Social Kitchen & Brewery

Social Kitchen & BrewerySocial Kitchen & Brewery
Social Kitchen & BrewerySocial Kitchen & Brewery
Brewery, Bar, Eatery

1326 9th Avenue
San Francisco, California, 94122
United States

// CLOSED //
BEER STATS
Average:
3.77
Beers:
45
Ratings:
166
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.05
Reviews:
18
Ratings:
34
pDev:
9.88%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by dubinsky:
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Reviewed by dubinsky from California

4.6/5  rDev +13.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4
My wife was putting my son into his car seat while the car was parked right outside of this bar. It was around 2pm and the bar was closed. Since i cant pass a bar without seeing the selection they have, i put my hands to my face as i pressed against the glass to peek in. It was then when one of the staff came by and asked me if i wanted to check it out. I didnt even have the time to say no as they started pouring me a tasting flight. WOW! My wife called me while i was receiving my beer wondering where the hell i was and was pissed, but this was something i couldn't pass up. The beer was very decent. Some great examples of Belgians as well as a decent IPA. The service, however was arguably the best i have ever had. They were closed, asked me to come in and poured me beer. When i asked if i could pay, they insisted that it was their pleasure. I will definitely go back. If the food is as good as the beer and service, i think this place will do exceptionally well.
Dec 31, 2010
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.89 by nadorick01 from California

Feb 17, 2019
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Reviewed by heymikew from California

4.18/5  rDev +3.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25
Conveniently located in the 9th and Irving area of Inner Sunset, this spacious modern spot has become a great place to stop for a beer and good food (crispy Brussel sprouts and carnitas tacos).
Nov 04, 2018
 
Rated: 4.58 by bobbyhands from California

Sep 29, 2015
 
Rated: 3.8 by AgentMunky from New York

Jun 11, 2015
 
Rated: 4.05 by toronadotornado from California

Mar 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3.55 by Spaceman_Jer from Colorado

Feb 15, 2015
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Rated by JLaw55 from Missouri

4.75/5  rDev +17.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Really cool place with awesome food and tasty beers. What more could you want?
Jan 31, 2015
 
Rated: 4.73 by Martin_carvalho from California

Dec 31, 2014
 
Rated: 3.8 by spark3148857 from Ohio

Dec 29, 2014
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Reviewed by brewjockey from California

4.55/5  rDev +12.3%
Intimate brewpub with a great menu. A little on the fancier and pricier side, it's more of a date or family dinner place than just meeting a buddy. House beers are very good and it has an intimacy as opposed to a factory feel.
Dec 04, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by Russkiy from California

Nov 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by kingpin1010 from California

Oct 25, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Clembo1957 from England

Jun 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by KevMo84 from California

Jun 16, 2014
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Reviewed by elNopalero from Michigan

3.88/5  rDev -4.2%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3.75
Social Kitchen in its present iteration was about to celebrate its 4th anniversary prior to my visit. Despite being on the other side of the park from where I live I had never found cause to visit. To remedy that I spent an evening working my way through most of their tap list, accompanied by two friends. Our tastes and biases were evident—I love the hops, while another member of our party can’t stand them and instead prefers Belgian style. The third is a stout and porter fan.

We had an appetizer and a dessert to round out the evening. The food was tasty and reasonably priced, with the entrees we saw looking and smelling appealing. Nothing stood out enough to make this a destination but if I was nearby it would certainly be a regular stop.
Jun 11, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by MrGone from California

May 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by sholland119 from Pennsylvania

Apr 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by jaydoc from Kansas

Feb 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by leckart from California

Oct 17, 2013
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Reviewed by flexabull from California

3.74/5  rDev -7.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
Stopped in here for an early afternoon lunch with my wife.

Big and open inside, dark, and kind of plain and empty looking. It's clean and simple, but a bit barren. Needs some more decorations or something to liven it up a bit.

Quality was pretty good, at least the one beer I sampled was. I had the fresh hop IPA that was tasty but a bit too grassy to me.

Service was good. Two different servers helped us, and they were both pleasant, friendly, and prompt.

Selection was nice, about 9 or 10 different beers on tap.

Food was pretty tasty. My wife and I both commented about how we enjoyed our lunch.

Prices were a touch high, but pretty comparable to most places in the City.

Overall, a pretty nice place. It's not a destination by any means, but it's worth checking out if you are in the area.
Sep 02, 2013
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Reviewed by GraduatedCashew from California

4.18/5  rDev +3.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
Social Kitchen and Brewery was a nice, clean brewery to grab a few beers and sample the house offerings. The food was pretty great along with decent beers to pair it with.

I was especially impressed with the Citrodora Elegans beer as it had really nice pineapple notes and a particularly fresh taste.

The brewery itself can be seen from the seating area along with a beer centric bar area. The only issue I had with this place seemed to come from the hostess who just seemed like she was having a really bad day. The greeting and seating for my group was lacking in the most basic of courtesy. Otherwise, the experience was good.
Aug 28, 2013
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Reviewed by dalahodson from California

3.9/5  rDev -3.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3.75
The pub is very open, very high ceiling, They have an upstairs overhang above the row of tables, A nice long wooden bar, big front windows so very bright. We got there just after brunch so had to wait for food, but only 30 minutes. Our server brought us a plate of animal cookies to munch on, very nice. Had two brews and we shared a very tasty tempura sweet potato fry basket. For a neighborhood pub very friendly, a place I would go back to.
Jul 22, 2013
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Reviewed by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania

4.01/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4.25
Bravo to Social for opening in a spot that could certainly use some more beer love. And it seems like the neighborhood is definitely responding; as well they should. Selection is decent. I honestly wouldn't mind some more choices, but I can still work with what's there. Some of the beers do taste as though they are off the same thread, but I can work with that too. Someone told me they plan to be bottling soon, but I have yet to see anything. And really, that seems pretty quick considering they have only been open two years. But hey, why not. I am sure other people have done it.

Anyways. It's a brewpub. They make their own beer. Nice decor. It works.
Jan 11, 2013
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Reviewed by czfreeman from California

4.16/5  rDev +2.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Not to be bias in my review, but I must say that I am an volunteer assistant here in the brewery.
If you haven't checked out social lately, you should. They have a new chef and a new Brewer, formerly of Marin.
New beers are currently a porter, pale, red ale, and a strong Belgian pale.
Kim, the brewer, focuses on sessionable english-style beers, most tend tro be around 4.5-5. The exception is the Raspscallion, BSPA clocks in at 9%.
The new menu includes house made sausage in the app section, updated entree's and brunch is coming next month.
Happy hour prices feature a dollar off all beers.
Later this month is the anniversary of the restaurant and will feature a imperial Red Belgian ale. Check them out, cheers.
May 01, 2012
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Reviewed by Gilmango from California

4.33/5  rDev +6.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I've been here 4 or 5 times since they opened and am really hoping that Social Kitchen is the brew pub that survives in this spot (there have been 4 brewpubs previously in this spot, some good and some not, none of which survived - I think high rent is a big issue). Eldo's, Golden Gate Park Brewing, Reccow, and Wunder were the predecessors all with different owners and brewers.

I think Social is the best yet, I like that they are not going for the same beer styles as everyone else, you will find lots of German and Belgian Ales amongst their offerings, and some innovative use of unusual ingredients - a Thai beer, a dubbel with beets, a Big Lebowski beer intended to taste similar to Lebowski's favorite white Russian. Food is really good too. Friendly staff. Fair prices. Good location in Inner Sunset with a pay lot next door if you drive, bike parking and N Muni service right out the door.

I find that they don't get much love on BA when folks are discussing the best places to visit in SF, but I am a picky drinker and I disagree, this is a spot to visit, even if their IPA is not 80 IBUs.
Jan 30, 2012
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Reviewed by mactrail from Washington

4.15/5  rDev +2.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Six interesting choices on tap, including two excellent Saisons, two strong beers, and Alt, and a Kolsch. Beer prices are great for this area-- $3 for half pints and $4 for a pint of Kolsch, and more for the others. Upcoming beers are a wet hop IPA and the Rapscallion Belgian.

The place is really nice in the daytime with a long skylit room. Can be loud and jammed on a weekend evening. Very knowledgeable staff and happy to provide samples of everything. Food was good. We had Brussels sprout chips, tempura yam fries, and a hanger steak cobb salad. They have interesting variety of burgers, salads, onion soup, sandwiches.

This place used to be Eldo's brewpub for a few years. Beer is definitely an improvement. Besides the N line streetcar the #6 trolley coach runs up Haight Street if you're at the more well known beer place.
Sep 04, 2011
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Reviewed by colonelforbin from California

4.2/5  rDev +3.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
I've been here 4 times now and seem to like this place more each time I stop in. Really enjoyed the pale ales with two different yeasts that they had last time I was there (Thing One and Thing Deux).

I like their take on styles. Their IPA will win few fans among most BAs as it's not very hoppy and just a decent beer, but that's not their target audience. I think their American take on Belgian styles works well and is not something I get to taste a lot of in this area (or any area for that matter). I hope they keep experimenting.

Location works for me, as it's right on the N Judah line on the way to the beach. Food was very good, they have clearly marked vegan options, which are actually pretty tasty, so I give them high marks for that. Service was no better or worse than anywhere else, definitely no problems with that.

Check this place out next time you are in San Francisco.
Jul 28, 2011
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Reviewed by t0rin0 from California

3.98/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
Visited the day after they opened May 2010 and again 4/27/2011 for a late dinner and some ticking.

The first time I visited I stopped in on my lunch break before heading to Alembic. I didnt realize that they weren't open until dinner time but the door was unlocked so I walked in. The only person in there was the brewer. He was upstairs mashing in at the time and told me that they were closed. When I mentioned that I'd been waiting for them to open (and hopefully be an improvement over Wunderbeer) and wanted to try their beers he came right down and poured me a glass of each and we talked while he was brewing. Extremely nice guy. We talked about styles and guidelines and such and also about my thoughts on his beer. It was a great time. I only stuck around for about 30 minutes because I was in the 30 minute spot across the street.

Last week I actually got to sit down and eat and interact with the service, and have a full glass of something. They were out of the IPA so I ordered a glass each of the new beers: White Prussian and Moulin Rouge (see my reviews for details).

The service was attentive and nice and even made a few suggestions. The food was quite good, albeit expensive. Will continue to stop in for new beers especially if they do another nanobrewery festival.

I think the brewer has a lot of potential it's just that this neighborhood isn't great for business. I hope they go on to do great things.
May 03, 2011
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Reviewed by nickfl from Florida

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 5
This is a very nice, upscale looking brewpub. Obviously no expense spared on the buildout.

Service was good, and basically what I would expect for the price and general atmosphere of the place.

The beer itself was of generally good quality. They had a kolsch, an alt, and a few belgian style selections; all of which were up to par. Nothing that blew me away, but certainly enjoyable.

While the beer was good, the food was on another level entirely. We split several appitizers, all of which were good, but what really stood out were the Brussels sprout chips. These deep fried Brussels sprout leaves were so good that we ended up getting three orders; think deep fried spinach, such as is often served as garnish with seared tuna, but much meatier, more flavorful, and much more satisfying. The rest of the menu was also very good and equally creative, including some succulent artisan sausages.

This place was a real treat if you are into nice food and good beer. Just make sure you plan to eat here as the beer isn't the main attraction and you must try the food to get the full experience.
Apr 17, 2011
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Reviewed by bradybeer from California

4.22/5  rDev +4.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Second stop on SF brewpub tour. Located in the Inner Sunset area of the city. Walking in you find the bar to the right and a galley dining ahead with more tables upstairs. There were "only" two house beers on tap as the barkeep informed us they were rolling out 4 strong beers for Strong Beer Month beginning on Feb 1st. We had the Alt (nice drinkable Alt) and a session Belgian called L'enfant Terrible (again a nice solid beer). The bartender was knowledgable and helpful. We split a burger and sausage sandwich which were off the hook good and reasonable ($10 per) for he city.

A good place to drink in the city and it appears the brewer is making some "extreme" beers to bad I can't make it back for Strong Beer Week.
Jan 30, 2011
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Reviewed by brokensail from California

3.86/5  rDev -4.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
This is one of the more upscale brewpubs you might find, and in San Francisco, that's really not surprising.

A cool, winding wood bar with a television located near the entrance for your viewing pleasure. A number of tables located against the opposite wall for dining.

The bar seems to be well stocked with different spirits (whiskeys in particular), and despite only have four or five beers on-tap, they have a lot of taps.

Friendly service, which is always appreciated, and it was prompt as well. I am only speaking toward the bartender here as I did not sit and eat a meal.

The beers themselves are decent, nothing I'd be terribly interested in purchasing much of (though the kolsch wasn't bad). And they weren't outrageously priced, which is good (*cough* 21A *cough*).
Dec 27, 2010
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Reviewed by BrewnZ from Washington

4.2/5  rDev +3.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 3 | food: 4.5
An upscale brewpub with well made beers, a full bar, lots of natural light and nice open floor plan.

Sweet long curvy wooden bar and nice mirrored bar back. Exposed wooden rafters with lots of sky lights. Even has a cool upper deck where you can look down on the rest of the place. The brewery is installed way in the back on the upper floor but is still visible from the bar.

I tasted my way through four beers and broke up my tasting with some of the best chicken wings I've had in a long time. Very juicy with a fresh, flavorful sauce and great presentation. The head chief tells me he will soon be making his own sausage and I hope I get back to try some.

Other appetizers were chili fries, baked mac'n'cheese all from $6-$8. They do salads and sandwiches in the $8-$14 range, entrees $12 - $18 included salmon, chicken, porterhouse steaks, and a burger with applewood smoked bacon.

Overall I had a great time, Rich is the brewer here and he gave me a nice tour and even a couple fermenter samples. I think he's weizenbock is going to be titts.
Sep 01, 2010
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Reviewed by bcm119 from California

3.48/5  rDev -14.1%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
Visited for lunch 7/24/10. Modern decor, somewhat sterile atmosphere. It was about half full on a Saturday afternoon. The space is long and narrow, with a curved bar on the right and tables along the left wall. There is a second floor with tables lining a mezzanine style upper deck that looks down over the main floor. The brewery is in the back, up a flight of twisting stairs. Looks like they spent some money on this place.

They had about 6 beers on tap. I was happy to see that there were 3 beers under 5% abv, especially since it was only 2pm and I was planning a long night. I tried 4 of the beers, and they were all mediocre to decent, sort of in my B or B- range. The Kolsch was pretty decent, clean with nice malt flavors. The Alt was a bit disappointing, it lacked the bready, toasty flavors I was hoping for. The Hefeweizen was okay, it had some hints of clove and banana, but they were less pronounced than I'd like. The IPA was just not very good. I did not get around to trying either of 2 Belgian styles, a mild dark ale and a stronger blonde ale.

The food was excellent. I had chili, cauliflower soup and a salad. All were very fresh tasting and spicy. I wished the beers were as good as the food. Overall an okay place, a good place for lunch if you're in the neighborhood, but not really a beer destination.
Jul 25, 2010
Social Kitchen & Brewery in San Francisco, CA
Brewery rating: 3.77 out of 5 with 166 ratings