The wife and I will be staying at the Warwick over this coming weekend, and it looks like the MBB is no more than a 10 minute walk from the hotel (so obviously, we want to stop in). Is there a best time to stop by so as to avoid a crowd? Also, if we decide to have dinner there, should we make a reservation? For that matter, is it a good idea to have dinner there? (as in, how's the food there). Right now, I'm planning to stop by for an earlier dinner on Friday (like around 5:30), but we're pretty flexible. My apologies if this has already been asked, but I ran a subject search in this forum and didn't come up with anything. Thanks!
ProTip: Use Google Maps. Most places will have a popular times graph in the left side bar info, which I've found to be very accurate. https://goo.gl/maps/nhHFxBiMzS82
I don't believe it's ever crowded enough to have to make a reservation. The food is okay, but that spot as a whole is pricey. I usually tell people to have a beer there just to say they did then go to Toronado to do some real drinking.
Thanks Todd. I actually checked google maps to see the location from our hotel before posting, and saw that the time we proposed isn't generally super busy. The primary reason I posted was to see if it's a good idea to make a reservation. The website indicates they take them, and I looked at BA places and Yelp to try to get an idea if it's a good idea to make one, but in the end couldn't tell. Hey, at least I ran a forum search before I posted my question!
Thanks. That's the impression I had from reading over BA places and Yelp, but seeing as how we were thinking about Friday around the dinner hour, I was concerned we might need one after all. I'm with you on the Toronado, but I've dragged the wife there twice now, and I think that's her limit. She actually liked the vibe and service there, (and is as mystified as I am about the negative reviews, as we had excellent, friendly service both times she was there with me), but was not amused by the restrooms there. She's not a big beer drinker anyway, and so, well... the Toronado is never going to be her first love.
It does get crowded on weekend evenings, but my understanding is they only take reservations for larger parties. But I would call them to confirm. I haven't eaten there, but the food does look good. Yes it is pricey, but it is SF and that area is touristy so it is expected. I still like it as they have guest taps and usually something interesting on...like they had Abraxas on my last visit plus they pour wine. I am in the same boat as you my wife doesnt really drink beer so wine is a big plus. Most of my experience there has been day drinking and the downstairs bar is closed, but it should be open on Fri eve. Downstairs bar is the sour room.
Thanks. This is very helpful and will bring a smile to the face of my wife. She's much more amenable to visiting beer bars I want to frequent if there's a decent wine selection. Thanks for the response.
