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Categories: American (Traditional), Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
1000 Great HwyMon-Thu. 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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I love the Beach Chalet for the location and that is mostly about it. We went around 130pm on a Sunday afternoon and there was a 20 min wait so of course. . .BAR TIME! It was cold so my friend had a good idea of ordering Lattes with Baileys! Totally the perfect drink to warm up from the wet weather and gab while we wait.
Finally we sat and I hate to say it. . .our service was slow the entire meal. . .but it was okay, I was in good company! What I don't like about BC is its menu. First of all, its overpriced for the quality of the food and its a little schizophrenic to me. With their on site Brewery you would think they would stick to bar/pub style food, but they try to throw in some California/french cuisine in the mix too. While aspects of the dishes we ordered were good, other things failed.
We shared the duck confit salad with arugula, frisee, pomegranate seeds, marcona almonds and fuji apple. The combination was wonderful, except for me, I didn't care that the fuji apple was actually a puree. . .I would have enjoyed it more to have the crunch of the apple instead in the salad. . .We shared 2 appetizers as well. The Steamed mussels with Chorizo, cilantro and crusty bread. That was a perfect combination and as always, I love dipping the bread in the sauce. The other app, was the Baked Chevre. Chevre softend and mixed with herbs in a ramekin topped with panko served with crostini, roasted garlic and a tomato chutney. The Chutney made this dish pop!
Finally, we had the sandcastle dessert. A little tacky but cute. It was a wedge of chocolate decadence on its end with the point up, with two chocolate shortbread shaped like the tower of the castle on each side. Plus chocolate sauce and toasted nuts. The decadence was really rich but the shortbread wasn't shortbread. It was hard tasteless cocoa cookie. So-So.
I think they should just stick to pub grub.
I'm torn between giving a 3 and a 4.
I ate here tonight for the first time and was pretty satisfied with everything. The wait was not long at all considering how busy the restaurant was. I requested a table by the window and our host, who looks like Matthew McConaughey in Dazed & Confused was accommodating. Our waiter was pleasant and attentive. So service was great.
We ordered the Calamari, which is a definite test to how well the rest of the food would be. It was cooked perfectly and I loved the cocktail sauce that came with it. My salad was yummy and my BF's burger was delicious as well.
Overall I was pretty impressed, my only fault is the prices seem to be a bit much for what I would call "diner" or "cafe" food.
So, I have to go with a 3.5. I would come back if I was in the area again or with people from out of town and didn't want to do the Fisherman's Wharf thing...
Oh, one more thing, I think it would be nice if they had some sort of Jazz playing from unset on... That would add to the ambiance.
This was Veggie Girl's second trip to the Beach Chalet and both times it was at an off time (3:00 - not lunch, but not dinner, either) and Veggie Girl wasn't really very hungry. So why go? Because it's there.
So, Veggie Girl had a lovely glass of wine and nibbled some bread while The Carnivore had The Best Crabcake He Has Had in 10 Years. Please be mindful, gentle reader, that The Carnivore has lived in the Freaking Desert for all of those 10 years and any crabs there are running from antibiotics.
But love it he did. On the appetizer plate was a weird shaved fennel salad served with mandarin oranges that looked like it was re-created from The Next Top Chef. Veggie Girl tried it and, well, it tasted like fennel, without the sausage.
While the view is lovely from the tables next to the window, the real story is the weird art on the walls of the building downstairs. There's this one picture? Of an old man? And 2 little girls..... it's creepy.
2 glasses of wine, 1 crabcake, bread and some shaved fennel: $45.00
Location and a nice view of the breakers. The food was fine but overpriced, probably because of its proximity to the beach and Golden Gate Park.
I had a burger with cheese and avocado and OJ. Perhaps my review is tempered by my friend's jerky husband who was there. He looks at the bill (I have my wallet out, ready to pay) and he says "YOUR share is $25." After that, I would have looked like a dick if I disagreed, no? I still doubt my burger equalled my friend's appetizer, their coffees, his cheeseburger, and their two kids' entrees.
Whatever. I'm not going back, and if I did, it wouldn't be with *them*.
Great local brewery with awesome views of the Ocean. Love the happy hour specials upstairs 3-6 is 4 bucks 22 oz drafts of there own brews. Downstairs happy hour 6-9 with 3 buck 16 oz brews. Live music every night and awesome staff that are very friendly that make you feel at home. Nice mix of age ranges from the local crowd. Can't better the 2 dollar Taco Tuesday's either. Wish I could make it there more often. Maybe we can include this place for TDDoC.
The food here is fine... nothing outrageous, but good. I love it mainly for the convenience. It's one of the few restaurants in SF that actually has a parking lot. and free parking. imagine! If you hit it on a clear evening you can catch a sunset over Ocean Beach. A nice alernative to the overpriced and overcrowded Cliff House.
I used to play soccer behind the beach chalet before it was a restaurant. I wonder how many previous reviewers remember what it was like. Just for the fact of changing that park of GG Park, Im ALWAYS going to loe this spot. I've had problems, and whem Ie voiced them management responded to me. Sure you pay for the view, but its good food, and its off the beaten path. Id suggest lunch or brunch, but dinner with the right table is solid. Service could be iffy.
Took my fiance there for his B-day, it was okay. Service was okay. Not the greatest. The view isn't the best unless you go there in the day and you can actually see out of the window. Not sure If I would care to go back. I have heard it's great during happy hour though :) Maybe I'll give it a try for some drinks one of these days!
Came here a long time ago for a friend's birthday dinner, but all I could remember was that it was disappointing and largely forgettable for whatever reason. Ended up back here for a late dinner/dessert with an old friend, but sadly, I left feeling the same as I did that first time six years ago.
The hostess was really nice, but outside of that, the service was pretty disappointing. We seated ourselves at a table by the bar, but had to wait quite a while just to get our menus. This was rather disturbing considering we were one of maybe five seated tables spread throughout the joint. Once we had menus in hand and were ready to order, the server disappeared again for some time.
When he did return, I ordered the Golden Gate Park Porter on tap (pretty tasty...advertised as coffee-like, and it kinda was), and got the Fish and Chips for something quick. Oh why lie...I did it for the french fries. Meanwhile, my friend ordered the apple crisp on the waiter's recommendation.
Overall, it was rather disappointing. The fries were hot but somewhat mushy, and the fish was a bit soft - crispy but falling off of the fish. Also, not sure what type of fish they used, but it had a strong "seafood-y" flavor, which was more than I had anticipated. As for the apple crisp, it didn't amaze me in any way and was average to others I've tried before, but it was a decent enough dessert.
For the price, it's not really worth a repeat trip...especially for such an underwhelming order of Fish and Chips. That said, I'd still consider coming back on a nice day/night to get a drink and enjoy the view (I imagine gorgeous sunsets), and I would venture in to try out their brunch, but I'll probably pass on future trips outside of that.
Sunday, 7:30PM. It was relatively empty, I expected a lot more people.
Yankees & Phillies were playing today, lots of hollering near the bar...
Friend wanted to come here for her birthday. We had reservations, so seating was prompt & they asked if we wanted a window seat, so YEAHHH we want window seating even though I can't see anything outside because it's so dark.
I've yelped this place before, and heard not so great things about it. I yelped right before my friend's birthday dinner & saw that they only had 3 stars. Most 3 star places are ehh and there is always a reason why they only have 3 stars. From yelp, I read about small portions & high prices. I prefer large portion with low prices. I would give it a 4 now. I guess it's good to have low expectations, it may surprise you.
We started out with the calamari. The inside was good, but the fried exterior could have been better. Sourdough bread wasn't warm, but nice & crunchy.
I had the Seafood Linguini which was good. It had clams, salmon, scallops. It said it has Mediterranean mussels, I didn't see it, maybe it was chopped up. There might have been some mahi mahi too...I'm not sure what else was in it, but it was good dipping bread into the sauce.
Bday girl had scallops which came with 3. They were on top of corn, which also had crunchy bacon bits.
Other friends had steak, 2 types of cut. One came with garlic fries, those were good but I prefer it to be a bit more garlicky and the other came with roasted potatoes. Both steaks were good, cooked medium rare. One of them had red wine, I don't know what kind but I could smell it a couple feet away. They didn't ID her, do we look that old???? I would like it if someone asked for mine.
Desserts, we had...crème brulee, brownie sundae (vanilla ice cream, 2 pieces of brownies, whipped cream, nuts & a cherry on top) & cheesecake topped with mixed berries. All desserts were good.
Waitress gave tips to my friend about how to use her camera. Waitress was a photography major, so my friend liked that.
Total was about $178 for 4 people included tax & tip.
I would like to come when the sunsets on a clear sunny day, I think that would so nice.
We came for dinner on a Monday night. The bar was relatively empty/quiet as there wasn't a contentious football match up showing (Pittsburgh and Denver - I think).
There were 5 of us so having all entrees arrive to the table warm shouldn't have been that challenging. The food was good. I had the baked chevre with tomato chutney appetizer (my favorite dish), the scallops with bacon/corn succotash (beautifully plated), and the chocolate sand castle for dessert (again beautifully plated). My scallops were seared nicely but the succotash was lukewarm. The flavors of my dish were amazing. Based on the temperature differences I think the kitchen might have had to refire the scallops. Someone else ordered the mussels appetizer for dinner - the toasted bread that came with the dish was burnt on one edge. As the bread sits in the middle of the dish and is the focal point in the presentation it should have been replaced with a piece that wasn't burnt.
The service was a little lackluster. I ordered coffee with my dessert and while at most restaurants the coffee either comes out first or with, here it came out a few minutes after dessert arrived. The server initially brought 6 slices of bread (of which all but 1 were gone when the chevre came out). The chevre wasn't served with enough crostini (1/2 remained, not because it wasn't yummy, but because there was no bread to dip in it.) Additional bread came out later, around the same time as our entrees.
I really loved the salmon dish I ate here earlier in the week. The portion was perfect for a hungry gal who just walked all over SF. Unfortunately, I wasn't too impressed with our scatter-brained waitress and her lack of anticipating our needs. She had to be asked at least twice for things like water and the check. Other than dealing with a distracted server, I think we all enjoyed our food. The vibe reminds me of similar beachy restaurants in the Marina, but without the same snobbery or prices. If you don't walk in with high hopes for amazing service, you'll probably have a relaxing meal here.
Abundant parking and easy to get to. If you arrive before sunset, yes, the view is amazing. Otherwise, don't worry about a window seat and ask for a more comfortable booth.
This is my favorite restaurant. Awesome views of Ocean Beach. Great beer. Very good cocktails.Great service. Good food. The prices aren't cheap but you got the priceless view and free parking! Thay also have live bands sometimes in the bar. The reason this place gets my first 5 star review is because of the consistency. I've ate here about 10 times in a 6 year span and always experienced the things I've mentioned. CONSISTENCY.
Good place to take visitors, but service can be atrocious. Yesterday, we were totally ignored. We needed to finally ask the front desk for menus, drinks were poorly made, pours were small, napkins and bread were not provided with food until we asked (after being served by buspeople). It's a shame...we've been there several times, and it could/should be so much better. Meh!
I've done the park chalet and i've done this place for drinks. Came here as a impress for out of town guests and i know the restaurant biz so Edgar i don't believe your "racist" server thing my entire party was Caucasian and we were in the EXACT SAME in terms of table and set up, nothing there and clearly open tables but we weren't on the window. RESERVATIONS was the explanation and i understand thank you very much...
now for the service we were lucky and got a great server Smiley was her ticket name and she was great. the food was good it was hearty and flavorful we got 2 hamburgers (wild mushrooms were a big hit)
eggplant sandwich and a pork sandwich. everyone would do it again. to be honest a group sat next to us later and the window was too hot for them and they moved so.....
You're paying for the view and the fact that it probably won't be nearly as crowded as it's cheaper cousin Park Chalet on a sunny gorgeous day.
None of the food was bad, in fact it was actually fairly decent, but there were a lot of differences between what the menu said and what I received. My basil-artichoke pasta was supposed to have shaved asiago cheese in it, and it did not - it's possible there was some grated cheese in it, but there was no sign of shaved cheese, both in terms of taste and looks. The creme brulee was supposed to be topped with a strawberry and a few blueberries, but it was a strawberry and a blackberry. One single blackberry. Neither dish made an impression on me one way or the other.
Normally I'd just shrug and give the place a 3 anyway because I'm not actually as annoying or anal as I just made myself sound in my last paragraph. However, this was before I ordered a coffee drink that was supposed to have brandy in it. Turns out they were out of brandy. All the brandy. On a really busy Saturday. It wasn't even 5pm. I was more than happy with drinking rum and kahlua with my coffee instead, but not having brandy under these circumstances is just weird. No one screws with my liquor. :P
Between the pasta, the dessert and the coffee, I have to say that I would go back, assuming I'm in the area and Park Chalet is too crowded - I just won't get my hopes up about whatever I order from here because it'll probably be different. 2.5 stars.
I really wish I could give this place more stars. It's one of those reviews where there were a ton of *little* things that you enjoyed, but a couple big things that force you to keep the stars low.
I ordered the cask-style British amber and, since I didn't feel like anything too greasy, a bowl of clam chowder for my entree. Okay, now when you think of a BOWL of clam chowder, what do you think of? Yeah, one of those big bowls filled to the brim and a little packet of oyster crackers on the side, right? Not at the Beach Chalet. This was literally a CUP of clam chowder poured into a huge bowl. When I pressed my spoon down to the bottom of the bowl, the bowl wasn't even deep enough to spill over into the spoon. The chowder was really good though, which made it almost worse because I really wanted more.
On the flip side, I have to give them props for their beer. I was very impressed that they served beer from a cask (which comes room temperature on purpose). The beer was delicious.
Here's my usual pros-cons list:
PROs:
1. Very attentive wait staff even on an incredibly busy day
2. Tasty food
3. Tasty beer
4. Great view of Ocean Beach (if sitting next to the window)
CONs:
1. Extremely small portions on some items (I think you'll be ok if it's a burger or something)
2. Extremely high prices
So, bottom line, if you're willing to spend the big bucks, get some appetizers before your entrees and you'll have a good time here.
Great place for a few drinks either upstairs with views of the ocean, or downstairs inside/outside facing the park.
Spotty service and mediocre food, so just stick to liquids and you should be fine. If you are starving then get an appetizer but keep your expectations low.
Didn't actually end up eating here, so I'm not sure if this review counts or not, but we walked in here Sunday morning with the intention of having a lovely brunch. What they were offering was a $30 per person brunch buffet (a word that makes me cringe... ughh) inside, or we could pick a spot on the lawn out back and they would serve us BBQ a la carte. The buffet food didn't necessarily look bad... but I have a weird thing about buffets... and honestly, the whole setup just didn't make sense. Buffet INSIDE the beautiful restaurant, but they are going to SERVE us while we sit on blankets on the lawn?? Weird. I'll pass.
However, I did like the historic displays in the front, and I thought the place was lovely.
I usually don't give 1 star reviews, but I was very disappointed. My girlfriend and I were celebrating our anniversary, and couldn't find parking on Columbus for another restaurant with reservations, so we ended up eating here since there's parking here, which is maybe the only thing good about this place, along with the view of the beach.
Our waitress sat us a table next to the window table when the window table was clearly opened. Later on the table was taken by Caucasians. On top of that, every table had a candle lit but ours. Also, we were the only ones without pepper and salt. Strange I would say... Our waitress wasn't very friendly, but I thought maybe she'll be a little friendlier later on. So, we ordered the crab cake, which was $13 for 1 piece of crab cake. Even First Crush came with 2 and it was about the same price! It wasn't bad, but it was not worth it. I ordered the half roasted chicken, while my girlfriend got the chicken Alfredo. I thought the chicken was a bit dry, but ate it regardless because it was pretty pricey for the portion.
One thing I really dislike at any restaurant is the laziness of waiters/waitresses. I was nearly done with my glass of water, and our waitress never came over to ask how we're doing or fill up our glasses. I felt that was very rude and unprofessional. Beach Chalet is overrated and it's service is horrible. I am not a cheap person, so don't get me wrong about this. I am willing to pay for good quality food, but I guess it was also my fault for choosing Beach Chalet in particular. We were also the only Asians there... do they think all Asians like myself is cheap? Talk about being discriminated...
Nothing beats dining with a backdrop of the sun setting along the ocean waves... or even enjoying happy hour with their own brewed beers. The beer samplers are fun...BC offers in depth descriptions of the samplers you are trying.
A quick run down:
On Monday evenings, The Beach Chalet offers a prime rib dinner. Being that I'm a huge prime rib fan, I was pleasantly surprised by how tender and tasteful it was. Also, at a great price.
Buttermilk Fried Calamari - I always order this. Considering it's fried, it's not too heavy.
Wild Dungeness Crab Cake is also tasty but the portion is a bit on the smaller side.
BUT to make up for it...
The hamburger is HUGE! Also very juicy.
My daughter loves the Fish and Chips.
If you're aiming for a healthier alternative, the Atlantic Grilled Salmon is done nicely.
In addition to the classy, clean decor, they have live bands come out to perform which makes the atmosphere lively.
I'll be back soon!~
The food was OK--parking good--great view--pricey
The staff seemed unhappy and rather distant--I noticed they didn't really look at or talk to each other--wierd vibe.
Our server was really depressed.
Perhaps it was our timing?? Late lunch.
Order a Pizza and stay home
Our visit to the Beach Chalet was an exercise in patience. Let me describe the funny yet sad affair we encountered.
We walked to the top restaurant bar area, and sat ourselves at a table close to the end of the bar. Then we proceed to wait for someone to notice us or even say "hi".
Nothing happens, so I check my watch and wait some more. A full 20 minutes goes by before I walk to the bar and order a couple beers for myself and my lady. The bartender pours the beers and hands them over -stating that he can't take money (even though I'm trying to give him a $20) because the "computers are down".
I'm a bit better as now as I have a beer. Still not one server has come by or offered menus.
This is getting pretty bad - as we can see and make eye contact with servers, yet no service. As I watch the bar area, 2 other couples have come in sat down, then left due to the same lack of service. But we hung in there in hopes of getting a menu.
One person in the bar area, part of a couple who have also been ignored, walks over to the bread station and SELF SERVES his own bread - Classic! We had a great laugh at this, and it made me feel better that it wasn't only us having bad service.
Beers are about done now and STILL not one person has come up to the table. So I see a young man in a white shirt and tie milling about, so I flag him down and ask if he's a manager, to which he says "yes". I ask why no one has come up to us even though they aren't slammed busy - why we haven't gotten any one to notice us. He really has no answer and at that point we're done with this place. I told him we aren't paying for the beers and he simply nods in agreement. He went over to the server for our area - which immediately prompts glares from the server.
Now the bartender has the computer back up and wants payment. I look over and say to him "sorry we're not paying your manager is picking up the tab". He has a confused look but oh well.
We're ready to leave and then it happens....the waiter for our area comes up and asks if we want to order food. "Nope we're out of here; we wanted to eat but not now".
Then a SECOND waitress comes up and starts to give us a sob story complete with little tears that "our computers are down - and we're just-so-busy, and that I feel SO bad about not waiting on you that I have to go now because I feel SO bad". I kid you not this is what she said. Oh please - get the F out of here.
Oh the beers you ask; I had the red ale, my girl had the IPA, they were OK but not great.
Great location, great views, worst service ever.
So much has been written about this place and suprisingly, I had never been inside until this past weekend. I remember walking by its shuttered doors back in the early 80's, never really knowing the story of this place.
I learned it was opened in 1925 to the public with a lounge/changing room downstairs and a restaurant upstairs. It was designed by Willis Polk and the WPA murals, completed in 1936, were done by Lucien Labaudt, who also did the murals inside the Coit Tower! I knew it! When I walked inside, the murals were so familiar to me and I marveled at the artistry that went into producing them. Unfortunately, my friend was in some sort of snit that day and didn't want to try the kick-ass Calamari upstairs let alone marvel at the history of the place. But I shall go back, by myself, if necessary..oh yes!
So yes, you're paying for the view. What's wrong with that? The food is definitely not amazing, but it's good, solid American/semi-Californian food, never a bad meal here. Service has always been good, and they try to accomodate me without attitude when I don't have a reservation. I saw that someone here writes that they came here for their anniversary and were disappointed. Dude: get a Zagat guide, and don't be such a cheapskate. This isn't that kind of place.
I've been living in SF for over 20 years, and had never been to the Chalet, until I went with my new friend "Doc" recently. In fact, I actually lived just down the road a bit on Great Highway when I first moved to SF, but yet, never had even been into the small museum in the Lobby.
Glad I finally rectified this situation.
After a brisk walk with my fine female friend along the beach on a sunny, but wind-swept day, she was hungry for a snack--as was I. So, since I hadn't been to the Chalet, but had heard good things about it, we decided to drop in. She hadn't been either, so it was all good.
We checked out the cool displays in the mini-museum, including a humorous one describing how the designer of NYC's Central Park decided against taking on the task of building an even bigger park on the site of what is now Golden Gate Park. He swore it was too sandy, too rocky and in general, not a good Idea. Eventually 2 locals took up the task and the rest is history...
The Chalet sits at the very edge of the Park with a great view of the beach and the Pacific Ocean. Since we lucked out and it was a nice day, the view was awesome from a killer table we snagged by the window.
Good thing, since we just beat the horde of hungry lunchtime peeps who filled the joint not ten minutes after we got there.
The staff were all really nice, very pro, and friendly--especially our server. She seemed to be in a good mood, even after dropping some glasses near the table next to us.
We had some clam chowder and I added a decent Bloody Mary while my companion had coffee. Everything is a bit pricey but not terribly expensive, and it was pretty good. But the great view and weather made the whole experience very enjoyable.
Plus, it seemed a bunch of killer classic cars were cruising by, which we both grooved on.
All in all, pretty cool. Glad I went--and so was my friend...
I so wanted to like this place better, but it wasn't to be. This review is for lunch.
The plusses - excellent service, great location/view, free parking in SF.
The minuses - the food.
Had an OpenTable reservation & we were seated immediately at a window table. Water & bread came right away as did our wait person for drink orders. My friend & I ordered the same thing, the Ahi tuna sandwich with a pineapple salsa & a side of slaw. Can you say flavorless & dry? I think it might have been better had I put the bun aside & eaten the ahi with the salsa or maybe with the slaw, which was unmemorable.
Oh well, dessert might redeem the meal, right? Wrong. I had the Beach Chalet Chocolate Sandcastle described as Intense Chocolate Torte with Chocolate Shortbread Cookies, Peanuts & Chocolate Sauce. It looked cute with the shortbread until I took a bite. The cookies smelled & tasted stale & there wasn't a peanut to be seen on the plate. I swear the chocolate sauce was your basic Hershey sauce in the squeeze bottle. The torte was thick & fudgy, which was good for two bites & then too much. Total with tax & tip was $34.50 - pretty darn steep for a mediocre meal, a lemonade, and a dessert at lunch.
I'd recommend the place after a day at the beach if you want a beer, which I didn't try since I was on lunch from work & had to go back - hehe, but I'd skip it for a meal.
The thing I like most about the Beach Chalet is it's location. It overlooks Highway 1 and Ocean Beach. The views are fantastic. I love going here with my family and other visitors. Also, if there are sports happening, it will be on the flat screens.
That being said, the food is a par above average by San Francisco standards, but excellent by Sacramento standards. If you like beer, it has a microbrewery and you can order a taster's choice of beer with a sample of each beer they have. I usually go for just a glass, which comes in small or large.
As for food, the quality is fairly consistent. Don't go here if you want excellent food, but if you are in the area and/or have visitors in town, and food is not the priority, it's a great choice. Keep it simple. Stay away from anything on the menu that looks complicated.
It is also very touristy, because of its location, so I would avoiding the Beach Chalet on weekends or go with the mindset to wait.
When you go, ask for a window seat so you can see the view, as this is what is is all about.
It also has a great bar with food downstairs. It is minus the view, but very cosy when the fireplace is going. I've enjoyed it on foggy days when there is no beach view upstairs.
On a side note, the downstairs area has a history of the building and the area, including a 3-D model of Golden Gate Park. The Beach Chalet was built in a restored structure that sat derelict for many years. I am old enough to remember when it was boarded and condemned. It is very interesting and enough to keep you busy if you have a short wait for a table.
yup....i came here once, for a friend's birthday, thinking WOW i finally get to eat at this fancy place....but i was disappointed.
i think i ordered the steak.....it was sooo not worth the 20-30 dollars at all..nothing special, even the macaroni grill steak was better! (yes its true) the weather wasn't that nice either so the view didn't up my mood. maybee some other foods are better....but for meee i wouldn't go there again.
So I've been here quite a few times. On one occasion I had the best Rib eye ever! and on another occasion I had food that was good. Beach Chalet is not to be mistaken with "Park Chelt" which is downstairs and can be a totally different experience.
The place is loud and you get a mix of tourists and locals. The food is good. It's typical California type food. Dinner is nice if you go right at sunset. However it's not really a romantic spot. I have gone in the evening a bit later and it was nice and quiet and potentially romantic but if you're not careful and you have spill over from the day crowd it can be loud. Lets just say when we watched the sunset the whole restaurant cheered. lol
They have their own beers that they brew and a sampling of microbrews. They also have a beer sampler which is cool. The food is good and I seem to find myself coming back here.
Out last visit we were here for a post baptism luncheon. The desert was a cheese cake that was spot on.
First of all, don't get mixed up between upstairs and downstairs. The upstairs is beach chalet and the downstairs is park chalet. They are two different restaurants that have an entirely different menu.
The whole ambiance and decor of this place is great if you're into live bands. I like how they have a bar area for those waiting. The view during sunset is gorgeous on a clear night.
well anyways i went there a couple days ago after not going there since they opened. i ordered the west coast calobrera or something like that. it was chicken fettuchine with bacon bits. I found the bacon to be a little overwhelming and my food was a bit salty. The sauce was a little too thick and rich for my liking. I thought this place was a little pricey for the food but you're paying for the view. I would compare to this place to cheesecake factory with less of a selection.
Salty food + thick sauce = bad stomach.
I came here today for lunch. I sat next to the window. It was sunny. The ocean waves were rolling in. The view was damn near close to perfect.
To top it off, I had the crab louie salad (again) and it was fabulous (again). It's one of my favorite dishes to order in San Francisco. Our waiter was great as well.
Yes it's overpriced. My salad was $17.
Yes it's a bit noisy.
But on a beautiful day, this spot is hard to beat.
AND AGAIN, date night.
Came here w/ reservations at 630, my boyfriend made it perfect so we would be eating desert at sunset. When we got there, we were NOT immediately seated. We arrived at 625. We waited a good 10 minutes while the WHOLE STAFF was up at the counter, but would not talk to any of the customers. RUDE. when they finally called us, our window seats were TAKEN. wtf. we had reservations.
Thank goodness they had free bread, which satisfied the boyfriend. it was a HOT day.. so everyone in there was sweaty. =/ gross. Yeah sure it was romantic i guess.
The boyfriend ordered
Side Salad; he says its really good.
&the seafood noodle thing; big portion, probably the only thing worth its price! &he says it was pretty good ! +1 !
I ordered
Clam Chowder[cup]; It was pretty dang good, tasted sooo fresh. it was my mistake though.. it was a hot day&there i am, drinking HOT soup. but it was undoubtedly good.
Seared Scallops; YEEEEUUUM yeah it was good ! really good! but when it came to my table.. it was 3 pieces. i stared at it like "wow, you expect me to make a dinner out of 3 dang pieces of scallop." FOR 18 DOLLARS. I understand its one of those quality over quantity kind of things, but really.. 18 dang dollars for 3 scallops. OH WAIT, lets not forget the corn&bacon=.=
The service was dang slow. I wanted to throw my fork at our server. I was thirsty, it was a hot day. Our waters were never refilled. The people behind us were loud as heck. They were so slow our sunset desert moment was ruined. We were late to our movies. WHAT ELSE BEACH CHALET !? WHAT FREAKING ELSE ?! im sorry, i will not be coming back.
our total was 65+8 dollars tip. i think 8 was too much for that rip off service you gave us. I could have served my gosh dang self.
save your money, go to the beach then a nice dinner nearby, theres plenty of other places.
The Beach Chalet is an above average restaurant serving good food and offering a good view. I did not say great, I said good.
The wall facing the ocean is made up of windows. Every table in the restaurant has a view towards the ocean (unless your back is facing the windows, which some tables permit). Once you actually look out the window you realize that the ocean is across the highway and the break point is even further. So the view is good, just not great.
"Would you like a little bit of bread and butter while you wait?"
What? Why are you asking me? Yes I would like some cold, stale bread and hard butter while I wait for my 20 dollar piece of fish. The bread serves its purpose for satisfying intense hunger but it needs to be drowned in butter because it has no taste. Drowning hard bread in cold butter takes talent.
The food can be fabulous if you order the right thing. They do fish well here, burgers/sandwiches are pretty average. I love their mashed potatoes! I know that they must be infused with butter but since I can't actually see the butter, it can't possibly be bad for me.
The Beach Chalet has a brewery on site. They brew their own beers and even have their own root beer. The beers do taste good, but not good enough to justify their prices. The root beer is very sweet and lightly carbonated. Not carbonated enough.
Portions are small. Too small considering that their clientele is American and Americans like to be fat and eat lots of food at dinnertime.
The prices are high which would make sense if every entree was good and if the portions were bigger.
I've actually been avoiding the Beach Chalet for years. Somehow I believed it was just a magnet for socially unaware, cellulite-ridden tourists in Bermuda shorts. Speeding by it on the Great Highway all these years, I only had fleeting glimpses of what I concluded was a downscale, second-floor Tavern on the Green wannabe with a vista point no less. Now comes the part where I express genuine surprise at how good it is. But no, not gonna happen. I will admit it's not as bad as I thought it could be, but I swear there is an unmistakable Walmart-meets-Costco vibe about the place.
Jamie W. and I came here because we wanted to have brunch close to the water. Given that we were not specific as to what "water" meant, the choices were the Ramp, Sam's in Tiburon and here. Since this was the one we never tried, well, here we were. It was as crowded as I expected for a Friday holiday, but things looked promising. Jamie managed to secure a table next to one of the ocean view windows, and what a rare treat to be at a San Francisco restaurant with an actual parking lot. The brunch menu is certainly robust enough.
We started with a house specialty, the Chalet Beignets, a trio of doughnut puffs sprinkled heavily with powdered sugar and accompanied by an Espresso and Bailey's Creme Anglaise Dipping Sauce (see my photo). Those went quickly, but for $2, we could hardly complain. Jamie went for the $15.95 Dungeness Crab Benedict, which offered a couple of poached eggs over some morsels of crab meat, all of it resting on a slice of toasted sourdough. Bearnaise sauce was ladled on top with pan-fried potatoes on the side (see my photo). It struck us that they were awfully stingy with the crab meat.
But stinginess appears to be a theme. I ordered the $12.95 Hereford Beef Hamburger which came in a nice, eggy bun. I went to town with Sonoma Jack cheese for an extra $1.50 and sauteed wild mushrooms for $2.25 - which brought the burger up to nearly $17, not such a bargain even if it did come with hot-to-the-touch fries. The strange thing was that the almost mini-meat patty was dwarfed by all the fixings (see my photo for proof). It's an odd shortcoming considering how the ingredients were actually quite good.
Much to our surprise, the service was also quite good despite the deafening noise level of the dining room. The shriek-filled cackling of suburban families and the blinding flash of digital cameras didn't seem to faze the wait staff. However, it bugged us enough for us to forego the view for something more desirable like lying face down on the Great Highway.
FOOD - 3 stars...the ingredients are nice, especially the use of Acme breads...but overpriced...and where's the BEEF?
AMBIANCE - 3 stars...nice view - but the acoustics made my ears bleed
SERVICE - 4 stars...very good considering the obstacles
TOTAL - 3 stars...I can check this one off my list now
Mmmm beer. Got the caddy with all the different kinds. It only reaffirmed my feelings in that I just really like beer- not specific kinds. Just beer.
And a bbq sauce, bacon, white cheddar cheeseburger with pickled red onions and garlic aioli sauce. YUM.
It would have been prettier if say, the sun were out. But it was very pretty nonetheless. I think I'll have to come back here :)
I went to the Beach Chalet on Friday, August 28. Weather was perfect, as San Francisco gets so few real summer days. The view from the upper restaurant is outstanding. Yet the food is not that good, at least not for the prices on the menu.
I had Calamari which to me tasted like deep fried rubber bands. The tartar sauce was bland and the seafood cocktail sauce was okay.
I am not much of a fan of seafood, but I know when something like the Calamari or the fried clams is good. This unfortunately was not.
And to further my disappointment the fresh brewed root beer on tap was flat. When I told the waiter the root bear was flat I was told, "oh it is the way its made."
Ha! Flat root bear? No go! It was not flat or bland when on my very first visit some years back. Then it was foamy and rich and flavorful, real satisfying. This time it was as if someone poured me a can of root beer that had been open and sitting out overnight.
Service is good as the staff is friendly. Atmosphere is pleasant and tables and decor is made for a dinning experience with cloth napkins, fancy water glasses etc. Classy!
But the food does not match up to that.
Oh well, too bad! I will not go back for the food, but as I said before the view is spectacular, especially on a sunny and clear day. Parking is available at the lot outside the door, but it gets full on busy weekends.
I hear that the restaurant downstairs at the Beach Chalet is better. Will have to try that some time.
Speaking of downstairs, the murals on the main floor are worth the time to see. They are indeed a rare example of 20th Century art and the wood carved detail is a marvel too.
See web links for more details:
http://www.wpamurals.c...
http://www.beachchalet...
The Beach Chalet was pretty good when it first opened a few years back. It was good to see the old… Read more »
The Beach Chalet used to be a dilapidated old nasty biker bar where my mom says the Hell's Angels used to hang out. She probably dated one. She's a Pollyanna with a wild streak.
Nonetheless, I think the Beach Chalet is the kind of place you wouldn't have wanted your car to break down in front of in the middle of the night back in the day.
Nowadays, it's a pretty, new, dressed up, rebuilt, but still average place with food and amazing views upstairs and a museum-y area downstairs that I've never bothered with because I am a native and therefore think I know everything. Because I do. Boy is more into this stuff and can probably regale you with tales taken from the little displays on offer. He's kind of a nerd like that (hi, honey!). The food here has nothing on the views but isn't bad by any means. A great alternative to the Cliff House if you don't want to shell out big bucks. I like shelling out other people's big bucks, so I'll stick to the Cliff House.
Pretty good spot. I went for brunch, had the Monte Cristo sandwich for like $12. It was good. Not great. The service was good, very friendly.
Bottom line is you pay for the view. Everything else is pretty average.
Beach Chalet.. Where to start.
The location itself is excellent, right across the beach. My group was lucky enough to get window seating during sunset one evening & just having dinner turn from light to orange to dark was already worth the five stars. Too bad I'm giving it three.
Even though it says casual attire here, I feel that this place is more of a semi-formal kind of place. Straight up casual wouldn't fit the ambiance to its extent. The place is full of tables on the second floor, full bar, candle lit at night with so so lighting. Service is constant, so there's no complaint there.. We had a reservation, so I wouldn't know too much about the wait time. There's a museum on the first floor, as is the restroom, so don't be confused & walk on right up the stairs to get to to the host.
I ordered a West Coast Carbonara, which I've had at select other locations. This one was a bit overpriced, but I saw why. The portions here are HUGE. They're probably enough for two people, say you don't have a big appetite one night. As usual, my carbonara came to be a little too much by the end, with its bacon drowning in my mouth. Haha. Most of the items here aren't sub par; they're pretty good regardless.. Just have a ball savoring every moment of your huge dish.
All in all, I can say that this a good place to have a team banquet, birthday or date dinner, but I would say that most of the items are generally over priced & could be more affordable have you eaten some place else.
San Francisco, CA
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
Category: Nightlife
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
Category: Diners
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