Tin Can Alley partially opens in a socially distant world

Tin Can Alley is open, with outdoor seating upstairs, but the beers from Santa Fe Brewing are only to-go.

All of us in the Crew have been waiting to see when Tin Can Alley, the new complex at Alameda and San Pedro that includes a Santa Fe Brewing taproom, would open under the current lockdown rules. This weekend, it finally opened, though it is not totally open.

After all, people cannot sit anywhere inside, most notably in the large SFBC taproom that occupies the bulk of the east side of the first floor of the property. People can walk in and get beer to go, but otherwise cannot linger. There are outdoor patios on the second floor, one on the west side and one on the east. Customers could head up there with their food for now. The beers-to-go cannot be opened there; they are only for home consumption.

Unlike Green Jeans, Tin Can Alley is mostly an indoor space.

Overall, it is an impressive space. Unlike Green Jeans, everything is basically indoors, like a massive food court. Every eatery and the taproom open facing each other, with the eateries on the west side.

The food selection ranges from Vietnamese food (Pho Kup) to barbecue (SA BBQ) to pizza (Amore), plus places like Guava Tree Sabor Latino, Cocoa Flora Artisan Food Gallery, and Flip Flops Beach Grub. There are also Michael Thomas Coffee Roasters and Mini Squeezed Juice Bar for those who do not want beer, plus you can snag dessert at Nitro Fog Creamery (which was the most popular spot when we visited).

The Santa Fe taproom can only offer beers to-go for now.

Customers did their best to keep their distance from one another, and the vast majority wore masks, save for those sitting down upstairs who were eating.

There is a fair amount of parking on the west and south sides of the building, but one could see it filling up quickly when things open up to indoor seating. In other words, carpooling is a good thing.

About the only nuisance outside is you cannot access the parking lot entrances from westbound Alameda. It can be easily accessed from eastbound Alameda or northbound San Pedro, so just plan accordingly.

Here are a few more photos of the entire space.