50 Best Pubs in San Francisco

“This is our 1st time to San Francisco from from Washington and were able to watch the Seahawks game among all the other games with a great crowd of football fans! Food and service was amazing especially during such a crowded busy time!!! Thank you!!!“

“Stumbled into this pub after a show in the theatre district and experienced a rush akin to what the first prospector must have felt finding golden nuggets in the Sacramento Valley - EUREKA! We have struck gold!!

Bottle Club Pub really IS gold — killer cocktails, mouthwatering food, suave atmosphere, and reasonable prices. It’s almost too good to be true.

The rotating liquor shelf is the star feature of this lounge, and it’s incredibly mesmerizing to watch it spin around as the red lighting dances on the bottles. It was fun to watch each new group notice it the first time it moved for them — it seems a pretty ubiquitous experience that everyone enjoys watching it.

The decor is kitschy Americana but in a classic, timeless way — very Norman Rockwell-esque. It gives off a masculine atmosphere with a warm, sensual vibe.

The cocktails were excellent and sit around $15 (affordable by SF standards, for sure). The TL crush was bright and fruity, while the Plum Daisy was surprisingly robust. Plenty of options for cocktails as well as draft beer and a small selection of wine.

The real standout however was the food — the fish and chips were PHENOMENAL. They were incredibly crispy and dusted with a type of chicken salt that added a unique layer of umami. The fries were lightly battered (which I loved) and the tartar sauce had fresh dill in it.

The Nashville Chicken sandwich was about as authentic as you can find in the Bay — it was dripping in that classic Nashville sauce and had just the right amount of spice.

The service was excellent and friendly. They initially mistook my fish and chips order for a burger, but when they brought out the wrong dish they quickly made it right and we didn’t have to wait long at all for the right order.

Can’t wait to come back and try more things on their menu. We’ll be showing this hidden gem to all our friends for as long as they keep that cool rotating liquor shelf maintained!“

“Quirky little pub in a nice neighborhood. We stumbled upon it by chance and felt at home right away 👍😀 Unforgettable atmosphere and wonderful people, including the owner, staff and patrons! 🥳🍻👍😀“

“Great atmosphere! Bartenders were great and able to make a variety of unique drinks. The back patio was arranged to accommodate 2-4 at a small table, and benches or high tops for groups. There was also an option to sit under the covered or outside part of the patio.“

“You must try the guava cider and fish and chips with the mushy peas! I dont know why I liked the peas so much, but I did. Pascal is a great bartender and makes sure youre taken care of and does it with such warmth. Definitely come here for free games of pool on Mondays and trivia on Tuesdays and Wednesdays!“

“Favourite neighbourhood bar!“

“Spent a great evening a the Mad Dog in the Fog. Good food. Good trivia. Great people. Thanks to Killian for making our night sensational. Best Irish pub in San Fran.“

“Had a great first visit to Toronado! Charlie was super friendly and took care of my group. I bought some merch that I wore the next day at a conference and got lots of compliments from the locals attending.

Will be back soon!“

“Joe is great. After our Uber drive dropped us in the wrong place, Joe would tell us how to get there, he took us there. It was only at the end of the block, but meant the world to us. He wouldn’t accept a tip, so went back to have a beer after dinner. He remembered our name. He is the true meaning of customer service and I’ve told all of my friends to go see him at the Showdown. Thanks again, Joe“

“Such a cool and chill spot.“

“GREAT live music venue with awesome staff and patrons.“

“Fab bar with a great range of booze and really friendly and helpful staff. Took the time to discuss UK vs USA measures and jiggers with me - fascinating!“

“Can’t beat the rustic atmosphere and the bartender was very friendly and informative.“

“Last Call is a cozy and welcoming bar in the Castro. It has a relaxed vibe, friendly atmosphere, and just the right level of intimacy that makes it a great spot for a date. Drinks are solid, the crowd is easygoing, and it’s always a nice place to spend time with someone special.“

“Great time!!! It was the last leg of a good 0l fashioned 5stop PUB CRAWL!!? in cow hallow. we were staying in the area at a hotel and decided to go impromptu on a Friday afternoon into the evening. All our stops were really good, butttt these guys were awesome!!! Great staff,great vibes, just the highlight of the day!!! I even bought a ? t-shirt for my wife!!!“

“Jaime gave great service and we enjoyed our am fresco meal and drinks. I had the fajita salad and my husband had the French burger and onion rings. Very yummy! We will return next time in the City.“

“Great old Skool bar. Bartender rocking on Spotify! good times! good drinks! Good peeps!“

“Our regular stop when in San Francisco....and our favorite St. Patrick's Day loca....“

“My friend and I went looking for a day bar for a drink to catch up and luckily they were open around 4 in the afternoon!

This neighborhood bar really feels like a local spot. Well lit during the day with ample counter seating and tables, along with a billiards table for some friendly competition.

Bartender was really friendly and eager to share what beers and ciders were on tap. Selection mostly made up of local drafts meaning the quality was really good.

Love finding these little neighborhood gems and I hope they continue to last for as long as possible.“

“Irish is spoken here. Join in discussions, stay away from politics, mind yourself, and they always take care of you. Misbehaving will not be tolerated and they don’t care if your great grandparents ran a chinky takeaway in Cork City.“

“The grilled salmon is spectacular!“

“I cannot speak for the rest of the food, but I came here solely because some reviews gave their burger high praise… and honestly? It’s pretty great for an airport burger. I am surprisingly impressed. The flavor profile is great. The burger has this smoky taste to it that when blended with the flavor of the melted cheese really hits the spot. Additionally, the burger had a great sear / char to it and was cooked medium rare as requested.

Lastly, I appreciated the service provided by Franklin! Quick, friendly, and attentive. This next part is small but huge.. we got our bill super quickly. Great to see this airport restaurant knows what it is and knows most people don’t have much time to kill.“

“I think either the oldest or 2nd oldest bar in SF (maybe in California?). Great bar. A true classic.“

“They were pretty busy and seemed a little understaffed. There was a large twxh conference i n town so the management could have predicted this. The staff themselves were great just clearly struggling to keep up with the i creased demand. Coming from a family of german descendants this was comfort food, the snitzel was delicious and they understood the importance of how the potatoes and kraut were not just sides, but truly equal stars in the meal. The beer selection looked great, and made me wish that I could still partake, but having soild na offering helped. Especially the grapefruit soda which added the bitter element needed to complete the full experience of good German food.“

“We went to the Monday night comedy show. Not an easy thing to do get up in front of strangers and make them laugh without knowing anything about him. It was fun and it was also free which was nice. I guess the idea is that you would buy some drinks and also tip the comedy guys. A good time out.“

“Hands down my favorite spot in the city. I’m here literally every weekend — the beer list is always on point, the vibe is relaxed but alive, and the staff just gets it. Also, whoever curates the playlist deserves a raise — I’m Shazaming tracks almost every time I’m in. It’s the kind of place you want to gatekeep, but can’t stop telling people about. 5/5, no notes.

EDIT: Pedro is killing it with the summer menu. Tandoori Carrots 🔥🔥

EDIT Nov 2025: new season, new menu, still 🔥🔥. Try the stir fry eggplant.“

“FRIENDLY STAFF GREAT ATMOSPHERE“

“Food was extremely delicious! The best burger I’ve had in the States, we also ordered the steak which was also great and the eggplant sticks with tomato sauce and these were incredible!! the quality of drinks is amazing too. Unfortunately the seats and tables are a bit small and it can be very noisy if the bar is crowded, but still enjoyable“

“This place is not what I was expecting. Chug Pub has got awesome 49ers memorabilia on the walls, as a 9ers fan I can really appreciate this. This would be a great bar to go and watch 49ers games at. The bartender was super friendly he bought a round of tequila and there were three of us. Not sure why he did this but it worked because we came back later and drank some more! The food is some of the best Mexican food I have ever had and I am not exaggerating. We ordered the nachos with tinga, if you dont know what tinga is its mexican bbq and it is a must try. The chips in the nachos were some the best I have ever had, I love my chips on the well done side almost burnt and thats how these chips came. I loved it! When we came back later I ordered a California burrito and it was hands down the best California burrito I have ever had. I live an hour away and I plan on going back on a Sunday to have some drinks, eat amazing Mexican food and watch some 49er games. The bathrooms arent the best but everything else makes up for it.“

“Great service, great food , great music.“

“I had a total blast! Very retro vibe. Amazing people.“

“They don’t serve craft beer here anymore. So now it’s basically a just a spacious and mellow cafe. That isn’t a bad thing, but it doesn’t have the same vibes these days. The coffee is so so, but there’s generally space to spread out and chill. Plus you can grab groceries and whatever upstairs.“

“THE place to watch Arsenal in San Francisco! 21+ please.“

“Excellent, spacious location in the San Francisco Fi-Di, with professional and friendly staff! Make sure to order the salt and vinegar chips!“

“Great "hole in the wall' bar! Stopped by after the Giants game and tried the suds and a few Moscow Mules. The bartender Emily was super friendly and had all the right games on the screens! We'll be back!“

“great time meeting up family at the spot ,loved the food by izzy and Javi all the way from Chicago to the bay ❤💪🤞“

“Best pub in SF! Shout out to my favorite Canucks fan 🤙🍻“

“Highly recommended! This place is great!“

“Small but cozy pub with very attentive staff. Went for the live music, stayed for the drinks and good times. ?

No tickets but there is an entry fee at the door once the music begins. You can check the website to see a calendar of events and times.

Definitely visiting again.“

“lovely bartenders, strong drinks, dog friendly, great ambience, ample seating. clearly a place regulars love and newcomers are welcome in. don't take your drinks outside the door, that is a dumb move that I did. high recommend drinking the drinks inside of the bar though.“

“First brewery of the day and what an excellent neighborhood brew pub sitting on the corner of Bryant St and Cesar Chavez St. A lot to choose from so we went high ABV with the Hazed & Confused Double Hazy IPA at 9%. We both enjoyed it.“

“Great Halloween. Bananas all over the place. Too many people acting like bananas though. Wish I had a picture. I'm sure I've got one somewhere around here...Where all my pictures of people going bananas?!?!?“

“Calypso is quite possibly the best person one could ever meet in a crisis: we entered this bar like full-on chaos monkeys after accidentally leaving a phone in a cab. We were in a full tizzy, panic-calling our driver, nobody thinking straight — and she instantly read the room and went into crisis-management mode. Within seconds of her calming and positive spirit, we made it off the ledge, avoided at least three strokes, and — best of all — even had fun. When the phone finally and joyously made it back to us (thank you, Nelson!), the celebration was real. The whole experience made this bar feel like home, instantly. Couldn’t recommend enough.“

“Lovely lady serving a great pint.“

“Very cool place. More room than i imagined“

“Great local spot that makes you feel young again by carding you! Awesome bartenders and great cocktails!“

“Lovely roaring fireplace. Friendly staff“

“A well located hotel with everything you would need for a short stay in San Francisco. Good size, clean and comfortable room. Efficient check in and check out process. Games room and cafe on site but we did not use. Only negative was the noise coming from the street outside especially the street cleaning at 4am.“