Mike Hess Brewing Company

Fantastic place to hang out. There’s giant Jenga, ping pong table, a dart board, and other fun games. Tv to watch the game, and music for good vibes. Loving the beer-​can-​shaped glasses they sell. They’re probably the neatest thing ever and a great collectible. Opportunity to can your beer on the spot, which is fascinating. Their seasonal beer is fun to check out. Great selection of beer on tap and an awesome bartender on Saturdays. Enough said. Check this place out.

This place was very good. We got there at 6 on Saturday, right before the rush it’s kind of sports bar themed overall. Their deals on a big stein or a pint glass makes for a fun time. Fill a giant stein for 15 and keep the glass, or buy a flight and get a pint included.
Our group got 2 flights and got to try all of their beers except for I think 2! So it makes for a good deal. They have a ping pong table, flatscreens, giant jenga, and CAH, among others. The service was great and their staff was very helpful in selecting our brews.
It’s a super casual and relaxed environment, complete with huge wooden tables and lots of couches.
I would come back here mostly for the staff and atmosphere. I’m still working on being a beer drinker so unfortunately my palate recommendation isn’t very trustworthy right now. My friend who was there who is a stout fan really liked one of theirs. Also, a TON of people were showing up and this brewery has been here for awhile — being that popular usually is a good sign… right? Right.
So give this one a shot for sure! It’s a good time.

Checked out thus place in Sunday for beer week… Amazing beers, friendly service and great peoples. Got to keep the glass with order for beer week which was awesome. Really great customer service! I’ll definitely be back and tell my friends about this sweet spot.

Went for the first time yesterday and they have great beer!
The oneeeee thing, HEADS UP, if you buy beer togo, you can’t drink the cans in the shop?!.
But the togo beer cans had this very cool top to the can that ive never seen before! You have to check it out, instead of the regular beer tab, the entire can-​top comes off to turn the can into a great drinking cup.

Great atmosphere, even better beer. What more is there from a brewery? There was a food truck serving sausages and hotdogs when I was there too. If I could remember their name I’d give them 5 stars as well.

Easy to find brewery tasting room in an industrial park. Hugely popular on the weekends with a dedicated local crowd. Symbiotic relationship with various food trucks. Service was quick and friendly. They offer samples of their house beers and there are A LOT. At least 12 when we were there, which is a bit overwhelming. Cheap prices. Main problem is that the tasters all came in tiny plastic cups. However, it seems that they have fixed this isssue recently. Fun place, great vibe. House beer quality was high.

Just found out that Hess has new hours so they are open later. What’s even better then longer ours? They are now open 7 days a week! I can’t wait until my next trip down to San Diego so I can hangout longer playing games, drinking, and meeting new people.

Nice time overall, but the ping pong and blocks games took up valuable real estate whereby many visitors had no place to sit.
I ended up sharing a picnic table with a family of annoying kids, so I only tried one beer. It was good. For a Saturday, in my opinion, they could have another person there to clean, gather glasses and make sure everyone is lubricated.
I left with only a quick squirt of one type, and now I’ve forgotten the branding, which is everyone’s fault. But mine.
Would like to try it again.

When we came in there was only one other person inside, mind you it was around 2pm. Within an hour the place was buzzing and the atmosphere was great with everyone getting off work. The Habitus is definitely one of my favorite IPA’s ever now. It’s too cool you guys have a ping pong table and other fun games to pass the time. My only mistake was not bringing a growler in to get a fill!

This place is legit! One of the best breweries ever!
For fun you can play ping pong, giant jenga and they have a number of cards you can play with! Also, they have a giant lab that works here and he is just the friendliest dog ever.
Onto the beers, for $ 14 you get a flight of 5 different beers. I really enjoy their ipa and light ales. The only beer I didn’t enjoy was the double IPA, way too spicy. XD. Also, they have munchies here for you to snack on. Kettle cooked jalapeño and buffalo cheddar chips. Score!
Overall, this is a great hole in the wall brewery. Great beer and great service. Jeremiah and Sean know what’s up!

Friendly bartenders, delicious beer, huge selection, table tennis and giant Jenga.
I like the fact that it was a modest sized brewery with incredibly tasteful beer.

This place is awesome for 3 reasons:
1. Great beer
2. Ping Pong
3. Giant Jenga
I came here on Easter Sunday with 3 friends. It has a giant «garage» vibe and is a very chill and laid back atmosphere. They’re dog friendly too! I tried the Solis Occasus IPA, $ 5 for a pint. They also offer free snacks if you get the buzzed munchies! I’ll be back!

Solid beers, as always.
This first (little) location boasts only a few tables to sit down and drink at, but there’s a ping pong table and some couches by the office if you wanna hang out there too. Big tap list, and a must-​try spot if you haven’t gotten the chance to visit their other tasting room yet.

Not enough beers but that jinga tho, but still pretty «BIG». Not pizza! Why? Food is none. Beer good tho. Yeah! Fo sho!!! We are in a garage. I could fit 3 Honda fits in hur with extra space.

My first visit and not my last! Great beer! Open atmosphere, tv and allows dogs. Win win win!

we went brewery tasting on a Saturday in the Miramar area, i was recommended to go to Hess from a co worker. It was a bit hard to find but once inside it was very quaint and friendly. All tastings come w a pint glass or beer shaped glass with the Hess logo which is pretty cool.
The beers are solid. I really enjoyed the beers there and they do a heavy heavy pour, they seemed to get larger as i ordered more.
They have a ping pong table and over sized jenga game. It was a relaxed low-​key brewery that is worth the trip if you find it from the street. It is in the middle of an industrial park and is the original location.
Also, it is dog friendly, i brought my mini weenie Rambo and they were very nice to him, brought him his own water bowl and didnt mind when he walked around to take a peek around the area.

Hess is definitely my favorite!
I love the chill and laid back ambiance.
I think it’s neat that there is a ping pong table, (No, I won’t challenge you because I’m terrible) and a huge Jenga! There are enough seatings, stools, and 2 bathrooms on opposite sides of the store, weird I know.
GRAZIAS is probably my favorite, but I always like to try new drinks.
Apparently the Habitus Rye IPA won the world beer cup gold award… It was pretty good, GRAZIAS is still my favorite.
And the workers here are always quick and attentive!

Great beer. Horrible service. Like oh my gawd.
Seriously. I don’t expect much coming to a brewery but good beer and average service but this by far was not average.
Me and my boyfriend came ordered two beers for the first time and the guy behind the bar not only could he not remember what we ordered, he actually seemed a bit drunk? …on top of it, we left it on a barrel… covered for like 3 minutes to find them gone and waited at the front for like 10 before being acknowledged. He helped the guest in front who cut and ignored me and my boy at the front patiently quietly waiting…
On the plus, they have giant jenga and ping pong… And did I mention great beer and cute growlers… But that’s about it…
Oh and when they did fill my beer after throwing it out– they didn’t pour me a dane size glass but a taster size (other breweries have filled it full… since it was their fault… But…)
I say go to their north park location; I’m sure that ones better…

You pull up and when you see the place, you do a double take. Is this a brewery?
There are no huge barrels being brewed in plain view — they’re all behind the walls. There’s only one picnic table for seating. There’s a giant, life size jenga to the left of the space and a normal jenga on the picnic table. Beers are served in plastic cups. Service comes with a smile. I’m all about supporting the small guys…

Throw a stone in any direction in SD and you can have it hit a great craft brewery. Personally, I’d save that arm for lifting pint glasses but that’s just me. Hess Brewing is another one of those breweries that help make San Diego the première destination for craft beer. I know, another 5 star review as far as breweries go but honestly, it doesn’t take much to keep me happy when it comes to craft breweries. As long as the beer is good, the staff is decent, all those other thrills and frills are pretty much superfluous. I’m just here to enjoy good beer. If you serve it and can get it to me, then I’m happy. Simple as that.
Obscured somewhere between the ubiquitous furniture stores along Miramar Road lies Hess Brewery. It’s a small tasting room with one big wooden picnic table, a smaller round table, oak barrels and bar to stand at. It isn’t a huge and luxurious tasting room but between the beers, the staff and the convenient location, it definitely isn’t a place you want to miss.
All that aside, if you’re like me, you really could care less about the location, décor, customer service and all that jazz. You just want the beer. So let’s talk beer…
The Breakdown of what I sampled:
Jucundas Orange Honey Wheat: At 5.3% ABV and 24 IBUs, this is a nice, easily drinkable wheat beer. Not bad considering it isn’t high in alcohol content so it is one of those beers you can easily drink without the guilt or sneak attack that you might get from a higher percentage beer. For a lighter beer this one gets the job done.
Grazias Vienna Cream Ale: This beer weighs in at 6.3% and 27 IBUs so it is another smooth, easily drinkable beer. It’s a light brown, caramel colored beer that tastes as smooth as it drinks. It doesn’t have as strong of a cream flavor as I’m used tasting in other cream style beers like Mother Earth’s «Cali Creamin’» and Arcana’s «Tiny Tim» but as a slightly darker variety, it is one those that you can easily turn to if you want turn to the dark side of cream ales. I have no issues with this one. I find it quite pleasant.
Brunus Robustus Porter: I’m a huge fan of dark beers (Stouts & Porters primarily) and this guy isn’t bad. It weighs in at 8% and 52 IBUs so it is a nice balance of drinkability and potency. I can’t really say it is a standout in the world of porters but it definitely is no slouch. If you’re a porter kind of person you owe it to yourself to taste one of these.
Deceptio Cascadian Dark American IPA: I’m really not a fan of IPAs, I’ve said it countless times in my reviews but I figured I’d try this one just because it was dark. It tastes (to me) like any typical IPA, it just happens to be presented in the dark color. To me, it’s nothing special, to others it’s probably a pretty good IPA. At 8.8% and 85 IBUS, you know what you’re getting into.
Trinitas Belgian Golden Strong Ale: Now this is a nice change of pace. A great, easily drinkable golden beer. Nice and tasty. It reminds me a bit of Lightning’s Thunderweizen. Don’t be caught off guard though, this little bad boy packs in a heavy sucker punch at 10.1% with only 35 IBUS. Tastes great and it is so easy to drink that if you aren’t careful you may not even know what hit you. If you typically like lighter colored beers but are feeling a little adventurous, this challenger has your name on it.
Exumbris Rye Imperial Stout. Yeah this is my favorite from Hess. I’m a sucker for Imperial Stouts and this one doesn’t disappoint. They offer this regular and sometimes they offer it on Nitro. If they offer it on nitro while you are there, get it. Regardless of whether or not it’s on nitro or not you owe it to yourself to drink this one. If you like stouts, you should love this one. Very dark and distinct character, at 10.2% and 85 IBUs, this one packs a punch and makes you feel it as you drink it. Well balanced enough to be able to drink it without too much effort but with enough character to really make you savor it. Definitely my personal favorite but hey, your mileage may vary.
It’s impossible to describe beer taste in words but what I can say is that Hess is another great brewery that can easily become a regular stop for locals/​semi-​locals alike. With great options, pale ales, IPAs, belgians, stouts, Kolsch, they have something for everybody. The staff is friendly, quick to assist, informative and the beer is great. They sell 32oz swing top growlers as well as 64oz stainless growlers (no 3^rd party/​outside growler fills at the time of writing this). They have a decent amount of seating (could probably use a little more) and adequate parking. At the end of the day, Hess is another great brewery. Beer people, go check em out.