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Amnesia
Categories: Nightlife Bars Dive Bars Arts & Entertainment Music Venues Nightlife Music Venues Dive Bars, Music Venues [Edit]
853 Valencia St(between 20th St & Cunningham Pl)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Mission
(415) 970-0012
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 6 pm - 2 am
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Mon, Fri, Wed
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Ambience:
- Hipster, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
363 reviews for Amnesia
Review Highlights
"The early set is Gypsy Jazz the 2nd set is modern Jazz."
(in 15 reviews)
"Also: gypsy jazz on Wednesdays and bluegrass on Mondays."
(in 11 reviews)
"Otherwise a great spot and excellent beer selection."
(in 25 reviews)
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363 reviews in English
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Review from Daib S.
San Francisco, CA
11/14/2011
so far, the best bar I have found in the mission. Very nice staff, the drinks are good and you can visit very diverse events. On wednesdays there is a lot of dancing couples, last week I was on a charity event and another time we just hung out at a regular bar night.
The reasons for 4 rather than 5 is the medium quality of the sound and that the soft drinks taste heavily from chlorine. -
Review from Genneth L.
Sacramento, CA
12/30/2011
Okay, so this is my first review, so please don't hate.
My friend and I had gone here for his birthday. Researching online what were the best bars and clubs in the city since were both not from SF but from Sac, I did my homework a little bit before we ventured out that night. So to get to the story...
We get to the place and first of all they charged us individually $14 bucks to get in, the place was tiny and it was super packed, but it wasn't that, that disappointed us. It was the fact that we thought it was going to be a club not some nook in the wall. I was disappointed since I was the one taking my friend out for his bday. Not only that the band that was playing, was not exactly playing the happiest type of music(it was really depressing), not something I was wanting to listen to.
The only pro we found was that the drinks were cheap and sure as hell strong, I couldn't even finish my screwdriver, it was pretty much vodka w/a pinch of orange juice in it. Other than that, I don't think I'd come back here for a little while. -
Review from Mayra L.
San Francisco, CA
11/23/2011
The first time I came to Amnesia was for an amateur open mike during a weekday. One of my friends was going and invited me along. I immediately loved amnesia because it was dark. I mean dark. See I like dark bars for many reasons: it's fun to not really see where you are going and plus in the dark no one can really tell how drunk you are (unless they hear your slurring words). The minuses are of course that you may take home someone who you thought was smoking hot and then you find you...you brought H. Cain home...anyways back to topic.
Oh yes! mike night! The beers they have on tap are delicious and of good variety. They had some dogfish head (always a favorite) Sierra, Stella the usuals, as well as well drinks. Bartenders were really friendly and knew how to handle the drunk bros well (I have a short temper, as well as height. I would not be a good bartender)
The acts were...well. There was the awesome Asian lesbian who had us laughing off our asses as she imitated the old tiny Asians on MUNI...and well there was the fucked up guy that kept saying "penis" and "vagina" jokes. The first one was funny, the next 8 weren't.
Anyways, we laughed, we cried, we discussed existentialism and solved world peace over a Sierra. My night there was memorable and good.
I got a bacon wrapped hot dog afterwards...that. was. awesome. -
Review from Nicholas A.
Hollywood, CA
1/22/2012
I didn't really go that far inside as when I went inside they told me there was a cover. The cover was only 5 bucks though but since I wasn't drinking tonight I didn't want to pay any covers. But this place was packed.
Listed in: SF Hipster Hotspots (No Longer…
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Review from G D.
San Francisco, CA
1/29/2012
Haters go home, this is as good as it gets in the mission. Is there a better sing-along than here? Stand-up base, back-up singers... amazing.
great beers from all over too. -
Review from Annie S.
San Francisco, CA
1/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
This bar is a consistent blast on Wednesday nights. I love to go and watch the dancing. Gaucho plays on Wednesday nights, and that brings out some of the best Lindy dancers in the city. Everyone is always friendly and the atmosphere is super jovial. The bar has turned Wedneaday's nights into my favorite night of the week. Such a unique experience every time i go. Also the staff is attentive and I love the Sangria.
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Review from Archie G.
San Jose, CA
11/2/2011
This is a fun little dive bar that features live music, plenty of draft options, and Chimay. But in the end, it's not that memorable as I don't remember very much about it.
I must be coming down with amnesia.
Damn. Sometimes, I can be so funny. -
Review from Jeremy G.
12/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Most bars in the Mission are hard to distinguish from each other. It's like running through your matches on OkCupid. Everyone says they love hiking and trying new restaurants and Arrested Development. Yet, then you find the bearded, plaid-clad fellow that separates himself from the pack with a kind word. In Amnesia's case that kind word came from the bartender. "Here's a napkin, in case your gum isn't beer flavored," he said. Bartender, you have peered into my soul! I did, in fact, want to jettison my gum before I sipped on my brewsky. Then cue the Eastern European jazz. So, yes, Amnesia may appear to be like every other bar in the Mission, but upon closer inspection, this is a bar you can take home to your parents.
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Review from Lisa N.
San Francisco, CA
1/17/2012
As a new comer to San Francisco...I dug this cool music venue! I went there on a Monday night for the free live bluegrass jam and band (The Earl Brothers). Both were great...musicians jammed in between the band sets. For more info on my experience at Amnesia and other places to see free live music in SF check my article, "Free (or super cheap) Live Music Every Night of The Week in San Francisco" at http://questforzest.or... . Hope this helps music lovers!
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Review from Sarah I.
San Francisco, CA
1/12/2012
Highly recommend Amnesia on week nights--awesome live music, strong drinks, & dark enchanting atmosphere. It's a pretty small space so during the weekends it's often super-packed and impossible to get a drink. Stick to week days if you wanna experience this place for the oasis that it is.
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Review from Jennifer H.
12/21/2011
I love this bar. It's dark, it has great drinks, lots of beer options, the drinks are cheap, the staff is friendly, the guests are nice and you can meet great people, and they often have live music.
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Review from Jessica f.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2012
I moved to San Francisco and this was my first stop, across the street from my friend's place (she even dropped her keys here in case I bet her home)! I dug it immediately and have been coming regularly since.
My favorite night of the week is Tuesday for Open Mic! It's the bees knees, funny and talented comics and musicians are always pushing up here. Plus the beers are like $3 and the host, bartender and sound guy are hot!
While some people on here complain about the bathrooms not locking is because they haven't frequented the place long enough to know the ins and outs. The mens room doesn't lock (who cares) but the gals does. So here ya go, the secret is to kick the door at the bottom when you pull it in and viola! you can lock the latch. Then you have the whole bathroom to yourself, and who the eff complains about that?! -
Review from Tanya R.
Oakland, CA
10/29/2011
I love the aesthetic of the place, and was excited to see a couple of bands (along with belly dance and burlesque) here last night. I was not expecting a bar that doesn't serve cocktails (they have those fake kinds), overcrowding, smelly patrons (likely due to the lack of ventilation), cold hipster vibe, and a show that started even later than the advertised 10:00pm. The first band started a bit early, and were stopped and told to start a half hour later. What? The crowd would have been delighted to hear them sooner rather than later, and many people left after that false start. Come on, is it uncool to start a few minutes early? Please. They began again nearly an hour later. Enthusiastic group, not a great sound. By the time the main band was about to go on (12:15 or 12:30), we were done.
This place could have been so much fun. I think the owner should take a trip to Frenchmen Street in New Orleans to see how edgy live music acts should be handled. Check out the Allways Lounge in NOLA - it is about the same size and same feel, only friendlier and better organized.
I'll return to Amnesia for another try, though I'm not that hopeful. -
Review from Courtney K.
San Ramon, CA
11/19/2011
If a small, cramped, stuffy place full of hipsters is what you're looking for, then this is the right spot. Unfortunately, that wasn't what I was after.
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Review from Rcruz f.
San Francisco, CA
12/17/2011
One of my fave dive bars. Drinks are cheap, great music, good crowd and drinks are cheap.. Oh did I mention that drinks are very cheap? yeah.. Drinks are ceap!
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Review from Janice F.
San Francisco, CA
10/26/2011
Expect this place to be packed. Been here twice already for a live gig, and its always packed. Hard to walk through and even hard to get a drink. It feels like an awkward space. However, it has a great dive bar atmosphere. Music quality is decent, but the stage is so small, the band can barely fit if its more than 4 people. They have my favorite beer there, Boont Amber, and I just think of it as an okay. I don't know what its like there when there isn't a gig, but I'm not a fan of a over crowded 25-30 feet by 10 feet long room full of folks trying to watch a show. What if there's a fire, ya know. Dang, just watch all the groupie skinny chicks get pushed over and stomped on.
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Review from Mike A.
8/2/2011
I had had some great cocktails and dinner at Beretta with some friends and was heading out for the night when the Monday night bluegrass music of Amnesia lured me in. It was the perfect situation. Good music with no cover, friendly people dancing and having a good time, nice bartenders, good beer. They have Racer 5 on tap as well as some other good beers, although most people seem to choose the $2 cans of PBR.
It truly was the perfect situation, though. I was in the right mood, the right music was playing, the right amount of people, etc. I can't help but feel that I got lucky -- I bet it's not this good every night, and likely it's more of a 3-star place on average. But for what they gave me this night, they get 4. -
Review from Jasmine F.
Bayview/Hunters Point, San Francisco, CA
11/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love this bar, usually great music and dancing and the drinks are priced all right.
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Review from EJ M.
San Francisco, CA
11/29/2011
Gaucho on Wednesday nights should be considered THE place to be in San Francisco. F***in awesome.
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Review from Monica S.
4/24/2011
You guys, this bar's awesome. It's not often that you find a Sunday watering hole with live music blaring out the open door. Totally felt like I'd been handed the most magical Easter present.
Plus, no cover and plenty of drafts to chose from sweetened the deal. None of the distilled devil's brew, but you can find sochu cocktails, beer, wine.
Bar with a great stage or stage with a great bar, either way you slice it, music wins and so does the old timey barkeep. -
Review from Spencer T.
San Francisco, CA
3/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Fuck this place. Alright, well they have pretty decent prices on cheap beer, when i got it, it was a bit warm. But personally, I went her for the Litquake event that happened a few months ago, with a friend doing a reading. This was to be followed by a couple bands playing after all the readings, including a band that said friend was in.
They finish the readings. They let the first band play. It's 9. They tell my friend's band that they can't let them play because they need to clear out the place and break down the equipment for a show at 10. Then they proceed to not break down a single piece of equipment or clear out a single person until 9:50. And on top of that, my friends had driven over an hour after packing up all of their equipment to come play this show, and the place was packed.
Would have been great, if Amnesia didn't suck. -
Review from Christopher N.
New Orleans, LA
3/4/2011
HOW in the world Amnesia pulls so much excellent music into their closet sized venue is beyond me. Being that there is a constant flow of excellent music here, it tends to draw a good crowd. Now you have to understand if there are a dozen people in this place, its crowded. Shove 50 people in like sardines, as is the usual, its Hell.
Now Amnesia only has beer and wine. This kind of sucks, kind of sucks A LOT! Fine, so be it. But if your going to just offer beer and wine, shouldn't you have a good selection? Wouldn't you perhaps want to offer Ciders, Meads, Lambics, and other similar products. Moreover, wouldn't you want to offer a varied selection of BEER AND WINE!?!?!?!?!?! A dozen bottles of wine, a couple dozen beers is a pathetic selection when that is all you are serving. finally, why do you have the need to charge on the higher end for your paltry selections? Overpriced and understocked.
Let us continue; Again all your doing is serving beer and wine. Nothing the bartenders are serving takes any great amount of time, yet they take forever!!!! Pull a pint, uncork the bottle of wine and uncap the bottle of beer. Not hard, why are all of you moving in slow motion? And thats another thing, they have two or three people behind the bar, the place at overstuffed capacity holds less than 100. Drink service should be one of the things they could excel at, but no. The staff is pleasant enough, but it does not make up for their ineptness.
When what you want to be known for is a live music venue, can you please provide good sound? How hard is that? Apparently for Amnesia, it is very hard.
I can't stand that Amnesia pulls bands away from good, decent or even crappy venues. This place is the worst. Just a horrible venue. -
Review from Megan R.
5/1/2011
I was asked one night if I liked jazz and the answer of course was yes. We set our sights on Amnesia. I was told this was the most amazing place to hear free music. I was not disappointed.
There was amazing music with no cover and a good selection of beer. Even though there was live music you could still have a conversation without yelling at each other. Always a plus. Next time I am in the area I am sure I will be there at some point. -
Review from Jessica t.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 2/5/2011
It really all depends on the night here.
On an off night - Amnesia can be a headache. It's can get busy quickly. It can be difficult to hear the music, and nearly impossible on some nights to see the stage.
But on a well booked mellow night - Amnesia has a solid and consistent reputation for hosting some truly outstanding live music. I try to come out here for acoustic Americana, bluegrass or folk acts. Tonight -if you're around - there's a wonderful Seaweed Sway approved show - that is sure to be an enchanting way to end the glorious warm Saturday day/evening we've been having.
Trust.Listed in: The Mission
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/8/2007
I know this place has a FREE Monday bluegrass night. I love bluegrass.
But I've never been on a… Read more »
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Review from Corinna K.
Seattle, WA
12/29/2010 1 Check-in Here
It's all about the couches by the door. So comfortable. Absurdly comfortable. The best couches, I'm sure.
It does get packed, but the music is usually quite good. The drinks are tasty and the bartender is adorably old timey. I usually resent bar gimmicks, my thought being that if you need a gimmick to succeed then you're probably not doing a very good job at everything else, but Amnesia pulls it off nicely. I've been here with parents and had them be pleased; I've been here with friends and gotten trashed on the previously lauded couches. It is a universally well-received place to come so long as you're alright with crowds.Listed in: Yay Area, So you want to be entertained?
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Review from Victoria S.
San Francisco, CA
3/20/2011
Amnesia can give you one of two experiences.
The first can be perfection. A great band playing and just enough people. The bartenders are friendly and keep the drinks coming. There are equal parts dancing and chillin at the bar. A great low key night where you can enjoy your friends' company and all the tasty beers on tap.
The second is a hipster sandwich. It can get pretty crowded. Don't get me wrong, I love a great crowd. I don't know if it's deoderant made out of hemp and olive oil, but it can start to smell like a dude's smelly armpit. I love the dancing and the music, but the smell pushes me to leave and find a good quesadilla.
With either situation, the night ends up fun anyway. -
Review from Meg T.
12/7/2010
I ended up heading out here with a friend and hearing Goucho play on a Gypsy Jazz night.
There was only one bartender and he was awesome. I don't know how he kept up with the crowds, but he did.
The place was packed, it gets seriously squished in here, but the music is worth it. I'd drop by again any time, were my Weds nights not already occupied. -
Review from Cassy H.
3/26/2011
My friends stumbled upon this place while waiting for our table at one of the restaurants nearby. We weren't sure what to expect but this place is small, dark, and intimate. It gives you this feel of going back into the 1930s or something.. with all its vintage looking decor. There aren't a lot of tables and chairs for sitting, but I guess it's more fun to be intoxicated and struggle with standing.
Anyway, I ordered the orange creamsicle, which is a cocktail with soju and triple sec. It tasted like orange juice with a kick. It was $7, which isn't bad at all.
We left before the music started, because our table at the restaurant was ready, but I would have loves to stay.. maybe next time! Oooh, random note, but there was a dog at the place... totally adorable! -
Review from Ashlee J.
9/1/2011
Great little barto quench your thirst. We liked the Cheapos selection on their menu. After a nice dinner & night of drinking we needed to stick with the cheap beers. I liked that the men here weren't vultures like at so many spots in the Mission. So annoying! Perhaps it's cause the crowd looked to be in their 30's. My friend calls this the artsy fartsy bar. Whatever. I will be back in the future.
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Review from Mish L.
9/28/2010
Classic case of Amnesia. After having washed off the remnants of ink stamps on my wrists, this spot had become just a fuzzy blot in the back of my subconscious.
Weeks later, visions came filtering back... Sweaty bodies, spilled beers, rambunctious crowd, frolicking good time ... the music, the energy was a complete hot mess and I remember soaking it all in and loving it.
If you haven't discarded some article of clothing and started grooving after 10 mins in here, something is wrong with you. It's loud and hot and you almost want to hate it but you can't! It's awesome. They even had an effen disco ball... how pimp is that? You'll come out looking like you put your finger in a wall socket after a shower. Fun! :-)
Oh yes, and how can I forget the intense grossness that was the smell of piss and **** by the bathrooms. One john to share with the females in a corner that reeked more than a cow patty on a hot summer day. If it wasn't for that, this place would have gotten a solid 4! -
Review from Roachie D.
Oakland, CA
1/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Not being a mission-dweller, I don't get here that often... but I must say I've enjoyed myself the last few times being in.
The live music is FANTASTIC and they're booking bands that pack that little house!
Its got a great vibe, good selection of beers, on star knocked off for not having any whiskey. -
Review from David B.
Where the hell am I....
I forgot what time it was...
Who are you...
What did I order....
What is she wearing...
What is the temperature in here. I knew that. It was hot.......
What is that DJ thinking....
Who taught them how to dance...
Is that beer you just spilled on me....
or are you just happy to see me...
Is that a disco ball....
Table dancing on a two-top.....
Have you ever had one of those nights where the only way to remember where you were is from the rubber ink stamps left on your wrists from all the bars you hit....
Love the Mission.Listed in: The Places I Go Out
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Review from Valentin T.
Redwood City, CA
6/14/2011
One of my favorite place in the city. It looks like a hole in a wall, but the overall atmosphere inside is just great. Most of the people I've met there were very smart, yet simple. A few times a week Amnesia has live performance of some talented local bands. And most of the nights the entrance is free. Sometimes it's $5-$10 to get in. Come there on Wednesday between 8pm-10pm for live Gypsy Jazz music!
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Review from jeremy p.
San Francisco, CA
4/20/2011
I kinda love Amnesia. It's my favorite place to go when I'm in the mood to randomly drop in somewhere and see a show. I've never seen a bad band there. The acoustics are good, and the volume is usually at just the right level : louder near the stage, but further from the stage you can actually have a conversation. The ambiance is good -- this is going to sound odd, but I really love their lighting; it's the first thing that brought me in off the street. I can't really explain it, but lighting is important to me. The room is exactly the right size -- just intimate enough so that you're close to the music, just big enough to accommodate a good-sized crowd. Yeah, no liquor, and that bummed me out at first, but the beer and wine thing really kinda seems to go with the place. And really, is it such a tragedy that you can't get totally trashed there?
Very tempted to give it a 5-star, but I do have some minor quibbles. The ventilation is not so good there, and on more than one occasion I've been assaulted by the scent of my fellow customers' BO. Also, Fridays and Saturdays they'll often have a DJ instead of a band, which doesn't really seem to go with the place -- it's certainly not why *I* go there. Anyway, it's a great place, and I'm glad to have it as my neighborhood music joint. -
Review from April K.
Pacifica, CA
1/22/2011
I got here on a Wednesday night and it's true about it getting packed pretty quick.
I was here for the music and that's exactly what I got. The ambiance was laid back and relaxing. The only thing I really didn't like is that there is limited seating. I left early because I didn't want to be standing the entire night. Aside from that, I'll be sure to come back again! -
Review from Kelly S.
8/27/2010
The karaoke delighted me... the bathroom made me want to use bleach. On my brain!
This place would fit perfectly in Austin and be beloved by the weird folks that live here. All kinds of crazy light fixtures, dark red and secret, ridiculous karaoke, random hot asian man running it with a fake guitar and a laptop. Everyone in the bar was friends - if not at the beginning of the night, at the end. The soft rock selection was outstanding and I managed to dredge up the lyrics to "You Are The Sun" by Lionel Ritchie and sing it at the top of my lungs.
Great and decently priced selection of chalkboard drinks, including soju (sp?) and "Kelly's Revenge", an awful awful wine I've seen at my local gas station. The bathroom was horrifying (and I've seen dirty bathrooms). It smells like they let people just spray the place with pee at the end of the night and let it ferment.
I'll be heading back to SF this weekend... and you can bet I'm going to find a way to lose my mind (and hold my bladder) in Amnesia. And sing this: http://www.youtube.com...Listed in: San Franspiring
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Review from Kevin D.
Fremont, CA
3/20/2011
Had a good time here for St. Paddy's day. There were two bands performing. Both were pretty mediocre. Its st paddys - time to have fun right?! - wrong. Both bands were slow tempo'd, sad sacks. It wasn't nice. When you drink and you hear Flogging Molly's "Drunken Lullabies" its an instant party! When you listen to sad slow music about how "daddy's gone and so is m' whiskey" it makes you want to put a pistol in your mouth. But oh well.
The bar has a real twist about it. And its quite interesting. They do NOT serve hard liquor but they don't let that get them down. They serve Beer, wine and soju. I got a beer but my gf wanted a margarita. They make a Margarita but with soju. For the LIFE of me and her, we could not find a fault with it. In fact it was a bit sweeter without the alcohol punch - it still gets you messed up too. Its her new favorite drink.
Drinks are pretty cheap. Beware the tsunami of hipsters. -
Review from sonya d.
12/23/2010
So happy I came here last night! There was an amazing band playing called Gaucho. Sooo good! I love that it's free to get in, so the fact that it took us a while to get a drink didn't bother me as much. Plus, they had Scrimshaw on tap, um yes please!
I can't wait to educate my friends about this place, I know they would love it! -
Review from Megan B.
New York, NY
10/14/2010
This is a cool place, that's for sure. The live shows are awesome. Everything from indie sounding stuff to underground one-man black metal bands. If you're playing a show here, the lounge downstairs is really cozy and fun.
Also, BEWAREEEE of the terrible bathrooms. The ladies' one doesn't have a stall door or a lock on the outside door, so whoever decides to walk in is going to get an eye-full of some chick on the toilet. -
Review from Lidia Z.
San Francisco, CA
10/21/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Not sure why everyone complains about the bathroom door. I've been there a couple times and I have been able to lock it. It just needs stern push.
Very dark and crowded but people always find room to dance ( and by people I mean me).
