Awesome place I randomly found after my GPS told me to walk the wrong way to catch BART. Also, tried their fried pickles thanks to another patron who had ordered them and offered me one - YUM! I'll be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michael Hodge
Great service and food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Mathieu Perrais
One of the greatest bar in the area.Manager has so much knowledge and wisdom.Just go, eat, drink, listen.
Bartender discriminated against me because of how I was dressed and pre judged my girlfriend won't be coming back The guy who asked for our ID'S was the real
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 1
Nicholas G.
Good beer list with good variety, poutine was on offer and a large portion, well executed burgers. The bartender was great and perfect for opening up the communal atmosphere of the establishment. Vegetarian Diet: They have some great meat alternatives for a fraction of the cost.
Freddy Clark
Good beer list with a nice variety, thier rendition of poutine was tasty and a big portion, burger was well executed.Bartender was great and the overall vibe of the establishment was perfect for unwindingVegetarian options: They have non meat replacements on some items for whatever reason
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Poutine
Josh Montero
The best way to get a feel for any city is to explore its bars. San Francisco is the sort of city that's almost schizophrenic, so many different iterations of itself all over. For some, that's great, and others a drawback, but I love it. Shovels embodies that perfectly. From the exterior it has the feel of a real dive, almost sketchy, but like the city as a whole, looks can be quite deceiving. Inside, the bar has a throwback vibe that feels much more sophisticated than its exterior would lead you to believe. A well curated drink menu offers some impressive options, all very well made. Now, I get that a lot of bars don't want to mess with the added complications of serving food. Sure it brings in extra revenue, but also means more staff and a kitchen space that eats up already scarce square footage. Though Shovels actually figured out that really good food is actually a game changer. While I was visiting on a random weekday afternoon, multiple orders came in over the phone for pick up orders for food, meaning a mostly empty bar on a weekday afternoon, was bringing in more money than just the patrons inside. I had the fried pickles, which were the best I've had, and enjoyed them tremendously. I will be back, for sure, and suggest you stop by as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Francisco Lomas
Grilled chicken sandwich was ?. Tap beer was on point!!
Food was decent. Just had a grilled chicken salad. The bartender was a super nice guy. Have a feeling he's the owner. It's pretty casual. Overall I would come back if in the area
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Gabe P.
When it comes to smash burgers there is a philosophy I adhere to. When it's an elite smash burger there's a ceiling it reaches and tops out at. Something about how you press all the juices out of the burger maybe? I don't know the science, but all the best smash burgers I've had are very very similar. It's not easy to reach that peak, but when you do it's very special. Shovels smash burger lives at this peak. It's one of the best hamburgers in San Francisco and it rivals any smash burger you will ever have. You wouldn't expect elite burgers to be coming out of this bar in the tenderloin, but isn't that exactly the reason why it's awesome? I've had the chicken strips and fries too. Strips are a little dry and the fries were solid. They have some really interesting dips. I encourage you to try several. I've heard the Ceasar Salad is special as well. All in all this is a tremendous diamond in the rough. It's awesome to find places like these. (4.7 Stars)
Josh M.
I will always choose a good vibe over manufactured ambiance. Plenty of bars go out of their way to come off as fancy, pretentious, swanky. *yawn* Shovels is definitely not luxurious, but that's what makes it amazing. The drinks are exceptional and food impressively good. I stopped by on a Thursday afternoon and they took a handful of phones in food orders while I was there, which speaks to the quality of their offerings. Really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and will definitely be back.
Todd L.
I dig a good "dive bar" like this. The location and atmosphere is great. Drinks can be iffy, but the service is solid enough. Worth a visit.
Jordan K.
Got take out here for lunch, had the Cobb salad and the fried pickles, both were delicious! And both portions were very generous. Can't wait to try other items on the menu.
Awesome place I randomly found after my GPS told me to walk the wrong way to catch BART. Also, tried their fried pickles thanks to another patron who had ordered them and offered me one - YUM! I'll be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great service and food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
One of the greatest bar in the area.Manager has so much knowledge and wisdom.Just go, eat, drink, listen.
Just go!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chili Cheese Fries, Poutine, Double Battered Buttermilk Chicken Strips
Bartender discriminated against me because of how I was dressed and pre judged my girlfriend won't be coming back The guy who asked for our ID'S was the real
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 1
Good beer list with good variety, poutine was on offer and a large portion, well executed burgers. The bartender was great and perfect for opening up the communal atmosphere of the establishment. Vegetarian Diet: They have some great meat alternatives for a fraction of the cost.
Good beer list with a nice variety, thier rendition of poutine was tasty and a big portion, burger was well executed.Bartender was great and the overall vibe of the establishment was perfect for unwindingVegetarian options: They have non meat replacements on some items for whatever reason
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Poutine
The best way to get a feel for any city is to explore its bars. San Francisco is the sort of city that's almost schizophrenic, so many different iterations of itself all over. For some, that's great, and others a drawback, but I love it. Shovels embodies that perfectly. From the exterior it has the feel of a real dive, almost sketchy, but like the city as a whole, looks can be quite deceiving. Inside, the bar has a throwback vibe that feels much more sophisticated than its exterior would lead you to believe. A well curated drink menu offers some impressive options, all very well made. Now, I get that a lot of bars don't want to mess with the added complications of serving food. Sure it brings in extra revenue, but also means more staff and a kitchen space that eats up already scarce square footage. Though Shovels actually figured out that really good food is actually a game changer. While I was visiting on a random weekday afternoon, multiple orders came in over the phone for pick up orders for food, meaning a mostly empty bar on a weekday afternoon, was bringing in more money than just the patrons inside. I had the fried pickles, which were the best I've had, and enjoyed them tremendously. I will be back, for sure, and suggest you stop by as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Grilled chicken sandwich was ?. Tap beer was on point!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Double Battered Buttermilk Chicken Strips
Amazing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Food was decent. Just had a grilled chicken salad. The bartender was a super nice guy. Have a feeling he's the owner. It's pretty casual. Overall I would come back if in the area
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
When it comes to smash burgers there is a philosophy I adhere to. When it's an elite smash burger there's a ceiling it reaches and tops out at. Something about how you press all the juices out of the burger maybe? I don't know the science, but all the best smash burgers I've had are very very similar. It's not easy to reach that peak, but when you do it's very special. Shovels smash burger lives at this peak. It's one of the best hamburgers in San Francisco and it rivals any smash burger you will ever have. You wouldn't expect elite burgers to be coming out of this bar in the tenderloin, but isn't that exactly the reason why it's awesome? I've had the chicken strips and fries too. Strips are a little dry and the fries were solid. They have some really interesting dips. I encourage you to try several. I've heard the Ceasar Salad is special as well. All in all this is a tremendous diamond in the rough. It's awesome to find places like these. (4.7 Stars)
I will always choose a good vibe over manufactured ambiance. Plenty of bars go out of their way to come off as fancy, pretentious, swanky. *yawn* Shovels is definitely not luxurious, but that's what makes it amazing. The drinks are exceptional and food impressively good. I stopped by on a Thursday afternoon and they took a handful of phones in food orders while I was there, which speaks to the quality of their offerings. Really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and will definitely be back.
I dig a good "dive bar" like this. The location and atmosphere is great. Drinks can be iffy, but the service is solid enough. Worth a visit.
Got take out here for lunch, had the Cobb salad and the fried pickles, both were delicious! And both portions were very generous. Can't wait to try other items on the menu.