Fiddler's Green: A Pub-Goer's Delight

The toughest things about being a beer lover is that once you've developed a good palate and refined your tastes, it's very tough to go back to anything below your current standards. To give it an analogy, it's like the Seinfeld episode where Jerry takes the first class seat over Elaine at the ticket counter claiming that once you've flown first class, you can't go back to coach, otherwise you know what you'll missing out on. I've found the same to be true with Guinness.

I had the opportunity to go abroad to Ireland when I was in college, and during my time there I fell in love with the 'black stuff', as well as the natural beauty of the country. The only problem is, it's very hard to come across a pint that tastes just as good as it does on the Emerald Island. Guinness is tricky and very fickle, it's a lot like wine. It has to served on a nitrogen tap, at a specific temperature, and the pour is crucial. Not many places in the states do it right. Fortunately, the Bay Area has enough of an old Irish immigrant population that there are some pockets that keep the pub tradition from the old country alive. One of my favorite places for scoring a proper pint is Fiddler's Green.

There are actually two locations for this pub. One is off of Columbus Avenue near Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, but usually go to the one in Millbrae off of El Camino Real as it's closer to where I live. What I love about this place, is not only do they pour a mean Guinness, but they've always got the 49ers or Giants games going during season, as well as the European Football matches and Rugby. Did I mention Rugby's big in Ireland? It definitely fits the traditional description of a Public House (also known as 'Pub'), a casual spot where you can catch the game with friends over beers and get a bite to eat as well. In fact, they're so serious about sports here that you can go in sometimes as early as 5:30AM to watch a game that's happening in Europe and get a solid traditional Irish breakfast to go with it. They also serve your typical pub style food that goes great with watching any sporting event: nachos, garlic fries, hoagies and griders. Or if you are so inclined to feel like you're back in the Republic, they serve some mean traditional food like Shepard's Pie, Irish Stew, and other classics. 

The interior is similar to any pub you might find in Ireland: a woodwork interior, dim but cozy lighting, a small stage for live music, plenty of Irish whiskey, scotch, and other spirits to accompany the beers on tap, and warm service from the bartenders to the servers. Being in Millbrae, it's just across the street from the BART station, and a hop, skip and a jump from the Airport, so if you need to kill a few hours, this would be the ideal spot to do it.