by “The Food Guy” – Food Blogger / Restaurant Critic for Vero Vine
My next tasting experience takes me up to Sebastian Florida and to and to a little brewery called Pareidolia Brewing Company. I was contacted by the owners, Pete and Lynn to come up and check their place out and see what they do. Now when I heard the name of the place, I had no idea what a “Pareidolia” was or how to even pronounce it correctly, so the first thing I did was go to visit their website to find out more about them and the name. First off, you pronounce it like PARR-I-DOH-LEE-AH and it’s definition means “The psychological phenomenon that causes some people to see a vague or random image of something significant.” So what does that mean exactly? By using your imagination you can see faces in everyday common objects. I happen to be one of those people that can see that and seem to find them all the time in the strangest of places.
Only about a 25-minute drive up from Vero and directly off of US Hwy 1 in Sebastian, it was an easy drive to get up there. We went on a Sunday afternoon and traffic was not too bad. They do sit back off the road a bit in a strip mall, so you may pass them by if not paying close attention. They have ample parking in the strip mall so they can definitely accommodate quite a few patrons. Walking into the establishment, it was nicely decorated with string lights hanging from the ceiling along with a large assortment of old beer taps as well. The owner, Pete, came over to greet us and made us feel welcome. We got settled in for the beer and food to arrive shortly!
Now let’s dive right in and see what this place has to offer and what I had to eat and drink!
Comments below are starting from the left, making my way to the right.
#1 – Barrier Island Blonde Ale | ABV – 6% | IBU – 24
Tasting Notes: Aroma was subtle, light, crisp, an easy drinking beer, probably their closest to a mainstream beer, a real crowd pleaser.
#2 – Happy Lil Trees Pale Ale | ABV – 5.5% | IBU – 35
Tasting Notes: Aroma was subtle but I could detect a bit of the bitter orange scent. A medium bodied beer that was slightly sweet from the honey and not too bitter.
#3 – Gormy ESB | ABV – 5.2% | IBU – 39
Tasting Notes: Aroma was undetectable, but it was an extremely smooth medium bodied beer that was slightly sweet with mild bitters.
#4 – Far into Red Ale | ABV – 6% | IBU – 42
Tasting Notes: Aroma had subtle malty notes, while the flavor was definitely malty. It was slightly sweet, medium bodied beer with medium bitters.
#5 – Oh Yea IPA | ABV – 6.2% | IBU – 78
Tasting Notes: Aroma was quite strong and very bitter. It was definitely a full bodied beer that is very hop forward. A definite must for any “Hop Head”.
#6 – Pareidolia Party Porter | ABV – 5.2% | IBU – 23
Tasting Notes: Aroma had a subtle coffee scent. The coffee flavor was evident in this full-bodied beer that had additional subtle notes of vanilla and coconut.
Price List:
1/2 Pint: $3.00
Pint: $5.00 – $6.00
4 Flight: $6.95
32 oz. Growler: $10.00 for the bottle and $10.00 – $14.00 refill
32 oz. Crowler: $11.00 – $15.00 depending on the beer
Beer Cheese Dip – ($7.50) and Classic Hummus – ($6.50) – We were provided sample sizes of these two different items so we could try both of them and not be too full. The beer cheese dip was very creamy and even if you are not a beer lover, you cannot even detect the beer in this. My wife who does not care for beer even said this was very good. The pretzels were slightly toasted so the outside was crunchy while keeping the inside soft and chewy. The hummus dip was very fresh and finished off with a drizzle of olive oil for another layer of flavor. The pita bread served alongside was very fresh and wonderful!
Nawlins’ Style Muffuletta Sandwich – ($8.75) – While not currently on the menu, this was run as a special on the day we visited. This sandwich was a first for me, so I was looking forward to trying it. They were very generous with the meat and olive tapenade had lots of garlic and was a little bit on the salty side from the olives it was made with. The potato salad, while not made in house, was very creamy and fresh, slightly sweet, and had a little punch of flavor from the vinegar.
Really Gouda Pesto – ($8.75) – The sandwich as you can see from the picture above was generous with the meat and the pesto was very fresh and flavorful. The bread was very thin and was grilled lightly for a nice crunch when you bite into the sandwich. The potato salad, while not made in house, was very creamy and fresh, slightly sweet, and had a little punch of flavor from the vinegar.
In Conclusion:
I was very impressed with what they are doing here. I got a quick tour of the brew room and it’s really amazing how much beer and the amount of variety that Pete makes with as small of a space he has to work with. His wife Lynn has even less space to work with. She stands in the middle of a very small room and just rotates around the equipment to make the food. Considering how much space she has to work with, everything was very good and came out in a timely manner. The good news is that business has been steadily climbing over the past 2 years and they are in need of more space. They will be moving north of the park soon and things can only get better once they have more space to work with. Keep your eye on these guys for great things they have coming up at the new location. They should be in the new place by late spring/early summer.
Have you tried Pareidolia Brewing Company? What has your experience been with them? Sound off in the comments below and let me know your thoughts, or feel free to email me at thefoodguy@verovine.com with your questions or comments.
Atmosphere – 5 Forks
Service – 5 Forks
Beer – 4 Forks
Food – 4 Forks
Rating Scale Legend:
1 to 5 Forks – 1 Bad to 5 Excellent
Happy Hour everyday from 4:00 PM till 6:00 PM – $1.00 off all beers!
Pareidolia Brewing Company Website | Facebook Page
| Wednesday | 1–10PM |
| Thursday | 1–10PM |
| Friday | 1–11PM |
| Saturday | 1–11PM |
| Sunday | 1–6PM |
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 1–10PM |
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