Highway 1 Brewing Company

This place needs some help. We had the fish and chips and it was beyond greasy. The fries were hard and we both got sick. There is not alot to choose from menu wise but things are organic. Had to wait FOREVER for just water, and they weren’t even busy. We wouldn’t go back. I hope the owners are doing well with the brew aspect because their kitchen needs help.

I was disappointed with the food. I had the fish and chips, which should be the gold standard for a brewery, especially one on the coast of Cali. The fries were cold, dry and overcooked. The young lady next to me at the bar had the same issue and made them give her a new batch.
The battered fish was a mess. Slightly undercooked, so it was wet inside, and the thin, flavorless batter coating was mush on the bottom. Not crisp and crunchy at all. and pretty flavorless overall.
Had a glass of Stout and a glass of Not Your Father’s Lager, and both were good, though the Lager is lighter in flavor than you might expect from the color.

I’ll start this by noting that we ate here on New Year’s Day, and the place was busy, and seemed to be rather understaffed, especially in the restaurant area. That could certainly explain our sub-​par experience.
We were seated quite quickly, but it was immediately apparent that there were not enough waiters, that some of the waitstaff were inexperienced, and that they were rather overwhelmed. Took quite a long time for food and drinks to come out, and while we were waiting, there were often long periods when we could see food sitting under the heat lamps waiting to be taken to the tables. This is often a sign of a disorganized establishment, and it doesn’t do the food any favors either.
The menu looked great, but the food never quite lived up to the descriptions, and was a bit overpriced for the quality. The french fries on all dishes were dry and overcooked (possibly related to the delays in service and a long spell under the heat lamps). The burgers were OK, but nothing special; when you pay $ 19 for a burger, it should be a pretty damn good burger. Fish and chips was acceptable, with decent portions of fish. Chicken pot pie was small and the top was not very crispy.
The servers were very nice and very polite, and were clearly doing their best under difficult circumstances, not helped by the fact that their credit card machine went down during our stay. They needed at least one and probably two more people to help them, and they also need a better system for getting drinks from the bar to the tables (possibly a dedicated drinks waiter).
I would probably give this place another shot, at a slightly less busy time, to see if we just happened to go on a bad day. Even the best places have bad days sometimes.

Decided to drive up the coast for lunch with my family. We had the option to sit in the dining room, bar or patio. We chose the dining room where we ate our meal amid dulcet tones of heavy metal music that was just too loud and just didn’t fit. I had the burger, my daughter had the fish and chips and my wife had a chicken pot pie. My burger cooked medium but dry, the fries were cold, the chicken pot pie was inedible, but the fish and chips were very good. If you’re thirsty, the beers are good. If you’re hungry, there are better options in either direction on Hwy 1.

I live in Santa Cruz and had driven past this place numerous times and decided to take a drive up to try it out last weekend. The food was excellent but I was disappointed in the presentation of the beer selection in the dining room. It was very difficult to read the small board written in colored marker when there was a very large visible board that was underutilized.
I also did not like how we had to pay. It was all done on an iPad and we were unable to split our bill. Plus, the waitress stood over us with the tablet while we discussed the amounts and how to proceed. It was a little uncomfortable and inconvenient.
I wouldn’t go out of my way to stop there. again.

Lively spot offering upscale pub fare. The kitchen was boisterous, drinking, and antagonizing the patrons (I enjoyed it) before trying to shut down the place. Food was a 3, but the drinks… namely the Raddler with fresh lemonade… make this place a gem. It’s nestled in between overpriced tourist destinations and resort restaurants that have served better days.
If you’re looking for a quirky dinner stop with Mac n Cheese oozing with funkiness, you’ll like this spot. And the greens were home a run for me, too!

Had some high hopes for this place, but was really disappointed. It is definitely not what I picture when I think «brewery» more like a dive that needs a face lift. When we came in there was a band playing in the middle of the day, all well and good except they were way too incredibly loud for the small space we were in, I literally could not hear the person next to me when they were talking.
The food was so disappointly subpar. I ordered a burger and for $ 15 bucks I expect a pretty damn good burger as most are at that rate. There was absolutely nothing special except that it was local, organic meat.
We went out to their «beer garden» aka some picnic tables outside which are really nice on a warm day. They have some water in an igloo cooler, yay, water! Except it was green! Water, with a definite tone of green. So many levels of NOT okay.
Staff is really nice and friendly, but won’t be back.

My husband and I discovered this gem while driving to Santa Cruz down Hwy 1 one lazy Thursday afternoon. After having lunch in SC we literally turned around and drove back up because my husband just HAD to have one of their t-​shirts! We hung out for a couple hours, sitting at the bar, drinking glorious beer and watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.
This past Saturday we decided to make the 45 minute drive down Hwy 1 from San Francisco specifically to have more of their delicious beer and to try some of their food.
My husband ordered the Black Cider — it’s like a Snakebite but yummier. I had a few pints of the Stout. I used to be really snobby and never drank any other Stouts other than Guinness but since trying some locally brewed Stouts both in SF and in San Diego, I have become less of a snob and more open minded. Or at least I try to be!
For dinner I had their Hwy 1 Burger with Cheddar Cheese. Hubby had the Chish and Fips. We shared the wing sampler. OH. EM. GEE. Some of the best bar food I have had in quite a while. We had the option of ordering the wings breaded or baked. We opted for baked. Some of the wings were very spicy… My mouth was on fire but I had my nice cold pint to turn to for comfort.
One of the things I love about this gem is they do not offer Free Wifi. In fact, you probably will find out when visiting that you will not have any cell service. This means you will have the opportunity for some real live face time with your friends or you will be able to make friends with the person sitting next to you without them having their phone shoved in their face the entire time you are visiting. If you don’t feel like socializing with a real live person and do that thing called communication, you can sulk over your beer while enjoying the beautiful views right outside the bar window. If you are ultra lucky you will be able to watch the sun disappear behind the gorgeous Pacific Ocean.
If you’re ever feeling adventurous and decide to take a drive down Hwy 1, I highly recommend this brewery. It is a fantastic place to stop for a pint and a nibble. It is off the grid so you can enjoy the company of your friends and maybe even some live music if you are visiting during the weekend. And if you’re so inclined, buy a growler to take home to share (or not) with your not so adventurous friends.

I keep trying to like this place but I just can’t. The service is bad and the bathrooms and dirty. The food is mediocre.
There is so much potential for this nice little place on the coast, but the lack of management and service really stops it from being an enjoyable place to eat.

Changed ownership four months ago.
No more French Mexican War, so you can release that memory from your mind forever. The last owners wouldn’t sell it.
The other beers were okay, but don’t seem to have as much thought or love put into them as the last ones, but that’s okay. The food is much better and it’s always been over-​priced, but now it seems worth it.
MINUS ONE BIG FAT STAR for $ 26 growler fills? Fuck that. Seriously fuck that. And if you want a fancy flip top growler from them, prepare to pay too much again at a solid $ 55. So really… if you want a growler of their beer, be prepared to spend over 70 dollars.
Rethink that, Highway 1. Please.

I actually ate a taco salad overlooking the ocean in this building and attended an employee picnic at the Gazo Grill formerly occupying this space.
They have difficulties. Often there are mobs of bikers who come only to use a restroom. They are far from the madding crowd as far as getting food deliveries. The person I know bought it from prior owners and sold out herself. It is a tough place to make a go of it.

Sadly we had no reception when we came here and so had no way of checking this place on Unilocal beforehand. This is def a 0 or –1 star place.
Cons:
— lots of flies
— pretty meh food
— waited for more than 1 hr after ordering, slow service
Pros:
— none
But the worst part was that they billed us more than $ 30 extra for items we didn’t order. When we got the check we were so tired of being there we didn’t check the receipt. When we realized a few hours later, we called them and they were so busy providing more bad service that they never called us back.
I’d rather not go into further detail on how terrible their service is but they have no regard or concern for any of their customers. Go here if you want to pay for random ppls’ food and have a frustrating meal.

We came here today after a fun day with the kids driving around Pescadero. Unfortunately what we came for (the fried chicken) was all out. It’s a great family place though and the kids menu was perfect. My son had the hot dog and fries and devoured them. I had the crab patty and it was pretty good with a nice little kick. I had the Amberdextrous beer which had a good flavor to it too. My wife had the chicken burger but thought the salad it came with was much better.
Don’t expect to get any cell service here but that’s part of the charm of this place along the coast.

If there is an option to give minus star, this is the place to give that.
We were in this place today and after ordering wait time was 1.45 hours.
After this looong wait all of our food was either burnt or cooked to make a jerky.
Never ever recommend this place to anyone. Whenever we asked about food, they said it’s being platted. Platting for 1.30 hour?

This place seemed like a cool and inviting place to stop after a long day at the beach; which I was inherently mistaken! Walk in to the place and it is sweltering hot. Hotter inside than it was outside honestly on this hot sunny summer day.
Staff started off friendly and they sat us timely but, naturally after spending hours at the beach I headed straight to bathroom before I could think of ordering anything. Walked in to the bathroom and immediate smell of urine overcame my senses. Everything looked as if there was a coat of urine and fecal matter in the whole room. The place hadn’t seen a mop in months. Even worse I go to wash my hands and there is no soap. NO SOAP! You know what that means? The person cooking the food I was about to consume had not washed their hands with soap. In utter disgust I head back to my table and tell my family we had to go. That’s it! A bathroom tells a lot abut a business and I refuse to eat somewhere that is a Petri dish for E. coli.

On a Saturday trip down the California Highway 1 to Pescadero, we passed this place and it looked interesting.
The greetings were pleasant from everyone. We were seated in the front room, facing the coast highway and it was much too warm to be comfortable, even with the paddle fans above us.
So we moved to the cooler, darker, room next to the bar and it was better, but more noisy and less like a restaurant than an extended bar area. It was also hard to get service because the waiter was a bartender doing double duty.
We ordered the 1PA and British IPA that were on the chalkboard and found them OK, but not great. The British IPA was less cold than the 1PA and should really not have been classified as an IPA because it didn’t show the level of hoppiness that an IPA really needs – it was very one dimensional. I love IPAs, being a fan of Langunitas and Pliney the Elder, and the 1PA was not bad, but not as complex as I would have hoped.
The Sauteed Onion and Blue Cheese burger was very good and so was the very generous Chish and Fips (fish and chips). The fish and chips were on the oily side and served with two dipping sauces (Tabasco remoulade & black honey ketchup) but I would have liked an option of a tarter sauce.
For both the burger and the fish, the fries were really great.
The bathroom situation looked like a nightmare after a small biker group came it and there was a line of about 6+ people waiting to get in. So my wife and I skipped even trying to get in.
I would not go out of my way to go here, but if you are in the area, this is a worth a try.

Really great pit stop on your way down the PCH! I had the 1PA and loved it. Just the right balance of hoppyness. We didn’t have anything to eat here, so I can’t speak for that, but everything on the menu sounded tasty.
We sat at the bar and got to look out the big window and watch the cars pass on the highway and overlook the ocean. It’s a nice spot for a break from the car!

The brew house, is not what I am reviewing today I am reviewing the restaurant attached to the brew house, Nice enough place, ordered two kids meals a burger and beet salad. Had chips and salsa for appetizer. What happened next was I don’t know if Fluke maybe.
Got chips and salsa not a problem. It was awfully long wait for our food. Ask the waitress several times what’s going on, stated that it’s on its way. Kids are getting awfully hungry. She offered to get us more chips. Even gave us some soup to keep the kids happy until the food came.
Food eventually Came out. Delicious enough. Beet salad was real good, burger came out as ordered.
Just disappointed on organization.

Strange place to find a brewery on a secluded path of Hwy 1… there is literally no good food or bars within a 20 mile radius so if your hiking around the area or are staying at Castanoa ranch, this may be a nice convenient place for you to grab a quick bite and brew.
I had a sampler of all their beers and they were okay. Most brews were ~4.5% ABV. The standout brew was probably their black lager. I’ve definitely had better beers elsewhere but I’ll give credit where it’s due to the remote location of this brewery.
3.5 stars.

3.5 stars!
One of our stops during a day trip along Highway 1.
Five of us came here during a very packed night due to, what we discovered later, was a fundraiser for some local schools. There were some cool live bands playing all night for the fundraiser event, but there was minimal standing room or even to room to squeeze towards the bar to grab a drink. Our group opted to find seating in the dining room.
We waited close to an hour to be seated (though I kept urging my friends to just go ahead and sit, since there were some tables open!). The place seemed to be severely understaffed for such a busy event. Food kept pouring out the kitchen, but there were only about 2 waitresses struggling to keep up and find the people in the crowd the orders corresponded to. We understood the struggle, so we patiently waited and sipped on quite a couple of beers. It took awhile for our table to be bussed.
Once we got seated, we waited awhile more before we had to get up and remind one of the waitresses to take our order. She was apologetic and we assured her we understood how busy it currently is.
After we got our food and more beers, everything else went smoothly, as the kitchen seemed to die down a bit. Decent burger I got, good beers. I especially liked the Old Salt and Rock Queen beers.
I’m sure service is awesome when events aren’t happening! I ended up buying some stickers too. Cool little venue which I hear used to just be a diner???