Biergarten — Restaurant in San Francisco

The idea is awesome. Fence off an outdoor area and serve beer. On a sunny day, it doesn't get any better than this if you you are just looking for something to pass the time by with some good friends.

The Beer: The beer is good German imports. It's not gonna blow your mind away or anything, but its good. They usually have 2 or 3 on tap. And you have two size options. The liter or half. $14/$7.

The Food: Didn't try, but the pretzels looked good.

The Setting: In the middle of Hayes Valley next to a park and some other food stands makes it a gem in the city. There is plenty of sun when the sun is out and a lot of SF culture. Not much to the fenced off area but the food bar, beer bar, and picnic tables to hang out at. Simple.

What I don't like: The lines. I recommend getting a liter if you planning on hanging around for a bit. As with most things in SF, lines here can get ridiculous. Of course this also depends on how lucky you are. Anything after lunch is insane on a sunny day. It could take you almost half an hour to get a beer and seated. And you'll have to get back in line if you want more beer! Maybe an express line for those that already got beer and just want a refill? If that was the case I would have given this...

Given the name Biergarten you would except a great selection of German beer and a Biergarten aesthetic or feeling. They had 2 German beers on tap with the rest local IPAs (one does not explicitly seek a German Biergarten to be greeted with the same popular local style found everywhere). The beers were priced significantly higher than what one can find around town. The space is essentially a parking lot with shipping containers, which might have some appeal as a reconstituted industrial byproduct theme if it weren't for the school cafeteria lunch tables they have, literally with that orange paint you'll remember from a kid peeling off. That's because these are the lunch tables from when you were a kid. You are much better off swinging by Healthy Spirits on 14th St and grabbing a pint of some quality and heading to Dolores park. That outing brings the outside setting of a group of people enjoying drinks you would expect from a biergarten more than Biergarten. For an inside German beer experience I recommend Gaumenkitzel...

What's not to love about Biergarten?

When ever the sun comes shining, it's an excuse to skip out of work and head on down to Biergarten. Get there early to grab a spot at the communal tables and before the lines get crazy long. I always order a liter size because of those lines. Especially if I'm by myself. It's a little easier when you have a few people, since one person can order for the group.

The staff is super friendly here and attentive. An empty stein rarely stays out on the table long. Shade is at a premium. I always try and get a seat under the center tree, but there's really no bad seat. Just bring your sun block and shades.

The food is tasty with makes sense being sister establishments with Suppenküche. The burgers are great! So goos that I just wish they were 3 times the size! Pretzels are always a go to as well.

The only real knock on Biergarten is I wish the line would move faster. Some busy weekend days, you can stand there for 20-30 minutes. Frustrating since they are mostly just...