CARLSBAD — Barrel Republic in Carlsbad Village, the last location of the popular self-service brewpub, closed for good on March 10 after eight years, according to a company statement.
The building, located at 2961 State Street in downtown Carlsbad, is boarded up and currently under renovation. A sign outside the building states that Jalisco Cantina, a Mexican restaurant based in Montana, is “coming soon” from the same owner.
Barrel Republic owner David Pike is behind the opening of Jalisco Cantina, marking the Mexican restaurant’s second attempt at a North County location.
“It’s been a great experience for us and it’s always hard to part ways with something that has been very special for so many years,” a Barrel Republic post states, announcing the closure of its last location. “So thank you. We sincerely appreciate your support, your patronage, and especially your friendship.”
The Carlsbad brewery’s farewell signals the end of Barrel Republic after closures in Pacific Beach, Oceanside, Escondido and Carlsbad. In September 2019, The Press-Enterprise reported that Pike had confirmed Barrel Republic would open a Temecula location, but the restaurant does not appear to have ever opened.
Pike opened Jalisco Cantina’s first location in Oceanside in the summer of 2017, but it’s unclear when the location closed. In 2020, Pike opened a second location in Whitefish, Montana, which is still open.
Pike did not return a request for comment.
A sign outside Barrel Republic states Jalisco Cantina will be “coming soon” and asks those interested in a position to send resumes to [email protected].
“We’re completely renovating the place for something we hope you’ll enjoy even more this summer, but it will not be a Barrel Republic,” Barrel Republic’s post states.
Jalisco Cantina will join Mexican restaurants Senor Grubby’s, Tortilla Mia and Norte Mexican Food in Carlsbad Village, drawing criticism in comments to Barrel Republic’s closure announcement on social media.
“Unfortunately, I’m not sure we need another Mexican restaurant in Carlsbad,” Dan Flanegan wrote. “It’s my favorite but we already have many great choices.”
Other Barrel Republic regulars said they were disappointed about the restaurant’s final location’s closure and shared memories they had had at the restaurant in the comments of the post
“It’s a sad day,” Carlos Carbajal wrote on the social media post. “It sure was special — I met my wife there (Carlsbad) as we waited for a barrel replacement in 2019.”
