Every Monterey Trip Starts Here…read more I've been making the drive from San Francisco to Monterey for years, and this has become my traditional first stop before heading into town. Instead of rushing straight to Cannery Row or 17-Mile Drive, I like to slow down, grab a pint, relax for an hour, and then continue the trip. It honestly puts me in vacation mode. If you're an IPA lover, Dust Bowl Brewing Tap Depot is paradise. California has hundreds of craft breweries, and I've visited quite a few over the years. In my opinion, Dust Bowl deserves to be mentioned among the better IPA breweries in the state. What impresses me most isn't just that their beers are bitter. A lot of breweries chase high IBU numbers and end up producing beers that are simply harsh. Dust Bowl understands balance. Their stronger draft IPAs are incredibly layered. One sip starts with bright citrus, then shifts into tropical fruit, grapefruit, pine, resin, floral hops, and sometimes even hints of stone fruit. As the beer slowly warms up, the aroma and flavor continue to evolve. It's almost like drinking a well-crafted fruit blend--except everything comes naturally from the hops. That's what makes great West Coast IPA so enjoyable. Whenever they have one of their high-alcohol, high-IBU specialty IPAs on draft, I order it without hesitation. Those beers alone are worth stopping for. Honestly, if you're serious about IPA, don't just order one pint. Try several different drafts. You'll understand why people keep coming back. The nice surprise is that the rest of their beer lineup is also excellent. Whether you enjoy lagers, pale ales, porters, stouts, or seasonal releases, everything I've tried has been well made and consistently enjoyable. Another thing I appreciate is that this place never feels like a tourist trap. Considering you're in Monterey, the prices are very fair. The beer quality easily justifies what you pay, and the portions are generous. It's simply honest craft beer served by people who clearly care about what they're brewing. The food isn't trying to be fine dining, and that's perfectly okay. It's good, straightforward brewery food that pairs well with beer. Burgers, sandwiches, appetizers, and snacks are exactly what I want while enjoying a couple of pints. The staff has always been friendly every time I've visited. Even when they're busy, they're welcoming, patient, and happy to answer questions or recommend beers if you're unsure what to order. Great service always makes good beer taste even better. For me, Dust Bowl Brewing has become part of every Monterey trip. If you love craft beer, especially West Coast IPA, this place shouldn't just be on your list--it should be one of your destinations. There are plenty of breweries in California. There are plenty of places to drink beer. But if you're an IPA enthusiast like I am, Dust Bowl Brewing is one of those places that reminds you why California became one of the world's great craft beer capitals. Every trip to Monterey starts here. And I can't imagine starting it anywhere else.

Peach, Love, and Hazy. It's probably only been twice so far but I think I'm guilty of picking up a…read moresix-pack of this whenever I drive by. Big parking lot, nice open bar with plenty of place to sit, chill, and hang out on a nice sunny day. Servers are great and kind. Now that the weather is warming up, I might make a trip out to replay this experience and pick up Revival ice cream nearby to bring back home.

Happy Hour Review Only (particularly for watching a sports game). I was in the area and found this…read moreplace while searching for a happy hour that had lots of tv screens to watch the World Cup game (US vs Bosnia and Herzegovina). We lined up right when they opened and got a booth table (there are tons of tvs at almost every angle so most, if not all the seats have a view). The food wasn't anything special but I was super impressed at the prices and variety offered during happy hour. It's getting harder and harder to find a restaurant that has a decently priced happy hour that doesn't just have $10 truffle fries as their "happy hour." We ordered a bunch of the food items but the Wings were my favorite (4 wings with celery, carrots for $5), while the Eggplant Bites were my least favorite. I love eggplant but this was way too sweet and all the different flavors were quite weird.

I would give 5 stars to the staff, they were amazing…read more The decor reminds you of a 90's Bakers Square with a bar. Food was mixed. Tomato soup and grilled cheese were both delicious a 4.5! Tacos tasty 3.75 but the deep dish pizza was inedible. Disappointing. It was gooey in the middle (not cooked through and the cheese just pooled along with grease). Not sure I would go back.

Food was great and so was the mimosa slushie! Service was…read morefairly quick and the employees were kind. They had a lot of seating inside and they have games for you and others to enjoy while you're there which I thought was cool!

Definitely a niche restaurant for beer lovers, but I had 2 hours to spare on an early Saturday…read moreafternoon. While my car was in the shop, I wandered around Obama Way because the redevelopment has been amazing. Other Brother is one of the high points in this neighborhood & offers a nice anchor to the smaller storefronts. Seating is designed for groups with large booths or cafeteria-style tables. There's an al fresco option and garage door-style window seating indoors where one can watch the al fresco diners! Overall, fun concept; but not really a friendly place for one person who wants good food, quiet space, and room to read a book. Order before sitting. Menu is small & offers pub-style dining options with a gourmet CA twist. **Special Note: cooking oil is RICE BRAN & it's delicious, so order the tater tots & be prepared to toss out your epi-pen while having your taste buds delighted! The oil must be light, so the tots were crispy with a sweetness that highlighted the potato flavor. OMG... I'm drooling as a write this review & craving more of the rice bran cooking oil tater tots! I had the BLT without mayo (just in case it contained my allergen). The bread, giant butter lettuce leaf, & thick hunks of tomato ensured the the sandwich was moist. The bacon was quite thick & delicious. I don't drink beer, but when in Rome... I ordered the baby beer glassful of beer. Dunno what it was -- something that looked like water & had a few earthy tasting bubbles. It was good. Really good. Great suggestion, Bartender! I had to pick up my meal from the window & was treated to a serenade by the kitchen crew. Lovely. From a health & safety perspective, the design is neat & super clean. Ladies!! Special treat in the bathroom... Other Brother management recognizes our special hygiene needs & offers a basket filled with supplies. OMG! This was better than dessert!! Other Brother loves us. Parking: street parking at no charge, but busy times might mean you have a short walk. The 'hood is nice & very clean. BRING YOUR ID. It's a BEER joint. Don't blame the restaurant staff for doing their job & carding everyone.

A quick pivot to change our lunch plans while on holiday in Carmel, CA: ended up being really great…read morefor our party of three. Founded in Monterey in 2014, Alvarado Street Brewery expanded its production and its restaurants to meet demand. This location in the Carmel Plaza Shopping Center opened in 2018, and they do produce beer here, though their main production and canning happens at their original Monterey and expanded Salinas plants. They also have a new beer garden at the new soccer stadium in Marina. We waited around at the mall until it opened at 11:30. Service was excellent all-around, with us being seated right away, and our server, Ian, providing some top-notch recommendations for both food and beer. I asked him about their flights, which were the standard 5 oz pours, and individually priced. But he mentioned that if I ordered their promotional deal (in this case, their Korean-style loco moco), it would come with a flight of their 4 core beers. He had me sold as soon as he said 'loco moco'. Everything came out on-time, and served at the right temperature as appropriate. 4 beer flight (included with loco moco plate) - flagship Monterey Beer (American Light Lager, brewed at their Salinas plant); Pilsner (German-style Pilsner, also brewed at their Salinas plant); Mai Tai (American IPA, Salinas); Howzit Punch (fruited sour, modeled after Hawaiian POG). All of the beers were really good. with the Howzit being the most liked, not only on principle (we really love Hawaii) but also on taste. Korean-Style Loco Moco ($25) - when told that the white rice on a traditional loco moco was being replaced by kimchi fried rice, my original reaction was 'Dang...why didn't I think of that'. It was a beautiful looking dish, for sure. In terms of taste, just OK. The rice wasn't great, and the hamburger patty was OK (a bit dry). But the over-easy egg added a nice level of richness and the gravy fit the dish. The strips of gim (seaweed sheets) was a great touch and appreciated. Roasted Drunken Half Chicken ($33) - another great looking dish: a cut up half chicken with a ton of crisping done on the skin. It came with two dipping sauces (a bbq and a butter based), along with pickled vegetables on the side, and a jalapeno biscuit. My wife loved the biscuit and didn't need the extra butter. The chicken looked dry though, and she confirmed it. The dark meat was OK, but the white meat was very dry, confirming that one needs to use the bbq sauce and the pickled vegetables to counteract that. Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich ($20) - my mother-in-law loved this, and she proved it by eating it all (though it could have something to do with all the walking we did in the morning). I enjoyed the fresh cole slaw (tart with a nice mix of vegetables). And all of us really enjoyed the fries...again proving that food service frozen fries can be marvelous if deep fried (and served) properly. My wife and I both agreed that the Mai Tai PA and Howzit Punch were really good and worth bringing back home so got a 4-pack of each ($16 each). Haven't had a chance to try it at home yet, but will do so when wanting to remember our trip.

Great restaurant and brewery in the heart of Carmel! Really glad we stumbled upon this place while…read morewalking around Carmel. They have such a wide beer selection that I wanted to try them all! Did a flight of 6 beers and they were all so unique and tasty! Also ordered the calamari and it was probably one of the best calamari's I've had. Crispy, great seasoning, and the kale chips was a nice touch! We also ordered the burger which came with fries. The burger was very basic and didn't really stand out. Everything about the burger was very plain. Would definitely come back to try some more beers!

Wetzel's Pretzels, Monterey…read more August 2026 My family decided to stop by and get their Cheesy Dog Bites and their Cin-A-Bitz. I think the Cheesy Dog Bites are new and they were absolutely delicious! The Cin-A-Bitz also came out piping hot and very buttery! The place was packed but for good reasons! It was cold outside so I'm sure everyone just wants something hot to snack on. Highly recommend to get these items. I would return if I'm in the area again.

We were staying overnight in Monterey and were excited that this place was still open- we walked in…read moreand looked at the menu and ordered- only to be told "does it look like we have anything? We are done for the night." Mind you it's 40 minutes before closing. The guy working here was not even paying attention to Anyone walking in, he was more interested in his personal convo. Super disappointing! Don't come here late because apparently they don't have any pretzels.

Amazing food. Each dish was perfection and a good amount to share amongst a family of 4. Uniquely…read moredecorated interior with ample seating, no wait time on a Saturday early evening. We were given a complimentary basket of bread and butter to start off with, simple as it sounds, it was still really good. We ordered the Swiss onion soup which was so good that my kids were slurping the remaining soup even, best onion soup I've had (better than other French onion soups I've had before). We also got the schnitzel and fish and chips, both of which tasted great. Finished the meal with creme brûlée which definitely did not disappoint. Not sure if this place would be considered kid friendly, there were no kid utensils given. Maybe it was also because there were no other kids at the quiet restaurant but it felt awkward with our loud kids in there. Despite this, would love to come back for the food.

Carmel Fondue Institution is a Must Eat…read more Visiting Carmel and want something a bit off the beaten path of the typical tourist? Lugano has been serving fondue for 30 years, and they should be on your list of restos to try while visiting the area. Decked out in Swiss chalet kitsch from floor to ceiling in marvelous wood with everything from bells to beer steins and mechanical clocks, the atmosphere is as warm and inviting as the service and the food. So what did we try? We went for the fondue sampler, and the jaegerschnitzel and pork bratwurst: 1. Fondue Sampler. Overall okay value. But we could skip the broth course. a. Salad. Ranch dressing. Nothing special but a good start! b. Swiss Original. Mixed with 3 cheeses, this has the required gruyer but also emmentaler, making this a delicious trio of slightly salty creamy flavors with a mild and savory bitter finish. Must get. Comes with bread and fruits. Best part of this. Unlike other places, they don't add oil, which makes this super delicious. c. Broth. Chicken and beef. Sadly, not our favorite. It's kind of like hot pot, but the broth is lackluster. And the meats are not good choices because: the beef is too thickly cut; and the chicken gets hard when boiled so not recommended for this. d. Chocolate. Only one choice with no additions possible. Very good chocolate though. 2. Jaegerschnitzel. Dark mushroom sauce with plenty of flavor. Schnitzel was properly breaded and juicy. Buttery spaetzel with nice al dentez Recommend. 3. Bratwurst. Pork was delicious: plump and juicy, full of tasty flavor. Excellent with the sauerkraut and well made mustard. Definite recommend. I thought the German potato hash too salty by itself but perfect paired with sauerkraut or pickled onions. Overall, a delightful experience. We will come again and focus on the cheese and chocolate next time. And the bratwurst!

Terrific service from the manager and team. I came Sunday mid day during a rush it seems. The lines…read morewere incredibly long BUT fast moving. I would say there was at least 15 people in front of me and several more people behind. Even though the lines were long I didn't mind because there was a girl that was putting out fresh samples the entire time and even the lemonades! They were delicious especially the strawberry lemonade and pizza nuggets. My family enjoyed the free samples that helped us choose what to order when it was our time so it made it easier for both my family and the workers I'm assuming instead of thinking of what to get. My family and my self ended up ordering the pepperoni bites, cinnamon sugar bites, the mini hot dog bites and then a sweet almond pretzel from a coupon my son got from school a while back! They were all super fresh and we even got some straight out of the oven so they were nice and hot! The drinks were very refreshing not too sweet like some other places. The staff were all so friendly and knew what they were doing! Kudos to this group of young people for managing so well on such a busy weekend.

Best pretzel place ever! Always fresh and good tasting super friendly and fast customer serviceread more

I asked for extra salt and napkins. No salt was added, arguably less than normal anyhow, and the…read morenapkins were put on the bottom side of pretzel. I thought at first the napkins rubbed off the salt, however that was not the case. By the time I walked outside the napkins were already useless.

Turned away for a second to answer a question after paying and the guy taking my order turned the…read moreipad around and clicked a 25% tip for himself. And then he started talking to the next person to get their order. I should have said something immediately, but honestly kinda shocked and scared he stole money like that. Terrible customer service and also illegal.