Rich S.
Yelp
First off, I always love when a new place opens in Orcutt. We are fortunate to have some decent food/drink establishments in Old Town, and when I saw a small craft brewery was opening, I was excited for another addition. My first impression of NO is that it will fit-in nicely. The owners have created an airy and clean-feeling atmosphere, and it leans toward a more welcoming and laid-back setting for about anyone, rather than a drawing a specific demographic, which I associate with some other breweries in the local area. That said, it appears NO focused on meeting an opening date, and are still going about making some additions that will improve upon the experience. For starters, there is only 1 TV in the place. If the plan is to have a place for folks to watch sporting events, the owners need to get their entertainment system in place. If that is not the plan, then I recommend they abandon the 1-TV concept, as it isn't working. On a lighter note, they have a sense of humor at NO, readily realized by their quip about future artwork (seek the humor in a corner wall of the brewery). Service on a Saturday afternoon was prompt and friendly, w/ just one guy handling the pours for a pretty busy place. NO is not a pub, so don't expect an offering of sammies and appetizers. I'm quite okay with that, but the pretzel bites they do offer don't do it for me, so perhaps they will evolve to something that folks can enjoy munching on while they have a brew?? As for the beer -- I'm a beer snob, and prefer a German pilsner to about any other kind of beer. I also went through the craft beer phase about 25 years ago, and since then have generally avoided them. As for NOs offerings, I left w/ a 50/50 experience: I found their IPA was most interesting, but thought the Red Ale underwhelming. I'm sure the craft brew fans will find more to like than I will. At the end of the day, NO shows a lot of promise, and I can envision the occasional visit on a summer afternoon . . . in the meantime, I wish the owners the very best of luck, and am glad to have them in Orcutt.
Cheers!
RS