Hillcrest Brewing Company - Reviews

My experience at this restaurant was great! It's a great spot to visit if you're in Hillcrest. They offer a nice variety of cocktails and beers, alongside classic American favorites like pizza, wings, pretzels, garlic knots, and salads. The restaurant provides both indoor seating and a cute outdoor patio that's pet friendly. The staff are friendly and they are accommodating for larger groups, kindly splitting checks if requested at the start, which makes it ideal for events where guests might arrive and depart at different times. It's a solid go-to happy hour spot.

I've become a regular at this restaurant, and Jason and the staff always take great care of me. The service is friendly, the food is consistent, and the energy is always a good time. The great service here is so consistently good that when I go to other bars, I'm often let down. They also have the best beer menu in Hillcrest!

My in-laws and I stopped here before our dinner reservation nearby. My father-in-law was excited to return, as he remembers this place from a visit 6 years ago. It's a very cute and quaint local vibe brewery. They offer a selection of their local made beers and also traditional cocktails and spirits. They also have their own specialty cocktails; one that was seasonally featured was the apple martini, which my mother-in-law ordered and loved!

Last night was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had. From the moment I walked in, the place stunk — it smelled bad and felt uncomfortable to be in. The staff had the worst customer service, acting rude and dismissive the entire time. What made it worse was how the manager treated me. He harassed and discriminated against me, falsely accusing me of pouring a drink into my own water container. The way he spoke to me was completely uncalled for — loud, disrespectful, and humiliating in front of others. No customer deserves to be treated this way. Between the terrible service, awful attitude, and the bad smell, I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. They seriously need to retrain their staff and reconsider who they put in charge.

The vibes in this restaurant were good, and the staff was friendly. However, we made a special trip on a Sunday, and the food was shockingly bad. The pizza was flimsy and tasteless, with a crust like cardboard – a cracker texture that was also mushy in the middle, weighed down by what seemed like an entire can of olives. The veggies were very overcooked. The wings were the worst we've ever had, appearing boiled and texturally ruined, then tossed in a flavorless sauce that didn't adhere. The ranch was awful, not tasting like ranch and not good on its own. The celery served with the wings was not fresh. The wooden plates were questionable for sanitation. Despite tipping 20% and not complaining, as we are nice people in San Diego, the meal was inedible. We hope this was an isolated incident, as the vibes are genuinely good. We cannot recommend the food at all and are sorry to have to leave this review, as we were looking forward to this meal.

My experience at this restaurant was fantastic! They offer an extensive selection of brews and cocktails, and an incredible variety of screens to watch the game. The food specials were delightful, and the entire experience was brought together by Hillcrest’s finest crew of bartenders and staff. I highly recommend the Oven Baked Chicken Wings.

I took my mom to this restaurant, and the team there was beyond accommodating. My mom can be sarcastic, particular, and has an accent, but our server was attentive, accommodating, delightful, and funny. He even managed to pivot his understanding of my mom’s sense of humor. The food was excellent, and sitting on the patio was nice on a breezy night (no AC was on). While the menu is limited food-wise, the service was truly beyond exceptional.

My experience at the restaurant was fantastic, especially during the Doggy Social event. It was incredibly social, with other patrons happily greeting both me and my pup. The food was truly amazing; as an Italian, I can confidently say these were probably the best meatballs I've tried in San Diego. The sauce was also noteworthy, being chunky with fresh basil!

I've been coming here since it first opened, and I still love it. The wings and pizza are incredible. Plus, Matt, a bartender, makes the BEST tasting drinks. Thank you!

My experience at this restaurant was fantastic! The staff were super friendly, and the pizza was great. I highly recommend trying the pizza of the month – they're always great!