It's a subsidiary of Bear Root brewery (the main brewery) located on S. Santa Fe. 90% of the staff who will great you there also work at the main location. The place features a smaller selection of beers than the one on S. Santa Fe (detailed menus are available online) however the decor and vibe is delectable! (lot of green, wood, trees, private room...) Good ambiance, friendly patrons, this place features board games and also weekly trivia. You will also find plenty of food options around. Note that your "loyalist badge" works in every bear roots location! read more

See all

I went there Sunday afternoon.. According to the sign in the window, and what I saw online, they were supposed to open. This is the second time I have tried to stop by and had the same experience. There are plenty of good breweries around. I'll not be going back.. read more

I can't believe I haven't wrote a review for one of my favorite beer spots in downtown Vista. So straight to the point yes it's a small little spot, I love the beer here, the beer tenders are cool, and it's not a rowdy place. Okay yeah this review is a little short but it is what it is. Bear Roots is usually my first stop when I'm in the Village. read more

See all

Great place(s) to enjoy yourself. But be careful. There's two locations so when meeting friends make sure they KNOW which one to go to. We just said "Siri, directions to Bear Root Brewery and it took is to the closest location in Vista while our friends were at the downtown location. The server let us pay half for our beer so we could race to other location. Who does that? So we will go there again and again. Try the Kambucha. It's great! read more

Walked by and thought it looked cool inside with all the plants and "trees", reminded me of Pure Project. We decided to try it. One of the beers- the Nelson one was delicious. Probably the best Nelson beer, you don't taste any of that piney tree leaf in there at all. Very smooth and low bitterness. And their bear cookie- if you like a stout, it's also very good. One thing I would like to see is more beers on tap. There weren't a lot of options. Hopefully there'll be some hazies! read more

Bear Roots Brewing Downtown - Beer - Brewpubs Near Me - Vista, California

Great Brews & great service. Alma gave both fantastic service and was very helpful. Lots of craft brew available in this area, and this place is easily #1. read more

Bear Roots Brewing Downtown - Brewpubs Near Me - Vista, California

Beer was okay. Environment felt unwelcoming... If you have different views as the beer tender, she will kick you out. Witnessed beer tender berate, harass, and use foul language with a female customer. Will not go back and will not recommend to friends to try this place if this worker is still there- short, skinny, black hair, light skinned hispanic female. Believe name started with an "A" read more

I am not sure why my review was removed and posted on their original page/location?! I created a new page for THIS particular location as that's where this review belongs! My pictures were moved too...details friends, details. Let's try this again... Another great addition to the ever-changing/evolving downtown Vista and Hop Highway scene. This location is also walking distance to Mother Earth Brew Co., Wavelength Brewing Company, and Belching Beaver Brewery Tavern & Grill. Great place to brewery hop. I have been enjoying Bear Roots beer for several years and I was happy to see they were expanding. This second location is not too far from the original location up Santa Fe Avenue. It's next to Smitty's Downtown, Sonic, and The Flying Pig. In fact, this location offers select menu items from The Flying Pig restaurant. Their food is tasty, so I'm certain it pairs well with the delicious beer. I'll have to return and let you know. The tasting room is nicely decorated and I absolutely love the use of kegs and other brew items for decorative purposes. Clever! There are several televisions, tables, chairs, and barstools making it easy to comfortably enjoy a few beers. read more

See all

Gorgeous wood tables and special barrel release brews only available at this location. Love the second location! Instead of expanding to San Diego they opened another Vista location. Shows their love for the community! No room for a nitro line so if you love their Bear Cookie on nitro you'll have to go to the Santa Fe (B1) location. The Imperial Bear Cookie rocks! It doesn't take away from Bear Cookie's deliciousness. The 9.8% ABV packs a punch! Parking can be tight but you can park behind Flying Pig. They have an agreement with Bear Roots and provide the tater tots. There aren't as many seats but there are barrels to stand at and place your beer. Loyalists (yearly membership) have a special roped off room. There are purse hooks at the bar and a rail for your feet but no outlets. There are a couple of outlets on the wall surrounding the loyalist room. You can get food: Urbn Pizza delivers, the cheeseburger, philly, turkey burger, and chicken tenders come from PepperTree Frosty. Great service from Les. Looking forward to my next visit. read more

See all

I love the original location and this is a great second location. Food options from pepper tree makes sure you have food for purchase too Happy hour pricing would let the location compete with Belching Beaver on a greater scale. The beer is fantastic. I loved their pale ale and I'm usually not a pale ale guy. Very balanced and refreshing. Bear heart is also a tasty scotch ale. Light mouth feel too. For a great place to grab a beer and hang with friends, this is the place. read more

Bear Roots Brewing Downtown - Brewpubs Near Me - Vista, California

This is the place for a mellow, friendly spot to have a glass of beer or hard seltzer. They have two locations in the neighborhood and I joke that the other one is the "man cave" and this has a beautiful bar. Their wearable merch is super comfy. My husband loves the sweatpants because they are so soft and they have held up through a bizillian washes! There is plenty of parking and awesome restaurants to grab a quick bite and they welcome outside food. If you bring a dog they might be in for a treat, too! read more

The beers are crazy strong here. Been here twice & I love the beers, the place, & everything. The staff is super cool & so is the vibe.

Visited this brewery for the first time on Friday after having dinner at Flying Pig. The bartender was very nice and informative. I really like the ambiance and decor of the place. I had the Bear Cookie which is a chocolate peanut butter stout. It was smooth and tasted like mocha, vanilla, peanut butter and chocolate. Definitely a good dessert drink. I liked that it was so tasty! read more

See all

This is a great place. The people are kind, helpful and friendly. The staff is alert/aware something that I don't see all that often. The beer selection is good and the bartender helped me decide what to order, which turned out to be just what I wanted. The layout of the tavern is open yet cozy with a welcoming vibe and a fine, long bar. There are window tables where the windows open out to people strolling along the street and has several different types of seating choices. This place has a corner entrance door which I happen to find very inviting. I like it's location in downtown Old Town Vista. read more

Bear Roots is in downtown Vista and they always have a new beer selection with 2-3 classic beers that they brew. The interior is comforting and a great place to hangout at. I recently went here with a group of 7. They were very accommodating and sat us in their semi-private room. The room has a nice table and the different beers listed on it. I ordered a blood orange beer. I forgot the name, but it was delicious. There was a UFC fight going on and they played it on the tv in the semi-private room! The workers are super chill and were constantly cleaning and practicing social distancing guidelines. All employees were wearing masks, which was great. I will definitely be coming back to Bear Roots once they open back up. It's now my favorite brewery/spot to grab a beer in Downtown Vista. read more

Beer: Bear Roots Brewing Downtown has a solid beer selection & cool interior space, very woody & plant-y. The ambiance is certainly relaxed & a nice place to just hang out & sip a brewski. They offer IPAs, Stout, & more, depending on the menu availability. Service: The service friendly & can answer any questions you may have. Final Thoughts: Good beer & service, convenient location in downtown Vista. I've been here more than once & it's always a pleasant experience. read more

Refreshing & Amazing Flavors Great selection of IPA's Vince is a sweetheart and Joe such a gentleman. My fav's are Lathem Red & Bear Heart ...so miiiummmiie! Gorgeous tap room, B1 has a pool table and for us Loyalist an outdoor lounge with a big screen TV. The Owner is totally down to earth and always so welcoming. Great prices, amazing beer and the atmosphere is relaxing and not extremely loud like some spots. B2 in downtown Vista always has great music playing either Raggae or Classic Rock. Both locations are immaculate clean... a must stop on your brewery adventures read more

Bear Roots Brewing Downtown - Having a Recreational IPA 7% & watching the Charger/ Raider game with my hubby - Brewpubs Near Me - Vista, California

We recently moved to San Marcos and took the sprinter to Vista. We are fans of Vista and love the vibe there. We stopped in Bear Roots and fell in love instantly. Excellent service by Aja, delicious beers on tap. My husband tried all of them and enjoyed all of them. I feel in love with Cash Money IPA. We will be coming back. Cheers! read more

This is a great place for grabbing a drink. Though no food, it's walking distance to sonic and pepper tree. Not as wide an assortment of beers as their other location but still a great selection. Super cute inside with lots of plants and wood feel read more

This great local tap house is a branch off from one of my favorite local micro breweries located just up the street. The staff is always friendly, even on packed prime evenings. The layout is small, but able to accommodate you, some friends and a few pints for sure. The Bear Cookie is an all time amazing stout, but the blood orange IPA will bring me back most every time for sure! Cheers! read more

We had an awesome time at the new Bear Roots tasting room in Downtown Vista. So much so that Rob and I decided to stay there longer instead of moving on to the planned next location in our brewery tour. (That's Rob's photo above. You'll see more of his beertography skills on his Instagram feed, @sdbeertour: check him out and give him a follow.) I loved the original Bear Roots location, too, when I visited last September. It is hard to believe that was 39 reviews ago. This is my 190th review! Back in September, I made the claim that Bear Roots's Bear Cookie is the best peanut butter stout in San Diego, or maybe anywhere--that's a bold claim given the excellent products of Bear Roots's Downtown Vista neighbors Belching Beaver (Peanut Butter Stout) and Mother Earth (Sin Tax). Now I'm going to double down on that claim: Bear Cookie is in contention to be my favorite beer overall, ever. The latest batch is even better than previous ones I've had. I rated it a 4.75/5. For perspective, I've only rated four of the 1100 beers I've logged on Untappd at 4.75 or higher. Bear Cookie is smooth, nearly black, and has a persistent tan head. The smooth, soft, medium mouthfeel from the lactose leads to a sweet but not overly sweet taste, with deep roasty malts set off and balanced by subtle bitterness, peanut butter and chocolate flavors. I'm drooling just thinking about it. Speaking of batches, one of the things that makes Bear Roots great is batch-to-batch consistency. They do it amazingly well, especially considering that they have been brewing on a one-barrel system until just this week (late June 2018), when they had a new brew system delivered at their original location. This capacity increase is great news for beer lovers since there will be more Bear Roots beer out there in the world. In addition to the eight beers on tap at this location (more beers are available at the original location), they offer food that is delivered from two nearby restaurants. We tried a cheese steak and chicken strips, both great. Delivery was very quick, and they don't charge a silly mark-up for delivery. It is a great example of small businesses working together to enhance things for themselves as well as customers. I can't say enough about the great service we got from Joe and Vince on the bar. They were both friendly and enthusiastic about their product. That sort of thing really enhances a beer lover's experience at a tasting room, so I'm always really pleased when I see it. Sticking with the theme of the brewery, the interior of the tasting room is decorated similarly to the original location. There are barrels, plants, thick wooden tables and bar tops, and rough wood paneling. The ceilings are low, giving the place a cozy, relaxed and comfortable feeling. In short, Bear Roots Brewing is firing on all cylinders, and both locations are excellent in every respect you could hope for--beer, service, atmosphere, you name it. The Bear Roots Downtown Vista tasting room is very close to the Belching Beaver Tavern and Grill, which in turn is right across the street from Wavelength Brewing and the Mother Earth Tap House. You can do all four in a 0.2 mile walk! Backstreet Brewing (inside Lamppost Pizza) is a mere 0.3 miles further. Guadalupe's tasting room will be going in nearby later this summer. Downtown Vista is becoming a genuine competitor with North Park as a beer tourist's Mecca--for brewery density, walkability, and beer quality. You can catch the Sprinter from Oceanside or San Marcos if you want to avoid driving while drinking--there's a stop 0.2 miles from Mother Earth, 0.3 miles from Bear Roots Downtown. Speaking of nearby, the main Bear Roots location--the homebrew shop, brewery and original tasting room--is a mere 1.4 miles down the street. read more

This new location of Bear Roots is amazing! Warm inviting ambiance with really great beer tenders welcoming you in. Of course there beer selection is fantastic! They also offer food to be delivered from Pepper Tree and The Flying Pig if you so desire! Great location with plenty parking in downtown. Check them out, you won't be disappointed! Ask about their loyalist program. read more

This is my second time at the downtown Vista bear roots location. The place has a really cool environment! Lots of plants & wood-themed furniture. The beer is great. My favorite is rooted in the West (IPA)! I just wish the place could stay open longer, but I know this isn't the owners fault. Definitely recommend to anyone who is looking for a chill place to sit back and drink a nice cold beer. read more

Bear Roots Brewing Downtown - Brewpubs Near Me - Vista, California

Bear roots is an awesome chill place that has delicious beers and the environment is awesome! The place set up inside is cozy and relaxing! I recommend people to check this place out read more

Bear Roots Brewing Downtown - Brewpubs Near Me - Vista, California

I came here with my girlfriend and we were both very impressed to say the least. The place is very inviting and chill to hangout at so we ended up staying for a bit. The Beer we had, made by Bear Roots Brewing, was the best out of the whole menu! That said, I would definitely recommend this place for a nice time out! read more

We love Bear Roots Brewing, if you haven't tried out their new location in downtown Vista your are missing someplace special! read more

Bear Roots Brewing Downtown - Dog friendly! - Brewpubs Near Me - Vista, California

See all

10/2018: Super cute and trendy. Great decor. Bathroom tile is perfect bc you don't see drip marks. Adorable signs and cute rustic indoor fountain. Very cool place. read more

See all

The beers all tasted unfinished, a huge maltiness that shouldn't be there for many of there beers. Some of the worst beers I've had in San Diego. read more

I've only been to the main brewery twice, but I frequent the downtown location with the wife and friends. Love the vibe, decor, and the beers are excellent. I absolutely love the bear cookie. One of the best stouts in San Diego, period. Delicious. Joe is a great beertender. Easy to talk to and handles his shit. Great spot for some drinks and movie! (Theatre is down the street) read more

Joe is the best!!! Gotta love this place! The atmosphere! The beer! The service! Definitely a place worth going to when you want quality beer!!! Also highly recommend beat cookie and c's company ipa !!! read more

Best brewery in the village! don't be fooled by the other big ones. All the beer-tenders are amazing! Especially Vince who is always attentive and down to earth. Try the Bear Cookie it's delicious! My boyfriend gets Bear Heart and Bear Cookie mixed together it's also so good! read more

Nice little tasting room. Very open, light and airy. The Blackout IPA was very unique and delicious. Slightly smokie, nice head and very drinkable. Friendly staff. We'll be back. read more

Omg! This place! 100% bear cookie the best! Devin was so great and his hospitality and customer service the best! We will definitely come back! The beer is amazing! Atmosphere is perfect! Love San Diego! read more

I love bringing my dog and hanging out with the cool peeps that drink beer at Bear Roots! I love me some Bear Cookie. Hi Joe!!!!

Joe was fantastic. Knew everything about the beer & made everyone feel like they were at home! Great beer - the best surprise: the scotch ale. Finding a jewel like this among the sea of hop crazy west coast IPAs is very rare. Well done! Great job Joe! read more

IPA drinker. Pineappless Express is best so far. So smooth. Their is NO PINEAPPLE in this. It is a name. The secret is high ABV with low IBU. All the IPAs are smooth. Great experience. Now I will try the others. (All tasters.). Bear Roots Pale Ale is great. They have not moved all their beers over here as of today so on the the rich flavors. Bear Cookie Bear Heart. The beer here is all so smooth that It could become my favorite. Especially because my dog is welcome. Wow, I like the Scotch ale, Bear Heart. Remember, taster size. This would overwhelm me in a pint. 30 years ago this may have been my favorite. I was an oatmeal stout fan back then. Delicious food choices from nearby locations but nothing healthy. I hope they expand their Flying Pig menu. I love the Bear Cookie but now even with tasters I have a bit of buzz. I will start with this one next time. OK, just a taste of Imperial Stout 11%. Great of course. You want to experience this place. The master brewer is obviously skilled. read more

See all

Very awesome atmosphere. Very welcoming and loving people at Bear roots. The beer here are delicious and I highly recommended stopping by and having a pint. read more

Calm environment, great local brews! I really enjoy stopping by to try out their new selections.

Joe, our bartender, made spending time there well worth it. He took the time to figure out what I was into and encouraged me to try the different brews they had on tap. It made my experience really enjoyable and fun. Had the Pineapple Express brew. Definitely recommend coming to this place. Totally worth going. They're knowledgeable, passionate, and care about their customers! Thanks Joe! read more

Just GREAT beer. That's all you need to know. Can compete with any brewery in the area in all beer styles hands down. Cheap flights and nice bartender. Also nice atmosphere with just enough hipster to make it "instagramable" but not annoying . You won't want to miss out on this place read more