Humdinger Brewing — Restaurant in Arroyo Grande

Decided to try out a curbside pickup order the other day. The online ordering process was easy. There was an issue where the beer I selected for my growler was no longer available, but I received a call shortly after placing my order and the staff member kindly explained the situation and offered to substitute the growler with a 4-pack of Humdinger IPA, which was delicious. Picking up the order was simple and fast. I pulled into a parking space out in front and one of the staff members came to the car with my order, then I was on my way. Overall, this process was almost seamless, everyone I interacted with was pleasant, and there were no mistakes with my order.

The reason for the missing star is the food pricing and presentation. Hush Puppies ($14) were tasty with their dipping sauce, but at the same price as most of the sandwiches it didn't seem worth the price tag. The smash burger ($13) was a decent all-around burger, but in the take-out order it was just the burger in a to-go box. A side of fries, maybe a bed of lettuce or a small side salad would go a long way to making this justify the price. The Pork Belly Banh Mi ($14) was the only item ordered that was worth the price. The pork belly and veggies complimented each other well and the baguette was on the larger side making it filling and delicious. In the future I would just order two of these and skip the hush puppies. Humdinger only missed the mark by a little bit on the first two items, so I'm willing to try their food again. I may just wait until I get a chance to eat in so I can see if the presentation is better than it is when ordering take-out. If so, I'll update my review accordingly.

Overall, I'm glad to see a brewery opening in old town Arroyo Grande. I'm looking forward to visiting...

Valentine’s Day 2025 and the place was packed. Passing through town and decided to grab a beer. Luckily there was a seat at the bar. Ordered an IPA. It was poured into a style of glass I had never seen, despite having visited hundreds of breweries. The glass really made the beers carbonation apparent, with bubbles continuously rising, like an alcoholic lava lamp.

I didn’t get to try their food menu, but everything I witnessed being served looked outstanding, especially for a brewery. They had a very affordable Valentine’s dinner special, which may be why they were packed. $55 for surf and turf.

Restrooms were a little dirty because people are savages and can’t get their paper towels into the trash, but the restaurant was popping, so I give the staff a pass. Looking forward to returning soon and...

Visited for the first time during the coronavirus pandemic with outdoor seating only (one thing, though: please please please add some patio heaters if possible). Still a great experience! The food is very good, but expensive. I wish the burgers/sandwiches came with fries or SOMETHING on the side considering the price. We loved the Mexican street corn and lemon curd a lot. The beer is obviously the shining star at Humdinger. We tried the Blueberry Dinger-Weisse, Browndo, and Shevulf and they were all excellent. They were all priced appropriately, too, as opposed to the food. Our server was fantastic, and even chased after us after we left because we forgot one of our to-go boxes (unfortunately we didn't get her name). Would love to come back to try different foods and beers...