Its been a long time since ive been to the central coast. May so long that i wasnt able to drink legally when i was last there. Discovered Firestone through their collaboration with Mikkeller on a sour ale, Lil' Mikkel. Going through two different Opus One wine barrels, theyve come up with this slightly sweet and sour ale  with a dry finish. Now that i know that Mikkeller has collaborated with them, im definitely looking for their more mainstream stuff
Review Source:On a roadtrip from San Diego a buddy and I were really excited to pop in and have a beer. Upon entering we were informed that they had just closed and we had asked if they were still open for merchandise and beer sales (as people were still eating and drinking). The hostess was very nice and said she would ask. We then were approched by a very rude guy that was spouting off at us like he was hating life as he was still wiping down a glass. I could tell he was having a bad day and at this point just wanted to grab a shirt and a sixer. He told us we can buy beer in an over abrasive tone and pointed us towards a door. As we got to the door (not ever have been to this establishment) he comes and YELLS at us and says the beers are available to see through the glass window (as we started to crack the fridge door). Maybe if he wasnt such an overbearing angry person we would have known. I was half way to wanting to punch this guy for his demeanor. He should really learn proper customs and courtesies and how to approach people. Not knocking the establishment just the service of one individual that shouldnt have any exchange of relations with people ever. Left extremely upset, disrespected and beerless. Shouldn't feel unwanted or pushed to leave because one employee is having a bad day especially if the establishment is still open for sales. I can now say on my roadtrip to central California I didn't get to enjoy Firestone and didnt want to after the encounter of one prick employee. Just didn't want to spend my cash here following his presence.
Review Source:Took the 30min brewery tour. Be sure to call ahead about an hour to put your name down on the tour since it fills up pretty quickly and is limited to 10-12 people. The tour was very informative, and you can get up close to all their equipment. Its great for the average to die-hard beer aficionado. The tasting room can get a little cramped and ordering drinks can take forever. I wish they had a separate register to purchase apparel. Instead of waiting in line, we headed across to the restaurant bar and grabbed a sampler of the beers there. They had all the same beers on tap.
Review Source:Went back for dinner the very next night while in Paso on business. Â Sat at the bar facing the kitchen, great spot to catch the culinary action if the "real" bar is packed...as it was on a Friday night.
Beto's fish tacos are a MUST HAVE!
Again, VERY friendly staff, etc. Â Wonderful job, FWBC...
Can't wait to return...
I like their beer ... always have, the Double Jack is great.  But going in for a meal is not ever happening again.  I have gone twice now as I go to visit or pick up my son from Cal Poly and both times the service has been very poor.  After being seated  roughly 15 minute wait to even see a waitress. She showed up just as we were getting to walk out. Waitress told me that she had a big party come in ... yeah, she did ... they came in after us and had beer and food long before us. I don't want an excuse, I want service.  Finally got a beer, then had to wait again for her to come back for our food order  ... long enough that our drinks were gone before she came to take our order.  I am not one to be shy and vocalized my dis-satisfaction.  I was told a few minutes later the manager would come over to talk to me ... it took 45 minutes to get our food and eat ... and in that time, never saw the manager.  Scratch another brewery off my list.
Review Source:I have been there at least 6 times now and all I can say is "go for the beer, not the food" Beer selection is great and I like that you can order a taste for about $2 if you want to try a few things or get help making up your mind.
I had been hearing things about Firestone having the best burger around so 5 of us went for a late lunch last Sunday. Â Totally disappointing experience all the way around. Â Food wasn't horrible, just not very good. Â They are REALLY lacking attention to details. Â Fries were greasy, burgers were no big deal and were actually a bit dry. Â Nothing was hot when it arrived. Â We also had a flat bread pizza that lacked pizazz........this was probably my worst food experience so far, but my other times eating there haven't been that much better. Â They really need to bring some expertise into the kitchen - a great brewery should have great food!
This place has it dialed! Called for a resv and they said they could not take more due to volume. We went anyway hoping to get a table somehow. We got right in as they serve at the bar and also some service tables by the open kitchen. Fun to watch the production! Chop salad is great. Crab cake is full of crab and not fillers. The ahi tuna has a lovely crust. Their beers are high quality and creative. loved the Solace. Chef sent us onion rings because he thought we waited too long (we didn't ). Â At least 6 staff members were involved in our service and it was excellent. Overall, great food and service.
Review Source:A group of us stopped in to sample some beer before doing some wine tasting in the area. Â Got there around lunch and found the place almost empty - soon found out why. Â
Went to the bar area to eat and found single bartender engrossed in hitting on female patron. Â Asked him where to sit and he looks up perturbed and snarls anywhere we want - wtf? Â Sit down and wait for service, and wait, and wait. Â Bartender finally comes over and we place drink and food orders, nothing fancy just fish tacos and a couple of cob salads - then we wait and wait and bartender returns to hitting. Â Notice people walk in behind us, presumably locals as bartender greets them, takes their order and brings out their food as we continue to wait.
I finally wave bartender over and ask about order. Â He goes to check and says there's a problem with the fish and I ask "What, catching it?" Â Â Food finally arrives, mediocre fish tacos and salads that look like something a 5 year old prepared.
I hope Firestone makes a lot on their beer as I'm sure they're losing a bundle on this lame excuse for a restaurant. Â Will not be surprised to see it close down soon.
My boyfriend and I decided to go for a beer tasting. I heard of friends who have been here and said the beer tasting was good so we decided to check it out. It's in Paso Robles and you can see the brewery right next to the freeway so its not too difficult to find. The staff was very helpful and friendly, the tour was great and the beer was tasty! I accidentally knocked over a pint glass and they were super nice about it and told me not to worry about it. This place is definitely worth a visit!
Review Source:A really efficiently run tasting room -- the beertenders were quick and knowledgeable. But the best was when a group of obviously drunken bros came in -- really loud and flailing -- and the beertenders politely and quietly booted them. Even when one of the fellows came back in and demanded to know why they were kicked out (it was obvious he didn't know about laws prohibiting bartenders from serving alcohol to obviously drunk people), the counterfolk were still calm and polite -- they kept their class.
Review Source:We had heard amazing things about this place!
We stopped in to enjoy some of the delicious options!
I loved the wheat - but sad for me - they don't export. Sigh. Sorry for me and colorado! If only i could sneak enough 2 ounces thru TSA to get it back into the growler!
The staff in the tasting room are super friendly and helpful and they offer thoughts on what your are tasting!
Definitely stop by to say hello and try some delicious beer.
3 stars - brewery tour
4 stars - Taproom (restaurant)
5 stars - beers
I stopped by the Firestone Walker brewery over the weekend during a trip from Santa Barbara to visit Hearst Castle. Â The beers were excellent and there were a lot of choices. Â Each of the beers was offered as a 3 oz. tasting for $1-2 (larger sizes are also available), so you could try a variety.
I started off my visit taking a tour of the brewery. Â I've been on about a dozen different brewery tours and this was definitely the worst. Â The tour guide didn't seem very knowledgeable about the company or the beer making process. Â She also seemed pretty bored giving tours. Â The tour lasted about 40 minutes and didn't include any free tastings (although they were cheaply available before and afterwards).
After the tour, I had lunch at the Taproom and tried some beers. Â The food and beer was both excellent. Â I tried 805, a blonde ale, DBA, Velvet Merlin, an oatmeal stout and their porter, Walker's Reserve. Â I'd recommend them all! Â The Taproom was much larger and busier than I expected, but we were able to grab some seats at the bar without a problem.
If you're near Paso Robles, I'd recommend a stop at Firestone Walker, but save your time and skip the tour.
Service was horrible. The restaurant was about a third full, and they said they were really busy. It took twenty minutes for someone to even acknowledge us after being seated. Waited for our food for another 40 minutes. Another server delivered our food and gave us make attitude when we couldn't tell her who ordered an 805 salad when someone ordered a side salad. Once the food got there the grilled chicken sandwich had no flavor and was on stale bread. An overall bad experience with the service and food for the price.
Review Source:While working in the Paso Robles vicinity, my colleague suggested a visit to the Firestone Walker brewery. Â Hailing from the far away land of Ohio, I had never heard of the brand. Â Much to my delight, the beer and food experience was excellent!
The only beer that I ordered was the Velvet Merlin, but it was smooth, creamy porter that was absolutely delicious. Â I would suggest pairing it with the enormous Mud Pie dessert -- the peanut butter ice cream, chocolate top, and oreo crust flavors blend extremely well with that beer! Â
As for the food entrees, I sampled the BBQ chicken pizza and a house salad with my friend. Â For a micro brewery, the food was well-prepared and tasted great! Â The menu was very diverse and I would definitely make a few return trips if given the chance in the future. Â Firestone is truly a gem among the many establishments in the central coast area!
This place is my FAVORITE micro brewery around!
To start off, every Friday-Saturday-Sunday they give a fantastic tour around the brewery. The tour guides are very knowledgeable and are able to tell you all the details from the process down to the materials they use. I love walking around the facility seeing the entire process in full swing. They have a fantastic bottling machine that is a blast to watch.
After you take the tour it is fun to sit down and try the different beers that Firestone makes. My ultimate favorite is the Unfiltered Double Barrel Ale. It is fermented in actual wooden double barrels which give it an amazing taste. Also their Heffaweisen is fantastic!
One of the new additions to the Firestone Walker facilities is the Taproom, which is their wonderful restaurant.
If you are traveling on Hwy 101 make sure to stop off and give it try!
What I expect to be the perfectly ideal brewery visit experience must be completely unrealistic.
I want:
+ plenty of free parking
+ the taproom to not be too crowded
+ most of the brewery's complete catalog of beers on tap for fresh imbibing
+ most of the brewery's complete catalog of beers available to take home in bottles &/or growlers (including stuff not commonly found in stores)
+ plenty of swag available for purchase
+ comprehensive & free tours of brewery operations
+ an awesome brewpub serving great pub grub to go with great beers
Ridiculous expectations I know, because I have yet to find it. Or have I?
Firestone Walker Brewing Company came damn close to that perfection, real damn close.
For a Holidays road trip home to the SF Bay Area from SoCal, I chose Paso Robles as a central stopping point for the girlfriend & I to spend a couple days. Not for the wine, but for the beer. Because I Yelp California beer, baby!
Firestone Walker Brewing Company did not disappoint. In fact, I was quite impressed. That aforementioned unrealistic checklist? Yeah, Firestone Walker hit every 1 of those bullet points.
The only thing that wasn't quite as ideal as the rest was their brewpub across the street from the brewery itself. A couple miscues kept that from being totally awesome, though it was still a solid brewpub experience. Details to follow in my review of Firestone Walker Taproom Restaurant...
Firestone Walker Brewing Company is the closest I've come yet to absolute beer-vana. For me, the best reason to come to Paso Robles isn't for the wine, but for the beer.
& the beer is pretty damn good here.
Being a non-wine drinker in NorCal is a little like being a leper so whenever I can take the opportunity to drink in the suds and learn a little something about the craft too, I'm all in.
If you're doing a wine tasting trip to Paso Robles or just rolling down 101, this brewery tour provides an excellent excursion for an hour or so.
Tours are FREE, given every half hour 10:30am-3:30p Fri-Sun. No reservation needed but seems like they fill up quickly so you may want to show up on the early side and be prepared to wait a bit....all the more time to sample! Â
And as if beer making wasn't entertaining enough, our guide was quite jovial & knowledgable so you'll never get antsy in anticipation of what awaits you at the end.
Having done a few of these tours over the years around the country, I was a bit surprised they charge for tastings at the end but at $1.50-$3 a pop, your wallet will survive.
As the movie says, exit through the gift shop where you'll be able to pick up some branded shirts, hoodies, glasses and homemade mustard.
PROST!
Beer tastings as a lunch break between Nor Cal and So Cal might not sound like a great idea but it is. Â Especially when you have a pregnant designated driver. Â And that's exactly what we did driving back from Monterey to LA.
We intended on eating and beer tasting at the nearby Taproom Restaurant but we found out that the brewery has more beers to taste than the Taproom. Â Since beer was the priority, we settled in at the brewery instead.
I love their method for tastings. Â Each pour is about $2-$3 each and comes in adorable Firestone branded mini goblets. Â The pours are pretty generous, easily 3 glugs. Â My friend and I shared every. single. beer. they. had. available. for tasting. If you must know, it was about 20 of them, but we shared. Â What's great about partaking in their tasting is that you can try a great variety from ales to stouts to pilsners and figure out what you really like. Â
There were way too many to name and the selection rotates frequently anyway but I was a big fan of their Hefeweisen and their pale ales. Â I took home a growler of the Hefe (my first!) and my friends took home bottles and six packs of their favorites. Â We even got a taster's discount off our purchase, which was really awesome. Â Each item was $2 off so for some bottles of beer, it was a huge discount.
The employees here are all really helpful and friendly, with a clear love of beer. Â Good company if you ask me. Â If you time your visit properly, you can even take a tour of the brewery.
Firestone is easily my favorite craft beer, and the fact that they're so close and thus so much of their product is available means I get to try tons of varieties. The visitors center not so much. They charge more per taste than the bottles cost, and they list it on the menu as 3oz taste but only pour 1-1.5oz. It's almost like they'd rather discourage you from trying anything available more widely.
The ones that are only available here aren't too special. The hef is a hef. The double DBA is much more like barely wine - sweet and syrupy with no taste of the high alcohol. Sucuba actually is a barley wine and isn't much different. The velvet Merlin on nitro was an experience, but I actually kind of like it from the bottle or regular tap more.
The only really memorable part of either tasting was comparing wookie and double jack side by side. That really makes you appreciate them both more. If only they had some breadsticks to clear your palate, though.
The tour is pretty cool. It's crazy to see the foam slopping out of the giant steel stills. It's a longer tour than you'd expect, going from offices to a birds eye view to the production line. Very educational.
Ultimately my only reason to stop in is to get gifts anymore, though I do appreciate the tastings I've had.
Excellent craft beers, best we've had in a while (and possibly ever). Makes our local Pyramid brewery and Trumer Pils seem somewhat mediocre. Started by the same guys who did the tire company. No relation to the Firestone Grill in SLO surprisingly.
$1.50 to $2. for 2 oz tastes. All beers were really well balanced and smooth; nothing astringent. We really enjoyed the double IPAs; the oatmeal stout (Velvet Merlin) tasted a bit strange and the red was too hoppy for me. Favorite was the wookey jack.
Definitely would come back to try some more and perhaps go on the free 30 min tour they have on weekends!
This review is for the visitor's center and tasting bar only. Â I did not take a brewery tour or visit the neighboring pub. Â
I was very stoked that while on our wine-o-rama honeymoon, we would be in the vicinity of the Firestone Walker Brewery. Â We popped over there just before the center closed at 5pm where we bought several different tasters. Â There is plenty of great merchandise including clothing, pint glasses, and of course beer. Â We went home with a few pint glasses but since we were traveling we did not grab any beer. Â
Firestone's 805 is delicious and I now regret not taking any with us. Â It's supposed to only be available in the 805 area code! Â Oh well, next trip to Paso. Â
For the tasting experience, we were served by a variety of people just as if at a bar, so not a lot to complain about. Â Service was prompt and beer was refreshing. Â They will combine your beer tab with your merchandise purchases. Â Definitely take a stop here whether in the area or just passing through!
Tasting room is a funky little area at the front of the brewery. There is a bar and then several tables near the windows. They offer a tour a few times a day of the brewery, although, if you need a restroom, you get to walk in and see all the brewing contraptions even if you're not on a tour.
One odd thing though was that you pay per glass to taste. There wasn't an option for a tasting flight that I saw. Most tastes were between $1.50-$2.50 a glass. Tried six different ones-the stout, porter, oktoberfest, and two other light beers (that I cannot remember). Most were good. Porter and oktoberfest were the best.
Beer Beer and MORE Beer =)
The 30 min. tour was very educational. Â
Here's a list  of some of my fav. Beer - $1.50- $3.00 per tasting.
Union Jack - India Pal Ale
Double Jack - Imperial India Pale Ale (a bit bitter)
Double DBA - Imperial Special Bitter
Walker's Reserve - Robust Porter
I've been on countless brewery tours all across the US...Firestone's was the most intimate and educational that i'd been on. A small group of us toured the brewery and our guide, one of the brewers, talked in terms everyone could understand and then for us beer geeks, answered every question in depth. We then hit the tasting room where we were treated to not only their mainline beers (which are awesome in their own right) but a few impossible to find anywhere else beers (hello 14th Anniversary!!) After thoroughly enjoying ourselves, we headed across the street to their restaurant. the 10 oz NY Strip was cooked perfectly along with fresh mashed potato and veg.
In conclusion, their Union Jack IPA is my go to IPA and Double Jack, (their double IPA) and Parabola (Imperial stout) are in my top 5 beers of all time. Awesome!
I walked into Firestone and no bigger disappointment could possibly have hit me. This ginormous room for dining and then a bar to the left. I walked over to the bar and it just felt stale and lame and I was thinking to myself how I didn't come here for THIS! I could have sworn people mentioned something better, different. I went back to the hostess and asked her if I was missing something because this is not what I wanted.
She smiled and told me to go to the next building. All the relief in the world came as I walked through those doors and saw a small, intimate tasting room. I was actually super impressed. It reminded me of all the microbreweries in the warehouses I have been to and all the great conversations I've had with brew masters and randoms. What impressed me even more was how much all the bartenders knew about seemingly everything! I was home!! :)
What is cool about Firestone is that they have many beers you could only get there and nowhere else. What I get but I was a little disappointed about is that certain beers you can't get in growlers- it's on-site only. I think it's a good thing but, for my personal greedy self, I would love to bottle some of that and take it home with me.
I did discover what might be my favorite beer ever- Dos Osos. Being from Chicago, it might have tasted even that much better when I saw it was co-brewed with Revolution. In any case, it was one of those on-site only beers. I did like all the beers there, even ones I didn't think I would like such as Wooky. I did end up taking home some UDBA, which was fantastic as well.
To me, Firestone is definitely a great place to pop by if you're going to the small tasting room because you have that great atmosphere where you learn about beers, discuss it with others, and taste so many. Firestone is definitely one of the better breweries out there and all their beers always make an great impression on me!
Can't go wrong with any Firestone Walker beer. Every beer I tasted from this brewery tasted great. For me driving from Northern California isn't a problem for their future releases or events!
1. Parabola
2. Sucaba (Abacus)
3. Double Jack
4. Double Double Barrel Ale
5. Union Jack
6. Wookey Jack
7. Velvet Merlin
8. Firestone 15 - Anniversary Ale
9. Double Barrel Ale
10. Solace
Good ass beer.
It's Firestone...nuff said?
They have really stepped up their bourbon barrel aged game do this was a must stop for this beer snob. Luckily they had 14th anniversary on tap which is a 2010 beer and is almost impossible to find. A small snifter wasn't enough so I got a glass and made the gf drive the rest of the trip
While it may not be the Willy Wonka of beers like Stone Brewery Garden is a couple hundred miles south from here - but when it comes to a nice barrel aged beer, you can't get any better than these folks.
Every beer in the house is tasty - and they have a lot of them. The moment you step inside you're treated to this sort of industrial revolution wonderland of visual stimulant - let alone the amount of enjoyment your taste buds are going to feel once any of their brews hit.
You can go for a sampler flight, a half pint or a full pint of their beer board. Seasonal beers/high gravity brews get served in a snifter, but considering the punch they pack, that's all you really need. Their year-round offerings will hit the spot and the level of dining can be selected by either fine - with a server and booths, or just chilling at the tables in the bar area.
Food prices for entrees range a bit higher than you would come to expect, but then again you are in Paso Robles and considering you're in an area that caters to folks on wine tours and hitting up wineries, the prices are pretty comparable to similar style dishes anywhere else around here.
I had the fish and chips and I just loved the batter that had Double Bitter Ale, their flagship beer mixed in. The combination worked perfect for a nice crispness and the fish inside did not suffer the mistake most fish and chips places do in not seasoning both the fish and the batter. Making every bite of it just amazingly tasty.
The waitress was a little absent minded but it's well forgiven considering the seating arrangement meant I was sort of on the boarder town of their section. Besides that, they were very helpful otherwise.
My advice - stick to the appetizers unless you're really hungry or you've had a few two many of their excellent beer options and have to soak it up somehow. They have a soft pretzel that is incredibly tasty and comes with their signature Firestone Walker mustard cheese monster of a creation that it's too crazy to replicate at home but too amazing to ever let disappear. It's really good and only runs you about $4.
So if you're lamenting over the higher priced food, stick to the beer buddies. And when it comes to beer, you seriously can't go wrong with anything they serve. One of the best breweries around.
By the way just for a little trivia....
This IS the same Firestone connected with one of the first Bachelors! I've met him when I worked one of the events Firestone Beer was involved in... Â He's nice... never married the girl on the show but is married now... Â I saw the ring before she did! He was up as early as I was promoting his event on KSBY and he was going to pop the question that day...
(for you followers of the show! lol.)
I am a little confused. The name of this restaurant is called the Tap Room but Yelp has a whole different site for it, as if it is a different business though it is the exact same address.... this one has over 100 reviews and the other one currently, has less than thirty??
Oh well, I am choosing to post my review here since the other one averages 2 stars and that is crazy!!!
This place was awesome. I had been hearing a lot about it and how packed it gets. I am glad I tried it because I am not fond of crowds and almost let that detour me. But we got there early, around 5ish on a Thursday. We had just been to Cool Hand Lukes the night before. a place we really used to love but just recently things  seem to have gone downhill and really were disappointed ~ so this was a nice turn of events.
They start out by taking the drink order and serving warm bread and butter. Tobey was our server and she was amazing. The decore was more LA ish And I like it because I am from there! Â My husband and mother in law got the baby back ribs and they fell of the bone they were so tender and tasty.(unlike the previous night before at the other restaurant!)
I wish I had ordered them. But I loved my small chopped salad. (Though I liked the idea of the bleu cheese which was my main reason for ordering it and they completely left that out.) I should have complained and did mention it to Tobey but it was good.
I normally don't order beer at a place like this, but it was so hot that day and I was at a brewery for heaven sakes, Â so I ordered the Hefenweisen due to Tobey's suggestion... when I asked for something similar to the Pear Beer my daughter turned me on to. The Hefenweisen is citrusy and good. Everyone else ordered 805s and loved them. They should do a sample tasting order... like they do at their events... maybe the do... I wasn't looking. All I know is Firestone is known for their beer. So I guess, why support other beers when they make a slew of their own?
We didn't dare order dessert. I am sure it would have been outstanding as well. The prices were a bit high ($8 for a small chopped salad but it filled me up) but when we got ready to leave, almost every booth and table was filled and ... it doesn't look as if they will need to be lowering them anytime soon. They are not hurting for business. It was a Thrusday night and the place was beginning to be packed by the time we left. I loved their booths and the way they were raised. Reminded me off a place I recently went with my friend who lives up North. It was also a brewery and the places seemed identical in decor.
Soooo my vote is 4 stars besides the slighly pricey menu...(I say if the food is consistently good and the chef remembers the blue cheese next time...(the kitchen still seems to be working their kinks out but those ribs were probably the best I ever tasted so they are on their way!) it is worth the extra dollar or three!) As long as they have servers like Tobey there, you can't complain about the service and loved the atmosphere. We all would go back! Maybe soon!
I loved my tour of the brewery. I have been a fan of the wine, and I love the use of wine barrels for the beer.
The tasting I did made me a much bigger fan of the beer, because there are so many terrific brews! I love the complex, rich flavors. I gained respect for the place on the tour, and am going to go out of my way to by it locally. I know they carry it at Total Wine and More.
Wookey Jack was my favorite - I love a robust, bold beer. But the line up in the tap room was overall impressive.
The tour is free - I highly recommend taking it.
I feel like this place is just meh. Here's why:
The atmosphere is really awesome- it's very modern looking, you have privacy at many of the tables available in the restaurant. The service was good- we were seated right away and they weren't busy when we went.
The food is definitely over priced and just ok. I had the fish tacos; my husband had the cobb salad. Fish tacos were basically fish sticks inside flour tortillas. I'd really hope places around here would be able to serve fresh fish in their tacos (even if it's just cod or tilapia- something cheap is fine for tacos), and it really needs to be a corn tortilla. They had mango and salsa options on the side, which made me feel just the basic, bare tacos weren't enough, or something.... hm. They were very sub par. Husband's cobb salad was just ok- it was cheap-o iceburg lettuce... but a $14 price tag. Eek. I'd expect more for those prices. Definitely overpriced, in general.
We got the beer sampler- so of course that was delish, as their beers are super tasty. It was reasonably priced as well.
I haven't been back, because I just wasn't wow'ed. I'm sure I'll go back and give another chance, but they really need to up their game if they're going to charge those kinds of prices.