Point Loma / North Park / Encinitas · $7–10/pint · Ranked in 1 list
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Modern Times Beer is a Point Loma / North Park / Encinitas spot ranked #4 of 8 in our Best Breweries in San Diego list, scoring 89/100. Order the fortunate islands hoppy wheat or black house stout. Hip, creative, and consistently excellent. Modern Times is the best brewery for experimental styles and a younger crowd.
We scored Modern Times Beer 89/100 in our full editorial review.
Modern Times Beer is in Point Loma / North Park / Encinitas, San Diego. Give yourself a few extra minutes for parking on weekends — Point Loma / North Park / Encinitas fills up early on sunny days.
On our Best Breweries in San Diego list, Modern Times Beer lands at #4 of 8, just behind North Park Beer Co. (89/100) and ahead of Ballast Point Brewing (87/100). Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens holds #1 with 93/100, so the gap is 4 points.
Modern Times Beer scores 89/100 against a best breweries in san diego field that averages 87.8, running from 83 at the bottom to 93 at the top. That puts it 1.2 points above the category average and ahead of 4 of the 7 other places we scored. It lands 4th of 8, and the category leader is 4 points clear.
Judged criterion by criterion, Modern Times Beer separates itself most on innovation (92/100 versus a 87.3 category average). Its softest showing is value at 84, 0.5 points under the field. Those two numbers are the honest summary: this is a place you pick for innovation, not for a clean sweep of every category.
Modern Times Beer scores versus the Best Breweries in San Diego category average
Criterion
Modern Times Beer
Category avg.
Difference
Beer Quality
92
91.3
+0.7
Taproom Experience
88
86.8
+1.2
Food
82
81.5
+0.5
Innovation
92
87.3
+4.7
Value
84
84.5
-0.5
Scores are Sandi Spots editorial judgments, compared against every other place we ranked in best breweries in san diego.
Who Modern Times Beer is right for
Go if
You care about innovation — it beats the category average by 4.7 points there.
You care about taproom experience — it beats the category average by 1.2 points there.
You care about beer quality — it beats the category average by 0.7 points there.
Skip it if
Value is your priority — it scores 84 against a 84.5 average here.
You want a walkable cluster of stops — nothing else we rank sits in Point Loma / North Park / Encinitas.
What else we rank near Modern Times Beer
Modern Times Beer is the only place we have ranked in Point Loma / North Park / Encinitas so far, which makes it a destination stop rather than part of a walkable crawl — plan the trip around it.
Same category, same price band as Modern Times Beer
If Modern Times Beer is booked or closed, these score closest at the same $7–10/pint spend in the same list:
Hours change seasonally, so we link straight to the venue's live hours instead of publishing a schedule that goes stale.
Expect $7–10/pint pricing. Budget-friendly. One of the cheaper ways to eat well nearby.
If it is your first visit, order the fortunate islands hoppy wheat or black house stout before you experiment.
Why Modern Times Beer made the list
Beer Quality
92/100
Taproom Experience
88/100
Food
82/100
Innovation
92/100
Value
84/100
Is Modern Times Beer worth it?
Yes, if you are in the neighborhood or nearby.
Modern Times Beer scores 89/100 in our Best Breweries in San Diego list (#4 of 8). It is strongest on beer quality (92) and innovation (92). Hip, creative, and consistently excellent. Modern Times is the best brewery for experimental styles and a younger crowd.
Skip it if food matters most to you — that is its weakest category (82/100).
Plan your visit to Modern Times Beer
Modern Times Beer is a good fit for breweries. Because it ranks #4 on our best breweries in san diego list, it makes the most sense to pair it with nearby stops in Point Loma / North Park / Encinitas rather than build a day around a long cross-town drive. Check live hours and availability before leaving, especially for a weekend visit.
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Score 89/100 · Order: Fortunate Islands hoppy wheat or Black House stout · $7–10/pint
Modern Times brings a playful, creative energy to San Diego brewing. The Fortunate Islands hoppy wheat is a perfect gateway beer, and the Black House stout is one of the best coffee stouts in the city. The Point Loma location is the most impressive, with a coffee roastery, restaurant, and outdoor space. The North Park and Encinitas spots are smaller but equally energetic. The brand is distinctive and the beer is consistently well-made. It is the best brewery for visitors who want to see the current generation of San Diego craft beer.
Written and fact-checked by the Sandi Spots Editorial team — San Diego residents publishing under Sleep Coast LLC. Every place we recommend has been visited in person or verified against an official source, and no business can pay for inclusion or a higher ranking. Last updated .
Local, first-hand. Reported on the ground in San Diego County.
Kept current. Prices, hours, and closures reviewed on a rolling basis.
Independent. Affiliate links never influence rankings.