straight up bar but you can bring food from refuge next door!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Craft Beer
Rick Christiansen
Went for a SFbeerweek event and loved the offerings! Seemed like each day had killer beers. We were there for the so.cal takeover on
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beer Sampler
Rick C.
Awesome takeover event on Saturday woth so cal beers. Beertenders were helpful and chill. Regulars were super friendly amd talkative. Chopped it up with Ruby because we were in close quarters and enjoyed her beer knowledge. Good times, would pop in frequently if I lived near but will settle on stopping for a cold one when traveling. Fire but expensive pastrami next door, too
David Baker
A great place for a nice selection of beers. They don't offer food, but they welcome folks to bring in take-out from other places. One of my favorite things to do is getting takeout, going there with my wife, and playing board games while sipping on some awesome beer.Parking: If you're willing to hunt for parking, you can find parking within two blocks pretty reliably. Parking on the same block as Ale Arsenal is often full.Kid-friendliness: People under 21 are not allowed here. Don't even try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Dave Reed
Such a treat to have this gem in San Carlos. The steady rotating of new and interesting brews, along with the old favorites being available, makes for a great mix. Also, they are one of the few places that has FinnRiver Cider available on a fairly regular basis (best. cider. ever.) Love the team - love the chill vibe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
K M.
Love this bar! I could've sworn I had already reviewed it because I've loved this place for years! They have the best staff the best beer on tap and an incredible community of regulars. If you like craft beer this place is a must!
John Kiely
No food, but best tap room in bay area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sanjali P.
Finally got to try this place! They've got a great sour beer selection and such great service- a ticket to a great time!! I got a couple of sours and the different glass sizes here was a nice touch! They had really great holiday decor up! I recommend this place for drinks with friends, colleagues, or anyone coming in a group!
Rich W.
Perfect place for a beer. Vast selection of interesting beers in many styles from interesting breweries i.e. no industrial mega-breweries. Knowledgeable servers. A few TVs. No unnecessary frills. It's all about the beer. Gotta react also to an unfair low rating given by the folks upset that their kid isn't welcome -- they might wanna catch up on what California law says about minors in bars.
Ray G.
This bar has an amazing selection and a super friendly community of regulars. Felt right at home on my first visit.
Quiet beer joint that has amazing rotating selections and more importantly “half pours”. They always have a good mix of IPAs to lagers to stouts! If you are confused, just ask the staff, they have a wealth of knowledge and always ready to help you choose!They also get a batch of Pliny the younger every season!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Ranjan R.
I really love Ale Arsenal. A community mainstay since a decade. Great beer, always lovely to explore new beers. Really knowledgeable beer sommeliers, they will never steer you wrong. Such a gem in San Carlos. We are so lucky to have Ale Arsenal here!
Cindy W.
My husband and I used to be regulars here because of their great beer selection and reasonable prices, but we've had multiple negative experiences with one of the workers there, Stephen. We've always tipped well, but he's made negative comments about us whenever we order, and has always been rude when we've been friendly. Not sure why he needs to roll his eyes at us after every order we make. We gave this place/him multiple chances, but we'd rather drive further to go to other places than be met with rudeness and condescending comments.
straight up bar but you can bring food from refuge next door!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Craft Beer
Went for a SFbeerweek event and loved the offerings! Seemed like each day had killer beers. We were there for the so.cal takeover on
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beer Sampler
Awesome takeover event on Saturday woth so cal beers. Beertenders were helpful and chill. Regulars were super friendly amd talkative. Chopped it up with Ruby because we were in close quarters and enjoyed her beer knowledge. Good times, would pop in frequently if I lived near but will settle on stopping for a cold one when traveling. Fire but expensive pastrami next door, too
A great place for a nice selection of beers. They don't offer food, but they welcome folks to bring in take-out from other places. One of my favorite things to do is getting takeout, going there with my wife, and playing board games while sipping on some awesome beer.Parking: If you're willing to hunt for parking, you can find parking within two blocks pretty reliably. Parking on the same block as Ale Arsenal is often full.Kid-friendliness: People under 21 are not allowed here. Don't even try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Such a treat to have this gem in San Carlos. The steady rotating of new and interesting brews, along with the old favorites being available, makes for a great mix. Also, they are one of the few places that has FinnRiver Cider available on a fairly regular basis (best. cider. ever.) Love the team - love the chill vibe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Love this bar! I could've sworn I had already reviewed it because I've loved this place for years! They have the best staff the best beer on tap and an incredible community of regulars. If you like craft beer this place is a must!
No food, but best tap room in bay area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Finally got to try this place! They've got a great sour beer selection and such great service- a ticket to a great time!! I got a couple of sours and the different glass sizes here was a nice touch! They had really great holiday decor up! I recommend this place for drinks with friends, colleagues, or anyone coming in a group!
Perfect place for a beer. Vast selection of interesting beers in many styles from interesting breweries i.e. no industrial mega-breweries. Knowledgeable servers. A few TVs. No unnecessary frills. It's all about the beer. Gotta react also to an unfair low rating given by the folks upset that their kid isn't welcome -- they might wanna catch up on what California law says about minors in bars.
This bar has an amazing selection and a super friendly community of regulars. Felt right at home on my first visit.
Restaurantji Recommends
Nice selection of beer, open late.
Great beer selection as always.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Quiet beer joint that has amazing rotating selections and more importantly “half pours”. They always have a good mix of IPAs to lagers to stouts! If you are confused, just ask the staff, they have a wealth of knowledge and always ready to help you choose!They also get a batch of Pliny the younger every season!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
I really love Ale Arsenal. A community mainstay since a decade. Great beer, always lovely to explore new beers. Really knowledgeable beer sommeliers, they will never steer you wrong. Such a gem in San Carlos. We are so lucky to have Ale Arsenal here!
My husband and I used to be regulars here because of their great beer selection and reasonable prices, but we've had multiple negative experiences with one of the workers there, Stephen. We've always tipped well, but he's made negative comments about us whenever we order, and has always been rude when we've been friendly. Not sure why he needs to roll his eyes at us after every order we make. We gave this place/him multiple chances, but we'd rather drive further to go to other places than be met with rudeness and condescending comments.