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Buck Tavern
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 4 pm - 12 am
Fri 12 pm - 2 am
Sat 4 pm - 2 am
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Wed, Thu
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Dive-y, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
93 reviews for Buck Tavern
Review Highlights
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"Buck is awesome now that Chris Daly has taken over." In 10 reviews -
"Has pool tables and old-school arcade games." In 17 reviews -
"The place is really great for happy hour." In 12 reviews
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93 reviews in English
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Review from Rick H.
San Francisco, CA
1/14/2012
Great neighborhood bar. Where everybody knows your name.
Very good bar food, try any of the burgers (classic, turkey, etc). Very good salads. Excellent choice of beers on tap. Friendly, down-to-earth, engaged barkeeps.
On any given night you could run into some of the 100s of neighborhood, political, progressive, community, denizens who call this place home. -
Review from Ken B.
San Francisco, CA
4/2/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Nice spot. Plenty of comfy stool, tables and seats.
Not sure I'd quite call it a dive, though. If there is that vibe, it's really the neighborhood outside.
Guinness and Harp on tap (works for me!)
Trivia Sundays at 7:00.
Competition-size pool table.
Three nice dart boards. (These are somewhat oddly placed, but workable.
Unusual little snug in the back with plush sofa and groovy lighting.
Food is standard pub fare, but quite tasty.
Chris is quite amiable. -
Review from Jennifer W.
Berkeley, CA
2/4/2012 2 Check-ins Here
unpretentious and cozy dive bar
plenty of seats and tables
good for groups
pool and darts
pints ($5) or pitchers ($10-12)
beer selection mediocre
food served
can easily have an audible conversation
older crowd
pleasant bartenders
cash or card -
Review from emily f.
San Francisco, CA
12/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Lame bar.
Came here on a saturday night.
Crowd is OLD middle aged people.
Drinks are weak. ( I ordered a Red Bull Vodka, pure Red Bull)
If you are a college kid or young adult looking to have fun, take your $$ somewhere else. -
Review from Jersey M.
San Francisco, CA
5/7/2012
I love this no-frills bar. Close to my work. Decent eats. I come here most Sundays for Trivia night and play darts out of here as part of the SFDA (http://www.sfda.org)
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Review from Sam A.
Santa Fe, NM
10/27/2011
Pinball! And the bar is owned and run by Chris Daly, who was working on the night we went. Nice guy, for an ex-politician... He taught the newbie bartender to pour stronger drinks right in front of us! I'd vote for this man!
I saw that they served food, but we were all on a liquid diet that night, but the food did smell good. Lots of great political vintage promo stuff on the walls, but really, this is a sports bar. Don't let the politics scare you off...
Warning: the drinks are slightly pricey. -
Review from J.P. N.
San Francisco, CA
11/16/2011
Love the vibe of this place! People are always so friendly & approachable - easy to strike up a conversation or launch into a game of darts.
Spirits are poured generously.
Like the progressive political bent & the social conscience. I've been to a couple fundraisers here (AIDS Lifecycle, Team In Training) and organizers told me how easy it was to work with the bar staff. I've also joined the monthly euchre nights (bizarre midwestern card tradition) and that's a throwback to my college days.
Chris Daly's business partner - I think his name is Ted - is one of the funniest guys on the planet. What he lacks in bartending prowess he makes up for in personality.
If this isn't enough to convince you, I've got two words...
Tater. Tots. -
Review from Lou Z.
San Francisco, CA
3/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
I come here every so often since I live close by. The service bites, every time. The over weight lady and owner are slow as f**k. Even when the place is relatively empty they don't seem to notice folks waiting to order or just don't care. The place is dirty inside and a bit on the expensive side, $5 for a pint.
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Review from Pedro U.
San Francisco, CA
3/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Good appetizers, beer and a pool table
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Review from Emily D.
8/2/2011
Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got. Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot. Wouldn't you like to get away? Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came. You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same. You wanna be where everybody knows your name.
A great neighborhood place to grab a pint, catch up on some political gossip, watch a Giants game, and decompress. I really really liked it.Listed in: Repeat Offenders
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Review from John G.
San Diego, CA
8/8/2011
Not a good place to go. Watered down drinks, but the drinks are still too expensive.
Dirty glasses, slow, rude service. Do they think people will come back or even tip if you can't get any services/drinks.
Bathroom even scarier and dirtier than the bar -- makes you think about not eating any food since how can it be safe or even clean.
Thumbs way down. Barf. -
Review from Lisa S.
San Francisco, CA
11/18/2011
Came here with a few friends last Friday night and it was pretty much empty for the hour I was there (10-11pm). Which was fine with me.
We ordered the nachos which were huge but not that delicious. My friend had a burger, of which I had a bite, and it was superb. The crispy chicken salad was good (although it's just chicken strips on lettuce), and the chicken wings were surprisingly small considering how ginormous all the other dishes were.
We played some pool and I think it was free? Well, I didn't pay, at least.
The bartender was nice.
I'd have to come back a second time to see if it deserves a full 5 stars. -
Review from Storm F.
San Francisco, CA
2/28/2012
This is my favorite bar in San Francisco hands down! Not only is it my favorite place to meet friends for a drink, it has also become my favorite place to get a burger and onion rings! The mood, patrons, and staff are always friendly and positive. And they have free pool. All making me a very happy returning customer!
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Review from Annette J.
Dearborn Heights, MI
7/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
I don't need a lot when it comes to a bar. Good beer on tap, a nice selection of the harder stuff, and a chill atmosphere with sweet tunes. I don't think that's too much to ask?
And yay for Buck Tavern who deliverers this in spades. It wasn't terribly crowded on a Friday post work so it was nice and easy to get a table for our party of 4. We split a couple of great cheap pitchers. They had some nice bourbons and whiskeys in bottles up at the bar which I give them points for. I'm not a bourbon drinker myself but the members of my party definitely got a glass of some bulliet rye and split it amongst themselves to try it.
Great tunes! I found myself singing along more than a few times. The space itself isn't anything terribly special. With a name like Buck it's exactly what you'd expect--dark wood paneling, kind of lodgy/divey feeling. I like it.
Great crowd as well. Nice and chill, not loud. One fella who is a regular there came over to our table to chat because my friend's boyfriend was rocking his Minnesota baseball cap. He's a native of MN as well and he chatted with us for quite some time. These are the types of folks that come and chill out here and they're my kind of people! -
Review from Carl L.
Lake Forest, CA
2/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Sweet bartender. Happy crowd. Strong drinks at a fair price. Please help keep this neighborhood gem a secret. Great burgers too
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Review from Tatyana K.
San Francisco, CA
4/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Dirty, divey and takes fooooooreeeeeveeeer to get a drink or close your tab, the people behind the bar were pretty involved in conversations with their regulars and could care less about me :(
I think the main reasons we went here were for cheap drinks and Chris Daly. Having had a beer and seen Mr. Daly, I will pass on coming here in near future. -
Review from Justin R.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2011
I'm pretty amused by all of the reviews since Chris took over.
Bitch, Bitch, Bitch.
Look, from what I gather, this place was going under. If you were already a regular, you weren't spending enough, often enough. And any regular bar customer should understand that coming often does not get you served faster. Come for the people, enjoy the bous.
I'm more than happy to sit and wait for my next drink while Chris tells some epic story or awkwardly coaches his successor on who he thinks should become D.A. That's what this place is now about. If you don't like it, go to one of the other 97,000 bars in San Francisco and stop crying, or fuck it, grab a bomber at the corner store and lean up against the BART station entrance.
It's on like donkey kong up in this place nowadays. It's often packed to the gills, more on weekdays than weekends. The State of the Union party was nothing short of millenial greatness.
This is a place for San Francisco Progressive Politics to call home. It's a place for people who like to say "Fuck" -- a lot. It's a place to meet people who don't just like to drink and eat hamburgers, but give a shit about the greatest city in the world.
There's always something decent on special since I've started coming, the taps are varied and reasonably priced, the food is great, and I can sit alone with a beer while waiting for a friend to show up and not even wonder if i will overhear something interesting, only what it will be. You might even find yourself sitting next to a current elected official, even one who doesn't agree with Chris about everything.
So to the old crowd, become part of the new crowd. Deal with the adjustment period. It'll be worth your while.
If not, noone cares. Chris doesn't give a flying fuck about his Yelp reviews. He's not looking for people to wander in who don't know where to go. He's packing the place with people who wouldn't dream of going anywhere else.
So come to the buck -- soon Daly's Dive -- order a Captain Outrageous, and meet the man behind the music.
*throws microphone down* -
Review from J M.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 1/21/2011
I was back last night during Happy Hour. New owner was behind the bar; and apparently customer service has gone out the window. Here's a hint: a "hello" or even "hi" would be nice before you snag $5 for my overpriced pint.
Jukebox would be nice too.
I'll check back again.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/16/2010
Buck's is OK... I would agree that it is inconsistent. The food is ok - pub grub fare - nothing… Read more »
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Review from Jerry W.
San Bruno, CA
10/29/2011
Went here on 10-28-11 evening, one of my friends texted me if I want to join them. Beer prices are alright ($5 for fat tire+ sierra nevada). My friends ordered the chicken wings, sliders+fries (not bad for what it is). One of my friends mentioned that glenny kravitz should throw a karaoke party here (I agreed).
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Review from Glen H.
San Francisco, CA
1/23/2012
Wouldn't set foot in anyplace owned or even associated with Chris Daly. Go back to Maryland, Mars or wherever you came from you bum!
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Review from Jamie C.
San Francisco, CA
3/4/2011
First off: the bathrooms are shockingly clean. I mean *really* clean. Sorry, I'm a girl, and that's important.
I have been dying to try this place ever since Chris Daly took over, so several friends and I went here for a drink after work last night (a Thursday). OK, several drinks. We arrived about 5:30. Things were pretty quiet, possibly around 10 people or so drinking quietly at the bar. The female bartender came over quickly and took our drink orders. She was very friendly and attentive. Another female bartender showed up later that evening, and she was extremely nice as well.
The drinks are very reasonably priced. At this point in the evening, there was music but it was not blaring, which is nice because I like to actually be able to hear what my friends were saying. Some guys came in to play pool and took control of the jukebox and they had good taste in music, thank god.
About an hour or so later, people began streaming in, many City Hall affiliated people. The music got turned up, the conversation volume got turned up, and it was really busy. By then, I'd had a couple of beers and that made shouting to be heard fine with me.
Chris Daly came in and was working, and was actually wearing a t-shirt that said "It's on like Donkey Kong" which cracked us all up.
We ordered food, and it was typical bar food. Not something you'd want to eat at a restaurant with cloth napkins,but perfectly good if you're drinking beer.
This was a fun night, and we will definitely be back. In fact, I can see this becoming a regular spot. -
Review from Charlotte D.
San Francisco, CA
1/6/2012
Stiff drink. Approachable bartender. Takes cards with no minimum required. Darts. Pinball. PINBALL! The crowds an eclectic mix of races and ages. They serve food too. Apparently there's a hotel upstairs so if u happen to meet the love of your life between cocktails they've got that covered too. The bartender likes portishead too and that's great because im mad for portishead and im mad for stiff drinks. Cheers
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Review from Aaron W.
10/12/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Interestingly, this tavern is owned by former supervisor, Chris Daly. I had never gone in because, well, I dunno, I thought it would be full of hunstsmen, but a friend who works at Zuni invited me there. So glad I found this gem. Not crowded, great decor, and late night bar food! The quesadillas are so great. Get them with grilled onions and avocado. And some onion rings. Mmm. Chivon is an amazingly fabulous bartenderette. I sing at Martunis so I'm over here a lot. I know I'll be stopping in!
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Review from Danielle L.
San Mateo, CA
1/25/2011
Ok, Chris Daly behind the bar. Message: If you are the only bartender, it's nice for you to have conversations with your regulars. However, if I am standing there for five minutes, the only person at the bar waiting for a drink, and I have to wait for your story to be done...come on, help a girl out here.
The burgers looked good (if I only ate burgers), the buffalo wings could have been spicier, the beer was a decent price (if I only drank beer) and when not conversing with the regulars the service was decently quick and the place was...reasonably clean, given it's reputation.
Not to bad, if I say so myself. -
Review from Min M.
San Francisco, CA
6/14/2011
I LOVE this place!
Not only does Chris have the great classic drinks in his fully stocked bar, but the cheeseburgers and fries are FANTASTIC! I'm gluten-free so it's always a treat when I find somewhere to eat. Especially when they have good food.
The 5th star, is for the wonderful work this place does to support the community. I've been to two fundraisers for the trans march and the clinic. -
Review from Dean C.
San Francisco, CA
12/8/2010
The Bar was OK, we held a party there and the party trays were much more than what was quoted when we got there. I ordered the tacos and they were almost three dollars a piece with very little meat in them.
The bartender on Duty was other than pleasant, we would not return to this venue.
Otherwise, I like the environment and they have a pool table.
I would not recommend for a party! -
Review from Magdelyn P.
San Francisco, CA
1/8/2011 1 photo
Friday, January 7, 2011 - Since I can't take my bicycle on Bart before 6:30pm, I left work early and was riding the new fixie I recently built. I saw a bunch of bicycles parked in front of Buck Tavern. I realized I had no money, so I went in search of an ATM. I came back, and locked my beautify 1930's Colson fixed gear bike outside. I went in and saw Chris Daly working the bar. I knew that he was termed out of office, and that the new Board of Supervisors was going to be sworn in the next day, Saturday, Jan. 8.
"What kind of whiskey do you have?" I said to Daly. He looked up, and started with Makers Mark. "I'll have that," I said. "Clean?" he asked. "Yes." I congratulated him on his ten years as supervisor. I snapped a picture of he and Mirkirimi. It was all good. -
Review from Robert M.
San Francisco, CA
8/25/2011
It has become a political statement to like or dislike this place. Forget the politics. It is simply a dive, and in the not-fabulous sense of the word.
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Review from William C.
Brooklyn, NY
2/24/2011
Good food. VERY cheap price drinks. Friendly bartender.
I'm not a bar type, but this worked for what it was needed for.
The bartender was also fun to chat with. -
Review from James S.
San Francisco, CA
7/12/2011
Mediocre food and drinks at a not very interesting bar.
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Review from Herra Chink y.
San Francisco, CA
8/28/2008
Yelp OH SNAPPED me and took my original review down because evidently it was a "little too graphic for the site" so I am reposting it with the graphic parts edited. Thanks for the tips on writing reviews, Yelp!
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So, let's get the useful [chocolate] out of the way immediately. This bar on Market Street is a [republican] bar. Albeit a very very friendly bar to straights, with delicious food (the chicken cordon bleu bites and ginormous plate of nachos are crazy awesome deliciousness, for instance) but it is very much a [Hillary] bar.
Is it the fruit infused soju cocktails (which IMO are disgusting), you might ask, Ed, that tipped you off?
No, it is not.
I suspected it was a [pineapple] bar but I wasn't really sure until I had to go to the bathroom. So I go to relieve myself, and I know that a) the bathrooms are super clean here and b) they're private so on my way there I kind of already unzipped the fly of my skinny jeans (I lost weight [crocodiles], SKINNY JEANS 4LYFE!!!). And I open the door with my [arms wide] open and oh lookie here, there's one man giving another man [a kitten] in the bathroom! And they didn't even lock the door, and I don't know why, but I didn't react. I just stood there, looking at them, one man with his mouth on the other man's [donut] (holy crap, [skinny] men must like, not be born with a gag reflex, cause the other homie was [thirsty] like a camel, and there was some full [bunnies] going on there!) and me with my [sunglasses] exposed watching this [Obama] in real time.
And the dude sucking the [dolphin] noticed me noticing him and didn't even stop and it was just an unsaid recognition that here I was, needing to [karaoke], while this man was [commenting on] another man's exposed [ankle] flesh like a lollipop (FYI, [prosciutto]). So I said "Oh, I'm sorry, you didn't lock the door" and the man with the [pony] in his mouth responded "it's ok, you can watch if you want" to which I courteously replied "no thanks, I just need to use the bathroom" and the [marshmallow]-filled mouth responded "this will only take a minute".
So yeah, this is a [puppy] bar. Albeit, a very very friendly bar to straights. But yeah, very very [Beijing 2008].Listed in: Are you da Ghhaaayy?
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Review from jared c.
San Francisco, CA
1/28/2011
I wish more bars were like this. Think of it more like a pub. No, not a gimmick called Paddy O'Something's with shamrocks on the walls and nothing but Guiness flowing. Rather, an actual pub. A place where people can sit around and talk, eat, drink, and hang out.
The music isn't so loud you can't hear yourself think, and the place isn't so dark you can't see 5 feet in front of you. These are both increasingly uncommon, and much appreciated. They have a couple of pool tables, lots of seating, and a decent selection of food that's tasty (but not anything to write home about). The food's a bit overpriced, but not ridiculous.
As for the ownership, I don't know anything about that. -
Review from Joe C.
San Francisco, CA
8/7/2008
I've got 4 good things to say about Buck Tavern:
(1) It's a gay bar, but almost more "bi curious" - I think 2/3 of the people in there last night were straight.
(2) It's got a pool table that nobody was using.
(3) The beer selection is decent.
(4) I met Rachel F's hot amazon friend here, and for that it will always hold a special little place in my heart.
I think I need to start a list of straight-friendly gay bars with pool tables. (as if any gay bar isn't straight-friendly . . . ahahaha)
Buck Tavern = 4 stars. Now go do some work you lazy Yelping loser. Yes, I am talking to myself. -
Review from phil h.
7/8/2008
Buck Tavern is kind of weird. 30 years from now it might turn into a cool dive bar but right now it seems as though it's trying too hard. I do like the fact that beer prices are cheap, selection is extensive and they have a couple of pool tables. Oh, and I loved the jukebox, especially when a table full of people next to us sang along to every Smiths song.
All in all, three stars. A decent option if it's between point a. and point b. but I'm not sure that I'd go out of my way to spend an evening here. -
Review from Atousa F.
5/15/2009
Time: 11.23pm.
Place: At my house, in my giant granny panties, hammered off my ass after a night at Buck Tavern, watching the Food Network.
Dudes.
The menu might seem prissy. They serve beer, wine, and "cocktails" made from soju.
Fuck that.
These drinks are potent.
I'm not sure what it is, but 4 pomegranate margaritas and a shot of "tequila" soju later, and I'm tanked off my ass and have turned into one of "those guys" who write Yelp reviews whilst shitfaced.
Good job, Buck Tavern.
I shall return!
Time: 11:26pm. -
Review from Audrey K.
San Bruno, CA
Updated - 11/7/2008
In one day you lose a star, Buck Tavern?
Why? Because my sweet angel and I wanted to come here after our show; we had a hankering for chicken wings, and you were closed! AT 11PM? the sign says open until 2am, and you were already locked up for business? What's up with that? We were bummed....I've heard tell that you make some spicy, saucy wings...and yet I still have to wait to find out :(
I'm assuming that you closed early because business was slow. Understandable. So that means its up to us Yelpers to check out this cool bar and come see you. But you gotta be open!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/5/2008
Wow, talk about being an incognito gay bar! I didn't even know it was a gay bar until I came to this… Read more »
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Review from Marcus C.
Boston, MA
7/2/2008
How do you chase hundreds of homos away from a bar? Serve only beer and wine!
As soon as I walked in, a group of my friends were leaving because they felt bamboozled into spending the evening at Buck Tavern. You see, most gays I know drink liquor. And not having liquor makes gays confused and angry.
I hope it's temporary, because I would appreciate a new place to hang. -
Review from Dave d.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 8/11/2008
Full disclosure: I started working here about a month ago...
It was well after I reviewed it the first time. But, I still give it 5 stars, because I have a blast every single night that I work. So this review is more for all the people that come in all the time, hang out and make this place great... you guys rock!!!!1 Previous Review:
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6/14/2008
I love this place.... lotsa good beer, good food that is served late. pool.
yeah, nice.
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Review from Lulu W.
7/27/2009
It's not exactly advertised as such, but the Buck is essentially a gay sports bar. it's where I go to watch the game when I don't feel like (a) wandering too far from home, or (b) dealing with the drunk fratty masses at places like Greens.
Not that I can't, won't or don't roll with the drunk fratty masses. But let's put it this way --
The Buck is where I burst into tears at the Bill Russell/K.G. embrace when the Celtics took the Lakers in game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals. The other dudes in the bar (mostly bears) joined me in this moment, not exactly crying but totally choking it back, nodding in sympathetic agreement with my outpour of hoops emotion.
-- essentially, yes, a gay sports bar. -
Review from Steven R.
2/27/2009
This place definitely fits my classic definition of "hidden gem".
It blends in with all the other crap on Market Street. You kind of don't notice it at first.
It probably gets overshadowed by the huge, light-laden Zuni.
Looking inside from the sidewalk, it doesn't look like much.
Then one day you come here and wonder why you haven't been here before.
Bar is open and spacious. It was the perfect setting for what I was looking for, a quiet place to have some Wednesday night pre-dinner drinks. The place wasn't crowded and the music wasn't overwhelming.
The bartender was great. He was chatty and entertaining without being too in-your-face. He helped my date and I share some jokes and even got us into a few conversations. The jukebox ain't bad either
Probably my only gripe is there isn't much interesting on tap, but that is remedied by a great selection of bottled beer including a few I haven't even heard of.
