| Overall
Average User Rating |
| Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Good
|
Good
|
Good
|
Good
|
Good
|
|
|
Review Page:
[
1
]
[
2
]
[
3
]
[
ALL
]
|
Individual User Reviews |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
So So
|
So So
|
Lousy
|
Lousy
|
So So
|
|
If you are in S.F. for a visit to breweries/brew pubs, SKIP THIS ONE !! The beer is warm, not too good, and VERY EXPENSIVE!! The food was BAD. The service was WORSE... the bartender was the server at the tables and was too busy trying to get a date with a guy at the bar to help us. Otherwise I probably would have had another beer !!
Go to the Rouge Public House, and the Anchor Steam breweries instead.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
Randy Simmons,
Springboro, OH
(06/29/2009) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Good
|
Good
|
N/A
|
Good
|
Good
|
|
I visited this brewpub on 5/5/05 and had the following brews; Hugh Hefnerwiezen 4.8%, Albatross Lager 4.8%, Emperor Norton Lager 5.8%, Biggity Brown Ale 5.0%, Eric the Red 6.2%, Liberator Dopplebock 8.4%, Gripman's Porter 6.8% and Rainbow Stout. While I will agree that the beers were not the greatest, I believe that any beer snob would enjoy stopping into this place. Last year the building celebrated it's 100th anniversary of being a bar, which includes being a speakeasy during prohibition. Besides how many bars have you been to that can offer a 100th anniversary pint glass?
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
G. L. Averill,
Lakeway, TX
(05/15/2008) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
So So
|
Good
|
Good
|
Good
|
So So
|
|
I've gone to SF Brew Co. many times between the years 1990 to 2005. It was good early on before I knew better. Now that I've been to pubs and brewpubs all over the country and elsewhere sadly this place doesn't cut it. The beer is weak and not all that good; it does not represent SF very well even though it is one of the oldest brewpubs in N. America! For naive tourists this must be a wonderful place (I was in 1990-92). To a beer snob this place is NOT worth a stop.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
Ken Papai,
San Rafael, CA
(05/06/2008) |
|
Random User Photos
|
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
So So
|
Good
|
N/A
|
So So
|
So So
|
|
A very basic brewpub. Very simple. I wouldn't go as far to call it a dive. It took about 15 minutes to receive my beer once the order was placed. It was not crowded but only 1 bartender who worked at his own pace. The server was nice and apologized for the delay. I had the porter which tasted kind of flat and lacked flavor. It tasted like it could have been cast conditioned but was not. The glass was sticky which means it could have been a dirty glass. But hey! cool t-shirts with logo.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
Greg,
Pittsburgh, PA
(04/16/2008) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
So So
|
Good
|
N/A
|
Lousy
|
So So
|
|
I stopped in and had one beer, the pale ale. Kinda watery. I wanted to try some others but could not get the attention of the bartender, even though the place was far from busy and he served the table waiters at the server station right next to me. The whole time I sat there with an empty glass.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
J Harig,
Cane Ridge, TN
(08/18/2007) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Lousy
|
So So
|
N/A
|
So So
|
Lousy
|
|
I was in SF on business and stopped by the SFBC on my way back to the train. I had the pale and the porter. Neither were "bad" but neither were that good - they lacked character and I expect more from a place that sits smack dab in a city known for good food and drink. Of more immediate concern-when you sit at the bar there's an odor - the kind you encounter when the place hasn't had a "stem to stern" cleaning in a long time. I know it's an old building but this clearly detracted from my experience.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
Tom Rothrock,
Centennial, CO
(08/09/2007) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Awesome!
|
Great
|
Great
|
Awesome!
|
Awesome!
|
|
One of our must stop locations in San Francisco - bartender on duty has always been friendly, just not the chain eatery hostess type ("how you folks doing this evening...great!) More like a UK publican - very relaxed and welcoming. Waitstaff and other bartenders always attentive and friendly, never had an empty glass nor a bad meal. Vintage interior adds to the pub ambience, and the beer (IPA and stout) that we had was very nice for a session. Good people watching location if you get a table outside (hell, good people watching inside), well worth a stop.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
John Bloxom,
Waco, TX
(07/10/2007) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Lousy
|
So So
|
N/A
|
Lousy
|
Lousy
|
|
I went today with a few friends on a little pub crawl around the SF area. This was our 3rd destination. Upon entering I asked the bar keep where the bathroom was and he replied with "they are for customers only". I replied "I'm going to be a customer after I pee".
With none of us previously visiting SFBC we decided to get the sampler. 5 out of the 6 beers were luke warm and we were given no description as to which was which, so we had to guess what was what. Anyway, we had a horrible experience here. The bartender was rude and the beer was very very poor. The worst craft brew pub I have ever been to.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
Russ Yeager,
Roseville, CA
(05/29/2007) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Great
|
Good
|
N/A
|
Great
|
Great
|
|
Found this place by accident when going from Chinatown to Northbeach. The spousal-unit and I shared a couple of Porters. Great stuff. Warming and relaxing. Outside seating, while cramped, is great for people watching in this strategic location.
I'll be back.....
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
Mark,
Ripon, CA
(02/18/2007) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
So So
|
So So
|
So So
|
So So
|
So So
|
|
Warm beer!!! Hate that!!!!!! Dark atomsphere. Was not very impressed with the place. The history is very interesting. one visit was enough.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
Julie,
Springville, UT
(10/07/2006) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Awesome!
|
Awesome!
|
Good
|
Awesome!
|
Great
|
|
The beers where great and the bartenders very polite. It was a nice place to relax and get out of the hustle and bustle of San Fran.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
Joe DiNapoli,
Reno, NV
(09/20/2006) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Good
|
Good
|
Great
|
Great
|
Great
|
|
Okay, the place doesn't pour the best beer in The City. The food menu isn't very extensive. And it can be a total nightmare getting to it. With that said, I say it's a must for local and tourist alike. If you don't like it, stroll down a street in any direction and you can be in North Beach, Chinatown or the Financial District. That's location! Had a pint each of the Emperor Norton Lager, Subterranean Ale and the Alcatraz Stout. I'd go back for the lager and the stout. The ale had great dark color like a porter but tasted more like a pilsner. Good but not great. Had their homemade sausage sandwich. Excellent! The outdoor seating was packed on a sunny Sunday afternoon so I sat at the bar. The bartender, Curtis, was not only efficient and courteous but was more than willing to pour out a free taste to those patrons that had questions about any of the eight brews on tap. To add to the ambiance, there was live music in the form of a gentleman tickling the ivories on an old upright piano with some classical offerings. Fit right on with those antique fans spinning away.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
J. King,
Campbell, CA
(07/17/2006) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Good
|
Great
|
N/A
|
Great
|
Good
|
|
This building has character, no doubt, but the beer is fairly run of the mill. Their seasonal scotch ale was okay; the Andromeda Wheat a little better. A mild reek of vomit and mildew accompanied the cool interior. $6.75 growler refills is a great deal. $4.50 pints are steep. Stop by if you are in the neighborhood.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
Tim Smith,
Bozeman, MT
(06/13/2006) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Awesome!
|
Great
|
Good
|
Great
|
Awesome!
|
|
I must admit that my review of the San Francsico Brewing Company is colored somewhat by nostalgia. In the early 1990s it used to be a favorite hangout of mine, and while it wasn't the first brewpub I ever attended, it still holds first place in my heart.
That said, I can reveal that I recently revisited my old haunt and found that it has lost nothing off the ball in the intervening years. I sat down at my favorite table with a pint of the amber and robust Emperor Norton Lager and felt the years evaporate. It was as though I had never left. While I did not have the time, or the youthfulness, to work my way through the full beer menu, my recollection of the Emperor Norton as one of my favorite lagers was confirmed, and I also deeply enjoyed the ShanghaI.P.A. While they don't indulge in a lot of razzzle-dazzle the beers are of a consistently high quality and never disappoint. I only regret that they no longer make the Gold Rush Ale.
I should also mention something about the SF Brewing Co. as a space. It occupies the an old Barbary Coast bar called the Andromeda Saloon, built in 1907 to help fill a block levelled by the 1906 earthquake. Over the years, Jack Dempsey served as a bouncer and, rumor has it, Baby Face Nelson was captured inside. The bar is elegantly carved and framed by mahogony columns, and the length of the bar is topped by a solid plank of mahogany. Along the base of the bar is an unused antique self-flushing porcelain spitoon, while along the ceiling turns a rod of brass with decorative palm fronds to slowly stir the air. Some of the table tops are placed on old sewing machine tables, complete with (secured) pedals underneath.
It was really quite a place to hang out and drink traditional lagers and ales. Should I ever be lucky enough to live in San Francisco again I would surely resume my place as one of SF Brewing's regulars.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
Buck Sterling,
Spokane, WA
(06/07/2006) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Good
|
So So
|
Good
|
So So
|
Good
|
|
They had six brews on tap, four ales and two lagers. The IPA would have fit better into the pale ale style, but not bad. The stout was also good. As with most pubs, they serve the beer too cold. If you enjoy sampling brew pubs during your travels, hit this one during mid-afternoon, peak hours are extremely loud. If nothing else, at least go in to check out the ceiling fan, it's quite old and spectacular.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
Randy,
Baker City, OR
(03/30/2006) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Good
|
Good
|
N/A
|
Lousy
|
So So
|
|
We try to visit a brew pub in every city we visit and of all the places we've been, I wish I hadn't stopped in. The selection was nice, 8 beers on draft and the beer wasn't too bad, not near the best I've had but not every place can be. I was disappointed tho that they didn't have any cask conditioned ales, considering that they served their draft beer at cellar temperature I thought one might be more appropriate. But it wasn't the beer that ruined my experience, it was the staff. the bartender talked down to both myself and my company, wasn't able to offer any response other than "I don't know" to any of our beer related questions and even the brewmaster was incredibly vague... which I supposed is his choice, it is his beer, but I was not only unimpressed but regretted stopping in at all. stop into magnolia, better beer, better selection, better service.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
Columbus, OH
(03/22/2006) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Great
|
Good
|
So So
|
Lousy
|
Good
|
|
Great Location, nice atmosphere, but nearly impossible to get someone to help you, even though there was nearly nobody there.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
Glenn,
Bakersfield, CA
(02/28/2006) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Great
|
Great
|
So So
|
Awesome!
|
Great
|
|
Great historical atmosphere inside, really worth checking out. The tables on the sidewalk , the Emperor Norton beer and the freindly service definitely make this a worthwhile stop.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
John Jarchow,
Dublin, CA
(02/04/2006) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Awesome!
|
Awesome!
|
Awesome!
|
Awesome!
|
Awesome!
|
|
There were about 7 beers on when we were there. As other reviewers have noted all were drinkable but one or two were not especially noteworthy. The highlight was an excellent imperial stout which made up for the others. Food was good, typical pub fare. Service was very friendly and cute. Worth a stop.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
Mark Stoffan,
Asheville, NC
(05/06/2005) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Good
|
Great
|
Great
|
Good
|
Great
|
|
This is not the best brewpub in San Francisco but still makes a respectable product. Their beers are all tasty if a little thin in body, but still very quaffable. The service was a tad slow at first but was very friendly and I received my meal in a reasonable time, which was excellent. It is definitely worth a visit in addition to the other great brewpubs about the city.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
Glenn Beck,
Bloomsbury, NJ
(04/29/2005) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Great
|
So So
|
N/A
|
Lousy
|
Good
|
|
Bartender was kind of a dick, but the place was nice. The beer was a good micro brew but they only had four kinds.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
Daniel,
San Francisco, CA
(04/11/2005) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Great
|
Good
|
So So
|
Good
|
Good
|
|
Interesting set-up, but not very open and can't accomodate big crowds very well. Thought the beer was pretty good. Food is typical bar-type food - ain't gonna knock your socks off. Almost had a historic feel (check out the ceiling fans).
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
Magnus McDowell,
Eagan, MN
(04/08/2005) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
So So
|
Good
|
N/A
|
So So
|
So So
|
|
It's a shame that such an historic brewpub in such a great location can produce such a bland/tasteless selection of brews. Everything was marginal at best, no flavor/ingredient in any of them to make you say "Wow - that's a good beer!" The selection is good but what's a good selection when all you have to pick from is one bland beer after another? And the bar and atmosphere is almost as bland as the beer. I stayed in San Fran for 4+ days just a couple blocks from this place, wlaked by it I don't know how many times, but after the first visit I didn't even think of going back in. Stay away.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
John Lewis,
Pittsburgh, PA
(03/21/2005) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Awesome!
|
Awesome!
|
Awesome!
|
Awesome!
|
Awesome!
|
|
I used to travel quite extensively for work and I can say that this is my favorite brewpub in the entire US!! In fact, there is nothing I don't like about it. The beer (especially the IPA), the historic building in historic North Beach, the food, the staff, NO COVER CHARGE live music (jazz)...all fantastic. I don't travel so much any more but I still make a point to fly into SFO (from Pennsylvania) at least 4 or 5 times a year just to visit this pub. Take a few minutes to get to know the staff and the locals and you'll have friends for life.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
Tony Araujo,
Pittsburgh, PA
(03/03/2005) |
|
|
Beer Quality |
Beer Selection |
Food |
Service |
Overall |
|
Good
|
Good
|
So So
|
So So
|
So So
|
|
Good beers; nothing outstanding or out-of-place about them. Decent food, but nothing great. The service was ordinary, though the staff and the regulars seemed to be having a good time together. Like an earlier reviewer, I wondered why I couldn't get unseasoned fries.
|
|
Write Your Review
| Reply
to this Review |
Report Review |
Paul E. Milligan,
Columbia, MD
(12/05/2004) |
|