Good Beer on the Cheap?

Is it possible? I’m going to clue you into the best way to get good draft beer, at a restaurant or brew-pub at a discount of as much as 60%. Try it, it’s no joke: restaurant.com. At first, I couldn’t believe that a $10 investment would get me $25 in beer and food at the local restaurant of my choosing, but apparently it does. In the Bay Area, there are a few that come up on a Brew Pub, Tavern, or Irish restaurant search, including Pyramid (Berkeley), Wunder Beer (SF) or Fiddler’s Green (SF). Each of these places offers a decent variety of brewed-on-site beer, local favorites or imported selections. The only catch is that most stipulate a minimum “food” order ($15 for a $10 certificate, $35 for a $25 certificate); I’m not saying that it’s negotiable, but nine times out of ten the server or bartender won’t give a rats ass what you order. Just make sure you present the gift certificate before ordering, and make sure that what you order will be covered so there are no surprises. This makes it sound like there’s a catch, but in my experience, it’s worked every time. Fifteen bucks off your bar-tab, why not?