A couple weeks ago I went up to San Francisco to attend Ad Tech and the Marketers Ball. As I only went up for the day, I did not have a room to go to while killing time between the two events; I had a parking spot and there was no sense moving, so I called Tanya and had her do a search for a micro brewery that might be within walking distance. After a few minutes she came up with the Thirsty Bear, which happened to be just a couple of blocks away from where I was at the Moscone Center. A micro brewery that serves tapas and Spanish food, how can I beat that?
As I approached the establishment I realized I had been here before, but it must have been for a private party that was upstairs or in the back somewhere because I had never noticed that they had a wide selection of craft beers on tap. Come to think of it, I never realized they sold food. It was around 6:00 PM, so the place was pretty packed. The bartender, Noe, assured me I could order dinner at the bar so I grabbed a stool and ordered a beer sampler. They had everything from pilsner to stout; however, they were out of the Howard Street IPA. Judging by all the frowns I noticed in my time there, it must be pretty good. I will be back; hopefully they will have some in stock.
Since I had to work that night, I wanted something simple and light; I decided to ask Noe what he would recommend. He suggested the Ensalada Rúcula and Empanadas de Pollo. He nailed it. They were both delicious. The salad was fresh and flavorful and the empanada made me want a second, it was that good. Instead I opted for a dessert of chocolate goodness called the Chocolate Ganache Tart. Like everything else, it was great.
I have nothing but praise for the Thirsty Bear. The beers were good, the service provided by Noe was fantastic and the food was wonderful. On top of that, now I have a place close to the Moscone Center to drop into without having “to settle.” Thirsty Bear is located at 661 Howard Street, by 3rd Street, in San Francisco. They are open for lunch Monday through Saturday and are only open 5:00-10:00 PM on Sunday.
