San Francisco is My Home

11
Mar

The Pacific Coast Brewing Company

Author: kris, Category: Bars and Clubs, Oakland

Tuesday may become a weekly business review. I like structure, you know? It’s un-San Franciscan of me, but it is very Franciscan.

Let’s test this Tuesday review out with a discussion of the Pacific Coast Brewing Company in Oakland. You walk in and you assume this is a chain restaurant. The name alone is generic and, geographically speaking, broad enough to encompass a string of breweries up and down the coast, right? However, it’s actually an independent brewery whose owners sent away for a “How to Build Your Own Brewery” kit.

Like the most of California breweries, this one features dark wood furnishings, slightly dim lighting, big ceilings, great beer and substandard American cuisine. Actually, the burgers are so bad they’re almost English — they have that weird, sponge-like resistance when you bite them, like they were recently frozen and then microwaved.

But the beers are great. Also, I liked the relaxed atmosphere. I was there on a Monday night with some friends, and we were able to play a lengthy board game without being hassled. I’m sure later in the week this place fills up and you can’t park a table, even if at least one of you is always nursing a beer, but for early in the week it’s a good place to chill.

I can’t say if this is always the case, but our waitress was as laid back as we were. If it annoys you to have to flag down your waitstaff then this isn’t ideal for you, but I liked it because it meant she wasn’t rushing us out of there, and also there was a corresponding “human person” element in her dealings with us. I didn’t feel like we had a servant, more like an acquaintance happened to be bringing us more napkins.

On the whole, I would say this place is great for drinks after work or for drinks after dinner, but avoid eating here unless you stick to simple stuff like french fries. Still, it’s worth a trip for the beers alone.