San Francisco Bay & San Jose, California

Mobile Bar / Servers

In San Francisco Bay & San Jose: Two bar services are listed, in San Francisco and San Jose, with retail alternatives labeled beneath them. It is a short shelf, and it is short because most of the region's bar work is done by caterers and by venues with a license of their own rather than by standalone bar companies. Start with your venue's rules: many here require in-house service, and where they do not, the question becomes who holds the permit and who carries the insurance. If you are buying your own alcohol, confirm the corkage arrangement in writing and confirm that whoever pours is a licensed, insured professional rather than a friend with a shaker. Ask about the water and the non-alcoholic list at the same time; it is the cheapest part of the order and the part guests remember at midnight.

2 listings · checked August 2026

• 55 South Beverage Catering — San Jose · 55southbeveragecatering.com · (669) 293-3850
• www.TonicBeverageCatering.com — San Francisco · tonicbeveragecatering.com

Buying the beer, wine and spirits yourself

These are retail sources, not event services — nobody here staffs your bar. Where your venue allows it, buying the alcohol yourself and hiring a licensed bartender to serve it is usually the cheapest way to do this line. The rules vary by state, by county and by venue, so confirm what yours permits — and whether your setup needs its own permit — before you count on the saving.

• BevMo — Pinole · bevmo.com · (510) 669-1331
• Noe Valley Wine & Spirits — San Francisco · noevalleywineandspirits.com · (415) 374-7249
• Paul Marcus Wines Retail wine shop at The Market Hall — Oakland · paulmarcuswines.com · (510) 420-1005

Details change constantly — confirm directly before booking. Something wrong? Update or remove a listing.