Like it. Went Sunday and tried Clams, Soup, Ale Chili, Sausage and Olives. Drank through Pils, IPA and Rye IPA. Professional set up. Met owners - nice folks who are committed to running a top flight brewery with outstanding food. Food is directed by Chef Chris from Main Street Garden. All were great tastes. Favorite were the clams and Pils.
This is a great local spot. Excellent service. Â Its a winner.
This place is awesome. Â I want to start by saying I am not a huge beer drinker, that is reserved for my husband. Â This place has a great selection of beer and the food is awesome. Â I ordered "Burrata" as a starter, the best cheese dish I have ever had. Â We also ordered the "Chili", WOW amazing dish. Â
My husband and I will definitely be back him for the great beer and me for the great beer and amazing food.
I thought I was going to have lunch on the back patio of Café Cruz when a new lofty looking red building down the parking lot caught my eye.  The boyfriend and I decided to take a walk down the parking lot and check it out.  We were pleasantly surprised to find a brewery hidden away behind the car wash.  Where did this come from?  Never letting an opportunity pass us by we decided to go in and try some beer.  We walked into their industrial but super cozy tap room and were greeted by a really warm and helpful staff.  Not sure about what to order we decided on a sampler of six beers.  We also ordered the burrata (YUM) cheese plate and the mild ale sausage small plate to accompany our liquids.  The next thing I knew I was sitting out on a lovely sunny patio eating some gourmet treats at a brewery.  I really want to iterate the gourmet treats part.  My mouth exploded with flavor, my mind was blown by the food, happiness filled my heart and I was instantly in love with Discretion.  The food here is really something special.  I was speechless.  This is not your greasy fry burger brewery joint this is full flavored farm fresh well prepared sophisticated eating.  Oh, and the beers!  Microbrews!  All were good...I need to go back and try the beers again.  I was so delighted with the food I can barely remember the beers.  I know I liked them, but all I can think about is that perfect lean sausage with those delicious pickled carrots and the burrata cheese plate.  I thought prices were reasonable for the food quality.  I'm really excited about Discretion Brewing.
Review Source:Great spread of beers for everyone. A fantastic Rye IPA and a great Lager. ALSO - might i add....amazing chili. Note that the food is small portions (although the small chili was more than enough for me especially with two beers). BUT great service, great great beer, great food....and it's local. DO IT!
Review Source:Excellent beers, great food, good atmosphere. Â This place is a BREWERY! Â Seating is a little tight, but they are expanding out to the Bier Garden, could use some more shade. Â The Appy's were good, but were a little on the heavy side for $'s. Â Hope they can fix that. Â On the food side, Â I have to give them credit for going outside for the help, not trying to do it themselves. Â Try it, you'll like it.
Review Source:I have to say that the beers were tasty; loved the black lager and the pilsner. While the beers were reasonably priced for organic and tasty brews; I'm giving the place 3 stars because of the seating and food. Seating is just awkward in some parts of the room. The food didn't taste bad, but portion wise was horrendous. $15 for the "large" appetizer of fried fish (yes- okay- it was fish, but still, it should have had a couple of more pieces), and the asparagus. The asparagus bowl was hardly an appetizer for one, even though it too was supposed to be a "large", and it was asparagus, nothing fancy. So our 2 beers and 2 "large" appetizers ran us $40... we left without much of a buzz and were still starving...
I'll go back, but knowing that I will only have a drink without food.
"Woohoo! As good as it gets". I know I have posted 5 star ratings before, but this is the new benchmark, against which future reviews will be judged.
Seriously, this place was spectacular.
My wife and I were in the area to visit our classic car which is being prepared for paint. So of-course I checked Yelp for a great place to stop in. Discretion looked great so we decided to give it a try.
The place was abuzz with activity when we arrived at about 4:30 on Friday afternoon. Not empty, an not packed. And by the time we left, it was really hopping.
In usual form we shared some tappas, (excellent by the way) and a couple beers. We were engaged by 4-5 staff during our visit, all very friendly and knowledgeable.
You can see though a steel screen wall into the brewery. We were even given a personal tour of the brewing process by the Chief Beer Ambassador himself, Dustin.
Discretion had a nice assortment of beer on tap, impressive no doubt....
Great local vibe for sure. Inside/outside seating. Felt like a big family party. We got the impression that it's a familiar, every day event for all the staff there.
Before our visit, I thought Discretion may be one of those places that you stop in if your in the area. But, it's one of "those" places where you make a special trip.
We live about 60 miles away, and we'll definitely be back.
Thanx again you guys....
If I like everything -- beer, food, service, the space itself -- about Discretion but have one teeny quibble -- the food, while excellent, seems a bit overpriced for how much you get -- should I give it four stars or five? Really oughta be the full five, but on the chance that we could get a couple more bites of delish on those ever-changing small plates, here we are.
So yeah, the beers are pretty uniformly excellent -- Uncle Dave's IPA has established itself as the one that goes home in the growler, but get the sampler and test-drive them all yourself. The staff is friendly and can certainly help you with food and beer choices, and, though it's not really table service (other than them bringing out the food), they're not shy about stopping by to ask how everything's tasting, clear plates and such.
The building itself is really cool -- light, airy, very welcoming -- so not to worry if you can't score a spot outside. Big ups for having a well-stocked kids area, the better to keep the youngsters occupied so mom and dad can get a couple more pints.
A great, great addition to the scene. Keep it up, Discretion!
Local friends brought me in for supper and beer. Â Both were quite impressive.
Of course I tried the sampler flight, and enjoyed each beer.  The brown is quite tasty and very sessionable, but  my favorite of the sampling was the Rye IPA, which at a sharp 7% is toward the deep end of the pool.  A second IPA complemented my dinner perfectly.
We shared out various dishes; the menu is a fine assortment of vegetarian and meat dishes, and not one was disappointing. Â The pork terrine was a richly satisfying small plate, the produce, both sides and garnish was delicious, with the vegetarian garlic-potato soup a major standout, and the local burrata with crostini was again amazing. Â
Many breweries spend years getting their menu this refined; Discretion pulled it off immediately.
"A fine beer may be judged with only one sip, but it's better to be thoroughly sure." ~Czech Proverb
I've been following Discretion Brewing on Facebook since well before they opened and watched the process as they finished the building, installed their brew vats, bought ingredients and finally started brewing their beer. Here is where I come in, the final piece of the puzzle, the person that imbibes this elixir and judges whether or not it is a fine beer or not. A serious responsibility if you ask me.
Having shirked my beer drinking responsibilities for far too long, Astrid and I had the opportunity to check out Discretion on a busy Saturday evening last week. Once you enter the taproom, you feel right at home. There's plenty of nice touches from corner nooks where you can have a private conversation to large community tables where you can meet new friends to an outdoor beer garden where dogs are welcome. The food and beer menu is to the right when you come in, the line to order is at the left of the bar overlooking the brewing room.
Since we were going out to dinner later, we decided to just have a beer and some appetizers. The food menu changes weekly based on what's fresh and vibrant so each visit brings something different. We ordered a bowl of warmed olives and the burrata served with crostini, strawberries, and rhubarb-pale ale jam as well as their Shimmer Pils, an authentic German-style Pilsner. The beer was perfect. Fresh, crisp and clean brew with the tastes of grain and a nice slightly bitter finish. The food was excellent as well, but I recommend getting the larger dishes for groups of two or more.
While I only had one beer, I'm thoroughly sure that this was a good one. I'll definitely be back to try their other year round brews; particularly their Rye IPA and their Good Faith Strong Ale. They also brew seasonals as well so check their website before you arrive to see what they're pouring that night. You can also get a taste of all of their beers for only $8.00, an awesome deal...if you're wondering.
I love the fact that so many brewers are making Santa Cruz their home base. Get out there and support these guys!
PROST!
Five stars as a big welcome to a refreshing new entry to the brew and food scene. Â
Discretion Brewing isn't out to create a rowdy scene, rather to provide a thoughtful, light-filled space to enjoy brews and good food.
The staff stood out - involved in the new brewpub's establishment and thoughtful in sharing information with customers.
The menu & kitchen were wisely left to a seasoned restaurant - Soquel's Main Street Garden - so you don't get the impression that sustenance was an afterthought. Â Instead the food can be healthy (brussel sprouts!) and some dishes are made with their own ales (sausages, chili). Â Â Even the nonalcoholic drinks are thoughtful: sparkling water with ginger and anise.
Improvement still needed in noise reduction. Â The large warehouse-y space might be fine for production, but not for conversation. Â We went during off-hours and can imagine that it will get crowded at more conventional hours. Â Note the early closing time for a brewpub - 8PM - reflecting a philosophy not set on creating a rowdy scene.
The (intentionally) eclectic decor, complete with fresh flowers, is as welcoming as the staff.
I learned about this new craft brewery in the Santa Cruz area through Facebook. Â Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery gave them a shout out in one of their posts, and so I liked the page. Â Tons of positive comments came streaming through my news feed, and I decided I needed to check them out some time.
My chance occurred when the Princess need a lift back to school at the end of her spring break. Â We loaded up the car and started to head north, 7 hours later we were hungry, thirsty, and found ourselves at Discretion. Â We started by sharing the sampler. Â I have to tell you that every beer we tasted was a solid brew, really not a bad one in the bunch. Â Stand outs were the Rye IPA and the Pils, Â but anything you order will please. Â The brewer knows what he's doing.
The food here is good, too. Â then menu is going to change based on seasonally available fresh, locally sources ingredients, so I won't dwell on specifics, What I will applaud them on is the use of beer in many of the menu items. Â Beer can be a difficult ingredient to work with in the kitchen, and so many brew pubs will only have token dishes made with trace amounts of beer. Â The chef here goes all-out.
If I have one criticism or concern about this place, it's that the are starting out too small. Â What they are doing, they are doing so well, they are quickly going to out-grow their space. Â I predict long lines for a seat in the taproom , and tremendous demand for their beer.
first visit- wow- great local on-site brewery. Â This is NOT a restaurant nor a bar. Â It is a tasting room that also serves some dishes created by Main Street Garden Grill. Â This is crafted beer and not bud light, so the prices are what they are. Â You can also purchase a 'growler' which is a glass half-gallon container with logo and fresh brew to take home.
The Discretion understands who they are and what they do.
The brews were extremely fresh and very good and the chili is amazing.
Welcome to the East Side- Â Capitola and Soquel folks- you gotta try this place and bring your visiting friends.
thumbs up for Discretion Brewery
Saw this place in the local paper, wanted to try it. Â Showed up here with my teenage daughter at about 6pm on a Saturday, wanted dinner and a beer.
my daughter is a vegetarian. Â she ordered the salad ("Lettuces". awww, how precious). Â I ordered the fresh fish, Ling Cod, and a brown ale. asked the counter if it came with anything, he said a small salad on the side of the plate.
place was quite noisy, fairly full but not busting. Â Its in a brand new post-industrial style building (reminds me of the new Sashmill buildings), tucked behind a furniture store. Â we sat at the far end of the long table, by the open back door, as it seemed a little quieter than the one small table.
my daughters 'large' salad -err- 'Lettuces' Â *cough* was a small pile of whole baby lettuces not much bigger than a softball, drenched in some sort of oil-n-vinegar, with generous shavings of reggiano on top, and crumbled ricotta salata arranged around it. Â she thought the lettuce was soggy, but the cheese was quite nice.
my brown ale was nice. Â darker color than expected, almost black in the goblet, but a light tart brown ale flavor, nonetheless, and a mild 4%, it was quite good.
My Ling Cod turned out to be 5 bite sized chunks, each nicely battered  and fried, and each carefully placed on its own little dollop of tartar sauce.  the side salad was a spoonful of baby arugula with some shaving thin slices of a tiny radish the size of a #2 pencil, artfully arranged between two tiny slivers of a very tiny orange.  this plate might have been an ok appetizer, but wasn't what I'd consider a entree.  and the lingcod wasn't /that/ fresh.  my dad used to catch ling cod on the sonoma coast in the 60s, we grew up on that and rockfish and cabezon, so my standards for fresh fish are kind of high.
1 beer, 1 'large' salad and 1 entree(?) was $26, fairly expensive, even if they'd been more substantial.
I might go back and try a few more of their beers. Â I doubt I'll be back for dinner.
We ordered a sampler of 5 beers, two 16 oz beers (IPA and Pale Ale), sausage plate, poached halibut salad, chili and brussel sprouts.
My favorites were the Pils (perhaps someone out there can clue me in to why this is so hard to get right) and the IPA. The others I tried didn't send me, but that's a matter personal taste. What's more important is that none of the beer I tried had a weird metallic - bacteria taste .
Food was surprisingly good! Everything had a nice balance to it - standouts were the sausage and the halibut salad. Â Some suggestions: a little dollop of mustard with the sausage would be nice...and the chili, while good, could have used a touch more salt.
I hope they'll open up a patio when the weather warms up...and stay open past 8.
Welcome to the neighborhood, Discretion. I'll be back!
I went to check this place our since it is close to home and had excellent reviews. I'm hoping the management reads this and makes some adjustments, I'd like to go back. First the good: I had the IPA it was excellent. They have a great beer there. Now the bad: Price. I went during happy hour which is only from 4:00-5:30? Weird, most pubs are 3-6 or 4-6, I don't get it. But anyway, even at happy hour prices they only take 15% off the cost of the beer? $4.25 a beer on happy hour. That's about regular price at most places. I can buy a 6 pack of a quality IPA for Less than 2 beers here. Also no TV for sports or free wi-fi. I think there anti-media but get with the program, we live in a connected world. So maybe this isn't the place for me. It's hidden off of 41st ave behind cafe Cruz, I may go there for a beer if I'm going to dinner there first but since there only open until 8:00 pm not sure. Hopefully they will take my comments to heart and change it up a bit, otherwise I don't think this place will survive. There are at least 3 other great breweries within 5 miles of this place.
Review Source:Beer
Checked this place out on a Saturday and really enjoyed it. Has potential to grow (outdoor beer garden?). We ordered the flight, and my favorite turned out to be the Uncle Dave. I can't say that the beers blew me away, but I have an appreciation for good beer and I like what they're doing. Watch out for the Good Faith, it looks like a hearty dark beer but tastes surprisingly sweet and lighter than expected. With 9% alcohol content, it will sneak up on you!
Foods
We tried crostini with a minced pork hummus spread. First time I had something like that. Pretty tasty. Next time, I'll try some of their chilli or the ale sausage.
Service/Ambiance
Very nice people, felt really welcome here. Yes, there was noise and the area is kind of small for seating. You may have to share a table with others, but it's a brewhouse. Get cozy. I wouldn't recommend if you're trying have a quiet drink to yourself and can't stand chatter.
Very excited to see some more breweries popping up in Santa Cruz County. If my other experiences are this good, I'll give more stars. I want to try some seasonal beers and maybe even a Pilsner when it gets a little warmer. (That's saying a lot because I am not a Pilsner girl, but I liked theirs!).
Overall, hoping they keep up the good work. Happy to have them in town and close by.
I love this place. It is past time that a new Brewery/Tap Room opened in this side of town. To begin, the beer it self is absolutely tasty. The pilsner and IPA are something that everyone needs to try. If you are into brown ales they have a fantastic one also. What I enjoy about this place is how directly behind the bar you can see the brewing set up. During the week you can walk into the facility, sit down, have a beer and smell the aroma of fresh batches of beer being brewed.
The staff was great and they did have a food menu which I never truly looked at but did see some nice dishes being served.
They have a fantastic deals on Growlers and cheap refills.
This is definitely one of my new favorite breweries in the area.
Great experience. Â Our group of three was happy with all that we tasted but settled on Uncle Dave's IPA. Â Also had a bruschetta of burrata, crisp toasts, roasted garlic and tart marmalade...to die for. Â The cannelloni was good and the fish ball were very good, though a little salty. Â Definitely a return visit is in order. Â Beer prices are vary fair.
Review Source:I went here after work, and grabbed a pilsner and the sampler. They have the best tasting beers around right now. The atmosphere is amazing, and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable. The location is so close to my house, i probably will go here at least once a week if not more. Most likely will try the food next time I go in, some one a couple chairs down had some, and it looked amazing. The pricing is also good, for two beers, and two flights it was about $22
Review Source:This brewery has one of the best IPA's ever.quite hoppy and full of citrus notes.I also had the Good Faith, which was just ok. It's really nice inside and the girl who helped me was super nice. They also serve food from Main street cafe. Have to try that next time.This is my new spot for beer. I hope they can maintain the consistency. If so this will end up as the best brewery in SC.
Review Source: