Since the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, Folsom Street has been a huge center of San Francisco nightlife — gay, straight, and various flavors in between. Now it’s one of the only places in the country where on any given night you can find three or four queer bars all playing some flavor of rock and roll. This is a good thing. We are pleased.
You can find just about any “scene” South of Market, from tweaker dance clubs to live music venues to leather bars with backrooms. I don’t give a shit about dance clubs, so I can’t really review them, but this page should give you a pretty good feel for the neighborhood watering holes. Come down and visit before the loft yuppies shut down everything…
Some notes. Smoking is technically illegal in California bars. Many places in the city have offered a collective “fuck you” to the state and have been so noted here. I have also offered the price of a nice mid-range domestic beer (Rolling Rock) for comparison. If you want reviews of dance clubs and Castro bars, you’ll have to get them someplace else.
Hole in the Wall Saloon
Eighth at Folsom
The greatest bars always become victims of their own success. This tiny rock and roll queer bar was a much different place on opening night in 1994, and spent a number of years as my favorite queer bar of all time. Unfortunately, the Castro/Detour crowd discovered it, the speed freaks and club kids became far too much of a presence, and on weekends, the slumming yuppies have made it a truly painful experience. The music is still great. The staff is incredible. And on weeknights, you can stilll get a feel for what the greatest bar in San Francisco used to be like.Avoid Saturday nights. Thursdays are great.
Rolling Rock: $2.50 Smoking: Yes. Music: Excellent.
My Place
Folsom near Eighth
Cheap beer. Cheap men. An active (if a little desperate of late) back room. Strange new post-Halloween decor. My Place is dark and cruisy and I love that I can come here and opt to stay completely isolated or — depending on my mood — opt for a lot of attention. I also love that the music is good at least three or four nights a week. I hate that it becomes standard disco-dreck on the other nights. Clusterfucks in the back and the bathroom.Try it on Sunday.
Rolling Rock: $2.25 ($1.50 on Sunday afternoons). Smoking: Yes. Music: Varies.
The Eagle
Twelfth at Harrison
Bye bye generic leather bar and crappy muffled disco. Hello rock and roll queer bar number three. The “new” Eagle is still developing, but John and Joe (of Hole in the Wall fame) have given the place a new lease on life. There are still the Sunday beer busts with the generic leather poseurs, but now there are also actual live bands on occasion. We like.Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons are prime time. Enjoy it while you can; the Eagle is also under pressure from the loft yuppie slime.
Rolling Rock: $2.25 ($1.50 on Sunday afternoons). Smoking: Yes (on patio). Music: Good.
The Stud
Harrison at Ninth
I almost never go to the Stud, mainly because I never know what to expect there. In other bars, this would be a plus. At the Stud, it means they have opted for the “rent-a-space” scene of different clubs on different nights. I hear good things about Trannyshack (drag show Tuesdays).
Rolling Rock: $3.25. Smoking: I have no idea. Music: Varies.
PowerHouse
Folsom between Ninth and Tenth
A Castro bar which somehow made a wrong turn and ended up on Folsom Street. This place SUCKS. I’ve been trying to avoid saying this for two years and I can’t hold back any longer. $3.25 for a Rolling Rock…a dollar more than any bar on Folsom Street. The music is techno-drivel. The crowd is attitudinous wanna-be lukewarm leatherettes and muscle queens. There is almost no neighborhood clientele. The bartenders are surly. The back room is “stand and model” most of the time, with occasional nastiness. The physical layout is great…and totally wasted in its current form. Do I make myself clear?Avoid the Thursday night “underwear parties” like the plague.
Rolling Rock: $3.25 (you gotta be kidding…). Smoking: Yes (on patio). Music: Sucks.
The Lone Star
Harrison between Ninth and Tenth
Friendly bear bar. Big spacious bar. Attractive bar. Bar with patio for smoking and socializing. Bar with no disco. Bar with hit or miss art displays. I like the place; it was the first bar I vere visited in San Francisco before I moved here. But I don’t go there very often. I’m not sure why.
Rolling Rock: $2.25. Smoking: Yes (on patio). Music: Varies.
The Rawhide
Seventh near Folsom
Country music. Lots of flags. They seem to be remodeling and expanding. I don’t care.
Rolling Rock: Who cares… Smoking: Who cares… Music: Sucks.
The Loading Zone
Mission near Twelfth
Haven’t been there as it’s a bit out of the way. I’ve heard it described as very much a leather bar with little tolerance for anyone who hasn’t bought into the scene hook, line, and sinker. I don’t qualify…
Rolling Rock: Dunno… Smoking: Dunno… Music: Dunno…
Covered Wagon (Folsom near Fifth):
Theme nights, light-to-moderate queer presence. Great place to scope bike messengers on Friday afternoons. This was the original home to Club Jesus many moons ago, and it’s a pretty queer-friendly spot.
Rolling Rock: Not sure… Smoking: Yes. Music: Good/Live.
Brain Wash (Folsom near 7th):
Becoming a bigger hangout for your host. It’s a laundromat-bar-cafe, with OK food (Cajun burger…yumm…), ecelectic music, occasional live shows, and without question the cutest, scruffiest boys in the neighborhood. OK…most of them are more or less straight, but who cares?
Rolling Rock: Not sure… Smoking: Outside. Music: Great.
DNA Lounge (11th near Harrison):
Really huge club-type setting with a balcony level and lost of space to roam. More inclined toward dance clubs than bands, but not always.
Rolling Rock: Not sure… Smoking: Not sure… Music: Varies.
Paradise/Transmission (11th at Folsom):
Good, large band space, but the Transmission Theatre usually features a really surly staff. This is a great place to get really loud and annoy the loft yuppies who were too fucking stupid to pay attention to the surrounding area before shelling out $300,000 for that drafty plywood box.
Rolling Rock: Not sure… Smoking: Outside. Music: Good/Live.
Bottom of the Hill ( 17th at Texas):
Arguably the best place in the city to see bands, although it’s a bit out of the way in Potrero Hill.
Rolling Rock: Not sure… Smoking: Not sure… Music: Good/Live.
Jack’s (16th at Guerrero):
Used to be the “official Kinko’s bar” in San Francisco, which means it’s a most comfortable place to get completely plastered. Unbelievable beer selection and a pretty decent juke box too.
Rolling Rock: You can do better. Smoking: Yes. Music: Jukebox.
Tip Top (Mission at 25th):
Yer basic neighborhood band bar. Great place. We like. Look for Alcoholocaust nights.
Rolling Rock: Not sure… Smoking: Yes. Music: Good/Live.
Dance Spaces:
Biggies include 1015 Folsom, 177 Townsend, 174 King, The EndUp (6th at Harrison), and V/SF (11th at Folsom). No reviews, ‘cuz I just don’t care…