Friday 8th of January 2010 12:54:12 PM

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As everyone has said, it's a nice view, but the bar faces the wrong way. The bar is still nice, the staff was nice, and the menu was interesting. The beers were overall ok, they were what they were supposed to be, true to their style I guess.

The sampler had 8 beers served in a nice carousel. The Light, the Wheat (they were out), Amber, IPA (which wasn't too hoppy), Octoberfest (which seemed more like a generic red), the Red, Stout (nice smell, chocolaty taste), Dunkle (My fav., had a good chocolaty taste with a nice toasty aftertaste), And the Bitter on hand pull.

They do bottle some of their beers, and I would have bought a few of the Dunkles but they didn't have any left.
We did get an appetizer here, I don't remember what it was, but it was really good, it was a new item on their menu, the bartender hadn't seen it or tried it yet. It had stuff wrapped in a crispy outter part laid down in sauce over wilted veggies, all of it was really really good!

Tuesday 29th of December 2009 02:30:28 PM

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A great stop for tourists - it is on the beach and features a small but interesting historical museum downstairs. Beautiful view of the ocean. Also, note that this is located on the Western edge of Golden Gate Park, so if you are already on that end it is an easy walk.

Upstairs, the seating is weird.... It is not a comfortable bar, the place is designed around the dining room. Food is quite good and reasonable. Beer is above average but has never struck me as outstanding. Simple, drinkable beer appeals to many people more than it appeals to me.

Thursday 9th of July 2009 05:40:43 PM

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The Beach Chalet is a beautiful place. It’s on the second story of an historic building, above a large room covered in WPA murals. There are windows all along the long west wall with a great view of the beach and waves. The dining section runs along this wall with warm wooden tables and black metal chairs with seats and backs made of the same wood. There are also three large curved booths that open towards the view. Back from the windows, separated by a half-height wall, is the large bar section. Along this same wall is a long row of round tables with a padded bench. There are also a few tall tables and chairs with a view and a long row of tall chairs along the bar. The “bar back” is windows that look on to the brewery (looks fairly cramped and of small capacity). The overall decor is in the art deco style - curved lines on the ceiling, motifs in nooks and crannies, etc. The floors are wood. The lighting comes from beautiful opaque glass fixtures decorated with sea birds, both in wall sconces and from fixtures hanging above the bar.

Overall it has more of a restaurant feel than a bar but there is good beer (albeit quite expensive) and it’s welcoming and warm. There are nine beers available, mostly lighter styles of ales, except for a stout and an IPA. The menu seemed to have a lot of interesting choices. We tried the fried calamari and it was quite good (restaurant quality).

The Park Chalet is a separate added-on building to the rear that looks out onto a garden (the very west end of the huge Golden Gate Park). It’s got a glass roof which gives it fantastic lighting and has a casual, comfortable feel.

Wednesday 24th of September 2008 11:08:28 PM

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Beach Chalet's best feature is probably its location right off the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It is also part of the Golden Gate Park system. There is a main restaurant in the upperstairs and a less fancy place in the downstairs where the main feature is the opportunity to eat out on the lawn.

The sampler was pretty impressive- the waiter was pushing California Kind, an amber that I found average. However, Hefeweizen, Porter, Bitter and IPA were definitely worth the trip. For beer alone, I'd give this place the top vote for overall beer quality in SF.

Sunday 4th of November 2007 09:25:34 PM

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The Beach and Park Chalets are located across the Great Highway from Ocean Beach. The original brewpub is located upstairs at the historic Beach Chalet and has wonderful views to the ocean. The ground floor is a visitors center describing the history of Golden Gate Park and the adjacent beach area. The Park Chalet is a recent addition that faces the park and provides a more modern setting with outdoor seating on nice days and a cozy fireplace when the fog rolls in. Both locations have moderate size bars with additional tall table seating plus table and booth seating in the adjacent dining areas.
The taps serve a selection their 7 standard house brews. There is usually a seasonal and a hand pump selection as well. I have enjoyed both the Seal Rock Bock and the Fleshhacker Stout on past visits. The menu is typically upscale entrees at the Beach and more casual pizza and such at the Park. Both restaurants offer a nice selection of appetizers, salads and sandwiches. Breakfast is served daily upstairs and weekend brunch is served downstairs. There is free parking out front and additional parking is available on the ocean side of the highway.