Stone Brewing Co.

I write this having formerly been in restaurant management for about 20 years. That said, normally if i have a bad experience at a restaurant, instead of writing a review - i just don't go back. The issues for this 'restuarant' go beyond a bad experience. So, I feel a need to warn the public. The big issue here is pricing vs food quality/portion. Stone does have a somewhat unique menu and appears to make an effort to use organic and local vendors in the whole 'sustainability' cause - which is great. However, at the end of the day, those should not be an excuse to compromise value and/or quality of their food. Prices range from $5 - $15 for appetizers and about $13 - $30 for entrees. (Beer averages about $5/pint - i'll get to that in a minute). I would consider pricing here comparable to a upper-mid-range restaurant - Cheesecake Factory, ClaimJumper, etc. The problem is the portions are RIDICULOUSLY small. My friend ordered the 'Beef and Broccoli' ($20). No exageration - there was maybe 2 oz. of beef and 1 oz. of broccoli (+ a lot of onions) and about 8 oz of brown rice. For comparison - imagine a "Lean Cuisine" for the entree portion (minus the rice) of this dish. I had an 'appetizer' Caesar Salad ($10) and 'Macaroni & Cheese w/Sausage' ($14). First off - $10 is probably the most expensive side caesar in town. It was alright but nothing special certainly not worth the price. On the Mac & Cheese, portion and quality-wise, this is pretty much a box of White Cheddar Kraft Mac & Cheese with a cut up fried Beef Hot Dog. (A side of Mac & Cheese at Elephant Bar is a bigger portion, WAY better quality and taste and costs about $4). The beer. No doubt about it - the beer is good - maybe even great. $5/pint, however, seems a bit pricey as a general rule - considering most rest's/bars in town sell craft beers (including Stone) for about $3.50 - $4. This also seems pricey considering that, hypothetically, the brewery would not have to incur the p...

Amazing settings, great food, awesome beer!

Stone's beer is awesome. The brewery is worth going to maybe once just to see it, though I'd recommend eating somewhere else before you go. The food is mediocre at best and definitely WAY overpriced (e.g. $4 for tortilla chips with no salsa). The beer (porter?) floats are good though, so consider having dessert there. Maybe try Breakwater in Oceanside or a Karl Strauss if you're looking to go to a brewery for food. As for the beer, there are plenty of liquor stores that carry pretty much whatever variety of Stone you'd want and at about the same price as at the brewery.

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I love this place (building, food and beer). The building is like a secret enclave on the hill overlooking Escondido. It's hidden so you have to look for it. The menu is exotic and the beer is great. Try the chocolate oatmeal stout. Not cheap, but worth it.

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This is a very special, unique gem hidden in Escondido. The grounds are beautiful, a place to eat that actually has atmosphere! Didn't try the beer yet - next time. Lunch was good, food is a cut above the ordinary.

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