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Gestalt Haus

4 star rating
based on 285 reviews

Category: Bars  [Edit]

Neighborhood: Mission
3159 16th St
San Francisco, CA 94110
Price Range:
$
Accepts Credit Cards:
No
Parking:
Street
Good for Groups:
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
No
Music:
Juke Box
Best Nights:
Tue, Thu, Fri
Happy Hour:
Yes
Alcohol:
Beer & Wine Only
Smoking:
No
Coat Check:
No
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285 reviews for Gestalt Haus

Review Highlights   

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"The indoor bike rack and pool table are nice touches tho." (in 24 reviews)
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"And I don't even like beer but I love this place." (in 201 reviews)
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"How many coffeeshops are open the same hours as Cafe La Onda in the Mission." (in 7 reviews)
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Sort by: Yelp Sort | Date | Rating | Elites'
Photo of Christopher R.

 

2

12

Christopher R.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
11/8/2009

Well I must say i love this bar super fun bartenders, djs on some nights, maybe a beer pong night in the future we shall see but i love this bar its always my first stop in my evenings maybe if they get a beer pong night with a good dj ill be able to bring a lot more ppl to this bar! overall great bar!!

I love the fact that they have a bike rack thing as well, especially since all of my friends ride bikes its convenient that they have the option of hanging up inside :]

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Photo of jim b.

 

3

12

jim b.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
11/5/2009

Great space, great beer selection ( but no guiness - bummer), and a decent pool table.

Usually have some good music/DJs here too and it never gets that crowded.  It's always about the perfect amount of people.

The only bad thing is that the few times I stopped by there were homeless people in there.  One was even playing pool.  The stench was almost unbearable and I had to go to the other side of the bar.

I'm surprised the owner would allow this.  Other than that, great place to have a beer and shoot some pool.

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Photo of Ramsey D.

 

9

27

Ramsey D.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
Updated - 8/19/2009

It hurts me to have to take off a star from my previous review, but it needed to be done. I was there with some friends last night and the staff made some serious no-nos that I had to Yelp about.

Issue #1: My friend ordered a sausage around 10:20pm or so, and the bartender responded that they were out of sausage. A nearby staff member replied there they were not actually out of sausage, and the bartender told my friend that they were done serving food for the night. Within 15 minutes, we saw another group picking up 2 sausages. WTF, man? Not cool.

Issue #2: This is my BIG grievance with Gestalt last night. The DJ SUUUUUUUCKED. She was some hipster girl who was playing such shitty bar music; slooow-ass, boring 80's music. Playing 80s is one thing, but she only played the slowest ones. After every song ended, my group and I would audibly heckle the DJ's terrible playlist and yell for something upbeat. She responded by turning the music up... that little bitch. If I owned a business where the patrons typically liked to come and drink at least 2 liters of beer, I would want them to enjoy themselves and play the music they want to hear, lest I'd have to deal with 2 to 3 liters worth of anger.

She wasn't getting it. Every single song ended with me screaming, "Hey DJ Power Trip, play better music already!!!" and giving her disapproving expressions every time she looked in my direction. At one point, my friend and I mocked her by slow-dancing in front of the DJ booth at full-arm's length with nervous expressions, like the middle school dances this bitch is apparently used to working at.

I eventually finished my beer, waited until the song was over so that the DJ could clearly hear me screaming that she completely sucked dick at entertaining us all night, and returned home as the proud owner of one of the massive glass steins that Gestalt serves liters of beer in.

As far as beer and sausage, the place is still as good as it gets. Minus one star for the TERRIBLE DJ.

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 5 star rating
    5/28/2009

    Just met a friend at Gestalt last night, it was my first time there. I'm a big fan of anywhere I can… Read more »

Photo of Jane P.

 

17

110

Jane P.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
10/2/2009

i like playing pool at gestalt. i like the jukebox as well, and the front window is nice for people watching. there's often cool stuff hanging on the walls, and it changes pretty frequently.

unfortunately all the hot guys stopped coming here the first time the bike rack was taken out. boo hoo. also they need to please fix the lock on the bathroom door! last time i had some creepy guy follow me in and refuse to leave. i am not interested in that.

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Photo of Eric A.

 

17

124

Eric A.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
Updated - 9/7/2009

So I came in there the other night. BOY has it changed. It used to be this whole biker only kinda digs, but I was surprised how it was still welcoming to the new crowd, but had "hidden" bike racks. I gotta admit, I love the couches now haha. Beer selection is still great, but I wished there was a bit more. Maybe some simple well drinks as well too. That would make it better. Saturday night was fun. DJ was playin some hits (all genre's btw: I'm talking everything from The Sounds to Big Pun.. word up!)
Def glad I came here to chill!

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 5 star rating
    10/9/2008

    Way better when Murphy was running things, but it's still the same vibe. Bike friendly bar, bike… Read more »

Photo of Tom R.

 

1121

360

Tom R.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
6/16/2009 1 photo

I'd heard that they'd taken out the bike racks but I had no idea what the ramification of that was.

I hadn't been in for a while and was shocked at the change. it's no longer the rowdy, dark, loud cycler bar it once was. One of the other patrons informed me that there was a new owner.

While it was not as fun as I remember it this change is probably a smart financial decision, I suspect the yuppies are going to win the war for the Mission.

*******************7/25/2008********************** ********

Great! The too cool for school Zeitgeist biker (not the cool kind of bikers) crowd have another bar to hang out at! How long has this place been here and how is it that I didn't hear about it until recently? I love liter mugs of beer and German sausages cooked on a George Forman grill!!!

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Photo of Justin N.

Elite '09

343

165

Justin N.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
7/4/2009

Vegan sausages, that's what brings me here. I'm almost positive they use the Tofurkey bratts (I haven't confirmed), best when grilled, which is the method of choice at Gestalt. They have meat ones too but thankfully they're slick enough to have separate grills.

And what do you need after a kraut covered vegan bratt?

Beer: and luckily for us all this place has some good ones to wash down the sausagy goodness.

In my opinion this place has all the fixin's for a perfect hang out kind of place. Couches, pool, food and beer, all you have to do is add people and you've got yourself a decent evening.

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Photo of Rodney P.

 

15

45

Rodney P.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
6/26/2009

I love reading other people's Yelp! reviews for two primary reasons:

1) To get an idea of what I should write about an establishment

And...

2) To reaffirm my continuing disdain for the human race

The latter is directed toward people who'll give a place a single star for ludicrous reasons. Consider the following from member Mortimer P. "...Gestalt Haus is no longer the rustic, beer-lover's bicyclist destination it once was. It is now, in fact, a generic, boring, and inappropriately flashy bourgeois hangout". Generic? Maybe in the sense that it's exemplifies a Mission "hipster" bar...but it's THE MISSION dingus! Boring? I was in there lastnight and it was rockin'. Dude, if there is alcohol and women and you're not having a good time, go home, put on your latest Death Cab for Cutie album and proceed to cut yourself until you bleed the ennui from your body. Bourgeois? Sir, I saw not a single member of our society's upper crust there...not a single one.

Folks, I've always been frank with you...when I'm sober. Gestalt Haus, in my humble opinion, is a chill spot. Like Toronado in the Lower Haight it's strictly a beer bar, but the varieties offered are solid. The crowd can be pretty extreme...that is if you're like your's truly and scruffy, skinny jean clad white kids with questionable hygiene give you nightmares. I like Gestalt...I AM GESTALT, and you can too!

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Photo of Anna G.

Elite '09

267

305

Anna G.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
5/21/2009

Beer = solid variety, comes in three sizes (pints, 1/2 liter, liter)

Sausages = comes in the pork, the beef, the veggie, the all-tasty varieties

Atmosphere = chill + divey/charming, couches + pool table, bike racks + jukebox

Sum: Gestalt Haus = WIN

Gestalt is one of, like, eight bars within stumbling distance of my apartment, and I've been there the most, thus far. Because it's a winner. I like hanging out with winners. It makes me feel cooler by default.

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Photo of Stef A.

 

9

37

Stef A.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
7/26/2009

Gestalt has a bunch of good beer for a relatively good price.  The standout afternoon beer place on that stretch of 16th Street between Valencia and Guerrero, it also a good place for a nighttime beer as well.

I have been inappropriately drunk here more than once and it's a great place to be so.  True, they have taken out the bike racks and it's much less of a rowdy bicycle bar than it was in the past, but that's alright--as at any bar, you can still get rowdy if you want.

I haven't tried the food there, but word is that the (inexpensive) sausages are pretty tasty.

Whether you're using it for an afternoon beer meeting or a Saturday Night prequel to Delirium or a bar for the evening, I highly recommend Gestalt Haus.

And no, Jon.  They don't play Staind and Linkin Park in there.  The juke has a pretty decent selection.

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Photo of Natalye S.

Elite '09

72

425

Natalye S.

Santa Rosa, CA

3 star rating
6/11/2009

Maybe I hit this place on an off-night, because I really wanted to like it, but just wasn't feeling it. It has all the makings for a great place - relatively good beer selection, food to accompany, bike parking, a pool table and even pinball. But the vibe was way off. Too crowded, a bit pretentious (the bad kind of) and a DJ who was playing kind of lame music (and we were the only ones dancing but he still wouldn't play our requests).

In the interest of fairness, I'll give this place another shot because I think it has a lot of potential to be awesome, but based on first impressions? Eh.

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Photo of Mortimer P.

 

8

21

Mortimer P.

San Francisco, CA

1 star rating
Updated - 6/20/2009

After a long absence and a shocking return, I must drastically change my review here. Gestalt Haus is no longer the rustic, beer-lover's bicyclist destination it once was. It is now, in fact, a generic, boring, and inappropriately flashy bourgeois hangout. The young and stylish danced to loud hip-hop music, whereas before, scruffy (but still young and stylish) cyclists brooded over enormous liter-mugs of beer, playing Led Zeppelin on the juke-box. Now the indoor bicycle rack has vanished, and so, it seems, have the comely bicycle boys. They now serve ale in fancy tall glasses instead of comically oversized mugs, and, in my humble opinion, the worst transgression of all, they no longer serve my favorite ale, Fat Tire. Too plebian for them now, I imagine. They now only serve extremely crafty and foreign beers I've never heard of or do not care for.

So sad, this pub had much promise. In a few years, it may have even become a proper dive. But alas, it's gone astray and will never be the same again. Needless to say, I shall not set foot in Gestalt Haus ever again.

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 5 star rating
    6/3/2008

    I heartily endorse this establishment for the following reasons:

    - Indoor bicycle parking
    - My… Read more »

Photo of Erika C.

Elite '09

277

272

Erika C.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
3/18/2009

They burnt our Kielbasa.   I was sad.  But then we got another one.  There was much rejoicing.

After a night of aggressive dance parties and "i can haz fernet?", we found ourselves at Gestalt.  I'd never been in before, but I do know it used to be a huge cyclist bar, and I was disappointed that they got rid of the bike racks and the old sense of community (so I've heard).

I had fun here, well, from what I remember.  I'll be honest, I woke up and got Zeitgeist and Gestalt mixed up.  Too many German names to remember....

...too many beers consumed....

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Photo of Adam Z.

 

30

269

Adam Z.

Mission, San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
6/9/2009

Sadly, I've walked by this place a thousand times and never noticed it, because this is a dive worth checking out.

Great draft beer selection in a wide variety of sized glasses, including the manly-man liter.  Some very nice hard-to-find dark and German stuff on tap too.

They got eclectic sausages (Andouille, lamb, Hawaiian, etc.) that are electric grilled right behind the bar so they are served nice and hot, with kraut, but no onions. They are only $5, but are not very good quality. The buns are approximately two and half times too big -- I guess the assumption is that the bike messengers are famished.

Big pool table front and center (not for the timid or sucky) with room to play. Soccer on the tube.

Very good CD jukebox with one of the bartenders taking over the DJ booth later in the evening. Heard some great all-vinyl funk music here.

A gazillion times cooler than the yuppier-than-thou "The Monk's Kettle" next door.

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Photo of erin p.

 

14

99

erin p.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
5/11/2009

This place is alright for what it is, but the overall feelings are mixed.
The bartender called me "lass", which makes me happy, but they overcooked my vegan sausage to the point at which it was the texture of jerky.
The beer selection is drool-worthy, but the bathroom situation has GOT to GO.
I wasn't feeling the crowd all that much, but my friends and I managed to grab the couch up front, so at least I didn't have to trip over too many urban outfitters clones during the course of the evening.
Oh, and when I thought the mixed bag couldn't be weird enough, these guys decided to add a DJ. That just seems kinda wrong.

In any case, I'd swing by here on a weeknight for a pint if I'm in the neighborhood, but I think there are definitely better spots to chill and make that one drink turn into several more.

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Photo of Wes M.

Elite '09

350

1166

Wes M.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
4/4/2009

It's been my lifelong (read: 6-month-old) dream to stop in at Gestalt Haus on my way home from work, hang my bike on the wall, and get a quick pint and sausage.  Now that's a commute I can believe in.  But to my surprise there was not a single bike in the place.  I was so baffled I ended up leaving mine outside.

At any rate, most of these sausage-&-beer operations are epically sprawling biergartens (Broken Record or Zeitgeist), some even taking it so far as to be technically two separate entities (like Toranadosamunde's).  Gestalt Haus, on the other hand, inverts the concept with a very compact feel.  And while this would be genius in, say, West Portal, at 16th & Mission I'm not so sure there's enough bar to go around, at least on Saturday night (though admittedly, I'm not sure of any Mission bar that I really dig on Saturday).

But a happy hour chowdown on Hawaiian-Portuguese(!) sausage washed down with unfamiliar beers from familiar brands (like Speakeasy's White Lightning Wheat or Moonlight's Twist of Fate Bitter)--what's not to like about that?

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Photo of Joshua T.

 

15

22

Joshua T.

San Francisco, CA

1 star rating
Updated - 1/12/2009

I used to love this place.Honestly.I got to know the bartenders, and grew to love it, growing up in Germany, and being an avid cyclist.(Great German beer, and bike racks inside.) Yet since Murphy left it just sucks.All of the things that I never noticed before became glaringly obvious.Kind of like finding out that wacky, eccentric Uncle everyone knows and loves is actually a pedophile.

The bathrooms somehow have gotten even worse, and last time I went got into a fisticuffs with a drunk guy who swore I broke in front of him.Never mind I had been waiting in line for nearly 30 minutes.

The crowd now sucks.It used to be a great mix of bike couriers, hipsters, nerdy types, and your usual assortment of drunks.Now it's all underage hipsters, and douchebags drifting over from Monk's that look as if they just got through sailing.I don't like sailing or contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Not to mention they now have a DJ?What fucking moron decided to bring in a DJ to that tiny bar?Do they expect people to dance in there?Why is it every fucking bar owner gets this great idea to bring bands or a DJ into a dive bar the size of my living room?Do you really think that's going to make things better?

Anyways the only thing they have going for them is cheap regional German brews I practically had in my baby bottle growing up.Frankly I would rather pay an extra dollar or two per beer, in a bar I actually enjoy.I miss the old Gestalt.

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 5 star rating
    6/26/2008

    Let's see how many times people can say the word hipster in our reviews.Hipster, Hipster, Hipster,… Read more »

Photo of Sean C.

Elite '09

52

134

Sean C.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
4/6/2009

A friend met us here, and was witness to some fellatio in front of a church (for godsakes...HA!) after he parked his ride. I immediately railed him for not beating on their window and shaking the whole car in support. I mean seriously people, if you're gonna do the zucchini slick shizam in the middle of Dolores St., you should expect the same. This provided a pretty fantastic starter story for a pretty fantastic starter bar.

Totally cheap, and not nearly as crowded as many of the other bars on this corridor. Really nice tap selection of both German and local stuff - they've got like all of the speakeasy brews (which are all super dangerous), but also have several Paulauner varieties. Awesome that they offer sausage...its like Rosamunde + Toronado had a bastard devil child and this was it!

Major bonus points for offering beer in 1L mugs. I really really wanted to get one/several, but I think I would have been too tempted to start singing german songs and dancing on table tops. Generally, this wouldn't have stopped me, but I didn't want to make out with the pavement with a bouncer being my wingman. Maybe next time I head back...

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Photo of Angela B.

Elite '09

34

133

Angela B.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
3/19/2009

I haven't been there in a while, but I have some very bittersweet, yet fond memories of Gestalt from back when I used to go there more often, so that probably colors my opinion about it.  I wasn't living in the city yet at that point but had begun spending a lot of time up here recently, and the place struck me as one of the most laid-back, least pretentious bars I'd been in in a while (interesting, because we'd just come from Elixir up the street, which also holds that distinction).

Generally, there are around ten or twelve beers on tap (or something like that; I haven't been there recently enough to sweat to that number), usually with a few local microbrews or something else interesting and unique.  Strictly speaking, I feel like they tend to have more Belgians there than they statistically should, but since I love Belgians, that's just fine by me.  The bartenders are friendly, knowledgeable about their beer, and always happy to make a recommendation or let you try a taste of something before you order a pint.

The other great thing about Gestalt is the sausage.  Now, it's no Rosamunde's, but given that when I've been there I've usually always had a lot to drink or am in the middle of or on my way to having a lot to drink, when I've had them, the sausages have always tasted heavenly.  I'm a big fan of the andouille and chicken (I feel like it was apple-chicken, or spinach-chicken, or feta-chicken, but again, it's been too long to be sure).

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Photo of Jorge C.

 

11

26

Jorge C.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
2/23/2009

I could be myself here, I felt, and by being myself I mean, for example, playing bongos on the table with friends (and being joined by a rather good-looking stranger), or writing my name on a napkin with ketchup. The crowd was all right, and I can't help but loving those dirty, dirty Mission boys who could use a shampooing every now and again. I kid, I kid (I love, I love). Bike rack inside is a gem.

Music was groovy. Bongo-inspiring groovy.

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Photo of Kate K.

Elite '09

373

426

Kate K.

Oakland, CA

4 star rating
12/4/2008 2 photos

I'm curious that I have never reviewed Gestalt Haus before tonight.  When it's not jam packed crowded this is one of the best little kept secret bars in the Mission.  Granted, it has the worst BATHROOM in the Mission (go across the street to Kilowatt if you have to go, tip courtesy of Mick F.)  That aside: the beer is plentiful and cheap; the sausage is bang on and the potato salad is worth going to Gestalt alone for.

Delish!

On crowded nights, only go if you really REALLY have a hankering for sausage with sauerkraut.

Another up side to Gestalt - at least for me - because they do not serve anything other than ale or wine it's damn near impossible to get stumbling drunk at this bar.  Which at the age of 35 is a good thing, because I've had too many hangovers in my life thus far and need no more... Gestalt lets me go be social without risk of being sloppy knee walkin' drunk.

Yay!  Win-win-win!

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Photo of Danger D.

 

5

21

Danger D.

San Francisco, CA

1 star rating
1/6/2009

Rule #1: Never drink, eat or enter a bar that has a bike rack INSIDE.

Rule # 2: If more than three people in the bar have a handle bar mustache, are wearing plaid and have a huge back pack on, turn around and leave.

Rule # 3: If you can only drink beer or wine and the bartenders have more attitude than the hipster doushe bags that are staring you down, start swinging.

I wanted to give this place the benefit of the doubt but then I remembered that i was on 16th and Valencia. Fucking douchbaggery at its best. Do yourself a favor, walk across the street to the Kilowatt. At least the doush bags can't bring their doush bikes inside.

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Photo of Jared Z.

 

39

117

Jared Z.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
8/2/2009

oh Gestalt, i love you, with your giant cheap beers, your bicycle racks, you slightly too loud music, and the vegan bratwurst covered in special sauce and sauerkraut. This is the bar you will most likely find me if the weather isn't good enough for zeigiest or my pockets are not deep enough for  La Trappe.

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Photo of Rachelle T.

 

12

51

Rachelle T.

Foster City, CA

4 star rating
3/2/2009

Randomly found this place while walking along 16th St. and basically chose this one because it seemed like a chill place with some seats around 7pm on a Saturday night. They have a good beer selection for only $4 a pint! Much cheaper than Monk's $7.25 beer! They served sausages behind the counter that I would probably never try, but I guess if you drank enough, they would be good. There is also a pizza-by-the-slice place next door, which may be a better bet.

Crowd does seem like local hipsters, which wasn't a big deal to me. I would probably come back, but maybe only for a few drinks, since apparently the bathrooms are an issue. If you are coming don't expect to see a sign on the door. Go off the address, because I swear I didn't see a sign in front.

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Photo of Laila S.

 

1

12

Laila S.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
7/5/2009

a place that actually runs by liter/half liter????  haha

only quality beers no generic stuff. grilled sausages! vegan ones.

I'm in!   My favorite beer spot in SF.  Everything is legit, the place makes sense.

Love taking people from out-of-town here, definitely impressive!

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Photo of Paul S.

 

63

78

Paul S.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
2/24/2009

Gestalt features three things: bike racks, beer and sausages.

The beer is plentiful, and served in metric sizes (da!). The sausages are tasty. Service is timely.

Seating, on the other hand, is hard to come by. Definitely don't come with a large group.

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Photo of Roni L.

 

3

102

Roni L.

South San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
4/5/2009

$4 pints, good variety, not much space.  Haven't tried the sausages, next time.
Bartenders were okay to our group, no problems, fast service, friendly, but it wasn't super busy when we went.

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Photo of Javi V.

 

11

140

Javi V.

San Francisco, CA

1 star rating
1/11/2009

Lets see:

3 stars for a cool place that has bike rack and pool table. I love that.
-2 stars for a stupid bartender that judges me only because that day I was wearing a shirt, wanted to play pool with my date, and asked for Anchor Steam after coming from Monk's Kettle. Ok, man, whatever. And your Fat Tire tastes like shit, dude. Adjust the draft, please.

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Photo of kat m.

 

9

25

kat m.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
3/2/2009

Oh Gestalt........  What are you becoming?  Not a fan of the "improvements" that are going on, and neither are the bartenders.  My friends and I need to find another Thursday night scene.  

It *used* to be a dark, dingy place with deer heads and antlers on the walls.

Now it's over-lit, with bright red walls and shitty, over-priced art hanging on them.  

If they raise the beer prices, we are officially over, Gestalt.  Consider yourself warned.

Other than that, if you aren't an idiot dick, the bartenders will be very nice to  you.  And if the bartenders *really* like you, they'll put on the shop-from-home sex toy channel instead of soccer.  The snausages are yummy.

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Photo of Lo F.

 

5

37

Lo F.

San Francisco, CA

2 star rating
7/21/2009

The bar gets 4 stars, the bartender gets 1. He is a complete ahole and doesn't matter how nice you are to him, he is a complete d**k to you. The problem is he is always there- at least every time I go there- so I try to sit in their couch area instead of the bar. If you can do that, yea it's a nice place to go and much better priced than monk's kettle that is super expensive, but hey they have a really nice selection of belgian beers.

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Photo of alejandro p.

 

1

35

alejandro p.

Oakland, CA

3 star rating
3/27/2009

Surly bartenders, surly patrons.

I came back for the fantastic tap selection. Lesson learned!

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Photo of Rachel R.

 

2

10

Rachel R.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
3/24/2009

Gestalt is a place I find myself going back to over and over and I can't figure out why.  The people are friendly, I see many of the same faces, there is a pool table but the smell of sausage cooking on those George Foreman grills they have behind the car sticks to my clothes and hair (no bueno) and there is no hard liquor.  

Other than that, I can't say a bad thing about this place. I should also mention that the beer selection is good.

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Photo of Jeannette Z.

Elite '09

240

130

Jeannette Z.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
8/19/2008

I finally had the privilege of meeting Joe C. We decided to meet here last night.  Really nice guy...and I had the best sausage ever.

Oh silly me! Gestalt was closed for some odd reason, but my god that was the BEST piece of meat I've ever had.

[There. I said it Joe. Now put the check in the mail.]

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101

274

Art O.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
9/9/2008

Finally came here a few weeks back when my buddy Roscoe was in town for the Outside Lands weekend.

I guess I found myself a bit let down after all the great reviews I read. Sometimes, my inner interior decorator gets the better part of me and the little things that are a bit off start getting on my nerves. First, the stools are too short for the bar - you're just about drinking with your elbows at ear level. And then you got these animal skulls thrown haphazardly on a bare black wall which gives the impression that little thought was going on with the interior design. Finally, one bathroom to share with the girls and boys doesn't help the situation either.

I know these are little things and I'm sounding a bit whiny, but like I said, it adds up. Plus, throw in some odious youngsters that talk too loud and dance like Ellen Degeneres and you got an uncomfortable situation on your hands.

Unfortunately, I didn't try any sausages so perhaps the rating would go up after I finally try some.

Having indoor bike parking doesn't necessarily make a bar cool either. But there wasn't anything that *really* turned me off so I'd definitely be down to give it another shot.

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Elite '09

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157

Rachel F.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
8/5/2008

Whenever my good friend Joe C. convinces me to leave the cocoon that is my cozy house and meet him for a drink, he invariably chooses Gestalt Haus. It's mere blocks from BART, a handful of blocks from my house, and conveniently located in the goodness that is 16th St. between Church and So. Van Ness.

Even with the myriad of bars to be found there, Gestalt is always the choice for a mid-week happy hour. The beers (by the liter) are cheap and good, the sausages and brats hit the spot, and there's always somewhere to sit at the bar.

The crowd is invariably young and scruffy and there's usually some bike race to watch on tv. On cold nights, it's nice and warm in there, due to the questionable ventilation, and many ovens going behind the bar.

On the other hand, on warm nights, it's downright sweltering in there. That's not going to keep me from coming back, though, after all, how many warm nights do we really have here?

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Elite '09

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201

Steven R.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
1/6/2009

The German qualities of this place go only as far as the name, the beer and that they serve bratwurst.

The adventure into Gestalt Haus begins.  The pool table is right near the entrance so chances are you'll be waiting for someone to take their turn before actually getting out of the doorway.  After you make it past the players, you are rampaged by people who have turned the empty space before the bar into a cramped dancing area, owing thanks to the loud techno.  Proceed with caution.  After making it through the light gauntlet of elbows from the tables lined along the bar you finally make it towards the back and can breathe easy.

So why bother?  Easy, the beer.  Delicious German beers and most of the Speakeasy brews are available on tap.  All pints are a flat  $4 which is great.  Good attempt to try to make it German by offering beers in half-liters and liters.  Eventually at some point you'll hopefully be able to snag a table and enjoy your beers, making it actually a pretty fun place for a few rounds of "would you rather?"

Someday this place might endear me enough to get a 4, but for now it's a 3 and a solid backup for when Kilowatt is far too crowded.

Oh yeah, is there more than one bathroom in this place?  If not, that is something that should really get taken care of given this place only serves beer.

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261

Josua P.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
7/19/2008

I love beer, bikes and sausage. And not necessarily in that order. Gestalt Haus is dark, sparse, has a swell assortment of beers on tap and a pool table. I usually hate TV's in bars but they were showing the Tour de France and, as a result, was largely ignored by the bartender save for my basest needs (beer.) So basically this place is right up my alley.

I only wish I had brought my bike to slide into the ample indoor bike racks to give me some street cred.

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Elite '09

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228

Joe C.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
Updated - 7/22/2008

Last time I was in Gestalt (that would be the night I managed to get home but don't quite remember how) we used science to ascertain something very important: the fancy and highly phallic .5-liter Trumer glasses hold more than 1.25 times the amount of beer that fits in the standard pint glass.  

This proves two things:
First, it proves that either that the pint glasses are smaller than a pint, or that the .5 liter glasses are bigger than they purport to be, since a liter is technically 2.11 pints.

Second, and more important, the half liter of Trumer for $5 is a better deal than the pint for $4.

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 5 star rating
    11/29/2007

    I love and adore this place.  The bike rack is uber-cool, the beers are fresh and cold, and the… Read more »

Photo of Cheeks McGee L.

 

16

81

Cheeks McGee L.

Modesto, CA

4 star rating
10/20/2008

I swear we wandered the Mission looking for a place to drink for an hour and a half. Finally fed up I called my girl who lives in the neighborhood and she recommended this place based on "I need a dive for beers in the Mission" By the time we walked from Capp and 23rd we were sooooooooo thirsty and we're relieved to find it finally.

The place was pretty awesome. Very rustic with antlers hanging all over the walls. Tons of beers on tap. The place was packed with nowhere to sit. A great cast of characters to enjoy and Bob Marley on the box. Would have stayed there all day if I had the chance. Check it out.

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Elite '09

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199

Vanessa W.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
11/9/2008

This place is awesome; it has a lot of personality.

Great selection of beers on tap & the bartenders were super nice.

It's got a great set up - you can set up your bike on the bike rack, and there's a pool table, with benches around it. Dead animal heads adorn the wall.

I came here on Halloween, dressed as a mermaid, and embarrassed myself by attempting to play pool.
Note to self - never drink and play pool. I nearly whacked some of the audience members on the bench with my pool stick.
Great crowd, though, as people were patiently waiting for me and my boyfriend to finish this never-ending game.

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