The staff of English Ales Brewery in Marina does its best to make visitors feel like locals. Incredibly, the large bar feels relaxing despite the packed house. It’s 5:20 p.m. on a Friday with sports on television and tourists and locals alike gathering to finish off the week with a beer and a meal.
Peter and Rosemary Blackwell opened English Ales in early 2000 aiming to create an authentic English-style brew for Monterey Bay. They’ve succeeded in creating a Cheers-like bar: they’ll know your name if you stay long enough! One of the unique aspects of English Ales is the Mug Club. Patrons are able to purchase a specialty mug that they get to reuse every time they frequent the location.
The extensive menu boasts an Italian wedding soup, which took me back to my home of Boston’s North End. I ordered the soup to start –it’s been a long time since I’ve had an excellent Italian wedding soup. The bulk of the offerings are typical brewery fare with an extensive list of sandwiches and lots of appetizers to munch on while enjoying your drink.
I order a flight of 11 mini pints, ranging from crisp light ale to a porter. English Ales gives me my first experience with tall, thin tubes hosting the tasty brews. My husband ordered the onion rings, which are crispy and golden and have the perfect ratio of batter to the onion. Food came out quickly, and we were pleasantly surprised, given the full house inside. While it’s heavy food, the Philly cheesesteak sandwich certainly matched that “comfort food” experience.
The Mug Club mugs line the ceiling, and you can tell there are many regulars. It’s a comfortable spot and we have already decided we will be back often.
English Ales Brewery
- 223 Reindollar Avenue #A, Marina, CA 93933
- https://englishalesbrewery.com
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