North Park Beer Company is gearing up for its 10th anniversary with a move longtime regulars have been waiting for: the return of a cult-hit burger and a beefed-up food program at its flagship taproom.
The brewery will start a soft launch of the new menu in early June, then throw an official anniversary party on June 23, when the full food lineup rolls out. The shift to an in-house kitchen follows the recent closure of long-time partner Mastiff Kitchen’s North Park counter.
Sam Navarro, North Park Beer Co.'s director of culinary operations, told San Diego Magazine that the new menu will focus on "global pub fare." Permanent versions of smashburgers that drew lines at the Bankers Hill outpost are heading to the mothership, including the Tokyo Smash, stacked with two smashed patties, Swiss, ponzu-marinated seared pork belly and miso aioli. Shareables will range from chicken karaage over Tokyo fries to coconut curry fries and a piled-high Nacho-Fu! nacho platter. North Park Beer Co. also plans to bring back some original beers for the anniversary party and will preview the food program in that early June soft launch ahead of the June 23 celebration.
Menu highlights
The new lineup is divided into shareables, salads, tacos and mains, with vegetarian and vegan options alongside meat-forward plates. Tacos will run from Baja-style fish to cochinita pibil, and the kitchen is adding a chashu-style pork-belly shareable dressed with maple-miso caramel, black sesame and chili crisp. Burgers like the French Onion Smash, built with a veal-based aioli and a tangle of caramelized onions, will join the Tokyo Smash as permanent fixtures, giving locals steady access to sandwiches that used to pop up only as specials at other North Park Beer Co. locations.
Mastiff exits and a decade of change
Mastiff Kitchen announced on its site that its North Park counter closed on May 3, ending a decade-long partnership with the brewery. The La Mesa standalone restaurant is still open and still serving fan favorites like pork nugs, according to the Mastiff Kitchen site. North Park Beer Co.'s move to a fully in-house kitchen continues a broader pattern for the brewery, which has expanded house-run food programs at its Bankers Hill and Crown Point tasting rooms to more closely pair menus with beer releases, per local beer coverage.
What it means for diners
For locals, the shift means limited beer releases can be matched with dishes designed specifically to go alongside them, rather than whatever a partner kitchen happens to have on deck. The anniversary party is set to pack the taproom with returning brews and new plates, and fans who once chased Bankers Hill specials now have a better shot at snagging those smashburgers at the flagship without gambling on a rotating lineup. Expect a lively, sauce-smeared summer in North Park as the brewery doubles down on hospitality and menu consistency.
