Ghost Town Brewing - Laurel Biergarten & Kitchen

I hadn’t planned to visit Ghost Town Brewing that day. It was Presidents’ Day, and I was in Oakland looking for a place to grab lunch. With no particular destination in mind, I googled the nearest restaurant and found one that opened at 11 AM. Once there, I ordered a bowl of fries and six pepper-seasoned wings. The fries came in a huge portion, enough for both me and my wife. The wings, however, were a different story. The pepper seasoning was intense, burning my lips, not my tongue. Still, they were delicious. For beer, I went with a lager. Normally, I prefer ales, but my stomach doesn’t handle them well. The lager was crisp and refreshing, a solid choice for the meal. Beyond the food and drinks, what really stood out was the vibe. The weather was perfect, the music was great, and the atmosphere felt laid-back yet lively. I found myself truly enjoying the moment, soaking in the casual yet energetic setting. By the time I finished my meal, I knew this wasn’t just a random lunch stop—it had earned a spot on my favorites list. Sometimes, the best experiences come from the most unplanned moments.

What a great spot for beer and a burger. The cheeseburger with crispy cheese and a beer! They have a great beer selection and the house scumbag beer is excellent and $3 a glass. The seating is outside, so if its cold bring a jacket, they have heaters but not everywhere. Also thet play metal music, which is awsome. ( Not so loud as to be obnoxious.) The staff is always nice and helpful and the kitchen is fast. Its dog and kid friendly as well. Definitely a gem of Oakland.

It's a very cute local brewery / beer garden in Oakland. There are decent amount of garden/outdoor seating with OK display for sports watching. Foods are American/Mexican fresh and delicious. Good variety of beers by pint/draft or even by 4 to 6 packs. Service is Order-to-Sit FCFS basis. Great for groups, gathering, meetup or couples for casual go out. Parking should be easy using surrounding parking lots or street parking. Will come back for great atmosphere and food.

Such a chill spot with a great selection of beer and outdoor seatingfor pups, kids, and family. We got the chicken strips for the kiddos, which they loved - high quality chicken breaded and fried to perfection. The fish tacos were so crunchy and juicy. The empanada (beef & potato) were so flavorful with the flakiest crust. The order came out super fast! Can't wait to try other goodies next time around.

Really great brewpub with food. Definitely worth checking out. Been coming here since they opened and am finally posting a review. Sunny covered patio that is dog friendly. The food is pretty solid. Pub grub - but as shown in photo, it is well executed pub grub! I love the Imhume IPA (the beers here tend towards the stronger end of the spectrum). They make their own hot sauces and we like to make our own blends.

I can’t believe we haven’t visited Ghost Town Brewing yet. We were here long before the 4505 Meats did the build out of their outdoor patio. Now, we get the enjoy upscale pub foods with tasty Ghost Town brews in their sunny patio area. We came mid-day on a Monday and there honestly isn’t a better time to chill with a cold beer in hand - you could even work from this place! Staff is friendly, service is quick, and there’s TVs for game time watch parties. We ordered fish tacos, quesadilla, fries, and a delicious grain bowl. Will definitely come back for days when the Warriors are playing.

There's nothing like a $3 house beer and a massive bowl of fries after a hard day at work. But this place offers way more than that. It has a good craft beer selection on draft, good food, and outdoor seating. Perfect for a sunny day in Oakland. Kid and dog friendly as well!

Great environment and value. We stopped in quickly on our way to SF and got empanadas and the cluckin hell chicken sandwich. Both were very good and they were great deals for the price. The side salad for the chicken sandwich was very generous. Prices also already included taxes and were rounded to even numbers which was super convenient.

Such a chill place to hang out with family and friend or even just to enjoy a meal on your own. I'd heard this place has a great selection of food and drinks (especially the beer), and that's absolutely true. We ordered the chicken wings, kale Caesar salad, and Philly steak sandwich. Everything was delicious, with generous portions that were easy to share. You can also buy beers to go, which is a nice bonus. Service was efficient: you order at the counter, and they bring the food to your table. We'll definitely be coming back!

One of my favorite, unpretentious, go-to breweries. Friendly staff, great energy, and an awesome neighborhood spot. I actually didn't know this place existed as it was sort of inconspicuous -- but glad we did! -------- Drinks -------- They have delicious beers at a pretty decent price point, which can be sort of rare around here. At the time we went there were lots of IPAs and some sours. Not the biggest variety but all the beers were tasty and good quality. -------- Food -------- We didn't grab any bites, but folks around us seemed to love the food. We spotted classic comfort foods like fries, wings, chicken strips, etc. We'd love to grab some easy eats next time we're here for beers. -------- Vibe -------- One of our favorite aspects of this brewery. Fun, no frills, and great vibes. Big outdoor area with lots of space and tables. Dog-friendly too, with water bowls! Also kid-friendly. Some shade. Just seemed like an awesome, chill neighborhood beer garden. -------- Cost -------- Very fair pricing, especially for the quality beer. Another reason it's one of our faves. -------- Parking -------- Free street parking was easy to find and never too bad in this area. -------- Overall -------- Fantastic neighborhood gem! Great drinks, friendly staff, awesome dog/kid-friendly outdoor space, easy parking, and a fun chill vibe. Really easy to come back here especially if you're a fan of hops or tart brews!

Super crowded on a Saturday late afternoon and hard to find seating. Granted it's a Saturday in October, spooky season. Giant selection of IPAs!! Family friendly establishment. Didn't try the food but will next time!

This part of town definitely doesn't feel like a ghost town because of this brewery: the large outdoor space, easy street parking, diverse beer selection and solid pub fare draws the neighborhood in. We were at nearby Chabot space center wondering where the hell are we going to have lunch with all these kids? A quick search turned up Ghost Town brewing and friends were like , is that in the safe part of town? :p (forgive them, they were out of towners!) We were all honestly blown away by the beer selection. The guys love their IPAs and the ladies had white wine. I have honestly never been very much of a beer person, so yes, I am that wine drinker that goes to breweries. (I tried!!) I give kudos to the staff for keeping the line going and making the ordering process pretty seamless. You order with the beer-tender and your food gets delivered to you. The food was pretty solid. From the wonderfully crispy fries, huge, chewy, pretzel, delicious fish and chips and cheese quesadilla. However, I did find my fish tacos lacking in flavor. So load up on the hot sauce they offer. The sleeper hit was the shrimp burger. OMG. I see what you did there! Very fresh, seasoned right and filling too. I don't go to Oakland much, but when I do, will be sure to be back here. Really love the kid friendly outdoor space and they are also dog friendly. Those two pretty much entertain each other so the adults get to relax a little bit, which is a big plus in my book.

There's nothing like a cheap $3 beer and a massive bowl of fries after a hard day at work. But this place offers way more than that. It has a good craft beer selection on draft, good food, and outdoor seating. Perfect for a sunny day in Oakland. Kid and dog friendly as well, I always see a ton.

We met our friends on Saturday night. The place wasn't very busy, and there were a couple of dogs there since it's a dog-friendly bar. The area was heated, so we felt comfortable. They have a good variety of IPAs and light beers, and the prices are reasonable. The food selection is pretty good too. We had a pretzel, a shrimp burger, chicken wings, and fried fish tacos, and we ordered pilsners to drink. We'll definitely come back!

What a hidden gem! I know I'm late but the kitchen has something special here. I highly recommend everything we had including fish and chips, burrata tomato salad, and the wings. We got dry rub and original hot. Side of ghost pepper sauce was insane, please only order this if you have a serious spice tolerance!

Stopped in here while visiting our friends who are regulars here on a warm Saturday afternoon. Sitting in the shade was great. We all enjoyed a beer - I loved my sour. The food looked AMAZING and appeared to be coming out quickly. The murals and decor were great!

Great spot Our friend told us about this place We liked these _"another Lager": NA(non alcoholic) _cider(apple)

Giving this place 3 stars for their sour options--which, honestly, I can't say much about. I was drawn in by the Yelp photos that made it look like a chill spot to vibe with a beer, but... no. After sampling their only sour, the "Taste of Fear," I can confirm it lived up to its name--it literally scared me away, lol. The flavor was more bitter than sour, and my face must have said it all because the server recommended their cider instead. I went with that, and while it was better, it still wasn't amazing. On the bright side, they've got heaters by the tables, which was a lifesaver because it was getting chilly. The food looked pretty appetizing, too. Not my best beer-tasting experience. Unless they rotate this sour out, I don't think I'd go out of my way to come back here.

Such a chill spot with a great selection of beer and outdoor seating for pups, kids, and family. We got the chicken strips for the kiddos, which they loved - high quality chicken breaded and fried to perfection. The fish tacos were so crunchy and juicy. The empanada (beef & potato) were so flavorful with the flakiest crust. The order came out super fast! Can't wait to try other goodies next time around.

This place is perfect for a sunny day outing. Plenty of outdoor seating with and without shade. Great beers with solid food selection to satisfy all needs. Food came out quickly after getting seated with our beers. The chicken flauntas, fried chicken sando and fries were all hot n fresh and delish. This place is great for big parties on a nice day.

This ghost town location is 100% outdoors with some tents/canopy's for shade. It's perfect for a nice day in the Bay Area for friends! It's dog and child friendly, with a great drink and food menu. They have all types of beers, sours, and some non-alcoholic options. You order inside when you arrive (and any time you need a drink or food)! If you order food they'll give you a number and they'll bring it to your table when it's ready. You bus your own table at this location.

Nice outdoor patio with plenty of shade, a couple TVs and a cool mural. Very good vibes for a hot sunny day or night. Area isn't the best but seems safe enough. Food is delicious and beer is on point! If you are in the area check it out. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable.

Beer-tenders are always so friendly and welcoming. Great beer menu- whether you're looking for standard tastes or seasonal flavors. Cannot rave more about the food. Taking bar nibs and making it their own and I love it. Portions are nice and big!

Yummy fries and wings. Buffalo wings yummy, ghost pepper wings were super spicy but also yummy!

The beer, the food, the atmosphere, and the service were all top notch. First the beer. I had a 3 way ipa which was a collab with two oregon breweries. It was one of the best beer's I've had all year. My wife got their pilsner which was a super solid summer sipper. The food was soooo good. I had shrimp tacos which had the biggest shrimp I have ever eaten and they were delicious. My wife had fish tacos that she loved and my daughter munched on some delicious fries. The best part was everything came out super fast. I was halfway done with my beer and the staff were bringing our food out! The atmosphere here is great. Its super chill, almost everything is in the shade. They are kid and dog friendly as well. If you're ever in Oakland and you like beer do yourself a favor and check out ghost town.

What a gem! I have driven past this location many of times and I judged a book by its cover and never went in thinking its a rough dive bar and cheap drinks BUT was I 100% wrong! Was here on a date and was very impressed! They have all outdoor seating with some of the spots being covered and others more in the open. They have a great list of beers AND a couple of sours and their food is on point! They have a number of food options from small plates, large places, and a couple options for kids. And the best part their prices are reasonable and the portions are more than for one person. I got the - Onibaba's Delight (shrimp tacos) - came out very quickly and the there were actually large shrimps in them with amazing juicy flavor. They also have a small selection of hot sauces by the counter. My date got the Open on Sundays (burger with bacon) - personally I am not crazy about burgers, but I could appreciate that the ingredients were fresh and flavorful. There were a good amount of people with their kids and dogs. Street parking and do be careful with the benches and tables. The one we sat at was ready to be replaced and depending on how many people sat at the table it did sway a good amount.

It's a very cute local brewery / beer garden in Oakland. There are decent amount of garden/outdoor seating with OK display for sports watching. Foods are American/Mexican fresh and delicious. Good variety of beers by pint/draft or even by 4 to 6 packs. Service is Order-to-Sit FCFS basis. Great for groups, gathering, meetup or couples for casual go out. Parking should be easy using surrounding parking lots or street parking. Will come back for great atmosphere and food.

Ghost brewery has a good selection of beer from Hazy IPA, Sours to Pilsner. What stands out from this place is their amazing food selection! I recommend you try their salads and sandwiches paired with delicious beers. Ambiance - I love how open the patio's are, very inviting! Can't miss the skull decoration, after all it's called "GHOST BREWERY" Service - Hands down! Friendly staff, I recommend asking them for beer choices. Thank you GHOST B!

One of our new favorite breweries in the Bay Area. Some super tasty beer here, folks. Very impressive. We hope this is another one people start hearing more about - one of the true underrated breweries in the Bay Area. I put up Northern California breweries (SF bay area, Santa Rosa and Sacramento) up against any area in the country. Any area. This place is the best place for beer. Absolutely amazing breweries here.

Nice brewery spot especially on sunny days! Great food! Excellent beer. It's convenient to get the cans to go. Parking is iffy.

My sister and I made out way to "Laurel" village in Oakland to check in on the beers we have come to love. We were there in the early afternoon so it was comfortable to sit on the Community-style bench in our coats. I went in to check out their beer list (it is ample! And rotates as items are drank through) we each chose a different Hazy IPA and then ordered the Cheeseburger "sub" fries. Delish!! The beers were not heavy they paired perfectly with the burger we shared. Well-behaved dogs (and children LOL) are welcome. There are outdoor stand up heaters also {Caveat: Outdoor seating Only} PS: the folks working there are Very friendly and deserve a good thank you $ ;)

First, who doesn't love Ghosttown Brewery beer? Very fun spot. It was a little bit of a daycare center this time out which wasn't great. This thing where parent groups meet at craft beer spots for play dates isn't my favorite but it's definitely a thing. Anyway, can't ding Ghosttown for that. Beer is fantastic. Service is great. Highly recommended.

How hard is it to understand "No Jalapeños!" On a Thursday night at 7:30pm not busy at all, can't get our take out order right. Not worth it to drive back to get it fixed. Disappointed.

Brewery with delicious food. I went two weekends in a row, I love it! Outdoor seating that's mostly shaded, so it's amazing on a nice day. I recommend a hike in the Oakland hills followed by a stop to ghost town! I've tried one of the burgers, the beet salad, fish tacos, fries, chip, and arancini, and everything is so good! Beers are great too, several IPAs and sours to choose from. And the surprising one for me was the cream ale

One of the top breweries in Oakland, especially if you love IPAs. Hazies and WC are always good, and their pilsners always hit the spot if you're looking for something light and crisp. Laurel location offers food from their own kitchen, and it's decent! Really nice outdoor space too. It's mostly outdoors, so if you're looking for indoors, go to the west oakland location.

Plenty of outdoor space in the shade. We had the Twisted Sister pretzel with the beer cheese. Ate it all. Loads of choices for the beer. We had three IPAs and they were all tasty. Good crowd on an early Friday afternoon. Service was quick and efficient!

Great beers. Wonderful food. Chill environment with awesome music. Come by yourself or with friends. You won't be disappointed. Service is top notch!

I love this Laurel location of GTB. They have sunny, outdoor patio seating and a fantastic food selection (with a full kitchen) as well as countless beers on tap to be enjoyed. Street parking is the name of the game here, so easy to find as there are tons of shops and stores in this area. Upon walking in, I could see lots of picnic tables in shaded outdoor seating on synthetic turf. There's also lawn chairs if you're into lounging, and more seating in the back as you walk in. They're dog and kid-friendly, have strong wifi, and have fantastic mid-sized crisp and fluffy fries. GET THEM. Serve-yourself condiments and utensils. You order everything at the taptender/cashier, and a fantastic food runner delivers the food to your table. Staff are all wonderful and kind, also love the open kitchen concept. I loved that there were so many sours on tap, and was very happy to go with Glitter box which was so delicious, not tart/puckery, and with a hint of funk "like a saison" my taptender so brilliantly stated. My friend enjoyed the lager, and we happily chipped away at the huge bowl of fries. Beer lovers will enjoy this space, so great for lounging in the sun and enjoying a gorg day off.

I love this place and consider myself lucky to have such a great spot to eat and drink in the neighborhood. They've always got great beer on tap, and great food to nosh on, whether coming for lunch, happy hour, or dinner. Their patio is a great vibe, and they've even got a TV if you want to catch a game. This place is buzzing from like Thursday afternoon through the weekend if the weather is nice, so be prepared to share a table during peak hours. They're also dog friendly, have bike parking, and a super friendly staff. While I appreciate the seasonal/rotating food menu, I really wish they'd keep some of their hit dishes around longer!

You would not expect to find such a gem. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but when you walk in, it transforms into this really cool spot where kids and dogs are welcome. We went around 5:30 and it was busy. We were able to grab a spot to enjoy the nice weather. We ordered a few sour beers, along with a burger and fries and the shrimp tacos. I felt like the prices were reasonable and you got a lot of food. The burger was a bit overcooked, but the shrimp tacos, those were amazing!!

This is my standby brew pub. Really like their fish and chips and whatever version of beef patty they are selling. Laid back, all-outdoor picnic tables and sports on tv. Kind of an American version of a small German beer garden. Friendly staff and customers. Happy children and well behaved dogs on the weekends. Good beer at reasonable prices.

Hmm I thought my review was already posted. Delish variety of beers and other drinks. Friendly and helpful folks. Goood fries. I'm picky about fries. Had the beet salad. A mountain of veggie goodness amd crunchy fried balls of goat cheese. A had their cheese burger and said he'd get again. There's more space than you'd think from the front. Looking forward to returning and bringing friends

GTB resides in an Oakland neighborhood and clearly has a local neighborhood feel. On the Sunday afternoon we visited, there was a fired pizza station. Local folks were drifting in and out, many came in with their bikes and parked them inside in a protected corner. There were several tables inside and outside as well. I would call this place an legit urban micro brewery with a generous array of quality offerings. Bring your bikes, bring your tattoos!

Great beer, great prices, great spot to drink and eat. Happy this kind of place is near me.

This Ghost Town location in Laurel only has outdoor seating, unlike the other Ghost Town Brewing location in West Oakland. I stopped by yesterday on a beautiful summer day and I'm glad there were plenty of large patio umbrellas out because it got warm quickly sitting in the sun. There are also numerous patio heaters around in case it gets cold. The beers available at Ghost Town are definitely heavy on IPAs and light on dark beers. If you're looking for a high ABV stout, you might not find something you like here. The only dark beer I saw on the menu yesterday was an Oatmeal stout. Though it was being sold in a 4-pack only, they were able to pull a can and pour me a glass upon request. There's a decent food menu available here as well. I got the large pretzel with spicy mustard (off-menu daily special) and some fries. Both items were well-made and perfect for sharing with a group of friends. One thing I noticed on my visit was how many dogs and families with babies and toddlers were present yesterday. The dog owners did a great job making sure their dogs were well-behaved, but I can't say the same for the parents with kids: many kids were running around yelling and screaming throughout my stay. Also worth noting is that the parking situation here is street-parking only. While Ghost Town Brewing is not my favorite brewery in the Bay, it's a solid place to hang out with a large group of friends.

Well, the music can be a little loud, service is pretty quick at the bar and there's usually someplace to sit in the beer garden. They are animal friendly and there's always plenty of parking in the neighborhood. The soft pretzels are delicious and there's always excellent sour beer options, which are my favorite.

Came here back in July after hiking at Redwood Regional Park. This place has character and an excellent selection of beers and food items to choose from. They have a vast outdoor seating area that is dog friendly and great for groups. Their fried chicken sando combo had a nice ratio of bun, meat, and veggies, plus a side salad to boot! I would definitely order it again. Parking is street parking, but not too difficult to find in the Laurel neighborhood. Would definitely stop by again when the weather gets a bit warmer.

My favorite local brewery taproom to me. Always great beers and awesome food too I tend to drink lighter beers but the IPAs keep me coming back. Plus Togo cans are a great value for Scumbag and others!

Another great Oakland brewery. Their IPAs have a great reputation but really all their beers are great and there's always a wide diversity of styles on draft. They also have a kitchen & to go beer. Definitely check out Ghost Town (also, they have 2 locations in Oakland).

Great bar food and beer. Nice outdoor space for dogs and kids to run around. We parked at Goodwill lot, but bought something there first before heading for our beer.

Great beer and a big outdoor space with umbrellas over picnic tables - yes! Friendly staff - yes! I find Ghost Town brews to always be a safe bet when I'm out and about (grocery stores, liquor stores, restaurants, etc...). So it's thrilling to drink them at their source :) As far as "other" I've tried the fries and they were very tasty. Looking for a place to just chill with a great brew, you've found it.

I love Ghost Town even though I'm not a beer drinker. It's a great spot for food with lots of options for all kinds of diets. Wonderful place to have a meal, watch a game, and people watch.

I dream of the vegan kale Caesar constantly. The dressing is incredible. Also ghost town is one of the best breweries in the Bay Area and their west coast IPAs SLAP. Bartenders are always kind! I like the big patio and the Laurel neighborhood. Check it out when you're in the area!

Food is great and good atmosphere. Clean and neat environment try their Inhume IPA you won't be disappointed

I REALLY hate to leave a bad review, as Ghost Town has been my go-to place since they opened their West Oakland location. I also don't use term "sell out" often, but they have. They used to have a wide range of beer styles, browns, bitters, porters, lagers, stouts, pilsners, lagers, sours, and IPAs. That combined with the death metal and Ghost Town was a nice change from the copy/paste breweries all over the west coast. They've slowly sold out, though, and now it's almost all IPAs, which I can't drink, and a few sours. Heck, even the death metal is gone. I get it. IPAs sell and there are a lot of hipsters in Oakland. Still, it's really disappointing for the rest of us who either don't like super hoppy beers or can't drink them. I'll sadly be scratching this off my list, despite it being near my house. Bummer

We had a wonderful time here today. Service was great, food came out quick. I loved the outdoor seating and all the dogs enjoying themselves me with their humans. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves We watched the basketball playoffs while enjoying good beer and food. What more could you ask for?

Very different vibe than the GH on Adeline. In comparison, Laurel is outdoor only and parking can harder to find compared to Adeline. You order at register inside then self-seat. It's also self-bus. Food here ain't bad but not spectacular either. -Kids fried chicken strips are actually fresh pieces of chicken breast fried. $8 -fried cauliflower could have been crispier. $8 Super sad they took off the Brussels sprout Overall, we love GH for their beer and grab 4 packs ($20 usually) to go all the time too.