Golden Gate Beer Bars

Rogue Ales Public House – brewpub
673 Union Street between Powell & Columbus (Google Map)
Official site (Twitter) | BeerAdvocate | Yelp
House microbrew: $5.50
Open Sun-Thu noon-midnight, noon – 2am, Fri & Sat
MUNI: 12, 20, 30, 39, 41, 45, Powell-Mason Cable Car

OK, it’s not technically a brewpub, as Rogue beers are brewed in Oregon. But you’ll find a generous amount of their beers on tap in their San Francisco pub, as well as a bunch of their allied brewers, and a good roster of other, mostly west coast craft brews. So, in short, there’s a good 40 mostly-PNW taps on hand, so whatever your tastes, you’re likely to find something you like. So much so that it probably won’t matter that the only booze they have besides beer are their house spirits and a few bottles of wine. I must warn, though, that the house brews do tip the scales a bit at $5.50 (yes, New Yorkers and LAliens, that is what counts as expensive here; neener neener).

There’s a long bar along the right wall as you enter, with a few booths opposite (there are a couple of TVs above the bar, usually turned to the Giants game or SportsCenter). A small wall separates the bar area from a larger dining room to the left, and through the back of that, you can step outside to a reasonably large beer garden, which has been known to house a few doggies from time to time.

They offer a full food menu (a PDF of which is available here) which is a step above your typical pub fare, but without the air of- shall I say, trying-too-hard that some brewpubs have succumbed to. And before you leave, be sure to poke your head into the fridge by the door, which will be filled with tasty beer and house cheeses that, for a fee, you can remove and go consume elsewhere.

North Beach can be a pretty rowdy neighborhood most weekends, what with all the strip clubs whipping up the testosterone, but Rogue is usually an oasis from big, loud crowds, and tends to offer a pretty pleasant experience any time of the week. Hell, it can be damn near dead during off-hours, but it’s generally full enough to be fun, but empty enough to be comfortable.  However- watch out for that Thursday night trivia tournament, lest you end up alone in the backyard wondering where your server is.  I should also warn you that while North Beach is one of the few areas of San Francisco served well by cabs, it makes for a very annoying endeavor to try to catch one at 2am when the streets flood with (other) drunks, so if you’re cabbing it, you might want to settle up around 1:30 and beat the crowd.

Experiences with the staff have been hit-or-miss… some are excited to help you find something new, while some don’t seem to care if they get a tip (though you should anyway). But even when the staff leaves something to be desired, it’s a good pub to spend and afternoon or evening at. The people are generally friendly, and it hosts a good mix of amiable local and visiting beer geeks who are looking to drink and share some good beer. I myself have brought out-of-towners here and ended up trading & comparing beer itineraries with other tourists.

Rogue also hosts events fairly often, showcasing both their own work and that of other local breweries- I recommend their Twitter to keep up with those, as they don’t put much effort into marketing.

While you’re in the neighborhood…
La Trappe, 800 Greenwich @ Columbus & Mason
Church Key, 1402 Grant @ Green
San Francisco Brewing Co (GGBB review), 155 Columbus @ Pacific & Kearny