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Categories: Bars, American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: SOMAMon-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat-Sun. 2:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
"I am a lucky lady- I've been to many bars throughout several states. I've been from fancy-shmancy to full-on-dive, favoring the latter to…" read more »
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COZY, and simple.
I came here to see Paper Raincoats with my sister. It always feels like an adventure when I hang out with her and this place was no exception. I don't usually frequent dive bars in general, but this one is OLD, almost dilapidated, DARK, CRAMPED, in a fishy-looking part of the city, and did I mention, really old. The imposing exterior had me stepping over the threshold with caution, but in the first few minutes all my qualms had slipped away unnoticed.
Utah's one of the smallest, most intimate venues I've been to. The downstairs area was crowded, so we sat at the loft along the rafters and were able to see everything. Maybe too much. The opening act was a sweet girl (KYLER ENGLAND, plug plug plug), and she commented on how her boobs were abnormally big that day and she felt exposed knowing people were watching her from our angle. hahah.
Fries were delish, and service prompt and friendly. Didn't order drinks.
There's something about being in close quarters with strangers, and knowing you are all appreciating the fact that someone is pouring their heart out through their music. At Utah's, there are 10 strangers and the performer is 10 feet in front of you! Afterwards the performers hopped off stage to casually chat with concert-goers, sign autographs, and pose for pics. Seester and I got to meet Vienna Teng, who I've been a fan of for a long time! Yes, be jealous!
Great, honest-to-goodness venue, good sound, friendly service, decent prices, easy parking. In the words of our Governator, I'll be back.
Calendar: http://www.thehoteluta...
I've never had a drink here, and bars aren't really my cup of tea. However, I work just down the block and end up ordering a lot of take out over the phone, grabbing it right when it's ready. Calling the Utah can be tough when they're busy, so I put a special [utah] context in my Asterisk dialplan to hammer them until they pick up:
[utah]
exten = 1,1,Answer
exten = 1,n,Wait,1
exten = 1,n,SetCallerID(REDACTED)
exten = 1,n,Dial(IAX2/vitel-outbound/14155466300)
exten = 1,n,Goto(1-${DIALSTATUS},1)
exten = 1-BUSY,1,Wait,1
exten = 1-BUSY,2,Goto(utah,1,3)
exten = 1-NOANSWER,1,Wait,1
exten = 1-NOANSWER,2,Goto(utah,1,3)
exten = 1-CANCEL,1,Wait,1
exten = 1-CANCEL,2,Goto(utah,1,3)
exten = 1-CONGESTION,1,Wait,1
exten = 1-CONGESTION,2,Goto(utah,1,3)
exten = 1-CHANUNAVAIL,1,Wait,1
exten = 1-CHANUNAVAIL,2,Goto(utah,1,3)
exten = s-ANSWER,1,Hangup
Adjust as necessary for your situation. They usually say 10 minutes, and it's usually ready in 10 minutes. Occasionally they're a few minutes behind and I have to uncomfortably flip through a well-thumbed copy of the Guardian while I wait. It's worth it for the excellent chow :)
My favorite items from their menu are the:
* chicken sandwich
* utah burger (w/ swiss + cheddar, bacon, and fried egg)
* buffalo KFC sandwich (when they have it, this is the sandwich to have)
Their fries are consistently phenomenal. Everyone in my office can smell them and descends on my cube to grab a bite. Vultures.
yes, it's tiny in here. but it's kinda like the band is playing for you in your living room.
by last check there was a Medieval Madness pinball machine. bonus!
getting up to the bar can be tough, but not too bad.
super cheap PBR on tap. $2 or $3 I think? that & a shot...beauty.
Save our local venues! They are in real danger of being closed!
http://www.dnalounge.c...
This is the last bar I went to in San Francisco and I haven't been to a bar since - in fact - I NEVER go to San Francisco any more - I've become a true suburbanite and love every tranquil moment too. The only reason I ended up at the Hotel Utah bar was because a relative of mine was visiting from back east and he was staying nearby and suggested we go to the Hotel Utah bar. There was a band that night and the place was packed. My cousin and I managed to secure a booth and when he went to the men's room a drag queen pranced in and tossed "her" wrap onto the booth where my cousin was sitting - I was so stunned by his cavalier attitude that when my cousin came back and asked what that "THING" was doing in his spot I explained what it was and he said "Let's get out of here!"
The Utah is a small bar/restaurant/venue. It's not pretentious or too yuppie or anything. It's the kind of simple, down-home place to hang out that SF could use a lot more of these days.
Good local bar with delicious BLT's and Buffalo wings. The drinks are strong, the bartenders good, but the music is lousy. I've been a few times and there is always some racket whether it be a band or a weird poetry thing (which in general I am not opposed to). However that is not something that keeps me from going to a place, especially when it is localized to an upstairs location for a fee.
My husband loves this place and before moving here to join him, he spent lots of time enjoying this place and their awesome martinis.
Caution. I'm rating this place based on fond memories back when the owner of Jardinere owned Hotel Utah. I'd give it a 5 star rating if the owner and menu hadn't changed... when... back in 2003? 2004? This place brings in great known and unknown talent and the menu is still yummy. I still yearn back for my 2002 menu though.
You get what you came for - music, fast beer and bar food if you want it. Has a homey/divey quality you can't easily find in Soma. Drafts are great.
Everyone has their thing. For me, I have my moods. Sometimes, I like to dress it up and go to the opera and fine dining. At other times, I like to dress like a hoochie and shake my booty in the club. Of course, there are times, when I just want to hang out with my friends and go diving....
As for the Hotel Utah, it is a total dive. If you are in the mood to get sloshed or to TOTALLY erase all memory of your horrific day at work, I suggest stopping by Hotel Utah for happy hour. Not only is it affordable, but the drinks will get you well on your way to a full brainwash in 15 minutes flat.
The service is slow, but at least it is nice.
If you're looking for live music, this is often the intimate type venue to some local eclectic talent.
One of my favorite punk/rock dive bars in the city. My only complaint would be that it's a little small, making it a little tough to get seating or move around once the bands start playing and things start jumping. Excellent food, and great selection behind the bar.
Cute place, solid three stars with an extra star for its incredibly long and varied history. Went here last week after a 3 hour Cuervo open-bar event down the street, so by the time we got there we were ravenous and in good spirits as you can imagine. I always pass this place and think it looks interesting, so I asked the bouncer of the history.
He gave me a great rundown, which I don't really remember, but suffice to say the place has hosted everyone from longshoremen, to rumrunners, to Marilyn and Joe. Not bad! We grabbed a seat upstairs and ordered some food. Drinks were big and cheap and food came quickly.
There was a local band playing, so we sat up at the little window looking out over the stage, which was a great view. (Kind of reminiscent of Stubbs in Austin, Texas, if you've ever been there?)
Nice relaxing vibe, decent eats - overall a good place if you're in the area!
The open mic here is great. There were 60 performers the night I showed up. Everyone plays one song and there's a featured act about half way through the night. Everyone is there to have a good time. The host and audience are laid back and supportive of all the players.
Get there early to get street parking - we lucked out, but did have to circle a couple of blocks before we found a spot.
Awesome, nice people here.
I had to run in and ask for ice for someone that got into a car accident for her injured leg. I asked the bartender for a cup of ice and explained why I needed it. His response?
Do you want a bag for it too?
Thank you, awesome bartender!
So, I work right across the street from this joint, and have been there before on their very popular "open mic night," and decided to go for lunch with my friend on a thursday or friday. I thought that since this is a popular place, we'd hit it up around 1pm instead of the usual rush hour lunch at noon, but god damn, was I wrong. This place is busy busy all the time. It nearly took the whole hour to get our orders, and when the food came, my friend and I looked at our watches then our food, and were like "damn, wish we didn't have to rush this." The food is superb...definitely a FANTASTIC eats place and the selection of beers ain't too shabby. I'm only giving four stars because of the waiting...and waiting. Either the kitchen was backed up or the bartenders/waitresses seemed liked they needed one more person to help out with orders or at least at the register. I will definitely go back, but if you're gonna go...plan it. Have nothing to do for at least an hour and a half and make sure you're either the first one in the door or miss the rush (which, I'm assuming is from 12-2 ish).
Great thu...everyone was really nice, even the patrons were chill. In love with the little ship second floor deal. I don't know what it is, but it just reminds me of a tree house, and damnit, I want to get drunk up there. =)
Preface: I tended bar for many years and know when I'm getting fed bullshit by lazy drink makers.
me: "a bloody mary please"
lady bartender: "those are expensive on Monday's"
me: "that's OK"
lady bartender: "they take a long time to make"
me: "that's quite alright"
LB: "I mean...they are like $9"
me: "no problem"
LB: "Its because its a weekday. Are you sure you want it?"
me (starting to sniff crap): "yes"
LB (with attitude): "well ok then"
Another dude sitting at the bar looks at me sympathetically. I decide that this was way too much dialogue for one goddam drink. So I quietly walked out the door. As I walked out she shouts" Do you still want the Bloody Mary?" "No thanks" I said and left.
Its a safe bet that if I was shot in the leg out in front of this place I would probably die dragging my blood-spilling body to the building next door.
The setup, lighting and overall feel of this place struck a good chord with me. I can't put my finger on it exactly, except for that it was super chill and not at all off-putting.
There is a kitchen that's open late, although it seems a bit pricey ($8 for a hummus appetizer?) and there isn't much on the menu I can eat anyway. The buffalo wings sure did have the most delicious smelling sauce though...making me crave Weird Fish like mad...but I digress.
Rawb the door guy is a total sweetheart...hell, everyone working was charming, not to mention, the sound guy is easy on the eyes.
Minus one star for a $20 minimum on cards. Not that I had a problem drinking that much beer, but still, it's ridiculous. Really.
This used to be a great place to hang out and watch a band. But the last time I went there, the bartender was such a bitch that I seriously doubt I will ever go back.
It was a Friday night, I went to see a friend's band, and ordered a round ($38 worth) and handed the bitch-tender my credit card. She asked me if I wanted to close it out and I said yes, to which she said, "That was not a yes or no question." WTF? I dumbed it down to, "Yes, I want to buy these drinks with my credit card." I was loathe to tip her, but someone else that I know who works there threw in five bucks. Slammed the drinks and left.
I used to tend bar and know that when you start being a complete asshole to the customers, it's time to move on. Only you can change your job.
Good old bar with open-mic Mondays. Decent bar food. Good jukebox.
Real fun place. I dig it.
Pinball.
What else do you need?
Some good fun!
Here you're going to have all the things you want to do at bar:
-hear live music,
-drink
-see other people ( = girls)
-eat
-play pinball
-play pac-man
-enjoy the atmosphere.
Come without your stripped shirt and without your attitude, be welcomed, and enjoy!
I don't know, this is a tough one... The "Lady K" and I went here to see one of her favorite bands. It was a first time for both of us and we didn't know what to expect.
We were both expecting something bigger. What does the balcony hold, something like 15 people and downstairs might be double that! Getting to the bar is a pain in the butt so buy drinks in quantity and push your way back to your spot.
Would we go back to see another band? Yeah, but we would get their hella early! Enjoy!
They get 4 stars just for serving one of the best hefs I've had in a loooong time!! Shared a burger and fries with a friend and it was a decent burger. Something was going on behind the bar because folks seemed frazzled and overworked. I got stressed out just waiting for our beer and food. I've been here twice to watch a band play. The space is quite small so don't expect to find a seat if you are going to hear a band play. Street parking can be a pain in the ass but just focus on the yummy beer :) Overall this place is cool and the food/drinks are reasonably priced.
This spot is home of the best homemade veggie burger patty in the universe. That's worth tons of stars already, but it's even better when the music is decent, the staff are friendly, and the place just downright feels super home-y.
In other words, man was this ever the best idea on a whim on a sunny Saturday afternoon. I definitely plan on coming back soon, that's for damn sure.
Went to see a small band here called the Minnos.
Ordering drinks was marginal at the best. The price of the drinks was very reasonable but the process was on the stranger side. I ordered a beer and a glass of wine for a friend. The bartender told me there was a $20.00 min on card charges. To quote "are you okay with this" quickly said with out telling me the total cost of the drinks. Who has $20 min CC charges these days?
If you do not see the confusion try having this conversation with a friend and I can assure you it will confuse both of you very quickly. Once we worked that mess out we stayed for about an hour. The place is small but has a good vibe people started to pile in and fill up the small space and created a great venue to see a show. The place does have a little "dive-ish" feel to it. But I guess that is the charm.
Would certainly go back to see music but would opt for other places to grab a pint (as I often find myself cashless and do not want to drink a $20.00 pint)
Apparently this is a Library Bar. After being "shushed" a few times my friends and I were asked to leave. Our crime: talking loudly, drinking and singing along to the jukebox. Last time I checked that is what you do in a bar...
There's nothing special about the Utah. No theme. No unique aesthetic. No specialty drinks. But that's what I like about Utah. It is what it is. It doesn't try to hard. I've come here and they've been completely out of Jim. They've even forgotten my order of fries. But unlike the rest of the south beach spots, Utah's music, non-south beach crowd and its imperfections make it one of my favorite bars in the neighborhood.
As long as they don't book a singer/band who is somehow able to convince everyone they know in the city to come watch them perform, this is a nice intimate venue (thus very small, but manageable as long as it's not packed). i've been twice now to see friends' bands perform, and both times I was reminded why I prefer smaller venues to large arenas.
I really appreciate that the stage and seating area is separated from the bar, because that could certainly cause a lot more traffic issues. both times I ended up sitting at a table in the back of the room, yet still felt plenty close to the music and the action. $5 or $7 covers typically, for bands you've often never heard of before, but worth it for a nice weeknight outing in the city.
Kevin is the most kickassest ever bartender!!!
Ess sooooo tiiyyyneeee.
So this week some friends of mine were in town by the name of Honey Honey. Word had it they were gracing the stage over at Utah which was great since I haven't yet been to a show here and hey, I am always down to try a new joint.
When we rounded the corner and made our way into the venue I noticed the long bar on the left and then took a glance to the right to see a little sitting area. After walking down the stairs, I assumed this was just a little sitting area and there would be a venue space as I walked on. Newp, that is it. The room can maybe hold 30 people? Guess it's not hard to sell out a show here, huh? :)
Good news is, Honey Honey was great and the crowd really seemed to like them. It was the perfect combo of intimate, vibey and comfortable and that is exactly how I like to see my music since gone are the days when mosh pits, drunk bitches and drinks spilled all over me seemed appealing. No thanks. This was and is a perfect little spot to take in a performance on a chilly SF night. :)
This was a cool little, er tiny, space to see a show, though $7 was a little steep. The bar had a saloon feel and they totally served Niman Ranch stuff, which I appreciated.
Neighborhood dive bar with good bar food! I've mostly hung out here with coworkers after work or for lunch. Their cheeseburgers are pretty good. Also, they have a Hotel Utah KFC burger, which is absolutely yum! It's a special, though, I think, so you need to get lucky. Oh gawd, that burger with the Utah sauce is awesome.
Also, surprisingly, they seem to have a pretty good mac 'n cheese. Another friend of mine swears by their Shepherd's Pie.
Go!
One song describes this place to me perfectly. Lights Out by my good friend, Mr. Butch Walker. Dont know? Listen.
This was a go to place after going to the lab next door whenever friends and I had some slide film to be developed. What to do when we wait? Lets go to Utah, son! The atmosphere was way completely different than anything I had ever experienced, and the shows weren't too bad on any given night.
Well I still like the strong drinks. I enjoy the music. I enjoy the cool kids in their cute little flannel shirts and fedoras that they bought for a jacked price at urban Outfitters. I dont like the bartender(s). I dont recognize anyone anymore, and I'm sure as many bars go, people come and go, however the last 2 times I came I was a little confused by the attitude. Maybe it was a bad night?
I've been faithful to my Utah, and I will give you one more chance, but I'm not promising anything. As for now, 3 stars. Sawwies.
I quite enjoy this place, having been dragged here by the lovely La-Ni Lithman of Girls With Guns on many an occasion for their Monday open mike nights. The crowd is interesting and more than willing to buy a shot of Jameson for a lady.
Also the food is great with their selection of vegetarian options. I go more to watch the colorful characters in action but what can I say... I love being a voyeur ;)
Definitely a new Monday tradition to ease into the mundane weekdays to follow.
Caught An Horse here... has a great vibe. I like the way the seating is set up, very close to the stage, very intimate. The balcony is cool, also, being right above the stage.
The Utah is a SF institution. A place for offbeat music, offbeat revelry, and offbeat characters. It may be offbeat, but unfortunately, for its own sake, it is sometimes too far off the beaten track.
But Character? You want Character? This place jumps on the bar, jangles its spurs, and screams CHARACTER! at the top of its whisky-rasped voice!
Besides the endless stream of small-time bands, both touring and local, you will find here a classic bar that reeks of history - history in the best SF sense of wild parties and wild drinking.
If only the elegant and majestic dark-wood bar and interior deco could talk. Yeah - it has seen better times, butt he shabbiness does not detract - it only leaves you wondering just how that dent happened in the bar or what caused that scratch on the wall.
And the low ceilings and of the dining area and actual ships-aft that adorns the upper dining deck remind you that this bar must have been a hangout for many a sailor looking for a good times.
On a quiet afternoon there is a chance to sample the eats- simple burgers and such, with a homemade veggie burger and other meat-free options. And, it ain't half bad.
Utah - it has been too long - I promise to pass by again, more often, and soon!
I wish there were more unprentious bars like this. I really like this place especially when the live music is sucky. Real people come here who want to enjoy life and enjoy people. People are not trying to be cool here and aren't trying to be "seen."
The prices for the bands are always reasonable even if they do suck. It's always good to support up and coming bands.
The Utah serves two purposes very well:
1) It's a perfect place to sit at the bar and grab some beers and burgers if you're in the area or heading down 4th St to the ballpark.
2) It's a great music venue on the weekends to just chill with good music and beer. In an age of $100+ concert tickets, it's nice to have a place to pay a modest cover charge and get your fill of good loud music.
The Utah is full of character from floor to ceiling...this place even screams character from across the street.
Everything is very close quarters throughout, from the tiny stage to the cramped seating area (think being aboard a submarine). Wish there was a bit more room, but it is what it is.
For some reason, when I walked in here, I expected to be yelled at/scorned/not giving me the time of day.
It's just that kind of place ::ahem Zeitgeist::
HOWEVER, the bartender was such a gentle giant. He was well mannered, introduced himself, and asked us gractiously what we wanted to drink.
The stage area was so...quaint?
Intimate setting, flower lights thrown around, and even a small mezzanine for more viewing pleasure.
And...the garlic fries were f-ing good!!
I came here to see Boyce Avenue with a friend. I was so hungry but I didn't eat because the food was WAY too pricey. Sure, maybe $8-10 isn't a lot for most restaurants but it's expensive here because of the type of food given (i.e. a cheese sandwich for $8). This place is kinda run down and looks like food should be worth $4. I have no idea how much a drink costs because my friend bought a cocktail for me. It was puny cosmopolitan that tasted alright. But I have a feeling the drink must've cost maybe $8 like everything else. The concert was great and that was all I came for. The place is small though and the people who were upstairs that night had body odor that smelled like crap.
Who says chivalry is dead?
My sister, Jessie K. and I came here to help celebrate the end of my sister's birthday month...yes MONTH! We had a few bleu moons, made some friends, well Jessie made some friends and then needed to get to our dinner reservation. When we couldnt hail a cab Kevin took us to our restraunt. Good Man!
I will be back, I mean it is the best bar within walking distance of my work.
I live right across the street....get drunk in broad daylight and rock the fuck out of their jukebox. They haven't ejected me....yet, so I'll keep on a goin' as long as they will let me.
$3 Pints and Appetizers
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