Berkeley’s old Westbrae Biergarten reopens as Headlands Brewing

The former family-favorite beer garden has new landscaping, live music and a menu of traditional beer-hall bites.

Berkeley lost one of its favorite, family and dog-friendly outdoor drinking spots with this winter’s closure of the Westbrae Biergarten. But as of June 21, the garden will be back open, flying under the new flag of Headlands Brewing.

Headlands is a Lafayette-headquartered brewery themed around Northern California’s rugged beauty, with beers like a Point Bonita Pilsner, Alcatraz West Coast IPA and Hawk Hill Hefeweizen. When Westbrae closed, CEO Austin Sharp pounced on the spot to redevelop it with new landscaping, TVs and, of course, different beers.

The redevelopment was done in collaboration with Farm League Management, the folks behind the East Bay’s Arthur Mac restaurants (who plan to open their own pizza-and-beer-garden place in Hayward soon).

The new Headlands Brewing outpost won’t have the popular Pedro’s Brazil Cafe food truck. Instead, there’s a menu of traditional beer hall dishes like bratwurst and hot pretzels plus tacos and smash burgers. The brewery’s familiar beers will be on tap, as well as exclusive small-batch ales, ciders and local wine.

The best aspect of the space — its sprawling and plant-filled expanse under the open sun — has not changed. But there is a new water grotto with seating around it, TVs for sports and other events and soon, live acoustic music.

Details: Open Tuesday-Saturday beginning June 21 at 1280 Gilman St., Berkeley; headlandsbrewing.com.