San Francisco Beer Guide: Your San Francisco guide to beer, beer bars, breweries and brewpubs

Latest reviews from San Francisco

78 /100
Toronado (Bar)
547 HAIGHT ST
“Having heard all the stories of those much more traveled than I, this place was finally possible to visit on my work calendar. ID checked at the door. Decaled bar on the right, high tops on the left. Faint piss in the air. Then some grill smoke from nearby. It didn't get busy till just before 8pm. There's this game where ppl sitting south of the tap list up high, then needing to twist their neck to see what they want to order. It happens every five minutes. Bartender fretted a bit to break a big bill, but that's what happens at a cash only place. He eventually softened up once he realized I wasn't drinking to just get shitfaced. Lots of IPAs, some dark beers, one cider. Not a ton of variety but mostly local or geeky labels. Everything was $6-8 a full pint, filled to the brim, which was kinda nice for 2024. ID doorman is super friendly & an anime geek. Working his post for 14yrs. Bit of a weed head. He busses tables too. Honest place that lives up to the reputation, though it wouldn't be for me on a busy night.“
MicroGrog 56 days ago
70 /100 1700 MISSION STREET
“Pub in the corner, just barely out of the shadow of the overpass. Only place locally to my destination that was open past 8pm on a weekday. Sad street urchin decides to start smashing glass bottles out front as I'm about to enter; all for attention. Glass front remains clean, old school copper bar as you enter, proper dining room in the back. Sports on one small tv, silent, some old school hip-hop & r&b at a moderate level. Sassy but kind & talkative Irish dude behind the bar. Sitting out front avoids most of the crowds except the loners. Taps categorized by style, with a couple pre-chosen flights or full pours only. Lots of IPAs, a couple Belgian styles, one bad cider on tap, a little pricey for what it is. The food is decent but not great. My fish & chips were hyped up but not awesome. Still grateful I landed anywhere but the hotel bar.“
MicroGrog 57 days ago
84 /100
True Sake (Beer Store)
560 HAYES ST
“What a fantastic sake store. Easy way to rate every sake style. Every sake has clearly written style and description. Every CA sake available. Very popular on a Saturday afternoon.“
wetherel 298 days ago
86 /100 50 APPAREL WAY
“Buried in a warehouse area. Nice large space. A few barrels. 15 sakes available. $13/3 tasters. Can be quite strong: 13-18%. Excellent quality. Spacious tasting area. A few couple there. Love it! 4.3“
wetherel 298 days ago
84 /100 1525 CORTLAND AVE
“I’m surprised I haven’t entered a review this yet. I used to go here a year ago, and it seemed much smaller. Today (March 2, 2024). It is packed, with a huge video game section. I would guess 24 beers on tap. One is a world class bourbon barrel pastry stout. Fantastic place to visit.“
wetherel 298 days ago
80 /100
Upcider (Bar)
1160 POLK ST
“Nice to find a cider bar. 2nd floor with 180degrees of windows with a nice view of the street. I guess around 30 taps. flight of 6 for $25, is a little pricey, but good and fun. Recommended.“
wetherel 307 days ago
84 /100 309 CORTLAND AVE
“Holy Water is awesome. Located in Bernal heights, quiet southern area of San Francisco. Wasn’t expecting much driving there, but turned out to be an awesome hop area with lots of cool shops and restaurants. Would definitely visit again. Parking could be difficult on Saturday night, but I got lucky. The 12 tap list is small but insane, with 2 Private press beers on tap. I got cloud canapy, oh yeah! Also the bottle list is very impressive. I got an Orval, which was served in an Orval glass: most impressive. Will Visit again.“
wetherel 409 days ago
76 /100 1150 HOWARD ST
“11 beers on tap. Brick walls. Easy drinking styles. Smallish place. $5 for 10oz. No flights. Super friendly. Love it. 3.8“
wetherel 417 days ago
42 /100 1000 GREAT HWY
“Nice spot, you can do either the upstairs Beach Chalet or the downstairs Park Chalet which has a nice yard. I prefer the PC where the rugrats can run around while I tick. But can you really tick? All they serve are pints, the beer is mediocre, and the service is slow when they’re crowded. Oh and the food is average. So you’re there for the ‘Biance and not much else.“
nickd717 446 days ago
48 /100 705 16TH ST
“Was hoping for a good place to visit after working at UCSF, but don't think I'll be back. Big trendy decor, 2 bars to order from. If you're at a table, you have to order and pay with your phone. Super loud tonight, trivia night. Food and beer is expensive, even for SF prices, but it was good. No special beers that your can't get anywhere else.“
Sledutah 483 days ago
70 /100
Monterey Deli (Beer Store)
499 MONTEREY BLVD.
“Dropped by here on the way to Nick’s 10k tasting. Actually not a deli any more, it’s Starr Spirits, but still with a faded Monterey Deli sign. Nice small beer/wine store. 80% of the store is wine and liquor, with about 10% craft beer. Wide range of styles. Maybe 50% local and 50% out of state/ international beers. Some singles, but it looks like you can break up any 4 pack. Nice local stop-by for rating.“
wetherel 488 days ago
78 /100 242 O’FARRELL ST
“I think I may have been here a decade ago rating beers. 11 house beers. Wide range of styles. I like their wit and quadruple. Parking can be expensive: $9/hr, but I street parking is free if you find a spot after 6PM. Great atmosphere and street shops nearby.“
wetherel 600 days ago
70 /100 742 VALENCIA ST.
“20taps, including 8 guest taps. Fort point has a regular set of beers that change, But not very often. Good food. Half pint was $7. Didn’t check for flights. Parking is difficult and expensive at $7.75/hr, but I was in and out for $1.50 for a quick rate. Would have loved to stay longer. Diggin it!“
wetherel 601 days ago
78 /100 1785 FULTON ST
“30 taps, but only 13 running today. They include 8 house beers and 5 guest beers. Flights of 4 x 5oz available. Cool torpedo used to hold taps.5 large fermenters in room. Laid back and cool atmosphere. I like it. Beers are of easy drinking styles: no BA beers, no smoothies, and no hazies!“
wetherel 614 days ago
56 /100 705 16TH ST
“FUUUURRRRRSSST to tick this place! Just opened in the soulless but upcoming Mission Bay area and still getting its act together, unforch no -bal aged beers. Decent if a bit corporate 'biance. Could REALLY use an outdoor space, that's a big miss. Some of the same taps and cans you're used to from BP, nothing crazy. Food is super solid.“
nickd717 621 days ago
70 /100 280 14TH ST
“Brewery in a converted warehouse. Shared long tables, pretty packed on a Thursday night. They do have TVs. A decent amount of beers, and a few barrel aged beers as well. I wasn’t terribly impressed with any of the beers but not a bad stop.“
LilBeerDoctor 624 days ago
80 /100 530 HAIGHT STREET
“Really interesting brewery. They have multiple locations. This was a nice chill setting, there is an outdoor garden patio as well. Interesting beers, had a honey lavender beer and winter ale with spruce tips. They also make their own wine and offer a few beers aged in wine barrels.“
LilBeerDoctor 624 days ago
74 /100 3150 POLK ST
“Nice location in Ghirardelli Square. Pretty large space, both indoor and outdoor seating. TVs over the bar. Interesting beer list, about 12 taps with a blend of year rounds and seasonal offerings. I had an interesting peanut butter imperial stout which was served with an eclair and chocolate fudge on the rim. The hazy IPA was also good. They have a food menu which is pretty short. Overall, I wasn’t blown away by anything here but it’s a solid stop in a nice location (for a tourist anyway!)“
LilBeerDoctor 624 days ago
76 /100 544 BRYANT ST.
“Solid brewery in downtown SF. Decent space, wasn’t too crowded when I was there. Large beer list, about 15 taps. I enjoyed my Tom Kha, a Thai inspired witbier. They had other interesting IPAs and a barrel aged beer. An enjoyable stop.“
LilBeerDoctor 624 days ago
82 /100 SALESFORCE PARK 4TH LEVEL, 425 MISSION ST
“Cool brewery in a rooftop garden. You take a few escalators up and suddenly are in this urban garden. There is an outdoor perimeter for people to walk around with different plants/trees and then a bunch of tables. Beware, all outdoor seating! They have quite a few beers, maybe 20, of a variety of styles. Had a truffle imperial stout, coffee amber, Galaxy ipa, and lemon lactose ipa. All delicious. They have some empanadas available (made elsewhere I believe). Nice ambiance, good beer. Stop here in nice weather.“
LilBeerDoctor 624 days ago
72 /100 1 FERRY BUILDING MARKETPLACE
“Located in the Ferry Building, outdoor tables only. They had about 10 taps. Beer was pretty tasty (had a IIPA and red ale). They have some snacks available as well. Nice stop if you’re already in the area (but be prepared to sit outside).“
LilBeerDoctor 624 days ago
22 /100 1000A 3RD STREET
“Shitty as hell. Beer is mediocre. No outdoor seating and ventilation is awful, doors closed. Service kind of sucks. No flights (at least most of the time). New Belgium used to be good but now is garbage.“
nickd717 624 days ago
86 /100 2245 3RD ST
“Finally made it to Phil's latest venture. Solid location in DogPatch. Parking can be a challenge, but there is some around. Probably a mess when the Warriors are playing. Nice inside space with a long bar and several tables. Outside patio as well. No flights, but half pours available. Lots of barrels around, and of course that is where Phil's talent's truly shine, but It seems that they are still working through making sure they have the classics mastered on their new equipment, which is not a bad plan at all. Interesting set of styles on display, including a couple of "fuzzy" IPAs, which you can think of as light hazies. Beer quality high as expected. Phil was not there, but Trevor provided great service. Will be very interesting to watch these guys grow into their new space.“
bytemesis 625 days ago
80 /100 3193 MISSION ST
“Finally managed to make it here. Parking can be an issue but if you are willing to walk a few blocks its possible. Not large inside; long bar and a number of tables etc. Detroit style pizza is the food jam here; in a nutshell deep dish variant; square with a baked cheese outer crust. Fun, but I found it a bit under seasoned. Cellarmaker beer needs no introduction. They have about a dozen taps, including as mentioned a couple of guest taps. House beers are generally available in two sizes; guests only one. Beer quality of course high; service is good.“
bytemesis 625 days ago
80 /100 249 CORTLAND AVE
“Have been here a number of times but I guess never rated it. The store is fairly small, but they cram a lot of beer and liquor into this place. There are some shelves with beer kept at room temperature as well as a number of cooler doors. Nice selection overall and you'll find some gems here like some older releases from Anchorage, when they still made all the great funky beers. I've also found random gems and some nice vintage beers like old Hair of the Dog stuff. It's probably not worth coming all the way to this part of the City just to come to the shop, but it's close to some other solid places like Cellarmaker House of Pizza, Holy Water, and Barebottle.“
brokensail 635 days ago
52 /100 100 MCDONNELL RD - INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL BOARDING AREA G NEAR GATE G93, POST-SECURITY
“Located at E3. 30 taps, 10 are empty. Nothing special local beers. Plenty of seating. Airport prices!“
Sledutah 637 days ago
70 /100 SALESFORCE PARK 4TH LEVEL, 425 MISSION ST
“The latest installment of ticker-friendly brewery Barebottle. GUYS IF YOU’RE LISTENING PLEASE BREW A BEER FOR MY 10000th RB TICK!!! Chill spot next to a play structure and fountain/splash pad (if anyone can stand that in frigid SF) where your kids can play while you tick. Have the usual 5x5oz samplers, like other BB locations way overpriced at $25. But ticking ain’t easy nor is it free. Great scenic spot among the skyscrapers and human excrement you expect from downtown SF.“
nickd717 641 days ago
72 /100 1195 EVANS AVE
“10 beers on tap. Completely dead at 4:00 on Friday. Flight of 4 for $12. Super cool dark booths with red painted walls, and leather sofas. Cool bartender. Dive bar extreme. Beers not so great, as is the selection.“
wetherel 649 days ago
68 /100 450 BALBOA ST
“Solid spot in the Richmond of SF. Reasonable tap list and good fried chicken sandwich, wings, fries, etc. Mostly chicken-centric menu. Good service, nice outdoor patio for the few days the weather isn't freezing.“
nickd717 674 days ago
84 /100 2245 3RD ST
“7 beers on tap. cool large foeder. Barrels lines up ready to be filled. Super color brewer Max serving. Very knowledgeable. Highly recommended. 4.2“
wetherel 731 days ago
74 /100 832 CLEMENT ST
“4 house beers on tap. 6 guest beers, 10 cans. Very spacious with two medium fermenters and a brew kettle. Well stocked bar. Huge menu. Staff is super cool and friendly.“
wetherel 734 days ago
76 /100 530 HAIGHT STREET
“Located across the street from Toronado. Nice inviting place. Narrow but deep building. Long bar on the right and booths on the left side with a small patio in the back. The pizza smelled good but I didn't have anything to eat. The beers I had and sampled were all very good. Good service. I'd love to spend more time here, a friend getting surgery a few blocks away so came down for a place and beer tick.“
Sledutah 751 days ago
72 /100 2245 3RD ST
“Solid spot in the Dogpatch. TBD how good the beers will be but they seem decent enough for now. Good people and chill vibe. Prices are SF level (super high if not from SF). A good new addition.“
nickd717 755 days ago
68 /100 1000A 3RD STREET
“Visited October 2022. Stopped in on the way to a Warriors game at Chase Center, just down the street. This actually used to be Little Creatures, which I never actually visited. Huge space just across the way from Oracle Park in Mission Bay. The inside feels kind of generic, I guess. Could be any brewery, really. if not for the bicycles hanging from the ceiling. We took a couple seats at the bar. Service was just okay. They have a decent list of house beers available here including quite a number of seasonals/special rotating options in addition to the usual lineup. Beer quality was okay, nothing special. We didn't eat but looked like decent enough stuff, sort of plussed up bar food. An okay option if you're in the area, but wouldn't really make it a point to stop in here.“
brokensail 787 days ago
64 /100 100 MCDONNELL RD - INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL BOARDING AREA G NEAR GATE G93, POST-SECURITY
“Visited for a beer during a layover. The location I visited at SFO was by gate E3, which differs a bit from listing. Beer selection is maybe 30 tap handles, though when I visited at least half were out of stock. Feature larger craft brewers with no real locals available when I visited. Normal food menu for airport. service was quick and featured in app ordering and paying, which is handy at an airport. Decently open layout, good amount of space for an airport bar. (Just ok) I only use the total score, not the component parts.“
theisti 800 days ago
70 /100 2289 3RD ST.
“Visited September 2022. Walked down the street here after the Roger Waters show at Chase Center to kill some time and let the transportation situation calm down a bit. Just down the street from what used to be Triple Voodoo and will be Olfactory. As the name might indicate, has a bit of a nautical vibe to it. The place was packed late on a Friday night, but we were somehow able to get a couple seats at the bar. About 10 drafts on which all seemed to be local or localish beers. Nothing insane, but stuff from Ghost Town, Temescal, Russian River, Fieldwork, etc. The service was good even with the overwhelming crowd. Prices were definitely on the higher side (like $9 for a beer), but that's kind of what I expect in the City these days. Not a place you need to go out of your way to visit, but it's a nice option in the Dogpatch.“
brokensail 802 days ago
88 /100 309 CORTLAND AVE
“Swung by on a Thursday evening. So this place does very fancy cocktails and has a wonderfully curated beer list (I've had my eye on this place for a bit). Only 12 drafts, but I wanted like everything very badly (sadly had to drive - perils of a bay area trip with the family). Only annoying thing is that you can get caught behind lines of people ordering cocktails. But once you get that beer, you're good, and why not order two at once? This place lacks the history of Toronado but is one of the first places I'd recommend in town.“
WestCoastHawkeye 839 days ago
64 /100 690 STANYAN ST
“Typical 2022 Whole Foods. Small but good selection. All in 4 packs, or 750mL bottles, with the exception of a few nice bottles, like Pliny the Elder.“
wetherel 843 days ago
80 /100
Village Market (Grocery Store)
ONE FERRY BUILDING # 29
“I love this market. The beer selection is quite good, and always cold. Lots of locals. Huge variety of styles. Excellent food and chocolate selection as well. Beautiful views of the city and bay bridge. Same prices as other stores in the city (e.g. $5.50/ 16oz can).“
wetherel 871 days ago
78 /100 3801 18TH ST
“August 2022. Very nice location next to a beautiful park on a hill. Around 2-3 dozen can varieties, half from the Woods brewery, and half from other breweries. Maybe 8 beers on tap. Can’t enter the store: have to order at the door and drink outside, Maybe because of CoVid. Only pints, no half pours or tasters.“
wetherel 872 days ago
84 /100 3193 MISSION ST
“Have visited several times since they opened. With the changes since the pandemic, they have much less indoor seating/occupancy but have added a little parklet out on Mission. They tend to have a good mix of different house beers that you can also find on tap at Howard Street, but sometimes they have things at one but not the other. They also offer wine and guest bottles and taps, which the brewery does not. The staff are always very friendly and the service is quite good. Food here is good, though I guess the pizza is kind of on the expensive side. I know their menu changes somewhat frequently, but I generally like to get the meatballs and a ceaser salad which makes for a nice meal. It's Cellarmaker, so you know the beer quality is good. In the past, they've often offered fun guest taps and events with beers from places like Casey, Highland Park, Monkish, Trillium, and others. Hard to go wrong here in terms of beer and food quality, but (admittedly) it's not as fun of a trip with the pandemic-related changes and precautions.“
brokensail 873 days ago
58 /100
Roxie Market & Deli (Grocery Store)
500 KIRKHAM ST.
“Nice medium sized local market. 1 aisle of beer on one side and wine on the other. Not a bad selection. Half macro, half large micro brews. Everything in 6 packs. Nice deli, and fresh fruit and veggies.“
wetherel 906 days ago
70 /100 1439 EGBERT AVE, UNIT A
“Swung by on a Wednesday evening and left pretty unimpressed. Lots of IPAs, cromulently done but not worth going out of one's way for (and this place is very out of one's way if one is going anywhere in San Francisco). Nothing actively bad, best thing was a dry Irish stout, but again, lots of IPAs. Meh.“
WestCoastHawkeye 910 days ago
66 /100 3141 16TH ST
“The nightlife in the Mission seems geared towards people who don't actually live in the neighbourhood, and this is no exception. Kind of a bistro vibe. Decent tap list, I found a few things. Food was good, too. Not worth going out of the way for, but there's a lot of beer spots around here so you're probably not going out of the way.“
Oakes 928 days ago
70 /100 495 DE HARO ST
“Big warehouse space with an equally expansive outdoor area. I got there at open and it was nice and quiet for me. Tap list has both Anchor standards (some of which were new to me, since I haven't been to California since before covid), and in-house beers. I focused on the latter. Quality was okay, but neither creativity nor execution were at a particularly high level. Tbh, I only went because I'd never been to Anchor before and wanted to pay homage.“
Oakes 928 days ago
78 /100 2255 POLK STREET
“7 beers on tap at ~$7/pint or $14 for a flight of 4x4oz. Empanadas for $7. Overall pretty reasonable for the city. Beer quality was quite good. Awesome location. I walked about 15min(8blocks)? here from Aquatic Park. Nice restaurants, coffee shops, cheese shops, views of the bay. Small with only 6 stools inside, but plenty of outside seating created from the pandemic.“
wetherel 948 days ago
80 /100 1700 MISSION STREET
“Solid spot in the shithole between Mission and SoMa. Some sketchy shit goes on there but it's a nice spot to tick nonetheless. Near Zeitgeist, not far from Standard Deviant. Decent outdoor seating if you want to avoid f-ing COVID. Can QR order from there. Solid tick selection, about 30 taps with 3 pre-determined flights. They rotate pretty frequently. Most but not all brews are local. Have decent food too if you're into, like, eating. Good peops working the joint.“
nickd717 950 days ago
76 /100 853 VALENCIA ST
“Nice new spot in the Mission, same great crew and ticks though not quite as many ticks as the selection is smaller. Convenient location. Pop in when you’re in the neighborhood and crush one or two or grab some cans to go. They have singles. Nice and airy with outdoor space so the COVID index is low. After all if COVID kills your smell/taste your ticking career is FINISHED!“
nickd717 961 days ago
66 /100 742 VALENCIA ST.
“Nice spot in a happening part of the Mission. Good outdoor patio, clean airy space. Ok selection, 7-8 of their beers and 7-8 decent guest taps. No flights so boo for ticker friendliness“
nickd717 991 days ago
20 /100 832 CLEMENT ST
“Not a big fan. Dank and poorly ventilated, a COVID den and staff were sniffling and coughing. Beer is mediocre at best.“
nickd717 991 days ago