MAXED OUT: Day 3 In San Francisco

The San Francisco Maxalogue continues. Sir Maximus...?

Ok, you crazy kids, so far I have reviewed a few beer bars that I visited on this last San Francisco trip, as well as airport bars in
general. Today I’m gonna review a few more, and in the next couple
days a few more, as well as put a big fat bow on the whole trip.
Honestly though, if you want to know what to do or where to go in San
Francisco I am a self-proclaimed master tour guide in the city by the
bay, so hit me up if you do find yourself heading there.

So, on the fifth of July, I rounded up 20 fine folks to attend the
Giants/Padres game in the most beautiful stadium that these little
eyes have ever seen. But first we had to do an epic beer bar tour,
right? I mean come on, it just makes sense. First stop: Toronado
San Francisco. Sos the game starts at 7pm and obviously that means
that it’s a good idea to start drinking at noon, right? Toronado San
Francisco is a world reknowned beer bar located in the Lower Haight
district on the corner of Haight and Fillmore, to be exact. The
bartenders are typically, ummm, not friendly, which was pleasantly not the case on this occasion. Johnny was our barkeep and was most
helpful. I’m almost positive that everyone that I was with got to
enjoy Moonlight Brewery’s Reality Czech, a perfect example of a Czech-style pilsner from a tiny, itty-biddy little brewery just south of San
Francisco. Oh, and Toronado itself is just this average, tavern-looking bar with stickers all over the walls and the smell of rank
beer and sausage in the air. But the draft list alone is worth it.
Some 50 beers on draft, every one of them better than the last. And
the reason for the sausage smell? Rosamunde’s Sausage Grill is two
doors down and you can bring their AMAZING food back to Toronado. A
MUST! And a little local secret is that they have burger Tuesdays,
which is the only day that they make some of the best burgers you’ll
ever have. When did we go? Ya, that would be on a Tuesday.
Service: (Typically) D. Ambiance: D. Beers: A+. Overall: A-…. Yes
it’s just a must see/experience.

After filling our bellies with sausages, hamburgers and beer we
decided to skip a little Nano-Brewery called Magnolia and start
heading toward the stadium. Next stop Zeitgeist, baby! Originally, a
bike messenger bar, Zeitgeist has turned into a local favorite on warm
summer days. When you walk in it just looks like a dinky little punk
bar but when you walk onto their outside patio you realize what all
the fuss is about. Their patio is about the size of a football field,
lined with picnic style benches and umbrellas. And we lucked out with
the weather, as it was 75 with a slight breeze. Can you say
PERFECT!?!??! They only have about 12 beers to choose from, but their line-up has a few decent beers to choose from available both in the
pitcher and by the pint. A round of pitchers it is then! Oh, and
they too have a grill with some of the least nutritious burgers on the
planet. Right up my alley. If you find yourself at the edge of the
Mission district on one of the few warm days in San Francisco, I
implore you all to check this not so little gem.
Food: B+. Beer: B-. Service: B. Ambiance: A+. Overall: A-

But we had to make our way to the stadium, so after a few beers at
Zeitgeist we moseyed on over to 21st Amendment, a Micro/Nano-Brewery
just a few blocks from the stadium. They once collaborated with Stone
and Firestone on a beer called El Camino (Un)Real Black Ale, a 9.5% American Strong Ale, which gives them some cred in the beer biz. The restaurant itself is a little too polished for my liking, and on game
days (which is, of course, when we went) can be far too crowded (which
it was.) Their beer is preeeeety good, not great. I had their house
IPA which is a fair representation of a West Coast IPA and hung out
on their side patio. I was feeling pretty saucy at this point, so I
don’t have much else to report on this joint but would still recommend
your checking it out if you happen to be on a beer tour of San
Francisco.
Beer: B+. Ambiance: B-. Service: C+. Overall: B, but worth checking out.

Alright kiddos, stay tuned for my review of Hemlock Tavern, Lucky 13,
and Blackbird, which will be the first non-beer related establishment
that I will have reviewed. Why? Because it is that freakin’ amazing.

Until next time my beer loving brethren, have a beer for me.