Nothing says fine dining while staying in Anaheim and Orange County like Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang’s, California Pizza Kitchen, Red Robin, Outback Steakhouse, and other nationwide sit-down establishments. If I was traveling I want to explore dining options that I don’t have back at home in the San Francisco Bay Area as all those restaurants are ten miles from my parent’s house or any upper-middle-class suburb. These series are dining options that are primarily independent, regional to SoCal and/or OC, do not have locations nationwide, and make guests say “When I come to visit Orange County, I ways make sure to eat at _______”. Join me as we eat out in the OC!
Ballast Point Brewing
Ballast Point Brewing is an independent brewery based in San Diego with six tasting rooms and kitchens, except for no kitchen in San Diego’s Brew Mart. They have a tasting room in Downtown Disney, taking over some of the formers stores for new dining options, and opened in January 2020. The lower level has a host stand while the upper level hosts the dining room, outdoor bar, indoor bar, and merchandise shop at the cashier stand. My family and I have been there twice, first in the dining room and second at the outdoor bar.
The dining room is a traditional table service with seating and the wait staff. The outdoor bar is more causal like a beer garden as you seat yourself at an open table with a few of the wait staff hastily keeping up on orders made through and paid via their Toast web app, you scan a QR code on the table that correlates to your table with easy bill spit option since it is bar setting with everyone paying their own tab. Both settings have an extensive drink option of Ballast Point’s beers, seltzers, and ciders on tap.
I am still a novice beer aficionado, and learning about beers and alcohol, here is some information about drinking before moving forward. Make sure to drink responsibly and if you have a drinking issue, please get help from the addiction hotline. Since I am a lightweight, I either drink at home for an occasion, about 4 oz. Pour before being tippy. If I drink out at a bar, California Adventure, or a sporting event, I would get a ride both ways or drink enough that I know I will be sober again before leaving. I would know that it will be out of my system.
According to Alcohol Rehab Guide, the amount of alcohol in a drink is measured in alcohol per volume, “which is the number of milliliters of ethanol per 100 milliliters (or 3.4 fl.oz.) in a solution, while alcohol proof is twice the percentage of alcohol by volume.” In summary, the higher the number, the higher the amount of alcohol.
I don’t like anything heavy like Indian Pale Ale (IPA) with a lot of hops and high alcohol content, averaging between 7% to 10%. I like is what is dubbed crisp & bright, typical of lighter European beers. I got a beer flight of their crisp & bright beers: Longfin Lager (4.5% alcohol per volume, APV), Wahoo White Wheat Beer (4.5% APV), Speedboat Salt & Line Blonde Ale (4.8% APV), and California Kolsch (5.2% APV). All of them were good and relatively light in comparison to IPAs and heavier beers.
Need a caffeine buzz with your beer, Ballast Point was promoting its newest beer in collaboration with San Diego-based coffee roaster, Cafe Calabria, call the Victory at Sea. However, it is really heavy and I do not need caffeine with my drink when I get a drink in the evening with a 10% abv. I really liked their drinking glasses, so much so, I bought one of their limited-edition stem glasses with the logo of the beer, a skeleton pirate manning a ship helm at sea.
The Downtown Disney tasting room has a kitchen, so you eat while you drink. Most meals are typical bar food like fries, pretzels, wings, chicken sandwiches, and burgers. They also have healthier options of Ahi Poke which I got and was really good cost at $24, $20 caesar salad with $6 for the chicken addon, flatbread with a $4 cauliflower crust option & $2 for pepperoni, fish tacos, and acai bowls. Top it off with a $15 vegan fudge brownie (no cows milk or eggs) with whipped cream & berries.
Drink pour range from 4 oz $4 to 16 oz $13 for the light beer. A flight of four four oz beers is $17. Let’s just say that dining here is not cheap but is good for the food and beer, and is a good way for guests to relax after a long day at Disneyland. However, my sister had the brisket sandwich one time and did not like it as it was greasy with the pretzel bun. If you are getting barbecue, get it from an actual barbecue restaurant.
AntSol Travel 