Oracle Park in San Francisco

[Brewce]

I have a goal to get to all 30 MLB ballparks. My adult daughter and I will be going to Oracle Park in San Fran and also to Oakland later this month. So, for those who have been there what do I need to know about the ballpark? What food are they known for? Any good bars or eating places around the ballpark? Any places in the park that are must see places?

 

Any suggestions you could give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

The lower priced seats (upper deck) behind the plate at Oracle are incredible. They have awesome sight lines of the field but more specifically the Bay and sky. Go to a later game if possible because it is beautiful. It's my favorite stadium. Haven't done Oakland but have heard less flattering things.

 

Funny enough the popular concession item at Oracle is a Sheybogan Bratwurst served on a sourdough roll with kraut and onions. It was quite good though I heard they don't have them this year, or at least didn't, due to supplier issues just about everyone is having. Not sure if they're still absent though.

[wOOgiE22]

I went to a 3 game series when the Brewers played at Oracle in 2011. It is by far my favorite stadium I have been to. I would agree that the upper deck seats provide an amazing view of the Bay. We sat there a couple nights and McCovey Cove the other night. I would also plan on brining some warmer clothes as it gets cold there at night. The area around the ballpark was pretty nice as we walked down the Embarcadero from the BART station to the park.

 

We stayed in a hotel next to the Coliseum in Oakland. It is a really run down/sketchy area of town. The BART will drop you off right in front of the stadium. The A’s were not in town when we were there, so we didn’t get to go to a game. From what I saw from the outside I was not that impressed. Looked like a run down stadium in the middle of a massive parking lot.

[BrewersinPDX]

The garlic fries are pretty good at Oracle Park. Hot chocolate is also pretty popular by the 5th inning as the temperature drops. Because it's San Francisco, be prepared to pay more for all of the food and beverages than you would in Milwaukee.

 

New Belgium just opened up a tap house near McCovey Cove - that might be a good spot to hit up prior to the game. There are also a number of bars and restaurants between King and Brannan streets just west of the ballpark.

 

Regarding the park itself, there is a small Giants museum ("The Vault") filled with memorabilia at the right field entrance (the entrance on 3rd street along McCovey Cove) that is worth checking out. Walking along the main concourse towards the giant glove and Coca-Cola statues in left field might also be of interest because of the backdrop of the Bay. Prior to or after the game, you can also walk out on a well-lit pier immediately behind the stadium - you'll be able to get a good view of the Bay, and after dark a good view of the Bay Bridge lit up. Outside of the park there are a number of plaques and statues commemorating different Giants milestones and players - some of the plaques are embedded into the exterior walls of the stadium itself and others into the pavement. On the south side of McCovey cove, there used to be a walkway that had the names of every Giants player memorialized along a concrete wall, but they ripped it out when they started the Mission Rock development. Likewise, they took out the Willie McCovey statue and the children's ball diamond that were on the south side of McCovey Cove - I think they'll be replaced at some point in the future when construction is done.

 

As others have mentioned, the seats in the upper deck provide beautiful sight lines, but it gets COLD - even on days where the highs are in the 70's or low 80's. I would recommend wearing pants and a jacket. During the most recent Brewers series my wife brought her winter coat, a scarf, gloves, and a blanket - and we were sitting in the 4th row on the field level. It gets even colder in the upper deck.

[Sixtofan]

Agree with all of the advice for San Francisco, by far my favorite park. It will be chillier than you are expecting!

 

Oakland - do not stay near the stadium. The park is in a very very bad area of town. Stay somewhere else and take Bart to the game.

[Underachiever]

I can echo a lot of what is said. Oracle is my favorite park. Maybe covid has reduced the amount of good food options, but from my visits, I would say: Take a lot of money and try the crab sandwich, bacon-wrapped hot dog (drink water; that thing is a sodium bomb, but so good), and get a Ghirardelli sundae. That park is in a great location. Go early and enjoy the park when it is empty. I agree with those who say prepare for the weather to be cold.

 

Oakland? It's a tired, worn-out dump. Go there to cross it off of your list. I went to a playoff game a few years ago. Got a cheap ticket, walked around. Not impressive. My niece works across the street, and her company allowed me to park in their parking lot. Got back to my car after the game and had a City of Oakland parking ticket. The company said they had no idea how it happened. It was on their property.

[EnglishCream]

The Garlic Fries, as noted, are what they're noted for but I wasn't all that impressed. It was back in 2006 I was there, so things may have changed. The cool thing that I remember from that night is that I was walking down the concourse and spotted Mark Attanasio and his wife walking the other way. He was gracious enough to talk to me for a few minutes which was very cool. Impressed that I was a Brewer fan who at the time lived in NC. And they won too...I remember Zach Jackson was the starter, and I just went back to Baseball Reference and they won that game 10-1.

 

And I remember it was chilly, even though it was the middle of July.