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Categories: Indian, Lounges, Dance Clubs
Neighborhood: MissionTue-Sat. 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 10:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
"Loved it! I'd definitely go back again anytime I was looking for some Indian food that was a little "out of the way" from the South Bay.…" read more »
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An apparent hole-in-the-wall place that is actually quite nice inside. Cute people, relaxed atmosphere, and a tank of free water for moments when you don't want a drink. That makes me ask for more alcohol, contrary to some other *sshol* bartenders' opinion that I have found in my wanderings.
Good place
I like this place! Pretty chill and good drinks. Enjoyed a bollywood video projected on the wall.
Seemed solid, a little quiet. I haven't made it back here in a while but I do plan to go back next time I'm craving a unique, sorta chill, mission bar.
Oh you know when that bartender turned his pale green eyes towards me last night and said in that husky voice (what are you having?) I sort of wanted him to jump over the bar and kick off a Bollywood number. He would have picked me up and swirled me around and everyone there would have jumped in on the action as our back-up dancers.
But seeing as I'm not living in a film, I simply said, "The pineapple sake drink, please" and smiled at him politely. Because sadly, here in the real world, Bollyhood the bar lacks a little. The drink menu consists of juice and sake or champagne combos, neither of which does much for you when you're craving something interesting.
I'm almost positive those Bollywood dancers drink something much more much more hypnotic, otherwise, how could they go on for so long? *sigh* Next time I'll bring my flask.
sorry for being so lazy about updating a review. for that matter, for even visiting!
i spent an evening last year watching a debate between obama and mccain projected on what i think was a wall(?) at bollyhood and really enjoyed myself. it's a great venue and i love that they put on interesting events outside the realm of dance dance dance. not that there's anything wrong with that.
the only thing that made me frowny was waiting FOREVER to get a beer----perhaps that night they were overcrowded and understaffed?
i'll be back, eventually.
I was lucky enough to see this place a few months ago, before they opened.....speaking of that, are… Read more »
Taught the German bartender how to sake-bomb.
I followed a trail of glitter and vinyl scraps to get here for a friend's glam themed birthday party. I must admit, I had a *great* time despite the 2 star rating. Reason being, I think the awesomeness was all because of the hilarity of seeing crazy space robots and madamouiselle's all jumping around together to MJ and Madonna, not the venue. Here's my problems:
1) NO LIQUOR. wtf? Chimay on tap is cool though.
2) Place has 1 shared bathroom featuring a 20-30 minute wait to pee. Don't wait till its an emergency, or you'll go in their kitchen instead.
3) In an attempt to recreate India in SF, I could do without the *searing* heat. Seriously, it was at least 100 degrees in the place. Can someone install a damn fan?
4) Difficult to get a drink because the bar is small.
Now, I don't know what the typical crowd is like, but if they were as cool as the other party guests, then I'd bump this rating up another star, but I'm doubting that is the case since I saw at least 2 guido types there (clearly they had no clue what they just walked into).
I'd keep looking if I were you. My fav. dive-y/dance-y place in this area is Delerium. Check them out.
My pet peeve with this place. How can you have a name called Bollyhood Cafe and not play any Indian music? And to have the Slum dog CD and tell us it isn't working? ARGH! No alcohol, only beer and wine.If it weren't for the fact that we were the only large group in the bar... about 15 of us who were all drinking I don't know what Bollyhood would have done that Sat night. My friends Ipod saved the day luckily!! And the owners were nice enough to let us plug that in since the Spanish DJ cancelled.
All in all great place... however you want real Indian music go to a Desi party!
I was treated like such a chump here tonight. I checked a couple weeks ago and was definitely told that they were still doing the half priced beer for Thursday happy hour until 7:30 pm so I suggested the place for a meetup group.
The first problem was when I showed up at 6:30 and asked if they still had the half price special and the bartender didn't say " sorry we aren't doing that any more", What she did do though was look at me like I was crazy and said, "no it's only a dollar off".
At that point I honestly just wanted to leave but like I said people were meeting me there so I waited outside till the group organizer showed. We didn't like the new deal but decided to make the best of it.
So then I give it a go for the dollar off beer and ordered a kabob, here's problem number two. The bartender told me that they didn't serve food anymore and she handed me a menu for the place next door. The freakin Bollywood cafe food menu is written on a chalk board, if you aren't serving the food anymore erase the damn chalk!
Are you ready for problem number three? I go back up for another beer and the keg ran out so they had to change it. I came back a few minutes later, about 7:15, I was charged full price for the beer. I asked the bartender when the happy hour ended she said "I don't know, seven o'clock".
Even if they didn't treat me like a tool the honest truth is that this place has jumped the shark. I doubt I'll ever set foot in there again.
Two blocks from my house and I just got a chance to try this place out. They have half priced beer… Read more »
Super crowded dance floor as the clock approached 12AM on NYE 2008. Lots of sweaty bodies rubbing against each other, and the pungent odor of alcohol slowly infiltrating my already stuffed nostrils made this on par with a night at Blake's on Telegraph in Berkeley.
The bartender was only taking cash, the champagne was unappetizing, and it was so hot the windows were steaming up and no one thought to open a door to let in fresh air.
However...
....super NYE kisses from loved ones
....better beats than a cheap downtown SOMA party
....mellow, casual environment
....bathroom where there was no line.
Go to Bollyhood on Jan 31st and see Musical Mutiny! They rock!!
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My friends band was playing here so I grabbed a couple friends and met her there. Obviously, this place is Indian inspired - Bollyhood, Indian art, the movie The Darjeeling Limited was playing on a big screen... but my friends band plays Spanish music.... Whatever! They had alcohol so I'm good!
Really like this place and the atmosphere. (Cute boys there the night I went). The bartender that helped us was BEAUTIFUL ... I think I even hit on her in my drunken state! :-/ sorry!
One suggestion... do not drink Chimay beer... that sh!t is lethal!!!
Q. Is Bollyhood Cafe as bhangralicious as Barack OBollywood?
http://www.youtube.com...
A. NOPE. (But it's pretty damn close!)
Saturday night recap: Awesome space, terrible drinks, terrible bar staff, ear-bleeding music and a crap DJ.
-------------------------------------------
Wait in line to get it. Then wait longer to get a drink.
Crap, they're out of every drink you ordered and are threatening to wait on someone else!
NOOOO! Just give me THAT!
OK, bad choice.
So what! Let's dance away that creeping suspicion that this bar actually sucks.
Why is the DJ only playing ranchera music?
Oh god, he won't STOP.
Why is that chubby hippie chick dancing salsa in her bra -- to RANCHERA music,
You should just go buy a burrito at el farolito and jam out to ranchera music there, this drink/music/crowd really sucks.
This place is nuts!
A funky Bollywood lounge that instantly teleports you to Mumbai.
I was here for a Brazilian Party on Saturday (get this: a Brazilian Party - in an Indian-themed club - with the most diverse crowd you can imagine - to celebrate the cultural mix I decided to order sake - go figure - only in San Francisco - Once again, I am reminded why I love this city so much).
The bartenders are super cool and relaxed. Prices are very affordable.
Didn't try the food.
Decor: very orange. Crazy posters. Feels like "Slumdog Millionaire". Loved the movies projected on the giant screen.
Cons: just one restroom. For both gals and guys. At 1 AM, the line went around the block. Police in riot gear appeared to manage the crowd.
You got to try it at least once in your lifetime.
Why? Reggae music at a Bollywood bar? Huh? It makes no sense...
However, the food was nice and spicy, they didn't skimp on that, which I enjoy. I like spicy. In addition, they had a decent Pomerol on the wine menu, which listed as heavy towards non-descriptive French regional wines. Everything is reasonably well prices, and I did rather quite enjoy myself.
But man...reggae music in a Bollywood bar? Can someone explain this one to me?
Although they get mad props for having the vision to create such a necessary space, the execution has been less than stellar. I visit Bollyhood Cafe fairly often, as I like the people that go and I'm always hopeful that the bathrooms will have soap, the food will be less expensive, and they'll have playlists on their off-nites that don't play the same exact song over and over and over and over again... nonstop for 2 hours.
Here's hoping something changes, because this place, space, idea, and need is precious.
Ok - so I gave it a second shot on a Thursday nite and the place was rocking! We went there around 10ish and it was pretty packed (as opposed to my first time when there was literally nobody inside at 11 on a sat nite).
The music made all the difference - the DJ was superb and he played everything from Bhangra to reggae - and his mixes were fantastic. The dance floor was packed and we all had an awesome time!
And I didn't notice this the first time - they have Kingfisher and Sopporo on tap. Now, those are two solid reasons to go back to this place.
Bollyhood has a made a comeback in my books!
We went there to celebrate my 30th and boy were we disappointed. Like some other reviewer mentioned,… Read more »
I won't dance, don't ask me.
But I will drink! Where else can I get Indian beer? Bollyhood sells Kingfisher on tap.
Maybe I will dance, after all.
This place is nothing extraordinary, but I had a really great time here last night... Tagged along with Seong who was attending someones birthday... Unlimited open bar... Belly dancers... DAMN GOOD cupcakes (and I usually don't like cupcakes)... dancing... east coast style hip hop... huge, and I do mean HUGE grey goose chilled shots...
And a special drink made just for the bday boy that was called a B30, which contained SIROP. Not syrup. SIROP. So excuse me while I
sip sip sip on my siiiiizzzzrop... i'm just sip sip sippin' on my siiiizzzzrop....
Minus one star for having only one bathroom...
Loved the space and LOVED the band (Goooo Musical Mutiny!!). The chaat was kind of crap, and they had those goddamned sake/soju cocktails. That automatically makes them lose a star. (I know, I know, getting a real liquor license is impossible/expensive).
It was also, like, 1.7 billion degrees in there. Come on, yaar -- get some A/C. Mad, or what?
Fun, chill place to start the evening with a drink and some samosas. The bartenders can be a little clueless though.
Later at night, there's a cover and there can be some intimidatingly good dancing going on. Someone once told me that dancing to Indian music is as simple as pretending to screw in a lightbulb with one hand and pat a dog with the other hand, but the dancers here proved otherwise.
I'm going to get to know this place better, and I'm excited.
My neighborhood friends and I are happy hour junkies. But lately we've found ourselves becoming slightly predictable. We really only have two happy hour programs, and we're kinda feeling like losers. It goes a little something like this...
At approximately 3:00, I wander upstairs to the office of my coworker, dear friend, and partner in crime...
"Swood, I hate my job. I hate my life. I need a drink. Let's go someplace after work and be punk rock."
And Swood says, "Okay -- how about the others?"
And I say, "Give me half an hour and I'll report back."
I then email my friend and neighbor, Zoe. Which is a formality, really. She then predictably asks if we'll be executing Plan A or Plan B tonight...
Plan A consists of...
Burritos and Pacificos at Papalote immediately after work, followed by "margies" at the Latin American Club, and a swift tumble to the floor sometime around 9:00.
Plan B consists of...
A gluttonous amount of $3 handrolls and $2 carafes of hot sake at Tokyo Go Go and a painfully full and drunken crawl home down Valencia.
We always debate for a few emails about whether or not there's anything "different" we can try, but we always -- ALWAYS -- choose either the Mexican or Japanese program.
Always.
I then buzz Swood with the game plan, she gets the final player -- Jane -- in place, and we're out the door.
And this is how I waste much of my time, money, and brain cells.
But now -- there is hope for us. We can be worldly again. We can add INDIAN to the program. And maybe even dairy-free dessert...
Way too many bottles of Maharaja, way too many chutney tea sandwiches, some classic Bollywood cinema to entertain the few brain cells we have left, and a classy stumble a few blocks home along Mission Street.
Now THAT is worldly. My trifecta is complete...
I have been to this place for a number of times for different things: My wife had her birthday party there some time ago and I realized then how much I liked the place. Great decor, comfy seating, great staff. Their location in the Mission makes it accessible and attractive to those of us living in the area. Oh, and SAMOSAS (with a dee-lish little green salad on the side!)
I have also used this space as a venue for our club and I have to say that everything went off without a single hitch, thanks to the gracious management and friendly and attentive bar staff. It's always great to have the kind of cooperation that the Bollyhood staff provided. I felt like I was a guest in their home and the 120 or so people that attended had only great things to say about the venue as well. Bottom line - complete success!
Waited 40 minutes for microwaved packaged bullshit from Trader Joe's in tiny portions, which still arrived cold anyway!
They have no kitchen, no service and no experience.
These guys don't deserve to be running a business.
I want to give them zero stars, but Yelp won't let me - avoid this place at all costs.
*Sigh* I had high hopes for this place after one of my party girl friends raved about it, but I just wasn't feelin it.
There was a $5 cover to get in, which kinda annoyed me because there was no crowd outside, whereas Little Baobab a few doors down sure did. In fact, I almost missed Bollyhood completely had it not been for the guy on the stool who mentioned the $5 cover.
Walk in and yeah there was a DJ, but not many people were dancing. There's nothing more depressing than an almost empty dance floor on a Friday night (cue montage of San Jose club scene circa 2006...).
Being on 19th & Capp after dark was a surreal experience in and of itself; the bf and I couldn't help but wax on how we would've NEVER wandered into this area, in the dark or even just afterschool, a few years ago. So, as many people have written already, the idea is nice but the energy is lacking. I would've been better off following the waft of dank into Little Baobab. Maybe next time.
The place says they're open til midnight, at 10:30 on tuesday they looked fairly deserted. The bartender (manager) assured me I could come in. Bartender stayed there with me talking til 11:30 and was incredibly friendly and polite considering i was the only one there, and he could have gone home.
I was able to chat up the staff and get some good info: the food is organic, and the owners are still tweaking the menu. I hear brunch might be coming at some point.
I had a damn tasty curry, with cauliflower, fish, and sweet potatoes served in a fresh coconut, with the juice as drink. And a really rich persimmon lassi that i can not praise enough.
No official opening party yet, i can't wait to see what they think of for drinks and menu additions.
I've never been to Bollyhood at night - this review is for their newly opened cafe! They just started opening early (10:30am) and serving delicious coffee and pastries. It's a really gorgeous space and the people who work there are very sweet and will make you feel right at home.
They're also having events and concerts there, which I haven't been to yet but look forward to. It's a big space and seems perfect for that.
Fair enough. They just opened and they're still working the kinks out, so we're all pulling for them. We'll try it out again in a few months.
The night we went it was loud and the bar was lit brightly...both of my friends ordered a Chimay on tap, but one friend got it in a small glass and the other got it in the regular Chimay glass, but they were charged the same amount. When my friend complained that the beer was not cold enough and asked for a chilled glass, she received a frustrated answer from one of the guys behind the bar who said they don't have chilled glasses and to trust him that the beer is cold because the keg has been there for 2 months! :o
There's customer service for you....but I'm sure they were just overwhelmed and understaffed as dirty glasses collected on the back bar counter within customers' field of vision and trays of food sat under the hot lights of the bar for extended periods of time.
I hope that they can find their groove because people want this place to work. The pani puri that they offered us in martini glasses a gratis played off of the beer very well.
So what should you expect?
-Friendly wait staff
-Great music
-Hip cliques
-Finally some diversity in the Mission
So what should you not expect?
-Alcohol (only beer & wine)
-Snacks (which you can try to make a meal out of)
-Lush amenities: no coat check nor lounge chairs.
-To bring a large entourage (the place is small, so travel light)
Enjoyed myself.
I agree with Karthik below, I had such MAJOR expectations for this place, but I was sadly disappointed.
First off, I was craving some hot indo snacks like samosas and pakoras - none available, so they should probably remove the "tapas" listing.
Second, I miss indian movies, and was hoping to see some good stuff on screen - no dice, it was masked by Justin Timberlake beats and Fergie.
Third, the food we did order did not deliver, it was cold and tasteless.
Fourth, get your stuff together AND THEN open a cafe, lounge thing.
Fifth, the bar tenders were shuffling around some finger foods within like 15-20 people...gross.
About the only thing I appreciated was the King Fisher on tap. I'll visit again to support the concept, but this place has a lot of work to do to get the third star.
This place rocks! Food is tasty - an order of samosas or a kati roll will tide you over - and there are always great events going on.
A great addition to your nightcrawl.
Um, kind of.
This place was put up in like ten minutes, and it's really pretty dingy.
Moreover, it's ridiculously loud, with next to nothing to absorb the relentless techno-thumping of Punjabi MC or whoever is spinning the Bollywood rave track.
And worst of all, this joint has the audacity to charge $11 for at least one of the glasses of wine.
Let's not get crazy here.
Another underwhelming experience. How hard is it to be in stock on your key items? They were out of the kathi rolls again, and while I was waiting for my order they ran out of two types of beers for another crowd. And the pens didn't work. Can't knock the service, the bartender was earnest in making things right, but this is too many misses.
The chutney sandwich was tiny as promised - don't mistake this for an entree. The packed fruit crepe brings bollyhood up to three stars, barely.
This place has promise, but they are still working out the kinks. Namely the menu. I was all ready… Read more »
This is a preliminary review since I went during the soft opening.
Pretend opening or real opening, there is no accounting for the use of frozen products in your dishes. I tried the samosas and they were clearly either made with frozen wonton wrappers that were stuffed by the restaurant, or worse, the entire samosa was purchased frozen and then fried.
This is my first review to call out a place for their use of ingredients, but I was so disappointed that I decided to do it. I will go back here one more time to try to the full menu but my expectations are very, very low.
3 stars based solely on good beer prices and it's not crowded. $5 for Chimay on tap, $4 for most other beers.
I went to Bollyhood just to get some beers and meet a friend. It's nice because it wasn't stuffed with people. The bar area is kind of tight because a wall is only about 4 feet from the bar stools. If you're sitting at the bar expect to get bumped a lot. The big leather couch next to the door is a nice spot to sit but the damn door doesn't swing closed so every time somebody comes in or goes out you have to close it yourself.
I didn't try the food. It looked like this place doesn't have a real kitchen -- just a microwave and a hot plate. They might get their food from a decent caterer somewhere because my friend had the food and said it was fine.
The management is nice because they let us sit around and finish our beers even after they locked up (around 1AM Sat night/Sun morning)
My friend, a beautiful young Salvadoran lady danced samba here, so we went to watch...the music before and after the performance was good, Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, Reggaeton, and then the Samba show, the band playing with them was Great, wish I rememebered their name. Anyways, this place was small, but a happy crowd and everyone wanted to dance. Don't come if you are going to be pretentious and annoying, this is not a club club, it's a Mission bar that supports local artists with the option of dancing.
Tried to go here with some friends after work for Happy Hour. Closed sign was up at 6:15 though there were people milling about inside, we asked them if they were open. They said Yes as if we were idiots then we let then know the closed sign was up.
We saw online they had drink specials for Happy Hour, however the bartender didn't seem to know or care about them. We were virtually ignored the entire time, which was strange as we were the only freakin people in the bar.
Not worth your time when there are so many other bars in the Miss. We walked down to Docs Clocks had cheaper stronger drinks and played shuffle board so the night was not a total loss.
UPDATE: Someone from Bollywood actually contacted me and apologized for my experience. They told me they have retrained their bartenders and made placards for their Happy Hour. I will def retry and update my review at that time. Nice to know they are listening to feedback and working to make their service better.
To be fair, I must say that Bollyhood Cafe is not officially open just yet. But can't I still get a nice, warm welcoming and an explanation of WTF is going on in here??
My posse and I entered this place and dug the ambiance - vintage pictures of bollywood films on the korma-colored walls, ongoing bollywood movies playing on a projector, and interesting music. However, no one really cared to greet us, and finding a way to fill our empty stomachs was like playing a game of "twenty questions" with the bartender. She seemed utterly confused by my inquiries for food and had a difficult time explaining me that the only food choice was a $7 buffet. Sweet! The food was pretty good and definetely inexpensive, but I can't say that it's Indian food. The buffet includes two veggie dishes and two meat dishes along with rice. All the food was covered with foil and the buffet-server lid, making it not so accessible and quite annoying.
Also, it felt like 50 degrees in there, which is why I left as soon as I finished eating.
Overall, I think this place has potential and may merit a rereview in the future.
This place is so much fun!!!!!! I went on a Friday night and ended up staying for the electro party. I'm definitely putting it down as a favorite place to go out in SF.
I reviewed this place a few months back and had given it 1 star. The place has come a long way since its soft opening earlier this year. The crowd is diverse and so is the music on Thursday and Saturdays...everything from indian pop,bhangra, latin, african and arabic.
The food isnt great and they serve only beer and wine. The only other thing I not a fan of is the $5 cover. It would be nice if they made it easier for people in the neighbourhood to just pop in without opening the wallet at the door.
I think I've found my new local bar.
First off, great food. The Pani Puri is amazing! Its a little bite-size piece of heaven for only $1 for 2. The other appetizers are also equally tasty and made with loving care.
Second, great beer. All I need to say is ... Kingfisher on tap. Hello! One of the only places in SF, if not the only, to have the great Indian beer available from the joy-giving spigot.
Third, great music. With DJs and live music during the week, this place is going to be rockin' continuously. Definitely stop in to check out the scene there. Its going to be fun, unique, and really get your booty shaking.
Finally, great people. Everyone there, from the staff to the patrons, are out to have a great time. You feel like you're in a group of friends.
Oh, and ask them to play the "Lexicon of Indian Head Shakes" on the vid. It's a sure crowd pleaser. :)
2 for 1 drinks
Neighborhood: SOMA
Two Dollar Tuesdays
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Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Lounges
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Dance Clubs
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Dance Clubs
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Dance Clubs
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Bars
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