Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Herbst Theatre

    4.2 (117 reviews)
    Open 6:00 pm - 10:45 PM

    Request pricing & availability

    You can now request a quote from this business directly from Yelp

    Services - Herbst Theatre

    On-site management services

    Venue rental

    Herbst Theatre Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Herbst Theatre

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    6/14/2025:  My First-Born Daughter and I attended my Grand-Daughters' ballet performances.
    Shirley M. F.

    6/14/2025: Every year, my family and I have attended my Grand-Daughters' ballet performances; this year is no exception! The myriad of dance performances, sounds of vibrant music, cheers, and laughter filled Herbst Theater with sheer delight. Surely, we shall continue watching my Grand-Daughters' future ballet performances.

    Inside from 2nd floor
    Quentin P.

    Attended show here. Very clean and well staffed. Bathrooms on 1st and 2nd floor. Sat in middle of 2nd floor balcony, last row. Lighting good, sound system great! Enjoyed my time here.

    Sher T.

    We came here to see a comedy show. The theater is well decorated, is nice and large with good sound. Seats seemed to all be good. Good sound, all around comfortable seating with enough leg room. It's extremely difficult to find street parking so it's best to park in the garage a block away.

    Ramona H.

    Went to see the Golden Gate symphony, Orchestra, and chorus Sunday night for the Messiah sing-along. The (Theater) is beautiful very clean, staff is helpful and pleasant. Everything about this theater is inviting and they are simply glad to have you there.. They have a small café with good selections. Simply the historical beauty of this theater can stand on its own, but everyone does a great job to show their appreciation to you for supporting the arts. If you get a chance to see a performance here, please go you won't be disappointed and there are many restaurants walking distance to have a drink or dinner before or after the show

    Opening of Strict Scrutiny Podcast Show

    It is quite a beautiful building. Just be advised to plan where you are going to park and eat for a meal. There is a great book store nearby that had a good selection of books and was a good place to kill some time. I had a wonderful time at the show.

    Inside
    Peter M.

    Let me be clear, San Francisco is also one of my favorite CA cities. Others are LA (my absolute favorite, where I live), San Diego and Santa Barbara. I have been lucky to have family at most of these locations, albeit for a short time, but still adequate time to visit, savor and review numerous dining hot spots at all these locations. But what brings me to SF this time, the Herbst Theatre, is a totally different magnet, that had nothing to do food. It was to participate in the White Coat Ceremony for the UCSF Medical School class of 2028. Yes, for another family member. Wow. We got into the hall late, due to other immediate family members looking for donuts, well away from the location. Really? On this auspicious day? As a result, we missed main floor seating and were directed to seat in the balcony. Not a problem, but people were running like animals to secure unreserved seats (all of us in the same boat), as if the only food on the planet was at their destination. These are minor issues. But what is wrong with people? Anyway, let's talk about the auditorium. It is bathed in artwork, paintings, with perfect acoustics. A super experience. In my opinion, it doesn't matter where you are sitting. Just shower in the glory of such a beautiful place.

    Inside of theater
    Ben W.

    Really great music for a fairly cheap ticket. Like a lot of things in SF, driving in the area is sketchy, parking is a nightmare, and there are homeless people everywhere. Ushers weren't particularly nice or helpful either. Probably won't be back. That said, the theater itself and the music were top notch. Probably better for locals that are used to the city, and its issues.

    Group in theater
    Tiffany M.

    Beautiful venue I truly enjoyed the presentation of Cinderella by the African American Shakespeare Company. It was funny, inspiring, and full of beautiful people. The beautiful young lady who played Cinderella had a beautiful voice! All around a great show in a very wonderful place.

    SF Civic Music Association: M2M concert (Classical Classics)
    Annabelle R.

    We attended a free musical performance here this past Sunday, hosted by the SF Civic Music Association. This theatre is located inside the beautiful War Memorial Veterans Building (don't get it confused with the opera house which is next door but looks almost identical from the outside). They don't sell food or drinks here for free events like this, but they do so for other types of occasions and have a lower level seating area on the same floor as the restrooms. The auditorium seating is made up of simple, red-cushion folding theater seats on two levels, with balcony seating stretching along the sides as well. The ceiling architecture and light fixtures are alluring. The walls are adorned with giant fresco murals, just lovely. The stage and speaker setup produced wonderful sound for the audience, a delightful classical concert to the tunes of Mozart and Beethoven.

    Sonila S.

    What a beautiful theatre! Came here for Max Amini show and he was hilarious! the theatre is beautiful i loved the decoration and the seats were so comfortable !

    Rhett B.

    I recently attended a new age rendition of Cinderella put on my the African American Shakespeare Company at the Herbst Theater and it was wonderful. The staff at the theater was friendly, warm, and eager to help attendees. The space is beautiful, clean, and has great acoustics. If you ever have an opportunity to visit the Herbst Theater you won't regret it.

    Jessica L.

    Beautiful theatre that I visited to see the SF Philharmonic! There's is a paid garage, but I just found street parking on the Hayes side of the plaza. The dress code here seems pretty casual; the sf philharmonic specifies that they aim to make their shows accessible (not too expensive), which I love since everyone should be able to enjoy music. For the show I saw, it was open seating, and there are both ground and balcony seats. The theater isn't too big, so you can easily see and hear everything on stage. Thanks to the SF philharmonic for the amazing music!

    Shayla B.

    A beautiful theatre with an old Hollywood flare and great views of the main stage! I came here last Christmas Eve to see The African American Cinderella. I came in the afternoon around 1:30 as the show started at 2:00. I was able to find parking right behind the Theatre on a side street. I don't believe that I had to pay for parking because it was a Saturday, but I could be wrong. I walked in and was immediately greeted by an Usher at the front door who directed me to the will call box office to pick up my tickets. There was a gentleman who highlighted my ticket and pointed to where my seat was. Since the Theatre is smaller, it was pretty easy to find my seat. I can't remember my exact seat number, but I sat on the left side facing the stage about 3 or 4 rows back. The theatre is very classic with its red curtains and theatre chairs and also had a decent sized stage. The seats were extremely comfortable and roomy with a enough leg room to where I didn't feel cramped. I was lucky enough to not have anyone sitting right next to me; a great advantage of seeing small local performances! I had a great view of the stage, but practically any seat in the theatre would boast a nice view. The tickets were very affordable at only a cost of $25. There's a nice little cafe downstairs located on the way to restrooms that serves food and limited alcohol before and after the performance. The restrooms were clean and even had a nice waiting area in the women's restroom. Herbst is one of the nicer theatres in the city where I have been able to view local performances. They are also available for booking. I will definitely come back here to see more performances in the future!

    See all

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kim B.
    155
    851
    1669

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of J P.
    62
    55
    20

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rhett B.
    1050
    476
    5089

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bob U.
    937
    1257
    302

    6 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Denise C.
    1617
    3279
    9304

    6 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 11
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Excellent place for a performance. Attended my toddlers ballet bravo bash and it was magical.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Al L.
    1515
    2163
    30661

    8 years ago

    Helpful 11
    Thanks 0
    Love this 10
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Shane S.
    108
    1050
    5704

    9 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kim S.
    282
    854
    1034

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 8
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mark F.
    151
    574
    5439

    8 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of War Memorial P.

    War Memorial P.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Carl F.
    4834
    2933
    20326

    8 years ago

    Helpful 12
    Thanks 0
    Love this 11
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of War Memorial P.

    War Memorial P.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dan B.
    654
    1396
    1256

    15 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Karen W.
    638
    1265
    8725

    10 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kevin B.
    3867
    1171
    8906

    10 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Herbst Theatre

    Are the box seats worth it? If not, where are the best seats?

    In the Herbst Theatre, the box seats are along with walls, so you have a different view of the stage. The seats in the orchestra are generally great, so you might consider purchasing in that section.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Herbst Theatre

    I'm writing this review about the stellar (yet unseen) performances I'm going to see this month at the Herbst theater.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Performing Arts 4,703 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Monroe - Left side of W booth Gold Leaf crackle wall art

    Monroe

    (721 reviews)

    $$

    North Beach/Telegraph Hill, Financial District

    One thing about me, I absolutely love to dance! The only thing is, the older I get, the less I find…read morespots where I can dance to great oldies, so when I found out about Battle of the decades every Friday at Monroe, I knew I had to try it out! Arrived at 5:30 and was surprised when I saw a small but decent amount of folks here. When I approached the bar and got my first drink, I understood why folks were there so early....the drinks were a buck! Such a steal and great way to get folks in. The concept of battle of the decades is great too! Each hour is a different decade of music,starting with the 60's. I spent a few hours dancing from 60's-80's music until about 8pm (perfect for an old millennial like me) until the place filled up. Totally great night at Monroe. Cheap drink specials, great music, and I was able to get in bed by 8:30pm. I'll definitely be back again.

    I've been to a LOT of bars, clubs, and entertainment venues in SF, but one that my various friend…read moregroups and I regularly hit up is Monroe. What's not to love. Located on Broadway in North Beach, it's always high energy and popping, but I've never had any issues getting in. Also love that there's no cover charge for women, so I can just enjoy the night with my friends here without having to pay the equivalent price of a drink before I've even stepped inside. Even with the club frequently packed, especially the later in the night you go, I find the facilities pretty clean compared to many other similar lounges. It's also conveniently located near late night pizza and crêpe eateries that are still open after Monroe closes for the win, which makes it an all-around no brainer to choose going here versus other venues.

    The Box SF - Vegan cheese was impressive smooth and tasty

    The Box SF

    (95 reviews)

    $$

    SoMa

    I've been here a couple of times for their craft and artisan food fairs, and it's a really cool…read morespace! The building was a printing press back in the day, so it's a bit of a maze but that's part of the charm. I've discovered some amazing local businesses. I recently went to their February artisan food fairs, and bought some delicious food products. They had a variety of food vendors: hot sauces, honey, dips, cookies, teas, and more. As for the craft fairs, respect jewelry, candles, cutting boards, and even a few food vendors. That's where I discovered Apisol, a woman-owned company based in the Peninsula that makes delicious sparkling honey beverages. Don't miss the vintage store on the first floor, which has really unique vintage products like postcards, buttons, posters, and more. There are so many fairs in the city, but the vendors here are ones that I haven't seen anywhere else. So check out their insta or their website for dates to their upcoming fairs.

    Check the website for The BoxSf Eat me artisan Food Fest for current schedule which weekend they…read morehave this. I never heard of this place until a fellow Yelper brought this up to me and I said SFBox? I never heard or been in this location before and I am sure most of you never heard of this place either unless you search for history of the William Randolph Hearst printing press building so many years ago. The building was built in 1926 as a printing plant for the San Francisco Examiner. It is a nice mixed use building like a nice cozy maze to explore the nice layout and architecture of the old print shop. So upstairs about 2 floors and vendors are scattered so it's like a hunt for them, almost like a needle in haystack. Lol Well it's not that hard as you won't miss anyone. Too floor that where you will satisfy your sweet tooth . Yummy. The vendors that were there were a nice mix from tea, cheese, spices, India coffee , Turkish spreads, ice cream, giant cookies, healthy drinks, spreads, and I am sure you will find something you will enjoy. I don't normally buy stuff, but the honey , red beet, 2004 sweet land Bingdao $95 brick tea that is aged 21 years that can make 175 tea servings for $95, Il Fiorello basalmic vinegar was thick and smooth great texture and syrupy taste very captivating and Taste of Levant tahini and their chocolate jar of molasses was excellent and I had to buy them. Yummy in my tummy! Not sure if same vendors will be there again, so catch them the at your farmers market, festivals or next Eats event!

    The Conservatory At One Sansome - Baroque & Brew - free coffee concert hosted by Downtown SF Partnership, ft. Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra

    The Conservatory At One Sansome

    (26 reviews)

    Financial District

    What a beautiful place! It was an excuse to dress up for a work party, so I was there in style, and…read morethe wide display of food made it even better. The DJ was on point, and all of the food stands were quite delicious! And the place itself? MASSIVE. The ceilings were high, and the architecture was a marvel to look at. There was a separate area I stepped through to get to the bathroom, and that was really nice too. It was a sit-down restaurant setup. But this work party experience? I'll never forget it, and I'd recommend it as a venue for anyone who wants to put a dope party together.

    I came by for the free Baroque & Brew live music hour on August 12, and it was absolutely packed…read more I had never visited this venue before and despite how crowded it was, it was beautiful. It was really nice to see the sunlight come through on the daytime with the open roof concept. The music was a lovely experience as well. I really enjoyed it. Given how packed it was, I stood the entire time, even though I had gotten there probably 15 minutes before the show started. There was a huge line for the coffee when I arrived that didn't let up until halfway through the show. They are doing this again in September and I would recommend if you are in the area. The only thing that would have made it better would have been less people given the amount of chatter and distraction of people walking by. I'm curious as to what this venue looks like in other set ups and at different times of the day because it is beautiful, what a nice spot in San Francisco.

    Marigold Event Space - Reception set-up

    Marigold Event Space

    (126 reviews)

    $$

    Duboce Triangle

    A Lifesaver for Our Wedding -- Exceptional Service and Stunning Space!…read more If I could give Carlos and Marigold more than five stars, I would. We were scheduled to have a small outdoor wedding ceremony at Mission Dolores Park, but when the San Francisco weather forecast turned "rough" just days before our April 1st date, we were in a total panic. I reached out to Carlos at the last minute, and the level of service we received was nothing short of extraordinary. Here is why you should book your next event here: Incredible Responsiveness: Carlos responded to my inquiry almost immediately and hopped on a call with me the same day to iron out the details. He made a high-stress situation feel completely manageable. Accommodating & Flexible: Even with our last-minute request, he was so generous with the timing. He allowed us to come in early at 2:00 PM to set up flowers and told us there was "no rush" to leave, letting our group stay and enjoy a drink before our dinner reservation. The Space is Stunning: We held our ceremony upstairs in a beautiful, dry, and welcoming space featuring a gorgeous mural. It was the perfect backdrop for our 10-person group--intimate, stylish, and full of character. Personal Touch: Carlos even provided his personal cell number for day-of coordination to ensure everything went smoothly. That level of care is rare. Carlos, thank you for your kindness and for helping us make our wedding ceremony so special. You lifted a huge weight off our shoulders, and we can't recommend Marigold enough!

    The event space was absolutely beautiful and made the perfect setting for Marcus's funeral…read more Everything worked out seamlessly, and I truly appreciate the care, focus, and dedication that Jacobo Juarez put into ensuring the day was meaningful and successful. The venue had all the amenities we needed -- including a bar, screen projector, an area for the DJ, and plenty of tables and chairs -- which made it easy to accommodate our guests comfortably.

    Herbst Theatre - theater - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...