By Adrian Spinelli

I’d heard about a new brewery/restaurant opening up in the Outer Sunset and expected a modest, cozy operation … you know, like almost everything else in the neighborhood. But I was immediately blown away at the massive Sunset Reservoir Brewing Company from the moment I laid eyes on it. Sunset Brew Co. is a welcome addition to the humble stretch of Noriega between 24th and 25th Ave., boasting a wide-open floor plan, five house-brewed beers, and a full menu with everything from charcuterie and flatbreads to burgers and pork shanks.

The Place

The new watering hole and grub spot, owned by the folks from Outer Sunset staple Devil’s Teeth Baking Company, has welcoming features for all patrons under its towering ceiling. There’s a family friendly layout with loads of tables and booths, and a second story with an open dining room, a second bar, and tables lining the wood-paneled railing, which overlooks the full main bar. There’s a huge projection screen hovering above the bar flanked by two smaller 50-inch LCDs, making this a solid spot to watch a ball game (The Warriors were getting creamed by the Cavs when I was there *sigh*) and there’s even a large table on the second story that faces the big screen for the hardcore sports fans.

The Beer

Onto the suds. Head brewer Aaron Weshnak was at Russian River Brewing Company prior to this and he’s cooked up five distinct beers: a sourdough starter wheat beer, a pilsner blonde ale, a rye amber ale, a double IPA, and an Irish stout. The clear winner was the sourdough wheat beer that uses sourdough starter yeast, rendering it slightly tart and just short of sour. Conceptually it’s a hit, as it incorporates the elements from Devil’s Teeth creatively and successfully.

Pints are $6 or you can order a flight of all five for $10. They’ll even serve the flights in a precious little muffin tin, yet another nod to Devil’s Teeth Baking Company:

The Food

Eclectic menu to say the least, and definitely not your conventional pub grub. I had a green salad and flat bread with serrano ham, roasted red pepper vinaigrette, mizuna, ricotta, and spiced almonds that I really enjoyed. The serrano ham was nice and fatty and there was plenty of it. The gal next to me had a burger she raved about as being “creamy because of the double patty, avocado, cheese and bacon.” Sure.

There are plenty of salads, oysters, and mussels apps as well as bigger plates like a roasted half chicken with polenta and a beer braised pork shank with Sriracha spaetzle, toybox carrots, and chives (I give that one the ol “yes please.”) There’s even a kids menu for the little ones with four options at $9 each.

The Crowd

This was the best part about Sunset Reservoir. It nestles into the Sunset vibe nicely and doesn’t feel like a Mission or downtown bar trying to pose as a Sunset neighborhood hangout. I noticed people wearing sweaters (not shirts) that said “Ocean Beach” and “The Sunset” on them and overheard conversations that ranged from “I live on 20th and Noriega!” to “Hey bro…are you going back to the beach after this?” Definitely a neighborhood destination.

In the end, Sunset Reservoir Brewing Company is a gathering place that thoughtfully adds to the neighborhood’s slowly growing drinking and dining options. It’s an ambitious opening based on how big it is, but by all accounts, add it to the list of go-tos in the Sunset.

Photography by the author

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