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English Ales Brewery
Categories: Nightlife Bars Pubs Food Beer, Wine & Spirits Restaurants American (Traditional) Pubs, Beer, Wine & Spirits, American (Traditional) [Edit]
223 Reindollar AveSte A
Marina, CA 93933
(831) 883-3000
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Tue, Wed, Thu
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
45 reviews for English Ales Brewery
Review Highlights
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45 reviews in English
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Review from Jireh H.
Temple City, CA
I'm sure that locals would recommend this as one of several places to go to when an out-of-town beer-lover is visiting or traveling through Marina. Well, I'm one of these peeps who got recommended to this little hidden gem!
I love craft beers of just about any kind especially if some heart is present when making it. There definitely was a lot of heart going into the brews because the flavors were wonderful!
I find the prices for these brews decent and I will have to get a mug for myself the next time I visit the area.
As for the food, it's a hit or miss. Nothing spectacular but who cares? It's a freaking BREWERY! ^_^ -
Review from Amanda B.
*********************** 707 **************************
I stayed in Marina for a dance performance, after D'anna Thai Kitchen din din, we tried to go to pub for some drinks. Came here at 10 PM on a FRI night, and this English Ales Brewery pub was empty! 4 people at the bar, and they don't have much choices of drinks either, beside the 10 beers on tab! If you love beer, this isn't a bad place, because this is the only pub here in this city!
The bartender, an elderly man, which was the only person at the bar, he came to shut the OPEN light off. We just sat down for a few minutes. I asked if they are closed now. He said he would closed when we leave! Really?
No reason to stay any longer! There's nothing to do past 10 PM in Marina city, he said! Great customer service... NOT!Listed in: Bars, Pubs, & Clubs - Yeah I…
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Review from Rachel S.
Marina, CA
This is such a hidden gem!
I came here a few days ago for the first time, and I can't believe I've never been there before! First, the beer...
They have about ten beers that they brew right there, and I've tried about half of them. My top three are probably the Fat Lip Amber Ale, the Big Sur Golden and the Monterey Bay Wheat. They also have a couple beers that are seasonal and I look forward to trying! Every beer I've tried I've liked, and the bartender is very friendly; it's a great place to hang out with friends.
The food, well, it's pretty good. I just had a burger and curly fries. The burger was really good but the fries were all stuck together and a little too crispy for my personal taste.
But honestly, the beer is really what this place is about, and that aspect does not disappoint! Also, if you're a local and a big beer drinker, ask about the mug club thing that they have (I forgot what it's called). -
Review from Dr. A.
San Francisco, CA
This is a review for the beer this place serves; I haven't eaten the food there yet, though I may be tempted to try the fish and chips at some point- as I love fish and chips.
The beers I've tried, however, are flat and insipid. The 1066 pale ale: flat. Bland. The brown ale: flat. Kind of sour. Listless. The fat lips amber ale: just has nothing going for it compared to some of the good amber ales california has to offer.. like Boont Amber Ale... or Red Seal... and the Dragonslayer IPA.. flat.. listless... remarkably similar tasting to the pale ale I tried.
Sad that a brewery can get away with putting out mediocre brews in this climate. -
Review from Dan T.
Pebble Beach, CA
Killer beer
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Review from Sierra S.
Nevada City, CA
I went here a few times after it opened, but haven't been back in years.
However, my memories are entirely positive. If you take the trouble to find this place, and you enjoy draft beer, I am sure you will find something to like. My favorite was 1066 Ale.
They also served adequate food. -
Review from J L.
Mountain View, CA
Food was ok (not enough vegetable options for my taste, but that is the nature of English food) but the decor was really fantastic, and my husband claims that the beer was good. This really is a family style pub, not a bar. Filled with pleasant locals. The server was a very kind man.
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Review from Agustina G.
Reedley, CA
Great place to drink. Kind of "off the beaten path", this watering hole is tucked away down a side street. Great beer, good (quick) service, and I can tell this is a local hangout. We frequent the Monterey area many times throughout the year, this is one place we will grab a drink more often! Oh and CHEAP!
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Review from Jon S.
Seaside, CA
Not the best location and they certainly are not concerned with making the outside of the building look nice. The first time I went there I thought my gps was wrong. Once you get inside it's a different story. Not very big but nice, not first date nice but nice enough. The food isn't great but not bad either, typical pub food. The reason you come here is the beer. A great local brewery not over run by douches. Real people and really good beer.
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Review from Manina C.
Seaside, CA
Great locally brewed beers. I've been here twice and have found the beer selection to be outstanding while the food is just so-so. The first time I was here, I ordered a burger. Nothing outstanding but respectful. My dining companion ordered a Philly cheesesteak It was good. The last time I was there, I don't remember what I ordered. I think it was a chicken sandwich, just so-so. My son ordered the steak sandwich and was very disappointed. It was tough and full of fat.
I love all the beer steins on the walls and ceiling for the regulars. If I drank beer more often, I would inquire as to how to aquire one since there's still room for more steins.
All in all, a good place to gather over a beer and watch sports on TV. -
Review from Glenn H.
Moorpark, CA
Quirky little restaurant/brew pub in Marina a sleepy little Central Coast town I was in on business.
Like the name suggests they go for a British pub style theme. When you walk in there are mugs hanging off the ceiling all over the place. Which is something that is really for the locals and not visitors (ask and you'll learn why).
Good beers all made local by this little place. I tried their Anniversary Brew since this is their 11th year in business apparently. It was good stuff as would drink it again. I also had dinner off their definitely pub/grill menu, ordering the fish, banger and chips dinner. I was not disappointed. The fish was the traditional cod done in the typical British fish and chips style. Not greasy, not too bready and not too skimpy on the fish. The banger was traditional English style and was excellent! The chips were good, steak style fries which weren't over done or under done.
Friendly staff, and a very local crowd but also friendly, not the kind that will give you the stink eye because you came into "their place".
If you happen to be in Marina, try it out. -
Review from Eddie W.
Great local brewed beer that can be found in various restaurants throughout Monterey County. However, if you want to drink from the original source then English Ales Brewery in Marina is the place to be.
First thing you noticed is the hundreds of mugs hanging above on the ceiling. Apparently, those are the regulars/originals of English Ales. There is definitely a homey feel to the place.
Moving on to the food, I ordered a bacon burger while my friend ordered a Philly cheesecake and hot wings for an appetizer. The wings had a nice crispy exterior while retaining a moist interior. Unlike traditional wings, these wings weren't drenched in hot sauce but rather had a light drizzle of sauce on top. The sauce had great heat but would have been overwhelming if it was completely drenched.
As for the burger, the patty was elongated rather than circular. The bacon was limp and lackluster, cheese was nothing to rave about and the burger was cooked adequately.
Overall Thoughts
Great beer, decent pub food, nice spot to unwind and relax -
Review from Brian B.
A neat little place off of Del Monte in Marina. It might take some effort to find it, but you'll likely find it worth it. The owner/operator is a really nice older guy who loves a good chat. They've got lots of good beers on tap, and the food looks pretty decent too (I had some steak fries that were pretty good. Didn't get to try anything else, but the people around me who had food seemed to enjoy it and it all looked pretty good).
They've also got a couple of TVs to watch soccer, etc on. I'd rate this place above Britania Arms fairly hands down, even if it is much smaller.
The other cool thing the they have is this mug system for regulars. I'm not entirely certain you can still get in on it, but, assuming you can: you pay $25 one time for a 20 ounce mug. They write your name on the bottom of it and give you a number. The mug is pretty cool, I'd almost be willing to pay just to have the mug... Anyways, whenever you order a beer at the pub from then on, you get it in that mug (at the 16 ounce price). If you're in regularly or even semi-regularly (or maybe just reeeeeaaaaaalllly like beer), it ends up being pretty worth it, I'd guess. In any event, seeing the mugs hanging everywhere is pretty neat decor all by itself. -
Review from Frank L.
There just aren't any decent microbreweries in L.A. Why? It seems like every other major metropolitan area in the country has ass-kickin' regional beers a-plenty. Los Angeles is a craft brew wasteland. That's why I always go beer hunting whenever I'm out of town.
I'm in Monterey again this weekend, armed with my handy-dandy Yelp Adroid app. I typed in "brewery" and English Ales Brewery was at the top of the search list. OnStar took me straight to the place.
The brewery/pub is in the middle of a mixed industrial area. It's clearly a working class neighborhood and the clientele bellied up to the bar consisted of mostly blue collar guys. That's a good thing. There's nothing worse than a bar full of hipster wannabes when all you want to do is some serious beer drinking.
I sat down at the bar and the bartender, a friendly fellow who had to be close to 80, asked for my selection. I ordered a Dragon Slayer IPA from the numerous brews on tap.
That was a mighty tasty beer. I ordered some fries to go along with the IPA and looked over the room. There has to be about a thousand beer steins hanging from virtually every inch of the ceiling. I guess if you're a regular, you buy your own mug and just keep getting it refilled.
The fries were thick-cut and golden brown. The food sitting in front of the other patrons looked really good, too.
I ordered a Black Prince Porter for round number dos. Excellent. It was served at just the right temperature. Bars often serve stouts and porters way too cold and flavor dies a sad, frozen death. The brewmaster at English Ales clearly knows what he's doing.
Great little micro-brewery. I am definitely going to see if I can take some of their beer home with me before I head back to SmelL.A. this afternoon. -
Review from Dad O.
Sparks, NV
Great pub atmosphere for a industrial track location. The beer is great, 1066 the preferred choice. Came with the boys and they were very accommodating probably the first time they had kids in there. Fish and chips was tasty and plentiful. Guy next to us ordered a shrimp salad which was huge. One of the little men had a rough day so didn't get to sample their drafts, will definitely come back with the wife to sample.
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Review from Arlo H.
Melbourne, FL
Great neighborhood pub with superb house crafted brews.
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Review from Edison D.
Los Angeles, CA
This place rules! Go for the Fish, Bangers, & chips appetizer plate... really good! Also, I had the $1.00 beer sampler... I had a few! I tried about 5 or 6 of the local brew.... very nice! My favorite was the Dragon Slayer IPA, Fat Lip, and surprisingly... EA's Pale Ale... I usually don't drink straight pale ales... but this one was flavorful!
After I had my samplers, I had a full glass of Dragon Slayer... in my opinion the best EA beer!
The bartender... Dawn was so friendly too! She really made the experience worth while!
The ambiance is very cool as well... laid back and very english looking!
I'm glad I found this place!!! Next time, I'll check out the inside of the factory... they said I can! Sweet! ;) -
Review from Leonardo C.
Salinas, CA
Great beer. Good fish + chips. I've been here a few times for a happy hour, although they don't have happy hour specials, which sucked, but the beer is good anyway.
accessibility: the place is small, so you'll have to navigate your wheelchair around some chairs, and may have to ask people to scoot in to let you roll by. The bathroom is accessible. The bar itself doesn't have a spot to roll-up to, so you'll have to stay at a table.
tip: if you don't want to stink like fried oil sit in the back room. the frying oil stinks up the whole bar area.Listed in: Best of 831
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Review from Tim H.
Finally made it to this place.
It's a little off the beaten track in Marina, but so what.
We arrived to the smell of brewing ale (I smell I fondly remember from my college days in Manchester, England when I use to ride my motorcycle to college past a large brewery) - always good.
One downside, After my previous review where I was looking for a designated driver, I ended up being that designated driver, so I didn't get to sample everything on tap.
One upside, I had their version of the BBC - Bangers, Beans and Chips - and it was very nice. My friend's Tuna Melt hit the spot too.
One downside, my friend's Strongbow (the only non-locally brewed beer in the place) was definitely a bit flat.
So overall, definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/8/2007
I've never been to their actual brewery / restaurant , but it's on my list of places I need to… Read more »
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11/8/2007
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Review from Todd W.
Lompoc, CA
My friends and I who home brew and are looking to start a brewery where we live thoroughly enjoy tasting various beers around the state...the country for that matter at a wide variety of breweries. We typically have a beer or two we really like and one or two we don't prefer, but that's just due to our tastes. But, as excited as I was to find an English ale brewery, I was sorely disappointed. I ordered the sampler of 12 beers, and they all tasted the same. The pale and the IPA should not taste nearly alike, and they were both underhopped and watery. The porter and stout tasted the same as the brown with hardly any coffee or chocolate flavors at all. The creamy wheat wasn't creamy or wheaty and again tasted like the pale.
I strictly use british Maris Otter 2-row grains with all of my brews, even my American style cream, and these English ales tasted nothing like true English style ale.
After stopping in San Luis Obispo for lunch at Creekside and enjoying a wonderful stout, we are heading into Santa Cruz for dinner and hope to find a good ale to finish the day's trip.
My recommendation, if you are heading north, continue on to Santa Cruz or Sacramento. If heading south, wait until your reach SLO. -
Review from Zack O.
Carmel, CA
This place is tucked away and basically invisible unless you are looking for it specifically, but it's worth finding.
They make great beer. Let me just say that first. Pretty much all of their brews are delicious (I like the Dragonslayer IPA best), and are worth trying.
The food, while simple, as you would expect, is delicious. Get a cheese steak and a beer. You'll be set.
A point deduction because the kitchen is really slower than it should be. But if you're enjoying your company and a beer, I doubt you will notice too much. -
Review from Jordan M.
Westwood, CA
As a beer connoisseur, all I can say is that English Ales has the best beer I have ever had. Any time I am near NorCal, I make it to a point to stop in at least 2 or 3 times. Their stout and porter are both amazing, especially when cask-conditioned. The brown ale is really good too. Since I mainly drink dark beers, I cannot comment on the relative quality of their lighter-colored beers, but they all tasted pretty good to me.
The atmosphere is good too. When I go there, I think it is the most relaxed I ever get. The food is also pretty good -- mostly the usual kinds of American bar food, but of good quality. People are nice as well, and the place has a very warm and friendly 'small-town pub' kind of feel. -
Review from Jessica C.
Los Angeles, CA
For not being much of a beer drinker, this place definitely has the right atmosphere. The gentleman behind the counter was also fairly pleasant and attentive. Unfortunately we got here a bit too late, so we couldn't sample the fare, but the array of brews appeared to satisfy any beer connoisseur out there. They had mugs lining the walls and the ceiling of all their local patrons, which made it apparent that this is the place to be.
Would come back here when the party's started for sure. -
Review from Wella A.
Eugene, OR
Drinking and running don't mix. Just because there are sufficient amount of carbs in beer, it doesn't mean it gives me the energy (nor the common sense) to go for a run. UNLESS, of course, the beverage TASTES like water!
Truly, this brewery deserves more stars than I gave. Staff was friendly, the three tv sets were tuned to football, and the tuna melt rocked, however, my cider...from tap!...was as flat Keira Knightley's chest. Now, I'm a fan of Ms. Knightley, so hence, the three stars. -
Review from Jess F.
Monterey, CA
It's so hidden! I can't drink beer :( but I'm sure if i could, I would live here. Any place that has cider on tap is an instant fave of mine. Oh, and the food is delicious!
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Review from Lori M.
Monterey, CA
What a surprise it was to discover this hidden gem in the unassuming strip center where my dentist has an office! When I arrived early one morning for a cleaning I was shocked to smell something fermented in the air and quickly realized the smell was coming from English Ales. A microbrewery in Marina? Later that night I checked Yelp for reviews and was even more surprise to read how great the place was. I'm not a beer drinker, but the hubby has a weakness for a good microbrew and he was excited to go.
English Ales has a great ambiance, with lots of kitschy decor de Brittania and locals' beer mugs lining the ceiling. There are various types of seating throughout the pub, leaving visitors to determine their experience: bar top, small tables, or a restaurant-type room with numerous tables. There is even a pseudo-cantankerous bartender named Hussein to entertain you on certain nights! Loved him!
We didn't try any food on either of our trips, but they have a traditional pub fare menu. I will update if we ever actually eat here!
If anyone from the English Ales staff happens to read this review... Just a note- it would be great if English Ales hosted some local musicians on occasion. Marina could really use some music!
**For actual beer lovers, my husband highly recommends the Anniversary Brew.Listed in: Messin' Around in Marina!
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Review from Bill M.
Los Gatos, CA
The atmosphere at this place reminds me of the CHEERS TV show. Everyone is very friendly, a large cross section of ages, occupations, etc.
The food is the best "bar food" that I have ever had. They keep things simple and do it right. The sandwiches, french fries, and onion rins are just wonderful -
Review from Albeert S.
Monterey, CA
This place is awesome! You get a real small town feel from the place. All of the beer's that they make are really great and unique. The food is so awesome as well I've tried most of it and really have no complaints, very tasty damn good service and all around friendly place to hang out with friends and share a few drinks. The only downside is they are not open very late but I guess we all need some sleep!
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Review from dot k.
San Francisco, CA
after our skydiving at the skydive monterey bay, we were told this place has the best fish and chips... so we decided to give it a try - i mean our tummy's were hungry!
first impression:
"hmm.. this place looks dodgy...."
second impression:
"is he going to make our food too?"
third impression:
"isn't this chips from costco and salsa from the jar?"
fourth impression:
"this clear wheat beer is so good!"
fifth impression:
"this fish and chips are so good!!"
moral of the story?
don't judge it's food by the first impression. -
Review from Tim K.
San Mateo, CA
With my GPS yelling in my ear, I still drove straight past it the first time I visited. It is located off the road in a sort of bijou strip mall setting. The pub seems to be an afterthought for the real business of commercial brewing going on next door.
I was excited to try the place out based on the website (http://englishalesbrew...) descriptions of the beer. A proper English session ale is a thing of beauty and as rare as hen's teeth in CA. Having sampled all the available ales, it was the Big Sur Golden that really stood out. It had a zesty freshness and long malty finish that would make any blonde fan sit up and take notice.
Unfortunately, it was not available to take home, but the Black Prince Porter was and it tastes almost as good bottled as it does on tap.
Borthwick's Best Bitter was disappointing, lacking the depth and finish that I would look for in this style. The other beers available are decent, if not spectacular. There's certainly not a bad one in the bunch and I can't say that about many of the brewpubs I've visited.
The food is fairly typical English pub fare, both in selection and quality.
I'd recommend eating elsewhere if you are at all picky.
Service is great if you are a regular. Both times I've been there at lunchtime and the locals are like family. I'd love to earn one of the hundreds of personalized beer mugs that hang from the ceiling, but that's never going to happen. As a tourist, I felt tolerated rather than welcome. The experience is probably quite different in the evening.
Four stars for the beer. Remember to take some home with you. -
Review from William W.
Marina, CA
I have been called a Beer Snob, This beer snob LOVES EA Pale Ale! The Best Pale I have had! I think the Brewery has been open since 2000. At least I have been drinking their beer since then. Easy parking, the brewery is just off HWY 1. GREAT food too.
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Review from Meesh M.
i am so happy we found this spot on yelp!!!! my bf loves, loves, loves cerveza...and especially microbrewery ones so this was quite the treat for him and me too...
the beer and the food both were really impressive....my bf had the 3 of the teeny samples for 1.25 each and then he ended up with the english ale just like I had decided on from b4. He had the open faced chicken sandwich with avocado and curly fries...and i had the burger with avocado and it was fabulous....i have not had such a flavorful, tasty, meaty burger in a while and this was a treat.....by the end of eve 2 beers each and our food $42 before tip - and well worth very penny!!! -
Review from Cynthia P.
Alameda, CA
i like this place.
it's a charming little brewery tucked away in kind of the middle of nowhere. the beer's pretty good and the food isn't bad (although by the time i get to the food ordering point, i'm pretty drunk). the bartender is a sweetheart and the crowd's pretty good on most nights. -
Review from Kristen B.
Astoria, Queens, NY
I went here with some other folks for a Monterey-area Tweetup not too long ago. I had an open faced grilled chicken sandwich that was suuuuper good. Loved all of the avocado! The beer selection was also pretty fantastic. I had the Strongbow cider that was on tap.
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Review from dana b.
Suffolk, VA
I love English Ales Brewery. We frequent other restaurants simply because they carry English Ales on tap. I've only had a couple of things to eat there because I go for the beer and the food serves only as a sponge so that I can drink more beer. I really like the Black Prince Porter and Ramsay's Fat Lip Ale. They have a summery ale which is also very good. I hate the IPA and make a great bitter beer face upon tasting it, but that is usually a good sign that true IPA fans will like it a lot. (The more I dislike an IPA, the more my husband likes it).
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Review from Colin C.
Alameda, CA
great beers brewed here. i like that i can choose whatever beer fits my mood and enjoy it. the cask conditioned ales are also a great treat to taste.
the food here is also pretty good. my favorites: the open faced chicken with avocado and the avocado burger. and they have curly fries. what more could you want? -
Review from Jamie M.
Marina, CA
We visited this pub in June of 2008 and I am wishing I tried the hard cider and the sampler of beers, if they're still available. When we went we only tried one of the beers, which was OK but too light for our tastes. The food was decent for a pub. Other reviewers have noted that the pub is a locals place, and I noticed that, after entering and receiving stares for not appearing like a local! Ironically, I am a local to Marina, but that was the firs time I visited, so I guess I did not give off the familiar vibe. Oh well, I hope to become a local to the pub as well in the future, and may rate it higher at that point.
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Review from Leslie R.
Fremont, CA
We went here after the Mud Run. Great pale ale. Also, would highly recommend the fried zucchini. For lunch, I enjoyed fish and chips. Delicious!! I will definitely go back. A great find and so very close to Monterey. The hamburgers looked great, too.
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Review from Katherine F.
Marina, CA
Home away from home.
They fill Party Pigs and Growlers. You can order a Cask Conditioned Firkin or Keg for your house party. There are six packs of some beers available.
Food is ok, not great, but I hear from a dependable source that they're getting a real kitchen sometime in the near future, so hopefully the food situation will get better. Standard pub fare as it is, but as often as I go there it would be nice if they had some more non-deep-fried options.
No Happy Hour, but there is a Firkin night the last Tuesday of every month and they have a specially priced keg of beer and everything on tap is a buck cheaper until the Firkin runs out. They also have wine, and I know for a while they had sake mixers, but I have no clue if those are still around. If your friends don't like beer have them drink the ciders.
I like all of the beers, just depends on the season, but Ramsey's Fat Lip is a good one, and so is the EA.
Bottoms up! Cheers! And somebody wake up Walter. -
Review from Stacey H.
Marina, CA
Being as I live a few blocks from here, my mother in law and I decided to walk down and have a bite to eat. She is from England and I figured she would be the best taste tester since this is an English Brewery. We got there and it was slow and quiet for a Saturday night - compared to other restaurants. The place was a bit dingy, smelly and the beer menus were not cleaned recently - and had old vinegar (from fish & chips), salt and pepper on them. The menues grossed me out with the greasy finger prints all over them. There was only one gentleman working there I assumed was the owner. He was polite, but slow. I ordered an appetizer of "Huangs Special" as my main dish, calamari as an appetizer and my mother in law had the crab & shrimp melt. Our appetizer took over a half hour to get to us and he brought out both my special and the calamari. Her sandwich didn't come for another 10 minutes. I was done eating. Apparently he didn't understand that my dish wasn't an appetizer. Overall the food was good. He was a nice gentleman, but VERY SLOW service and not a very clean establishment. Nothing special. Not as impressed as the other yelpers who reviewed this place.
