Karl Strauss Brewing Company

Great selection of beers, fun atmosphere, and a good menu to go along with it.
The service we received on our last visit was good.
Love the décor.
Would like to try more of the menu items and beer when in the area.

My family and I had dinner at this location for the first time in a couple years. We loved the new décor of the restaurant and the food, one word, awesome!
I have a very hard to please 12 year old who ordered the carne asada fries and he LOVED it! Everyone else at the table was extremely happy with our food. I had the habanero chicken sandwich. It was delicious. The best cooked fried chicken I can remember having. My daughter loved her mesquite chicken sandwich.
My wife had the seared tuna sandwich and it was great. The mother in law ordered a sandwich and received a wonderful slice of watermelon with some wonderful savory topping. We all loved it so much our server brought us more.
They get top marks for having great beers on tap without raping customers by charging $ 6 – 7 per glass.
We will be back very soon! Keep up the great work!

Karl Strauss is amazing after the remodel! It has such a great ambience and is such a great place to enjoy a beer and some lunch on a sunny day. This place gets 5 stars alone for some of the best service I have ever received in a restaurant. Everyone who has served us has been great. However… Cory is by far the best. He is so personable and really knows his beer. I love how he makes it a point to remember your name and really goes above and beyond for his customers. I will be a lifelong customer for this reason alone! They also have an amazing happy hour. It is for sure my favorite spot for lunch.
Some of my favs…
Boneless buffalo chicken wings
Truffle Fries
Crispy Brussel Sprouts
Mixed Organic Salad
Big Barrel IIPA
Tower Twenty (which has sadly been discontinued)
Tropical Hopsicle

The food and atmosphere were awesome. I don’t know if it’s because of the fact they were jammed up, but the service was mediocre at best.
Whatever you do, don’t tell them you’re on a schedule. They brought out our main course meals within a minute of our appetizers. At that point I felt like they were herding us out the door.
I’ll try it again to see if it improves.

EXTREMELY disappointed with this place. I’m very surprised at all the great reviews, but maybe it’s because we weren’t there for the beer?
Stopped over on our way back to Los Angeles because we were very hungry and had had a long day of traveling. The majority of seats are those very uncomfortable high, backless stools, so we asked for a booth. According to the hostess she would have to wait to seat us (even though it was not at all busy) in that case because «we just seated a lot of people with that server so we need to give him time to catch up.» Ok, so I guess one sever was handling all the booths? Fine, no problem, we didn’t end up waiting more than a couple of minutes. But there are no seats for waiting and I’m not sure what the logic is behind having nowhere for people to wait.
Food was extremely overpriced. I mean, $ 14.95 for a plate of mac and cheese? Really? So hubby and I ordered basically the cheapest thing from the menu, which amounted to just a cheeseburger. I got mine with a turkey patty instead of beef (which I do appreciate them offering). My husband ordered his with no sauce, but mine also came completely devoid of condiments, so I’m not sure if that’s the standard or if a mistake was made. No thousand island, no mayo, no mustard, no ketchup. Basically a patty, buns, lettuce, one small slice of tomato and a slice of white cheddar. The cheese was very mild and we could barely taste it. The burgers were so so, I guess. The fries were ice cold when they arrived, so my husband said something and the waiter brought us each a fresh plate of hot fries.
The waiter was a nice young man; friendly and pleasant, if a bit less attentive than we would’ve liked. A young lady came by and refilled my glass of water once, but she did not ask my husband (who was drinking diet soda) if he wanted a refill as well. My glass was topped off fairly well, but my husband only got one refill over the course of the evening.
Again, I am surprised by all the effusively positive reviews. My impression of this restaurant was just overpriced mediocrity in pretty much every area, but especially the food.

Great place for beers and indulge in modern American cuisine. Came to Karl Strauss on our recent trip to San Diego. This place is pretty hoppin, and the design was casual but tastefully done. The Drunken Ciopinno and Ribeye Steak Frite are some things to look forward to when you dine there. Service was pleasant, would love to come back in the future.

I don’t often use the word «fantastic» to describe a sausage… Let alone an entire meal, but this meal was the definition of fantastic!
Their beer menu consists of 12 hand brewed beers on tap and their menu is diverse, filled with some fantastic entries!
We ordered the chili lime fries as a starter and they were amazing! Seasoned well and we couldn’t keep our hands off them. Do yourself a favor and order these!
Secondly, we ordered the pretzels which were alright, not the best.
Finally for the main course I ordered the sausages. It came with one beef and one chicken sausage, and I chose mashed potatoes for the middle.
The sausages were some of the best I’ve ever had. Simply incredible. Cooked with a perfect crispy skin and tender middle, cooked in their local beers… WOW! I couldn’t recommend these sausages enough.
Try the stout too if you get the chance!

Bartender was super attentive and helpful. Came up with some solid beer recommendations and suggested a pairing which was fun.
I ended with the pastrami for lunch, which was both greasy and good.

Bottom Line: Newly remodeled with good food and consistently great beer.
Many, many years ago I got totally burned out on Karl Strauss but I have recently rediscovered it. The catalyst for me making my reentry was the fairly recent remodeling at Karl Strauss. Like so many other local restaurants, Karl Strauss has jumped on the bandwagon of a restaurant interior with large garage doors that open to the patio. Also, they have added a front patio. Reclaimed-​looking lumber is abound. The bathrooms remain unchanged.
Ok, enough about the remodel. Let’s talk about the real draw here — beer!!! I don’t know that Karl Strauss is the best craft beer in San Diego, but it is very consistent which I appreciate. They also have lots of options from easy going brews to super, duper boozey Imperial Stouts. I’ve traded in my old go-​tos of Red Trolley and Amber Lager for Mosaic Session IPA and some of the seasonal brews. Karl Strauss smartly walks around with beer samplers and promotes their beer. I really appreciate the opportunity to try a sip of this or a taste of that. In fact, I am glad that they generously offer you to try a sip of something before you commit. Every Thursday is cask night when they tap a new seasonal cask. Of course you can also get a growler filled to go.
The food at Karl Strauss is generally good too. Its definitely better than ordinary pub food. I’ve always really enjoyed their salads. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them but the Seared Ahi remains my favorite. For more pub-​like food, I love their big soft pretzels. Those are awesome with a few pints.
Back in the day I used to feel like Karl Strauss was overrun with children on melt-​down after a long day at LEGOLAND. As Carlsbad has added many other restaurants, especially those in the quick serve category in the last five to eight years, this has seemed to cut down on cranky kids during dinner time.

Karl Strauss offers a great selection of food and craft beer. Start with the meat + cheese board. The food items listed as «spicy» are indeed spicy. The Spicy Shrimp & Grits was far too spicy & overpowering. I especially enjoy the recommended food/​beer pairings. If/​when in doubt, ask for a sample/​splash of beer before you commit to a full pour/​pint. If you enjoy a particular beer, purchase a growler & have it filled for home enjoyment.

So disappointing. Have been going to Karl Strauss for 10yrs (since I first moved to Carlsbad) and since they opened following renovations (early 2016) we’ve just had bad experience after bad experience. I go for business lunches and for family dinners and am at Karl Strauss an average of 2 – 3 times per month. My complaint is that the service is hit & miss (sometimes great & sometimes very bad) and the food is good but they’ve now taken some of the things that we loved off the menu (BBQ Chicken Salad for example).
One month ago we went to Karl Strauss and my wife was there with our 18 month old before me. She arrived at 4:30pm so we could get ahead of the crowd. The host was rude to her and basically that fixed us up for a crap night, you can’t really come back from a situation where your wife and child are treated badly before things even get started.
Last night we went back and ordered a steak dish. The food was delivered and the «truffle fries with parmesan cheese» were cold and soggy. They were not cold from sitting under the heat lamps, they just hadn’t been cooked all the way through. Simple mistake so should have been a simple fix, no harm done. I asked the server for new fries. After 5mins the fries had not arrived so I asked again and the waiter looked at me like I was annoying him and told me that the fries need to be cooked so take time. I can’t imagine that in a place as busy as Karl Strauss that the fryers aren’t churning out fresh fries constantly throughout the night, what a horrible way to treat a customer, especially when they were served soggy inedible fries with their meal.
We finally got our fries at the same time the boxes for leftovers arrived so asked for the bill and left. Sad to say the family won’t be returning, there are plenty of options in Carlsbad where the entire staff (not just some) genuinely care about the people they are serving.

Really good service here. Came here for lunch after shopping at the Carldbad Outlet. Ordered the Red Trolley beer, pretzel appetizer, fish & chips, and BBQ chicken salad. The beer was good; wheatie and not hoppy red ale. Pretzel app can with 2 pretzels and 2 sauces: spicy honey mustard and hot cheese sauce. The cheese sauce was really good with the pretzel, recommend. The fish and chips came with 3 pieces of fried fish, a pile of fries, tartar sauce, and broccoli slaw. That broccoli slaw was really good, definitely unique. Finally, the BBQ chicken salad came with a generous amount of sliced chicken breast. Unfortunately, the chicken was a bit dry. The BBQ chicken salad at Boudins is better. Service, food quality, ambiance, and beer were good. I’d come back.

Service very attentive. Great beer selection. Business companion had a steak and enjoyed it. I had the calamari green bean appetizer (YUM!) and the wedge salad. All good stuff.
One complaint is the music — WAY too loud. Could not have a conversation…

I had some family visiting from out of State and they wanted to see a local brewery along with lunch so we stopped here.
Loved the service, very helpful and knew everything about the beer and menu here, very helpful.
We started with the carne asada fries which we all loved as well as the mac and cheese which makes a great plate to share so you can sample more of their great menu.
They had a few beer flights and they let us have samples of some as well which made for a great way to start the day.
The brussel sprouts were a favorite at our table and everyone loved their burgers.
I had the veggie burger, also very good.
Prices and portions are fair, quality is great, food came out quickly and was presented nicely.
Plenty of seating and not too busy, great lunch here, glad we stopped in!

My wife and I loved this place! The food is amazing quality, for such a great value. We spent the same amount at Karl Strauss as we would at places like chillies, applebees or BJ’s and the food was 10x more delicious.
As for the beer, I am a «party beer» drinker. ex: budlight, coorlight, mickeys. But I went here and they gave some samplers of some delicious beers brewed in the area and really expanded my horizon of IPA higher alcohol content beer.
If you are concerned of a really loud restaurant like Buffalo Wild Wings or Texas Roadhouse, you don’t have to worry much. The general crowd in the restaurant is quiet and peaceful, no loud and hectic music.
I have a maniac 1 year old daughter, so for families out there I recommend you ask for one of the booths. The booths they have are pretty nice sized and you can trap your kid!

I give this 4 stars because it is the only choice in its area and it is a great choice. The food is very good, American, Asian, and California style food. The beer selection is great. Wine and cocktails are on the menu as well though I usually go for the beer.

This place is awesome! David our server was spot on with ever recommendation he made, he knows his food and especially his beer and he was halrious! We will be here a month and diffently will be back!

I’m not much of a chain restaurant goer and I don’t drink beer but I’ve always enjoyed Karl Strauss. I’ve been to the one in Rancho Bernardo but this was my first time coming to this fun lively spot. I had a work dinner with about 15 people someone in our company had arranged for us. We arrived on time and our table was ready. I was basically with all men not from San Diego that were in heaven as they looked over both the food and beer menus. Our server took our drink orders and next thing you know 3 sets of 3 appetizers were on our table which had obviously been prearranged for our group. First we enjoyed the ahi tuna which was amazing, tuna poke is one of my favorite things to eat and I thoroughly enjoyed this dish! The second dish we had were the carne asada fries which I didn’t eat but everyone raved about. The last night was the meat and cheese board which was beautifully arranged on a wood board.
For the mains, I was going to go for the ahi salad, the salmon or the ahi/​salmon burger but because we’d had some appetizers I wasn’t hungry enough for a large meal. I also have a hard time not getting Brussel sprouts when I see them on a menu so I decided to go for the Brussel sprouts and a cup of the vegetarian soup. I don’t know what it was this week, everywhere I’ve been the dishes haven’t been as hot as I like them, I like piping hot food and feel hot food should be brought out on a hot plate, even in my own home I heat my plate before I put my food on it. My Brussels were delicious, they were just warm and not super hot like they’d just come out the oven or the wok. I loved the balsamic glaze on them and did enjoy them. I’ve always found stone breweries Brussels to be my favorite but I think these ones at KS just surpassed those. My soup was luke warm, I ended up getting a box for that and just had it for lunch the next day and it was okay. Being with mostly men, a lot of them had the steak, a few had burgers, the guy across from me had the Mac n cheese and everyone loved everything!
After lots of food, beer & wine, we opted out on dessert. We had a nice server who’s name I can’t remember who was on top of drinks & food the entire evening. I’m not in Carlsbad too often but I’ll be sure to come back if I’m in the area and/​or recommend this fun spot to others!

I had been one before and wasn’t wowed, by my visit yesterday was a totally different story! My initial impression was that the restaurant and menu were pretty boring, and while I still think that the atmosphere is like that of a chain restaurant and service is good but not great, the food was awesome!
I’d highly recommend the shrimp and grits as well as the carbonara which is such a surprisingly healthy option! The black garlic fondue was delicious as well — this is not what most people would think as «fondue» but more of a baked cheese in sauce (think tapa style) served with a delicious bread. The cheese plate would have been great if it wouldn’t have had two very strong cheeses; how about a mild, a medium, and a strong?

This Karl Strauss is actually leagues above where it used to be pre-​renovation and now is an awesome eatery to frequent. The layout of this place is actually quite functional and modern amenities and TVs galore. The service was absolutely outstanding, the beer was good and the food was very good. Try out the asada fries as an app, they’re actually quite delicious. The main entrees are essentially some sandwiches, main dishes and salads, all are portioned well and actually pretty tasty. Wash it all done with one of their many beers, I like the mosaic best…
Pros–
Décor
Ambiance
Outdoor seating
Outstanding service
Beer list
Great menu
TVs
Functional layout
Large portions
Cons–
Beer served a tad warm
Not a big «fried food» fan
Shared lot with hotel

Food was excellent!
Our server was knowledgeable professional made recommendations and was very patient with us. She also had a great personality
My husband had the flat iron steak absolutely loved it and I had the zucchini and smoked salmon carbonara
Best dish ever for this Italian food lover

This location was kind of in the middle of no where but still an awesome restaurant. This Karl Strauss was pretty big and spacious. And at night it looks super cute with the lights they have on top of the outdoor seating. The service was great and the food was amazing as always. I wish they had lettuce wraps at this location but I found other things I liked! The boneless buffalo wings were so yummy and filling. And I always like getting a side of the The Norm mac and cheese! My favorite:)))) They had lots of parking as well! Can’t wait to come back!

The first restaurant visit in 2016. Karl Strauss happened to be our best contender, knowing that this area has limited choices of restaurants and pubs. Their Happy Hour last until 6pm, and the food seemed to be going out of the kitchen fairly quickly with a packed seating that required no wait time whatsoever.
We ordered two of January’s Featured Flights for $ 4 and a boneless chicken with buffalo hot sauce for $ 5.
It certainly opened up our pallets and prepared us for the dinner course. The Red Trolley beer was a favorite and I ordered a full glass for $ 4. What a steal deal.
While half of our party ordered the Beer Burger, we also tried the Banh Mi sandwich and the Mesquite Chicken.
The Beer Burger was the favorite, with a juicy patty basted with Columbia Street Amber and Red Trolley Ale red onions, IPA mushrooms, beer-​brined bacon, gruyère,
tomato and lettuce. The fries could be substituted with a salad for $ 1.75-ish. It was actually pretty decent size sallad and perfectly dressed.
None of the ingredients had an overpowering beer flavor, and if it wasn’t for the menu stating the above ingredients, I would not be able to tell the involvement of beer in the food.
Service was pretty good, but not over the top. Food came out quickly, and great accompanying beer selection.
The ambiance is perfect for a group setting, but is also family and kid friendly. Parking seemed plentiful.

Good beer, decent food but boy, Service? Uh oh, there’s a disconnect here. We’re a table of 3 and this is the third major disconnect (first before I arrived). The ones I experienced were simply not being asked for drinks, being served beer but no water and being served food without utensils or condiments. Oh and… kids! On a Sunday with a big football game on! Yikes!

New redesign was launched in October 2015 — what an amazing difference! The place has come alive and so has the service. We sat at the bar for lunch and Cory and Brandon were friendly and attentive. I started with the vegetarian black bean soup (one of the only remaining original menu items since the beginning of Karl Strauss restaurants). The soup was better than any of the other locations because it was at a temperature all soups should be at– hot! Garnished nicely with a chipotle sour cream drizzle and dollop of salsa served with a bread roll. For my main I had the chicken cashew chop salad. Kudos to the cooks because it was prepared perfectly and all ingredients tasted fresh. No complaints and can’t wait to visit again.

REVIEW FOR HAPPY HOUR FOR LARGE GROUPS
This was a great place to meet with large groups after work for happy hour specials. There is a ton of indoor and outdoor dining space, and they are always fully staffed and ready to help.
As far as craft beer goes, Karl Strauss doesn’t usually top my list. I will from time to time enjoy a Tower 2 IPA on draft and indulge in one of their ample, well-​priced appetizers.
—HAPPY HOUR—
Mon-​Fri 3:00p-6:00p
Beers, Wells, Wines and Flights: $ 4
Select Apps: $ 5
Including: Beer Pretzel, Boneless Wings, Cauliflower Romesco, Spicy Hummus, Chili Lime Fries.
FAVORITE HH SNACKS:
*BONELESS WINGS with Piri Piri Sauce — This is a splittable snack with a powerful PUNCH of flavor!
*BEER PRETZEL — Perfect for the single person who just needs to soak up some suds. Comes with a tasty side of mustard.
Will definitely be back and look forward to planning more events here!

We decided to visit the Karl Strauss Brewery and started driving. I drove by this place many, many times. It’s located just off the Palomar Airport Rd. and is visible when you drive by. When you turn off up on Armada Dr., you have to take the first left… You won’t see a sign that will clearly show its name. We drove past it and had to come back down.
Once you’re inside, there’s a good happenin’ vibe and you automatically feel good. We ordered the December beer flight consisting of Windansea, Columbia Street Amber, Tower 10 IPA, and the Six Suits A-​Hangin’ with Asada Fries. Our server, Yvonne, brought the drinks first, and as she brought the Asada fries, she brought extra tasters of the Tower 10 and told us it pairs well cutting the spiciness, and we had no complaints… «)
Yvonne was attentive and courteous throughout our visit and made sure we had a great time. When I’m back in the area, I’ll have to make it a point to visit again to try other goodies. Great job, Karl Strauss! Thanks, Yvonne!

If I could give this place a 10, I definitely would. Food is excellent and service is great, the look and feel of the restaurant makes you feel comfortable, and the beer is fabulous. Started off with the Korean bbq pupusa and it is full of flavor– a must try! Hubby got the ribeye (14 oz) and asked to substitute the zucchini with Brussel sprouts, I know weird. But it was super good! Surprisingly. He still got truffle fries with them by the way. Up charge was $ 1.50, but worth it. I had the flat iron which I really liked, it didn’t have too much onions for my liking, but the creamy mash made up for it and I liked the spinach and the touch of corn it had in there. We ordered the chocolate on tap– which is like a brownie sundae (brownie, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream with this caramel yummy sauce). To. Die. For.
We had 2 rounds of the windandsea beer. And we looooved it. Our server was not just attentive but friendly and brought us 3 diff types of sample beers. Not only was she friendly, but thoughtful in brining us samples of what paired with our food well.
Thank you Krauss Brewery for making our day. We spent the entire day at legoland and came here for dinner. Though we were tired, our mood immediately changed with your outstanding service and meal. I definitely recommend families to come here (family friendly) and enjoy the evening.

Love their beer– so amazing. Based strictly on their beers on tap, I would give them five stars; their peanut butter beer actually rivals Belching Beaver – what?! That being said, when you include the food too, I have to drop it down to four stars. Their food is delicious and amazing, but it’s not worth the prices they charge you.
This is a great date night place if you want to share an entrée, an awesome beers and appetizers place with a bunch of friends, or a nice place to bring your loaded friend who wants to buy you dinner.
The staff is super friendly and attentive, the restaurant is large enough that you aren’t forced to listen to your dining neighbor’s conversations, and it’s on top of a hill in Carlsbad– not too shabby. Definitely a nice place to try if you’re in the area.

Came here last night for happy hour with some friends. I had been here prior a couple years ago and remember liking the place, and the 2^nd time around Karl Strauss did not disappoint!
Happy hour is a pretty limited menu, food wise on the HH menu there were: pretzel bites, boneless chicken wings (buffalo style and another flavor), cauliflower romanesco, chili lime sweet potato fries, hummus. (That’s all that I remember off the top of my head) all for $ 5 each. Drinks, beer is $ 3 – 4 I think.
My gf wanted to order a flight, and it was on the HH menu, but then our waiter Matt said it wasn’t. Then he checked with his supervisor to make sure, and he said that it wasn’t. Then at the end of our meal, he said the GM said it was on HH. OMG so confusing, but we got the flight for $ 4 at the end! Deal!
We ordered:
— boneless wings
— cauliflower romanesco
–Shepard’s pie
— BBQ Chicken Salad
— Peanut Butter Beer
I wasn’t too impressed by the wings, I think I like bone in wings better though. Cauliflower was good! Mike finished off the Shepard’s pie so it was good! Great service, they brought us random samples to pair with our meal, that was really nice of our server, Matt!

Karl Strauss got a remodel and I’m not a fan of it at all. Before it was very classy date night looking, now it’s more rustic hanging out with your buddies kind of place. There used to be a bunch of booths and that’s gone too. There’s only booths by the windows wrapped around the restaurant. The bar is way bigger; takes up most of the restaurant.
The menu is also changed, they no longer have my favorite the Shrimp Po Boy; that was always extremely delicious and a main reason I would come here.
Even though there’s all these changes and in my opinion not positive changes, I’ll always still love this place. The food and beer are both incredible, everything I’ve ordered I’ve loved. My favorites are the farmhouse burger, calamari (now called ‘Squid Pro Quo’), and I recently tried the BBQ chicken salad which is great! Plus their beer choices… yum! Red Trolley and Tower 20 have always been my favorites. Peanut butter cup, a new beer they have is great too! Also almost every time I come my waiter gives me free samples of beer without me asking which is awesome!
Service is always great, food is excellent and the beer is always amazing. I’ll always come back.

Love the beer. Red Trolley is my favorite. The new remodel of the restaurant turned out great. I love the island bar and new décor!

Went here on a Wednesday night for dinner. Did not have to wait long at all despite how busy it was. We got a table of 2 right away pretty much. Sat at a small booth. There was heavy traffic from the kitchen and restroom along the section we were in. Parking lot is small and spots are slim even on a Wednesday.
Ordered the Piggy Bank which is a large plate of Mac N Cheese with bacon, ham and even more cheese. The top layer has a little crunch to it while below is cheesy. Saltiness of the bacon and ham go perfect. Also got the Buffalo Wings for an appetizer. The wings are boneless and they come with about 10. The order comes with blue cheese but we chose ranch instead. They are not very spicy, but it comes with 4 pieces of carrot and celery to offset any heat. I wasn’t a fan of the Ahi Salad. It was loaded with mushrooms and didn’t have much seared ahi. The flavor was great though.
Service was very quick and the food came out to us even quicker. Our server was nice and informative, but wasn’t to involved with our dining. We ordered an appetizer, 2 plates and a beer (Wife ordered a Cider of some sort) and it costed about $ 60. I do have some of the Piggy Bank left over for the late night munchies.

I was informed by Karl Strauss management that my previous experience must have been a one off and they invited me back in. I do not regret paying them another visit.
Our drink order was taken promptly and we had outstanding service. In addition to the 5 star service we received from Noah the food and beer were great as well.
We started with their August mussels special. It came in a coconut, lemongrass broth and paired perfectly with the Mosaic IPA. The salt and citrus notes really complimented each other well.
For my entrée I ordered the BBQ chicken salad. It wasn’t out of this world spectacular but it was executed well and had the flavor profile you would expect from a BBQ chicken salad. It went really well with the Red Trolley.
I will defiantly go back for another visit.