OC LIVE : Ale House Rock Blends Blues, Beers, Food in Social Setting

Close to the crowded beachscape that surrounds the Huntington Beach Pier, a new nightspot has quietly begun to capture the hearts of blues lovers. Enjoy it while there is still space at the bar.

The just-opened Ale House Rock combines tasty site-brewed beer, Jamaican-influenced cooking and high-quality blues in a comfortable and unpretentious setting.

Ale House Rock’s owners have gutted a former El Ranchito site and managed to infuse their establishment with a warmth often lacking in the brass-and-oak brew pubs that have recently gained popularity. Thankfully, the Ale House’s interior is far more inviting than its generic, white stucco exterior suggests.

In the open band room (which accommodates 115 patrons), there is an enormous, colorful mural behind the stage that pays homage to everything and everyone from blues and rock to surfing.

Behind a glass enclosure in a corner of the room stand the prerequisite brew-pub fermenting tanks. At the rear of the building, a large dining room is equipped with stage monitors, so more chatty types can unwind and eat without missing any of the shenanigans onstage.

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A fair number of people come to Ale House Rock for the food, which blends Jamaican and California cuisines in a style the menu calls “local jerk” cooking.

Even more come for the house brews, including O.C. Honeywheat ale, Muddy Waters Brown ale and Bruiser Red. A 16-ounce glass runs $3, a 60-ounce pitcher is $10.95. Imported Murphy’s Irish Stout ($3.50 a pint) and Pear’s Cider (also $3.50) are offered on tap, and domestic bottled beer ($2.75) is available for the faint of heart. Wine fans have a choice of Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc ($3.50 a glass).

Drinks and munchies aside, though, the real star here is the blues, starting at 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

The roster of talent in recent weeks has included Henry Carvajal & San Pedro Slim, Harmonica Fats and Jamie Wood & Roadside Rockets.

Upcoming weeks will feature return engagements by these groups as well as Steve Copland & Raging Sun. The management is experimenting with adult contemporary music from Sunday through Thursday. Here’s hoping they also find room for another blues night or two.

Regardless of stature, all bands play at an enjoyable volume somewhere between moderate and loud. It’s enough to command the full attention of the crowd, which on recent nights has been an interesting mix of curious young surfer types and grizzled blues fans.

Dancers, by the way, gain more room by neatly pushing aside tables near the stage.

Huntington Beach will never rival the Mississippi Delta or Chicago’s South side, but those seeking a live blues venue where you don’t need to wear earplugs or scream across the table at your friends should find plenty to like in Ale House Rock.

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* ALE HOUSE ROCK

* 8082 Adams Ave., Huntington Beach.

* [714] 374-0811.

* Open 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. daily. Live music nightly, starting at 9.

* No cover, but beer prices rise 50 cents after 9 p.m.