Southern Pacific Brewing

"San Francisco is not a city made for big groups. It’s entirely unclear how the Tanner family plus Kimmy Gibler managed to do anything en masse. Restaurants are small and crowded, parking an SUV or minivan anywhere except maybe the Outer Sunset is impossible, and bleacher seats and beers at AT&T Park will still end up costing $200. But for those times when your group is Full House-level large and doesn’t want to mess around, there’s Southern Pacific. The hangar-like bar/brewery/gastropub in the Mission is enormous and best for some of our favorite daytime activities: drinking, eating, maybe catching a game. While it’s definitely a warehouse (complete with concrete floors and a tin roof), there are also trees growing inside and lots of twinkly lights, so the whole place has a kind of swanky backyard feel. photo credit: Krescent Carasso Unsurprisingly, there are lots of beers on tap, but less obviously, some good cocktails as well. In terms of food, the menu is mostly standard, but better than average bar snacks, plus pizza and a few quasi-healthy options to keep almost everyone happy. Things are mostly shareable and that’s how you should tackle the menu, since the food is a little heavy to handle on your own. Are there some downsides? Sure. It can get super crowded at night, they don’t allow kids (this can be a pro or a con depending on your life stage/parenting philosophy), and the service can be surly. But then you realize you’re sitting in a warehouse drinking beer, and maybe there shouldn’t be kids around, and you also might be grumpy if you had to wait on a large group of people all shouting about churros at you. If you want to day drink with a group, and you haven’t planned way ahead, Southern Pacific should be your move. The high ceilings and big windows make it so much more pleasant to spend an afternoon in than other bar options in the area, they’ll be able to seat you right away, and the bar food is better than most. Just leave the minivan at home. You are still in San Francisco. Food Rundown Crispy Brussel Sprouts Best thing on the menu. They’re sweet and salty and deep fried and excellent. Half an order per person is an acceptable amount. To start with. Kale Caesar This is a shockingly good salad for a beer warehouse. Get it on the table. Sage Fries Addictive and slightly fancy because they have an herb sprinkle, we’re very into these. Coconut Fried Chicken Wings You’re at a bar, so you should probably be eating wings. These have an Asian twist and the spicy-sweet sauce is fantastic. Pizza There are a few pizzas at Southern Pacific, and they’re fine. We usually stick with the sausage or pesto. A few steps up from Domino’s and a few steps down from Delfina. Cast Iron Mac ’n Cheese Strong drunk people food. This is basic mac and cheese with chunks of bacon that will taste fantastic if you’re several beers deep. If you order this for yourself, godspeed. Get some for the table so everyone can have a bite. Lamb Pita We want this to be good, but it’s just so average. The pita is bland and the meat doesn’t take much like lamb, or anything. Hard pass. Banh Mi A solid sandwich and one of the most dependable things at Southern Pacific. They don’t skimp on the meat or toppings and we’re very into the special garlic sauce on this guy. Cinnamon Churros with Bacon Sort of like cinnamon buns, with any hint of bacon drowned out by the maple sauce. Pretty tasty and very sweet." - Taylor Abrams

"If San Francisco were the Serengeti, Southern Pacific would be a giant watering hole. It seems like everyone in the city shows up here to hang out in packs. But instead of telling groups apart by their plumage or neck length, here, it’s done by branded backpacks and funny birthday party hats. After you get over the fact that this place reminds you of the lunchroom scene from Mean Girls, though, get a few pitchers and try to work “fetch” into the conversation as soon as possible." - will kamensky

"Even if you don’t have a coworker throwing a birthday party when you’re trying to convince someone to move here, you should still swing through Southern Pacific Brewing. It’ll involve you pitching the place a little bit like a car salesman, but instead of trying to distract your friends with donuts while you sell them the extended warranty, you’ll do it with craft beers and good natural light instead." - will kamensky

"The Mission brewery closed last September, and finally reopened earlier this month. So stop by their beautiful, light-filled space for a pint of beer or a house cocktail, and enjoy it with crispy brussels sprouts or sage fries. Patio and parklet seating are also available." - julia chen 1

"Southern Pacific is a strong jumping off point for a day or night in the Mission, and has enough bar food and drink options to keep everyone happy while toasting to your entry into the world. The place is huge, the tables are long, and the beers are great. They even have games to play once your friends run out of appropriate stories from your last few birthdays to tell your coworkers." - taylor abrams