The Best Parties, Spreads, and Eats in the Bay for Super Bowl 2024 (2024)

Super Bowl Sunday is bound to be one of the biggest days for San Francisco Bay Area sports fans this year. There are a ton of big-time sports bars in the city, yes, but this is an American holiday and should be exalted as such — especially since the 49ers are in the big game this year.

There’s no correct way to watch Christian McCaffrey devastate the Chiefs, Run CMC-ing his way to victory, but there’s no reason not to make it as bombastic a day as possible. There are tons of parties to attend throughout the Bay, longtime bars to stop in at, and take-home platters and party packs bound to make Super Bowl LVIII a certified banger.

Parties

In San Francisco alone there are a ton of righteous festivities. In the Mission, head to True Laurel. It’s the popular bar’s first-ever Super Bowl watch party, and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. guests can order TL patty melts and co*cktails to prepare for kickoff. Dishes include a twice-baked potato with red miso butter, chile creme fraiche, and hot cheddar, as well as masa dumplings with charred radicchio and garlic breadcrumbs on the menu. The game itself comes in on the bar’s sculpture wall, so there won’t be a bad seat in the house. Reservations can be made through Tock.

On the east side, head to Gumbo Social as, indeed, it’s gumbo go time in the city. Doors open at noon and the game starts at 3:30 p.m., but seating is limited. This thunderous newcomer to the area will serve wings, fries, gussied up tots, pulled pork and barbecued beef sandwiches, sea burgers and hamburgers, plus queso dip.

MINA Group

Michael Mina’s International Smoke opens early at 3 p.m. for the big day. The restaurant will serve the Bang Bang 9er Gang co*cktail, a $14 medley of 1800 Tequila, Ancho Reyes liqueur, pomegranate, lemon, and gold powder. Tailgate specials include pigs in a blanket, Caribbean chicken wings, and pulled pork nachos. You can preorder the goodies to take home, too, including a $155 tailgate package with duck fat fries and a full rack of American barbecue ribs. Call the restaurant at 415-660-2656 to reserve or order to-go, or visit the website’s delivery page.

In Oakland, hit Parche on Broadway for an all-day happy hour featuring new menu items including the salmon salpicón tostadas and half-priced bottles of wine. The game will be played on the restaurant’s newly installed projector. There’s also alaMar Dominican Kitchen running a similar playbook of an all-day happy hour, broadcasting the game on a 120” screen, with reservations available through OpenTable.

For the North Bay, fans can head to Sweetwater Music Hall for an all-ages, no cover watch party with games and a raffle. Down south, head to San Jose’s Santana Row where nearly every restaurant is in the mix and offering deals and to-go packages, including Meso and Left Bank.

Bars

San Francisco is stuffed to the brim with stalwart sports bars; a few favorites include the Outer Richmond’s Hockey Haven and Pig and Whistle, North Beach’s the Boardroom, and the Sunset’s Lomo Libre. You can bet these institutions will have the game on with fans pouring out the door like Pliny the Elder from so many taps.

Outside the city and down south one can head to fan-favorite Old Princeton Landing for a big party in the bar. Up north, Sausalito is ringing in “Souper Bowl 2024” from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, February 10. Tickets go for $25 and could be a great chance to find a restaurant and bar to head back to on Sunday; Barrel House Tavern was awarded the best soup in 2023 for a spiced coconut butternut squash soup with toasted pepitas, Calabrian chile oil, and micro greens.

Across the Bay Bridge check out Mad Oak and Athletic Club Oakland as classic places to watch the game, plus Mushin Sports Lounge for craft co*cktails and lots of TVs.

At-home vibes

While heading out to a party or bar is ideal for some, many want to take in the festivities at home with huge feasts prepared for the dinner table.

Patron pizza saint Tony Gemgniani is offering a new pie dubbed the Faithful Sicilian, inspired by the 49er Faithful fans, for just this Super Bowl week. This pizza comes slathered in hot honey, garlic oil, and Cup & Char sausage (it’s usually only available at Levi’s Stadium). The pie will leave rotation on February 11 and is for sale at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana and Slice House by Tony Gemignani in San Francisco’s North Beach for $38 per pie.

There’s also Prubechu’s annual legendary take-home deal, this time a KFC riff. The Ko’Ko fried chicken wing set includes eight pieces of Chamorro-style wings, red rice, cole slaw, wasabi ranch, and all-purpose Guamanian condiment fina’denne. Fair warning, it’s for pick-up only on the day of and there’s limited availability. Also in the Mission, swing by Shuggie’s Trash Pie & Natural Wine for pepperoni pizza rolls, pigs in blankets with blackberry beer mustard, and beverages in addition to the usual pizza. Pickup time and offerings are available through Resy.

For the bold, try Tcho’s Choco Natchos. The limited edition vegan chocolate bars are made with cocoa butter, tortilla chips, garlic, chives, red peppers, onions, cilantro, tomatoes, jalapeños, cayenne pepper, and extra-smoked paprika. This mad lad invention comes from TCHO’s Chief Chocolate Maker Brad Kintzer who came up with the idea as an homage to his beloved Birds from Philly when they went to the Super Bowl in 2018. Order online to embark on this strange flavorful journey.

For the less bold but still hungry, check out Pasta Supply Co.’s to-go offerings. All the dishes — yes, that includes the salumi platter and hen and pork bolognese lasagna — serve three to four, and ordering two or more platters gets you a complimentary six-pack of beer. If that doesn’t grab you, all crate wines are half-off for dine-in guests. Go Niners!

Tcho