South Gate Brewing Company — Local services in Oakhurst

Working hard for a couple of months, teaching classes and guiding groups in Yosemite. Had a day off for myself. I took a long drive up the winding roads because everyone told me I must try the burger and pie at Jones Store. On the way, I stopped to walk around Chilkoot Lake and hike up Little Shuteye Peak. Got to Jones Store and it was not yet open for the season. Now I was hot, tired, and really wanting a burger! Didn’t want to go to a Carl’s Jr or MacDonalds. Dropped a UPS package at Pak and Page and asked them for the best burger in Oakhurst. Pak and Page people politely pronounced, “putter on down to South Gate Brewing.”

It was early for dinner, but I missed lunch and was spent from the long hike and drive. The kind hostess offered me a seat at the bar, but I just wanted to be alone, relax, have a burger, fries, and cold Coke. She found me a quiet corner. Hannah the server came with water and a menu, and I said, “I just want a burger, fries, and Coke.” She said, “Okay – what kind of burger? Our special today is ‘Peaches and Cream’ – grass fed beef topped with fried shallots, goat cheese, arugula, bacon, and a peach gastric served on a Hawaiian bun.” Instant reply, “YES! I’ll have that one!” Hannah was quick with the drink and refills, as she expertly juggled 10 tables in her section. I like that she announces what they are OUT of – shows me the food is cycling, and not just sitting in a freezer or under lights. She is a pro. Earns her tips – tip well (and if you’re not from the USA, tipping custom here is 20%).

I was sitting under a speaker, but the classic rock was at just the right level. Creedence Clearwater. Tommy Jones and the Shondells “crimson and clover over and over.” The casual “industrial/barn” atmosphere calmed my tired body. I was hungry and the food came unexpectedly fast. Perfection – looked like a food magazine cover! Couldn’t believe how good it was! Fries were just right, crispy on the outside, soft inside, not too much salt. Holy moly, I was in heaven! Ok, maybe I was just hungry, but this was the BEST burger in my long burger-filled life! (and that is saying something – because Sylvester’s in Los Osos would normally top that list!). Caleb is the head cook – don’t know if you can call a cook at a brewery a Chef, but it was a Chef-quality burger! Give him a raise!

I don’t drink beer, but as I was reading the beer list, I thought about starting! So many interesting varieties made by the award-winning in-house brewer, Rick Boucke. They even have a club you can join – is that a thing now? Looks like they also have a food truck to take around.

Apparently, tourists heading to Yosemite fill this place up in the summer, with a solid local following the rest of the year. I hear people wait an hour or more to get a dinner rush seat in peak season!

I don’t write a lot of reviews, but when food is this far out of the park, it has to be shared. Get cheap gas at Vons next door, then use the money you saved to get a good meal! Go. Get a burger, fries, and Coke – or maybe even a custom craft beer at SouthGate Brewing Company...

Came here with a group of 10 on a Sunday for late lunch. There was a 45 minute wait, but we were able to hang out outside and drink beers while we waited by the little ordering window. It went by fast!

The service was very friendly. It's a popular family spot, and they seemed very accommodating to kids. There's plenty of space in the store itself.

Beers: I got a Tomahawk imperial red beer and a stout. The red was very strong, like 9% ABV. You can definitely taste it and it created a buzz before my mail. The stout was good, although it felt heavy as I was drinking it during my meal. It had hints of coffee and chocolate.

Hula Pork Fries: Garlic fries topped with smoked pulled pork, pineapple pico and fried egg topped with Hoisin Sticky Sauce, cilantro and green onion - We got this as an appetizer to share. Personally, I found the sauce to be too strong, and it tasted a bit burnt. Eating it with the non-dressed fries makes it balanced out more. The meat on top was fatty and rich, so I think this is something you should definitely share to avoid a food coma.

Peaches & Cream Burger: Goat cheese, bacon, crispy shallot, peach gastrique, arugula, and rosemary aioli - This was a tasty burger! I didn't taste a shallot, nor peach that much, but the arugula was a fresh touch, and I could really taste the goat cheese with the big patty. The meat was delicious.

Blu Tang Burger: Grass fed beef patty topped with blue cheese, caramelized onions, honey thyme butter, arugula and garlic mayo - The blue cheese shone through on this burger! My cousin got it. The caramelized onions, and the butter brought it all together. You can really taste the quality of the beef. I liked that they asked how you like your patties as well.

Pacific Cod Fish Tacos: Wild caught Pacific Cod tacos with cabbage, green onions and fresh cilantro in corn tortillas with cilantro crema and house made salsa verde, battered - These tacos were ENORMOUS. Each person who ordered this couldn't finish it on their own. The pieces of fish were big and toppled with cabbage. I liked their chunks of fresh jalapenos too!

Pub Fish and Chips: Honey Badger Wheat Ale battered, wild caught Pacific Cod served with fries and house made tartar sauce - Again, this was huge. It felt like a bigger, less dressed version of the fish in the tacos. My cousin was a fan of this!

All of the sides of fries, both regular and sweet potato, were crispy and tasty! Went well with our entrees.

The prices lean higher but I think it's justified in the sheer amount of food. We all had to walk it off afterwards and had a fat food coma in the car.

I would recommend this spot for your trip to the Yosemite area! Great fuel to power your...

Excited to say I’m so glad that the brewery took my feedback into account and provided more clarification and will now seat incomplete parties when they are slow. Thank you for listening!

Previous review: I am so sad to give this review. South Gate has been one of my favorite Oakhurst restaurants since moving to the area. I particularly appreciate that they have delicious options for my food intolerance. Unfortunately the customer service and some of the restaurant policies have made me decide I will not come back as long as they persist. The first time we had an issue we arrived 30 minutes before closing. However, the hostess would not seat us because she said they were closing early because they were slow. I spoke to a manager, who said it was the slow season and that they would close early sometimes. In the time we were there, about 10 minutes two other groups tried to be seated as well. We had built our plans around getting back to Oakhurst for dinner, and still had a 1.5 hour drive home, but suddenly we were scrambling for another option for dinner.

We decided to give it one more try after that. We went in the middle of the day so as not to be turned away with random hours. We had a party of 6. 3 of us were there and the other 3 were 5-10 minutes behind us. The hostess said we could not be seated until our whole party was there. I understand if they are slammed, but the restaurant was nearly empty (see photo). I spoke to a manager again, about this and the random hours, and she didn't seem to care, just saying that is what the owners want. I hope the owners read this and reconsider these policies and perhaps provide some coaching on customer care. We have been big supporters and always recommend the brewery to guests, but when customers can't have a predictable expectation for hours, their concerns are dismissed, and customer service/care starts going down hill we just can continue going or telling others to go. I really loved South Gate and I hope that it can get back to what it was before because I would love to add this back to our list of places we love, and be able to update this review to...