San Fran for a Week - Beer Suggestions

Moonlight Brewing, City Beer Store, the Toronado, Zeitgeist.

Seriously though, check out Moonlight.

 

I recommend hopping on BART and hitting up Beer Revolution and The Trappist.

 

La Trappe in North Beach is awesome. Check out Drake's, The Trappist, and Beer Revolution in the East Bay. The Whole Foods in Potrero Hill (near the Anchor brewery) just installed 18 beer taps; I haven't been to check it out yet, but I've heard good things. Go to Magnolia for a meal and great cask beer. Thirsty Bear for lunch if you're in SoMa.

Also, since you're going to Lagunitas, apparently Bear Republic is just finishing up their expansion, so that might be worth checking out. And visit Moylan's in Marin on your way back.

 

i just spent a week in san francisco and whipped this map up with help from suggestions on here. i think it will help you out big time

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=205274213997615580566.0004ba0cfd06e90f45e8e&msa=0

 

I'll "second" the La Trappe recommendation. I'm out there monthly for business and this is by far my favorite spot after trying some of the others. They have a great selection of Belgian beer as well as beer from other countries (large beer book menu) and a superb food menu.

 

Good call having Saigon Sandwich shop on there, one of my favorite lunch spots.

 

+1 for Beer Revolution in Oakland. 47 tap lines, reasonably priced, pretty good services. It's a little small so it can get crowded but it wasn't bad when we went in the mid-afternoon. Plus there's an outdoor area with some picnic tables and a vegan soul food restaurant next door that had some good food you can get to go and eat there (the fries were great with some beer outside).

 

I am just finishing up a two week work trip down here. I was stationed over in Alameda and my hotel was 1.8 miles from Beer Revolution. I recommend going there and to Trappist. I took some time and went over to the city one afternoon. I stopped at Ike's Place (great sandwiches), Healthy Spirits (lots of Belgian selection and odd vintage stuff), City Beer, and Toronado. I have to say that City Beer was the best stop for selection and atmosphere (nice staff, shout out to Connor). I also have to say that Toronado was not worth my time, not sure what the draw is here, highly overrated IMO, hard to get to, and unpleasant staff. City Beer had better taps too.

I also went to Drake's Barrel House in San Leandro. Check that, I went there 3 times. Awesome place, nice staff and some amazing BA beers. Hyperion was my favourite.

As far as food goes, lots of choices. My recommendation is to go to Zachary's Chicago Style pizza. Some of, if not, the best pizza I've ever had.

Have fun and I'm looking forward to the next time my work sends me down here.

 

I'ma let you finish, but I just gotta say ... </threadjack>

Seriously, I'll be in SF Thu-Sun two weeks from now. Won't have a car, will be staying in the Nob Hill area. I want to go to City Beer ... looks like a bit off the bus path, but nothing crazy. What else is really close to public transit in SF itself? I will be having work functions at dinner time (tagging along with the wife, she's the one working) every night but will have mornings/lunch time free to sample/shop.

 

Take the 7 or 71 bus to get to Toronado from downtown/Market St. They always have a great selection. Further up Haight is the Whole Foods at Stanyan.

 

FYI, the 7 doesn't run anymore. To get to Toronado, take the 71 or 71L from Market Street, or take the N-Judah streetcar (board in one of the underground Muni stations on Market street) to the Noe/Duboce Park stop and walk a few blocks northeast.

Amsterdam Cafe in the Tenderloin is also a good option and might be walkable for you. They may not have the prodigious tap list of Toronado or Beer Revolution but I seem to remember them having 25+ very interesting taps as well as a big bottle selection.

 

Ah, my bad. I just hop on my cow bike and make the buses moooooove over!

 

I think Rogue is overrated. There are many, many cooler places to visit.

 

"As far as food goes, lots of choices. My recommendation is to go to Zachary's Chicago Style pizza. Some of, if not, the best pizza I've ever had." OakedCanuck

Please tell me you went to Cheeseboard. While I enjoyed Zachary's and it is completely a different style, Cheeseboard is the best pizza in the bay. Especially being only a mile or so from each other.

Edit: I completely messed up the quote option so this was a reply to OakedCanuck. I hope you enjoyed your time in the bay area as well. The east bay is a pretty great place to be.

 

Check out BeerbyBart.com it has bus transit links as well as BART ones, will tell you how to get over to some great spots.

 

Thank you. Being an East Bay kinda guy, Beer Revolution might be my favorite place in the whole damn world to have a pint and shop for a rare bottle or two to take home. When I make it across the bridge, City Beer's a must. Toronado? I never go there any more. There are lots of places I can go where I can get a similar selection without the attitude.

 

My wife and I love Nopalito. They have awesome food and usually a few craft beers on tap and in bottles as well.

http://www.nopalitosf.com/

 

If you can get over the sometimes snooty workers and high prices, Monk's Kettle's also got a huge bible of beers. I've had better luck on weekdays for good service. They are too crowded on the weekends to be of any good.

I also avoid Toronado now. They have a great selection, but there's no reason to be mean.

 

The one thing about Toronado is their prices are hard to beat. Their bottles of Pliny are the cheapest of anywhere I have seen out there...