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- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 2 am
- Delivery:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Tue, Fri, Thu
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Hipster
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
405 reviews for Gestalt Haus
Review Highlights
"the bar provides a indoor bike- rack for your bike."
(in 14 reviews)
"The best beer selection around and cool bar tenders."
(in 54 reviews)
"It had plenty of beers on draft and vegan sausage."
(in 25 reviews)
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405 reviews in English
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Review from gene x.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 1/12/2012 8 Check-ins Here
Another trip to Gestalt after watching Everyday Sunshine, the Fishbone documentary at the Roxie, which, incidentally is great! - had me and my friend Dan landing at Gestalt to discuss the film and kick it since we hadn't hung out yet in 2012. The bartender tonight was Daniel and he's the owner so it was fun chatting with him about beer and business. The vibe inside is still nice and the music the DJ was playing on a Wednesday night was excellent. Also they have Rodenbach Grand Cru in the 750 bottles here for $15 - a great price for an amazing sour beer!
I was almost going to order a sandwich too but it was a bit late for that. Definitely still a solid choice for a good beer and chill atmosphere (although I guess on weekends it does get pretty crowded)1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/22/2011
So I've been to Gestalt and seen it evolve over time. I was a bit sad when the bike racks were… Read more »
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Review from Logan The H.
Los Angeles, CA
1/9/2012
I like Gestalt a lot! If you're wondering why I only gave it three stars, it's because I would have given it 4 stars except for the bathroom situation, which is a BIG ding.
C'mon now, you cannot have ONE bathroom for both men and women in a beer-heavy bar! Some of us are stricken with Tiny Bladder Syndrome, which means we need to piss after every delicious beer on tap that you serve (and by the way, the beers on tap are GREAT. They have a fantastic selection of rotating taps and beers in bottles as well). But one bathroom?? I feel bad for the men who have to wait for us ladies to do our business. Cuz we womenfolk are SLOW. I guess they could always just go outside and pee on the walls?
Please, Gestalt, add another bathroom. I'm just asking for ONE more, that's all, and I'll be much happier and come to your lovely little bar more often.
The bar itself is neat. Small, dark but not so dark that you can't see who you're about to make out with (which may or may not be a good thing). There's not a ton of seating but it makes more sense to have more standing room areas, which is what Gestalt has. They also have two ledges at the front so you can lean, flirt and look at people pissing on the walls outside (For the record, I have never seen anyone piss on the walls, but it's the Mission so I won't be surprised if I do, and given the bathroom situation...). There is also a pool table at the front, and Big Game Hunter in the back. Fun atmosphere, low-key, nice people. I have met some really fun, nice people at Gestalt. The bartenders I've experienced have all been hard-working and attentive. Yes, they could use more bartenders but maybe they're balancing their bartender to bathroom ratio (I need to get over the bathroom situation, I know, I know).
I believe the beers on tap ran about $6, though I was a little drunk so I can't remember clearly. Prices are not super cheap but also not overpriced so they are on par. Cash only, like many places in the Mission. It usually doesn't get as crowded as Elixir, Killowat or 500 Club on the weekends.
I've not had their food but maybe next time. After they get a second bathroom, that is. -
Review from Jen H.
San Francisco, CA
1/5/2012 4 photos
I always laugh when people use their review to wonder if this place is "trying to be Toronado" or "trying to be Rosamunde." If I wanted to live in a place with just one beer bar or just one sausage place, I would have stayed in Vermont.
They have some of the best toasted sandwiches around (or are they just **trying** to be Ike's???). Plus, their weekend daytime bartender is easy on the eyes. -
Review from Michelle M.
San Francisco, CA
2/8/2012 1 photo
Dive bar, great selection of beers, variety of sausages and brats = a great night in the Mission
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Review from Siao W.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2012
Gestalt is what it is... a freakin awesome place to go with a buddy to have great beer, maybe a sausage or two, and play BIG BUCK HUNTER all night long! Do not come here expecting to see hot sorority girls. Do not come here to be seen in the latest fashion. Come here to grab a mug of spaten, scarf down a brat, and shoot those BUCKS!!! (They have the World version, which includes BOTH SAFARI and PRO!!) This is a relatively inexpensive place to have an EXTREME amount of fun without douchebags hanging around. The 90s hip hop spinning was a nice touch.
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Review from Jack D.
San Francisco, CA
2/6/2012
What happened to this place?? I come up to SF every month from LA. Some 7 months ago I had the best sandwich ever from Gestalt. ('the Dre Dogg) I told all my friends to go there and wrote a great review for my newsletter. So I went in on a Tuesday for lunch with a group. We tried to order for 15 mins but the deli guy was busy shooting the sh*t with his pals. He has a wannabe fro and a dirty mustache and he must have given his buds 10 beers that were not paid for. I was like Hello? Actual PAYING customer here! So we ordered food and some radebergers, the sandwiches were just crap. Some stale bread and weak spread, meat was bad too. So whatever, we finish up and owe like 60 bucks. I go up to pay and watch him just pocket my money and fish my change out of his tip jar. His friends seemed to love the service but I was unhappy. Plus the guys buddies needed some serious showers. Sad to see a good place gone bad.
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Review from Heidi M.
San Francisco, CA
12/18/2011
I've been coming here since Gestalt opened, and while I liked it a little better before the remodel (gone are the plywood tables and the massive bike rack), it's still a great place to grab a beer or few with friends. The bar now has several types of seating -- bar, table and sofas -- to accommodate diners, groups and individual patrons. There is a limited menu of sandwiches and brats, all of which I've tried have been delicious. They will also allow you to bring in outside food. Gestalt's draft selection includes almost 20 beers; despite this, it doesn't feel like there is much variety, yet I always find something I'm happy to drink. Service is quick even though there is usually only one bartender on duty. They are happy to let you taste a beer before placing your order.
For your entertainment, there is an entertainment calendar of local DJs and a good juke. Major sporting events are played, and in the hours when there are no games on, I've seen them play everything from music videos to soft core porn.
As a side note, I have AT&T service, and NEVER have reception at all inside Gestalt. Really a hassle when you're trying to meet up with friends. I've noticed the bartender goes outside to call/text so it's not just me! It's really strange and kind of makes me feel lie they are doing something to block signal. However, as of my last visit, I noticed they have free wi-fi, so at least I can get some messages out to the people I can't call.... -
Review from Jim B.
San Francisco, CA
12/29/2011
I like the great selection of beers in this place- like the Chocolate Stout. Man, that is worth going into this place alone. It isn't the best bar in the area, but always worth a visit, and definitely adds to the neighborhood.
I have never tried the food here unfortuntely. The sausages sound good, but I have always just eaten before rolling in here.
I can't figure out what this place is trying to be? Yet another hipster spot? Bike messager hangout? A Rosamude type place? Toronado? -
Review from Brandi W.
Walnut Creek, CA
11/20/2011
Admittedly, I'm not much of a beer drinker, but my friend suggested this place, so we ventured in here tonight.
It's a cozy little bar with a few tables against the wall. They have a really weird video game machine in the back where you shoot and kill wild animals. It was a little disturbing to watch people actually play it.
One bathroom for the whole place? No good. One BARTENDER working tonight? Even worse.
If you're a connoisseur of the brew, feel free to check it out. I prefer my bars with more options, in case I'm in the mood for a cocktail or three. -
Review from Carol K.
San Francisco, CA
1/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Large variety of beer. If you want to try different beers, come here!
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Review from LT N.
San Francisco, CA
1/1/2012
cool spot to hang out, have a beer, and watch a game. The food service is kind of slow, but selection is good for munchie cravings.
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Review from Richard T.
San Jose, CA
10/24/2011
We came here to finish watching the 49er game on a hot Sunday. The drink prices are average but the other patrons and the bartender were nice.
Just a short walk from Dolores Park, it's a great place to grab a drink before you lay out in the sun. -
Review from Matt T.
San Francisco, CA
11/3/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Beer and brats... The perfect combo really. We owe much to the Germans for that. And, as I write this, I'm witnessing the construction of a meaty, chili-infused, bacon-topped dog for some lucky patron.
Oh ja... das ist güd. -
Review from Monica D.
8/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love you, Gestalt. Always have, always will. This would ordinarily be a total no-brainer five-star superjoint. So why the A-OK?
If you are looking for the standard, no frills, kinda uppity but still tolerably cool Gestalt Haus of lore, then DO NOT COME HERE ON A WEDNESDAY NIGHT. I mean I'm a pretty chill person who finds hilarity in just about anything dry, inappropriate, or otherwise devoid of funny -- but Lord Almighty this was a horrible experience. Came here with my bro and some other peeps, including two SoCal visitors with whom I was overly eager to share the experience that is Gestalt. UGH. Our beers couldn't have been chugged fast enough. MAKE IT STOP ALREADY! Best part of the night was the cute nerdy dude at the bar who yelled "TELL SOME JOKES!" after the first couple duds. Never before has a free comedy evening completely ruined the rest of mine so badly.
Also, a little air conditioning for us fat out-of-shape strangers from out the way please? Thank you. There's only one bathroom -- ONE -- but eh, that's SF (and more specifically the Mission) for you.
Gestalt has an awesome beer selection, great prices, typically fine music and a great sausage menu. They generally choose awesomeness to broadcast on the TVs. HOWEVER. You have been forewarned. Woody Allen once said, 'comedy is tragedy plus time.' Elvis once sang, 'you look like an angel... but you're the devil in disguise.' Here ya go, aspiring Gestalt comics: WHAT YOU SAY IS NOT COMEDY, BUT HORRIBLE SOLILOQUIES THAT SHOULD NOT BE HEARD BY ANYONE. -
Review from Megan R.
9/4/2011
We stopped in for lunch at this bar. Who would think this German bar would have tasty & messy specialty sandwiches.
The sandwiches are made to order in front of you. They may have unusual names but they are oh so good. I ordered "The Bird." It is a turkey sandwich with provolone, artichoke hearts, pesto mayo, garlic spread, red onion, tomato and lettuce on french bread. You will need lots of napkins so be ready to get your hands dirty.
The potato salad is German style and it is spot on. Growing up in a German neighborhood you crave potato salad like this. Yum.
Next time I will definitely try another wacky named sandwich. -
Review from Mike O.
9/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Dear West Coast Hipsters,
You know how to do it here. Unlike your eastern counterparts in Brooklyn, I can turn to a juke box and see music that I actually know and love, I can order an astounding variety of draft beers that come in the appropriate vessels, and the obscure movies you play on your television screens are actually interesting simply because they are footnotes of film history, not because they represent some sort of blase intellectual phenomenon. The music also wasn't too loud, which allowed for actual conversation. I didn't eat here, but your sandwich selection looked ravishing. Well done! -
Review from Natasha R.
San Francisco, CA
6/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Two doors down is Monk's Kettle. It's a lovely place to get a $20+ wine glass full of Belgium. I'm a beer snob and all, but come on.
Gestalt has a draft selection that can hold its own. Not too many I saw in the high percentages, but still a wide selections of micro-brews and crafts.
The cool part is they serve you by the pint, liter (ie: half a pitcher to yourself), or a glass boot that Cinderella could use as a pair of Uggs. I settled on a pint of coconut brown that did not disappoint.
Bartenders didn't have that cold bitter edge I see so often in the city and were nice enough to let us sample a few varieties. I can't comment on the food, but they do uniquely offer vegan sausages.
Be warned though, this is a dive. But the Mission is filled with dives and not enough good beer. So if you care about what you are drinking, check this place out. -
Review from Jessica D.
San Francisco, CA
8/14/2011
What a random gem this place is. My fiancé and some of his co-workers were planning a beer night at the Kettle just 2/3 doors down from this place. Of course it was packed so we decided to head over to Gestalt for some beers instead. Man Oh Man! What an amazing find! I wish I had known about this place before. The sausages are tasty! If you sit at the bar long enough and drink a few beers, you'll find yourself downing 3 of these, easily! The Bockwurst with a slap of sauerkraut hit the spot.
The bartenders are super down to earth and the company is casual and relaxed. You'd find me with a pint of Allagash playing some Attack from Mars pinball in the back. -
Review from Joanna M.
5/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
Gestalt Haus is the rookery of slim and young men clad in plaid. There's even complimentary parking for track bikes inside. After a few beers, though, they should play pin the bike helmet on the hipster. A skull is a terrible thing to waste.
Just around six on a Thursday, there were only about five people at the bar. Two in plaid. It's a dark bar in the back and I had to strain my myopic eyes to read the menu, though I got by with a little help from my friend. There's a handful of good beers on tap, and many more expensive Belgians and otherwise in bottles. Hoegaarden on tap, so I was happy. There was a small menu of bar food, and the potato salad with bacon was only three dollars and was sehr lecker! The bartender was pretty rude; he reminded me to tip when he gave me my change. Of course I would tip! Why wouldn't I tip? He said that a lot of people don't. I suppose he felt that the revolution would start with me. A whisper in San Francisco would turn into a tornado across the country of people wising up and dropping tips? I tipped as I always do. Hope he's saving up for a plaid shirt.
I sat as far away from that guy as possible, near the front there is a lot of light coming in. I counted about eight more plaid shirts coming in, and over the next forty-five minutes it became crowded. Wonder if all those people tip too.
I'm not a bike messenger, don't have any plaid (except a skirt, and I don't think that's the look the bar is going for), but I liked Gestalt Haus. Beer and spuds can unite farflung social identities and wardrobe choices any day. -
Review from Alejandro B.
Sacramento, CA
8/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
The Meatwad Sandwich. Oh dear God.
Pastrami. Bacon. Bockwurst. Cheddar. Perfectly proportioned.
Heart attack? Yes. Worth it? Yes.
This is the best sandwich I've had in a while. If you're not a vegetarian, try it. If you're a vegetarian, stop being silly, and try it. If you're a vegan, I'm pretty sure you'll cry at the mere sight of this. Hell, I cried at the sight of it, but obviously for entirely different reasons.
Beer: Awesome. Not an immense tap selection but it kept me happy. Hennepin's Farmhouse Saison was especially welcomed.
Prices: Reasonable. $9 for the sandwich which was my entire caloric intake for the day and $5 beers.
Verdict: Come here on an off night or afternoon, settle down with this monster of a sandwich and a good beer in the corner couch, and weep from joy. -
Review from Liwei Y.
11/8/2011
Nice place to grab beer and lounge. There are lots of seating places and some couches. They have boots which i think are fun to drink with friends. There's also a pool table but gotta get there early to claim the table! This place is a little loud and i had a hard time figuring out what ppl were saying unless they yelled at me and i had to yell at them.
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Review from H L.
Brisbane, CA
11/20/2011
Depending on the night of course, this is the only bar in the entire Mission I can stand to be in. This is a good pre-meet up place. The beer selection is ample. The bar tenders a-ok. The music not barf inducing. The people are generally ok.
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Review from Kevin L.
7/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
What the heck is a vegan tuna melt? If I hadn't been stuffed to the gills before rolling into here, I would have gotten one or maybe a vegan sausage thingie.
We shared a pitcher of Spaten and then tried to get an IPA (not the Racer 5, but something else). They were out, so the bartender recommended the Tricerahops. Tasty double IPA. Obviously a hoptastic punch to the sinuses, but great for a summery night. ~$20 for a pitcher (counting tips)
A little loud for conversation since the DJ was really pumping whatever beats, but fun place to hang out. -
Review from Luke M.
San Francisco, CA
4/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
I did not plan on coming here, but I was across the street and (random fact) gestalt is one of my favorite words and frequent metaphors. I think the word "gestalt" combines the affection I feel for both existentialism and communism. So that's why we came.
They have beer and sausages, which is what you want from a Haus.
Moreover, they seem upright and friendly here, and the "DJ" was playing a...oh, let's call it... eclectic (unstructured) mix that was enjoyable.
I didn't get a sausage but I will, and that might earn them another star. If Gestalt Haus proves it can out muscle the fascist, axis rule of Rosamunde & Toronado they will deserve a congressional medal of honor! -
Review from Martin C.
San Francisco, CA
7/5/2011
Been here a couple times during the afternoon for a beer & a sausage for lunch because this place was empty while the other more chi-chi places nearby are packed.
Don't let the dive-like appearance and the lack of waitresses and/or tables scare you away. It's a great place to watch some sports on TV, catch a nosh & down a brew while in the neighborhood for just $10 including a tip to the bartender/cook. They also make a great reuben, that I just recently tried, w/freshly baked rye swirl bread & pastrami the barkeep says they import from NYC. -
Review from Daisy S.
3/13/2011
I recently spend a beautiful day in The Mission and ended the evening at Gestalt Haus. Ashley M. and I first walked by this place on our way to the end of the block or somewhere, but the sign in the window advertising "Vegan Tuna Melt" told me I suddenly had other plans. We went inside and took a seat at the bar. My phone was dead by this time so I couldn't check in, but more importantly, I was not aware that it was past 6:00 p.m. They stop serving sandwiches after six. Thankfully, they also had vegan sausages.
The vegan sausage was delicious. I loved that the bun was toasted. The toasted bun really sealed the deal for me. I ordered the sausage with sauerkraut and onions and tried the two different mustards and even some ketchup. I still want to try the "tuna" melt, but I would return just for another sausage.
Halfway through my sausage I ordered an Arrogant Bastard from their selection of bottled beers. It went nicely with the sausage.
Ashley M. let me try her Downtown Brown. I liked the flavor and would recommend it if you haven't tried it before.
There was a weird dude trying to pick up on me which took a little bit away from the nice evening we were having. Oh well. The bar staff was very nice and attentive.
I'm looking forward to checking this place out again and trying the vegan tuna melt.
"Sausage" count: 6 -
Review from Greg G.
10/4/2011 3 Check-ins Here
As a bar it's pretty cool. Great friendly bartenders, great food (get a sausage and some potato salad) and decent beer selection. I think the biggest problem is the super loud music that seems to happen at 8pm+ It's like I can hear every conversation in the bar, some background music then 1 second later I can't even hear the person I am sitting with. No I didn't shout, "Get off my lawn!" or "Back in my day we were considerate of others listening preferences," ... but I mean it's not like it's a club. Oh well.
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Review from Doesn't M.
San Francisco, CA
11/6/2011
This place is awesome. Great beer, awesome sandwiches, super friendly, nice, and competent bar/deli staff. Big ups to the guy who can handle the Sunday football bar and sandwich-making by himself, and do it with a smile.
Super accommodating to vegetarians, vegans, and meat-eaters alike, and open to custom sandwiches. And the sandwiches are GOOD. Awesome beer selection, good jukebox, nice people. -
Review from Michael W.
New York, NY
4/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came over here to watch the NCAA Final Four on Saturday afternoon. I originally headed to Monk's Kettle, which I've been wanting to hit up for a month, but was steered away by friends because they don't have TVs. Thus, using the Bill Clinton methodology, we took whatever was close to us and ended up at Gestalt Haus.
This place does have 20 beers on tap, BUT they don't do pitchers. It's either $5 for a pint or $10 for 0.5L. Kind of expected this place to be cash only, but a part of me still hoped that they'd take credit card. Gestalt Haus is a great sports bar. They have a pool table in the front, but the winning element is their huge projection screen in the middle of the bar. With that, anyone can see, but if you're at the bar, then there are small TVs for you as well.
The beer selection is pretty legit, ranging from your normal beers to ones like Racer 5 and Drakes 1500. Aside from beer, they also do sell sausages like kielbasa, etc. I didn't try them because I was on a liquid diet, but they smelled good. If you're looking for a unique beer, they do have the double chocolate stout which was actually pretty decent.
With all bars, the downside is that this place does get packed. I'm going to say its because of the game, but still. I hate waiting 5 min just to get a beer. They have one bathroom but it's pretty grimey. Hipster-ish crowd, but I wouldn't expect anything less from this place being in the Mission. -
Review from Glenn S.
San Francisco, CA
3/20/2011
I had high hopes for Gestalt after hearing about the place... it being bike friendly, convenient location in the Mission, yada, yada, yada. I went in today with a friend and was ignored by the bartenders, then when I asked for a menu and a drink, the drink never came. After waiting for about 5 minutes at the bar, I noticed the bartender, back to the door, washing dishes. I went down to just tell her what I wanted, and when I did... can you guess what happened at this point? She ignored me - like, didn't flinch when I spoke. So, after three awkward exchanges trying to order the Whitney Houston, my mission was accomplished. 15 minutes later, the sandwich came.
Now comes the good part. It was absolutely delicious. Great flavor, vegan sausage, avocado, tomato, vinaigrette, the works. I would recommend this sans provolone for someone looking for an incredible vegan sandwich in a Mission bar!
So, the experience with the bartenders dropped the rating to (if possible) a zero. The sandwich was a 5. In this case, I thought it appropriate to round down the average to a 2.
My best assumption is that the bartenders were stoned and distracted (not that I'm hating, I just feel like if you're in a profession where you have to serve people, you should probably do that), so, maybe come when it's a little busier, so they have ample time to lose the haze and return to... I don't know... doing their jobs? -
Review from Michelle B.
San Francisco, CA
9/1/2011
Walked into this place after class with my girlfriend. We looked at a couple different menus on Valencia but none appeased. We were walking by and immediately liked the ambiance inside of the place. It had plenty of beers on draft and vegan sausage. Sold! Done and done we went inside and were very pleased. They had some yummy different selections of mayos and dressings to choose from after you get your meal which was awesome. The staff was friendly! At least the woman who helped us out was :) Thanks! We'll be back for more with others who we wish to share this awesome establishment with.
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Review from Katie B.
Coos Bay, OR
10/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
laid back and chill in the mornings, not sure about evening or night. The bartender was amazing, knew the beers really well and even gave us one of those little mini beer mug testers. Didn't have the food so I don't know.
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Review from Letitia L.
San Francisco, CA
10/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Really good music, they played The White Panda and Gossip to funky house beats. Unfortunately I was trying to have a heart-to-heart with an old friend and this was not the bar to do it. If I'm down to dance I would definitely come back here!
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Review from Amy T.
San Francisco, CA
3/29/2011
I came here expecting to experience the best sausage dog I had yet to try, and they delivered just that.
The service was rather slow, but the attendants were genuinely nice people who meticulously prepared our food and made sure our beers were topped off just right.
I ordered the Bockwurst, a combination of veal and pork that the waitress related was the most popular item, and found that it was perfectly juicy and succulent while maintaining a audible "crisp" as I bit into it. I also tried the Italian (they had run out of Kielbasa) vegan sausage, which was good, but not being a fan of faux sausages myself, I much preferred the former.
And of course, the beer selection was amazing! I had the Gnarley Wine on tap, a 10.5% brew which tasted sweet yet had just the kick to it I was looking for. I'm not much of a beer drinker usually, but there were some other interesting varieties that I would certainly come back here just to try.
The ambience was great...sticky but pretty clean for a dive bar. I would definitely recommend this place for its good food, fun atmosphere, and reasonable prices! -
Review from Ashley M.
Los Angeles, CA
7/3/2011
Gestalt! You hipster haven, you! With your fun muraled bathroom walls, your draft beer selection, your sausages...wait. Aren't you a vegetarian, Ashley? Yes, yes, I am. And Gestalt caters to my particular predilection by offering not one, but two, vegetarian sausage options. Which are delicious. So...what's not to like, right? PREEEEEcisely what I says to myself.
Back when the Mission didn't have a 20-50% chance of making me upchuck in my mouth, I thought this place was THEE SHIZ. I mean, you can get a liter of beer and a sausage for really reasonable prices, and the beer choices are really quite impressive. And now that I'm not as much of a fan of the Mission as I once was, I'm still a fan.
While my relationship w/ San Francisco may fluctuate depending on my mood and the amount of self-righteous douchebaggery I see whilst making the short trek from BART to the bar, there isn't much that can ruin Gestalt for me. The beer selection is impressive, whether you're looking for something light, hoppy, dark, sophisticated, Belgian, whatever. They have a beer for all palates...assuming, that is, that you're a beer drinker. And the sausages!! Well, I won't lie and pretend that I care about any of the actual meat options, but there are a few, and I'm sure they taste much as a sausage should. What I care about are my VEGAN SAUSAGE options. What makes a me happier than a big ol' beer and a fake sausage on a sunny and/or rainy day? Well, quite a few things, but that's beside the point. The vegan sausages are delicious. They aren't some lame soy hot dogs with no flavor (although I enjoy those bad boys, too). Gimme a big, dark beer, a vegan sausage, some sauerkraut, and some mustard/sauce options and watch as I dissolve into a sloppy puddle of joy.
The bartenders aren't rude, which is nice. The beer selection makes me happy. Prices are reasonable. Location is convenient. And they have vegan tuna melts??? Damn. Why don't I come here more often?Listed in: Drunk in the City
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Review from Derrek P.
San Francisco, CA
3/16/2011
This place is deceivingly awesome. The decor looks like a fairly typical dive bar with a biker, german twist. From the looks of it, you'd think the food is so, so. You'd be wrong! The food is amazing! Really first class grub. I'm a big fan of Rueben sandwiches and this place has the best one I've ever had, anywhere.
The beer selection is top notch and the staff is friendly.
And to top it off, they have indoor bicycle parking! -
Review from Phuong M.
San Francisco, CA
1/23/2011
I was going to give this place 4 stars, but i think it's totally deserving of 5.
I was hungry. I was so hungry on a wednesday night after 8 and not wanting to wait an hour for a table at Monk's Kettle. I was HUNGRY. My friend almost didn't want to go in, but he could see the look in my eye as i pulled off my best Oliver Twist "Please sir, can i have more gruel?" look.
The menu is not impressive by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a wholly satisfying menu. Sausage sandwiches for $5? Sold! I also thought the toasted sandwiches sounded good, but they weren't making them at the hour we were there. In addition to our two sausage sandwiches, i also got an order of the potato salad--surprise twist ending: it was german potato salad (duh, it's a german bar...i'm dumb) with bacon in it, served warm! The sandwiches were tasty and i got kraut on my hotlink. We had good beer, and we played some pool.
Things were going really well until a group of kids swarmed the place. Some 8 or 10 of these young people just showed up out of nowhere. Luckily by then, our table at Monk's Kettle finally opened up, so we happily left our unfinished game behind and sauntered off. I like this place a lot, but i guess they can't help the kinds of crowds who come in when they're a cheap dive bar in the Mission. -
Review from Jordan S.
San Francisco, CA
3/21/2011
The lunch was awesome. Big screens, nice pool table. Service was the only thing that could have been friendlier.
I was impressed overall and i would go back for sure. 4-7 happy hour. the soul on a roll sandwich is amazing. i'm not sure why they stop serving food so early... they have a bunch of creative sandwiches. -
Review from Pamela D.
3/6/2011
It's inevitable that I will fall down when I come here. It's not that I'm drunk (I am), but it's because there is this weird stair/floor thing happening between the bar and bathroom that always trips me up.
Other than that, come on. How can one argue with sitting at a bar and shoving meat down your throat? This is the kind of shit that normally gets you in trouble. It's like public indecency. But at Gestalt, it's okay.
The bartenders are always nice and always more than happy to serve me their meat. They also supply yummy beer to accompany it.
Just avoid this place on a Friday, when the front of the bar is crowded by annoying assholes dancing to annoying 60s pop music. No one wants to eat sausage to that. -
Review from Elizabeth B.
Pleasanton, CA
4/2/2011
My friend, who recently backpacked across Europe, found out about this place through a "Voice Deal of the Day" deal. She envisioned that we would be reliving her European drinking adventures, enjoying our bratwursts, drinking out of boots, etc. After convincing me to purchase one of these coupons, we soon found ourselves too busy to redeem them until a few days before they expired, which brings us to our Tuesday night drinking adventure...
To be honest, we imagined this place to look more like a restaurant (shows how much we knew about this place). We walked in, and the place looked like a typical bar with a pool table at the front. We ended up ordering bockwurst, which was a mix of veal and pork, and the potato salad, which was served warm and had bacon in it!! Win! After telling the bartender what kinds of beer we liked, he recommended some German beers that he thought we would like, and he was right. I had the Hoegarden, and my friend had some kind of spaten.
No drinking out of boots this time around...we'll save it for our next visit!
