Puesto Details Mexican Kitchen and Brewery in Mission Valley

Founded by a local Mexican-American family in 2012, Puesto has since grown to include two locations in the Bay Area and two in Orange County on top of its original eateries in La Jolla and downtown San Diego. Next up, the restaurant group is returning to its hometown to open its largest project yet, a 10,000-square-foot, 450-seat restaurant and brewery in Mission Valley.

Replacing the Gordon Biersch brewpub, Puesto Mexican Artisan Kitchen & Bar is slated to open by the end of the year after an $8 million dollar build out by BASILE Studio, who has worked with Puesto on four other properties. Its colorful design will evoke modern Mexico City through custom fabrications and materials; the dining room will house an open kitchen and a multi-tier hydraulic bar.

An in-house brewery, dubbed Puesto Cervecería, will focus on Mexican lagers and be run by longtime brewer Doug Hasker, who headed up Gordon Biersch’s beer program for over two decades. The bar will also feature a comprehensive selection of agave spirits as well as margaritas, specialty cocktails, and wine on tap from Baja and the Valle de Guadalupe.

Based on founding chef Luisteen Gonzalez’s popular Mexico City-style tacos, the menu for Mission Valley will include new dishes created in collaboration by executive creative chef Marco Arreguin (Taco Maria) and San Diego executive chef Edgar Chong, ranging from wood-fired plates and specials sourced from the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market and Chino Farms, plus Mexican-inspired desserts from executive pastry chef Erik Aronow (Destroyer).

Courtesy rendering