I have eagerly been following Eater’s coverage of the new Common Theory Public House. With its grand opening last weekend, I couldn’t wait a minute longer.
We tried out the two previous former occupants of the large space, neither of which lasted long, but Common Theory definitely shows signs of staying power.
The 5,500 square feet of space has been transformed to a very open and welcoming setting. In addition to offering a huge selection of craft beers, the restaurant also boasts a creative pub fare menu.
Of course we had to start with some beers. Currently, Common Theory offers each patron two complimentary “tasters.” I wish more restaurants would employ this concept. This gave us a chance to try a few of the drinks on the list we were most curious about.
Monstra Coffee, Beaver’s Milk, Table, ABT 12
We actually really loved all our samples. I’ve been curious about Monstra Coffee’s cold brew coffees and quite enjoyed this one. I also loved the little taster glass it was served in.
We ended up ordering full glasses of the Beaver’s Milk and Table.
Loved the generous pour for Benchmark’s Table (Belgian-style)
Beaver’s Milk (from Belching Beaver) is a creamy, sweet stout. Normally I find stouts too bitter, but I really enjoyed this one. I also really liked the glass it came in, especially since I still had the mini-me taster version of Monstra Coffee.
After we settled on beers, it was time to choose some dishes.
Duck Fat Fries
I was introduced to duck fat fries a few years ago and just fell in awe of this method of cooking up fries. Duck fat’s higher smoking temperature makes it ideal for frying, producing perfectly crunchy and flavorful fries. The fries are further enhanced with duck confit and truffle oil. These were as delicious as I anticipated and I could have easily finished off the entire plate by myself.
Chorizo Scotch Quail Eggs
These were cute as a button and quite tasty. The outside of the scotch eggs had a thin and crunchy protective layer before giving in to the spicy chorizo and petite quail egg. A mix of candied jalapeno relish heightened and simultaneously cut into the spice at the same time.
Salt and Pepper Wings
There are a few Asian-influenced menu items so I definitely wanted to try some fried wings. I thought the price point was a little high ($10 for 6 pieces), but the wings themselves were definitely one of the best version of Salt and Pepper Wings we’ve tried in San Diego. The crackly, crunchy skin was riddled with addictive spices. The chicken meat was still moist and juicy.
Truffle Macaroni and Cheese
Perhaps because we let this one get a little cold, I didn’t enjoy this quite as much as the others.
Overall, we had a fabulous time. I loved the beer selection and the food and I can’t wait to come back and try more. I was so happy with what we had here, I found myself texting friends during the meal to encourage them to come here. This is definitely a welcome addition to the Convoy area.
Common Theory Public House
4805 convoy st, San Diego, CA 92111
https://www.commontheorysd.com/
I just discovered the magic of cold brew coffee and that I can actually drink it so I was excited to see that they had cold brew – I’ll have to check out Mostra! I went for lunch yesterday and I must have gotten the one off thing on the menu because it was just “okay” (it was the corn dog). The wings and the duck fat fries look awesome – maybe I’ll try those next time I visit.
hmm, def try some of the other items next time!
I just checked my old post since we had the flight of 6 from Belching Beaver. I thought we had tried that Beaver’s Milk but it was something else. I liked the darker beers from BB like the PB stout!
I usually dont like the darker beers. Not sure if you’ll like this one because it’s on the sweeter side, but I really enjoyed it!
Good to know about the two complimentary tasters! If you didn’t already know, Mostra Coffee is San Diego based and also owned by Filipino Americans. They serve the cold brewed coffee (from bottles) next door at Blush. Is the Beaver’s Milk from the Belching Beaver Brewery?
I knew Monstra Coffee is SD based but didn’t know it was owned by Fiipino Americans! Yes Beaver’s Milk is from Belching Beaver! Have you had it before? They told us right away about the tasters which is really nice because I really had no clue what I wanted to get and having the tasters first really helped. I def plan on visiting here more often
I’ve never had salt and pepper wings but have always wanted to try them. If you say these are good will have to try them when we get around to going here! The duck fat fries look perfect too 🙂 I always think duck fat fries look similar to how McDonald’s fries looked like when I was a kid and they used to fry them in beef lard, just achingly perfectly golden and crisp!
def give these a try! lot of ones i’ve had in SD aren’t crunchy enough or are too dry, or too much msg. I thought these didn’t suffer from any of those issues though
Hi Kirbie – I managed to finally visit this past weekend. This is definitely a palce to be checked out. Great selection of beer….and I got he inside scoop on those chicken wings.
Ah, can’t wait to read your post! I was really happy with the food and beer selection. Looking forward to more visits