San Francisco is also a fun drinking town, with neighborhood bars and pubs attracting great and diverse clients. Here are a few we especially like – again, in no particular order:
Little Shamrock
807 Lincoln Way (between 9th and 10th Avenues)
Little Shamrock is probably the oldest continually-operating-in-the-same-location-bar in San Francisco. It came into being back in the early 1890’s when Golden Gate Park was being created and they’ve been serving up inexpensive drinks ever since.
The Plough and the Stars
116 Clement Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues)
Great music (and honest drinks!) in a fun and friendly neighborhood environment.
There are several Irish bars and pubs along Geary Blvd from 2nd Avenue down to 5th. It’s a lively few blocks and totally insane on St Paddy’s Day!
Pat O’Shea’s Mad Hatter
3848 Geary at 2nd Avenue
Ireland’s 32
3920 Geary Blvd at 3rd Avenue
Abbey Tavern
4100 Geary Blvd at 5th Avenue
Lefty O’Doul’s
333 Geary St at Powell
Lefty O’Doul’s is one of the old-time San Francisco haunts with a hauf-brau. Hand-carved sandwiches and full bar make it a great place for a quick pick-me-up either food or drink-wise.
Buena Vista
2765 Hyde St at Beach
Where irish Coffee was invented. A great neighborhood bar with a rich history. I’ve had many a cocktail at the bar…
Beale Street Kitchen
133 Beale Street at Mission
This place has been around for years – and has seen numerous incarnations. A friend of mine owned it in the ’70’s and it was a great place to have a cool drink surrounded by freeways and traffic.
Savoy-Tivoli
1434 Grant at Union
The Savoy-Tivoli has gone through a lot of incarnations since opening in 1907. Today it’s just a great bar with great atmosphere.