Pond Farm Brewing Company - San Rafael

First time in. We checked the place out because it was named best brewery in Marin County. The beer options looked good and the one I had Just Like It Never was, was good but not mind blowing. If I return I’ll have to get a flight. The food was where the experience really fell short, though. We got the chicken nachos (which were a special) and they were really quite bad. The chicken was dry and over cooked, the chips tasted strange and everything was cold. The bier bratwurst was pretty solid. Though it came with plain chips and one can get a vastly superior brat just down the road in Fairfax at the Gestalt Haus for $8. The German Potato salad was not what we imagined, but I suppose it was okay. Overall, we were expecting a lot and didn’t get the Pond Farm hype. The outdoor seating is limited and most of it is in an alley separated from the dumpsters by a small partition. i don’t know. Maybe coming from Denver then Asheville to Marin we have really high brewery standards.

Great brewery with an excellent selection of beers. My bacon wrapped hot dog was delicious, and the staff were extremely kind and helpful. The atmosphere is nothing that’ll knock your socks off, but the restaurant still has a nice vibe.

Do NOT use the table QR code to order! It's clumsy and fails. Go to the counter to order. Lots of people with toddlers and some dogs in the patio at 5:30 pm but overall relaxed, good vibe. Not a lot of diversity (except us), but that's Marin. Parking can be challenging on this street.

My friends and I loved this place great selection of interesting and fun beers, super clean space with comfortable seating, dog and kid friendly, staff are warm and friendly, food was delicious.However, we came with a dog and as we were leaving we had seen a dog nip at another dog by the outdoor exit leading to the street so we opted to exit through the restaurant. We also wanted to pick up a 6 pack on our way out. While my friend pays for the beer, we are standing at the sofas near the register for less than a minute when a staff member quickly comes up to tell us we can't stand there because of our dog. They are gracious about it but it seems pretty uncalled for when there's another table a few feet away that clearly has a dog, not to mention two dogs outside where we had just been seated, and it's pretty evident we were not intending to park ourselves there for the afternoon.If you want to have a dog policy, please be consistent so we can follow it accordingly. It was an unfortunate way to end what was an otherwise great first experience.

Best brewery in Marin, hands down. I find the atmosphere refreshingly austere and reminiscent of a German Festzelte. For those who think a having a bunch of cutesy tchotchkes all over somehow makes for a good brewery, head elsewhere. Beer Lovers, on the other hand, know Pond Farm’s is the best in town!