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- Hours:
Mon-Fri 2 pm - 2 am
Sat-Sun 12 pm - 2 am
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Eastsac G. said: "Their T-shirts say it very eloquently: The "non - marina" marina bar. Visit this place whenever we're in the City because we usually stay close to the Marina. Went in around 8pm on a Friday and hadn't gotten crowed yet so nabbed a…" read more »
488 reviews for Hobson's Choice
Review Highlights
"their victorian punch is an absolute must try."
(in 37 reviews)
"Service was top notch and the rum A grade."
(in 121 reviews)
"i wish happy hour lasted longer than 2 hours."
(in 65 reviews)
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488 reviews in English
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Review from Ying F.
1/29/2012
One of my favorite causal bars in the haight. Actually, there is nothing super fancy in the haight. Everything here is pretty relax and causal. It's nice for me to break out of the financial/soma/marina yuppy scene once in a while and just grab a beer with a few of my co workers for a causal night.
This bar is located in the middle of haight and has a great bar set up. They serve this huge bowl of jungle juice. Back in my college days (ages ago), jungle juice was made out of fruit punch and everclear. One red cup of jungle juice and you're knocked out for the night. This sneaky juice you to creep up on even the heaviest drinkers I know.
Now the version Hobson's choice is pretty similar but no everclear (thank goodness!). Still has that effect where you can't taste the alcohol and you feel its ok to keep drinking this "fruit punch." After a few cups, its hits you all at once! A great drink for a group. I promise if you have a group, one bowl is not enough :)Comment from Greg M. of Hobson's Choice 1/29/2012
Ying, Thank you for your great Yelp review. Yes, our punch… More » -
Review from Ting S.
1/17/2012
This is a great spot for daytime drinking! The barstaff is super laid back and down to earth, and tends to customers fantastically. I always appreciate when customers are served in the order they arrive at the bar, and having someone remember what you're drinking is always a plus.
I'm not usually much of a rum puncher, but there's usually specials on a variety of punches here, and they're a knockout. I just learned about the Bloody Mary bar on Sundays and anticipate checking this out soon! -
Review from Michael F.
Brooklyn, NY
1/16/2012
We ordered two bowls of punch and then another bowl of punch about 15-20 minutes before last call. It was hubris, and the bartender only reinforced that by making this last bowl pretty much equal parts bacardi 151 and V8 Splash. I think I had 4 cups.
I have been sufficiently destroyed by drinking in SF now. I will not question the constitutions or livers of your fair city again. Thank you for a good night with strangers. -
Review from Caitlin H.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2012
Great place! Went in this evening for a quick happy hour with a friend and ended up leaving 5 hours and 3 punches later! A little divey-er than I expected from their website, but not at all a turn off. Love their Victorian punch house concept. Not too crowded or too loud (at least on a week night) and there's plenty of room for groups or having some space to yourself for conversation. The Victorian and Gogo punches were excellent and packed a punch. Was already tipsy and didn't really need the complimentary round that the bartender so graciously left at our table (thank you so much!!!), but happily drank it anyway. Super nice service and the food from Askew that they offer is great too (nachos w/ BBQ sauce!) I don't frequent the Haight often, but this place will be on my list for future detours through the neighborhood.
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Review from Julia K.
1/15/2012
Great place to go when you want to chill and just catch up with friends. It's a nice little neighborhood bar that gives generous portions with their drinks. Always a good thing!
I loved the chill atmosphere that this neighborhood bar gives and I think that their upstairs area is pretty cool. We ordered a punch bowl which was a cool $35. The bartender let us sample all three of the punches before we decided which one to get in the bowl - we opted for the ginger lemonade. All the punches are rum based, but didn't taste like it at all - probably kind of dangerous.
Cool little find - will definitely be back when in need of a change of scenery from our usual hang outs. -
Review from Colleen M.
Los Angeles, CA
1/4/2012
Really cool bar in the Haight with some local flair and really helpful bartenders. The atmosphere's laid back and definitely inviting.
Great for:
*Groups
*Girly drinks - PUNCH! (Rum and some fruity greatness)
^On that note, a punch bowl -which will serve a large group- is $35. Just. do it.
*Meeting someone up over a beer or two. -
Review from S T.
San Francisco, CA
2/1/2012
Love this place! Fabulous bar tenders and great drinks. You can just walk in and say "I feel like something with a bit of rum, some ginger, some lime - what do you have?" They will know something great and make you happy! Love this place :)
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Review from Sin F.
San Francisco, CA
2/1/2012
I like it here and would personally consider it the best bar in upper Haight. It has a comfortable atmosphere and a great orange punch. Prices are fair and the upstairs is very quaint. A good place to go with friends I would say especially if you wanna go for a punchbowl all to yourselves. Cheers!!
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Review from Loli L.
San Francisco, CA
12/15/2011
I like punch. They have nice punch here and the people are nice. If you're not into punch, they have other things as well- including a respectable amount of things on tap.
The other night, the featured drink was a mojito and I got the heebie-jeebies just thinking of the time I went through a week-long phase of making my own mojitos. I swore it would be a long time before I drank another mojito but here I was ordering one. It was good. I would certainly recommend ordering one from here over drinking one made by me. -
Review from John S.
San Francisco, CA
1/4/2012
This is a fun place. It's got enough space for the amount of people that show up. They've got unique happy hour type stuff going on in the form of their punches. And they've got a ridiculous rum list.
Most places don't have even 1 decent rum. This place has a boatload, and the people behind the bar know all about them. To top it off my friend and I tried 5 different rums on one trip and it wasn't even a gut-wrenching bill. -
Review from Melissa T.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 11/23/2011
PUNCH BOWL! PUNCH BOWL!
Oh man, you sure know what a girl needs. Came here with 4 friends and super cute (Irish-ish) bartender tells us we should just get a bowl instead for 5 more dollars. You are talking to a Chinese girl here, and what I hear is a bargain! Sold baby! Gimme my punch!
Delicious and fun times ensued.
Morning after hurt my brain. But that's what I get for not having self control.
Oh the choice of Hobson. You do me so good.Comment from Greg M. of Hobson's Choice 10/5/2011
Melissa: Your way with words is Amazing, amazing, amazing!… More » -
Review from Emily D.
11/12/2011
My night last night went something like this: After getting dressed up as a panda and heading to my friends where we drank some gin and made hilarious facebook comments about uncomfortable va-jay-jays, my friends and I rolled here for an animal themed bar crawl that really only started and ended here. It was good. They make a good washington apple and we got sufficiently drunk.
They don't have cell phone reception. Or give a shit. Its rad. I stayed till last call, because its not like I had some meeting thing to go to at school today which required me to be 1. not hungover 2. in business casual. Oh, wait... whoops. -
Review from Jennifer T.
San Francisco, CA
1/11/2012 3 Check-ins Here
I live in the hood so it's easy to get to. They have huge punch bowls if you don't mind the slight headache manana. I've never had a bad time but am definitely not a regular. It's a good choice when on an upper Haight pub crawl.
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Review from Roxane W.
10/26/2011
Dear Hobson's,
We are officially done.
I wish I could take back all the money I've spent on you.
I've always disliked the attitude of your bar staff (bouncer / ID checker guy included) but your cheap drinks and large booth like couch areas kept me coming back.
After my last experience with you though, I can safely say I will not be returning to you! One Friday night, I brought to you a group of close to 20 of my friends for to celebrate a 30th birthday.
Instead of showing us a good time, we were talked to condescendingly, and then ignored and cussed at by your bartender. It seemed as though, ordering copious drinks (and tipping well on them) were not enough for you.
Apparently making up for most of your clientele for the night wasn't impressive enough for you either, so you felt the need to purposely dismiss anyone in our group and make us feel unwelcome. If that wasn't enough, you continued to harass us in the street after we left you.
If it hadn't been for my poor decision making skills that night, and for the lack of large spaced bars in close proximity, I would have turned away from you in a heart beat.
Lesson learned.
PS your punch bowls really suck.Comment from Greg M. of Hobson's Choice 10/31/2011
Roxane, My deepest apologies for your recent experience at… More » -
Review from Joel F.
Mobile, AL
1/12/2012
Very nice place to chill out and watch the game. You get a nice mix of people coming here from the city as well as a few tourists. The place next door cooks the food and it's a relative bargain for SF. A stayed the whole Sunday, starting with their bloody Mary bar for breakfast and then making it through a few beers during the games and then finished off with a diner. There was a steady stream of people coming in and out. It's a bit small for the amount of people that want in, so get there early if you want to spend any amount of time there. My next visit to the city will definitely include Hobson's Choice.
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Review from Jiordan C.
San Francisco, CA
10/30/2011
5 stars for Laith (bartender), 4 stars for cheap, sugary booze (house punch), and 4 stars for location. The 43 or 33 will take you right there, which is great when you're already drunk on your way into Hobson's.
It's a good mix of people - 20s, 30s, lots of older plaid-wearing dudes and younger plaid-wearing girls. Generally, my kind of scene. It's laid-back, especially for Haight, and it's rare to encounter anyone too awful.
I mean, everyone leaves Hobson's completely trashed anyway. I've seen the lights come on at 1:45 in the morning more times than I care to count. And that gives you 15 minutes to get pizza down the block. It's a win-win. -
Review from Cecilia S.
San Francisco, CA
10/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Casual bar in the heart of Haight. We decided to come here after work for happy hour on a Thursday evening. It was pretty relaxed and most of the patrons kept to themselves. There were a few people at the bar talking to one another, a small group intently watching a game, some other people here and there.. and then there was our group. I honestly thought it would be a bit more lively.. come on people!! It's a Thursday night and there's an awesome happy hour.. WAKE UP!!!
Rum seems to be their specialty here. They are famous for their rum punch. The House punch is a blend of silver rum, mango, orange and pineapple juices, and the Victorian punch is a silver, coconut, and pineapple rums blended with a cranberry-pineapple juice. I kept asking my friends whether or not they tasted alcohol in my drink because I couldn't taste it at all! It was awesome! But after a while, I started to feel a bit warmer.. DANGEROUS! It's like drinking jungle juice at a frat party.. you just don't know until it hits you like a train later on!
I was also quite please to see Carlsberg on their beer list. I don't think I've seen that beer on tap in the U.S. I first fell in love with it in Scotland, and I have missed it ever so much. I also heard their tangerine beer is pretty awesome, so I'll have to try it out next time.
Overall, it's a pretty chill place to grab a drink. You can definitely strike up a conversation here since it's not too loud. By the same token, it would be nice if it was a little more festive and energetic.... 3.5 -
Review from Derrick C.
Buffalo, NY
12/25/2011
Chill place to come w/ a group of friends and share one of their punch bowls for $35. We went w/ the Go Go Punch which was a ginger lemonade w/ rum and I'm not ashamed to say that it was good. All guys like some girly drinks at some point but have too much man-pride to admit it.
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Review from Corey V.
12/27/2011
Rum flights, rum punch and lots of .... rum. If you're into rum then this is your place. They have a great happy hour, friendly staff, TVs and plenty of room. Everything that makes a good bar.
Comment from Greg M. of Hobson's Choice 12/27/2011
Corey, Thank you for your posting about, well, RUM! We… More » -
Review from Brian D.
San Francisco, CA
11/14/2011
Stopped in on Sunday November 13th, 2011 around 2:00 PM while walking down the street - and noticed there make your own bloody mary bar.
After walking in we were immediately greeted by an energetic bartender - african american, in his 30's - who quickly took my order and pointed me in the right direction. Might have been one of the nicest bartenders I have met in SF so far.
The bloody mary was $5.50 which is a great deal - and i liked how i could create it the way i enjoyed. In the future, I realize I am best leaving it to the professionals. Will be back. -
Review from Sonam G.
San Francisco, CA
11/21/2011
I love this bar.. not because its walking distance from my place and I can stumble to and fro.. just because it has tons of personality, a great staff, awesome punch (order the house punch with a floater (what I always get for my friends when they come for the first time)), and at times amazing amazing music (pending on who is DJing with their IPOD.
They also allow food to be delivered/or brought in from outside of the bar. :) :) A+ + + + -
Review from April rose D.
Pleasanton, CA
12/27/2011 1 photo
This was our fourth stop after our jog around the city so we were already pretty blitzed. Let's see if I remember...We sampled two of their spiked punches, rasbery lemonade and ginger i think and mango orange pineapple. So good and the bartender was cool!
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Review from Sonya H.
San Francisco, CA
11/13/2011
I was completely perplexed by this rum bar. Unexciting top 40 music from the past 20 years and wide range of clientele. Lighting too bright for a place so divey.
Found a fruit fly in my house punch - stick to beer. -
Review from T R S.
San Ramon, CA
Updated - 10/26/2011
Just felt I needed to update after going here many times. This is the chillest place ever.
The bartenders are fuckin awesome! The drinks are SO GOOD! GET THE MAI TAI. Not only is it bomb it is friggen potent. The jukebox is so good you may drain your wallet. But its worth it.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/16/2011
This place rocked. Super comfortable and not overly loud during happy hour, cool music, nice… Read more »
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Review from Lexie S.
San Francisco, CA
9/26/2011
Re-visit and re-review.
I visited Hobson's Choice giving them a second try.
It was mad busy since it was world series night but I got in and within 3 minutes a smiley blonde asked me what I would like.
She was busy as could be but took care of everyone with seamless effort.
My food order got jammed up but she did her best to keep the Guinness flowing in my direction.
I didn't argue about being comped for the meal as it was still good though late due to the game.
Having been both early in the week and later in the week...I'd say go in the second half of the week. The food menu is some delicious bar fare like none in most pubs. I had the ahi tuna skewers and potatoes. Delicious.
Whether you are getting finished with a day at work or meeting friends for drinks in the Haight street area, Try Hobson's Choice!
~
Lexikat -
Review from Jena D.
12/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
I walked in here this past Sunday to watch the football game. Found a seat pretty quickly, too. The crowd was a nice mixed group in good spirits. Everyone was here with friends. Good vibe.
I love bloody Mary bars! Unfortunately, I was still sick from the night before and didn't get to participate. But I'm coming back again for this Sunday tradition. I did get to peruse the selection of treats and flavors you can use to customization your bloody Mary. My mouth waters as I think about all the pickled stuff I'm gonna cram into that glass.
I love the idea of a punch bar. Everyone in the place had a glass of bright Orange punch. Including this drunk girl who clearly should have been cut off and sent home to shower. She was roaming around the place trying to get guys to talk to her and taking punch down her throat like a champ. Kudos to being hammered at 2 in the afternoon, alone. Other than this chick, I really am excited to go back.
I was hopping to get some food here. I should have, considering the lunch I did choose was the worst meal I've had in the city. They get their food from next door at askew. I'm just not the biggest fan of askew and the flavors. But I'm kicking myself for it now. It seemed like pretty fast food service too. Someone from askew would walk in with your food minutes after ordering. Pretty smart concept. -
Review from Joe C.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 10/2/2011
Hobson's Choice vs. Martin Macks
Drinks:
Martin Macks has about 50 different kinds of lagers. Thing is, one lager is much like another. Hobson's has a better selection of ales, and makes a better bloody mary.
Winner - Hobson's Choice
Food:
Martin Mack's has a pizza oven, but for the most part the food there is frozen and deep fried - the kind of stuff that Gordon Ramsey screams at people for. Hobson's has kabab, really good wings, ribs, and other tasty treats.(although to be fair, they bring it in from Askew Grill next door).
Winner - Hobson's Choice by a wide margin
Seating:
Martin Macks has hard chairs and hard stools. Hobson's Choice has hard charis and nice soft upholstered banquettes.
Winner - Hobson's Choice.
TV:
Both advertise the NFL Sunday Ticket - meaning that they show every NFL game, ostensibly. Martin Macks has more TVs, and bigger TVs, it is true. That doesn't do you any good, however, if the bartender won't put your game on any of them.
Winner - Hobson's Choice
Hobson's Choice would stand on its own as a fine place to hang on a Sunday even without the comparison. But in light of the comparison, it's even more compelling.Listed in: Bars At Which I've Never Puked
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/11/2006
Another bar I can walk to, and hands down the best place for my girlfriends to go to pick up… Read more »
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Review from Richa A.
7/9/2011
Whatever positives I can say about this bar (which there are a few of, but you can read the other reviews for that) were canceled out by the completely unacceptable behavior of the staff here, on several levels.
A large group of us (15 or so) rolled in here for a friend's 30th birthday. Lots of shots were ordered. Lots of drinks were ordered. We were given attitude every step of the way. Some of the girls were hit on by one of the male bartenders. Inappropriate. But what really irked me was how they dealt with kicking us all out at closing time -- which, by the way, happened at 1:41am... lame. It's not like "Okay, please leave". It's like "Get the fuck out". Literally. That's what they said to us.
So, again, it's a large group of us, so after we exit the bar, we're still outside trying to catch cabs, say goodbyes, whatever. I'm not really sure if the sidewalk is their property, if we were loitering, or whatever technicalities there are, but in my book what we were doing was completely normal. Well, one of the staff comes out, and is like "Hey! It's 2am so shut the fuck up."
No one should be treated that way, but especially not your paying customers. I was just shocked. I can't come back here simply out of principle.Comment from Greg M. of Hobson's Choice 7/10/2011
Richa, So very sorry about your recent experience at… More » -
Review from Almedia I.
San Jose, CA
7/11/2011
I've been here once before and had a pretty good time, but after yesterday (Sunday, 7/10 approx 6 pm), I will avoid this place. We were deciding which punch bowl to get so I ask the dark haired girl bartender at the bar what the difference was between the two, (which I had seen on the bar menu with no descriptions) and all she says is "orange and cran" so I ask which is which? and she goes "the house is orange, orange is orange and the victorian is cran" in a "so obvious tone."
SO SORRY I don't live at this bar like you obviously do deadbeat! you are obviously are soo much cooler than be since you work at a bar! if I had paid, I wouldn't have tipped because even if one thinks someone is asking a stupid question, you don't give them attitude. The "punch" was exactly that, tasted like cool-aid with no alcohol in it. glad I didn't pay!
now, reading over the reviews, I see that I'm not the only one who has received this kind of behavior from the bartenders.Comment from Greg M. of Hobson's Choice 7/16/2011
Almedia, I am so sorry for your poor experience at… More » -
Review from Karla R.
Los Angeles, CA
8/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
HAPPY HOUR is 2 bucks DRINKS! YES! they have this house punch and it's 2 bucks, 3 bucks, and 4 bucks for HAPPY HOUR! get drunk on the cheap on Haight St. Oh yes!
I had a decent experience, the bartender was a dude, very sweet and kind.
GRILLED ZUCCHINI IS AWESOME! Nice tavern like local bar. You can do what the locals do, and spange for change and get a drink here!
So yes, I will def. be coming back! :D -
Review from Cindy A.
San Francisco, CA
10/30/2011
I've always loved coming to Hobson's to relax and watch all the interesting characters of SF. This is the perfect place to grab an afternoon drink. Their house punch taste SO good, just like pineapple juice, but I'm not sure how much alcohol they put. I've been able to have a couple cups of punch and still felt fine.
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Review from Katie S.
6/24/2011
Definitely my favorite neighborhood bar. The punch bowls are delicious and they're a great bargain. Grab one of those (or a couple if you know what's good fer ya), take a seat upstairs with some friends and you are set for a great night.
And a tip to those who may need it: Don't try to pull any fast ones with your ID. Even if it's simply expired, you're getting the boot. These guys run a tight ship. -
Review from Alariza N.
Livermore, CA
12/5/2011
Punch!!!! Punch punch punch! Try it, you must. You have to! The only reason why it doesn't get 5 stars is because I live too far away from it and that's a problem! The bartenders are really cool and nice. Clientele is usually a bit older. More of the business crowd, at least that's what I've noticed. I hate being surrounded by youngsters who ran to the bar right after class got out, and this place is pretty safe from them! Get there early because it can get crowded fast!
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Review from Vanessa A.
San Francisco, CA
9/22/2011
Love.Love.Love.
The best part of this bar is the service! The bartenders are always a good time. I've been here when its been crazy on a Friday or Saturday night, but also on a random Monday when you can just sit back and enjoy a nice cold beer. The one thing that's a must-get here is the punch! have a big group with you?! No problem. 3 different kinds of Punch, all good, all strong, all go down real nice! :) -
Review from Gina S.
10/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
A really great cool place to hang out on a Sunday! They have bloody mary Sundays! Full bloody bar! But I think what they're known for is their punch. I had the house punch which was mango and pineapple flavored and the victorian punch which was pineapple and coconut flavored. I liked the victorian punch better. But boy are those potent! I only had 4 glasses and I was feeling a little bit woozy! Maybe because I'm not used to drinking rum drinks? Who knows but who cares....they were tasty! Great place to hang out definitely, but I think they need bigger tv screens if they're going to show sports games. I know its not a sports bar, but everyone was hanging there watching the game! And I love the music they're playing! Lots of oldies but goodies like PM DAWN! YeS!
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Review from Karen T.
Gotta love the Hobson's Choice, the bouncer was nice answering all our dumb questions like what's the difference between this punch and that punch...umm oops the description was right in our face on a huge sign above the bar. My favorite was the Victorian punch, slight hint of coconut I'm guessing they use malibu rum in it. Then they had a random raffle, fun times! I didn't win but someone won a $50 giftcard to Foreign Cinema.
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Review from Samantha L.
Chicago, IL
11/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm mostly a beer person, but the punch here is AWESOME. Definitely can't taste the alcohol at all, which is incredibly dangerous. Each glass is only $5, and they have a selection of a few different super fruity punches. The atmosphere is chill, and the bartender was friendly.
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Review from Umilia M.
San Francisco, CA
5/23/2011
"Morton's Fork," a scenario where you must choose between two undesirable options, would be a more accurate name for this bar than "Hobson's Choice" (a scenario where you choose what is offered or nothing).
I wouldn't choose to come here on my own, but have ended up here several times for birthday parties. Hence the Morton's Fork: either bail on a friend's birthday, or end of shelling out $40+ for some weak punch bowl I could make for $5 at home.
The drinks are sweet and yummy, but overpriced for the quality and the venue. There are some nice places to sit upstairs if you're with a group, but the night I was there we got conflicting messages from two bartenders of whether or not the area was "closed," even though the bar wasn't that busy and there were 10+ people in our party.
I like that you can order food from next door (Sqewers?) to be delivered here. The food is decent, but sort of pricey for what you get, and they add on a 10% "delivery" charge, which they didn't tell me about before I ordered, it just showed up on the bill.
Oh, and I know that the Haight's reputation is getting shit on with the whole sit/lie law fiasco, but I've never seen more aggressive panhandlers than outside Hobson's Choice, to the point of being threatening. Not entirely pleasant. -
Review from Grant B.
San Francisco, CA
11/20/2011
Walked in on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Wu Tang Clan playing. Bartenders dancing. Bloody Mary's flowing. If ya got beef then bring da ruckus, Hobson's Choice ain't nuthin to f#ck wit!
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Review from Kate S.
Los Angeles, CA
8/18/2011
Yay for happy hour punch! ($2.5-$3.5)
Orange mango flavor is the best!
I also tried lemonade flavor, it was pretty good too.
Their drinks are fairly strong and pretty cheap even after happy hour:)
Adios was $8 n grayhound was $5
This place gets crowded during happy hour!!
Nice ambience.
Would go back there again when I visit SF!
