I was reminded that looks can be deceiving when it comes to a good patio, especially after visiting Oceanside Brewing Company in the first round of competition. The brewery surprised me with a high-quality experience and inspired me with their musical influence.
OBC will take on San Diego brewing heavyweights Pizza Port Carlsbad this week in the second round.
THE SCORES: Breweries are scored on a 100-point scale with a max of 20 points per category. See the scoring details in our NCBPO launch column.
Pizza Port Brewing & Portside (Carlsbad)
I can smell the pizza as I walk up to Pizza Port. I do love that smell. I plan to order one of the brewery’s iconic core beers, like Swami’s or Chronic, but I see Maine Beer Company’s Lunch IPA on their guest beer lineup. It is one of my favorite beers. I can’t believe my luck. I close out at the bar and head towards the back. My path takes me past the video games (good kid distractions) and slices of pie coming up at the end of the line.
The patio connected to the building is two stories. Thick fence boards offer privacy from the street, and picnic tables line the walls. There is plenty of room and a few televisions for those wanting to watch a game, The Bachelor, or a soap opera on this mid-week lunch.
Usually, I’d sit upstairs looking towards the corner of State Street, but an a-frame sign lets me know that the Portside Patio is now open! Portside occupies the space behind the old (now closed) bottleshop. It was always a place to grab a beer and sit at a picnic table. Still, it mainly operated independently from the brewery. It’s gotten an upgrade.
A new bar area with a roof, television, and seating has been built around the old cooler. There are still picnic tables and seating around the concrete pad and a view into the old bottleshop, which houses wooden barrels filled with beer. Integrating the point-of-sale systems with the brewery next door is a significant benefit to the new space. I can order a beer or a pizza inside and another outside. It doesn’t sound like much, but it makes a big difference when things get busy.
Accommodation: 18
Atmosphere: 17
Offerings: 19
Service: 17
Wildcard: 16
Total: 87
Takeaway: I sit at the bar at Portside talking to Bottleshop Brad, who talks me through the new changes, and we chat about educators’ challenges. My beer is excellent. Everything on the patio at Pizza Port is simple. The key components, including the space, house and guest beer options, available food, and the service, make for a lovely lunch.
Oceanside Brewing Company
You might remember that the good vibes on the patio at OBC felt organic, local, and infused with music. They had everything you could want in a regular hang-out spot serving beer in an industrial business park, except food. They have occasional food vendors, like Tacos by Mario, but not always.
In retrospect, with the experience of visiting 20+ brewery patios this summer, I don’t think I gave them enough credit for the live music experience. As such, I’ve upped their Wildcard score from 17 to 19.
Accommodation: 17
Atmosphere: 18
Offerings: 13
Service: 17
Wildcard: 19
Total: 84
ROUND 1 WINNER: Pizza Port Carlsbad
Even with the bump in their Wildcard score, OBC couldn’t overcome the pizza portion of the Pizza Port patio. Pizza Port Brewing in Carlsbad won, but it was a well-fought battle. Oceanside Brewing Company represented itself well.
Did I miss an excellent brewery patio? Send a message to @CheersNorthCounty on Facebook or Instagram, or e-mail me at [email protected].
