It was 2020 when Justin Stambaugh decided to change just about every aspect of his San Marcos beer enterprise, Stave & Nail Brewing. Laid up with COVID, the entrepreneurial brewmaster fleshed out a second life for his business which would see it grow in terms of its number of locations and overall manufacturing capacity, flip its beer portfolio on its head from a stylistic perspective, go from offering brunches in a parking lot to presenting a full-scale food-and-beverage experience at a full-fledged restaurant, and adopt a completely different name and thematic. Now, after three years and numerous delays, he is finally ready to pull back the curtain on his new concept, Prey Brewing.
While Prey has been ready to roll from a beer-production standpoint since an upgrade to the brewery and cellar at its San Marcos headquarters last year, that aspect of the business has been paused as Stambaugh and his team worked to complete construction and obtain regulatory sign-offs for its new public-facing location, a 1,385-square-foot bar and restaurant at the foot of the Rylan Apartment building in downtown Vista. While the brewery owner has nearly a decade of experience in the hospitality industry, this is his initial run as a restaurateur. As such, there have been bumps in the road and lessons learned, but battle-tested after hurdling numerous obstacles, Stambaugh is excited and ready for action.
Nearly three years after the writing of the business plan to the completion of this project, the feeling around the restaurant is absolutely incredible. From the planning and construction phase to the completion of Prey, I find myself sitting with an immense sense of pride and happiness alongside our amazing staff.”
Justin Stambaugh, Owner & Brewmaster, Prey Brewing
“We have an incredible team, from our amazing chef to our bar staff and, of course, the brewing team. Everyone has bought into the dream, and we are all stoked to bring something that we feel has been missing in downtown Vista and inland North County as a whole,” says Stambaugh.
Stambaugh’s vision was to create a bar-equipped eatery offering upscale spins on familiar casual dishes served alongside craft cocktails and quality beer. While the majority of the venue’s 16 taps will be stocked with Prey beers, stylistic gaps will be filled by ales and lagers from other craft breweries. Eventually, Stambaugh expects to have 10 to 12 Prey creations on-tap, but come opening day there will be seven: a hazy IPA crafted in collaboration with North Park’s TapRoom Beer Co., a salt-and-lime Gose, a golden sour ale brewed with Riesling grapes, a coffee-infused stout, light and dark Mexican-style lagers and a fruited Brett saison brewed at Derive Brewing in Columbus, Ohio.
Devised by Executive Chef Jesus Gabino, Prey’s menu leads with “small bites”, including a variety of crispy chicken wings (mezcal-lime, Calabrian chili-based Buffalo, whiskey barbecue), fried egg and consommé gravy-topped oxtail birria fries, a catch-of-the-day seafood crudo, shrimp ceviche, and bao buns stuffed with one’s choice of Nashville hot karaage-style fried chicken, birria or crispy pork belly. Mains include meal-sized salads, a quintet of burgers from a simple smash to a bahn-mi model topped with pork belly, pickled vegetables and a hoisin aioli (pictured below), as well as three spins on tacos (wild mushroom, beer-battered fish, quesabirria). Churro bread pudding and caramel-sauced apple turnovers make for sweet culinary closers.
Just as Stambaugh aimed to provide something different on the F&B side, he and his team aimed to deliver a design concept and atmosphere bucking the bright, colorful, light-hearted motifs of most beer-based venues. Resultantly, Prey’s look is sleek and modern with a color palate on the darker, moodier side. Imagery of animals – be they predator or prey – can be found throughout both the bar and dining room. That same iconography will grace Prey’s beer cans, which will be available later this year.
Prey’s soft-opening will take place Saturday, January 20, and be followed by a grand opening on Saturday, February 3. Its hours of operation will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays.
Prey Brewing is located at 100 Main Street in Vista