Gilman Brewing Santa Cruz Taproom Brewpub Gastropub Restaurant - Santa Cruz, California

Debbie Pieracci

Well it was a new place so had to try. Service was very nice people. Seating in side was plenty. Was not till later saw the side outside seating which might have been a little more fun even though your view is a car dealership. Food was ok. Fries were good, little pricey. Pizza had a good crust but fir the price only 5 shrimp on whole pizza. The pepperoni one was very greasy. Ok the beer, oh no. I did 2 + flights with my friends of all different ones. I only could drink 2 out of 15. Not sure if they make there. It might help if they put a discussion of the taste or type of beer besides just the name. Interesting names- frog on a bicycle, dad's pants, swamp and others tell it all. Sorry.

Ok update it's been a while so 8 decided to try again. Staff as always was really personable. Had a dark beer Fell on Black that was really good. We had the smash burger and another special burger time. Both were good , smash was better. Thank you Aaron and Coa!

Mayra Carranco (Mai)

Atmosphere was mellow. The food was good. Fair warning, the Nashville Chicken definitely has a kick. The brews are also super good. Highly recommend Dog on Bicycle and Cat in Space, both IPAs.

H-Pop Local Guide

Gilman Brew Pub is a good newly renovated space in the Whole Foods parking lot in Midtown.

The New hours open every day made me change my original grocery shopping plans I had that day. 😉

Great variety of Fresh brew & food selections. I ordered the Crispy Chicken Sandwich with fries.

Gilman is a nice addition to the neighborhood. Tons of free parking in parking lot will be a popular location for regulars.

The combo was delish.

Lauren Lashmet

Gilman is a great spot in town with delicious beer and food! An amazing part about this bar is their trivia host, Josie! She’s hilarious and makes Wednesday nights so much fun :). Her questions are definitely the best in town!

Bonnie Tucker

Nice, clean and good service. Wish the menu was more complex. I had the pretzel and lovely green olives with my Solomente Uno amber beer.
My pup was happy to be included.

Tess Aurore

I love my family member, but they don't use DoorDash and request I DoorDash for them. This is great, except not always, as you can imagine - especially because they can be picky with their add-ons. Which is why I'm writing this review: because Gilman's CAME THROUGH this Thursday night.

My loved one wanted a burger, and I think Gilman's Smashburger is one of the best in Santa Cruz. They're on DoorDash, so I recommended it as an option. My loved one said that sounded great, with two requests: NO sauce, and NO cheese.

Unfortunately, on Gilman's DoorDash menu, you can't request no cheese, and they don't allow for written requests (which is so valid). And as we all know, just because you select "No [Ingredient]" doesn't mean it'll actually come without the despised ingredient.

So, I had to pick up the phone and call Gilman's to make my special request. Reminder: They don't even allow written requests. I CALLED IN a request. The shame was nearly unbearable.

However, Koa was a total homie and got my name before I sent in my order. Koa then confirmed with the chef, Adan, that there would be no cheese and no sauce on the burger. Koa was kind, friendly, and didn't make a single sigh of frustration at my request. THE RELIEF I FELT: immeasurable.

The burger arrived without sauce, and without cheese. My loved one was THRILLED, and I was able to avoid dealing with DoorDash support/refunds/etc.

Not only are you getting the best burger in town when you order from Gilman's, you're getting amazing customer service as well. 10/10, five-stars. THANK YOU Koa and Adan! You've made my life easy. Customer for life over here.

Alex BP

Good Beer. Avoid the nachos unless it’s 2am and you need them. Cold chips, canned cheese, canned chili, paper bowl and plastic fork. 8$ nachos cost about .75 cents to make. I thought it was a joke.

Lawrence S

Had the silliest experience. The service was decent and the beer was ok, but I guess the staff didn't know we were on the back patio and they turned the lights off and locked us in. So we had to hop the fence to get out.

Another run of the mill brewery on first blush. Coming from Sante down the street it's quite a step down in beer quality and vibe but it's always great to have a new spot, and they just opened so I imagine they are figuring out the kinks and I expect this location to improve with time.

I would start with not locking customers in back patio jail.

Sometimes I feel like my life is a sitcom.