Reviews - Discretion Brewing
Reviews summary
A lively Santa Cruz brewpub pairing standout craft beers with a rotating, farm-to-table menu. Outdoor seating under trees and a cozy indoor area welcome families and dogs; staff excel at beer-food pairings and beers are available to take home. Dishes—from pesto gnocchi to wings, meatballs and pizzas—show creative, changing flavors. Expect counter service and a compact, bustling space; live music can be fun but gets loud enough to hamper conversation. Prices skew high, but many find the quality worth a visit.
Reviews from various users
Last update : 10.04.2025
House-made Minestrone soup has absolutely no flavor.
Food and drinks were good, but the live music ruined the experience. I know music is subjective, but even just the volume was a problem. Part of my group left because they couldn't stand the music and we all left instead of getting a second round of drinksbecause we couldn't hear each other over the music. I wouldn't go back.
Somehow getting blown away with Santa Cruz breweries. This was the second one after humble sea and their brews just amazed me. Didn?t get to taste the food as I arrived late but I met the chef ! Black lager was superb, Kolsch was refreshing and uncle Davewas perfectly hoppy.
This place is spectacular. The owners believe in environmental friendliness and the brewery is solar powered. Quality beer quality music and quality employees make this a place that is truly a Santa Cruz gem
Great beers, good eats, nice outdoor seating. It doesn't get much better than that! Update, the kitchen is now being run by Sugo's Italian and is even better. Inside seating is back, too.
Last update : 10.05.2024
I posted a very negative review about the food in 2021 and stayed away for two years. Today, I returned and had a fantastic experience. The ambiance was great, and overall it was very enjoyable.
A really solid brewery in the Soquel/Santa Cruz area. Located more inland, it attracts a local crowd rather than tourists. It’s clear they put a lot of investment into building the facility for a quality experience.
Discretion Brewing offers an awesome beer garden ambiance and a great selection on their menu. It’s a fantastic, low-key spot to relax and enjoy excellent brews.
Last update : 08.05.2023
I love discretion! Great beers. Delicious food. Good service. And the environment is also amazing. They are one of those good for all kind of space and that is always beautiful. It is a child friendly, dog friendly, loud conversation and also laughs friendly. Discretion is a family business. You turn some of their amazing craft beers so chances are you might find new from time to time. The food here is delicious. It is farm to table and unique. Really good combinations and flavors.
Reminds me of my favorite breweries in Colorado (o’dell and avery Great sips and delicious food. Definitely won the hearts of two Colorado gals. The brownie was also pretty tasty. Would be great if the brownie itself was baked in that adorable skillet. Definitely coming back soon! Plus they have blankets, books and boardgames....pairs great with beer :
Visited the brewery a week ago and sampled eight different beers. Most were above average. We liked Good Faith and Scenic Stout the best. Especially the barrel age Good Faith. We also tried three of their morsels dishes. The sugar snap peas and bok choy were good. The chili popcorn was way to oily. We couldn’t finish it. We will definitely visit again when we visit Santa Cruz area.
Top Notch! The staff was helpful to combine beer with dishes we chose. Had the Pesto Gnocchi- Pesto was creamy and tasteful. The min pizza was the best pizza I had in Northern Ca. Beer went great with food. Great experience as a whole!
Had a great time. Visit my Cuz 'n this weekend. We thought of a beer that I didn't drink, ice water was available in a very large jug. Try the meatballs. Sorry, I forgot to take photos. Outside seat. Under trees or tent. Children were there with families not going very well behaved
