The 9 Best Breweries in San Francisco - San Francisco - The Infatuation (2024)

photo credit: Barebottle Brewing Company

The era of craft breweries on every corner might be past, but locally brewed San Francisco beer is still very much with us. From Fort Point's Pilsners up to Black Hammer Brewing Company's strong stouts, the SF beer scene is small but mighty. So the next time you’re looking to cozy up with a good IPA, some games, and maybe even a patio, head to one of these 9 excellent spots.

THE BREWERIES

With 21 beers on tap and long picnic tables, Standard Deviant Brewing in the Mission is where to socialize on a rainy weekend over games, nitro horchata cream ale, and shots of Underberg. Occasionally, they’ll have a taco stand set up in the back right corner, but it’s not consistent, so, don’t count on the food to power you through shuffleboard. Like nearby beer hall Zeitgeist, this place can get packed (especially on days when the weather is terrible), but be warned: it can be pretty dead at night, even on Friday and Saturday. If you’re looking for a crowd, just head to one of the other great bars in the Mission.

Fort Point brews their beer at a location in the Presidio that isn’t open to the public, but their Mission outpost is. The beer is quite delicious, and the space is a kind of neo-futurist beer hall that couldn’t exist anywhere but Valencia St. The inside is full of exposed wooden rafters, slab walls painted in the colors of a playground parachute, and gray chairs that look like they’ve been 3D-printed. Sit on the makeshift patio (sidewalk tables that make for great people-watching) and order from a menu of 18 beers, like an SF kölsch and a tart ale with mate and hibiscus. While you’re here, get the double cheeseburger on a sesame seed bun—it’s a little salty, but the patty is crispy and they load it up with a tangy special sauce.

The people over at Black Hammer Brewing Company have moved beyond their SoMa outpost to open up a Castro location. It has the same beers but a lot more currywurst and patty melts. This corner spot features weekly drag trivia, a set of board games to rival a middle school collection, and the occasional puzzle night. While coming on here on the weekend is a solid move, their geographically central location makes for a convenient post-work hang.

The Detroit-style pizza coming out of this Bernal Heights brewery is worth the trip alone—the chunky pies with a caramelized cheese crust make for ideal Friday night sustenance. But presumably, you’re also here for beer. The selection has something for everyone, including tons of in-house brews, guest beers from breweries all over California, and, for the resident beer hater in the group, soda and house wine. Since this is Bernal Heights, kids are welcome, so feel free to camp out for a few hours with your whole family.

Barebottle Brewing is kid- and dog-friendly, so stepping around strollers and stray leashes is all part of the experience. It’s what makes this Bernal Heights spot the ideal gathering space for the neighborhood—the warehouse-like space is huge, with ample room for toddlers to run wild while parents throw back pints of “Rainbow Road Shortcut,” or for dates to get overly competitive over at the pinball machine. They also have a stacked food truck calendar, so you won’t have to worry about getting hungry while lounging at your picnic table.

Woods is a brewery with tons of locations throughout the city, but we like the Lower Haight outpost, which serves Joyride Pizza and is big enough to handle a spontaneous group. Pack in around a booth inside or grab a house beer or natural wine and spill out onto the back patio—the plant-filled space can easily fit your entire entourage around the high tops and picnic tables, and no one will have to spend the afternoon with a stranger’s elbow in their face.

This warehouse-like space in Bayview is built for afternoons centered around Bananagrams and flights of crisp beer. The high-ceilinged brewery has so much space you could park a pair of boats in the middle, which is ideal when you’re pulling up with a 15-person birthday party or an entire youth soccer league. There are shelves stuffed with board games in the back, plus a “Little Monk Library” with free books—and if you’re more of a communal activities person, they do trivia on Tuesdays and karaoke every first Friday.

Enterprise Brewing Co. took over the old Cellarmaker location in SoMa, and it’s now the neighborhood’s hot spot for a low-effort hang. The relaxed space isn’t huge or warehouse-y like other breweries in town, but you can pretty easily show up in sweats (dogs are welcome, too), snag a seat at the bar, and nurse a pilsner until closing. Since there’s no food menu, you’re welcome to bring your own dinner—we like to hit up Square Pie Guys around the corner and eat a pepperoni pie in the company of a few pints.

The massive marquee reading “BEER” should be a pretty good indication that you’ve made it to Sunset Reservoir Brewing Company. This two-story space on Noriega is where to decompress after a week full of meetings—there are tons of booths that fit dates, families, and friend groups eating smashburgers, plus TVs behind the bar and outdoor seating for when the fog decides to let up. Aside from a solid selection of pints and pitchers (we like the slightly floral Outside Lands kölsch), they also do co*cktails, wine, and beer and shot combos. Keep an eye on their Instagram for rotating events like trivia, live music, and drag brunch.