The Yard

The plans for the San Francisco Giants proposed “pop-up” beer garden, barbeque joint and retail area to rise at the corner of Third and Terry A Francois Boulevard, on the northern edge of the Giants’ Parking Lot A, will be presented to the San Francisco Port Commission, which oversees the Port-owned parcel, this afternoon.

If all goes as planned, the 18,000-square-foot “Yard” will open in March and stay in place for at least two years while the Giants pursue approvals for their massive Mission Rock development to rise across the parking lot.

As reported by the Chronicle, Anchor Brewing will operate the beer garden, Ryan Farr of 4505 Meats will be in charge of the barbecue, and a number of local retailers “have committed to the space, but details are still being worked out.” And the 15 shipping containers which will be combined to create the Yard are being outfitted offsite in Vallejo and are a few weeks away from being finished.

Anchor’s plans for opening a brewery, distillery and permanent restaurant/beer garden on Pier 48 do remain part of the Giants’ proposed Mission Rock development, but Anchor’s timing is now looking more like 2018 at the earliest as the Giants now need to secure voter approval in addition to the City’s approval for the heights of the Mission Rock development as proposed since the passage of San Francisco’s Proposition B.

33 thoughts on “Giants’ Pop-Up Beer Garden And BBQ Yard Aiming For March Open”
  1. I went back and looked for the announcement that Anchor Brewing would open a production facility, restaurant and beer garden in pier 48. From what I found, it sounds like they want to be producing beer in 2016. I can’t seem to find if the restaurant and beer garden will also be up and running then.

    Does the two year plan include Anchor or do they pull out for their own facility a few yards away in 2016?

    [Editor’s Note: See last paragraph and links since added above.]

    1. @Ed, does the Anchor brewery fall under Prop B? Are they planning to change the heights of the buildings on the pier? If not, I don’t see what Anchor can’t begin development efforts this year unless its a financing issue…

        1. @Ed, thanks for the details. And of course, from my perspective, that plan sounds really stupid (the city’s). Decouple Anchor/pier 48 from SWL337/Parking Lot A since technically, its not part of the SWL.

    1. Well, if it didn’t take all of 2 effing years just to get the plans approved, maybe, just maybe, you’d see less of this “hipster pop-up movement”. I think it’s a great use of space.

      Anchor Steam and 4505 Meats? Count me in.

      1. With Anchor already having a facility inside AT&T Park and their beer served throughout the park itself, I’d rather see something like the SF Brewer’s Guild members (of which Anchor is a member anyways…) in the beer garden pop up. The city has a pretty robust craft brewery scene. It would be a great way to expose it more to those outside the city, who happen to be in town for a game.

    2. See: Proposition B. I think this is a great idea, actually (and I’m *not* a hipster!) – this is a way for the Giants to make a little $$ from the parcel, improve the fan base experience… and get a toe-hold for their development. Because by the time the ballot rolls around, it will be about “preserving and expanding that great beergarden and restaurant space, and making it permanent”. Potentially great spin to put on the Prop B override vote (which, of course, I hope the Giants win!)

    3. I think it’s strategic in this case, to get people used to seeing activity there, and make it easier to get the permanent project approved.

  2. the trendy, hipster pop-up movement will end when it takes less than a decade to approve even mid-sized projects in this city – so never!

  3. 4505 BBQ on Divisadero is a step blow mediocre and people still line up to get in. At least now there will be two places to get your substandard BBQ.

    1. We have no good BBQ traditions here in SF so you can serve weak stuff and some people don’t know better. Our Jews were also too assimilated and middle class to do good deli so we suck really bad at that too.

      1. I grew up in Memphis. I can honestly Memphis Minnie’s has the wrong name. it should be No so Memphis Minnies.

        Although it has terrible reviews on Yelp, GS Riverside BBQ on 2nd and Geary has the closest pulled pork to Memphis I can find in SF. their ribs are only so so though

        1. Minnie’s wasn’t asked to participate in this project.

          As for the name of the restaurant. Memphis Minnie’s is named after our founders mother Minnie who was born and raised in Memphis. We don’t now and have never claimed to be Memphis style BBQ. We consider our self Southern BBQ and take elements of different BBQ styles to try and please as many people as possible.

          1. Hey Anon, if you enjoy second rate Q that’s your right, as Moto notes, you’re living in the right city.

          2. I haven’t tried 4505 yet. But the thing about that place is its old brick pit, which was existing. So your critique about a new location where you don’t even know what they’re gonna do, bbq wise, is simply you telling everyone how cheery your navel appears these days.

          3. Why would you expect a kitchen run by the same proprietor to be any different? 4505 is weak hipster sauce, the old Brothers was better.

          4. everyone I know who has tried it has said that it’s good, way better than Brothers, and this includes several people who have eaten Franklin’s in Austin. As far as any different? Again, the existing brick pit. If you want to debate that that could make a big difference, then you’re the one who doesn’t know anything about bbq

          5. Right, they have an existing pit so its not an issue of not having the proper equipment. And if you haven’t even tried 4505 why are you commenting?

          6. I am commenting because you dissed the new spot’s food and it isn’t even open yet, and that was a silly thing to do.

          7. he’s defending a restaurant he’s never tried, because you criticized its future incarnation based on actual past experience.

            c’mon, it’s San Francisco, if he can’t immediately criticize you for something you say, as soon as you say it, we might as well be living in a rational society.

    2. Fyi 4505 is not occupying a container at the Yard, so stay tuned and go visit when it opens this weekend to see who will be offering some eats to accompany a beverag and shopping experience.

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