San Francisco is my home town and it is always a pleasure to return home for a visit…and eat and drink!  I have always believed (and will argue down anybody who doesn’t agree) that San Francisco is the best culinary city in the U.S.  They have a diverse array of international foods, local talented chefs, fresh regional produce, amazing seafood, and everything from the best street food to high-end, renowned gourmet experiences.  I enjoy visiting some of my old faves and discovering new places whenever I am in town.  Many times the best things are the straight forward just great food and drink spots…That is exactly what The Brixton delivers!

So here is my top ten list of reasons why I love The Brixton (2140 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94123), why I make a point to go there every time I am in San Francisco, and why you should check it out!

10. Location, location, location – The Brixton is located right smack in the middle of bustling Union Street.  Located near San Francisco’s Marina/Cow Hollow areas, Union Street is a popular street filled with boutiques, salons, retail stores, and an array of restaurants.  A visit to The Brixton whether for brunch, lunch, dinner, or happy hour, can be an all day adventure if you spend some time exploring the many cool spots up and down Union Street.

9. Brixton Benedicts – Offered for brunch, served 11:30am-3:30pm on weekends, you can order an eggs benedict – traditional English muffin and poached egg smothered in Brixton’s hollandaise sauce with your choice of fried chicken, smoked ham, tomato & bacon, spinach & roma tomato florentine, fresh smoked salmon, OR fresh blue crab.  I don’t know about you, but I have never found a place with that many benedict options.

8. Cornmeal Fried Chicken Salad – Another uniquely Brixton offering, it is made with cage-free skinless, cornmeal fried chicken thigh over organic chopped romaine, blanched green beans, cherry tomatoes, sliced watermelon radishes and tossed with jalapeno-bacon buttermilk dressing.  It is huge and delicious!! (And by the way, all of their food is delicious!)

7. Ambiance – This goes back a little to location, however, at almost any time of the day you can find an interesting mix of patrons at the restaurant and whether I am there with a few guests or a large party I inevitably strike up a conversation with other guests and meet some cool folks.  The attentive servers and great bartenders also add to the enjoyable ambiance.

6. Late Nights – The Brixton is open every night until 2am and serves food until midnight.  Yep, you can drink and eat late.  On my last visit for late dining, we ended the eve with the delectable apple pie!

5.-3. Awesome cocktails – Hey, our crew LOVES cocktails so cocktails deservedly gets 3 spots on list.  This includes ALL of the cocktails, however, I do have a few favorites…

-The Bleu Cheese Martini: Traditional martini made with Kettle One vodka and garnished with stuffed bleu cheese olives. LOVE!

-Citron John Daly: Stolichnaya citrus vodka, fresh Brixton lemonade, and iced tea.  A great take on a classic and we love the huge glass it comes in.  Size matters!

-Moscow Mule: Traditional moscow mule made with Russian Standard vodka, lime juice, and ginger beer. Even though purist believe it isn’t traditional unless it is in a copper mug we go for flavor and this one is mixed right!)

-Strawberry Don Royale: Don Julia Blanco tequila, strawberry puree, falernum liquor, lime, and champagne garnished with lemon rind.  This one I love because it is much stronger than it looks.  Don’t let the pretty presentation fool you!

2. Great Specials – Whether it is wine specials on Wednesday or the prime rib dinner special on Sunday or even their regular happy hour…there is always some great deal going on.  And who doesn’t like a good deal?

1. (Almost) All Day Happy Hour – the happy hour is from 11am to 7pm monday – friday which means there are a lot of hours that you can spend there being happy! Yes, that means many of the awesome cocktails we referenced above are available for you all day and at a great price!  Draft beers (excluding Guinness) are $4 and select wines by the glass are $7.  They also have some delightful bites available during happy hour. At the end of the day, the ID2T crew is about drinking, so an all day happy hour is right up our alley and always gets high marks!

~I’ll Drink To That