Dust Bowl Brewing Co.
290 Figueroa St., Monterey, (831) 641‑7002, dustbowlbrewing.com
When John Steinbeck was alive and moving through the world, as writers do, there was a train that traveled from Pebble Beach to San Francisco, the Del Monte Express, which had its last run in the 1970s. Among the stops was a station in Monterey, on the Rec Trail near Fisherman’s Wharf, which has finally found the best reuse of the spot: It’s home to a Dust Bowl Brewing Co. taproom, and its outdoor patio, right along the Rec Trail, is blessed with salt air and, on a good day, plenty of sunshine. Not to mention the beer is excellent, as are the offerings from adjacent Wedo’s food truck. And the passersby traffic on the Rec Trail makes it a top‑notch spot in the county – maybe the best – to watch people. And that’s just what Steinbeck did.