Cheesebrger and Fries at Mason Ale Works

Tasters at Mason Ale Works

The Wedge Salad at Mason Ale Works

I’ve always enjoyed the brews from Mason Ale Works, they do so many collabs and I feel that their Respeto Mexican Lager is one of the best in that category, hints of corn on the back end remind me of a fresh tortilla. So when my pal, Rudy, asked if I’d like to go with him and another friend to Mason Ale Works in Carlsbad on Ash Wednesday in the rain during the day I was like, Helles Yeah!

We left before 10 a.m. and got there shortly after 11 a.m., it was a quick trip, light traffic and minimal rain, you take the 5 south and take the 78, Hop Highway,  into Carlsbad, from there it’s about ten minutes. The Oceanside area is where the Hop Highway begins, starting with Bagby Beer Company and Mason Ale Works you will encounter a third of all breweries in San Diego County as you go East towards Julian. Road Trip!!

Mason Ale Works is part of Urge Gastropub and Whiskey Bank, which is a member of 3LocalBrother.com group of businesses, owned by Grant Tondro, and brothers Nate and Zac Higson. This location opened in 2015, their original Urge opened in 2010 and they just opened another brewery/gastropub in San Marcos(Hop Highway West). We found our seats at the bar and sat there admiring the beautiful restaurant, it’s located in a former bank and you can still see the bank vault doors. In case you don’t drink beer Urge carries 260 whiskeys and 30 wines, they pour 40 draft beers, 26 from Mason Ale Works. With so many beers to choose from we decided to do some tasters so we can try as many different styles as we could. Of course I had the Respeto, I also had Donny’s, their Pilsner, Charley Hustle, their Red Ale and so many more. We had a great lunch, I enjoyed the Wedge Salad, Rudy attacked the cheeseburger with fries, the menu is impressive like everything else. I have to say that my favorite beer was Jackie, a cream ale or as they describe it their take on a white Russian, notes of coffee, vanilla and cinnamon made this a super enjoyable and different brew.

We decided we would definitely come back but next time take the Amtrak from Santa Ana, it’s a $12 trip one way or about $25 roundtrip, well worth it because also in this area is the aforementioned Bagby Beer Company check out their website for food menu and their phenomenal beer menu. Road Trip!!  #BobbyKnowsBeer

bagby beer company bobbyknowsbeer craft beer grant tondro hazy ipa hop highway hops IPA jackie mason ale works nate higson respeto san diego urge gastropub and whiskey bank zak higson

Last modified: March 10, 2019