For some reason my card would only allow pin, so couldn't put a tip on the receipt. Bartender was really not happy and gave a long lecture about it. Nice mai tai but I'm not going to go back for a fight over a couple of bucks.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 1
Lilo
Dangerous mai thai
Jessica Celeridad
I was told at the front I wasnāt able to take my leftovers inside and had to leave my food with them. When I left the bar and collected my food, a piece of pizza was missing and the remaining slice had some eaten off of it.
David Murray
We took a taxi to visit this bar while on holiday. Unfortunately we had an extremely unpleasant experience with the security guy on the door. He was completely unprofessoional including becoming verbally abusive & making racist comments. We asked to speak to the bar manager but no staff provided any help or took any responsibility for the unpleasant situation we experienced. Avoid this bar.
Jefferson Steelflex
Their 'mai tai' is closer in ingredients and taste to a piƱa colada (rum, pineapple juice, and froth). Neither orgeat, curaƧao, or lime juiceāsignature ingredients in a mai taiāare present. From a cocktail purity perspective, this establishment is bordering on the edge of false advertising.
Hopefully you don't walk in when the elderly short-haired woman is working the bar. She is a grumpy, stumpy, grinch. Short-fused and lacking any social charm whatsoever. I felt stupid tipping her any amount greater than $0.00.
Overall, I don't recommend. I'm sure there are cooler places to visit while in SF Chinatown.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
Jillian Korkutis
Terrible experience at an otherwise great place. The older woman bartender was so wildly rude, my friends and I are still talking about it. When one of the three of us said they didnāt want a drink, she complained to the other patrons at the bar about us (literally 5 feet from us), saying ādrink or get out.ā She also cornered me when I sat at the only open table and made me get up and move. The mai thais she served us were 1/3 foam. Another pair walked in behind us, sat down for 30 seconds, and she yelled, āYOU ORDER HERE.ā And then walked away?? Iāve heard the other bartenders are great though.
Service: 1
hayden luckadoo
NOT a cocktail bar
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Peter Farejowicz
Li Po Cocktail Lounge is exactly what you would expect from a dive bar in Chinatown, and that is part of its charm. The interior is a little worn but it works perfectly for a casual, laid back drink with friends. The Chinese Mai Tai is the signature drink here and definitely worth ordering. It is popular for a reason, with a smooth and tasty flavor, though for me personally it was not too strong as some other reviews mentioned. Service was quick and the atmosphere was easygoing. It is a fun stop if you are in the area and want something low key.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Natasha Weller
We enjoyed our Chinese Mai Thai with a cockroach climbing the wall
Sometimes you get very lucky while traveling. My sons and I decided to get a drink, randomly at Li Po. We sat next to a man that frequents Li Po when he is in town. He made us aware of Anthony Bourdain featuring it on his show. I could tell right away why he was taken by this bar. You get a retro vibe right away. The kind of bar that makes you feel comfortable. And MISS CONNIE!! š„ Her quick wit, style, and no-nonsense bar management made me her biggest fan. She will hit you with a sense of humor that is honestly missing in so many modern bars. Of course the Chinese Mai Tai is amazing. Go for the drinks, stay for the experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ben Park
The Chinese Mai Tai is as potent as advertised. Whether itās a good cocktail or not is questionable. You can probably make a better drink by mixing some liquor and liqueurs at home.
This place has a unique vibe though. Itās worth visiting at least once for the experience.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Andrew Zona
Good people, good drinks
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
David Pucio
Cheap drinks, fun bartender, and awesome Chinese mai thai. Great for a dive bar vibe but definitely not upscale. A must visit on any SF bar crawl or china town vist. Definitely not the most high end or best cocktails compared to the phenomenal tiki spots in town but id take this place over the others any day.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michael Magnus
A charming hole in the wall with delicious Mai Tais. The drinks were really good, but (at least for us) it was the kind of place to just grab one drink or two for the novelty and then move on to where you wanted to actually spend time. The bar only seating made it difficult for three people to have a conversation, but we all agreed it that we were glad we went.
the mai tai š«”
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
For some reason my card would only allow pin, so couldn't put a tip on the receipt. Bartender was really not happy and gave a long lecture about it. Nice mai tai but I'm not going to go back for a fight over a couple of bucks.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 1
Dangerous mai thai
I was told at the front I wasnāt able to take my leftovers inside and had to leave my food with them. When I left the bar and collected my food, a piece of pizza was missing and the remaining slice had some eaten off of it.
We took a taxi to visit this bar while on holiday. Unfortunately we had an extremely unpleasant experience with the security guy on the door. He was completely unprofessoional including becoming verbally abusive & making racist comments. We asked to speak to the bar manager but no staff provided any help or took any responsibility for the unpleasant situation we experienced. Avoid this bar.
Their 'mai tai' is closer in ingredients and taste to a piƱa colada (rum, pineapple juice, and froth). Neither orgeat, curaƧao, or lime juiceāsignature ingredients in a mai taiāare present. From a cocktail purity perspective, this establishment is bordering on the edge of false advertising.
Hopefully you don't walk in when the elderly short-haired woman is working the bar. She is a grumpy, stumpy, grinch. Short-fused and lacking any social charm whatsoever. I felt stupid tipping her any amount greater than $0.00.
Overall, I don't recommend. I'm sure there are cooler places to visit while in SF Chinatown.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
Terrible experience at an otherwise great place. The older woman bartender was so wildly rude, my friends and I are still talking about it. When one of the three of us said they didnāt want a drink, she complained to the other patrons at the bar about us (literally 5 feet from us), saying ādrink or get out.ā She also cornered me when I sat at the only open table and made me get up and move. The mai thais she served us were 1/3 foam. Another pair walked in behind us, sat down for 30 seconds, and she yelled, āYOU ORDER HERE.ā And then walked away?? Iāve heard the other bartenders are great though.
Service: 1
NOT a cocktail bar
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Li Po Cocktail Lounge is exactly what you would expect from a dive bar in Chinatown, and that is part of its charm. The interior is a little worn but it works perfectly for a casual, laid back drink with friends. The Chinese Mai Tai is the signature drink here and definitely worth ordering. It is popular for a reason, with a smooth and tasty flavor, though for me personally it was not too strong as some other reviews mentioned. Service was quick and the atmosphere was easygoing. It is a fun stop if you are in the area and want something low key.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
We enjoyed our Chinese Mai Thai with a cockroach climbing the wall
Atmosphere: 2
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Sometimes you get very lucky while traveling. My sons and I decided to get a drink, randomly at Li Po. We sat next to a man that frequents Li Po when he is in town. He made us aware of Anthony Bourdain featuring it on his show. I could tell right away why he was taken by this bar. You get a retro vibe right away. The kind of bar that makes you feel comfortable. And MISS CONNIE!! š„ Her quick wit, style, and no-nonsense bar management made me her biggest fan. She will hit you with a sense of humor that is honestly missing in so many modern bars. Of course the Chinese Mai Tai is amazing. Go for the drinks, stay for the experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Chinese Mai Tai is as potent as advertised. Whether itās a good cocktail or not is questionable. You can probably make a better drink by mixing some liquor and liqueurs at home.
This place has a unique vibe though. Itās worth visiting at least once for the experience.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Good people, good drinks
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Cheap drinks, fun bartender, and awesome Chinese mai thai. Great for a dive bar vibe but definitely not upscale. A must visit on any SF bar crawl or china town vist. Definitely not the most high end or best cocktails compared to the phenomenal tiki spots in town but id take this place over the others any day.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A charming hole in the wall with delicious Mai Tais. The drinks were really good, but (at least for us) it was the kind of place to just grab one drink or two for the novelty and then move on to where you wanted to actually spend time. The bar only seating made it difficult for three people to have a conversation, but we all agreed it that we were glad we went.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
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