Review of Half Moon Bay Brewing, Half Moon Bay, CA
Half Moon Bay Brewing
390 Capistrano Rd.
Half Moon Bay CA 94019
(650) 728-2739
website
Overall Score: 78.3
Selection: 4 | Service: 4 | Atmosphere: 3.75 | Food: 4.25
Half Moon Bay Brewing occupies a sprawling light gray wood-shingled building. The brewery itself is in a separate but similar building in the back. An expansive brick patio with plastic tables and chairs and many outdoor heaters is occupied mostly by tourists. A barrier made of clear glass panes helps cut down on wind from the ocean while still permitting a nice view of the bay and marina across the street. This outdoor space has a classic beach feel.
Inside, in the bar area, there are mostly locals. The bar itself is wood and copper and is in a long narrow U-shape in the middle of the room. Tall chairs are set up alongside it. The floors are worn stained concrete and the walls are unfinished wood. Various tall and short wooden tables are distributed around the bar. Full sliding glass doors line one side of the room and provide easy access to the patio outside.
The dining area is in another fairly large room that has an aquarium with tropical fish and windows that look out on the bay.
The beer selection is a fairly standard set of house-made brews, mostly pedestrian choices, but well made. On our visit there were Bootlegger’s Brown Ale, Harbor Lights Ale (a European light ale), Pillar Point Pale Ale, Amber Ale, Princeton-by-the-Sea IPA, Sandy Beach Blonde Hefeweizen (Bavarian-style), and Green Gold IPA. The later was a decent British-style summer IPA.
Much of the food is seafood related (fish tacos, shrimp louis salad, etc.), but burgers, sandwiches, and various other entrees are also available. The fish tacos and seafood fajitas we tried were good.
Plenty of parking is available in a lot on one side.
You can get a growler filled (Note: Currently in California, a growler container can only be filled by the brewery whose name and address is printed on it.)
