This twenty-year-old brew-and-gastro pub is located along the Embarcadero, San Francisco's very chic waterfront boulevard. It's in the old Hills Brothers Coffee building, and sits in the shadows of the Oakland Bay bridge (pictured above) (no, I didn't take that picture).
One big downside to this pub, for me at least, is their website. It features a little bit of information about the history of the pub and its founders, and just about nothing else. No detailed beer descriptions, and no menu. I can't understand that. Isn't browsing the menu online a must activity for like 95% of first-time diners?
The lack of a menu did force me to look at reviews, and I found plenty of opinions. Here's a summary:
"You must have the garlic fries"
"The Marzen is legendary"
"Frat-boy crowd"
"Try the garlic fries"
"I love the eclectic, un-pub-food-like menu"
"I hate the eclectic, un-pub-food-like menu"
"Did I mention, garlic fries?"
The Embarcadero truly is a great place for a walk in the early evening. The bridge is quite striking, and the waterfront is beautifully developed, with palm trees and curved walkways.
I sat at the bar (World Series in high-def - I was happy), and tried... wait for it... the garlic fries.
Now, I love garlic, and I usually can't get enough of it. But I don't think garlic fries are my thing. You take some nice fries, and you toss them in moist, oily garlic and some chopped parsley. This makes the fries a little less hot, and a little more soggy. The garlic was fresh - really fresh. And to my surprise, I found it a bit overwhelming. They were just OK for me. I don't think I'll have them again.
The beers at Gordon Biersch are decidedly European in style. Although I'm an American IPA guy at heart, I was more than open to trying hand-crafted European brews as a change of pace.
I was not disapointed. I had the Czech Pilsner, and it was great. It crisp and refreshing, with the right amount of bitterness. Great for watching baseball.
The Martzen is their most popular beer, and I tried a sample, but I didn't care for it. With Americian beers, I go for IPAs, bitters and porters. But when it's European, I find I like lagers and pilsners more. Darker European beers are not my cup of tea.
Some of the reviewers were down on the crowd at G.B., saying it is too uptight. Well, it is very close to the financial district, and the crowd is a bit older, and more formally dressed than at, say, the 21st Amendment. But I didn't feel that it detracted from the atmosphere.
I would visit George Birch again. I'd particulary like to sit on their patio on a warm evening, and enjoy the view.
Update: Regarding the website, somehow the Google search result I clicked on was the one for the Brewery (http://www.gordonbiersch.com/brewery/). There is a separate, very complete site for the Resturants (http://www.gordonbiersch.com/restaurants/). Oh, well.
