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Categories: Bars, Music Venues [Edit]
Neighborhood: SOMAMon-Fri. 2:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat. 7:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
"I coordinated a party for the organization I work for at Terra this past Saturday. This was the first time I had ever coordinated and…" read more »
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Stumbled happily onto this funky little bar on the way back to the Montgomery BART. The mixed and lively clientele (obviously some regulars, others just wandered in like me) makes it easy to park at the bar and eavesdrop or strike up a conversation.
If you sit next to the right person and act interested, you'll learn that it was opened in 1908 and didn't allow women until well into the second half of the 20th century (he said 1970, but he was also a few scotches in...). Between the dark wood and the deep-set booths, this place has the ambiance that comes with aging gracefully.
House of Shields has the age and the oak-paneling to give the more austere Bourbon and Branch (a few blocks away) a run for it's money. Shields is a different beast though: a place to drop in on a whim or meet up before dinner, with a bartender who will happily make a Cosmo and stick around to chat.
People thought this was:
Was one of the only places/bars that was open late (meaning pass 10 pm) on a thursday night. I went here after the Sneak Peak of "I hope they serve beer in hell." We went here with Tucker Max. It was pretty fun.
However, I'm not here to write about that experience. Instead I am suppose to write about this bar. There bar has a decent amount of places to sit. Bartender is a bit oblivious sometimes. I was standing at the bar for 20 mins at a time waiting to get a drink. I think our crowd consist of half of the place, and it seems that this place has more males than female.
A nice place to grab a drink, but nothing more.
Located inside the historic Sharon building with great decor and architecture. It's a very unique bar and it's cool like dat....dig it?
On Friday and Saturday nights, they have live bands or DJ playing good music...good, free music. Their music venue is located on the second floor with a great view of the bar area.
Good place to hang out, down a few cold ones and unwind after a long, stressful work week. It's near the New Montgomery BART station and Market St. Muni line so you don't have to drive home if you had a little too much to drink.
People thought this was:
First timer here tonight. Can't give it a 5 yet, but I'm definitely planning to go back and get a better feel of the place. If you have a chance to get served by Kelly (not sure if it's Kelly or Kellie, but she's kick ass either way), do it... she's good at what she does, pours heavy, and is crazy fun as well.
Fun, but so busy! My coworkers and I go there on Fridays and we can never get a booth or even a place where we can stand and not be bumped by people passing by the whole time.
Cheap drinks, fun atmosphere and really great decor.
So, minus 1 for never having happy hour specials advertised ( come on, everyone's on a budget nowadays), minus one for being so goddamn crowded on Fridays.
I come here about once a week after a long day at work and after two or three Bullitt Bourbons I feel sufficiently 19th century to go on with my evening.
The House of Shields sits on a fortunate part of New Montgomery, across from the storied Palace Hotel. It's the stuff of Herb Caen yarns and Dashell Hammett tales. It evokes a sense of horse-and-carriage era San Francisco.
Music some nights, live bands on others. Friendly, no-nonsense bartenders. Coversations waiting to happen.
I came here for happy hour with 6 other people from work last week. I love the location as it's almost across the street from my office. We got there around 5:45pm and were able to score a nice table that seated all of us.
It is pretty dimly lit inside so if you come here when it's still light out, your eyes will need to do some adjusting. There is another level, which I think is a balcony. Unfortunately I didn't make it up there, but maybe next time.
For drinks, all the guys had beer, and us girls had cocktails - Grey Goose and tonic or Grey Goose and soda, which were good. Not too hard to mess up any of our drinks though. I definitely would not come here for a glass of wine though because they don't have much of a selection. But it's not a wine bar so you shouldn't expect a stellar wine list.
It was TC50 (Techcrunch & startups) and I was invited out to a "Pitch Party" with a friend. It beat the hell out of the other afterparties going on that night.
I randomly met a couple of stalkers. Horray for [redacted] site making it even easier to..
It didn't look like much on the outside... and inside it was packed. Little wooden booths lined the downstairs and the bar was green with envy as a myriad of characters edged their way toward the bar.
Free first rounds of beer. Tech nerds, indies.... there were so many frames of glasses.
I met a few people who I knew off twitter. It wasn't planned. One was far shorter in person than I'd imagined. Suddenly everything about him made a bit more sense.
We got our drinks and headed up to the actual party area. It's just an open loft area overlooking the bar below.
Did I mention it was really packed? I'm glad everyone used deodorant.... or at least I think they did.
The pitch party began as people came up to the mic & had 30 seconds to pitch their absolute worst startup idea. They ranged from all across the board: from a dating site for ugly people (wait how is this different than most every other site? JK) to a place to rent a baby, to (the winner) a site devoted to giving carbon credits for successful emo kids committing suicide.
Prize was $50 and the booby prize was a jock strap signed by someone high on the food chain within the tech industry.
Drinks were moderately priced. Atmosphere was very cozy. All in all a great time was had by all. Looking forward to coming out there again... maybe next Techcrunch? See you there possibly maybe.
People thought this was:
Me and my Irish friend David started a good old fashioned pub crawl here on Tuesday night and we were not dissappointed. I love the early 1900s feel, low lighting, mixture of people, and friendly bartenders. If you bring your book there and try to read, your eyes will be ruined. But it's perfect for schmoozing with the person next to you on the bar, or cuddling in one of the cozy booths along the windows. I believe there is an upstairs area, but yesterday it was blocked off so I couldn't venture up to see. Had a midori sour made by the bartender. It was very tasty, but I guess he squeezed the lemon a bit too hard as I kept sucking up lemon seeds in my straw! That wasn't nice, but the drink tasted good and the bartender was really nice as well, so I can excuse it-- this time.
This place was recommended to me by my friend who said you have to go just to check out the innerds of the place. First, the place is absolutely gorgeous inside. We are talking a San Francisco classic with original finishing, original booths, orignal bar. A full bar, a great selection of beers, great service, but some of the douchey-downtowners can surely get on your nerves...but most of all, a great place to grab a drink after work with friends. I've only experienced the after work scene so not experienced with the late-night scene. The crowd was mixed for sure, downtowners in suits, hipsters, and students (my type of place).
Oh why are you so close to work, and so easy to get to? I like this place, it's been open since 1901 or something.. and the decor is cool. You really can't go wrong when they have 2 dollar PBR's everyday. Oh great story, my coworkers and I were there from 6 to about 9 and at 9 it got so packed and noticed that everyone had name tags on.. we asked what was going on, and apparently it was Singles night! So if you're single you could get a free shot of Jamison or Fernet.. coolest bar ever, but the story i told was way cooler. It's late i'm going to bed
Mixed crowd, like they say.
Biggest urinal ever.
Wet your whistle there.
People thought this was:
If you can find a place to sit, I really like this place. It's shocking how dark it is inside and whenever I come back outside I forget that it's still day light out.
It's my quick after work drink/meet people spot.
Nice, cozy, old school, classy place. Boddington's, Trumer Pils, and Chimay on tap is always nice to see.
People thought this was:
I'm surprised House of Shields is open everyday except Sundays...
$2 PBRs
$4 Fat Tires on tap
$5 AMFs (not sure if this was full price, though)
Bartenders, or rather bartender was friendly, nice, and attentive
On a weekday, don't be surprised to only see one bartender
On Saturday, I believe there can be as many as two
Single person bathrooms
High ceilings
Dim lights, soooo everyone looks better
Chill music (Tuesday night: I felt like I was hanging out on a wooden porch sippin' on some Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea. Wednesday night: Some upbeat hip hop stuff.
Many booths
Classic bar with big mirrors behind it
Lots of locals
As long as I continue working in the close proximity of this bar, I am gonna continue coming here after work.
SF on the cheap...can't beat that.
If it wasn't for Brent Simmons I'd probably not go back. That said, next WWDC I'm sure I'll be there, wishing I didn't have to pee out of mortal terror of the bathroom.
Shields is one of those places WWDC attendees invariably end up. Why? Couldn't tell ya.
It's dark, dusty. There seemed to never bee more than one bartender. Really? Just 1? Couldn't they figure out when WWDC was coming and staff up for a week?
The bathroom is absolutely foul. I've been to a lot of dive bars, but none has had as scary a bathroom as shields. It's more like a garbage dump with a toilet stuck in it.
To quote a friend, "My junk is the cleanest thing in that room"
I felt really bad for the ladies that had to use it when the line got too long for the women's restroom (though I can't imagine theirs was any better)
House of Shields is a bar. It's a better bar than other bars cuz it's usually not that busy, it has cool dark red lighting, comfy seating and I've only ever been here with people I like. They have good liquor and good beer and the prices are reasonable.
It's a worse bar than other bars because the tenders of the bar tend to ignore you and take forever to get anything done. That's just how they are - it's one of those "if you don't like being ignored then go somewhere else" type of establishments. c'est la vie.
For a chill, unassuming hang-out in SOMA though, House of Shields does the trick.
People thought this was:
Nothing gets me to drop my pants faster than cute boys and The Jesus and Mary Chain. This place has both.
Sometimes you have to wait a bit for the bartender - they're not really in a rush. But they're friendly enough and the the drinks are strong.
Great spot to meet friends who need to be close to BART.
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OK Here's goes my first Yelp review... thanks to Amber K. for pushing me to do this.
Since I'm on my first week in the City, I've been trying to hit up the various spots in SOMA, where I live. Last night I was there at the HoS and found the atmosphere to be very laid-back and welcoming.
Asides from the very cool all-wood bar/atmosphere that the previous reviewers have mentioned, I don't think I've seen a lineup of taps at any bar that got me as excited as this place. Off the top of my head I remember that they have: Boddington, Guinness, Fat Tire, Boont Amber, Strongbow, Lagunita IPA, Pabst Blue Ribbon (awesome off the tap, and $2 pints!), Camay, and many more tasty brews.
Don't forget to try the $2 PBR pints!
People thought this was:
Went there completely based on the colorful yelp reviews. I love a little drama.
It was a great bar, nice spot, incredibly dark. It has the advantage of being equidistant from my place of employment and that of pretty much everyone I know. And we're all cheap, so $2 PBRs sound good to us.
There's a little attitude from the patrons, but if you can't handle a little attitude you probably wouldn't be here anyway.
This is an update to my previous review about the terrible bartender who threw a glass at us on Tuesday, 8/5/08 (amongst other things like smoking in the bar, cursing at us, etc). Well HOS' owner, in a true professional manner, got rid of the bartender and is making it up to us. I had to change my rating b/c it's not fair to downgrade the bar b/c of one person ruining it for the entire establishment. HOS...you're back on my awesome list like you were before this one crappy bartender who's now gone (hopefully from every establishment EVER!).
I'm back in love with you, HOS.
People thought this was:
I love the atmosphere of this bar...not too stuffy, not too hipster...just right for a quick drink before a movie or a Muni ride home after a long day at the office.
Although it does get crowded at Happy Hour. Be warned: You will be smushed and quite possibly molested by a drunk business man. Unless you like that sort of thing, in which case, ENJOY!
This bar was chosen for an OG Happy Hour by the fabulous Jay H., and I happily attended, not fully understanding all the hubbub and controversy behind this little get-together.
Apparently people are upset over the concept of having a happy hour just for OG ('05) Yelp denizens. Well, I'm here to tell you the real rules behind this super-uber-cool-private event, in case you want to get in on the action.
The rules are:
1. You must be a Yelp person, or someone who just writes on the threads, or someone who writes reviews, or not, or someone who just reads them, or someone who looked at the site once and never again, and then stopped into the bar by accident and sat next to a Yelper. That's a STEADFAST rule.
2. You must be someone who joined Yelp pre-06, or not, or someone who knows someone who joined pre-06, or maybe '07, and sure, why not, '08. DO NOT BREAK THIS ONE. You'll totally get kicked out of the super-cool-uber-important club that does not exist.
3. You must not care at all if Jay likes you or not. This is KEY. Because more than likely, she hates you all.
4. You must drink something.
5. You must be there between the hours of 4 p.m. and 4 a.m.
6. You must be human. Or not. That's the only flexible rule, actually.
Now, if you can manage those six rules, and abide by them VERBATIM...you're totally in. No questions asked.
Now someone hide me, because I'm pretty sure Jay just put a hit on my sorry butt.
People thought this was:
I like this place. Usually it is terrific - however, it was awful last night.
The bartender is the worst bartender I have ever encountered. She was awful. Painfully slow - forgets our order (twice) - walks away from the bar for a long time - and makes us ask for the check three times.
What are they thinking?
For the first time -- ever -- we left ZERO TIP. She sucked that bad.
Next time we are going somewhere else for drinks.
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'Fi-Di'? WTF? Why does everything in SF have to be defined by a 4 letter acronym these days?
Anyway. I've been here many times and have always had a great experience...Bartenders are friendly and quick to serve (including the one that several of you are bitching about)
Reasons why the bartender was likely ignoring you, and pissed in general:
- Happy hour 'Fi-Di' people may have a tendency to be demanding and shitty tippers. Large groups are the WORST. Ordering fancy cocktails rather than sticking to beer, wine, and simple drinks (when a bar is crowded.. please don't ask them for a -tini cocktail or a margarita. Stick to the basics.)
- Regular customers (who leave decent tips) are a bartender's bread and butter and they will always trump all other customers. They'll get drinks faster and get waited on first.
- Perhaps someone in your group was snotty to her, and indicated that there would be a very small (or no) tip. I waited tables and bartended for years.. and there's nothing more frustrating than a large, high maintenance group who makes it pretty clear right from the start that they're going to give you a shitty tip.
- And really.. if you leave zero tip on a 200.00 tab, expect to get cursed at, and possibly have something thrown in your direction.
And yes. Maybe it's time for you to try a different bar.
People thought this was:
So I was one of the patrons that had a glass thrown at us. The event is over, the owner talked to us and all is good. If you read our reviews we have had no issues with the bar before, just this particular night with a particular bartender.
All in all, if I read the story I'd probably have a strong opinion of what transcribed and it would resonate with the large BS everybody shot us. In all actuality, we were calm, sober and enjoying ourselves until the end of the night.
Its been really interesting to see everybody's reviews of how we are whiny marina girls/guys or how we asked for mojitos and cosmos all night long, its been a great read the past two days. Here's the deal, we ordered beer and vodka tonics all night long, nothing out of the ordinary I say. Hell we even had a couple of people taking advantage of PBR on tap, not many places in the city serve it.
As we said originally, we all enjoy the bar but just that one experience was not fun...as anybody could agree. HoS doesn't deserve the 1 star rating, so I wanted to change that.
People thought this was:
So I've been to house of shields with co-workers plenty of times and we've always had a great time.… Read more »
Last night, my coworker asked me to go with him to House of Shields for some beers after work. I didn't hate the place and they did have a good selection of beer on tap. But oh man, I was surprised when I got there.
I guess it's not just me who experienced the WORST bar tending service last night (Tuesday, 8/5/08). I thought the woman bartender just hated our group. My guy friend bought the first round. When he came to get a second round, he was completely ignored for 30+ mins. The bar wasn't too crowded and he made eye contact with her several times. She would serve other people who didn't even need a drink and completely ignored my friend. Eventually, he finally got the round. For the third round, he waited again...and waited...and waited. He tried going down to the other side of the bar, but he waited again...and waited...and waited.
He came back to our table discouraged. We joked about how he needed to show some skin to get better service. We wanted some beers, so I tried my hand at it. I went up to the bar and waited. She made eye contact with me. She served a few people that were before me and then ignored me for a while. Weird, but I can understand it. Eventually, I started to say something and she came up to me holding a stack of used glasses. One of them broke which she threw in the trash. A loud sound but nothing startling. The guy next to me, on the computer, didn't even seem phased. Instead of asking me what I wanted, she started flirting with the guy on the computer! "I didn't mean to startle you," she said as she continued smiling. She tried to continue the conversation, but he was more interested in his computer screen that what she was saying. Eventually, I said to her that I'd like to order 3 beers.
She poured them. Then went to the other side of the bar and helped a group with about six drinks while ours waited by the tap. Then she helped another group with their drinks while our drinks were just sitting on the other counter waiting to be picked up. Eventually after serving two parties that came after me, she brought the drinks over. I told her to put it on my friend's tab and apparently, my friend noticed her give me a dirty look when I said that.
Luckily for me, that was our last round. I can't deal with terrible service when it's unnecessary. I definitely would avoid this woman bartender (short brown hair and pale skin) if I came back. This place does have some memories for me - I always run into my friend I hardly see every time I come, which is almost never. By the way, the music alone was so bad that I wanted to line dance out of there. Yes, LINE DANCE. I think if someone wanted to go here, they'd have to drag me there and pay for all my drinks. Otherwise, no thanks. Minus one star from my original 3 star review.
People thought this was:
I've been to HoS a few times before, but I'm not still not impressed.
House of Shields is a biking…
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Typical Fi-Di Bar. Decent bartenders and decent place to chillax after work. Kind of dark and gothic, but not divey. The dark and candles make everyone look better so its all good. They have $2 PBR specials during happy hour.
People thought this was:
Unpretentious.
Loud music.
$2 PBRs
$5 Drinks.
Casual.
Live music.
Loud loud music.... loved the music but at the same time a bunch of 30 somethings in a loud bar is not the prettiest picture. Needless to say some of us had lost our voices the next day.
House of Shields I love you. Crappy bartender last night - not so much.
It's still a fabulous bar but when did it become acceptable to throw a glass at patrons?!
I saw all the comments on SFist. Team bartender and all that. Generally I side with employees but COME ON that's just too much.
People thought this was:
Went here after a rough workout to meet some people.
Great location, off of market in the financial district.
Bar tender was friendly and the drinks were reasonable.
Had Gimlet and Moscow Mule.
Gimlet not impressive.
Must try: Moscow Mule!
Good happy hour, easy going atmosphere and really tasty beers on tap like Hoegaarden.
One of my friends (and by one of my friends I mean me...) even asked for more Vodka in her drink and the bartender happily obliged. So come here and don't forget to ask for more alcohol in your drinks!
People thought this was:
Now, now, now people. Let's not write off or trash one of the best bars in the city because of one crappy bartender and one crappy night. The fact that one bartender (working alone) went off the reservation doesn't mean this place sucks.
In fact, they make the best damn very-slightly-dirty martinis in the city, the speakeasy atmosphere is awesome, they've got every beer I like, most of the bartenders are fantastic (especially Lexi, who I think is the owner, and whose charm tinged with just a hint of attitude is nothing short of magnetic), and it's super convenient to all things downtown. PS, if you want to check it out but can't handle the crowds (which can be significant) go in the rain, before 5, or on Saturday.
People thought this was:
Stopped by here for an evening drink since we were staying nearby at the Marriott. The music is super loud here, but I liked the high ceilings and cozy little booths tucked into the windows. While they had some decent beers on tap this place seems to be all about their mix drinks. All in all, we had a good time catching up with our friend from San Fran here.
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Oh the memories of the house of shields, walking, or should I say stumbling down into the deep basement which looked like a catacomb. Music basting away as wine on the cellar walls vibrate off and crashes on to the dirty cement floor. Oh them were the days.
As of late, I do not remember seeing the basement open but man was it great to party there! DJing down there was fun. That lil area used to pop off! It surely beat DJing up in the loft area.
As far as bars go, this is very typical but holds that historic feel to it. I for one love getting blasted here. I should return though, it has been quite some time!
People thought this was:
Generally love this place, it is a BAR not a lounge, cafe or club. Walking into the place feels as if you are walking into the 1930's.
On 08/05/08 there was a horrible bartendress working, I didn't see the glass thrown, we got out of there before that action happened. But we did experience the just about the worst service ever. 2 beers and a campari with a twist, no need for the bartendress to roll her eyes after our order, and it would have been nice for her to serve the beer to me the person that ordered it, and not the next group of people. For those that defend that service, let her run your business and see how long you would stay in business.
People thought this was:
I've met the owner of this bar and must say she's a sweetheart. I'm very happy to see that she took the necessary measures and got rid of the psycho bartender.
The fact that the bartender threw a glass at patrons bothers me a little more, though barely, than the fact that people, such as Jason G., are defending this psychotic behavior.
You people defending that server (i use the term loosely) have serious mental issues and need to check into treatment.
People thought this was:
I'm not sure what transpired that caused a slew of "communications" people whose parents are lawyers to so viciously malign this place, but an isolated incident should not mar the reputation of House of Shields.
As far as an after-work place, this is the crossroads for fixie-riding hipsters and d-bag marina types. So, in a word, it's weird. The beer is good, the service is generally in line with a crowded place at happy hour. If you're lucky, you get a booth, or a barstool, but there's plenty of standing room too.
On weekends, it's a much more chill environment, unless there is a band or dj, which is also super fun. The bartenders are, on the whole, very nice people and HoS has a great selection of beers.
ETA: Also, it's one of the oldest bars in SF, and has a really cool environment. High, tin ceilings, and wood fixtures. It's a beautiful place.
People thought this was:
FUC Me, I'm a Yelper.
Yeah, I picked up my b2b shirt here. I'm also a team leader....so ya'll better be behave...or face consequences, of, um, more drunkenness!
Cool place, great dim lighting, tables with candles.....romantic, for REALS!
p.s. - I also fell asleep here. It was hot.
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Sorry House of Shields but I guess you missed the memo about people preferring music to accompany their cocktails. What can I say, a bar with no music = bummer!.
Maybe I went on an off night but the service was slow, the bar desperately needed to be cleared and there was seriously no music. Aside from that the inside of the bar is very cool looking. Not too big, booths along the wall, and long bar. There is even a small upstairs area where a DJ can set up and people can gather. The drinks were standard and I would gladly try House of Shields again and hope for a better experience.
People thought this was:
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