Taking a break from working on our February issue (which is currently coming off the press), Editor Ryan and I ventured east to discover how El Cajon Brewing Company has fared in their nearly 4 months of existence. Encouraged by our reader & Twitter follower @San_Diego_Matt, I’ve collected my thoughts below for a comparison/contrast between then (soft opening in October) and now (late January). We arrived unannounced last week.
The food: In October, I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and split an order of onion rings with a friend (Brewer Dean of SDBC). The onion rings were obnoxiously greasy, and the pulled pork was marinated with that lame kind of BBQ sauce you find by the gallon at the store. The food was okay.
In January, I ordered the BBQ brisket sandwich and split a side of chicken wings with a friend (aforementioned Ryan). The wings were coated lightly in tangy, sweet sauce. The brisket was delicious, marinated in a dramatically improved semi-sweet/spicy BBQ sauce that didn’t overpower the slow-cooked flavor of the meat. This was a fine meal.
The beer: In October, I tried the Shady Lane Pale Ale, and the El Cojones IPA. The Shady Lane reminded me of a bad pale ale I once made with a Mr. Beer kit. The El Cojones was not much better. Bonus points for having beer for the soft opening, though.
In January, the beer has vastly improved. Shady Lane is turning into one fine pale. It featured light citrus notes, was pleasantly hopped, and was also very refreshing. The El Cajones IPA tasted much better also. It was bitter, with fruitful citrus + grapefruit flavors, and a just a bit spicy. Brewer David Meadows has been hard at work.
Although still evolving, ECBC has improved much in its short existence. All signs point toward further improvement. If you’re one of the many who attended the very first days of ECBC, I recommend you come give them another shot. If I lived in El Cajon, I’d be delighted to have El Cajon Brewing Company in my ‘hood. If you’re a craft beer drinker who is weary of the “far east” of El Cajon, know that there’s a fine brewery shaping up that’s worthy of your attention.
There’s no website yet, but you can follow what’s going on at ECBC via Twitter and Facebook. ECBC is open 11A-9P all days except Friday and Saturday, when they close at 10P, instead. Address: 110 N. Magnolia Ave, El Cajon, CA 92020
Further reading:
-My original article announcing ECBC found in our January 2011 issue.
–View pictures from the soft opening that took place in October 2011.
–More from ECBC found on this blog.
Full disclosure: El Cajon Brewing Company purchased West Coaster’s back cover for our December/January issue.