This was so fun but crowded, met a lot of coffee connoisseurs, was high after tasting so many coffees. It was very interesting to learn of the recipes n their magic brewing techniques. Looking forward to it next year hopefully. read more

Eat Drink SF - One of the vendors, fun dispensary. - Festivals Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Last nights event was amazing!! I don't know how I didn't know about this event last year, but only this yr. So, my friend and I got free VIP tickets to go check out Eat Drink SF. I didn't expect much, it's just food and drinks, unlimited. However, the food was exceptional with amazing chefs on hand and the drinks, well, it was an open bar of wine and all types of liquors. They had so many types of food to taste from: fresh oysters, duck liver, pizza, ceviche, roasted beef, chicken pot pie, salmon hand rolls, caviar, ice cream to handcrafted chocolates, and anything you were craving. I was so stuff from all the delicious foods and drinks! The vendors were really organized and did amazing setting up so many awesome booths. I hope next yr the chefs can step aside to talk to customers and have their staff prep the foods. I am definitely signing into this event next yr. read more

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So, I went to the event at the Midway and liked it. It was cramped and while Fort Mason may have been too big, this place was too small. The bites were incredibly small and the head's up to eat a good meal ahead of time, becasue the alcohol flows and there wasn't enough of a buffer between it and my intestimg. I did enjoy the Maker's Mark tasting, the Lillet spritz, the wine tasting, the Kombucha, the flavored waters, etc. I liked it. But the bites were way too small, and by having allergies, I was limited as far as what I could ingest. There were a couple of hits - the cracklings with the bacon salsa, the beef tartare (not quite tartare) was a tasty morsel, and the beef with rice noodles was good. Although I ate a salad before going, I was really feeling the drink. Also, the way we were cramped was horrible. There was a long line for people waiting to get bubbles with their name on them in their drink. But this line was merged with the line of people wanting food. Why? I'll never know. They had eight areas and six were in a very large room and that was a little hard to naviagate and once I saw all of the drinks aorund the edge of the room, I became overwhelmed. I know that next time, I need a good meal and to pace myself. I'd go if invited and if we weren't squeezed into such a tiny space. read more

My group of four decided to check out Eat Drink SF. We arrived on Saturday, August 26th around 7:15pm. We had VIP tickets, so I believe we had access to the whole venue. Right when we walked in, we saw the Cheese (Manchego, Humboldt Fog) & Charcuterie from Hilscooking and just dug in. I love blue cheese, so I really enjoyed the humboldt fog. Next up were Beer & Bites from Stella Artois. This was a fun stop, but make sure to get your engraved glass. I guess this was free, but I didn't know, so I never got a glass. (I could have had a glass with my name on it!) We dropped by my favorite section: Foie Gras from Hudson Valley Foie Gras. It was a torchon (I'm more of a seared girl), but still super tasty. I swear, I ate like 10 plates of foie! We found the Caviar afterwards and I couldn't get enough of that either. I wanted to eat the whole tin! I had a fair amount to drink before we got here, so I vaguely remember grabbing some Oban. And I woke up with Cigars in my purse the next day. We also hit up the photo booth sponsored by I believe the food delivery service Caviar, so that was a fun stop as well. I do love photo booths. We were sitting at a table for a bit while my friends kept bringing food and drinks over, so I know I sampled more. My memory is a little hazy, but I think I got my money's worth. If not in the foie itself. Such a great event. If you love eating and drinking, worth checking out at least once. read more

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I've attended Eat Drink SF for the past couple years with my husband and we have so much fun! It's a great date night or a fun night out with a group of friends. I would say definitely go at least half an hour early to line up so you don't end up in their super long line for general admission tickets. There's plenty of alcohol and food at this event. We go hungry and fill up on tiny bites of each participating restaurants' booths and try some of the cocktails/alcoholic beverages. Take photos at the booths, listen to the music, play some of the booth games. Definitely a fun night out. We will return next year. Such a fun event and highly recommend. read more

As foodies, we all are programmed to eat until we're: 1.) full 2.) gotten our money's worth 3.) hate ourselves but reason that we should gobble everything in sight because there are starving children everywhere Let's go with option 3. It's the only way you'll get your money's worth when you go to an event like this. Every year, hundreds of restaurants, bars and proprietors vie for a spot at Eat Drink SF. It's a chance to reach out to folks who are willing to party, foodies, industry people and the like to put your best self out there. We went on a Friday night and had general admission tickets. My friend hooked it up since she had a hand in helping set up the event. Some of the more "upscale" restaurants offering premium eats/drinks were hosted in the VIP area, which was another $100 on top of general admission ticket ($100). My take on it is, you better have a strategy since only have 3 hours to complete your rounds and get your money's worth. General admission entry started at 715 and by 10pm, Fort Mason was ready to close for the night. I was overwhelmed the first few minutes I walked in. I knew I wanted to hit up some of the places I've had on my list forever but never made it to the restaurant. (i.e. Epic Steakhouse -- the steak tartare on pretzel bun was to die for!) Be sure to adjust your portion size expectations, but definitely come hungry. You will get "tastes" of food, some stalls offer a bite or two at the most, while some provide a more generous portion. Mestiza Taqueria (a bowl of arroz caldo mixto), Monk's Kettle (duck sandwich with fig jam, arugula), Waterbar (king salmon crudo), Ben & Jerry's (dark chocolate brownie ice cream sandwich), etc. Some only offered teeny tiny slivers of samples like La Mar (their classic ceviche was such a knockout, I kept coming back multiple times) and Locanda (literally, a very small dolma, which isn't even Italian!) I love running into my fave bartenders at events like this. Brian Means was manning the Junipero Gin stall and I spoke with him for awhile before swiping away two customized G&Ts. Tequila San Matias is a brand I've never heard of but they put the best show of the night and the bartenders were highly interactive. Plus, their pineapple slushie gave me the glow that no Sephora blush can! ;-) The Lillet ladies rocked it with the prettiest (and most girly) decorated booth ever. I think I should add it to my list of aperitifs to order when going out. There was also a Beverage Classroom where sommeliers gave a basic lesson on how to do wine tasting. I mean, more booze? Sure, wine not?! I had a marvelous time at my very first Eat Drink SF. Here's to hoping I score complimentary tickets again next year. read more

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Came here with a friend out of town - she's a big foodie, so rather than try and narrow down restaurants to take her... I figured this would be the perfect way to try a variety of what SF has to offer. The event takes place at Fort Mason Festival Pavilion and features a variety of restaurants and merchants. They event lasts 3 days (Fri - Sun) and each day has a lunch slot and dinner slot... it's important to note that each day/slot features different restaurants, so if there's something you're looking for I recommend doing research before picking which day/slot you want to go to. I did the lunch slot on Saturday - it wasn't too incredibly crowded but there were a few lines. I managed to get tickets through Groupon for ~$80... which helped since regular price, a single day/slot admission costs $140. Not sure if it would have been worth $140, but I definitely got my money's worth at $80. The bonus is that Groupon and Gilt customers get their own line for admission, which is much shorter than the regular line... so you get in faster. During this time I got to try a variety of the following: - Pate' and steak tartare (Roka Akori had the best one!) - Ceviche and ahi tuna poke - Gourmet tacos and sliders - Dumplings (gyoza, sheng jiang bao, etc.) - Cheese and charcuterie - all from local merchants! - Soups of different kinds, from tomato soup, crab bisque, gazpacho - Pasta like gnocchi and ravioli - Desserts like banana eggrolls, sorbet/ice cream, macaroons, pastries, etc. Although these were sample sizes... they get quite filling when you start eating them. Some things were served in a small sauce cup, like how you sample at Costco. Other things like the sliders and tacos were served on small plates. There's plenty of cocktail tables around to help eat. I was also impressed how some booths, even though they were sample sizes, took time with the presentation! I enjoyed myself and after doing one round, managed to go back to some booths to get a second taste. Especially that Roka Akori tartare - I don't usually eat/order tartare, but I tried so much of it during this event that I'm now a fan! If you like alcohol... this is definitely an event to visit, assuming you can keep up. I honestly think the price of the tickets are driven by the amount of alcohol one can have here. Because there are booths sampling so much alcohol - from beer to whiskey to rum. Everything you can think of! Some booths even give mixed cocktails while others give you a glass you get to keep. I didn't even get to the wine because I was too busy drinking up cocktails from various booths. I highly recommend you pace yourself because I could see people drinking themselves into oblivion. I -almost- did.. but luckily I was also stuffing myself with food, which balanced things out. Which brings me to my tips for the event: - Try not to eat too much before coming... and come hungry. There's a lot of food and only so little room in your stomach. - You must be willing to eat a variety - if you're a picky eater who's not open to trying new things, this isn't the place for you. There wasn't a lot of vegetarian / vegan options that I saw, so unless you're in it for the alcohol this isn't the place to be. - Pace yourself on the alcohol during your 3 hour slot - I'm not kidding, you'll get your money's worth after like 5 booths. - EAT ALL THE THINGS; try and do one round of all the booths before going back for seconds. =P Samples do run out at some point, so best to try everything early on. - Bring a tote bag! There may be a booth giving out tote bags, but otherwise you'll want to bring a bag to carry all the freebies from different booths. Some give free take-home glasses (I got a nice tall glass and some great pint glasses) or T-shirts. Cadillac was giving away free custom chocolate bars that got sent to your address. - Try not to eat too much that you'll earn a stomach ache... otherwise carry Tums, Pepto, or probiotics to deal with the aftermath. You'll be on a foodie high during the event, only to suffer the consequences afterwards. (NO REGRETS!) In addition to all the drinking and eating, they have presentations and cooking demonstrations on the stage. Sadly did not get to partake in those, but maybe next year I'll do it while holding 2 drinks. ;) Definitely plan on attending again next year if I an get my tickets Groupon or Gilt at a discount... this was a fantastic foodie experience! read more

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Eat Drink SF is San Francisco's premiere food festival that once had ambitions of keeping pace with older and prestigious regional food festivals in the region, such as the Los Angeles and Pebble Food & Wine Festivals. Unfortunately as time has passed by, they have sorely been passed up in turning this event into a huge culinary destination for those who travel across the country for the greatest food and beverage shows in the country. It is truly unfortunate because many, including myself, consider this city the one of great dining capitals of the world, but how could it express itself in this manner if our main food festival has turned into something so benign as it moves from venue to venue and limits its once promising schedule? Run by the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, a business group of leading restaurateurs and restaurant groups in the city, the festival began a decade ago in Union Square as "SF Chefs Food Wine" under a huge white tent in the middle of the square with multiple events taking place over a three-day weekend in late August. After almost five years there, they eventually changed their name to Eat Drink SF and moved indoors to the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion, where it has spent the past few years. Now it has moved to another venue, this time much more obscure and out of the way, called The Midway, in the city's Dogpatch district. Since its run by a restaurant group, Eat Drink SF has always aspired to be a festival heavily focused on the food, which was thankfully is enhanced by San Francisco's world-class array of restaurants. This year's festival was pared down to just one day of one afternoon and one evening session of what they call the "Grand Tasting", with different chefs and roughly 25 food vendors per session. While they announced some cooking and wine tasting demos, the festival no longer included several days of breakout events, as it once did, which had to be regrettable for organizers as those pre-events kept people coming back for more. Friends and I decided to sign up for the evening session for this year's festival, as by July that was the only one left on their Eventbrite listing. We decided to ride share to get to the venue early as it truly was in a rare stretch of the city were people rarely venture out to. Upon entry, with general admission, you can enter of six event spaces where vendor upon vendor has all-you-can-eat bites of global cuisines ranging from Asia to seafood to even comfort foods from the American South. They also had wine vendors pouring unlimited pours, non-alcoholic beverage options, and liquor providers creating festive cocktails featuring their products. I especially loved the deviled eggs served with a chicharrone from a new restaurant in the Mission called Curio, chilled seafood and vegetable soup from Barcino, malt vinegar chicharrones topped with guacamole and Tsar Nicoulas caviar, pepperoni pizza slices from Long Bridge Pizza, halibut from Bistro Boudin, and Sticky Rice flavored ice cream fro Hometown Creamery. They even had a fun robotic arm creating 3D images in a shot glass filled with Bulleit Rye in a separate room. What myself, and I assume many others, who paid good money did not appreciate was the congested venue they decided to have this year's event at, as The Midway was way too constricting for an ambitious event such as this. For one thing, the layout was terrible, there was no way anyone who wanted to attend a cooking demo was going to get inside the "private room" to view said demo. The Midway was so small they had to even create outdoor lounges, which were basically dolled up loading docks which featured even more vendors to be featured, but in the cold evening fog that crept up, I guarantee you that was no pleasure for anyone out there. They were also using small side rooms that I half to believe are used as office or storage space when it's not a venue, and there they were putting many food vendors into those small quarters, which for those vendors I could only imagine how challenging and disappointing that was. As per usual, food tended to run out towards the end of the evening, but I do want to note that as individuals who are paying such a high premium for tickets, you expect to be served at least with at least a half an hour left to go in the announced time that your ticket says, but at this year's festival, it was not to be. I hope organizers know that they have something truly unique here and I wouldn't want them to blow it by lackadaisical marketing and outreach to the multitude of vendors that are looking to promote their businesses among the aspiring foodies that are craving to discover them all. The venue they selected for the 2019 edition wasn't conducive to hosting a huge event of this scope and they seriously need to reconsider hosting it in such a detached location in the future. In order to be considered a culinary destination, San Francisco needs Eat Drink SF to reach its ultimate potential. read more

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Foodie mecca! The organizers and vendors did a great job of managing the event - from line flow, keeping the event clean, bathroom line - non existent, and the food while needing to have another batch remade occasionally never ran out though. For GA admission started at 7:45 which is kind of late, especially on a Friday night. But it was an awesome event filled with noteworthy names such as the Farm at Caneros Inn, La Mar, Hudson Valley, Spruce, and many more. There were also plenty of freebies. I loved the food truck style stands such as Pellegrino's collabo with Mission Chinese & Super Duper's soft serve truck. There was plenty booze a flowing too from many wineries, Glenlivet, and different liquors. That colorful gin snow cone like drink was the best, and I don't even like gin! It's small bites, though unlike Costco, you don't have to feel ashamed for going back to a stand to sample multiple times. Parking looked awful as the lots at Fort Mason were packed (it was OTG Fort Mason too). The only reason I'm hesitant to give it a 5, is for the steep price. I didn't pay the $119 but that's a lot for about two hours of samples and booze. I can't drink like I used to, so I feel like it may be worth the steep price if you can DRANK a ton and are a die hard local chef foodie who has tech money to spare. I'm very happy and grateful that we went though since I've been wanting to go to one of these SF foodie fests for so long. read more

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As part of Yelp's 10th anniversary birthday celebration during the 7/31 - 8/3/14 weekend, Yelper Terry K. and I were very fortunate to receive confirmation to attend the popular Eat Drink SF, an annual food, wine, spirits festival presented by the Golden Gate Restaurant Assn. Our gratitude to Yelp for providing us with complimentary tickets, which are normally $125/person, w/ proceeds for financial scholarships to Bay Area students enrolled in culinary/hospitality programs. Formerly called the SF Chefs, this 3-day foodie event was formerly held under white tents at Union Square. This year, it moved to a more spacious, fully-enclosed exhibition pavilions at the Fort Mason Center in the Marina District. W/ more than 200 different restaurants, bars, distilleries, breweries, & wineries participating during the 3-day event, our attendance on Sunday included samplings from 36 restaurants; 29 bars, spirits, beer, wine, & beverage booths; cooking demos; & wine classes offered by the SF Wine School. There was even a booth displaying Wusthof fine cutlery of varying knives/cooking shears. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eat-drink-sf-san-francisco?select=39ZbUQC6ncpEEQmzMMmC_Q http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eat-drink-sf-san-francisco?select=tA8uWEOkpWJ1kMqp6NzQvw Upon entering the pavilion, we were given empty wine glasses, which set the tone for this event. This 3-hour event was spectacular - all the delicious gourmet offerings that you can eat & all the satisfying alcoholic/non-alcoholic libations possible, that you can imagine! We ate/drank until we could no longer continue! We watched a cooking class on how to cook a lobster. We chatted w/ restaurant chefs from some of the finest restaurants, as well as brewers, mixologists, and wine experts. There were lots of giveaways that you could take home, such as different wine glasses, hazelnut syrups, snacks, etc. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eat-drink-sf-san-francisco?select=x3T3f7QbaoGaflJrmsAj-w http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eat-drink-sf-san-francisco?select=iRe6Ng6tExWx6jGolRi0Pg Some of the foods that I enjoyed: - Sam's Chowder House: house-smoked salami crostini w/ pepperonata & crème fraiche http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eat-drink-sf-san-francisco?select=9bFxf0yd2zLUKyj6t57UxA - Osteria Coppa: eggplant capriata & summer squash http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eat-drink-sf-san-francisco?select=nOJ-XJvyCnR9JyaedGA5rQ - Fog City: Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream w/ caramel sauce http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eat-drink-sf-san-francisco?select=WN-n_7v0VPOdD5koEiA1AA - FIVE Restaurant & Bar: cured & confit black mission fig over brioche toast w/ mint ricotta; smoked duck breast w/ cheese, toasted hazelnuts, fig jam - Precita Park Café: house-made Burrato w/ marinated figs, herb mousse, walnut praline http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eat-drink-sf-san-francisco?select=lhqtl1ZPguXpRSWP9HFk_A - Emporio Rulli: passion fruit soaked baba (dessert bread) w/ house-made mascarpone cream, organic local peaches, & topped w/ cinnamon streusel (my favorite at this show). They also had a magnificent tower of sweets & a fancy decorated cake on display. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eat-drink-sf-san-francisco?select=7KVlAMpmlGXnklem97fB5A - Sammy's Aloha at Butterfly: Hawaiian style ahi poke & salmon spring roll Some of the interesting wine and spirits vendors were: - Hangar 1 Vodka: cocktails served in mason jars http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eat-drink-sf-san-francisco?select=_nWXq6kQGGt69dDl_zlNgg - Stella Artois: Belgian beers - Wines & spirits from various regions, states & countries, e.g., Napa Valley, Lodi, Washington State, New Zealand, Japan, Portugal. We were also fortunate to be given entrance to the VIP Lounge, which had luxury RV trailers w/ cushioned bench seats to sit on after being on our feet for so long, as well as private restrooms. It also had its own food/drink booths. I enjoyed the Moroccan spiced Sonoma country duck w/ picked beets & caramelized figs (Kitchen of Sacramento) & the smooth coffee by Nespresso Coffee. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eat-drink-sf-san-francisco?select=6XR7JFQJQq6c6dUmxCyAAQ http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eat-drink-sf-san-francisco?select=DAK8qvh0vF_4mTDwCJtYLw Great to bump into new-found Yelper Bay Area friends we met from earlier Yelp 10th anniversary events - Mitzi A., William M., Christine R. - who gave us tips as to their favorite booths. After the show ended, they showered us with 8 hours of their first-class SF hospitality by taking us to after-show drinks & their personalized guided tours of the SF suburbs/landmarks & the 'hoods that they grew up in. Yelpers are so much fun! Thank you, Yelp, for letting us experience this amazing SF foodie/drink festival as part of your 10th birthday celebration! Another opportunity to learn more about SF's food/drink establishments & how the Yelp community embraces them! read more

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This is our third year at EatDrinkSF and the most disappointing. Our first year in 2015, we went for the Saturday Evening tasting. The pavillion was packed and a lot of people were getting a bit too boozy. The food was pretty good though. We tried everything and most of it we enjoyed. In 2016, we got tickets to the Taco Showdown and the Saturday Evening tasting again. The tacos were ok, but most were more of the same thing - only a few we really enjoyed and stood out. The Saturday Evening tasting was again another scene of people drinking too much, but we enjoyed the food. This year we attended the Saturday Afternoon tasting to change things up. Maybe that was our mistake? I only enjoyed a few dishes which is really disappointing at a food and drink festival. A number of restaurants seemed like they didn't really try to make anything that creative or delicious. There was a crab bisque the booth said was "world famous"; it was really gross and I immediately threw it out. One restaurant just had a massive mortar and pestle of traditional guacamole. It tasted fine, but again disappointing in terms of bringing an interesting dish to the event. Might be worth it if you're going for the unlimited alcohol and getting shots (the cocktails we tried were watered down from being made way too far in advance with ice and got watery as they sat), but unfortunately, I think this may be our last year. If go again, we'll go to the evening session again because the food greatly disappointed in the afternoon. read more

And it's sad to say goodbye! But if we had to, The Eat Drink SF is definitely the way to do it. Restaurant Vendors, liquor and wine purveyors, Kitchen appliance representatives, Chefs from many named restaurants in SF giving demonstrations and lessons on who to cook! Lucky enough to have been awarded tickets to partake in this great event, I made sure to stop at the variety of eateries and speak with those who tirelessly gave of their time to put a Foodie Conference together. This event was held at Fort Mason, first time venue for Eat Drink SF. While many of us walked the aisles, it didn't seem crowded. That would be kudos to the planners for preparing such a great foot print of the venue. At the end of the day I walked away learning there is a new area for wines and it is the Lodi Valley. I also have my pick of the eateries and had 2 servings of the Cucumber Gazpacho with Grilled Gulf Shrimp, prepared by Press. A definite must try for me on my next visit to the great San Francisco. As my weekend comes to an end, I extend heartfelt thanks to Yelp for all they did to entertain us on their auspicious 10 year Anniversary! Thank you Yelp. read more

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I loved it!! EAT DRINK SF is everything a foodie would enjoy. All you can eat and drink. Totally AWESOME! Can't wait for next year. Might do a day and evening one next year because the food selections are different. Expect lines but it goes by fast. Just a lot of FUN!! FYI, music was great. Dancing to my ice cream. haha! read more

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This is an awesome event even without VIP. It was my friend's and my first time. Fort Mason is a lofty and an enormously sized space. So getting crowded is not a problem. If you have a stringent palette and won't eat things like pork or seafood, you'll probably not be satisfied. If you love food and all that culinary creativity and various world cuisines have to offer, this event will not disappoint. They have various libations offered. Everything from Stella Artois to artisan cocktails by vendors like Ketel One and various wineries. The multiple SF restaurants pride themselves with unique concoctions appetizer style. You can get full. So don't fill up on the breaded apps! Every bite was a unique pleasure to taste. It was all quality ailment like wagyu beef, caviar and foie gras. The artisan cocktails also did not disappoint. Lavender in my vodka was refreshing. They had celebrity chefs present doing live cooking shows where the final product was given to the audience for consumption! There were classes about wine, games like corn hole and even a DJ! About the restrooms... No long lines ladies! Also, my experience with other event goers were great. Everyone was polite and seemed to be enjoying. Vendors were super friendly and were generous with their offerings. Their visual art set ups were well done and some quite impressive also. Lighting, sound and the service of clearing tables were the best. They put a lot of work into the displays and pretty much everything! I was elated to be here and applaud the event coordinators for the efficiency in getting people in and the organization of the event. I'm a fan! See you next year! read more

How much food could a foodchick eat if a foodchick could eat food? That question is now easily answerable: 135 minutes worth after which I was done, kaput, finito. Eat Drink SF (formerly known as "SF Chefs"), is presented by the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, whose mission is to "promote, extend, protect, and serve the SF Bay Area restaurant industry". The event is subtitled "an epic foodie festival". "An epic foodie/drinkie festival" might have been more technically accurate but doesn't roll off the tongue as well. All I know is that they definitely got the "epic" part covered: more than 200 of the finest restaurants, bars, breweries, wineries, and distilleries participated. General admission tickets for this multi-day event run $125 with VIP tickets running $200. Though I came by my tickets free of charge (thank you, Yelp), I ate and drank imagining what I'd think if I'd paid $125 and what I'd think is that this is a great event, no bargain, but also not a gouge. Additional thoughts: * General Admission tickets entitle you to 2 hours and 45 minutes of eating and drinking and, like I said, your stomach may be through before your tickets are. Though I liked some samples more than others, absolutely nothing fell into the "don't like" category. * Many people, I imagine, study the mapped layout and look to sample items from specific places they wish to try. I was less discerning and began by straight-lining it down a single row before failing miserably. There was an awful lot to sample and enjoy. I didn't get to everything but have no regrets. Stopping between bites, to spend some time sipping and meeting Lodi winemakers, for instance, is a great and equally worthy activity. * The alcohol offerings are eclectic and broad. Not just beers and wines, but broad selections of wines from a single region (e.g. New Zealand, Lodi). Spirits abound also, and many are served in unique glasses, fit for purpose. * You're given an unmarked wine glass upon entry. and expected to return it upon departure. Many of the individual alcohol providers serve in their own glasses which you might wish to take with you as a souvenir. For this purpose, it's good to bring a small bag along with you. * In addition to the drinking glasses, there's other take-home items here (e.g. Torani syrup, metal water jugs, raisins), though not a ton. Still, another good reason to bring a small bag along. * Those dorky things that hang around your neck to hold your full wine glass and free your hands for other things? If you have one, bring it. * I did notice some (not many) vendors starting to run out of offerings after the first 135 minutes of general admission, on Sunday, the final day of the event. Who cares? It was the time to cease eating and drinking and stand back and enjoy the big gospel choir which came in and just tore the place up. Perfect planning. * I'm uncertain who gets the money for this event. Does it filter back to the participants? I hope so as it's obvious that participating as a vendor here at this packed event is going to cost a business some serious $$$. * Finally, I'm all for recycling but am I the only one who stands at the line of garbage cans topped with pictures of acceptable trash while trying to figure out whether what I'm holding is "compost", "recycle", or "garbage"? This exhausts me (and apparently a lot of other people) which is why I believe many just chose to leave garbage on the tables they ate at. Tacky, but there's got to be a simpler, no-brainer solution to recycling. read more

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This event is a MECCA for food and wine lovers!!! Love the new, spacious venue at Fort Mason Center. Kudos to the Eat Drink SF (formerly SF Chefs) team who thought of this ingenious idea for its 6th year. Due to the volume of attendees, vendors, Chefs, mixologists, etc., this massive space made the entire process more efficient and less crowded than Union Square. Fort Mason can accommodate three times the amount of foodies than any other location in SF! Many thanks to Yelp, I scored tickets to this EPIC foodie festival, and had no trouble finding a sidekick, as hubby had to work. My friend Kaje was super-stoked, he was already in line with the VIP's! =D The restaurant industry is where it's at, especially in SF. Food is quintessential in this gastronomic city where eating is our favorite past time. Local chefs demonstrated their amazing culinary talent for a diverse crowd of attendees from all over the Bay Area and beyond with endless libations. I was on the lookout for Chef Kevin Weber, as I grew up by Cliff House, and he has made savory bites for the locals during its 100 year anniversary, in addition to Sunday Brunch at the Terrace. His passion is contagious and extremely hard-working; he was going on his fourteenth hour when we caught up with him back at Cliff House around 8 p.m. I enjoyed seeing all the other Chefs from Nick's Cove (Austin & Adam), Betelnut (Chef Mario & GM Brett). Last but not least, I loved seeing all the familiar faces (Yelpies from Hawaii, Phoenix, SF, Marin & South Bay), as we meandered around this enormous hangar, sipping on Hangar 1 vodka served in mason jars - perfect setting. Awesome time had by all, looking forward to next year's Eat Drink SF and kicking it off with a crawl Thursday night before the festivities begin at Fort Mason woo-hoo!!! read more

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I actually WON two VIP tickets to this event - Not sure I would pay the $200/per ticket to go VIP (or even $100 non- VIP). But super fun to get to go for nothing. The gig with "VIP" is that you get to get in 45 mins before the non VIPS. Also they have a lounge area with a few extra snacks and VIP access bathrooms (assumes little to no line). - Some of the premiere drinks were in VIP as well (the Bloody Mary's) and the pricey wine. It seemed to me too that the VIP tasting portions were larger at some sites. The best feature to VIP is really the early access, otherwise you wait in line for all the good stuff. And really I was stuffed after 45 mins, so we watched a demo and got outta there after that. The only two big chefs I saw working their booths were Martin Yan and Denis Leary (WHO I LOVE) - I think he might be the hardest working chef in SF, you always see him working the line at Sentinel so he is a very involved chef. NOTE too that there were plenty of discounted tickets available through Groupon this year - and likely forevermore. read more

Eat Drink SF - Festivals Near Me - San Francisco, California

Attended the Sunday sold out event hosted by Lexus. Thanks to yelp, I received a 15% discount per general admission tickets. Located free parking on the street and it was just a short walk to Fort Mason's Festival pavilion (indoors) where this event was being held for the first time. I attended several events at the LA Food & Wine events in 2012 by Lexus and enjoyed the event so I knew this would be worth checking out. The VIP admission was at 12:30 pm and the line wasn't that long and included an area that had additional tastings. We were in line and admitted at exactly by 1:15pm. We received wine glasses for tastings of some 60 breweries, wineries and bars offering spirits. The isles were lined with 35 local restaurants offering bite size tastings including award winning chef desserts. I really enjoyed this event BC the size wasn't oversold and I was able to enjoy everything and indulge on seconds and 3rds of my favorite entrées. Overall, a great event and I wouldn't hesitate to return to the next years Eat Drink SF. read more

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First and foremost, thank you Christine R. for letting me be your +1. They opened promptly on time, and there was no issue or slow downs with checking tickets or IDs. Everything was so speedy! Upon entrance, there were a bunch of vendors everywhere. The very first thing you see is the free water bottles and water vendor. The food was amazing. Nothing short of excellent. You were able to talk to chefs face to face and they were all so friendly! The drinks were all good: wine, beer, whiskey, vodka. I got to try a little of everything and everybody brought their A-game. There were a handful of goodies to take home, like Hangar mason jars, stella chalices, hoegaarden glasses, and goose island glasses. The only issue was that parking was a bit tight because there was the farmers market, but there were enough people leaving the farmers market that spaces opened up! Overall, a great event, with amazing foods and drinks. Recommended! read more

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Not long after I moved to SF I had heard that Eat Drink SF was THE FOODIE EVENT of the year. Goodness gracious, that could not be more correct. Please let me explain why.... The food and drinks are completely bottomless. I'm not going to lie, I totally fasted all day before arriving at this event. Some of the best chefs and restaurants are present here. Each booth either pours you a refreshing glass or serves up a delightful small plate. It's pretty much a fancy foodie grazing pasture! The event is maliciously planned. Helpful staff is plentiful and the line to get in moved very swiftly at the beginning of the event. They generously helped us take photos and find a lost iPhone (oops!) Breakout sessions and chef demos also occurred. My friend and I sat down and experienced a wine tasting demo. We came to drink and shockingly ended up learning a thing our two! I'm so excited for next year's event. I plan on going to multiple sessions next year and maybe even a remote one. I'm so glad that I was able to experience such a cool event! read more

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I had the privilege of experiencing the Friday Evening Grand Tasting event at Eat Drink SF 2017 and was impressed by the wide range of local (and some non-local) food and drink vendors! A few surprising highlights were: * The small-batch Distiller's Exclusives line from Hangar 1, including flavors like Pink Peppercorn and Lavender * The DIY Herb Spritzer station by CUESA (another reason to buy more fresh, local produce!) * Beef Tartare from EPIC Steak (a first for my husband and I!) I attended one of the cooking demonstrations, 'Give 'Em The Bird' by The Bird and Stag Dinging Group and learned some insider secrets for killer Fried Chicken Sandwich making. Best yet, all demo attendees received an exclusive pass to receive a secret menu item (shhh...) from the Stag Dining booth: Fried Chicken & Caviar! This was definitely incentive to sit in on more cooking demonstrations at these kinds of events... what else have I been missing!? The entire experience was top notch and the ticket price is reasonable for the amount of unique tastes available. read more

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My fiancee and I decided the night before to go to the Sunday afternoon event and very easily bought tickets on groupon. It was a great experience. We ate and drank to our hearts content!! Food 9/10 - some unique foods may be sampled. some are just average.... overall quality is good :) Service 8/10 Atmosphere 7/10 - crowded but not too bad Presentation 8/10 We will consider returning again next year! read more

This was my first year but I'm sure I'll be back! We didn't get a VIP ticket but had lots of fun exploring the different vendors. My favorite drink to try was a fantastic witbier from Black Hammer Brewing which I tried chasing down after the event (do they sell bottles of it somewhere?!) but without success. I highly recommend not to a) go there hungry as the tasting portions are really really small, and b) to drive there as you'll get to drink... a lot. A little bit like the Crafts & Spirits festival in the same building, yes. Nice treat, I'll be back! read more

Eat Drink SF - Festivals Near Me - San Francisco, California

Really cool foodie experience for a date night or with a bunch of your foodie friends. The tickets were pretty pricey, running around 100$ a person so originally I was hesitant. But when we got there, we were really excited for all the types of food we got to try and the unlimited drinks that we can get. Alot of times when you go to events where you are getting bite sized samplers, you dont expect to get full. But I must say I was full by the end (maybe the wine had soemthing to do with that...) My favorite part of the event was meeting Martin Yan from Yan can cook!!! Took a picture with him, too! His restaurant was there and I was lucky enough to catch him! read more

Eat Drink SF - Really cool experience for a date night! We really enjoyed it and will do again! - Festivals Near Me - San Francisco, California

I was fortunate enough to win VIP tickets to all 4 tastings this year. And what a treat it was!! Tips: -Arrive early. VIP allows admission into the event 45 min before GA. These 45 min are GOLD. You're basically able to try everything and then some, without having to wait in line. I would get in line about 30 min before doors open and would already be at least 15 people behind. GA people started lining up about an hour before doors opened! -COME HUNGRY! I saw people snacking in line while we were waiting to enter. DON'T DO IT. While each vendor is a sample, there's tons of food so you'll need all the room in your stomach! - Save liquids for later. The lines for drinks aren't as long as for popular foods, so I'd suggest getting your nom on and circle back around with drinks later. - Don't be scared to throw food away. Ugh, this one bothered me the most. I absolutely HATE wasting anything. But there's literally no way to try everything, especially if you eat all the carbs that some samples will have. I'd pick off the protein and throw what I didn't like away. Or if I wasn't a fan of the dish, I would dump it =( so sad, but it's not worth getting full off of. - You won't be able to drink everything. Really. There's TONS of vendors with beer, wine, liquor. - DO sit for at least 1 of the demos on the main stage! It was interesting and it was cool to be able to try whatever they were showing! Example: the first night, we sat for a demo on pairing Italian food with beers. It was awesome! - DO get a tote bag for all the free things!!!!! VIP area was small and didn't have many places to sit. But there were vendors exclusive to the area which was cool. One awesome thing was that Hudson Valley Farms was there for each event, SO THAT MEANS ALL THE FOIE YOU COULD POSSIBLY WANT. Completely worth. The event was run very well! It was organized and clean, with people going around constantly and picking up trash/ coming by with trash cans. This was such an awesome event, and my friends and I had an amazing time!! =) read more

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I had general admission Saturday night tickets. I got in line 15 minutes before admission and the line was already crazy. Tips... Bring a friend and tag team... the lines are crazy Seriously pace yourself with the booze... there outs a TON to try Take pictures or notes ... because you won't remember otherwise what things you tried or liked Probably seriously worth paying for vip admission (I will next time) to get through a lot before the crazy lines start read more

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Ok. Being a foodie, I fell for it again. Went again this year, 2019. Since they were moving venus and consolidating their days, thought why not. Maybe it'll be different this year. But again, left in disappointment. Not sure why they moved their venue but this time, it was EXTREMELY packed because the space was much smaller and the event was consolidated into just 2 (rather than 4). The venue was very strange without much open space and with rooms you can only get to through very small hallways. The food was meh. But there was A LOT to drink. So if your goal is to come drink rather than eat, then maybe this is the event for you. Food: 2/5. Lack of variety is probably the biggest problem. Everyone is doing some raw, cold seafood based dish. The deviled egg was probably the highlight of the night. Can't remember what vendor but that one was special. Drinks: 3/5. Lots of wine and super strong cocktails that were rather unpleasant to drink. Unfortunately did not find anything too yummy to drink. Can't judge the demonstrations, missed those because we were stuck in line for drinks/food. I really loved the event in 2017 and it's unfortunate that every year, it seems to be getting worse. I. 2017, there was more variety, balance between the number of things to eat bs drink. And booths handing out free things like bags, T-shirts, glasses, photo booths, cans of carbonated water, bags of snacks. Just not the same anymore. We once thought this was the ultimate food event of the year. Now, really can't justify the almost $150 price tag. read more

Formerly SF Chefs. Food. Wine. this event took on new branding and a new location in 2014. Rebranded as Eat Drink SF the highly anticipated tasting event featuring hundreds of San Francisco Bay Area restaurants, bars, vineyards and distillers made its debut at the Festival Pavilion at Fort Mason (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eat-drink-sf-san-francisco?select=BJZVkdigZezBSpS8Z5umCw#Iv6wfaAGo4CfKJmZy30G-Q) Friday night going head to head with another very popular event also held at Fort Mason that event being Off The Grid. I purchased a VIP ticket via Groupon during the early bird sale and combined with a local discount offered by Groupon during the weekend when I purchased the ticket managed to save a hefty $60 over the price of the same ticket purchased closer to the event. So was the event worth my $140? If you consider the amount of alcohol consumed and the variety of foods available to devour I think I did quite well, and yes, the ticket was well worth the money. The new venue provided ample space for the crowd to move around just about eliminating many of the overcrowding issues that occurred when this event was held inside a temporary tent erected at Union Square. Also gone is Visa Signature as the title sponsor making ticket purchasing much easier since it is no longer required that attendees use only a Visa card for their purchases. For the record American Express took on the role as title sponsor this year but didn't force attendees to only use an American Express card. Kudos to Amex!! If you've attended this event in past years the set-up will seem familiar to you with just a few exceptions. Most of the participating restaurants are situated along the side walls and vendors providing beverages both alcoholic and non-alcoholic are scattered throughout the space that makes up the center of the pavilion. Bottled water has been replaced with refillable gift item metal water bottles for all attendees (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eat-drink-sf-san-francisco?select=BJZVkdigZezBSpS8Z5umCw#VRjwa1MKA5dvLXjDUwygog). The VIP lounge made exclusively for VIP ticket holders is no longer a dinky little room hidden off to one side but is a huge comfortable lounge with lots of cushioned seating, private restrooms and oh yes, our own special restaurants and wineries available to VIP only. My goal coming into the evening was to just take in as much as I could, enjoy myself and have fun. I didn't try to sample each and every restaurant's offerings like I have in past years, and as it turned out I did have less food to eat but a lot more drinks combining wine with a Stella Artois or two and a handful of cocktails since it's pretty difficult to turn down samples of some of my favorite Hangar One vodkas. I had a great time and even chatted up with some beautiful people. Foodwise, mostly everything I tried was delicious, but there were a few standouts that I gladly returned to try again starting with the assorted Charcuterie from Epic Roasthouse (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eat-drink-sf-san-francisco?select=BJZVkdigZezBSpS8Z5umCw#7Di9D-v6Pn8haVlATljkNA), the Lobster Corn Dogs from the yet-to-be-opened Tap 415 (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eat-drink-sf-san-francisco?select=BJZVkdigZezBSpS8Z5umCw#tJXduAF-1xM3AxkmqsxPyg), the Cold Noodle Salad with hot seared Lemongrass Beef from Le Coloniel (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eat-drink-sf-san-francisco?select=BJZVkdigZezBSpS8Z5umCw#e3n4V5VY75IrTl6Jvc1RBQ) and the Beef Tongue Tortellini from Kuleto's (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eat-drink-sf-san-francisco?select=BJZVkdigZezBSpS8Z5umCw#BJZVkdigZezBSpS8Z5umCw). I've posted a bunch of other photos for your enjoyment, and I'm already looking forward to the Sunday afternoon grand tasting for which I'll have VIP tickets to enjoy once again. read more

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Having been to the previous location at the metreon, interested to see how this event at a larger location would be. Didn't disappoint. Unlimited samples of foods from some of the finest in SF. Unlimited drinks, from mixed cocktails, wine, sake to whiskey. There was something for everyone. Would def come back. Prob do VIP style with more food/drink options and the ability to enter early. Fun event overall! read more

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This was my first year at this event, and it was an awesome experience! The tickets are about a 100 bucks for the general admission, and the VIP is a bit more. VIPs get their own private seating area and get to go in before the rest. First off, the venue is great! I like how you can step out to enjoy drinks by the water if you like. I arrived a bit late so there wasn't a line, and we got checked in right away! There are wine glasses you can pick up as soon as you enter which was kind of a hassle holding, considering you're trying samples. I would skip taking the glass if you don't have a bag. There were a bunch of food stands all over and A TON alcohol stands. Definitely something to considering if you're planning on driving back. There wasn't necessarily a order in which the food was placed so we just walked around trying food and talking to chefs about the dish. Food was DELICIOUS! There were tons of options from seafood to fresh lamb. The drinks were also great. Tons of beer options, plus fruity cocktails and wine! I didn't like how the desserts were grouped together with the rest of the food, since I wanted to save that for the end. I did like how it wasn't too packed. There were only two or three stalls that had a huge lines. This was a great experience and I can't wait to go back next year! I'm already saving my appetite! read more

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Wow. Eat Drink SF is literally foodie heaven. It was my first year attending this fabulous event! I went to the Afternoon Grand Tasting. I recommend going about 15 minutes before the scheduled time! Even though I was early, the line was still crazy long. Instead of parking inside the lot, there's tons of free parking in the residential area around Fort Mason (Octavia + Bay St)! Right when you walk in, you're handed your own personal wine glass! You're supposed to give it back at the end of the event though :(. You can choose to take pictures on the Eat Drink SF "red carpet" or another background with fruits + veggies and stuff! (see pic below haha). Right away you're bombarded with freebies, food samples, unlimited wine, unlimited booze....... you name it. Some of the food was meh, of course. But others will have you coming back for seconds. Some restaurants have not even opened yet! It seems like a great way to sample new and upcoming restaurants in the SF Bay Area! The samples from the popular restaurants always always have a long line! But honestly, the longest I've waited was 5 minutes. Some of the booths that impressed me were Dragon Beux, Souvla, The Ramen Bar, and Tony's Pizza Napoletana. I highly recommend coming with a friend or two. Since the samples are unlimited, your friend can wait in line while you wait in another. Each of you can get two samples! It's good to have a system! I did this, and I was able to pretty much sample everything. One day, when I'm a big baller...I hope to get VIP tickets. haha jk. But for $85, the event was definitely worth it. I plan on coming back next year! read more

Eat Drink SF - Festivals Near Me - San Francisco, California

Like the name says, EAT and DRINK SF. Majority of the vendors are restaurants in SF. Few mainstream corporations i.e. United Airlines, Almond Breeze, Ben and Jerry's etc. We got our tickets from Groupon so we were able to get it for $80 versus $120. def made a huge difference! With that said, was it worth it? YES and maybe no...It was fun to go around and try all the amazing food and drinks but when we finished trying all the food we were like kinda wishing there were more vendors to try. Haha maybe we're just Asian and just want to get as much possible. Couple tips: -free parking along the Marina. -come early so you can get your money's worth. + long line to get in. -come hungry -bring a a big purse or tote bag to store free goodies. On Saturday afternoon we were able to get beer glasses, plastic mugs, and plastic shot glasses. Caviar was giving out free totes but I'm not sure if everyone got one. -bring reusable water bottle or use the wine glass provided for water refills instead of using so many plastic cups. I've been to the Pebble Beach food and wine festival and it was amazing. EDSF is worth trying if you're a foodie and want to enjoy a couple hours of great food and drinks. Great date idea or gathering with friends. Bf and I actually met a lady there who took her 80+ year old grabdpa, so cute. Nice way to show our appreciation to our parents. read more

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During the Yelp 10 year Anniversary Celebration, Yelpers were given some awesome choices to attend a variety of different happenings. While I was unable to go to many of them due to work scheduling or getting waitlisted, the "Eat Drink SF Grand Tasting" stood out as the one to hope for! I took the gamble and RSVP'd for the San Francisco event, not expecting to get acknowledged. Then out of no where, I received the luck of the draw with two free tickets exclusively by San Francisco's community manager: Abby S.! I felt very honored and couldn't wait to plan the trip with my boyfriend Joe K! Sunday, August 3rd was the day which coincidently, happened to land during my vacation! I didn't know what to expect at this event, but was more impressed than I ever could have imagined! We had to wait a while in a long line, but upon entering this "epic foodie festival", was like a wonderland of gourmet foods, desserts, wines, drinks, and alcoholic beverages! We received a complimentary wine glass and then let loose to wander the spacious sized warehouse containing display tables and booths of friendly wine representatives, restaurant chefs, service personnel and many experts in their field. Prepare to get handed an awesome array of sample foods, artistically cooked and prepared to attract your attention and earn your interest to patronize their facility. There were so many great culinary items to choose from that naming them here would be time consuming and tedious. Just remember that this event is all you can eat and drink! For the price of a ticket, it is well worth the whole experience! One drawback here is that there are few places to sit and it is very difficult to stand holding a drink in one hand and food in the other. We already suffered and embarrassing mishap of trying to juggle multiple sample plates with the end result of creating a splatter of food on the floor. Fortunately, a nice man from "Fog City" came to our rescue to quickly clean up the mess for us as we stood helpless with full hands. The moral of this story is to eat one thing at a time and then move on to the next. Gluttony doesn't pay! After about 3 hours of walking around, feeding our faces and filling our stomachs, you couldn't help but leave feeling happy and satisfied with the knowledge this event was a huge success! My boyfriend and I are strongly considering at making this a yearly tradition! Maybe even going the way of the VIPs next time! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X1AfkAyITM read more

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My friend scored tickets to the Saturday 8/26 day experience, and it was amazing. For sure a foodie's dream come true - surrounded by other foodies and more foodies. The event was very well organized and maintained, especially with all the trash that accumulates from the samplers and the drinks! There are LINES, yes, but they go fast. Especially if you're conversing with friends and already have something to eat in line. I sometimes felt like I was racing against my stomach by getting something from one restaurant, and bee-lining to the next. There were a couple of occasions where my hands were full with food and wine glass that *thankfully* I did not make a mess ('twas close). Would recommend not going cray like me and actually savoring your bites - there is plenty of tables to eat on and just relaxxxx. All the staff are super friendly and excited to be at the event as well. Make sure to converse with them and understand what the foods actually are before eating it! It's part of the experience :) Highlight of my day was when the Credo vendors actually recognized me!! And thanked me for my separate review on Yelp. Haha 5 seconds of fame. read more

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Wonderful and fun! We went on Saturday. The vibe was positive and wow. The food outdid itself this year. Everything tasted spectacular. Last year, we had favorites. This year almost everything we tasted became a favorite! It is pricey but it is worth it because it is just so fun. I liked how it wasn't oversold. I didn't feel like the lines were overwhelming like at some food events. Some of the lines were long like Michael Minna but you sort of expect that. Great fun and Fort Mason is so terrific. Parking is always an issue. I'm not sure what the answer for that would be. read more

I went to this event in August, and I have to say I wasn't that impressed, I know tickets were going for about $100, luckily I was able to pick them up on social living (or groupon can't remember) for quite a bit less, so I can't complain too much. The venue itself was somewhat roomie, and the food was the ultimate foodie treat, however a lot of the stands seemed to run out of the main item they were know for, fairly fast. the lines were huge and some of the stands were just not worth the wait. What stood out the most for me was the high end whiskey they were serving, along with other liquors as well. I also loved the cheese stand, which gave everyone a tray of 4 different kind of cheeses including manchego, Yum!!! and lots and lots of craftbeer. Overall, I enjoyed the event, however I can't picture myself paying for this even next year. The lines were way too long in my opinion and I can probably spend what I spent having a nice 3-4 course meal somewhere. If you haven't been I encourage you to go and try it out for yourself ;) read more

Eat Drink SF - Grand entrance - Festivals Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've always been curious about Eat Drink SF, but was always hesitant due to the ticket prices. I got lucky and ended up going this year by scoring tickets from Yelp for their 10th Anniversary. I invited the lovely Lorrayne to attend with me and we both didn't know what we were getting into. Let me tell you, next year, I will be spending the money on buying a ticket here because it is so worth it. I left with my bag feeling 10lbs heavier from all the free stuff I was putting in it. All the tastings were free. All the drinks were free. FREE. It was all so glorious. Now I understand the high ticket prices and it's completely worth it in the end. It was pretty busy once we first walked in, but it seemed to die down after awhile. We both left so full and oh so buzzed. Thank you so much Yelp for the tickets! I had a fantastic time and will be back again next year for sure! read more

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EatDrinkSF is a foodie's dream. Unlimited food, wine, and cocktails- and the lines weren't bad either! Despite the crowds, it wasn't too loud and you could easily have conversations without raising your voice. Standouts were foie gras ice cream (!!! Which was amazing), a steak small plate, and a delicious fruit crumble. The event was a great way to find out about great restaurants firsthand, and I definitely took some notes and will be checking them out! There was a fun DJ playing, some interesting interactive pop-ups, and at least 1 food demonstration. Arrive hungry and thirsty! The reason why I knocked off a star is because the ticket price is really high- for over $100 you can have an incredible sit down meal. I think that to make the event next year more worth it, there should be more memorable/exotic/creative food to try. I noticed a lacking of Asian food. Tip for restaurants participating: would be great to have business cards available so people can remember to head there. read more

Eat Drink SF - Can someone else who went to this event tell me the name of the restaurant that was giving out these small plates?! It was amazing. - Festivals Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This was a great event. Over 50 restaurant and food vendors...as well as a few publications and even an Airstream wine lounge for VIP guests! Some of the fave eats were the Hamachi Citrus Blueberry (yes, surprisingly the berries were great w/sashimi!), the Passion Fruit Fresh Peach with Custard Crème, and the Cucumber Gazpacho with Gulf Shrimp! I even learned that salted chocolate goes well with hard cider (thanks to the Stella Artois folks!). Definitely a great way to spend an afternoon....and for a certain birthday boy, it was one of his most fun birthdays. Included in the fun were some of our Yelp buddies who were visiting from Honolulu (who were in town for the Yelp 10 year anniversary celebrations)....and, of course the Margaret Cho of Yelp herself. Couldn't have asked for a better Sunday! read more

Eat Drink SF - Lexus cars/sponsorship greets guests as they arrive to the Festival Pavilion - Festivals Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Fun event. The line to get in (General Admission) was processed quickly and well-organized. I was really impressed with the staff and organization of the event. The food was kind of underwhelming. Lots and lots of pork (I think at least 5 dishes), which was surprising given how many people don't eat pork. I was disappointed that a few restaurants I was really looking forward to trying (namely Epic Steak and Absinthe) ran out of food within about an hour of the event starting. The space was really nicely lit and decorated, I'd recommend this for a fun date. The drinks were the highlight of the event, beautiful booths and delicious concoctions. If you don't drink, there's no way you'd get your money's worth with just the food. Come with low expectations and view it as a cool date with an open bar and yummy appetizers. read more