Long lines. Get a liter, you won't want to get back in line nor lose your seat (if you can grab one). Could have a larger beer selection but I respect the German selection and the appropriate glassware. High quality beer that won't get warm because you won't stop sipping. Luckily I snagged a seat while my BF got the brews. We arrived at 2:05, the place opened at 2:00 and already the entire garden was either packed or claimed for. They need to have a no reserving seats rule, and a no sitting before you have beer rule and this might make the flow a little better. I snagged the end of a table with a bit of begging and a bit of force, just after getting my beer, people were standing eyeing down seats. Come early, bring friends, hold down a table and get a few liters. Thank god the sun shines in SF in January. Gotta love that. **Did not try any food, review for beer and beer garden only** read more

This is easily my favorite outdoor place to drink with friends. I came here with a group that started out as 3 and grew to be 8, taking over a whole table. Finding seating was far easier than I anticipated for a beautiful Wednesday night around 6pm. The beer line also went much quicker than you'd think for how long it was. Our group loved the red ale, the gnomeburgers and the various types of knots (I'd say the best was the guest knot). Can't go wrong with crispy prosciutto (two words that clearly belong together). I also love that they provide blankets for those who somehow forgot what the weather in SF is really like. I'll be back soon! read more

Day drinking outdoors? Christmas lights and blankets after dark? I'm down. German bier on tap and friendly staff to explain every eccentricity and flavor profile. Bathrooms in an adjacent shipping container are always a plus. read more

The emplacement is just amazing. Right in the hearth of Hayes Valley, this is a huge outdoor terrace. Go enjoy the sun and great german beers. They come either in half or full liter, so brace yourself! As it's outside, it might get cold on grey days or past 5-6pm. But no worry, they have a set of wool blankets you can borrow if you're getting cold! read more

Ocktoberfest is in the air!!! My friend chose this this morning and I love German beer gardens so I had to agree! We met at 3pm just 2 hours after they opened and it was already packed! The line wasn't too long maybe like a 5 minute wait and I ordered half a liter of light lager and my friend got a liter of beer along with a side of pretzel and German sausage with potatoes. The pretzel had a nice tingly light salty taste to it; the dough was soft and warm! I was happy that it was freshly baked and it came with radish and mustard- definitely tasted like the pretzel I had from the Frankfurt airport I had a year ago :) Good memories. The German sausage came with a small serving of potatoes. I thought that it would taste amazing with siracha LOL. Coincidentally two German travelers sat next to us and we instantly got along. We asked if it tasted authentically and they actually told us it was really good!! I'd say this beer garden attracts the right crowd- friendly, fun, and adventurous people. The table behind me was definitely enjoying their time due to the sudden increase in volume and laughter! Being here made me want to return to Germany in the winter and I am definitely going to put this thought into consideration since Christmas markets originated from Munich, Germany To new visitors or tourists: I highly recommend uberring or bussing here because parking is scarce. read more

Biergarten - 5/5 - German Near Me - San Francisco, California

Tell me why. One reason why Germany's Paul Van Dyk is awesome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mCQEM3FugM Few reasons why German Biergarten is awesome: Excellent homemade veggie sliders, delicious beet salad and a full of flavor (and sauerkraut) bratwurst on a pretzel roll. Plus homemade pickles and a Weihenstephaner lager so light and easy to drink that there was a bit of regret on this warm(ish) July night for not getting the large size. Much like a packed PVD show get ready to be close with your neighbors as seating is all at communal tables. Atmosphere is lively but not too loud. At roughly $25 a person this will not be a cheap excursion. But like a really good DJ experience a really good dining experience shouldn't be either. Enjoy finding your own reasons for giving four stars. read more

It was a little chilly on a Wednesday afternoon here (I wish they would have heat lamps for these occasions), but we were really happy with the beer selection (I got local beer Fort Point), plus they have yummy food. I had the yummy pork belly slider (big chunk of pork belly, sorry no pic as I was starved and ravaged it), and my friends had the burger and hot dog - both were enjoyed! Chilly, but otherwise, quite happy! 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

Big sister Suppenkuche serves traditional German food and a good selection of alcohol. Like older siblings, Suppenkuche has that confidence that no one tries to mess with. And it shows because there's always a line! (Minimum wait on a Saturday night is 1 hour.) They've perfected keeping people happy, and you can tell with the solid four star rating with 2,500 reviews! Little sister Biergarten is a little similar, yet has its own flair. (Younger siblings were always a little more rebellious, right?) It's outdoors and fenced around. Pro-tip: you order the food and beer, and your friend grabs a table. When the weather is nice, you bet all the tables are taken! - Beers come in half liters or liters. Go big or go home! - Food was good and reasonably priced. The pork belly sliders were yummy! - No "real" service - they bring out your food and clear the table. - There's a park right in front, and Smitten is just around the corner. - Wed-Sat 2-8pm. Sun 1-7pm. This place is just like a little sister - carefree, easy going, and fun! Cheers! read more

Go for the bier, stay for the outdoor drinking experience. But eat elsewhere. Let me explain... The beer choices are good and you can get them in 1/2 or 1 Litre sizes, but you'll have to wait in a long line before getting to quench your thirst. The people taking your order are friendly, answer your questions, and don't rush you despite the line that keeps growing behind you (it takes a while to pour a litre of beer!). Once you have your beer in hand, find a picnic table, kick back, and get merry. And if you happen to get hungry, I'd visit the food trucks parked around the corner before buying food here again. On to the hugely disappointing snacks: I was looking forward to having a nice, warm German pretzel. What I got in return for my $5 was a COLD seeded pretzel with dollops of mustard and nostril-searing horseradish. F that. Still hungry, I ordered a brat & sauerkraut for $9. Tasty, but no bun so it wasn't as filling as I was hoping. Hey, at least the brat was hot. Still, $9 for a brat is kinda crazy. Is there a ballgame going on here? They must be made from organic, virgin, nitrite-free, vegan-diet pork to justify it. Given their overhead (or lack thereof), I'd expect lower prices across the board. But since the crowds keep on coming, I doubt they'll change anything. read more

This place is awesome. San Francisco is waaaaaay short on patios, so if you want to enjoy a cold beer, some snacks and a whole lot of sunshine, this is the place to do it. Be warned there are always lineups though. It seems intimidating, but is totally worth it. You'll wait like 15minutes in line, don't stress, enjoy the day. The interesting thing about this place is that you have to line up every single time you want a beer, you can't order at the tables. What this means is that there is a pretty consistent turnover of the tables, so once you've ordered your beer, you can usually always find a place to sit. They are associated with Suppen Kuchen across the street, so you are guaranteed some quality in the snack foods they serve. :) read more

A pretty darn perfect place to hang out with friends - or just the people nearby - on any given "nice" day (or night). The beer - giant. I'd like more of a variety, but admittedly I'm a girly beer drinker. Still, there's something so satisfying about drinking out of a beer stein the size of your head, with some good heft to it. The snacks - exactly right. What goes better with a giant beer than a giant pretzel? Or, really good, pickled deviled eggs? #recommended The atmosphere - picnic tables, string lighting, the heart of Hayes Valley. Worth spending some time. 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

Beer -- good but they ran out of one kind. They only have 3 kinds! Also, it was expensive. The smaller size of beer (which is still plenty big) is $8. The large size is $15. I shared a large beer with my boyfriend and a brat basket, which is two bratwursts and one "pretzel" (pretty small if you ask me) for $18. Two hotdogs and a ball of bread for nearly $20? Luckily we weren't too hungry. I wouldn't order this dish again. The sauerkraut was good . . . Best thing about this place is the outdoor tables. It has cute white lights that brighten it up at night and give it a fun atmosphere. It was pretty busy for a Wednesday when I went. Crowd was late 20s. I would go back here only for the beer, not for the food. But it is a unique option when Suppenkuche is too busy to seat you. And, they bring the food to the table (they give you a number when you order) which is a nice touch. 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

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

We visited Biergarten during quite cold weather, so we didn't have to wait in the legendary lines. The beer was awesome, as was all the food. Pretzels, mustard, pickles, sandwiches... yummmmm. A fabulous time was had by all. Love that they provide blankets!! read more

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon after having spent all morning at the new Exploratorium acting like overgrown children, my group and I decided that we should reassert our adult-ness by grabbing liters of beer at the Biergarten. None of us had ever been, though we were all intrigued by the Yelp photos of mugs as big as our heads. We got in line at about 2:45PM-2:50PM (right before they opened), and it had already just turned the corner on the block. They opened at 3PM on the dot, and people immediately either stampeded for the shady tables scattered through the courtyard or moved towards the beer line. By the time we got to the gate, most of the tables were already filled up, so we commandeered what looked like the only empty one left right by the gate itself. Then, we waited for our beers. It took us about 30 minutes before we even got to order. Not that I ever really mind having to wait, but I should be waiting for beers that I can't find anywhere else. The beers that Biergarten had on tap were ones that you could find at most good, local liquor shops. But whatever, we were here to enjoy the Biergarten for what it was. At $7-10 a half liter and twice that for a full liter, and with food ranging from another $4-16 (from the knots to the baskets), Boyfriend and I ran up a $42 tab for a liter and a half of beer, a frankfurter with sauerkraut and a bratwurst with curried potatoes. Everything was yummy, but not mouthwateringly rave-worthy. Overall verdict: a very nice little spot with the potential to be very chill, but a little over-hyped. I would totally go back -- but at the prices they're charging and for what you get in return, I might just grab their beer only instead of snagging something to munch on, too. read more

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

Came here sometime last fall with my friends who wanted to check it out. The concept of the place is cool; they try to replicate the atmosphere of a German beer garden with authentic benches and mugs. They even have blankets out; a good amenity to have given the chilly nights in San Francisco. However, in terms of their food and drink, I have mixed feelings. In all honesty, the food there is overpriced. I ordered the bratwurst with sauerkraut; the food was really good, however they should at least give two brats instead of only one if they charge $9. The sauerkraut was one of the best i've ever tried... not like your typical type found at ballparks. My friend ordered the egg sandwich (costing $8) , and he was still hungry after finishing it. On the other hand, their beers are moderately priced. A 1/2 liter will cost you around $6-8, and they have a good selection of beers. I tried the Stiegl Pilsner and it was great! All in all, this place is definitely worth trying at least once, just pick an evening/night that's not too cold. read more

What's good: drinking in the sunshine, pink deviled eggs, getting slightly buzzed and ordering in an obnoxoious fake German accent and annoying the shit out of the nice hipster wait staff. Hipster mustache bingo. Why I won't go back soon: 45 minutes in line for a beer. Das ist nicht gil. Das ist shit man. read more

Biergarten is super yummy! The beer is great and served in large quantities and the food is delicious. I'm a huge fan of the meat and cheese pretzel knots. Oh and the bratwurst is so good --- the mustard and sauerkraut served with it is fantastic. Also, homemade pickles and pickled carrots and the horseradish...drooling just thinking about it. Spend some time outside and enjoy what Beirgarten has to offer. I challenge you to not have a good time :P Next stop is the sister restaurant Suppenküche. read more

Beergarden...I mean, Biergarten has a great concept. Outdoor drinking, large mugs, and German eats. It's a great way to spend a sunny afternoon in the city with some good company. The German beers come in this huge mug which is a cool idea. The beer was tasty, but if you like real beer I would recommend staying away from the beer mixed with the soda. By the halfway mark, the sweetness gets to you and it's harder to drink by the minute. Beware that the line can get VERY long and unfortunately, it's the same line if you want another round. Ain't nobody got time for that! Maybe it's their way of crowd control so that there is not one group that stays forever unless they are really determined to wait in that line again. How do you not wait in line? Show up when Biergarten opens. There will be no line to wait in and a hopefully somewhat short one for seconds. Unique beer, beautiful day, great company...good times. read more

Be prepared to wait in a very long line ... This place is amazing! And outdoor beer garden is just an awesome place to hang out and drink and have a great time with friends. We arrived around 3pm and realized that there was already a long line that had formed to get in. Apparently, you have to go earlier than that to stand in line. It took us about 45 minutes to one hour before we got to the front to order and sit down. There are limited tables and the service can be a little slow. Not sure why they don't have separate lines for drinks only and drinks/food. I think that was what was slowing down the line. Plus, once you get in it might be tough to find a table as most of the tables get filled up quickly. You might have to squeeze with other people but it makes it more fun. We ordered a cheese pretzel to try their handmade pretzels and it was delicious! If I had room for more food, I would've ordered more just to try everything out. You can order different sizes for the beer so don't be scared off by the large giant mugs everyone is carrying around. Or you might be get really excited seeing them. Either way this is a really nice place to just sit, enjoy your beer and chat the night away. read more

The sausage and curry potatoes are delicious! Beers are sort of expensive but I like that it is a patio and there is very cool people in this joint. When the weather is nice it is a really cool spot to hang out and meet new people. I like the fact that they give you blankets at night if it gets cold. Only tried one of the beers, looking forward to visit again and try a different one. read more

This place is great! The wooden park benches remind me of the bar on campus in Berkeley. The string lighting eases an afternoon rendezvous into a romantic evening. The open space and view of the Octavia Street Park provide a welcome respite from the towers of downtown. The beer is served by the liter. Halfsies available too. I like coming here to drink & draw. read more

Recommended by friend while in SF. Quality of food/bev (8/10). Relative value (9/10). They basically sell you a liter of beer for $12. How many beers in a liter? http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_beers_in_a_liter That comes out to about $4.00 per beer. That's a pretty good value. Plus it looks pretty cool hoisting those oversize beer steins. Ambience: This place is basically an empty lot covered in black asphalt and park benches (rumored to have been flown in straight from Germany). The two buildings are basically converted storage containers. You sit where you can, and usually random people share tables. Me likey as fun social place. They day we went there was also a band playing dressed in funny german outfits. I heard they volunteer and get paid in beer. Only four beers on tap and very limited menu, but if you're going to be picky about those types of things, go to a sit down resturatant or the Yard House. I'd probably give this 4.5 stars mainly for the value, and the social aspect of this place. Fun times. read more

This place is really cool! It is an outdoor place with community style seating on a big lot. You go up to a shack like thing to order, and the workers are all really nice and cool. They have an array of beers, i think like 5 on tap and they werent all lagers and pilsners thankfully :) we also grabbed a bite, i got the mushroom sliders they were soo good. I would love to come back here on a nice sunny day for some day beers! read more

Overall impression: long lines and overpriced in general by a few dollars. The food was good but the portion sizes were small (good enough to feed a child but not a grown adult). From the gate to the front of the line probably took a good 20 minutes and then another 15-20 minutes before we got our food. Good thing we had a beer while we waited. read more

The two most probable reasons for having insanely long lines: 1) You are so popular that too many people want your stuff. 2) You are too dang slow at servicing your customers. Thanks to a heavy dose of #2 and a smattering of #1, Biergarten delivers consistently on a promise of a long, long wait almost every time. I get that they're popular. The location is pretty sweet and, even though it's basically set up in a chain link fenced parking lot, they've done a good job of making it feel cozy. I don't get how they're so, so, soooo slow. This is BEER folks, which comes out of taps and bottles. It's not craft cocktails that take meticulous care and attention to detail to create correctly, nor is it a perfectly slow-dripped individual cup of coffee. Beer - the same basic stuff that's whipped up in seconds at any other bar. Maybe they don't have enough people behind the counter? After 5 visits, I still haven't been able to figure it out. Another thing to be aware of, and I state it here because, given their location and lack of signposting, it's totally non-obvious. Biergarten DOES NOT allow dogs. That's right: even though it's outdoors and in a parking lot, they won't let you bring your pup in. I'm sure they have their reasons for this but, as a dog owner looking for a cool place to chill during a nice summer day, it's a giant downer that makes me feel like "not fair!!!" With all of that, I'd have given it a measly two stars. There's good stuff too, though, bringing it to a solid three. The food and beer are delicious, when its cold and windy (which is pretty frequent), they'll bring along cozy blankets to keep patrons warm. Its location right next to Smitten, Ritual, and a wide variety of other Hayes Valley spots makes it a tolerable destination for even non-drinkers. Be warned, though: the Biergarten staff does not look kindly on bringing outside food in to the place. I've literally seen people get kicked out for nibbling on a slice of Pizza. So, all in all - a decent place to kill a sunny Saturday afternoon in Hayes Valley. Just leave the dog at home, and be prepared to invest a bunch of your day waiting in line. Whether you enjoy it despite the drawbacks is, as always, totally up to you! read more

How is it possible that this place is packed, full, and the line for beer is almost around the corner at 3:30pm on a Sunday! Also considering they open at 3pm! Waited an hour for a beer, and it's not because the staff was moving slowly. It appeared that people who were sitting down with their drinks, kept "cutting" and asking their friends who were waiting to get them more beers. It feels like all the yuppies and hipster wannabe's trek it to hayes valley for the biergarten. Makes the place a little pretentious, and ignoring all of it, it's a great spot. The beers are delicious and refreshing. Their bratwurst basket is amazing and out of this world. Sauerkraut was done perfectly. Love the pretzel, so soft and buttery. read more

We came on a Thursday night around 6, which turned out to be perfect. We managed to nab two picnic tables for our group and there were just enough people for it to feel cozy but not quite crowded. The line varied from about 5 to 10 deep for beer & food, which was fine. So I'd recommend it for a Thursday - I walked by on a nice Saturday afternoon and there looked to be about 10x as many people. Honestly, I wasn't wild about the beer - I guess I'm generally preferring ales to lagers now, but the food is pretty good. The brats were a bit too mild but the pretzels were great and the pickled & deviled eggs were fun to try. read more

I came here on a Friday afternoon/evening and apparently I lucked out that bit was somewhat chilly because my friend and I were actually able to get a seat. I've been told this place is usually packed. I love the layout and vibe. It is very casual and relaxed. Get a beer, order some snacks, drink and catch up with friends. Gotta love the big steins. My one knock is the line to order drinks. I'm a fan of orderly single queues, like chipotle. Here there were a couple of lines, a mesh of people to together and others just lolly gagging. Make one line and it is empirically proven to be faster and more efficient. This is a win win for both consumers and the business. read more

So you know how there's those times when you're like, 'yeah, I could really go for a nice sunbathing session and a gallon of good beer?' (They happen to me more than I'd like to admit). Well, Biergarten is your place. While I can't promise you there will be sun, I can promise you you'll get your weeks worth of beer here. And it's awesome for groups with their picnic-style seating. Bonus points - it's right in Hayes Valley, which is also pretty-kick ass. So if you're feeling some pancakes before your gallon of beer, or you want ice cream after your gallon of beer, you're golden. Basically, if you like beer, go. read more

We (my husband and I) came here a couple weeks ago on our quest to try 52 new places in 52 weeks. Hayes Valley has been waiting for you Biergarten! Came here after work on one of those "70 degrees and sunny" days in San Francisco. I should have been prepared for this since I've heard so many great things, but this place was PACKED. We waited on a very long line to get our beers, but luckily while waiting on line you are able to scout out possible seats. I luckily spied two open spots at a crowded table and we swooped in. The beers are your typical german beers, but something about having them outside, under market-lights, with a hundred other people some how makes them tastier. But beware! When the temperature drops this place gets chilllly. Which is why they have blankets. Which I am a BIG fan of. read more

Pickled deviled eggs. I don't even like anything pickled or pickles but these were glorious. They had some kind of butter spread on top - pretty sure that's what made them as glorious as they were. Do not miss out on these. Sidenote: first time ever having deviled eggs. I'm not ashamed to admit that, okay?! read more

It's closed on Tuesdays, which is one of my days off, so it sucks that I can't come here on that day. I've only had beer here, it's a place where we either stop by before or after dinner. It's outside, right across from a play area so if you have kids, you can definitely dump them there and pop into Biergarten for a drink (I actually suggested this to a friend and he said it was a good idea, but he never did it.) When it gets cold you can use one of the blankets that they offer but it's itchy and who knows who's been using it, so I really suggest you bring your own to use if you are anticipating the weather to be cold. read more

This is the place to go if you're a fan of German food, beer, and, of course, the Bavarian-style liter mugs. YES. SO MUCH YES. Their menu caters to veg heads just as much as they do to meat lovers. SCORE! And, they serve non-wheat beers/ hard ciders, too. WINNING all around. PROST! read more

Biergarten - Mushroom sliders, get in my belly! - German Near Me - San Francisco, California

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YUM! I ordered the bratdog and the light lager beer and they were both scrumptious! Also, I was a fan that they allowed us in even though they were already doing last calls! They also provide blankets if you ask for it! Definitely going to come back to try the rest of the food and beers and relax! 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