Finding Good Beer by BART, station by station
There’s good beer - real local west coast ales and well-crafted brews - all over the Bay Area, and we are lucky enough that there is no paucity of good beer within walking distance of public transit. Get out of your car, get onto rapid transit and into slow, delicious pints. Oh yeah: BART closes (station by station) starting at midnight. Uncivilized, but important to know.
A growing list of great beer places near BART for your reference (One shoe 
is up to one Quarter Mile walking, one way):
- Rockridge Station, Oakland
- Barclay’s (Bar/restaurant)
- Ben and Nick’s (Bar/restaurant)
- Barclay’s (Bar/restaurant)
- Berkeley Station, Berkeley
- Jupiter (Brewpub)
- Triple Rock (Brewpub)
- Jupiter (Brewpub)
- North Berkeley Station, Berkeley
- The Albatross Pub (Bar)
- Lanesplitter (Bar/pizza restaurant)
- The Albatross Pub (Bar)
- Hayward Station, Hayward
- The Bistro (Bar)
- Buffalo Bill’s (Brewpub)
- The Bistro (Bar)
- San Leandro Station, San Leandro
- The Englander (Bar/restaurant)
- The Englander (Bar/restaurant)
- Concord Station, Concord
- E. J. Phair (Brewpub)
- E. J. Phair (Brewpub)
- Walnut Creek Station, Walnut Creek
- Pyramid (Brewpub)
- Pyramid (Brewpub)
- 12th Street Station, Oakland
- Pacific Coast Brewing Co. (Brewpub)
- The Trappist (Bar)
- Pacific Coast Brewing Co. (Brewpub)
- 19th Street Station, Oakland
- Luka’s Taproom. (Bar/restaurant)
- Luka’s Taproom. (Bar/restaurant)
- MacArthur Station, Oakland
- Lanesplitter (Bar/pizza restaurant)
- Cato’s (Bar/restaurant)
- Lanesplitter (Bar/pizza restaurant)
- Embarcadero Station, S.F
- Ferry Building (Bars/restaurants)
- Gordon Biersch (Brewpub)
- Marin Brewing Company (Brewpub, by ferry)
- Noonan’s (Bar/restaurant, by ferry)
- Ferry Building (Bars/restaurants)
- Montgomery Station, S.F
- ThirstyBear (Brewpub)
- 21st Amendment (Brewpub)
- S.F. Brewing Co. (Brewpub)
- Rogue Ale Pub (Bar/restaurant)
- ThirstyBear (Brewpub)
- Civic Center Station, S.F
- City Beer Store (Unique shop and beer tasting bar)
- Suppenküche Anniversary Party May 15!(Bar/restaurant)
- Lucky 13 (Bar)
- Toronado (Bar, by bus)
- Magnolia (Brewpub, by bus)
- Beach Chalet (Brewpub, by bus)
- City Beer Store (Unique shop and beer tasting bar)
- 16th Street Station, S.F.
- The Monk’s Kettle (Pub)
- Zeitgeist (Bar)
- The Monk’s Kettle (Pub)
- 24th Street Station, S.F.
- Amnesia (Bar)
- Amnesia (Bar)
- San Bruno Station
- BJs (Brewpub)
- BJs (Brewpub)
- Millbrae Station (Another list of brewpubs, via CalTrain)
New list: Mass transit to local Microbreweries with tours or open houses
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What else belongs here? you tell us! Can you BART, bus and walk it?
Field research performed by local beer appreciators
Steve Shapiro & Gail Ann Williams. Corrections and suggestions welcome.
What’s going on? Tips for keeping up with the San Francisco Bay Area beer scene.
Happy Rails.
June 18, 2007 at 6:33 am
(We moved some of the great older comments and tips to an archives page here!)
June 28, 2007 at 7:43 pm
Starry Plough is 2 blocks East of Ashby BART, up Prince St. They have a good selection, lots of regulars neighborhood folk.
July 17, 2007 at 7:36 pm
You might want to consider adding the Lafayette BART Station and the Roundup Saloon which is about 1/4 mile away. The Roundup is a cool place, although not a beer Mecca, with about six beers on tap. Check it out
July 18, 2007 at 11:58 pm
speakeasy brewing aint on your list… wtf?
July 19, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Hi Autumnaldave,
Our bad. Thanks for prodding us. We love them. We’ve been waiting for confirmation from them about their open houses and tours. We’ll get them up real soon.
Keep drinking the good stuff.
Cheers,
Steve (beerbybart.com)
July 20, 2007 at 12:42 am
I live in chicago, but make the homage out for strong beer month, the dipa fest in hayward, (the week of strong beer and travel in cali…
and the toronado barleywine fest…
this site is great for the traveler, who is comfy with the bart and muni… good stuff…
check out my friends site… http://www.beermapping.com
there’s an sf map…
and one thing to recommend for the pub/brewery/bar info… if there’s a happy hour it should be listed… (sf brew co is required, cheers to the next pint of emperor norton)
July 20, 2007 at 12:48 am
and maybe you should consider the better bottleshops…
“bottled beer by bart”
something to think about for the future.
August 11, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Great idea and site! You can use it in conjunction with http://www.pubquest.com for all craft breweries.
Cheers!
September 10, 2007 at 11:20 am
Thank you for putting something like this together. I am a lover of beer and when I move to a new city, I spend so much time searching for a new pub. Having all this information compiled here in one place is SO helpful.
Bars, pubs, beer…all forms of recreation that many may find taboo. Therefore, these places tend to get over looked. If a passerby would stop & look in the window they would see more than a bar, pub or a beer. They would see people forming important social connections. They would see people laughing, smiling and having a good time (all of which are important parts of relieving stress & tension, which therefore make us happier & healthier).
I love this site!
Thanks again!!
Keep up the good work!
~cheers~
September 10, 2007 at 10:34 pm
Hi Andi,
Thanks for your kind words…and welcome to the Bay Area. Yes, indeed, pubs have a long and proud tradition of being public gathering spaces where people can gather to discuss the issues of the day, chat, laugh and think. We think that great beer makes these experiences even better. Keep drinking the good stuff.
Cheers,
Steve and Gail,
the BeerbyBART folks
September 12, 2007 at 7:27 pm
I cannot remember who put me onto this site, but it makes me want to weep. I spent 2.5 glorious years stationed at NAS Alameda from 1987 to 1989 and back then, it was only Anchor and Triple Rock. If only I had been there just a little later … I promise to come out and visit during the summer of 2008.
October 13, 2007 at 5:59 pm
Hey!
You should check out WalzWerk in SF. It’s a few blocks from 16th and Mission BART station. Has kick ass food and German bier.
http://www.walzwerk.com/
October 26, 2007 at 3:02 pm
You guys have left out one of the best (and first) micro brewpubs in the whole Yay Area-Buffalo Bill’s in the Haystack. It is about 2-3 short blocks from the Hayward Bart station. They’ve got great beers, awesome pizza and shuffleboard to boot. It’s on B street between Main and Foothill. Check it out!
October 26, 2007 at 3:04 pm
oh, here’s the site:
http://www.buffalobillsbrewery.com/
October 28, 2007 at 10:50 am
The albatross is possibly the best bar in Berkeley and it’s about 4 blocks from N. Berkeley Bart, about 2 block closer than Lanesplitter (which is great, too — don’t get me wrong).
http://www.albatrosspub.com/
November 2, 2007 at 6:57 am
For North Berkeley, you can add Pyramid brewpub on Gilman and 7th. It’s about a 20 minute walk, and you can also take an AC Transit bus (#9) from either Berkeley BART or Ashby BART, though it only runs to about 8:00 PM.
November 4, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Does anyone know if you can find gluten free beer in any of these bars?
November 4, 2007 at 9:21 pm
I think we’re going to have to do a scouting run to check out the Albatross. Thanks Matt.
Gary, Pyramid is beyond the one mile limit we set when we started. A few of the SF destinations are too, but they are on local transit lines that run later. (Hint, hint, AC Transit. Help people not drink & dirve!) We included the Walnut Creek Pyramid because of the shorter walk.
Joe, I don’t know of any gluten-free local brews so far. That leads me to suggest City Beer (Civic Center station) since they are both a tasting room and bottle shop. Call them before you go to check beer availability.
November 16, 2007 at 5:22 pm
Don’t forget good beer accessible from Dublin / Pleasanton station…
The Hop Yard, at 3015-H Hopyard Road, Pleasanton, with a rotating selection of 30+ good brews on tap. Accessible by WHEELS bus, cab, … otherwise a 2.5 mile bike ride or walk.
Also, the Dublin Sports Pub, a little bit farther from the station at 7294 San Ramon Rd Dublin, also with a rotating selection of top notch brews. Take the WHEELS bus, Route 3 from Dublin BART, will be even closer when the WEST DUBLIN station opens.
And if you brew your own (or have interest in brewing your own!), you can join the homebrew club of the Tri-Valley area, the Mad Zymurgists. We meet the 2nd Thursday of the month at some of the above mentioned pubs, and at various other locations, including our sponsor, HopTech, 6398 Dougherty Rd #7, in Dublin.
Happy beering and BART-ing!
Cheers!
Brian / mad zymurgists
http://www.madzymurgists.org
December 20, 2007 at 12:42 am
I think I’ve run into a few Mad Zymurgists at a local festivals. you guys have a good thing going!
December 21, 2007 at 9:32 pm
What a great site!!! lots of great stuff…..thanks for the effort…….
Question…..what about a get together for all enthusiasts maybe springtime? could be fun if the venue is right? bar crawl? just a suggestion that could be a good time…..
keep up the good work
JP
December 26, 2007 at 9:54 am
Cool site!
Saw this web site in today’s San Ramon Times by columnist William Brand who talks about Beers.
By chance is this Steve Shapiro who played fast pitch?
Happy New Year!
January 10, 2008 at 11:52 pm
A really good friend of mine put together a Bay Area Brew Tour a few years ago. I have tried to keep the tradition alive with a few friends and have been able to continue the tradition of attending Strong Beer Month in San Francisco. Our goal has been to visit as many pubs/breweries as possible in a given weekend and your website has given me new sites to visit. Magnolia and 21st Amendment are givens, but new places are always welcome. My friends and I are fanatics of beer, but there’s nothing like throwing back some good suds with good friends! I thank you for your insight and suggestions and will certainly hit up a few of the locations you have mentioned in your website. Cheers!
February 11, 2008 at 10:04 pm
No Schroeder’s for the Embarcadero station? Sure it’s a couple of blocks away, but it’s the oldest German pub in the city.
February 29, 2008 at 4:24 pm
you should add
-Inner Mission Beer Parlor
(5.5 blocks from both 16th and 24th street bart stations)
to your list, as well as
-Healthy Spirits
(2 blocks south of duboce park off the N-Judah).
http://missionbeerparlor.com/
http://www.myspace.com/healthyspirits
March 4, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Any ideas on spots in Oakland or SF with darts?
March 4, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Lets work together…”beerbybart” and “BestofBart”….
March 18, 2008 at 6:58 pm
omg.. good work, brother
March 27, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Steve and Gail,
Barry and I went to Wunder Brewing at 9th and Irving.
Beer is much improved from the Old Eldos. Very clean, good session beers. The brewer John knows what he is doing, since he made an excellent Pilsner.
Food is good too, great garlic string beans
It is easy to get to, just get off BART at Embarcadero and get on the MUNI undergroung and take the N Judah line. It will take you right to their doorstep. Get off at Ninth Ave stop at Irving.
Got to love the place, they advertise on KPIG.
Cheers,
Paul
May 30, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Hey Gail and Steve!
I don’t know if you two remember me but we met at the Bistro and on BART and this is the first time in a long while that I have been on your site but I am using it tonight and wanted to say hello!! I think you two had the best idea and I have told everyone at the Bistro about your it and at I am continuing to do so at my new job at Pacific Coast Brewing Company. Stop by and I’ll buy y’all a pint. I hope all is well.
June 1, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Andie! Wonderful. Yes, we both remember that conversation, and can’t wait to drop by to say hello. Soon!
June 1, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Gail and Steve,
It was a pleasure hanging out with you two after the Longshot competition. I enjoyed the time. Your site is great by the way. I just enjoyed some of the Dogfishhead 90 minute IPA from City Beer. Mmmmmm good. Thanks again and hopefully I will see you soon. Keep in touch.
July 21, 2008 at 11:04 pm
Fantastic idea. I love the site.