Great brewery! The space is beautiful, the beer is really good, and I heard the food was pretty…read moretasty too, although we did not have any as we came from lunch. Love the vibe of this place. It's situated in an area with lots of small shops and eateries. Would totally go back and try the beers with some nibbles next time. Street parking was easy.

The drinks were very good, but I'm not the best to judge because I had the watermelon poppi soda…read more(very sweet) and the NA kombucha (good, a little more watery than I'm used to) because I'm a teetotaler. The pizza and taco were both good. The salad was very heavy on arugula and had hair in it. I wouldn't come for the food, but I wasn't disappointed to eat there once I'd gotten hungry. The seating was nice, the live music was too loud for my personal taste but I enjoyed the atmosphere before that. There's lots of bike racks on the side, as well as several car parking spaces on the street, but I bet it gets full sometimes. The service was friendly and helpful. You order at the bar and collect the food and drink yourself. You cannot get a paper receipt-- only by text or email.

Bomb. If you want plain jane please go elsewhere. Well, you might still find your thang here. But,…read moretheir house Saison? It's a perfect clone of Dupont but actually fresh out of the keg? And therefore better (unless you be chillin in Belgium). That is not a compliment to be taken lightly. First American Saison that I actually want to fill up my growler with and don't care about the cost. That good. Pizza... I'm always sus about detroit style (allot of places precook the bread and therefore you are eating pizza toast). And for 28 bucks for a roni, I'd be a bit pissed. BUT. I actually dont know if they are doing that and franky don't care because I could not detect it (and I can usually tell being that I'm a bread baker). That being said, the bread is bomb as hell quite enjoyable. Even cold. So. It's worth the price. Or go spend the same or considerably more on some GIANT boring pizza somewhere else so you can eat leftovers for the rest of the week (or be in horrible pain from overeating). Your call. But worth it. Must try spot. House Saison. Done son #1.

Had lunch with my dear friend here and we so enjoyed the delicious beers and eclectic pizza…read morechoices. The set up is clear and easy, order at the counter and they'll give you your drinks before you sit down and a buzzer for any food you order. After the Future and Exquisite Vibrations were delish. Bookies Pizzas are SO good. We got the fogline farm bbq chicken & mushroom & nettle. Both are different and yummy. We sat outside in the sunshine and the vibe was salty Santa Cruz. I try and hit this place up when I'm in town.

One of my favorite spots. Delicious beers with a bunch of options. The tofu banh mi sandwich is…read morereeeeally good and the staff is super friendly.

Terrible service and front bar person was very condescending to a basic question we had.read more

Went to Reggae on the wharf yesterday hosted by Humble Sea beer garden, so much fun!!…read more Line for their beers was as expected..long but worth the wait! Had the Wilder ranch water which is one of their newer hard seltzers, and absolutely loved it! Super refreshing and just right for a gorgeous sunny day on the wharf with live reggae playing!

Beer garden on the wharf, genius! There was a food truck there with way better food than you could…read moreget at a tourist trap restaurant. And probably a lot more affordable too. Beer was good, service was friendly. Compostable bamboo fiber cups. Lawn chair or picnic table seating and a fabulous view.

Best brewery in Santa Cruz and a a great post-mountain biking spot with a big outdoor patio. Music…read morenights and days are fun there too. They have a great beer selection and sadly, I must be gluten-free right now, but they have an amazing seltzer on tap that is gluten free that they make themselves. I couldn't believe how refreshing and tasty it is. They also have ciders and other gluten free options if you don't like beer or can't have gluten. Love their light beers and sours as well when I can have gluten! My guy friends like all their beers (I'm not an IPA gal myself). This is a brewery in Santa Cruz that should not be overlooked! Staff is also very friendly and accommodating, and did not get annoyed by my gluten-free questions

3% credit card fee. Live entertainment is quite good on the…read morepatio: The bellydancing / firedancing on the Solstice was great. I like these beers: 4/5: Rebel Yell: Barrel aged sour. 4/5: Poolside: Good Pilsner. 3/5: Lazy angel: an oat Saison. Very yeasty.

Cut and pasted from their website: "Historically, a…read more"balefire" signified a gathering place for the community. Quality/Quantity - Another great find! Just left Discretion Brewing, see other review, and was not satisfied, so we came here. Sampled a few beers to start to confirm what I wanted. So I got my usual Red - Moped Irish Red Ale; so refreshing and with good flavors. Angus Double IPA - Against my better judgement, I finished my night with this. But that made my dinner better when we got to Shadowbrook, as I was so relaxed when I got there; see other reviews. Oh, ending up having the munchies so I also got a $1 bag of chips, lol. If you are following, you KNOW that my favorite breweries are ones where we can bring our own food, where they focus solely on making GREAT beer! Atmosphere - Decent size location, both indoor and outdoor seating. Events and food trucks, see website. Or my photo. Open 7 days a week, hours vary; see website. Wifi. Service - Cal is so professional and passionate about his job and beer! I believe he worked here for over 10 years. We had many different discussions on all the different beers they offer. I even eavesdropped on his beer conversations with the other patrons. Price - $18 + tip. Cost for good beer. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 2023. Our local friends also recommended you, but that was after we already discovered you.

Love Balefire! Great beer with a welcoming vibe from the staff and patrons…read more Spacious inside / outside seating area, easy parking and high quality, rotating food trucks. Fun place to grab a pint!

Always a favorite for us! New menu did not disappoint-great…read moresized portions and fresh, well seasoned and reasonable priced food. Beer selection always interesting-we came for the Double Dry Hopped Pliny from Russian River Brewing. Service was spot on, love the new booth seating in the back -great spot to watch the World Cup.

Very spacious and cool bar space. There's so much to look at inside and plenty of seating. The beer…read moreselection is big, and there's something for everyone. I got the green goddess salad and it was so fresh and the perfect amount of food for a light dinner. The dressing had a little zest to it too which I really liked. I was definitely feeling like a goddess afterward, haha. The staff was helpful with the beer recommendations. Highly recommend stopping by for a beer and a bite.

Everything they brew is world-class. I particularly love their sour/aged saisons and other Belgian…read moreales, but they excel at making most styles of beer. Prefer dark beers? Their robust porter -- Chavez (and its sister beer Vanilla Joe) -- is excellent! Want something hoppy? Their unfiltered IPAs are delicious. Looking for a refreshing pilsner for the hot summer months? Yep, they got those too. And they're wonderful. If you're in the mood for some outstanding beer and you're near Santa Adairius, you're really in for a treat. Yes, it's a bit pricy -- but they're perfectionists and serve up some of the world's finest beers.

I always love trying out and knocking out a California brewery. So many to pick from but of course…read moreI may have less of that attitude should I be living there and did a lot of statewide travel like the current and previous states I have lived in. For Sante Adairius the beer that Steve and I had and I can report liked was their IPA known as Spots and Dots. This IPA was a bit more refreshing and fun compared to some IPA'S where it just seems like a blur from one brewery to the next and you wonder if you actually went to a different brewery from the previous one if you have IPA'S back to back. So in this regard I am happy to say that it was distinctive and had it's own signature. Flavor highlights with this IPA are hoppy, juicy and bitter. The beer is also aromatic and smooth. I found out later this brewery makes very good saisons so should the opportunity arise again to get a hold of one I certainly will as I love a good saison!