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So good! As a so cal beer enthusiast I've Always wanted to check Russian River out. Was on the way back from Healdsburg, and glad we stopped in. Had a damnation beer and of course had to do a sample of the Pliny... excellent. Wings were so flavorful! Did a Half excel, mamma Mia pizza and it was perfect. The pizza was light and thin crust just the way I love it. Very airy and buttery. Service was nice and quick! Highly recommend! Looking forward to returning to this location and/or checking out the other Windsor location.
Famous for their award winning beers, the Russian River Brewing Company was formed by the California Korbel Winery in 1997. The original brew master became the co-owner when the winery left the beer business in 2003. It was then moved this location in 2004, opening as a brewpub. It's been on my list of places to visit for a while, so my wife, her mom, and I took the opportunity to stop in for a Thursday night dinner on our way to San Francisco from Fort Bragg. The inaugural double IPA (aka Imperial IPA) was made by the current co-owner at a different brewery in 1994. Double means it uses double the hops and malts, and the ABV is quite a bit higher. He then created Pliny the Elder (ABV 8.0%) in 2000, recognized as the most famous DIPA. The track continued, with Pliny the Younger in 2005, a triple IPA (using triple the hops and malts with ABV of 10.25%). This version is available once a year in the spring, since it costs so much money and time to make. With so much malt being used, a large amount of time (and hops) is needed to balance. I've had Pliny the Elder in bottles before, and really liked it: I don't like the hoppy 'piney' taste in my beers, but also recognize that not enough will make the beer too sweet (which I've been facing with a lot my island beers lately). Parking is street only, but there was a lot of it, with the metered parking only requiring payment till 6 pm. We were greeted warmly by the hostess and immediately seated at a table near the bar. As expected, it was quite loud, with after work folks having a good time. We got menus, ordered our food, and then decided what to do about flights. The brewery is also known for their Belgian style and thus offers two different flights. It was my first time, and didn't know how much my wife could help, so decided to order the California Sampler (a selection of 12 different West Coast 5 oz. pours of ales and lagers for $15.45) to start: O.V.L. Stout (Old Vic Loyals) - Irish nitro stout - really beginning to love stouts, and this one was good. Velvet Glow - lager - solid. Ending up buying 6 pack to bring home ($12.99) STS Pils - pilsner. Bought a 6-pack for $12.99. Russian River Porter - Blind Pig IPA - West Coast IPA Happy Hops - Juicy IPA Mosaic Stack - West Coast IPA SimCoe 25 - West Coast IPA Citra Flash Mob - West Coast IPA Mind Circus - Hazy IPA DDH Pliny the Elder - really good. bought two cans at $5.99 each. Pliny the Elder - the original Felt pretty good, so decided to order the Belgian Sampler (9 different for $13.63), Surprisingly, I didn't like it nearly as much (my favorite fruit beer during this trip was the Howzit Punch beer). Petite Robert - table beer Little White Lie - Belgian White Robert - saison Perdition - biere de sonoma Damnation - golden strong ale Mortification - quad Supplication - sour brown ale Intinction - barrel aged pilsner Consecration - sour dark ale In terms of the food, it was solid. The 8 pc chicken wings ($17) were good, and the cheesy garlic bread ($10) was filling. I had the meatball sandwich ($16) and upgraded the fries to a spinach salad (+$4): it was tasty, loved the toasted French bread and marinara sauce, with the meatballs being OK (tasted from frozen)...loved the spinach salad with strawberries and blue cheese. We finished off our meal with a Vinnies (co-owner) sundae: good vanilla ice cream with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and a lot of almond slivers. Payment was at the table, and me being again very pleasantly surprised at how little the flights were (a typical brewpub where they charge $3-$4 per 5 oz, would have cost 4 times as much...though of course I wouldn't have drunk as much either).
Went in over the weekend to celebrate a friend's birthday. We had nine people and were able to get seated quickly which was amazing. Staff was friendly and checked on us often. We ordered the spinach dip appetizer and I had a calzone. The food came out quickly and was good. I always come for the great selection of beers there are plenty of options for everyone and was very solid.
Standard, American bar with only one caveat - outside of this place having a great service and favorite beers, one major drawback was - no burgers! We got offered to drive 10 miles away to their other Russian river brewery location, which serves them. On Father's Day, this place was relatively packed, however, had some seating available by the bar and tables with about 10 minutes away.
Breweries for connoisseurs, such as the Russian River Brewery usually develop a social network of supporters both locally and nationally. We had quite a few interesting conversations with some nice people because of Pliny the Elder and other interesting beers from this company. It happens after the first few sips of Pliny: people relax and smile to each other and begin sharing their experiences and stories about life beyond beer. Many other beers have also shown such a positive effect on people. However, Pliny the Elder seems to have a special influence on social interactions due to its ability to open minds and connect old wisdom with new reality to reveal the nicer and deeper self in those who are lucky to have it. Friendly atmosphere, ambient music, nice and easy service, and curiosities at the gift shop, all that makes us come here again and again.
Mama Mia... here I go again. I know...pineapple on pizza. Go ahead and start typing your angry reply. I ordered the Mama Mia with cup pepperoni, pineapple, and jalapeños, and it was absolutely fantastic. The salty pepperoni, sweet pineapple, and kick from the jalapeños were perfectly balanced. Even if you're firmly on Team "Pineapple Doesn't Belong on Pizza," this one might make you question your life choices. The crust deserves some love too. It wasn't one of those giant bread loaves pretending to be pizza. It was light, perfectly cooked, had just the right amount of crunch, and let the toppings do the talking. To wash it down, I paired it with a Blind Pig followed by a Happy Hops IPA. Both were outstanding, and if you're already at Russian River, not trying at least a couple of their beers should probably be considered a misdemeanor. Service was friendly, the patio was a great place to enjoy dinner, and the whole experience lived up to the hype. As ABBA would say... I have a dream...that this pizza is waiting for me every time I'm back in Santa Rosa. Until then, Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! another reason to come back.
We ordered two salads, one large pizza and their pizza bites. The spinach salad was very good with strawberries, goat cheese, and some nuts. The green salad had a good variety of vegetables also. We got the jalapeño cheese pizza bites, which was good and the large pizza I don't recall what the name of it was, but it was also fairly good The service was a little bit slow. They were quite busy, but it took us over an hour and a half to get our table. While we were waiting my friend and I had to flag down the staff so that we could get a beer while we waited. The room was quite noisy, but the table was comfortable
This was my first time here AND my first time for the Pliny the Younger release! I was very impressed. I only waiting in line for 99 minutes. I arrived at 8:45 and got inside with the first wave at 10:30. The owners even came to say hello to eveyone waiting in line, so I met Natalie and her husband. I really liked that the release was super organized. Inside is a typical bar and everyone is getting their glass of the younger. I ordered the hummus platter and wings. Both tasted delicious. (Trust me, I've been to places where the hummus platter didn't look appetizing but that's another story). I got 8 wings half sweet chili and half buffalo. It came with blue cheese and veggie sticks. Delish! Portions of the food was good. Staff were helpful and friendly. I bought my T shirt from the gift shop and got a few free coasters too. The experience of getting the younger and meeting new people in line really gave me a sense of Santa Rosa hospitality!
Someone absolutely needed to visit the mother ship from whence Pliny The Elder is sourced and they were happy as can be! We lucked out by snagging a table near the bar so it was as if we had landed a premium seat at a beer concert! We got some sampling flights of several beers on tap and enjoyed the experience and did some people watching too. Our server Annie was excellent and fun to chat with too. We didn't eat here since we already had dinner reservations but she was kind enough to make some recommendations to us for what we should try. She even let me try the hop water before I committed to ordering a pint since I didn't want any alcohol at that time. We need to make plans to return again to try their Pliny The Younger when it is released. Next time, we'll plan to have a meal there so we can linger longer and hope we'll be able to sit in Annie's section again because she was so nice! Visiting Russian River Brewing Company was a great experience and we'd highly recommend a visit here! If only we knew it was here before when we visited the area all the other times! Now that we know (and you do too) we'll plan our visit around a stop here and hope to see you there!
Service was fast and friendly. Food was great. Love the vegan pizza is just pizza no cheese. Ymmm. Typical pizza joint look inside with games playing on tv . Great place for a casual meal and a beer .
Sundays they have all day happy hour. They have the best wings. You get 8 bone-in for $17 and choice of two sauces. The Pliny sauce is spicy! You already know their beer is top notch!
If I were only rating the beer and its selection, I would give Russian River Brewing Company 5 stars. The beer is amazing! I really enjoy getting the flights and trying all the beer available. I think it's the best way to figure out what you like and then follow your favorites on future visits. Unfortunately, I would give only 2 or maybe 3 stars to the pizza. We had the Mikey pizza, and while it wasn't terrible, I can't say it was that good either. The pizza had a good crispy crust, which I liked, but the sauce and toppings didn't bring much flavor. Service is a good 4. Our waitress was nice and checked on us from time to time. On busy days it can be hard to find good seating, and parking nearby can also be a challenge. Overall, I enjoy coming here mainly for the drinks. My favorites are Happy Hops (IPA), MIND CIRCUS (Hazy IPA), and VELVET GLOW (Helles-Style Lager).
Food was good! The pizza tasted good and I liked the amount of toppings they put. It was kind of a generic pizza though and it was a lot spicier than I expected, but overall it was a better than average pizza. The salad was great and I liked the amount of chicken they put. It was also a tad spicier than I thought but it was still good. Their house beer is pretty good even to me, and I don't usually like the taste of IPAs. Service was good, our server was very friendly and super knowledgable about the menu. The vibe is nice and casual. Similar to a sports bar but without the TVs. I do wish the tables were a bit bigger though
What can I say, they're got it all, great food, drinks, staff and location. We're not local, but it's a must-stop for us when we're up. Made it a day trip from SF during our recent trip to enjoy Russian River and to bring some back on our drive home from SF. The staff is great here, parking is easy in the front or back, and the location is perfect. It can be a bit dark inside, but they have both indoor and outdoor seating. Coming from LA, it's hard to find the value you're getting here If it's your first time here, get the flight. There are two options, but get the one with everything they have available. During our visit, it was 19 tasters for under $30. Not only because it's good value, but don't cheat yourself from trying all their beers while you're here. If you only know them for Pliny or Blind Big, you're missing out. The range of beers and unique flavors is excellent. Take your time and enjoy it all. I was sad I couldn't take home their RND IPA or a couple others they had sold out of in to-go cans. Did end up taking quite a few bottles/cans home to stock our fridge with, Keep it Rollin' and Mind Circus were some new ones with took home and enjoyed. Food was also delicious, we weren't too hungry, but we did get pizza and wings. Both were fresh and full of flavor. Love the kick on the Pliny sauce. Pizza was also still good later back at the hotel. If you're in the area, definitely stop by. Also worth a day trip if you're in SF. Wish we were closer and could visit more often. read more
Quality/Quantity - Got two flights of beers. The first one was from the CA Style section of the menu. All of which were too light for me. As in flavor, not alcohol levels. It was not bad, just not wowed. If you are following, I have been buying many of these beers from Whole Paycheck, I mean Whole Foods from $6 a bottle. On the second flight, I decided to do the entire Belgian Inspired Flight - The better of the two flights. So many different flavors. My daughter got the Southwest Wrap - I took a small bite, it was good. Just the perfect amount of kick, spice. And I think it's healthy. Kettle chips were good but had some burnt ends?!?! We were going to get the wings also, but after drinking 13 samplers, I was so full. Plus my daughter wanted to check out Teriyaki Madness in Novato, so off we went. See other review. Ambiance - Decent size location. Indoor and outdoor seating. An indoor bar, counter, and table seating. Semi open kitchen. Street metered parking. There is a paid lot/garage in the rear of the building but we got a perfect space right in front so did not need to go to the garage. MAKE sure you feed the meter, I watched people getting tickets!! The meter maids are on foot, so it was not easy to see them coming. It is best to keep your meter fed. Happy hour available for $1 off beers. Many other specials; see my pictures or check out their website. Clean restrooms. Cool art outside the building; see pictures. A small gift shop. Service - Jon did a good job. Patient. And checked up on us often. Price - $40 + generous tip. I think it was a little expensive for what we got. The meal came out to "two" beers and a wrap; really just enough food for one person. But because we are light eaters, it was enough for us. Owner Comment - Congrats on all your success since 1997. My goal is to join the line next year for Pliny The Young!!! Wish me luck. read more
2 months ago
So good! As a so cal beer enthusiast I've Always wanted to check Russian River out. Was on the way back from Healdsburg, and glad we stopped in. Had a damnation beer and of course had to do a sample of the Pliny... excellent. Wings were so flavorful! Did a Half excel, mamma Mia pizza and it was perfect. The pizza was light and thin crust just the way I love it. Very airy and buttery. Service was nice and quick! Highly recommend! Looking forward to returning to this location and/or checking out the other Windsor location. read more
Famous for their award winning beers, the Russian River Brewing Company was formed by the California Korbel Winery in 1997. The original brew master became the co-owner when the winery left the beer business in 2003. It was then moved this location in 2004, opening as a brewpub. It's been on my list of places to visit for a while, so my wife, her mom, and I took the opportunity to stop in for a Thursday night dinner on our way to San Francisco from Fort Bragg. The inaugural double IPA (aka Imperial IPA) was made by the current co-owner at a different brewery in 1994. Double means it uses double the hops and malts, and the ABV is quite a bit higher. He then created Pliny the Elder (ABV 8.0%) in 2000, recognized as the most famous DIPA. The track continued, with Pliny the Younger in 2005, a triple IPA (using triple the hops and malts with ABV of 10.25%). This version is available once a year in the spring, since it costs so much money and time to make. With so much malt being used, a large amount of time (and hops) is needed to balance. I've had Pliny the Elder in bottles before, and really liked it: I don't like the hoppy 'piney' taste in my beers, but also recognize that not enough will make the beer too sweet (which I've been facing with a lot my island beers lately). Parking is street only, but there was a lot of it, with the metered parking only requiring payment till 6 pm. We were greeted warmly by the hostess and immediately seated at a table near the bar. As expected, it was quite loud, with after work folks having a good time. We got menus, ordered our food, and then decided what to do about flights. The brewery is also known for their Belgian style and thus offers two different flights. It was my first time, and didn't know how much my wife could help, so decided to order the California Sampler (a selection of 12 different West Coast 5 oz. pours of ales and lagers for $15.45) to start: O.V.L. Stout (Old Vic Loyals) - Irish nitro stout - really beginning to love stouts, and this one was good. Velvet Glow - lager - solid. Ending up buying 6 pack to bring home ($12.99) STS Pils - pilsner. Bought a 6-pack for $12.99. Russian River Porter - Blind Pig IPA - West Coast IPA Happy Hops - Juicy IPA Mosaic Stack - West Coast IPA SimCoe 25 - West Coast IPA Citra Flash Mob - West Coast IPA Mind Circus - Hazy IPA DDH Pliny the Elder - really good. bought two cans at $5.99 each. Pliny the Elder - the original Felt pretty good, so decided to order the Belgian Sampler (9 different for $13.63), Surprisingly, I didn't like it nearly as much (my favorite fruit beer during this trip was the Howzit Punch beer). Petite Robert - table beer Little White Lie - Belgian White Robert - saison Perdition - biere de sonoma Damnation - golden strong ale Mortification - quad Supplication - sour brown ale Intinction - barrel aged pilsner Consecration - sour dark ale In terms of the food, it was solid. The 8 pc chicken wings ($17) were good, and the cheesy garlic bread ($10) was filling. I had the meatball sandwich ($16) and upgraded the fries to a spinach salad (+$4): it was tasty, loved the toasted French bread and marinara sauce, with the meatballs being OK (tasted from frozen)...loved the spinach salad with strawberries and blue cheese. We finished off our meal with a Vinnies (co-owner) sundae: good vanilla ice cream with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and a lot of almond slivers. Payment was at the table, and me being again very pleasantly surprised at how little the flights were (a typical brewpub where they charge $3-$4 per 5 oz, would have cost 4 times as much...though of course I wouldn't have drunk as much either). read more
Went in over the weekend to celebrate a friend's birthday. We had nine people and were able to get seated quickly which was amazing. Staff was friendly and checked on us often. We ordered the spinach dip appetizer and I had a calzone. The food came out quickly and was good. I always come for the great selection of beers there are plenty of options for everyone and was very solid. read more
Standard, American bar with only one caveat - outside of this place having a great service and favorite beers, one major drawback was - no burgers! We got offered to drive 10 miles away to their other Russian river brewery location, which serves them. On Father's Day, this place was relatively packed, however, had some seating available by the bar and tables with about 10 minutes away. read more
2 days ago
Breweries for connoisseurs, such as the Russian River Brewery usually develop a social network of supporters both locally and nationally. We had quite a few interesting conversations with some nice people because of Pliny the Elder and other interesting beers from this company. It happens after the first few sips of Pliny: people relax and smile to each other and begin sharing their experiences and stories about life beyond beer. Many other beers have also shown such a positive effect on people. However, Pliny the Elder seems to have a special influence on social interactions due to its ability to open minds and connect old wisdom with new reality to reveal the nicer and deeper self in those who are lucky to have it. Friendly atmosphere, ambient music, nice and easy service, and curiosities at the gift shop, all that makes us come here again and again. read more
2 months ago
Mama Mia... here I go again. I know...pineapple on pizza. Go ahead and start typing your angry reply. I ordered the Mama Mia with cup pepperoni, pineapple, and jalapeños, and it was absolutely fantastic. The salty pepperoni, sweet pineapple, and kick from the jalapeños were perfectly balanced. Even if you're firmly on Team "Pineapple Doesn't Belong on Pizza," this one might make you question your life choices. The crust deserves some love too. It wasn't one of those giant bread loaves pretending to be pizza. It was light, perfectly cooked, had just the right amount of crunch, and let the toppings do the talking. To wash it down, I paired it with a Blind Pig followed by a Happy Hops IPA. Both were outstanding, and if you're already at Russian River, not trying at least a couple of their beers should probably be considered a misdemeanor. Service was friendly, the patio was a great place to enjoy dinner, and the whole experience lived up to the hype. As ABBA would say... I have a dream...that this pizza is waiting for me every time I'm back in Santa Rosa. Until then, Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! another reason to come back. read more
We ordered two salads, one large pizza and their pizza bites. The spinach salad was very good with strawberries, goat cheese, and some nuts. The green salad had a good variety of vegetables also. We got the jalapeño cheese pizza bites, which was good and the large pizza I don't recall what the name of it was, but it was also fairly good The service was a little bit slow. They were quite busy, but it took us over an hour and a half to get our table. While we were waiting my friend and I had to flag down the staff so that we could get a beer while we waited. The room was quite noisy, but the table was comfortable read more
6 months ago
This was my first time here AND my first time for the Pliny the Younger release! I was very impressed. I only waiting in line for 99 minutes. I arrived at 8:45 and got inside with the first wave at 10:30. The owners even came to say hello to eveyone waiting in line, so I met Natalie and her husband. I really liked that the release was super organized. Inside is a typical bar and everyone is getting their glass of the younger. I ordered the hummus platter and wings. Both tasted delicious. (Trust me, I've been to places where the hummus platter didn't look appetizing but that's another story). I got 8 wings half sweet chili and half buffalo. It came with blue cheese and veggie sticks. Delish! Portions of the food was good. Staff were helpful and friendly. I bought my T shirt from the gift shop and got a few free coasters too. The experience of getting the younger and meeting new people in line really gave me a sense of Santa Rosa hospitality! read more
Someone absolutely needed to visit the mother ship from whence Pliny The Elder is sourced and they were happy as can be! We lucked out by snagging a table near the bar so it was as if we had landed a premium seat at a beer concert! We got some sampling flights of several beers on tap and enjoyed the experience and did some people watching too. Our server Annie was excellent and fun to chat with too. We didn't eat here since we already had dinner reservations but she was kind enough to make some recommendations to us for what we should try. She even let me try the hop water before I committed to ordering a pint since I didn't want any alcohol at that time. We need to make plans to return again to try their Pliny The Younger when it is released. Next time, we'll plan to have a meal there so we can linger longer and hope we'll be able to sit in Annie's section again because she was so nice! Visiting Russian River Brewing Company was a great experience and we'd highly recommend a visit here! If only we knew it was here before when we visited the area all the other times! Now that we know (and you do too) we'll plan our visit around a stop here and hope to see you there! read more
2 months ago
1 year ago
If I were only rating the beer and its selection, I would give Russian River Brewing Company 5 stars. The beer is amazing! I really enjoy getting the flights and trying all the beer available. I think it's the best way to figure out what you like and then follow your favorites on future visits. Unfortunately, I would give only 2 or maybe 3 stars to the pizza. We had the Mikey pizza, and while it wasn't terrible, I can't say it was that good either. The pizza had a good crispy crust, which I liked, but the sauce and toppings didn't bring much flavor. Service is a good 4. Our waitress was nice and checked on us from time to time. On busy days it can be hard to find good seating, and parking nearby can also be a challenge. Overall, I enjoy coming here mainly for the drinks. My favorites are Happy Hops (IPA), MIND CIRCUS (Hazy IPA), and VELVET GLOW (Helles-Style Lager). read more
1 year ago
Food was good! The pizza tasted good and I liked the amount of toppings they put. It was kind of a generic pizza though and it was a lot spicier than I expected, but overall it was a better than average pizza. The salad was great and I liked the amount of chicken they put. It was also a tad spicier than I thought but it was still good. Their house beer is pretty good even to me, and I don't usually like the taste of IPAs. Service was good, our server was very friendly and super knowledgable about the menu. The vibe is nice and casual. Similar to a sports bar but without the TVs. I do wish the tables were a bit bigger though read more
3 months ago
2 months ago
Great beer--we all know that. Great food, too! But what really made our visit stand out was the service. Marissa made the experience exceptional from the moment we walked in. I was so impressed that she greeted so many regulars by name as they came through the door--it really showed how much she cares about her customers and creates such a welcoming atmosphere. She made everyone feel at home. Her knowledge of all the products was impressive, and she represented the brand perfectly while offering thoughtful recommendations and answering every question with confidence. Excellent customer service, a fantastic personality, and a big reason we'll be back. Thanks, Marissa! read more
Discovered this spot on Yelp and instantly knew we'd love it! It's a classic hometown brewery with a great menu, eclectic decor, and a super welcoming vibe. Even on a rainy midweek night, the place was packed, but after a 30 min wait, Marlon greeted us and gave excellent service. I was originally set on a salad, but then my hubby pointed out the special: a slice of pepperoni pizza with a side garden salad - for just $10! Perfect portion, exactly what I wanted, and absolutely delicious. Hubby devoured his calzone and washed it down with a hazy IPA - he loved it! read more
1 year ago
Russian River Brewing is one of those pilgrimage sites for beer fans and I was happy to make it a big part of my recent trip. I visited this original location twice and had a wonderfully different experience both times. If you're a beer fan, this is a must visit stop! From the outside it's unassuming with outdoor seating. They have a merchandise and to-go side store that was closed on both visits. I was surprised how small this location is, with large bar along the left wall, small tables in this area, and larger ones to the right. The kitchen and restrooms take up most of the back. All the staff here were wonderful and welcoming. My first visit I sat at the bar and enjoyed the California flight of their American styles. Their flight trays are epic and you can opt to do just the CA, just Belgian, or all. I also ordered a pizza and asked for hot sauce- their Pliny Sauce is amazing if you like spicy, and bottles are available to go for $10. Prices overall for food and drinks were reasonable. On the second visit a couple days later I had the Belgian flight and thoroughly enjoyed tasting and reading about each one. Some are not my favorite styles but I appreciated them regardless. If you're a pair or small group, I definitely recommend sharing. All the old brewery kitsch makes for a fun ambience as well. I loved my visits here and hope to come again soon! read more
Great location, convenient & plentiful parking outside is $1.50 an hour. Fun quirky and cool interior with comfortable seatjng. We were seated quickly and our waitress Ruby was fun and efficient. The margarita pizza was delicious, a medium was enough for three of us. We ended up doing both samplers/ flights- perfect size for two people to split with an immense variety to try. The larger sampler is the Californian and then the smaller sampler was a whole collection of Belgian brews. My husband isn't usually into sour beers, but the Belgian collection included three and he was delighted by them all! So glad we stopped in for this lovely experience. read more
1 month ago
10 months ago
We truly enjoyed our time here. We knew we would be drinking some great IPAs but were happily surprised that Pliny the Elder wasn't the only standout. Blind Pig and Pliny the Younger were amazing! The flight was a great way to try everything and find what you like. Service was great and the vibes were awesome all around. We had already eaten, so we didn't dine in, but we will most definitely try next time. Russian River off the list! read more
1 year ago
As soon as we landed in San Francisco, my boyfriend rented a car so we could come out to Santa Rosa for pizza and beers. It was a little ways out, but the lovely scenic view (thanks to the traffic) made it worth the wait. Apparently, the Pliny the Elder is a must have when you come here. I opted for the HopWater which I believe is made in house and it was amazing. Don't sleep on the hummus plate either. It was full of fresh veggies and warm, buttery pita. The hummus was full of flavor and one if the best I've had. The pizza was perfect. So good in fact that I'm glad I don't live nearby because I would really need a cardiologist on demand. The crust was crispy and chewy and it was LOADED with pepperoni. My only complaint was that the service was a little slow. We couldn't find our server a couple times, most importantly when we were ready to leave so not to be noncompliant with the parking meters. In any event, she was super sweet and responsive when we had her attention. 10/10 read more
4 months ago
Stopped in for a late lunch. Wasn't too bad of a wait for 3 at a high top. Everyone was friendly but it seemed to take forever to get our food. Everything was tasty but nothing mind blowing. You go for the beers and stay for the vibes. The noise level was nice and mild. I didn't feel like I had to yell to talk to my friends across the table. Not my first time not my last. read more
We came for the Pliny the younger event, so this review is 3 months late! However we had a great time and the staff was prepared and ready to help! The food was delicious and we enjoyed the beer. The wings were amazing and the Pliny bites and pepperoni pizza were hits. Come during a sporting event or other hang out with friends and it's sure to be a hit. I love when a brewery has great food and beer! read more
April 3rd, 2025 marks the end of Pliny season - your last chance to think about if you can squeeze it into your schedule. This location is smaller but is more cozy than the larger (massive) Windsor location. I enjoyed the indoor ambiance this time at the bar - last year was outside and there is something special just being inside the building watching it all happen. Its so intimate and people at the bar so friendly - there was something in the air here. Having just been at the big and beautiful Windsor location the night before I really appreciated how comfortable, warm and welcoming this place is. Between the two locations more my style but perhaps the Windsor location is a better bet during Younger as it can hold an enormous amount of people and endless standing room at 9pm when they open the floodgates once the restaurant is done serving food. The wait goes by more quickly than you'd think. One group in front ordered Door dash and others played games to pass the time. The people behind actually were lined up for the second time that day. Pure madness - but they came from really far away and they all wanted another ration of 3 beers each. You don't have to make it an all day thing - if you want to chance it come 8 or 9pm and the line dies down close to the end of the night. Maybe eat at one of the empty restaurants next door like the Chinese restaurant - I've never seen anybody come or go - they might need your business. One thing that stood out was how the bartenders all worked so well together. There were 3 and all of them helped each other out and poured for all the various servers that brought beers to the edges of the pub. Seriously, get all three of these bartenders last night and put them in the White House - they could get anything done working so well together. I enjoyed some sour beers - tried two and they were outstanding. I suppose I'm a sucker for the sour beers but the point is - even if your out of your beer ration there are so many other excellent options. There is a whole wall written in chalk - endless options. You can sit there and study it all - but trust me - its nothing like being back in school again. Its so much fun - and the food was great too - I had the same chicken sandwich as last year - a little heat and flavor to it served with chips. It must be that Pliny sauce. I think pizza is probably the best choice here with wings - both perfect to share although I didn't have them this year. There is only a few days left - don't let the 5 and 6 hour long wait times scare you off - I gave you some tips to avoid that and the worst wait days are the first day open and weekends. See you Sunday night? read more
Business owner information
Pliny T E.
Thank you so much for your kind words and support. We greatly…
This has been on my bucket list of breweries to visit for years. I was finally on a road trip to Oregon and planned a stop in Santa Rosa to check this off the list. Pliney is available in the Bay area and so are some of their other beers, but I didn't drink a Pliney this time! They have the best sample system and an enormous selection of awesome beers so I tried at least 10 of them! R&D beers brewed in their 5 barrel system to Belgium styles and sours, they had an incredible selection and they were all really good! The samples are small, I would guess 1.5oz? Just the right amount to get two full mouthfuls of each variety and really get the flavor, but not get to impaired to drive... The food was also awesome, I had the Mikey pizza and on the advice of the beertender, I ordered it extra crispy! The Mikey had pepperoni, sausage, and grilled onions. It was fantastic and diving board crisp. Thon crust, just the right amount of toppings, yum! So I did leave with a couple of bottles of Pliney as well as a couple of their R&D IPA #68 as well as some schwag that was delivered off a menu at the bar! This place is awesome and I hope to return some day soon. Definitely give'em a shot! read more
We enjoyed a delicious lunch with friends. The sliders, wings and chicken sandwiches were all delicious and they have the best fries! The space is very clean and bright brewery. We didn't have time for a tour but the tanks were visible throughout with large windows. The service was good. Polite and professional and the food came out in a reasonable time, cooked fresh. read more
4 months ago
The food is always super good. My fav is the BBQ chicken salad but with buffalo sauce instead of bbq sauce. I also love the old school veggie tray. I also usually get the Iced Tea to drink with sugar on the side . Their service is amazing and they usually know exactly what we want since we are regulars there. The ambiance is really nice. read more
2 months ago
The crust is crispy and the toppings are generous, which I really enjoyed. However, the pizza was a bit too salty for my liking. read more
Stopped by here on the way home from a weekend with friends which was the perf. way to finish off our weekend getaway. We had about a party of 8 and were able to be seated outside relatively quickly - everyone got a few brews and we decided quickly on some light bites to share. Overall the beer selection was great - but I usually stick with a house pilsner which was tasty & refreshing (perf for the hot weather at the time). We ordered the artichoke dip which came piping hot (just the way I like it) with nice pillow-y warm pitta bread to dip. We also got the pliny bites and a Mediterranean pizza - both came out hot, cheesy, and with a great crispy crust + tasty dipping sauce. Service was great and efficiently fast as well. Would def. stop by here again if around the area! read more
1 year ago
The barbequed chicken pizza was absolutely delicious and the service was very friendly! I waited 3 hours for Pliny the Younger and it was definitely worth the experience. Would I do it again, most likely not, but this is definitely something you have to try at least once in your lifetime! A triple IPA at 10%+ ABV that drinks like a light German lager is truly a very, very respectable monstrosity. Had some great conversations with the people waiting in line with me as well as the people that I was seated at the bar with. read more
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More info about Russian River Brewing
725 4th St
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
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(707) 545-2337
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https://www.russianriverbrewing.com
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Ask the Community - Russian River Brewing
Are any beers brewed at this location?
I just lost my CA drivers license and have gone to the DMV and purchased a replacement one however, I only have a temporary DL currently. I have a US passport as well as a picture of my Drivers License before it was lost can I use for identification?
A non-expired Passport is a legal form of identification and should be accepted everywhere in California by law. You shouldn't be turned away.
Can we bring family , like children to the restaurant Brewing?
Absolutely! We were there about a month ago and there were many family groups inside. If weather is good, nice outside seating, too. Great menu. Of course, the beer is fabulous
Is there bike parking within view of the outdoor area?
No, but you may be able to lock adjacent to the their patio fencing.
Is there a kids menu? Thank you!
Hello- do you carry Pliny Younger at this time?
Hi Derek N., Thank you for reaching out. RRBC's Pliny the Younger triple IPA is a seasonal beer…
Do they take reservations?
No. They will take your name and number once you arrive in Santa Rosa and text you when your table is ready.
Do you carry. non alcoholic beer?
We do not carry non-alcoholic beer. Thanks for asking!
I've heard there can be a long wait here (line around the block). Is that only for buying beer in bulk, or is it for lunch? Can you go for lunch and buy beer in bulk from your table to go?
Weekends are busiest at both of our brewpubs but the only wait lines we've seen that line around the block are for beer releases such as our annual Pliny the Younger release. There may be a wait for lunch or dinner but generally during the week you…
What are the happy hour specials?
Some, but not all, pints are discounted by $1-$3. I would call ahead for price and availability. Wait times can be long as seating is limited so I would suggest an off time.
What's a typical wait at lunch time on a weekend?
I would say anywhere from 20-40 minutes
How is the wait time tonight to get in?
Last night Windsor was about 1 1/2 hour wait
What time does the kitchen close?
I'm pretty sure you can go on the website and get that information . I was just a tourist
How much does a case of Pliny the Elder cost?
Qty 2 - 12 packs of Pliny bottles can be purchased per person per day.
Where's my photo?
I would check the device (camera/smartphone, etc) in which you took the picture.
Is it okay for a kid?
Yes, the restaurant offers a kid friendly atmosphere however the average wait time for a table on a regular day is 40 min. this is after you've waited in line to get inside.
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Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
444 reviews that are not currently recommended
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