After a decade at the corner of 5th and E Streets, Gaslamp Tavern is reopening tomorrow after a refresh with an extended bar, an upgraded menu and an appealing new upstairs neighbor. Concurrently, the same ownership team will also debut Quad AleHouse, a craft beer haven in the heart of the nightclub and sports bar-dominated downtown scene, in a previously unactivated 5,000-square-foot space that's now a loft-like, industrial-styled eatery with floor-to-ceiling windows and a mix of communal tables.
Local beer luminary Tomme Arthur of The Lost Abbey helped to name Quad AleHouse while Beau Schmitt, co-founder of The Brew Project, was entrusted with curating its beer program. Quad will highlight independent breweries from across the country, but Schmitt says that at least 80% of the 28 taps, including one nitro, will be dedicated to San Diego-made beers, available in full pours or tasting flights; Quad's local beer angle is enforced by a wall-sized map of San Diego breweries, whose points will continue to multiply as the industry booms. The 50-foot bar will do brisk cocktail business too; there's a good selection of craft spirits and a signature drink list that includes mix of direct and indirect cocktails based on whiskey and bourbon.
Executive chef Brandon Brooks created Quad's menu in addition to tweaking Gaslamp Tavern's food offerings. At Quad, its a choose-your-own-adventure meal that starts with a housemade meat, from garlic and herb roasted chicken to hickory-smoked pulled pork and Moroccan-spiced lamb shoulder, that can be ordered in a sandwich or on a salad or plate with sides, which range from house-cut fries to smoked mac and cheese. Quad AleHouse will be open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
