Less than three bucks for a fourteen ounce poor of their Belgian style brews = glorious. I went here on a hot day and glugged the Belgian Blonde as if it were Gatorade. Normally I don't associate beer with thirst quenching. Normally I chug a water then drink my beer at a normal pace if I'm really thirsty. But once this littly ditty hit my lips, it was all over.
(4)
Tom P.
Food was ok, but service was awful. To be fair, it was the Earth Day festival a block away and the place looked busy, but it took pretty long for someone to see us and take an order. The only table we could get was way in back, which made it impossible to read the beer menu around the corner on the wall. It would be swell if they could provide a paper version. I wanted to like it, but I think we'll try somewhere else next time.
(2)
Laura m.
super busy- good pizza, good beer!
(4)
Lisa M.
My husband has been head-over-heels in love with this place for a while now, he loves the Pliny. I don't particularly like beer, but their pizza here is great. I think our favorite pizza was the Clipper. Good prices, especially at happy hour. The worst part is there is always a wait of at least 20 minutes...but that's how you know you should go here.
(5)
Lydia V.
Great beer and the food ain't bad either!
(5)
Rachel M.
If you are in the beer-hating minority like myself, please try RR's sours! They're beers fermented in used wine barrels, which seems to get rid of the bitter, hoppy taste I dislike and replaces it with refreshing tartness. Consecration, aged in cabernet barrels, is my favorite - and also packs a 10% ABV punch, which is cool by me. This place gets all kinds of crowded every night of the week. Seriously, wall-to-wall hipsters. If that's your scene, cool; if it's not, go for lunch. Lunch at RR is super chill and the service is much better. The pizzas are rad, but our favorites are the Jasper Bites with an extra side of marinara.
(4)
Callie T.
This place is just great. I got married in the summer is 2008 at Fountain Grove, and we were looking for a casual spot for our small rehearsal dinner (about 30 people). They have a private room and let us order a bunch of beer and we happily paid corkage and brought our own wine. Good food, great service, Yummy beer. Now almost every time I'm in town I stop by for a Perdition and a salad or pizza. This place is casual, so don't expect some fancy food presentations, but it hits the spot every time!
(5)
Chris G.
Supertastic! It doesn't get much better than this.
(5)
Erica H.
I LOVE RR. I think they have the best beer in all of Sonoma County. I would agree with everyone else that the service can sometimes not be so good. But the pizza is awesome! And it is kid friendly! Plus on Sundays HAPPY HOUR is ALL DAY......
(5)
Sean G.
Great on Sunday night! Always fun!
(5)
Brett A.
Came for the beer and fell in love with the pizza. Ordered the Mikey and it was so good we went back and had it for lunch the next day. It makes the Pliny taste that much better, if that's even possible.
(5)
Michael M.
Flew in from Houston for Pliny the Younger. Was very happy with how the staff handled this event. They were very enthusiastic about being extremely busy, managed huge crowds well, and the service over my two days there was amazing. The beer is better than anywhere else, despite what some reviewers have posted. The food is also excellent (in particular, the pizza).
(5)
Nicha K.
Fabulous. The perfect blend of pizza and brew. My boyfriend and I shared some mozzarella balls and pizza which were both delish - but my favorite part was trying the flight of beer. With names like Damnation, Erudition and Redemption... and a WIDE range of flavors and hops and wine-inspired brews... this is definitely a place to bookmark and return again and again.
(4)
Emily F.
Great happy hour prices, super friendly staff, not always such friendly patrons, but they can't control that. I just try to go in the quieter parts of the day.
(4)
Heather J.
Super great beers and excellent pizzas. Had a great server. It was really crowded but we got a seat within a reasonable amount of time. Looooooved their beers. If you happen to be in the area, I recommend that you stop in for a pint and a slice.
(5)
Chelsea F.
Beers are good, if you can actually get served. Crazy busy and bartenders were serving everyone except people at the bar apparently. I've been here before and not had a bad experience but this time was ridiculous. We put our name on the list to be seated and then attempted to get a beer for 20 minutes with no luck. We ended up leaving and going to Third Street Ale Works. By the time we were done eating there we got our text telling us a table was ready. Geez, we're only a party of 2. Why an hour to get seated? Like I said the beers at Russian River are good, but I don't think I would come to the brewery again. I've experienced far better service in San Diego, so I'll stick with my local breweries.
(2)
Jessie R.
The Beer speaks for itself ... 5 stars in most peoples eyes. Hour long lines for special releases. The food here is yyyuuuummmmy. (The beer bites are to die for) But ....... THE. SERVICE. SUCKS. It is getting BETTER than it was a few years ago ... thats why I'm adding the second star. but it still is pretty horrible, unless you get Mike, or the girl ....
(2)
Summer C.
My boyfriend and I were dying to come here on our trip up north, as we are big fans of their sours. Seating near and at the bar were packed, but we were able to pick up a table to the side. The waitresses (pleural, as we had a few serving us) were decent, kind of spotty (ask one waitress one thing and a different one comes and you don't know if you should ask again or not). We ordered the beer flight (for 15 dollars) between 3 of us, which was plenty of beer for us to have a good tasting and understanding of each style. Also ordered a few glasses of Supplication and Temptation, oh yum! I highly recommend trying "Travis' Bites" as they are like pizza bread sticks with cheddar and jalepenos, oh holy mouthful of spicy goodness! Also, my boyfriend was able to buy bottles of Santification to go (12 of them) since their max is 6 per person, but I vouched as the second person making the order. I also bought a t-shirt (they didn't have my size) as a drunk choice, so now this x-tra big shirt is my dedicated pajama shirt. Who gets to sleep in Redemption? I do!
(5)
Angelo B.
Went here for a bachelor party a few months ago, so the details are a bit hazy...the amount of beer I had doesn't help clear any details either. SO...from what I remember. I was told that a bachelor party was being held in Santa Rosa, I faced palmed, that shit is far! I don't care how soft his skin is!!! That's FAR!!! The ONLY thing that'd get me up there would be to hit up Russian River Brewery! As luck would have it, IT was apart of the plan! *slaps hand on wooden bar* HELLZ YEAH I'M IN!!! The food was better than I'd expected from a brew pub. We had a few different types of pizza and some other stuff but it was kinda pizza-ish too. I didn't come here for the food....nor did I really come for the bachelor...sorry JT...I came for the BEER! Mind you...I'm not going into any specifics...cause well I can't. I'm not articulate enough to do the beer justice. So I'll just multiply stuff. Pliny the Elder in a bottle is a damn good beer. Coming out of a keg it's 10x better! Blind Pig, never had it in a bottle but it was quite tasty. Picked up a few bottles from Bobby's Liquor but was still longing for the kegged stuff. Screw the math I'm tired. Russian River IPA, for me this was the beer of the night. It stole the show, even beyond watching someone taking pictures in cars who's owners we do not know. But this beer was damned good and it'll be the one I go back for. Sorry Pliny but I think the Pale Ale has got ya beat! Still haven't found it outside their brew pub. Attentive, patient and friendly service was provided to us while we were sober and even when we were stumble, stutter, slur drunk, they didn't even mind that the Nutra-sister was walkin around with his fly open with balloons coming out of it. Price....damn. Either their prices are really good, we made out like bandits (on the bill, not each other), someone forgot to charge us some stuff OR I was drunk and found that 15 guys paid $200 bucks for food/beer and 3/4 of us were already drunk after our first stop. Twas a memorable night and I'm glad this was our first stop, cause shit...I don't remember the names of the other 2....or 4...bars we stopped at!
(5)
Rachael Z.
Had a great time at this busy happy Brewery. The pizza was above expectation for a place where beer is the focus. Good crust (bubbly and great dough), high quality toppings and great choices. The staff is friendly even when the place is wall to wall bodies. And the beer is some of the best in the world. I like the Row 5, but Hop Father is just killer as well. I like both of them even better than the Pliny (s). It is a very busy popular place, and that might be off putting to some, but we've never had to wait more than 10 minutes or so to get seats at the bar.
(5)
Dana L.
I took my daughter (13 years old) here for lunch for her "last day of school" meal (back in June). I wanted to sit outside, and let her order a salad and maybe pizza or something to celebrate. We were trying to find a place that would be conducive to a baby crying because I also have a tiny guy (he was 2 months old at the time)and I was nervous about having the baby disturb others while dining. I told the waitress we would like to sit outside and she led us to the front patio area. There was unfortunately not a table open... so we said we would wait (for one to open up) on the bench area near the tables. She said that was perfect and that meanwhile, she would bring us some drinks. We ordered a club soda and a sprite. I sat there with my 13 year old and my ity-bity baby in his car seat sleeping, waiting..... and waiting..... and waiting..... No one ever showed up with sodas, the waitress never returned! I finally went back in side, carting the baby and 13 year old with me of course! I flagged someone down and said, "We have been waiting for about 20 minutes for our drinks on the benches outside... and we were never served." This other waitress said un-apologetically, "Well, we don't ever serve the people who are waiting on the benches." I explained that it would have been nice if they had explained that in the first place and not have told us they were coming back with our drinks. Just then the waitress who had misinformed us walked by, I saw that she overheard this conversation I was having with another waitress, and she just rolled her eyes!!! (Fast forward 45 minutes later, when I was leaving she even had the nerve to give me the "stink eye!") Anyway, finally, we were seated. At that point the food and service were 100% better... but they knew I was already really upset. Overall, I just felt like I wasn't "hip" enough to matter there, because I was "just a mom with her kids." That was the vibe I got. I wasn't drinking beer.... so maybe I was not a worthy customer. Well, let me tell you... my husband used to be a regular, and buy plenty of "pliny" my baby has even been known to sport a "tiny pliny t shirt" and when I got home and told him the story he was not happy at all. He hasn't been back since! I will never return after that experience and I don't recommend this place for family's.
(2)
Kimiko N.
The pizza and beer are absolutely fantastic! I would give the food and brews 10 stars if I could. We used to get really crumby service but now they have stepped up their game and no matter how busy we always seem to have pretty great service. Word to the wise if you order the wings they take an extremely long time. Best to order them the moment you are seated if you want them as an appetizer!
(5)
Ezequiel O.
Great Brewery with awesome food as well. Customer service is fair and beer is great! Highly recommend anybody who is trying to have a great beer with a great dinner to try this brewery out. You definitely will not be disappointed. Most definitely one of Sonoma County's finest breweries..
(5)
David P.
The beers are stellar and the pizza is great. I had the Lola, which has corn and jalapenos on it and it was exactly what I was hoping for.
(5)
Eli S.
That heavy and giant tasting board of beers alone is enough to make me love you guys. The huge board of meets and cheese you handed over with it sealed the deal. Then the loveliness of your patrons and bartenders went above and beyond. Why are you so far away from me, Russian River?
(5)
Michael S.
The only positive about this place is the beer. The service is terrible, very slow and accommodating. The food is okay but there are much better options close by. They are a victim of their own success. I live locally and rarely visit, usually just to fill up a growler and leave. When ever i get talked into going I always regret it. The atmosphere is very uncomfortable. My recommendation would be to go to third St. ale-works, or Bear Republic in Healdsburg for better food more, better service, and decent beers.
(2)
Asmus O.
Oh yes. This is how a brewing company is supposed to present itself. Easy food and amazing beer. PLINY THE ELDER. WOW. The bar seemed like the most lively place in all of Santa Rosa. Everybody visiting the Bay Area should be forced to go here.
(5)
Matthew W.
The 1 star is for the janitor that came up to us in the middle of our meal, and falsely accused someone in our party of vomiting in the urinal, and then proceeded to say: "Let's go clean up the bathroom. No, I'm serious, you vomited in the bathroom, and I need to go clean it up." He wasn't joking, although he wasn't seriously expecting us to go help him clean the bathroom. (The guy in our party did not vomit in the bathroom, but what happened was that another customer told the worker that he did, and he was thus a victim of mistaken identity.) However, even if he did throw up in the bathroom, it's highly unprofessional (and probably illegal) for the staff to ask a customer to clean the bathroom, even if he was not serious (although he was not saying it in a joking tone). I can understand if someone is throwing up in a bar, it's fine to throw them out, but it's pretty rude to embarrass your customer by asking him to help out with your job and clean the toilet. In today's case, I'm not even convinced that it was the customer's fault for throwing up, whoever it was. It's possible that the kitchen gave them bad food, in which case you would think the business would be trying to bend over backward to make sure that the food was fresh and okay. Additionally, the urinal/trough was never fully cleaned for the rest of the evening, and all of the men that used the urinal for the rest of the day had to look at that vomit, which is (1) gross, (2) probably a health violation, and (3) not good for business, as that is very unappetizing when you're trying to sell stuff like oatmeal stouts to people. So that is further blame on the janitor who failed to do his job and fully clean up the mess. I told our server what happened, and the server sorted things out with the janitor. The server came back to us and clarified to us what happened, but none of the staff (including the janitor) proceeded to apologize. I had expected to at least for the person in our party to get handed at least one free beer out of it (after all, in a bar setting, buying someone a beer is the unofficial way to rectify a mistake and after that all is forgiven), but nothing like that happened. However, all we were looking for was a simple apology, especially from the janitor who made the mistake, or a manager. In all fairness, this bar/restaurant was a lot of fun, and if you're into high-quality IPA/Belgian-style micro brews, this is a great place. Our server was very nice other than this, especially considering we were hanging out there for 5 hours.
(1)
Michelle T.
Mild and Savage chicken wings- legit homemade sauce. Amazing Beers On Tap: Pliny The Elder (yum) Russian River IPA Damnation 2 oz samplers $.50 to $0.75 You can try any of their beers in a 2 oz. sampler! Sour Ales to Try: Supplication (sour ale) Conscrecation (sour ale) Tempatation (sour ale) I don't love the taste, but some people do. It's definitely an acquired taste that you either love or hate. Pros: Happy hour $3.50 a pint til 6:30 PM. You can buy a growler there, and they fill it up for you with your favorite beer on tap! Cons: We tried to get Pliny the Younger, but its like a ghost and doesn't exist!! It showed up but we were too late for the tasting because they ran out. =\
(5)
Todger ..
Now this place is the real deal. These guys are real brewers that seriously know what they are doing. Pliny the Elder was fantastic. The hopping was superb. I drank mostly IPA's on this visit but the available brews, both standard and belgian, was out of this world. This place serves mostly pub fare, and does a great job with it. We ordered two small pizzas, which was more than enough for two people so we brought the leftovers home with us. Popular place, go early if you are planning to eat.
(4)
Casey O.
Simply an amazing location to grab a beer with friends, unfortunately this place never has a seat available it's always packed, so I just stopped going...
(3)
QT B.
Beer is not to be missed! A beer for every palate. I love the sours there. Only complaint is that the chicken wings took forever BUT our waitress took it off the bill and even gave us the order to go!!! Customer service is top notch.
(5)
Joanne R.
Beer may be good but it's so crowded this day (Saturday) and our waitress hasn't been back in 20 minutes to take our order after waiting almost an hour for a table We finally had to go up to the 3 deep bar because evidently our waitress is busy putting eyelashes on the Manager. I wonder if the owner is aware? I see why there is an hour wait for a table when it takes more than a half hour to find your waitress!
(2)
Adam G.
I used to love this place, so I hate having to leave a bad review, but I had to share my rant. Been here on a couple Friday mid afternoons only, the beer and food are good. Then I came on a busy Saturday afternoon. The security staff is entitled because a brewmaster won some awards for making a good beer that they had nothing to do with... Service Review: Me and 4 friends drove up from the South Bay to go here, one is visiting from Boston. So we wait in line for about 45 minutes, which is about what I expected, no big deal, we're relaxed on vacation, and I know it's a busy tourist spot. We get to the front and very clearly tell the doorman we had 5 people, but we were waiting for 2 of them, they'll be there in only 5 min. He says alright and let's us in. The 3 of us go grab a spot on the patio bench, and no more than 30 seconds later I walk up to the doorman and to let him know where we sitting, because our friends are about to be there. Pretty standard procedure, I think (Done this dozens of times at many other places). Doorman says they have to go to the back of the line. At first I thought he was joking. I ask why he let us in knowing we were waiting for 2 people, if this was the rule. The doorman now says "That was your decision." So I say "I was never given a chance to make a decision, you just let us in, knowing we were waiting for 2 more." I even offer to have our group get out of our seats and let everyone in line pass us until our friends arrive, no dice, he was going to send us to the end of the line. So for about 2-3 minutes we're going back and forth, the doorman telling me I'm making things worse for myself, when I'm simply just asking question like "Couldn't you have just asked us to wait to the side, and let people behind us pass us until our friends got here? (like literally any other busy restaurant that has this rule will do) You knew we were waiting for 2 more." In addition to him saying something cocky to the effect of "This is my line, I can do what I want" He kept on going back to his point that we "decided" to go in, and I kept saying we were never given the option. It probably didn't help that I was laughing a little bit because I literally could not believe this guy. I go inside, figure maybe the hostess or manager would hear me out. The hostess was useless, so she called over some little guy that I guess was security manager. He gave me the same tough guy responses as the doorman outside, and at one point I say, "Any other place I've been to in my life that does not want you to come in without your full party will tell you before you enter that you need to wait. I would have been 100% ok with waiting longer" and the little guy say "Have you ever been to place with a line this long?" I literally spit out my coffee, and I wasn't even drinking any... But really, I started laughing and just walked away. Maybe these guys have never been out of Santa Rosa, I feel sorry for them. Anyways, since we drove 2 hours from the South Bay to go to this place and enjoy the beer/pizza (not the doormen) we decided to stay and wait for the other 2 and get food/beers. The waiter was nice, but service was a little slow, not his fault I don't think. Food review: Beer (Pliny) is good, Pizza is good. I would only recommend going here at 3pm on a Tuesday in February, it's good, but it's not worth dealing with the wait or the security chiefs that think their sh!t doesn't stink, because there's a line outside they did nothing to create. Finally, after my little discussion with these winners, we heard them telling people that weren't with their whole party that they needed to wait of to the side until they all got there...
(1)
Melissa L.
When my friends and I decided to make a late night stop to the Russian River Brewing Company, I had absolutely no clue what I was walking into. I was just pretty much along for the ride as my beer buddy wanted to fill up his growlers for the Superbowl. I'm a very casual beer drinker, although I will sip a Sierra Nevada or locally made beer (when traveling) from time to time. We pull up, on a week day night some time after 10 pm and although most of the businesses in the area were closed for the night, the RR brewery was pretty busy, mostly with students from nearby Sonoma State. The four of us decide to stay and try a couple of their samplers, which consisted of 18 different craft beers, all made by the RR brewery. The beers range from blond ales, to IPAs, to stouts to sour, barrel-aged beers to Belgian style ales. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/russ… ) My favorites? Those would be the Blind Pig, Pliny the Elder and Happy Hops, which go with my preference for pale ales. My least favorites? The sour beers. Couldn't stomach them. One of my cohorts felt the same way but one person ended up purchasing one bottle each of Supplication and Consecration. We also purchased some bottles of Pliny the Elder. We were each limited to six bottles each. The sampler is a great way to try all their beers and to see what you like. Note that some have a much higher alcohol content than others. Descriptions for each beer are posted behind the bar as well as on a card provided with the sampler. We did not sample any food items off the menu so i cannot comment on them other than to say the menu looked pretty good, with options ranging from pizza, salads, sandwiches and the usual bar nibbles. The menu had a blurb on the beers that pair well with certain food items. The staff was really helpful and quite friendly. We were able to get a table immediately and the hostess came by soon after we were seated to see if we wanted to move our table given that a party of 20 was about to be seated next to us. She was worried it would be too crazy for us to sit so close to them. I thought that was really considerate of her. As to the ambiance, I would describe as a friendly, comfortable place to hang out and appreciate beer. Definitely not a sports bar. On my visit there were a lot of students there with a sprinkling of older patrons. No attitudes and no pretentiousness from the patrons or the staff. Everyone is welcome. Prices for food and beverages were reasonable. There is a big parking lot available. Apparently we missed the big release of Pliny the Younger by 1.5 weeks! Oh well, at least we were able to get in and grab a table without a wait. There's always next year.
(5)
Jenny T.
Best place for pizza, beer, and a good time! Its usually packed on the weekends, and that might not be for everyone- especially if you're looking to have a romantic date, but its casual, the food is delicious, the staff is on it, and the beer is AMAZING. My advice it to sample them all and choose a favorite on your first visit, because you'll have such a good time, you'll definitely be back for more. A lot of people have commented on the "wait", but you have to know that when they come out with their new beer the line will be down the block for it, and people travel from all over the world for it. Any random day/night of the week its just as busy as you would expect a good pizza and beer place to be.
(5)
Jessica R.
Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the lord my soul to keep. And if I die before I wake, I pray the lord to Russian River me take. Russian's IPAs and sours are unmatched in the beer world. (And the pizza bites aren't bad either.)
(5)
Ian A.
I don't even drink when I'm there because it's usually lunch. However, their meatball sandwich is top-notch. I'm an affectionado of the dish and this is one of the good ones. Tasty meatballs, zesty sauce, a good amount of cheese. They don't fool around.
(4)
Peter C.
Amazing Beer. The Damnation is my favorite. Excellent Pizza. The Drew bites are great for snacking. The Wings are great, especially if you like em hot, get the Savage Sauce (and a pitcher of beer to put out the fire). The place is almost always packed, so be prepared to wait a bit and rub elbows. For first timers I suggest a flight of all the beers and a basket or two of Drew Bites.
(5)
Paolo D.
I've been holding out on my 800th review. The truth is I'd already be there if I didn't remove my HanShikTaco write-up from years back (old school LV Yelpers will fondly remember that place). Anyway, Russian River Brewing Company! Do I need to say more? OK fine. I had been looking forward to this visit for quite some time. And when our trip evolved in such a way that we would be there on Sunday to coincide with their all-day happy hour, it was like the stars aligned. We didn't actually take advantage of the discounted pints (which aren't that expensive to begin with). Nope. When it's your first time visiting RRBC, you must (absolutely MUST) get their sampler. Everything they have on tap that day resulted in 17 beers on our table (one spot sadly missing in the spread). Side note: I'm a bit of an Untappd whore, so this was paradise for me. Ignoring any sort of progression strategy, I went straight for the four sours--Supplication, Compunction, Sanctification, and Consecration. I've been seeking great sours lately and all of the RRBC sours were top notch, culminating with the truly excellent Consecration. Out of myriad awesome beers including the ever-so-popular Pliny The Elder (and some forgettable ones), that was easily my favorite of the night. Food-wise, we shared a Mama Mia pizza and a Gorgonzola salad. Both were good and a perfectly adequate complement to the beer. Oh the beer. Of course I purchased a few bottles to bring back to Vegas. Another side note: wine diapers from Amazon are a great product. There really is nothing bad I can say about this place. Sure we had to wait for a table, but this is understandable at a popular joint during their all-day happy hour no less. They make it easy by texting you when your table is ready. Sure we ended up seated right at the back, but it was quieter back there anyway. The only conclusion is five stars.
(5)
Bao A.
For whatever reason the beer taste a little bit better when maddy is behind the bar. Should be there more often.
(5)
De Dolle B.
Favorite brewery. The beer is great top to bottom and the food is excellent.
(5)
Monica S.
Came here twice, both times on Wednesdays around 3pm and the entire place was hopping! We still got in immediately. The wait staff is great! The brews are excellent! And the food is killer! I enjoy the loud atmosphere and appreciated the beer recommendations they very easily gave us. They were spot on!
(5)
Jonathan A.
I was not sure about driving 90 minutes on a Saturday to get to Russian River Brewing but it was a guys day out so I figured I'd go along and see what all the buzz is about. I'm seriously glad I did! We got there two minutes before opening and there were about 50 people in line, we were seated quickly and got down to business. We got beer samplers and then had a couple of beers and food and it was all great. I enjoyed it so much I forked out $18 for a Pliny the Elder t-shirt. The beers at Russian River are, of course, highly respected so no surprise there, but what did surprise me was how great the food was. A place like this with a line out the door all the time could easily serve cheap, frozen food but these guys do it right. We had five guys in our party and everyone thought their meal was exceptional so nice work Russian River! Suggestions: 1. Get there before they open. Some people think that's strange but I like to not have a long wait, get inside for some good seating and enjoy yourself. Why wait in line when you could have virtually no wait by getting there an hour earlier? 2. You can only get two samplers per table. Our server explained to us that they only do two because they don't have enough serving boards for everyone so they need to limit the number per table. The folks next to us were waiting 45 minutes for their sampler...want to know why? See suggestion #1 3. Get your shit together. Russian River gets really crowded and the servers are working their asses off. I saw several tables around us have no clue what they wanted to eat or drink, so the server moved on to something else, and they seemed miffed that it took the server a long time to get back. Your experience will be much better if you sit down, figure out what you want, order, and then dork around looking at the walls, taking selfies, and engaging in small talk. All around great place and I'm glad I went!
(5)
Joseph V.
Of all the pubs and restaurants in the Santa Rosa downtown area we visited, this was the best. Great ambiance. We had to wait 20 minutes for a table but that was no problem. I like the way they text you when your table is ready. The pizza was excellent. Nice crispy thin crust. Not too much cheese. Great toppings. The chicken wings were also excellent. The service was spot on. Attentive but not overly so. And even educational when we asked about the beers. I love the selection of beers but unfortunately we like wheat, lager, and pilsner more than ale and IPA. The waiter very kindly explained the reason behind the predominance of ale and IPA in the Sonoma county area. Its the hops.
(4)
Ben H L.
Good beer isn't worth waiting for. Good beer isn't worth driving long distances for either. IF both of those statements are true, then why would anyone be so stupid to drive more than an hour to Santa Rosa to come here, line up before they open, to have at least two pints of beer with some food, and then make a long trip back from wherever they came from? Obviously, there are a lot of stupid people out there and I'm one of them! One thing that can't be disputed is that they have good food and good beer. The throngs of people who come to this place locally and from far reaches of the state, the continental USA, and even from out of the country say so! I don't deny that RRBC has a well earned reputation and add to the fact that the distribution and availability of their products being sold in other retail establishments is very scarce. Sometimes they just have bottles of Elder for sale and even more rare, a keg of Elder on tap! Usually those businesses that do have any RRBC products will have them at a premium price for sure. I went here two days in a row...the first night I wanted to buy their special edition blonde sour that they were doing for a charity fundraiser. The worker told me that they sold out but to come the following day when they would have more. The next day, I returned to find that they couldn't sell me one because they had given the rights to purchase that special edition bottle were given away on the previous night. So not wanting to lose my temper with the person who gave me this bad news, I bought a growler of Elder, waited patiently for it to come to me, and then I walked out. It may sound like that I have a pretty big grudge against RRBC but I really don't. This place is making money hand over fist and maybe I never had a shot at getting that blonde sour bottle. In that sense, the locals who live nearby can truly say that this is their brewery and their neighborhood community microbrewery. If you're from out of the area, then get ready for an education when you get there. I still am a fan of their beer and I do love my growler bottle and I do plan on coming back to refill it at some point in the future. I definitely will not be eating their food or lining up for Pliny the Younger.
(3)
JC P.
My second visit last night. I was able to park my rig a couple on miles away and called a taxi. The Mediterranean Pizza was incredible. Of course, I had a few Pliny the Elder and took some home as well. This place is great.
(5)
Tristan S.
Sat down for a Consecration Ale today. I always enjoy good food and beers, but it gets really busy so come early. A little too preachy and pretentious for my liking. My wife asked for a sprite/pils mix (as she hates beer, but loves me), and the manager refused to allow it. Just ordered a Pils and Sprite, and made it myself. No worries! Great food and beers otherwise. Cheers!
(4)
Julie T.
It's crazy busy for a good reason! The beer is great and the food is fantastic!
(5)
Rusty S.
Good food, good beer. What else can i say. Go on a weekday if you don't like the crowds.
(5)
Walter K.
Let me keep this simple. This beautiful Santa Rosa location serves up some of the best beer in the USA hands down. On top of that, it's cheap. The food is good, the staff is nice, and the atmosphere is wonderful. But the beer. It will blow you away. Drink the Belgians and go home happy.
(5)
Steven E.
Wonderfully experience had a small wait to get in as they were at max capacity. Staff was super friendly Alex. Who helped me in gift shop/ beers to was really fantastic. Great customer experience. Recommend going early in week as it's less crowded. For food get the baked wings amazingly good if you are a wing fan. Depending on how full sampler of beer can be a while as they only have 18 boards. But worth it!!!! To the staff at Russian river brew. Thank you for being so nice and friendly keep it up and I'll see u again soon.
(5)
Louisa T.
This place is crazy busy! We came here at 2pm on a Sunday afternoon after the Santa Rosa Half/Marathon and there was a long line outside to get in. It felt like a club with a bouncer at the door to check IDs, stamp your hand, before you can go in and stand some more while waiting for a table. The wait was 35-45mins AFTER we got into the restaurant. However, mad props to them for the app they text to your phone that tells you how many more tables are ahead of you. The restaurant itself is super small and gets crowded/cramped fast.I don't think it's good for big groups. 45mins later, we were seated at the last table towards the restroom/exit- thank goodness! There were no crowds around us waiting for us to get up from the table and there was much more space. Another prop to them for having hooks on the wall by your leg for women to hang their purses after being seated on bartop tables and stools-thoughtful. I honestly did not expect much, thinking it'll be your typical brewery/pub food - expensive and lacking in taste, but boy did they prove me wrong. Our party ordered the 8 piece chicken wing to share (which was really good), the drew bites that are basically cut up pizza dough topped with pepperoni, and a side of marinara sauce (which was also really good), but most of all, their large pizza that we split half Clipper (mozzarella, pesto, bacon and artichoke heart), and half Mikey (mozzarella, marinara, pepperoni, sausage and caramelized onions) was AMAZING. The pizzas were thin crust pizzas and flavor was great. I really enjoyed both pizza but would highly recommend the Mikey (maybe because I like my meat on my pizza). Very delicious. Their food overall was really impressive and I really enjoyed everything we had. The boys on our table shared a sampler (pictured everywhere on yelp). Honestly, a great deal to try all their beer on tap. I've never seen any brewery that gave you so many samples for such a good price. Personally I loved their Pliny beer and we ended up taking a 4 pack to go. Aside from the crazy long wait, and crowdedness, this place is solid. The service was nothing crazy, but it wasn't lacking too much either. I would love to come back.
(4)
Angelica C.
Definitely worth visiting (if only for their incredible beer sampler or to pick up some Pliny the Elder). The beer sampler gives you a huge selection (we had 16 or so) of beers on tap to taste. And the price comes out to $1 per taste. Such a steal. Another thing this place does so incredibly well is manage their crowds. Understandably, people line up to get into this place (we came in 30 minutes after they opened and there was already a 45 minute wait), but they handle this so incredibly brilliantly. They give you a time estimate, take your phone number and text you when your table is ready. Why don't more restaurants do this?! We were able to wander around the neighborhood (check out the Barnes & Noble across the street) while waiting for our table. The time flew by. Once we were seated, it looked like the entire ordering process was automated (our server put in our order in a handheld). This place is efficient. And they produce quality beer, so I'm a huge fan. We ordered some wings to go with our beer -- they come 8 to an order, and were decent. Not the crispiest or the best wings I've had, but they did the job. Service was great, the wait was exactly as they quoted us, and we were able to snag some bottles of Pliny, some pint glasses and some t-shirts too. Love it!
(5)
Clayton S.
Well worth the wait! There may be a line outside but don't let that stop you. Easily the best brewery I have been too...anywhere. There are more than 20 beers on tap and they are all delicious. If that isn't enough the pizza is amazing. Do yourself a favor and stop In here.
(5)
Jake M.
Amazing beer! Without a doubt this place has great beer. However, the service is garbage. Let me elaborate, unless you look and dress like your part of the occupy Santa Rosa movement the staff will treat you like your the 1%. Unfriendly and arrogant is the best way to describe them. My advise is to visit during the day and expect horrible service from bar tender and servers alike. AVOIDE this place at night.
(1)
Greg F.
I want to quit my job and drink Pliny the Elder all day. Also, the beer bites are tasty. I can't imagine a better Saturday than lounging at RRBC for the afternoon, imbibing their delicious brews.
(5)
Ryan H.
So I lived in Santa Rosa for 6 months. I like the downtown. The rest of the city can burn. Anybody wine tasting, visiting, or stuck in Santa Rosa should go right to the Russian River Brewing Company. I think I had a triple ipa? "Pliny The Elder" might be the best beer I have ever had. It's too small and it should be because it's the best spot in Sonoma County. GREAT BEERS.
(5)
Patrick C.
I'd say literally a dream come true that exceed my expectations!!! We were greeted on our way in the back door by an employee that we later found out is the GM. We had awesome service throughout our meal and tasting. First I had to get a pint of Pliny because I don't know how you could do anything else first... After that I got the taster. I've learned over the last year to really appreciate other styles besides hopped up IPAs. There were definitely some winners in the tasting but the Blind Pig and Pliny stole the show.
(5)
Danny G.
Mediocre beer doesn't exist here! Love real beer? Get here, order down the list and take a cab home.
(5)
Amanda M.
I only give them 3 stars because I went there this last time and had the only good experience, besides on my birthday when I happened to get a spot at the bar. There is always a wait for 30 min to an hour to sit. The food takes even longer. You need to plan to make this a 3 hours trip [with waiting to sit included] their food is AMAZING! but their beer isn't very good, I pretty much prefer any other place for beer but this one. The staff is usually over worked, busy, and very snotty. We had a great waiter and a great experience. I would not tell people to go here when Pliney the Elder comes out, nor make a point to come for out of town, not work the wait or line. Go over to Third Street and you can get in quickly, have great food and even better beer. People are always nice and its a good crowd. The only time there is not a line it R.R.B is for a super early lunch.
(3)
J G.
Come here for the beers and the experience. The porter, witte and of course Pliny were delicious. I only sampled one sour. The price of the beers were reasonable . The food isn't so great. The beer bites are just pizza dough w/ few toppings and the Mikey pizza was a lot crust and little meat. I wouldn't eat here again but I'd certainly plop down at the bar again for some beers, assuming I could find a seat. Apparently it gets insanely busy!
(3)
Amir A.
Serves the freshest IPA - Pliny the Elder with a menu that is built for drunchies. Prices are great and the location is huge with some of the best tasting beers all under one roof. If you are a serious beer drinker, this is a must stop the next time you find yourself in S.F. or nearby wine country.
(5)
David A.
Yes their beer is amazing, but don't be fooled by that as their service is what I expect if ice house beer had its own pub. Yes, the food is good but I dont go to a restaurant just for food and beer to be good, I expect an experience that will increase my enjoyment of their beers. After hitting a lot of breweries each year because of travel for work nearly everyday to a new city or state I resorted to yelping about my horrible experience. Unfortunately the bad service ruined the great beer. I'll make sure the other 60 breweries I visit each year get my money
(1)
Chloe B.
We went there on an afternoon. Pliny the Elder was our goal but we wanted to do the whole flight of beers. We started off with the nastiest customer service and attitude from the staff. It was like being at the "Soup Nazi" restaurant from Seinfeld. Just because you have the best in town does not give a business liberty to treat their customers like dirt. Our whole party loves beer (especially Pliny) but there is no way we will ever step foot in this place, including give them any business including wanting to buy multiple RRBC growlers... we bought nothing. There are many other places nearby that are happy to see you, serve you great beer and take your money with a smile.
(1)
Tricia M.
I am usually pretty wordy with my reviews, but there aren't many words that can be said about Russian River that are any better than this...PLINY!!!!! We stopped in on our way up to Boonville for the beer fest for lunch and to grab a growler of Pliny for the ice chest. I had the veggie sandwich and it was ah-mazing! Fresh mozzarella, pesto, basil and roasted red peppers. YUM! The hubby enjoyed the spinach salad and said he would order it again. Our friend had the chicken sandwich and said it was awesome as well. Service was great and we had a great table out front to enjoy the sunshine and people watch. Bottom line: If you love good beer, then you must stop in. KICK ASS!!!!
(5)
Seth E.
Best beer in town. And county. And state. And nation. That's not just me speaking, it's fact. The sours are to die for.
(5)
Cristal C.
Over hype to the max! First of all, street parking is a headache, the lines to even put your name on the waiting list for a seat is worse than a Vegas nightclub, and the beer is overpriced. Seriously, who has wristbands and bouncers at a beer tap room? Yes, everyone in their mama agrees that Pliny the Elder and Younger are the bees knees of brews, but not worth the hassle of dealing with the terrible club-like experience. The bf and I agreed that everyone we encountered there from the customers to the employees were total beer snobs and took the joy out of our experience. We didn't even bother trying the food out because again it was completely overpriced. If you're in the area I would just order a six pack to go and head back to your hotel to enjoy a hassle-free experience.
(1)
Nathan T.
Tried Pliny the Elder, and it was quite good. Get yours today!
(5)
Keith X.
I went to Russian River Brewing Company for lunch, not to drink. I asked to sit outside where it was quiet at the time, so i sat at a table in the front patio area. I ordered a chicken sandwich, which the menu describes as "chicken, bacon, provolone cheese, fresh red onion and bbq sauce on a french roll." The chunks of chicken were nice and big. The rest of it was just okay. $8.75 The side options were kettle chips, green salad for an extra $1, or specialty salad for $1.50. I had the spinach salad, which I think was the specialty salad. It was okay, but salad is blah in general, so this wasn't special. They need to give the option of fries or something. And I had a water. I ran out of water and was never offered a refill, so I was a little annoyed that I couldn't wash it down. As I left I saw a water jug by the exit, so it appears they might have expected me to get my own refill. I had no idea.
(3)
Cory F.
A brewery that will only fill growlers that you purchase from them? Way too arrogant to be a real artisan bewery. Total failure...
(1)
Cord N.
I got sick & tired of searching for Russian River Beer in my local Bay Area stores.... It is so very frustrating to never locate any Pliny the Elder or Blind Pig on the shelves of any bottle shops I visit. I have heard such GREAT things for these two Beers and I had been having a major craving for their Craft Ale deliciousness. I am kind of a Beer snob. I only drink Craft Pale Ales / IPA's..... So, while driving in the area down 101 I had to stop at the Russian River Brewery for Beers & Food. Sunday is a GREAT day to visit as it is Happy Hour all Day ..... I had several pints of Pliny the Elder and Blind Pig -- both were Heaven on the Taste Buds..... I also tried a sampler, but by that time I was pretty buzzed & don't remember it as clearly as I would have liked. What better to combine with your Pliny's? How about some Pizza! The Brew Pub has a solid kitchen and it put me into a Caloric overload for the afternoon. I can't wait to return! They were old of the bottled Pliny's for Sale by 1 that day ... So I did the next best thing and bought a Growler to take home.
(5)
Michael W.
Pliny the Elder. $3.50/pint during Happy Hour which is all day on Sunday. Can beat that. Loved the Pliny bites.
(4)
Mitch O.
ok first things first....GREAT BEER! Now with that said I have to get something off my chest. I have been a patron here for years, the beer is amazing.....the bartenders are the most lazy, pompous, snoody, jerks I have ever met in my life. If you get the grand pleasure of trying to get a beer here I hope you have patience. They take their sweet time behind the bar because they know people love the beer so much they will wait hours for it if they have to. When you show even the slightest amount of annoyance of having to wait so long to get one freaking beer they shut you out like a leper. they seem to relish in that power. I once went in on a week day when there was no more than four people sitting at the bar, I had a male bartender who continued on in his private conversation with another patron for almost fifteen minutes. He never once greeted me and never once responded to my "please i need a drink" glare I had on beamed in his direction. I took out a dollar bill from my wallet and wrote on it "thanks for nothing" and left. all of the bartenders are this way and i find it to be a horrible stain on the Russian river name. over the years many many people have told me horror stories very similar to mine, i am not alone in this one guys. lets get rid of those jerks...post your horrible experience with them too!
(3)
Tori E.
The food here is great and the beer is awesome and you can tell because its pretty much always packed. Sundays are Happy Hour all day ;) Perfect place to have Sunday Funday! The beer bites are amazing! Outside tables are great for warm days! The service has to be the worst in Downtown Santa Rosa. Its not sometimes bad, its always bad. I know not to go here when I'm really hungry, because these people take forever. I have watched the servers play and joke around with the bartender and ignore tables of people, and run in the kitchen and hide for wayyy too long. At this point I always expect it, and it never fails! I usually order beers at the bar and take them to the table with me because I know that I'll wait forever if I don't. Also, I usually grab menus too (if they aren't already at the table) because who knows when you will be able to get someone to bring them to you. For the 4 tables outside they do not do table service, you have to go to the bar to order and tell them you are sitting outside, but this makes it easier to get food I think, since you can order when you are ready, and don't have to wait for the server. Live band nights are packed, beware.
(3)
Jeff B.
Best, most unique selection of freshly brewed beers around. Pliny the Elder for me! I'm damn thankful that I only live a few blocks from here so I can walk down to RRBC to enjoy a few beers and those awesome pizza bites whenever I get the itch. Gotta run, I'm feeling itchy!
(5)
Maureen W.
The beer is fantastic, there are no two ways about it. The quality of their Pliny the Elder is even good enough to make up for the awful, awful, insultingly bad service. If you are hungry, this is not the place for you. That is not to say that the food is poor! These guys have a great idea of what a person enjoying a nice Pliny wants to snack on, but, unfortunately, the hippy-run service always makes me wish I hadn't come. There is no reason for me to comment on the quality of the beer bites or pizza, since you will not be able to order any. Please believe me when I say that the service here is worse than a warm Miller on a hot day. The Russian River Brewery is such a frustrating establishment. Again, the beer is (typically) divine, and I can not speak highly enough about the Pliny. But, the service boarders on personally insulting. It is almost like the staff (and bartenders) are surprised to hear that you would like to purchase something from them. If you are a die-hard, hard-core beer lover, then putting up with a bunch of lazy hippy service is worth it to get to the Pliny. Otherwise, grab a Sierra Nevada just about anywhere else and actually enjoy your evening. 1/25/2008 UPDATE: Table service seems to be improving, but we had to hunt down a server to take our order and all but beg for our bill. Bar service was problem free!
(2)
Christine H.
Russian River has two of their beers ranked in the top 10 in the world, so naturally, my husband (being a beer snob) had to come here on our visit to the Bay area. The brewpub offers beer flights--I love flights because you can taste a little of everything which is how I like to dine. We shared a flight of all beers (both Belgian styles and California hoppier styles)--a total of 12 or 16 beers (I forget) for $15. Each beer comes in a 2 oz. glass on a tray with their bottle caps as labels. We also shared a 16" pizza and had half the Primavera (caramelized onions and mushrooms) and half of I-forget-the-name with corn, cilantro, jalapeños, and sausage. Both were very good, and the crust was crispy. The one beer I wanted to take home with me was the Supplication: a sour cherry pinot-type beer, but alas, they ran out of the bottles right before I ordered one to go. My husband ordered six Pliny the Elders (one of the top ranked on Beer Advocate) and a Damnation (I think a Belgian blond). For the large pizza, 7 bottled beers, and a beer flight, we paid $75--not too bad. We left buzzed, happy, and full.
(4)
Karin S.
Reasons to go: 1) *Fantastic* beer. Try the sampler for lots of little fun. 2) More fantastic beer. Purchase a jug (2 liters?) that you can fill with your fave tap brew and bring back next time for a refill. 3) Bar itself. Agree with others - sit at the bar and make friends. Or try the outside patio for you fog-laden SFers and get a dose of vitamin D in that sunshine. 4) People. We had amazing service. Bartender was super nice, educated us, and made our puppy happy (TLC, water, and a bit of rule bending so he could belly up at the bar with us). She really made our visit stand out. Customers sipping ale and were nice in a non-obnoxious way. Loved it! We'll be back, just hoping husband doesn't make this an every weekend excursion. Yes, he loves the beer that much.
(5)
Ziadee C.
First, let me say Pliny is the very all-time favorite beer of two of our number and the food was delicious. However, the overall experience was so poor, I'd never go back. We're from SF and thought it would be fun to visit the source of a favorite beer and enjoy the sun & warm in Santa Rosa. We called Fri to ask if they had outdoor seating. "Yep", they say, so it was a go. We arrived around one, and the place was maybe 2/3 empty. The sign says "seat yourself" so we took an open table outside. After 5-10 minutes with no service I went inside to ask for menus. The bartender let me know there isn't table service outside, but we could order at the bar and they'd bring it out. Okay. So I order two pliny's, open a tab, and head out with the menus. Two of our party decide to go in to order a sampler. I come in after them, as the sampler is being served, to order a calzone. A different bartender is running down the selection with them and asks if they're sitting at the bar. We tell her we're outside and she says we can't take the sampler out. Weird rule, but fine if we were told BEFORE it was sold to us. The inside of the bar is over air conditioned and dark, and remember, we came here to sit outside to drink beer. I express we really wanted to be outside, but she offers no solution - no offer to cancel the order or to make an exception, and takes a really rude tone with me. So we come inside and wait 20 min for the supposed table service before hunting someone out to take our food order (remember the place is dead). However, while we wait to give our order we are carded. I don't mind this AT ALL. Of course they need to be sure we're legal. However, the attitude with which it was done was incredibly rude. Remember, I already bought two beers; the two folks who ordered the sampler have already been served also. Everyone at the table already has a drink except me, because I'm driving. When I try a sip of a beer off their sampler, our waiter came over and asked to see everyon'e IDs. We're getting them out, no complaint, and the female bartender comes over and using a scolding tone says "if you're going to share, we HAVE to card you". Completely uneccessary. Its takes two staff to check IDs but no one is available to take an order? And BTW I'm 37 years old. However, the biggest surprise was how bad the beers were. Pliny is great, but the rest were either foul or boring. Anyway, the place sucks.
(2)
Sarah E.
My favorite place in the whoooole world. Best beer in America, with the possible exception of Dogfish Head in DE; knowledgeable, friendly staff, jukebox, pizza bites!
(5)
Nina V.
Long wait but well worth it! We had the beer flight, which was plentiful and beerlicious. I'm not much of a beer person, so it was nice to get a taste of many different kinds for a very reasonable price. My favorite is the little white lie. Their food menu is also quite good - I got to try their calzones and chicken wings. Yum!
(5)
Rodney W.
Just now got around to leaving a review. Drove 8 hours before Memorial Day weekend to visit by far one of the best breweries I have ever been to. The drive was worth it. We had to wait about 20 minutes to get seated, which wasn't a surprise. I expected a longer wait. Had a nice cold Pliny the elder while waiting. Once we got seated we ordered the 20 samples of beer. There wasn't one beer I didn't like. The owner definitely knows how to brew the best of beers. Wish this place was closer, but that could be a bad thing if it was. The place was smaller then I expected, but wasn't disappointed.
(5)
James J.
Great beer. I drink beer, I love craft beer. This is probably some of the best beer I have ever had in my life. Top 3. Food is nothing to write home about. I wish they had more traditional pub/brewery fare. There are plenty of great places to eat nearby. I would go there for some after dinner beers, or some pre-dinner beers, and eat elsewhere. I had a pizza, it was ok. Friends had sandwiches, they were ok. I would have like to try the wings. Next time I am back in SR, I am spending some more time there drinking, maybe I will order the wings.
(5)
Michael B.
I could not agree with Denise F more. We also had a horrible experience with their staff. If their beer was bad they would not last.
(2)
Wes T.
I've only come here once on a weekend night because I happened to be in downtown Santa Rosa and Pliny the Elder is some of the best beer in America. Any true beer lover could not pass up the opportunity to suck down them suds off a keg. At least not this one. Nice space, decent parking to be found nearby. There was a show going on, so the place was pretty busy. That being said, although tables were hard to come by the layout was decent and I didn't feel like a sardine in a can. The impressive part is, despite the crowd, the bartenders were on top of their game and friendly, too! Good show of service. I shouldn't even have to write this last bit, but in case you're wondering: yes, the beers are amazing. Pliny the Elder, Blind Pig, etc. are consistently raved over by craft beer enthusiasts for good reason. They are quality recipes, brewed with good ingredients, to an exacting standard. This is not Budweiser, and this is not even Anchor Steam. Russian River is doing their own thing, and although I can only have a few of their beers (Pliny the Elder is 8% ABV), they make great products.
(4)
Nicole D.
We always enjoy our time here! Great beer.
(5)
Sarah C.
We came here because Pliny the Elder is one of Seth's favorite beers & he couldn't leave SF without a visit to Russian River. We arrived early on a Monday afternoon & it was so packed we had to wait for a table. I couldn't figure out why the entire city of Santa Rosa was at Russian River on a week day. Why were there so many kids? The wait wasn't too long & I think it helped that we were just a party of two. First thing we ordered to drink was the full sampler (15 for $15). This is really good if you want to try a little bit of everything from the extensive beer list. We also ordered pliny bites with marinara sauce ($10) & added the savage sauce for $0.50 cents. The order of pliny bites is large enough for two people. These are basically flattened bread sticks cut into small pieces topped with melted white cheddar & jalapeños. The savage sauce is the way to go for dipping. We ordered the meatball sandwich ($8.50) as well which had large meatballs, melted mozzarella, & a perfect amount of marinara. I thought the prices of food & beer were pretty decent. Pints are just $4.50 & a pitcher is $14. Not too expensive I don't think. HH is M-F 4pm-6:30pm & all day Sunday. I definitely want to check that out & try more of their beers the next time we're back in SF.
(4)
David T.
Sorry, when you refuse to sell your beer in growlers other than your brewery's, you're just in it for the money and not the craft. The Governor officially made it 100% legal to fill growlers from anywhere in 2013. I have seven growlers already. I don't want or need to buy another one just to drink RBBC. Change this awful, money-grubbing policy.
(1)
Franny L.
Part of my bday weekend, this stop was important bc of the elusive Pliny the Elder, which I HAD TO TRY! It was great!! I actually LOVED the Blind Pig more! A very cool spot, with a reasonable $18 sampler tray, and delicious pizza!!! I can't wait to go back!!!
(5)
nicholas m.
Was kicked out for something I didn't do. Can't tell you about the food or drink (because they wouldn't serve me) but the service and security are an embarrassment
(1)
Makoto K.
I'm far from an expert in beer, but all of the beers I tried here were just so awesome! I tried quite a few, but my favorite was Blind Pig and Pliny the Elder. The food wasn't bad at all, although it wasn't as good as beers. Great place to hang out with friends!
(5)
Bill C.
This place gets busy! But they really do their best to keep glasses full and get you to a table as quickly as possible. Wifey and I were there this past weekend and it took about 15 minutes to get inside and to the bar. But once we were in, we ordered a couple of beers and waited to be texted to get our seats. We waited a bit at the very crowded bar for about 15 minutes and then we took an outside table. We ordered an appetizer and some more beer. The food was good and of course the beer was great. There is just something extra good about having beer where it's brewed. The service was good even though the place was very busy. Will we be back? Sure, the next time we're in the area we will. Good job folks.
(4)
Bill H.
I've been to Russian River twice in the past five years. I think the secret to success is understanding what you're getting yourself into. This place is a total madhouse. Fortunately, the beer quality and variety are excellent, and the service is impressive. My most recent visit was on Memorial Day. The staff was totally overwhelmed with customers, but the bartenders and bouncers were totally courteous and efficient. My previous visit was on a Friday morning (took the day off from work to stop in with a group of friends). We were seated outside - it can get toasty in Santa Rosa, and the hot weather doesn't necessarily mix with the heavier IPAs that Russian River is known for. We split pizzas and were impressed with the quality. All said - Russian River is one of the better brewpubs I've been to in the Bay Area. If you can manage a trip off-peak hours, so much the better.
(4)
Anastasia N.
Get here early if you want a table! If you're coming here with a party of 13, don't expect getting a table unless you're willing to wait for over an hour (on a Sunday). Luckily, my group were able to find a bench area and sit outside, while enjoying (chugging) our beer samplers. My favorite was plimy the elder - so good! Bartenders were really cool and surprisingly, super attentive, even though the place was packed! Really cool atmosphere and clean bathrooms (woohoo)!
(5)
Monica C.
We came here on a Sunday and serendipitously found out they had all day happy hour! The four of us ordered two sets of the beer flights ($16) which comes with a total of 19 tastings each. Totally worth the money if you're not sure what you want or would just like a taste of everything! Russian River has amazing beers and I liked all but a few really tart-y ones. Too bad we missed Pliny the Younger, but after we finished our flights, we ordered a few pints of the highly coveted Pliny the Elder! We also shared an order of the Pliny Bites, which were absolutely genius. Of course cheesy pizza bread bites topped with jalapeños would go perfectly with beer! So simple yet satisfying. Not to mention helpful in soaking up all the beer! Great spot to hang out and catch up with friends. I wish they had a location in SoCal so I can come here more often!
(5)
Donna M.
A few girlfriends and I had a blast coming here! Although the drive on a Saturday was horrendous (2 hours with traffic) we finally made it. Since RRBC doesn't take reservations ahead of time, we had to wait about 1.5 hours for a table. The bar is on a first-come, first served basis so we lingered around until we spotted an opening. The bartender is a little hard to catch - perhaps we looked too young and naive - but that didn't deter us because we wanted our Plinys! The beer flight is an absolute MUST GET! For only $16 you get to try ALL of their beers. The waiter shows you the order in which you should drink them, ending with the most sour of beers. From what I can recall, all of them were bomb! Not to mention that the pizza is so good. I'm 60% sure it isn't the beer talking.
(5)
Vivian H.
I'd come here before a year ago and tried their sampler. I'm not usually a beer drinker but I'm a fan here. The pliney is.. Piney. Which is cool. I'm actually much more into the sour beers, like the crazy 10% abv consecration from cab barrels. Last time we were super into the food; we got wings and salad and pizza and everything was amazing. This time we got some bar bites which were like glorified garlic bread meets bagel bites. Pretty good but disappointing compared to previous visit. Plan for an hour wait, esp if with a larger group.
(4)
Tracie G.
AMAZING!!! Was crowded but got a table FAST the sampler platter is great!! Nice little brochure comes with descriptions ! Yummy! And pizza was fresh and delicious !! Such great prices! Very much worth the drive ! And from Sonoma !
(5)
Howard Y.
Great place for beers, pub food and atmosphere. If you are not a beer drinker then I feel sorry for you because all of their selections are top notch and has people traveling hundreds of miles away to experience the famous Russian River Brewing.
(4)
Chris G.
You know it's too bad that such good beer came with such a bad face. I love Pliny the elder. I drove two hours to Russian river brewery to enjoy their one of a kind beer. Unfortunately, I arrived to a bar to where the man behind the bar ruined my entire experience. His name was Nick A. He's a balding man with two power alleys and a whole lot of attitude and unfriendliness. I love the Russian river brewery and now I must only buy their beers from stores rather than from brewhouse.
(1)
Corn D.
Good local spot with great varieties of beer. Their medium wings are a great starter and the margherita pizza was, "good" to average considering East Coast standards. The meatball sub looked great but didn't order it. As for beers, fans of the Damnation (blonde ale), Pliny (IPA), and the Little White Lie (Belgian White Ale). If I could do it over again, I would try the beer tasting order get small pizza and the meatball sub for dessert.
(4)
Monica B.
Can never get a seat, but when you can, the beer is great!
(4)
Shalini G.
We did a full day of beer tasting for my bff Drue C.'s birthday. Our final stop was RRBC. we had basically a full room reserved for our party! we ordered quite a few tasters for our group each with over 20 different beers! whoa! there was so much beer! While i am not a "beer drinker" i enjoyed most of the beers on the sampler ...loved the bitter beers! it was like drinking a box of crayola beers with all the assorted flavors...whoa! food was not good...eeek....but people don't come here for the food. (i ordered a pizza)
(4)
JD I.
So you must have heard all kinds of crazy stuff about this place. .. great beers, decent food, epic lines at the bar, regularly at crowd capacity with a wait outside to get in.... I must tell you it's all true. Pliny is the gold standard of IPA but really, you've gotta try the sour beers. My first experience with wild ales was here at RRBC and it was a mixed reaction... but eventually I realized I couldn't stop thinking about that strange brew and have come to love it. Consecration is a favorite. The food here is pub fare. There are better places to eat nearby, but once you're inside you'll want to stay there for the duration. Grab a pizza or some "bites". The Jasper bites go good with all the beers. The atmosphere is crazy packed social pub. Farm-punk meets beer snobs: everyone is up in here. I can't wait for the Beer Train, ...uh I mean Smart Train, to be completed so I can stumble to and from San Rafael to Santa Rosa full of RRBC fermented goodness. The whole experience is an adventure. Give it a go.
(4)
Eric F.
Known for their infamous Pliny the Elder, it was very surprising to find out that the food far outshone the beer. Case in point, the large 1/2 Mikey and 1/2 Nu Deal we ordered was fantastic - loaded with fresh toppings onto a crust that stayed soft and spongy even after having quite some time to cool down. My friend likened its quality to that of Picco (an all-time za favorite) and I totally concurred. For spice lovers, the baked wings with "Savage" level sauce were delicious and more than generous with the afterburn they provide. So the beers...my California taster was unfortunately more or less run-of-the-mill from start to finish. Each brew was mediocre for its style with the exception of the O.V.L. Stout that tasted like a slightly brighter Guinness. As for Pliny, it didn't taste nearly as good as the first time I had it by the bottle...very odd considering this was on tap at the source. Still, the staff here were friendly and quite attentive given how busy it was during happy hour on a Friday evening.
(3)
Paul A.
I'm another sold fan. First of all, Sonoma County is like a huge escape from anything Bay Area. Second, these brewers are masters. Last, I like the mob mentality of a place that inflates the ego and leads to irrational consumer behavior.
(4)
Stephanie M.
First time here & started off with a few beers at the bar. The bartender was very nice! Got a table and ordered the chicken wings, which were delicious! Then we had the mama Mia pizza & it was very good as well! I just started getting into beer & tried the temptation and consercration, which are sour barrel aged beers & found my new favorite! Definitely worth the wait & will be back!:)
(5)
Ann A.
Really popular so it's usually crowded and noisy. If you want great beer, and a high energy feel, go there. I go to buy a growler to take down to my family in Alameda.
(4)
Rick G.
Piny the Elder. Need I say more? Food is good, crowd is lively and plentiful. Beer is great!
(4)
Buddy D.
crowded, but the beer is the best.
(5)
Steve D.
Love this craft beer brewery......excellent portfolio of brews and great cuisine.
(5)
Sondra H.
The best beer in Sonoma County!
(5)
Alexis C.
This is a very popular joint that offers a fun atmosphere and a variety of beers. Last night, I enjoyed sipping Rejection with oregano pizza bites.
(4)
Butch P.
I am rating the beers here. I didn't have any food. They make world class beers here. It's that simple. Pliny, Blind Pig and aged sours are just some of the options available. They also have bottles to go.
(5)
Zachary F.
A grand and diverse assortment of unique and excellent beer. Fantastic pizza. Sometimes the service can be a little slow, especially if you're sitting outside.
(4)
Tim B.
Great food, GREAT BEER!! The only reason RRB gets only 4 stars is..., you guessed it, its always over crowded. Too many people slows down service, and makes it hard to get food and beer promptly. I love this place to death, but they need a BIGGER VENUE!!!
(4)
Enrico C.
Well, Im a guy that loves good beer and I'll tell you that these guys craft one of the best double IPA's Iv ever had. Iv known about this beer for sometime now because my GF brings me back a growler of it when she goes shopping in SR, but I had never been there myself so I was very excited to see what this place was all about. I was slightly disappointed in both the decor, atmosphere and I was seriously disappointed in the service, but the beer is so good I still give them 4 stars. This place needs a makeover in the service department bad. Mistake #1 - seat yourself, this is a perfect receipt for dogging yourself out of tips . Breweries are packed because people love good beer, its important to have a properly operating restaurant style service system. People drinking beer have little patience for being neglected having sub-par service in a place that is all about drinking beer is a horribality. Most all other mistakes stem from mistake #1. The meatball sandwich came out with burnt bread, which wasn't really a big deal but it seems like it would have been an easy thing to fix. The pizza was pretty good but not fantastic. After telling the dude that we were having our last beer we still had to track the guy down to get the check - lame. This place is rather small but I feel like it needs a pool table or more TV's or something so that people have something to do other than stare at each other while they wait to see a staff member to flag down. Don't let me scare you away from here though it's all worth it, the beer is crazy good. Cliff notes: - The beer is top notch. So good. - The service is ass. - If you are more into food than you are beer, there is plenty of good places to eat within walking distance. - If you are more into beer than you are food, you are in the right place, enjoy. - If you are into getting drunk and whooping your buddies ass at pool or darts, go a block over to 3rd St Aleworks they have great beer too.
(4)
Chelsea A.
Being beer lovers, the boyfriend and I took a quick trip up from SF specifically for Russian River. Sadly, the visit was very disappointing. Our service was incredibly poor, and given that I'm a 6-year veteran server and the BF is a bar manager in Chicago, that's saying something. Our server came, took our beer and appetizer orders, dropped off the beer, and was never seen again for a solid half an hour. Someone else brought us our food, and then we were once again left to our own devices. We tried to track down another server, but our requests fell on deaf ears. Finally, once we flagged down our server, she very snottily said that she was no longer on the clock and someone else would be helping us. Um, what? Now, I know there were times I got cut and still had tables, and you know the first thing I did? Check with those tables to let them know I'd be leaving, and generally introduced them to their new server. This girl did nothing of the sort. Very rude. The food also wasn't that great. It's clear the draw is the beer, which is definitely wonderful, I'd rate 4-5 stars for any given brew. But if you are going to be all about your beer - do it! Don't be a brewpub. Focus on your strengths and really showcase those, instead of doing a half-assed job on other things. The beer is literally the only reason I didn't give one star. So I'd say go in, grab a beer or two from the bar, and then load up on bottles and a growler so you can enjoy drinking it from the comfort of your own home.
(3)
Uh Y.
just dropped in for a beer and app great bartender and good food !! and selection of beer :) will make this a permanent stop from now on when visiting and close to everything !!
(4)
Tracy C.
BASTARDS! Ego loaded management. If you don't care about anything but beer, enjoy. However, I refuse to support a business who doesn't treat their patrons with respect. Worst bar experience EVER! Had traveling expenses for the weekend simply to go to this brewery. I was fully set and intent to spend well over a grand for beer alone (although they never learned that), and was treated like scum. NEVER AGAIN, BASTARDS! I refuse to buy their beer ever again! ZERO STARS!
(1)
Jaime G.
Wicked good here at the Russian River Valley Brewing but didn't care for more than half of the brews. :(. Still, the ambiance is good and outdoor deck is even better. Try the amber and stouts here as they were my faves. In fact, just try the beer flight and maybe you'll like more than I did. For food, I really liked the tuna melt and hot baked wings. If u need a break from wine country, come here.
(4)
nam v.
awesomeee!!!!!!!!!! thats all i have to say!
(5)
David M.
Make no mistake, Pliny the Elder is THE beer by which Double IPA is judged. Aggressively hopped and dry hopped, it is what turned me on to IPA style and kept me there. But the flavor fades rapidly as the beer ages in the bottle, and I've never had one truly fresh. So when the opportunity arose to visit the brewery I jumped at it. We arrived late on a Thursday night, after 9:00, and the place was PACKED. Doesn't anyone have to get to work the next day? We managed to get right in, but there's a catch; we got in so that we could place our names on a waiting list, and then leave. Somewhat impatiently, a woman advised that, "as you can see, there's a waiting list." Well, no, we don't see any list. Turns out you go on the list and then you can leave and they'll text you to come back. Or you can fight your way to the bar, then fight to get the server's attention, then either stand like a statue and drink or try to find a seat outside. So we did what all beer celebrants do, and fight for a drink at the bar before carrying it outside and asking to join someone else's table. What fun! No, really, it was fun. We talked with absolute strangers about everything from beer to politics to what's wrong with the server's attitudes in Northern California. The guy at the bar saw me. I know he did; we made eye contact, exchanged little nods, and then he turned and walked away. Huh? Someone else elbowed up and got served before me. Then another one. Then a guy sitting at the bar said "one more" and also got served in front of me. Another guy stepped up next to me, said he saw the whole thing, and let's combine our orders. "I'm getting a Pliny," I said, and he agreed we would order for each other to cut the delay. Sure enough, he got called first and yell out for two Pliny, I handed him a Five, and the server turned and said "I saw that." At least he delivered the beer anyway. And the Pliny, OH MY GOD THE PLINY! Incomparable to a two week old bottle. Heavy aroma of Simcoe and Centennial hops dominate the nose. Fresh citrus flavor before sublimely clean bitterness envelopes the tongue. At $4.50 a pint easily the cheapest, bestest, thing I've ever had in my mouth. If not for the freshest Pliny I've ever had, and two strangers who agreed to share their table, this would be a two star review. Oh, they have food, but unless you're willing to wait an hour you won't get any.
(4)
Delilah B.
This place is the best! Dropped in late on a Wednesday evening after flying in from LA. It was an oasis in the close-early desert of Santa Rosa. They worship the beer here, and a pint of Pliny with a Caesar salad made me happy, happy, happy. The whole vibe is great - very laid back and beer-centric. I swore I'd be back for Happy Hour the next day, but didn't make it because I was sleeping in the sun by the pool. Now that I'm back in LA, I know where my first stop will be when I return to Santa Rosa next time!
(5)
Kimmy B.
I get it. Some people have no patience. But I love this place. I've come on many occasions and today just deserved a review. Ran in to grab some beers to go because family is coming to town. I talked to a few other customers while waiting. Got my growler and a few damnations within 10 minutes. Their beer is awesome. The bartenders are busy but always get to you! You could always grab their beer at Oliver's or on tap at the Hyatt.
(5)
John B.
This was a pitstop on our tour of Napa and Sonoma counties. It wasn't just any stop though. It was perhaps the most fun we had at any stop other than the hotel... Upon walking up to the brewery, we could tell this is THE place to be in Santa Rosa on a Friday night. After being told it would be an hour wait, I looked to my gf to see if she was okay with the wait. Without hesitation she said, "no problem" and gave her number to the hostess to be texted when a table was ready. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that considering she isn't even a drinker. After waiting for 30 mins or so, the kind hostess asked us if we were waiting for a table. Guess it pays to hang out near the entrance in case someone else doesn't answer their text. We ordered the only thing we came for, the Sampler Set. Price varies depending on what is available but you get all of their beers on tap that day in two ounce shot glasses placed into the coolest serving tray I've ever seen. On this night I believe it was 16 beers. Since my girl doesn't drink and is the best DD ever, we decided to make a game of guessing which beer she chose for me. Close my eyes, turn away, she grabs a glass and I try to guess which one she picked. My record started out pretty rough. All those Sour and Abbey beers taste the same! Once we got past a few tough ones, I think I had a pretty good winning percentage going. We didn't indulge in any food on this visit but the fact that they offer a Vegan pizza on the menu is a huge thumbs up in my book. Thank you Megan! My only minor gripe with this place other than the crowd? Half of their beer menu appears to be dedicated to Abbey style and Sour beers of which I'm not a big fan. It's okay in a sampler but if I were to drink more here, I would really only choose a few of the beers on their list such as the Pliny or the Nitro Stout. Although I have to hand it to 'em with the great names they give them such as Redemption, Perdition, and Benediction. Thanks to Russian River, we are searching out more places that serve a sampler platter. Unfortunately thanks to Russian River, we're going to have to search high and wide to find something as epic as the sampler set available here.
(4)
Jane K.
We were a large group on a Sunday afternoon, but they were able to accommodate us very quickly. (Kudos to the hostess.) The overall ambience was good. You can tell that everyone was having a good time and enjoying their beers. There were also all sorts of people here, from families to college students to young, working professionals. Once we were seated, we ordered pints and samplers along with pizza bites, which were really addicting. Their samplers are huge, which is nice to taste all of the different beers on tap and also to split with a group of people. I really enjoyed the Rejection, which is a Belgian-inspired black ale that goes down smooth but has a rich, dark, malty, almost chocolate taste. I've been to Belgium and Germany, and I would say that the Rejection is a pretty good beer. I'm really glad that I got another pint of it before we left. They also had sour beers, which are good if you enjoy red wines. If you don't, I would steer clear of them, or if curious, just try them as part of the sampler. My friend and I, who enjoy wine, appreciated the tannins of the sour beers, but the others in our group did not. So beware! All in all, my friends and I definitely plan to come again!
(5)
Arnold N.
Came here on a Saturday for part of a brewery hopping trip and this was the first stop. This place isn't the biggest and it can get crowded and not a whole lot of tables, which all require to be seated by the host. Saturday around 2pm the wait for a table was about 1 hour, but people can try to find a seat at the bar or order a beer and hang out. All you got to do is vulture by some folks who look about ready to leave and jump in the bar stools and claim your space at the bars. We ordered the beer sampler which was 15 samples (not sure how many ounces) and it came with a list of the beers as well as the descriptions. Also ordered a pint of Pliny the elder. A lot of people around got pizza and I think thats what they're known for to pair with their beers. Add this to your list of breweries to check out in Northern California & buy a t-shirt while you're there!
(4)
Anna W.
Hands down, my favorite brewery in NorCal. Their food and their beer are so yummy! The Boyfriend absolutely adores Consecration, their sour beer on tap. I'm pretty sure he would bathe in it if he could. I'm personally a fan of their O.V.L. Stout. Get their taster set. It's the best way to sample their award-winning beers before ordering a full pour of the one(s) you like. Get here early, though, or else they'll get to a capacity point where they only allow one taster set per table. Not that you should necessarily need more than one taster set (there's a huge selection, so there is a decent amount of beer in the set alone), but it sucks to have a limit placed on you. If you're here to eat as well as drink, let me recommend their Beer and Jasper Bites. It's like having flat bread pizza, but shareable and in munchie size! I'm also a huge fan of their pizzas and their grilled cheese. Their calzones (which I've never ordered, but my friends have) and their chicken sandwich are also pretty big and hearty if you're looking for something ridiculously filling to eat with your beer. Be warned -- it's STUPIDLY easy to end up having to waddle/roll out of Russian River than walk due to the insane amounts of carbs you've consumed. But it's totally worth it. Whenever I'm in the area, I HAVE to stop by!
(4)
Kelsey T.
This may or may not be my favorite place in the world! Great food, great people and (obviously) AMAZING beer! There's a beer for everyone and then some! I'm a HUGE fan of their sours and sink into a depression when Temptation is gone for the season. For those who are Pliny the Younger fanatics, don't be discouraged if you miss the 2 week time span... any time of year is a good time at RRBC! I won't go on and on about the beer because you'll just have to try it for yourself! The food is also amazing! Fresh, compliments the beer perfectly and the menu is simple enough so that you're not overwhelmed with that plus the beer list. As for the people who complain about the service at the bar... take a look at how busy they are from open to close! Those poor guys never get a chance to breath because of how many people are crowded around the bar. So, that being said, take a breath, relax, you'll get your beer soon enough! Also... if you're there on a Sunday you MUST try their breakfast pizza! It's the most amazing thing ever!
(5)
Brenden T.
Was ok. For tourists watch out. This was decent food and beer. Was not what it's all cracked up to be. Beer was decent, food was decent, and clientele was super rude and snobby. I almost wouldn't go back due to the yuppy know it all clientele. Not worth the visit.
(3)
Patrick T.
Amazing beer and good food. But honestly, anyone who goes there regularly knows you go for the beer and food is just a bonus.
(5)
Samuel B.
THE GOLD STANDARD OF BREWPUBS!!! Which is why it is generally packed to the gills, with no tables available and a long wait. You might want to do what I did: drop in on a Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 PM. Maybe then you will get a table. OK, putting that aside, the ales are the real stars here. Blind Pig, Pliny the Elder, and, on rare occasions, Pliny the Younger. Plus a whole host of others that I'm not familiar with, but that I am sure are delicious. I should add, almost as an afterthought (which it is) that during my visit today I also had a spinach salad and a pizza with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, and olives. Both were delicious, though nothing special. Again, you don't come here for the food, although the food is certainly passable. YOU COME HERE FOR THE BEERS AND ALES. AND IF YOU CAME HERE TO HAVE A FEW DRINKS, THEN DECAMPED FOR A HOLE IN THE WALL TAQUERIA OR LITTLE PIZZERIA SOMEWHERE ELSE, I WOULD CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND AND FORGIVE YOU.
(4)
Jacob R.
Made a special trip from LA to get a case of Pliny the Elder, and it definitely beat begging my local whole foods to get on their "list." They happened to be releasing Pliny the Younger the weekend I went, and the line was down the block... Seriously 6 hours of wait time to get a glass. While standing in line for 6 hours for a beer may seem ridiculous, there is clearly something very special here.
(5)
Angel K.
The boyfriends are on a beer binge and heard about how good this place was from fellow beer loving coworkers. I had to come home to Santa Rosa to pick some things up from my house so the boys wanted to tag along and try the beer. We came on a Sunday where there's ALL DAY happy hour so it was insanely crowded! The wait for 2 people was an hour and a half! And this was around 3 or 4 pm! Luckily we found a group of girls at the bar who were about to leave and got seats. The boys immediately ordered Pliny the Elder and picked a White Ale for the girls to share. They wanted a little taste of everything so we shared a sampler, which was one of each beer. All four of us enjoyed the American side, we weren't too big of a fan of the Belgian type beers. My favorite was the Aud Blonde, it was light and super tasty. The boys like Pliny the Elder a lot. We got two sets of beer bites. One with jalapenos and one without. It was just okay. It was basically pizza dough with cheese on top and pizza sauce on the side cut into rippable pieces. Nothing too special, but I usually need something to munch on when I'm drinking beer. So a breakdown of everything: 5 stars for the beer, 3 stars for the food, and 4 for the service. Even though all the bartenders when really busy, various bartenders come to check up on us to make sure we're still doing okay. We left with several bottles of beer (they bottle only certain beers) and a growler filled with Pliny the Elder and the boys were buzzing the whole way home!
(4)
Priscilla A.
The best beer in town ! The Tuna Melt is to die for ! But always busy :(
(4)
Christine H.
This place is awesome. The food, the service, and the venue is great for watching a sports game or a night out with the girls/guys. I highly recommend getting the beer sampler and a pizza!
(5)
Kat V.
A great place to meet people, enjoy a great beer and eat. You will find a beer you like, or you may like them all! I like to get the samples and nachos. Relaxing and fun!
(5)
bearon b.
I love Pliny the Elder. It's why I come here and stand in line (every single time. Seriously, plan on waiting outside for a while before you get in) to get a beer. Also, the food is delicious! However, I was here last night, and the staff was ridiculously rude. Firstly, we couldn't find the host and the rest of the staff could only tell us to talk to the host. Then, the host found us and barked at us that the bar table we had found was being seated (there was no "reserved table" sign on it like all the other restaurant tables). Then we get the the bar and the bartender was just plain rude and sarcastic (not in a funny banter way, but in a "how dare you ask me questions and how dare you make me repeat myself" kinda way). The only staff worth his salt was the door-man. He was polite and helpful. Because of the lousy staff I give this 2 stars. They get more than one star only because of the quality food and beer. From now on I'm only going there to fill my growlers.
(2)
Jacob J.
The pub style sandwiches are very good! I had the chicken sandwich and it sits just fine with the Pliny the Elder brew! Come for the beer stay for the food!
(5)
Erin M.
I love RRBC beer and thank my lucky stars every day that we live within five minutes of this brewery. We usually get beer to go in our trusty growlers, and often stick with Pliny since it is one of our very favorite beers. It isn't always easy shimmying into the pub due to the crowds, and it often takes a while to get served, but any wait or minor inconvenience is worth it to us because we love supporting our local brewery and their beer. Once we realized that you can skip the wait at the bar by ordering food to go from the kitchen (they will fill your growler as part of completing your food order, and it is pretty easy to snag the attention of a server when you're in the doorway of the kitchen) we usually get some beer bites and those are fine, too. On a final note, I like the relaxed but efficient vibe of the various people that work at RRBC. Everyone is courteous and pleasant but not over-the-top friendly, which suits me just fine. Working there must be difficult (high volume!) but the guys and gals of RRBC are professionals and do a great job.
(5)
Travis W.
Oh jeeeeeezzeee if you like beer.....well made tasty amazing kick your mouth beer. You really need to stop here. If you live around here, I envy you. There is not much I can say except that they offer some of the best ales and IPAs that are out there. They have won countless awards, and with good reason. The prices they charge here are super reasonable considering the mark up you get any where else on RR brew. Stock up while you are here. Oh yeah and they have food, it looks good but why not save room to drink more of their wonderful beer. Plineys, Pigs and Row 2, Hop2it and many others to pick from. If you cant tell from this review I am a hop head and this is a hop heads dream. CHEERS!!!
(5)
Melanie L.
So normally I would have given 5 stars for a place that I love and frequent often but I experienced the rudest "security" I have ever encountered in my life. And I am not exaggerating. As a frequent and lifetime local of downtown we all know that Russian River is off limits on busy weekend nights unless you want to spend more than two hours waiting in line. My friends and I love the bartenders and my boyfriend is a downtown bartender so I expected a little more respect than what we got one weekday night. We sat down at a table and a new security guard seemed to be trying to pick a fight with my friends. We brushed his rude comments off until my boyfriend looked around (to see where our friend was) and caught the "security" guards eye, the man walked right up to my boyfriend and asked him if he had a problem and why he was eyeing him (literally got up in his face). My boyfriend is by far one of the nicest most unconfrontational person I have met (all of us were stunned), as the man proceeded to pick a fight with him we decided to leave (having to leave our food and beer behind). Honestly, I wish RRB would take a little more time when selecting their staff (I have experience this before with their meat head, control freaks at the front door before). Treat your locals with respect, after all that is why you are so popular in the first place. I will think twice before I go in there again and spend my money (I think I will go to Willy Birds, or Occidental to get my next Pliny).
(2)
Elise W.
Omni pizza + Pliny the Younger make for a great combo ! Even the pizza was worth the 6 hour wait, so was running into Joel McHale! I recommend getting there around 7-8am if you plan on getting Pliny the Younger in the next few days. Maybe the week day is different, but I rather spend 6 hours of my day inside Russian River than in line!
(5)
Reggie A.
Whoever didn't give this place 5 stars doesn't love craft beer or is an idiot. 5 stars for this craft beer Mecca. We made the annual trip for the PtY release and we were 100% satisfied as always. The memory of sitting in the cold and unrelenting rain for 6 hours was quickly erased with one taste of that chilled unicorn piss. #Pliny4Ever Most Valuable Bartender - Nick A. The Abbott Bros. & Co. thank you for your hospitality and super attitude. We had a blast and you were a big part of that. Cheers! Thanks to Russian River Brewing for making the best beer on Planet Earth. Your Fan, John Reginald Abbott Side Notes: The pizza is all time and the prices are SO reasonable.
(5)
A B.
Certainly the beer is great and the food is fine. However, it is always total chaos in there and I'm over it. I've been several times and it takes forever to get in, get a beer, and get food. The servers do the best they can under the circumstances. It took us a half hour last weekend just to buy some beer to take with us. And, they won't change growlers out anymore. Everyone swaps them out. Everyone. Such a hassle. My husband likes the Pliny but he's on his own from now on. Not doing it anymore.
(2)
Bruce W.
Bad service, bad food, OK beer. Warning: lengthy bad review So we walk in to the restaurant on a Sunday afternoon, trying to find a good brewpub early dinner. The place is full, they have a great selection of their own beers proudly displayed and we look for a place to sit down. There were 2 tables just opening up, so we stand to the side to wait for the cleanup crew. Then we wait some more. A few minutes later, a guy comes and takes away a plate and the silverware, leaving a bunch of other crap... so we wait some more. Nearly 10 minutes later I walk over to the bar, wait for the bartender, and ask "Is there someone that can clean up a table? We're waiting to sit down." His response -- no lie -- "I'm sure there is, but it's not me." This should have been my signal to go somewhere else... but I drove 30 minutes to get here, I wanted to give it a try. So we wait some more, and finally my friend goes to the kitchen to find a wet towel so we can clean it ourselves, and someone comes out to clean up. We order some water, some beer, and check out the menu. 15 Minutes later they bring the beer. We ask again for water. They ask us for our beer order. We literally asked 4 times for water before it came (over roughly 25 minutes). Before the food got there, some guy came up and (without introducing himself or anything) tells us that they have live music at 5 PM and we'd have to move. We tell him that we hoped our food would arrive soon and we'd be gone before 5. The food was mediocre, their "hot wings" were like baked chicken wings with ketchup on them... and their "severe" hot wings were pretty bland. I've had spicier BBQ sauce from a bottle. We never got silverware to eat our meals with, the "focaccia" was pizza dough with tasteless onions on top, and they were clearing our table for the live music before we were ready to leave... literally taking our water glasses before we finished with them. I never got the iced tea I ordered. I left a $0 tip but gave 10% to the waitress who helped us, she was at least friendly (unlike anyone else in the place) and seemed to just be overworked. The service problems weren't her fault... it's the people running the place who don't have enough wait staff. She appeared to be the only wait person there at the time... with a full room to work. Basically, don't expect to be treated kindly, and don't go there if you don't like hoppy beers. The stout had promise, it tasted pretty good but was pretty thin with no texture. Nearly everything else was so hoppy I could not drink it.
(1)
Brian B.
Didn't drink the beer because I'm not super into it and I was DD, but generally enjoyed my trip to this Brew House. It's packed and they don't take reservations, but we got a table for our large party. The food was good, but not amazing. It was all very salty...so I guess good beer food... Parking around the brewery isn't great. We got a ticket even though we paid for the 2 hour parking (which was later repealed by the City of Santa Rosa...)
(4)
t s.
Like the other reviews that are 3 stars or lower, I agree that service is slow. I've been here many times before and always knew there is a wait since it's one of the hot spots in downtown Santa Rosa. But, the service I got here recently (or lack of), will keep me from coming back EVER AGAIN. Blatantly ignoring someone (did we offend you because we just wanted our beer to go?) is not only extremely rude but it's unacceptable. Just because you make great beer does not make your douchiness excusable. It was not after we asked four servers/bartenders for help that we were acknowledged by the bar, it was after the guy behind me started complaining really loudly. Hopefully the service will get better but I'm not waiting around to find out. You might win some, but you really lost one...
(1)
J J.
Pliny the Elder was the bomb! Hype was met. Excellent beer. Food was pretty good too. Had a calzone and it was tasty. No complaints and will return. It was a good place for my Vegetarian girlfriend as well.
(4)
John G.
Let's start by saying that Russian River has some of the best craft beer you'll ever have. The reason I am only giving 1 star is totally based on their elitist attitude. Waiting in line is the norm now (including take-out growlers) despite previous opportunities to expand in to neighboring vacant spaces. Next weekend Santa Rosa will host it's first Ready, Set, Growl Beer Festival. Every major local brewer has registered as well as Dogfish Head from DE and Alchemist from VT, makers of the #1 IPA (Beer Advocate Top 250). Who is too good for their hometown Beer Festival? You guessed it. Russian River. No big surprise there...
(1)
Devin W.
This place has a great selection of beer. I like the Pliney the Elder the best. Of course Pliney the Younger is amazing too. I really like the food also. There is a great environment, but it gets pretty crowded on the weekend.
(5)
Vedran V.
As far as the brew pubs go Russian River is the best out there. Hands down. The only place(s )that come close are Pizza Ports in San Diego area, but their beer still doesn't quite measure up. Every beer lover knows about Pliny but there is so much more going on here. They have some of the best sours outside of Belgium and even their standard beer menu is awesome. I don't think I tried anything here that I would rate below 7 on a scale to 10. And I'm a self-proclaimed beer snob. Food is not of a great variety but they stick to what they do best. Pizzas are thin crust and delicious and I totally love those Pliny bites with my hoppy beers. They also have sandwiches and salads on the menu but it's all about the beer here. Food is a nice companion, but not the main player. It gets pretty busy (especially on weekends), so make sure to get there early in the day or be prepared to wait. The only gripe I have is with their Men's Restroom. Vinnie and Co: Please-Please-Please get rid of that awful urinating tub...Whenever I'm here I rather wait for the stall than have someone pee on me. Definitely not the best idea out there. I won't let this affect the rating tho. Russian River gets 5 stars even with no bathrooms :)
(5)
David B.
World Class beers, good pizza, terrible seating, stinky restrooms. The service can be pretty bad at times. A must visit when in the area.
(3)
Frank B.
After enjoying a beautiful Saturday morning at Sebastopol's Grevenstein Apple Fair, I decided to make a stop at Russian River Brewery to refill my growler with their Blind Dog IPA which is not available bottled in San Francisco. Was I surprised when I arrived at the brewery and the line just to get in was at least 20 deep. However noticing my growler I was informed to go a much shorter separate line for those for growler refills or bottles. After waiting for 10 minutes, I was ushered in, and after a 5 minute wait left as a satisfied customer with a full growler and 3 bottles of Pliny the Elder. The staff was gracious and very accommodating to those in the other line.
(5)
Katherine T.
I've always liked this place. They have a good environment, great beer, and awesome service. My food took a lot longer than my sisters, but I was so busy with my beer it was hardly noticeable.
(4)
Supriya M.
If my husband was writing this review, it would be 4 stars since he's a beer lover but since I am, it's three. First, we got there on a Saturday afternoon at 12:30pm and it was an hour and a half wait. So we waited and waited... Finally we were seated and we ordered our food and beer flights but the beer flights took a very long time to arrive. The food was also arriving sporadically such that the appetizers arrived, then one of our entrees arrived and the last two entrees took probably a good 40-45 minute before we got them. I am not sure what all the delay was. They were very crowded but if you've got the tables, you've got to have the manpower to serve these tables. Either way, once the food arrived, we were all very satisfied with the food. I think that the experience would have been more enjoyable if we were not waiting around for everything. Maybe then it would be a 4 stars from me!
(3)
Julia M.
This is our "regular" spot. We love it. The beer is excellent, and so is the pizza. Unlike some places, they serve a somewhat limited range of food, which means they stick to what they can do well. And they don't have all their beers available at once, but there's always a range of choices for different tastes. Like a hoppy ale? They have several, all good. The Belgian ales tend not to be hoppy, but they are full-flavored and delicious. Even the sour ales appeal to some people -- not us, but the servers are very good about warning you about them and offering a taste if you're not sure. The service is usually very good, although if you seat yourself (as we usually do), it may take a few minutes for your server to notice you. They have very little staff turnover, so you can count on the staff to know the menu and the beers very well. it is often very crowded, however, and people tend to stay a long time. I recommend having a back-up plan, because while they will accommodate you if at all possible, this is a very popular place and sometimes they are just full. If you like beer and haven't tried this brewpub, I'd recommend the all-day Sunday "happy hour" as a good time to drop by and see what you're missing.
(5)
Andy R.
best damn beer around! good food too. super busy all the time so wait staff is slow and seating is rare
(5)
Edgar G.
Pliny the elder is gooood
(4)
Sara W.
I LOVE that this place has 16 beer tastings. What more could a beer lover/connoisseur ask for? Plus the staff is friendly, the mood is really relaxed and low key and everyone inside just seems so darn happy because the beer is so good.
(5)
Deb M.
Been here a few times... each time same old song and dance.. Sat outside and had to go in an place our order for beer and the guy had a don't give a crap attitude...b then back in again to order a pizza... 40 min later we got the pizza only for it to be whisked away as it was the " wrong one and for another table " ... Why the Pliny is awesome, I'll just buy it at a local Beer Store and save my time and money.. And to make matters worse, we walked out to a nice 30.00 parking ticket........
(2)
Noah K.
Honestly, this is one of the best breweries in the world. Their beers range from very good to absolutely off the charts. Pliny the Elder is insanely hyped amongst beer geeks but totally deserving, IMO. My favorite beer by a wide margin. I've yet to try the Younger, and look forward to that. And visiting the brewery, on our way back from a week in Guerneville, was great! I got the Belgian ale sampler, which was really fun - gave me a chance to try the various ales and sours. None were bad, some were top-notch, some were insanely interesting (like wine tasting). And it gave me room leftover for a 1/2 pint of Pliny, which was my total beer geek fanboy moment in the sun. We also shared some pizzas which were surprisingly, honestly, really good. Not good as in, "Okay for California, but not real pizza" - but honestly good pizza. Super nice staff working, a ton of great beer to try, mellow, fun vibe, good food, decent prices ... and did I mention, some of the best beer in the world? Five + stars.
(5)
Don D.
Delicious selection of beers that every enthusiast must sample!
(4)
Luda F.
While the decor leaves much to be desired and the place is almost always crowded it is among the best breweries in the universe. Pliny the Elder is something of a religious experience and all I can say of Blind Pig is praise the lard. When the oven is hot try a pizza and another beer. Call a taxi, this stuff is strong.
(4)
Jenifer N.
Love me some pliny the elder... and that is about where it ends at Russian River. The service here is not great! They were very busy, which our server told us was the norm. That usually means more staff is needed to meet the needs of customers. We ordered a taster of their beers... took over an hour before we received it. The server checked on us maybe three times. It wasn't that busy! Then our server dropped the check. We put cash in the book and then left. My boyfriend accidentally walked out of the restaurant with the check and cash in hand. We headed over to Sift, which is when he realized what he had done. When we brought it back and handed it to the server. She had no idea what it was and what it was for. HELLO, a new set of people had been sat at the table we were once at. Seriously, the staff here sucks! The beer is o.k. I should note that we tried about 20 different beers and I still only love the pliny. :(
(2)
Mike R.
The beer is very good, but the bartenders are very rude. A group of us visited pub this past Saturday and were told to leave after complaining to the manager that the staff was rude. It started as soon as we stepped up to the bar and I asked what kind of Wheat Beer they made, the bartender immediately became sarcastic wondering why I couldn't read the board behind him. It so happens, I am over 55 and my friends are over 55. We can't always read signs, so we asked. Add the excessive noise in the place, and it becomes a very unfriendly place for people over 50, Obviously, they wanted us older folks out so that younger people could come in. We were not rude or belligerent, but the manager didn't even consider our point of view. This is not a great pub. The seating is terrible, the noise is overwhelming, and staff are rude.
(2)
Pablo H.
This place could serve dog food and I'd still be looking to give it a sixth star. Why? PLINY THE ELDER OF COURSE. You walk into this place and it appears to be a normal brew pub, completely unassuming, friendly Santa Rosa locals, all the likes. But please direct your attention to all of those framed awards behind the bar. These are WORLD BEER Prizes, distinctions awarded on a GLOBAL LEVEL to the finest beers in the WORLD. This friendly neighborhood bar is serving up some of the most delicious brews available on planet Earth today. Then you get the good live music at night and of course the famous pizza dough twirling going on back in the kitchen and you're looking at not just A brewpub, but THE BREWPUB. Get the pizza bites. Great value for your money.
(5)
Josh H.
Great place. It seems to get busy relatively quickly. Came in at 11:30, which was 30 minutes after opening and had to stand in line. Arrive early. The flights are great for first timers and only $16 for a taste of all of their beers on tap that day. For me it was 20 beers, including sours (which were delicious!)
(5)
Jonathan Y.
Pliny the Younger. Finally. Like a creamy, beautiful and magical T-rex tap-dancing on your tongue as it reverently plays the harp. I waited 5 hours, was finally joyfully brought in to the fold and preceded to drink....a little more...than the allotted amount. The rest is history and memory. At least little bits and pieces of memory.
(5)
Michelle H.
We came here on a Saturday and there was already a line out the door (which was expected). Parking may be hard to find but there is metered street parking. The wait to get in was around 30 minutes and we were luckily able to get a table inside. If it's your first time here, I recommend getting the beer sampler, which includes 2 oz samples of every beer they have on tap (usually around 20) for only $18. Everyone's favorite is Pliny but my favorite was definitely the Blind Pig! So good that I decided to get 6 bottles to go. I would definitely come back here in the future.
(4)
Jerry Y.
Came here last Friday with some friends and it was packed. Parked in the lot in the back and paid for the maximum 2-hour parking. We waited in the line outside while it was drizzling out and we just saw people walking out with boxes and boxes of Pliny the Elder 12-packs. The line moved somewhat fast but after we got in, we put our name down for a table and realized it'll probably take more than 2 hours to get seated. We opted for the bar and ordered some pints and my friends shared a sampler rack which is a flight of everything they have in stock. The Pliny is always great and I tried a Blind Pig this time as well which was awesome. We ordered some Pliny bites for here and some Pliny bites to go as well. The food takes some time (because it gets pretty packed in here) but it is so worth it. I'd recommend ordering your food first with your first drink and then it'll come by with your second drink. Russian River is still my favorite bar in the Bay Area and always worth the trip.
(5)
Phillip T.
The beer here was universally excellent. We went on a Sunday afternoon so the place was a zoo. Very crowded, long lines, and loud environment. The pizza was ok. A bit greasy and soggy. The service was decent considering how crowded it was. The beer alone is worth a trip to this place. The charcuterie plate did not contain very much charcuterie.
(4)
Barbara S.
We love Russian River beers so we made a 10 hr trip to visit this brewery (and the wineries) in Sonoma. We were there on Thanksgiving (thank you for opening that night!) and the place had a good crowd. We went again for two consecutive days and Holly Molly! Both days were packed! I'm surprised this brewery hasn't expanded to accommodate the demand. Even though it was super crowded we always had excellent service! The bartenders and great at multitasking and always were nice to us. Great brewery, great beer and great staff! We tried the Omni Pizza and the Savage chicken wings. Delicious!!! The wings were super tender and the savage sauce was spicy and delicious. We also ordered 16 tasters, my favorites of course were Pliny the Elder and the Blind Pig. Can't wait for them release Pliny the Younger again!
(5)
Kimberly B.
We made the trek over here after spending the day at Hog Island because Russian River makes Pliny the Elder, which is one of my bf's favorite IPAs. Totally worth it and this brewery visit was one of the best parts of our Bay Area trip. We arrived during happy hour on a Friday afternoon and had to stalk people to find seats at the bar since the wait to dine-in was about 1 hour. Luckily we found seats and we happily ordered our drinks. Pints of Pliny are only $3.25! Such a steal! They sell bottles of Pliny for $5 but there is a 6 bottle limit. Didn't try any of the food but Ike's is less than 10 min away and we love Ike's! If you are a craft beer fan, then you must visit Russian River. Just be prepared to wait because it is crowded and busy there! Santa Rosa is beautiful and we will be returning soon (and hopefully getting some Pliny the Younger!)
(4)
Victor G.
there's a silly list on the web originating in SF that suggests "100 things to eat before i/you die: (2013). miraculously, the list changes (for the most part) the next year and the next. so there's something to die for every year. walking past Russian River Brewing with the lines, i wondered what the buzz was about? know it all forgot Pliny the elder and Pliny (Younger) are reborn here every year as are all their hopped and barleyed bubblies. . i wonder how i can sampler 18 of them and make it home to the east bay. will BART come here some day?
(4)
Kim B.
If you go here, you'd best plan on having one of the top rated beers in the world. Be prepared for a wait (with buzzer so you can wander the neighborhood). Food is great, too.
(5)
Taylor G.
This place was well worth trip up to Northern California. The legend of Russian River brewing travels far and wide, I'm glad I got to experience it. To start, on crowded days there is a line just to get your name on a list for a table. We were fortunate enough to get a seat at the bar where you can also order food in addition to their 20+ brews on tap. Me and my lady tried a bit of everything, the Pliny the Elder was amazing along with the Blind Pig. I've never been a big sour fan but the barrel aged Supplication was a great brown ale. Drew's Bites were fantastic, pizza bites with pepperoni and peppers on top. I can't wait to try more from them on my next visit. Joe the bartender was very cool and helpful even with the crowd. Growlers and bottles available to go. There is plenty of parking in the back and on the street. Don't let the lines scare you away.
(5)
Chloe V.
I don't drink beer, so this rating is just for the food and service. Our server was quick and friendly, but the food was solidly mediocre. The sandwiches are underseasoned, the caesar salad is big but nothing special, the pizza was just okay.
(3)
martha g.
I love this place! The tasty drew bites & a Pliny or a Blind Pig Can turn a frown into a smile!
(4)
Dan G.
Hot damn! I don't think it would be a stretch to say that our return to the Russian River Brewpub was once again the highlight of our summer tour of Sonoma and Mendocino counties. I have a new found respect and love for everything that RR is doing. A short drive from Bodega Bay and we arrived in Santa Rosa just in time for lunch. Beer first, taster flight of all of their available beers: California and Belgian. Cool flight deck arrived with bottle caps marking just what was what. Yep, every bit as good as I remember. RR makes some outstanding beers and has few peers, if any. I already knew that we would love Pliny the Elder (Double IPA) and the Blind Pig (IPA) we had on our other visit. What really impressed me this time around were the Belgian sours that they make. It's usually not my style as I tend to like hoppy or malty brews. Consecration-Sour aged in cab barrels (10%) and Supplication-Sour aged in Pinot barrels (7%) were the ones I liked best. After a few sips, we wanted to eat. They do very well with the food here. And seeing that at least half the board of available beers checked in at 7% abv or higher, you're gonna want to eat. We started with an order of the savage baked wings, which were good and spicy. Next up was a Megan's vegan pizza for the lady and the Magnum calzone for this big guy. When that came, we were done with the flight and got another round: Blind Pig for her and Row 2 Hill 56 Pale ale for me, which I loved with the Simcoe hops. We put those away while we finished our food and then split a glass of Pliny. It was about this time that we saw that they had just added Blind Pig that was bottled that day to their to go list. Kris looked at me and it was on. You know that shipper of wine we've got? It's gonna have a lot of beer in it. And with that, Pliny and the Pig joined us back home in Chicago. I see future trips to wine country ending with us returning with more beer than wine. Side note-they hop the hell out of their beer. For best results, you'll want to drink those fresh and not age them or save them.
(5)
Scott S.
Always a great time at Russian River Brewing Company. Once you've gotten past the fact that there is always going to be a wait here purely because of the calibre of the food and drinks they sell here, this place is nothing short of paradise. I won't speak for the beer, because any idiot with an internet connection can actually look up reviews on BeerAdvocate and RateBeer and read about the A/S/T/M/O of all their excellent offerings. What they don't typically tell you on the internet is that you can order a sampler of all their offerings (which includes all their current bottle releases, their sours, and their non-bottled offerings) for a bargain. The food here is something that's often overlooked and phenomenal. The wait staff (more like beer geniuses in disguise) is very knowledgeable on food pairings that go with RRBC brews and they paired up our Blind Pig with the Paisano (Mozzarella, Feta, Pesto, Salami, Garlic) and our Pliny with the Pliny bites. Before that fateful night, I never really paired up my beer with my meals or had drinks by the table because my chief interest when it comes to drinking beer is well... beer over food. But the Pliny bites turned me into a believer. One thing that the RRBC Brewpub didn't have were obnoxious sports bros like the rest of Santa Rosa does; Game 7 of the Western Conference Playoff tie between the Warriors and Clippers were on, and myself being a Clippers fan have been threatened to be kicked out of a few bars upon other people realizing that I don't root for their home team. Not a single drunken unpleasantry was shared at RRBC, however, and people just watched their game and enjoyed their beer as any cultured beer aficionado slash sports fan would. They also have cool little water cups that have the RRBC logo on them, nice branded glassware you can purchase for 8 dollars, and a whole array of shirts. The only shirt I really wanted to buy was unavailable that night, but I guess that just gives me one more reason to go back! I love you, RRBC. Never leave me.
(5)
Bonny S.
Great beer selection- must Pliny! Meatball sandwich and Pliny bites. Can pass on the pizza. Had to wait over an hour for a table on memorial weekend but luckily was able to grab a spot at the bar. So cheap too- happy hour on the weekends.
(4)
Erin B.
Food was just ok- the chicken wings were pretty awful and the pizza "meh". My husband got a beer sampler of most of the beers they served. I tried almost all of them. Honestly, I wasn't mind blown and this place seems overrated. a touristy craft beer place.
(3)
Brian W.
The best beer, but such a long wait! Totally worth it though.
(4)
E N.
Simply put this is the best beer in California... I haven't had every craft beer in the U.S. but I imagine their beers are serious contenders for national pre-eminence. Its considered a cult beer among beer geeks even in BELGIUM... that says it all.
(5)
Natalye R.
Love this place, especially on Sundays when its happy hour all day long. The beers are tasty ($2.75 for most pints on Sundays) and the pizza is delicious. There is sometimes a band playing and it gets pretty loud, but I go there to hang out with good friends over good beer, not to discuss pertinent matters, so the noise is irrelevant. Plus there is outdoor seating for those who want it. The only thing I don't enjoy is that they usually have one waiter covering the whole restaurant so service can be slow. The plus side of the busy atmosphere (for those of us into saving money) is that one of the bartenders almost always forgets to add one of my beers to my tab, so I always go home with more in my pocket than I had thought I would have.
(4)
Grace C.
Came in here Friday for the first time and fell in love with this place! We had the Damnation, Piny the Elder, Little White Lie and my favorite was Concencration! And I loved the Beer Bites!
(4)
Michele M.
Glad we stopped at this exit tonight! Apparently Wednesday is the new NYE in Santa Rosa. I've never seen a fashion show quite like tonight in downtown SR! Whoa. My boyfriend & I decided to do a date evening impromptu style in Healdsburg tonight, but got on the freeway for dinner, missed our exit and ended up in Santa Rosa. We were surprised to see the entire tween population in full effect out at "The Market" as our cocktail waitress called it. Hot topic will never go out of business as long as there are teenagers in Santa Rosa. So being complete strangers to the town, we: a: went to the Cantina for a drink. b: walked the "Market" c: bought some shit we didn't need.. then d: made the best decision and went into the Russian River Brewing Co! Dooooooooddd... the beer is good, the pizza is better and they have La Crema Chardonnay for $6.25 a glass! whoop! I really liked the crowd in here too. I felt like I had died and woke up on the railway in Paris. I thought Rosa was a hick town, but I was pleasantly surprised to see culture was thriving in the (707). It only took once glance to a busy bartender and 3 minutes later we had drinks and a tab rolling! I can't wait to go back here, but we had to stop drinking due to the DUI summertime checkpoints and our newly found affinity for responsibility behind the wheel. check it!
(4)
William D.
Seriously probably the single best brewpub in terms of beer in the country. Aggressive and creative brewing, lots of taps on, and even an interesting scene outside and inside. Where else can you sometimes get more than one Sour Beer style on tap? Hell, where else can you even get one? Not that Sours are for everybody- even I have to be in a strange mood to want it, but they do it anyway. I was having a Sour and a lady from Texas at the next table asked me about it (very friendly and even attractive), went to order it and I strongly recommended just a taste first. Wish I had a camera for the look on her face. That, and Pliney the Younger is rated in the top 5 beers in the world. Pliney the elder is equally excellent, as are pretty much all of their other brews. It's a brewpub, so if you're here for the beer you will be seriously happy- just plan on having a ride with all of the serious alcohol brews available. Food is good pub food- soaks up the beer and tastes good. That's all it should be, and it does a great job. Service- step up to the bar and you get served. That's the way it's supposed to work. If you stand around looking lost you might stand for a bit since people sometimes just do that in their post-beer-coital haze, so you are just fitting in... you want service, stop somebody and ask for it- they're friendly and will help you out. Take some responsibility for your own happiness and get up and order another (fill in the blank). I'd like to see some live music, but the guy with the lowrider bike-blaster stereo parked out front had an entertaining and surprisingly good playlist. Nothing but props.
(5)
Dawn D.
The great beer and excellent pizza were not enough to overcome the strangely condescending and rude service. Server criticized my companion's choice to get wine instead of beer and informed me when I asked about the chicken sandwich that it was "okay... what do you expect it's a chicken sandwich... " ummmmmm couldn't come up with a response to that so split a pizza with my friend and we left shaking our heads. Maybe a retraining is in order, as my review seems to be one of quite a few that reflect the same reaction.
(2)
Allie A.
A dream come true! We got here at 10 after 11 am on Sunday... they were half full already and an hour in, there is an outrageous wait. Get here early! But seriously, this place was on our radar since we knew we would be out this way for a wedding. And the beer. The beer...... THE BEER!!! Of course we had to order Pliny the Elder, the famous double IPA and it did not disappoint. We also tried the Blind Pig, which was amazing as well. We started off with the Pliny bites.... sharp white cheddar and jalapeno pizza, but into perfectly sized little bites. So simple, but completely mind blowing. I don't think I will look at eating pizza the same way ever again. Everything is better in mouth popping bites, and these little hot things were fantastic! My favorite app from my entire trip!! We also ordered some hot wings (baked not fried... they were nice and moist) and a Tuna Melt, but honestly, we were there for the beer. I ended with the light White Lie and Adam tried a sour.... I really wish I didn't have to drive that day or else I think we would have stayed all day. It was packed so we sometimes had to yell for our server, but the people and ambiance was exactly what we wanted and expected, so no big deal. After picking up a few souvenirs we were on our way.... but next trip out west you can bet your ass this place will be on the list!
(5)
Bruce S.
When we took a trip to Sonoma a few weeks back, we had to stop at Russian River; it's mandatory for a beer lover. The reputation was well deserved. The food was good and the beer was better. We ordered two full samplers, so were able to try all the brews currently on tap. Of course, I liked the Pliny the Elder, a fantastic DIPA. For food, we had the Drew Bites (their Pizza Bites with pepperoni and pepperocini {sp?}), the vegetable plate and the charcuterie plate. Everything was fresh, hot if it was supposed to come that way, and our party loved it. In short, this is a great brewpub, well worth a special trip to Santa Rosa.
(5)
Ben D.
RRBC is my neighboorhood pub. I love Pliny, Blind Pig and Damnation. Pliny Bites, Drew Bites and the Three Cheese Sandwich are awesome. That being said, RRBC would have 5 stars consistently IF you could actually get in, get beer and eat food. Guys, seriously...buy the place next door, ya know? The tea shoppe?!? WTF!, knock a wall down and take over that side of 4th street. ORRRRR...open a second bar in Santa Rosa. In Coddingtown or in the Summerfield area maybe... Do SOMETHING. I love you, but you're a pain in the ass. Ben Donaghy, of the Donaghy 6
(3)
Jim W.
I've been here twice now, Pliny brought me here to @downtownSR which I consider #BeerCountry as much as it is #Wine Country . It was The Elder, not The Younger who brought me, the more learned of the two. I love visiting indy breweries in my travels and this was I highlight. I first met Pliny @Hopmonkson and I was determined to visit the source as soon as I tried it... a perfectly balanced IPA with a distinct beginning, middle and end; citrus, sour and floral at the front, robust and nuanced flavor in the mouth with slightly bready maltiness moving on to a crisp hoppy and piney finish. They do have food here and some good happy hour specials. I've had the pizza twice and it is a decent craft style pie with a thin and crunchy artisan type crust. The place has been hopping (pun intended) every time I have been here and service is generally good but a little rushed. Go here. Bring a driver along or walk from your hotel like I did the first time...
(5)
Mitzy M.
Amazing beer, delicious food, happy people - how could you go wrong?! We started with a spinach salad and the Blind Big - mmm Went to [one of the] chicken pizza and a Pliny the Elder and it was equally delicious (We split both of these and it was the perfect amount) They do happy hour all day Sundays, but don't have a ton of TVs, so definitely going to be the new hangout once Football is over!
(5)
Marc R.
If you like beer, the Russian River Brew Co. is a Mecca for you. The menu is pretty good, don't drink on an empty stomach, try the beer bites. Essentially a pizza chopped up into manageable pieces that you can dip into ranch dip. The beer. I can't say much outside of it is delightful. Please go. Enough said. Just go.
(5)
Mark M.
20 beers on tap.... need I say more. The kitchen was closed for some reason when we went there, but we weren't getting food anyway. A beer for anybody's taste. Great beer, local pub vibe.
(5)
Clayton V.
Russian River is the Elysium fields of craft beer. Belgian, West Coast, Sour, Hoppy, Drinkable, and just plain amazing. With as many as 20+ taps on at any time, it can be daunting to pick a beer. Russian River understands this and has a solution, an affordable tasting flight, a two ounce pour of... everything. No matter what style of beer you like, there's going to be something to enjoy here. Never had a sour beer? No problem, some of the best in North America are created right here. The seasonal and one offs? Out of this world. Their once-a-year, February-ish brew, Pliny The Younger, had a very nice and well deserved reign as the best beer in the world. The place can get packed, it will be busy on Friday nights and weekends. As a lover of fine beer, this place has drawn me to it every time I'm in the bay area. I rent a car, just to make my trek. If you're only going to visit one brewery on the west coast, this is the one.
(5)
Adrienne S.
This place is unbelievably worth your effort. I ain't ratin' the service here, because the foundation, the guts and heart of the place (the beer itself hello), rocks so hard that if you have any semi-experienced taste buds at all, you will immediately forget all else regarding service and ambiance due to the perfection and world-renowned beauty of the deliciousness of their BEER. I came here for the first time about a year ago. I haven't SHUT UP about it since. Most recently I visited mid-April. Every time I go it is sincerely MAGIC. Damnation 23, Mortification, Supplication....each beer is like no beer you have EVER had. But start with Pliny The Elder since it is the perfect beer and after two or three you will lose track of what tastes like what. Until you go back again and again. I live two and a half hours away, but I have frequented much as possible and am planning the next visit ASAP. Seriously this place is heaven to me. I have convinced many complete strangers that they must drive to Sonoma County NOT SO MUCH FOR the wine tastings.....(well, that goes too), but for this surprisingly wonderful gem of a brewery sitting in the midst of humble downtown Santa Rosa. If you know what really good beer actually tastes like, you cannot pass this up. Oh and by the way, it's not a restaurant (as previous yelpers that gave one star seem to think).....it's a BREWERY!.......with food and tables as a side note. Meaning there are bartenders...and busser waiter helper people....not somalies and professional servers. Expect the service there to be TERRIFIC...that is ..if you are there to taste the BEER. It's their beer in the world taste tests....not their food. But the pizza is out of this world too. and their ARE world class prize winning pizza twirlers in the back so I hear. Point is, don't go there if you are wanting fine dining service because you are MISSING THE WHOLE POINT. But those bartenders can tell you ANYTHING you want to know about making beer. If they have time....since usually they are completely running their asses away. RRBC.....I found true love.
(5)
Tim M.
This place is almost ALWAYS packed. A testament to the quality of their beer. The food is above average at best. The beer sampler is the way to go if you want to taste a variety of their great work. Typical bar indoors, very crowded, loud, fun crowd. They do move people in and out pretty quick. Have time on your hands and/or love your beer and this is the right place.
(4)
Ashley H.
The beer is amazing. Went on a Friday night. The Friday after thanksgiving. It was super packed. An hour wait for a table. But someone gave us their spot at the bar. The spicy sauce is great. Got wings and beer bites. The votes were just so bomb and cheesy. I didn't love the wind a but the sauce for them was good and the bartender gave us medium and spicy to try. Both are tasty. Bathroom is randomly like very bright and doctors officy. They could improve that especially since there's such a great ambiance and decor in the restaurant and bar. Overall a great experience. Would come back to drink for sure and try other items on the menu. Even got some souvenirs! The happy hour prices are awesome!
(4)
Fabian M.
This place is great! Delicious beers, awesome decor, the bartenders and waiters are friendly and informative. If you plan on getting food, I highly recommend the meatball sandwich! Also, there are other beers there besides pliney!!!! Try a supplication ;), you'd be surprised at how great their other drinks are. The only reason I gave this place a 4 out of 5 was because when I went to the gift shop, I was met by the rudest woman, the gift shop goblin. This lady was overly rude and seemed like she hated everyone that walked in. And it is to my understanding after talking to a few other friends that have gone that they have all had the same experience with this woman. You don't want disgruntled employees in your establishment turning people away and being overly rude to customers. If it wasn't happy hour at Russian river at the time I honestly would have left or tried to find a manager.
(4)
Anthony C.
Best wings in town. If you like spicy wings eat here. Even though the wait is long they have really good food. It's a wild place but they do have security cameras.
(4)
Ben G.
So many other beers for people to love and appreciate, I wish people would move past the Pliny. Sampler for people who haven't tried nearly enough is a great way to start. Drew Bites are my favorite. I try to go in right about openings for food because it is so popular, crowds come with it.
(4)
HÃ¥kon E.
On my way from San Diego to Portland I planned to visit a few decent brew pubs along the way. RRBC was a natural choice, it even dictated where I'd stop for the night :-) I had a the "New Yorker" pizza with a Blind Pig IPA. Pizza was good - typical bar food kind, and the IPA was very good, as expected. I then went on to the Pliny the Elder which was as great as I remembered from having it in a local SD bar. Then went on to try both the Porter & the Nitro Stout (I know, drinking backwards) and finished off with the Hopfather IPA (hey, I was parked for the night anyways :-). All beers are very good with lots of taste. The place is very crowded though - even on a Tuesday evening, but the bartenders are efficient in fulfilling orders and tapping beers, and if you hang around long enough you may be lucky like I was to get a seat at the bar. All in all a great experience, and I'll definitely be back next time I'm in the area.
(4)
Tony O.
Unequivocally the best brewery I've been to. The staff was warm and inviting. The ambiance was absolutely perfect. The music wasn't too loud so you had to scream to talk to people. The food was some of the best brewery food I've ever had and the beer was everything I had ever dreamed of trying. I would recommend this place to anyone even if it's a distance from where you're at. The bartender and I did a shot of Blind Pig "for the Millennium Falcon" since I was wearing a super cool Star Wars shirt! Love this place can't wait to return!!! *************
(5)
D C.
First time in Santa Rosa, drove through specifically for this place. This is a great brewery. If I were reviewing the beer it would be 5 stars without question. However-the service is abhorrent, and the food is mediocre at best. I walked in and the hostess was busy flirting with a coworker so I tried to find a bar seat. I then asked her of I could grab a table. Without a word she grabbed a menu and took me to one open by the bathrooms. I never got served-I did indeed sit patiently for 10 minutes, and approached the bar. Pliny the Elder is one or the best DIPAs you can find anywhere. I wanted food, half the reason I was here, still, after 30 minutes no server, even though he made regular appearances at the adjacent table. I got another beer from the bar and ordered my food-I asked if there was supposed to be service and he acknowledged that yes, indeed there Should be. The server brought my food out and apologized-But I was out of beer and he don't even ask if I wanted another. Pretty annoying experience not to mention the group of macho thugs siting next to me talking about beating up their friend's gay son... I returned the next day to get a six pack (i am traveling by myself) and the bartender, to go with the trend, was the cockiest, least welcoming dude I have encountered in a while. Yes this is a great brewery but that doesn't mean you should be pretentious. I've been to many great breweries where you feel welcome and have a good time. This is not one of them.
(3)
Gracie L.
Love the beer, think the service kinda sucks. Seems like the hostess can be snotty and ignore you if you're a female. Waitstaff and bartenders are friendly once you can get seated. Kitchen is a bit slooooow, but that just gives you more time to enjoy another pint. No complaints there!
(4)
Ernst L.
Wonderful selection of beers tending into the territory of Belgian-style sour beers. I'm told sour beers represent a pinnacle of beer making and flavor. So far, I don't get it, but I do really enjoy the opportunity to sate such a unique style alongside more familiar brews in an inviting environment with tasty chow. Many have well addressed the younger and older Plinys and I'd throw my hat in to say they're well worth some effort to try. The whole offering on my visit presented a quality that suggested most any beer drinker could find a beer here that they'd relish, and many would enjoy the ample opportunity to explore and consider. Rely enjoyed the different sampler options allowing one to select, focus, or sample everything on offer. Handy rigs with bottle cap cues add to the experience. The food was great. Grilled cheese on sourdough with tomatoes and grilled onions was my choice. Not unique in their ability to produce this sandwich, but it was dang good and I'd go back for it. The side salad was fresh, large, and came with a nice Asian style dressing.
(5)
Kelly C.
Love this place! The beer and Atmosphere are so much fun, love coming here with friends!:)
(5)
Amelia J.
When you go here, you're defiantly not going for warm and fuzzy service or for a wide selection of food. That being said, I have to agree the beer is outstanding (I even enjoy their IPA which I usually do not drink) and the thin crust pizzas were surprisingly well done. Best to visit this place as bar and not be traumatized by the experience of table service.
(3)
Bob I.
The few negatives regarding this place in other reviews all seem to deal with certain factors........parking( that's Santa Rosa's fault, not the breweries) big crowds, inconsistent service. They are crowded because they have a great location, and brew incredible beer! Pliny( both of 'em), Blind Pig, the OVL Stout......ALL of the Belgian style brews, especially the sours. The beer bites, several of the pizzas really good too. It appears they have outgrown there kitchen, I suspect that is a big factor in issues regarding service. I've always found the servers to be pleasant, although sometimes they seem a little overwhelmed by the volume. With a M-F happy hour, and a Sunday all day happy hour offering discounted beers, they offer a good value. As they have grown and expanded these past years, the quality of the beer has remained excellent, they have not sacrificed a bit of quality as they have become more successful. I find it sad after reading some of the reviews that give them only 1 or 2 stars, based upon parking or service! By doing this, you've penalized this place for success! Cmon, people it's a bad economy, and you choose to demonize a verified success story! BTW, assuming that RRBC management reads Yelp, I'd like to mention that the two guys I see working security at the doors frequently are really top notch, they are courteous and friendly.........keep up the good work, and fix the few minor flaws, and this place will deservedly earn a full five stars for what it truly is, a beer destination that brings people in from around the world.....
(4)
Katie C.
I read reviews about how busy it can get, so we purposefully came here at 2pm on a Tuesday in mid-January. Got seated right away in the bar, but we were still surprised by just how many people with there midday/midweek. You can tell people really love this place, and for good reason. It was totally worth the special trip from Sacramento. If you're not coming here for the amazing beer, I would say don't bother. You'll just be taking up space that someone who is really excited about the beer could be occupying, and you're not going to be able to appreciate the experience as much ;) The beer sampler is a must, unless you're by yourself and have to drive somewhere afterwards... because it will seriously work you. Two of us shared the sampler, and here's what we got: Aud Blonde O.V.L. Stout Happy Hops Row 2 Hill 56 Janet's Brown Ale Blind Pig IPA Pliny the Elder Perdition Damnation Erudition Mortification (my favorite out of all of them, but looks like it's off the menu for now!) Temptation Supplication Consecration In a word: sublime. We ended up ordering some Drew Bites to go with it, because what's better than cheesy, greasy, peperoni and pepperoncini goodness when you're buzzed?
(5)
Natalie F.
Amazing beer, loved their sours most even though they are known for Pliny. Expect a long wait, but it's worth it. Pizza is pretty darn good, goes well with the HUGE beer flight-- 18 beers, and only $16.00.
(5)
Elizabeth E.
My husband and I stopped at Russian River Brewery 5 years ago on a road trip through California we took for our honeymoon. Their beer, Pliny the Elder, is the stuff dreams are made of. We are really more wine people, but we were getting a little wined-out in Napa and Sonoma so we headed over to Santa Rosa for the day. The drive was beautiful and we were so impressed with the beer. Pliny the Elder is a double IPA and you can't find it many places. It doesn't have preservatives so if you buy it, you need to drink it quickly! We actually bought 12 bottles on our first trip to give my brother as a birthday gift and by the time we met up with him we only had 1 bottle left. Once per year, RRB releases "Pliny the Younger" and apparently there's a line out the door to get your hands on it. If we see Pliny the Elder at a restaurant or grocery store now, we get so excited! We actually found it on tap in Denver but they limited consumption to 1 pint per person so everyone can enjoy it! It's that GOOD! We came back to Russian River Brewery this week from a family trip to San Francisco (5 year and 2 kids later). It was a great stop. My 3 year old said eating their pizza was his favorite part of the day (which is really saying a lot because we also went hiking in the Muir Woods and went swimming!). I had the Nu Deal and my husband had the Lola. Both were good, but mine was better. They were super friendly with the kids and had plenty of space for our stroller and a highchair. We went home with another 12 pack of Pliny and I don't expect it to last long!
(5)
Crystal H.
Happy hour all day Sunday! Yes, it gets crowded in the bar....but if you're patient you will be rewarded with hoppy goodness. We also stop in for at least a couple pints and some Pliney Bites on the way to and/or from backpacking, camping, or wine tasting. It's definitely worth stopping by if you're in the area. It's my husbands absolute favorite brewery.
(5)
Bonnie M.
Great place great people. My only very small complaint is that they do not open early enought for me.
(4)
Kate F.
I have been dying to come here forever. The reviews about the long lines and crazy wait times deterred me for quite some time. I decided to take a vacation day this past Monday and thought what a perfect time to try this place out. We arrived a few minutes after opening and already people were marching in with big crowds. For a Monday at 11 this place was busy, but not bad enough where we couldn't find a seat at the bar. Since it was our first time we ordered a sampler. This is such an amazing deal, all of the beers for 16$! What the heck that's awesome. Pliny was my husbands favorite so we ordered a couple pints and some bottles to take home. I really enjoyed the uniqueness of some of their brews. They have 4 sour beers that are brewed from old wine barrels. They were all very good. I pretty much like any beer except porter type beers so I enjoyed pretty much all of the samples. Great place to go!
(4)
Paul W.
Be prepared to wait but once you get seated enjoy the pizza bites and amazing beers. Food comes out pretty fast and beers are simply amazing with a great selection of brews
(5)
Jairo B.
My mecca of beer! Never have I happily waited in line to get into a brew pub. The staff here was very helpful, and offered us tips to make the most out of the experience. This place is very busy, because its an AMAZING place. I do not hand out 5 star reviews too often, but RR deserves it! The vibe was great, its DISNEYLAND for great beer. They had an amazing lineup of beers (try the flight!) I settled with the wonderful Sour Beers, as well as the Simcoe-hopped Pale. I ate some delicious Pliny Bites, and had to ask the server to take them away, before I inhaled all of them! I'm wearing a ear-to-ear smile as I type this, i truly loved the experience, and cant wait to go back! CHEERS!
(5)
Gee H.
Long line. Long wait for food. Order fast. Unless it's salad - those come out faster. Cheap- good value. Would recommend getting the flight (15$) and pizza.
(4)
Jonathan L.
My first visit I would say this placed rubbed me wrong. Tonight was my 2nd visit on a Saturday with a group of four. The staff was great and Ryan really took his time finding a beer for my taste. Good job guys!
(4)
Al J.
Had dinner here with some good friends and found my new favorite beer. Consecration! I loved it so much I bought a tiny little bottle to take home for $13. That's right a $13 single beer. But it's so delicious. The food is also great. Pliny bites and pizza the munchies food to go with the great beers. Will be back next weekend!
(5)
Kevin L.
Home of the famous pliny the elder/younger. The whole taster cost only 15-16$ and that consist of all the brews they had, which was around 16-18 brews. The cool thing is that you can purchase cases of pliny the elder versus going to a beer store or whole foods and could only buy 2 bottles. Most of the beers are fantastic. Consecration is a very good barrel aged sour. I recommend coming here for beer.
(4)
Patrick L.
I'll be honest, I had this 5-star review written in my head long before I finally made it to this phenomenal brewery in the heart of wine country. I knew I'd make it to this place someday, and when I finally did....there could be no disappointment. No way - these guys are well aware of their exalted position in the US craft beer scene, and serve their adoring patrons with a kind of smart-assed confidence that I appreciate. This wasn't my first experience with Russian River's brews. They don't distribute to a whole lot of places, and Florida is not on that short list - so I've gone through the expensive pain in the butt that it is procuring popular beers that don't distribute to my area. In particular, I crave the "-tion" sour ales like Supplication, Consecration, Temptation, Beatification, Sanctification and such - so it was truly an experience to taste most of these straight from the brewery's own taps. And Pliny, don't even get me started - there are a few of us in Miami who go to the above trouble to acquire fresh bottles of Pliny the Elder, just one of the first, and best, Double IPAs out there. We take them to our favorite beer bar, a place called Abraxas, where they are reverently opened and enjoyed. For being outside Russian River's distribution area, I think there have been more bottles of Pliny opened at Abraxas than anywhere else! But I digress. Drinking such an iconic beer at its place of origin....if you're a beer geek, it doesn't get too much better than that. Even if you're a total Russian River Brewing Co. fan-boy as I am, and have had a bunch of the beers already - trust me, still spend the $15 and order the sampler tray. It's easily the most impressive sampler I've ever seen. It's so impressive, I kinda feel bad for the bartenders who have to pour it. Just take a look at the pictures here on Yelp for confirmation. The sampler allows the intrepid drinker to try every single beer on the board! I found some new favorites I'd not had before, most namely "Happy Hoppy," a pale ale brewed with a new experimental hop variety, "369." Very floral and bitter without being astringent, I thought this was great....and entirely unexpected. I wasn't expecting to go to Russian River and have one of my favorite brews there be a simple pale ale - but so it was! They also had a hoppy saison on called "Noble Experiment" that I was loving. Of course, I drank Supplication, Consecration and Sanctification, enjoying my sours thoroughly. I even went back for a full glass of Sanctification...not to mention a bottle of each to pack in my suitcase. Food is served here - it's nothing too ambitious, mostly house-made pizzas, but they complement the beer nicely....and let's face it, if you're here and really want to enjoy your experience - you're going to need something to help soak up the alcohol, so do order a bite off the menu. Sonoma County really offers the best of both worlds, wine and beer. If you're a beer geek making a pilgrimage to Russian River Brewing, take it upon yourself to visit some wineries. Likewise, wine people should take a grape break and stop here for some of our expansive country's greatest beer. Highly recommended.
(5)
Brian K.
A must stop on any beer geek's tour of the lands north of San Francisco. Swung by on a Wednesday afternoon after spending a few hours at Lagunitas down in Pentaluma. The atmosphere of the two couldn't have been any more different. While RR has some fantastic beers (Pliny, Temptation, Shadow of a Doubt, Consecration) and really solid happy hour specials (I think a pint of Pliny was $4.00), I was put off by the set up of of the brewery/restaurant. The bar is long but tables run along the length of it behind the stools in a fashion that leaves next to no room for people to move about without knocking into you. I am by no means claustrophobic but there was really no such thing as personal space. The bar is also EXTREMELY loud. At times I had problems understanding what the people next to me were saying. The flight was $15 but provided 4oz samples of everything they had on tap. This is a must do if you visit. All in all a great brewery with some fantastic beers, but I wish I was able to enjoy myself a little more.
(3)
Rich O.
Really good pizza, amazing appetizers. And their IPA is pretty good too:)
(5)
Rory O.
Great beer...try the wings, get them savage if you love spicy. The omni pizza is also a good choice. Usually very busy but worth it
(5)
Tommy A.
Was there today with a party of 5 and damn you guys are an amazing brewing company with incredibly good food. I personally know a few Pizza guys (Bianco in PHX for one;-)) and let me tell you your Mikey and Marg Pizzas were just outstanding. Perfect crisp to the bottom of the crust and properly and lightly cooked on top. The wings were freaking outstanding as well. Extremely tender. A bit over sauced, but that was an easy fix. My son loved the Garlic Bread. Your beers were great as well and staff from hostess to bartender to server are good peeps, so thanks for putting out a great product all around.
(5)
Brittany T.
If we were to time travel back to the days of yore (before I realized gluten gives me migraines), I would tell you the pizza is the best in Sonoma county and the Younger is well worth the wait. As a matter of fact, any service at RR is worth the wait. The staff members possess a delightful amount of sass, and I keep going back because I love the atmosphere, La Crema wine, and lusting after the pliny bites. Oh and I still really appreciate a good beer sniff, sooo watch out for me.
(5)
Brian S.
I'm gonna start off by saying I love your guys beer. I don't think I've ever had a beer from you I didn't like. As a local customer I try to fill at least one of my 4 growlers every week. But frankly it BS that you guys are sending people to wait at the line in front (that's 25 people deep on a Sunday) just to fill up a damn growler. It's bad enough that anytime you wanna go and grab a pizza and beer it's at least an hour wait and just to sit at the bar it's super crowded. There's a back door and I understand you sending people to the front line if they're staying for beer or food. But just to fill a damn growler? Will probably be taking my business to Lagunitas from now on unless this gets changed.
(2)
Steve G.
No matter how busy they are, you will be waited on quickly and served quickly and the beer will be inexpensive and outstanding. I mean, it's PLINEY. Can't find a seat? That's natural. You will still get beer and food promptly served. Stopped by on my way to get ribs and smoker wood. I'm fully stocked now.
(5)
Joey O.
I understand that this place was very busy. I understand that it's a popular place. I understand that people come here for the beer, not the outstanding service. However, there is no excuse for having to wait over 15 minutes to even be greeted after sitting down. The hostess obviously couldn't care less about her job, and apparently the server didn't need our business. We tried to wait, but 15 minutes is absolutely unacceptable. We figured that things weren't going to get any better, so we got up and left for some great pizza and service down at Flavor.
(1)
tevadar k.
Love the beer. Love the Pliny bites. Hate the service. Hate that you have to stand and drink your beer. I've been coming here since they were at the Corbel winery. When they first moved down to 4th street it was awesome. I can remember when Pliny the younger was just an occasional beer that I liked a little better than Pliny the older. Back when you could sit down and enjoy it. You could even take home a growler :) The service has always been pretty lame. A bunch of half baked guys an gals that think they work at the most awesome brewery EVER, and treated the customers like it was more of an inconvenience than anything. That hasn't change! I'll never taste Piny the younger again. It saddens me but I'm unwilling to endure a 3 hour line to stand up and drink a beer while people bump into you and step on your toes. i guess that's the the price you pay for success.
(1)
Charles Y.
Great spot. We didn't sit down because the wait was 45 minutes, but we got some space at the bar. Big selection and pretty tasty sours. It reminded me of the new york beer institutions (e.g., Blind Tiger).
(4)
Shannon O.
Dear lord, it doesn't get better than this. Pliny is outstanding, yadda yadda. The sours are fuggin' outrageous (in a good way). Consecration is one of my favorite beers of all time, definitely the best sour. Yup.
(5)
Ada T.
This place is great for beer snobs, enthusiasts and all! B and I came here about twice, our first for the sampler and a pint each. For those of you who can't seem to make a decision as far as what to get, definitely try the sampler (18 samples - $15) so that you can expand your pallet along with figure out what you want. It may be a good idea to share with someone, as you will get pretty wasted with some of the beers with high ABVs and milder tastes. The creepies!! If you have a go-to type (ie: Pale, IPA, etc), prices are extremely reasonable ~$4/pint. We came on the first day Pliny the Younger released (2/7/14), because B and I love our IPAs. It was pouring, and the first time we got there, the wait was estimated to be about 2-3 hours. We then decided to grab dinner at Flavor (about 2 blocks away) and when we went back our wait was ~40 minutes, tops at about 10pm! We both thought the Triple IPA was delicious, although, agreed that we would not have waited 10+ hours like others. We were told by the RRBC staff that people flew in from Germany and waited hours. Younger is pretty much a big deal, as it is only offered for 2 weeks until they run out for the day. Definitely come here -- even if you are not into beer, you just may (most likely) be converted. P.S. Happy hour is 4-6pm and ALL DAY Sunday. Happy drinking Yelpers!
(4)
Scott C.
If you have not heard of Russian River then you probably think Bud is the king of beers or the "mountain" water used in Coors is magical. If you have then you probably know what you are in for! The sours and Belgians were my favorites but of course pliney and blind pig will please the hop heads.
(5)
Max G.
You have to love a brewpub that has a line of 25 people at 11am waiting for the place to open. The wait was well worth it. Russian River brews some of the best beers in America, everything from IPAs to Belgian-style ales, to sour beers. They are most famous for Pliny the Elder, a wonderful IPA. Many of their beers change frequently, so just look at the board and ask to sample a few, or you can order a full tasting rack of 19 beers. I tried 4 and settled on the Dribble Belt IPA. The food is also very good. I had a meatball sandwich, which perfectly accompanied the beer. Go early, the place gets packed.
(5)
Kara M.
What a wonderfully understated brew pub making great beer and food in a totally average place. Great vibe inside...nothing flashy about it. Excellent servers who really want everyone to have a great time. Enjoyed the 18 beer tasting board as well as some pizzas. Was very sad to leave but plan to return!
(5)
Shirley N.
A great accidental find. Yelping breweries while we were in Santa Rosa and this one popped up. Did we come here last year? Maybe maybe not. Read the reviews and thought we haven't been. Happy Hour? Between 4:30p-6:30pm. We'll make a point of coming. We dropped in around 5:00pm and the place was packed. We were seated in the room off to the left of the entrance. Beers on draft are $3.50 during HH. But no discount on food. What goes good with beer? Chicken wings! Baked wings. Choice of mild, medium, or savage. We went medium. Nice plumb size wings. Nice accompaniment with the beer. We also got the garlic bread. Beer, wings, and bread = our dinner.
(4)
Mike H.
I must start by disclosing that I am quite a fan of craft beer and this was in my all time top 3 places that I want to go. I have had many pints of Pliny at various beer establishments and am quite a fan. I wanted to visit the source and sample all the brews that aren't available in my area. When we first arrived, there was a line down the block to get in. I assumed there must be an event, so we had dinner elsewhere and returned an hour and a half later. The line wasn't quite as long, but it still took 30 minutes to get in the front door. When we did, the hostess asked if we would like a table. We said "of course". The hostess promptly informed us that it would be a 2 hour wait for a table, but welcomed us to enjoy the bar area and outdoor seating area. I made my way through the capacity crowd to the bar, while my fiance attempted to grab two freshly vacated outdoor seats. Turns out someone else beat her to the seats. Meanwhile, I made eye contact several times with the bar tender, but never had an opportunity to place an order. Here is where the 1 star rating comes from: I understand that some places are quite popular and can become crowded. I also understand that serving all those people can present a bit of a challenge. What I'm not OK with is the notion that in order to be served you must have large barely covered breasts, or scream like a maniac and make a scene. After 10 minutes of attempting to place an order and being ignored, we decided to walk out. My overall impression of this place is that they are in love with being "cool" and "hip", as are the majority of their customers. For regular guys like me (who had every intention of spending over $100 when I entered), they don't have space or time. If you like waiting, and being around hipsters and acting cool, then enjoy! If not, don't go here. I will conclude by declaring that I have had my last drop of Russian River Brewing Co. beer. Congrat's RRBC on your successful marketing strategies, but you will find that it will bite you in the ass eventually if you can't figure out how to treat your customers.
(1)
Pascal F.
I was a bit let down by this "mecca" of beer destinations. I stopped in mid-week during lunch and sat at the bar. I let the bartender know that it was my first time, and I was excited to try some brews. The look of annoyance on his face was hilariously undeniable. Dude, your job is to pour your great beer and have people enjoy the experience, not to come across as a pretentious beer snob. I had really poor service from there on...he passed my empty glass more than a few times. But the regular sitting next to me got 3x the attention. Go figure. Pliny was as delicious as I expected. The caprese sandwich was ok, a little short on flavor. And the service was meh. Beer 5 stars. Food 3 stars. Service 1 star...overall 3 stars
(3)
Serina T.
Pretty much one of my favorite microbrews! Love beer and I definitely appreciate yummy pizza! Russian River usually has a wonderful selection of beers and food bites. Tourists: I recommend going early with time to wait for a table or place to sit. Happy Hour all day Sunday you can't beat and don't forget to take a growler home! My fav bites are the Drew bites!
(5)
Whiskey T.
Awesome brewery! One of my top 5 breweries. I hate waiting in lines but the Pliny the Younger wait last year was worth it. I have been to this place a handful of times and I can't wait to go back.
(5)
Patrick D.
To describe my visit here as a pilgrimage would not be inaccurate. The beer here is divine.
(5)
Rugger B.
Delicious beers anyone? I ordered a taster tray of everything on the board and received 19 tasters, which included everything from belgians, sours, and ales. Though my favorite are the ales, their Supplication Sour is unbelievable and their belgians were tasty too. The bar is extremely popular with locals and tourists alike. By the end of Happy Hour, many patrons were standing as seats were not available. I give the servers credit for weaving their way through the crowds with foods and drinks. I ordered the mild chicken wings, which are baked and they were delicious (falling off the bones delicious). If you are in Sonoma county for wine, make sure you treat your palette to the tastiness of Russian River's award winning beers.
(5)
Serena K.
Long wait to get seated, but the patio is open so if you can snag a seat on the bench, you can just bring your beer out and drink while you wait. Food is pretty good! Pizza has lots of interesting toppings, nothing too special. The beer, however, is very special. I am a huge fan of sours and Russian River does them excellently. All aged in wine barrels and with unique flavor. I recommend doing the flight! It's a great deal and a fun way to find your favorite beers. It's pretty loud and busy all the time between other patrons and music, so don't go if you're looking for intimate conversations. The atmosphere is very fun and casual. No need to dress any certain way. Good service, our waitress was very attentive even though she had a full section. Very friendly and accommodating hostess as well. The staff in general is very personable and easy to talk to.
(4)
Ted D.
This is by far the best place for small brewing in Sonoma County. The beers are as good as you would find in Munich. My family and I frequent regularly in the lunch hour and have never had a bad expierence. I cant think of a better place on a sunday afternoon to hang out . The beer is amazing and the pizza is a solid 4-5. Great place for kids too. Try the "Abbey" with a side of peppercinnis, with a perdition and you will be happy.
(5)
Philippa L.
Short Version: Good beer is good beer - who doesn't love good beer?! However, if I'm waiting more than 15 minutes to be served at the bar, especially if the bartender serves people who arrived after I did, the good beer isn't that great anymore. Long Version: I came here on a sunny weekend afternoon which might have been my first mistake - the place was packed and people standing outside were super territorial about their space. I get it: if you're trying to enjoy a good beer in the sunshine, you don't want to feel like you're being bothered by people waiting for a seat. At the same time though, it doesn't hurt to be a little friendly. Even though I was playing "DD" that day, I went to the bar to buy my roommate a drink. I kid you not, I waited for almost 30 minutes before someone served me. I know, I know - their beer is amazing but waiting 30 minutes for a beer on a "normal" Saturday afternoon is a little insane. Now, I don't mind paying my dues if a place is packed and the bartenders are clearly hustling but there were more than a few people who got up to the bar after I did that got served before me. If this happens once, I'm ok with it - bartenders are only human but, after the 3rd or 4th time, I was definitely irritated. My roommates got a table in the restaurant and, once seated, the wait-staff seemed relatively responsive but, again, the place was so busy the service was undeniably slow. Honestly, everyone raves about this place but I can't say that I "get it." What's the point of having great beer if it takes forever to get a drink?
(2)
Guillermo C.
This rating is for the beer! Yes... we had lunch here and the food was good too, but the main attraction was Pliny! Oh boy... was Pliny in FULL flavor! If you like hoppy brews, you would be hard pressed to find something better than this. I came back to LA and went on a city wide search for a bottle... and it wasn't easy... but I got a couple! The next time I drive or fly up North... I will definitely be coming to Russian River! Did I mention that I LOVE THIS BREWERY?! :) Top 5 beers on my list so far!
(5)
Jann H.
Great beer and a very popular place for people to come from all over the US.
(5)
Carl B.
Lots of great selections of beer, pizza was very good, we had to wait about 40 min for seating. Which I guess wasn't bad. It does get crowded. But that's what I'd expect. Over all the experience was great food was great the people were great
(4)
Jennifer M.
This review won't matter im certain of it but for what it's worth I love russian river beer I've been a fan since long before they became popular. I understand they are busy but I've given that excuse five times now and this was my last straw! The people are so busy and so stuck up they are down right condescending as if our entrance to their establishment is a burden!!!!! I had two kids with me to just pick up beer and they helped everyone else around me EXCEPT me! I'm sorry But at this point I'll never return. I have gone so many times and had the same type of service and just chalked it up to them being busy but now I'm done. It's sad I've been a huge fan and loyal customer for as long as I can remember
(1)
Julio G.
Great beer. You must try a complete flight. I wouldnt recommend going there to eat, you should stick with beer and bites that are filled with cheese. The downside is long wait to get a table, and service can be inconsistent. For instance, last time I went there the server kept forgetting some of the beer orders. Also at the end, he asked us to close up because he was leaving. I understand that sometimes there are change of shifts, but I really don't think it's good for the customers to close a check and have to reopen because of the restaurant's work schedule. Specially if you are on table with a group of friends, the last thing you want to do is deal with money if you aren't thinking of paying the bill yet.
(4)
Aaron A.
Ok...so I have family in Santa Rosa and have been there plenty of times but never too the time to come to Russian River before. Why did I wait so long?!? I've been hearing from Beer Advocate magazine how high Pliny the Elder and Younger have been rates, along with several other beers they brew. Man now I fully understand! First off we came on a Sunday at around 5pm. It was so packed! I later found out it was happy hour all day! Wow! They had a live band playing in the background which added to the already awesome scene. We were lucky enough to get some room near the bar. I ordered the Pliny the Elder and friends ordered the sampler. I consider myself a good judge of craft beer and have been to many different breweries and I will say that Pliny the Elder was the best beer I have ever had. It was classified as an imperial IPA but it was so smooth I thought I was drinking a mild, low alcohol % IPA. That's impressive. I had the sampler and there were several I also loved. Russian river brews a lot of beer, first time I've ever had sour beer, and my tastes might not be ready yet because I hated them. No worries, it was happy hour and I had a few more Pliny the Elders and I was in beer heaven! I can't wait till I can try Pliny the Younger. I may plan a trip based on its release. On a side note...I had to ask a server why Pliny the Elder? I was told that Pliny was a Roman Philosopher who founded hops. I was also told that Pliny adopted a son, hence the name Pliny the Younger. It's beer history. Pretty cool to name your beer as.
(5)
Jensyn H.
Sunday is happy hour all day! Let me tell ya, this is NOT your best choice if you're looking for a quiet drink with friends or a fancy dinner! This is your stop in while walking through, plan to meet up and YELL to your friends from across the table or while sitting outside on the patio. RRBC is always loud, and there is often music. Sitting outside is always the best option in my opinion because it's first come, first serve. Oh, speaking of service, there's not much outside. This place is BUSY! Grab your drinks, order your beer bites (pliny are tastiest because they have jalapeños), and head outside to scope the tables or grab a bench seat. It's always the quickest option. They offer a lot of options for beer. I don't drink beer, so that doesn't help me. However, they also stock up on a variety of local wines. The list is not that extensive, but they cover a lot of ground with it. I seriously love this spot. It's the place to go if you're just looking to hang out with friends or even meet some locals.
(5)
Mike C.
The reason for the 1 star is NOT the beer. It's NOT the pizza. It's not the location. The reason for the one star is the time spent waiting to enjoy the beer. Over one weekend, I tried visiting the Russian River Brewery twice. The first time, I never came close to the front door. The second time, I actually got inside only to learn that the wait (at 1:30pm on a Monday) was 90 minutes. I really like their beer and I really dislike how hard it is to find a table or a spot at the bar to order a beer. I guess it's a good problem to have. An option for someone to get into the brewery is to consider using TaskRabbit -- have someone reserve a spot for you. It's a little ludicrous to have to pay to have a chance to even get into the brewery, but this is what Russian River Brewery has come to: spend money just to be able to spend money in the bar. Yeah, that's why it's a one-star review.
(1)
Dirk R.
I love the variety and the bar bites. They live up to their hype with the beer which makes the experience less comfortable. They do get VERY busy and very crowded and for good reason. This brewery does a great job in what they do so it is not uncommon to see people walking out with cases and growler. When visiting expect a wait if looking for a spot at the bar or table. No matter what age, you need ID if you want to drink. Kids are welcome up to certain hours and the bar food is good. Regardless of the wait, it has always been worth the wait each year I visit from TX. Staff is helpful and nice and with as many people as they are waiting on in the crowded building. They do their best and don't deserve negative things I heard being said about the wait on beer or food. Be kind to the staff there because they work hard!
(4)
Lou H.
Some of the best spicy wings I've ever had and I loved the blue cheese they serve with them, that's the only reason I'm giving them 2 stars. Unfortunately that's where my good experience stopped. If you want to wait in line for over an hour for the most over-rated beer you'll ever taste, then this is the right place for you. The service is slow, with our waitress disappearing for long periods of time. The place is over crowded with drunks bumping into your table as they stumble to urinate ALL over the restroom, every where except in the toilet. The pizza tastes like tombstone frozen pizzas. Finally the beer bites, or whatever they were called, tasted like microwaved balls of dough with chewy cheese on top, another frozen food section special. I either came on a the wrong day or I'm one of the few yelpers that don't buy into the hype and ignore my taste buds because a place has gained popularity by clever marketing tactics. Don't waste your time and money at this place, it's not worth it. That's this critic's review, until next time I'll be eating.
(2)
Vicky T.
Parking lot is right nearby and it is super convenient!! Pulled a mission for a friend and stopped by here on the way home. If you get the pliny here it is 3 bucks cheaper than if you get it in the store. So within five minutes I had my case, my friend saved 30 bucks plus and I was on my way back home. Friendly staff and some day I will stop long enough to try the food.
(4)
Daniel B.
I am NOT a beer drinker but the three others in my party were. They enjoyed the full tasting which was very reasonably priced. We had some bar food as well. I left stuffed! The food was very tasty and also reasonably priced although the pizzas seemed to be expensive.
(4)
Michelle C.
RRBC is one of my happy places. Despite the hour plus wait for a table (which we were still waiting on by the time we nabbed two bar stools an hour into our visit), this is one of those places where everyone is in a good mood, people are friendly, and the time flies. Sunday happy hour is insane, with most brews costing three dollars and change. No wonder everyone is in such a good mood! Soak up the brew with a basket of jasper bites; slices of pizza dough covered in mozzarella, oregano and parmesan, served with a side of marinara and/or a side of ranch for .50 more. The pizzas are also awesome and they run the gamut from plain to interesting. We tried a traditional pepperoni and it hit the spot. Can't wait for my next trip west and my next Sunday funday at Russian River!
(5)
Kris M.
Pliny and Salvation. Need I say more?
(5)
Saffron W.
While the beer here is very good- and I do mean VERY good- there's not much else I like about this place. The service staff is good with a few exceptions, but the food is overpriced and not very tasty. It's also very loud, even on nights when there's no music, and you have to shout to be heard by the person in the next seat. I don't really think the good beer is worth the crowd, noise, and long wait time, especially when there are so many other places in sonoma county to get good beer.
(3)
Alex P.
Coming here was almost a religious experience for me. A trip to Mecca for a beer lover like myself. And I will say that the 5 stars are for the beers and beers alone. I didn't get to try any of the food, save a cold bite of their Pizza Bites, nor was I really thrilled about their service. However, how can I give Russian River anything less than 5 stars when they're brewing up such delicious beers such as Pliny the Elder, Blind Pig, The Russian River IPA? I can't. When that delicious cold beer touches the lips, the tons of people piled into this place, the short handed staff, any annoyance I might have had...well, it just slowly melts away. So long as Russian River Brewing Company continues to make some of my favorite beers, this place will continue to be my beer Mecca.
(5)
Jim L.
Not such a fan. This place is just mediocre. First of all, its gloomy inside and there isn't enough of an outdoor seating area for a good brewpub. Second, its noisy. Really noisy. Third, they advertise "happy hour" special prices, but then there are all these caveats and disclaimers and exceptions to the happy hour pricing etc etc. Dubious. Finally, we ordered their famed pizza bites and requested that they throw some pepperoni on them and the waiter kind of gave us some shit about this request before finally acquiescing. So two stars is about the max. Too bad there are not more venues to hang and bang over a beer in downtown Santa Rosa.
(2)
Amber M.
Always busy but great beer, love the full flight of all the beers! Pizza is really good!
(5)
Veronica R.
We came to Santa Rosa for our anniversary and especially for the RRBC. I'm so glad we did. The atmosphere was fun. We put in our name for a table, and was told it would be an hour wait. NO big deal, we headed straight to the bar to get a beer which we waited. A little wait initially at the bar to get a beer but it was fine. We were actually able to squeeze our way in and get a couple spots at the bar. Beertenders are very busy but friendly. Everything you could want from a brewery! Good beer, good food, good crowd. We will be back again.
(5)
Hyewon Y.
Sunday is all day happy hour. I love this place.
(5)
Lauren G.
This place is definately one of my favorite places to get a brew. All of their beers are amazing and I highly recommend their pizza and appetizers to go with the beer. The entertainment on the weekends make the place packed but is usually worth it. Pliny the Younger is also an even that packs the popular venue so get there early!
(5)
Jacquelynne O.
I love this place. Growing up in SoCo we have always had brewerys to check out, but none that weren't filled with yuppies. RRBC is definetly not filled with yuppies, really just filled with bearded men, girls without makeup and outta towners that crawl in after the Tattoo and Blues Festival. The pizza is great, should be orded with half the cheese though. Its been a while since I've been down for beer since living in LA very few people enjoy it as much as they do in Norcal. Therefore, I typically stick with the Redemption which is something like a sour Heffewisen. I suggest avoiding the place on any major holiday though as it gets so crowded you can't even walk through it. On a rainy Friday night though, as is happens alot up here, its a great place to see some funky band and people watch with friends.
(4)
Mario T.
Some of the best beer in the US its right here for the same price that many bars charge for a Corona. The pizzas and bread bites are to die for!
(5)
Vivian T.
I tried Pliny the Elder at a hofbrau, and it was enough to make me drive over here to visit the brewery itself. (that and it's rather hard to find Elder to buy in a 6 pack) We parked in the garage behind the brewery ($0.75 per hour! that's cheap) and waited about 1 hour for a table in the middle of the day on a Saturday. We actually got seats at the bar after waiting for about 30 min but decided to wait it out for a full table to eat the grub. The bartenders were SO busy; it may take you some time to flag one down to put in your drink order, but they're so kind and nice! I got the Belgium sampler (great way to try out a lot of their beers) and ended up leaving with a handful of growlers and bottles... (bring a cooler!) My favorites were Elder, Little White Lie, and Defenestration. I love IPAs but didn't like their Blind Pig :( The bottles were pretty expensive, especially for the sour beers ($12 for 3/4 pint). They do limit you for Elder also; I forgot if it's a 6 or 12 per person and 2 growlers. Anyway, the growlers are a pretty good deal if you plan to return, which I do! As for food, it's typical bar fare. Pizza paired well with beer, and garlic bread soaked up the beer well, and the meatball sub was pretty good. Our waitress and staff were very nice; their tvs were showing the super exciting sport of sailing, so I asked if they could put on the Kings vs Blackhawks game instead, and they complied without hesitation! Hooray! Overall, the brewery is pretty great. My favorite brewery though is still 3Floyds... I just like more varieties of their beer.
(4)
T B.
I don't know a thing about beer but people that like it line up around the block for it here. I go for the pizza. The Primavera is my fave.
(3)
N B.
Five stars for beers, two stars for ambiance. Excellent beers. Good pizzas. But I must be getting old, because this place is always WAY TOO LOUD. I understand it's a bar and I expect some noise, but it's like they intentionally crank the music to make people talk louder, then crank the music more so it can be heard above the din, and so on. Being able to order half pints is nice. Happy Hour all afternoons on Sundays is nice. The outdoor patio is nice, if you can get space. But I can buy their excellent beers at my local market without getting jostled while standing three deep at a bar, and drink them on my own patio at home without having to shout to be heard. Go for the beer, not the ambiance.
(3)
Monica S.
Holy sweetness Consecration! Today, I drank from God's urethra. I'm in California this week, and my friend Yvonne and I decided to take a very impromptu road trip to Sonoma County to be proper East Coast transplants in the great grape fields of the Pacific Northwest! Instead, due to one clumsy Blackberry and a flaccid iPhone, we ended up in lovely, 92-degree downtown Santa Rosa. I was this close to getting back into the rental until I spied a mirage in the distance. Could it be? T'was!! Incredibly, I had stumbled upon the domicile of my newly favorite craft beer: Russian River Brewery, where everyone doesn't know your name but pretends to. I immediately felt at home at the bar where Jeff, the smutty-mouthed bartender ("Cider? Never trust anything that doesn't give a little head...") slammed down multiple shot glasses of three different sour house brews, each complemented with local farm strawberries, cherry tomatoes, and chocolate. The black currant infused, slightly sour, 10% Consecration beer (my favorite, duh) gave me dimples cuter than AC Slater's, and the lighter Temptation beer kept me distracted in between Consecrations. Jeff kept me happily watered throughout the afternoon, and I even got to take home a $25 750ml bottle of God's nectar (yeah, it's that good). 5 hours later, West Coast friends keep offering me beers and I just can't oblige them. Russian River has killed my taste for mediocre brews. Attention Philadelphia: run to Monk's or Tria in Rittenhouse and you can purchase a 750ml bottle of Consecration for yourself...
(5)
Rob N.
5 stars for the beer. 2 stars for the menu (what? no burgers at a beer place????) 2 stars for the size of the place (totally packed on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night). Good for business, bad for customers. 3 stars for the t-shirt selection - didn't have all the sizes needed during the peak tourist season.
(3)
Caleb B.
Too big for their own britches. My only endeavor was to purchase quality beer on tap to drink at my house. Unfortunately this establishment would not fill my growler's that were not branded with their own label. Additionally, they have revamped their seating arrangements to provide more room standing outside in line and less local brewery chaos inside. Their beer still taste great, but now has the bitter aftertaste of a successful small businesses that no longer supports its original constituents.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Dibital N.
Less than three bucks for a fourteen ounce poor of their Belgian style brews = glorious. I went here on a hot day and glugged the Belgian Blonde as if it were Gatorade. Normally I don't associate beer with thirst quenching. Normally I chug a water then drink my beer at a normal pace if I'm really thirsty. But once this littly ditty hit my lips, it was all over.
(4)Tom P.
Food was ok, but service was awful. To be fair, it was the Earth Day festival a block away and the place looked busy, but it took pretty long for someone to see us and take an order. The only table we could get was way in back, which made it impossible to read the beer menu around the corner on the wall. It would be swell if they could provide a paper version. I wanted to like it, but I think we'll try somewhere else next time.
(2)Laura m.
super busy- good pizza, good beer!
(4)Lisa M.
My husband has been head-over-heels in love with this place for a while now, he loves the Pliny. I don't particularly like beer, but their pizza here is great. I think our favorite pizza was the Clipper. Good prices, especially at happy hour. The worst part is there is always a wait of at least 20 minutes...but that's how you know you should go here.
(5)Lydia V.
Great beer and the food ain't bad either!
(5)Rachel M.
If you are in the beer-hating minority like myself, please try RR's sours! They're beers fermented in used wine barrels, which seems to get rid of the bitter, hoppy taste I dislike and replaces it with refreshing tartness. Consecration, aged in cabernet barrels, is my favorite - and also packs a 10% ABV punch, which is cool by me. This place gets all kinds of crowded every night of the week. Seriously, wall-to-wall hipsters. If that's your scene, cool; if it's not, go for lunch. Lunch at RR is super chill and the service is much better. The pizzas are rad, but our favorites are the Jasper Bites with an extra side of marinara.
(4)Callie T.
This place is just great. I got married in the summer is 2008 at Fountain Grove, and we were looking for a casual spot for our small rehearsal dinner (about 30 people). They have a private room and let us order a bunch of beer and we happily paid corkage and brought our own wine. Good food, great service, Yummy beer. Now almost every time I'm in town I stop by for a Perdition and a salad or pizza. This place is casual, so don't expect some fancy food presentations, but it hits the spot every time!
(5)Chris G.
Supertastic! It doesn't get much better than this.
(5)Erica H.
I LOVE RR. I think they have the best beer in all of Sonoma County. I would agree with everyone else that the service can sometimes not be so good. But the pizza is awesome! And it is kid friendly! Plus on Sundays HAPPY HOUR is ALL DAY......
(5)Sean G.
Great on Sunday night! Always fun!
(5)Brett A.
Came for the beer and fell in love with the pizza. Ordered the Mikey and it was so good we went back and had it for lunch the next day. It makes the Pliny taste that much better, if that's even possible.
(5)Michael M.
Flew in from Houston for Pliny the Younger. Was very happy with how the staff handled this event. They were very enthusiastic about being extremely busy, managed huge crowds well, and the service over my two days there was amazing. The beer is better than anywhere else, despite what some reviewers have posted. The food is also excellent (in particular, the pizza).
(5)Nicha K.
Fabulous. The perfect blend of pizza and brew. My boyfriend and I shared some mozzarella balls and pizza which were both delish - but my favorite part was trying the flight of beer. With names like Damnation, Erudition and Redemption... and a WIDE range of flavors and hops and wine-inspired brews... this is definitely a place to bookmark and return again and again.
(4)Emily F.
Great happy hour prices, super friendly staff, not always such friendly patrons, but they can't control that. I just try to go in the quieter parts of the day.
(4)Heather J.
Super great beers and excellent pizzas. Had a great server. It was really crowded but we got a seat within a reasonable amount of time. Looooooved their beers. If you happen to be in the area, I recommend that you stop in for a pint and a slice.
(5)Chelsea F.
Beers are good, if you can actually get served. Crazy busy and bartenders were serving everyone except people at the bar apparently. I've been here before and not had a bad experience but this time was ridiculous. We put our name on the list to be seated and then attempted to get a beer for 20 minutes with no luck. We ended up leaving and going to Third Street Ale Works. By the time we were done eating there we got our text telling us a table was ready. Geez, we're only a party of 2. Why an hour to get seated? Like I said the beers at Russian River are good, but I don't think I would come to the brewery again. I've experienced far better service in San Diego, so I'll stick with my local breweries.
(2)Jessie R.
The Beer speaks for itself ... 5 stars in most peoples eyes. Hour long lines for special releases. The food here is yyyuuuummmmy. (The beer bites are to die for) But ....... THE. SERVICE. SUCKS. It is getting BETTER than it was a few years ago ... thats why I'm adding the second star. but it still is pretty horrible, unless you get Mike, or the girl ....
(2)Summer C.
My boyfriend and I were dying to come here on our trip up north, as we are big fans of their sours. Seating near and at the bar were packed, but we were able to pick up a table to the side. The waitresses (pleural, as we had a few serving us) were decent, kind of spotty (ask one waitress one thing and a different one comes and you don't know if you should ask again or not). We ordered the beer flight (for 15 dollars) between 3 of us, which was plenty of beer for us to have a good tasting and understanding of each style. Also ordered a few glasses of Supplication and Temptation, oh yum! I highly recommend trying "Travis' Bites" as they are like pizza bread sticks with cheddar and jalepenos, oh holy mouthful of spicy goodness! Also, my boyfriend was able to buy bottles of Santification to go (12 of them) since their max is 6 per person, but I vouched as the second person making the order. I also bought a t-shirt (they didn't have my size) as a drunk choice, so now this x-tra big shirt is my dedicated pajama shirt. Who gets to sleep in Redemption? I do!
(5)Angelo B.
Went here for a bachelor party a few months ago, so the details are a bit hazy...the amount of beer I had doesn't help clear any details either. SO...from what I remember. I was told that a bachelor party was being held in Santa Rosa, I faced palmed, that shit is far! I don't care how soft his skin is!!! That's FAR!!! The ONLY thing that'd get me up there would be to hit up Russian River Brewery! As luck would have it, IT was apart of the plan! *slaps hand on wooden bar* HELLZ YEAH I'M IN!!! The food was better than I'd expected from a brew pub. We had a few different types of pizza and some other stuff but it was kinda pizza-ish too. I didn't come here for the food....nor did I really come for the bachelor...sorry JT...I came for the BEER! Mind you...I'm not going into any specifics...cause well I can't. I'm not articulate enough to do the beer justice. So I'll just multiply stuff. Pliny the Elder in a bottle is a damn good beer. Coming out of a keg it's 10x better! Blind Pig, never had it in a bottle but it was quite tasty. Picked up a few bottles from Bobby's Liquor but was still longing for the kegged stuff. Screw the math I'm tired. Russian River IPA, for me this was the beer of the night. It stole the show, even beyond watching someone taking pictures in cars who's owners we do not know. But this beer was damned good and it'll be the one I go back for. Sorry Pliny but I think the Pale Ale has got ya beat! Still haven't found it outside their brew pub. Attentive, patient and friendly service was provided to us while we were sober and even when we were stumble, stutter, slur drunk, they didn't even mind that the Nutra-sister was walkin around with his fly open with balloons coming out of it. Price....damn. Either their prices are really good, we made out like bandits (on the bill, not each other), someone forgot to charge us some stuff OR I was drunk and found that 15 guys paid $200 bucks for food/beer and 3/4 of us were already drunk after our first stop. Twas a memorable night and I'm glad this was our first stop, cause shit...I don't remember the names of the other 2....or 4...bars we stopped at!
(5)Rachael Z.
Had a great time at this busy happy Brewery. The pizza was above expectation for a place where beer is the focus. Good crust (bubbly and great dough), high quality toppings and great choices. The staff is friendly even when the place is wall to wall bodies. And the beer is some of the best in the world. I like the Row 5, but Hop Father is just killer as well. I like both of them even better than the Pliny (s). It is a very busy popular place, and that might be off putting to some, but we've never had to wait more than 10 minutes or so to get seats at the bar.
(5)Dana L.
I took my daughter (13 years old) here for lunch for her "last day of school" meal (back in June). I wanted to sit outside, and let her order a salad and maybe pizza or something to celebrate. We were trying to find a place that would be conducive to a baby crying because I also have a tiny guy (he was 2 months old at the time)and I was nervous about having the baby disturb others while dining. I told the waitress we would like to sit outside and she led us to the front patio area. There was unfortunately not a table open... so we said we would wait (for one to open up) on the bench area near the tables. She said that was perfect and that meanwhile, she would bring us some drinks. We ordered a club soda and a sprite. I sat there with my 13 year old and my ity-bity baby in his car seat sleeping, waiting..... and waiting..... and waiting..... No one ever showed up with sodas, the waitress never returned! I finally went back in side, carting the baby and 13 year old with me of course! I flagged someone down and said, "We have been waiting for about 20 minutes for our drinks on the benches outside... and we were never served." This other waitress said un-apologetically, "Well, we don't ever serve the people who are waiting on the benches." I explained that it would have been nice if they had explained that in the first place and not have told us they were coming back with our drinks. Just then the waitress who had misinformed us walked by, I saw that she overheard this conversation I was having with another waitress, and she just rolled her eyes!!! (Fast forward 45 minutes later, when I was leaving she even had the nerve to give me the "stink eye!") Anyway, finally, we were seated. At that point the food and service were 100% better... but they knew I was already really upset. Overall, I just felt like I wasn't "hip" enough to matter there, because I was "just a mom with her kids." That was the vibe I got. I wasn't drinking beer.... so maybe I was not a worthy customer. Well, let me tell you... my husband used to be a regular, and buy plenty of "pliny" my baby has even been known to sport a "tiny pliny t shirt" and when I got home and told him the story he was not happy at all. He hasn't been back since! I will never return after that experience and I don't recommend this place for family's.
(2)Kimiko N.
The pizza and beer are absolutely fantastic! I would give the food and brews 10 stars if I could. We used to get really crumby service but now they have stepped up their game and no matter how busy we always seem to have pretty great service. Word to the wise if you order the wings they take an extremely long time. Best to order them the moment you are seated if you want them as an appetizer!
(5)Ezequiel O.
Great Brewery with awesome food as well. Customer service is fair and beer is great! Highly recommend anybody who is trying to have a great beer with a great dinner to try this brewery out. You definitely will not be disappointed. Most definitely one of Sonoma County's finest breweries..
(5)David P.
The beers are stellar and the pizza is great. I had the Lola, which has corn and jalapenos on it and it was exactly what I was hoping for.
(5)Eli S.
That heavy and giant tasting board of beers alone is enough to make me love you guys. The huge board of meets and cheese you handed over with it sealed the deal. Then the loveliness of your patrons and bartenders went above and beyond. Why are you so far away from me, Russian River?
(5)Michael S.
The only positive about this place is the beer. The service is terrible, very slow and accommodating. The food is okay but there are much better options close by. They are a victim of their own success. I live locally and rarely visit, usually just to fill up a growler and leave. When ever i get talked into going I always regret it. The atmosphere is very uncomfortable. My recommendation would be to go to third St. ale-works, or Bear Republic in Healdsburg for better food more, better service, and decent beers.
(2)Asmus O.
Oh yes. This is how a brewing company is supposed to present itself. Easy food and amazing beer. PLINY THE ELDER. WOW. The bar seemed like the most lively place in all of Santa Rosa. Everybody visiting the Bay Area should be forced to go here.
(5)Matthew W.
The 1 star is for the janitor that came up to us in the middle of our meal, and falsely accused someone in our party of vomiting in the urinal, and then proceeded to say: "Let's go clean up the bathroom. No, I'm serious, you vomited in the bathroom, and I need to go clean it up." He wasn't joking, although he wasn't seriously expecting us to go help him clean the bathroom. (The guy in our party did not vomit in the bathroom, but what happened was that another customer told the worker that he did, and he was thus a victim of mistaken identity.) However, even if he did throw up in the bathroom, it's highly unprofessional (and probably illegal) for the staff to ask a customer to clean the bathroom, even if he was not serious (although he was not saying it in a joking tone). I can understand if someone is throwing up in a bar, it's fine to throw them out, but it's pretty rude to embarrass your customer by asking him to help out with your job and clean the toilet. In today's case, I'm not even convinced that it was the customer's fault for throwing up, whoever it was. It's possible that the kitchen gave them bad food, in which case you would think the business would be trying to bend over backward to make sure that the food was fresh and okay. Additionally, the urinal/trough was never fully cleaned for the rest of the evening, and all of the men that used the urinal for the rest of the day had to look at that vomit, which is (1) gross, (2) probably a health violation, and (3) not good for business, as that is very unappetizing when you're trying to sell stuff like oatmeal stouts to people. So that is further blame on the janitor who failed to do his job and fully clean up the mess. I told our server what happened, and the server sorted things out with the janitor. The server came back to us and clarified to us what happened, but none of the staff (including the janitor) proceeded to apologize. I had expected to at least for the person in our party to get handed at least one free beer out of it (after all, in a bar setting, buying someone a beer is the unofficial way to rectify a mistake and after that all is forgiven), but nothing like that happened. However, all we were looking for was a simple apology, especially from the janitor who made the mistake, or a manager. In all fairness, this bar/restaurant was a lot of fun, and if you're into high-quality IPA/Belgian-style micro brews, this is a great place. Our server was very nice other than this, especially considering we were hanging out there for 5 hours.
(1)Michelle T.
Mild and Savage chicken wings- legit homemade sauce. Amazing Beers On Tap: Pliny The Elder (yum) Russian River IPA Damnation 2 oz samplers $.50 to $0.75 You can try any of their beers in a 2 oz. sampler! Sour Ales to Try: Supplication (sour ale) Conscrecation (sour ale) Tempatation (sour ale) I don't love the taste, but some people do. It's definitely an acquired taste that you either love or hate. Pros: Happy hour $3.50 a pint til 6:30 PM. You can buy a growler there, and they fill it up for you with your favorite beer on tap! Cons: We tried to get Pliny the Younger, but its like a ghost and doesn't exist!! It showed up but we were too late for the tasting because they ran out. =\
(5)Todger ..
Now this place is the real deal. These guys are real brewers that seriously know what they are doing. Pliny the Elder was fantastic. The hopping was superb. I drank mostly IPA's on this visit but the available brews, both standard and belgian, was out of this world. This place serves mostly pub fare, and does a great job with it. We ordered two small pizzas, which was more than enough for two people so we brought the leftovers home with us. Popular place, go early if you are planning to eat.
(4)Casey O.
Simply an amazing location to grab a beer with friends, unfortunately this place never has a seat available it's always packed, so I just stopped going...
(3)QT B.
Beer is not to be missed! A beer for every palate. I love the sours there. Only complaint is that the chicken wings took forever BUT our waitress took it off the bill and even gave us the order to go!!! Customer service is top notch.
(5)Joanne R.
Beer may be good but it's so crowded this day (Saturday) and our waitress hasn't been back in 20 minutes to take our order after waiting almost an hour for a table We finally had to go up to the 3 deep bar because evidently our waitress is busy putting eyelashes on the Manager. I wonder if the owner is aware? I see why there is an hour wait for a table when it takes more than a half hour to find your waitress!
(2)Adam G.
I used to love this place, so I hate having to leave a bad review, but I had to share my rant. Been here on a couple Friday mid afternoons only, the beer and food are good. Then I came on a busy Saturday afternoon. The security staff is entitled because a brewmaster won some awards for making a good beer that they had nothing to do with... Service Review: Me and 4 friends drove up from the South Bay to go here, one is visiting from Boston. So we wait in line for about 45 minutes, which is about what I expected, no big deal, we're relaxed on vacation, and I know it's a busy tourist spot. We get to the front and very clearly tell the doorman we had 5 people, but we were waiting for 2 of them, they'll be there in only 5 min. He says alright and let's us in. The 3 of us go grab a spot on the patio bench, and no more than 30 seconds later I walk up to the doorman and to let him know where we sitting, because our friends are about to be there. Pretty standard procedure, I think (Done this dozens of times at many other places). Doorman says they have to go to the back of the line. At first I thought he was joking. I ask why he let us in knowing we were waiting for 2 people, if this was the rule. The doorman now says "That was your decision." So I say "I was never given a chance to make a decision, you just let us in, knowing we were waiting for 2 more." I even offer to have our group get out of our seats and let everyone in line pass us until our friends arrive, no dice, he was going to send us to the end of the line. So for about 2-3 minutes we're going back and forth, the doorman telling me I'm making things worse for myself, when I'm simply just asking question like "Couldn't you have just asked us to wait to the side, and let people behind us pass us until our friends got here? (like literally any other busy restaurant that has this rule will do) You knew we were waiting for 2 more." In addition to him saying something cocky to the effect of "This is my line, I can do what I want" He kept on going back to his point that we "decided" to go in, and I kept saying we were never given the option. It probably didn't help that I was laughing a little bit because I literally could not believe this guy. I go inside, figure maybe the hostess or manager would hear me out. The hostess was useless, so she called over some little guy that I guess was security manager. He gave me the same tough guy responses as the doorman outside, and at one point I say, "Any other place I've been to in my life that does not want you to come in without your full party will tell you before you enter that you need to wait. I would have been 100% ok with waiting longer" and the little guy say "Have you ever been to place with a line this long?" I literally spit out my coffee, and I wasn't even drinking any... But really, I started laughing and just walked away. Maybe these guys have never been out of Santa Rosa, I feel sorry for them. Anyways, since we drove 2 hours from the South Bay to go to this place and enjoy the beer/pizza (not the doormen) we decided to stay and wait for the other 2 and get food/beers. The waiter was nice, but service was a little slow, not his fault I don't think. Food review: Beer (Pliny) is good, Pizza is good. I would only recommend going here at 3pm on a Tuesday in February, it's good, but it's not worth dealing with the wait or the security chiefs that think their sh!t doesn't stink, because there's a line outside they did nothing to create. Finally, after my little discussion with these winners, we heard them telling people that weren't with their whole party that they needed to wait of to the side until they all got there...
(1)Melissa L.
When my friends and I decided to make a late night stop to the Russian River Brewing Company, I had absolutely no clue what I was walking into. I was just pretty much along for the ride as my beer buddy wanted to fill up his growlers for the Superbowl. I'm a very casual beer drinker, although I will sip a Sierra Nevada or locally made beer (when traveling) from time to time. We pull up, on a week day night some time after 10 pm and although most of the businesses in the area were closed for the night, the RR brewery was pretty busy, mostly with students from nearby Sonoma State. The four of us decide to stay and try a couple of their samplers, which consisted of 18 different craft beers, all made by the RR brewery. The beers range from blond ales, to IPAs, to stouts to sour, barrel-aged beers to Belgian style ales. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/russ… ) My favorites? Those would be the Blind Pig, Pliny the Elder and Happy Hops, which go with my preference for pale ales. My least favorites? The sour beers. Couldn't stomach them. One of my cohorts felt the same way but one person ended up purchasing one bottle each of Supplication and Consecration. We also purchased some bottles of Pliny the Elder. We were each limited to six bottles each. The sampler is a great way to try all their beers and to see what you like. Note that some have a much higher alcohol content than others. Descriptions for each beer are posted behind the bar as well as on a card provided with the sampler. We did not sample any food items off the menu so i cannot comment on them other than to say the menu looked pretty good, with options ranging from pizza, salads, sandwiches and the usual bar nibbles. The menu had a blurb on the beers that pair well with certain food items. The staff was really helpful and quite friendly. We were able to get a table immediately and the hostess came by soon after we were seated to see if we wanted to move our table given that a party of 20 was about to be seated next to us. She was worried it would be too crazy for us to sit so close to them. I thought that was really considerate of her. As to the ambiance, I would describe as a friendly, comfortable place to hang out and appreciate beer. Definitely not a sports bar. On my visit there were a lot of students there with a sprinkling of older patrons. No attitudes and no pretentiousness from the patrons or the staff. Everyone is welcome. Prices for food and beverages were reasonable. There is a big parking lot available. Apparently we missed the big release of Pliny the Younger by 1.5 weeks! Oh well, at least we were able to get in and grab a table without a wait. There's always next year.
(5)Jenny T.
Best place for pizza, beer, and a good time! Its usually packed on the weekends, and that might not be for everyone- especially if you're looking to have a romantic date, but its casual, the food is delicious, the staff is on it, and the beer is AMAZING. My advice it to sample them all and choose a favorite on your first visit, because you'll have such a good time, you'll definitely be back for more. A lot of people have commented on the "wait", but you have to know that when they come out with their new beer the line will be down the block for it, and people travel from all over the world for it. Any random day/night of the week its just as busy as you would expect a good pizza and beer place to be.
(5)Jessica R.
Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the lord my soul to keep. And if I die before I wake, I pray the lord to Russian River me take. Russian's IPAs and sours are unmatched in the beer world. (And the pizza bites aren't bad either.)
(5)Ian A.
I don't even drink when I'm there because it's usually lunch. However, their meatball sandwich is top-notch. I'm an affectionado of the dish and this is one of the good ones. Tasty meatballs, zesty sauce, a good amount of cheese. They don't fool around.
(4)Peter C.
Amazing Beer. The Damnation is my favorite. Excellent Pizza. The Drew bites are great for snacking. The Wings are great, especially if you like em hot, get the Savage Sauce (and a pitcher of beer to put out the fire). The place is almost always packed, so be prepared to wait a bit and rub elbows. For first timers I suggest a flight of all the beers and a basket or two of Drew Bites.
(5)Paolo D.
I've been holding out on my 800th review. The truth is I'd already be there if I didn't remove my HanShikTaco write-up from years back (old school LV Yelpers will fondly remember that place). Anyway, Russian River Brewing Company! Do I need to say more? OK fine. I had been looking forward to this visit for quite some time. And when our trip evolved in such a way that we would be there on Sunday to coincide with their all-day happy hour, it was like the stars aligned. We didn't actually take advantage of the discounted pints (which aren't that expensive to begin with). Nope. When it's your first time visiting RRBC, you must (absolutely MUST) get their sampler. Everything they have on tap that day resulted in 17 beers on our table (one spot sadly missing in the spread). Side note: I'm a bit of an Untappd whore, so this was paradise for me. Ignoring any sort of progression strategy, I went straight for the four sours--Supplication, Compunction, Sanctification, and Consecration. I've been seeking great sours lately and all of the RRBC sours were top notch, culminating with the truly excellent Consecration. Out of myriad awesome beers including the ever-so-popular Pliny The Elder (and some forgettable ones), that was easily my favorite of the night. Food-wise, we shared a Mama Mia pizza and a Gorgonzola salad. Both were good and a perfectly adequate complement to the beer. Oh the beer. Of course I purchased a few bottles to bring back to Vegas. Another side note: wine diapers from Amazon are a great product. There really is nothing bad I can say about this place. Sure we had to wait for a table, but this is understandable at a popular joint during their all-day happy hour no less. They make it easy by texting you when your table is ready. Sure we ended up seated right at the back, but it was quieter back there anyway. The only conclusion is five stars.
(5)Bao A.
For whatever reason the beer taste a little bit better when maddy is behind the bar. Should be there more often.
(5)De Dolle B.
Favorite brewery. The beer is great top to bottom and the food is excellent.
(5)Monica S.
Came here twice, both times on Wednesdays around 3pm and the entire place was hopping! We still got in immediately. The wait staff is great! The brews are excellent! And the food is killer! I enjoy the loud atmosphere and appreciated the beer recommendations they very easily gave us. They were spot on!
(5)Jonathan A.
I was not sure about driving 90 minutes on a Saturday to get to Russian River Brewing but it was a guys day out so I figured I'd go along and see what all the buzz is about. I'm seriously glad I did! We got there two minutes before opening and there were about 50 people in line, we were seated quickly and got down to business. We got beer samplers and then had a couple of beers and food and it was all great. I enjoyed it so much I forked out $18 for a Pliny the Elder t-shirt. The beers at Russian River are, of course, highly respected so no surprise there, but what did surprise me was how great the food was. A place like this with a line out the door all the time could easily serve cheap, frozen food but these guys do it right. We had five guys in our party and everyone thought their meal was exceptional so nice work Russian River! Suggestions: 1. Get there before they open. Some people think that's strange but I like to not have a long wait, get inside for some good seating and enjoy yourself. Why wait in line when you could have virtually no wait by getting there an hour earlier? 2. You can only get two samplers per table. Our server explained to us that they only do two because they don't have enough serving boards for everyone so they need to limit the number per table. The folks next to us were waiting 45 minutes for their sampler...want to know why? See suggestion #1 3. Get your shit together. Russian River gets really crowded and the servers are working their asses off. I saw several tables around us have no clue what they wanted to eat or drink, so the server moved on to something else, and they seemed miffed that it took the server a long time to get back. Your experience will be much better if you sit down, figure out what you want, order, and then dork around looking at the walls, taking selfies, and engaging in small talk. All around great place and I'm glad I went!
(5)Joseph V.
Of all the pubs and restaurants in the Santa Rosa downtown area we visited, this was the best. Great ambiance. We had to wait 20 minutes for a table but that was no problem. I like the way they text you when your table is ready. The pizza was excellent. Nice crispy thin crust. Not too much cheese. Great toppings. The chicken wings were also excellent. The service was spot on. Attentive but not overly so. And even educational when we asked about the beers. I love the selection of beers but unfortunately we like wheat, lager, and pilsner more than ale and IPA. The waiter very kindly explained the reason behind the predominance of ale and IPA in the Sonoma county area. Its the hops.
(4)Ben H L.
Good beer isn't worth waiting for. Good beer isn't worth driving long distances for either. IF both of those statements are true, then why would anyone be so stupid to drive more than an hour to Santa Rosa to come here, line up before they open, to have at least two pints of beer with some food, and then make a long trip back from wherever they came from? Obviously, there are a lot of stupid people out there and I'm one of them! One thing that can't be disputed is that they have good food and good beer. The throngs of people who come to this place locally and from far reaches of the state, the continental USA, and even from out of the country say so! I don't deny that RRBC has a well earned reputation and add to the fact that the distribution and availability of their products being sold in other retail establishments is very scarce. Sometimes they just have bottles of Elder for sale and even more rare, a keg of Elder on tap! Usually those businesses that do have any RRBC products will have them at a premium price for sure. I went here two days in a row...the first night I wanted to buy their special edition blonde sour that they were doing for a charity fundraiser. The worker told me that they sold out but to come the following day when they would have more. The next day, I returned to find that they couldn't sell me one because they had given the rights to purchase that special edition bottle were given away on the previous night. So not wanting to lose my temper with the person who gave me this bad news, I bought a growler of Elder, waited patiently for it to come to me, and then I walked out. It may sound like that I have a pretty big grudge against RRBC but I really don't. This place is making money hand over fist and maybe I never had a shot at getting that blonde sour bottle. In that sense, the locals who live nearby can truly say that this is their brewery and their neighborhood community microbrewery. If you're from out of the area, then get ready for an education when you get there. I still am a fan of their beer and I do love my growler bottle and I do plan on coming back to refill it at some point in the future. I definitely will not be eating their food or lining up for Pliny the Younger.
(3)JC P.
My second visit last night. I was able to park my rig a couple on miles away and called a taxi. The Mediterranean Pizza was incredible. Of course, I had a few Pliny the Elder and took some home as well. This place is great.
(5)Tristan S.
Sat down for a Consecration Ale today. I always enjoy good food and beers, but it gets really busy so come early. A little too preachy and pretentious for my liking. My wife asked for a sprite/pils mix (as she hates beer, but loves me), and the manager refused to allow it. Just ordered a Pils and Sprite, and made it myself. No worries! Great food and beers otherwise. Cheers!
(4)Julie T.
It's crazy busy for a good reason! The beer is great and the food is fantastic!
(5)Rusty S.
Good food, good beer. What else can i say. Go on a weekday if you don't like the crowds.
(5)Walter K.
Let me keep this simple. This beautiful Santa Rosa location serves up some of the best beer in the USA hands down. On top of that, it's cheap. The food is good, the staff is nice, and the atmosphere is wonderful. But the beer. It will blow you away. Drink the Belgians and go home happy.
(5)Steven E.
Wonderfully experience had a small wait to get in as they were at max capacity. Staff was super friendly Alex. Who helped me in gift shop/ beers to was really fantastic. Great customer experience. Recommend going early in week as it's less crowded. For food get the baked wings amazingly good if you are a wing fan. Depending on how full sampler of beer can be a while as they only have 18 boards. But worth it!!!! To the staff at Russian river brew. Thank you for being so nice and friendly keep it up and I'll see u again soon.
(5)Louisa T.
This place is crazy busy! We came here at 2pm on a Sunday afternoon after the Santa Rosa Half/Marathon and there was a long line outside to get in. It felt like a club with a bouncer at the door to check IDs, stamp your hand, before you can go in and stand some more while waiting for a table. The wait was 35-45mins AFTER we got into the restaurant. However, mad props to them for the app they text to your phone that tells you how many more tables are ahead of you. The restaurant itself is super small and gets crowded/cramped fast.I don't think it's good for big groups. 45mins later, we were seated at the last table towards the restroom/exit- thank goodness! There were no crowds around us waiting for us to get up from the table and there was much more space. Another prop to them for having hooks on the wall by your leg for women to hang their purses after being seated on bartop tables and stools-thoughtful. I honestly did not expect much, thinking it'll be your typical brewery/pub food - expensive and lacking in taste, but boy did they prove me wrong. Our party ordered the 8 piece chicken wing to share (which was really good), the drew bites that are basically cut up pizza dough topped with pepperoni, and a side of marinara sauce (which was also really good), but most of all, their large pizza that we split half Clipper (mozzarella, pesto, bacon and artichoke heart), and half Mikey (mozzarella, marinara, pepperoni, sausage and caramelized onions) was AMAZING. The pizzas were thin crust pizzas and flavor was great. I really enjoyed both pizza but would highly recommend the Mikey (maybe because I like my meat on my pizza). Very delicious. Their food overall was really impressive and I really enjoyed everything we had. The boys on our table shared a sampler (pictured everywhere on yelp). Honestly, a great deal to try all their beer on tap. I've never seen any brewery that gave you so many samples for such a good price. Personally I loved their Pliny beer and we ended up taking a 4 pack to go. Aside from the crazy long wait, and crowdedness, this place is solid. The service was nothing crazy, but it wasn't lacking too much either. I would love to come back.
(4)Angelica C.
Definitely worth visiting (if only for their incredible beer sampler or to pick up some Pliny the Elder). The beer sampler gives you a huge selection (we had 16 or so) of beers on tap to taste. And the price comes out to $1 per taste. Such a steal. Another thing this place does so incredibly well is manage their crowds. Understandably, people line up to get into this place (we came in 30 minutes after they opened and there was already a 45 minute wait), but they handle this so incredibly brilliantly. They give you a time estimate, take your phone number and text you when your table is ready. Why don't more restaurants do this?! We were able to wander around the neighborhood (check out the Barnes & Noble across the street) while waiting for our table. The time flew by. Once we were seated, it looked like the entire ordering process was automated (our server put in our order in a handheld). This place is efficient. And they produce quality beer, so I'm a huge fan. We ordered some wings to go with our beer -- they come 8 to an order, and were decent. Not the crispiest or the best wings I've had, but they did the job. Service was great, the wait was exactly as they quoted us, and we were able to snag some bottles of Pliny, some pint glasses and some t-shirts too. Love it!
(5)Clayton S.
Well worth the wait! There may be a line outside but don't let that stop you. Easily the best brewery I have been too...anywhere. There are more than 20 beers on tap and they are all delicious. If that isn't enough the pizza is amazing. Do yourself a favor and stop In here.
(5)Jake M.
Amazing beer! Without a doubt this place has great beer. However, the service is garbage. Let me elaborate, unless you look and dress like your part of the occupy Santa Rosa movement the staff will treat you like your the 1%. Unfriendly and arrogant is the best way to describe them. My advise is to visit during the day and expect horrible service from bar tender and servers alike. AVOIDE this place at night.
(1)Greg F.
I want to quit my job and drink Pliny the Elder all day. Also, the beer bites are tasty. I can't imagine a better Saturday than lounging at RRBC for the afternoon, imbibing their delicious brews.
(5)Ryan H.
So I lived in Santa Rosa for 6 months. I like the downtown. The rest of the city can burn. Anybody wine tasting, visiting, or stuck in Santa Rosa should go right to the Russian River Brewing Company. I think I had a triple ipa? "Pliny The Elder" might be the best beer I have ever had. It's too small and it should be because it's the best spot in Sonoma County. GREAT BEERS.
(5)Patrick C.
I'd say literally a dream come true that exceed my expectations!!! We were greeted on our way in the back door by an employee that we later found out is the GM. We had awesome service throughout our meal and tasting. First I had to get a pint of Pliny because I don't know how you could do anything else first... After that I got the taster. I've learned over the last year to really appreciate other styles besides hopped up IPAs. There were definitely some winners in the tasting but the Blind Pig and Pliny stole the show.
(5)Danny G.
Mediocre beer doesn't exist here! Love real beer? Get here, order down the list and take a cab home.
(5)Amanda M.
I only give them 3 stars because I went there this last time and had the only good experience, besides on my birthday when I happened to get a spot at the bar. There is always a wait for 30 min to an hour to sit. The food takes even longer. You need to plan to make this a 3 hours trip [with waiting to sit included] their food is AMAZING! but their beer isn't very good, I pretty much prefer any other place for beer but this one. The staff is usually over worked, busy, and very snotty. We had a great waiter and a great experience. I would not tell people to go here when Pliney the Elder comes out, nor make a point to come for out of town, not work the wait or line. Go over to Third Street and you can get in quickly, have great food and even better beer. People are always nice and its a good crowd. The only time there is not a line it R.R.B is for a super early lunch.
(3)J G.
Come here for the beers and the experience. The porter, witte and of course Pliny were delicious. I only sampled one sour. The price of the beers were reasonable . The food isn't so great. The beer bites are just pizza dough w/ few toppings and the Mikey pizza was a lot crust and little meat. I wouldn't eat here again but I'd certainly plop down at the bar again for some beers, assuming I could find a seat. Apparently it gets insanely busy!
(3)Amir A.
Serves the freshest IPA - Pliny the Elder with a menu that is built for drunchies. Prices are great and the location is huge with some of the best tasting beers all under one roof. If you are a serious beer drinker, this is a must stop the next time you find yourself in S.F. or nearby wine country.
(5)David A.
Yes their beer is amazing, but don't be fooled by that as their service is what I expect if ice house beer had its own pub. Yes, the food is good but I dont go to a restaurant just for food and beer to be good, I expect an experience that will increase my enjoyment of their beers. After hitting a lot of breweries each year because of travel for work nearly everyday to a new city or state I resorted to yelping about my horrible experience. Unfortunately the bad service ruined the great beer. I'll make sure the other 60 breweries I visit each year get my money
(1)Chloe B.
We went there on an afternoon. Pliny the Elder was our goal but we wanted to do the whole flight of beers. We started off with the nastiest customer service and attitude from the staff. It was like being at the "Soup Nazi" restaurant from Seinfeld. Just because you have the best in town does not give a business liberty to treat their customers like dirt. Our whole party loves beer (especially Pliny) but there is no way we will ever step foot in this place, including give them any business including wanting to buy multiple RRBC growlers... we bought nothing. There are many other places nearby that are happy to see you, serve you great beer and take your money with a smile.
(1)Tricia M.
I am usually pretty wordy with my reviews, but there aren't many words that can be said about Russian River that are any better than this...PLINY!!!!! We stopped in on our way up to Boonville for the beer fest for lunch and to grab a growler of Pliny for the ice chest. I had the veggie sandwich and it was ah-mazing! Fresh mozzarella, pesto, basil and roasted red peppers. YUM! The hubby enjoyed the spinach salad and said he would order it again. Our friend had the chicken sandwich and said it was awesome as well. Service was great and we had a great table out front to enjoy the sunshine and people watch. Bottom line: If you love good beer, then you must stop in. KICK ASS!!!!
(5)Seth E.
Best beer in town. And county. And state. And nation. That's not just me speaking, it's fact. The sours are to die for.
(5)Cristal C.
Over hype to the max! First of all, street parking is a headache, the lines to even put your name on the waiting list for a seat is worse than a Vegas nightclub, and the beer is overpriced. Seriously, who has wristbands and bouncers at a beer tap room? Yes, everyone in their mama agrees that Pliny the Elder and Younger are the bees knees of brews, but not worth the hassle of dealing with the terrible club-like experience. The bf and I agreed that everyone we encountered there from the customers to the employees were total beer snobs and took the joy out of our experience. We didn't even bother trying the food out because again it was completely overpriced. If you're in the area I would just order a six pack to go and head back to your hotel to enjoy a hassle-free experience.
(1)Nathan T.
Tried Pliny the Elder, and it was quite good. Get yours today!
(5)Keith X.
I went to Russian River Brewing Company for lunch, not to drink. I asked to sit outside where it was quiet at the time, so i sat at a table in the front patio area. I ordered a chicken sandwich, which the menu describes as "chicken, bacon, provolone cheese, fresh red onion and bbq sauce on a french roll." The chunks of chicken were nice and big. The rest of it was just okay. $8.75 The side options were kettle chips, green salad for an extra $1, or specialty salad for $1.50. I had the spinach salad, which I think was the specialty salad. It was okay, but salad is blah in general, so this wasn't special. They need to give the option of fries or something. And I had a water. I ran out of water and was never offered a refill, so I was a little annoyed that I couldn't wash it down. As I left I saw a water jug by the exit, so it appears they might have expected me to get my own refill. I had no idea.
(3)Cory F.
A brewery that will only fill growlers that you purchase from them? Way too arrogant to be a real artisan bewery. Total failure...
(1)Cord N.
I got sick & tired of searching for Russian River Beer in my local Bay Area stores.... It is so very frustrating to never locate any Pliny the Elder or Blind Pig on the shelves of any bottle shops I visit. I have heard such GREAT things for these two Beers and I had been having a major craving for their Craft Ale deliciousness. I am kind of a Beer snob. I only drink Craft Pale Ales / IPA's..... So, while driving in the area down 101 I had to stop at the Russian River Brewery for Beers & Food. Sunday is a GREAT day to visit as it is Happy Hour all Day ..... I had several pints of Pliny the Elder and Blind Pig -- both were Heaven on the Taste Buds..... I also tried a sampler, but by that time I was pretty buzzed & don't remember it as clearly as I would have liked. What better to combine with your Pliny's? How about some Pizza! The Brew Pub has a solid kitchen and it put me into a Caloric overload for the afternoon. I can't wait to return! They were old of the bottled Pliny's for Sale by 1 that day ... So I did the next best thing and bought a Growler to take home.
(5)Michael W.
Pliny the Elder. $3.50/pint during Happy Hour which is all day on Sunday. Can beat that. Loved the Pliny bites.
(4)Mitch O.
ok first things first....GREAT BEER! Now with that said I have to get something off my chest. I have been a patron here for years, the beer is amazing.....the bartenders are the most lazy, pompous, snoody, jerks I have ever met in my life. If you get the grand pleasure of trying to get a beer here I hope you have patience. They take their sweet time behind the bar because they know people love the beer so much they will wait hours for it if they have to. When you show even the slightest amount of annoyance of having to wait so long to get one freaking beer they shut you out like a leper. they seem to relish in that power. I once went in on a week day when there was no more than four people sitting at the bar, I had a male bartender who continued on in his private conversation with another patron for almost fifteen minutes. He never once greeted me and never once responded to my "please i need a drink" glare I had on beamed in his direction. I took out a dollar bill from my wallet and wrote on it "thanks for nothing" and left. all of the bartenders are this way and i find it to be a horrible stain on the Russian river name. over the years many many people have told me horror stories very similar to mine, i am not alone in this one guys. lets get rid of those jerks...post your horrible experience with them too!
(3)Tori E.
The food here is great and the beer is awesome and you can tell because its pretty much always packed. Sundays are Happy Hour all day ;) Perfect place to have Sunday Funday! The beer bites are amazing! Outside tables are great for warm days! The service has to be the worst in Downtown Santa Rosa. Its not sometimes bad, its always bad. I know not to go here when I'm really hungry, because these people take forever. I have watched the servers play and joke around with the bartender and ignore tables of people, and run in the kitchen and hide for wayyy too long. At this point I always expect it, and it never fails! I usually order beers at the bar and take them to the table with me because I know that I'll wait forever if I don't. Also, I usually grab menus too (if they aren't already at the table) because who knows when you will be able to get someone to bring them to you. For the 4 tables outside they do not do table service, you have to go to the bar to order and tell them you are sitting outside, but this makes it easier to get food I think, since you can order when you are ready, and don't have to wait for the server. Live band nights are packed, beware.
(3)Jeff B.
Best, most unique selection of freshly brewed beers around. Pliny the Elder for me! I'm damn thankful that I only live a few blocks from here so I can walk down to RRBC to enjoy a few beers and those awesome pizza bites whenever I get the itch. Gotta run, I'm feeling itchy!
(5)Maureen W.
The beer is fantastic, there are no two ways about it. The quality of their Pliny the Elder is even good enough to make up for the awful, awful, insultingly bad service. If you are hungry, this is not the place for you. That is not to say that the food is poor! These guys have a great idea of what a person enjoying a nice Pliny wants to snack on, but, unfortunately, the hippy-run service always makes me wish I hadn't come. There is no reason for me to comment on the quality of the beer bites or pizza, since you will not be able to order any. Please believe me when I say that the service here is worse than a warm Miller on a hot day. The Russian River Brewery is such a frustrating establishment. Again, the beer is (typically) divine, and I can not speak highly enough about the Pliny. But, the service boarders on personally insulting. It is almost like the staff (and bartenders) are surprised to hear that you would like to purchase something from them. If you are a die-hard, hard-core beer lover, then putting up with a bunch of lazy hippy service is worth it to get to the Pliny. Otherwise, grab a Sierra Nevada just about anywhere else and actually enjoy your evening. 1/25/2008 UPDATE: Table service seems to be improving, but we had to hunt down a server to take our order and all but beg for our bill. Bar service was problem free!
(2)Christine H.
Russian River has two of their beers ranked in the top 10 in the world, so naturally, my husband (being a beer snob) had to come here on our visit to the Bay area. The brewpub offers beer flights--I love flights because you can taste a little of everything which is how I like to dine. We shared a flight of all beers (both Belgian styles and California hoppier styles)--a total of 12 or 16 beers (I forget) for $15. Each beer comes in a 2 oz. glass on a tray with their bottle caps as labels. We also shared a 16" pizza and had half the Primavera (caramelized onions and mushrooms) and half of I-forget-the-name with corn, cilantro, jalapeños, and sausage. Both were very good, and the crust was crispy. The one beer I wanted to take home with me was the Supplication: a sour cherry pinot-type beer, but alas, they ran out of the bottles right before I ordered one to go. My husband ordered six Pliny the Elders (one of the top ranked on Beer Advocate) and a Damnation (I think a Belgian blond). For the large pizza, 7 bottled beers, and a beer flight, we paid $75--not too bad. We left buzzed, happy, and full.
(4)Karin S.
Reasons to go: 1) *Fantastic* beer. Try the sampler for lots of little fun. 2) More fantastic beer. Purchase a jug (2 liters?) that you can fill with your fave tap brew and bring back next time for a refill. 3) Bar itself. Agree with others - sit at the bar and make friends. Or try the outside patio for you fog-laden SFers and get a dose of vitamin D in that sunshine. 4) People. We had amazing service. Bartender was super nice, educated us, and made our puppy happy (TLC, water, and a bit of rule bending so he could belly up at the bar with us). She really made our visit stand out. Customers sipping ale and were nice in a non-obnoxious way. Loved it! We'll be back, just hoping husband doesn't make this an every weekend excursion. Yes, he loves the beer that much.
(5)Ziadee C.
First, let me say Pliny is the very all-time favorite beer of two of our number and the food was delicious. However, the overall experience was so poor, I'd never go back. We're from SF and thought it would be fun to visit the source of a favorite beer and enjoy the sun & warm in Santa Rosa. We called Fri to ask if they had outdoor seating. "Yep", they say, so it was a go. We arrived around one, and the place was maybe 2/3 empty. The sign says "seat yourself" so we took an open table outside. After 5-10 minutes with no service I went inside to ask for menus. The bartender let me know there isn't table service outside, but we could order at the bar and they'd bring it out. Okay. So I order two pliny's, open a tab, and head out with the menus. Two of our party decide to go in to order a sampler. I come in after them, as the sampler is being served, to order a calzone. A different bartender is running down the selection with them and asks if they're sitting at the bar. We tell her we're outside and she says we can't take the sampler out. Weird rule, but fine if we were told BEFORE it was sold to us. The inside of the bar is over air conditioned and dark, and remember, we came here to sit outside to drink beer. I express we really wanted to be outside, but she offers no solution - no offer to cancel the order or to make an exception, and takes a really rude tone with me. So we come inside and wait 20 min for the supposed table service before hunting someone out to take our food order (remember the place is dead). However, while we wait to give our order we are carded. I don't mind this AT ALL. Of course they need to be sure we're legal. However, the attitude with which it was done was incredibly rude. Remember, I already bought two beers; the two folks who ordered the sampler have already been served also. Everyone at the table already has a drink except me, because I'm driving. When I try a sip of a beer off their sampler, our waiter came over and asked to see everyon'e IDs. We're getting them out, no complaint, and the female bartender comes over and using a scolding tone says "if you're going to share, we HAVE to card you". Completely uneccessary. Its takes two staff to check IDs but no one is available to take an order? And BTW I'm 37 years old. However, the biggest surprise was how bad the beers were. Pliny is great, but the rest were either foul or boring. Anyway, the place sucks.
(2)Sarah E.
My favorite place in the whoooole world. Best beer in America, with the possible exception of Dogfish Head in DE; knowledgeable, friendly staff, jukebox, pizza bites!
(5)Nina V.
Long wait but well worth it! We had the beer flight, which was plentiful and beerlicious. I'm not much of a beer person, so it was nice to get a taste of many different kinds for a very reasonable price. My favorite is the little white lie. Their food menu is also quite good - I got to try their calzones and chicken wings. Yum!
(5)Rodney W.
Just now got around to leaving a review. Drove 8 hours before Memorial Day weekend to visit by far one of the best breweries I have ever been to. The drive was worth it. We had to wait about 20 minutes to get seated, which wasn't a surprise. I expected a longer wait. Had a nice cold Pliny the elder while waiting. Once we got seated we ordered the 20 samples of beer. There wasn't one beer I didn't like. The owner definitely knows how to brew the best of beers. Wish this place was closer, but that could be a bad thing if it was. The place was smaller then I expected, but wasn't disappointed.
(5)James J.
Great beer. I drink beer, I love craft beer. This is probably some of the best beer I have ever had in my life. Top 3. Food is nothing to write home about. I wish they had more traditional pub/brewery fare. There are plenty of great places to eat nearby. I would go there for some after dinner beers, or some pre-dinner beers, and eat elsewhere. I had a pizza, it was ok. Friends had sandwiches, they were ok. I would have like to try the wings. Next time I am back in SR, I am spending some more time there drinking, maybe I will order the wings.
(5)Michael B.
I could not agree with Denise F more. We also had a horrible experience with their staff. If their beer was bad they would not last.
(2)Wes T.
I've only come here once on a weekend night because I happened to be in downtown Santa Rosa and Pliny the Elder is some of the best beer in America. Any true beer lover could not pass up the opportunity to suck down them suds off a keg. At least not this one. Nice space, decent parking to be found nearby. There was a show going on, so the place was pretty busy. That being said, although tables were hard to come by the layout was decent and I didn't feel like a sardine in a can. The impressive part is, despite the crowd, the bartenders were on top of their game and friendly, too! Good show of service. I shouldn't even have to write this last bit, but in case you're wondering: yes, the beers are amazing. Pliny the Elder, Blind Pig, etc. are consistently raved over by craft beer enthusiasts for good reason. They are quality recipes, brewed with good ingredients, to an exacting standard. This is not Budweiser, and this is not even Anchor Steam. Russian River is doing their own thing, and although I can only have a few of their beers (Pliny the Elder is 8% ABV), they make great products.
(4)Nicole D.
We always enjoy our time here! Great beer.
(5)Sarah C.
We came here because Pliny the Elder is one of Seth's favorite beers & he couldn't leave SF without a visit to Russian River. We arrived early on a Monday afternoon & it was so packed we had to wait for a table. I couldn't figure out why the entire city of Santa Rosa was at Russian River on a week day. Why were there so many kids? The wait wasn't too long & I think it helped that we were just a party of two. First thing we ordered to drink was the full sampler (15 for $15). This is really good if you want to try a little bit of everything from the extensive beer list. We also ordered pliny bites with marinara sauce ($10) & added the savage sauce for $0.50 cents. The order of pliny bites is large enough for two people. These are basically flattened bread sticks cut into small pieces topped with melted white cheddar & jalapeños. The savage sauce is the way to go for dipping. We ordered the meatball sandwich ($8.50) as well which had large meatballs, melted mozzarella, & a perfect amount of marinara. I thought the prices of food & beer were pretty decent. Pints are just $4.50 & a pitcher is $14. Not too expensive I don't think. HH is M-F 4pm-6:30pm & all day Sunday. I definitely want to check that out & try more of their beers the next time we're back in SF.
(4)David T.
Sorry, when you refuse to sell your beer in growlers other than your brewery's, you're just in it for the money and not the craft. The Governor officially made it 100% legal to fill growlers from anywhere in 2013. I have seven growlers already. I don't want or need to buy another one just to drink RBBC. Change this awful, money-grubbing policy.
(1)Franny L.
Part of my bday weekend, this stop was important bc of the elusive Pliny the Elder, which I HAD TO TRY! It was great!! I actually LOVED the Blind Pig more! A very cool spot, with a reasonable $18 sampler tray, and delicious pizza!!! I can't wait to go back!!!
(5)nicholas m.
Was kicked out for something I didn't do. Can't tell you about the food or drink (because they wouldn't serve me) but the service and security are an embarrassment
(1)Makoto K.
I'm far from an expert in beer, but all of the beers I tried here were just so awesome! I tried quite a few, but my favorite was Blind Pig and Pliny the Elder. The food wasn't bad at all, although it wasn't as good as beers. Great place to hang out with friends!
(5)Bill C.
This place gets busy! But they really do their best to keep glasses full and get you to a table as quickly as possible. Wifey and I were there this past weekend and it took about 15 minutes to get inside and to the bar. But once we were in, we ordered a couple of beers and waited to be texted to get our seats. We waited a bit at the very crowded bar for about 15 minutes and then we took an outside table. We ordered an appetizer and some more beer. The food was good and of course the beer was great. There is just something extra good about having beer where it's brewed. The service was good even though the place was very busy. Will we be back? Sure, the next time we're in the area we will. Good job folks.
(4)Bill H.
I've been to Russian River twice in the past five years. I think the secret to success is understanding what you're getting yourself into. This place is a total madhouse. Fortunately, the beer quality and variety are excellent, and the service is impressive. My most recent visit was on Memorial Day. The staff was totally overwhelmed with customers, but the bartenders and bouncers were totally courteous and efficient. My previous visit was on a Friday morning (took the day off from work to stop in with a group of friends). We were seated outside - it can get toasty in Santa Rosa, and the hot weather doesn't necessarily mix with the heavier IPAs that Russian River is known for. We split pizzas and were impressed with the quality. All said - Russian River is one of the better brewpubs I've been to in the Bay Area. If you can manage a trip off-peak hours, so much the better.
(4)Anastasia N.
Get here early if you want a table! If you're coming here with a party of 13, don't expect getting a table unless you're willing to wait for over an hour (on a Sunday). Luckily, my group were able to find a bench area and sit outside, while enjoying (chugging) our beer samplers. My favorite was plimy the elder - so good! Bartenders were really cool and surprisingly, super attentive, even though the place was packed! Really cool atmosphere and clean bathrooms (woohoo)!
(5)Monica C.
We came here on a Sunday and serendipitously found out they had all day happy hour! The four of us ordered two sets of the beer flights ($16) which comes with a total of 19 tastings each. Totally worth the money if you're not sure what you want or would just like a taste of everything! Russian River has amazing beers and I liked all but a few really tart-y ones. Too bad we missed Pliny the Younger, but after we finished our flights, we ordered a few pints of the highly coveted Pliny the Elder! We also shared an order of the Pliny Bites, which were absolutely genius. Of course cheesy pizza bread bites topped with jalapeños would go perfectly with beer! So simple yet satisfying. Not to mention helpful in soaking up all the beer! Great spot to hang out and catch up with friends. I wish they had a location in SoCal so I can come here more often!
(5)Donna M.
A few girlfriends and I had a blast coming here! Although the drive on a Saturday was horrendous (2 hours with traffic) we finally made it. Since RRBC doesn't take reservations ahead of time, we had to wait about 1.5 hours for a table. The bar is on a first-come, first served basis so we lingered around until we spotted an opening. The bartender is a little hard to catch - perhaps we looked too young and naive - but that didn't deter us because we wanted our Plinys! The beer flight is an absolute MUST GET! For only $16 you get to try ALL of their beers. The waiter shows you the order in which you should drink them, ending with the most sour of beers. From what I can recall, all of them were bomb! Not to mention that the pizza is so good. I'm 60% sure it isn't the beer talking.
(5)Vivian H.
I'd come here before a year ago and tried their sampler. I'm not usually a beer drinker but I'm a fan here. The pliney is.. Piney. Which is cool. I'm actually much more into the sour beers, like the crazy 10% abv consecration from cab barrels. Last time we were super into the food; we got wings and salad and pizza and everything was amazing. This time we got some bar bites which were like glorified garlic bread meets bagel bites. Pretty good but disappointing compared to previous visit. Plan for an hour wait, esp if with a larger group.
(4)Tracie G.
AMAZING!!! Was crowded but got a table FAST the sampler platter is great!! Nice little brochure comes with descriptions ! Yummy! And pizza was fresh and delicious !! Such great prices! Very much worth the drive ! And from Sonoma !
(5)Howard Y.
Great place for beers, pub food and atmosphere. If you are not a beer drinker then I feel sorry for you because all of their selections are top notch and has people traveling hundreds of miles away to experience the famous Russian River Brewing.
(4)Chris G.
You know it's too bad that such good beer came with such a bad face. I love Pliny the elder. I drove two hours to Russian river brewery to enjoy their one of a kind beer. Unfortunately, I arrived to a bar to where the man behind the bar ruined my entire experience. His name was Nick A. He's a balding man with two power alleys and a whole lot of attitude and unfriendliness. I love the Russian river brewery and now I must only buy their beers from stores rather than from brewhouse.
(1)Corn D.
Good local spot with great varieties of beer. Their medium wings are a great starter and the margherita pizza was, "good" to average considering East Coast standards. The meatball sub looked great but didn't order it. As for beers, fans of the Damnation (blonde ale), Pliny (IPA), and the Little White Lie (Belgian White Ale). If I could do it over again, I would try the beer tasting order get small pizza and the meatball sub for dessert.
(4)Monica B.
Can never get a seat, but when you can, the beer is great!
(4)Shalini G.
We did a full day of beer tasting for my bff Drue C.'s birthday. Our final stop was RRBC. we had basically a full room reserved for our party! we ordered quite a few tasters for our group each with over 20 different beers! whoa! there was so much beer! While i am not a "beer drinker" i enjoyed most of the beers on the sampler ...loved the bitter beers! it was like drinking a box of crayola beers with all the assorted flavors...whoa! food was not good...eeek....but people don't come here for the food. (i ordered a pizza)
(4)JD I.
So you must have heard all kinds of crazy stuff about this place. .. great beers, decent food, epic lines at the bar, regularly at crowd capacity with a wait outside to get in.... I must tell you it's all true. Pliny is the gold standard of IPA but really, you've gotta try the sour beers. My first experience with wild ales was here at RRBC and it was a mixed reaction... but eventually I realized I couldn't stop thinking about that strange brew and have come to love it. Consecration is a favorite. The food here is pub fare. There are better places to eat nearby, but once you're inside you'll want to stay there for the duration. Grab a pizza or some "bites". The Jasper bites go good with all the beers. The atmosphere is crazy packed social pub. Farm-punk meets beer snobs: everyone is up in here. I can't wait for the Beer Train, ...uh I mean Smart Train, to be completed so I can stumble to and from San Rafael to Santa Rosa full of RRBC fermented goodness. The whole experience is an adventure. Give it a go.
(4)Eric F.
Known for their infamous Pliny the Elder, it was very surprising to find out that the food far outshone the beer. Case in point, the large 1/2 Mikey and 1/2 Nu Deal we ordered was fantastic - loaded with fresh toppings onto a crust that stayed soft and spongy even after having quite some time to cool down. My friend likened its quality to that of Picco (an all-time za favorite) and I totally concurred. For spice lovers, the baked wings with "Savage" level sauce were delicious and more than generous with the afterburn they provide. So the beers...my California taster was unfortunately more or less run-of-the-mill from start to finish. Each brew was mediocre for its style with the exception of the O.V.L. Stout that tasted like a slightly brighter Guinness. As for Pliny, it didn't taste nearly as good as the first time I had it by the bottle...very odd considering this was on tap at the source. Still, the staff here were friendly and quite attentive given how busy it was during happy hour on a Friday evening.
(3)Paul A.
I'm another sold fan. First of all, Sonoma County is like a huge escape from anything Bay Area. Second, these brewers are masters. Last, I like the mob mentality of a place that inflates the ego and leads to irrational consumer behavior.
(4)Stephanie M.
First time here & started off with a few beers at the bar. The bartender was very nice! Got a table and ordered the chicken wings, which were delicious! Then we had the mama Mia pizza & it was very good as well! I just started getting into beer & tried the temptation and consercration, which are sour barrel aged beers & found my new favorite! Definitely worth the wait & will be back!:)
(5)Ann A.
Really popular so it's usually crowded and noisy. If you want great beer, and a high energy feel, go there. I go to buy a growler to take down to my family in Alameda.
(4)Rick G.
Piny the Elder. Need I say more? Food is good, crowd is lively and plentiful. Beer is great!
(4)Buddy D.
crowded, but the beer is the best.
(5)Steve D.
Love this craft beer brewery......excellent portfolio of brews and great cuisine.
(5)Sondra H.
The best beer in Sonoma County!
(5)Alexis C.
This is a very popular joint that offers a fun atmosphere and a variety of beers. Last night, I enjoyed sipping Rejection with oregano pizza bites.
(4)Butch P.
I am rating the beers here. I didn't have any food. They make world class beers here. It's that simple. Pliny, Blind Pig and aged sours are just some of the options available. They also have bottles to go.
(5)Zachary F.
A grand and diverse assortment of unique and excellent beer. Fantastic pizza. Sometimes the service can be a little slow, especially if you're sitting outside.
(4)Tim B.
Great food, GREAT BEER!! The only reason RRB gets only 4 stars is..., you guessed it, its always over crowded. Too many people slows down service, and makes it hard to get food and beer promptly. I love this place to death, but they need a BIGGER VENUE!!!
(4)Enrico C.
Well, Im a guy that loves good beer and I'll tell you that these guys craft one of the best double IPA's Iv ever had. Iv known about this beer for sometime now because my GF brings me back a growler of it when she goes shopping in SR, but I had never been there myself so I was very excited to see what this place was all about. I was slightly disappointed in both the decor, atmosphere and I was seriously disappointed in the service, but the beer is so good I still give them 4 stars. This place needs a makeover in the service department bad. Mistake #1 - seat yourself, this is a perfect receipt for dogging yourself out of tips . Breweries are packed because people love good beer, its important to have a properly operating restaurant style service system. People drinking beer have little patience for being neglected having sub-par service in a place that is all about drinking beer is a horribality. Most all other mistakes stem from mistake #1. The meatball sandwich came out with burnt bread, which wasn't really a big deal but it seems like it would have been an easy thing to fix. The pizza was pretty good but not fantastic. After telling the dude that we were having our last beer we still had to track the guy down to get the check - lame. This place is rather small but I feel like it needs a pool table or more TV's or something so that people have something to do other than stare at each other while they wait to see a staff member to flag down. Don't let me scare you away from here though it's all worth it, the beer is crazy good. Cliff notes: - The beer is top notch. So good. - The service is ass. - If you are more into food than you are beer, there is plenty of good places to eat within walking distance. - If you are more into beer than you are food, you are in the right place, enjoy. - If you are into getting drunk and whooping your buddies ass at pool or darts, go a block over to 3rd St Aleworks they have great beer too.
(4)Chelsea A.
Being beer lovers, the boyfriend and I took a quick trip up from SF specifically for Russian River. Sadly, the visit was very disappointing. Our service was incredibly poor, and given that I'm a 6-year veteran server and the BF is a bar manager in Chicago, that's saying something. Our server came, took our beer and appetizer orders, dropped off the beer, and was never seen again for a solid half an hour. Someone else brought us our food, and then we were once again left to our own devices. We tried to track down another server, but our requests fell on deaf ears. Finally, once we flagged down our server, she very snottily said that she was no longer on the clock and someone else would be helping us. Um, what? Now, I know there were times I got cut and still had tables, and you know the first thing I did? Check with those tables to let them know I'd be leaving, and generally introduced them to their new server. This girl did nothing of the sort. Very rude. The food also wasn't that great. It's clear the draw is the beer, which is definitely wonderful, I'd rate 4-5 stars for any given brew. But if you are going to be all about your beer - do it! Don't be a brewpub. Focus on your strengths and really showcase those, instead of doing a half-assed job on other things. The beer is literally the only reason I didn't give one star. So I'd say go in, grab a beer or two from the bar, and then load up on bottles and a growler so you can enjoy drinking it from the comfort of your own home.
(3)Uh Y.
just dropped in for a beer and app great bartender and good food !! and selection of beer :) will make this a permanent stop from now on when visiting and close to everything !!
(4)Tracy C.
BASTARDS! Ego loaded management. If you don't care about anything but beer, enjoy. However, I refuse to support a business who doesn't treat their patrons with respect. Worst bar experience EVER! Had traveling expenses for the weekend simply to go to this brewery. I was fully set and intent to spend well over a grand for beer alone (although they never learned that), and was treated like scum. NEVER AGAIN, BASTARDS! I refuse to buy their beer ever again! ZERO STARS!
(1)Jaime G.
Wicked good here at the Russian River Valley Brewing but didn't care for more than half of the brews. :(. Still, the ambiance is good and outdoor deck is even better. Try the amber and stouts here as they were my faves. In fact, just try the beer flight and maybe you'll like more than I did. For food, I really liked the tuna melt and hot baked wings. If u need a break from wine country, come here.
(4)nam v.
awesomeee!!!!!!!!!! thats all i have to say!
(5)David M.
Make no mistake, Pliny the Elder is THE beer by which Double IPA is judged. Aggressively hopped and dry hopped, it is what turned me on to IPA style and kept me there. But the flavor fades rapidly as the beer ages in the bottle, and I've never had one truly fresh. So when the opportunity arose to visit the brewery I jumped at it. We arrived late on a Thursday night, after 9:00, and the place was PACKED. Doesn't anyone have to get to work the next day? We managed to get right in, but there's a catch; we got in so that we could place our names on a waiting list, and then leave. Somewhat impatiently, a woman advised that, "as you can see, there's a waiting list." Well, no, we don't see any list. Turns out you go on the list and then you can leave and they'll text you to come back. Or you can fight your way to the bar, then fight to get the server's attention, then either stand like a statue and drink or try to find a seat outside. So we did what all beer celebrants do, and fight for a drink at the bar before carrying it outside and asking to join someone else's table. What fun! No, really, it was fun. We talked with absolute strangers about everything from beer to politics to what's wrong with the server's attitudes in Northern California. The guy at the bar saw me. I know he did; we made eye contact, exchanged little nods, and then he turned and walked away. Huh? Someone else elbowed up and got served before me. Then another one. Then a guy sitting at the bar said "one more" and also got served in front of me. Another guy stepped up next to me, said he saw the whole thing, and let's combine our orders. "I'm getting a Pliny," I said, and he agreed we would order for each other to cut the delay. Sure enough, he got called first and yell out for two Pliny, I handed him a Five, and the server turned and said "I saw that." At least he delivered the beer anyway. And the Pliny, OH MY GOD THE PLINY! Incomparable to a two week old bottle. Heavy aroma of Simcoe and Centennial hops dominate the nose. Fresh citrus flavor before sublimely clean bitterness envelopes the tongue. At $4.50 a pint easily the cheapest, bestest, thing I've ever had in my mouth. If not for the freshest Pliny I've ever had, and two strangers who agreed to share their table, this would be a two star review. Oh, they have food, but unless you're willing to wait an hour you won't get any.
(4)Delilah B.
This place is the best! Dropped in late on a Wednesday evening after flying in from LA. It was an oasis in the close-early desert of Santa Rosa. They worship the beer here, and a pint of Pliny with a Caesar salad made me happy, happy, happy. The whole vibe is great - very laid back and beer-centric. I swore I'd be back for Happy Hour the next day, but didn't make it because I was sleeping in the sun by the pool. Now that I'm back in LA, I know where my first stop will be when I return to Santa Rosa next time!
(5)Kimmy B.
I get it. Some people have no patience. But I love this place. I've come on many occasions and today just deserved a review. Ran in to grab some beers to go because family is coming to town. I talked to a few other customers while waiting. Got my growler and a few damnations within 10 minutes. Their beer is awesome. The bartenders are busy but always get to you! You could always grab their beer at Oliver's or on tap at the Hyatt.
(5)John B.
This was a pitstop on our tour of Napa and Sonoma counties. It wasn't just any stop though. It was perhaps the most fun we had at any stop other than the hotel... Upon walking up to the brewery, we could tell this is THE place to be in Santa Rosa on a Friday night. After being told it would be an hour wait, I looked to my gf to see if she was okay with the wait. Without hesitation she said, "no problem" and gave her number to the hostess to be texted when a table was ready. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that considering she isn't even a drinker. After waiting for 30 mins or so, the kind hostess asked us if we were waiting for a table. Guess it pays to hang out near the entrance in case someone else doesn't answer their text. We ordered the only thing we came for, the Sampler Set. Price varies depending on what is available but you get all of their beers on tap that day in two ounce shot glasses placed into the coolest serving tray I've ever seen. On this night I believe it was 16 beers. Since my girl doesn't drink and is the best DD ever, we decided to make a game of guessing which beer she chose for me. Close my eyes, turn away, she grabs a glass and I try to guess which one she picked. My record started out pretty rough. All those Sour and Abbey beers taste the same! Once we got past a few tough ones, I think I had a pretty good winning percentage going. We didn't indulge in any food on this visit but the fact that they offer a Vegan pizza on the menu is a huge thumbs up in my book. Thank you Megan! My only minor gripe with this place other than the crowd? Half of their beer menu appears to be dedicated to Abbey style and Sour beers of which I'm not a big fan. It's okay in a sampler but if I were to drink more here, I would really only choose a few of the beers on their list such as the Pliny or the Nitro Stout. Although I have to hand it to 'em with the great names they give them such as Redemption, Perdition, and Benediction. Thanks to Russian River, we are searching out more places that serve a sampler platter. Unfortunately thanks to Russian River, we're going to have to search high and wide to find something as epic as the sampler set available here.
(4)Jane K.
We were a large group on a Sunday afternoon, but they were able to accommodate us very quickly. (Kudos to the hostess.) The overall ambience was good. You can tell that everyone was having a good time and enjoying their beers. There were also all sorts of people here, from families to college students to young, working professionals. Once we were seated, we ordered pints and samplers along with pizza bites, which were really addicting. Their samplers are huge, which is nice to taste all of the different beers on tap and also to split with a group of people. I really enjoyed the Rejection, which is a Belgian-inspired black ale that goes down smooth but has a rich, dark, malty, almost chocolate taste. I've been to Belgium and Germany, and I would say that the Rejection is a pretty good beer. I'm really glad that I got another pint of it before we left. They also had sour beers, which are good if you enjoy red wines. If you don't, I would steer clear of them, or if curious, just try them as part of the sampler. My friend and I, who enjoy wine, appreciated the tannins of the sour beers, but the others in our group did not. So beware! All in all, my friends and I definitely plan to come again!
(5)Arnold N.
Came here on a Saturday for part of a brewery hopping trip and this was the first stop. This place isn't the biggest and it can get crowded and not a whole lot of tables, which all require to be seated by the host. Saturday around 2pm the wait for a table was about 1 hour, but people can try to find a seat at the bar or order a beer and hang out. All you got to do is vulture by some folks who look about ready to leave and jump in the bar stools and claim your space at the bars. We ordered the beer sampler which was 15 samples (not sure how many ounces) and it came with a list of the beers as well as the descriptions. Also ordered a pint of Pliny the elder. A lot of people around got pizza and I think thats what they're known for to pair with their beers. Add this to your list of breweries to check out in Northern California & buy a t-shirt while you're there!
(4)Anna W.
Hands down, my favorite brewery in NorCal. Their food and their beer are so yummy! The Boyfriend absolutely adores Consecration, their sour beer on tap. I'm pretty sure he would bathe in it if he could. I'm personally a fan of their O.V.L. Stout. Get their taster set. It's the best way to sample their award-winning beers before ordering a full pour of the one(s) you like. Get here early, though, or else they'll get to a capacity point where they only allow one taster set per table. Not that you should necessarily need more than one taster set (there's a huge selection, so there is a decent amount of beer in the set alone), but it sucks to have a limit placed on you. If you're here to eat as well as drink, let me recommend their Beer and Jasper Bites. It's like having flat bread pizza, but shareable and in munchie size! I'm also a huge fan of their pizzas and their grilled cheese. Their calzones (which I've never ordered, but my friends have) and their chicken sandwich are also pretty big and hearty if you're looking for something ridiculously filling to eat with your beer. Be warned -- it's STUPIDLY easy to end up having to waddle/roll out of Russian River than walk due to the insane amounts of carbs you've consumed. But it's totally worth it. Whenever I'm in the area, I HAVE to stop by!
(4)Kelsey T.
This may or may not be my favorite place in the world! Great food, great people and (obviously) AMAZING beer! There's a beer for everyone and then some! I'm a HUGE fan of their sours and sink into a depression when Temptation is gone for the season. For those who are Pliny the Younger fanatics, don't be discouraged if you miss the 2 week time span... any time of year is a good time at RRBC! I won't go on and on about the beer because you'll just have to try it for yourself! The food is also amazing! Fresh, compliments the beer perfectly and the menu is simple enough so that you're not overwhelmed with that plus the beer list. As for the people who complain about the service at the bar... take a look at how busy they are from open to close! Those poor guys never get a chance to breath because of how many people are crowded around the bar. So, that being said, take a breath, relax, you'll get your beer soon enough! Also... if you're there on a Sunday you MUST try their breakfast pizza! It's the most amazing thing ever!
(5)Brenden T.
Was ok. For tourists watch out. This was decent food and beer. Was not what it's all cracked up to be. Beer was decent, food was decent, and clientele was super rude and snobby. I almost wouldn't go back due to the yuppy know it all clientele. Not worth the visit.
(3)Patrick T.
Amazing beer and good food. But honestly, anyone who goes there regularly knows you go for the beer and food is just a bonus.
(5)Samuel B.
THE GOLD STANDARD OF BREWPUBS!!! Which is why it is generally packed to the gills, with no tables available and a long wait. You might want to do what I did: drop in on a Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 PM. Maybe then you will get a table. OK, putting that aside, the ales are the real stars here. Blind Pig, Pliny the Elder, and, on rare occasions, Pliny the Younger. Plus a whole host of others that I'm not familiar with, but that I am sure are delicious. I should add, almost as an afterthought (which it is) that during my visit today I also had a spinach salad and a pizza with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, and olives. Both were delicious, though nothing special. Again, you don't come here for the food, although the food is certainly passable. YOU COME HERE FOR THE BEERS AND ALES. AND IF YOU CAME HERE TO HAVE A FEW DRINKS, THEN DECAMPED FOR A HOLE IN THE WALL TAQUERIA OR LITTLE PIZZERIA SOMEWHERE ELSE, I WOULD CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND AND FORGIVE YOU.
(4)Jacob R.
Made a special trip from LA to get a case of Pliny the Elder, and it definitely beat begging my local whole foods to get on their "list." They happened to be releasing Pliny the Younger the weekend I went, and the line was down the block... Seriously 6 hours of wait time to get a glass. While standing in line for 6 hours for a beer may seem ridiculous, there is clearly something very special here.
(5)Angel K.
The boyfriends are on a beer binge and heard about how good this place was from fellow beer loving coworkers. I had to come home to Santa Rosa to pick some things up from my house so the boys wanted to tag along and try the beer. We came on a Sunday where there's ALL DAY happy hour so it was insanely crowded! The wait for 2 people was an hour and a half! And this was around 3 or 4 pm! Luckily we found a group of girls at the bar who were about to leave and got seats. The boys immediately ordered Pliny the Elder and picked a White Ale for the girls to share. They wanted a little taste of everything so we shared a sampler, which was one of each beer. All four of us enjoyed the American side, we weren't too big of a fan of the Belgian type beers. My favorite was the Aud Blonde, it was light and super tasty. The boys like Pliny the Elder a lot. We got two sets of beer bites. One with jalapenos and one without. It was just okay. It was basically pizza dough with cheese on top and pizza sauce on the side cut into rippable pieces. Nothing too special, but I usually need something to munch on when I'm drinking beer. So a breakdown of everything: 5 stars for the beer, 3 stars for the food, and 4 for the service. Even though all the bartenders when really busy, various bartenders come to check up on us to make sure we're still doing okay. We left with several bottles of beer (they bottle only certain beers) and a growler filled with Pliny the Elder and the boys were buzzing the whole way home!
(4)Priscilla A.
The best beer in town ! The Tuna Melt is to die for ! But always busy :(
(4)Christine H.
This place is awesome. The food, the service, and the venue is great for watching a sports game or a night out with the girls/guys. I highly recommend getting the beer sampler and a pizza!
(5)Kat V.
A great place to meet people, enjoy a great beer and eat. You will find a beer you like, or you may like them all! I like to get the samples and nachos. Relaxing and fun!
(5)bearon b.
I love Pliny the Elder. It's why I come here and stand in line (every single time. Seriously, plan on waiting outside for a while before you get in) to get a beer. Also, the food is delicious! However, I was here last night, and the staff was ridiculously rude. Firstly, we couldn't find the host and the rest of the staff could only tell us to talk to the host. Then, the host found us and barked at us that the bar table we had found was being seated (there was no "reserved table" sign on it like all the other restaurant tables). Then we get the the bar and the bartender was just plain rude and sarcastic (not in a funny banter way, but in a "how dare you ask me questions and how dare you make me repeat myself" kinda way). The only staff worth his salt was the door-man. He was polite and helpful. Because of the lousy staff I give this 2 stars. They get more than one star only because of the quality food and beer. From now on I'm only going there to fill my growlers.
(2)Jacob J.
The pub style sandwiches are very good! I had the chicken sandwich and it sits just fine with the Pliny the Elder brew! Come for the beer stay for the food!
(5)Erin M.
I love RRBC beer and thank my lucky stars every day that we live within five minutes of this brewery. We usually get beer to go in our trusty growlers, and often stick with Pliny since it is one of our very favorite beers. It isn't always easy shimmying into the pub due to the crowds, and it often takes a while to get served, but any wait or minor inconvenience is worth it to us because we love supporting our local brewery and their beer. Once we realized that you can skip the wait at the bar by ordering food to go from the kitchen (they will fill your growler as part of completing your food order, and it is pretty easy to snag the attention of a server when you're in the doorway of the kitchen) we usually get some beer bites and those are fine, too. On a final note, I like the relaxed but efficient vibe of the various people that work at RRBC. Everyone is courteous and pleasant but not over-the-top friendly, which suits me just fine. Working there must be difficult (high volume!) but the guys and gals of RRBC are professionals and do a great job.
(5)Travis W.
Oh jeeeeeezzeee if you like beer.....well made tasty amazing kick your mouth beer. You really need to stop here. If you live around here, I envy you. There is not much I can say except that they offer some of the best ales and IPAs that are out there. They have won countless awards, and with good reason. The prices they charge here are super reasonable considering the mark up you get any where else on RR brew. Stock up while you are here. Oh yeah and they have food, it looks good but why not save room to drink more of their wonderful beer. Plineys, Pigs and Row 2, Hop2it and many others to pick from. If you cant tell from this review I am a hop head and this is a hop heads dream. CHEERS!!!
(5)Melanie L.
So normally I would have given 5 stars for a place that I love and frequent often but I experienced the rudest "security" I have ever encountered in my life. And I am not exaggerating. As a frequent and lifetime local of downtown we all know that Russian River is off limits on busy weekend nights unless you want to spend more than two hours waiting in line. My friends and I love the bartenders and my boyfriend is a downtown bartender so I expected a little more respect than what we got one weekday night. We sat down at a table and a new security guard seemed to be trying to pick a fight with my friends. We brushed his rude comments off until my boyfriend looked around (to see where our friend was) and caught the "security" guards eye, the man walked right up to my boyfriend and asked him if he had a problem and why he was eyeing him (literally got up in his face). My boyfriend is by far one of the nicest most unconfrontational person I have met (all of us were stunned), as the man proceeded to pick a fight with him we decided to leave (having to leave our food and beer behind). Honestly, I wish RRB would take a little more time when selecting their staff (I have experience this before with their meat head, control freaks at the front door before). Treat your locals with respect, after all that is why you are so popular in the first place. I will think twice before I go in there again and spend my money (I think I will go to Willy Birds, or Occidental to get my next Pliny).
(2)Elise W.
Omni pizza + Pliny the Younger make for a great combo ! Even the pizza was worth the 6 hour wait, so was running into Joel McHale! I recommend getting there around 7-8am if you plan on getting Pliny the Younger in the next few days. Maybe the week day is different, but I rather spend 6 hours of my day inside Russian River than in line!
(5)Reggie A.
Whoever didn't give this place 5 stars doesn't love craft beer or is an idiot. 5 stars for this craft beer Mecca. We made the annual trip for the PtY release and we were 100% satisfied as always. The memory of sitting in the cold and unrelenting rain for 6 hours was quickly erased with one taste of that chilled unicorn piss. #Pliny4Ever Most Valuable Bartender - Nick A. The Abbott Bros. & Co. thank you for your hospitality and super attitude. We had a blast and you were a big part of that. Cheers! Thanks to Russian River Brewing for making the best beer on Planet Earth. Your Fan, John Reginald Abbott Side Notes: The pizza is all time and the prices are SO reasonable.
(5)A B.
Certainly the beer is great and the food is fine. However, it is always total chaos in there and I'm over it. I've been several times and it takes forever to get in, get a beer, and get food. The servers do the best they can under the circumstances. It took us a half hour last weekend just to buy some beer to take with us. And, they won't change growlers out anymore. Everyone swaps them out. Everyone. Such a hassle. My husband likes the Pliny but he's on his own from now on. Not doing it anymore.
(2)Bruce W.
Bad service, bad food, OK beer. Warning: lengthy bad review So we walk in to the restaurant on a Sunday afternoon, trying to find a good brewpub early dinner. The place is full, they have a great selection of their own beers proudly displayed and we look for a place to sit down. There were 2 tables just opening up, so we stand to the side to wait for the cleanup crew. Then we wait some more. A few minutes later, a guy comes and takes away a plate and the silverware, leaving a bunch of other crap... so we wait some more. Nearly 10 minutes later I walk over to the bar, wait for the bartender, and ask "Is there someone that can clean up a table? We're waiting to sit down." His response -- no lie -- "I'm sure there is, but it's not me." This should have been my signal to go somewhere else... but I drove 30 minutes to get here, I wanted to give it a try. So we wait some more, and finally my friend goes to the kitchen to find a wet towel so we can clean it ourselves, and someone comes out to clean up. We order some water, some beer, and check out the menu. 15 Minutes later they bring the beer. We ask again for water. They ask us for our beer order. We literally asked 4 times for water before it came (over roughly 25 minutes). Before the food got there, some guy came up and (without introducing himself or anything) tells us that they have live music at 5 PM and we'd have to move. We tell him that we hoped our food would arrive soon and we'd be gone before 5. The food was mediocre, their "hot wings" were like baked chicken wings with ketchup on them... and their "severe" hot wings were pretty bland. I've had spicier BBQ sauce from a bottle. We never got silverware to eat our meals with, the "focaccia" was pizza dough with tasteless onions on top, and they were clearing our table for the live music before we were ready to leave... literally taking our water glasses before we finished with them. I never got the iced tea I ordered. I left a $0 tip but gave 10% to the waitress who helped us, she was at least friendly (unlike anyone else in the place) and seemed to just be overworked. The service problems weren't her fault... it's the people running the place who don't have enough wait staff. She appeared to be the only wait person there at the time... with a full room to work. Basically, don't expect to be treated kindly, and don't go there if you don't like hoppy beers. The stout had promise, it tasted pretty good but was pretty thin with no texture. Nearly everything else was so hoppy I could not drink it.
(1)Brian B.
Didn't drink the beer because I'm not super into it and I was DD, but generally enjoyed my trip to this Brew House. It's packed and they don't take reservations, but we got a table for our large party. The food was good, but not amazing. It was all very salty...so I guess good beer food... Parking around the brewery isn't great. We got a ticket even though we paid for the 2 hour parking (which was later repealed by the City of Santa Rosa...)
(4)t s.
Like the other reviews that are 3 stars or lower, I agree that service is slow. I've been here many times before and always knew there is a wait since it's one of the hot spots in downtown Santa Rosa. But, the service I got here recently (or lack of), will keep me from coming back EVER AGAIN. Blatantly ignoring someone (did we offend you because we just wanted our beer to go?) is not only extremely rude but it's unacceptable. Just because you make great beer does not make your douchiness excusable. It was not after we asked four servers/bartenders for help that we were acknowledged by the bar, it was after the guy behind me started complaining really loudly. Hopefully the service will get better but I'm not waiting around to find out. You might win some, but you really lost one...
(1)J J.
Pliny the Elder was the bomb! Hype was met. Excellent beer. Food was pretty good too. Had a calzone and it was tasty. No complaints and will return. It was a good place for my Vegetarian girlfriend as well.
(4)John G.
Let's start by saying that Russian River has some of the best craft beer you'll ever have. The reason I am only giving 1 star is totally based on their elitist attitude. Waiting in line is the norm now (including take-out growlers) despite previous opportunities to expand in to neighboring vacant spaces. Next weekend Santa Rosa will host it's first Ready, Set, Growl Beer Festival. Every major local brewer has registered as well as Dogfish Head from DE and Alchemist from VT, makers of the #1 IPA (Beer Advocate Top 250). Who is too good for their hometown Beer Festival? You guessed it. Russian River. No big surprise there...
(1)Devin W.
This place has a great selection of beer. I like the Pliney the Elder the best. Of course Pliney the Younger is amazing too. I really like the food also. There is a great environment, but it gets pretty crowded on the weekend.
(5)Vedran V.
As far as the brew pubs go Russian River is the best out there. Hands down. The only place(s )that come close are Pizza Ports in San Diego area, but their beer still doesn't quite measure up. Every beer lover knows about Pliny but there is so much more going on here. They have some of the best sours outside of Belgium and even their standard beer menu is awesome. I don't think I tried anything here that I would rate below 7 on a scale to 10. And I'm a self-proclaimed beer snob. Food is not of a great variety but they stick to what they do best. Pizzas are thin crust and delicious and I totally love those Pliny bites with my hoppy beers. They also have sandwiches and salads on the menu but it's all about the beer here. Food is a nice companion, but not the main player. It gets pretty busy (especially on weekends), so make sure to get there early in the day or be prepared to wait. The only gripe I have is with their Men's Restroom. Vinnie and Co: Please-Please-Please get rid of that awful urinating tub...Whenever I'm here I rather wait for the stall than have someone pee on me. Definitely not the best idea out there. I won't let this affect the rating tho. Russian River gets 5 stars even with no bathrooms :)
(5)David B.
World Class beers, good pizza, terrible seating, stinky restrooms. The service can be pretty bad at times. A must visit when in the area.
(3)Frank B.
After enjoying a beautiful Saturday morning at Sebastopol's Grevenstein Apple Fair, I decided to make a stop at Russian River Brewery to refill my growler with their Blind Dog IPA which is not available bottled in San Francisco. Was I surprised when I arrived at the brewery and the line just to get in was at least 20 deep. However noticing my growler I was informed to go a much shorter separate line for those for growler refills or bottles. After waiting for 10 minutes, I was ushered in, and after a 5 minute wait left as a satisfied customer with a full growler and 3 bottles of Pliny the Elder. The staff was gracious and very accommodating to those in the other line.
(5)Katherine T.
I've always liked this place. They have a good environment, great beer, and awesome service. My food took a lot longer than my sisters, but I was so busy with my beer it was hardly noticeable.
(4)Supriya M.
If my husband was writing this review, it would be 4 stars since he's a beer lover but since I am, it's three. First, we got there on a Saturday afternoon at 12:30pm and it was an hour and a half wait. So we waited and waited... Finally we were seated and we ordered our food and beer flights but the beer flights took a very long time to arrive. The food was also arriving sporadically such that the appetizers arrived, then one of our entrees arrived and the last two entrees took probably a good 40-45 minute before we got them. I am not sure what all the delay was. They were very crowded but if you've got the tables, you've got to have the manpower to serve these tables. Either way, once the food arrived, we were all very satisfied with the food. I think that the experience would have been more enjoyable if we were not waiting around for everything. Maybe then it would be a 4 stars from me!
(3)Julia M.
This is our "regular" spot. We love it. The beer is excellent, and so is the pizza. Unlike some places, they serve a somewhat limited range of food, which means they stick to what they can do well. And they don't have all their beers available at once, but there's always a range of choices for different tastes. Like a hoppy ale? They have several, all good. The Belgian ales tend not to be hoppy, but they are full-flavored and delicious. Even the sour ales appeal to some people -- not us, but the servers are very good about warning you about them and offering a taste if you're not sure. The service is usually very good, although if you seat yourself (as we usually do), it may take a few minutes for your server to notice you. They have very little staff turnover, so you can count on the staff to know the menu and the beers very well. it is often very crowded, however, and people tend to stay a long time. I recommend having a back-up plan, because while they will accommodate you if at all possible, this is a very popular place and sometimes they are just full. If you like beer and haven't tried this brewpub, I'd recommend the all-day Sunday "happy hour" as a good time to drop by and see what you're missing.
(5)Andy R.
best damn beer around! good food too. super busy all the time so wait staff is slow and seating is rare
(5)Edgar G.
Pliny the elder is gooood
(4)Sara W.
I LOVE that this place has 16 beer tastings. What more could a beer lover/connoisseur ask for? Plus the staff is friendly, the mood is really relaxed and low key and everyone inside just seems so darn happy because the beer is so good.
(5)Deb M.
Been here a few times... each time same old song and dance.. Sat outside and had to go in an place our order for beer and the guy had a don't give a crap attitude...b then back in again to order a pizza... 40 min later we got the pizza only for it to be whisked away as it was the " wrong one and for another table " ... Why the Pliny is awesome, I'll just buy it at a local Beer Store and save my time and money.. And to make matters worse, we walked out to a nice 30.00 parking ticket........
(2)Noah K.
Honestly, this is one of the best breweries in the world. Their beers range from very good to absolutely off the charts. Pliny the Elder is insanely hyped amongst beer geeks but totally deserving, IMO. My favorite beer by a wide margin. I've yet to try the Younger, and look forward to that. And visiting the brewery, on our way back from a week in Guerneville, was great! I got the Belgian ale sampler, which was really fun - gave me a chance to try the various ales and sours. None were bad, some were top-notch, some were insanely interesting (like wine tasting). And it gave me room leftover for a 1/2 pint of Pliny, which was my total beer geek fanboy moment in the sun. We also shared some pizzas which were surprisingly, honestly, really good. Not good as in, "Okay for California, but not real pizza" - but honestly good pizza. Super nice staff working, a ton of great beer to try, mellow, fun vibe, good food, decent prices ... and did I mention, some of the best beer in the world? Five + stars.
(5)Don D.
Delicious selection of beers that every enthusiast must sample!
(4)Luda F.
While the decor leaves much to be desired and the place is almost always crowded it is among the best breweries in the universe. Pliny the Elder is something of a religious experience and all I can say of Blind Pig is praise the lard. When the oven is hot try a pizza and another beer. Call a taxi, this stuff is strong.
(4)Jenifer N.
Love me some pliny the elder... and that is about where it ends at Russian River. The service here is not great! They were very busy, which our server told us was the norm. That usually means more staff is needed to meet the needs of customers. We ordered a taster of their beers... took over an hour before we received it. The server checked on us maybe three times. It wasn't that busy! Then our server dropped the check. We put cash in the book and then left. My boyfriend accidentally walked out of the restaurant with the check and cash in hand. We headed over to Sift, which is when he realized what he had done. When we brought it back and handed it to the server. She had no idea what it was and what it was for. HELLO, a new set of people had been sat at the table we were once at. Seriously, the staff here sucks! The beer is o.k. I should note that we tried about 20 different beers and I still only love the pliny. :(
(2)Mike R.
The beer is very good, but the bartenders are very rude. A group of us visited pub this past Saturday and were told to leave after complaining to the manager that the staff was rude. It started as soon as we stepped up to the bar and I asked what kind of Wheat Beer they made, the bartender immediately became sarcastic wondering why I couldn't read the board behind him. It so happens, I am over 55 and my friends are over 55. We can't always read signs, so we asked. Add the excessive noise in the place, and it becomes a very unfriendly place for people over 50, Obviously, they wanted us older folks out so that younger people could come in. We were not rude or belligerent, but the manager didn't even consider our point of view. This is not a great pub. The seating is terrible, the noise is overwhelming, and staff are rude.
(2)Pablo H.
This place could serve dog food and I'd still be looking to give it a sixth star. Why? PLINY THE ELDER OF COURSE. You walk into this place and it appears to be a normal brew pub, completely unassuming, friendly Santa Rosa locals, all the likes. But please direct your attention to all of those framed awards behind the bar. These are WORLD BEER Prizes, distinctions awarded on a GLOBAL LEVEL to the finest beers in the WORLD. This friendly neighborhood bar is serving up some of the most delicious brews available on planet Earth today. Then you get the good live music at night and of course the famous pizza dough twirling going on back in the kitchen and you're looking at not just A brewpub, but THE BREWPUB. Get the pizza bites. Great value for your money.
(5)Josh H.
Great place. It seems to get busy relatively quickly. Came in at 11:30, which was 30 minutes after opening and had to stand in line. Arrive early. The flights are great for first timers and only $16 for a taste of all of their beers on tap that day. For me it was 20 beers, including sours (which were delicious!)
(5)Jonathan Y.
Pliny the Younger. Finally. Like a creamy, beautiful and magical T-rex tap-dancing on your tongue as it reverently plays the harp. I waited 5 hours, was finally joyfully brought in to the fold and preceded to drink....a little more...than the allotted amount. The rest is history and memory. At least little bits and pieces of memory.
(5)Michelle H.
We came here on a Saturday and there was already a line out the door (which was expected). Parking may be hard to find but there is metered street parking. The wait to get in was around 30 minutes and we were luckily able to get a table inside. If it's your first time here, I recommend getting the beer sampler, which includes 2 oz samples of every beer they have on tap (usually around 20) for only $18. Everyone's favorite is Pliny but my favorite was definitely the Blind Pig! So good that I decided to get 6 bottles to go. I would definitely come back here in the future.
(4)Jerry Y.
Came here last Friday with some friends and it was packed. Parked in the lot in the back and paid for the maximum 2-hour parking. We waited in the line outside while it was drizzling out and we just saw people walking out with boxes and boxes of Pliny the Elder 12-packs. The line moved somewhat fast but after we got in, we put our name down for a table and realized it'll probably take more than 2 hours to get seated. We opted for the bar and ordered some pints and my friends shared a sampler rack which is a flight of everything they have in stock. The Pliny is always great and I tried a Blind Pig this time as well which was awesome. We ordered some Pliny bites for here and some Pliny bites to go as well. The food takes some time (because it gets pretty packed in here) but it is so worth it. I'd recommend ordering your food first with your first drink and then it'll come by with your second drink. Russian River is still my favorite bar in the Bay Area and always worth the trip.
(5)Phillip T.
The beer here was universally excellent. We went on a Sunday afternoon so the place was a zoo. Very crowded, long lines, and loud environment. The pizza was ok. A bit greasy and soggy. The service was decent considering how crowded it was. The beer alone is worth a trip to this place. The charcuterie plate did not contain very much charcuterie.
(4)Barbara S.
We love Russian River beers so we made a 10 hr trip to visit this brewery (and the wineries) in Sonoma. We were there on Thanksgiving (thank you for opening that night!) and the place had a good crowd. We went again for two consecutive days and Holly Molly! Both days were packed! I'm surprised this brewery hasn't expanded to accommodate the demand. Even though it was super crowded we always had excellent service! The bartenders and great at multitasking and always were nice to us. Great brewery, great beer and great staff! We tried the Omni Pizza and the Savage chicken wings. Delicious!!! The wings were super tender and the savage sauce was spicy and delicious. We also ordered 16 tasters, my favorites of course were Pliny the Elder and the Blind Pig. Can't wait for them release Pliny the Younger again!
(5)Kimberly B.
We made the trek over here after spending the day at Hog Island because Russian River makes Pliny the Elder, which is one of my bf's favorite IPAs. Totally worth it and this brewery visit was one of the best parts of our Bay Area trip. We arrived during happy hour on a Friday afternoon and had to stalk people to find seats at the bar since the wait to dine-in was about 1 hour. Luckily we found seats and we happily ordered our drinks. Pints of Pliny are only $3.25! Such a steal! They sell bottles of Pliny for $5 but there is a 6 bottle limit. Didn't try any of the food but Ike's is less than 10 min away and we love Ike's! If you are a craft beer fan, then you must visit Russian River. Just be prepared to wait because it is crowded and busy there! Santa Rosa is beautiful and we will be returning soon (and hopefully getting some Pliny the Younger!)
(4)Victor G.
there's a silly list on the web originating in SF that suggests "100 things to eat before i/you die: (2013). miraculously, the list changes (for the most part) the next year and the next. so there's something to die for every year. walking past Russian River Brewing with the lines, i wondered what the buzz was about? know it all forgot Pliny the elder and Pliny (Younger) are reborn here every year as are all their hopped and barleyed bubblies. . i wonder how i can sampler 18 of them and make it home to the east bay. will BART come here some day?
(4)Kim B.
If you go here, you'd best plan on having one of the top rated beers in the world. Be prepared for a wait (with buzzer so you can wander the neighborhood). Food is great, too.
(5)Taylor G.
This place was well worth trip up to Northern California. The legend of Russian River brewing travels far and wide, I'm glad I got to experience it. To start, on crowded days there is a line just to get your name on a list for a table. We were fortunate enough to get a seat at the bar where you can also order food in addition to their 20+ brews on tap. Me and my lady tried a bit of everything, the Pliny the Elder was amazing along with the Blind Pig. I've never been a big sour fan but the barrel aged Supplication was a great brown ale. Drew's Bites were fantastic, pizza bites with pepperoni and peppers on top. I can't wait to try more from them on my next visit. Joe the bartender was very cool and helpful even with the crowd. Growlers and bottles available to go. There is plenty of parking in the back and on the street. Don't let the lines scare you away.
(5)Chloe V.
I don't drink beer, so this rating is just for the food and service. Our server was quick and friendly, but the food was solidly mediocre. The sandwiches are underseasoned, the caesar salad is big but nothing special, the pizza was just okay.
(3)martha g.
I love this place! The tasty drew bites & a Pliny or a Blind Pig Can turn a frown into a smile!
(4)Dan G.
Hot damn! I don't think it would be a stretch to say that our return to the Russian River Brewpub was once again the highlight of our summer tour of Sonoma and Mendocino counties. I have a new found respect and love for everything that RR is doing. A short drive from Bodega Bay and we arrived in Santa Rosa just in time for lunch. Beer first, taster flight of all of their available beers: California and Belgian. Cool flight deck arrived with bottle caps marking just what was what. Yep, every bit as good as I remember. RR makes some outstanding beers and has few peers, if any. I already knew that we would love Pliny the Elder (Double IPA) and the Blind Pig (IPA) we had on our other visit. What really impressed me this time around were the Belgian sours that they make. It's usually not my style as I tend to like hoppy or malty brews. Consecration-Sour aged in cab barrels (10%) and Supplication-Sour aged in Pinot barrels (7%) were the ones I liked best. After a few sips, we wanted to eat. They do very well with the food here. And seeing that at least half the board of available beers checked in at 7% abv or higher, you're gonna want to eat. We started with an order of the savage baked wings, which were good and spicy. Next up was a Megan's vegan pizza for the lady and the Magnum calzone for this big guy. When that came, we were done with the flight and got another round: Blind Pig for her and Row 2 Hill 56 Pale ale for me, which I loved with the Simcoe hops. We put those away while we finished our food and then split a glass of Pliny. It was about this time that we saw that they had just added Blind Pig that was bottled that day to their to go list. Kris looked at me and it was on. You know that shipper of wine we've got? It's gonna have a lot of beer in it. And with that, Pliny and the Pig joined us back home in Chicago. I see future trips to wine country ending with us returning with more beer than wine. Side note-they hop the hell out of their beer. For best results, you'll want to drink those fresh and not age them or save them.
(5)Scott S.
Always a great time at Russian River Brewing Company. Once you've gotten past the fact that there is always going to be a wait here purely because of the calibre of the food and drinks they sell here, this place is nothing short of paradise. I won't speak for the beer, because any idiot with an internet connection can actually look up reviews on BeerAdvocate and RateBeer and read about the A/S/T/M/O of all their excellent offerings. What they don't typically tell you on the internet is that you can order a sampler of all their offerings (which includes all their current bottle releases, their sours, and their non-bottled offerings) for a bargain. The food here is something that's often overlooked and phenomenal. The wait staff (more like beer geniuses in disguise) is very knowledgeable on food pairings that go with RRBC brews and they paired up our Blind Pig with the Paisano (Mozzarella, Feta, Pesto, Salami, Garlic) and our Pliny with the Pliny bites. Before that fateful night, I never really paired up my beer with my meals or had drinks by the table because my chief interest when it comes to drinking beer is well... beer over food. But the Pliny bites turned me into a believer. One thing that the RRBC Brewpub didn't have were obnoxious sports bros like the rest of Santa Rosa does; Game 7 of the Western Conference Playoff tie between the Warriors and Clippers were on, and myself being a Clippers fan have been threatened to be kicked out of a few bars upon other people realizing that I don't root for their home team. Not a single drunken unpleasantry was shared at RRBC, however, and people just watched their game and enjoyed their beer as any cultured beer aficionado slash sports fan would. They also have cool little water cups that have the RRBC logo on them, nice branded glassware you can purchase for 8 dollars, and a whole array of shirts. The only shirt I really wanted to buy was unavailable that night, but I guess that just gives me one more reason to go back! I love you, RRBC. Never leave me.
(5)Bonny S.
Great beer selection- must Pliny! Meatball sandwich and Pliny bites. Can pass on the pizza. Had to wait over an hour for a table on memorial weekend but luckily was able to grab a spot at the bar. So cheap too- happy hour on the weekends.
(4)Erin B.
Food was just ok- the chicken wings were pretty awful and the pizza "meh". My husband got a beer sampler of most of the beers they served. I tried almost all of them. Honestly, I wasn't mind blown and this place seems overrated. a touristy craft beer place.
(3)Brian W.
The best beer, but such a long wait! Totally worth it though.
(4)E N.
Simply put this is the best beer in California... I haven't had every craft beer in the U.S. but I imagine their beers are serious contenders for national pre-eminence. Its considered a cult beer among beer geeks even in BELGIUM... that says it all.
(5)Natalye R.
Love this place, especially on Sundays when its happy hour all day long. The beers are tasty ($2.75 for most pints on Sundays) and the pizza is delicious. There is sometimes a band playing and it gets pretty loud, but I go there to hang out with good friends over good beer, not to discuss pertinent matters, so the noise is irrelevant. Plus there is outdoor seating for those who want it. The only thing I don't enjoy is that they usually have one waiter covering the whole restaurant so service can be slow. The plus side of the busy atmosphere (for those of us into saving money) is that one of the bartenders almost always forgets to add one of my beers to my tab, so I always go home with more in my pocket than I had thought I would have.
(4)Grace C.
Came in here Friday for the first time and fell in love with this place! We had the Damnation, Piny the Elder, Little White Lie and my favorite was Concencration! And I loved the Beer Bites!
(4)Michele M.
Glad we stopped at this exit tonight! Apparently Wednesday is the new NYE in Santa Rosa. I've never seen a fashion show quite like tonight in downtown SR! Whoa. My boyfriend & I decided to do a date evening impromptu style in Healdsburg tonight, but got on the freeway for dinner, missed our exit and ended up in Santa Rosa. We were surprised to see the entire tween population in full effect out at "The Market" as our cocktail waitress called it. Hot topic will never go out of business as long as there are teenagers in Santa Rosa. So being complete strangers to the town, we: a: went to the Cantina for a drink. b: walked the "Market" c: bought some shit we didn't need.. then d: made the best decision and went into the Russian River Brewing Co! Dooooooooddd... the beer is good, the pizza is better and they have La Crema Chardonnay for $6.25 a glass! whoop! I really liked the crowd in here too. I felt like I had died and woke up on the railway in Paris. I thought Rosa was a hick town, but I was pleasantly surprised to see culture was thriving in the (707). It only took once glance to a busy bartender and 3 minutes later we had drinks and a tab rolling! I can't wait to go back here, but we had to stop drinking due to the DUI summertime checkpoints and our newly found affinity for responsibility behind the wheel. check it!
(4)William D.
Seriously probably the single best brewpub in terms of beer in the country. Aggressive and creative brewing, lots of taps on, and even an interesting scene outside and inside. Where else can you sometimes get more than one Sour Beer style on tap? Hell, where else can you even get one? Not that Sours are for everybody- even I have to be in a strange mood to want it, but they do it anyway. I was having a Sour and a lady from Texas at the next table asked me about it (very friendly and even attractive), went to order it and I strongly recommended just a taste first. Wish I had a camera for the look on her face. That, and Pliney the Younger is rated in the top 5 beers in the world. Pliney the elder is equally excellent, as are pretty much all of their other brews. It's a brewpub, so if you're here for the beer you will be seriously happy- just plan on having a ride with all of the serious alcohol brews available. Food is good pub food- soaks up the beer and tastes good. That's all it should be, and it does a great job. Service- step up to the bar and you get served. That's the way it's supposed to work. If you stand around looking lost you might stand for a bit since people sometimes just do that in their post-beer-coital haze, so you are just fitting in... you want service, stop somebody and ask for it- they're friendly and will help you out. Take some responsibility for your own happiness and get up and order another (fill in the blank). I'd like to see some live music, but the guy with the lowrider bike-blaster stereo parked out front had an entertaining and surprisingly good playlist. Nothing but props.
(5)Dawn D.
The great beer and excellent pizza were not enough to overcome the strangely condescending and rude service. Server criticized my companion's choice to get wine instead of beer and informed me when I asked about the chicken sandwich that it was "okay... what do you expect it's a chicken sandwich... " ummmmmm couldn't come up with a response to that so split a pizza with my friend and we left shaking our heads. Maybe a retraining is in order, as my review seems to be one of quite a few that reflect the same reaction.
(2)Allie A.
A dream come true! We got here at 10 after 11 am on Sunday... they were half full already and an hour in, there is an outrageous wait. Get here early! But seriously, this place was on our radar since we knew we would be out this way for a wedding. And the beer. The beer...... THE BEER!!! Of course we had to order Pliny the Elder, the famous double IPA and it did not disappoint. We also tried the Blind Pig, which was amazing as well. We started off with the Pliny bites.... sharp white cheddar and jalapeno pizza, but into perfectly sized little bites. So simple, but completely mind blowing. I don't think I will look at eating pizza the same way ever again. Everything is better in mouth popping bites, and these little hot things were fantastic! My favorite app from my entire trip!! We also ordered some hot wings (baked not fried... they were nice and moist) and a Tuna Melt, but honestly, we were there for the beer. I ended with the light White Lie and Adam tried a sour.... I really wish I didn't have to drive that day or else I think we would have stayed all day. It was packed so we sometimes had to yell for our server, but the people and ambiance was exactly what we wanted and expected, so no big deal. After picking up a few souvenirs we were on our way.... but next trip out west you can bet your ass this place will be on the list!
(5)Bruce S.
When we took a trip to Sonoma a few weeks back, we had to stop at Russian River; it's mandatory for a beer lover. The reputation was well deserved. The food was good and the beer was better. We ordered two full samplers, so were able to try all the brews currently on tap. Of course, I liked the Pliny the Elder, a fantastic DIPA. For food, we had the Drew Bites (their Pizza Bites with pepperoni and pepperocini {sp?}), the vegetable plate and the charcuterie plate. Everything was fresh, hot if it was supposed to come that way, and our party loved it. In short, this is a great brewpub, well worth a special trip to Santa Rosa.
(5)Ben D.
RRBC is my neighboorhood pub. I love Pliny, Blind Pig and Damnation. Pliny Bites, Drew Bites and the Three Cheese Sandwich are awesome. That being said, RRBC would have 5 stars consistently IF you could actually get in, get beer and eat food. Guys, seriously...buy the place next door, ya know? The tea shoppe?!? WTF!, knock a wall down and take over that side of 4th street. ORRRRR...open a second bar in Santa Rosa. In Coddingtown or in the Summerfield area maybe... Do SOMETHING. I love you, but you're a pain in the ass. Ben Donaghy, of the Donaghy 6
(3)Jim W.
I've been here twice now, Pliny brought me here to @downtownSR which I consider #BeerCountry as much as it is #Wine Country . It was The Elder, not The Younger who brought me, the more learned of the two. I love visiting indy breweries in my travels and this was I highlight. I first met Pliny @Hopmonkson and I was determined to visit the source as soon as I tried it... a perfectly balanced IPA with a distinct beginning, middle and end; citrus, sour and floral at the front, robust and nuanced flavor in the mouth with slightly bready maltiness moving on to a crisp hoppy and piney finish. They do have food here and some good happy hour specials. I've had the pizza twice and it is a decent craft style pie with a thin and crunchy artisan type crust. The place has been hopping (pun intended) every time I have been here and service is generally good but a little rushed. Go here. Bring a driver along or walk from your hotel like I did the first time...
(5)Mitzy M.
Amazing beer, delicious food, happy people - how could you go wrong?! We started with a spinach salad and the Blind Big - mmm Went to [one of the] chicken pizza and a Pliny the Elder and it was equally delicious (We split both of these and it was the perfect amount) They do happy hour all day Sundays, but don't have a ton of TVs, so definitely going to be the new hangout once Football is over!
(5)Marc R.
If you like beer, the Russian River Brew Co. is a Mecca for you. The menu is pretty good, don't drink on an empty stomach, try the beer bites. Essentially a pizza chopped up into manageable pieces that you can dip into ranch dip. The beer. I can't say much outside of it is delightful. Please go. Enough said. Just go.
(5)Mark M.
20 beers on tap.... need I say more. The kitchen was closed for some reason when we went there, but we weren't getting food anyway. A beer for anybody's taste. Great beer, local pub vibe.
(5)Clayton V.
Russian River is the Elysium fields of craft beer. Belgian, West Coast, Sour, Hoppy, Drinkable, and just plain amazing. With as many as 20+ taps on at any time, it can be daunting to pick a beer. Russian River understands this and has a solution, an affordable tasting flight, a two ounce pour of... everything. No matter what style of beer you like, there's going to be something to enjoy here. Never had a sour beer? No problem, some of the best in North America are created right here. The seasonal and one offs? Out of this world. Their once-a-year, February-ish brew, Pliny The Younger, had a very nice and well deserved reign as the best beer in the world. The place can get packed, it will be busy on Friday nights and weekends. As a lover of fine beer, this place has drawn me to it every time I'm in the bay area. I rent a car, just to make my trek. If you're only going to visit one brewery on the west coast, this is the one.
(5)Adrienne S.
This place is unbelievably worth your effort. I ain't ratin' the service here, because the foundation, the guts and heart of the place (the beer itself hello), rocks so hard that if you have any semi-experienced taste buds at all, you will immediately forget all else regarding service and ambiance due to the perfection and world-renowned beauty of the deliciousness of their BEER. I came here for the first time about a year ago. I haven't SHUT UP about it since. Most recently I visited mid-April. Every time I go it is sincerely MAGIC. Damnation 23, Mortification, Supplication....each beer is like no beer you have EVER had. But start with Pliny The Elder since it is the perfect beer and after two or three you will lose track of what tastes like what. Until you go back again and again. I live two and a half hours away, but I have frequented much as possible and am planning the next visit ASAP. Seriously this place is heaven to me. I have convinced many complete strangers that they must drive to Sonoma County NOT SO MUCH FOR the wine tastings.....(well, that goes too), but for this surprisingly wonderful gem of a brewery sitting in the midst of humble downtown Santa Rosa. If you know what really good beer actually tastes like, you cannot pass this up. Oh and by the way, it's not a restaurant (as previous yelpers that gave one star seem to think).....it's a BREWERY!.......with food and tables as a side note. Meaning there are bartenders...and busser waiter helper people....not somalies and professional servers. Expect the service there to be TERRIFIC...that is ..if you are there to taste the BEER. It's their beer in the world taste tests....not their food. But the pizza is out of this world too. and their ARE world class prize winning pizza twirlers in the back so I hear. Point is, don't go there if you are wanting fine dining service because you are MISSING THE WHOLE POINT. But those bartenders can tell you ANYTHING you want to know about making beer. If they have time....since usually they are completely running their asses away. RRBC.....I found true love.
(5)Tim M.
This place is almost ALWAYS packed. A testament to the quality of their beer. The food is above average at best. The beer sampler is the way to go if you want to taste a variety of their great work. Typical bar indoors, very crowded, loud, fun crowd. They do move people in and out pretty quick. Have time on your hands and/or love your beer and this is the right place.
(4)Ashley H.
The beer is amazing. Went on a Friday night. The Friday after thanksgiving. It was super packed. An hour wait for a table. But someone gave us their spot at the bar. The spicy sauce is great. Got wings and beer bites. The votes were just so bomb and cheesy. I didn't love the wind a but the sauce for them was good and the bartender gave us medium and spicy to try. Both are tasty. Bathroom is randomly like very bright and doctors officy. They could improve that especially since there's such a great ambiance and decor in the restaurant and bar. Overall a great experience. Would come back to drink for sure and try other items on the menu. Even got some souvenirs! The happy hour prices are awesome!
(4)Fabian M.
This place is great! Delicious beers, awesome decor, the bartenders and waiters are friendly and informative. If you plan on getting food, I highly recommend the meatball sandwich! Also, there are other beers there besides pliney!!!! Try a supplication ;), you'd be surprised at how great their other drinks are. The only reason I gave this place a 4 out of 5 was because when I went to the gift shop, I was met by the rudest woman, the gift shop goblin. This lady was overly rude and seemed like she hated everyone that walked in. And it is to my understanding after talking to a few other friends that have gone that they have all had the same experience with this woman. You don't want disgruntled employees in your establishment turning people away and being overly rude to customers. If it wasn't happy hour at Russian river at the time I honestly would have left or tried to find a manager.
(4)Anthony C.
Best wings in town. If you like spicy wings eat here. Even though the wait is long they have really good food. It's a wild place but they do have security cameras.
(4)Ben G.
So many other beers for people to love and appreciate, I wish people would move past the Pliny. Sampler for people who haven't tried nearly enough is a great way to start. Drew Bites are my favorite. I try to go in right about openings for food because it is so popular, crowds come with it.
(4)HÃ¥kon E.
On my way from San Diego to Portland I planned to visit a few decent brew pubs along the way. RRBC was a natural choice, it even dictated where I'd stop for the night :-) I had a the "New Yorker" pizza with a Blind Pig IPA. Pizza was good - typical bar food kind, and the IPA was very good, as expected. I then went on to the Pliny the Elder which was as great as I remembered from having it in a local SD bar. Then went on to try both the Porter & the Nitro Stout (I know, drinking backwards) and finished off with the Hopfather IPA (hey, I was parked for the night anyways :-). All beers are very good with lots of taste. The place is very crowded though - even on a Tuesday evening, but the bartenders are efficient in fulfilling orders and tapping beers, and if you hang around long enough you may be lucky like I was to get a seat at the bar. All in all a great experience, and I'll definitely be back next time I'm in the area.
(4)Tony O.
Unequivocally the best brewery I've been to. The staff was warm and inviting. The ambiance was absolutely perfect. The music wasn't too loud so you had to scream to talk to people. The food was some of the best brewery food I've ever had and the beer was everything I had ever dreamed of trying. I would recommend this place to anyone even if it's a distance from where you're at. The bartender and I did a shot of Blind Pig "for the Millennium Falcon" since I was wearing a super cool Star Wars shirt! Love this place can't wait to return!!! *************
(5)D C.
First time in Santa Rosa, drove through specifically for this place. This is a great brewery. If I were reviewing the beer it would be 5 stars without question. However-the service is abhorrent, and the food is mediocre at best. I walked in and the hostess was busy flirting with a coworker so I tried to find a bar seat. I then asked her of I could grab a table. Without a word she grabbed a menu and took me to one open by the bathrooms. I never got served-I did indeed sit patiently for 10 minutes, and approached the bar. Pliny the Elder is one or the best DIPAs you can find anywhere. I wanted food, half the reason I was here, still, after 30 minutes no server, even though he made regular appearances at the adjacent table. I got another beer from the bar and ordered my food-I asked if there was supposed to be service and he acknowledged that yes, indeed there Should be. The server brought my food out and apologized-But I was out of beer and he don't even ask if I wanted another. Pretty annoying experience not to mention the group of macho thugs siting next to me talking about beating up their friend's gay son... I returned the next day to get a six pack (i am traveling by myself) and the bartender, to go with the trend, was the cockiest, least welcoming dude I have encountered in a while. Yes this is a great brewery but that doesn't mean you should be pretentious. I've been to many great breweries where you feel welcome and have a good time. This is not one of them.
(3)Gracie L.
Love the beer, think the service kinda sucks. Seems like the hostess can be snotty and ignore you if you're a female. Waitstaff and bartenders are friendly once you can get seated. Kitchen is a bit slooooow, but that just gives you more time to enjoy another pint. No complaints there!
(4)Ernst L.
Wonderful selection of beers tending into the territory of Belgian-style sour beers. I'm told sour beers represent a pinnacle of beer making and flavor. So far, I don't get it, but I do really enjoy the opportunity to sate such a unique style alongside more familiar brews in an inviting environment with tasty chow. Many have well addressed the younger and older Plinys and I'd throw my hat in to say they're well worth some effort to try. The whole offering on my visit presented a quality that suggested most any beer drinker could find a beer here that they'd relish, and many would enjoy the ample opportunity to explore and consider. Rely enjoyed the different sampler options allowing one to select, focus, or sample everything on offer. Handy rigs with bottle cap cues add to the experience. The food was great. Grilled cheese on sourdough with tomatoes and grilled onions was my choice. Not unique in their ability to produce this sandwich, but it was dang good and I'd go back for it. The side salad was fresh, large, and came with a nice Asian style dressing.
(5)Kelly C.
Love this place! The beer and Atmosphere are so much fun, love coming here with friends!:)
(5)Amelia J.
When you go here, you're defiantly not going for warm and fuzzy service or for a wide selection of food. That being said, I have to agree the beer is outstanding (I even enjoy their IPA which I usually do not drink) and the thin crust pizzas were surprisingly well done. Best to visit this place as bar and not be traumatized by the experience of table service.
(3)Bob I.
The few negatives regarding this place in other reviews all seem to deal with certain factors........parking( that's Santa Rosa's fault, not the breweries) big crowds, inconsistent service. They are crowded because they have a great location, and brew incredible beer! Pliny( both of 'em), Blind Pig, the OVL Stout......ALL of the Belgian style brews, especially the sours. The beer bites, several of the pizzas really good too. It appears they have outgrown there kitchen, I suspect that is a big factor in issues regarding service. I've always found the servers to be pleasant, although sometimes they seem a little overwhelmed by the volume. With a M-F happy hour, and a Sunday all day happy hour offering discounted beers, they offer a good value. As they have grown and expanded these past years, the quality of the beer has remained excellent, they have not sacrificed a bit of quality as they have become more successful. I find it sad after reading some of the reviews that give them only 1 or 2 stars, based upon parking or service! By doing this, you've penalized this place for success! Cmon, people it's a bad economy, and you choose to demonize a verified success story! BTW, assuming that RRBC management reads Yelp, I'd like to mention that the two guys I see working security at the doors frequently are really top notch, they are courteous and friendly.........keep up the good work, and fix the few minor flaws, and this place will deservedly earn a full five stars for what it truly is, a beer destination that brings people in from around the world.....
(4)Katie C.
I read reviews about how busy it can get, so we purposefully came here at 2pm on a Tuesday in mid-January. Got seated right away in the bar, but we were still surprised by just how many people with there midday/midweek. You can tell people really love this place, and for good reason. It was totally worth the special trip from Sacramento. If you're not coming here for the amazing beer, I would say don't bother. You'll just be taking up space that someone who is really excited about the beer could be occupying, and you're not going to be able to appreciate the experience as much ;) The beer sampler is a must, unless you're by yourself and have to drive somewhere afterwards... because it will seriously work you. Two of us shared the sampler, and here's what we got: Aud Blonde O.V.L. Stout Happy Hops Row 2 Hill 56 Janet's Brown Ale Blind Pig IPA Pliny the Elder Perdition Damnation Erudition Mortification (my favorite out of all of them, but looks like it's off the menu for now!) Temptation Supplication Consecration In a word: sublime. We ended up ordering some Drew Bites to go with it, because what's better than cheesy, greasy, peperoni and pepperoncini goodness when you're buzzed?
(5)Natalie F.
Amazing beer, loved their sours most even though they are known for Pliny. Expect a long wait, but it's worth it. Pizza is pretty darn good, goes well with the HUGE beer flight-- 18 beers, and only $16.00.
(5)Elizabeth E.
My husband and I stopped at Russian River Brewery 5 years ago on a road trip through California we took for our honeymoon. Their beer, Pliny the Elder, is the stuff dreams are made of. We are really more wine people, but we were getting a little wined-out in Napa and Sonoma so we headed over to Santa Rosa for the day. The drive was beautiful and we were so impressed with the beer. Pliny the Elder is a double IPA and you can't find it many places. It doesn't have preservatives so if you buy it, you need to drink it quickly! We actually bought 12 bottles on our first trip to give my brother as a birthday gift and by the time we met up with him we only had 1 bottle left. Once per year, RRB releases "Pliny the Younger" and apparently there's a line out the door to get your hands on it. If we see Pliny the Elder at a restaurant or grocery store now, we get so excited! We actually found it on tap in Denver but they limited consumption to 1 pint per person so everyone can enjoy it! It's that GOOD! We came back to Russian River Brewery this week from a family trip to San Francisco (5 year and 2 kids later). It was a great stop. My 3 year old said eating their pizza was his favorite part of the day (which is really saying a lot because we also went hiking in the Muir Woods and went swimming!). I had the Nu Deal and my husband had the Lola. Both were good, but mine was better. They were super friendly with the kids and had plenty of space for our stroller and a highchair. We went home with another 12 pack of Pliny and I don't expect it to last long!
(5)Crystal H.
Happy hour all day Sunday! Yes, it gets crowded in the bar....but if you're patient you will be rewarded with hoppy goodness. We also stop in for at least a couple pints and some Pliney Bites on the way to and/or from backpacking, camping, or wine tasting. It's definitely worth stopping by if you're in the area. It's my husbands absolute favorite brewery.
(5)Bonnie M.
Great place great people. My only very small complaint is that they do not open early enought for me.
(4)Kate F.
I have been dying to come here forever. The reviews about the long lines and crazy wait times deterred me for quite some time. I decided to take a vacation day this past Monday and thought what a perfect time to try this place out. We arrived a few minutes after opening and already people were marching in with big crowds. For a Monday at 11 this place was busy, but not bad enough where we couldn't find a seat at the bar. Since it was our first time we ordered a sampler. This is such an amazing deal, all of the beers for 16$! What the heck that's awesome. Pliny was my husbands favorite so we ordered a couple pints and some bottles to take home. I really enjoyed the uniqueness of some of their brews. They have 4 sour beers that are brewed from old wine barrels. They were all very good. I pretty much like any beer except porter type beers so I enjoyed pretty much all of the samples. Great place to go!
(4)Paul W.
Be prepared to wait but once you get seated enjoy the pizza bites and amazing beers. Food comes out pretty fast and beers are simply amazing with a great selection of brews
(5)Jairo B.
My mecca of beer! Never have I happily waited in line to get into a brew pub. The staff here was very helpful, and offered us tips to make the most out of the experience. This place is very busy, because its an AMAZING place. I do not hand out 5 star reviews too often, but RR deserves it! The vibe was great, its DISNEYLAND for great beer. They had an amazing lineup of beers (try the flight!) I settled with the wonderful Sour Beers, as well as the Simcoe-hopped Pale. I ate some delicious Pliny Bites, and had to ask the server to take them away, before I inhaled all of them! I'm wearing a ear-to-ear smile as I type this, i truly loved the experience, and cant wait to go back! CHEERS!
(5)Gee H.
Long line. Long wait for food. Order fast. Unless it's salad - those come out faster. Cheap- good value. Would recommend getting the flight (15$) and pizza.
(4)Jonathan L.
My first visit I would say this placed rubbed me wrong. Tonight was my 2nd visit on a Saturday with a group of four. The staff was great and Ryan really took his time finding a beer for my taste. Good job guys!
(4)Al J.
Had dinner here with some good friends and found my new favorite beer. Consecration! I loved it so much I bought a tiny little bottle to take home for $13. That's right a $13 single beer. But it's so delicious. The food is also great. Pliny bites and pizza the munchies food to go with the great beers. Will be back next weekend!
(5)Kevin L.
Home of the famous pliny the elder/younger. The whole taster cost only 15-16$ and that consist of all the brews they had, which was around 16-18 brews. The cool thing is that you can purchase cases of pliny the elder versus going to a beer store or whole foods and could only buy 2 bottles. Most of the beers are fantastic. Consecration is a very good barrel aged sour. I recommend coming here for beer.
(4)Patrick L.
I'll be honest, I had this 5-star review written in my head long before I finally made it to this phenomenal brewery in the heart of wine country. I knew I'd make it to this place someday, and when I finally did....there could be no disappointment. No way - these guys are well aware of their exalted position in the US craft beer scene, and serve their adoring patrons with a kind of smart-assed confidence that I appreciate. This wasn't my first experience with Russian River's brews. They don't distribute to a whole lot of places, and Florida is not on that short list - so I've gone through the expensive pain in the butt that it is procuring popular beers that don't distribute to my area. In particular, I crave the "-tion" sour ales like Supplication, Consecration, Temptation, Beatification, Sanctification and such - so it was truly an experience to taste most of these straight from the brewery's own taps. And Pliny, don't even get me started - there are a few of us in Miami who go to the above trouble to acquire fresh bottles of Pliny the Elder, just one of the first, and best, Double IPAs out there. We take them to our favorite beer bar, a place called Abraxas, where they are reverently opened and enjoyed. For being outside Russian River's distribution area, I think there have been more bottles of Pliny opened at Abraxas than anywhere else! But I digress. Drinking such an iconic beer at its place of origin....if you're a beer geek, it doesn't get too much better than that. Even if you're a total Russian River Brewing Co. fan-boy as I am, and have had a bunch of the beers already - trust me, still spend the $15 and order the sampler tray. It's easily the most impressive sampler I've ever seen. It's so impressive, I kinda feel bad for the bartenders who have to pour it. Just take a look at the pictures here on Yelp for confirmation. The sampler allows the intrepid drinker to try every single beer on the board! I found some new favorites I'd not had before, most namely "Happy Hoppy," a pale ale brewed with a new experimental hop variety, "369." Very floral and bitter without being astringent, I thought this was great....and entirely unexpected. I wasn't expecting to go to Russian River and have one of my favorite brews there be a simple pale ale - but so it was! They also had a hoppy saison on called "Noble Experiment" that I was loving. Of course, I drank Supplication, Consecration and Sanctification, enjoying my sours thoroughly. I even went back for a full glass of Sanctification...not to mention a bottle of each to pack in my suitcase. Food is served here - it's nothing too ambitious, mostly house-made pizzas, but they complement the beer nicely....and let's face it, if you're here and really want to enjoy your experience - you're going to need something to help soak up the alcohol, so do order a bite off the menu. Sonoma County really offers the best of both worlds, wine and beer. If you're a beer geek making a pilgrimage to Russian River Brewing, take it upon yourself to visit some wineries. Likewise, wine people should take a grape break and stop here for some of our expansive country's greatest beer. Highly recommended.
(5)Brian K.
A must stop on any beer geek's tour of the lands north of San Francisco. Swung by on a Wednesday afternoon after spending a few hours at Lagunitas down in Pentaluma. The atmosphere of the two couldn't have been any more different. While RR has some fantastic beers (Pliny, Temptation, Shadow of a Doubt, Consecration) and really solid happy hour specials (I think a pint of Pliny was $4.00), I was put off by the set up of of the brewery/restaurant. The bar is long but tables run along the length of it behind the stools in a fashion that leaves next to no room for people to move about without knocking into you. I am by no means claustrophobic but there was really no such thing as personal space. The bar is also EXTREMELY loud. At times I had problems understanding what the people next to me were saying. The flight was $15 but provided 4oz samples of everything they had on tap. This is a must do if you visit. All in all a great brewery with some fantastic beers, but I wish I was able to enjoy myself a little more.
(3)Rich O.
Really good pizza, amazing appetizers. And their IPA is pretty good too:)
(5)Rory O.
Great beer...try the wings, get them savage if you love spicy. The omni pizza is also a good choice. Usually very busy but worth it
(5)Tommy A.
Was there today with a party of 5 and damn you guys are an amazing brewing company with incredibly good food. I personally know a few Pizza guys (Bianco in PHX for one;-)) and let me tell you your Mikey and Marg Pizzas were just outstanding. Perfect crisp to the bottom of the crust and properly and lightly cooked on top. The wings were freaking outstanding as well. Extremely tender. A bit over sauced, but that was an easy fix. My son loved the Garlic Bread. Your beers were great as well and staff from hostess to bartender to server are good peeps, so thanks for putting out a great product all around.
(5)Brittany T.
If we were to time travel back to the days of yore (before I realized gluten gives me migraines), I would tell you the pizza is the best in Sonoma county and the Younger is well worth the wait. As a matter of fact, any service at RR is worth the wait. The staff members possess a delightful amount of sass, and I keep going back because I love the atmosphere, La Crema wine, and lusting after the pliny bites. Oh and I still really appreciate a good beer sniff, sooo watch out for me.
(5)Brian S.
I'm gonna start off by saying I love your guys beer. I don't think I've ever had a beer from you I didn't like. As a local customer I try to fill at least one of my 4 growlers every week. But frankly it BS that you guys are sending people to wait at the line in front (that's 25 people deep on a Sunday) just to fill up a damn growler. It's bad enough that anytime you wanna go and grab a pizza and beer it's at least an hour wait and just to sit at the bar it's super crowded. There's a back door and I understand you sending people to the front line if they're staying for beer or food. But just to fill a damn growler? Will probably be taking my business to Lagunitas from now on unless this gets changed.
(2)Steve G.
No matter how busy they are, you will be waited on quickly and served quickly and the beer will be inexpensive and outstanding. I mean, it's PLINEY. Can't find a seat? That's natural. You will still get beer and food promptly served. Stopped by on my way to get ribs and smoker wood. I'm fully stocked now.
(5)Joey O.
I understand that this place was very busy. I understand that it's a popular place. I understand that people come here for the beer, not the outstanding service. However, there is no excuse for having to wait over 15 minutes to even be greeted after sitting down. The hostess obviously couldn't care less about her job, and apparently the server didn't need our business. We tried to wait, but 15 minutes is absolutely unacceptable. We figured that things weren't going to get any better, so we got up and left for some great pizza and service down at Flavor.
(1)tevadar k.
Love the beer. Love the Pliny bites. Hate the service. Hate that you have to stand and drink your beer. I've been coming here since they were at the Corbel winery. When they first moved down to 4th street it was awesome. I can remember when Pliny the younger was just an occasional beer that I liked a little better than Pliny the older. Back when you could sit down and enjoy it. You could even take home a growler :) The service has always been pretty lame. A bunch of half baked guys an gals that think they work at the most awesome brewery EVER, and treated the customers like it was more of an inconvenience than anything. That hasn't change! I'll never taste Piny the younger again. It saddens me but I'm unwilling to endure a 3 hour line to stand up and drink a beer while people bump into you and step on your toes. i guess that's the the price you pay for success.
(1)Charles Y.
Great spot. We didn't sit down because the wait was 45 minutes, but we got some space at the bar. Big selection and pretty tasty sours. It reminded me of the new york beer institutions (e.g., Blind Tiger).
(4)Shannon O.
Dear lord, it doesn't get better than this. Pliny is outstanding, yadda yadda. The sours are fuggin' outrageous (in a good way). Consecration is one of my favorite beers of all time, definitely the best sour. Yup.
(5)Ada T.
This place is great for beer snobs, enthusiasts and all! B and I came here about twice, our first for the sampler and a pint each. For those of you who can't seem to make a decision as far as what to get, definitely try the sampler (18 samples - $15) so that you can expand your pallet along with figure out what you want. It may be a good idea to share with someone, as you will get pretty wasted with some of the beers with high ABVs and milder tastes. The creepies!! If you have a go-to type (ie: Pale, IPA, etc), prices are extremely reasonable ~$4/pint. We came on the first day Pliny the Younger released (2/7/14), because B and I love our IPAs. It was pouring, and the first time we got there, the wait was estimated to be about 2-3 hours. We then decided to grab dinner at Flavor (about 2 blocks away) and when we went back our wait was ~40 minutes, tops at about 10pm! We both thought the Triple IPA was delicious, although, agreed that we would not have waited 10+ hours like others. We were told by the RRBC staff that people flew in from Germany and waited hours. Younger is pretty much a big deal, as it is only offered for 2 weeks until they run out for the day. Definitely come here -- even if you are not into beer, you just may (most likely) be converted. P.S. Happy hour is 4-6pm and ALL DAY Sunday. Happy drinking Yelpers!
(4)Scott C.
If you have not heard of Russian River then you probably think Bud is the king of beers or the "mountain" water used in Coors is magical. If you have then you probably know what you are in for! The sours and Belgians were my favorites but of course pliney and blind pig will please the hop heads.
(5)Max G.
You have to love a brewpub that has a line of 25 people at 11am waiting for the place to open. The wait was well worth it. Russian River brews some of the best beers in America, everything from IPAs to Belgian-style ales, to sour beers. They are most famous for Pliny the Elder, a wonderful IPA. Many of their beers change frequently, so just look at the board and ask to sample a few, or you can order a full tasting rack of 19 beers. I tried 4 and settled on the Dribble Belt IPA. The food is also very good. I had a meatball sandwich, which perfectly accompanied the beer. Go early, the place gets packed.
(5)Kara M.
What a wonderfully understated brew pub making great beer and food in a totally average place. Great vibe inside...nothing flashy about it. Excellent servers who really want everyone to have a great time. Enjoyed the 18 beer tasting board as well as some pizzas. Was very sad to leave but plan to return!
(5)Shirley N.
A great accidental find. Yelping breweries while we were in Santa Rosa and this one popped up. Did we come here last year? Maybe maybe not. Read the reviews and thought we haven't been. Happy Hour? Between 4:30p-6:30pm. We'll make a point of coming. We dropped in around 5:00pm and the place was packed. We were seated in the room off to the left of the entrance. Beers on draft are $3.50 during HH. But no discount on food. What goes good with beer? Chicken wings! Baked wings. Choice of mild, medium, or savage. We went medium. Nice plumb size wings. Nice accompaniment with the beer. We also got the garlic bread. Beer, wings, and bread = our dinner.
(4)Mike H.
I must start by disclosing that I am quite a fan of craft beer and this was in my all time top 3 places that I want to go. I have had many pints of Pliny at various beer establishments and am quite a fan. I wanted to visit the source and sample all the brews that aren't available in my area. When we first arrived, there was a line down the block to get in. I assumed there must be an event, so we had dinner elsewhere and returned an hour and a half later. The line wasn't quite as long, but it still took 30 minutes to get in the front door. When we did, the hostess asked if we would like a table. We said "of course". The hostess promptly informed us that it would be a 2 hour wait for a table, but welcomed us to enjoy the bar area and outdoor seating area. I made my way through the capacity crowd to the bar, while my fiance attempted to grab two freshly vacated outdoor seats. Turns out someone else beat her to the seats. Meanwhile, I made eye contact several times with the bar tender, but never had an opportunity to place an order. Here is where the 1 star rating comes from: I understand that some places are quite popular and can become crowded. I also understand that serving all those people can present a bit of a challenge. What I'm not OK with is the notion that in order to be served you must have large barely covered breasts, or scream like a maniac and make a scene. After 10 minutes of attempting to place an order and being ignored, we decided to walk out. My overall impression of this place is that they are in love with being "cool" and "hip", as are the majority of their customers. For regular guys like me (who had every intention of spending over $100 when I entered), they don't have space or time. If you like waiting, and being around hipsters and acting cool, then enjoy! If not, don't go here. I will conclude by declaring that I have had my last drop of Russian River Brewing Co. beer. Congrat's RRBC on your successful marketing strategies, but you will find that it will bite you in the ass eventually if you can't figure out how to treat your customers.
(1)Pascal F.
I was a bit let down by this "mecca" of beer destinations. I stopped in mid-week during lunch and sat at the bar. I let the bartender know that it was my first time, and I was excited to try some brews. The look of annoyance on his face was hilariously undeniable. Dude, your job is to pour your great beer and have people enjoy the experience, not to come across as a pretentious beer snob. I had really poor service from there on...he passed my empty glass more than a few times. But the regular sitting next to me got 3x the attention. Go figure. Pliny was as delicious as I expected. The caprese sandwich was ok, a little short on flavor. And the service was meh. Beer 5 stars. Food 3 stars. Service 1 star...overall 3 stars
(3)Serina T.
Pretty much one of my favorite microbrews! Love beer and I definitely appreciate yummy pizza! Russian River usually has a wonderful selection of beers and food bites. Tourists: I recommend going early with time to wait for a table or place to sit. Happy Hour all day Sunday you can't beat and don't forget to take a growler home! My fav bites are the Drew bites!
(5)Whiskey T.
Awesome brewery! One of my top 5 breweries. I hate waiting in lines but the Pliny the Younger wait last year was worth it. I have been to this place a handful of times and I can't wait to go back.
(5)Patrick D.
To describe my visit here as a pilgrimage would not be inaccurate. The beer here is divine.
(5)Rugger B.
Delicious beers anyone? I ordered a taster tray of everything on the board and received 19 tasters, which included everything from belgians, sours, and ales. Though my favorite are the ales, their Supplication Sour is unbelievable and their belgians were tasty too. The bar is extremely popular with locals and tourists alike. By the end of Happy Hour, many patrons were standing as seats were not available. I give the servers credit for weaving their way through the crowds with foods and drinks. I ordered the mild chicken wings, which are baked and they were delicious (falling off the bones delicious). If you are in Sonoma county for wine, make sure you treat your palette to the tastiness of Russian River's award winning beers.
(5)Serena K.
Long wait to get seated, but the patio is open so if you can snag a seat on the bench, you can just bring your beer out and drink while you wait. Food is pretty good! Pizza has lots of interesting toppings, nothing too special. The beer, however, is very special. I am a huge fan of sours and Russian River does them excellently. All aged in wine barrels and with unique flavor. I recommend doing the flight! It's a great deal and a fun way to find your favorite beers. It's pretty loud and busy all the time between other patrons and music, so don't go if you're looking for intimate conversations. The atmosphere is very fun and casual. No need to dress any certain way. Good service, our waitress was very attentive even though she had a full section. Very friendly and accommodating hostess as well. The staff in general is very personable and easy to talk to.
(4)Ted D.
This is by far the best place for small brewing in Sonoma County. The beers are as good as you would find in Munich. My family and I frequent regularly in the lunch hour and have never had a bad expierence. I cant think of a better place on a sunday afternoon to hang out . The beer is amazing and the pizza is a solid 4-5. Great place for kids too. Try the "Abbey" with a side of peppercinnis, with a perdition and you will be happy.
(5)Philippa L.
Short Version: Good beer is good beer - who doesn't love good beer?! However, if I'm waiting more than 15 minutes to be served at the bar, especially if the bartender serves people who arrived after I did, the good beer isn't that great anymore. Long Version: I came here on a sunny weekend afternoon which might have been my first mistake - the place was packed and people standing outside were super territorial about their space. I get it: if you're trying to enjoy a good beer in the sunshine, you don't want to feel like you're being bothered by people waiting for a seat. At the same time though, it doesn't hurt to be a little friendly. Even though I was playing "DD" that day, I went to the bar to buy my roommate a drink. I kid you not, I waited for almost 30 minutes before someone served me. I know, I know - their beer is amazing but waiting 30 minutes for a beer on a "normal" Saturday afternoon is a little insane. Now, I don't mind paying my dues if a place is packed and the bartenders are clearly hustling but there were more than a few people who got up to the bar after I did that got served before me. If this happens once, I'm ok with it - bartenders are only human but, after the 3rd or 4th time, I was definitely irritated. My roommates got a table in the restaurant and, once seated, the wait-staff seemed relatively responsive but, again, the place was so busy the service was undeniably slow. Honestly, everyone raves about this place but I can't say that I "get it." What's the point of having great beer if it takes forever to get a drink?
(2)Guillermo C.
This rating is for the beer! Yes... we had lunch here and the food was good too, but the main attraction was Pliny! Oh boy... was Pliny in FULL flavor! If you like hoppy brews, you would be hard pressed to find something better than this. I came back to LA and went on a city wide search for a bottle... and it wasn't easy... but I got a couple! The next time I drive or fly up North... I will definitely be coming to Russian River! Did I mention that I LOVE THIS BREWERY?! :) Top 5 beers on my list so far!
(5)Jann H.
Great beer and a very popular place for people to come from all over the US.
(5)Carl B.
Lots of great selections of beer, pizza was very good, we had to wait about 40 min for seating. Which I guess wasn't bad. It does get crowded. But that's what I'd expect. Over all the experience was great food was great the people were great
(4)Jennifer M.
This review won't matter im certain of it but for what it's worth I love russian river beer I've been a fan since long before they became popular. I understand they are busy but I've given that excuse five times now and this was my last straw! The people are so busy and so stuck up they are down right condescending as if our entrance to their establishment is a burden!!!!! I had two kids with me to just pick up beer and they helped everyone else around me EXCEPT me! I'm sorry But at this point I'll never return. I have gone so many times and had the same type of service and just chalked it up to them being busy but now I'm done. It's sad I've been a huge fan and loyal customer for as long as I can remember
(1)Julio G.
Great beer. You must try a complete flight. I wouldnt recommend going there to eat, you should stick with beer and bites that are filled with cheese. The downside is long wait to get a table, and service can be inconsistent. For instance, last time I went there the server kept forgetting some of the beer orders. Also at the end, he asked us to close up because he was leaving. I understand that sometimes there are change of shifts, but I really don't think it's good for the customers to close a check and have to reopen because of the restaurant's work schedule. Specially if you are on table with a group of friends, the last thing you want to do is deal with money if you aren't thinking of paying the bill yet.
(4)Aaron A.
Ok...so I have family in Santa Rosa and have been there plenty of times but never too the time to come to Russian River before. Why did I wait so long?!? I've been hearing from Beer Advocate magazine how high Pliny the Elder and Younger have been rates, along with several other beers they brew. Man now I fully understand! First off we came on a Sunday at around 5pm. It was so packed! I later found out it was happy hour all day! Wow! They had a live band playing in the background which added to the already awesome scene. We were lucky enough to get some room near the bar. I ordered the Pliny the Elder and friends ordered the sampler. I consider myself a good judge of craft beer and have been to many different breweries and I will say that Pliny the Elder was the best beer I have ever had. It was classified as an imperial IPA but it was so smooth I thought I was drinking a mild, low alcohol % IPA. That's impressive. I had the sampler and there were several I also loved. Russian river brews a lot of beer, first time I've ever had sour beer, and my tastes might not be ready yet because I hated them. No worries, it was happy hour and I had a few more Pliny the Elders and I was in beer heaven! I can't wait till I can try Pliny the Younger. I may plan a trip based on its release. On a side note...I had to ask a server why Pliny the Elder? I was told that Pliny was a Roman Philosopher who founded hops. I was also told that Pliny adopted a son, hence the name Pliny the Younger. It's beer history. Pretty cool to name your beer as.
(5)Jensyn H.
Sunday is happy hour all day! Let me tell ya, this is NOT your best choice if you're looking for a quiet drink with friends or a fancy dinner! This is your stop in while walking through, plan to meet up and YELL to your friends from across the table or while sitting outside on the patio. RRBC is always loud, and there is often music. Sitting outside is always the best option in my opinion because it's first come, first serve. Oh, speaking of service, there's not much outside. This place is BUSY! Grab your drinks, order your beer bites (pliny are tastiest because they have jalapeños), and head outside to scope the tables or grab a bench seat. It's always the quickest option. They offer a lot of options for beer. I don't drink beer, so that doesn't help me. However, they also stock up on a variety of local wines. The list is not that extensive, but they cover a lot of ground with it. I seriously love this spot. It's the place to go if you're just looking to hang out with friends or even meet some locals.
(5)Mike C.
The reason for the 1 star is NOT the beer. It's NOT the pizza. It's not the location. The reason for the one star is the time spent waiting to enjoy the beer. Over one weekend, I tried visiting the Russian River Brewery twice. The first time, I never came close to the front door. The second time, I actually got inside only to learn that the wait (at 1:30pm on a Monday) was 90 minutes. I really like their beer and I really dislike how hard it is to find a table or a spot at the bar to order a beer. I guess it's a good problem to have. An option for someone to get into the brewery is to consider using TaskRabbit -- have someone reserve a spot for you. It's a little ludicrous to have to pay to have a chance to even get into the brewery, but this is what Russian River Brewery has come to: spend money just to be able to spend money in the bar. Yeah, that's why it's a one-star review.
(1)Dirk R.
I love the variety and the bar bites. They live up to their hype with the beer which makes the experience less comfortable. They do get VERY busy and very crowded and for good reason. This brewery does a great job in what they do so it is not uncommon to see people walking out with cases and growler. When visiting expect a wait if looking for a spot at the bar or table. No matter what age, you need ID if you want to drink. Kids are welcome up to certain hours and the bar food is good. Regardless of the wait, it has always been worth the wait each year I visit from TX. Staff is helpful and nice and with as many people as they are waiting on in the crowded building. They do their best and don't deserve negative things I heard being said about the wait on beer or food. Be kind to the staff there because they work hard!
(4)Lou H.
Some of the best spicy wings I've ever had and I loved the blue cheese they serve with them, that's the only reason I'm giving them 2 stars. Unfortunately that's where my good experience stopped. If you want to wait in line for over an hour for the most over-rated beer you'll ever taste, then this is the right place for you. The service is slow, with our waitress disappearing for long periods of time. The place is over crowded with drunks bumping into your table as they stumble to urinate ALL over the restroom, every where except in the toilet. The pizza tastes like tombstone frozen pizzas. Finally the beer bites, or whatever they were called, tasted like microwaved balls of dough with chewy cheese on top, another frozen food section special. I either came on a the wrong day or I'm one of the few yelpers that don't buy into the hype and ignore my taste buds because a place has gained popularity by clever marketing tactics. Don't waste your time and money at this place, it's not worth it. That's this critic's review, until next time I'll be eating.
(2)Vicky T.
Parking lot is right nearby and it is super convenient!! Pulled a mission for a friend and stopped by here on the way home. If you get the pliny here it is 3 bucks cheaper than if you get it in the store. So within five minutes I had my case, my friend saved 30 bucks plus and I was on my way back home. Friendly staff and some day I will stop long enough to try the food.
(4)Daniel B.
I am NOT a beer drinker but the three others in my party were. They enjoyed the full tasting which was very reasonably priced. We had some bar food as well. I left stuffed! The food was very tasty and also reasonably priced although the pizzas seemed to be expensive.
(4)Michelle C.
RRBC is one of my happy places. Despite the hour plus wait for a table (which we were still waiting on by the time we nabbed two bar stools an hour into our visit), this is one of those places where everyone is in a good mood, people are friendly, and the time flies. Sunday happy hour is insane, with most brews costing three dollars and change. No wonder everyone is in such a good mood! Soak up the brew with a basket of jasper bites; slices of pizza dough covered in mozzarella, oregano and parmesan, served with a side of marinara and/or a side of ranch for .50 more. The pizzas are also awesome and they run the gamut from plain to interesting. We tried a traditional pepperoni and it hit the spot. Can't wait for my next trip west and my next Sunday funday at Russian River!
(5)Kris M.
Pliny and Salvation. Need I say more?
(5)Saffron W.
While the beer here is very good- and I do mean VERY good- there's not much else I like about this place. The service staff is good with a few exceptions, but the food is overpriced and not very tasty. It's also very loud, even on nights when there's no music, and you have to shout to be heard by the person in the next seat. I don't really think the good beer is worth the crowd, noise, and long wait time, especially when there are so many other places in sonoma county to get good beer.
(3)Alex P.
Coming here was almost a religious experience for me. A trip to Mecca for a beer lover like myself. And I will say that the 5 stars are for the beers and beers alone. I didn't get to try any of the food, save a cold bite of their Pizza Bites, nor was I really thrilled about their service. However, how can I give Russian River anything less than 5 stars when they're brewing up such delicious beers such as Pliny the Elder, Blind Pig, The Russian River IPA? I can't. When that delicious cold beer touches the lips, the tons of people piled into this place, the short handed staff, any annoyance I might have had...well, it just slowly melts away. So long as Russian River Brewing Company continues to make some of my favorite beers, this place will continue to be my beer Mecca.
(5)Jim L.
Not such a fan. This place is just mediocre. First of all, its gloomy inside and there isn't enough of an outdoor seating area for a good brewpub. Second, its noisy. Really noisy. Third, they advertise "happy hour" special prices, but then there are all these caveats and disclaimers and exceptions to the happy hour pricing etc etc. Dubious. Finally, we ordered their famed pizza bites and requested that they throw some pepperoni on them and the waiter kind of gave us some shit about this request before finally acquiescing. So two stars is about the max. Too bad there are not more venues to hang and bang over a beer in downtown Santa Rosa.
(2)Amber M.
Always busy but great beer, love the full flight of all the beers! Pizza is really good!
(5)Veronica R.
We came to Santa Rosa for our anniversary and especially for the RRBC. I'm so glad we did. The atmosphere was fun. We put in our name for a table, and was told it would be an hour wait. NO big deal, we headed straight to the bar to get a beer which we waited. A little wait initially at the bar to get a beer but it was fine. We were actually able to squeeze our way in and get a couple spots at the bar. Beertenders are very busy but friendly. Everything you could want from a brewery! Good beer, good food, good crowd. We will be back again.
(5)Hyewon Y.
Sunday is all day happy hour. I love this place.
(5)Lauren G.
This place is definately one of my favorite places to get a brew. All of their beers are amazing and I highly recommend their pizza and appetizers to go with the beer. The entertainment on the weekends make the place packed but is usually worth it. Pliny the Younger is also an even that packs the popular venue so get there early!
(5)Jacquelynne O.
I love this place. Growing up in SoCo we have always had brewerys to check out, but none that weren't filled with yuppies. RRBC is definetly not filled with yuppies, really just filled with bearded men, girls without makeup and outta towners that crawl in after the Tattoo and Blues Festival. The pizza is great, should be orded with half the cheese though. Its been a while since I've been down for beer since living in LA very few people enjoy it as much as they do in Norcal. Therefore, I typically stick with the Redemption which is something like a sour Heffewisen. I suggest avoiding the place on any major holiday though as it gets so crowded you can't even walk through it. On a rainy Friday night though, as is happens alot up here, its a great place to see some funky band and people watch with friends.
(4)Mario T.
Some of the best beer in the US its right here for the same price that many bars charge for a Corona. The pizzas and bread bites are to die for!
(5)Vivian T.
I tried Pliny the Elder at a hofbrau, and it was enough to make me drive over here to visit the brewery itself. (that and it's rather hard to find Elder to buy in a 6 pack) We parked in the garage behind the brewery ($0.75 per hour! that's cheap) and waited about 1 hour for a table in the middle of the day on a Saturday. We actually got seats at the bar after waiting for about 30 min but decided to wait it out for a full table to eat the grub. The bartenders were SO busy; it may take you some time to flag one down to put in your drink order, but they're so kind and nice! I got the Belgium sampler (great way to try out a lot of their beers) and ended up leaving with a handful of growlers and bottles... (bring a cooler!) My favorites were Elder, Little White Lie, and Defenestration. I love IPAs but didn't like their Blind Pig :( The bottles were pretty expensive, especially for the sour beers ($12 for 3/4 pint). They do limit you for Elder also; I forgot if it's a 6 or 12 per person and 2 growlers. Anyway, the growlers are a pretty good deal if you plan to return, which I do! As for food, it's typical bar fare. Pizza paired well with beer, and garlic bread soaked up the beer well, and the meatball sub was pretty good. Our waitress and staff were very nice; their tvs were showing the super exciting sport of sailing, so I asked if they could put on the Kings vs Blackhawks game instead, and they complied without hesitation! Hooray! Overall, the brewery is pretty great. My favorite brewery though is still 3Floyds... I just like more varieties of their beer.
(4)T B.
I don't know a thing about beer but people that like it line up around the block for it here. I go for the pizza. The Primavera is my fave.
(3)N B.
Five stars for beers, two stars for ambiance. Excellent beers. Good pizzas. But I must be getting old, because this place is always WAY TOO LOUD. I understand it's a bar and I expect some noise, but it's like they intentionally crank the music to make people talk louder, then crank the music more so it can be heard above the din, and so on. Being able to order half pints is nice. Happy Hour all afternoons on Sundays is nice. The outdoor patio is nice, if you can get space. But I can buy their excellent beers at my local market without getting jostled while standing three deep at a bar, and drink them on my own patio at home without having to shout to be heard. Go for the beer, not the ambiance.
(3)Monica S.
Holy sweetness Consecration! Today, I drank from God's urethra. I'm in California this week, and my friend Yvonne and I decided to take a very impromptu road trip to Sonoma County to be proper East Coast transplants in the great grape fields of the Pacific Northwest! Instead, due to one clumsy Blackberry and a flaccid iPhone, we ended up in lovely, 92-degree downtown Santa Rosa. I was this close to getting back into the rental until I spied a mirage in the distance. Could it be? T'was!! Incredibly, I had stumbled upon the domicile of my newly favorite craft beer: Russian River Brewery, where everyone doesn't know your name but pretends to. I immediately felt at home at the bar where Jeff, the smutty-mouthed bartender ("Cider? Never trust anything that doesn't give a little head...") slammed down multiple shot glasses of three different sour house brews, each complemented with local farm strawberries, cherry tomatoes, and chocolate. The black currant infused, slightly sour, 10% Consecration beer (my favorite, duh) gave me dimples cuter than AC Slater's, and the lighter Temptation beer kept me distracted in between Consecrations. Jeff kept me happily watered throughout the afternoon, and I even got to take home a $25 750ml bottle of God's nectar (yeah, it's that good). 5 hours later, West Coast friends keep offering me beers and I just can't oblige them. Russian River has killed my taste for mediocre brews. Attention Philadelphia: run to Monk's or Tria in Rittenhouse and you can purchase a 750ml bottle of Consecration for yourself...
(5)Rob N.
5 stars for the beer. 2 stars for the menu (what? no burgers at a beer place????) 2 stars for the size of the place (totally packed on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night). Good for business, bad for customers. 3 stars for the t-shirt selection - didn't have all the sizes needed during the peak tourist season.
(3)Caleb B.
Too big for their own britches. My only endeavor was to purchase quality beer on tap to drink at my house. Unfortunately this establishment would not fill my growler's that were not branded with their own label. Additionally, they have revamped their seating arrangements to provide more room standing outside in line and less local brewery chaos inside. Their beer still taste great, but now has the bitter aftertaste of a successful small businesses that no longer supports its original constituents.
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