Norte Brewing Co.

Norte Brewing Co. is the taproom people describe by its address rather than its beer: the fifth floor of the Foreign Club parking structure on Calle Cuarta (Salvador Díaz Mirón 8178), between Avenida Revolución and Avenida Constitución. Established in 2015, it brews on site and pours in a room wrapped in windows that look out over downtown toward the arch and the border. It is for sunset drinkers, visitors who want one memorable stop on a Revolución walk, and beer people who like a porter.

The vibe

Finding it is part of the experience. You walk into a parking garage, find the elevator and ride up; reviewers mention long waits for the elevator on busy nights. Upstairs it is small, clean and low-key, with music at a volume that still allows conversation, and the view does the rest. Afternoons are quiet; evenings fill with a mix of locals and visitors. Staff speak English and are used to walking people through the list.

What to expect

A compact list of house beers with flights, pints and growlers to go. Names that have appeared on the list over the years include Foreign Club Robust Porter, Golden Sunset, Charlie Brown and 5to Piso; the dark beers are the reputation here, and a chocolate-oatmeal imperial stout was already the one to order back in 2016. The kitchen does pub food: wings (the mango-habanero version gets mentioned), nachos and burgers. Prices run higher than the cheaper taprooms downtown, which is the trade-off for the room.

Prices and entry

It is a taproom; walk in, no tickets. The brewery does not publish a price list online; expect pricing above Mamut and in line with other Revolución bars. Hours published by the brewery: Monday to Saturday 2 p.m. to midnight, Sunday 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Norte has announced a new production plant in the Centro and plans to expand the taproom from the fifth to the sixth floor when it opens, so the layout may change.

Getting there

From Revolución, turn onto Calle Cuarta toward Constitución and look for the parking structure entrance; the brewery’s own directions say “quinto piso del estacionamiento Foreign Club.” It is about fifteen minutes on foot from the San Ysidro pedestrian crossing. If you drive, you can park in the same structure. Mamut is on the next street north (Tercera), Insurgente’s Centro taproom is on Revolución at the corner of Cuarta, and Border Psycho Cantina is two blocks north.

Good to know

• Go before sunset for the view; it is the reason to come.
• Elevator queues build on Friday and Saturday nights; arrive early or be patient.
• Growlers are filled to go; canned beer is listed as coming soon.
• Events are posted on the brewery’s Facebook and Instagram.

For more places like this, see our guides, and check the calendar for what is on this week.