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Mikkeller Bar
34 Mason St
San Francisco, California, 94102-2806
United States
// CLOSED //
Mikkeller Bar San Francisco permanantly closed in October 2022.
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Ratings by hayesjw:
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Rated by impending from California
4.71/5 rDev +8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.5
4.71/5 rDev +8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.5
if I find Cantillon in the City I'll likely find it here, I've had fun
Dec 17, 2020Reviewed by Suds from Missouri
4.48/5 rDev +2.8%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5
4.48/5 rDev +2.8%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5
We visited this incredible beer bar twice on a recent trip to San Francisco. Located just south of Union Square, it is easy to find, underneath a tall neon sign. The bar itself is sparse, with tall ceilings and bright lights. The beer list is extraordinary. IN addition to the quirky, interesting beers of Mikkeller, they also had almost a dozen world class brews from all over the world. The servers were friendly, hard-working, and happy to discuss any of the beers. We didn't try any food, although it looked like delicious European cafe fare. This is a must-visit if you are in the area.
Mar 22, 2019Reviewed by RollTide7 from New Jersey
4.08/5 rDev -6.4%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | food: 3.25
4.08/5 rDev -6.4%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | food: 3.25
Overall pretty good selection, and first place I ever got to try Prairie Bomb! Space is very open and industrial though it does get very crowded. Overall wasn't a fan of the food especially at the prices, its gourmet hot dogs etc. for like $15-$20. Beers are also a bit pricey as well. There is a bar downstairs that typically has more sours and may be a better bet if upstairs is crowded.
As others note its in the Tenderloin which is not the best area of the city and typically has a lot of homeless and people doing drugs openly in the streets so be aware of your surroundings. I personally prefer other places in the city like City Beer, Cellarmaker, and Tornonado.
Mar 13, 2019As others note its in the Tenderloin which is not the best area of the city and typically has a lot of homeless and people doing drugs openly in the streets so be aware of your surroundings. I personally prefer other places in the city like City Beer, Cellarmaker, and Tornonado.
Reviewed by Rub_This_BBQ from Massachusetts
4.25/5 rDev -2.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
4.25/5 rDev -2.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
For Monday night bar was pretty busy but fast and prompt service and all the food we order was great but for just beer bar the tap pricing were pretty high, 60 bucks for a bottle logic pour is stupid and while they have a great tap list and high pricing would be nice to have at least option of half pours on some of the beers.
Nov 13, 2018Reviewed by VoxRationis from New York
4.8/5 rDev +10.1%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
4.8/5 rDev +10.1%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
I was visiting San Francisco on business and decided to stop in with a friend for lunch. Mikkeller Bar SF had a fun contemporary ambience (think recovered industrial space with functional but attractive furnishings). Keep in mind, it is located on the edge of the Tender Loin area, so the street activity on that stretch of Mason leaves much to be desired.
MBSF has a very nice range of seating styles available in a reasonably large space, several dozen brews available, including many guest offerings from other breweries. Among the offerings, there were two cask conditioned ales; I had the Moonlight Homegrown Fresh Hop Ale which was just awesome. Really enjoyed the food, which (amazingly) was NOT too salty.
The service was also knowledgeable, efficient, and quick. The whole experience bespoke a consumer focus that I have rarely experienced and a confidence that the beer and the food would speak for themselves that would bring customers back again and again. That confidence is well deserved; I'd stop in regularly were I local.
Oct 13, 2018MBSF has a very nice range of seating styles available in a reasonably large space, several dozen brews available, including many guest offerings from other breweries. Among the offerings, there were two cask conditioned ales; I had the Moonlight Homegrown Fresh Hop Ale which was just awesome. Really enjoyed the food, which (amazingly) was NOT too salty.
The service was also knowledgeable, efficient, and quick. The whole experience bespoke a consumer focus that I have rarely experienced and a confidence that the beer and the food would speak for themselves that would bring customers back again and again. That confidence is well deserved; I'd stop in regularly were I local.
Reviewed by remingtonsteele1987 from California
4.21/5 rDev -3.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 3.5
4.21/5 rDev -3.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 3.5
Yes, the area borders skid row, but that's the Tenderloin. Easily accessible by BART or MUNI. Nice industrial decor with brick walls. Kinda dark but it sets the mood. The service was great. Bartenders were on top things. Beer selection was good. First time trying beer from Mikkeller and did enjoy the Mr. Cloudy IIPA. The food was ok. Nothing to write home about. Got crowed with tech workers during the early afternoon, uggg. Other than that, I'd go back for the beer.
Jan 23, 2018Reviewed by tobelerone from New Jersey
4.24/5 rDev -2.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.25
4.24/5 rDev -2.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.25
Tasty sausages and sides, excellent draft list mixing mikkeller brews and great guests, exceptional and expensive bottle list. Staff is friendly, attentive and welcoming. Clientele on a Friday night was pretty bad though, screaming throngs of tech bros and so on. Suppose that goes with the territory. Prices on the higher side but not the outlandish or even surprising. As a nyc guy this was par for the course.
Nov 18, 2017Reviewed by amesetz from California
4.56/5 rDev +4.6%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 5
4.56/5 rDev +4.6%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 5
Was looking forward to visit here the whole week leading up to my SF trip. Definitely met my expectations. Great beer and all served at the proper temperatures. OK prices, but if you consider that you're in SF the prices are really reasonable for the quality and selection of the beer. Got a few Spontan series beers and tried a few other guest taps which were all exceptional. A must visit if you are in SOMA.
Jun 26, 2017Reviewed by John_M from Washington
4.31/5 rDev -1.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5
4.31/5 rDev -1.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5
Located just down the street from our hotel, MBB was pretty much a spot I had to visit during a recent stay in SF. I'm not sure exactly what I expected, but given the trendy, touristy location, I guess I was expecting something bit more upscale In fact, MBB is a low key, laid back beer bar with a large wrap around bar in the back (roughly 40 seats would be my estimate), along with maybe 12 or 15 small tables and chairs. The vibe is very informal and low key, which is something I always tend to appreciate, even when unexpected. In terms of the beer, there were something like 42 different beer on tap, which included a couple of cask offerings. Roughly half the menu is made up with Mikkeller breweing stalwarts, including things like brunch weasel, Big Worse, Black hole, and so on. The guest draft selections seemed to be from primarily local breweries, though I was pleased to see a beer from Commons brewery in Portland on the tap list. For whatever reason, this day they seemed to have a fair number of beers from Fieldwork, Factor and Cloudwater. All breweries I'd heard of, but whose beers I'd never sampled before. In any event, suffice to say they have a pretty extensive, varied and interesting tap list. One thing I found interesting, that I've never seen before, is that MBB seems to be making a special effort to serve their beer at the correct temperature. I think they had 3 or 4 separate categories of beer, with each category listing a different temperature the beers are served at. Didn't try the food, but the menu items seemed interesting enough, with a number of sausage, chaucuterie and cheese selections taking central stage on the menu. Service was quite good. The folks working here really seemed to know their stuff, and they struck me as quite professional. Service was quick and polite, with the staff more than happy to answer any questions one might have. The service here struck me as a cut above what I encounter at most beer bars.
The only real problem with this place is the pricing of the beers here. The MBB is located in a trendy and expensive part of SF, so perhaps it should come as no surprise that a pint of IPA would cost $7 or $8 for a pint, while an 8 ounce pour of BA stout would be in the $11 to $12 range. Just comes with the territory I guess.
The price for the beers here not withstanding, this is clearly an outstanding beer bar in SF. I'd certainly drop by again any time I'm in the area.
Jan 29, 2017The only real problem with this place is the pricing of the beers here. The MBB is located in a trendy and expensive part of SF, so perhaps it should come as no surprise that a pint of IPA would cost $7 or $8 for a pint, while an 8 ounce pour of BA stout would be in the $11 to $12 range. Just comes with the territory I guess.
The price for the beers here not withstanding, this is clearly an outstanding beer bar in SF. I'd certainly drop by again any time I'm in the area.
Reviewed by SportsandJorts from Virginia
4.11/5 rDev -5.7%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
4.11/5 rDev -5.7%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Atmosphere: Nice simple layout with a huge bar. Very minimalist design simply focusing on getting you some good beer.
Quality: taplist includes loads of quality options, ranging from Mikkeller beer to most SF must try's. They also have specialized tap system to serve beers at different temps.
Service: came here for lunch a couple of times the week I was here and the service was always good. attentive, nice and helpful
Selection: May not be the best but it can't be far off. Lots of cool Mikkeller and European options. Some great variety of CA beers along with some other regional to national hits. Two cask options also bolsters the list.
Overall: a great place to hang out and try some beers you won't see a lot of places. I enjoyed the variety of taps and appreciated the temp differences and cask options.
Dec 28, 2016Quality: taplist includes loads of quality options, ranging from Mikkeller beer to most SF must try's. They also have specialized tap system to serve beers at different temps.
Service: came here for lunch a couple of times the week I was here and the service was always good. attentive, nice and helpful
Selection: May not be the best but it can't be far off. Lots of cool Mikkeller and European options. Some great variety of CA beers along with some other regional to national hits. Two cask options also bolsters the list.
Overall: a great place to hang out and try some beers you won't see a lot of places. I enjoyed the variety of taps and appreciated the temp differences and cask options.
Reviewed by mactrail from Washington
3.85/5 rDev -11.7%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
3.85/5 rDev -11.7%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Remarkable selection of beers you've never heard of. Food is quirky and interesting. We had fried head of cauliflower with farro, cranberry, and raw orange squash, plus some tasty olives. Upstairs is hugely noisy. Quieter in the little basement boîte.
Atmosphere and decor could be described as bleak, but it's worse outside. Guy pissing on the sidewalk, crap everywhere, it's the mangy underbelly of San Francisco.
Mar 07, 2016Atmosphere and decor could be described as bleak, but it's worse outside. Guy pissing on the sidewalk, crap everywhere, it's the mangy underbelly of San Francisco.
Reviewed by NJM from Massachusetts
3.49/5 rDev -20%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.25 | food: 4
3.49/5 rDev -20%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.25 | food: 4
The location itself is in a pretty shitty part of the city, so if you're walking there, beware. The bar area is nice and lofty but fills up quickly. By 6 o'clock on a Monday space was limited. Going by ratings on this very site, the beer list
isn't as sought after as other bars in the city. If you're a fan of mikkeller beers and good pub fare, you can't go wrong.
Feb 23, 2016isn't as sought after as other bars in the city. If you're a fan of mikkeller beers and good pub fare, you can't go wrong.
Mikkeller Bar in San Francisco, CA
Place rating:
4.36 out of
5 with
182 ratings
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