Review of Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
1400 Ramada Drive
Paso Robles CA 93446
(805) 238-2556
Overall Score: 95.0
Selection: 5 | Service: 4.5 | Atmosphere: 4.75 | Food: N/A
Firestone Walker is in a warehouse district south of downtown Paso Robles. From the street, you can pick out the the brewery by large grain silos. The tasting room is a pleasant, good sized space in the front of the complex. It is divided into three sections. The first is the gift shop and the bar, which has a brushed aluminum top with corrugated aluminum beneath and no chairs. The same aluminum forms the bar back. Also in this section is a large window that gives a view into part of the brewery. You can see the brewkettle and fermenters in a large room.
The second section has double high ceilings and clerestory windows. A walkway with dark wooden railings runs along the perimeter of this space on the second floor, giving brewery employees a path through. The bar continues into this section and there are a few tall dark wooden chairs. The rest of the area has dark wooden tables and chairs and on one side a long padded bench with tables. The third section opens through a large slide-up glass garage door. This section is small, is lined with windows, and has the same dark wooden chairs but with aluminum tables. Floors are concrete throughout.
There were twelve beers on tap on our visit, covering Firestone Walker and Nectar Ales brands (both brewed here). The quality of the beers is quite good and it’s a good range of styles as well. Refreshingly, the half pint price is half that of a pint, rather than the more typical higher price per ounce, making it more economical to taste a broad range of beers. 4 ounce sampler trays and growler fills are also available.
Food is minimal: chips, pretzels, and some flat bread “pizzas”.
Parking is available in a large lot in front. Tours are available (but not on the day we visited).
