Beach Chalet San Francisco: What to Expect from this Popular Stop Along Ocean Beach

The Beach Chalet San Francisco is a popular stop for visitors near Ocean Beach. This newly remodeled 1925 Spanish Revival building includes two restaurants, the Golden Gate Park Visitor Center, and some beautiful murals and mosaics.

It's a great place to grab some lunch, find out a little bit more about Golden Gate Park, and spend some time admiring the Pacific Ocean. You can also sample some of the Beach Chalet's locally crafted beers.

Disclaimer: I receive a small commission from some of the links on this page.

The Restaurant

At one point in time, the food here was expensive and not very good. The restaurant used its location and the amazing views of the Pacific Ocean as a way to attract customers.

However, in recent years, the Beach Chalet San Francisco has done a lot to improve their menu and the entire dining experience. It's now a place I would recommend for either lunch or dinner if you're in the area.

Their menu has a variety of food including soups, salads, and pastas. You can also try out a number of seafood dishes such as their beer-battered fish and chips, Atlantic salmon, and halibut.

If seafood isn't your thing, you can also try their slow-cooked baby back ribs, pan-roasted chicken, or the New York strip.

They also have their own on-site brewery and their beers are tasty! Here's a list of the beers on the menu during my last visit (this menu is actually from their Park Chalet restaurant, but both places serve the same beers daily):

They also offer a sampler set, which allows you to sample all of their beers on tap that day. It's a great way to try a variety of new beers all at once.

They also have some great happy hour specials between 4 pm and 6 pm every Monday through Friday.

>> Find some additional great breweries in SF

Park Chalet San Francisco

In addition to the Beach Chalet San Francisco restaurant, here you also find the garden-level Park Chalet. This is the newer of the two restaurants and is located behind the visitor center. Here you get views of Golden Gate Park.

The other great thing about this restaurant is that they have quite a bit of outdoor seating. On a beautiful day near the ocean, it's one of my favorite places to grab something to eat.

The food and atmosphere here is little more casual than the Beach Chalet San Francisco. On their menu, they state that the food at the Park Chalet is designed to be eaten anywhere in or near the park.

On the menu here, you'll find pizzas, sandwiches, and even some hot wings. You can also sample the great beers from the on-site brewery.

One my favorite things on their menu is the crab sandwich. Here is a picture of this yummy treat from my last visit.

Their hours vary seasonally, depending on staff, weather, and activities. During the slower winter months, the Park Chalet is only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. During the summer, they usually open every day.

Before you visit, check their website for updated hours. 

>> More great spots to eat outdoors

Golden Gate Park Visitor Center & The Murals

In the last few years, they also moved the Golden Gate Park Visitor Center to this building. Here you can find maps of Golden Gate Park, get your questions answered, and even see a full model of the park.

This is also where you will find several Works Progress Administration (WPA) era murals. Many of them were originally painted in the mid- to late-1930s. Here are just a couple of pictures that I took during my last visit.

More Fun Things to Do Around Golden Gate Park

Getting Here

The easiest way to get to the Beach Chalet San Francisco is by driving. There is plenty of free parking in the front of the building – or across the street at Ocean Beach.

If you want to take public transportation, you can take the 5-Fulton bus from Union Square or downtown San Francisco. Take this bus all the way to the La Playa Avenue stop.

After you get off the bus, walk toward the beach, take a left at the Great Highway, and it's about two blocks down.

You can also take the N-Judah light rail train. You will take it to the end of the line. At that stop, head north (with the ocean on your left hand side) and walk along the Great Highway to the Beach Chalet.

The walk is a little longer from this stop, but the light rail train is a little faster than the bus.

Here is a map showing both options. The black star is the Beach Chalet.

Beach Chalet History

Located on the Great Highway at the far western end of Golden Gate Park, this gorgeous building offers wonderful views of the Pacific Ocean. It great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. 

One of the special points about this building is that it was designed by the amazing San Francisco architect Willis Polk. This was lucky since it became the last building that he designed. Willis wanted it to be classic, but to have the latest amenities at the same time.

So, when they built it, they added artwork for people to see, a 200-seat restaurant on the upper deck so everyone would have great views, special changing rooms, and more.

Since the Beach Chalet became a wonderful place to escape and relax, it also offered games, held special meetings for tea clubs, receptions, events, and also fundraisers for schools.

Unfortunately, even with all these events and beautiful views, the Beach Chalet was having problems with money, so they hired two sisters, Hattie and Minnie, to make it more interesting to locals and visitors alike. They were well known for running some of the best restaurants and clubs in the city, so they were perfect.

During this time, some of the enhancements include a 1,500-foot fresco that was built through the Works Progress Administration on the bottom floor.

After this, the army needed a lookout point in case there was an attack and set up there in the 1950s. However, the army soldiers were rumored to have ladies, games, and other questionable events there during this time. They only stayed for a while before being kicked out.

As the building started to get neglected, and therefore more expensive for upkeep, there were plans to destroy it. This is when the city decided to make it a city landmark to make sure it would be saved. During the 1990s, the Beach Chalet was given a grant to refurbish and rebuild it.

After this undertaking, they also built a brewpub up on the second floor. Since then, the Beach Chalet has made a great comeback and is now a must-see when you visit San Francisco.

A fun fact that most people don’t know about the Beach Chalet is that it replaced one that was actually on the other side of the Great Highway. That one was built in 1891 because the city wanted people to have a chance to eat delicious food with views of the ocean and not be blown away by the winds. Sadly, the building caught fire in 1958 and was totally destroyed.

Attractions Nearby

About Me   |   Contact Me   |   Privacy Policy   |   Terms of Service   |   Advertising Disclaimer