Where are the best places for beer on tap these days?
In the East Bay, my favorites are Lanesplitter (three hand pumps plus numerous taps at the original San Pablo & University location, currently only taps at Telegraph & 48th but hand pumps are on the way) and Triple Rock (usually one or two kegs on nitrogen).
Robert Lauriston
Nov 10, 2004 03:24PM
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The very best, IMO, is Toronado in SF. They have the widest and most interesting selection of beers available in they bay area, and they serve each in their traditional glassware rather than in shakers. The staff's respect for beer is unsurpassed, although their respect for their customers is often lacking. Several hand pumps.
http://toronado.com/
In the East Bay, I always liked Barclay's in Rockridge. Their focus is primarly on heavily-hopped West Coast brews. There's at least one hand pump, maybe more.
http://www.barclayspub.com
In addition to their own good beers, 21st Amendment has a cask day every Wednesday featuring a guest brew. I still have yet to find better food at a brewpub.
http://www.chowhound.com/california/boards/sanfrancisco15/messages/67519.html
Here are some other ideas:
http://ratebeer.com/Places/ShowTour.asp?TourID=13
http://ratebeer.com/Places/ShowTour.asp?TourID=12
http://ratebeer.com/Places/ShowTour.a...
-Nick
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I totally agree with nja on the recs.
However, as good as beer is at Toronado, the service (if you can call it that) is lousy and indifferent, and when it's crowded, it's hardly a comfortable place. So in recent years I have been going to Zeitgeist instead. It may look rougher, but it's a lot more civilized. And, they have a great selection of beer which includes pretty much something for everyone.
Best beer with food, though is 21st Amendment. By far.
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You are right - We were at Toronado last night and the service was terrible. When my husband asked a bartender a beer question, the guy told him to "just stare at the menu" to figure it out on his own. The place wasn't that busy.
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I forgot about Zeitgeist. That's our customary post-Critical Mass stop, though I haven't been in months.
It was pure pleasure: secure bike parking inside the bar (actually out on the backyard "patio"), great beer selection, and cheap, huge, smoky barbecued burgers with tasty home-fries.
Actually if I remember correctly, Rosamunde cancelled its burger tuesdays cuz their burger specialist was moving on to Zeitgeist.
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Thanks for the tip on cask night at 21st Amendment. Had a few pints of excellent real ale last night.
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As a big fan of German beer, I love Suppenkuche, a German restaurant/pub which has a good lineup of German brews on tap. The one or two times we've been there, the service was pleasant and knowledgeable, too.
Link: http://www.suppenkuche.com/beer.html
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Their sister restaurant in Alamea, Speisekammer, is good for German beer, too.
Speaking of German beer, this Friday is the pinkelwurst festival at Schroeder's.
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I'll second nja's props to Toronado, and then take a minute to drool on my keyboard while I remember Burger tuesdays, when Rosamunde, the sausage grill next door, would make big fat juicy Niman ranch cheeseburgers for $4 each, and we'd take them to Toronado to have with a Franziskaner.
Ben and Nick's, in Oakland, has a wide selection of (mostly hoppy california) beer on tap, including one or two on hand pump. The bartender is generally interested in the beer, too, and will give you little tastes of things if you have trouble deciding.
Unfortunately their food is lousy, but it used to be good, and one October a few years ago their Oktoberfest menu was so good I raved about it on this board. You never forget your first rouladen.
Anyway, sometimes my partner and I go to B+N for "dinner"--beer and nachos, and maybe some other fried thing. The beer's good. They're on College just south of Rockridge BART.
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I've been to Cato's Ale House a bunch of times, even had my birthday party there a year or two ago. Ben and Nick's is the same owners and pretty much the same deal, right?
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I haven't been to either in about a year, but I used to prefer Ben n' Nick's because they make fries there, and the food was just a bit better...no fries at Cato's, only these oven roasted spuds...the beer's good at both...the people who work at B n' N's seemed to be slightly friendlier, as well
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I always felt that Barclay's had the edge in both food and beer over B&N and Cato's.
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I agree...I prefer the College Ave. location, but both are good...the food at Cato's and B n' N is clunky compared to Barclay's
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i'm equally underwhelmed by the food at all three, though from this convo (and last week's fishnchips discussion) perhaps i should give Barclay's another try. Cato's food was OK the few times I tried it. I like that they have pizza. Ben and Nick's food has really gone downhill. It was never that great, but now everything tastes old and un-loved. Even the hot wings, which are prepared in the traditional manner, have that aged-chicken flavor. Ugh.
I've enjoyed Cato's--more of a frontier atmosphere, reminds me of homey bars back in Colorado. I like Ben+Nick's pubby surroundings best of all three, and it's also the closest to our house by a whisker, so that's why it's our "local"--that is, until we can remember to go try the new Lanesplitter, which is all of four blocks from home.
Cato's and B+N are the same owners. B+N used to be called the J-Line (I think) after a commuter train that once went up College.
My partner works up Berkeley, and we do love visiting the Triple Rock, which has good atmosphere, great beer, and good/occasionally brilliant food. They had a "Pittsburgh-style" beef sandwich a few weeks ago that was just lovely. Nice staff there too. There is a place in Seattle called the Big Rock which is the same company/owners; slightly different food and atmosphere but same gig--near the University, good beer, lots of tipsy students and locals.
Damn. I want a beer.
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"pittsburgh-style"???
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they said it, not me! apparently the new chef is from p-burgh. it was a cheese-steak-kinda sandwich, but with LOTS of stuff piled on, including...french fries. On the sandwich. It was lovely.
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Cole slaw and french fries in the sandwich is the trademark of Primanti Brothers. See this current thread for a local version:
Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...
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As Robert notes, these are new to us out here. Maybe it's a start of a trend?!?
Reminded me about the old post below, which might have been the first time I'd heard about french fries in sandwiches (except at certain falafel places). Perhaps Syrian food is just around the corner too?
Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...
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I go to both Cato's and Barclay's fairly often. I prefer Barclay's for their larger beer selection and better food, but mostly because I know the people there and have been going there since they opened.
Cato's has a limited menu, but the pizza is fine (thin crust) and the salads are alright.
Barclays has a bigger menu and, while the food won't blow you away, it is solid and generlly well done. Particularly the specials.
I wish there was someplace comparable in Montclair though...
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Ben and Nicks and Cato's are indeed related. (See Link).
Cato's usually has one hand pump, I think. (At least, maybe another). It's been years since I went ot B&N's, but only cause I live very near Cato's.
Link: http://www.mrcato.com
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Since Toronado's already been mentioned, and rightly so, I should mention Amnesia on Valencia between 19th and 20th. No hand pumps, but they have a considerable selection of Belgians and Belgian-style beers on tap and in bottles as well as a fair number of quality micros on tap.
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No kidding? I wasn't aware of that. Thanks for the tip.
-Nick
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How 'bout Pacific Coast Brewery in Oakland by the Convention Center? Excellent house brews as well as excellent rotating taps.
Also like the Rogue Tap Bar in North Beach(used to be Little City Restaurant).
But yeah, Toronado is hard to beat for pure beer...
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Pacific Coast is good if you're in the neighborhood but they're not as serious about beer as Lanesplitter.
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Does the new Lanesplitter location offer food? and is it good if so?
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The menu's pretty much the same at the Telegraph Lanesplitter as at the San Pablo original. Pizza (thin crust or thick crust) by the slice or pie, salad, lasagne. The thin-crust pizza's decent.
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Thanks for the comments. I'd been past it a few times and wondered.
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Magnolia, on Haight and Masonic, has FIVE handpumps of REAL cask conditioned ale, more than anywhere in the US!
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There were some reports here that Magnolia's quality control had gotten a bit lax. Are they on track lately?
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I don't think the beer is as good as it was a few years ago, BUT, for cask conditioned beer, it is still better than most that I have found.
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When I lasted visited in May 2004, the beers were horrid, including the casks.
-Nick
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