Beer Mule Bottle Shop + Pour House — Restaurant in Watsonville

Watsonville is adding bit more of a scene in the brew and food arena and Beer Mule is a prime example.

The hardest part of a fun time at Beer Mule is choosing your beer. But the menu calls out styles and stats to help you narrow you selection before you come up the queue to the counter.

There is a big selection that makes it fun to try all sorts of craft beer from all kinds of places.

I’m always impressed here in how fast one can order, and that’s because they have always been staffed well and use the modern point of sale products. And the staff does a great job of answering questions and/or suggesting a brew for you.

The facility is new and spacious, with a grand outdoors as well. And they continue to add new flair and games to the mix.

For food, the kitchen has a few staples to order, and often Beer Mule hosts a food truck. Personally I’ve only sampled the food trucks, and I haven’t tried the kitchen to offer any thoughts. Yet.

There is room for more tenants in the facility, and the addition of new places helps round the trip to the mule. I’ve tried the crepes from next door at Mr. Z’s, and Zameen (Mediterranean) just opened. A Taco stand is listed as coming soon. All the food from these establishments can be brought over to the Beer Mule tables.

During the daytime, since the Beer Mule is adjacent to the Watsonville airport, you can often catch skydivers floating down from high. Always a cool show.

Lastly, as I mentioned in the beginning, there is a brew scene. Very close to Beer Mule are the Corralitos Brewery, Elkhorn Slough Brewery, and Fruition Brewery. It makes for a great way to go sampling and leverage a trip to...

Beer Mule has a great, eclectic selection of beers on tap, a spacious bar/dining room and a ton of outdoor seating.

You walk in to a very open room that is plain but inviting. The eye is immediately drawn to a tasteful and clear display of all the beers on offer, and secondly to a fridge full of bottles and cans that are arranged in a way that can only be described as beautiful.

I was drawn to an almond milk stout that was creamy and dark without the usual full-feel that I get from traditional milk or cream stouts. My wife has more of a sweet tooth and chose a honey lavender cider that was crisp and boozey (which is what she likes!)

For food, there is a small but exciting selection of items that you can order as either a pannini or a salad. I opted for a tritip chimi churri pannini while the wife went for a portabella and goat cheese pannini. I don't like mushrooms, but when she offered to trade half of her sandwich for half of mine, I cheerful accepted.

The side sad that came with both of our sandwiches was super salty, enough that I will be sure to ask for plain greens next time with whatever dressing they offer on the side.

Service was friendly and we were actively encouraged to taste things before locking ourselves into a pint. The prices were good, especially for what felt like a premium experience in a joint filled with craft beer and good food. I will definitely be back, and I'm already lobbying my boss to hold work...

This place is amazing! Great space, both indoor and outdoor areas are awesome. Plenty of room for you to seat and enjoy a good beer.

They opened recently and are still finishing up their kitchen. But don't get discouraged by that since they are already offering some delicious hot paninis served with salad. Besides the paninis they have some rotating food trucks that spot by on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Check their website to keep track of food truck schedule.

These guys have a lot of beers for you to choose from. And they certainly know their craft. Needed a hand choosing a "not too strong dark beer" and they promptly gave me options realizing I'm far from being an expert.

The guys behind Beer Mule are the same from Beer Thirty, so you will quickly recognize the stylish look. Service was really good too. Really friendly staff.

And they are kid friendly and pet friendly too. So it is a place for the...