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"I liked this place I really do. Was around the area, GF and I agreed to have a few drinks. Plenty of bars and such but we settled here.…" read more »
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as far as dive bars go, this one was pretty good.
visited Chinatown on a day a festival was being held and only escaped into it to get away from the crowds and find a restroom.
instead we found a group of dutch marines and some cheap beers.
spent the next couple of hours chatting with them and watching them air guitar with the stools to some johnny cash.
the bartender was efficient and didn't seem to mind them goofing off.
i suppose it can easily be a hit and miss.. but this day was definitely a hit.
I went to the Buddha Lounge about 17 years ago on my birthday. Behind the bar in a large pickling jar there is (was?) liquor with a real (preserved) cobra in it.
Already drunk, I begged and begged for a shot of cobra liquor. Since it was my birthday and I wouldn't shut up, the bartender (er, Hostess?) gave me a shot. I immediately blacked-out and lost 2 days of my life. This may have been the night I was stabbed but I am not sure since the entire weekend was a blur.
Moral of the story: never drink cobra liquor.
In order to get down to the bathroom you must get buzzed in by the bartender and head down through the wire gate. A bleach bottle held open the bathroom door however it would have been better served in scrubbing the floors. Scary, keep valuables close to you while in the bathroom if you venture down alone. Bar not bad, BUT......I wouldn't go again. Another review from "Eye on the Bay", I don't get what they see in places sometimes or maybe the bar was putting their best foot forward.
Like the rating says Eek! Methinks not
My out of town friends and I stumbled upon this hidden bar last night trying to find somewhere to go on a Thursday. It was within walking distance from Nob Hill, and probably the only dive bar in Chinatown.
It's very small but has a cozy, down to earth feel to it. There was no music when we came in and the juke box was only working partially- but I was surprised to see they have a couple of Chinese singer Teresa Deng's CD's, but no Bob Marley! No matter, we created our own fun with funky dance moves and lots of liveliness.
I might come back on a weekend just to see how the vibe differs then.
I thought this was a pretty chill place. I came here on a Friday night and the bartender was cool. The crowd was already smashed and I overheard some really "klassy" conversations. :) I had a good time, though I did not use the restroom.
I don't usually hang out in Chinatown at night, but if I happen to find myself in the area [once in awhile, I am in North Beach, and that's just a hop, skip, and a jump away], I'll likely stop in at Buddha Lounge. It's small, and there's an old juke box. It's not too loud, so you can easily grab a drink and chat among friends for a bit. The bartender [Mark] is great. He pours strong drinks and never fails to crack me up.
Check the other 99 reviews. You'll see what I mean.
My last visit left me worried for my life, wondering if I was allergic to that random new liquor from China that I decided to be adventurous about and try. Turns out it was just a reaction to an insect bite...
I hear the bathroom's disgusting, so I try to hold it until I get home. But if you really need to go, Mark'll buzz you in. He's got a bathroom gate buzzer every few feet under the bar.
I was really disappointed with Buddha Lounge. I walked in during a late afternoon on a weekend -- almost no patrons, no conversation from the bartender, no music, and higher-than-average prices. The last one really stung me. If you're going to be completely dead, at least dock me a buck or two on the beers.
This is the only bar I've been to in Chinatown that is just the kind I like (dark-ish, divey, room to sit, etc.) Pricier drinks than mission bars, I think because there is no happy hour, but great otherwise
This place looks really cool on the outside but really sux. To take a piss you need to get special permission and buzzed in to the basement, they don't play any music unless you feed the jukebox which sux again because me and the solo dutch tourist were feeling pretty awkward in that shathole. Then to top it off I am in there at 6pm and ask about happy hour . There is no happy hour! She said we don't need happy hour here. You don't? I was the only one in the place and I'm local and won't be back. piss off!
Where Mark the bartender will offer you a handjob for a five star yelp review and pour you generously portioned "whiskey and delicious"es without any hesitation. The jukebox is stacked with classics, the drinks are stacked with alcohol, and the bartender is one of the funniest and craziest guys around. This place is a riot, and I'm not just saying that cause the bartender offered me a sexual favor.
Great dive bar that is awesome for a couple laid back drinks in an area in which there aren't any solid options for drinks in the immediate area. Nothing fancy about it but your certainly not stuck paying for anything more than you get. Only downside is the lack of a happy hour.
Liar's Dice...
Hong Kong Special...
Missing Memories...
A pre dotcom crash buddy led me onto this place, and since then i've always been a fan. No, there is no neon, no dancing girls, no DJ.. just a jukebox filled with outdated tunes, an awesome owner/bartender, several drunks on the other end of the bar, the occasional tourist peering in at you with disgust, and a pretty nasty bathroom downstairs.
Oh did I mention they don't skimp on the alcohol? This is the best place to get drunk period. Good times!
I have been coming to this bar for years. This is where I learned to play Liars Dice from a true Master. Mark, the bartender, has been working there for years and has been voted the craziest bartender in SF for several years now. Although the bar itself is small and offers nothing more than drinks, it is a great place to hang your hat for a few hours.
This bar will go through phases where it is super packed with the north beach cast offs, and then suddenly all will be calm and peace will be restored and you will see the regulars that have been coming here for years just hanging out like the old days....
I highly recommend this bar to people who like dark cavernous dive bars where you can just chill and be mellow and have a great time....
What a fun place, my partner and I always stop in here after our frequent food frenzy up the street at the R&G Lounge. We always have a great time with the local patrons, and tourists. The bartenders certainly know how to pour a drink, and as dive bars go, I love the atmosphere (My partner thinks it is a little beneath him, but he is from the Orange Curtain, what does he know? Love him still) but, I have a great time, and that's what matters. Just one word of warning, if you have to pee, whatever you do, go use the Ladies Room trust me...
Classic and comforting culture clash. Hong Kong honkey tonk. Super low key place to have a beer with friends. I feel like the people who become regulars here must have been all around the world and decided that no single culture has got it all right - so might as well try to smash them all together in a single San Francisco style dive.
Stopped in here with some friends a few months ago looking to play liar's dice. The bar was fairly empty for a weekend. We played a couple rounds of liar's dice with the bartender, who was amazingly attentive. He was, as everyone says, quite a character. He made wild accusations, told a story or two, and was highly entertaining. They have a kickass jukebox here, filled with many older gems. I was hoping the place would be more full of people, as I was feeling gregarious and I really wanted to play liar's dice with others. We wound up leaving for Tunnel Top after awhile. I would definitely come back here again on a night when it was more populated.
Great and funny bartender. Heavy pours and good times. If you are looking for an unassuming good time where anonymous still means something, Buddha is for you. Great jukebox, cheap booze, and simpler times.
I walked in here with a friend for a drink before we embarked on a night photography tour of the city. Immediately the bartender commented on my camera & asked me if I planned on having lots of drinks.
I took this as, "I'm going to get you drunk, lock you in the basement bathroom area...steal your awesome camera when your drunk ass leaves it on the bar & then sell it while you stand up against the gate screaming about how it's your livelihood & you will die without it".
Luckily, I had only one drink.
And then we left.
They pour 'em strong here, though.
Just don't visit this place with any valuables--unless you want to get creeped out & potentially lose them.
Classic San Francisco dive bar. Play the bartender (Mark) liars dice to try to win a drink. Great place to end the night.
discovered this place when my friend, who'd been living in phoenix for the past couple months, calls me out of the blue a little after midnight and says, "jane! i'm in chinatown!" to which i responded incredulously, "there are chinese people in phoenix?!" turns out he meant he was here shooting dice.
it's little, dimly lit and seems to always have the same indescribable smell throughout. this is the spot.
This little bar is cute and fun but nothing too special. I came here one night with a few girl friends because it was right by my old apartment. We had a couple drinks each before going out elsewhere. We also played Liar's Dice (one of my favorite bar games!) with some boys at the bar and the bartender. Because we won, the boys bought us a round of drinks!
With my victory and liquid confidence, I slipped one of the boys my number as we left the bar. He took me on a nice date a week or two later but nothing came of it...
I love stopping here for a cocktail, because of:
- The scathing yet cheap Manhattans,
- The jukebox with Iggy Pop & Kate Pearson's "Candy," and
- The bartender Mark's committment to defending my ladyhood when a dude starts looming, yelling "back off! Can't you see she doesn't want to talk to you?!" Riveting.
I love stopping here for a cocktail, despite:
- The creepy downstairs, where I'm convinced I'm going to see a man tied to a chair a la Reservoir Dogs on the way to the restroom,
- Extreme crowding when a bar crawl comes in, and
- Mark the bartender suggesting I might actually be a man. Not sure why.
Still going back.
Solid four stars... Buddha Lounge is a small, yet lively little bar in the belly of China Town. After squeezing through the door and straight to the bar, we ordered some beers and found a place near the back wall.
Since Chinese New Year was in full swing, and the parade outside was just about to start, people seemed happy and ready to drink. (Just when you think its just another day of the week someone goes and turns a random holiday into an excuse to drink. I am along for that ride.)
The bartender was hilarious and we chatted it up with him briefly. We asked him about any late night Dim Sum places in the area that he would suggest trying. He compared getting Dim Sum at night to ordering a Egg McMuffin for dinner from McDonalds, it just isn't going to be fresh. We laughed.
The thing that really got me in the mood for a night on the town was the music. I think we lucked out and miraculously all great songs had been chosen that evening on the Jukebox. At one point I was thinking maybe this was because there was only good music to choose from, but no!! Nelly was in there smiling out taunting someone to pick from "Nellyville." Luckily it was only The Carpenters, Outkast, and some old classics that made it while we were there.
the bartender from canton, china bought me a shot. nuff said.
It was getting late, and we were being a typical indecisive group and didn't know where we wanted to go. "I want Chinese food", "I need to charge my phone first"....ok let's just use yelp and find a dive people! So we did and we came up with Buddha Lounge.
I went with one friend and the others were supposed to meet us (although they never did) I still had a really good time. Dives are not my fave, but from time to time I am reminded that they can be a fun change of scenery.
The bartender here rocks! There is only one so you will not get confused. Let him do his thing and mix you up mini cocktails or if you are brave you can try some sort of Korean Whiskey he keeps behind the counter in a funny shaped brown bottle. I was a fan of his "delicious" cocktail which had strawberry and orange vodka, club soda, ice and lime.He will chat, play dice with you, leave the bar for a quick smoke and pretty much make your stay as fun as possible.
The place was pretty empty (but it was a Tuesday) and a little dirty (but it's a dive). No complaints at this dive. Fun bartender and 4 drinks for $24, not bad. Oh, and the neon pink sign out front is a priceless tacky addition to the bar.
This place DOESN'T accept foreign tourists on Saturday nights or at least not from certain countries. Probably they want to keep a local unstylish atmosphere.
Last Saturday I went there with my wife. The bouncer didn't accept her passport as a valid ID, trying to quote some (unexisting) new rules from the bureau of alcoholic beverage control, ...
I asked him how, e.g. a British tourist could go into the pub, and he answered that he should get an ID from the DMV!! (everybody knows DMV does not issue ID's for non residents like tourists).
If this illiterate employee of Mandala Lounge ever saves enough for a trip to Europe, it would be nice that he is forced to stay out of all nightclubs and is refused any alcoholic beverage.
I have been coming to Buddha for almost six years now and Mark never fails to put a smile on my face. I have been with him through his marriage and the birth of his child, which has, unfortunately, slowed down his frenetic style a bit.
Never the less, this is place I can always go to have a drink, a friendly chat, and usually hustle some free drinks from tourists who want to play liar's dice with us...
I think this is where my friends dad got hit with a bottle on top of his head years ago.
He wasn't rude. He wasn't drunk. He wasn't cheap. He was white. HAHA, I really don't remember but you got to ask Jimmy for that one.
Anyway, I haven't came here since last time my friends from Fresno wanted to come here, I had no clue until he told me the story. So when I came in, I will always remember. I came in. I had one quick drink. I had to leave, I knew I didn't belong. Too witty for this area. Oh well....
It is very strange in here.......
The downstairs cellar (where the restrooms are located) has a gate on it. Is this where they lock you up if you are misbehaving? If so, then you would have it better than the people upstairs because there is more room in this near empty room than the upstairs bar provides. I would not put it past the bartender to lock you up if you are acting badly, because the bartender seems like the sort of guy who would do this if you got on his bad side. He would also be the type of guy to make sure he fed you plenty of alcohol for your entire imprisonment.
ahh the clash of tumblers playing liars dice, wonderfully drunken conversations and one of sf's most entertainingly awesome bartneders Mark. over the past 6 years i've had everything from my ass handed to me by perfect strangers at gambling to Mark not so helpful advice to a date about how to best end the date...ahh the buddha
If you're anywhere near china town or north beach- buddha is the spot to start/or dangerously end- the night. Extra points for being next to sam wos! woot! fiver stars easy
What an awesome hole in the wall dive bar! The place is super low key and with a completely a chill vibe. It's never super busy and the bartender Mark is one funny dude. The drinks are affordable with healthy pours, but there's only bottled beer. Having actually used the restrooms, the men's room at least wasn't nearly as bad as I had expected. There's also a jukebox with some classics. It's a great place to meet up with friends and shoot the shiz over a couple of cold ones. I will definitely be back.
Very strong drinks served by a cheeky chinese bartender in a dark, sticky, sleazy environment in the heart of Chinatown. Yeah, me rikey.
(No affiliation with the Buddha Bar in Paris, that I promise you. I promise you that.)
HOW BUSY IS IT?
This bar ranges from a quiet night of conversation with Mark (the solitary bartender) to a full on marching band riot spilling out into the street. (The private birthday party Extra-Action Marching Band performance would not fit inside.) Most weeknights fall on the quiet side of the spectrum, with unpredictable exceptions. Fridays and Saturdays can be a little raucous, so if you expect to sit or play dice, come early.
WHO GOES THERE?
The combination of a Chinatown dive bar with proximity to the financial core and north beach makes for an eclectic mix of patrons. You can expect to see professionals, hipsters, tourists, gamers, lawyers, misanthropes, locals, gamblers, and drunks. Misfits welcome. Occasionally some stripy shirts stumble down from North Beach, but it is more rare than it is common.
WHAT ABOUT THE BARTENDER?
If you've heard about the Buddha Bar, you've probably heard about Mark. Mark is the only evening bartender the Buddha has and he's been working the bar 6 nights a week for almost ten years. He will serve drinks, tell stories, gamble, shout, flirt with your date, and act as maestro of the madhouse. Preferred techniques are taking off his pants, shouting, throwing things, et cetera. To the uninitiated he may seem dangerous or insane. While these things may actually be the case, getting to know Mark will reveal a different character. Treat him as a friend and you will learn why so many people come back to the Buddha.
Also, to the other reviewers: He isn't from Tibet. He isn't "coked out" either.
WHAT'S THIS ABOUT DICE?
The house game is generally Liar's Dice, though there are other games to be played: Three's, one-four-twenty-four, or just drop 1 die.
If you feel up to it, Mark will play you for a beer, but only if you seem like you know what you're doing. (It doesn't do his business any good to leave people feeling hustled.) Also note that he doesn't owe it to you to play with you, so be polite. Lastly, Mark will not play you "just for fun". If you want to learn to play, play with your friends first. You will need the practice.
WHAT IS THAT STUFF IN THE CLAY POT?
It is called "Ng Ka Py", pronounced "NG GA PAY". It is a Chinese herbal elixir and it is largely there for the tourists. Given that there is no accounting for taste, I find it to be a vile combination of cough syrup, jaegermeister, and cinnamon mouthwash.
Ed M. might be my long lost brother and we don't even know it.
Apparently some of my brethren in LA Yelp mistaken him for me as he eloquently described the situation in his review of Damon's Steakhouse where hordes of female Yelpers clamored around him like a rockstar all because of mistaken identity of me.
OK OK, I kid about one part of that story. Just won't tell you which part.
I didn't mind letting him have my fallouts or groupies because I still remembered the first time I met him and the cool gestures he had shown.
On a afternoon of overstuffed dim sum lunch and sipping of bobba drinks at Ten Rens with a collections of misfit Yelpers both from the North and South of Fresno, we happened to upon an interesting door way.
It looked like a erecting....oh I can't really say it. You have to look at it: http://www.yelp.com/bi... . I don't want to say a certain Yelper was taking massive picture of it, but if you have to know... *cough*Miak.*cough*.
Going inside of this place, a small divey looking bar encase the joint. Right off the bat, my pal was already hitting on the two KC tourist enjoying their last sobriety moment before slurring into never-ending giddy laughs. Gotta to hand to my boy Mike for that.
I had honestly never heard of the Irish Car bombs. Good Ol' Ed M. was going to introduce it to us LA Yelpers and pop our Irish Car Bomb cherries on the spot. As you can see, the mad scientist Ed was at work mixing the drink to spite us http://www.yelp.com/bi... . However, he decided to join us on the fun.
No need to laugh, but he did finished the Irish Car bomb faster than 5 of the other participants from LA. Two of us blamed on the nasty bobba drinks. Ha!
The place was obscure on the corner of a Chinatown. I can only imagine tourist or some thirsty fellas looking to hit that quick drink would show up at this dive of a place. It looked very interesting enough on day time.
The fact he decided to shell out the muhla and paid for our drinks while trying to show us Chinatown was a gesture that was not lost on me. So obviously I was going to let him slide on mooching off using my name sake.
Now Ed, if you do have the phone numbers of some cute Asian chick from Temple City, I expect you to turn that over to me. You know that was meant for me right? Ha!
THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE BARTENDERS (ALL OF THEM)
buddha bar is actually easily 40 times as awesome than you might think. two thumbs up.
many of you may know mark, but how many of you have actually come here mid-day during turist hours. its actually just as awesome.
I gave it 2 stars because it's ok, but yea...I've experienced better. :) Below is my reasoning.
Buddha is alright by atmosphere and decor alone... Like Leo C. said, I probably wouldn't be here the whole night. Music is ok, drinks are alright and the crowd is...well, I don't notice them so much. Plus, it's not usually completely full.
However, with all that said, I think places are more about the people you are with so if you're with a group of friends, this place isn't all that bad.
This place was dead... which is exactly what I wanted for a quick 15 minute escape from a wedding reception.
-1 one star for giving me a lemon when I asked for a lime.
+1 star for the bartender claiming he was 'chirish'
-1 star for not having Guinness on tap after such a claim.
Undecided on learning from him that 'once you go asian, you never go back'. Still thinking that one over.
Cheap, quick, small. I probably would not spend my whole night here, but it's a great place to stop for some cheap drinks. You'll definitely find some weird people here - I think we were drinking with some homeless woman who came in off the street and bought some drinks - but the bartender is kind of funny and pours your drinks strong.
tbh, if I were a single female, I definitely would not come here alone...
Patience, forbearance, compassion, and the search for inner peace. These are all qualities exemplified by Buddha. The bartender exemplifies none of these qualities, nor does he try. This is a man who speaks his mind, whether you like it or not. That's what makes this place great.
Great f'n jukebox. Cash, Willie, Orbison, Chemical Bros, Physical Graffitti... you get the point.
I tried the mysterious liquor with the Chinese label. Rumor has it that this made a previous customer cough until he choked out a toenail the bartender lost when stomping out this drink in the basement. I didn't fare much better. Just ask for the "boo-GAH-bee."
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Nightlife
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
Category: Dive Bars
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