Collaborative Outdoor Drinking And Dining Venue, The Gärten, Opens In Bay Park

San Diego’s growing demand for outdoor venues and adventurous drinking and dining options has been met with the opening of The Gärten, an expansive multi-vendor collaboration from four locally-grown food and beverage brands.

Photos credit Jake Takeo

Located at 5322 Banks Street in Bay Park, The Gärten will be a welcomed addition for locals with a penchant for al fresco social spaces – with craft beverages and artisanal pizza in a casual environment that invites neighbors to gather, drink and dine.

The Gärten serves a variety of high-quality, distinctive styles of craft beverages not available elsewhere in San Diego, including craft beers, mead, and eventually sparkling wines when incoming concept Oddish Wine launches in late 2022.

A shared space for four individual businesses

The Gärten itself serves as a shared space between four individual food and beverage partners:

Deft Brewing

Founded in 2017 and most recently awarded Co-Champion Brewery in the 2021 San Diego International Beer Competition, Deft Brewing sets itself apart from other San Diego craft breweries through its focus on traditional beer styles from Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Lost Cause Meadery

A modern mead-making operation recognized as one the most awarded meaderies in the world in recent years, Lost Cause first launched in 2017 in Miramar’s Miralani Makers’ District and has since grown to offer a wide array of meads and ciders out of its current headquarters in Bay Park.

Pizza Cassette

Newly launched Pizza Cassette focuses on incorporating Southern California flavors and ingredients into its wood-fired pizzas, and is led by two talented pizzaiolos whose résumés include locally renowned Buona Forchetta and Biga, pizzerias across Brooklyn, and competing for Team USA in the World Pizza Championships.

Oddish Wine

From the founders of Lost Cause Meadery, Oddish Wine will offer sparkling wines that combine traditional winemaking practices with nontraditional fruit including co-ferments such as Pineapple + Chardonnay and Guava + Sauvignon Blanc when it launches in late 2022.

San Diego’s own European-style Biergarten

The Gärten’s 2,500-square-foot outdoor space, located at the south end of Bay Park and just a short walk from the Linda Vista Trolley Station, takes inspiration from the quintessential European-style Biergarten.

Designed as a casual, comfortable dining and drinking destination, it will offer self-seating via numerous communal tables, where guests can enjoy a steady ocean breeze from nearby Mission Bay as well as local art and live music, comedy and entertainment more than 100 nights of the year.

The lead-up to The Gärten includes milestones for San Diego’s own craft beverage scene. Notably, when Lost Cause Meadery opened its new headquarters next door to Deft Brewing in 2020, the two businesses became the first beverage companies in San Diego County to utilize what was at the time a new ABC law allowing breweries and wineries to co-license space, via a smaller patio they both shared. This harmonious partnership in combination with a growing interest in expanding eventually led all partners to pursue formation of The Gärten.

“The vision for The Gärten began two years ago when we saw how much customers loved the shared patio concept we had with Deft Brewing. Soon after, we started looking into collectively turning the property next door into an outdoor communal space like the biergartens we love in Europe,” said Lost Cause Meadery’s co-owner, Billy Beltz. “It’s exciting to finally have such a cool outdoor venue shared by all four neighboring businesses, and we hope our fellow San Diegans will enjoy gathering at The Gärten as much as we do.”

Photos credit Jake Takeo

See you there

We can’t wait to be regulars! The Gärten is located at 5322 Banks Street.

Follow along via each partner’s Instagram at Deft Brewing, Lost Cause Meadery, Oddish Wine, and Pizza Casette.

See you there, San Diego!

Share This Post
The Latest
restaurant interior
Downtown Oceanside is getting a major flavor upgrade. Just two blocks from the iconic pier, Odie’s Pizza Co. is gearing up to open its doors,...
MCASD la jolla
The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego has launched a captivating new installation that brings powerful stories of memory, identity, and politics into sharp focus....
Finca North Park wine bar
Summertime is just around the bend, and it goes without saying that a sunny afternoon in San Diego is an ideal setting to sip, unwind,...
rustic root menu
Memorial Day is just around the corner, and many San Diego businesses will be offering great specials! Honor the occasion with friends by taking advantage...
Indian Princesses La Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse invites you to step into the summer of 2008 with Indian Princesses, a fresh and funny coming-of-age story that unpacks the tangled...
Little Italy Food Hall reimagined
Big things are coming to the Piazza della Famiglia, with the Little Italy Food Hall reimagined as a vibrant, multi-concept dining venue launching fall 2025....
Recently Featured Restaurants
A new fire has lit up Little Italy—Piedra Santa, an Argentinian-inspired steakhouse, is now open and bringing the bold, smoky tradition of open-flame grilling to...
Dora, a vibrant new Southern Italian restaurant from the husband-and-wife team behind Cori Trattoria, is set to open in La Jolla’s Theater District this fall—and...
There’s a breezy new addition to Little Italy’s dining scene! Brisa, an island vibes and Latin-Japanese fusion restaurant, is now open at the corner of...
Downtown La Mesa has a delicious new addition—Tour de Tapas, a restaurant offering Euro small plates and sips inspired by the culinary traditions of Spain,...
Tajima Crown Point is the latest addition to San Diego’s beloved ramen scene, officially opened on December 14 at 3782 Ingraham Street. Known for its...
Wildland in Carlsbad Village is officially opening its doors, bringing rustic cuisine and coastal-inspired dining to North County. This all-day restaurant, bar, and bakery from...