Father’s Day and summer must coincide for a reason; after all, the cliche approach to the holiday is all about boating, fishing, beer tasting and other stereotypical manly hobbies, which are simply made for long summer days. Grilling and consuming copious amounts of BBQ are, however, even more summery, and not exclusively male (but still very Father’s Day). Creative BBQ series and menus have been popping all over the Bay recently, and you can totally take your father to one of them. Or, you can just pig out in style, in the name of all the dads out there.
4505 Burgers & BBQ
Located across the street from the Independent, this outstanding BBQ spot is perpetually full of large groups, chins dripping with slaw and sauce. The brisket sandwich and the ‘Best Damn Grass-Fed Cheeseburger’ are the stars of the show, but nothing beats the Presidential platter, feeding six people all the meats, toppings and fixings on the menu. The fun thing about 4505 is their penchant for novelty; the spot recently launched an East Bay online pop-up, allowing folks from Oakland and beyond access through Caviar and other food delivery services, as a preview for a permanent Oakland location. Additionally, 4505 recently re-launched their famous fried chicken sandwich, breaded with-wait for it -chicharrones. Any dad would approve.
705 Divisadero Street
One Market: BBQ Series
Just in time for summer, the San Francisco mainstay’s Back Porch BBQ series are back, ready to conquer the pickiest of men with an irresistible mix of city views and smoked meats. Available for pickup 11:30am to 2:30pm (or via Caviar until 8pm) every Friday until August 31st, the BBQ menu includes indulgent meats like spare ribs, spit-roasted chicken, 12-hour beef brisket, and a pulled chicken sandwich. All alongside traditional sides like soft rolls, potato salad and coleslaw, plus green salads and desserts. Working in the FiDi? Know a dad working in the FiDi? There’s your lunch plan.
1 Market Street
Presidio Social Club: Pig Roast
If you’re going big on Father’s Day, why not a whole pig roast? This month, Presidio Social Club is kicking off its Pig Roast Series (every Sunday, June 17 – August 19). The celebratory event is Hawaiian-themed, with aloha shirts, ukulele music, and Mai Tai cocktails. The following weeks, the Pig Roast events will offer a slightly tamer celebration, with a traditional pig roast dinner ($48) featuring a salad, pig roast platter with sides, plus pineapple upside down cake made in-house. Perfect for a BBQ lover who also happens to adore a sit-down dinner situation, with a nice Presidio breeze on the side.
563 Ruger Street
Southpaw: $1 Ribs
Dad keeps a tight budget? Treat him to the latest offering by Southpaw, the Mission spot successfully combining two soulmates, BBQ and beer. On Sunday and Monday nights, Southpaw is going high-low with $1 baby back ribs and buckets of Miller High Life, until there’s no more. The regular menu is full of goodies too, from the intriguing smoked pulled goat to dry-rubbed chicken and surprisingly addictive smoked jackfruit (it’s vegetarian!).
2170 Mission Street
International Smoke: Tasting Menu
For the out-of-town dad, and any Golden State fan of a relative, a visit to ‘Ayesha Curry’s restaurant‘ might do the trick. Get a reservation early, and go sample International Smoke’s bold, inventive BBQ dishes. The tasting menu, with an affordable $58 price tag, offers a lineup of appetizers, like smoked burrata cheese and hot crab soup, with ribs and grilled wagyu beef as the main events. For a big family-style event, go for the mighty rib eye, plus as much cornbread as you can possibly consume.
301 Mission Street