When I was in San Francisco in 2009, I met up with a couple of friends one night and we went on what turned out to be basically a self-guided bar crawl (with lots of dive bars, like any good bar crawl) and I thought I’d share the names of the bars here in case you’re in San Francisco soon.
The Attic Club: This spot has since closed, but it was the first stop of the night. I don’t remember much about it but it was VERY divey as you can see in the photos on Yelp.
Tunnel Top: I remember this bar being my favorite. I can’t remember why, but I remember I liked the interior and the cocktails were super tasty. True to it’s name, it was on top of a tunnel. It is still open and you should definitely check it out.
Redwood Room: This was a bar that had been suggested to me by a friend with much more expensive taste than I had and when we arrived we were a bit taken aback by how fancy it was. Needless to say, we had one drink (if that) and peaced out. There was a huge chair though that I climbed into for a photo.
High Tide: This was by far the diviest-dive bar we visited, but in a completely great way. There were dollar bills taped all over the walls and a painting of a topless woman who was likely a porn star. The drinks were nothing special but it was the atmosphere that we stayed for.
Castle Club: Another dive bar, this one in the Tenderloin, that has since closed. RIP, Castle Club.
The Outsider: Ah, finally, a proper sports bar that wasn’t a complete shit hole. We had a beer or two here and then moved on to our final stop of the evening….
Edinburgh Castle Pub: Not to be confused with Castle Club! This was your typical Scottish pub that you’d find anywhere in the world with a pool table and pub fare. It was the perfect ending to a long day.
Running around to all of these spots was a lot of fun. Thinking back about it, I have no idea how we pulled it off. Cabs? Public transport? Walking? I’m glad I had a night out to experience nightlife as (somewhat) of a local. If you know the spots that San Franciscans frequent nowadays, let me know below in the comments!
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