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Anchor Steam Brewing Company
Category: Restaurants American (Traditional) American (Traditional) [Edit]
SFO - San Francisco Intl AirportTerminal 3
San Francisco, CA 94128
(650) 621-8914
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
23 reviews for Anchor Steam Brewing Company
23 reviews in English
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Review from Mike C.
5/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
What's good about waiting around at SFO is that you can get a pretty good brew here at Anchor Steam. They have about 4 or 5 different beers on tap and they have two sizes...pint or tall. The tall is a $1 more, but you definitely get your monies worth.
At $9 for a tall glass, you may want to milk that beer. But then again, what are you going to do for 3 hours at SFO. Hmmm, maybe do a quick tour at Fisherman's Wharf or Alcatraz and come back. -
Review from Bobby D.
Glendale, CA
1/13/2012
I'm grading this on a little bit of a curve because, hey, it's a restaurant at an airport. Choices are limiting and obviously overpriced.
Service was decent. I had an older lady as a server who was very accommodating to my requests for side substitutions. The quality was normal, not worth the price, but that is to be expected.
Great beer list! -
Review from Yelena Y.
Philadelphia, PA
5/12/2012
Stopped by for lunch before heading home. I needed to be in-and-out within forty-five minutes. I let the waitress know I was on a schedule and she was totally accommodating. Got the liberty ale and clam chowder. Pretty affordable and delicious! And I made it to my flight on time - bonus!
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Review from T C.
New York, NY
10/13/2011
Here's the deal --- when running an airport restaurant, it's always good to remember that people aren't usually there to dine. They're there eat something before running to catch a plane. So time could indeed be of the essence.
After a longish wait watching my waitress run around (and by the sighs of others at the bar, this wasn't just my problem), I placed an order for fried chicken. As (a lot of) time passed, I asked the waitress what the status of my lunch was. She went to check and reported back that "fried chicken takes a little longeer."
I told her that culinary tidbit, while fascinating, was something I could have used 15 minutes earlier, when I would have ordered a speedier club sandwich.
She "expedited" my order, which involved in getting a chicken breast that was ice cold in the center.
When informed of this, she more or less said "this is what happens when you need it quickly" and took it back to the kitchen. Upon returning she said "Great now the kitchen is mad at me!". My look of shock must have been enough to prompt a "but the rest of the your chicken is ok right?"
I've just bitten into a piece of ice cold fried chicken. While the product appeared to have been pre-cooked so I'm hoping I didn't get a pathogenic appetizer, I was amused to be asked if the rest was ok.
Anchor Steam: how do i judge if it's "ok"? Not dying? Not spending a 5 hr flight to the east coast in the bathroom? A semi-satisfied hunger?
I considered going Gordon Ramsay on them, taking my plate out back and tossing it on the prep counter and going " Look at it! Look at it! That's RAWWWWWWWWWWW! For GODS SAKE, you're going to KILL SOMEONE!"
Instead, I remembered what brought me to SFO in the first place -- my flight.
I'd prepaid (full price! and tip!) but I was in the process of grabbing my stuff when my bitten-into chicken breast was brought back, deep fried a second time. Lovely.
I told the waitress I had to go. She said nothing. Another waitress nearby saw the problem, I told her "And I got to pay full price!" She said she would have handled it differently, and asked me not to judge the restaurant on one meal.
Sorry, but that was the first impression. The rest of my chicken did indeed seem to taste good. And I'm not dead, so I've got that going for me. And there seems to be some staff trained in the art of customer service.
But it's still 1 -star. My flight at Anchor Steam is now closed, and will be the next time at SFO. -
Review from Greg F.
Walnut Creek, CA
2/22/2012
All other terminals suck compared to the new AA terminal 2 at SFO which has incredible restaurants to choose from. While wandering around Terminal 3 at SFO, I was underwhelmed by the options and stepped into this place thinking "Hey, I like Anchor Steam beer." That was my first mistake.
Sure this place serves up the delicious AS beer but thats about it. The food and the service are mediocre at best. -
Review from Ida G.
8/15/2011
Having spent most my four hour layover sipping cocktails at Yankee Pier, I had no real intention of stopping here, except that I passed by just in time to see a booth overlooking the runway become available, and really, what else is there to do at an airport? I only had a garden salad and a glass of Anchor Steam (one of the best craft beers anywhere), but the service was very good and I wasn't totally bowled over by the prices.
Also, planes, yay! -
Review from Andrew C.
6/19/2011 1 photo
Sausage Breakfast Bagel - Subpar bagel, plasticy American cheese, and bland sausage patty (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) make this one dish to avoid here.
Decent Bloody Mary pulls this up from 1-star to 2-starListed in: Airport Eatz
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Review from Sean C.
Melbourne, FL
1/28/2012 1 photo
I had a long layover at SFO, so I figured I'd grab a seat for a drink and a bite. I ended up with an anchor steam draft and the crab melt. What a perfect combination and a great end to my long week of work travel. Maybe it was the circumstances, but this meal was fantastic. It wasn't 'quite' as good as the Crazy Crab'z sandwich I had at AT&T park, but what can you expect? That's at a stadium and this is an airport. If I'm in this terminal on my next trip to San Fran, I'll definitely be going back.
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Review from Grant B.
Brooklyn, NY
4/7/2011
Ignore the people complaining about the cost...it's an aiport! Of course the prices will be more than normal!
Get to SFO early for a great pint of beer and a truly delicious crab melt! Toasted sourdough, melted swiss, tomato, and a sweet and well crafted Dungeness crab salad. Just fantastic stuff, even more so when you consider the typical airport food options.
When your done with your crab, order a few more beers....flying is certainly more enjoyable that way -
Review from Keane L.
12/31/2009
I can equate the end of a year to airline travel. It's liberating and fun, but also a little bittersweet. You're going someplace new while, in turn, you're also leaving something behind. At the gateway between here and there, now and then, it's always nice to have someplace to sit and think.
I normally don't eat or drink at airport bars, seeing as they usually charge too much, but I thought I'd give it a go here. Anchor offers a great selection of beer, my favorites being the Liberty Ale and Porter. The food was decent and the service was great. The server was an older woman giving off a familial charm. Very comforting.
It's the transitional state of things. And like airline travel, the end of a year is best ushered by pissing away your money thoughtlessly on sandwiches and getting a little too drunk.
C'est la vie.
(Happy New Year!) -
Review from Poochie M.
San Francisco, CA
4/20/2009
DO get the Liberty Ale!
DO get the Porter!
DO NOT GET THE CHICKEN SANDWICH!!! -
Review from Robert S.
So yes...it is in an airport. So it will be really expensive. I'm just going to review this place with regards to other airport places. If I reviewed this versus other rando places, it's not really fair. Yes, perhaps I should plan better, but oh well. I like to get to the airport early so I can make sure I get through security quick, and sometimes that means I have a couple hours to burn before my flight.
Since we've handled that business...
This is easily one of the better airport restaurants I've ever been to. The beer is quite fine, as any Anchor Steam drinker knows. The food was pretty tasty, and the portions were very generous (almost made up for the price). They had lots of TVs around, so I could watch sports. The bartender was pleasant. I had a good time. Had a beer, ate a sandwich, watched some football. Life is good. -
Review from Sheila Y.
San Francisco, CA
4/2/2008
While trolling for something to do at SFO I happened across the Anchor Steam Brewery. Granted I did not eat any food (the menu was pretty uninspiring), but the fact that there were four options from the Anchor Steam team was impressive enough. I was super happy to order a pint of the Summer Wheat, sit at the space age-y bar (with comfortable seats), and read for an hour.
Service was proficient...I got my check and was never pressured to cash out and leave...thats all I can ask for in an airport joint. This place is one of the many reasons I think SFO is the best airport in the country! -
Review from Abby S.
2/8/2010
What better way to kill a few hours before a flight than an Anchor steam and fish & chips? I know, I can't find one either!
Although the prices weren't the most reasonable here (I mean, seriously, $16.99 for fish & chips?), it sure did beat Chili's or Burger King.
And if you go for the 23 oz beer (vs the 16 oz), it's only $1 extra. Sold! -
Review from Josh M.
Framingham, MA
10/24/2010
I sat down at the Anchor Steam Brewing Company with little expectation of greatness. It is in an airport after all so I set my sights accordingly. For some reason, unbeknownst to me I was eating healthy during this recent trip and opted against a burger and for a "Famous" Crab salad sandwich. In fact, I even had the thought of asking the waitress what she thought of my choice but then quickly remembering where I was laughed at the notion.
The food was meh as one can expect but the thing that bummed me out the most was the bread the sandwich served on. Doused in enough butter to drown a small village and then lightly toasted i went through about five napkins on the first half of the sandwich and then wisely removed the bread for the few bites I could muster of the second half.
I know options are limited in airports but you may be safer with either a) ordering a burger which is probably fairly decent or b) going to one of the pre-packaged food places and getting a sandwich. If you want a decent beer though this is as good a place as any. -
Review from Wilmer G.
San Diego, CA
5/16/2010
A couple of assumptions you have to make when you're eating at an airport bar/restaurant:
1. Prices jacked WAY up
2. Crappy service
With that in mind, I tried to evaluate Anchor Steam based solely on the food and beer, and was mildly surprised. I tried the crab melt sandwich, and it was really quite good. The crab salad had almost no filler and without the excessive mayo that always make seafood salads so undesirable; just a hearty portion of delicious dungeness crab on sourdough with melted Swiss cheese.
Of course, I must comment on the beer. Being a sucker for a good pale ale, I tried the Liberty Ale and it was outstanding! Smooth, crisp, and not too bitter, this ranks among one of the best pales I've ever tried. Not a bad way to take the edge off a long layover at SFO.
As for my initial assumptions about airport bar/restaurants, yes, the prices were jacked up, but the service was actually really good. It took me a while to get the server's attention initially, but after that the service was attentive and the food came out quickly.
Definitely recommend stopping here over some of the other crappy chain restaurants if you find yourself at San Francisco International. It really piqued my interest in touring the Anchor Steam Brewery itself the net time I'm in town. -
Review from Glenn H.
8/29/2007
Apparently spending $10+ on a Chicken Wrap and a water does not make you a customer.
I was practically ignored. An employee (clearly with an annoyed attitude) didn't even greet me as I presented my items for payment. She proceeded to walk directly to the cash register and told me my amount, gave me the credit slip to fill out and left without a word; Going back to the all important bottle shuffling that she had been engaged in.
This is the definition of bad customer service. Avoid this place. -
Review from R A.
Manhattan, NY
3/21/2011
Standard pricy airport fare but service is slow, which doesn't help if you're trying to get a quick bite/drink before your flight. Customer service was below average.
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Review from Maximillian M.
San Francisco, CA
3/22/2010
Just the thing I need before boarding a typically horrible American Airlines flight: a tall Liberty Ale, direct from (presumably) the parent company. Don't bother with the (pre-prepped) Caesar chicken wrap though (ugh).
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Review from Gregg G.
San Francisco, CA
12/22/2007
HORRIBLE service and overpriced food that is just BAD. How they could mess up frozen vegetables is beyond me. The waiter I had was utterly clueless - I had to ask for my check THREE TIMES before I finally got it. The only reason this place gets one star is because the Summer Beer was good, but that's really a credit to the brewery, not this mockery of an eatery. I'll never go here again.
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Review from Joe H.
7/20/2009
Food is basic decent bar food, but has a nice quiet ambiance and good view.
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Review from Brandon R.
San Francisco, CA
1/11/2010
Classy, clean modern design with San Francisco historical touches so you almost forget you're at the airport. Great beers, of course. Anchor Steam should open a bar like this in the city.
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Review from Christy C.
Montague, CA
7/15/2008
Airport food is WAY overpriced, that's life.
I had a cheeseburger with avocado & buffalo wings. Pretty good. Fries were good too. Clam chowder in a bread bowl was polished off by my husband without complaint. Not a terrible way to kill an hour delay. Just wish the frosting on the glass window was lower so you could get a better view of the planes...
