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City Tavern

2.5 star rating
based on 221 reviews

Category: Bars  [Edit]

Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
3200 Fillmore St
(between Greenwich St & Moulton St)
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 567-0918
Price Range:
$
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Street
Good for Groups:
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
Yes
Best Nights:
Tue, Thu, Fri
Happy Hour:
Yes
Alcohol:
Full Bar
Smoking:
Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
Coat Check:
No
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"Quick service, good seating, great vibe...awesome drinks.    Let's talk about the Sangria...I have not had a Sangria worth its weight since…" read more »

221 reviews for City Tavern

Review Highlights   

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"stars are for the AWESOME happy hour special." (in 32 reviews)
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"City Tavern is great for one reason: Twosdays." (in 9 reviews)
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"I've only been here for $2 Tuesdays and it's great." (in 12 reviews)
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Sort by: Yelp Sort | Date | Rating | Elites'
Photo of ameer n.

Elite '10

22

533

ameer n.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
12/25/2009

i hit up $3 thursdays.

$3.00 for all these appetizers, of them i liked the pizza and wings.

for some reason the beer tasted off, as in watery-ish.

this place gets a bit of a bad rep, but the area it's in and the clientele that frequent this area aren't normally found at places like this.

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Photo of Josh B.

 

14

1

Josh B.

San Francisco, CA

1 star rating
1/2/2010

Let me start by saying DO NOT GO HERE!

Went here for lunch on New Year's day.  This place was not nearly as busy as the others that we walked by and thought it would be a great place to grab a quick bite.  We ordered and waited for nearly an hour for our food.  When our waitress finally came by again (she never bothered checking on us or refilling any of our drinks) she said our food would be up any minute.  15 minutes later and still no food.  I flagged down another waitress and asked her if she could just cancel our order and bring us the bill for our drinks.  She rudely said "didn't anyone tell you that it takes an hour to get food here?"  I replied no and stated again that I would like the bill for our drinks.  She got our waitress who came back over and apologized and said that the drinks were on her.  

We got up to leave and the rude waitress yelled across the restaurant that we were trying to leave without paying.  The entire restaurant looked at us!  It was so embarrassing.  

Probably one of the WORST experiences I've ever had in a place of business.

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Photo of Joey S.

Elite '10

22

126

Joey S.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
11/19/2009

Came in here on "Twosday" and I must say it is a great place if you want to get bent, watch a game on the screen, or get a quick bite to eat.  They also play a good mix of good hip-hop too!

The "Twosday" deal is something where I will never look back on having to wait hours for tacos at other too popular and mediocre places for the marina *cough* Nick's Funky Tacos *hack* *burp*.

No dish is actually that amazing, but for $2 you can't go wrong.  The turkey burger is pretty bland but it's actually entertaining to eat if you reminisce about elementary school lunches.  The margherita pizza and regular burgers go down just fine and the honey dijon chicken tenders are a must.  I would definitely pass on the janky hot wings though.

Service is mostly intermittent and apathetic (except for the guy with dreads), but all in all a great place to come back to for the $2 Tuesday specials!  Oh yeah, details: 3pm-10pm; $2 drafts (which may be shut off by management), $2 bottles (tiger, heineken, hef, corona, stella, etc), $2 food (turkey and regular burgers, pizza, pasta pomodoro, cesar salad, chicken tenders, fries, etc).

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Photo of Paul S.

 

0

10

Paul S.

Dublin, CA

1 star rating
1/13/2010

AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!!!!
This is my very first review and unfortunately it is not a positive one.
Went to this place for a drink on a weeeknight, I was with a group of friends and not really expecting much.
We sat at a booth expecting to get service under a regular time frame, the place was full of people so for the first 15 minutes we didn't even worry about it.
The waitress kept walking past our table but we figured she was busy, about 30 minutes into it and after making repeated signs that we wanted service and being completely ignored, we started getting aggravated.  A couple of minutes later we saw the waitress go over to a nearby table and start on a non service related conversation with a couple of people for more than 5 minutes, meanwhile our table hadn't been offered as much as a glass of water.
We were into our conversation so we were still not making a big deal out of it, eventually she came, we placed a simple order of drinks which she brought with one of the drinks being wrong.  After such a long wait we thought it was ridiculous, but we were still cool about the whole thing, so when we told her about the mistake she had made, she started arguing with us....Unbeleivable!!! In fact her attitude was so rotten, that she really annoyed all of us, she basically said it was our fault for not ordering clearly, not one single apology....It gets better....After being treated so poorly, we decided that we should have a word with the manager as we felt we had been mistreated.  We asked the waitress politely if we could speak to the manager and she claimed that both mnagers were working the bar and that if one of them could, they would come over and talk to us,  about 3 minutes later, this black guy with dreads in his mid to late thirties (apparently the manager) yelled very loudly in our direction from across the bar (we were about 15 feet away), and in front of the bar: "Hey Booth number 2, what do you want to talk me about that you want me to come over there?"....Un-freaking believable, it all became very laughable to me aat this point since I figure that with the atitude of this manager it is not surprising the waitress got away with being so rude.
I am not really sure who owns this place, but I have rarely received this kind of treatment, if I was the owner I would get myslef a new manager and a new waiting stuff.  In all fairness I did not try the food so I have no comment about that.

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Photo of Caroline J.

Elite '10

270

134

Caroline J.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
9/20/2009

Despite what some might think of the Marina.... I've always had a positive experience at City Tavern. It's nothing special or worth bookmarking - just another average Marina Bar. The restaurant is perfectly sized and well set up for casual cocktails or a late night bite. It maintains a mellow atmosphere, good service, and a comfortable crowd most nights of the week. The oval shaped bar is easily accessible and the bartenders are quick, attentive, and friendly. Large booths and tables create an indoor restaurant space - making it the perfect place for groups. Diners can find an assortment of salads, soups, sandwiches, burgers and other average eats. Restaurant service runs till late night - you'll have to try the fries for an after bar bite! City Tavern also has GREAT happy hour for those who want to enjoy an earlier (and less expensive) evening.

Is City Tavern a standout special spot? maybe not...... But it does have a sweet deal for  a marina meal or happy hour steal :)

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Photo of greg c.

 

0

1

greg c.

Marin, CA

5 star rating
1/25/2010

was in the bar on watching football on sunday and end up leaving my
wallet on the table.took me about 25 minutes to figure out i left it.
rushed back to find that the bar tender had it ..
all cash was still in there and the guy would not take a tip (100 dollars)
NICE TO SEE SOME PEOPLE STILL HAVE INTEGRITY...

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Photo of Nam N.

Elite '10

257

407

Nam N.

San Jose, CA

3 star rating
8/15/2009

City Tavern seems to be a place we frequent when we're in the Marina and are too lazy to decide to go anywhere else. True story.

We ended up coming here for their Sunday brunch. And after a long night in the city we were in desperate need of breakfast food to flush out our systems. I ordered the eggs benedict but thought I would switch it up and got them Florentine style. (Spinach, mushrooms, and crispy bacon instead of the traditional EB).

It came out with my standard brunch Bloody Mary cocktail and I was pleased to see that it wasn't too large of a portion. The EB were pretty tasty and I was glad to have gotten the crispy bacon since the hollandaise needed a bit more salt that the bacon offered. Bloody Mary was just "meh".....But hands down, the home fries stole the show. Deliciously crispy and savory. YUM!!!!

On a random note, I met a few friends one Tuesday for their $2 Tuesdays Happy Hour and discovered they served a vodka distilled from baby corn. Sounds weird right? Not so much, it was deliciously crisp and smooth. Darnit, I just wish I could remember the name of it!

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Photo of Jennifer L.

Elite '10

46

83

Jennifer L.

San Francisco, CA

1 star rating
8/24/2009

More like Sh*tty Tavern.

I hosted my boyfriend's 25th birthday bar crawl throughout the Marina, and unfortunately made this our second stop. We had table, but couldn't find a waitress or bartender to order drinks from. I ended up walking up to the bar and ordering drinks. I asked the bartender to keep my tab open as I handed him my card. He rudely answered, "Too bad, I already closed it," and creepily watched me write in his tip. I should have left nothing, but we still had more people coming.

Don't waste your time. There are much better bars within a short walking distance.

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Photo of Deanna T.

Elite '10

133

150

Deanna T.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
5/14/2009

It's hard to knock a place that serves an entire menu of food and drink items for $2, that's almost unheard of these days. My friends call it Shitty Tavern, but I'm kinda classy and do respect the cool people who work here enough to refer to it by its legal business name.

Food here is meh to A-ok! Keep in mind: YOU'RE AT A BAR! I say wings and burgers are good, but pizza's are not so much. But it's hit or miss.

Drinks are as stiff as the bartenders try to personify, but they're actually sweet softy's. No pun there, I wouldn't know.

Twosdays = $2
Thirstdays = i forget what the special is

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Photo of Kristy M.

Elite '10

563

157

Kristy M.

San Francisco, CA

1 star rating
4/29/2009

I don't even feel like this place deserves a thoughtful review from me. I'm just shocked they're still in business.

HORRENDOUS service. I mean it took us over 10 minutes to be greeted, let alone get menus (which I ultimately had to go inside and get from the bartender) and a drink order in.

HORRID food. After waiting 40 minutes for our SALAD (who knows, maybe they were out back in the garden picking our lettuce and veggies) my bf immediately noticed a huge (probably 8" long) piece of twine sticking out of the lettuce. Seriously? You didn't see that as you brought it over?

Needless to say we sent it back, paid for our bloody mary's (which was their only saving grace) and ran out of there.

There are so many other options in the immediate vicinity don't waste your time or money here.

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Photo of Linda C.

Elite '10

105

337

Linda C.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
Updated - 8/2/2009

$2 Tuesdays! That's the way to go here. They have a bunch of bar food like chicken wings, burgers, fries, etc. However, the wings looked "anorexic" as my friend said; it was basically fried skin. The burger was worth it though.

Good place to watch the game or chill and chat with friends or bar hop. Bartender was cool, but I forgot his name. He looked like a big teddy bear that you just want to hug! =)

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 3 star rating
    2/24/2008

    Pros: Their tasty long islands, good happy hour, and $2 Tuesdays!!! I can't believe I didn't know… Read more »

Photo of Katie Anne N.

Elite '10

202

537

Katie Anne N.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
4/12/2009

There is only one reason why you should come here...

Two dollar Tuesdays.

That's it. Otherwise, you are wasting your time. Service is slow and awful. You'll never get a drink or your food unless you go up to the bar and ask for it. It's always crowded and full of marina-ites. No local flavor. But 3 stars for cheap food and drinks on Tuesdays.

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Photo of Julia G.

Elite '10

655

361

Julia G.

San Francisco, CA

1 star rating
3/25/2009

Why does this place still get business? I came here last night for a quick drink and I was reminded yet again why I never come here.

The service was AWFUL; we must have waited at least 20 minutes to get our drinks once they were ordered and for the second I had to physically get up and retrieve them from the bar myself.

On top of that, some how I always manage to run in to scenarios that are less than ideal here (e.g. running in to ex boyfriends or guys I'm dating on dates...that aren't me).

I hate to say it but I wouldn't be sad if I woke up tomorrow and it were gone. Poof!

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Photo of Courtney Y.

Elite '10

83

222

Courtney Y.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
5/14/2009

I didn't think City Tavern was that bad. I did go there right after Beerfest so my opinion might be a a little skewed. What I do remember is that i was being handed drinks that I didn't want. So I really didn't think it was hard getting a drink at all. The other thing I remember were German people sitting next to us. Someone started talking to them and i don't think they understood anything that they said.

So, this place really isn't that bad. There is no cover and apparently the drinks are decently priced (yeah, I don't remember) You may see me here next year around beerfest time.

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Photo of Brittney B.

 

21

68

Brittney B.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
9/26/2009

This place sucks most of the time.  However, they do have a great happy hour!  6 beers, french fries and good honey mustard chicken all for 18 bucks, pretty darn good if you ask me, and the happy hour goes until 7.  I do not like to be there after 7 anyway.

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Photo of Blake W.

 

7

65

Blake W.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
6/8/2009

I was at The City Tavern on a busy Saturday afternoon. I cannot speak for the food, I didn't eat anything, but the drinks/bar were very good.

It's a good drinking atmopsphere, the service was pretty good considering how busy the place was, the cocktails were stiff and the beers were cold. Simple as that...

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Photo of Tiffany Y.

 

228

226

Tiffany Y.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
12/31/2008

Anytime my friends suggest we go to the Marina I always piss and moan like I'm 6 years old again. But I always seem to have fun there. Maybe it's because I'm so completely belligerent that it's impossible not to have fun.

We came to city tavern...and it wasn't that bad.  Lots of space to move around, plenty of places to sit and it didn't take long at all to get a drink.  The boy to girl ratio is insane. Sooooo many dudes wanting to get lucky with a sexy marina chick, but it definitely wasn't happenin for at least 75% of them. I actually love when there's more dudes than chicks, so I may just return to city tavern next time I decide to venture to the marina.

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Photo of Lane W.

 

12

86

Lane W.

Berkeley, CA

4 star rating
5/13/2009

$2 Tuesdays.

The only question is, can you eat for the cycle?

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Photo of Ahmed S.

Elite '10

77

304

Ahmed S.

Alameda, CA

2 star rating
4/23/2009

Degs and I almost always used to stop by here every time we would go out in the Marina just because of its proximity to the matrix next door until we realized that it's no fun here. Yes it's easy to find a seat, but it's dead in here. No pseudo dance floor here either.

The drinks are cheap but disgusting and watery. Recommend avoiding this place. The bars around it are so much better. Just not a big crowd here.

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Photo of Kerem S.

 

10

24

Kerem S.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
2/2/2009

$2 for beers happy hours will do it, but usually the place is not that good. Don't ever get the Ceasar Salad, they basically put 3 pieces of leaves and cheese pieces.
But I guess it's a good place to stop by for happy hours, grab couple drinks, etc...

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Photo of Adam M.

 

7

7

Adam M.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
2/1/2009

Being a poor guy in the Marina is rough. I walk around among the wine bars, boutique shops and happy families twins and two dogs.  There are only a few places that have caught on to the fact that if they want people in their establishment on a regular basis, they are going to have to get creative to draw a crowd.

I am officially going to start my own list of best happy hours in the city and City Tavern is right at the top. $2 bar munchies, $2 for anything on tap and $3 wells is unbeatable as far I have seen anywhere else. Plus, this happy hour goes all night on Tuesdays. There are also specials almost all other days of the week.

Yes, the place is packed with douchebags on Friday and Saturday and especially when USC is playing anywhere near the bay but, if you are a local or are even in the vicinity on an average weekday you must stop by and have a drink and a snack. I took my buddy there we both had two plates of food and two beers for less than $20 before tip.

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Photo of Gabrielle J.

Elite '10

94

300

Gabrielle J.

San Francisco, CA

1 star rating
4/8/2009

Is it just me, or did everybody who went to UC Davis or U Santa Clara move to the Marina? jesus!  

Although I'm not generally a huge marina fan, there are some establishments that I enjoy.  This is not one of them.  Weird servers who ask weird questions, serve up some seriously corked wine, and what's with the striped shirts??? And popped collars...hmm..kind of like being in a sociology experiment.

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Photo of Todd B.

Elite '10

127

293

Todd B.

Alameda, CA

3 star rating
8/2/2009

I like City Tavern. Mellow place to escape the redundacy of the Marina clowns and their ditzy female counterparts...The bartenders are always cool. I always meet friendly, good people there, and it doesn't get sardined like the rest of the nightspots.

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Photo of klik w.

 

32

25

klik w.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
7/16/2009

Really the only reason to come here is during their happy hour or on Tuesday when they have happy hour prices all night long. Two dollars buys you a bunch of yummy bar food, chicken wings chicken tenders, french fries, a burger, a good list of beers. You can order a lot of food and drinks and end up spending less than 15 dollars per person. Problem is, you come in during the all night special and it takes your food a long time to come out, and if you're not at the bar, it takes a long time for your drinks to get there. But you can't beat the prices, so come in during happy hour or any time on Tuesday and load up on cheap food and beer before you head out to some other bar. Just check the beers and food that are on special and order them all at once and be prepared to wait a little bit for them to arrive. When the check arrives you'll be pleasantly surprised.

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Photo of Pam B.

Elite '10

460

462

Pam B.

Oakland, CA

3 star rating
10/22/2008

I know it's shocking, but *gasp* I wasn't a sorority girl.  I spent my first 2 years of college taking my sweet little time deciding on a major (which I promptly changed again) and was frankly too busy riding around in my RAD '88 Toyota pickup complete with rollbars, FIVE lights, and a brush guard to sell my soul for friends.  Oh ya, I was kicking Nevada booty and taking names.

Then I got serious about my education (my mom was tired of me taking completely pointless classes), traded in the truck (a decision which I rue to this day) for a Tercel, and started doing "college" things.  By "college" things, I mean going out until 5 a.m. all the time because well, it was Reno, and that's what we can do there.  

By not being a sorority girl, I managed to avoid (i.e. not get invited to) most of the frat parties.  I knew some people from high school, so I went to a few- mostly TKE and one SAE.  What I did NOT go to was an ATO party.  Why?  Because I just don't have the patience for attitude, and don't like hanging out with Dbags whose dads are lawyers and doctors and think they are too good for me because my bewbies aren't giving me back problems.  (HA, you jerkfaces, mine are still in the same place AND I have a great tushy).

But I digress.  Last night I came to the City Tavern to get some grub before heading across the street to the Elite event, because as one with a shellfish allergy, I am wary of a "Raw Bar."  I go inside, and stand there looking like a fool while I wait for someone to help me.  At the bar were any number of retired frat boys who now have a spare tire around their middle and are still trying to hang on to the good old days.  Who were are staring at MY middle, entrancingly bound in a super hot corset.  
Eventually, an irritable waitress told me I could sit anywhere, and threw a menu at me.  I escaped the leers and headed outside to sit and yell at the Yelp crew from across the street.

Lo and behold, it's $2 Tuesdays!  You can get Skyy vodka, a cheeseburger, chicken tenders, and fries, each for $2!  Okay, so none were really that spectacular, but all that for $10 isn't bad.  They also have specials on the other days of the week.

So why the 3 stars?  Cheap food & drinkies trumps lame jerkwads who want to get with anything that moves.  To be honest, the frat boy clientele doesn't bother me.  You know why?    I am too hot for them.  All of them.  Me, my teeny bewbies, and my luscious fanny.

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Photo of Susan S.

 

34

86

Susan S.

Pacifica, CA

2 star rating
1/13/2009

Oh, Marina, why do I hate you so? I really shouldn't. I'm from Connecticut. Guys in pastel polos (even with the collars popped) and button downs, girls with matching purses and headbands--these are my people.

Maybe it's the bridge and tunnel vibe I get from the whole neighborhood. Maybe it's the fact that all the women look alike. Or maybe it's the number of 40 year old once-handsome men whose drunkenness is indicative more of serious alcoholism than frat-boy antics.

I go to the Marina maybe once every other year just to see if it's as bad as I remember. And I always end up at City Tavern. I'm not sure if I've ever even had a drink there because it's too crowded to get to the bar. This is an excerpt from a conversation I had with a drunk 23 year old who was chatting me up on my last visit: "Yeah, that girl over there. I used to hook up with her in college. It was kind of a friend with benefits thing, you know? I had a girlfriend at the time. When I saw her here, I was like sh*t. I totally ignored her."

Yep, still hate it.

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Photo of Christina D.

 

5

152

Christina D.

Burlingame, CA

3 star rating
3/9/2009

I have to agree with other yelpers, this place is a watering hole for douches...I came here for the first time on a Friday night and the place was filled with about 50 guys all of which were wearing either blazers, button down striped shirts or North Face fleeces, so Marina.  There were about 20 ladies total, so your odds are pretty good if you're into hooking up with douches.
The good things about this place is that there is no cover and it didn't take that long to  get a drink because we had a cocktail server making to rounds at the tables section.

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Photo of Lulu C.

Elite '10

102

198

Lulu C.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
12/9/2008

Been here a few times and i don't know what everybody's gotten their panties in a bunch about...this bar is like any other bar..you got your cool bartenders and your not so nice ones, you got your fun patrons who talk to anybody and everybody and you got the ones who never even look at you once.  It's what you make of it people!!

There are daily specials going on every single day...how can you find something to bitch about that?! Taken straight from the menu page here they are:

Sunday - 1/2 Off All Food Items
(5 pm until 10 pm)

Monday - Turkey Dinner
Served with your choice of white and/or dar meat, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sauteed vegetables, mushroom gravy, and cranberry sauce
(Served from 5 pm until 10 pm)

$2 Tuesday - Select Entrees and Beer
Your choice of a cheesbeburger, turkey burger, margherita pizza, pasta pomodoro, caesar salad, spicy wings, chicken tender, tavern fries, or your choice of draft or bottled beers
(Served form 3 pm until 12 am)

Wednesday - 10 oz. Prime Rib 5
If 10 oz. isn't enough, each additional ounce of prime rib is just $. Served with mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, horseradish sauce, and mushroom au jus
(Served from 5pm until 10 pm)

Thirstday - 3.00
Your choice of iceburg wedge, spring rolls, quesadilla, clamari, spicy wings, pepperoni pizza, onion rings. (Served from 7 pm until 10 pm)
All well drinks, $ 3 until 12 am

Saturday - Complimentary Champagne Mimosa FREE
Enjoy a complimentary champagne mimosa with your choice of delicious
Tavern brunch special (Served from 10 am until 3 pm)

The drinks are drinkable, the food is edible..I have had the magherita pizza and it was cheesy and tasty.  The french fries fresh and hot. The margaritas here are strong but the cups small.

Grab a big group of friends, chill out on the outside patio if it's nice enough or grab a large table indoors and you'll be surprised how the hours just fly by.

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Photo of Debbie Y.

 

34

49

Debbie Y.

Long Beach, CA

1 star rating
2/19/2009

Uh. Wow.

We walked in and walked right out.

If you want to die of suffocation, com'on in!

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Photo of Natassia S.

 

8

43

Natassia S.

San Francisco, CA

2 star rating
9/7/2009

good happy hour but service sucks unless Chris is bartending (which im not even sure if hes working there still coz the past couple times ive been getting served by some whatever bartender who refuses to pour more than one drink per person. really?)

cheap food. cheap drinks during happy hour. like $2 burgers cheap. makes me wonder if the food is safe or not, so the $2 Caesar salads is something you can't go wrong with in my opinion.

i come here to pre-game it before i actually have to go to work. i wouldnt come here for any other reason or hang here, it just gets the job done.

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Photo of marianne w.

 

140

376

marianne w.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
12/26/2008

Came here on Christmas night with my love for a drink. It was pretty empty, maybe about 10 patrons at most and the restaurant had already stopped serving food. We grabbed a seat by the bar and chilled for about 30 minutes before leaving.

I ordered a glass of sparkle and the bf ordered a screw driver. The first one he ordered was $8.00 but the second one that he ordered from another bartender was $9.00...hmmm??

While I picked up my glass I noticed a huge cockroach making its way to my glass...I freaked out a bit but it went back to its hiding place shortly after. A minute or two later I saw another cockroach on the bar making its way towards me, this time a smaller one- I blew it away and it went back to its hiding space too!

The bartenders were nice here, checked back on us to make sure we were OK. The prices were a bit expensive compared to other places around the neighborhood. DOnt think i'll be back to try their food after seeing the cockroaches, though.

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Photo of Ryan V.

Elite '10

213

186

Ryan V.

San Francisco, CA

2 star rating
8/23/2008

Unpretentious? Chill? No way!

This bar always ends up being the most annoying to go to. You can't start a conversation with anybody no matter what your intentions are.

The last time a friend and I went there, we commented on how we need to gain 50 pounds of muscle and lose 10 pounds of brains before we come back. What a bunch of meatheads. That goes for the girls too. Not to mention how crowded this place gets. How do you attract so many people who have no interest in talking to anybody but their friends?

I do have to say that the bartenders are cool, although my drinks always end up sucking. I can't blame this place though. It's the Marina.

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Photo of Jordan C.

 

24

84

Jordan C.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
12/24/2008

Service was very good. Our waitress stopped by regularly to refresh our drinks and take our food orders.

The place was mostly great because we went on a tuesday and it's $2 tuesday. I had 3 pints of Stella Artois for $6! Need I say more?

Also, $2 wings, fries, chicken tenders and turkey burgers.

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Elite '10

1420

468

Janney B.

San Francisco, CA

2 star rating
7/27/2008

Last night, I was washing my brassieres by hand, eating spoonfuls of brownie batter, and watching a thought-provoking 4 hour long VH-1 documentary about Britney Spears.

Admittedly, not my finest Saturday evening.  In fact, all that was missing was a carton of Camels, some neglected dirty-faced kids named Bud and Sissy, and my very own wife-beater sitting on the couch in a "Rush Limbaugh 4 Prez" t-shirt, screaming at me to run to the 7-11, because *gasp* he's out of Natty Ice and pork rinds again.

And then Jaime L. called.  And text messaged.  And called again.  "Puhleez come out with me for one drink?  Puhleez???"

Before I knew it, I was washing my face and digging through my closet for something un-wrinkled and slutty. *pause*  Hi Mom.

We ended up at City Tavern in the taboo Marina.   With the exception of some wasted frat boys who were giving free lap dances (they were Yankees fans - shocker), the crowd was inviting and chill.  Plenty of seats to sit down, stop sucking in your stomach, and give your high heels a rest.

Lots of white collared (and white collar) men waiting for the clock to strike 1:30 am to make the move on the girl they've deemed worthy enough to take home.  It's all about timing: Can't pick a girl too soon, in case a hotter, more promiscuous one sashays through the door.

I'll come back if I have to, but I might feel more confident with a little dog in my purse and an eating disorder.

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Photo of nicole f.

 

46

346

nicole f.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
3/10/2009

I forgot this place is OK. And let me say this is based on a Monday night adventure. I came in last night around 8:30 and not many people were there, which was really refreshing. The bartender could not have been nicer, really attentive. Yet, I can say from experience that this place thurs-weekend is off the grid packed. It is frat central, BUT early week is very pleasant!

If you have been here on the busy days, give it a whirl on the non weekend time. You feel differently.

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122

Eric T.

San Francisco, CA

2 star rating
1/15/2009

City tavern was one of the first bars I ever went to in the city. I can't believe I could be so lame.

Remember in college when there was a frat party and everyone tried to get into the house, only to realize that once they got in there it was full of douchebags. Yeah City Tavern was like that for me, haha and long long ago I was in a frat! Now don't get me wrong, Bar None is much worse than City Tavern in terms of douchebag ratings, but City Tavern is always crowded with 21-22 year olds straight out of college, takes around 15 minutes to get a beer, the only thing I like about City Tavern is that its cheap.

Tips and pointers:
-Cheap, real cheap
-No dress code, but I have this feeling they'd turn you down if you looked a little "hood".
-Douchebag and a-hole rating skyrockets once you get inside the bar
-Bathroom area smells like farts, but hey, it is a bathroom after all
-Not a real San Francisco bar

[NOT REALLY APPROVED] (because if i wanted to go back and drink in moraga, i would)

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Elite '10

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730

Genevieve Y.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
Updated - 7/1/2008

Date & Time:  Tuesday July 1, 2008 @ 5pm
Company:  Sara & Justin, Trish & Jason & Michael
Crowd:  Young Cute Neighborhood Peeps- Girls in Citizen Jeans, Little Tops & Gucci Purses & Guys in Rock n' Republics, Fitted Tees & Flipflops
Vibe:  High Energy & Pumped for Long Weekend coming up
Decor:  Cool Bar & We Sat @ The Roomy Booths
Service:  Kewl Bartendars & Waitresses
Imbibe:  $2 Beers $3 Vodkas
Devour:  $2 Pizzas, Burgers, Fries, Hot Wings $3 Calamari

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 3 star rating
    3/30/2008

    Date & Time:  Tuesdays
    Company:  Ex-Bffs and Michael
    Crowd:  Young Trendy 20-Somethings
    Ambience:  Loud… Read more »

Photo of John M.

 

296

102

John M.

San Francisco, CA

1 star rating
4/26/2009

I would give this place 0 stars if I could, but it's not an option.  Ok, so I've been here before for drinks and had an average time, but today I was by for brunch and it was bad, really bad.  

I locked my bike on the sidewalk and sat down at an outside table...the sun was out and it was a beautiful day.  All I wanted was a bloody and something easy, but after waiting 20 minutes for any service my gf finally walked inside, grabbed us menus and ordered our drinks from the bartender.  We waited another 10 minutes and when our drinks arrived we ordered.  Ok...while we're waiting for our salad, which requires no cooking, we made small talk with the locals who were blowing cigarette smoke in our faces.  On a night out this would be acceptable, but after biking a few miles this was the last thing I hoped for.  We moved inside to get away from the smoke and waited another 15 minutes before our salad arrived...and had some dirty fiber thing in it.  I pulled it out in front of the waitress who apologized and said that was what the greens were stored in and asked if we wanted to keep the order... really?!  We returned it, but lost our appetites.  

After getting the bill and leaving we outlined what was a laundry list of things places trying to make money should not do:
1) have terrible service
2) not wipe down your table even though you will be eating off of it
3) not give people who are there to eat menus
4) serve food with dirty non-food crap in it
5) ask you if you want to keep the food
6) not apologize for treating their customers like crap
7) assume this way of treating their customers is ok

Clearly, this place needs a make-over.  Fortunately, there is a service like Yelp so people can express their dissatisfaction.  

I definitely will not go back here again.

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Elite '10

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446

Heidi C.

San Francisco, CA

2 star rating
8/4/2008

$18 for a top shelf long island? ARE YOU SERIOUS???!!

Sooooo unnecessary since I've gotten them around the city for no more than $10. $18 is like...Vegas priced. And I like how the bartender didn't warn me that it was going to be $18. She should have said something if she knew it was at least two or three times the price of their regular drinks.

GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ.

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5

169

Myra M.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
8/14/2009

I have to say if I were to rate just the service, I would definitely give it at least 4 if not 5 stars... especially for the cool bartenders, like Micah.  Overall, it is non-pretentious, unlike the catty-cornered bar in the infamous Triangle.  City Tavern is like a sports bar.  And although I'm not a big fan of bar-food, you can't really complain when it's 2$ Tuesdays... cocktails and bar-food all under $20 in the Marina with a bunch of friends is always a phenomenal time.

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