under 3.66 out of 5. Making it yet 1 more solid beer stop on an epic North Park Beer Crawl. A beer crawl with Thorn St. Brewery as the Southernmost point & the Belching Beaver Tasting Room, where it all started, about 1.3 miles away, as the Northernmost point. What a long & awesome day of drinking craft beers. All in 1 neighborhood.
North Park

This is an awesome little family owned brewery with massive charm. It’s located in a residential neighborhood and seems a little out of place, but that’s part of why I love it. I have tried several of the beers and like them very much.
I’m not an IPA girl, but their IPA is pretty good. I originally feel in love work a Chile flavored beer they had on my first visit. But they didn’t have it on the next visit. That’s ok, spicy beer is probably hard to sell. Any how, I really liked my sampler. And don’t forget to check in on Unilocal for a free sample of beer

Some places are good because of location, while others because of product. This place hits the mark on both accords!
Not only is it a true «neighborhood brewery», it also serves really good beer. Thorn St. is one if those places where you only know because «you know», hinting that someone has vouched for it & pointed you in their direction.
I have done a bunch of tasters ($ 2/​5oz) & can not find a slacker. I prefer a few but all are worthy. Personally, the Menace (II IPA) & Santos Coffee Stout or the Coconut Porter stand out, & that’s without being a stout fan.
Über Dog friendly! Family supportive, Groups suggested & Food Truck perfection. This place is legit & deserves any & all accolades as a True Craft Brew est.

This place is a hidden gem. Its on the other side of North Park and we wouldn’t have been able to stroll into this place if the original place we were headed too wasn’t closed. Its pretty small and hidden but the handcrafted beer makes up for it. Definitely a MUST GO to spot if you’re in the area. Its cool because they do allow dogs.
You must try: Belgian Blond Ale

Awesome place in North Park to just stop by in for a quick drink! They have pints for ~$ 4 – 6 depending what beer you get. You can also get 5oz tasters for $ 2 or just get a flight for $ 2 for each taster.
My favorite was the Fornication (Belgian) but be careful! You would never know it was 9% by the way it tastes so it can definitely get to you before you know it. There are a few little tables downstairs when you walk in but you can also go up a few stairs past the bathrooms to their patio. The décor is pretty cool and you can see where they are brewing up there too. They can also open up the roof canopy which has a nice breeze coming through.
They don’t open until 4 and after 8PM, it’s only 21 years older and up. Also, I think I saw a sign that said Taco Tuesdays and kids eat for free! But don’t quote me on that! :p

Cool brewery in South Park
Friendly bartenders
TV to watch your favorite sport teams
Dog friendly
Food trucks (Check website for details)
Merchandise available for sale
Plenty of street parking in the residential area
Golden Hills Pils (Bohemian Pilsner) — Absolutely refreshing! I definitely recommend trying this!
Foreplay (Belgian Blonde Ale) — Delicious!
** Check in on Unilocal for a free 5 oz taster!

Brewery stop #2, our second stop for our brew day. Located at the bottom tip of north park, this place doesn’t look like much from the outside. There’s also a food truck right outside for them drunk munchies. The inside was nice and roomy, but a decent amount of bar seats and high tops. We saw some weird ass old people to young hipsters.
If you check in thru Unilocal you get a free taster! That’s exactly what we did. And they have smaller sizes if you don’t want or can’t drink a full pint. I got the foreplay– Belgian blonde ale and I absolutely loved it! Nice change from an IPA to a blonde. The bartenders were nice and helpful as well. I would come back to drink some more beers.

This place is cool. It’s not overwhelming and it’s a really nice locals place to go. Far enough from the city to avoid the chaos but still in good old North Park where the party is just a few steps up the street.
We came here as out second stop of our self-​made brewery tour. You get a free sample of your choice when you check in with Unilocal.
It’s a small place with maybe 3 or 4 bench tables and 3 or 4 tall tables. They have a few seats at the bar. It’s all wood so it’s like a vineyard oak/​homemade/​mancave feel to it. The front room can fit maybe 25 – 30 people comfortably. I believe there is a larger patio space in the back.
They have a good selection of brews to choose from. I really enjoyed Brother Scotty’s and Far Far Away IPA.
The bartenders are cool and answer any questions you have. Great at describing the beers to help you decide on which to get. They have their growlers too to stock up on and take home.
I don’t think they serve food there but there was a food truck parked right at the door.
I wouldn’t have a party there but I would go out for a drink and a nice talk with someone. It’s not loud. It’s not crazy. But it’s still a nice time.