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Lunch of the Month: Karl Strauss

A staff favorite, the Karl Strauss Brewing Company is nestled between Little Italy and the thriving business district off of Broadway in downtown San Diego.  The brewery features specialty beers on tap and American comfort food favorites that never disappoint.  Quick service, reasonable prices, convenient location and a wide variety of salads, burgers, starters and entrees make this restaurant a business lunch spot that can’t be beat.

One unique note about Karl Strauss’s menu is that they marinate or cook many of their foods in their signature brewed beers – such as the Lemon Hef Chicken, a grilled chicken breast swimming in an artichoke, garlic, lemon, caper and Windansea Wheat Hefeweizen sauce, or the Crunchy BBQ Chicken, served with a side of Red Trolley BBQ ranch dressing.

On our most recent visit to Karl Strauss, my dining partners and I sampled a few different menus items, as well as some old favorites.  We chose to start out with the Portobello Fries, a unique appetizer with thick slices of lightly fried, ale-marinated Portobello mushrooms with set of two dipping sauces, pesto and a delicious chili aioli. For my entrée, I was pleasantly surprised with the Drunken Shrimp, an ample portion of shrimp sautéed with Woodie Gold pilsener, garlic, cream, tomatoes and fresh herbs, served with garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach; while one of my companions sampled the Brewhouse Filet, an eight ounce filet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes, sautéed green beans and a balsamic Amber Lager glaze.  Finally, our third party chose an old favorite, the brewery’s signature Mac and Cheese, made with large elbow noodles, gorgonzola, gruyere, and cheddar cheese with a crispy breadcrumb topping. Enough for two and served with mixed greens, this is arguable the best mac and cheese in downtown San Diego!

The brewery offers various unique desserts – we tried the bread pudding, served with sun-dried cranberries and white chocolate and topped with vanilla ice cream and Red Trolley caramel sauce.  They also feature a happy hour menu, Monday through Friday, 4:00-6:30 p.m, with specials on appetizers like the brewery fries or grilled fish tacos.  We would highly recommend Karl Strauss to anyone looking for a prime location for a business lunch, meeting or after work gathering!