Bivouac Ciderworks

There is no better spot for Cider in North Park (if not the WORLD) than Bivouac. A cozy campout aesthetic ran by the CiderQueen of SD herself, and a warm and hospitable staff to boot! The food and cider options are immense, with a delightful rotation of ciders to keep things adventurous! I’ve said it once, but I’ll say it again - if I could give Biv a SIX out of Five, I would!

Cider is delicious, as is the food. As a pescatarian, I really appreciate all the vegetarian options and customizations. I joined the Cider Club and it is great. The ciders and discount are awesome but the camaraderie is the best. They also have beer, wine, and cocktails, so something for everyone! (Even N/A!)
The Mexican Caesar with a side of fries is the BEST light lunch or dinner. I keep coming back for it.
The service is always beyond incredible. Everyone is super friendly and eager to help you find what you want.

Amazing Vibes & Must-Try Hummus!

Bivouac in North Park is the perfect mix of cozy and cool, with lodge-inspired decor and a great vibe. The Green Goddess Hummus plate is a standout—super creamy, packed with flavor, and paired perfectly with warm pita and crisp veggies. It’s fresh, light, and addictive.

Their cider selection is just as impressive, with something for everyone—from dry and crisp to bold and fruity. The staff is friendly, the space is dog-friendly, and the whole experience feels like a little escape. Don’t miss it—and definitely don’t skip the hummus!

This is a really solid happy hour spot in the neighborhood! If you’re looking to stay gluten-free or are hanging with somebody who is GF, I’d recommend Bivouac.

The space is really cool; feels like a camping lodge! Lots of warm wood, climbing ropes, etc.

The meatballs and polenta bites were flavorful, delicious, reasonably priced and portioned, & had strong sauce/dip-pairings.

Service was okay. Not super attentive, and the flight took over 10 minutes to come out, which was weird, since the place wasn’t that busy. They ignored us a bit once some influencers showed up, meh.

Watch out for the pricing on the cider flights! (Meaning, there IS no listed price… think it was like $18 each? For 3 tasters.)

The hummus/crudites appetizer is underwhelming, as the veggies could be cut less coarsely, and the hummus was disarmingly minty (and not enough for all the dipping objects).

Very good food, not second fiddle to the cider. Interesting brewed ciders (and interesting food). All the staff were very nice and helpful. We went there twice in 3 days. They understood the needs of a very sensitive celiac in the family, including the concerns with cross contamination with gluten, and plenty of gluten free options..

This place has become one of my absolute favorite hangouts. The cider selection is always top-notch, with a great variety of flavors to suit every palate. I’ve been especially loving the Rosé cider lately, it’s crisp and refreshing!

The food menu is just as impressive, especially if you’re vegetarian. The soyrizo tacos are packed with flavor, and the meze platter is a perfect sharable snack with a little bit of everything I crave. I’m looking forward to seeing what they roll out on the new menu!

Shout out to the team (Daniel, Jonnie, Camille, Tanner, Luke, and Joe) who always go above and beyond. They’re friendly, fast, and make everyone feel welcome. It’s the kind of place where you come for the drinks but end up staying for the great people. The weekly trivia nights are a blast too! Fun, engaging, and a great excuse to gather with friends or make new ones.

Can’t recommend this place enough if you’re into good cider, good vibes, and good company.

STOP SCROLLING.
Sorry for yelling.

If you're looking for an October 10th time, this is the place. Biv is one of my favorite neighborhood spots not just because of the service (s/o to Daniel / Jonny / Luke / Joe / Camille) but because of the consistency in their food and bev quality.

I prefer my drinks on the drier / less sweet side so the Albright is my go-to for cider and Glamping for a cocktail. Their cider menu features a rotating R&D section too, which I appreciate because I get FOMO and always need to get a flight to try any new flavors that come out.

Let's talk about food now. They have a wide menu selection, super human and animal friendly. Some favorites are the Local Honey Roasted Carrots (they are GENEROUS with the pistachios, which is crazy. In this economy?), Three-Cheese Grilled Cheese, Fancy Fries obviously, Polenta Tots,... y'all I'm not even vegetarian. The Steak Frites come highly recommended, I think I'll try that next time and will update this with my thoughts. 4/17/2025 TBD.

Thank you to the folks at Bivouac for the amazing service, food, drinks, cleanliness, service, food, drinks, cleanliness (so great I had to say it twice)!!

PS. October 10th = 10/10

A disappointing experience. Highly recommended going in but the poor experience was there from the start. No one to greet or explain self seating. Sat at the table for several minutes before being served while the wait staff went to adjacent tables. When we were finally served and the food came, it was off. The patatas bravas was not a patatas bravas. It was just potato pieces not smashed potatoes then deep fried. My friend’s burger was raw when she ordered medium/medium well. The food was cold. Only good thing was the aioli and the cider flight. The steak of steak frites was decent as was the arugula salad. Served never checked on us and it took forever to get our check. Probably some of the worst and inattentive service have experienced. We passed several places on our way that would have been better options. Leaving a review because want a woman owned business to do better. The bro atmosphere is going to hurt your business.

What an incredible spot. Very good ciders, even if you aren’t normally a cider drinker. The staff were super friendly and the space is beautiful. Great happy hour, and the food looked very good even though we just had a quick snack. A must-visit!

Hey, so I came here for RD day to celebrate with Dietitians! The appetizers available were great! I especially loved the various dips and foods to be dipped! Pretty certain I was classy with a Marlin Spike, which is a refreshing pineapple pear cider! I would love to return under different circumstances to try the cider flight!

We had a cider from here at the San Diego Zoo and had to check it out and glad that we did! What a wonderful place!!!

The bartender was very knowledgeable and we had amazing service the entire time. The decor and everything just fit and suited the vibe. One of the best thing is about this place is that it's DOG FRIENDLY! Met the cutest furry friends here that just added to the experience.

Definitely do the cider tasting and the polenta tots was different and interesting. Seems like a great place for a meal, catch a sports game or catch up with friends or a nice place to chill while you are in between meet ups or appointments.

Went to this spot for a professional group meeting and loved it. Hard cider was great as was the food. The ambiance is wonderful and the name is 'carried' through in their decor-really original.

I have been a Club Biv member for nearly all 7 years of their location in North Park. They've expanded the drinks menu, added Taco Tuesdays, and have wonderful guest chefs come take over the kitchen. The ciders are rotating, so there are almost always new flavors.

Really fun spot. Ciders are $13 for 12oz though, which is pretty dang expensive. Not sure why that is. Everything else is great though.

Update:
Owner made good points. I added a star. This place is solid but I personally would rather spend $8-10 on a less exotic cider (vs $13 on a creative one). Also, the cider menu doesn't list prices for some reason?

The atmosphere was cute. Immediately was excited to go inside and sit. I stayed for about 30 minutes and ordered a drink. However, immediately it was a bit unappetizing because the straw they gave me had stains/mouth marks at the top and I wanted it hot and they gave me iced. I didn’t even get to drink my drink because I had to leave (which was overpriced for watered down matcha that tasted like artificial powder); I asked for a to-go cup and they told me I couldn’t have a to-go cup because they are all about sustainability and that you can only dine in there. I like the concept and respect the policy but this company is making a ton of money overall, and you can’t offer me a refund or another option to be somewhat helpful? I just asked for a to-go cup and ended up having to waste an entire drink (which is even less sustainable). I even asked if they could put it in the fridge for me and I’d come back to drink it as to not waste it. They said no, implying that you have to drink it now or it goes to waste. What is this TSA? They should tell you that while you order or at least be a little more communicative on the menu! I usually don’t write reviews unless they are outstanding service but I had to write this one so others who might be stopping in for some quick coffee in the morning are aware. It’s ridiculous, if you pay for food or drink at a restaurant you should get what you pay for whether you are dining in or taking it to-go!

We live in the neighborhood and really enjoy Bivouac every time we come. Options available to get cider flights or full pour. If you don’t drink alcohol, they have a good selection of non-alcoholic ciders (ask what they have if not listed on the menu). I really like their starter plates; my favorite is the polenta tots. Good selection of other “bar-style” foods as well. Great fries. Really love the ambiance and service here as well. Very lucky to have been served most recently by Joe, who is the absolute best and has lots of recommendations. Definitely worth checking out if you’re in the neighborhood.

We were visiting from out of town and stumbled across this place but it was an absolutely wonderful experience! The staff were immediately friendly and inviting when we walked in and took their time to explain the various cider options. The vibe was great and I really felt encouraged to stay, sip cider, eat s’mores and play games. At some point, Lara, the owner came out and started chatting with us and it was an absolutely enjoyable conversation talking with her about her vision in creating the space. It was a great experience and will definitely come back when we visit again!

Such a great and unique atmosphere. It was like an elevated/gourmet food & drink court with an adorable shop and bar nextdoor. Woman owned who supports other small San Diego and women owned businesses. The food was delicious, the cider (i am not a cider fan but tried it) was light, refreshing and delicious and their old fashioned was spectacular. The bathrooms were unique, along with the amazing art on the walls. Next time in North Park, stop in. You will not be disappointed. Bonus, super dog friendly in there!!!

Thea is one of the best servers/bartenders I’ve ever met. Her hospitality is beyond incredible and she made us feel very welcome. We had the best cider tasting and we will be back.

Many tasty ciders to try! I really enjoyed the San Diego Jam mixed berry cider. There’s also a great happy hour (weekdays 4-6), try the fries and the chimichurri meatballs.

We were there for the opening of the new Bivouac Adventure Lodge. What a beautiful experience! Every spot is beautifully designed and decorated as a glamping yurt. There is a retail store with camping themed merchandise, a coffee bar- try the campfire coffee invention, a coworking space, and, of course the giant cider tasting bar. The ciders are creative and delicious. We did the curated tasting. So informative with great bartenders and so many cider choices. San Diego is lucky to have this gem.

We are great cider lovers and found Bivouac on a trip to San Diego. Great variety opf cider on tap. We each had a flight of 3, easy order by checking to menu card. The cherry jubilee was excellent, nice cherry flavor with a touch of vanilla/. Also really enjoyed the black currant. The plain apple and apple pear were good, but nothing special. Nice selection of food. Pineapple cider wings were outstanding as were the honey glazed carrots. They had a good number of other food items, but these were our favorites. Will definitely return.