San Diego-headquartered Ballast Point Brewing Company, a veteran craft beer pioneer for over 25 years and brewer of the gold medal, award-winning Sculpin beer family, announced today the grand opening of its newest taproom and full-service restaurant in San Francisco’s Mission Bay District — the brewery’s first in Northern California. The sixth Ballast Point retail location in California joins the craft brewery’s five Southern California locations in San Diego, Anaheim, and Long Beach: two production facilities and brewpubs in Miramar and Little Italy and the original Home Brew Mart in San Diego; a Downtown Disney taproom and restaurant in Anaheim; and a waterfront taproom and restaurant in Long Beach. The brewery will officially open doors to the public on Tuesday, February 21st and will also host a pre-grand opening “Raise the Mast” celebration during SF Beer Week on Thursday, February 16th, from 4 – 10 p.m.
Ballast Point San Francisco is anchored at the base of the Icona:Labs building in Mission Bay on the eastern side of the city and adjacent to the waterfront of San Francisco Bay. The approximately 12,000 sf taproom and kitchen joins a dynamic area of the city where visitors can find an eclectic mix of residential and commercial retail offerings with close proximity to the 280 Freeway and Muni’s T-Line and adjoining residential neighborhoods including Potrero Hill, the Mission District, and Dogpatch. Ballast Point San Francisco is also in close proximity to the SF Giants’ Oracle Park and within walking distance to Chase Arena where Muni’s brand new Central Subway now offers a faster option to get to the sports and entertainment arena. The T Third route connects the new Chinatown – Rose Pak and Union Square/Market Street stations to Chase Center from the north and Sunnydale Station from the south, saving up to 20 minutes of travel time for Muni and BART riders.
Ballast Point San Francisco is equipped with a 3-barrel research and development brewhouse with three, 3-barrel fermenters, and one, 3-barrel brite tank enclosed in glass for public viewing. The taproom will offer a total of 46 taps, a mix of Ballast Point beers on draft and R&D releases exclusive to the San Francisco market, local guest brewery taps, as well as a full menu and wine list, growler and crowler fills, and a retail area for merchandise and packaged beer to go.
Heading up the kitchen is Ballast Point’s Culinary Director, Tommy Dimella. In an effort to continuously reflect its “Dedicated to the Craft” ethos, Chef Tommy joined Ballast Point in 2022 to oversee all kitchen operations, driving a new culinary point of view that launched first in San Diego at Ballast Point’s Miramar and Little Italy tasting rooms. An East Coast native, Chef Tommy received his Culinary Arts degree from Johnson & Wales and set out on a more than 30-year professional cooking journey working in kitchens across the globe. The overall menu direction for all locations steers toward an eclectic mix of globally-inspired dishes and New American pub favorites that remain inventive yet approachable, with ingredients that work complementary to the flavor profiles of the brand’s core beers. It’s a menu geared for beer with flavors that complement the spectrum — from the sweet and smoky elements of the roasted malts in a rich, amber ale, to the fruit-forward notes and smooth, balanced bitterness of Ballast Point’s gold-medal winning IPAs, dishes are crafted to be perfectly paired. Chef Tommy emphasizes seasonal and locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible; proteins and seafood are responsibly sourced following recommendations and guidelines from consumer guides including the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program.
Joining Chef Tommy is Bay Area native, Executive Chef Damien Jones, who first honed his skills under Chef Peter Pahk at the Silverado Country Club & Spa in Napa Valley and went on to lead the kitchens at the historic Hotel Whitcomb, the InterContinental Hotel San Francisco, and the Walnut Creek Marriott, among others.
The opening menu focus at Ballast Point San Francisco will center around approachability and flavors inspired by the multicultural landscape of the city; classic brewpub favorites with twists and creative interpretations throughout. The menu includes a broad range of dishes, moving from lighter to comfort-style to satisfy a range of palates and pairing preferences. “Snacks and Shareables” include the lighter Kanpachi Crudo with yellowtail amberjack, lemon, radishes and crispy capers to the light and airy Malted Pretzel Puffs made from croissant dough and brown butter, to the crispy BP Chicken Wings covered in Sculpin hot sauce or hoisin sticky glaze. The “Usual Suspects” portion of the menu includes the Fried “NH” Chicken Sando with andouille aioli, collard greens, pickles and wedge fries, the Double Stack Smash Burger made with a Certified Angus Beef chuck and brisket blend, topped with pickled banana peppers and BP special sauce, and the Gooey Grilled Cheese with aged cheddar and havarti on thick sourdough served with a pepperoni spread and mini-bottle of housemade hot honey. “Salads and Seasonal Highlights” include items like the Braised Beef Bowl with farro, caramelized onions and a chimichurri verde, as well as Sage Dumplings with crispy brussels sprouts in a smoky tomato sauce.
Ballast Point San Francisco is hosting a pre-grand opening “Raise the Mast” celebration during SF Beer Week on Thursday, February 16th from 4 – 10 p.m. The event is free to attend and open to the public. Guests are encouraged to RSVP through the Eventbrite link.
Doors will officially open on Tuesday, February 21st at 4:00 p.m. with initial service 5 days a week, Tuesday – Saturday from 4 – 10 p.m. Ballast Point San Francisco is located at 705 16th Street in the Mission Bay District. Additional information can be found on the website. IG: @ballastpoint_sanfrancisco.
Terry Bunch
