Deft Brewing

We visited this brewery for the first time today — and it was a fantastic experience! 🍻 The beer was absolutely delicious — rich flavor, great selection, and clearly brewed with care. The service was also top-notch: friendly, attentive, and welcoming staff. 😊 The atmosphere was cozy and inviting — a perfect spot to relax and enjoy. The food was not only affordable, but also really tasty! Everything came out hot and fresh. We’ll definitely be coming back and recommending this place to our friends. A great spot to spend the evening with good company! 👏🍺We visited this brewery for the first time today — and it was a fantastic experience! 🍻 The beer was absolutely delicious — rich flavor, great selection, and clearly brewed with care. The service was also top-notch: friendly, attentive, and welcoming staff. 😊 The atmosphere was cozy and inviting — a perfect spot to relax and enjoy. The food was not only affordable, but also really tasty! Everything came out hot and fresh. We’ll definitely be coming back and recommending this place to our friends. A great spot to spend the evening with good company! 👏🍺

Great brewery! Love their stout and porter 🥂 🥂 🥂 There is also a great winery and meadery in the same location. So each person can choose the drink they like. And the pizza place serving food is simply amazing. Their parliament pizza, with white sauce, ricotta, sausage and mushrooms is delicious 😋😋😋 plenty of seating and free street parking nearby. Will be back!!!

Interesting concept for a brewery, focusing on European styles and unique takes on some traditional ones. Owner and head brewer is clearly passionate and was chatting it up with some friends over a few beers. If I was a local I’d swing through regularly. Pretty cool location inside a “Biergarten” with a winery and meadery as well as a pizza shop. Bartender didn’t know a whole lot about the beers but she was nice enough. I came for the cask but was told it’s only a Monday thing, which is an odd day for it. Will come back to try it one day, hopefully, bc you really don’t find it outside of the UK.

This is a very kid friendly and adult friendly environment. They have different very fun events, such as Open Mic and Trivia night. I think everybody should come here at least once. The staff are so nice, and you are bound to make a friend here!

Deft is located in a small courtyard with a few other businesses, and it may be because some kind of event was going on, but man this brewery was slammmmed. I’m sure on a non-weekend, non/event day the selection of seating is easier and more plentiful. Had to get in where we could. Beer is Belgian-style and definitely felt like more of a European brewery, which I’m sure is preferable for some - beer was pretty good. Lots of people eating pizza which is a cool option if you show up hungry. Service was the best part of the experience - Erin was incredibly friendly and you could tell she really loves being there. Her energy alone was fun to vibe off of - she was super sweet to our pup and had plenty of treats to share with all the good boys and girls there! Thanks Erin for your awesome service!

Awesome brewery with German, Irish, and other traditional style beers which is a rare find in the San Diego craft brewery scene which is overcrowded with IPAs and Hazy beers. If beer isn’t your thing there’s a winery and meadery well positioned next door with a pizza place, all with a common dog friendly BeerGarden (Biergarten) that has live music on the weekends! We’ll be visiting this place much more frequently in the future

Great beers with a Belgian focus. Super friendly server. Shared outdoor garden with a wine place and mead place. Great place to grab a quick local brew before a flight. Been to over 1000 breweries and I'll keeping this one saved on my map. 🍻

Good outdoor seating area for this brewery.  The atmosphere was lively with numerous customers seated on the available tables.  The two bartenders were super friendly and greeted me with each beer I ordered.  I liked the display of the beers available on draft by showing them on ‘boards’ right above the taps.  I especially liked how the ABV and IBU was specified on the bottom of each beer board with a couple of bullet items on what the beer is like specified in the middle of the board.  There were approximately 16 to 18 beers on draft with a display board for each beer.  Each board had a flag associated with it in the background telling the customer the origin of each draft type.  Simply put, I loved the info displayed for whatever beers were on tap.  I would visit this place again if in the San Diego area.

UPDATE: the owner of Deft responded to my email promptly and settled everything very professionally! Original review for posterity: Avoid this place at all costs. Deft Brewing was one of the worst experiences I've had at any establishment, ever. We went on July 4th, excited to check out a new spot. It was our first time. It will also be our last. It started with a staff member at the pizza shop getting weirdly aggressive over a casual comment about New Jersey. I mentioned my girlfriend is from Warren, NJ, and the guy felt the need to argue with us about what part of the state that's in. He actually followed us to our table to prove his point. Seriously. Over geography. It was awkward, rude, and set a bizarre tone for the night. Then it got worse. Much worse. While walking by one of the tables near the meadery area, I was bitten by a dog on the property. Not scratched. Bitten. Through a brand new pair of shorts I had just bought for 80 bucks. Ripped a hole straight through them. I didn't make a scene. I'm an animal person. But there was no warning, no sign, no one taking responsibility. Just silence. I emailed them directly with a photo of the damage and a link to the product, hoping for at least basic accountability. Nothing so far. This place is careless, unprofessional, and clearly not equipped to manage a safe or respectful environment. Between the hostile staff behavior (NJ geography wiz guy) and the lack of oversight with dogs on the property, I wouldn't send anyone here. Not locals, not visitors, not anyone. Go somewhere that knows how to treat guests like people and takes safety seriously. Avoid. Avoid. Avoid. (Bock in South Park is a better alternative)

Great beer! Great Pizza! This is my favorite brewerynin San Diego hands down. I highly highly recommend it.

The beer and wine was delicious! However, the pizza that they have on-site is delivered LATE. We waited an hour before we got our pizza; granted, we expected to wait a while because we got their pan pizza; however, after 30 minutes, we decided to check on it and realized that they had accidentally delivered our pizza to another table. Unless we checked on it, we wouldn't have learned that, so MAKE SURE YOU CHECK ON IT! We were understanding, of course; however, after another 25 minutes, I had hoped for something other than just an apology. But we didn't. Anyway. When you order from their food place, remain vigilant because they will forget about you.

The beer and service here was excellent The girl gave out samples so you could really get one you liked. Fast friendly and efficient. She even helped me carry some of the drinks to the table. Excellent service!!

Great food, great beer, good people. Stopped here for lunch in the middle of a long bike ride in this place didn't disappoint. If you're in the area and looking for pizza and beer, this is a great spot, and I've heard the sandwiches are really good too, but we didn't try them.

Lots of choices and especially a non alcoholic one!!One site pizza and out door tables great for meetings!!

Great for kids and pets. Pizza and drinks were amazing! Lots of shade with standing and sitting areas.

This is a really great brewery in a nice area with in and outdoor seating and outside food options. The bartender was awesome and represented the brewery so positively. The beers: Bay Park Blonde Kolsch 4/5 Deft Leicht Helles 4/5 Austere Abbot Belgian single 5/5 Fear the Deft Star Kottbusser N. German wheat 3/5 Half-a-Weizen Hefeweizen 3/5 Deft & Witty Belgian Witbier 3/5 Deftoberfest Marzen 3/5 Legion's Revenge ESB 3/5 Deft Season seasonal Saison 4/5 Curly Tail Red Ale Irish red 4/5 Dawn of the Deft English Porter 4/5 Deftly Hallows foreign extra stout 4/5

This brewery is the best!! They're not overly busy and they have free and easy parking. Tons of beer options and they fill growlers, too. They have an amazing outdoor shaded beer garden shared with a pizza joint (so delicious!), a winery, and a meadery. Pet friendly!

The last time we were in this area - the pizzeria, brewery, cidery, winery area - we drove, because we hadn't yet been introduced to Uber Pet. On our first visit, we stopped by Cassette Pizza, but on this visit, we came specifically for Deft. I love how open and communal the courtyard area is. It's also nice that the drinking holes offer indoor seating options, as well. While we were able to find a couple of seats at the bar close to Deft's entrance, it did cool off as the night wore on, and it was nice to have options for indoor seating, though we didn't end up needing it. I started the night with a pint of their Deftoberfest Marzen, because even though it's July, it's never too early for a Marzen. I liked the malty flavor of the brew, though it wasn't as malty as the Oktoberfest beers I typically like. It was a little on the lighter side, as well. My second pour was the "Fear the Deft Star", which was a Kottbusser - a term I had to Google as it was a new one to me. I thought I was in for a sweeter, honey-filled flavor, based on Google, but that didn't really come through on this one. It was light and fizzy, but didn't offer much more than that. To finish the night, I went with the Dawn of the Deft, a porter that brought the chocolatey, roasty flavors I tend to go for. This was my favorite pour of the night, and a good way to close out our tab. My husband enjoyed his three pours as well, though I could tell they weren't hitting for him the way he'd hoped. Still, he kept going back and was able to polish off every pour he got, so that's something. Will we be back? Unknown, but just because there are so many new breweries for us to sample...and favorites for us to frequent.

I can't recommend this place enough. As a craft beer lover, I tend to visit as many brew pubs as I can. But when I discovered Deft Brewing, it was love at first sight given my special love for European style beers. I've been to other breweries that sometimes have some good euro inspired beers on tap, but Deft beats them all by a mile in terms of options and taste. If you're in the mood for a British bitter, or a strong Belgian, or a tasty German brew, they've got you covered! It's hands down my favorite SD brewery now. The crew is always friendly, and the place is family friendly. They even have some games to play to keep the kids happy while I'm enjoying the brews. The food from their partner, Pizza Cassette, is outstanding. Both the pizzas and sandwiches I've had are delicious. They even have a TV in the brewery where you can catch some sports while enjoying the brews. I especially love how they have a loyalty points program that can be used to get discounts and free beers, which I've taken advantage of quite a few times already. In short, if you want to enjoy a taste of Europe, go check them out! You won't be disappointed!

Finally, they got rid of those two employees or they quit. I now recommend this place! Place is back to normal!

Honestly, one of the best hole in the wall random spots I've ever been to! I came here after dance class and was not expecting wine, beer and Italian/pizza to pick from! It's an outside venue so if you come on hot days, be prepared, but there were so many options for everything and they even have trivia. Absolutely will be back!

Deft brewing has a really good selection of beers that taste really good! I first got the Hefeweizen, which was great and then tried a flight of beer as well. I really liked how they presented the beer flight and gave you facts about each beer. The Garten area is open seating and you are able to order from the kitchen whatever you want from their menu. It has mainly pizza, snacks, salad, and sandwiches. After you order they bring your food to your table based on your table number at the table you sit at. There was also live music in the Garten area. Overall it was a great experience and we will be back!

The beer was good but I was drinking it with a glass of wine from the winery the space is shared with. The glass was taken from me rather rudely, which is ridiculous seeing as the outside area is packed and the wine is only a few steps away. Don't think I'll be coming back to them.

Deft Brewing is one of the vendors at The Garten. They have seating inside, but you can also sit outside in the community patio. My friend ordered a couple of beers to try and one of them was sour. We were checked on to see how everything was going. It's a cool spot to grab a beer after work!

My daughter and I stopped here on our way home from Xmas shopping. I've been here before but it's improved! The outdoor seating area The Garten accommodated Deft Brewery, Pizza Cassete, Lost Cause Meadery and Oddish Wine. We purchased a great flight from the Meadery, a blonde from Deft and the Lemon Song pizza from Pizza Cassete. Everything was great! We enjoyed the sunshine at a great picnic table and even ran into some friends and shared our food/drink!

Good local brew pub with both indoor and outdoor seating. Courtyard contains other businesses to include both wine and mead as well as food options. Weekly social engagements are hosted on site and I look forward to joining for euchre sometime. At least 10 brews were on tap and I sampled several in a flight, and liked a few but was not disappointed with any. I like this joint and will pop back now and again!

Kolsch was pretty good! Next to Pizza Cassette. Service and ambience were a-ok. Out of wheat beer.

Very nice evening with good beer and outstanding pizza. We will be returning in the future!

Spent a little mid afternoon time with the Cousin at this brewing company, and if they would've let me, I would've bought the recipe to their pizza dough. Don't ask me but there's just something about wood fired pizza, sipping on a sour, learning how you can "adopt hops" there, and contribute that makes being a fake tourist, so much better. Seating was excellent, especially in that So Cal sun. Parking is a bit of a struggle since it's in an industrial area, but for a Sunday, it wasn't too terrible that we wouldn't recommend to try it just once.

Good selection of beer to choose from, friendly service every time I order a beer and great outdoor seating that has a shared courtyard with a meadery and a place that serves freshly made pizzas. Most of the beers I have had from here have been really good. I prefer to have lighter beers and sours, they have something for everyone. I definitely recommend trying this place at least once. Parking here can be limited as there is never ending construction going on in the evening.

I went to Deft for my second time to see my friend play acoustic music and sing. It was a nice space for it. Seems like they have live music often. The beer is not my favorite though, as it is European style. They have pizza, a wine spit and a spot to get Meade, which one of the oldest form of alcoholic beverage. All at the same location. The Meade was sweet and very different than anything I have had.

Deft is a very traditional German/Oktoberfest style brewery so mostly lager type of beers. Which was cool, half our group couldn't partake however. I love hops so I had to settle for a more tame option. The bartender was super friendly and very attentive; the room felt very welcoming. The outside patio "the Garten" is really big, with tons of seating and a stage plus it's dog friendly!

Awesome brewery! We took the kiddos on a Friday early evening and it was a vibe! Live music and pizza by Pizza cassette on their beautiful patio! Fresh piping hot pizza and they make their own ice cream too! SCORE!! Nice beer and mead selection, dog friendly, military discount, and wonderful staff. Definitely recommend this local brewery!

Cool place. In a very industrial area. Food you get from a pizza place that's just outside in the outdoor. Pets are allowed.

Pizza Cassette! Super Yummy Food! Wood fire pizza heaven! Location- food- ambiance only thing missing was for the coffee shop next door to be open! But Deft Brewing can't control that Pizza, salad, sandwich, drinks they lacked (suggestion- to up on non-alcoholic beverages) breweries have no ice but at least the canned root beer was cold! Perhaps offering some kambucha would have been great to seal the 5 stars! FYI - This is outdoor seating - bugs will be present! Live music was cool background noise Sandwich was super delicious salad was extra fresh and pizza had the perfect crisp- ask for honey drizzle and pour it all over your food it's the right amount of spicy and sweet! Dessert was Ice Cream with a brownie - not so impressed with the Ice cream i expected it to be soft and fresh like dissolve in my mouth but it was extra hard and pasty almost chewy- not the best to our liking' but it looked good!

Deft brewing is located in The Garten along with 3 other establishments- a winery/cider (Oddish Wine) place, a meadery (Lost Cause) and a pizza joint (pizza cassette). There is some seating inside but the courtyard area is great. Deft has European style beers but they have IPAs too. I got a shandy and it was nice and light but again, they have lots of choices. The folks there were so friendly too. I would def suggest getting there early if you want seating. There is a lot of it but it gets quite busy. We will be back!

Hands down the best brewery in San Diego. Not only do they have the most incredible European style beers, the atmosphere of the beer garden is so amazing. Everyone in San Diego who likes beer should try this place at least once.

Great brewery! They have the best beer flight display I've ever seen and the laminated cards stay in place so you know what you are drinking. The bartender was gracious and helpful to us visitors. You get to sit right next to where the brewery. Cool place with good beers!

I so wish they had Hazy IPAs but it wasn't in the cards on the day we went. The beer we had was not hitting the mark for us, many European and German style beers offered it seemed. Patio was super cool and there was live music too! Pizza place was there as well as a "meatery" which seemed cool. Will keep checking the beer menu and may be back! Only three stars due to beer selection.

came here on a wednesday happy hour for work. similar to other breweries, this place had an outdoor area with benches and a good selection of house brews. no waiters, just order and grab. we split a couple of woodfire pizzas, they were fresh and good. i had the cider on tap, dry and strong. also, there was live music that night and an open mic if you want to entertain (if thats your thang). overall, cool place to hangout. i would go again.

I'm a fan of the English IPA. My boyfriend enjoyed the English tan beer (brown). I am a sucker for puns and one of the beers is called Deft Poet's Society. I also appreciated that it's dog friendly and they defined the word "deft" on their merchandise. The place was clean and nice! The person who poured our beers was extremely friendly and answered all the questions we had about brewing beers. They also have a bunch of games. I recommend and could see myself coming back here!

Between google maps and the signs on the building it was easy to find this brewery. I was here very briefly with some friends and was amazed at how many people were there. We did two flight and a beer/ 7up that I have already forgotten what it is called and everything was quite unique.

Sweet cool spot. You can get beer, wine and pizza, all in one place. The brewery is small but has some good choices. The pizza was tasty and enjoyable. The service was good, everyone really friendly. Oh.. and Live music is there to keep you entertained.

Love this place. I only ordered pizza today, delicious by the way, but I have sampled their beer before and it hit the spot. A great place to eat, drink and hang out with family and friends. As well as the brewery and pizza, they have a mead counter and wine bar. It's in an industrial part of town, a little off the beaten track but well worth finding.

Good beer and awesome outdoor space for hanging out. The outdoor space is shared with a meadery and a pizza place. Plenty of street parking. Good selection of Belgian beers.

Had a great experience here tonight. They specialize in some European styles (British, Belgian) that you don't always see elsewhere. Beers were good, not great (I rated on Untappd), light versions of the styles. Get a flight. They share a space with Lost Cause Meadery, and they have food provided by an outside vendor.

Love these guys! Beer tenders are super nice and if you want something outside of the regular IPA, this is a great place to get that! They have European style beers and a meadery next door. There's also a pizza place housed in their new gärten. Hop growing races are also awesome!

Great place to hangout and get beer. Specially if you have kids my son had a blast there. He loved the pizza we had gone to Luigi's earlier asked him what pizza was better he said this one. The beers are more Belgium style more taste I don't think they had an IPA on the menu which is okay with me. Deft also has friendly staff im sure I will go back.

/deft/ (adj): Neatly skillful and quick in one's movements. Demonstrating skill and cleverness. In the craft beer Mecca of San Diego, some people might think that it's absolutely daft to open a nano/micro brewery in what may seem to be a saturated market. The more the merrier, I say. The variety of European style options are worth exploring here. It's refreshing to find see a beer list that isn't overrun by palate numbing, aggressively Pine Sol scented ales. Don't worry, fellow Hop-heads, there are some tasty IPAs that you can enjoy. As my friend put it, the beer is good stuff when you get a mellow buzz after a pint (or two). I had an opportunity to chat with local Bay Park resident, co-owner, and brewmaster Moe. The fine quality and flavor profiles are a nice representation of how well they've established themselves in this neighborhood. As of this post, they've been open for roughly six weeks, and have also invited food trucks to provide snacks. One of them was not quite as prepared for the volume of beer enthusiasts with the munchies and that food truck apparently ran out of food. Other notables: kid & dog friendly. Tasters $2.50 or four for $9. Full pours $6.50 and growler fills $17. If I lived or worked nearby, Deft Brewing would be in my steady rotation of go-to spots. Cheers to the folks at Deft and I look forward to visiting again with friends.

Located in Linda Vista in the business district. Several street parking in front & close by. Very friendly bartender! Great selection of beer. 4 tasters for $9. Kid friendly, they even have a play area for them. Defy & Witty (Belgian Witbier): Light, refreshing, nice to drink beer on a warm day. Biere Citrouille (Pumpkin Saison): Delicious & perfect for autumn, actually perfect for all seasons!

Very impressed by the beer selection here. I had a flight of 4 beers with all them tasting very good. My two favorites were the Golden Mule and Tourmaline Tan, the 2 non IPA's in my flight. It was refreshing to try a beer that was not very hoppy. Located in a quonset style building, it is easy to spot when driving by. Their is asome parking in the small lot but plenty of street parking when the local business are done for the day. I stopped by on a Sunday evening and it was not busy at all. Staff was friendly. Place is very spacious with plenty of windows. It is close enough to the bay you can feel the breeze. They have a little patio attached. Overall, well worth a visit even if your not close by.

I love coming here. Glad they are still doing well. Great selection of beers including a number of British style beers. Will continue to come here!

This spot is truly a hidden gem. Key word: hidden. Tucked away in Morena near the bottom of the hill below USD, you'd almost never know this awesome brewery exists! What a shame that would be because this place is awesome! I first learned about this spot after attending a USD reunion event here. It was the perfect spot for our gathering. There was space both indoors and outdoors. The patio is so cute and has lit up market lights. There's also corn hole. I looked at the calendar of events and they often have food trucks there as well as a variety of events including trivia on Thursdays. What was really great about this place was the beer! They had a wide variety of german style beers. I really enjoyed the snake bite one and the mule inspired one with a hint of ginger and lime. I was really impressed by their beers and would definitely go back just to taste some more. I'm glad to have discovered this little hidden brewery. It's such a great spot to relax and grab a beer either inside or outside!

Visited just after opening, so it was a relaxing affair. Excellent beers all around, but I highly recommend the following due to their drinkability. DeftHop Golden - The hops are showcased with nothing else stealing the spotlight; smooth finish Tourmaline Tan - A solid malty brown; toasty caramelized sugar notes Austere Abbot- Refreshingly light; Herbally/floral to the nose, and then it meets you again at the finish.

Amazing award winning beers. Love stopping by there when in SD. Relaxed atmosphere and good crowd. Morris is a live wire on trivia nights :-) Good for families and large celebrations. Get Two flights, you won't be disappointed.

Awesome staff and entertainment is always great on the patio. I love chatting with the staff and the patrons here! This is a great place to catch pizza and a beer with the whole family on a Saturday. (Please add more ipa's to the menu of beers tho )

Been going here for years, Mo is great but doesn't quite get it after all this time as small batch brewer. Give us the beer first then I'll gladly come back again and buy the bad pizza we are mandatory to buy. The beer is better than the pizza but I could care less about coming back as loyal customer after dealing with this day in and day out. Sorry I can't come to Thursdays with your regulars.