Beach Hut Cafe & Snack Bar

Check out my video review here:
First of all, the Beach Hut Café & Snack Bar is conveniently located right on the beach next to Crissy Fields and has an abundance of low-​cost parking options. Sink into one of the relaxing deck chairs with a refreshing blended coffee after a long walk on the beach with your date.
The fluttering windmills create a natural conversation piece and the expansive views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatrez provide opportunities for questions that easily stimulate conversation.
If you’re a dog owner, bring your pup, a frisbee, and your date to play on the beach. With many places to stroll to in the area, it’s guaranteed to keep your date active and outward-​focused.
The reason I love it for a first date is because it is far enough away from the busy city to get you out of work-​mode, but close enough to reach on foot or bike.
It’s a well-​populated area without being overwhelming, which creates the feeling of safety and security that a first date requires.
The people who have also come to enjoy the beach can’t help but put you in a good mood, as most are active and happy, which triggers feel good chemicals that positively influence your date.
When the weather is nice, the nearby beach takes on a Santa Monica feel, with people strewn about the sand, kites flying playfully across the sky, and dogs running into the water for a refreshing dip in the ocean.
But this is even a nice spot on a foggy day, with a cozy cup of cocoa to warm you up, and the lulling calm of the ocean to transform your worries into peaceful bliss.
As far as I can tell there are only two downsides:
The first is that the Beach Hut doesn’t have it’s own bathrooms, which means you have to use a built in, outdoor restroom, which could be much worse but certainly isn’t ideal.
Second, the hours of operation aren’t ideal if you’re meeting after work. They close up shop at 5pm, which can be quite the let-​down if you’ve been jonesing for a cup of warm coffee to stave off the chill of the bay. But for a first date location on a Saturday, I’d say it’s pretty ideal.
And now you know why the Beach Hut Café & Snack Bar is a great spot to take a first or second date.
Park Here for Free:
3399 Lyon St
San Francisco, CA 94 123
Walking Directions from Parking Location to Date Location:
Walking directions are in beta. Use caution — This route may be missing sidewalks or pedestrian paths.
Begin:
3399 Lyon Street
San Francisco, CA 94 123
0.2 mi — about 3 mins
1. Head northeast on Lyon St 52 ft
2. Turn left to stay on Lyon St 207 ft
3. Turn left onto Mason St 92 ft
4. Turn right toward Jauss St 36 ft
5. Turn left toward Jauss St 272 ft
6. Slight right toward Jauss St 92 ft
7. Slight right onto Jauss St
Destination will be on the right 138 ft
End:
Jauss Street
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
San Francisco, CA 94 123

I heard that this café is closing which is a disappointment because this place is such a great place to chill and relax. There are regulars here who would be disappointed like me.
Though I would suggest a private restroom and a kid’s play area to attract more costumers. Other than that I feel the hospitality of the workers of Beach Hut Café and the environment is good.
Please don’t close this café down!!! It would be such a pity.

I heard that the café is closing down in October 2015 after Fleet week. Which is too bad, because it’s the only café nearby at Crissy field, before the other cafes near the Golden Gate Bridge. There are regular customers, tourists, and families who come to the café.
Please spread the word that you want to keep the café open. Any suggestions on how to help the café are much appreciated. For example, only opening in the weekend, or during lunch time. Feel free to add to this post

Great location free good WiFi BUT closes at 5! If this café supports the park etc then they are burning good money. Sat a couple of times even after 6 there to enjoy that great patio outside. Dozens of potential customers try to get in unfortunately to no avail. No service. They could make a lot more money..

Bridget and Janet are expert at making láttes and they are super nice. They create a great vibe.

Beach Hut Café is located along the Marina and has an outdoor patio with a beautiful view. That’s probably the only good thing about it. There is limited food and beverage selection, and the baristas are some of the most unhelpful people I’ve ever met. When asked what kind of hot teas they have, they just pointed to their assortment of boxes in front of the cash register which had all sorts of complicated names.
The staff is super unprofessional… the cashier was picking her teeth. SHE WAS PICKING HER TEETH! Good thing I didn’t order any food, just tea. Oh and if you are interested in having milk with your coffee or tea, ask them if it’s not available on the counter, because chances are it’s in the back. Anyways, this place is ridiculous.

Something about being the only café near a beach gives a business a pass to sell food prepared by people with an unusually poor palate at unusually high prices.
My $ 8 tuna sandwich tasted like they took it straight from the can, slapped a mealy slice of tomato on it and called it a day.
The ONLY reason to eat here is near starvation and a lack of desire to walk a half mile to the restaurants nearby.

Nothing special. My blueberry muffin wasn’t great and my hot chocolate reminded me of the dentist. Like mouthwash or something. It’s harsh, I know, but honest. Nice location though.

5 star location and staff, fresh food choices, view… even parking — but one star for recent shift to only Almond milk as non dairy option. I’m fine with paying $ 3.75 for a latte but my husband is lactose intolerant and almond allergic and now missed out on our buzz fix– I don’t think coffee shops need crazy inventory but please consider a non-​nut milk like soy or coconut please even if stocking individual sized containers facilitates over stocking and under use. I’ll happily re visit the hut and my review of this changes ;)

The food is average and way overpriced… Also, no bathroom, so when the need arose, I had to quickly shuttle my child across a long field in the cold, to the public bathroom way in the distance (barely made it in time!). Given a chance, I would direct tourists to the Safeway down the street instead.

I guess my expectations were too high when I entered a «café and snack bar» hungry for lunch. There were two food items on the menu and a plethora of pre packaged snacks/​drinks. There weren’t any prices on things (other than the menu items) so I figured they wouldn’t be much for just snack items since the menu items were $ 5-​$ 6. But with two small juice boxes, two bananas, and two pre packaged Belgian waffles, my total was a little over $ 16. Maybe I’m just a cheap bastard but I fed my two kids and I breakfast at a restaurant that morning for $ 21.

Went to beach hut café and snack bar today to get salad or sandwich. I liked the turkey sandwich you had. They changed there menu mostly just drinks and chips they said. To manager if you read this you had awesome sandwiches and salads. sucks that you don’t have this anymore. If anyone reads this don’t bother coming here just go to Safeway sandwiches/​deli just as good and cheaper and only a few blocks away.
Change of menu as of Thursday, October 9, 2014 1:30 pm. :(
We have a boat near here. I will let them know of the awful changes.
:(((((

I ordered the beef sandwich. There was no flavor at all. The only good things worth eating here are the Dirty potato chips and TCHO chocolate. That’s it. You’ll be MUCH better off going to the Safeway on Bay St and getting a sandwich from their deli.

So this place gets one star simply for existing since it is the only place to get food in the area. It gets one more star for having a nice outside seating area. Other than that, it’s not so great.
The day we were there they ran out of bread for sandwiches. My husband was lucky enough to get the last half roll of bread for the beef sandwich. It was TINY, and had only beef, cabbage, and lettuce on it, plus a sauce that tasted like seafood cocktail sauce. I had the tomato soup, which tasted like it was made out of canned tomatoes, hot peppers, and nothing else. The coffee was fine.
They didn’t put up a sign or anything that they were out of sandwiches, so the staff just kept yelling out that they were out of sandwiches. The place was also messy with trash spilling out of the trash can.
Everything was overpriced too. Probably won’t come back here for food. Maybe coffee if I’m desperate.

While biking along the Marina, I was getting dehydrated so we stopped by this café. It is a cute, casual, modern and super clean café, with to go items and a nice outdoor patio that has a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Staff is friendly. I just stopped by to get some Odwalla juices, which were like $ 4+ each… pricey!
It was nice to chill out in the patio; they had some tables and some weird funky lounging chairs. After that we rode our bikes towards the Golden Gate Bridge!

The place has a limited menu, but the grill cheese sandwiches are truly delicious. There are both turkey and veg options. The cheese was hand sliced cheese; not just a slice from some pre processed cheese.
As a resting place at the beach it is great with a variety of healthy options

If you’re looking for a room with a view, this is your place: From inside, you can plug in your laptop at a table next to the window that overlooks the Golden Gate bridge. It’s like WABBAM in your face. So fantastic, and seriously unbeatable, especially if you enjoy views, natural light, and passwordless wi-​fi while you work. The food is ok — i had an eggplant reuben, but next time I’d try the chard and pine nut quiche with the brussels sprouts salad — and although there isn’t a bathroom attached to the café, there is a public restroom in the parking lot just a short walk away. Bonus: they serve steamed milk with honey for those colder Bay Area days. Another bonus: the adirondack chairs on the front patio allow one to bathe super comfortably in the beach sun. One word: Go.

I think this spot is a high 3 on the ‘everyday’, but given the right occasion or adventure, it is definitely a 4.
Here’s the short story: this is a cute, clean café. It’s the perfect place to grab a healthy lunch or snack when you’re out hiking the Presidio and want to take a break, sit in the sunshine and refuel. There aren’t many options, but the options they have are good ones. (As long as you’re not stopping in on the regular there are plenty to choose from.) It’s a little on the pricey side, but I’d consider it the cost of convenience and maybe the price for the great view of the beach and bridge as you sit inside OR outside, taking it all in.
If you’re coming in for lunch, I highly recommend getting the sandwich/​soup combo. The vegetarian chili was flavorful and filling — very fresh! The californian (turkey, avocado, jack, honey mustard) was simple but satisfying. My boyfriend liked the grilled chicken he got (international orange) and a friend described her tomato/​basil/​mozzarella as «very fresh.»
If you just need a quick pick-​me-​up, they also have coffee drinks, cocoa, ice cream, coconut water, juices, bars, chips, and healthier selections like dried seaweed, organic cookies, and protein bars.

$ 10.96 for two cups of coffee and two huge macaroons. The café has an express window for walk ups. Seems odd as you can easily walk right into the café.
Tables and chairs inside with a few tables and chairs outside. And a couple of adirondack chairs. Sit outside and watch the various tankers, freighters, cruise ships, etc. sail under the Golden Gate Bridge.
Located at the east end of Crissy Field.

Beach hut is offering a free turkey sandwich through this Friday with Scoutmob. Staff is very friendly. The first time I got there after it closed, and the staff joked, «i’ve been waiting all day for you, what took you so long?!» This time, I got there 45 minutes before closing, and the staff was again pleasant when I was redeeming my free sandwich, and gave me a sample of the Strauss frozen yogurt.
The sandwich was average — made with turkey breast, brie, cranberry sauce, and lettuce slapped between untoasted bread. I wished that I got the frozen yogurt instead of the Rocketfuel performance smoothie, which was highlighted by Scoutmob — blueberries, banana, flaxseed, frozen yogurt & almond milk sounded good. However, what I got was a runny, lukewarm smoothie with the taste of bananas overpowering the blueberry flavor — definitely not worth $ 6! Would I return to Beach Hut — probably not. They might have better options that I didn’t try, but when they’ve messed up on a $ 6 banana smoothie, I have no faith in their other food options. It’s a shame since the location is very good, with views of Golden Gate Bridge, and not many other food choices — other than the snack shack — in the immediate area if you don’t want to go to Chestnut or Lombard.