Monday night's early Occupy May Day General Strike brouhaha occurred after a gathering in Dolores Park splintered and then moved down into the Mission. Things got ugly fast. Twitter feed-clogging places like Bar Tartine, Laconda, and Four Barrel Coffee all took a hit. And while the last night's misguided action gave mission blogs a nice boost in traffic and provided local food writers with something other than advertorial, the brief riot did result in thousands of dollars worth of damage. Alas. However, Four Barrel responded to the meltdown with some much-needed humor. more ›

A brawl outside of a Valencia street liquor store Saturday afternoon ended inside of Four Barrel Coffee after one employee — coffee roaster working in the back room — denied two thugs an easy exit out the back. The two suspects, a man and a woman, were seen attacking a victim on the ground at 15th Street and Valencia. Two more suspects arrived just before the cops showed up, which is when the scuffle moved up Valencia Street and the first two suspects attempted to dip in to Four Barrel to escape. more ›

Our favorite caffiene fix in the Bay Area, Four Barrel, celebrates its birthday today with free coffee and games. Paolo Lucchesi reports, "First and foremost, there is free coffee all day today, until closing (which is at 4pm). Repeat: free coffee. This year’s festivities are also extended to include treats from Pizza Hacker and a few additional entertainment amenities, like a photo booth and skeeball." more ›

Via B.K.: "Never thought I'd say this out of blue bottle loyalty, but the 4 Barrel cappuccino @ Ironside is rocking my world. Velvety, rich, and voluptuous." more ›