Bay City Brewing Co Tasting Room

**What makes this different:** While Tacos El Gordo and The Waves anchor the Gaslamp taco scene and most downtown breweries squeeze into street-level storefronts, Bay City built vertically—ground-floor tasting room for the quick pint, rooftop deck for when you want sky and distance from the weekend chaos. The elevator ride up feels like leaving one neighborhood and landing in another, trading Gaslamp's tourist crush for actual breathing room.

The flagship WC IPA does solid work—clean, drinkable, the kind of beer that doesn't demand your full attention but earns a second round. Sunday $6 pint specials make this the move for NFL games, which play on enough screens to matter without turning the place into a sports bar. Weeknight happy hour runs similar deals, though exact times aren't posted online—ask the beertenders, who seem genuinely happy to walk you through the lineup.

The rooftop's the real play. Shaded patio, dog-friendly setup, enough space that even Saturday crowds don't feel packed. Food menu's small but functional—reviews suggest it's better than it needs to be for a brewery. The ground floor works if you're grabbing a quick beer before dinner elsewhere, but why would you when the elevator's right there?

Parking's downtown parking—expensive and scarce. Walk if you can, rideshare if you can't. The place runs casual enough that you won't feel underdressed coming from the beach, but it's Gaslamp-adjacent so expect some spillover weekend energy. Go Sunday afternoon for the quietest version of this spot, or late weeknights when the rooftop empties out and you get the view mostly to yourself.