The Haight Spot for Beer Afficionados and other San Francisco, CA Nightlife Tips

Nightlife Spot: Magnolia Brewery

In the spring of 2008, we stopped in San Francisco as part of a six-month camping trip around the US Western National Parks and the Magnolia was high on our priorities for a return visit. They had taken down the cool murals that gave the pub much of its character but it was still warm and hospitable vibe. Prices seemed to have gone up a bit with the makeover but the quality was still very high and perhaps was too good of a deal prior.

On our 2008 visit, we came back for a quick stop. With only one night in town, we had too many other dining options so only had a couple beers and a few small cheese samples. Instead of making people buy a whole plate of different cheeses, you can choose just one. They are pricey at $5 per piece but they are big enough for two people to have a nice taste. We tried the Humbolt Fog and Crater Lake Blue. Both were excellent and went beautifully with our beers. Most of the beers were the same as above but we were lucky to be there for Old Age Ale, a strong ale on cask with a decided dry fruit palate that paired well with a sticky toffee pudding. The desert was a bit disappointing and quite small for the price. Still, a stop in SF without dropping by Magnolia is out of the question for the beer aficionado.

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Dress Code: It's the Haight, casual, man.
Address: 1398 Haight Street
Directions: Corner of Haight & Masonic.

Nightlife Spot: Toronado

The Toronado is one of the US’s great beer bars, noted around the globe to beer connoisseurs. They specialize in Northern California brews but have a healthy dose of both Belgian and German beers on tap as well. Of most interest to me were the three beer engines dispensing cask conditioned ales, all brewed in the Bay area. Doreen had the Black Prince Porter from Marina, California’s English Ales Brewery. It was a medium bodied porter with tan head and roasty chocolate malt palate. My Harvest Ale from Drakes Brewery was amber with a citrus hop aroma and floral hoppy palate. We also enjoyed the ESB, Damnation, and Denogenizer from Russian River Brewing in the Sonoma Valley. The place itself is a dark wooden affair with fairly loud music and is pretty crowded in the evenings. It’s not for the faint of heart. It’s much more enjoyable in the afternoon when it’s easier to get a seat, the music is not nearly as loud. There's an all day happy hour with most beers at $2.50 a pint. That saves you a couple bucks too.

Though I had no intentions of stopping here on our 2008 SF visit, it was right next to the Indian place we had dinner at and even though we had spent considerable time at The Magnolia Brewery just up the road, my wife nicely relented and we went in for one. It was crazy crowded so indeed it was just one.

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Theme: People Watching
Dress Code: Black seems to be the color of choice. Don't even think about pastels.
Phone: 415.863.2276
Address: 547 Haight Street
Directions: This place is in the lower Haight, far from the more heavily touristed end near Golden Gate Park. It's a more authentic part of the city, frequented primarily by locals.
Website: http://www.toronado.com/

Nightlife Spot: 21st Amendment

You wouldn’t normally be in this part of town but it’s well worth the walk if you like good beer at good prices. The happy hour runs from 2:30 to 5:30 when pints set you back only $3.00. They also have half price appetizers going. It’s quite busy and the horseshoe bar adds to the festive atmosphere. It’s got a bit of the warehouse effect with high ceilings and fixtures on display.

We didn’t have anything to eat but the Watermelon Wheat did come with a slice of its namesake fruit as a garnish. I generally shy away from anything like this but it was refreshing and avoided any overt sweetness despite each batch having 400 lbs of watermelon in it! The Oktoberfest was a big malty brew that lacked the spiciness of a true Marzen. The Midnight Milk Stout was a nice coffee roast brew with just the right sweetness appropriate for the style, finishing off nicely bittersweet. The cask IPA was gravity dispensed offering nice lacework, a strong citrus hop component and floral hop nose. It was well-balanced and all too quaffable at 7.5%!

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Theme: Nightclub
Dress Code: Very casual but you could be in a suit too as it's close to Financial District.
Phone: 415.369.0900
Address: 563 Second Street
Directions: This is on the edge of the Financial District, almost in the Mission so a bit off the beaten path but worth the walk.
Website: http://www.21st-amendment.com/

Nightlife Spot: San Francisco Brewing Co.

San Francisco Brewing Co. is the granddaddy of San Fran brewpubs, dating back to the mid-80s. It’s a great old wooden pub with a ceiling fan out of Singapore’s Raffles. You feel like there’s still a Gold Rush going on outside and with such a great location, it’s hard not to at least stop in for a brew.

Since it was late the night we arrived and my friends were staying just up the street on Columbus Avenue, we met here for a quick beer before dinner. Between the four of us, we had the IPA, Pale Ale and Porter and while none were exceptional, they were all quite drinkable. I wanted to return for happy hour one day when glasses are only $1.00 and pints are $1.75 but it seemed we were never in the area between 4:00 and 6:00 or between midnight and 1:00 am! I guess it was better to be paying more at the Magnolia Pub though. ;)

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Dress Code: Casual but again, with this location you could come in quite dressed up and not feel odd.
Phone: (415) 434-3344
Address: 155 Columbus Avenue
Directions: In the heart of North Beach so you can't not walk by. Why not stop in?
Website: http://www.sfbrewing.com/