Lets keep this brief
-Pros-
Gigantic mugs that weight as much as a bowling ball
Large selection of great draft beers
Good array of sausages
Variety of board games to keep you entertained
Option to update your bread quality
-Cons-
Cash Only
Sitting can be challenging
Communal  table style might not be for everyone
Overall Thoughts
No complaints, solid place to hang out with friends over beers and board games
What? There's a biker bar in sleepy, family-friendly Fairfax? There surely is. But it's not for Hells Angels on their hogs, it's for road cyclists & mountain bikers pedaling their way around scenic Marin.
Bicycles, beers & brats, that's what it's all about at Gestalt Haus. & Although the girlfriend & I didn't arrive at this biker bar of the 2 leg-power variety on a bicycle, we still had a great time.
There's a casual, fun atmosphere, outstanding selection of craft beers on tap & delicious $5 fancy-shmancy bratwurst hot dogs with a killer condiment bar (the Atomic Horseradish is no joke!).
It all added up to a really cool spot in Fairfax to hang out & have a few brews & brats. Who knows? Maybe next time we'll roll up on our bicycles & be part of the biker crowd here.
Looking for lunch, we stopped here on the advice of two bikers. Â But you don't have to be a cyclist to enjoy this place. Â Family-friendly, comfortably cluttered, and some interesting bike-oriented art (check out the great mosaic planter in the nearby parking lot) Â DH and I had sandwiches, which while not exemplary, were meaty and yummy. Â And a terrific huge non-pot brownie! Â Sorry we couldn't try the beers, looked like an excellent selection.
Review Source:I really love this place, it's perfect for sitting around and talking. The atmosphere is great, the music isn't too loud, the beers are ginormous and they have a very large selection of sausage (including several vegan options, and they're super good, try the italian). They have giant pickles, pretzels, the sauer kraut is heavenly, and they have a huge table full of awesome condiments, I like the alligator ketchup (spicy).
The board games are fun, the service is good. To the people who disagree with the service comment: it's a bar. They are also kid friendly.
My only complaint is about the bike racks... First of all, the risk of being hit by one of the bikes when being mounted or dismounted from the wall, is pretty high. Ive had quite a few cringing moments when a bike flew on or off of the rack, speeding by the back of my head, kinda nerve racking (get it?). The tables are very close. Secondly, as a Fairfax native, I am over the entitled bikers taking over the town, I'm not saying all bikers, but many of them treat the town with disrespect and I hate them. Fur real. Hate. Sometimes I just wanna take one of those stop sign ignoring, in the middle of the road riding, early morning loud talking, entitled spandex warriors down. Granted, the locals are typically mountain bikers, and that biking culture is rad.
This may seem like it has little to do with the business, but if you're going to gestalt haus beware. I don't feel like these cyclists are gestalt haus' fault, but they do exist.
My favorite bar in Fairfax!
Great beer selection (15 taps or so)
Good Food- Sausages are good, sandwiches are huge and the brownie was ridiculous last time I had one.
Indoor bike parking has always made it my go-to post ride place, but its now my favorite bar anytime due to the selection. Â Only con was that it was cash only, but its not anymore, so problem solved.
Gestalt Haus is great. We live very close and go from time to time to enjoy a couple sausages, beer and a board game. It does get a bit tight on the weekends, but it's one of those places where you just squeeze in and get to know your neighbor and where they biked from. It's got a very friendly vibe, though the service can be a bit spotty and relaxed/slow.
It does get completely and insanely hot in the summer. It's kind of gross and uncomfortable, honestly. We avoid it when it's hot out.
After a long hike or bike ride, this is a great place to stop and kick back with a beer. Great selection on tap and affordable! I especially love places that serve their beer in heavy mugs - the way beer should be consumed. I'm glad I stumbled upon this place and will definitely be back.
Plus, they have a jukebox where you can select the songs for free! and more board games than your grandma's basement.
Would you ride your bicycle here from San Francisco for no reason other than to eat sausage and drink beer? I would and have! And I'm vegetarian, too...
If I'm ever riding my bike anywhere near Fairfax, I make sure to stop at Gestalt Haus. It's a bike-friendly place with a fun atmosphere and decent prices. The beer selection is good, and there is a sausage for everyone. Even vegans. And you can wheel your bicycle in and hang it on the wall, to boot.
The only downside - it seems that every cyclist in the Bay area has the same idea as me, so sometimes it's hard to find room for your bike and your butt. However, if you have a lock, just park your bike outside. As for your butt, get friendly with your dining neighbor.
On my most recent visit, a friend bought us all a huge pretzel to share. YUM. And another friend said the hot link was the best hot link he's ever had. I'm perfectly satisfied with the vegan sausages when they're buried under sauerkraut.
Another reviewer said the service is awful/rude - I have never found that to be the case. At least not compared to some bars in San Francisco!
Great hot dogs, sausages, great beer, simple place, casual, no frills, great for cyclists as you can hang your bike inside on the wall, cool bike related furniture and knick knacks, tons of board games and books and what not, good for kids too. Â Fairly priced, good music selection on the jukebox, and a cool name too. Â When was the last time you heard someone use the word "gestalt" ? Â Try it, it'll make people think you're smart.
Review Source:Basically, the place is bike-friendly and there is some decent beer. It's well located and the prices are acceptable. Unfortunately, their sausages are nothing more than glorified hotdogs.  Worse, half the time service is simply awful--to the point of being rude.  The acoustics  are awful, and this isn't the cleanest place.
As a biker and a local, I really wanted to like this dive. Â But it blows. Â Truth is, if it weren't bike-friendly it would be out of business already.
For what this place is, it really is as good as it gets. Â It is a bicycle bar...meaning expect to see lots of dudes (and dudettes) drinking beer but dressed as if they have just finished the tour de france. Â and this is why I love this place. Â a great beer selection, chill vibe, great bartender, tons of sausage options, and a million board games to choose from. Â and it seems as though everything i order is five dollars...i wish this was in my town...but it really does belong in fairfax...
Review Source:$5 sausage and $5 beer! Tried 2 beers, all good. Tried a Bockwurst and a Brat, but they were nothing special. Still, the price is right.
Bartender warned me away from the Bockwurst (why do you offer it, then?)
There was nothing wrong with the taste, but the savory awesomeness that is a good Bockwurst was lacking. A little more effort into the food would go a long way.
This is a biker bar - the pedaled kind - with a peculiar brand of Marin hipsters mixed in. Not my crowd, but an interesting setting.
Next time, I'll fly solo on the sausage and double up on beer.
3.5/5, rounding up because it's hard to find this combination anywhere in the U.S let alone Marin County!
Top Dog quality sausages would make this a fast 5.
I know it's supposed to be a restaurant, but the real attraction at Gestalt  is the  ginormous German beers and the ginormous wooden tables on which you may play your choice of second-hand board games. If you have an expensive bike, wheel it inside to park it alongside the wall where I will quietly nod or scoff at the workmanship. Yeah right, I'll be playing drunk Risk and quaffing pilsner, you nerd!
Review Source:Not sure what went wrong :( but last time we went in the food was awful :( :( I was not in the mood for a meaty dinner and asked what the soup was - they bartender went and looked under the sink and came back to tell me it was ____ - I did not even listen to what it was because I was not going to order something kept under the sink! Â The meat on the sandwich was like rubber. Â The potato salad was cold, had no flavor, and the potatoes seemed old, brown and burnt. The last time I had the potato salad it was warm and full of flavor. The coleslaw that I yelped about before was too creamy and flavorless.
The beer, as always, GREAT!
We will have to give it another chance just because every one has an off day/night. Â
I got a funny feeling as soon as we walked in. Â It was earlier that usual, we had been at happy hour down the street and were hungry so of course we went here. Â I could kinda tell the bartender was not thrilled that we were ordering food. Â I would have rather he told us no instead of serving us what he did.
So sad.
I moved into a place just up the road and decided to meet some friends here - the term "beers and brats" sold me into the idea. I came here on a Wednesday night and the bartender chatted me up about astrology as I waited for my buddy to get there, ordering a smoked brat with kraut and a Drake's Hefe to wash it down. Looked over to my left - The Big Lebowski was playing on the television screen and I noticed shelves of board games. At that moment, the jukebox then started to play "When The Lights Go Out" by my favorite band, The Black Keys.
And that was when I knew I had found my favorite bar. Ever.
I've rarely seen anyone dissuade a customer from ordering an item as strongly as the Gestalt Haus crew warned me away from the Weisswurst-style Bockwurst. Â The guy seemed honestly unsettled by his own menu offering.
So, I'll try it next time. Â This time, I went with a less controversial Kielbasa, and an oatmeal stout. Â The sausage was delicious --- little resemblance to the bland, pale offerings you find vacuum-packed in supermarket meat sections. Â Good selection of condiments (although the mustards were almost exclusively Sierra Nevada beer-based).
The stout hit the spot as well --- the beer lineup here is excellent, and varied.
On to the Bockwurst!
Wow, I love bars like this.
+ GREAT BEER FOR CHEAP!!
+ 1 BOTTLE of wine $8
+ $5 minestrone sop---- deeeeeelicous!!
+ stove top complementary popcorn as bar snacks, made just like how my bf and I do!
+ Bartenders are awesome, chill, laid-back, happy people.
+ Tons of board games to get smashy and play with friends
+ DELIIIICOUUUUSSSSSSSSS SAUSAGES. MmMmmM..... I want to put it in my mouth right now!!!!
+ 4 different kinds of mustards to choose from, I used it to dip my popcorn in! YUM
Conclusion: I LOVE bars like these. Super relaxed people that are down to drink beer, hangout with friends and have a place called their own. They tend to their customers well and make sure we are never dry ;)
I def drank SO much here and practically ate everything on the menu. What an excellent night!
DEF coming back here anytime I can get the chance!
Some places are 5 stars simply because your brain can't wrap itself around having spent all that $$ without it having been a 5-star experience (i.e. French Laundry). Â And then there are places like Gestalt Haus which are 5-star simply because they're so freakin' cheap and yummy and because they're doing something original and doing it well. Â
Here's the food deets:
* Almost everything on the menu is $5. Â
* Almost everything on the menu is a brat, a sausage or some variation thereof (Louisiana Hot Link, Cajun Andouille, Vegan Sausages, Chipotle, Chicken Apple... and the list goes on and on).
* All sausages are served on toasted buns with or without sauerkraut
* You self-top with onions, peppers, relish, and a slew of different types of mustard, catsup, and hot sauce
* Â Also offered: Â cole slaw or potato salad ($4, meh), giant brownies ($3), big hot pretzels ($1), and pickles. Â
Here's the beer deets:
* $5 per 1/2 pint and they have a ton of unique beers (including one with 10+% alcohol)
* $9 for a full pint in a stein that'll make you think you're at an Oktoberfest Biergarten.
And here's the rest of the deets:
* Â Serving until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays
* Â Long, communal picnic tables or a stool at the counter... ultra casual
* Â Lots of board games to grab and play
* A movie night for kids once weekly
* No tax (shhh...)
Vise, the owner, even lets people come in here with food from elsewhere (say what?), confident that they'll likely shell out a few bills on a beer or two. Â
In baseball's off-season, I'll be running right back. Â My Louisiana Hot Link was ballpark worthy at a fraction of the price.
When this place opened, I was so excited--a simple beer-focused bar with great taps and good, affordable beer-focused food (sausages, German potato salad, giant pickles...) Â It has all that, but the smell of burned grease from the grill permeates the place, making it difficult to stay long enough to drink more than one beer. Â Also, the atmosphere is a little too sparse. Â I like the biker/hiker focus (it's okay to bring your bike in the bar), but the straight line of picnic tables doesn't lend itself to the feeling of a cozy neighborhood pub; it feels more like a drinking assembly line. Â More focus on the atmosphere--scent and feel of the place--would be much appreciated.
Review Source:Quirky little pub reminds me of the friendly little bierstubes cyclists can expect to stumble upon in the Germany country side. Apprently the place is frequented by cyclists riding out and back to Mt. Tam. Racks on the wall to park your bike surrounded by fellow travelers really adds to the great vibe.
Review Source:This is such a fun little place, I could imagine this being the highlight of a nice bike ride (if I rode road bikes). The food is pretty bare bones, served on paper plates, but yummy just the same, mostly sausages with a rotating cast of soups. The beer selection is excellent and the big tables invite people to chat and play the stacks of board games in the shelves on the other side of the room. Worth a stop on the way to the sights of Marin County.
Review Source:This is a great spot to stop by for a few beers with friends. Â It's supposed to be a biker(mountain) bar but I usually see regular folks here. Â Lots of beer, yummy brats and sausages. Â A great late night spot! Â I like to head here after listening to live music at Peri's. Â Also, there's plenty of boardgames to keep you occupied. Â Hello Boggle!
Review Source:Fairfax has the best bars in Marin. Â All have their niche, too. Â Gestalt Haus is right up there with the rest. Â
It's set up for the bike crowd - but there's SO much more there. Â I've been at different times of the day and night and you'll see bicyclists, but also families, locals, people wanting a quick bite to eat, friends just hanging out. Â
And they have Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA on tap! Â (At least for now.) Â Lots of other great beers, too.
My friend and I love the people running the place - the bartender is a sweetheart and enviably beautiful.
Perfect "Hey, let's go get some food!"-place after a bike ride.
Beer, brats, and potato salad made by this secret potato salad company in the east bay. What I love the most was that it felt like we were long time friends the moment I walked in, immediately comfortable and immediately familiar. Too easy to sit here for chats, get carried away, and order more beer...brats..and potato salad.
Fairfax, so you know the rule.. bring cash.
A fun place to find in Fairfax! I came here during the Fairfax Festival (awesome, btw!), and was stoked to find they had food, beer, and a bike-obsessed vibe. The open layout is cool, and really goes with the beer hall meets bicycle bar theme.
Staff was friendly, and they have a great selection to choose from, both drink and eats. I had the brat with some sauerkraut, and was not disappointed. Sitting at the big, communal type table, it's almost impossible not to have a conversation with a stranger. Ride a bike, join the velorution!
I'm glad to see Gestalt Haus turn up here in Fairfax. Â Although we visited over a cold weekend in January just after they opened and it was cold cold cold, they did not have any heating yet. Â This was not helped by the people coming in and out and leaving the door open. Â Liked the vibe. Â Good sausages.
Also, would be helpful if they had some signage. Â It's hard to find unless you happen to be walking by looking up for bicycles as decor. Â Otherwise, if you're on your bike, there's nothing at street level to indicate that it's there.
This place has a special place in my heart. Me being a German girl and seeing a sign with "Beer&Brats&Bikes" ....it lifted my spirits instantly =) Then after hanging out there a few times it started getting serious and I fell for the Gestalt Haus.
It has a special charm, that is not for everyone mind you. Bare and simplistic, it just has the essentials: A homey feel, great company, real "Biertische", a great jukebox, yuuuuumy "Bier", fun games and weird books and sausages of course =)
You can bring your whole family, just hang out with your friends or meet random people....day or night.
It is a great place to just be and hang out. Very unpretentious and fun.
Might be your thing or not but it is a very lovable place. Give it a try! =)
I already liked the relaxed atmosphere and bring-your-bike-in convenience in San Francisco, so was happy to see Gestalt move in to Fairfax - I ride through there quite a bit, and it's usually lunchtime!
I know it's a work in progress, but some things need to be fixed quick:
1) get a sign out. We spent a while looking for it (and even rode past it), until someone with an iPhone took pity on us and told us the address.
2) get some heating!! On a cold January day it felt warmer than outside - however, after sitting down it quickly felt cold, and after eating a sausage and downing a beer for 45 minutes or so I went back outside and found I was chilled to the core. I wore my down jacket and biked for almost 10 miles before I felt warm again. Brrr!
I'm looking forward to future visits - either with heating, or after the weather warms up.
I'm not a beer drinker OR a sausage eater...but I love this place anyway, and they have VEGAN sausages too, so how can I complain about that? Â Came here recently with out of town guests to check it out for a truly "only in Marin" experience and it was packed on a Sunday, mostly with families and kids.
Gestalt Haus has a formula that works in this economy (beer or brats -- $5 bucks each) and it's quirky enough to fit into the mix of Fairfax. Â You can even bring your bike inside and hang it on a bike rack on the wall. This place isn't going to be a secret for long and will soon be packed with spandex-wearing bikers from the City so get here now while you can. Â PS -- they also have wine. And the only other item on the menu is sauerkraut, potato salad, bacon potato chips (by the bag), or green bean pickles, but you need to buy a whole jar. I'd like to see some lighter snack fare and an expanded menu in the future, with some non-alcoholic drinks and maybe more fun euro-inspired beer snacks. Â And how about some live music?
The owners of Gestalt Haus in SF have left the city  for greener pastures (though their previous endeavor continues to thrive without them). Filling in the space recently vacated by Bookbeat, these guys seem to have come out of nowhere and yet they are causing quite a stir in the force.
We went in last night to check it out and bumped into all our neighbors. The result? We love it! Sure, it's still a work in progress. Expect to see much of the old Bookbeat decor and sign out front and the bar is still plywood (but those taps are real) but the general feel is there and we're all excited to see it all finished.
Anyway, this is what you do: bring your bike inside and hang it on the wall. Have a ridiculously large mug of German beer and a sausage and stay till 2am. Simple!
We didn't close it down but we did sample nearly everything they sell. Go check it out, this isn't going to be secret much longer.
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