Overproof

I booked my seats at the bar about a month in advance and had completely forgotten what Overproof was when I saw that my reservation was nearing. I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived though! If you like learning about your cocktails and chatting up the bartender, I highly recommend sitting at the bar. I love watching the cocktails being made and the whole spectacle.For food we ordered the hamachi crudo, salad, the chawanmushi, and some things in the tins. The hamachi crudo is literally one of the best dishes I've ever had in my life - we ended up ordering 2. Also, I'm a sucker for anything with caviar, so the chawanmushi was super delicious as well. As for the cocktails, I definitely appreciate the complexity, but they were a little too interesting for my taste... if that makes sense. We did the cocktail pairing, and it was kinda lame because if you want to try the latter 3 out of 6, you have to do the entire tasting, you can't split 3 this round and come back for the last 3. I would definitely like to come back for the rum cocktail flights. Everything was reasonably priced and enjoyable. Just sucks that there's a time limit on your seat as you feel kinda rushed and can't try as many things as you'd like in one sitting.

With seatings at 6:30 and again at 9:00 it's fair to say that the early crowd gets dropped into the evening all liquored-up and too soon to go home. Resist the urge to keep the party going; you've drank enough. I'm not certain what I should've done instead of exit Overproof and head out to a nearby bar, but certainly not that. Bowling, perhaps, would be a good follow-on activity. Just no more drinking. Got it? A friend has attended each version of Overproof now, and her enthusiasm for the concept, the place, the staff... the whole deal, was infectious. I knew I'd love it and was happy it delivered.Every few months, Overproof (an intimate loft space upstairs from and accessed through ABV) transforms itself in anticipation of their next offering. The current concept, Lágrimas, focuses on 4+ tastings of Mezcal and/or Tequila cocktails along with foods of Mexico. The food is not described as a pairing and is best thought of as a parade of delicious treats with which to help soak up all of that alcohol.The space itself couldn't be more fun. It reads "Mexico" but in a hip way, without descending into a miniature Chevy's. "Chapel turned mezcaleria" is how their website describes it and they'd know. The staff? Enthusiastic, warm, welcoming, and excited about what they're serving. Perhaps because I was with a known regular, but I choose to believe that infectious spirit was on display at each of the tables. To say that every offering was special hardly gets to the heart of things. A cocktail featuring goat milk? A cocktail with Passion Fruit? Each was delightful and fun and there were officially 5 on the menu but you know what they say about "on the menu". Sometime after the 3rd cocktail a bottle of Mezcal arrived at our table, bringing the official total of cocktails/drinks consumed to 6. Small glasses, perhaps, but even small glasses add up.The food was delicious, and I wished for more. Starting with a fabulous ceviche and finishing with delicious assemble-yourself steak tacos, I was happily sated but the final course, Mananita (another cocktail) did feel like it would've been more complete if accompanied by an authentic dessert. Churros, perhaps? Some will wish for a bit more food and that's understandable. The current concept is the final in this series which has featured Rum, Whiskey, Gin/Sherry, and now Mezcal/Tequila. It continues through 2/24/18 and runs $75 per person before tax and tip, all which are handled on-line, in advance. Overproof is a ridiculously fun evening of great food, drinks, and hospitality. The concept will change completely following February and I'm excited to make a return visit. This is a creative team and I've no doubt that what follows will be equally intriguing.

I really liked my Este Oeste dinner here. The cocktails and food were all excellent, highly unique, and came with a story (yes, your server will tell you about where ingredients are sourced and a little bit of the creation story for each dish AND drink. Don't worry, it's quick, and it's interesting!). My friends weren't quite full afterwards and we headed to Monk's Kettle to share a couple of burgers. I was actually fine - surprising, as I usually have the biggest appetite.The cost: $99 a person (including tax, tip) for a 5-course meal with cocktail pairings. There was an additional starter cocktail so we really got 6 drinks! Just keep in mind the courses are small and most of us needed more food afterwards.See my photos for details about the food. I really liked all of the dishes, especially the Poached Prawns, Melon Gazpacho, and Hand Paella! Ok, and the Octopus as well (I've basically named 4 of the 5 dishes).On the drinks, I loved the Senor Txotx (a fantastic autumn-inspired, cider-focused drink), and the Don Karlos (a more refreshing, bright drink).

Double Back is the second concept at Overproof. I am a fan of ABV (drinks and bar food) and wanted to try this new business within a business. I booked tickets for Double Back weeks in advance and met up with a girlfriend for dinner.The pairings are well-executed but it did clear up one thing for me - I'm much more interested in food than alcohol. I understand that instead of coming up with a food menu and then pairing each course with a beverage, the idea here is to make the drinks the center of attention and pair those with food.There was certainly enough food but I do wish that the food would've been a tad better. The pickles were not good; only the kimchi was barely acceptable. The "scotch egg" was average. The only course that really tasted great was the soft boiled egg in a dashi broth. The agedashi yam and beef "main course" were good but were not standouts.Whisky is not my alcohol of choice. I don't have a refined enough palate to enjoy its flavor; unfortunately for me, Double Back is all about whisky.What I'm trying to say is that Overproof does it right but I'm not the right audience for it.

Overproof is amazing. I went a couple times pre-pandemic and can't wait for it to come back. The cocktail tasting and food were amazing. They also had great prices on Japanese whiskey.

The experience alone makes this meal worth it. I was here for the whiskey themed dinner and you really feel transported the moment you walk in. They design the entire restaurant around the theme so the walls were lined with rare whiskeys with Japanese art and decor. It really set the tone for the evening right away which I loved. Some logistics: There are two seatings each 90 minutes. We did the 7pm and I must say, it felt a bit rushed. Soon after we got the last dish the waiter came by and let us know that the next seating was starting at 9 so we could take our drinks downstairs when we were done eating. This was probably the biggest let down of the night, because it's always disappointing to have such a great meal with friends only to feel like you're rushed to get out. While I normally prefer not to eat at 9, I feel like this seating may be a little more relaxed since it's the last one. Each table seats six (there are only a few tables in the space) and it was $80 per person for the entire meal including tax and tip. The drinks were all really unique and unlike anything I'd had before. Some I loved, some not so much, but I definitely enjoyed the experience of trying whiskey in a new way. They make it clear up front that the drinks aren't designed to pair with the food, they're just fun and different drinks all centered around whiskey. The food was also fun because while it was Japanese themed, it wasn't sushi which was a nice change. The standouts for me were the scotch egg, seaweed avocado salad, and the ramen. You may think when the plate hits the table that it's not enough food but trust me, five small plates is perfect! The only thing I'd request is a something sweet to end the meal with. It wasn't the best meal I've had, and if I was judging solely on food I may not give the place four stars, but like I said, the whole experience really is fun and different and I'd definitely come back again! Highly recommend for a night out with friends. Especially because you can keep the bender going with more drinks at ABV!

Super cool date night spot in the mission. At this point you should be familiar with ABV, if you're not I highly suggest you get them out. Overproof is a cozy cocktail and dinner spot above ABV (it's in the same building). The drinks and food are both adventurous and delicious. It's a bit on the pricier side but worth it. Bonus points to the staff, they made the dInner even more enjoyable.

Back for version 2: Double Back (whisky themed). With tax/tip, it was around $70-75 per person.Drinks:1. Drifter: Toki whisky, vermouth, amaro, bitters 2. High plans highball: carbonated genmaicha and genepy with whisky - it tasted like Japanese rice tea - very interesting 3. Golden gai: rye based, with plum wine and bitters 4. Longblood: blood orange shrub and Longrow (peaty) - probably my favorite of the drinks 5. Red eye: espresso barrel aged bourbon and cacao - good as a dessert drinkFood: 1. Pickle plate: house made kimchee, pickled tomatillo, pickled green strawberry. The tomatillo and strawberry were quite tart 2. Tsukune scotch egg: chicken meatball wrapped around a soft cooked egg - great flavor 3. Avocado and seaweed salad: with tagarashi, pea greens - good flavors, very fresh 4. Porcini dashi: amazing runny ramen egg, mushroom broth 5. Celery root agadashi: great texture, topped with bonito and kewpie6. Koji marinated hanger steak: super tender, medium rare, good flavor Just like last time, Todd was a great host.I am considering doing the whisky theme again. I can't wait to see what the next theme is.

4.5 stars.Had a lovely time at Overproof last night with some friends. The space is like an upstairs loft overlooking ABV with only a few tables and bar seats. Really cute and cozy vibe, and the staff was also very warm and welcoming!We ordered the 6 drink tasting and I gotta say - love the concept of a cocktail tasting menu. The first one (a strawberry tequila drink) was not my favorite but all the other ones were interesting and unique. My favorites were the Navy Strength Fruit Cup (loved the fruity floral notes), and the McSwizzle (very cool tropical whiskey drink with a smokey finish). The tasting ended on a tortilla mezcal habenero drink that straight up tasted like a meal. Very interesting.I really wish we could order some of these drinks a la carte because I don't know if I would come back and do the tasting again after having it once already. There were some standouts that I loved so hopefully they add some of these to the a la carte menu in the future.

Why Go to Overproof? - If You're looking for an experience, with rich flavors and a unique backstory to all of the food and drinks, this place is for You. I Totally underestimated the Food. The agedashi yam and beef together (in the same bite) is worth coming in for on its own. Service is on point at the bar - Ben was MOVIN and still managed to connect with us and get into details on what was in front of us. John and Cessly (sorry for spelling) connected with us as well. I felt looked out for at all times. How to do it - Don't have more than one drink before heading up to overproof. We did the 9pm seating we had a couple beers before. I totally forgot there were 5 cocktails, and ones I definitely wanted to finish so it can add up. Portions are precise for 2 people. It is the perfect amount of food I want to eat so if You're looking to GRUB DOWN, this is a tasting menu, perhaps have a light snack early. What to do - Get there about 20 minutes before and have a cocktail downstairs at ABV or get there 5 minutes before your time to be sat immediately. (just walk up the stairs if You're on time)ENJOY YOURSELF and feel free to tip more. I charged $1 on my card and then tipped them a bit more. Five cocktails each plus food for about $70 including tip? Killer deal, and in my opinion the great service deserved more!