Tomato Joe’s Pizza offers a self-serving beer wall

When Tomato Joe’s Pizza & Taps opened its Canyon Country location, it not only added another branch to the popular Valencia location — it added a whole new way to experience beer.

Or more precisely, Tomato Joe’s added an entire wall of the frothy beverage.

There is a wide variety of brews up for sampling, and you can serve your- self at this establishment and drink as much or little to your heart’s content, with a wide selection for your palette to enjoy.

On the restaurant’s second day of operations, customers like Gary Cuesta sat back and ordered pizza, and many were also interested in starting a tab for the new drinking experience.

The tab gets customers a wristband with a small Tomato Joe symbol and a glass.

“Wow,” Cuesta said as he held his glass and stared at all the possibili- ties. “This is really something quite different.”

The first self-serve bar in Santa Clarita gave Cuesta a whole new world to ponder. Should he decide on a beer, perhaps the Two Hearted Ale, the We Got a Bogey or any of the other selections. Perhaps a cider or even a wine?

It didn’t matter because he could try a little of each with a reduced price. Or you could even combine two flavors just to see how your new concoction will taste.

Customers can go up to each of the spouts, tap the wristband to the corner, and begin filling their beer glasses. Instead of charging by the glass, the beers here are priced by ounce. A double tap on the screen that shows the beer name above the spout brings up a description of the beer you’re about to enjoy.

Since the new Tomato Joe’s opened, customers have been mixing and matching, according to Daisy Miranda, the restaurant’s front of house lead.

Once a customer took the “Cali Creamin’ and paired it with the Smog City coffee porter,” she said. “And they loved the result. You can do that with any of the drinks here, because it’s so easy to use. You just pay for what you pour, and the wristband keeps track of it electronically for your tab.”

Cuesta noted he liked that format quite a bit, ultimately settling on a few ounces of a pale ale.

“This is the first time I’ve seen this with beer,” he said, sitting back with the beer while waiting for a sandwich. “There is a really great selection here, and I like the variety and that you can have half a beer, or an itty bitty bit, and then move on to something else.”

The new Tomato Joe’s — and its beer wall — can be found at 19167 Golden Valley Road.