Two weeks ago, I wrote an article detailing a future tasting room for Temecula-based Ironfire Brewing Company in that community’s commercial Old Town area. I also included a note about another project Ironfire’s ownership believed themselves to be involved with in Imperial Beach, a collaborative venue conceived for installation at 805 Ocean Lane. At the time, I was aware that San Diego’s Mike Hess Brewing was working on a project in IB, but unbeknownst to both myself and the owners of Ironfire, that venture will be located at the very same spot, thus nullifying a taste of Temecula in San Diego County. Today, MHB owner Mike Hess sent an official press release this afternoon outlining a future shared satellite for he and partner Gerry Torres of City Tacos.
Designed by OBR Architecture and projected to open in 2018, the Imperial Beach venue will encompass a two-story indoor bar with seating for 75 visitors, plus a communal outdoor patio capable of accommodating an additional 110 patrons, outfitted with fire pits and an assortment of common brewery-venue games such as cornhole and giant Jenga. Like the projects discussed by Ironfire, the 4,300-square-foot venue will be constructed out of repurposed and reconfigured shipping containers.
This will be MHB’s fourth location—it currently operates a full-scale brewery in North Park, smaller production facility in Miramar and satellite tasting room in Ocean Beach—and the first to include an on-site food component. City Tacos plans to roll out a menu that will include tacos, tostadas and “reimagined small plates found on rich culinary history”. The venue is expected to be open seven days a week.