Nathan Hurst

Pier 23, along with several other cafes along the Embarcadero, was originally founded as a coffee house for longshoremen, and has kept true to its history; the small shack-like building is a strange juxtaposition against the giant cruise ships that park next door. Out in front, tourists, locals and businesspeople pass by on foot, skateboards, bikes or in pedicabs, many of them dropping into Pier 23. The beer garden is out back, facing the bay with a view of Treasure Island, and you can lean out over the edge and watch the boats go by—just hang on to your beer. The beer selection is fairly standard for northern California beers, with taps like Scrimshaw Pilsner, Lagunitas IPA and Speakeasy Big Daddy IPA. You won’t find much unusual, but you’re guaranteed to find something you like. The food is pub fare but leans toward seafood, and inside you’ll find jazz, R&B, reggae and more, six nights a week.

Lost and Found puts an emphasis on the “garden” in “beer garden.” Ex-inmates from the owner’s gardening program at San Quentin plant vegetables in the Oakland plot, including tomatoes, potatoes, kale and legumes. The massive outdoor space has plenty of games and enough real estate for each group to have their own space. There’s no liquor, but the beer (like the food) shows an emphasis on supporting a local community—they fry their own chips with tortillas from across the street. That’s really what this place is about: a fun, safe, communal, family environment. Special events include a record swap and a bazaar with jewelry, art and clothing vendors.

Across the Great Highway from Ocean Beach, just on the edge of Golden Gate Park, is the Park Chalet Coastal Beer Garden. Housed within the park’s visitor center on the lower level of the Beach Chalet, this garden opens up directly into the park itself. Take your stein of house brewed beer and wander: out the greenhouse-like taproom, across the patio and yard and into the woods. This casual landscape is home to live music from the likes of local surf-rock band The Mermen, and six permanent (plus two rotating) beers that allow the brewmaster to get creative—oyster stout, anyone? Take a seat anywhere, and don’t miss the ocean rolls that cradle lobster, crab or shrimp.

Brotzeit Lokal is out of the way on the so-called Oakland Riviera—a relatively warm, calm section of the Oakland Estuary. Out on a boat? Pull up here and dock at one of their seven reserved spots for some authentic German beer and food. Like Biergarten, it’s Bavarian, but the focus here is on hard-to-find taps, many of which you won’t see anywhere else on this side of the Mississippi. The food is locally sourced, farm-to-table stuff, and they make their own sausages. Brotzeit also throws traditional German events like Kolshfest, Mayfest and Oktoberfest, and on the weekends you’ll find beer garden games like wiener dog races, hammerschlagen, cornhole and stein hoisting. Not bad for an old boathouse.

This lively, central pub, housed in an old livery stable, always seems busy. The location helps, as does a relatively sparse bar scene on campus. But it’s not just students; Jupiter attracts families, tourists and happy hour crowds, thanks in part to the alley/patio/beer garden out back. Feel free to wander through the public space on your way through the neighborhood, but better yet, stop in for wood-fired pizza and a good selection of microbrews. The Red Spot Ale is the flagship brew, but Quasar double IPA is popular for it’s 8.8 percent ABV and 80 IBUs. Out back you’ll find ample seating and music—especially alternative jazz— three to five nights a week, all in a pretty, enclosed space surrounded by neighboring buildings with vegetation crawling up their sides.