5 Great Places for Craft Beer in Belmont, California
This article has partner links that I may receive compensation from at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my site by using them!
Belmont, California, is a quiet Silicon Valley city near San Francisco. Being a suburb, there aren’t many things to do in Belmont. However, the city does have several great craft beer spots. Here are my favorite places to drink craft beer in Belmont, including local breweries, taprooms, beer bars, and taprooms.
The Best Breweries in Belmont, California
Alpha Acid Brewing Company
Alpha Acid Brewing Company is one of the most highly-regarded breweries in California. Its founder & brewmaster, Kyle Bozicevic, also opened the excellent Ale Arsenal in nearby San Carlos and worked at Devil’s Canyon Brewery.
The small-batch beers at Alpha Acid tend to be hop-forward, though they also make great sours, stouts, and other styles. One highlight is their seasonal fresh hop beer. The brewery has up to 18 taps, plus cans and growler fills.
There is no food on-site, so you can bring your own, though they do sometimes have food trucks stop by. Children and dogs are welcome, provided they are well-behaved.
The brewery is located in an industrial park just off Highway 101. Although Alpha Acid is open every day, the place really comes to life on weekends, with live music, sports on TV, as well as board games, and pinball machines. There weren’t any bands playing the last time I was there, but I enjoyed the pop-punk and emo soundtrack on the stereo.
Address: 121 Industrial Rd #11, Belmont, CA 94002, United States (map)
Website
ECR Brewing Company
ECR Brewing Company is the newest brewery in Belmont, having opened in 2023. The brewery is friendly with ECR Pub (see below), supplying their house beers. ECR stands for “El Camino Real,” which runs through Belmont. Admittedly, it took me too long to realize what it meant.
ECR Brewing Company is located right around the corner in the same industrial park as Alpha Acid. Since they’re so close, be sure to check them both out if you’re on your way to Alpha Acid. The brewery is so new that it wasn’t even on Untappd when I visited.
Owner Chris is a passionate & knowledgeable brewer. Over a few beers, I chatted with him about the brewery & the beer. He fully studies everything he makes and treats brewing like the science that it is. Everything was great, but I especially loved his kolsch. He has four taps at the brewery, with plans to also distribute around the Peninsula.
These days, it seems like many new breweries are starting out as grand operations, but it’s nice to see a true throwback that’s essentially a guy in a garage brewing good beer. I’m excited to hear more from ECR in the future.
Address: 111 Industrial Rd #8, Belmont, CA 94002, United States (map)
Website
The Best Craft Beer Bars in Belmont, California
The Tavern at Waterdog Landing AKA Waterdog Tavern
The Tavern At Waterdog Landing (Waterdog Tavern for short) is a Belmont bar and restaurant with one of the best local tap selections. Amongst their 20+ taps, you’ll find beers from Alpha Acid, Devil’s Canyon, Russian River, Firestone Walker & more. They also have a full bar with wine & cocktails.
Inside, it’s a bright space with lots of seating around the bar. The bar also has a few TVs showing sports. Outside, there is a leafy green patio.
A full food menu includes chicken, pasta, bar snacks, bowls, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and more. They also have occasional live music and other events.
Address: 1015 Alameda de las Pulgas, Belmont, CA 94002, United States (map)
Website
ECR Pub
ECR Pub is a no-frills sports bar & grill located right across El Camino Real from the Belmont Caltrain station.
The bar has around 24 beer taps, although not all are craft. They stock house beers from the aforementioned ECR Brewing Company.
There’s plenty to do at ECR Pub, with tons of TVs showing all sports, with their UFC & boxing events being particularly popular. Karaoke & trivia nights are also on the calendar. They also have pool, darts, arcade machines, and pop-a-shot basketball.
Address: 864 El Camino Real, Belmont, CA 94002 (map)
Website
Dog Haus
There is an outpost of the craft beer & hot dog chain Dog Haus in Belmont that has 24 taps.
While I generally tend to be against chains, Doghaus does typically source local taplists at their restaurants, making them another place to get beer from breweries such as Alpha Acid and Russian River from Santa Rosa.
Address: 1000 El Camino Real, Belmont, CA 94002 (map)
Website
For more great local craft beer, visit nearby San Carlos.
Here are some great San Francisco tours & other things to see & do in San Francisco.
If you’re looking for a place to stay, check out these Belmont hotels.
Do you love craft beer? Check out more of my recommendations for the best craft beer around the world!
