Coronado & Imperial Beach Brewery Guide
From some of the county’s newest expansion projects to one of its longest-running brewpubs, these southwest cities have plenty for beer fans to sip and savor
It took a while for craft beer to trickle its way into the southwestern-most corner of San Diego County, but a handful of recent high-profile brewery-venue openings have proven game-changers. Now, residents and visitors alike can indulge in locally brewed ales and lagers on both ends of the Silver Strand, including an easily traversable trio of suds spots in once beer-barren Imperial Beach. This influx represents the latest chapter in the South Bay’s craft-beer uprising, and it’s one worth savoring.
CORONADO
Coronado Brewing – Coronado Brew Pub
170 Orange Avenue
It was 1996 when a fraternal pair of islanders opened their hometown’s namesake red-brick brewpub. At the time, it was one of just a handful of breweries in all of San Diego County. Now, it’s among the largest brewing companies in the U.S. Despite that monumental rise, which was facilitated by construction of a large-scale Bay Park production facility in 2012, Coronado Brewing’s OG pub remains a cozy, kickback, down-to-earth locale. A menu of wood-fired pizzas, burgers, sandos and substantial mains (pastas, ribs, seafood, steak) pairs well with award-winning “coastal” beers, including its runaway success Salty Crew blonde ale, Nado rice lager and Weekend Vibes IPA.
IMPERIAL BEACH
Mike Hess Brewing – Imperial Beach Biergarten
805 Ocean Lane
Enter a most-unique craft-beer compound, where a plethora of al fresco imbibing options abound. Post up beneath the shade of palm-thatching, park the family at a communal picnic table, pull up a chair around a fire or perch yourself atop a refurbished shipping-container bar. All make for pleasant spots to take in Mike Hess Brewing’s array of largely hoppy and beachy (read: low-alcohol and refreshing) beers. Ditto tacos, nachos and other SoCal-style Mexican delicacies from Quiero’s on-site kitchen, including breakfast items that are available during the morning hours along with tasty java drinks from IB Espresso, the motto of which is “coffee now, beer later”.
Novo Brazil Brewing – Imperial Beach
535 Florence Street
Brazilian hospitality and culinary flare (empanadas, croquettes, picanha with yucca fries) are at the forefront of this bar and restaurant at the southern tip of San Diego Bay. Like Novo Brazil Brewing’s other venues, it features a lengthy bar and multitude of taps dispensing the company’s beers (including specialties brewed on-site), hard kombucha and more, plus multiple big-screen TVs for sports spectating. What sets this spot apart is an outdoor patio with plenty of square-footage and seating space, access to the Bayshore Bikeway, plus sweeping waterfront views of the Strand, Coronado Bridge and Downtown San Diego, which are best enjoyed at sunset and during weekend brunch.
Pizza Port – Imperial Beach
204 Palm Avenue
One of San Diego’s most beloved businesses, Pizza Port, opened its sixth brewpub in IB in 2022, bringing its popular “grub and grog” to the South Bay. Equipped with a pet-friendly patio stocked with picnic tables and a palapa-shaded rail bar looking out onto Palm Avenue, the latest link in this family-run chain leads with staples (“anti-wimpy” pizzas, salads, wings), but is the first to offer smoked pork and chicken sandwiches with picnic sides. Also uniquely different is IB’s beer list, which has plenty of Port’s popular West Coast IPAs, but also a wide variety of lighter styles, including a pre-Prohibition-style cream ale, Kölsch, Citra-hopped blonde ale and a standout schwarzbier.