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Gangway
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Thu, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
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20 reviews for Gangway
This area has an abundance of fake tranny tits and crack-head sing-a-longs but it is sorely lacking in free wi-fi spots. Enter the GANGWAY.
Yeah, it's one of those old man gay bars where toothless, un moisturized, 35 year old rent boys can be made, used and um abused.
However, is a perfect spot for a cute brown girl on deadline to get a Trumer, free wi-fi, peace and all the old skool U2 that I can chair dance to.
I'm upping my review to five stars. Love this place, the friendliest bartender's and patron's in town. A whole conglomeration of characters, from one extreme to another! Keeps me entertained, and I love the camaraderie of the regulars. Just brave the hood, and go!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
7/1/2009
I doubt the people that frequent this bar read yelp, but nonetheless, I think it is a blast. You… Read more »
I walked into Gangway expecting a grungy dive filled with zombies and to my surprise what I got was a saloon with friendly patrons, a fabulous owner and a surprisingly clean yet disorganized atmosphere. I struck up a conversation with a local artist and we had a gay old time talking about the nearby dives and eating joints. I was having so much fun it took a good 15 minutes before I realized I had walked into a "happy" bar. I came to this conclusion when my drinking buddy gave me the sexy eye and when his advance was not returned, he said, "you don't know where you are, do you?" It was a very accurate statement as I was on day 3 of a Tendernob runner and I was barely cognizant of my surroundings; I only knew I had a cold beer in front of me.
A fellow who identified himself as the owner, a handsome gentlemen, walked over to tell me the history of ye old saloon. He showed me a picture of himself from his younger days which hung on a mirror behind the bar and beamed with pride. These days, he is afflicted with throat problems but his condition did not negatively affect his naturally gregarious and positive personality. He told me his tales of the 70's and 80's and the wild and fun times that have taken place in his bar. He had overheard me explaining my straightness to my drinking buddy and told me it was alright, he does not discriminate against non-"happy" people.
According to the owner, after 9 pm a bunch of half-naked hard bodies jump on the bar and go-go dance to tunes and a giant mirror, which was covered by a large drape, comes down to reflect this debauchery. It wasn't my scene but it sounded like a fun time for all in attendance.
One other thing, this place has one of those grapple claw machines where you put in your change and try to grab a gift out of a large cage. Usually these types of machines are filled with stuffed animals and other toys. This one was filled with rated X videos.
Please visit this bar. Everyone is welcome and in the middle of the urban decay of this neighborhood, this bar is probably the safest place to sit your ass and have a drink.
Gang Way is way great! In the early afternoon, it can be a bit quiet and, frankly, a bit sad to see folks (like me) drinking so hard so early in the day. But during a more proper hour, the place is a pleasant respite from the street. There's a super mixed crowd of differing ages and ethnicities, but all very friendly and easy going. It's clear there are regulars that are quite familiar with each other. Yet, we felt very welcomed. The neighborhood has a reputation for being rough, but all the better to keep the hipsters at bay. They can keep Zeitgeist, we have Gang Way.
Let me start off by saying when I moved to the city 2 years ago I remember driving by the gangway and thinking "I will never go there, this is a scary part of the town and what the hell kind of name is gangway it might as well be called manhole or Big Dick's house"
Flash forward to yesterday. I have now moved half a block from the gangway and realize that for the most part the Tenderloin is nothing to be scared of.
What's awesome
-3.50 strong vodka tonics!
-Fun music blasting
-Hanger game where you can win porn!
-Really nice bartender
-No one was overtly creepy
-8 Dollar Pitchers!
Yeah there was a broke down tranny in there and some older gentlemen who looked like they had been there all day. I still don't care! I'm not ashamed to admit that the Gangway may just be my new local bar!
I ended up at Gang Way recently on one of those nights- the kind where you have to scroll through search listings on Yelp to remember the name of the bar where you ended your evening the night before.
Bartender, whatever your name was, I love you for your dimples and your happiness, and I hate you for all the free Jaeger shots you slipped me. And the free beers.
Bitter queens at the end of the bar, "what do you do for a living?" IS a reasonable question to ask someone you've never met before, I don't care if we ARE in the Tenderloin. Maybe he sucks cock to buy his crack for a living, maybe he has an MBA, I don't care either way. I am not the career police, I am just trying to make small talk with a stranger.
Guy who asked me out who might possibly believe you are straight (as you claim to be)- you're gay. Own it. You are the only person who thinks you're straight. And thanks for the ride home, which saved me $20 in cab fare.
Drag queen in the sparkly dress with the crazy lip liner, your dress was gorgeous but your breath needs some work. Think about mints.
And to my liver- you are a rock star. Please don't leave me.
My new pal Robert G. decided to indoctrinate me into the fine art of the nautical dive bar last evening. Now I'm not too scurred of the Loin, but once I'd hit Larkin Street and a maniacal man wielding a makeshift walking stick screeched, "What's it all about?" so loudly that my ears are STILL ringing, I wasn't sure what to expect. Fade to us, having a ball over beers and the nonsensical merriment of the local fixtures perched around the bar. Screw cable. Next time I want to be truly entertained, I'm coming back here for a bucket full of crazy and a cheap drink. It really was a fun experience.
The Gang-Way is my closest neighborhood watering hole, and just happens to cater to the sort of gentleman who prefers the company of other gentlemen, if you get my meaning. Specifically, the Gang-Way caters to the sort of gentleman who prefers other gentlemen, and is middle-to-advanced in age, generally plain in dress, and quite frequently suffering from depression and/or chronic alcoholism.
Nonetheless, Lady Pestlebottom and I enjoy having a drink here, because the atmosphere is calm and welcoming, and the bartenders are pleasant, especially the gentleman with the hole in his throat.
On certain Saturday nights, the Gang-Way hosts parties such as "Manquake" and "Chrome," which cater to the younger, more fashionable crowd. These parties are always lively and entertaining, with old-tyme music and dancing.
This bar gets most of its stars for the nautical theme. The bow of a boat sticking out of the facade and another one visible above the bar is so hysterically busted up it is delightful.
The locals in Gang Way were friendly enough. We had a drink bought for us by the bartender and another by a patron. It is the kind of place you need to settle in for a while to watch the drama unfold.
Toothless men one step away from being homeless offered to buy me drinks. Hot. I'm not even being sarcastic - it's totally hot.
Being mistaken for a male prostitute on my walk to the bar is also pretty hot. I thought my look was more reminiscent of an early 80's fashion disaster, but apparently it is also reminiscent of a junkie/streetwalker. Thank you American Apparel!! And thank you Gangway!! I've never felt so classy.
That's right. I'm giving the Gangway Five Fucking Stars. Why? Because it is a perfect bar for what it is and thus deserves it.
If you like old skool dive bars, you'll love it. But it's old skool without all the cum guzzling and barebacking in dark corners.
Strong drinks, weird people, little light, no trendy hipsters, no blaring music that makes your ears bleed. A perfect hole in which to escape for however long it takes you to finish your drink(s).
Plus, this is the first place where I met Bambi Lake (and I think she was eating a hot dog). That deserves five stars right there.
I had thought about checking it out for many months, but always balked at the doorway. Arrrgh, me maties, methought the Gangway too scurvy ferrr the likes of me.
Finally a friend of mine offers to take me, saying I won't have to worry about getting cruised. And I have to say inside the seamy appearance, it's got a heart of gold. People who've seen good and bad times line the walls, and an amazingly BS-free zone.
Check the mechanical crane game in the corner; where else can you fish out a porn DVD ?
I hate to use the phrase "old fags", due to the fact that, one day, I will be one. However, all of the images up with which the phrase conjures, such as alcoholism, chain-smoking, gauche fashion and jewelry and leering sideways glances, are abundantly present at the Gangway. I've felt welcome each time that I've come in, but its a sort of bitter-sweet welcome in that I in no way want to feel comfortable in, nor associate too closely with, any place or people so shady.
If you don't mind feeling a little emotionally dirty afterward, it might be worth it to check out the Gangway. Otherwise, you're really not missing much. By the way, for a giggle, be sure to check out the creepy woman (or perhaps drag queen, I really can't tell) who sings along when Jennifer Lopez is on the juke-box and does strange, veil-like activities with her scarf; she's so macabre that she's hilarious!
This place went to the top of my "must check out list" after the crowd at Mr. Lee-Ona's ( http://www.yelp.com/bi... ) described it as a hellish pit of abject depression, acute alcoholism, and financial malaise. Soon thereafter I made a beeline down Turk and up Larkin to check it out. But instead of finding the anticipated mosh-pit of urban decay, I was disappointed to find a creatively re-decorated bar, perfectly tidy and filled with well behaved gay patrons.
Gangway's exterior is perfectly priceless....a two-tone blue paint job covers an aging swath of rough stucco. The spot over the door features a crudely fashioned three-dimensional facsimile of a ships bow. The overall sloppiness of the manner in which it was put together is actually kind of cool....it's one of those things you have to see to appreciate.
The clients are middle aged and polite, though not as straight-friendly as the folks at Lee-Ona's. No specialty beers are on tap, but full pints of Miller Lite were a scant two bucks. I was having the usual straight guy-gay dude chat with one of the patrons when our beers ran dry. I picked up a round of two-buck Miller Lite's, and got a very warm and genuine thank-you, which was nice for a change. After years of receiving naught but catty evasiveness from the female of our species in exchange for a six-dollar cocktail, I've all but given up on buying drinks for the opposite sex...
Gangway might not be a bad choice for a neighborhood bar if you're gay, but I found very little about it that was interesting. The place was clean and the decor OK, but nothing succeeded in conveying a sense of history or uniqueness. Furthermore, I didn't see any fascinating dysfunctionalities or amusing antics within the crowd of clients. It's worth a stop by if you're gay....but despite the priceless storefront, the inside is a bit too refined to make Gangway a must-visit destination for a dive-bar exploration.
I loved the pool table in the back with the short stick.
You know what I'm talking about.
The room to play pool was so small that, in some instances, you need to use the short stick, lest you poke a hole in the wall.
Some shots, we had to take a step up into the bathroom to shoot.
God I loved this bar.
Haven't been back in 2 years though. My liver hasn't forgiven me.
And yes, I'm not a gay sailor, but I loved this place.
Viva La Hag!
David F. is on crack. Literally. The music was too soft, the lights too bright and one of the go-go boys took my barstool away. One star for the fun bar patrons.
I've been to the Gangway a few times. I only go there for TransAm presents "CHROME" because of the boys and the music. The boys are easy, animated, and hot!!!!!
How could you not LOVE this place, amazing bartenders, great conversation, and I wish the walls could talk.
i felt like i was sinking with the titanic but in the tenderloin and I LOVED IT!
So the only time I've ever been to this bar is to attend the Chrome party which is hosted there once a month. The first time I went, it started out really slow. None of the other Chrome partiers had arrived yet except for a couple of bike messengers and the assorted bald-headed faux skinhead or two. No matter, because the locals will keep you entertained with their antics. Witness the old, white-haired hippie grandpa character who suddenly burst from the backroom and mowed down almost everyone as he cut a path back to the bar. I don't know what was funnier-- watching him get kicked out, or the annoyed looks on the hipsters' faces when he elbowed them between their shoulder blades on his way down. Or watch the black tranny, drunk and halfway teetering off her barstool. By the time the party was in full swing, the DJ was blaring Fugazi from the speakers full blast, and the bar was wall-to-wall gay indie, punk and what-the-hell-is-that gay boys drunk on the road to hell. I picked up a goth rocker and this guy with a derby hat who looked like something out of A Clockwork Orange, only he was so short that Malcom McDowell could use him as a footstool. Score! Unfortunately, the next time I went, it wasn't quite so colorful and it didn't attract the mayhem of the first party. Instead I sat in the corner and felt myself melt into just another drunk in the Tenderloin. Not a great experience, I'm afraid. So to summarize-- when it's hoppin, it's poppin, and a much more interesting place to be than say, any gay bar in the Castro where it's safe. When it's not hot, there's not a lot I can say to salvage it except that their beers on tap have been Sapporo and Trumer Pils. You can bet I was the only one there ordering them and I got some free ones from the cute bearish bartender. Score (again)!
