Durty Nelly's
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:00 a.m.-2:00 a.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Music: Juke Box
- Best Nights: Wed, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: Outdoor Area/Patio Only
- Coat Check: No
67 reviews
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
"The bartenders are wonderful. The drinks well made. The trivia night matredee is the best in town. The $2 tacos and the fish tacos are…" read more »
86 Reviews for Durty Nelly's
still five stars.....
Im desperately wanting to be at Nelly's right now
We were here too briefly on my birthday but if I have my way Ill be there this weekend
service is always outstanding (love the daytime girl bartender)
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
08/06/2007
Have you ever been sitting at work and had an undeniable craving to be somewhere else???
thats how I… Read more »
This place is always awesome. Really great crowd, not too light and not too dark, the food is awesome. It's a small place and accordingly they have a small menu, but what's on it is delicious.
Parking has never been a problem for me and I've always had an *awesome* time here. :)
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
05/29/2008
Great location. Not quite 9th and Irving but not quite 48th.
Great volume level. Quiet enough to… Read more »
Robbie with the ZX-9, served us. I don't remember much more after having 3 cherry bombs.
What does Durty Nelly's mean? Is it like a Dirty Sanchez?
Bob's your uncle.
People thought this was:
Useful (6)
Funny (21)
Cool (7)
Can't get enough of this bar... Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrobbie is so cute bartender before 6 pm. He's so cute & sexy accent ;-) Brandon is the coolest bartender ever! I took all Yelpers here for Cherry Bomb after their dinner at our restaurant.... for the last 5 days! Yikessssssss!!! Cherry Bomb is so good with Mandarin Vodka & Smirnoff...
How many can I take really? Let just say that since I started this year, 1 Cherry Bomb... Now, probably 5-7 in 1 night! & it 's hitting you slowly & creeping up on you ;-) & there is NO better way to drink this shot but definitely with a group of Yelpers ;-)
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (3)
Cool (3)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
05/08/2008
Right across from our restaurant & so often my BFF & I come here for a Cherry Bomb in the afternoon… Read more »
I wouldn't have believed anyone could improve on a BLT.....but Durty Nelly's BLT is by far the best I've ever had. It goes down nicely with that ice cold Smithwick's
I don't live in the bay, but wish that I did so that I could go to this place all the time! My friend lives in the area and frequents the Irish bars quite often. Naturally, when I was in town for the weekend we hit up Durty Nelly's. One of the bartenders, I believe his name is Odie, was playing live music in the corner by the fireplace all night long. He sounded awesome too! People were dancing and have a great time, especially an Irishman named Darcy. He was a dancing machine! Good times, good times...
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
This place is great! I went on a Saturday night to meet up with a bunch of my Irish guy friends --- clearly, the right crowd to be with at an Irish bar, I was given a free shot as soon as I stepped up to the counter! But apparently that's a common practice, which is uh, amazing? Great bar tender, busy but not overcrowded atmosphere... and a fire place?? If you ever want to meet up with me, well, now you know where to look first...
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
My boyfriend and I lived in the sunset for as long as I can remember and this is the first time we've ever been to Durty Nelly's. For our first experience it was awesome! The bar tender gave us free shots just for wearing green! The bangers and mash was awesomely delicious! I loved how they put mushrooms and onions into the dish, and the gravy sauce for the mash potatoes were absolutely yum! The sausage was cooked just right too! I am soo making him take me again, next Friday! hehe.
This place has great food! great people! and awesome drinks!
Kudos to the bartender who gave us free shots!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
What a night?!! All I remember was meeting this awesome girl and drinking heavily.
It was after all St. Patricks Day.
The drinks, the music, the dancing that took place almost everywhere in the bar, and the sticking floor from all those bottle spills made the night memorable. Probably one of the best St. Patty's day, I've experience.
In the end, an Irish Bar wouldn't be an Irish bar without a fight. Yup, a fight....no surprise. And yours truly Stanley K went home lucky.
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (3)
Cool (8)
I luv this place... Straight up Irish Pub just how you want it.. The place is quite small but cozy & got a good ambiance...
The best Irish Pub in that whole strip I must say... Quite interesting with their variety of drinks there... The Cherry Bomb is a must try... Got it all buzzed a few times but my friends & I still come back for more ;-)
Brandon is the best bartender there.. He's a big teddy bear & so happy always :-)
Beside the drinks, the burger is so yummy & only $9 with fries & pickles, now that's a steal!
They also have happy hours... Well, we always happy when we go there so nuff said ;-)
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Went out exploring and ended up at Durty Nelly's. We certainly could have done worse! There was a one-man band rocking out in the corner with some U2 covers and other classic (apparently) Irish tunes, and the crowd ranged from 20-somethings out for a fun Friday night to 50-somethings hitting on those 20-somethings. It was nice to see that inter-generational bonding. Strong showing by Durty Nelly's.
I'm a regular at the Sunset bars and this one is, in my opinion, the best. It has the best atmosphere (a cozy living room vibe with a fireplace), excellent musicians (there's not much room to dance but people make it work), and a good crowd; by the time the bar closes, you will know 80% of the people in the bar and will keep most of them as life-long friends.
The price is about the same as other Sunset bars, maybe $0.25 more a beer, but much cheaper than downtown SF. I haven't tried the food yet but it looks absolutely delicious. Parking is kind of rough around dinner-hour (there are many Asian restaurants in the neighborhood), but you'll always find a spot.
Durty Nelly's is awesome. I have met some amazing people in this bar and have watched many a football matches there. Brandon, Odie, Vivian...everyone there is down to earth, friendly and loads of fun to hang out with. Watch out for the Tequila Rose shot and the Cherry Bomb shot. Deadly when mixed with Stellas and Guinness all night long.
The Fish & Chips are authentic and pretty good. It's a home away from home and I live in Pac Heights.
Around 10 it turns into a major shitshow on the weekend. The best times are around 6-7 when it's relatively empty [for an Irish bar].
My husband and I are quickly approaching regular status at Durty Nellys. This is because it is such a cozy and normal bar (which is difficult to find in the Sunset). The food is good too. I'm a big fan of the chicken sandwich with a few Stellas at the end of a long week while enjoying the warm fire place.
kinda sad i discovered this place after i moved away when i lived blocks away for a while, but its always nice to come here. had the fish and chips once and they were expensive, but they were off the fuckin' chain! always fun to see drunken irish folk stumbling around with their coronas and jager bombs, or even cougars on the prowl, but definitely a place i'd like to frequent more!
Durty Nelly's is awesome. I've always walked by it on Irving st. but never walked in. Well all that changed on Saturday. It is actually a very nice and cozy place. With a fireplace, and a couple tables and booths. Wow, who would have thunk it?
I met the bartender Brendon and also another bartender named Odie. They are hilarious and super friendly. Me being perhaps the only asian guy in an Irish bar. But they made me feel welcome and I had a blast.
The atmosphere is just an all around warm and almost homey feeling that made me not want to leave. Well, after quite a few drinks, and the liquor still flowing, I actually had to get out of there. But all in all, a great place, and I'm glad to have discovered it!
I went to this place to meet some friends the other night. I was excited because I never go to the outer sunset and it's nice to know that there's some cool hang outs. Cozy irish bar with comfy-looking booths. I guess they sell food there but I got there at 11pm anyway. People were pretty cool and friendly too. This was a friday night. I don't know how it is on other nights. There was a really, really, really drunk girl that passed out at the bar. She was taken out by her boyfriend. But repeatedly kept stumbling back in. I thought that was both annoying and amusing.
All in all fun place, good music!
how can i not give 5 stars when i walk in to a bar where there's a hawaiian guy singing hawaii songs and dancing couple who's combined age equals more than me and my 5 friend's combined ages!
awesome bartenders
great decor (for a dive)
nice location
fun times.
Dare I say the best Irish pub in the Sunset? I dare. It's pretty far out there, but definitely well within stumbling distance. The live music on Friday's is great, I'm a big fan of their renditions of Red Red Wine. If sipping finely crafted cocktails made with fresh fruit and all that jazz is your idea of a good night then don't bother, if drinking anything that happens to come by your face without question is more your style then Nelly's is the spot for you.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
Cool (3)
Great for just drinks, better for food & drinks. On a recent visit, 4 gents were huddled around another who was acting out a soccer play. After the victory dance, another shouts "Armstrong World Cup!"**... the celebrating ensues. You're not going to find atmosphere like than that at many places ;)
The steak sandwich, shepherd's pie and curry fries are all killer. Get it to go as well.
**With a little research I found that this was the 1982 goal by Gerry Armstrong that clinched a 1-0 victory over host Spain in the World Cup. Celebrating a goal from 26 years ago -- awesome!
Standars local Irish Pub that's guaranteed to deliver a drunken entertainer from amongst the crowd on any given night of the week. Great for Stella and Magners, and the house red aint bad when your'e in a monetary crunch...Oasis, here I come!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
When I used to go to this place, all of my friends lived in the Sunset and I used to live right around the corner from this place. Granted, we weren't going 5 nights a week, but we'd give it a shot once a weekend, and no matter how many weeks in a row we'd go, we'd always get those "looks" from all the diehards. It is definitely a neighborhood bar. The bartender is awesome, I've met some VERY friendly Irishmen but overall, not good enough to overlook the awkward intro and the extreme overcrowdedness.
This place ROCKS!!!!! I walked in and felt a bit out of place as the bartender knew everyone in the joint except me and my girlie. However, everyone turned out to be super friendly and welcoming. The bartender was serving drinks to people before they even ordered ("they're all regulars - I know what they like to drink" the bartender said with a lovely irish lilt). We ordered some chips (french fries) which were delicious with our guinesses. Next time we want to try the curried chicken and chips. I wish I lived closer to this place so I could just stumble in when I was thirsty.
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Funny (4)
Cool (3)
We came here because my friend said she always sees people yelling at each other out front and she wanted to go see if we'd be able to witness a bar fight. Well, it was a Saturday night -- albeit a bit early -- and it was fairly mellow. But it was great! A great place to sit back with your friends and laugh over a beer.
We sat at the very back grungy table near the kitchen, bathrooms and jukebox. At one point, we could hear jock jams-style music (hahahaha) coming from the kitchen and weird 90's music coming from the jukebox, neither of which was expected. But it was definitely appreciated.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
Popped in here randomly one Saturday afternoon. Twas mellow and comfortable.
We just stopped by for a drink but the food menu actually looked pretty good. I'm not a fan of bar grub but I bet I would enjoy a few things off their menu with a good buzz.
Good place, nice staff, good vibe.
Good day!
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
Here is how hard I searched to find something wrong with this place.... I didn't get why they had the singer sewing machine on the wall. That's it. That is my majour complaint. I couldn't find anything to bitch about.
I don't normally bitch.. really, I don't. But I just thought, a place called Durty Nelly's is setting itself up for misery... but NO!!!! I walk in and we had a local football game, and an across the pond FUTBALL game.... Newcastle versus Leeds. I think.... but SOOOO GOOD. College and premier league at the same time? So good.
Small. Simple. I got whiskey and a guinness. They seemed to like that.
Great gal barkeeping.... quick, attentive... rad.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I went in as I heard good things about this place. Bad mistake on my part. The place lived up to its name, it was dirty. Spent bottles, and glasses everywhere. Average at best beer selection and shitty music. First freakin song I hear when I walk in (this should have prompted me to leave) Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Retard, then Bonnie Tyler 'turn around song...every now and then..." you know waht I mean. The audio onslaught continues with songs from every bad 80's and 90's top 40 artist. I slammed my oxidized (tasted like wet cardboard from not to clean tap lines) Sierra Nevada as fast as I could and high tailed it to a better bar.
Judging from the reviews this bars is better than what I saw, I just won't return to find out. I'm afraid I might end up listening to the best of Wham B side edition.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
This bar is pretty slick. It has to be one of the busiest bars in the sunset at night. The drinks are decently priced and Ive never had any problems with the bartenders.
The thing that really wowed me about this place was the good food that they serve during the day. Its not your ordinary bar food. It is really well done. Ive eaten here about 5 times, and have enjoyed myself on every occasion.
This is The Irish Pub of San Francisco - not kell's or some trendy bar. This is Ireland. I can't understand anything anyone is saying until I have 2 Guinness'. The music is awesome! There is a musician that has been paying at Nelly's for years who is unbelievable. Last time I was in there he had everyone singing before 10pm. This is one of my favorites...it is a dive - but a dive with love...Everyone I've taken there has had a blast. There has not been a time I've been where I haven't. Be ready to sing, smile and get dizzy...
One of my Favs Fo Sho!!! Do it!
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (2)
Cool (3)
LOVE THIS PLACE! Definitely going to be my neighborhood bar. The first time I came here, there was a drunken Irishmen disagreement that landed on our table and spilled our drinks everywhere. 2 minutes later: 6 drinks show up. The first set was 3 beers, and the second, 3 free "cherry bombs." I asked the bartender what was in them, to which he replied "GOOD STUFF!" lol
5 stars for quick service, plenty of people who make ME look tan, and "GOOD STUFF" in the drinks.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
I love this place. I have some friends who live around the corner, so when i go, i suppose that i get the 'local' treatment. that said...
Curry chips.. HELLS YEAH. fish and chips... HELLS YEAH.. regular chips.. HELLS YEAH. Drunken Irishmen (literally ) playing the bag pipes (upside down bar stool...), at 5PM... HELLS YEAH.
Seriously, they have live music at nights, damn good food for an Irish pub, good drink prices.. and the owner/bartender is known to just come around and pour shots of peppermint schnapps for no reason other than you look like you have a nice face.
What's not to love?
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
This place may be the Michael Jordan of people watching spots, especially if you have a fondness for Irish-style drunkenness. Do not drink with the 10-year-olds underfoot -- they will drink you under the table, and then grab your wallet. The bartenders are inventive, generous and your friends. Unless you're not friends to them. Bonus: my bank is across the street. ATM trips with no service fees for the win!
This place has the best hamburger in SF besides Zuni's. It's done right because, like Zuni's, they grind their own burger meat. That's how a burger should be done.
The chips are home made from fresh potatoes rather than from frozen , precut potatoes. The aioli for the chips is also very good. It tastes fresh, like it's made on the spot, rather than served from a glass jar they bought from Costco. [One note is that it's not real Catalanian aioli of olive oil, salt, and potatoes, but rather the French version with eggs.]
The curry is excellent -- my Indian friend raves about it, and brings his family there to eat the curry.
So far you'd think I am reviewing a restaurant. No. it's a great, unassuming, Irish bar. It's always a good time there, celebrating the Irish tradition. On week days it's kind of mellow. But I like it there during that time because it's nice to have a real freshly ground burger with home made chips from fresh taters paired with freshly made aioli, and a pint of stella to wash it all down by the fire. On weekends this place becomes completely different...
There is also a very good "Irish" version of the "Last Supper" hanging on the wall, with Joyce in the middle and Beckett on his left. Extra points for knowing who the other 10 are in the sketch.
I really enjoy Durty's. if you come here, you will find:
good music
good people
good service
good beer
but the real reason i go here is for the chicken curry fries. wow.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Great neighborhood bar. We recently moved here from Wisconsin and coming here we were warmly welcomed. Lots of great conversation. I cannot wait to go back.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (2)
Great food, excellent service, and a cool atmosphere. The location is perfect for me (as I live down the street) so I can't complain.
The food here is no ordinary bar food. It's actually the best American food around. The burgers are crazy good -- throw an egg on top for a good treat. The steak sandwiches are actually made with steak. The curry fries give you a unique lunch. The fish and chips are crispy and to die for. Everything comes with "chips", which I guess are just really tasty and fresh french fries. As a bonus, everything's cheap. If anything, the food is a bit of a downside because it's so good, people are bringing their families here. You will usually find 2 or 3 kids running around this place around dinnertime. :(
The service is totally spot on. The bartenders quickly make you a regular and have your next drink ready before you can ask. The prices are totally reasonable for the city and are lower than more populated areas. The owner is an awesome dude known to buy rounds for the regulars.
Inside there are enough booths that you can usually get one. It turns into a club type place on the weekends, but I prefer to come here in the middle of the week (if not the middle of the day.)
Durty Nelly's -- the Cheers of the Sunset.
cozy placed tucked between a bunch of chinese restaurants. cheap drinks, cozy atmosphere and a bartender with a true accent.
one star short from a perfect neighborhood bar because despite being 5'8", the urinals in the bathroom were still nailed in a lot higher than comfortable.
bitter? nah. embarrassed? a little.
A nice place to spend a quiet weekday afternoon with a Guinness, while contemplating thoughts that have no place within such walls:
-How the slightly cracked window let in a refreshingly cool breeze, felt only on the most laid-back of days.
-How the incoming sunlight lit the weathered bar, softly accentuating the wood stripped after years of loving abuse.
-How I was able to use a bathroom twice without having to pretend to rent something from Blockbuster.
People thought this was:
Useful (11)
Funny (13)
Cool (18)
This place is perfect how it is. Unrefined and undesigned. Just a bar. A rectangle, with tables on the left, bar on the right, and bathroom in the back. It's the people who make it fun. I went there Friday night, the 12th. I think the first thing I did when I entered was stare at this really old Japanese-looking couple dancing in the middle of the bar. Twirling around--they were beautiful, dressed in soft-looking layers of OldPeople Clothes.
I did rounds of shots with two guys my age celebrating one of their birthdays. I did another with a beach-hippy couple. Jim Bean, all the way. I was hitting on these two girls. The more attractive one had a boyfriend. He didn't mind me talking to his girl and her friend. In fact he was quite eager to befriend me. At one point we started dancing together, which turned into a sort of Judo ballet, both of us clinching each other behind the neck. The incomprehensible Irish, the old couple, the forceful bartender (I was getting out of line)--they made that place for me.
Some other posts talk about the random jukebox selection; when I was there some guy was playing on a guitar that was amped way too high. Whatevs.
So overall, if you have an international touch, or you're just an open-minded drunk, this place is for you. If you're more Americanized and you expect the world to cater to your every materialistic whim, then don't go here. Stick to the flashy lights in North Beach.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
Going to Durty Nelly's on Saturday night made me feel like I was in one of my favorite movies "Shaun of the Dead".
Remember that scene in which Shaun and Ed find a girl in the garden, and they think she's drunk, but she's actually a zombie? Shaun pushes her hard and she gets impaled on a steel pole, but then she gets up and starts walking towards them again, while Shaun and Ed stare at her wide-eyed.
That's what the drunk people are like at Durty Nelly's. It's absolutely hilarious to watch. I saw two people nearly pass out, and then five minutes later they were ordering another drink. Incredible! One girl saved herself from hitting the floor by holding on to my purse. I couldn't move, and she didn't move for about 10 minutes until her friend grabbed her by her waist and propped her up on a stool. Time for another pint!
The bartenders here are excellent - I have never seen drinks poured this well or this fast. They are working so hard, there is no time to clear the bottles - it's like that game "100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" but they are on the tables and bar. The bouncers have their hands full with the people who do cross the line (but some of them make their way back in...just like those zombies, you can't keep 'em down!). Really, though, everyone here is just fun-loving and harmless and there to have a good time.
At one point, some folks were standing on one of the tables, and the bartender just threw a towel at them to tell them to get down. It was awesome - like disciplining animals. And it reminded me of this scene, where Shaun and Ed are throwing old albums at the zombies:
Ed: "Purple Rain"?
Shaun: No.
Ed: "Sign o' the Times"?
Shaun: Definitely not.
Ed: The "Batman" soundtrack?
Shaun: Throw it.
Well, unlike our heroes in the film, we were bitten and soon participating in the rowdiness all around us. There is nothing more fun than an entire bar singing along to a live rendition of "Dirty Old Town". Young and old, male and female, arms around each other and singing their hearts out, present company included.
Ohhh, that was fun. But through the mayhem, I also recognize a great bar when I find it, and I will definitely be back during a more quiet time to enjoy a creamy Guinness and some pub grub.
I'll leave you with this bit of wisdom:
Shaun: As Bertrand Russell once said, "The only thing that will redeem mankind is cooperation." I think we can all appreciate the relevance of that now.
Liz: Was that on a beer mat?
Shaun: Yeah, it was Guinness Extra Cold.
Liz: I won't say anything.
Shaun: Thanks
If the world is ending, I am going to make a beeline for Durty Nelly's. Because when it comes down to it, all you really need is a pint, your friends, and some good music. And perhaps a little bit of wisdom thrown in. Good times.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (6)
Cool (5)
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Related Lists
-
My Neighborhood
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,… -
