Gestalt Haus

Great place for beers (no hard alcohol). They have great sours and bottled beer and beer on tap but the atmosphere is not conducive to conversation at all. Extremely dark and loud and tiny with a line to the bathroom that lasts almost out to the front door. Be really drunk to enjoy this place with friends

I’ve been here twice, each on different visits to San Francisco.
It’s one of the jewels of Mission District’s elaborate chain of bars. Friendly and chill servers, self-​serve water, big roomy tables, and it’s very clean. This place primarily specializes in beer and has a pretty decent selection. I really like that they have Hitachino, Japanese craft bottles here. Gestalt Haus’s thing is that they’re also an arcade bar, so there are pinball machines inside. I haven’t played them so I can’t comment too much on that. But as with everything else in the bar, it’s well-​kept.
The vibe of the people in the bar is intellectual, jovial, and classy. A man came up to me when I was waiting for my friend and asked if he could sit at my table and just talk. We had a conversation and he told me about himself, and then politely wished me good luck on my vacation and left after he finished his beer. Didn’t ask for my number or anything. A pleasant surprise.
For food, I got their vegan hotdog and frankly, I was a little underwhelmed. But I don’t really go to bars for the food anyway.
Gestalt is solid for a guaranteed good time.

Solid, low-​key bar with a pretty good beer selection and plenty of seating for groups! The tables are huge, which is nice to not squeeze into a tiny space with your party, and there are outlets, which were a lifesaver when my phone died and I was planning on using Lyft later that night. Definitely a less upscale vibe in general than some of the surrounding places.
There’s a selection of board games, as well as a bunch of pinball machines, to play too.
**Don’t forget this place is cash only!

This is the ritual hang out spot for any rides around the area. I typically stop by here after doing an alpine dam loop on the road or riding dirt on tamaRancho. They have great sausage options, as well as sides including the Bavarian potato salad. Sauerkraut are always on point for the beers that rotate on top are delicious. Prices are super reasonable and they take credit card which is a huge plus when you don’t want to carry a bunch of cash in your jersey pocket. I’ve actually even come out to Fairfax on noncycling days just to be in the ambience. Great place to come with friends for couples. Definitely kid friendly.

I always love this place. The bartender is friendly and very attentive. Great selection of beer. He is very good at helping me try something different. Sandwiches are good and he will mix it up for you. Then there is the Pinball. Maybe it is because I am 65… but I love pinball. Easy going and friendly.

This is one of my favorite local bars. They have an awesome selection of beer and really delicious food.
Warning: it’s beer and wine only no hard booze
Food — they have delicious sandwiches and amazing sausages. The sausages are out if this world and they have several different sausages and toppings that you can choose from. All are delicious. They also have regular and spicy ketchup and mustard which is awesome. The sandwiches are all huge and delicious and legitimately give Ike’s competition. The Dre Dog and the Charlie Sheen are my favorites.
Service — always amazing. The nicest people in the world work here.
Drinks — they have REALLY good beer here and they have new beers on tap all of the time. Some of them are ridiculously strong so beware. The wine is ok, just basic bar wine. They do have mimosas which is nice for the weekends.
Ambiance — amazing. They have air conditioning first of all. This might not sound like a big deal but last summer when it was ridiculously hot I discovered this is the ONLY restaurant/​bar in the entire Mission with air conditioning. I basically moved here because my apartment was literally 110 degrees for like a month. They also have wifi and tables with plugs which is genius so you can charge your phone or plug your computer in and work/​study a bit while you enjoy a beer. A lot of locals hang out here and do that so its not strange if you bring your computer.
Music — they have a DJ booth but there’s never a DJ
They also have a bunch of pinball machines that are fun to play. I’ve seen pinball gurus travel here to play the machines.
Overall great, casual, typical Mission spot.

You’d be surprised that there isn’t just one awesome sausage bar in the city. No, there’s at least two. Not to disparge the others, but Gestalt (so far) has blown away the others I’ve gone to. Between the types of sausage, vegan options, pretzels and cheese sauce appetizers and beers as far as the eye can see, there’s definitely something for everyone here. Well, if you’re interested in pub food and alcohol that is.
We came in for lunch and each had a sausage on a bun (made our own way), with a side order of a pretzel with cheese sauce, plus a beer and adult root beer for drinks. The price for our food was reasonable and we had more than enough to eat with what we ordered. The restaurant was pretty empty and quiet when we went in and the bartender who took our order and brought out the food was super friendly.
I would have to say that Gestalt might be my preferred sausage-​serving restaurant at this point. Two thumbs, five stars, many butt-​pats.

Really good beer and food! A must try place! The service was fast and the bartenders are nice people I’m definitely coming back

Read about this place looking for great beer spots in the Mission area. Came here in the afternoon on a Saturday to relax and have some good brews.
The bar has a relaxed vibe, nice and open, not too crowded. Fantastic beer selection! Everything from IPA, stouts, belgian styles, something to fit each beer lovers need.
The bartender was great, friendly, and seemed to know a lot about beer.
Had just ate before coming here, but looks like they provide some vegan specials as well as traditional German Bratwurst, would come back to try the food!
Only downside is cash only and the prices are a bit steep (no happy hour/​specials).

I actually wasn’t planning on coming to Gestalt Haus. Monk’s Kettle down the street was opening up later than their usual time and I had 30 minutes to kill. So I kept walking and I saw Gestalt Haus was the closest bar.
I walked in and saw that pinball, pinball, pinball and a fair amount of people in here at 5pm. Got to the bar and saw lots of taps, no hard alcohol, and a guy behind the bar pretty much doing everything. Although I thought it would mostly be all Euro beers like Belgians and Dunkel-​type stuff but I saw a milk stout on tap and I usually can’t say no to milk stouts.
I think they also have food here like sausages with kraut as food but judging by the looks of this place and the lack of a kitchen, I don’t see who or how they can cook that food. For a good beer when the other places around here are too full…
Side entertainment notes: during my half hour, I did witness one guest who was refusing to leave when told to. I saw some loud voices that I couldn’t hear (music was loud here) and at some point, I saw shoving, more talking, and he eventually left… the potential Jerry Springer moment was avoided.

I loved the Fort Point Nosch and Sculpin on tap for light beers! Yum. AND they have framboise, always a plus. Tried a few IPAs including Fieldwork Stone Surge which was good. Bartenders are so nice. I love this bar! Will be back for some bar bites soon.

CASH ONLY. Now that I’ve sorted out people who will not come with people who will, let’s get started. Chill vibes come from this place. It specializes in German beer and bar snacks such as soft pretzels. Came here with some friends on a Saturday night.
The bouncer there recognizes faces. Even if you step out he will just let you back in, no need to re-​check IDs every single time, especially if you are standing right in front of him outside the bar. One of my pet peeves is re-​checking IDs when I’m literally right in front of you.
Now most people want the DAS BOOT. I know I did. It will cost you $ 30 as a down payment in case you get any ideas about leaving with the sweet glass boot. It’s also $ 30 to fill the beer. So you need at least $ 60 cash in your pocket if you’re thinking of doing that.
Beer selection is nice and I’m glad I could get what I was looking for. You would think the inside would remind you of Oktoberfest but it’s more of a modern take. Music is hip hop instead of Bavarian folk tunes. Sports on the TVs. I really wanted someone in leiderhosen with an accordion walking around.
It’s a chill place to get the party started if you’re thinking about bar hopping.

They have the best beer selection I have seen yet in Fairfax/​San Anselmo. This is a fun place. You also can’t go wrong with the wide variety of sausages! They have kettle chips for snacking, too. This is on the wrong Gestalt Haus page, but I can’t delete the review from my phone.

Dive-​y feeling bar with lots of pinball machines. They’ve made some nice renovations lately with taking out the pool table and making more room overall. The beer selection is fabulous. We cannot resist going here whenever we are around the area because for the past 6 or 7 months they have had Sculpin IPA on tap consistently.

It’s roomy place. Unlike other bars, which is usually packed with people, it’s a comfortable place to sit down, have a drink and chitchat with your friends. The bathroom is covered with graffiti which is so cool! Will definitely go again :)

Loving the wide selection of beers they have. And it’s a decent price for SF too!
Bartenders were nice although one of them seemed to be having an off day. Bathroom is really clean too!
Retro lighting, pinball machines, beer menu on a chalkboard, and graffiti all over the walls make for a really chill bar. Great for a relaxing night to wind down with a friend or two.

This is a good, solid, dependable place for a fun time with friends. There are long tables at the entrance for larger groups, smaller tables deeper into the bar, and of course seats at the actual bar. They have such a large selection of beer! You cannot miss the huge wall listing their currently choices (even though I totally did) and they even have bottles of champagne for $ 15. My friend and I totally started out night with a bottle of champagne… no shame.
Pretty relaxing environment with pinball machines and couches. The only downside is that the bartenders are like… going through a mid-​life crisis or something. It’s like they don’t even want to be there. I thought it was just the one time I went, but I read other Unilocal reviews and it seems to be a trend. Hire some friendlier people, please. Then again if you are just going to enjoy a few beers and catch up with friends, maybe it doesn’t matter much to you.

Totally mind-​boggling selection of beers, both on draught and in bottles. Tons of stuff I’ve never heard of before and that’s the way to my heart.
Awesome and kind staff, able and willing to answer any questions you may have.
Minimal, yet delicious, selection of German pub fare. We got a bockwurst at 1:30 AM and it was outstanding.
Pretty decent-​sized space.
PINBALL MACHINES?!
The bathroom was the worst part, but that’s the Mission.
I can’t wait to go back.

Fairly chill bar in the mission
Most bars in the area has a hipster vibe, and this place is no exception! Pinball machines, retro lamps, graffiti on the walls are all part of the décor. The crowd is also young and somewhat hipster, but in general the place is fairly open. The doors are wide open, and it certainly feels like anyone walking by can just swing in for a quick drink. The waitstaff is pretty friendly as well.
A good place to swing by whenever happen to walk by.

I’m gonna go ahead and bump up this one to a solid 4. A few years ago (in 2011!), I wrote a less than stellar review about this place. However, after wrapping my lips around one of their vegan sausages, I have to give them credit. They do offer some solid veggie noms.
I ordered the Vegan Italian sausage. It comes with sauerkraut, and you can add peppers and onions if you’d like. I asked for both, but they forgot to add them. Meh, not a huge issue.
There is a condiment bar on one wall to help yourself to all types of saucy goodness. I topped mine with a delicate squiggle each of ketchup and spicy mustard. Mama mia, that thing was delicious! Lip smacking good. I was tempted to order another, but I was able to hold back my gluttonous instincts.
I mentioned in my last review that they don’t serve any booze, just beers. Oddly enough, I can’t really drink hard alcohol all that much anymore. Admittedly, after a few too many brews, I feel a little gassy and bloated. Even so, it is much preferable than feeling too drunk, dizzy, and/​or nauseous. I enjoy sipping on a cold pint, enjoying the bubbly bite, and just kicking back and putting my worries behind me.
The one bathroom deal is still kind of a kick in the pants, but if you get there early enough, it’s not an issue. Just don’t make the mistake of holding your pee until you feel like you’re going to burst. Just another helpful hint from yours truly.

Vielleicht der beste Kartoffelsalat mit Speck in San Francisco Andernfalls ist dieses ein dunkler, schmutziger Bierstab für junge Radfahrer und ihre Freunde.