If plans proceed as expected, the new Santee brewpub will be modeled after Karl Strauss’s 4S Ranch location, featuring a full-service restaurant, expansive tap lineup, and family-friendly dining environment. The site offers strong visibility and easy freeway access, making it a logical move for the veteran brewery, which has been strategically rebuilding and refining its footprint following several closures and relocations across Southern California.
Founded in 1989, Karl Strauss helped launch San Diego’s modern craft beer movement with its original downtown brewpub. In recent years, the company has reopened that historic Columbia Street location after extensive renovations, debuted a new brewpub in Corona, and expanded distribution into Arizona and Nevada. At the same time, it has closed venues in San Marcos, La Jolla, and Pacific Beach as part of a broader shift toward more focused, high-traffic sites.
The Santee expansion would mark Karl Strauss’s first entry into deeper East County, joining the city’s growing lineup of breweries and restaurants in the Mission Gorge corridor. The lease is reportedly still being finalized, but if approved, construction is expected to begin early next year. Karl Strauss Brewing Company operates brewpubs throughout California, including in Carlsbad, 4S Ranch, Sorrento Mesa, and Downtown San Diego.
Karl Strauss Brewing Company is expected to open in 2026 at 9812 Mission Gorge Road in San Diego's East County community of Santee. For more information, visit karlstrauss.com.
Originally published on November 7, 2025.