Thirsty Bear Brewing Company

This is so close to our office, we end up here mostly for happy hour when in SF and I had honestly never eaten here. But on my last visit, we needed a place to have a quick-ish lunch. Thanks to being able to make a reservation, we knew we wouldn't spend any time waiting in line.

The service was fast and friendly, and the food was surprisingly good. With a big group, we ordered a little bit of everything, but the favorite was the big-enough-to-share paella. The food came out with plenty of time for us to eat leisurely. For me, if I can't eat slowly and take my time, I'd just rather skip the meal entirely.

I would absolutely come back here for another lunch or happy hour, and next time I think I'll do the flatbreads and patatas bravas based on these reviews.

Beer is not my thing, though I am perpetually thirsty... hey, what's the name of this place?! No small coincidence I guess.

My friend chose this for a summer weekday early dinner after hearing about it from the local PBS restaurant show. My friends (including me, a party of 3) arrived early and were already seated at a wall table on the right near the front, likely part of the bar area. They took the liberty of ordering most of our menu already so it was a no brainer for me.

Here is what we shared:

Tapas
1. Empanadas (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=sSGpOAbIxmsbgdvgRYrMsA&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) - Crispy and not oily, these were filled with pulled pork, corn, red peppers, and queso fresco and served with a cilantro crème. As visually appealing as yummy.

2. Bacon wrapped shrimp (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=HfPgKRzr0jub02gywafqXQ&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) - Each one topped a jalapeno corn cake and came with a herb crème on the side. Nothing spectacular about this one but still okay.

3. Raclette mac and cheese (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=_BSwSw1ncVahrBCpF15bzw&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) - Rich and creamy as expected, this was made with pasta shells topped with a Raciette béchamel and bread crumbs. The topping was just crusty enough. Btw, had to Google the cheese to learn that this is a hard swiss cheese.

4. Potatas bravas (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=-mSPX1Q5Sam9aGFa37IPEQ&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) - This was my add on, fried Kennebec potatoes, garlic, and spicy brava sauce, served with a aioli for dipping. This was my personal favorite of the night.

5. Beer-braised crispy pork ribs ()https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=Zcuhx0ViyBBfO5uILqaxWw&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q - Tender pork ribs (inside) with an outer crunch cooked in a house ale and barbecue sauce and served with frisee (gotta have something healthy on the plate) buried underneath.

Regular plates
6. Sausage flatbread (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=oz_u1mAcvDv6nhKzqp9bxg&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) - Very thin crust topped with three sausages (chorizi soria, chorizo, bilbao, and butifarra sausage) with a white bean puree, manchego, and roasted red peppers on top. Again, it was decent but didn't wow us.

7. Valenciana paella (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=daXE-csmAht9VwipJ1kKMA&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) - This contained saffron, sofritto, chicken, chorizo, clams, mussels, shrimp, rockfish, roasted red peppers, and peas. The portions are certainly generous as the ingredients were heaping out of the cast iron pan. Liked the variety of the seafood. Only comment is that I wished the bottom rice was more crunchy or stuck to the pan. Liked using the lemon to offset the heaviness of the flavors.

Service was cordial as the bus staff quickly removed empty plates and refilled drink glasses. Our waitress was a bit slammed as she was bouncing from large tables to large tables as well as helping with some bar customers. Still, she checked on us when time allowed and did get my late potatos order in.

Definitely not a place for someone looking for a light meal as much of the menu is fried, grilled, and heavy on flavors. Guess you could say that it's perfect bar food, though I am not a beer or alcohol afficianado...

While leaving, I happened to notice the mascot (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=Pu6KWzbKJvx0NuxiGoMSpA&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) who I did not see when I arrived. Attending that school in Berkeley, I just have to say it... "Go Bears!"

My brother-in-law Jimmy from Washington DC was in town for a case, so we met up with him here at Thirsty Bear. He is a beer enthusiast, so we had to get together at a brewery. We needed a place near his hotel in the FiDi that also served food, so this place fit the bill.

Jimmy and Michael had beer, but I'm not a beer drinker so I had the Cava on the drinks menu. Our drinks came promptly, which were great, but our food came very late, at least 40 minutes after we ordered. Our server was nowhere to be found, so we had to wait a while to order more drinks and ask about our food's ETA. I understand that it was Friday around 5 pm and they're inundated by the after work crowd, but the food took too long. Our server did apologize for the backup in the kitchen, but I wish he had stopped by earlier to let us know.

Jimmy ordered the Chorizo Flatbread and Michael ordered the ThirstyBurger. Both were happy with their food, but I was underwhelmed by my order of PEI Mussels in a Green Curry sauce. The mussels were really small and the green curry too mild. Very unsatisfying. I definitely did not order the right thing. The flatbread looked good.

ThirstyBear is a huge place, so it's great for big groups. If I were in the area thirsty for beer, I might go in but that's all I'd have. I'll save my appetite and money for tastier food elsewhere.

This place was a bit of a let down because they had a reduced menu and we were not aware so we showed up really hungry and were mainly met with appetizers. We ended up drinking and ordering the paella which was good but nothing too amazing. Not sure if I would go back.

Good selection of various beers but their sangria is definitely a must try!

Seating is plentiful and can accommodate large groups during busy happy hour periods, so it's perfect if you and your workmates need a good place to go to that isn't packed like most bars in FiDi.

Food menu has your typical bar bites. I tried the Patatas Bravas and wasn't too impressed. The sauce and toppings were somewhat randomly tossed in with the diced potatoes and it wasn't the most flavorful. I'm curious to see how the other food items on the menu are though.

Beer selection offers a good variety. I especially enjoyed the Witbier: light and easy finish.

Definitely check this place out if you want drinks at a not too crowded venue.

We stayed across the street at the W over the holiday weekend, and the hotel restaurant didn't have the laid back feel we were looking for on a Saturday evening. So, we walked over to Thirsty Bear to see what was up.

Thirsty Bear has your typical brew pub vibe, with an interesting variety of food options. My man had the tasting flight, while I had my usual old fashioned. We were both happy with our selections. We had the $5 mixed olives as an appetizer, and we received more than we expected. The Thirstyburger was delicious and perfectly prepared. If you do nothing else, order the potatoes "bravas" style! Garlic and parmesan cheese, with the right touch of ketchup.

If we had been in town for longer, we definitely would have eaten at Thirsty Bear again.

TIMING:
   - Mild for dinner on a Wednesday night at 5pm

FOOD:
    1. Patata tapa with aioli on the side
         - Texture: crunchy!
         - Potatoes: bigger than bite size
         - Sauce: spicy but with a tang
         - Meat: no meat was harmed in the making of this dish
         - Aioli: waiter: "FULL of butter"
         - Portion: large enough to share between 3 people

    2. Seafood Paella
         - Texture - Rice: a little hard but soft on the outside
         - Texture - Chicken: very juicy but only a few pieces
         - Meat: muscles were really small, few shrimp and chicken
         - Seasoning: could've had a little more pepper
         * Note: "hot"

SERVICE
   - Rude
         - the waiter laughed at us as soon as we sat down. He then came back 2 minutes later and asked us if we were ready and we said no and he laughed again. We asked if we could get waters, and he glared at us for not getting beer. My friend ended up getting sangria so I think he calmed down.
   - Rushed
         - we sat there and talked but he came by around 4 times asking to take our food away and brought the bill but never to refill our water

WOULD RECOMMEND?
   - No. If you are looking for a quiet place to catch up with a friend
   - Yes. If you are looking for a spot for large parties, beer and food

This Bear is never thirsty after visiting this place. Been going hear for almost 20 years now, every time I visit San Francisco. That it has been around that long and thrived says a lot.

It is just a block down from the Moscone Convention Center, where majority of conventions, trade shows, and whatever else, happens in San Fran. It is one of the largest in the Country, and probably why Thirsty Bear does well.

But location itself is not enough. These guys and gals know how to brew. All the beer is their own, organic, and every year I go, I am continually surprised with old and new brews.

And it is not just the beers. They're food is fantastic, and continues to also improve (see Tapas menu picture).

They had some of their own Belgium Brews this go around on my visit, and did not disappoint. The Golden Hallucination, a Belgium Golden Ale, was crisp with a clean finish, and if you didn't know it was 9.5% ABV, you would after you're 3rd, that good. Their Chimera, an Amber Lager with dark Belgium malt, and German Lager yeast with American hops was one of the best Amber Lagers I've ever tasted.

The most important part, is the fact that they don't shy away from hosting events at their establishment, whenever a convention is in town, no matter how disruptive it may be for locals.

That is always a plus in my book, because not only do I get to have my favorite local organic micro brew in San Francisco, I get to have it on the house. Always more the reason to return to San Francisco.

Definitely a place to eat when around the Moscone Convention Center.

It's large enough that there are parties hosted here.

The food is very good, an interesting type of Spanish-Amercuisine where you can find tapas next to burgers and pulled pork sandwiches in the menu.

A business partner recommended this and enjoying their company along with the food made it a great experience.

To start with a drink, we asked the waiter and he recommended the Howard Street IPA... it was DELICIOUS!

Since the highlight of the menu is the Patatas Bravas (Fried potatoes with garlic and spices, but not extremely spicy where it's hot) we ordered some and they were good, although not extraordinary.

Considering that we were in the middle of a lunch meeting for work and we had to get back to the Convention Center to continue attending sessions, some of us decided that beer and potatoes was enough reason to not order a burger, so we went with the recommended salad, the Steak Salad. This salad is served with pieces of steak on the side, covered in chimichurri (the Argentinian salsa made of parsley, garlic, olive oil, etc.) and blue cheese sprinkled all over the lettuce, arugula and spinach. Hard not to DEVOUR!

Overall, good food and good service.

We went back 05/15/22 and they are shuttered!!!!! So sad!!!!! Really wanted to see them succeed!