San Francisco is home to a handful of German restaurants that can virtually whisk diners away to Deutschland for a few hours on a festive night out, an Oktoberfest celebration or a chilly San Francisco evening when a hearty meal and tall glass of beer is in order. Below are five of our favorites.

Suppenküche
525 LAGUNA STREET
With a “no reservations” policy, there is almost always a line waiting to get into Suppenküche, but it is well worth the wait. If you’re waiting, cozy up to the bar and grab a beer—or even better, a boot of beer (but be careful, servers warn it’s a $50 fee for a shattered glass). Take a seat at one of the communal tables and enjoy some traditional German fare, including schnitzel, spätzle, potato pancakes and bratwurst. The mood is festive, similar to a German beer hall—just on the other side of the globe.

Walzwerk
381 SOUTH VAN NESS AVENUE
Home to traditional East German food and beer, Walzwerk offers a very traditional menu with reasonable prices. Along with the normal dinner menu, featuring items like potato pancakes, red beet soup, schnitzel and sauerbraten, the restaurant also offers family style options for bigger parties of 10 or more. There is plenty of beer on draft and by the bottle, as well.

Leopold’s
2400 POLK STREET
Technically an Austrian restaurant with German cuisine, visitors to Leopold’s on Polk Street in Russian Hill are greeted by servers wearing authentic garb straight out of a European beer hall. With eight classic beers on tap (pours range from .3L glasses to 5L steins), plus plenty of choices by the bottle, it’s a beer-lover’s paradise. The house-made salumi platter with a hearty schnitzel to follow is a perfect combo to soak up the suds.

Schroeder’s
240 FRONT STREET
In the heart of the Financial District, Schroeder’s is a popular spot for those looking to grab an after work drink downtown. For Oktoberfest each year, the restaurant does it big, with music, food and drinks each Friday through the end of October. The menu is filled with plenty of German classics, as is the beer list.

Schmidt’s
2400 FOLSOM STREET
An under-the-radar neighborhood spot, Schmidt’s features plenty of beer and German food, and can also accommodate larger parties for family style meals. The Berlin-style eatery also does a pretty impressive brunch, when it is normally less crowded. A large and diverse selection of German beers is equaled by a good selection of wines as well. It’s central location in the Mission District is an added bonus.

Biergarten
424 OCTAVIA STREET
On a warm day, there might not be a better spot to grab a beer with a group of friends than this traditional beer garden in San Francisco. Sitting outdoors with a nice selection of German beers on tap and tasty bites, including pretzels, sausages, salads and the weekly “Burger Wednesdays” special. The lines are usually long and on some nights, it can get a bit chilly, but it’s a great spot and one of the few options for dining and drinking al fresco in San Francisco.