Ballast Point Brewing San Francisco

Space/Ambiance (5/5): Came here for trivia night on Wednesday! Loved the setup and learned some interesting things. There are gift card awards for the top three teams. Trivia aside, the place is very spacious and a good place for large sized groups. Also plenty of TVs available to catch sports games, and they had a baseball memorabilia auction on a table and you could just write in how much you wanted to bid for various items. I live nearby so it was an easy 10 walk, but there are multiple public transit options to get there. Parking might be a challenge unless if you don't mind walking further or paying for a nearby garage (although looks like they validate parking).

We initially sat in one of the booths because we didn't realize there's a whole separate area where they hold trivia on the far side from the main entrance. We had already ordered, but it was easy to ask the bartenders to switch our tables on the orders so that it got to us. Just gotta take note of what the table numbers are written on the little QR code menus they have at each table.

Food (4.5/5): I got the shrimp tacos. A bit pricey for the size ($18 for 3 small tacos with 2 shrimps each; so $3/shrimp haha), but the shrimp was grilled very well and tasted great. My boyfriend got the pulled pork sandwich, and that was such a large portion for the same price as my tacos. He also got the falafels but couldn't finish them because the sandwich was just so filling. The flavor of the falafels were on point, but it's a shame they were pretty dry.

Drinks (4.5/5): I like my IPAs, so I got the Sculpin and Aloha Sculpin to try something that's a bit of a different flavor. I love that there are different sizes available, so I just tried 4 oz of each since I'm a lightweight. I prefer the regular Sculpin. The Aloha version tasted to me like a slightly watered down and fruity flavored version of the original. My boyfriend opted for the nonalcoholic options, and the nonalcoholic hazy IPA tasted almost like a sour and you could definitely tell there's no hoppy taste to it. I ended up finishing it, but my boyfriend barely touched it after a few sips. He ordered one of the kombucha drinks after (I think the mango pineapple one), and it was really good!

Overall (4.5/5): Tastes in food and drinks of course vary, but I think they have a good variety on offer. I feel like the ambiance might be a bit different if we weren't participating in trivia, but would still recommend for any beer tastings or a larger gathering!

Food - Food is solid and you can order via QR code. Beer options are plentiful and you get descriptions which is nice.

Service - It's really hard to wave people down once you are seated due to the aforementioned QR code. I've literally left this place still waiting for food on a night that wasn't busy (we got seated with no wait time). 45 minutes for an order of fries with no update is madness.I've also had my order be wrong and even the host couldn't get someone to come to the table.

Ambiance - Not quite a brewery vibe, but still great place to watch the game. Very clean and lots of seating options.

My wife and a few of my friends from work decided to stop by for drinks. Ballast Point has a good selection of beer. We ordered the Two Towns cider and were happy with the 16oz pours. Coworkers liked the watermelon and grapefruit IPAs. I was not impressed with food bites. We ordered the lemon pepper wings and they seemed super salty and overcooked. The garlic fries with Parmesan and truffle were fine - my wife finished every last one. The online ordering system worked great and we got our orders pretty quickly. We went during an off peak time so there weren't many of us there to enjoy the clean, large space.

Good place to chill n have a drink with average food

Date: Wednesday, June 12th, 2024
Time: 6:15pm
Party of: 2
Meal: Dinner before a concert at Chase
Reservations Made: via OpenTable the day before

*16oz California Kolsch ($9)
*Belgium Pretzel Bites ($15)
*Broiled Deviled Eggs ($12)
*Spinach Artichoke ($16)
*Garlic Parmesan Fries ($12)
*16oz Longfin Lager ($9)
*Surcharge ($3.65)

A girlfriend and I were going to the Janet Jackson concert at 8pm. We figured we should meet up for some food beforehand. I looked around and this was the only place offering reservations at a time that worked with the concert and was after work hours. I would highly recommend making a rez as it was busy when I got here.

You scan the QR code on the table and order everything online. You can't request glasses of water or anything, so make sure to remember to ask when your drinks and food are delivered. No one checks on you or anything. I still tipped 20% since I just do that automatically, but there's really no service in the traditional way here if you think about it.

The food was fine. Just your typical bar bites. Tho the fries were my fav. Very garlicky and savory. Definitely the best dish. The pretzel bites were too fluffy and chewy in the wrong way. I wanted the texture to resemble a carnival soft pretzel. The cheese was also too thin. The beers were good. I'm not much of a beer drinker if there's liquor around, but it's easy to sip on. They were out of the beer that reminded me of a belgian witbier, so I picked the ones above.

Convenient if you want to grab some drinks and food before going to Chase Center where a 16oz beer runs $16. Definitely better on my pocketbook.

REVIEW #3454

At the outset, the beer was delicious. However, before noon the restaurant was out of steak, fish and chips and another entrée don't recall. So, I ordered smashed burgers and salad. These words are difficult to my lips but it was 2 burnt black patties, on a great bun with Russian dressing lettuce and tomato maybe some chopped peppers. It was really bad. Yo add insult to injury the salad had barely any lettuce and all filler - nothing remotely tasty. Worst $18.00 burger in SF. I'll try again and hopefully have an update.

Huge beautiful location in Mission Bay, walking distance to Chase Center. Was able to get free parking not too far away. Plenty of seat-yourself seating options from high-top tables, booths, and at the bar. Order beer and food from QR code.

Beer is good and refreshing, but nothing spectacular. Does pair great with their food though. We opted for the Blue Crab Dip, Deviled Eggs, and Fish Tacos. The devilled eggs were super flavorful and unique. The dip was warm and comforting, paired with homemade potato chips and fresh slices of cucumber. And the tacos, classic.

It was a bit expensive but worth a visit every once in a while.

The beer is the beer. Pretty typical Ballast Point tap fare. The burger and fries were delicious. The day bartender during the week was very personable and helpful. The restrooms were nice and clean.

Their Chai Victory at Sea beer had a strong chai test, and if you're into dark beers, this is certainly a palatable drink. Their Habanero Sculpin IPA also was very savory, but expect there to be a lingering spice in your throat and stomach after drinking. I certainly would get beers from here again.

The nachos were surprisingly jam packed with flavor. Perhaps the best part of it was the generous portion of queso and sour cream we found at the bottom of the plate, making those final chips very yummy and filling.

So excited that this place opened up down the street from my office!!! It still feels like a hidden gem since its still fairly new, so I didn't encounter any lunch rush.... YET! I'm sure the word will get out soon though.

Love Ballast Point brews so I know I'm going to have to try a new brew on the menu every visit. Seat yourself, scan the QR code at the table and start ordering food and drinks. You can even leave your tab open if you plan on ordering more brews/food as you go. Food portions are fairly large as I split the Fish Tacos and the Fried Chicken Sandwich with one of my friends. We barely finish both items and the extra order of fries wasn't necessary. Also ordered the Cheese Curds, which is what probably set me over the top lol

Overall, service was fast, brews were cold/fun/tasty, and the food was pretty good. Can't wait to come back and try out the other items on the menu.

It's a shining example of what a restaurant should be. Fantastic service, food, and ambiance. Tons of TVs all with every sports package you could imagine. If you're looking for a local space in Mission Bay, or a place to pre/post game after a Warriors or Giants game you'll be hard pressed to find a better environment than Ballast Point.