With the newly permanent car-free JFK Promenade in Golden Gate Park came the Golden Mile “No I in Joy” Beer Garden at the 14th Avenue East Meadow, just west of the Rose Garden! The Beer Garden is open on weekends from noon to 7pm and while alcoholic-drinks are for the over 21 crowd, the enclosed space features picnic tables and is kid-friendly. They also serve wine, if that’s more your vibe.
Park Chalet
Photo by Mark K. Hendricks.
Three entries on the west side — this is why your friends with kids moved to live in the fog.
Park Chalet has an extremely spacious and family-friendly outdoor seating area — fenced in, but with lots of space for the kids to run around — often with live music. They offer a full menu of beers, wine, cocktails, and food, with a lovely view of the western-most side of Golden Gate Park. This is the spot to take your in-laws on their first visit to SF, where the whole family can come, your relatives can see the sights and you can cope with booze. Afterwards, take a stroll and enjoy the tulip garden by the windmill or a walk along Ocean Beach. Park Chalet is also dog-friendly, so your fur-babies can come too!
Presidio Tunnel Tops Park
Photo by Rob Corder.
The City’s best new park also hosts a range of food trucks including, currently, Fort Point Beer and delicious craft cocktails from Rye on the Road. The food trucks are on the Main Parade Lawn, while the truly exceptional Outpost playground sits on the other side of the park — and it’s a bit of a hike between the two. This makes it a less ideal drink and parent locale than some of the other options on this list — but I’m keeping it on here based on the strength of the playground alone.
Biergarten
Photo by TH Rogers.
Adding to the heavy beer-bias on this list, Biergarten in the heart of Hayes Valley offers a sunny space with enclosed fencing. Notice a theme? Keeping the kids from running off is half the battle, and there are some tasty pretzels to keep your hungry little one occupied. There’s less to entertain the tots here, so you’ll need to bring your own toys, but if you’re looking to grab a drink with a non-parent while still on parent duty, this is a pretty good option.
Spark Social SF
