Modern Times Far West Lounge

Where Herb & Sea is working the candlelit-occasion angle and the taco shacks are doing their thing, Modern Times Far West Lounge is doing something neither of them can: a full craft brewery experience with a kitchen that actually takes vegan cooking seriously. That's not a niche footnote — it's the whole premise, and on the coast, that combo is rarer than it should be.

The beer is the draw that gets you in the door. The Pickled Pilsner is worth ordering on name alone, and it delivers — tart, crisp, genuinely interesting without being a stunt. The Velvet Glow is the smoother move for anyone who wants something less aggressive. The bar area is spacious enough that you don't feel elbowed out on a Friday, which matters when half of Encinitas seems to show up.

But the food is what keeps the conversation going. The Brussels sprouts come out with almost all the moisture cooked out — caramelized, concentrated, and honestly better than most non-plant-based versions you'll find in the neighborhood. The loaded fries with plant-based taco meat are the practical order, the one regulars mention unprompted. Fair warning: the kitchen runs salty, and not subtly — if that's your thing, great; if not, ask your server.

The room has a vinyl record wall running the length of the north side — decades of music, every genre — and it's not decoration for decoration's sake. The place actually sounds good, which changes the vibe more than most design choices do.

Parking on South Coast Hwy 101 can test your patience on weekends, so go early or walk if you can. This is a locals-favorite situation that also happens to reward visitors who know to look past the brewery signage and stay for dinner.