Not too impressed...Expected so much more, expecially after seeing their sister Toronado in SF on the Bourdain show....Granted they have a great brew selection, but there's a lot of competition in San Diego when it comes to Gastro Pubs, especially in the North Park area. Didn't live up to the hype I guess!
Review Source:We came in on a Friday afternoon. Â There's street parking which is pretty standard I think but there are also some bike racks right in front which is good.
When you walk in there are a few tables and a lot of bar seats. Â There were only two people in there other than us. Â The bartender didn't really greet us, but it's not like we didn't know what to do. Â The tap beer selection was pretty big, with probably 40 beers plus an impressive array of cask beers which was a great touch. Â There were a lot of bottles in the cooler behind the bar too, but we were here for draft beer.
The bartender was pretty quiet and patient, but one thing I noticed is that he was hyper responsive to questions when asked and could pretty much just recite exactly what style each beer was without looking at anything. Â This is really important because the tap list while impressive has no indication as to what the beer is. Â This basically guarantees that you have to engage the bartender unless you yourself has an insane beer knowledge.
The draft list was largely west coast, but had a smattering of other beers. Â This I also liked. Â One thing that bothered me a little is that there's no flights available. Â It would be nice to try a bunch of different beers. Â That being said, they will do half pints of the beers that come in pints. Â At first he said he couldn't do halves of the ones that come in 13 oz glasses but then he changed his mind and said he could do it. Â Be sure to press this if you come in and you want to taste a lot of beer.
I started right off with Pliny the Elder, because when in Rome, drink the best stuff the Romans have. Â Honestly, though, what was really cool is that this probably wasn't the highlight of the experience.
The bartender was nice enough to let us know they had a patio in the back and we went out there. Â This patio is set up biergarten style with long picnic tables and is pretty much completely fenced in with high fencing from the outside world. Â There is a trellis over the entire patio for shade, but it would be nice if the fence weren't there to keep the breeze out. Â It's possible, though, that the view is really bad so the fence is needed. Â Regardless of no wind, it was pretty cool in there.
We met some friendly folks on the patio and talked a little beer, and drank a bunch of beer. Â Overall it was a nice time drinking great beer. Â My review is really more a 4.5 stars with the only thing keeping it from 5 is the absence of tasting flights.
They have a really good selection of beer and it would be even better if they had more of a variety for some of the local brews.
Monday nights are cool because the local beers are $3 starting at 6pm and the rest of the night.
The back patio is better ventilated than the inside but there's a lot of smoking going on and if you're not a fan of the smell of smoke, then this area is not for you. And then there might be a trashcan on the other side of that tall wall (as informed by friend who was there earlier who sat in a different spot originally) because there was supposedly a smell but the fans DID help get rid of it after the waiter was informed.
The inside needs more AC or something because it was very stuffy. It smelled like piss, people's sweat and spilled dry beer.
The service was not bad. They were very good about going from table to table and cleaning up so if you need to order something it won't be too hard to grab someone's attention.
The selection of food was just OK. I was a little offended that it would cost me $10 for some mac n cheese from such a place. It's not even fancy! And for a bowl of nuts - $5. IDK!
And crowd, typical of North Park. Nothing special really.
Aww, wtf man. Â This place was supposed to rule. Â Granted, the bar (ha?) had been set pretty high due to hype + the fact that I was on vacation, but still. Â I was expecting so much more. Â Ahh well. Â You win some, you write some off entirely because there are so many other good beer spots to choose from in SD, some within walking distance.
But first, the good: Â the beer. Â GREAT selection, draft and bottled. Â Belgians...tons of 'em. Â Earns two shiny stars for this place.
The bad? Â Alright, I can tolerate an air of arrogance from the patrons around me (believe me, there's plenty of it going around here in Northern VA) but not so much when it comes from the bartenders. Â The optimist in me wants to assume the bartenders had some sort of OCD tic that forced them to walk past/make eye contact with us a certain number of times before verbally acknowledging our presence but I think I'll just chalk it up to good, ol' fashioned wack service.
I left with a sour taste in my mouth and it wasn't from the Duchesse.
Excellent menu and beer selection. I'd been to the San Francisco one and this location is definitely better in all aspects... Size, location, atmosphere.
The outdoor seating in the back is fenced in with picnic tables and heating lamps. Â Service was prompt and the food was pretty good. Â Por belly skewers were great. Smoked mac and cheese was alright... Nothing fancy. Â Burgers are definitely the way to go here.
It's a pub. Â It's a local pub with lots and lots of beer! Â It's got good food. Â It's a great spot to learn more about beer with good down to earth folks. Â The crowds can be overwhelming for an introvert like me .... but with a good friend who is willing to wiggle up to the bar - it's fabulous!
Review Source:It's been a few years since this place opened, and it keeps getting better. The food menu is interesting and quite good, considering most bars keep to smaller menus. If things are not hectic, the bartenders are knowledgeable and very much into letting you know what's new and good to try among the excellent beer selections.
Review Source:I have been here on a few occasions and have always been impressed by the big wall of options. Â Not only do the have a wall of options but they do have a book o beers too. Â I've even gone with friends who don't drink beer and find something they enjoy there too. Â
I am just learning about the different beers I like but the bartenders are pretty patient with me and my constant tastings. Â When I've gone on a weekday it is cake to find seating and get drinks. Â I've only gone once on a weekend and it wasn't horrible to find seats and get drinks in a timely fashion. Â
I will continue to go here to extend my drinking knowledge with an abundance of different beers. Â Bartenders I will apologize ahead for the questions, and continuous pours.
I've been hearing about Toronado since forever. Since we were in North Park for the day it was at the top of our list to check it out.
Toronado is so low key and that's why I like it. You order your food at the bar, find a seat wherever you can, and wait for them to bring it out. The menu isn't huge so it shouldn't take 3 years to pick a dish. We shared the Toronado burger with fries and it was good. They prepare it medium, so if that isn't your thing make sure you tell them to cook it to your liking.
The beer selection is on point. However, if you're not a big beer drinker and need to see the ABV and IBU and tasting notes, this might not be your place. It seemed geared more to the intermediate and advanced beer drinkers. If you don't know a pilsner from a stout, you might be in trouble.
So happy we finally made it here. I'll be even more happy when we go back.
I love the selection of beers here. Â Their is always something new to try. Â It is not like staring at the menu at McDonald's or Carl Jr's deciding what to order. Â They have a nice rotation of taps.
The food is not  bad.  Ate here several times before.  They have specials on Tuesday nights which are a good deal.  It is not spectacular but it does satisfy you and you do not have to go somewhere else for food then come here for a beer.
5 star for beer choice alone - Toronado simply has an insane beer selection with tons of varieties from all over the world - a spectacular list of Belgian brews. I have never eaten here, need all the room in my belly for the beers. Can be very busy from time to time, and parking is a pain in the butt during peak hours. But all that is worth it if you love beers. You have to see their selection to believe it. Cheers!
Review Source:Do you ever find yourself having Burnt-Out-Tastebud Syndrome? I'm sure as Yelpers we get it often- we find ourselves slam nomming some delicious concoction excessively until we become either A) ashamed of ourselves or B) disgusted with it?
My situation with beer wasn't as excessive as say french macarons or mexican food, but I found myself falling out of taste with beer. It was sad. I know. I lived in San Diego and Seattle and have sampled some pretty awesome stuff. It's not like I decided I like Coors Light over Miller Lite. Beer and I just parted ways for a little while.
Tornado helped bring the relationship back to life. It was the marriage therapist of my palate and microbrews. We learned how to be partners in life, to behave with one another nicely, and to not go to bed angry and wake up feeling terrible and ashamed with ourselves. Thanks, Tornado.
Tornado was daaaang loud and crowded, but we were so thrilled to be out of the Gaslamp we appreciated the company immensely. Great food selection, if you can find a empty table to eat it on.
I can't even describe to you all about the beers available; it would make me sound like a complete idiot. There are a lot of them and I promise your bitch-brew drinking girlfriend can find something she'll like, as well was the %12 ABV ("No, honey, I just had two beers!") variety.
Great selection on draft, great bottle selection as well. Â Great service, especially when Nate's working. Â There's no shortage of opinionated hipsters, but hey, I can deal with that. Â The food is great too, which was a surprise for me the first time, but not anymore. Â $6 pork belly skewers, yes please!! Â Had a red poppy last night for the first time, not easy to find, delicious.
Review Source:so sue me...i'm writing a review for food at a beer bar.
beer: Â undisputed --there's 50+ beers on tap. Â there is no doubt in my mind that if/when someone comes in town and wants to have a variety of beer, i will take them here. Â all the beer nerds of SD congregate here, and rightfully so.
the food: Â tuesday is steak night--$14 gets you steak and yummy side dishes--although i'll be honest, some better than others. Â everything on the menu is actually pretty great. Â it's nice to find a beer bar that serves quality food beyond the typical "bar food."
the bartenders are awesome and make the experience pretty damn cool too. Â fun environment, great food, great beer selection. Â can't really go wrong, can you?
After filling myself with curry fries at Tiger! Tiger! we made the short walk to Toronado.
Toronado made the list of top 100 beer bars in America in 2012 but was snubbed in 2013 while the SF location made the list. What gives? I visited both and the SD locale is soooo much better. Better taps, better staff, better everything. Unlike the Sf location they actually offer beers that aren't belgians. The staff was awesome and seemed like a good group. If I lived in San Diego, Toronado would be my local watering hole. I felt welcomed the second I walked in the door.
Do yourself a favor and grab a beer or seven here.
I'm tempted to pan this place because I think it's too crowded already, but I love it too much to lie.
This review is semi biased, since half the staff here knows me. Â I'm a craft beer nerd, and toronado is our mecca. Â Having been to the SF location many times, SD does everything SF does better honestly. Â Maybe we don't have big daddy, but we have the big islander :)
It has arguably the best tap list in the country, biased towards IPAs of course. Â San Diego doesn't have many great sours, and especially on tap, but you can always find some decent ones on the bottle list. Â Lost Abbey Cable Car is a rarity nowadays, but if you're lucky enough to score one, don't pass up the opportunity.
And if you're there on the weekdays, ask for me, maybe I'll be there and if I am i'll buy you a drink. Â :)
Toronado is awesome. They always have great selections of beer on tap, and a lot of good stuff in bottles too. You will like this place if you are a beer geek.
I have been here many times. First time here I had a Kwak served in their signature glass, and the glass was held in their cool-looking wooden stand. I was impressed!
Another night here I also got to try their food, potato pancakes and apple sauce. Traditional German food, and it was very tasty.
I remember one time I came here on a Monday night, and that place was all packed! After a few days, I realized that night they had this "30th on the 30th" monthly event in North Park and Toronado is one of the participants. $3 selected pints, how awesome is that!
P.S. I saw a cat getting killed by a samurai, here <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/toronado-san-diego?userid=9gE3SbLNfL5z9qntDkhI8A#MFGTItIIr_9BQhidvnJ87g">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
Great beers, decent food, good vibe, reasonably priced. Toronado, I heart you!
Let me start out by coming clean: I'm a craft beer junkie. I have to admit, not all craft beers, mind you, only the best. ....I just wrote a bunch of crap about which local beers are the best craft beers, and I wiped it all away. Irrelevant. If you know about good local beer, you don't need me clickety-clackin' away about them. And if you don't get it, this review ain't gonna help. So let's move on.
Toronado probably has the best selection of craft beer in San Diego County. Second perhaps only to O'Brien's. Sometimes better than O'Brien's. Probably depends on the day of the week. I can usually look at the board and find something drinkable. I can't always say that about every craft beer pub.
It's just a short freeway jaunt for me to get to Toronado. So why am I not a "huge" fan of Toronado? Â Here it is: they whiffed when it came to interior design. Too stark, too much wood, and it occasionally smells a little bit too much of that stale beer aroma. They could have compensated by doing the outside seating area in back better. But it turned out to be more of the same. It could have been brighter, with a few plants thrown in, and smoke-free. But it is not.
The food is OK. Heavy on sausages. You should not come here for the food. It's bar food.
Toronado is a bit snobbish about the price of their pints. Beers there can sometimes be had for a buck less at O'Brien's. Don't go there for bargain beer drinking.
Finally, learn not to waste too much time standing under the "Order Here" sign. If you do, you'll eventually notice other people walking past you to the end of the bar by all the taps and ordering there...and getting served before you. Â Not cool, but that's how they roll.
Bottom line: it could be better, but it is what it is. North Park is arguably one of the better destinations in San Diego for craft beer lovers because of it.
Really good beer selection. If you know what you like you can order it (look up on the board). If you are not sure, then you might be a newbie or haven't expanded your palate yet. Zone in on a particular brewery and give it try. Try, learn, relax and enjoy the beer you asked for. Don't be a beer snob but be a beer friendly person. If its getting full, don't be surprised if people share tables. Its a community pub. You might end up meeting some cool people. Most locals know what its about and for the bad reviewers out there, its usually your first time or you are expecting something like bud, coors miller or that comes from a can. Its not that kinda place. Its just beer folks so don't put all the other establishments conditions on Toronado. Come when its not so crowded with the weekend 30th street crashers. Come when you have some time to try something new.
P.S. Important rule: the dutch door is there for a reason. If you come into this "beer" house, you walk in and close the "dutch" door behind you. Same on the way out. Courtesy and respect.
Probably one of the more orderly looking pubs. Tap list is hung neatly and evenly above your head, categorized by brewery. Even the stickers on the walls are evenly spaced apart, and I don't recall any of the stickers overlapping each other. It's also very well lit inside, which just adds to the 'crispness' of the place; an unexpected contrast from the beloved Hamilton's or Monkey Paw.
Tap list is great, and while the bar area gets packed on a Saturday night, the bartenders are still very efficient at getting you a nice cold one.
I have yet to try the food here. Maybe another time when it's not so packed.
Odd observation: I'm pretty sure I counted 20 patrons wearing plaid shirts that night. I must've missed the memo :)
Checked this place out on Friday and I am a fan. The beer selection is as good as everyone suggests - lots of variation and according to the bartender, Paulaner Hefeweizen is "the best hefeweizen on the PLANET". How could I, a lover of all things hef, not order one?
The 20oz glass of golden orange arrived and although I'm not sure whether it lived up to the bartender's claim, it was a darn good beer. It was light,with a plethora of wonderful aroma and flavors, a bit floral if you ask me. For less than $6 it was a steal! The bartenders here are quite knowledgeable and I'm always satisfied when someone can recommend me a good beer.
I also tried a variety of sour beers and thought the lychee beer was pretty good. The winter weiss was a bit too sour at first, but as I continued to sip it, it certainly grew on me.
It wasn't too long before we vultured up a table for our party of 7 but I can imagine seating being difficult on a more crowded Friday night where rain might not be a deterrent for beer loving patrons. Parking was a pain, as you can expect in North Park on any given day. All in all, Toronado offers a great selection of lots of interesting beers at fair prices and is a cool place to hang out with friends.
Decent beer selection but snotty bartenders.
Someone in our group asked the bartender what the bottle she had in her hands was and she retorted with "Are you actually gonna buy it?"....ok. Like it was a bottle of Cristal Brut or Dom and not just...beer. Which I know can be pricy at times but realistically probably tops out at $50 bucks. And yes me might actually purchase said bottle if you cared to describe it instead of throw condescending remarks our way.
I also asked the other bartender for his personal recommendation for an interesting beer that wasn't hoppy. He gave me Holidaze. It's a malty, spiced beer. It's also very much so not interesting and like every other holiday beer out there. But thanks for trying to pass off the old christmas beers you're trying to get rid off on me. Appreciate it.
Having not really liked this beer I passed it off to someone else and asked him about an Acorn Saison. He said it was dark which I said I did not care for so asked for a good non-dark Belgian. His answer was "Like what?". Uhh I thought you were the one standing behind the counter? So then I asked if he had anything from the New Belgium Lips of Faith Series. He came back with "That's like, 30 beers". Um. Yes, i like, know. I am aware its a SERIES and not A beer hence why series is tacked on to the end of the name. I sighed and asked "For example, the most recent one the Biere de Garde?" "Yes".
WOW. That was hard wasn't it? Slow clap.
In short don't expect any recommendations. You will get a lot of attitude. Who knows if its snootiness and they don't care to share their beer knowledge with you or maybe its just ignorance and there is no knowledge to be shared.
Here's what you need to know:
1) They have a lot of beer here. If I knew more about beer, I would list of all the local beers they have and how great they are, but to be honest, I have no idea...All I know is the beer was good. This place has a pretty nice vibe and totally reflects the culture of North Park. I love places like this -- places where you can get a good feel for the community you're in.
2) It's loud. Which for a bar, is not necessarily a bad thing, it's just a thing.
3) They don't have a lot of other alcohol, so if you're looking for something a little harder, walk on over to Seven Grand for some top notch whiskey drinks.
4) They close the back patio early, and when they do not only do the lights turn off, but they yell at you. Maybe this is necessary to get all the drunk people to actually move, either way, I wasn't a fan of being yelled at (I do what I want.)
5) They close early on weekdays. Midnight. Just because people have jobs, doesn't mean they don't want to drink until passed midnight.
I really love the concept and location of this place, and I extra love that it's an extension of the original in SF. However, I really wish they'd do something to make it look less boring and more like the cozy bar with an amaaaaazing beer selection it is! I would be more inclined to stay there and spend hours on end with friends, drinking and babbling if it were more interesting decor-wise. It honestly looks like a giant hospital lobby in there. The walls are some dingy yellowish color. I dont know, get a local artist in there to help with that! Take those mirrors down and put up local art maybe? Or a mural? Anyway, despite it's superior beers on tap, it isn't enough to pull me away from my Beloved Hamilton's Pub which is around the corner from my place.
Other than that plus the street-parking-only issue, (that is where the one star comes off) I love this spot. The selection of beer they have is GREAT and the location is good too.
Came here for Zwanze day. Drove up from LA in the AM.
Well organized event. This place is a nicer, less anal version of SF. Love it.
Cable Car Kriek was $60 though... seriously?!?!?! I was thinking $40 max. Had to give -1 star for that. Overall, this place is still a solid 4 star venue, and I will return.
The amount of magnums, jeroboams & mathusalems of Belgian ales in the fridge & Â up against the wall were enough for me to develop heart palpitation. Not to mention the whole gamut of glassware displayed, gorgeous.
I had 4 pints of different draft-only beers here before feeling hazy. Eyeballing 5 more wanted to try but knew better not to.
Friendly bartender, dingy lighting.
Didn't try the food, as usual.
This place is ridiculously small and yet they have a ridiculously large selection of beef on tap. I opted for the Bitburger lager because I like lagers well enough. Tasted refreshing, I'd order this one again. The glass was large, but definitely not in charge... that credit goes to my potato pancake thingamabobber that was approximately the size of my head.. if it were swollen from some sort of allergic reaction, or dental work, or getting kicked in the face. For $10, I got that large potato thing, similar to a hashbrown, and a sausage. The pork and apple sausage was pretty bad, it was dry and had no taste that was reminiscent of apple or any other fruit for that matter. However, the potato dealio was delicious... even for non potato lovers like myself. So crispy on the outside, yet moist on the inside.
My dining companion opted for the $10 mac and cheese which was served piping hot. She was a big fan.
I'm not sure if this place is always packed, but it was quite crowded the Friday that we went. I think there was some sort of event going on, as there was a large proportion of people dressed in cheesy, plaid golf attire and I spotted some flyers going around that read, "North Park Golf Tournament." Go figure.
There are board games to entertain yourself if you can get a big enough table.
I love this place. Its a great spot to meet up with friends and have food and beer at the same time, in a very fun atmosphere! The times that I have been here, it has been busy, but nonetheless the service has not changed, still great.
I love the macaroni and cheese here, and I love trying all different types of beer they offer!
One of San Diego's great spots.
5 stars for beer and service 2 stars for the food.
I was here during Monday pint night along with MNF and was quite pleased with how busy it was considering this might have been a popular day to come in. It wasn't too busy and I was able to find a seat right by the TV to see the Seahawks vs. Packers disappointing game...
...Anyway...beer selection rocks, the bartender was helpful with helping me pick out a stout. The food was...overpriced and OK tasting. I got the corn cakes which was good except for the spread which was eh (too sweet!). The mac and cheese was huge and tasty for about 3 bites and I was over it by then.
I'd go here mainly for a nice kick it spot, the beer selection but not so much the food.
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