Tuesday 31st of March 2009 12:53:12 PM

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Not much to add to other reviewers comments. I stopped by on a futile quest for Magic Hat but I did pick up a couple bombers from Port Brewing since I didn’t visit on my holiday trip to SoCal. I was just starting out on a drive and didn’t want to try out the taps on this visit so I missed a great opportunity to enjoy the likes of PB Hot Rocks or DFH Chicory Stout. There are a half dozen taps, two coolers and a limited amount of shelf space for select brews. Seating is limited to a couple small couches and a tall table. I found a parking spot on the street out front.

Saturday 27th of September 2008 04:51:57 PM

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I have been to City Beer many times and I especially like going when it just opens. Then I have time to chat with Craig about what new beers he has on tap and in the bottle. He's knowledgeable without being pretentious and his passion for beer really comes across every time I visit. It is a small location but he packs a lot of quality beers into that small store. He usually has some sort of cheese assortment that pairs well with the beers and allows you to fit more beers in before a real buzz hits and distorts your palatte.
I love the Thursday night tastings where he has brewers come in or similar reps, and they talk about the beers they have and do some sort of vertical tasting. It can get crowded though but that is just a testament to how good the place is. Cheers to Craig!

Thursday 5th of June 2008 02:07:47 AM

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We had a great time here. Got a great beer buzz going, talked to some great people and enjoyed a very respectable selection of bottled beers.

A substantial selection of bottles includes rare Belgians and many many domestic artisan breweries.

There is no food, though I suppose they would allow you to order stuff in or even bring some. Very comfortable, though not very large. We were with a LOT of people and the place became pretty crowded. It was kind of loud at times too. But that may just have been me. :)

Friday 20th of July 2007 09:50:27 AM

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The City Beer is a great little store. The owner Craig (I think) really knows his stuff and seems to try really hard to please his customers and supply the best selection of beer possible in San Francisco. The main thing that makes City Beer stand out from other beer stores is that they have 4 taps in the store and allow you to open any bottle for a $1 fee and drink it in the store while you shop and talk. I don't even think he sells ANY BMC, so I definitely applaud him for that. He also had several beers that I didn't see anywhere else in SF, so if you're looking for Alesmith, Russian River, or some more obscure Drake's stuff, this is the place to come.

The atmosphere is nice, clean, quiet, and certainly "family friendly" as a guy brought in his 2 year old daughter and had her toddle around the store for a little while when I was there - certainly a drastically different atmosphere from Toronado.

Prices are reasonable - probably not quite as cheap as BevMo, but I prefer to support independent businesses whenever possible, so I don't mind an extra few cents to keep a place like this around.

If you only go to one beer store in SF, this is the place to go.