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800 Larkin
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 4 pm - 2 am
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Music:
- DJ
- Best Nights:
- Tue, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
75 reviews for 800 Larkin
Review Highlights
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"...she-and-him-at-great-american-music-hall) play at the Great..." In 2 reviews -
"It's going into our Friday happy hour rotation for sure." In 8 reviews -
"...system, pool table, confy leather couches to lounge, what..." In 4 reviews
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75 reviews in English
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Review from Jim B.
San Francisco, CA
3/19/2012
Similar to the Ha-Ra,this place is also a find in the predictably nasty T-loin. years ago, it used to just be homeless/drug dealers/parolees IN ALL of the bars in the T-loin. That is still true of some of the places down near Turk and Taylor for instance where you hear about stabbings, etc. This palce had a cool mix of city folks and had a great mix of beers on tap. Carlsberg? One of the most under rated beers of all time. That brought back memories of European backpacking. They had some others on tap as well. Ijust popped in here to get the hell out of the rain, but ended up staying until the end of the Notre Dame basketball game.
They had a DJ of all things in the place. He wasn't bad... -
Review from Smarty P.
San Francisco, CA
5/12/2012
I'm a neighbor, and this place brings out the worst in me. Long story short, they are so loud I can't sleep, and I'm diagonally across the street from them. I've tried talking to them directly, and it goes nowhere. When I call the police they do quiet down.
And, listen, I have lived in the 'loin for two and a half years. I know what I get here, and I would say I've grown a lot from living here. I've learned to accept a lot that I can't change. This place stands out to me, and I suspect it's not just the noise that's a problem there, but I really don't know the details. -
Review from Jon L.
4/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
What does one do when they find themselves DEEP in the Tenderloin late at night? Well I guess you make your way into 800 Larkin for a drink.
Pretty nice bar considering the neighborhood with comfy lounges, a spacious pool table area, and a DJ mixing it up for the night. It's good that they have a smoking room so you don't have to be on the street all exposed although the room does get filled up quickly and hence, really smoky too. The beer was also surprisingly expensive for the TL. A pint of Anchor Steam was $6. No not earth-shattering expensive, but still surprising given the locale.
800 Larkin is a decent bar given its location. Not that you will find yourself here to often but if you do, you know where to go. -
Review from Joanna M.
San Francisco, CA
1/12/2012
Thursday night. 2 girlfriends and I wanted to continue the dinner talk over some drinks, so we wandered into a bar nearby...into 800 Larkin. And umm...WHAT A PLEASANT/AWESOME SURPRISE. On the outside, it looked small, dive-y, kind of grungey (although, we were totally down for that) and it's not in the prettiest of areas, but man, do not judge a book by its cover.
Roomy inside. Dimly lit. Full bar. Loud, but chill music. Plentiful sitting/area to lounge about (couch, arm chairs, stools). Friendly bartender. There's even a pool table and cozy smoking area in the back. Oh, and the ladies' room was clean :)
We each got ourselves a beer ($5 each, so not cheap, but not crazy either) and had a great time catching up here. I will definitely be back!
A hidden gem no longer! -
Review from Jason B.
1/1/2012
EDM & G & T.
Any place where friends can spin on the decks and only charges five bucks for a gin and tonic is my new favorite bar. Birthday boy looked happy so I was happy.
Couldn't stay long. Looking forward to remedying that soon. -
Review from melody m.
San Francisco, CA
8/7/2011
I really do love this little place. The neighborhood is uber-sketch, but the regulars here are just a great group of people. Kate, one of the bartenders is very attentive, has a great time with her customers and cares about the bar a great deal. She'll often put out little nibblers and once she even made homemade meatballs with sauce and brought in hoagie rolls for everyone!
Pool table and back room for a bit more privacy is nice.
I've really enjoyed the handful of times I've been to this bar and they always have good music, djs and live music too on occasion.
Worth a stop. -
Review from Eliot R.
San Francisco, CA
4/5/2011
This is my regular spot. I've been here at least 100 times. There are many bad things about this bar that would turn anyone pompous away, but there's something about it that constantly lures me in.
Firstly, most of the bartenders are foreign women who don't know how to make a lot of simple drinks, including Irish car bombs. They're friendly enough, but I hate having to explain a drink recipe over a blaring sound system. The ladies working are also more drunk than half the customers on a Friday night, making it sometimes difficult to get their attention. I know they're drunk because they frequently take shots with some of the customers.
Secondly, the crowd here is unpredictable. I've seen everything from groups of well-dressed, money-making folks to guys with missing teeth and dirty fingernails. This makes pool matches interesting because you either play against people who are competitive and respectful or someone who steals your dollar off the table then denies it.
There are many positive things to say about this bar, however, such as the interior design. The place really doesn't belong in the Tenderloin. It's right next a strip club, but it has the feel of a nice SOMA or upper Polk St. bar. The place is somehow constantly very clean and the furniture looks like it came out of a fancy magazine. There is a lot of lounge seating directly in front of the bar, which is adjacent to a giant open space where the pool table is. Pool is only a dollar per game, AND the table accepts dollar bills. It's a pretty nice table, too.
For smokers, there is a nice smoking room with tables and stools right next to the pool table. It's so nice to sit and have a drink, never know who I'm going to meet and play pool, all in one area.
I have many sentiments with this place. I normally travel here with a group of 4-10 people, and, regardless of the crowd or anything else going on, we always have a good time.
I guess my conclusion is to say I love this bar because there is no caste system. No one here cares about class, where you went to school or how much money you make. It's all about socializing and playing pool. You could walk up to anyone in this bar and introduce yourself and they'll be glad to shake your hand. That's just not something you see in San Francisco very often. -
Review from Ed U.
4/7/2008 4 photos
I went to the 500 Club for my 500th review...
I was going to the 700 Club for my 700th review, but Pat Robertson kept trying to throw holy water on me, and now it's...
REVIEW #800 for 800 LARKIN !!....Woo-hoo....woo-hoo?
Where were you?
Where the hell were you?
No balloons...No streamers....No kazoos...Nada!
Do you think it's easy to be caught in a cesspool of self-absorption on such a momentous event in my otherwise humdrum life? All I ask is for some empty praise, some alcohol, a slap on the back, some alcohol, a toast to my health, some alcohol...
Remember that scene in "Barfly" when Mickey Rourke as the perpetual drunkard kept saying "To all my friends!" over and over again at the bar? That was gonna be me that night except the bartender snickered when I ordered a dirty Ketel One martini. He made me feel humiliated 'cause I guess I didn't order one of the twelve beers on tap. Guess they're not quite as uppity as they think.
Jamie W. and I decided to come here after a great dinner at Pagolac (...I always love this place, never lets me down). 800 Larkin is only up a block from there. This bar has changed a bit from the testosterone-driven O'Farrell Sports Bar it was for lo these many years. At least the decor has with a long mahogany bar, artwork involving eerrr ...ummmm ..."professional women", and little cocktail tables strewn around. I don't think the customers have changed that much though...still loud, still horned up, still a lotta cock-of-the-walk if you know what I mean.
The volume was turned up quite a bit that evening with a competitive pool match in high gear, a DJ in the corner playing God-knows-what (aww...this new generation!), and a herd of carousing youth within vomiting range. Still I nursed that $8 martini for what it was worth. In the meantime (hoisting my glass)..."To all my friends !!!!"
DRINKS - 3 stars...wet my whistle for a fistful of shekels
AMBIANCE - 3 stars...it's OK, but methinks it wants to be all things to all drunks...but does it matter when you can't walk a straight line anyway?
SERVICE - 2 stars...gee, no one likes to be snickered at...I've written 800 reviews, dammit!...I deserve your respect if not your pity
TOTAL - 3 stars...what can I say?...there ain't no 800 Club in the city...see you at the 900 Club in a few months...not -
Review from Justin N.
1/13/2010
800 Larkin is an undercover lounge in a realm of dive bars. The hood is divey, the sign and exterior are divey, and the crazy ass people wandering around outside are sure as shit divey. That's why it's relatively shocking when you walk in and find out hey, this ain't no dive bar.
With a good sound system, pool table, and lounge seating, it's the perfect place to kick back. The vibe is a darker version of something like Vertigo over on Polk St often with live DJs and if not, a solid juke box.
It's like a Polk St bar... but shadier. Maybe it's the people stalking the nearby sidewalks, asking for "spare" drugs. Do people just have "spare coke" on them? I know asking for 'spare change' is referred to as "spanging", is asking for 'spare coke' called "spoking"? Perhaps it feels shady due to random foot traffic near the door that looks like they just caught a serious beat down, complete with black eyes and bloodied wounds.
Shady doesn't mean bad though, think of the positives. Not being on Polk St, 800 Larkin can afford more space. Those shady types I just mentioned generally stay outside, once you get inside you can relax (although do not leave your belongings strewn about, they will get jacked). Also this direction off Polk St avoids the douche bag crowd. You know, the Marina gents that think going to Sutter and Polk is "slumming" it. They don't venture to these parts.
I'd prefer it if their drink prices matched the location, it's a buck or two higher than I'd normally expect for shot of Jameson in the TL. I think they're capitalizing on the stream of customers from the neighboring Century Club, people run over between strippers for a quick shot because Century sells no booze. Other than the slightly higher prices I have no qualms about catching a drink or two at 800, it's a 2 blocks from my house and a more than solid spot to start off a night of adventure in the Tenderloin.Listed in: SF: The Loin son, check it, SF: Let's shoot pool
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Review from James P.
San Francisco, CA
7/19/2011
Super duper awesome space. It's large! Friday happy hours are the BEST! $2 PBRs & 2 for 1 well drinks. Kate the bartender is super awesome. It's just half a block away from the Great American Music Hall so it's a great place to go for before and after concert drinks.
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Review from T A.
Alameda, CA
4/12/2009
I have to admit when I saw we were coming to the infamous Tenderloin, I was a little scared...I thought I would get shanked.
"TenderLoin" just sounds like one of those places that a lot of stabbings take place. I could be wrong but, when I hear tender and loin in the same sentence, let alone the same word, I think of meat/steak..and since steak is meat that is basically a butchered animal that once had life, it makes me think I could be some kind of meaty loin by the end of the night.. or a wad of meat.
Either way, it doesn't sound pretty & it had me a lil freaked out.
Sorry, that part was totally useless, I'm just rambling. Don't even read it...just go from this point:
Parking looked like it would be a mess, but not for my magical little friend. She swooped around and we got a close spot and we slipped right into this swanky lil gem of a place.
I expected a dive bar, but this place had moxie and was kinda "rat-pack classy" if that makes any sense. It was classy in a martini kinda classy way, but not pretentious at all.
For happy hour, they had a buncha food out that others in my group were raving about But I have that germphobe issue, so I sat there trying hard not to be a 'Debbie downer' and mention the fact that I thought their food was germ infested. I did warn one guy about the shrimp being a dangerous buffet food and he looked at me like I was a nutcase. So, I just tried to bite my tongue for the rest of the germ-eaters.
The drinks were strong and I never had to wait long for another one. Needless to say, as a result, I became highly intoxicated.
I liked this place..it made me change my opinion on the Tenderloin area in a whole. I never saw one hooker and nobody got shanked.
Not much more to say except go here fearlessly, it's a cool lil spot.Listed in: I'm not an alci, I just drink…
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Review from Joe C.
San Francisco, CA
7/4/2008
My friend Emilio spins here ever Thursday night - the event is called Chiclet. It's always great to show up at a bar and find it full of your good friends :)
Comfortable seating, friendly bartender, nice pool table, great beats on Thursday nights, good beers on tap, lots of friends, you can almost completely forget you're right in the middle of one of the worst neighborhood in town.Listed in: Bars At Which I've Never Puked
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Review from Valeria R.
San Francisco, CA
4/11/2009
This bar may be in the TL, but once you're inside it's easy to forget that there's a nudie bar right next store. Candlelight, Leatherette-upholstered cubes to scoot around as needed to accommodate your group, throne-like wing chairs, a fun crowd and a sweet little spread during Friday happy hour. Now, we're not talking just chips and dip here...they put out fancy-schmancy things like prawns. My favorite, though, was the hummus...aka manna from heaven. There were a bunch of other things on the table but I kind of stopped looking once I saw the hummus. Next time I'm there I'm determined to find out the brand because it was gooood.
The bartender was a cute, sweet girl who tolerated our raucous group with great charm and patience. She even humored a certain member of our party who requested some crazy girly drink that nobody had ever heard of.
I can't wait to introduce my best friend to 800 Larkin. It's going into our Friday happy hour rotation for sure. -
Review from Nish N.
3/3/2008
So last night, the gang is all meeting up to see M. Ward's new side project She & Him (http://www.yelp.com/ev...) play at the Great American. Normally, I've relied on Olive to meet up beforehand, but they were closed (shouldn't bars be open on Sunday?).
There really isn't much in this area, in terms of startlingly good nightlife, so we walked over to what was once a divey bar called O'Farrell Street Bar or something to that effect. To our happy delight, the place had been revamped and restyled as 800 Larkin, just about 2 weeks prior.
The space hasn't been altered that much, but the interior is a much more sly undertaking, complete with more lounge-y seating and harlot-esque artwork, a pool table. There's also a private smoking room with seating, that overlooks scenic O'Farrell Street!
We started at the bar and ordered up a few beers. Amber, our bartender, was friendly and ready to please; you got the sense she'd remember you the next time you dropped in. While we stuck mostly with beers, their cocktail list had some interesting concoctions like the Red Rocket (citrus vodka, triple sec, grape fruit and raspberry liquor) and the Slippery Fish (dark rum, oj, lime juice and ginger beer) that deserve further inspection.
Is 800 Larkin a drinking revelation? Probably not, but it's a welcome add to this part of the Tenderloin, and definitely the right spot to go before and after a show. If anything, it's a real hoot watching 'Loin locals mix it up with nervous hipsters waiting for their indie pop show to begin. -
Review from Broke-Ass Stuart S.
San Francisco, CA
3/20/2008
I just got an email from Thrilllist telling me that the shitty old O'Farrell Street Bar (OSB) has been revamped and reopened as 800 Larkin. In honor of this I dug up my review of OSB:
Despite the puke by the urinal and the holes punched into the bathroom wall, this place looks a lot better than last time I was here. Maybe it's the new paint job. Either way, they still have $3 Budweisers, a couple pool tables and that cool fish tank where the fish are always kissing each other and occasionally swimming sideways. -
Review from Stephy S.
San Francisco, CA
7/24/2008
Apparently this place used to be a real shit hole and honestly, I was kinda bummed that it wasn't still, but for a nice and cleaned up, all grows up kinda bar it was awesome.
I absolutely la la loved the photography on the walls. Super hot portraits of hot girls and boobage. Yay for boobage! The bartender, Bernie, was also a total doll and poured one hell of a nice drink.
Overall the crowd was cool, there was a dog chillin' on the floor and with the exception of the loud tools at the pool table, I really liked the place and would definitely come back.Listed in: San Francisco Bars!
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Review from Me H.
Seattle, WA
5/30/2008
Jerry at the Ha-Ra told me to come here for my next stop on my very own Tenderloin dive bar crawl. He stated that it was geared towards the younger crowd and he thought I might like it; I love it when people think I'm young! Something tells me he hasn't been in here in a while because it was NOT a dive let me tell you.
I walk in to two people playing pool and a clean non-smelly, non-sticky with mood lighting bar and I think I bumped the average age of this place up by 5 years by walking in.
It appears that it had recently been hipster-feed. Leather couches to lounge in, leather cubes to sit on and leather bar stoles with no tears in any of them! What kind of dive bar has that? None that I'm aware of, and to top it off my tall stoli tonic was $6.00 and when I gave the bartender $20.00 she only gave me $12.00 back in change; last time I checked $6.00 from $20.00 was $14.00 but I'm from Seattle so math here might be a bit different.
Let me talk a little about the music that too was far from divey there was no Frank Sinatra, Count Basie or Glenn Miller like at the Ha-Ra there was a lot of rap/hip hop with lots of bad words in them, NOT divey at all.
After the bartender was done playing pool we chatted she was totally cool. I told her Jerry from the Ha-Ra sent me over her and that this was a dive bar she said it use to be now just the people that come here are a bit divey; I wouldn't really know as only two other people were in while I was there and no one looked divey to me. It was an OK place but so not a dive bar and kind of put a damper in my Tenderloin dive bar crawl, as I was leaving I was thinking of just calling it a night.
P.S. For the record the math was corrected so all was cool, San Francisco math and Seattle math appear to be the same.Listed in: I was the quintessential San…
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Review from cecilia k.
San Francisco, CA
4/3/2009
So I went here a couple of days ago.
I have no idea why.
Actually I do, my friend took me there.
Not very impressed
A good sized room, a pooltable and a friendly bartender, good things.
But it had no personality, seemed forced and the music was awful.
What I did after that made no sense at all. -
Review from Lisa T.
San Francisco, CA
4/16/2008
WHOA! This used to be the O'Farrell Street Sports Bar!
Holy Crap!
Now it's... I don't know what.
Seriously. Go see for yourself.
Just like we have words like "gender confusion" to describe people, the right term must exist to describe 800 Larkin and what it's going through... I just don't know what it is. Words are escaping me.
I liked this place as the OSB. Now I don't think I'll be back -- so much.
But, the old bartender is still there, and they've got her making a pretty wicked energy drink with vodka in it as one of their new specialty cocktails. So if I'm in the neighborhood and I need a pick-me-up (who doesn't in that neighborhood?), I might have to drop by... -
Review from eric f.
San Francisco, CA
7/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Don't let the neighborhood fool you, this isn't your average Tenderloin dive bar. Clean. Elegant. I've only been here once so far for a Don Pilar tequila tasting, but they had live music & dancing. Great crowd. I definitely want to go back.
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Review from Brad L.
3/23/2008 2 photos
I stopped into the recently overhauled 800 Larkin last night with my roommate. It's a nice, open space with quite a bit of off-bar seating. The lounge-ish interior feels upscale, but not overdone.
The DJ was pretty good, spinning a good mix of danceable hip hop from brand new stuff all the way back to some early Tribe Called Quest. Good times!
There's also a pool table and (I think) a smoking room. I'd recommend this place as an alternative to Rye for your Tenderloin bar-hopping needs. -
Review from Justin S.
San Francisco, CA
4/15/2010
This place is like the Christian Broadcasting Network's "700 Club" with Pat Robertson, but add 100 to that.
They let us bring in food. They were super friendly. They made delicious cocktails. They even let us create a playlist on their house iPod.
Plus, the space is cool and comfortable -- and there's plenty of it.
If I had some sort of freakish birth defect, I'd give this place 3 thumbs up. -
Review from miss m.
San Francisco, CA
3/31/2010
There really has to be something special about a place sandwiched between a titty bar and a crack head to get me to show up and pay for drinks. Surprisingly it doesn't take much. All it really takes is great people.
Unfortunately, all the greatest aspects of 800 Larkin have been 86'ed. Not even the pool table can drag me back there now. Besides, the juke box was too expensive and the speakers seemed to be blown out every other week. Not to mention the sports on the wall... this bar seems a little bi-polar to me: trying all at once to be neighborhood sports dive and swanky lounge. I'm dizzy just thinking about it, and my ears are ringing.
I must admit, the drinks are very reasonably priced, kudos on that one. -
Review from Pat D.
San Francisco, CA
4/4/2008
I frequent quite a few Loin bars since I live in Nob Hill area. I used to go to OSB quite allot but now even more since it's been changed to 800 Larkin.
The Decor design, leather couches & armchairs set the place off when you first enter, now its even got a smoking room right next to the fanciest pool table I've ever seen. Music appears to be a big improvement also, looks like theres a DJ there most nights.
Drinks menus & the beers select has been totally revamped.
I have to say, this place is going to be the new hot spot this summer.
This place is Finally getting hot chics in the door, you can tell the crowd has change for the better.
7 stars
Great improvement -
Review from m r.
San Francisco, CA
8/9/2008
Never knew this existed...maybe didn't need to know it either.
Two stars for the extra large shots at the end of the night, having a smoke room and for Julie's going away.
Reason why i won't go back:
1.) Wasn't even packed to justify the long wait for a drink.
2.) Had a DJ who couldn't decide what type of music to play. I'm open to different music, but mix it in good and don't play the same song twice.
3.) Strange people
4.) Vibe was just not there -
Review from Ronald L.
San Francisco, CA
9/17/2009
Not usually a yelper, so ill keep it short and sweet.
800 Larkin (the address and the name) was surprisingly awesome. Not in the best area, but you couldnt tell from the inside. Awesome bartenders, AWESOME music. Ranged from Johnny Cash, to Frank Sinatra, to Britney Spears, to Radiohead. Smoke room in the back. Great pool table. Cool furniture. $2 PBRs, $3 strong well drinks. Cool, ecclectic mix of people. What else could you want? Wednesday is ladies night, and ill be there. -
Review from Anne E.
San Francisco, CA
7/27/2008
The old OSB (O'farrell Street Bar) reinvented. Trying to achieve a modern, chic look but ain't quite pullin it off too well givin the location. In the heart of the 'Loin right next to Century (yep the strip club). "There ain't nothin tender bout the TenderLoin".....that's what I like to say. And it's true. The only thing I liked about the decor at this bar were the seductive pictures of pretty women hanging on the walls and the comfy seats.
We came for Julie's going-away get-together last nite. We had fun b/c we were surrounded by good company. But the space was weird and the music was weirder. Oh well.....we went for our Julie and that's all that mattered! -
Review from Steve F.
Seattle, WA
4/29/2011
I happened to find this bar while visiting the City on a Thursday evening. The exterior was not enticing; however, once we entered the vibe was quite good. I enjoyed the eclectic crowd. The music pumped over the iPod system was diverse and rocking. Enjoyed a few games of pool. I have to give a "shout out" to the German bartender (Marion) that night. She was very friendly. Enjoyed some great conversation and excellent pour on the drinks. Not the faciest of places but I enjoyed the atmosphere and the people. Will visit again on a future trip to my hometown. Check it out.
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Review from Lee M.
San Francisco, CA
4/5/2008
Sketch.
What the hell is this place?
I could best describe it as tranny. And of course this tranny is right at home in the Polk Gulch.
But seriously, overpriced. -
Review from Samir P.
Chicago, IL
11/20/2008
This is my new favorite place in the "Loin". Seriously....we just stumbled into this place coz Olive was closed. We had no idea what to expect...well, we were pretty much expecting a run down dive bar. Hey...there's nothing wrong with that. However, what we discovered was an amazing establishment. The place is definitely clean. They have the dive bar feel, but they've gone more upscale with it. They have an awesome couch / seating area that is really comfortable. The bar serves up great drinks at about $6 per cocktail. But the clincher was the pool table. There's only one, but dude....IT TAKES DOLLAR BILLS!!!. No more scrounging for quarters. No more getting dirty scowls from the bartenders when you go ask for change. IT'S AMAZING.
It's still got a chill vibe where you can relax with a few friends or even have a big group in there. The jukebox has a decent selection of music, so you could be hearing some GnR, some Beyonce, some Peter Gabriel, or Rick Astley. Eh....it's the Tenderloin.....gotta love it! -
Review from Anna P.
Oakland, CA
6/2/2010
Did a last minute Yelp search after a show at the Great American Music Hall. Surprised to walk into an out of place bar for the heart of the Tenderloin. It smelled of leather and cigars (and the drinks were fairly strong).
Chatted up some new friends that were hitting up the jukebox. Looks like they have a DJ setup in the corner on certain nights, too, though.
Classy. -
Review from Trav M.
Oakland, CA
2/17/2010
I went to this bar for the first time this past valentines day with a few of my single man friends and a girlfriend who like to hang with the dudes.
This bar had a really nice homely set up off the side of the entrance. Nice comfy leather couches, table space and plenty of space to look at the people around...at the time we were here, I think there were about six people there.
We had fun...the bartender was awesome...and their digital jukebox was pretty cheaper than what I'm used to seeing (2 songs for a buck) AND the songs we played blasted pretty loud. I loved it.
This place would've gotten a higher rating had I not been attacked by a mini bulldog outside. The location is really shifty. Ha. -
Review from Joey R.
Los Angeles, CA
4/2/2008
This place turned out so much nicer than what i was expecting. They have a separate smoking patio for those who want to kill themselves silently. They now stock Racer 5 IPA, a favorite of mine. Fresh Paint, and
new Couches. Only 1 TV, and some sweet bartenders!
Now that I live in the TL I'll be around alot more often. -
Review from D. Miguel G.
San Francisco, CA
5/29/2009
Great Bartenders, Chill Crowd and Good Times.
Everytime I come here I enjoy myself. Martina (The Irish Owner Lady) makes a mad lemondrop ;) Bernie Rocks and there is also a pool table, smoking patio/room, comfortable seating, jukebox and on some nights a DJ. -
Review from Jane S.
San Diego, CA
1/23/2009
A friendly bar!
We sought them out because of an event posted on MoveOn, to celebrate the inauguration of President Obama. The bartenders were fixing up a special "Obamarama" drink for the occasion (with passionfruit juice!). I was impressed that they had made up and were passing around an Obama triva quiz, so instead of just sitting them, we had something to do. Friendly, inventive, good drinks, pool table. -
Review from Mckay W.
Oakland, CA
8/30/2008
Was OK. I came here with some friends for happy hour before a dinner party and was kinda disappointed by the lack of people. At one point we were literally the only three people in the bar. The bartender was very nice and was attentive, of course we WERE the only people there, but she was always on top of whatever we needed.
Also, my friend got locked in the bathroom, which I thought was kinda funny, but apparently scared her pretty bad. Be careful in the women's room I guess. -
Review from Sweet Mother of Mary O.
San Francisco, CA
4/18/2008
This is a GREAT bar with WONDERFUL bartenders!
Yes, it's on the outskirts of the tenderloin, but that suddenly disappears once you step in. I love the 2for1 happy hour drinks and the great weeknight specials they have.
The crowd- is an eclectic mix of young and old, hipster and non-hipster, marinanites and non-marinanites, etc...
The bar- isn't overly done, not flashy. Great space with a pool table and smoking room!
Everyone here is there for good drinks and good company. My new favorite spot! -
Review from G S.
San Francisco, CA
11/12/2009
This is the perfect neighborhood bar; reasonably priced drinks, sports on TV, comfy chairs where you can kick back with friends. A pool table with enough room around the table so you can actually play without bumping into someone every shot. It's across the street from a decent pizza by the slice place, and pretty good Thai and Mexican food just around the corner.
What more can one ask for? -
Review from Dave R.
San Francisco, CA
3/18/2010
A couple of weeks ago we went to a trendy wine bar in North Beach at the invitation of a new friend. It wasn't his hangout; he was hired as the house DJ for the night and gave an open invite for people to come out and hear him spin some dance tunes. That's what DJs do - they try to up the attendance as much as possible because they get a cut of the house take.
He did great but it really wasn't my scene.. to hip and trendy, what with the young, beautiful folks standing around with their wine glasses talking about their careers. My beer and I felt out of place and had little to talk about.
This wasn't the scene at 800 LARKIN last night, where we landed for Saint Paddy's day. This is one of those bars cleverly named after the location so that you'll not easily forget where it is.
"Hey, let's go out to 800 LARKIN tonight!"
"Okay! But where is it again?"
"Ha, very funny!"
That address, which is at the cross of Larkin and O'Farrell, places this corner bar squarely in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco, so location alone kicks any possibility of "hip and trendy" squarely in the ass. Fine by me.
It's a comfy place - nice, plush sofas and love seats hang out with moderately amiable chairs, but no redwood veneers or polished oak in sight. You can spill your beer on furniture in here and not feel bad about it. We felt welcomed and we were actually scolded a bit for leaving early but in a good way, as if to say, "Aw, you guys have to go? We were digging your company!"
Another new friend introduced us to the owner, Martina. Our friend had never been there, but takes a class with Martina and it turns out Martina had invited her fellow students down to the bar for Saint Paddy's, so the requisite corned beef and cabbage meal was on hand, having been whipped up by Martina herself. It was delicious but don't look for it on any other day of the year, which is a good thing.
Martina is friendly as can be and not in that way like, "I'm being nice to you because you're patrons and I want you spend more money in my joint." On the contrary we didn't feel like she owned the place at all, but rather as if we'd just hooked up with a new friend who we hit it off with. Staff took care of the busy work, so she chatted us up while sinking a few balls into the corner pockets.
The building is old like many San Francisco digs, and the space that currently houses 800 LARKIN has been a bar since 1906, according to Martina. On a slow day you can shoot some billiards with a ghost or two while listening to stories of the California gold rush.
I dug the photographic artwork hanging on the walls. Sure, it's various photos of sexy models and I'm a big, dumb drooling male, but the shots are rendered in a beautifully artistic sense by this one photographer whom Martina admires, thus the proliferation of his/her works hanging all about. I've forgotten the photographer's name even though she told me a couple of times. Blame Guinness.
All in all, I'd return again and hope to do so soon. If I can only remember that damned address.. oh yeah! 800 LARKIN. -
Review from Kate M.
San Francisco, CA
4/23/2009
I generally avoid the TL because I hate when people mistake me for a tranny hooker, but I met up with some friends here not too long ago and actually dug the vibe and decor. I expected a bar covered in beer and vomit, tranny hookers playing snooker, etc, but I was pleasantly surprised that I saw neither. One thing, though--I hate peeing in the dark and the bathroom light took a couple of minutes to turn on. I can't hold beer piss for that long.
