Sunday 27th May 2012
Bob Thompson
I had built up an idea of what this pub would be like before I arrived and it turned out to be completely different to my preconceptions. It is in a modern (or modernised) building with wood cladding at the sides. Inside it was light and airy considering it only had windows at the front. This situation was improved by a massive improvement in the weather. The pub gave me the feeling that it was very much a happening place.
On entering I noticed there was a nice long bar on the right with the brewery located at the back of the building. The downstairs layout is traditional but the decor is modern. There was also an upper dining and drinking area accessed by stairs in front of the brewery.
It seems the beer range varies a lot here, but with seven on offer when I visited there was plenty of choice. I could pick from the following: SKB Pilsner (5.0%), a Czech style Pilsener; SF Session Ale (4.6%), an English Golden Ale; Old Time Alt (4.6%), in the Düsseldorf Altbier style; Waterfront Porter (4.6%), an English type of Porter; West Side IPA (6.9%), a Californian IPA; Rapscallion (7.2%), a Belgian Golden Ale, and finally, Anniversary Brune (8.8%), a Belgian Brown Ale brewed to celebrated the pub's second birthday.
Eschewing the two Belgian beers and the Alt, I went for the remaining four and my remarks on them are thus: SKB Pils I thought was a fairly good interpretation with the correct amount of bitterness; SF Session had more malt than hops in the body taste with a slightly bitter aftertaste; Waterfront Porter was a well-balanced version with a slightly creamy taste; finally West Side IPA was very good, not being as over the top with the hops as some are.
The food menu in this pub seems to be well-liked and the beers are good, so if you should be anywhere near to Inner Sunset district of San Francisco, then call in.
Important Information:
Social Kitchen and Brewery, 1326 9th Avenue, San Francisco, CA. 94122. Tel: 415 681 0330
Open: Monday to Thursday 16.00-24.00; Friday 16.00-02.00;
Saturday 11.30-02.00; Sunday 10.30-24.00
The Social Kitchen is one block from the Judah and 19th Avenue stop on the Muni Metro N-Judah line. Same distance from the 6 Bus route from downtown and also 43 and 44 cross-town (North-South) bus routes.