It was a chilly but sunny Saturday afternoon in Fairfax and the town was bustling. The parking lot across from the Fairfax Plaza was full. On my third pass-through, I was able to score a parking spot.

I walked across the street to meet some friends for lunch at Fairfax Brewing Co. Several people were sitting at tables under heaters in the parklet in front of the brewery. Walking into the brewpub, I scoured the place but didn’t see my friends. To the left was the bar with glass behind it that allowed a partial view of the brewery. A few people were sitting at the bar drinking beer and watching the games on the two big screens above. On that side were several high tables with stools.

To the left of the partition that separates the areas were booths, tables and barrel-backed chairs. At the far end is a semi-private room with wallpaper depicting mist caught in the trees. It looked just like something you might see one late morning just down the road at Samuel P. Taylor State Park.

My friends arrived and we ordered a flight of four beers ($15). The four beers were presented on top of an oblong wooden tray with a little card designating each. We tasted them in this order: Pastori Pilsner (refreshing), Repack Red Amber Ale (pleasant bitterness on its finish), Shakedown Stout (coffee/cocoa flavors) and Liquid Sunshine Double IPA (elegantly floral). Other beer names like East Peak Pale Ale, Sleeping Lady Hazy IPA and Tamalpais Tripel leave you with no doubt what county you’re in.

As a party of three, we appropriately ordered the Appetizer Trio ($28), which was served on a small paper-lined sheet pan.

The finger-sized lumpia with a sweet chili vinegar dip tasted good but had a disappointing texture. Three delicious chicken wings (six pieces) can be ordered with the choice of Buffalo, lemon pepper, spicy sweet and sticky Asian. We went for the Buffalo. They were crispy and tangy. It was the perfect example of Buffalo wings. Three plump prawns with firecracker sauce, a delicious mix of creamy and spicy, disappeared quickly. They were also available blackened with a habanero aioli and lime. I can’t imagine they would have been as good as what we had. Next time.

The menu is fun: just what you want to eat when drinking beer, hanging out with friends and maybe watching a game. Plus, the food is well executed using good ingredients. There are a few wines on the menu ($11 a glass to $64 a bottle), as well as some interesting-looking nonalcoholic beverages ($3.50 to $7).

There were a number of families with kids. The kids’ menu ($14) with a choice of pasta, chicken or hot dog with carrots, fries, sliced apples and a cookie is served in a bento box. The little girl at the next table was having a great time rearranging the food in the box.

On the way back to the restrooms, there’s a game room with vintage Skee-Ball machines and a four-player Pac-Man game. You can even be entertained in the restroom: There was a piped-in recording of the history of beer making around the world.

The Green Goddess Salad ($15) of little gems, avocado chunks, slivered watermelon radishes, toasted pumpkin seeds and pinches of feta was large, lovely and full of good-quality components, but I could have done with less dressing and more salt.

The mixed green salad served with the Fried Chicken Sando ($17) had an excellent balsamic vinaigrette. There’s the choice of salad or fries with sandwiches. The crispy fried chicken on a challah bun stayed intact. Too often the filling shoots out the other side of the bun and you’re left with just a soggy bit of bun. Pickles perked up the crust on the chicken and made it even more appealing.

The vegan Veggie Philly Cheesesteak ($20) came with some excellent French fries. They are bought frozen and cooked on-site. They’re nothing fancy but sure tasty. I don’t know what made them so yummy. Maybe we were just in the mood for them. The concept for the sandwich just didn’t work. A Philly cheesesteak is super savory with meat and caramelized onions, and gooey with cheese. With none of those components, perhaps it would be better to give the sandwich a different name. No distinguishing flavors were in the sandwich.

It was just soft and mushy.

The star of the meal was the Korean Bulgogi Barbecue ($24), which came served in a large black bowl. Glassy sweet potato noodles rich with soy and sesame were topped with tender slices of barbecue chuck flap, braised onions, chunks of carrots and mushrooms, and sprinkles of chopped scallions and sesame seeds.

Two desserts are listed: Double 8 Dairy Soft Serve Ice Cream with assorted toppings in a house-made waffle cone or bowl ($4 and up) or in a Root Beer Float ($8).

We ordered a bowl of the ice cream made of buffalo milk ($6) with caramel sauce (extra $1). And what ice cream! It was distinctly rich and creamy. But the very tiny squiggle of caramel sauce was unnecessary.

This location has been a brewing facility under different names for 25 years. Now, owners Alex and Lisa Stricker with managing partner and Fairfax native Dan McGarry are intent on serving the community. That’s definitely the vibe we got. The place is casual, welcoming and spacious; it serves tasty, creative food and excellent beverages. It’s a great place for locals and well positioned just off Sir Francis Drake Boulevard for a stop on the way home from hiking in West Marin.

Ann Walker is a freelance food writer. Email her with suggestions, comments and questions at ijfoodwalker@gmail.com