Hops & Brews is located on Del Pilar Street in the building that formerly housed Sit-n-Bull. There has been a complete renovation turning that space into something quite unique, with inside and outside bars and seating.
When I first entered, I started to sit down at this bar and order a beer. The bartender said most people prefer the beer garden out back. I told her I’d check it out.
So, I headed out back and took a seat at the bar in the beer garden.
I was quite surprised to be greeted by name by several of the waitresses, both as “sir John” and my nickname “Gwapo.” Of course, I didn’t have a clue where I’d seen them before, but I suppose it’s easy to be famous in a small town.
The manager greeted me, again by name, and asked if I remembered him from Bar Barretto. I lied and said, “of course.” I mean, his face was familiar, but I’d only been to Bar Barretto twice, so the recollection was fuzzy. The bar doesn’t stock San Mig Zero, so I was drinking San Miguel Light. The manager pointed out they had a craft beer on tap (Crazy Carabao) and a draft beer called Sapporo that I might like. Then he brought me a mug on the house. It was good.
The cook popped out of the kitchen behind the bar, and I recognized him as the former chef at Kamto, so I knew the food here would be good. I asked to see a menu and noted that they feature a variety of dishes at fair prices. I ordered the chicken quesadillas.
When I was done eating, a female cook came and asked me how my meal was, and I told her it was good. I don’t know if that is going to be a standard procedure or if it is just soliciting feedback for a new operation, but it was nice to see they had an interest in customer satisfaction.
The owner introduced himself and asked how I liked my beer, suggesting I might want to try the craft brew. I told him I appreciate a good beer, but I drink Zero to avoid carbs and calories. He laughed, rubbed his beer belly, and said, “I know. I own the gym across the street, and look at me!”
Before I visited, I asked a friend if he’d been there yet. He said, “no, it’s too expensive. All the food dishes are around 500 pesos.” Well, that’s not true. My quesadillas were 260. Some of the entrees were 500 (or more), but the majority of the food was cheaper than that. My draft beer was 100 pesos, and the bottles were 110; that’s at the higher tier of beer prices in Barretto but not unreasonable for the upscale ambiance.
So, first impressions of Hops & Brews: Very friendly staff. Beautiful venue, inside and out. Good food. In fact, the place has much more of a restaurant vibe to me than a typical bar that serves food. It was quite comfortable sitting outside, eating and drinking, and I’m sure I’ll return for a second dose soon.
Off to a good start; keep it up!
The current rankings (I still have two other newer bars to review):
- It Doesn’t Matter
- Hideaway
- Snackbar
- The Green Room
- Wet Spot
- Cheap Charlies
- John’s Sushi and Steak
- Mango’s Beach Bar
- Brews & Hops
- Bar Barretto
- Whiskey Girl
- Alley Cats
- Lux
- Dynamite Dick’s
- Mugshots
- Alaska Club
- Hot Zone
- Queen Victoria
- Blue Butterfly
- Adam’s
- Thumbstar
- Voodoo
- Rock Lobster
- Outback
- Rosie’s
- Annex
- Bottoms Up
- Palm Tree
- BarCelona
- MacArthur’s
- Redz Pub
- Chill
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Lots of waitresses, but only for providing service–no bargirl interactions or lady drinks.
Sounds like my kind of place. No scuzzy vibe.
Hmm, “scuzzy” seems kind of harsh, but yeah, it’s good to have some variety. I think Hops & Brews might be filling a needed niche in the Barretto marketplace.
Definitely seems like a nice place. Here’s to hoping that they are able to keep up the good ambience.
They’ve made a big investment to create that ambiance, here’s hoping it catches on. So far, so good. I’ll definitely be back.
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