Oktoberfest season is upon us in all its stein hoisting, lederhosen-clad glory. But it could be said that here in the brewery-blessed Bay Area, there are so many tempting beer gardens across the region — from Mountain View’s Ludwig’s to Concord’s Side Gate — we can celebrate Oktoberfest all year round.
Last year, we showcased several great new hot spots. Now we’re back with even more. Some go all in on the Munich thing, setting umbrella-shaded tables in expansive gardens, where you can while away an afternoon, pint in hand. Some go mini — think urban, streetside patio — but with plenty of that gemutlich vibe. And they all offer an appealing perch for a toast. Prost!
The second location of Tracy-based Morgan Territory Brewing announces its pedigree to anyone walking in the door, should they be unfamiliar: a wall of gold-and-silver awards from the 2024 California Commercial Craft Brew Competition, which named it brewery of the year.
It’s a proud but not pretentious move. Under the hanging accolades, you’ll find mostly locals in T-shirts and cowboy hats enjoying these special beers while shooting the breeze and watching sports on TV. The beers, which come on draft or in cans and growlers (plus flights of four for $10) are a mix of hoppy crowd-pleasers like the Cloud Funded Hazy IPA and the medal-winning Hoptomic Double IPA, plus high-ABV brews like the Highland Marauder Scotch Ale and the Old Diablo Ball of Fire (an 11.5 ABV barley wine aged in cinnamon-whiskey barrels).
There are plenty of ways to branch out, like going for a Morgan’s Hard Root Beer or some of the brewery’s best offerings for warmer months – sour fruited ales like the Glorious Guava, which will have you tasting fresh tropical breeze in this decidedly parched corner of California.
The beer patio: The Pleasant Hill brewery opened downtown in 2023, but only debuted its outdoor space this March — a patio with around 10 tables and umbrellas. It’s a nice place to kick back and savor a late-summer beer – say, a Bees Better Have My Honey made with local honey and seasonal citrus. If you have kids, they’ll enjoy playing around the nearby rock waterfall and bringing in scoops from the Cold Stone Creamery across the way.
The dish: There are several restaurants in the mall that allow you to order in food, including a Zachary’s Chicago Pizza and a Cantina Jack’s Mexican eatery that will deliver your grub through a tiny window in the brewery wall. Aside from those, customers can content themselves with a nice selection of chips and beef jerky.
Details: Open noon-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday at 40A Crescent Drive in Pleasant Hill; morganterritorybrewing.com.
Beer-filled boots are on the menu at the month-old Das Bierhauz in Redwood City, the second location of the popular beer garden. Within three days of its August opening, the new outpost had already matched the daily attendance of the Mountain View original, says co-owner Mehmet Vural.
“It’s booming. There is a community here. Everybody knows each other,” he says. “I grew up in England, and it has the most beer gardens but the coldest climate. California has the best weather, but they have the least beer gardens. I want to change that.”
The beer garden: On a recent Wednesday night, the after-work crowd was buzzing on the patio, which has about 20 tables with tents and heaters. Folks of all ages chatted in groups, with a few beer-drinkers still occupied with their laptops. Those seated in the bright, open-air bar area turned their attention to the many sports on Das Bierhauz’s big-screen TVs.
There are 20 German beers on tap and more available by the bottle. Unsure what to get? The servers are happy to let you try a few things. Or you can make it easy and get the Weihenstephan, a classic German wheat beer that’s flavorful but light — the perfect beer to drink from a glass boot.
The dish: The German menu includes such classics as beef rouladen — thinly-cut slices of beef with bacon, onions, pickles, mustard and gravy — and schweinshaxen, a pork hock served with sauerkraut, potato dumplings and gravy.
But the pretzel is a must-have — light, fluffy and perfect with that spicy brown mustard. And the pan-fried chicken schnitzel is perfectly crispy, topped with a light, creamy mushroom sauce and served with lingonberry jam and a healthy portion of spaetzle.
One tip: You order via phone, and the service is exceptionally quick, so pace yourself to avoid getting two bites into your pretzel just as a sizzling schnitzel arrives at your table.
Details: Open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily at 830 Middlefield Road in Redwood City; www.dasbierhauz2.com.
Berkeley’s longstanding Westbrae Biergarten closed this winter but was snapped up by Headlands Brewing, a Lafayette-based operation that celebrates Northern California’s rugged landscape with beers such as the Point Bonita Pilsner and Diablo Double IPA, and makes limited releases with the Golden Gate National Park Conservancy. It seemed a perfect fit for environmentally obsessed Berkeley – but how’s it actually playing out?
Judging by crowd size, pretty well. The all-outdoor space is usually thronged with parents, kids and dogs — and kids having formative face-to-face moments with other peoples’ dogs. There are tweaks in food and design, and you get the feeling some customers have driven in from the suburbs to experience Headlands’ expanding brand. (This fall, the brewery plans to open a third location in Walnut Creek.)
But the essential attraction remains – a verdant garden in Berkeley, under elevated BART tracks with fun, whooshing trains, where you can drink from comically sized beer mugs and get your tan on under the beaming sun.
The beer garden: It’s located in the bustling Gilman district, where you pass by plants at a neighboring nursery and cyclists whizzing along the Ohlone Greenway. Order drinks at the counter from quite a selection – a Party Wave Light Lager or POG Solar Sour, maybe, plus local wine, cider, specialty tipples like hard-peach kombucha and zero-proof options like housemade strawberry lemonade. There are also guest taps from the likes of Faction, Berryessa and Brix Factory.
Then it’s off to find a seat, perhaps in an artificial-turf field with lawn chairs and umbrellas or around a burbling water grotto. Parents might want to know that the kids’ play area has been upgraded since the Westbrae days, and that the gravelly floor throughout the beer garden is now smooth brick.
The dish: The popular Pedro’s Brazil Cafe food truck is gone; in its place is a kitchen serving smashburgers, salads, churros and chicken tendies. The Deluxe Smashburger is notable for its creamy, spicy Sriracha dressing and whole-leaf greens ($12) – pair it with a side of seasoned fries ($3.50). And while it seems pricey at $10.50, the soft pretzel does justice to Germany with its girthy, butter-glazed knots and dipping sauces of beer cheese or IPA mustard.
Oktoberfest plans: The beer garden will celebrate during the first weekend of October with pint-and-pretzel specials and live music from local bands. Lederhosen and dirndl dresses are encouraged.
Details: Opens at noon Tuesday-Friday and 11 a.m. on weekends at 1280 Gilman St., Berkeley; headlandsbrewing.com.
The outdoor patio at the month-old Bistro Mitte in San Carlos could be straight out of a quaint European town. Cozy and sparkling with string lights, its “Biergarten” and “Prost!” signs invite visitors in whether it’s a warm summer night or the start of sweater weather — and certainly, come Oktoberfest season. It also serves up a full menu of hearty entrées like beef rouladen ($34), chicken Cordon Bleu ($28) and a rump steak ($42) to help absorb the generous beer servings.
The beer garden: More of a beer patio than garden, the restaurant’s outdoor dining area makes up for its small footprint with strong German vibes – and beers. A mix of 12 German and local beers on tap are served up in half- or full liter volumes. (For those of us non-Euro folks, a liter is more than two pints.)
The dish: What pairs better with a hefty pour than carbs – and cheese? Whet your appetite with the complimentary bread and herby-butter combo, then follow it up with the spaetzle ($13), a baked cheesy noodle dish served with caramelized onions. Yes, it’s on the appetizer menu, but we recommend keeping it all for yourself. Don’t pass up the Dittmer’s housemade sausages and schnitzel options ($19-$24) for German fare of the meatier variety.
Details: Opens daily at 11 a.m. for lunch and dinner service (closed from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays) at 749 Laurel St. in San Carlos; 650-412-4832.
