Lúpulo — Restaurant in Santa Cruz

Drove 40 minutes yesterday to try and grab a bottle or two during the Private Press event. Been on their waiting list for over a year and was hoping to try some of their stuff. Walked inside and asked the bartender if they were selling any of the bottles. Another guy laughed at me and told me they were for in house consumption only. It was just before noon when I got there, and the guy that laughed at me told me it didn't start until 2 P.M. anyways. None of this information was posted on their Facebook posts, which would have been nice, because it would have saved me a trip. I asked why can't the bottles be taken home and was told so that they don't go up for sale on Facebook.

This was my first experience with Lupulo and was very disappointed in the lack of information in their posts and their way they responded to me when asking a few simple questions. It also does not seem fair to those that are trying to be responsible during a pandemic and not wanting to drive after drinking such a high ABV beer, plus the size of it. To add to the disappointment, they posted the next day stating they had bottles available still, but this time including for in house purchase only, which means that I must not have been the only one to come across this problem.

I have already talked to a few friends about this and we all agree that we will be going and supporting other local craft brew houses and the other local breweries...

I was really excited to try out Lupulo since I had heard great things and it seemed like a fun place to have a drink. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with my experience. There was no menu (except for a board on the wall which listed the beers and their alcohol content, not any info about their flavor) where customers could read more about the beers, and the staff were not very helpful when describing them. This wouldn’t have been an issue, but they weren’t allowing tasters (they said for reasons pertaining to COVID, which I understand and respect, but they also allowed unmasked individuals to drink indoors, so in terms of pandemic safety it didn’t seem to make a lot of sense) and don’t offer flights. When you’re spending $8+ on a beer, it’s generally nice to know that you like what you’re going to order. We arrived an hour before close, and they did their last call within 15 minutes (45 minutes before closing). I have worked in the service industry for years and in my experience customers are sat right up until close, and after hours is when most of the cleaning and maintenance is done (especially at a bar/drinking establishment where people tend...

The food is great, and the beer selections change often enough to stay relevant to the customer. I like the atmosphere as well. It is good for young and old that enjoy beer and small plates to share.

Two reasons I'm giving it a 4. 1 - I am always looking for a place where my beer/bartenders are happy when they see a customer because they get to interact. Instead it was mostly the look of "oh no, another customer - Fake smile time" Now don't get me wrong, they were all very friendly, but not genuine enough for me.

2 - They charge 3.50 for 1 taster that you would usually find for free at most breweries. There is a little bit more than a normal taster, so I actually don't mind them charging for it - I just feel like 3.50 is a little much. If they were something around $2 or even $2.50 I would probably try at least 3 or 4 and then still buy a full size beer based on the one I liked the most. I believe $3.50 is too high for a taster.

I will still go back, and do recommend others...