I love this hidden San Diego gem! not just Deft brewing but the entire gärten itself. So much so that I almost didn't want to review it to keep it hidden, but good places deserve the spotlight. Deft has an incredible variety of beers for everyone's likes and tastes. I truly recommend getting a flight so you can experience as many as you can. My personal favorite is their irish stout. Vibes and service are immaculate. Please don't linger just for that tho, stay if you're really going to consume and drink here. This is not a public park or playground ffs. read more

Deft Brewing - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California

I adore their beer garden concept; in collaboration with local businesses, you can get a beer, mead, wine, or a pizza slice all within less than 5 steps! The beer garden itself is a wonderful concept. There are numerous tables in the courtyard and tables inside the brewery dependent on the temperature outside. Each table has pizza menus in collaboration with pizza cassette. You can order a pizza and have them delivered it to the table you've chosen to sit at. To order a beer, you have to go to the counter where the beertenders are. They are very patient with you as you make your selections. I opened for a hazy IPA and my partner chose a Deft and Moody. The beers were cool to the touch and we enjoyed them as we hung out. They had little games for people are bored. It also seemed like they had rotating events going on. When we were there, there was a live musician playing blues genre music. The parking isn't the best because there aren't a lot of spots unless you park on the long road. Nevertheless, I just really enjoy German themed breweries and German beer/gardens. They knocked this one out of the park and I can't wait to be back! read more

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Beers were good and between the actual brewery and the outside area that seems to be more like a courtyard type of style between a few businesses there was ample on the seating for our group of four. It seems to be really busy here and as locals we had never tried it and so glad that we did. Lots of options from the beer front and they also have some nonalcoholic options as well with cans of soda and a couple other options. read more

Deft Brewing - Neat cards to read what's beer you are drinking and all the details - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California

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First time there this past Friday and won't be the last one. One of my closest friend had his birthday gathering there and even though it was very difficult for me to find parking once I did and reached there, I was surprised to see that there are several beer places in one and communal tables plus live music. It was very enchanting to see that many people families with children, dogs, friends having the best time. This is an area of San Diego that I don't frequent often around Morena boulevard, but I saw there is a lot of atmosphere so I will be back soon. Remember you have to be patient because the lines to get your beer or food can get very long. The place was packed. read more

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Delicious small brewery right next to a wine bar AND WOOD FIRED PIZZA?!?!?!?! Say less and pour me a beer! The space is a typical brewery, tanks and industrial, a few flags decorating and showing there the beers are styled/ inspired from. Dog allowed and WiFi available, parking is a little odd as there are a lot of driveways around this block. Stay vigilante! Plenty of seating available with the outdoor patio. Service was friendly and the guys behind the counters offer plenty of suggestions. Check this place out! read more

Deft Brewing - European style beers (schwartzbier) - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California

The pizza here is next level. It's whipped up in a brick oven and they do a really good job. I recommend the Stinger if you like hot honey! Wednesdays they do a musical open mic night and it rocks! read more

Deft Brewing - Stinger - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California

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We had a fantastic experience here. Walked in to a packed place with live music around 6:30 on a Saturday evening. I finally understood why people always talk about SD weather being perfect! The food here was absolutely brilliant too. Good German beer, Good Food, Live music, and board games for little ones... what else can one ask for? Drinks were self-serve, but food was delivered to our table within 20 mins, in-spite of the place being super busy. The produce and pizza was fresh! Noise levels on the higher end, so conversing became slightly difficult as the evening progressed, but manageable. Highly recommend this place to beer, wine, and people who like to have fun in general! read more

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One of my favorite breweries in San Diego. I'm not one to follow the hoppy herd that so many other breweries tend to have in excess so the options here are pretty much all I could ask for. The courtyard has pizza (little spendy for the size) and life music. Love the hope vines! read more

Great beer! Great Pizza! This is my favorite brewerynin San Diego hands down. I highly highly recommend it. read more

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The place was amazing. It shares a lot with a pizza place that had amazing pizza. The beers offered were all delicious and the staff was helpful and amazing. read more

Super fun place. I loved it. They had a band and a great out door seating area. Parking is limited.

The only problem is that on the weekends this place is too popular. It can actually be hard to find parking or seating. But the food, drinks, lines music, and general vibe is phenomenal. It seems like every time I come I plan on having a quick bite but end up staying for hours. read more

UPDATE: the owner of Deft responded to my email promptly and settled everything very professionally! Original review for posterity: Avoid this place at all costs. Deft Brewing was one of the worst experiences I've had at any establishment, ever. We went on July 4th, excited to check out a new spot. It was our first time. It will also be our last. It started with a staff member at the pizza shop getting weirdly aggressive over a casual comment about New Jersey. I mentioned my girlfriend is from Warren, NJ, and the guy felt the need to argue with us about what part of the state that's in. He actually followed us to our table to prove his point. Seriously. Over geography. It was awkward, rude, and set a bizarre tone for the night. Then it got worse. Much worse. While walking by one of the tables near the meadery area, I was bitten by a dog on the property. Not scratched. Bitten. Through a brand new pair of shorts I had just bought for 80 bucks. Ripped a hole straight through them. I didn't make a scene. I'm an animal person. But there was no warning, no sign, no one taking responsibility. Just silence. I emailed them directly with a photo of the damage and a link to the product, hoping for at least basic accountability. Nothing so far. This place is careless, unprofessional, and clearly not equipped to manage a safe or respectful environment. Between the hostile staff behavior (NJ geography wiz guy) and the lack of oversight with dogs on the property, I wouldn't send anyone here. Not locals, not visitors, not anyone. Go somewhere that knows how to treat guests like people and takes safety seriously. Avoid. Avoid. Avoid. (Bock in South Park is a better alternative) read more

Deft Brewing - Ripped shorts (for a brewery review of all things!) - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California

This is such a great place to hang out... love the ambiance of the garten and the partnership between the different businesses is awesome. Good beer. Good food and making new friends what could be better. read more

The beer and service here was excellent The girl gave out samples so you could really get one you liked. Fast friendly and efficient. She even helped me carry some of the drinks to the table. Excellent service!! read more

Deft Brewing - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California

The beer and wine was delicious! However, the pizza that they have on-site is delivered LATE. We waited an hour before we got our pizza; granted, we expected to wait a while because we got their pan pizza; however, after 30 minutes, we decided to check on it and realized that they had accidentally delivered our pizza to another table. Unless we checked on it, we wouldn't have learned that, so MAKE SURE YOU CHECK ON IT! We were understanding, of course; however, after another 25 minutes, I had hoped for something other than just an apology. But we didn't. Anyway. When you order from their food place, remain vigilant because they will forget about you. read more

Deft Brewing - Pan pizza - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California

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The last time we were in this area - the pizzeria, brewery, cidery, winery area - we drove, because we hadn't yet been introduced to Uber Pet. On our first visit, we stopped by Cassette Pizza, but on this visit, we came specifically for Deft. I love how open and communal the courtyard area is. It's also nice that the drinking holes offer indoor seating options, as well. While we were able to find a couple of seats at the bar close to Deft's entrance, it did cool off as the night wore on, and it was nice to have options for indoor seating, though we didn't end up needing it. I started the night with a pint of their Deftoberfest Marzen, because even though it's July, it's never too early for a Marzen. I liked the malty flavor of the brew, though it wasn't as malty as the Oktoberfest beers I typically like. It was a little on the lighter side, as well. My second pour was the "Fear the Deft Star", which was a Kottbusser - a term I had to Google as it was a new one to me. I thought I was in for a sweeter, honey-filled flavor, based on Google, but that didn't really come through on this one. It was light and fizzy, but didn't offer much more than that. To finish the night, I went with the Dawn of the Deft, a porter that brought the chocolatey, roasty flavors I tend to go for. This was my favorite pour of the night, and a good way to close out our tab. My husband enjoyed his three pours as well, though I could tell they weren't hitting for him the way he'd hoped. Still, he kept going back and was able to polish off every pour he got, so that's something. Will we be back? Unknown, but just because there are so many new breweries for us to sample...and favorites for us to frequent. read more

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Good selection of beer to choose from, friendly service every time I order a beer and great outdoor seating that has a shared courtyard with a meadery and a place that serves freshly made pizzas. Most of the beers I have had from here have been really good. I prefer to have lighter beers and sours, they have something for everyone. I definitely recommend trying this place at least once. Parking here can be limited as there is never ending construction going on in the evening. read more

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This is a really great brewery in a nice area with in and outdoor seating and outside food options. The bartender was awesome and represented the brewery so positively. The beers: Bay Park Blonde Kolsch 4/5 Deft Leicht Helles 4/5 Austere Abbot Belgian single 5/5 Fear the Deft Star Kottbusser N. German wheat 3/5 Half-a-Weizen Hefeweizen 3/5 Deft & Witty Belgian Witbier 3/5 Deftoberfest Marzen 3/5 Legion's Revenge ESB 3/5 Deft Season seasonal Saison 4/5 Curly Tail Red Ale Irish red 4/5 Dawn of the Deft English Porter 4/5 Deftly Hallows foreign extra stout 4/5 read more

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Deft Brewing is one of the vendors at The Garten. They have seating inside, but you can also sit outside in the community patio. My friend ordered a couple of beers to try and one of them was sour. We were checked on to see how everything was going. It's a cool spot to grab a beer after work! read more

Deft Brewing - Beers - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California

Good local brew pub with both indoor and outdoor seating. Courtyard contains other businesses to include both wine and mead as well as food options. Weekly social engagements are hosted on site and I look forward to joining for euchre sometime. At least 10 brews were on tap and I sampled several in a flight, and liked a few but was not disappointed with any. I like this joint and will pop back now and again! read more

Deft Brewing - My flight! - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California

Great food, great beer, good people. Stopped here for lunch in the middle of a long bike ride in this place didn't disappoint. If you're in the area and looking for pizza and beer, this is a great spot, and I've heard the sandwiches are really good too, but we didn't try them. read more

Lots of choices and especially a non alcoholic one!!One site pizza and out door tables great for meetings!!

Great for kids and pets. Pizza and drinks were amazing! Lots of shade with standing and sitting areas.

Spent a little mid afternoon time with the Cousin at this brewing company, and if they would've let me, I would've bought the recipe to their pizza dough. Don't ask me but there's just something about wood fired pizza, sipping on a sour, learning how you can "adopt hops" there, and contribute that makes being a fake tourist, so much better. Seating was excellent, especially in that So Cal sun. Parking is a bit of a struggle since it's in an industrial area, but for a Sunday, it wasn't too terrible that we wouldn't recommend to try it just once. read more

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Honestly, one of the best hole in the wall random spots I've ever been to! I came here after dance class and was not expecting wine, beer and Italian/pizza to pick from! It's an outside venue so if you come on hot days, be prepared, but there were so many options for everything and they even have trivia. Absolutely will be back! read more

My daughter and I stopped here on our way home from Xmas shopping. I've been here before but it's improved! The outdoor seating area The Garten accommodated Deft Brewery, Pizza Cassete, Lost Cause Meadery and Oddish Wine. We purchased a great flight from the Meadery, a blonde from Deft and the Lemon Song pizza from Pizza Cassete. Everything was great! We enjoyed the sunshine at a great picnic table and even ran into some friends and shared our food/drink! read more

Deft Brewing - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California

I can't recommend this place enough. As a craft beer lover, I tend to visit as many brew pubs as I can. But when I discovered Deft Brewing, it was love at first sight given my special love for European style beers. I've been to other breweries that sometimes have some good euro inspired beers on tap, but Deft beats them all by a mile in terms of options and taste. If you're in the mood for a British bitter, or a strong Belgian, or a tasty German brew, they've got you covered! It's hands down my favorite SD brewery now. The crew is always friendly, and the place is family friendly. They even have some games to play to keep the kids happy while I'm enjoying the brews. The food from their partner, Pizza Cassette, is outstanding. Both the pizzas and sandwiches I've had are delicious. They even have a TV in the brewery where you can catch some sports while enjoying the brews. I especially love how they have a loyalty points program that can be used to get discounts and free beers, which I've taken advantage of quite a few times already. In short, if you want to enjoy a taste of Europe, go check them out! You won't be disappointed! read more

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This brewery is the best!! They're not overly busy and they have free and easy parking. Tons of beer options and they fill growlers, too. They have an amazing outdoor shaded beer garden shared with a pizza joint (so delicious!), a winery, and a meadery. Pet friendly! read more

Deft Brewing - Veggie + Ted's Pizzas - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California

The beer was good but I was drinking it with a glass of wine from the winery the space is shared with. The glass was taken from me rather rudely, which is ridiculous seeing as the outside area is packed and the wine is only a few steps away. Don't think I'll be coming back to them. read more

Deft Brewing - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California

Deft brewing has a really good selection of beers that taste really good! I first got the Hefeweizen, which was great and then tried a flight of beer as well. I really liked how they presented the beer flight and gave you facts about each beer. The Garten area is open seating and you are able to order from the kitchen whatever you want from their menu. It has mainly pizza, snacks, salad, and sandwiches. After you order they bring your food to your table based on your table number at the table you sit at. There was also live music in the Garten area. Overall it was a great experience and we will be back! read more

Deft Brewing - The Garten - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California

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Very nice evening with good beer and outstanding pizza. We will be returning in the future!

Kolsch was pretty good! Next to Pizza Cassette. Service and ambience were a-ok. Out of wheat beer.

I went to Deft for my second time to see my friend play acoustic music and sing. It was a nice space for it. Seems like they have live music often. The beer is not my favorite though, as it is European style. They have pizza, a wine spit and a spot to get Meade, which one of the oldest form of alcoholic beverage. All at the same location. The Meade was sweet and very different than anything I have had. read more

Awesome brewery! We took the kiddos on a Friday early evening and it was a vibe! Live music and pizza by Pizza cassette on their beautiful patio! Fresh piping hot pizza and they make their own ice cream too! SCORE!! Nice beer and mead selection, dog friendly, military discount, and wonderful staff. Definitely recommend this local brewery! read more

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Hands down the best brewery in San Diego. Not only do they have the most incredible European style beers, the atmosphere of the beer garden is so amazing. Everyone in San Diego who likes beer should try this place at least once. read more

Cool place. In a very industrial area. Food you get from a pizza place that's just outside in the outdoor. Pets are allowed. read more

Deft Brewing - Nice place, good beer. Food is a pizza place outside. Very industrial area. Recommend the Belgian Quad. - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California

Pizza Cassette! Super Yummy Food! Wood fire pizza heaven! Location- food- ambiance only thing missing was for the coffee shop next door to be open! But Deft Brewing can't control that Pizza, salad, sandwich, drinks they lacked (suggestion- to up on non-alcoholic beverages) breweries have no ice but at least the canned root beer was cold! Perhaps offering some kambucha would have been great to seal the 5 stars! FYI - This is outdoor seating - bugs will be present! Live music was cool background noise Sandwich was super delicious salad was extra fresh and pizza had the perfect crisp- ask for honey drizzle and pour it all over your food it's the right amount of spicy and sweet! Dessert was Ice Cream with a brownie - not so impressed with the Ice cream i expected it to be soft and fresh like dissolve in my mouth but it was extra hard and pasty almost chewy- not the best to our liking' but it looked good! read more

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Deft brewing is located in The Garten along with 3 other establishments- a winery/cider (Oddish Wine) place, a meadery (Lost Cause) and a pizza joint (pizza cassette). There is some seating inside but the courtyard area is great. Deft has European style beers but they have IPAs too. I got a shandy and it was nice and light but again, they have lots of choices. The folks there were so friendly too. I would def suggest getting there early if you want seating. There is a lot of it but it gets quite busy. We will be back! read more

I'm a fan of the English IPA. My boyfriend enjoyed the English tan beer (brown). I am a sucker for puns and one of the beers is called Deft Poet's Society. I also appreciated that it's dog friendly and they defined the word "deft" on their merchandise. The place was clean and nice! The person who poured our beers was extremely friendly and answered all the questions we had about brewing beers. They also have a bunch of games. I recommend and could see myself coming back here! read more

Deft Brewing - Delicious beers!! - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California