"German beer in a glass stein on a sunny Saturday afternoon in San Francisco" is an oddly specific answer to give when someone asks what my favorite color is. Oddly specific, long-winded, and tedious, but honest. Your first priority should not be getting a table, going to the bathroom, or waiting for friends - it should be getting in line for your beer. My friend and I made the novice mistake of commandeering seats and taking lavatory breaks and suffered the consequences: forty minutes in line waiting to order our drinks. The sun beat down on the back of my neck and ears, freckling my face in a very un-German way as I gazed enviously at the wise folks already sipping their authentic Bavarian brews from steins so full and so heavy they had to be lifted with two hands. Despite the wait, this place is glorious. Beer (German-brewed tongue-twisters in name and in flavor) comes in liters or half-liters, both of which stay surprisingly, blissfully cold no matter how long it takes you to polish them off. Traditional German fare includes pretzels with horseradish and sharp mustard, sliders, and bright, pickled seasonal things (eggs, grapes, carrots, and cabbage are common menu tenants). You'll probably end up sharing a table community-style with some pretty chill people; you'll probably really wished you'd paid attention in high school German; you'll probably want to go back again next weekend. read more

Great open spot with large community tables to share a few (liters of) brews with your crew(s). The line to purchase said brew can take a while, and it gets a bit chilly after the sun goes down, but y'all probably know that already. Layer up and you'll be just fine. It's great to have another outdoor beer garden (see biergarten) in the city. Vielen dank! read more

Went out of our way clear across town to Hayes Valley looking for Oktoberfest at Biergarten on Octavia Street promoted on Thrillist this week and verified website which stated it was open 2-9pm on Sat. When we arrived today at 2:30 it was closed yet sign on the fence said open hours of 2-9pm. Every other restaurant in the neighborhood was open. I called number provided on trip advisor to inquire what happened and got set to message system at Radhaus in Ft. Mason which is walking distance from our home. Not very happy with Biergarten for poor communication. read more

We went with a crew a few weeks ago. It's good and I know it will probably get better. So far the outdoor situation and tables are great and the location is a perfect idea. Pretzels are yummy. Kraut is tasty. Food comes fast. Mmmmmustard. I like that they used container ship crates as their workspaces. Park across the street for kids and kids are even allowed in! And beer, who doesn't go to a biergarten and like that?! Things that need tweeking are... Waitressing - it needs to exist, so far it didn't More glasses (or 2 dishwashers, haha) - they were hovering the tables for any glassware anyone would give up The beer lineup was retarded! Too too too long. If oom pah pah places all over the world can supply beer to your table in several minutes then it must be able to happen here too. My suspicion is that the human line acts as a free visual ad aid for Biergarten as the public goes by - like, "ooh, what is that over there?? It must be popular... such a massive lineup!! Let's go see!" Maybe they should think about installing more beer pull taps - there are only 4 and the person taking your money is also the person pouring your beer - just takes toooo long. ID needs to be checked at the entrance rather than every single time you go through the beer lineup. They can make high/low stamps or whatever other idea there might be but something better. As of now we were sending one person up to get beers for all of us - so each time a person went up to buy beer that person had to bring an ID up for each beer that was purchased - awkward and long-handed. I believe it can happen! I have hope. read more

Hit the Biergarten yesterday after work around six. No line to get in but the beer line was about five minutes. The Swaztenbier was awesome in a great big stein and the brat was delicious. You don't get a bun, but the hot horseradish and spicy mustard along with the sauerkraut make a meal. The grey shipping container facilities gives the place an industrial "Sprokets" ambiance, but the bathrooms are roomy and clean. Nice work! read more

Biergarten is quite an amazing find. Whoever thought of this concept is pretty genius. Perfect on a sunny day and of course I went during the coldest/cloudiest/windiest days ever, but those 1L beers make up for anything short of having a good time. Grab a bunch of buddies, get 1L beers, a big pretzel each, and drink your miseries away! Bathroom is pretty fancy porta-potty with a shared sink complete with mirror. Communal picnic benches that you can easily swoop by busting out your eagle eyes. P.S. Bring a jacket. Biergarten, can you get some heat lamps up in there?! read more

Came here for a late afternoon drink yesterday and will definitely be back to hang out longer and try more things. This is basically a glorified parking lot filled with picnic tables and 2 cargo containers, 1 for beer and ordering food and 1 for making food. I didn't eat here, but the food smelled absolutely fantastic so I will need to go back and order more food. They have a great selection of German beers and you can order a half litre or full litre. Very similar to an outside biergarten at Oktoberfest or in Munich in general, where you smoosh yourselves into those picnic tables with random strangers and drink beer. It got a bit cold and windy and even with venue-provided blankets it was too cold for me to stay outside much longer. Would be a great place to go on a warm day! read more

This is such a fun and different bar to try! Definitely get a stein and enjoy the atmosphere! Everything is outside but they have plenty of blankets and some covering so you never get cold! This place is always buzzing on a Saturday afternoon in the sunshine. read more

Biergarten - German Near Me - San Francisco, California

The hours here are the worst. That's the only drawback I've found -- except for the bizarre drunk idiots that accosted us several times. But I just kind of have that vibe I guess. The beer was great, the pretzels with their home ground mustard and pickles were savory and different, the white wine was bearable. We sat out in the biergarten in the california sunshine *and then rain* and enjoyed a cold mug of beer and some super friendly service from the folks behind the bar. It's a bit on the pricey side -- but then isnt everything in CA? If you're in the area, and the line isnt wrapped around the block, sit down, have a beer, look at the world passing you by. read more

Cool little spot.. went one time and the beers tasted good. Just dress warm. The heat lamps are just for show. We went bc we thought It won't be as cold with the heat lamps. Nope!. No heat, more used for ambiance and look. read more

I organized a happy hour for an alum group I volunteer for here. It gets crowded when the weather's nice out, so come before 3 or get ready to wait in line ~40-60 minutes for food + beer. It's a nice, relaxing spot to relax with a stein (is that how you spell that?) and some friends on a sunny day though and people are really friendly. The tables seat ~8 so you'll likely end up sharing with strangers. Tip: bring sunglasses and sunscreen. It's easy to lose track of time and get sunburnt here. read more

Baby became cranky when they couldn't get into Suppenkuche. So, they brought baby to the biergarten for brats and beer. Daddy chugged down a lager. Mommy wolfed down the pretzel. They shared a basket of sauerkraut, bratwurst, and yes, another pretzel. Baby didn't get brats or beer, but fell asleep dreaming about them, so Mommy and Daddy were extra happy, too. read more

Came on a Sunday afternoon, had no problem getting a table. We actually switched because the guys we were sharing the first one with were geeking out over some HTML writing and the "hella" was slowly driving me to implosion. We quickly found someplace else to sit and then shortly after that, the older woman working sat an obviously lost couple at the end of the table. I thought it was kinda cool that they help you sit if you're a shy newbie. The beers are nothing to write home about. They don't have many... about 13-15 available, but I enjoyed my light beer, my husband enjoyed his dark beer and my friends chugged their gigantic ones. We're from LA, where people don't do communal, so it was nice just to sit and BE with other people--- I noticed a distinct diversity in ages, races, orientations, families, etc. Also, people actually spoke to each other... rather than getting lost in their cell phones. Wonderful to see. Fun way to spend a couple of hours and great for those new to SF. If I lived here, I'd definitely come back and bring out-of-towners. read more

The idea is great but execution is poor. The beer is the best part, quality beer and you can get a liter glass, great! But with only 4 taps operated by 2 servers the line quickly gets crazy and makes a 35min wait for a beer. They need to have 4 times the number of taps and servers. While the beer line is long and snaking outside, the food line is non-existent. Then there is a poor decision that all food must be ordered from the bar (the big line). BUT somehow you can pay cash and get a pretzel. Huh?!?! One should be able to order food from the food cart without having to do it through the bar. Thats just plain silly. I want to like this place but management needs to get their act together cause otherwise its a poor experience. read more

This place is wünderbar but kids should not be allowed. Period. No kids at bars, pretty simple. Dogs ok. read more

Once they work out all the kinks, Biergarten has a chance to be my favorite al fresco watering hole in the city. Now about those kinks...sure, the place is brand new, has been all over Thrillist, Daily Candy, Eater SF, Urban Daddy, Tabblehopper, Yelp, etc. etc. And opening weekend happened to be one of the nicest days of the year. So we did the smart thing and hopped in line at 2:40. We were inside right at 3pm and had no problem grabbing a table, though by the time the dust settled the line to get beer was almost as long as the line to get in the door. Couple suggestions - maybe have an auxiliary bar set up to sell bottles of beer for those that don't want to wait for the selections out of the taps. Also, it would be great to be able to order food without waiting in that same beer line...it's possible to order pretzels from the food pick up window, why not just order all food there? That being said, we really loved the place. Tables are communal and encourage chatting with your neighbors. The pretzel I had was fantastic, love that it's served with both mustard and horseradish. And the beer? Pretty damn good. read more

If I wake up on the weekend & notice the sky is sunny, one thought immediately races through my head. "Today will be a GREAAAT DAY for BIERGARTEN!" Yes, it's literally a parking lot with some benches & lights being hung overhead, with beer & german food being served out of shipping containers, but it's so AWESOME. On a sunny day in Hayes, it's hard to beat chilling and drinking beer with your friends and other locals in a communal outdoor setting. The one liter steins, brimming with beer certainly encourage feelings of joy as you bs the rest of your afternoon away with friends till your hungry. I mean sure, you can be productive with your day but why would you? Meat knot? What's that? I don't care. It tastes good & bring me another stein please. If you can't get enough of Biergarten, you should check out their sister restaurant Suppenkuche which is also in the neighborhood. They have delicious food and DAS BOOT, two whole liters of beer ready to help you stay tipsy. Watch the movie "Beerfest" for inspiration. read more

I visited the Biergarten when I was in town catching up with friends and loved my experience! Located about a block away from where I was staying, it was a cool outdoor space with beer taps flowing in an updated and renovated shipping container. There are a few staff members behind the bar checking IDs, pouring drinks, and making great food recommendations. There is plenty of fenced in patio space and dogs are welcome to look on from designated areas outside. Long park style benches and tables allow for gatherings large and small to meet up and it gave a super friendly vibe. Our group mixed with those sharing the table with us and made a few new friends in the process (how can you not over great beer?). They offer liter and half-liter pours of about 10 on tap selections. They have a solid bar food menu (which I didn't sample this trip) but smelled incredible. Christmas lights add to the ambiance in the evenings and they even have blankets you can use for chilly nights. I recommend stopping by for after work specials and snacks! read more

If you ever want to see the worst side of human existence...come to this place, especially on a weekend or a sunny day...or worst yet both combined. The crowd is unbearable in its homogenous selection of entitled and rude 20-40 something nerd alerts with absolutely no visual interest but an overwhelming lack of awareness....uh, huh IT IS THAT BAD. My sausage was cold. The server was cool but he too seemed unable to do much about the two jerks who sat at a table, with no beer or food. NOTE TO SERVER: THIS IS WHEN YOU WIPE DOWN THE TABLE REPEATEDLY AND OR REMOVE EMPTY GLASSES OR GENTLY ASK IF THEY ARE WAITING FOR SOMEONE IN LINE. The place sucks, The wait sucks (why am I here again?), The crowd sucks, The food is alright, And after waiting patiently in line for an hour, shame on you register guy for being a dick about my questions regarding the food. Clearly someone missed orientation and felt flustered by a few simple question. read more

Great idea, and the beer is authentic..as is the food. Issue is that there aren't enough points-of-sale...lines were RIDICULOUS last night, to the point we ended up sharing our liters and heading elsewhere so we could actually buy drinks. Definitely much better in the afternoon - after 7pm, I'd avoid unless they get more taps and registers. read more

Ordered 4 beers, 2 were served very warm, nearly room temp. LIne was too long to deal with complaining. Food was decent and the only thing keeping this place as an option for me in the future. I changed my review to 1 star because upon further investigation I figured out the problem here. They store their beer in a metal container type thing that didn't appear to be refrigerated. On a sunny day like the day I went, surely the temp inside this container has to be 80 degrees+. If a keg needs to be swapped out during the day or just before opening, it would take hours for a warm keg to cool down in a serving fridge near the taps. I'm sure I was just victim to a newish keg that had not had the chance to cool down. How do other bars solve this issue? They store kegs in fridges... for a place trying to be a legit beer destination, HUGE FAIL on their part. read more

This place just opened so I'm cutting them some slack because: 1.) I love the concept and applaud them for getting this off the ground 2.) I think they will work out the kinks 3.) I hope this will create opportunities for more restaurants/bars like this one We arrived right at 3pm when the Biergarten opened and waited in line for about 30 minutes to get in, then waited another 20-30 minutes for a beer and a pretzel. Kind of a long wait, but the place is new and I'm hoping they will work out a better way to handle the flow of people in/out/serving beers. The staff was beyond friendly and a bit apologetic about getting things going with the new space. Totally understandable. The beers were big and delicious and the pretzels really hit the spot. I did not have a sausage, but will definitely go back for one. It's not uber cheap (two giant beers came to approx. $21) but I guess that's just what giant beers go for in Hayes Valley. The atmosphere is still a little bleak - it's basically a chain link fence around a parking lot with picnic tables and a few trees for shade. However, it looks like vines are being grown on the fence and the trees will fill out. Lots of potential! read more

Love this place! It's in a great location in Hayes Valley in walking distance of other bars and restaurants, including Smitten ice cream next door. They sell a few finger foods here (sliders, warm pretzels, sausage, etc) to enjoy with your beer. I like that the selection of beers isn't too overwhelming and the menu at the counter tells you the alcohol percentage in each. The "building" is made out of recycled storage units. I appreciate the community seating. read more

Cool Concept (5stars) + Long long long long line for beer and food (2stars) + Only 3 beer choices (3stars) + Girl dispensing beer didn't go a good job, half of stein was head (2stars) + Delicious Sauerkraut (5stars) + Pricey food (3stars) + hard to find coed Porta-potty (1star) = somehow this averages to 3 stars! BTW, is anyone willing to go here on a rainy day??? read more

Did you wake up this A.M. imagining yourself with some friends on a big picnic table hugging a liter krug (that's German for big ass 1 person pitcher) of a Suppenkuche beer? Well this lil Beer Garden / Reclaimed Parking Lot complete with retrofitted industrial shipping containers is Das Shizzy! It's overflowing with all the reasons people love Suppenkuche without having to elbow wrestle yourself a beer. Not only is it bad ass man sized beers, they got some dang good grub to boot! Like pretzels, brats, salads, and sliders! You see they've built one of the old shipping containers into a kitchen. Genius! Then they built onto it a little back patio with a fire grill. Brilliant! Now throw in some sunny weather and you've got an afternoon of the Gods that is till one of the crazy locals decides to cozy up on your bench and kill your buzz but hey at least they're staying true to the German culture and leaving the choice of where to sit the toughest choice of all! read more

O-ver-ra-ted! *clap-clap-clapclapclap* Biergarten does not suck. But there are better restaurants and bars for ambience, beer selection/quality, and food quality that don't have the: *long waits (plural: long wait to get in, long waits for beers/food) *high prices that make Biergarten very avoidable. Staff are cool, as were the most of the other patrons. read more

So much love for this place. It's basically my backyard. The food is fantastic (I prefer the alarmingly pink deviled eggs, and the pretzel-wich with brie and picked shallots), the bathrooms are some of the cleanest I've *ever* seen (tip: they're marked as Mens and Womens in name only so no worries using the other gender's bathroom for efficiency's sake.) Oh yeah, and they have beer, too! Lots and lots of lovely delicious beer. The only thing I could possibly ask for is more beer options. And earlier opening hours. And some chairs for lounging with a book. Just small things. read more

Biergarten has that classic outdoor patio vibe that's great for hanging out with your favorite homies over a few pints that makes you feel like a viking (the pints make my arms feel tiny and weak). As a derivative of Suppenkuche, it's an extension of the German joint in terms of space, only featuring a much more limited menu. With only a couple lagers to choose from and a small selection of bar snacks (think: pretzels, sausages, pickle jars), Biergarten serves you mostly for a cool outdoor atmosphere when you want to impress your friends from out of town who aren't ready for the grit and grime of a typical SF dive bar. If you want more to taste, I would suggest just going to Suppenkuche down the street instead for a full meal and a better selection of beers. If you're looking to just chill on a rare sunny SF day, this is the place. Things to know: - On really nice weekends, get there when it opens (3pm) to snag a table before it gets too crowded - They don't have space-heaters, so get cozy with some blankets provided in the far corner - They have 2 stalls of clean restrooms, so drink to your heart's content! read more

Took friends visiting out of town to Biergarten for what i think is a very SF experience, arriving promptly at 3pm to find a line formed around the entire Biergarten's fence. Judging from the number of people and the side of the area i was afraid we weren't going to find a table. That worry quickly washed away when i realized we were actually standing in the food line and not purely an entry line. Once they open the doors anyone can walk right in and bypass the line to stake out a table! I highly suggesting splitting your party up - half find a table and half stay in line to order. I truly believe i spend half my time waiting in lines in the city. Most of the time it's to eat at places like this biergarten where reservations aren't accepted. Almost 45 minutes later we finally place our order! Order all your drinks and food the first round because you will NOT want to get back in line. The atmosphere is perfect for a laid back group who share a love of tasty beers and german food. It's trendy, in the middle of hayes valley, neighboring Smitten's ice cream and a Blue Bottle kiosk.The wind picks up like mad as the sun starts to dim. Drinking more beer doesn't always keep us warm enough! Luckily they know this at Biergarten and provide heavy duty blankets for us wimps in SF who can't handle a little cold. Get the pickled deviled eggs, bratwurst with sauerkraut, and pretzels to go around. The horseradish only encouraged me to drink more beer! read more

I love this place for so many reasons. I only wish they could stay open later, but I'm guessing it must be a noise issue considering this place is completely outdoors (aside from the shipping containers). The Biergarten is a really cool spot located in Hayes Valley. It's perfect for the warmer summertime, but they do open in the winter. Look for the blankets if you're cold! They serve beer here (obviously) in giant steins which is a lot of fun. They also have a pretty well-sized menu full of German food! I really love their purple deviled eggs as well as and of their sausages. It's all great and the vibe of this place is just a ton of fun. Also props to the employees here for basically serving us right around closing. I felt bad coming in so late, but it's really tough to stop by here considering how early they close. Thank you for serving us and making it a great night! read more

The place is basically five shipping containers and a fenced in lot. The beer was good but VERY pricey. The food was good but VERY pricey. ALL seating is outside. ALL picnic tables to be shared with whoever wants/needs a table. No roofs over any tables. Reminds me of the story of "The Emperor Has No Clothes". If the food and drink was cheaper, I'd give them a better review. I spent $70 on two 1 liter beers, one cider and one order of sausage and potatoes and tip. To me, that's pricey. The place looks and feels like a prison yard with the chain link fence. Don't get caught up in the hype. There are places that MUST be just as good with better ambiance, food and beer for cheaper. Skip it! read more

Celebrating a sunny and warm day at the Biergarten would be a normal thing to do. My only experience at the Biergarten was when it was chilly and an hour before closing on a week night. However, I really loved it! They were completely out of food, which is a huge pet peeve of mine when going out, but we had no problem getting beer. You can choose between a liter and a half liter. Plus, If you come at night, there is a much shorter line, and there are wool blankets to keep you warm. The selection isn't massive, but what they are serving is delicious. I had the Schneider Weisse, and it was my favorite beer ever. It had hints of banana and some spices, and I would totally recommend it. It's a darker color, but it does not taste like it at all. I tried sips of two other things as well that were good, but I have no idea what they were. What really warmed my heat over was that they have Almdudler. I spent an entire summer in Austria and drank SO MUCH Almdudler. While it's a bit more expensive than the home country, it was nice to see some non-alcoholic beverages with the German theme as well. read more

I'd only come here on a Wednesday or Thursday...because every other day, you're bound to wait forever in line and share communal tables with douchey peeps. The best food items: deviled eggs, pickled veggies, pork belly sliders and the burger. Pork belly sliders are what's up. read more

Fun and authentic german fare for those who dare! They even have the boot! I heard they celebrate Oktoberfest which I hope to catch next year if I don't go to Germany itself. Great little gem in the Hayes. read more

Um, hello! I don't know why this place doesn't have a perfect score! It is awesome! We rode our bikes down here and arriving at 5:30, were able to score an end of a table and some great beer! Don't forget about the regular pretzel! The spicy mustard with horseradish is to die for! I can't wait to go back! The blankets make it! SF can get cold in a blink of an eye but their blankets make everything alright! read more

When it's sunny in SF, I highly recommend checking this spot out! It has an ample amount of outdoor seating (picnic tables). It's a pretty social place, which makes it awkward for those weird SF techies (not me)! I recommend coming here with a group of friends but would not recommend coming here on a date. Now... let's talk about the important stuff... the beer! I was impressed at the size of the beer that they serve. You can either get a very large beer in a glass or a HUGE glass. Honestly, unless you're chugging the huge glass, why would you get it? Beer is pretty nasty once it's warm, so go with the smaller glass, which is still very big! This place is located in a great location. There's tons of parking, it's close to muni/bart/freeway and if it's sunny in SF, it'll be sunny here! Service is ehh... whatever. You order up front and then you go sit down. The woman that was working there when I was here a couple of weekends ago wasn't friendly and didn't seem like she wanted to be there - maybe she was having a bad day? read more

4+. Good beer, good to awesome food (pink deviled eggs! and sunflower-seed pretzels with fresh horseradish, etc.) The salad basket is a real bargain. Today they had a somewhat interesting ice-sculpture that everyone was instagraming. Hipster and self-aware? Hell yeah, and I don't care. I can ignore them as easily as I can ignore anyone else. They are somewhat quietly loathing themselves while I am quietly enjoying my food. It's a win-win in out parallel universes. An occasional neutrino upsets the balance. read more

Prost to Germany, German beer and German food! Biergarten is exactly what I have been searching for and I need to make sure that I come here more often. Located in the heart of Hayes Valley, this beautiful industrial-inspired beer garden, is certainly a go-to spot for beer lovers looking to enjoy one of the few outdoor patios that San Francisco has to offer. The menu includes all your classic German wants (nay, needs), including pretzels, curry wurst pickles and more! For beer, you have anything from a light blonde, to a dark amber. They've got stiegl, franziskaner, schneiderweisse and even radler (beer/sprite mix). And don't worry, if the German food and German beer isn't enough German for you, you can always order your drink in a classic (and massive) German beer mug. The garden has plenty of seating, so don't worry about that. However, the place is serve yourself, so you might need to wait in line to order. If it's a beautiful day and you want to get outside, I highly suggest coming to Biergarten for at least a pint or two. read more

Dear Yelp, Be careful what you order. Food is delicious but if you're not careful they might give you more food than you intended to order. Check your receipt before paying. Order a pretzel and lemonade soda! read more

Like the name obviously suggests, Biergarten is a cool outdoor spot to drink some beers with friends. Good German beer selection and they provide blankets for you if it's cold out which is obviously quite often in SF. Some of the blankets, however, smell like a dive bar from all of the beer spilled on them, bringing a new meaning to the term "beer blanket," but at least they provide them if you failed to bring a jacket. The only thing that needs to be worked out here is expediting the brew service. It's ridiculously slow. Even if you arrive when it opens you can still expect to wait 20 to 30 minutes in line to get a beer. Want another beer? Get back in line. read more