Half Door Brewing Company - San Diego Streets

Half Door Brewing Now Open, Juice Saves Moves to New Spot

During our pre-Super Bowl stroll through the East Village over the weekend, we gathered a few updates from around the neighborhood.

Half Door Brewing Co. just opened at Ninth and Island, and people already seem to be digging the menu and dog-friendly wrap-around patio. We hear that their selection of in-house brews is still pretty limited, but they’re planning to release new beers soon.

They’re open until 2AM each night, but Happy Hour might be the best time to visit. Available from 4PM to 6PM Monday through Friday, Happy Hour specials include $5 house beers, $6 drafts, and $5 snacks like mac & cheese and ahi tuna tacos. Head over to SanDiegoVille.com for a write-up on the soft opening weekend, complete with the full menu and plenty of photos.

15th and Island continues to dominate the east end of the Downtown skyline. It’s hard to miss the tower rising over the East Village, as work progresses on the first of two residential high-rises.

With so many neighborhood openings, it’s a little strange to see the shuttered Southpaw Social Club. We’ve been watching for signs of life since nightlife group Good Time Design closed the bar and grill in October. We’re looking forward to seeing what’s next for this prime location next to the ballpark.

Consortium Holdings has been polishing off their latest spot at 631 9th Avenue, just north of Market Street. Juice Saves, which quietly opened last summer on G Street, has now relocated to this larger space. We previously told you about our good experience at the previous location, so we’re looking forward to checking out the new space.

The new joint is a collaboration with North Park’s Coffee & Tea Collective, which is close to opening. Eater San Diego explains that the shared space will also serve as the company headquarters for Consortium Holdings.

Half Door Brewing Company to Open January 9

East Village residents will soon have another option among a growing number of new restaurants and bars. At Ninth and Island, the long-awaited Half Door Brewing Company is set to open on Friday, January 9.

The project comes from the Drayne family, who also operate The Field in the Gaslamp Quarter. San Diego Reader has more on the story of its sibling operators Dan and Stacy Drayne, as well as details on the upcoming beer offerings.

The restaurant and brewery will each be two stories, with plenty of outdoor seating. Since our last update in August, you can hardly tell that the right half of the building was only recently added. We can’t wait to see the interior of the old white house, built in 1906.

Curious about the food? Check out the sample menu on Half Door’s website, featuring specialties like the Brewer’s Pie—Coleman’s stout braised short rib, puff pastry—or the Amber Ale Braised Pork Belly, served with mashed potatoes, lacinato black kale, oyster mushrooms, and pork belly jus.

Sol Cal Vegan Market Coming to East Village

Downtown San Diego’s East Village continues to be a hot spot for openings and new projects. At 910 J Street, Sol Cal Vegan Market & Cafe recently took over the space where juice bar Detox Lounge closed earlier this year.

Anne Thornton, host of Dessert First on Food Network, appears to be involved in the health-conscious market and cafe. We’ll keep an eye on it.

Across the street, local chef Chad White opened Común Kitchen and Tavern to favorable reviews a couple weeks ago. The Baja-inspired menu includes tostadas and acai bowls, as well as a selection of self-service beers. We’re looking forward to checking this one out.

At 871 G Street, Consortium Holdings—the folks behind Ironside Fish & Oyster and Rare Form—surprised us with another opening. Their latest project differs from the usual bar and lounge concepts for which they’ve become known. Juice is a booze-free juice bar offering a selection of healthy, natural drinks.

Menu descriptions explain the health benefits of each drink. For instance, the Pulp Fiction—which contains spinach, cucumber, pineapple, and cilantro—is tagged as improved memory, digestive aid, toxin flush, and vitamin C. Head over to Eater San Diego to preview the full menu.

It’s been a few months since we first heard about The Market Hall at 969 Market Street, but the space at the base of the Strata residential building remains empty.

The gourmet grocery store will reportedly have a big focus on prepared foods and include a full service restaurant area. There’s no word on when The Market Hall will open.

Meanwhile, work continues at Half Door Brewing Co. at 903 Island Avenue, where they’ve posted a curious new wrap around the exterior construction walls—”Where the West Coast mashes in with the Emerald Isle.”

The project comes from the Drayne family, who also operate The Field in the Gaslamp Quarter. Continuing their remodel of the old white house built in 1906, they’ve removed more of the existing facade to make way for the new.

Most of the south-facing exterior has been dismantled, as the renovation will expand the building in that direction.

If all goes as planned, Half Door Brewing Co. should open in December.

Half Door Brewing Company Converting Old House in East Village

We noticed some new activity at Ninth and Island while on our walk through the East Village this week. After some delays, Half Door Brewing Company appears to be moving forward with its plans to remodel an old white house on the corner, built in 1906.

The brewhouse has actually been in the works for a while now, as San Diego Magazine first reported the project in 2012. It comes from the Drayne family, who also operate The Field in the Gaslamp. Since we took these photos on Thursday, San Diego Streets reader Alex W. wrote in to report that a “Coming Soon: Half Door Brewing Co.” banner has been posted out front.

In February, Eater San Diego posted a design rendering, anticipating an opening by August. That date seems to have been pushed back because construction appears to only be in the beginning stages.

A blog post on the brewpub’s website described it as, “where west coast meets emerald isle.” While they plan to keep their Irish ancestry in mind and offer traditional stouts and lagers, they will most definitely feature IPAs to reflect the San Diego beer scene.