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I don't really see what's not to like in this bar, except for personality issues with staff. Being that Dee the bartender was nice to me, I like this place.
The drinks are reasonably priced, and they have a nice happy hour special. There's a lot of space in the bar area, and they have a pool table on the other side. I like the layout of this place.
This is kind of a no-nonsense bar. It is divey, and being in the Mission, it will fill up with hipsters on weekends after 9PM. Expect lots of skinny pants and cigarettes outside.
I'd love to give a well-rounded, all encompassing and well thought out review of the Dovre Club, but I can't because while I was there, I was in the middle of a war and taking on friendly fire. The bombs came in the form of decent sized shot glasses filled to the brim with sweet brown nectar. My friend Cody was on a mission to put as many paid-for shots of Jameson into my hand as possible and when that sort of onslaught occurs, how can you say no?
What do I remember? Umm... Walking in. That was nice. There's a juke box. I'm pretty sure that was nice. The bathrooms.... no clue. I imagine they were nice in my head, though. I'd tell you the bartender was top notch too, if I had ever ordered my own drink for the few hours we were there.
No complaints to start, and no complaints when my judgment was walking funny. I'd say that's a good sign.
I had an Elvis sighting; he's serving drinks at Dovre club.
Actually the owner of the place is named Elvis. I didn't ask him about it because I'm sure he's tired of the question.
Dovre club used to be on 18th street, in The Women's building, but was evicted years ago. I don't know if Elvis owned the old Dovre Club, he looks a little young to have, but this location is a vast improvement.
The Staff and regulars are a friendly bunch. Elvis himself is a great host; more in line with what they'd call a Publican in the old country than the typical American Bar owner.
I brought in a large group of people, over 40 and maybe better than 50, and Elvis was not only easy to deal with but he knows how to treat someone that brings in business.
Dovre is definitely in the rotation.
Hanging out at the Dovre Club Friday night, I was half-expecting Sam Spade to walk in at any moment to order a scotch straight up, no ice. Sam didn't show up, but I had a great time at the Dovre, a small neighborhood dive bar in the Mission District with great character, friendly bartenders and patrons, and reasonable prices.
The bar is small and divided into two rooms: the first room by the entrance features a wooden bar table that wraps around into the next room where there are also some tables, chairs, and a pool table. It's a simple set-up. But simple and dive bars go together.
I got to meet one of my favorite Yelpers at the Dovre, Tom R., who puts together the dive bar meetup groups in the Mission District. Tom's awesome, just as his reviews indicate. And, those at the Dovre were an eclectic mix of people who were friendly, funny, expressive, bohemian, artistic, smart, happy to meet others and have a good time. There's nothing like standing shoulder to shoulder with some good people sharing drinks, stories, and good times in a relaxed, down-home, unpretentious dive bar setting.
Tom R you are the real deal, a true Mavin a la Paul Revere calling the local townspeople in for drinks and good times. This is Community Action....!
Nice place.
I only had some Guinness - was OK.
Staff friendly so were regulars...
Definitely will go back.
I recently moved to the neighborhood and decided to check out this bar last night. Not too crowded, we quickly made friends with the bartender who has worked there for 8 years! I had an incredible drink made with Seagram's Sweet Tea flavored vodka (a new discovery!) and we happily stayed there several hours. The place also had an incredible jukebox with everything from David Bowie to Snoop Dogg to MGMT. The bartender said that him and another employee go to Amoeba every month or so to pick out new music. I love this place and will definitely be back!
Words can't really describe how down this place is...the bartender is awesome, there are some great beers on tap for cheap, quarter pool table, nice comfy couches; all in the heart of the Mission District. Hell, we ordered a pizza whilst playing pool, and it was pretty classy to cure our drunk munchies via delivery without leaving the bar.
The Big Daddy IPA is the beer of choice for me. Oh yeah, this place has the best music out of any bar I have been to, if you like indie rock
The drinks are strong.
The people are not hipster assholes.
There's pinball, pool, and...
NUDE PHOTO HUNT- 25 cents a game, funny, laid back entertainment.
I've never seen this place get too crowded, and I've always had an excellent time.
Nice. An unpretentious non-hipster reasonable low key dive on Valencia. With a solid jukebox.
I'll take it.
Oh, and a 7 minute walk from the 24th St./Mission Bart station.
Just remember, last train for the East Bay leaves around 12:15 AM. We forgot. Somehow it's fine when you're planning on missing the last train, but when you're running to catch it and you don't it can sometimes ruin your night. Welcome to a $45 cab ride and and a 20 minute argument about whose fault it is that we missed the last train. A one way ticket to bummer city.
I like this bar. 4 well-deserved stars.
And here's why. Aite, here we goes again:
LIKES:
+ It's definitely got a great, local, unpretentious neighborhood bar feel to it, which I like.
+ The patrons are locals and really chill. You'll see folks from the neighborhood in their hoodies and slacks. It's very comforting, and the people are not assholes or totally dressed-up douches/bitches trying to prove a point. Which I like. Yay for good people.
+ They have an AMAZING jukebox. Seriously AMAZING, with everything you can imagine. Loves it!
+ There's also an OMGPINBALLMACHINE! This appeals to the 10-year-old in me, which generally comes out pretty often and is easily excited by bright, shiny objects - like UFOs, random kitchen gadgets, and pinball machines. Also loves it!
+ Pool tables! I can't play pool to save my life, but hey, still cool that they have some here. Other people seemed to be enjoying themselves!
+ They have a bunch of books lining a shelf in the main area. English major/nerd here! I like this a lot. I mean, I don't think anybody will actually sit there and start reading a book but it's a great conversation starter, isn't it? I mean, most people I know get pretty excited when they see a book they like and there's always so much to talk about when you meet someone else who also loves the book(s) you love. So I think that's what they're there for. WIN!
+ It's located close by the 24th and Mission BART station, which means easy access to public transportation as well as easy access to El Farolito. Double win!
+ Oh yeah! I forgot! It's a BAR! So I have to comment on the alcohol, which is decently priced and good. Nothing extraordinary because I mean, it's a dive bar, but yeah, still good.
DISLIKES:
- Uh. . .I can't think of anything to write here.
Final word: There's nothing that I really dislike about this place. I like it. But to get 5 stars, you have to impress me beyond words, and this place ain't there yet. Still, though, it's gettin' there. Not swept off my feet yet, but maybe a few more dates might do it.
Dovre is a classic dive bar. The dark lighting keeps the furniture looking clean and you looking good that crazy guy talking to himself down at the end of the bar. The dark lighting also helps keep the falling-down drunk guy across the room attempting to focus on your face rather than actually falling down.
Key features of this bar include:
* pool tables with league night
* a meticulously curated jukebox (at-the-time-of-writing features Old 97s!)
* a free book exchange (at-the-time-of-writing features The Da Vinci Code!)
So, my boyfriend and I are going to our favorite over-decorated (think Christmas projectile vomited on the walls) tranny gay bar tonight, because that is where we met and true love began.
No, it is not the Dovre. But, in the spirit of our relationship not starting out in a traditional place we decided that nothing could possibly tip the romance scale more than not just seeing a drag show but seeing it hungover and tired. True love, bitches. You should be jealous.
So, THIS is where the Dovre comes in. It is a lovely sort of worn, but in a good way, place to go and hang out with friends over a few strong cocktails, a game of pool and a some really good tunes in a low key atmosphere. You will enjoy yourself so much that you will not realize you are shutting the place down and forcing yourself to go on your special obnoxious decoration tranny bar drinking date on a mere 3 hours sleep.
Awwwww....... thanks again Dovre for being such an awesome bar and, this last time, helping contribute to our very special date night!
Yes, it's a dive bar, but there are plenty of other Mission dive bars where you can get something besides beer prepared with a modicum of competence. They have managed to screw up Long Island Iced Teas, which, admittedly, require a small amount of skill, as well as rum and Coke, which requires virtually none. How hard is it to splash some rum and Coke into a glass in a manner which provides the correct quantity of each? The bartenders, on the occasions that I've been there, seem like they would rather be doing anything else except serving beverages.
On the plus side, the bar has a pool table and a couch, so it can be worth enduring the apathetic and incompetent service for a spot of comfort and a game of pool. Just don't order anything besides beer.
$4 beer, unoffensive dive. Awesome.
When you say "last call" and then someone says "I'll have a gin and tonic," you can't just say "Sorry, i just made last call." Yes, you did just make last call, however the whole point of last call is to allow people to make one last drink order. It wouldn't have troubled you that much to pour one last drink, which as it turns out, would have been my first and only drink for the night. No there were not a ton of people waiting around us and it would not have created a "me too" phenomenon. You may not have done anything wrong I suppose, but you just didn't do anything that cool either. This probably should be a one star review but whatever.
This is something I've noticed about the city of San Francisco. For all the bad rep that the east coast gets, I have found that overall the people who work in the service industry in SF are far more douchier. Perhaps they've realized that they can treat people like shit and still get the same 3 buck tip on a 10 dollar order. In some ways, I think they are right....
I mean, this is probably because I spent years working as a waiter so I always give them the benefit of the doubt. A waiter/waitress/bartender has to pretty much beat my groin unmercilessly not to get at least 20%.
Filthy in a feel-good way. One of the best dives in the city.
This is a super chill bar, frequented by Irish men and locals with dogs. Two of my favorite things, served alongside booze!
Steph is an awesome bar mistress and is always quick with a smile.
Ah, the Dovre Club. I remember when they got kicked out of the Women's Building on 18th St...ol' Paddy Nolan would be rolling in his grave. (And by "remember", I mean read it in the newspaper article framed on the wall here. Now that would have been one cool spot for a pub). They're also known to throw a St Patrick's party so hot it just about burns the block down (now that I *was* around to see--and a mighty big cloud o' smoke it was...)
Most of the time, though, Dovre Club is just an unassuming, rather shabby Irish Pub that the hipsters haven't yet seen fit to colonize. Despite the authenticity, it's not that full of Irish either--at happy hour it was just a bunch of locals enjoying their cheap drinks and chatting it up with the bartender lady. I'll definitely be back to toast the final defeat of the British (and of my ancestors, the Ulster Scots) in Northern Ireland...I'm sure Paddy would want drinks to be on the house, ya?
Eh. Lots of room 'round the pool table makes it three stars for this space. The pool-mentoring peoples who regular it do not. Cheap pool means this is a place to go to and it's right on the corner. I hear the drinks are stiff.
I always assumed this place was an Italian social club, because "Dovre" means "where." I dunno, you get the picture. So one day my roommate and his friend invite me to a place pronounced "the Dover Club" and our conversation goes something like this:
"Where's that"
"Just on the corner, right there."
"Oh. You must mean DOVRE"
"Um, no, it's pronounced Dover"
"No, it's Italian, right, isn't it DOVRE"?
"Um. No. It's Irish. Look."
And I see evidence of this being an Irish pub all over the outside, such as a clover-shaped neon Budweiser sign.
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OK, so I said I'd write again after I've been here a few times. The bartenders are really friendly, the beer is reasonably priced, and the pool table costs 50 cents. Bonus half-star for the night I came in when a pair of dogs kept sitting on the bar stools. This place is my official neighborhood bar.
i'm not a big fan of valencia street nightlife nowadays -- too many wanna-be hipsters coming from elsewhere on weekends. so even though i go out a lot, it's rare that it ends up on valencia street.
this friday, though, a friend an i went to find a place to have a drink and catch up. we started at martuni's, which was overrun by people who apparently had come right from work, in their black jackets and skirts. then we tried amnesia which was too crowded, and then the phoenix, where after ten minutes at the bar, the bartender hadn't even glanced our way, and there were drunk squealy girls next to us that we knew we'd have to get away from.
so we got back in the car and headed back toward my friend's neighborhood, when we saw the dovre, with a parking place out front, and said to ourselves... bingo.
good call. it's a totally no-pretense neighborhood bar. no decor. no booze showing on the back bar because it's open to the other side of the room where the pool table is... but friday night, there was a wedding party there. bride in a long white dress, groom with a flower on his lapel, and all their friends having a blast. damn, a dive bar with a wedding reception going on? that's what i'm talking about!
it's not your frou-frou cocktail place, that's for sure. it's also not a pick-up place, though i bet you could meet some characters there. and the jukebox was awesome. prince and hank williams and tom waits. we'll definitely be back.
Two stars lost for two lies.
THIS PLACE DOES NOT TAKE CARD! Yelp said it did. It cost me $2 at the ATM to believe yelp, but I guess that is more a bad review for yelp than for the bar. But they have an ATM, so relatively chill.
Also THE ROUTER IS BROKEN I called and asked tonight for the election. I wanted to be able to look up details on my laptop at the bar. If I couldn't that was chill I was just not going to bring my laptop. The person who answered the phone at the bar as of about 5 pm said they had wifi. The bartenders and associates said they didn't as of 7 pm or so - the router was broken. In the last 2 hours? really, no, they just lie.
The drinks were good, the layout was good, the bartenders seemed awesome, but I can't give them more stars because of the two above lies. This place would be a four to five star bar if I didn't feel personally misled. I'm definitely going back.
But because I am so excited about Obama, I give them stars. But I need to remember to lower yelp's rating ....
I mean, talk about a dive. I have only ever been at like 2pm on a Sunday. Good for a beer and a shot. Totally random.
WORST
BARTENDER
EVER.
Not to be confused with some other bartenders who work there and are apparently cool, this chick was a bitch. 30ish, short brown hair, hopped up on coke or something, low evil cackling smokers laugh.
You know how sometimes a bartender or waiter will ask you what you want, and you're not quite ready yet, or your friend hasn't shown up yet and you're just buying time, and you respond that you'd like another minute - then they proceed to be a rude prick or ignore you for the duration of your stay because you were not ready when THEY were? Well that's what happened.
And let it be know, I was totally polite. I am not one of these "treat service workers like crap" people that Yelpers love to hate on. I'm a southern gentleman and try to be nice to everyone.
Anyway - after my friend arrived we sat at the bar TOTALLY IGNORED for a good 10-15 minutes, the bartender didn't even GLANCE at us while we sat there. It wasn't very busy either, everyone else had a drink. She proceeded to talk to patrons, hug patrons, make a second round of martini's for the couple sitting across from us, bitch about how they were out of martini glasses, then went in the back and WARMED UP HER DINNER IN THE MICROWAVE!
WTF!
Still being ignored, finally she bent down under the bar where we were sitting and I said "Hi" really loudly to which she quickly responded "hi". Then she finished what she was doing and said "oh sorry" and finally made our drinks.
My friend frequents this place and said she hadn't seen this bartender before, so I guess we just had bad luck.
The rest of the bar is actually ok. Mixed crowd of Irish construction guys, older people, and a few Mission hipsters. 20 oz Guinness for $4.50. Reminds me a lot of The Ivy Room in the east bay, minus the music stage.
But this is part of what Yelp is for... real reviews reporting the bad apples even if they work at good places. Don't think you can get away with attitude and bad service in SF and it won't show up here for someone to read it.
UPDATE 2008 - I went back on a date. The bad bartender was there, but just done with her shift and heading out the door. A much nicer bartender (with long dyed braids) took over and was very sweet and flirty.
I've heard the Dovre referred to as 'a second livingroom' and I agree. Whole-heartedly. :)
Maybe it's because my friend bar tends there and maybe it's because now I feel like I can go there any time and be treated like a regular (hmm, perhaps that's a bad thing). But, I think what I really like about that Dovre is that if I don't feel like being at home (alone) and all the usual suspect friends are busy, I can hit the Dovre and feel like one of the family.
That's a nice feeling. A "5 star" feeling.
There's always someone who likes to chat sitting at the bar and they have plenty of Bowie goodies on the jukebox.
If Dee is working (can't miss her bright red hair), I recommend getting a dirty martini. She makes the best!
Exactly what you'd expect from a neighborhood Irish bar. Smallish, yet comfortable. Not overdone in that "look how Irish we are! It's like you're in Ireland, we're so Irish! Do you think we could put more Irish stuff somewhere to make it feel more Irish?" sort of way you find at far too many "Irish" bars in SF. No - at Dovre, it's subtle in a way that makes you believe it. Good basic beer-on-tap selection, plenty of nice warm wood in the walls and over the central bar, a pinball machine, and a pool table on the far side.
Dovre is a place to relax with friends, especially if you live just down the street, enjoy a pint or three, and chill. It's not raucous, and it'd feel wrong if it were. It's comfortable.
And to those calling it a dive - I respectfully disagree. El Rio is a dive. Dovre is your best friend's place, and he serves booze.
A good sized neighborhood dive bar with beer, liquor and pool.
Our housewarming party got foiled by noise complaints from the old ladies upstairs. We managed to successfully funnel 40+ of our drunk friends over to the Dovre Club. It was a freakin' blast! I attribute the fun more to the company than to the bar itself, but THANK YOU Dovre Club for providing the perfect escape from our crotchety old upstairs neighbors.
This place was a splendid find! After a decent dining experience across the street at Toad's, a co-worker and I walked over to Dovre and discovered heaven in bar-form.
The bar is unique. It's a REAL Irish bar...not a touristy clover-stuffed joint.
There are comfy couches in a side room surrounding a classic pool-table, with crazy-unique art on the walls. The bar itself is neat as it is divided by the two rooms with a window in the middle so the barkeep can serve both sides.
The beer selection is decent, the prices reasonable. The ATM fee is $2.
I'll be back.
Ready for some groping, eyeballing, and acts of strangeness that may/may not hinder your thirst? Dovre is the place for such moments of libation.
During a bar crawl, I snuck in behind several male counterparts and the haggard and strong ambiance of this bar hit me as well as the people there. No need to dress up for this place.....locals and regulars are what make this bar a hot zone. The bartenders (both male that night) were quick with the drink orders and I seriously thought my gin and tonic lacked the tonic. I felt woozy after three sips.
Some odd thing was going on where I could not figure out if the couple was drunk and dancing, or just drunk and moving about in some strange snake-like fashion. Then again, it could have been the shadows wisping about in my somewhat loose stupor.
If it were not for the males around me, I probably would not come here alone, but with a group of friends, this bar rates a 4 stars in my book. I left feeling lighter and definitely with memories from all the people-watching from my little corner.
I'm not sure why, but I like this bar. The crowd is pretty diverse, meaning that it's a neighborhood bar that you don't have to get all dressed up for or worry about fitting in. There's not a scene, just people enjoying a few cocktails.
The few times I've been there, the bar staff was friendly. I'd rather go here on a Saturday night then anywhere else.
Elvis and Brian make STRONG drinks. Be prepared to drink it with no complaints or else they'll call you a pussy. D is an awesome bartender. She's SUPER sweet and makes fantastic shots. Jukebox is ok, the pool is only 50 cents, you can smoke inside, Toad's is across the street and Wild Pepper is a block away.
Awesome place to go with one person or a big group.
This is a dive, as in, leave your push-up bras, Kate Spades and stilettos at home. My ensemble of choice consisted of slightly stained sweat pants and a hoodie. You don't come here to a lure a potential mate, you come here to drink.
That said, this is a great place for some good tunes via the jukebox and a few games of free pool. Oddly, for being what it is, the beer list is slightly lacking; however, the mixed drinks carry quite a punch.
I adore this place and call it my neighborhood bar despite the fact that I live in the Haight. I've been kind of reluctant to review this place, since I'm selfish and want to keep this bar to myself and the rest of the cronies that frequent the place. Everyone there that I love, which are about twenty people, have always made a night there a good night. Many of which I can't really remember.
I even met my husband there. Who ever said you can't meet Prince Charming in a dive bar?.
Solid bar that wraps around into another smallish room. Cool dark-wood paneling. Went in on a Sunday afternoon and there was a good-sized group of friends watching football. Made it very homey.
I ordered a Crown and 7 and the bartender told me they didn't have Crown. I'm not sure if she meant they were out, or that they didn't carry it. She gave me a 7 and 7 instead. NOT THE SAME...but I made it work.
ATM on site.
i've been coming here for 9+ years and finally decided to write a review. go for the non-ambiance, the darkness, the slouchy couches, the cheap drinks, the pool table, the jukebox, the after work regulars (older irish gents), the late night regulars (non-hipster hipsters), the weekenders (oh never mind), handsome, brave and strapping owners/brothers Elvis and Brian, their lovely, talented and friendly S.O.s Julie and Meagan, and all the assorted bartenders that know your name, know your drink, and know your game. Also, there is usually a dog or two. You can't go for the indoor smoking anymore, alas, (and by "alas" i mean "FUCK"), but it's still a nice cozy dive bar with personality and without attitude. ok, there's an occasional brawl, but after all, it's still the Mission. what's a little blood on the sidewalk? it helps wash away the puke.
and on the way home, with only a slight detour onto Mission, you can grab a bacon-wrapped hot dog. heaven.
I like it. I like it quite a bit. The bar tneders recognize most anyone from the area. Most of the loudmouths are harmless and the drinks are average price.
There is $2 tecate all day everyday. With a little luck a bartender will buy you a drink after your forth round. This is a real bar. Not really a dive, not really anything special.
The Dovre is the greatest kind of dive bar: one with regulars, a great jukebox, and a truly great bartender, Elvis. I've been heading to the Dovre for eight or more years now, and it's like a second home at this point.
my neighborhood's bar. well, even, my city mission block's bar. lots of regulars, and a true dive family feel. good jukebox. cheap drinks. pool table. friendly low-key people. i like.
the owner, elvis, is a very smart & amiable guy. and he hires real good & loyal peeps. he loves dogs, and allows them in the bar (to my pleasure), though knows to keep a troublesome one out...
Dovre, Dovre, Dovre. Home away from home, my "third space," and the place I'm most likely to find my fiance on any given night between 6 and 7 PM, aka happy hour-- which isn't totally necessary as the drinks are already way reasonable. This is the best possible bar to have within crawling distance of my apartment, and I love that I so often run into friends and regulars there. It gets pretty rowdy and crowded on the weekends, which is great, but my favorite time at this place is any given random weeknight, especially when it's rainy and cold and the bartenders are nice enough to make me (several) hot toddies. They've recently added a "free book" shelf-- picked up two gems just yesterday-- which pushed my geeky love for this bar way over the top.
Neighborhood dive bar. Cheap drinks, nice bartenders, pool table, and always see a face in there that I recognize. It helps that a hand full of friends live within 2 blocks of the place. I would say half the time I end up in the mission after a night of drinking, I stumble into the Dovre at some point. It's either that, or getting the first drink before heading out.
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