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Categories: Lounges, Asian Fusion, Venues & Event Spaces
Neighborhoods: Civic Center/Tenderloin, Union Square$5 mixed drinks, $5 wine, and $3 beers during our 6-8 p.m. happy hour Tues.-Fri. Or enjoy $5 champagne Wed.-Thurs. 10-11 p.m.
Tue-Thu. 6:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 6:00 p.m. - 3:00 a.m.
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I have no idea why I've been clubbing so much, but this place rawks!!!! This place deserves higher ratings than the 2 1/2 stars that it is getting. Jeremy, our host, did a great job in setting everything up for us with the tables and bottle service. He was not pretentious, the staff were nice, the bouncers were cool, and the bartenders were great. It wasn't too crowded tonight but this is a very nice, sleek, upscale club. I think it's probably one of the nicest clubs in the city. It had a great mix of ppl.
The lay out of this place is great, because it flows. There are no bottle neck areas where ppl just stand and can't move. The bathroom is unisex which I personally think it's pretty cool and the line was short.
The 2 bottles of grey goose came out to around 880 including tip. Pricey? yeah.......probably....... but this place can demand that kind of price base on service, amenities, and professionalism. It was a friends birthday today and Dom D picked up the tab. Thanks Man!!!
This review is for the restaurant only - I'd give it 3.5 stars but I will round it up.
I'm not a big club-goer, but I was curious about the food served at Infusion since I was given a flyer while passing through Union Square recently. And of course the Happy Hour prices are right on - $3 beers and I'm there! :)
The atmosphere was clubby but stylish, and they have a separate dining area (dinner from 6-8), which looks like it becomes the dance floor later with the chairs/tables cleared away. Plus, there was a small live band, which lended to a nice, relaxing dining experience. I was expecting loud bass music in the background, but this way, you can have a conversation without shouting to each other, which is nice. And the dinner menu lights up for easy reading! - I'm so easily amused!
I heard the chef at Infusion changed recently, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! I had the pork and shrimp lumpia - loved the plum-wine sauce and the side salad! And I had the chicken with caramel sauce, snap peas and greens - very tasty! I added a $3 Anchor Steam beer and thoroughly enjoyed my meal.
The staff was really friendly, helpful and attentive -- the waitress helped us narrow down our dining choices.
Appetizer+dinner+beer+tax+tip = $35
Dinner with Geraldine # 20
This review is in regards to the lounge, not the restaurant....
I think the bad reviews are from out-of-towners who are not native to SF. So to them I'm sure this place is weak. But when you compare it to all other SF clubs (which are pretty bad on average) this place is just fine. So my 4-stars is only relative to other SF clubs, not relative to all clubs in general. When compared to LA and NYY this place could not be more than 2-3 stars.
The one thing that I noticed that set this place apart was the friendliness of the staff and bouncers. At most SF clubs there is a sense of entitlement and elitist amongst doormen. But at this place I was refreshed to be greeted kindly, even when being asked to remove a piece of clothing that violated dress code. I noticed this trend throughout the night being displayed by almost every member of the staff. Very impressive, and the main reason I am giving such a high rating.
We put our names on the guest list and got there around 10PM. Walked right in no problems. The decor is one of the selling points, and the bartenders were attentive and friendly. They also employ some sexy females to dance on a small catwalk which seemed popular among the men.
The music was not so great. Actually the SONGS were fine, but the mixing was not very professional in either of the two rooms. To the untrained ear it is fine, though. In the main dancing room the sound system was ear-piercingly loud and cheap-sounding. They could use a lot of help with the music but if you get really drunk you might not notice. It sounds like they need new speakers.
Overall lots of potential, but the good feeling I got from the staff along with the cool decor was it's saving grace.
Oh ya, and lots of asians as is the usual in SF. I saw one of them puking in the corner, yum!
Incredibly slow bartenders, rude staff, trashy clientele. Go here if you like ghetto unattractive people, overpriced drinks in plastic cups, and awful music.
The dance floor in the back is a healthy mix of construction workers and single moms.
To give you an idea of the quality of the staff - I left my credit card here, and 2 days later someone tried to sign up for a http://Match.com account with it.
Infusion Lounge AKA: 'pervertville'.
I'm comparing this to all the clubs in SF/LA/NY/Vegas.
Just attended a bday party there, this place is such a dump.
warning::please do not pay more than $10 to go in::
It does have beautiful decor/awesome lighting that's about it.
What's the dissapointment? 1. First off - the security at the entrance suck, and the security inside suck. They are very disorganized, rude, and not very bright (coversational). 2. Drinks - "please hire some professional bartenders/mixologist". 3. Extremely SMALL! and confide basement, overly packed (fire hazard) guess they need the money for all the fancy decor. 4. OH MY! the awful crowd, for the Guys they were all 'wannabes' and pretty obnoxious, never seen so many loosers that want to rub and grab your ass everytime you walk by, they will groop you, so NASTY and disrespectful. So that tells you ALOT about the girls that go there (scary). 5. I did go on a Saturday night, VIP table service was the worse ever! 6. They get one star for the DJ in the back room (mashup). 7. Anyone that gives this place 3/4/5 stars got to be the men that I mentioned above. 8. Let's see how long this club lasts, review the police reports. To many perverts, keep an eye on your drinks ladies.
The crowd is sooo ugh. If you're a girl (or maybe a guy even), you will probably get your ass grabbed at least 3 times that night. It gets so ridiculously crowded and stuffy. OMG they just try to let the whole neighborhood in to try to make money but someone is gonna choke to death on the stench coming from all the sweaty guys' armpits. UGH everytime I go, I just wanna leave.
Too bad the staff is so unprofessional and slow. We waited outside for about 1.5 hours. You always will probably pay a cover here. I would give this place 3 stars but because I've always had bad experiences here, I'm gonna give it a 1 star only because the music is good and the decoration is GAWWWGEOUS.
food was just ok. I wasn't impressed at all. Not bad, but not great either. For $$$? Definitely I recommend somewhere else.
Every food came out was "wanna-be". Try to have some ethnic influence with twist, but none of them was successful.
In short, I had better.
I didn't go here for the food, but for the club/lounge. Despite being on the guest list, I had to wait in the cold for a bit because they had to keep the ratio of 1:1 guys to girls according to the door people. I still had to pay a $10 cover when I got in even when the lady crossed my name off the guest list... Well at least it wasn't a sausage fest so they kept their promise. The interior was nice, but it looked like it was trying too hard to look like a club from NYC. There are 2 dance floors. The 1st one was playing electronic music, which I wasn't in the mood for and the 2nd one was playing mostly top40 hits. Still I wasn't impressed by the play list of the dj. And the bar at the 2nd dance floor was kind of hidden. If I didn't navigate my way through the crowd, I probably wouldn't have known it was there. Would I go back? Maybe if there was no other options.
Came here for happy hour. The decor is very nice at Infusion, but the food are pricey and small portioned. Not good if you're sharing among a group.
However, their drink menu have a good variety of drinks to choose from. I would come here for drinks rather than food.
This is a great place to show off your latest Ed Hardy threads.
Tacky design, douchey bar, douchey clientele and douchey dj's.
It smells like vinegar.
super awesome decor, one of the nicest clubs i've seen outside of vegas. not so great bouncers or crowd. the bouncers literally have a stick up their a**. they are pushy and rude. the dance floor is small and extremely crowded. nice attempt but lots of things to be worked on. if you go, get table service. it's their only saving grace.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my gawd........this place is a joke! I've had my fair share of "clubbing days," so here goes...
My friends and I have passed by this place for several months back in the day, wondering why the hell the line to get in was always so damn long. Everyone was dressed pretty decently, in that "I was one of the popular kids back in high school" type of way. And you know how it is, if "everyone" it there, you want in as well! So I finally got my girlfriends and I VIP spots to the place and I was hugely...underwhelmed (no, not overwhelmed).
First of all, coat check was $3...per article. Which means if you walk in with a coat/jacket and a scarf, that's $6 down the drain (thank you SF weather!!!). And if you're a chick, that's another $3 if you have a purse. So...um, yea, I already threw down $9 even before I had a drop of alcohol in me.
So, OK, two stars for decent ambiance. I really liked the decor, but that was about all it had to offer. You're basically in this dumpy little basement with crappy music. And I just happen to be the unlucky few who entered this cave before midnight, so it was like high school all over again because no one had their beer-goggles on yet. Chicks on one side, guys on the other...all holding water-downed drinks, sipping nervously, and checking each other out. And here is where I start to hate a bit (so don't be offended...I'm from NYC, after all, so I gotta speak my mind). If you've been blessed or cursed like me, and have long legs, then prepare to feel like a giant. Being of Asian descent, and 5'7" without heels, you can only feel a teeny bit sorry for me. So there I was, 5'10" (in heels) and staring over a sea of heads. I swear, I think i was taller than the bouncers (*zing*). Not that I was out there to score a few dates or numbers that night, but nothing makes a girl feel more uncomfortable than thinking she's walked right into the midget convention.
So overall, the experience was a bust. And um, one more thing...ladies, beware of the dirty old men in plaid suits...
Was there for a private event, so I can't say much about the vibe on a typical night. I can only comment on the decor, food, & bar tending.
The decor is kind of cool, but intense (bright red glowing columns with faux iron honeycomb grating, black leather couches & soft, squishy chairs & ottomans, & vaguely Asian touches of art. Oh, and the light up runway, along which I can only assume scantily clad women strut & gyrate on a typical night). I couldn't get enough of the 3D geisha portrait behind the bar -- keep an eye on it as you walk slowly from one end to the other, and it's like a little 30 second movie (with no repeats!).
The food was fine, but not spectacular; if I knew I was going there, I'd make it a point to eat something tastier beforehand. We had an Asian-style lettuce / chicken salad, a few corn fritters (pretty good, actually), beef sliders (which looked really good but were disappointing, especially the buns), and what were basically tortilla chips with bits of tuna & veggies on top (alright, but kind of bland).
Bar tenders were attentive, friendly, and fast, though the drinks were specific to the event so I can't vouch for their cocktail slinging skills. We shuddered at the enormity of the speakers above the bar; this might be a spot to avoid if over-pumped music isn't your thing. The bathroom is absolutely worth seeing but there are plenty of reviews that detail that already.
Bottom line? I would never, ever wait any amount of time or pay any amount of money to come here, but it was kind of cool to see it & hang out for a bit, given that none of either was involved on our parts.
yes, infusion can be slightly pretentious, but the beautiful decor and asian inspired theme (think red and black) makes this one of the nicer clubs in SF.
i've never come here on a weekend, but thursday nights are usually on hit.
this place definitely caters to bottle service (both in layout and entry wise) - so get a table if you can (i.e. come here armed with $$$). even on thursdays they have refused people at the door (when it's not at maximum capacity- WTF?), but buying a bottle will get you in. for weekends this is definitely recommended, unless you want to wait in a mile long line and pay cover. the VIP waitresses are super attentive, plus you can people watch while drinking your severely marked up bottle of grey goose.
THIS REVIEW IS FOR the LOUNGE and NOT THE RESTAURANT PORTION...
Place is nice for clubbing scene, reminds me of VEGAS.
Pros: DECOR is NICE, if you go with a bunch of girls and do some sweet talking (double bonus), best night to go is THURSDAY.
Cons: Pay a $20 Cover on Fridays & Weekends (if you dont make guestlist or the line gets held...), Drinks are pricey like VEGAS, parking sometimes...
This can be a pretty expensive night if you choose to come on Fridays or Saturdays: Cover + Drinks = B-R-O-K-E-N-E-S-S.
WOW...2.5 STARS??? I honestly don't understand ALL the negative reviews for Infusion (Nightlife). By far, Infusion is the BEST club in SF for it's location, upscale feel, and non D-bag/mature clientele. For the past 8-9 months, my friends and I have been frequenting Infusion about 1-2 times a month and this is always our #1 choice.
Here's a summary of my experience through all my visits:
LOCATION: Because Infusion is in the heart of Union Square, you actually feel safe walking around unlike the clubs located in TL or SOMA. And, you don't have to deal with the Broadway drama with an army of cops at every corner.
COVER: $10 charge on Fri/Sat if on guestlist which ends at 11 PM. $20 thereafter or if you're not on the guestlist. I really don't get why people complain about the cover. I actually don't mind as it actually weeds out the cheapskates and douchbaggy clientele.
LINES: Infusion is ALWAYS packed, and the line normally wraps around the corner. If you come around 9:30 PM - 9:45, you should be able to get in within 15-20 minutes. If you're a lagger and get in line after 10:30 PM, good luck getting in as they normally reach full capacity by 11:30 PM.
If you don't like to wait in line or pay cover, come on Thursdays which is also surprisingly packed.
CROWD: Early in the night, you get spillage from those who dined at Infusion which is normally a mixed crowd; 30's to late 40's. Later in the night after 11 PM, the crowd is mid-20's to mid-30s. The crowd is normally mixed with about 30-50% being Asian. The crowd here is very different from the clubs on Broadway and SOMA. I've never seen a fight break out inside Infusion. I read reviews about Infusion being D-bags Central? Uh, seriously--are we talking about the same club?!?!?! I have yet to see that...
MUSIC: Main room plays house. Back room plays Hip-Hop, R&B, and Pop. Later in the night when the back room fills up; the main room sometimes will start playing Top 40 dance remixes.
DRINKS: Yes, the drinks are a bit pricey. Premium cocktails and top shelf alkie is normally $12-13. Drinks have always been strong and never watered down. Oh and if you have Vegas as your bartender, have him make you the Vegas Cum Shot! It's a shot made with vanilla vodka with a chocolate base, drizzed with coconut syrup...YUMMY!
BOTTLE SERVICE: Infusion's bottle service is a pricer than the other SF clubs. For example, a bottle of Goose is $325 as compared to $250 at other clubs (excluding tax and 20% tip). But, you pay for what you get. Since Infusion is ALWAYS packed, you and your party get your own little area to dance/mingle in. And if you take into account cover and the prices for drinks for 6 people (about 4 drinks each); it's worth it since you can skip the line, don't have to wait in line for drinks, and can have some privacy.
STAFF: I had bottle service for my B-day in September and the staff was great. Jeremy (Event Manager) was very easy to work with. He responded to all my emails promptly. The waitress was attentive and checked on us several times to make sure we had everything we needed. David, one of the bouncers was awesome although I don't remember much since I blacked out within the first hour of my B-day. We saw him again this past Saturday, and I had to thank him for taking care of me on my B-day. He was gracious and took the time to chit chat with us for a several minutes.
AMBIANCE/DÉCOR: Infusion is the classiest club in SF. The décor is Asian inspired. I love the richness of the red. Sometimes too much red can be cheesy, but the designer did an awesome job in creating a warm, upscale feel. Upon walking in, you enter the main room that has a small glass platform to your left where the go-go dancers perform when they are there. The main bar is the left with red lights highlighting the alkie shelves. To the right, is the elevated VIP area with sleek coaches yellow, brown, and rad pillows and square ottomans. I LOVE the black cut-outs surrounding the amber pillars illuminated with white lights. In the hip-hop room, the grey pillars are surrounded by etched glass illuminated with amber lighting. There are two platforms in front of the two pillars what you can dance on. Depending on the night; the DJ will play music videos on the back room screen and synch it up with the music which is a cool touch.
One thing I LOVE about Infusion is the ventilation. Even when it's super packed and your elbow to elbow with the crowd it NEVER gets hot!
BATHROOMS: One of my few complaints is the unisex bathrooms and there's always a long line for the girl's bathroom. But, the worker(s) are normally good about getting people in/out. And, it's CLEAN. They always do a spot check after someone is finished, so you don't have to worry about walking into a stall with yack or pee all over the place.
My friends and I ALWAYS have a great time at Infusion and will keep on returning; hopefully black-out free!
For the restaurant:
Although the prices were a little on the high end, the food was great! The kobe beef was to die for and the tuna tartar was delish! A must try, at least once. The atmosphere and decor were beautiful along with the lighting. I will definitely be back again
Key Words: Asian, Asian, and lots of Asians.
I love this place and always have hella fun here. The interior design is lavish. Three dance floors and numerous tables for big private events. Two bars, and two DJs.
Love the toilet. if you know what I am talking about. :)
Agree with King J. that parking is the biggest issue if you're driving. But, if you take public transportation, you will love this place. it's just three minutes walking from the Powell Station. A lot of late night cabs await in front of the club.
Oh yeah, don't forget to say hi to Mike Vegas. He knows how to dance while he's making drinks for you. :)
I love the interior of this place and the unisex bathrooms.
I should of read my own review before coming back to this place.. I was totally thinking while walking up to the front.. YAY FREE ENTRY with guestlist mentality... until she told me $10.. boyyy way to save money kathy!
It was very crowded on a Saturday night.. Music in the bar area was a mix of trance/techno and current billboard songs which was pretty cool. The dance floor on the other hand was where everyone was dancing. They do try to mix it up with some alternative or rock music to accommodate the mixed crowd.. but that just brings us hip hop-ers down! 2 Drinks were about $25.. Our bartender did show his fantastic and quick moves.. I was able to tell he was no NOOB.. It was hot! Quick and fast service at the bar amongst the crowd waiting to get drinks! I am still impressed by the venue's decor and look.. This place does not disappoint me for a higher scale clubbing night in the city!
Guestlist Friday Night.. Didn't know it wasn't free for before 11.. It is $10 BEFORE 11pm for… Read more »
DB Central = Infusion Lounge.
Walked in and should have walked out, but decided to give it a chance.
Interior was cheesy. Cheap purples and reds. Yes, cheesy glowing lights too. It was bad.
There were no hot bitches in sight. I had to look in the mirror for that.
Bartenders were all dudes. But seriously, how can you fawk up a chilled Grey Goose shot? And the cocktails tasted water down. I know a good drink and it was not here.
Not a fan.
Peace out.
I went to this spot back in August when I came up to SF for a business trip. I believe it was free since we got there real early. It's pretty pimped out inside and the girls were pretty cute. That night it was more of an upscale young professional crowd.
There is a seperated VIP section across the bar where the hottest chicks hang out. The dance floor is pretty small and the bathroom is co-ed so both male and female must share.
Parking sucks if you cant find street parking it was like minimum $20 every where around there.
As a marketing student, and being in the restaurant industry, you hear this all the time "a bad experience is more likely to be shared than a good one". Well my recent trip to infusion warranted such response. Keep in mind, I am somewhat of a food snob and picky about service because of my experience as a server and bartender. But here goes:
Decor: good, interior is nice, sound level is ok even with the dj spinning.
Food: OK, everything was fine, nothing spectacular. We did the prix fixe for $33 pp and all of the portions were pretty small. I had the tuna tartar, which was actually pretty good. The steak however was mediocre. The sauce was an odd teriyaki licorice combination.
By the time the dessert came around we were already late for the show we had already said we needed to get to, so I didn't pay much attention, but no one was very impressed.
Service: Not sure whether it was just a lack of training or inexperience, or just apathy, but it was quite poor. This is not to say that our waitress wasn't very nice, and relatively attentive (of course when you only are dealing with 4 tables this isn't too hard) But there were many things that she, and others, do that just touch a nerve. I'm relatively young and so my beverage and culinary knowledge is often underestimated. I brought in decent bottle of wine, as I often do. The waitress offered to open it up, and while it's more of a formality, forgot to let me taste it before she poured it. This isn't a huge deal, but it's just something that should always be done.
TIMING, TIMING, TIMING.... We were a little late to our reso, but I had to stop and take care of a biker that got hit by a car on our way over, so I'm not very apologetic, but we were there by 7:40 and had a 10 o'clock show. I said this immediately, and we ordered very promptly. We all got the three course, so timing each course shouldn't be hard, yet between each course we waited AT LEAST 5-10 minutes, which isn't a huge deal, unless you have somewhere to be.
I don't want to keep rambling, but for what they charge, and the image they are trying to give off, service needs to be improved.
Do the owners ever read these reviews? They must since they're paying for yelp's additional services right?
I should have looked on here before going to the Infusion Lounge. I would have realized to never go to a place that has less than a 3 star rating on yelp... How pathetic guys.
Yes, the interior is nice, somewhat cheesy, but nice.
But the reason why you get (yet another) one star review here, is due to the ridiculous set of guys you have running the place called "security guards".
We had a group of 6 guys and (i shit you not) 5 girls. And they said they wanted a girl to guy 1:1 ratio. I think 5 girls to 6 guys should be pretty sufficient. But the douchebag bouncer (some white guy that also bounces at Temple nightclub) decides to have his power trip and hold us at the line.
Owners of the "infusion lounge". Your security is the reason why your yelp rating is so low and is also why this place is going down in less than 2 years.
Get rid of your security, and you might possibly be able to save your business.
We planned to come to this venue after considering a few different options for a birthday and a graduation. This place was pretty new and larger and more ornate then Vessel and much larger than Slide. Supperclub was old news and we decided to come to this place.
We had a group of ~35 people for the whole event. We had a dinner reservation for 25 and the other 10 were placed on a table VIP list. One bottle per every 5 people is the rule and general standard of this establishment. We were told that access to the bar and restaurant would be closed at 8:30 to prevent people from going early to avoid cover and lines. We had people come up till 10:00 for the dinner, so it definitely was not enforced.
If you do decide to come here, come early and get some drinks. The drinks are expensive at ~12, but are often well made and quite large. Since we didn;t want to eat a full meal, we decided to go with a limited tapas menu. This included tuna tartare, the mini sliders, pad thai with seared sea scallops, and ribs. Portions were small (as expected), but between my sister and I, three plates (sliders, pad thai and ribs) actually filled us up quite well. If you factor in tip and tax, its $20/plate. The tuna tartare was well made, placed on a bed of crispy/hard jasmine rice that i did not like, but others felt that it went well together. The sliders are basically hamburgers, nothing special (but fills you up) and comes with some fries. The ribs were well cooked, tasty but only contained 3 pieces, so not the best deal. I thought the pad thai was awesome, strong flavored and went very nice with the seared scallops. We had the waiter bring out 2 desserts for the two guests of honor and everything was pretty much spot on perfect.
Next off, our back room was closed while they removed all the tables and set up our comfy couches, fits maybe about 5 people if you're lucky. Now the whole point was just to set down our jackets and stuff while we danced, and it worked well. Our bottles came out promptly along with the juices. The music was hip-hop, we definitely didn't want to be in the house music room.
It's a great place to go, and everyone comes here. If you want to be treated well, get bottle service. If not, wait in line around the corner. Drinks are vegas priced, but extremely powerful (I got courteously bounced out as I paid for the tables).
Had a ton of fun and would come back anytime.
DRINKS
- NOT CHEAP... $44 for 4 patron shots... 17 dollars for 2 cocktails.. ridiculous.
Infusion is like my guilty little pleasure. i hate coming here for a number of reasons, but… Read more »
I cannot be more angry. Infusion? please. Douchebag Central is more like. obnoxious jerks, pretentious females in too-tight clothing, they all were there. it was actually kinda fun to watch.
anyway, my friends and I signed up for their guestlist online, so that we can get in for $10 instead of $20. We get there at 9:45pm and wait in line. It wasnt TOO long by that point, just a bit around the corner. and so, we begin the wait. this is my first time at this type of club. I dont even know how to describe this type of club but I'm never going to these things again. and I cannot find the reason as to why people pay shitloads of money to go to places like this. ANYWAY. we waited and waited. the line barely budged. We made it to the corner, and it was 10:50. the guestlist ends at 11pm so after that you still had to pay the $20 even though you were signed up on the list. 11:30 rolls around and we still werent in the club. it was f*cking cold and I was in NO mood to pay $20 to hang with douchebags in an enclosed area. Its just not my thing, what can I say? one of the security/bouncer guys said that we might not even be able to go in, and even if we did, we'd have to pay $20. and I dont understand this, how this is okay. that we'd still have to pay the ridiculous cover charge after a ridiculously long wait. is it our fault that we didnt make it in the place at 11pm? I dont think so.
we left and went to Sutra on broadway. but still. who the HELL waits in line for that long, just to get into an overpriced club with shitty music and ugly people? Sutra was no better, but at least we got in right away.
all in all, we never made it inside. and I'm glad for it. It looked like everyone JUST turned 21 and wanted to spend it at a club so they were all already drunk and being ~silLy n CuTe~ or something. I didnt know whether or not to feel too old or too young. It was an odd feeling.
If you're a fan of waiting in long lines that literally end in disappointment, THIS is your place. :-)
Went here for a Bachelor party. At first, a bouncer was rude and hesitant in letting bachelor party of 10 guys with a table reservation in the club. If that were the case, then they should never let us make the reservation... Eventually we were greeted by some guy who is in charge of the tables, and he was very friendly and escorted our group in.. Inside the club, the music was deafening. The club seemed small, i guess because it was shoulder to shoulder packed. The restrooms were strange, guys and girls in the same line.. a good thing for some, weird for others. The table server did her job, making sure there was enough ice, glasses, etc, no complaints here. Overall, I expected more
because of all the hype. Would I return to Infusion Lounge again? Good question, but No...
So Infusion is the kind of club I generally try to avoid. I'm not a big fan of the kind of places where Marina District meatheads and Barbies cluster to broadcast how hip they are, so I obviously was a bit nervous when some of my friends drug my non-Marina District into Infusion for a recent Saturday night throwdown.
Yes, the place was full of representatives of the meathead/Barbie axis, but for once it didn't matter. The drinks were strong, the music fit my mood, and there were several dozen go go dancers gyrating at various stations around the club. There was also some of the most hideous white people dancing I have ever seen (including one couple dry humping by the bar), but in combination with everything else, it totally charmed me.
While I would probably not suggest going to Infusion, I would also not object if someone brought me there...
Let's start with the positives: Beautifully designed club.
I think that's about it?
Let's set the record straight: I've been here exactly ONE time, but there's nothing like first impressions. From the moment I walked into the club, I was surrounded by a bunch of fake people, fake boobs, and a bunch of douchebags. I mean, the place reeks of douchebaggery: lots of thin beards, gelled spikey hair, oh and let's not forget the popped collars. This place became quite the sausage fest, and at one point, one could have mistaken the place to be a gay club.
But these are not reasons why I give Infusion Lounge a low rating: My friend threw her 21st birthday party here. She placed a large deposit on the VIP room for her friends to hang out and have fun. Well, the management of the club kicked her out of the room because "they needed it," for another, larger party. I wonder what the purpose of having a deposit is, when club management overbooks your reservation and decides to give away your room to another, more important party? Needless to say, my friend's special day was ruined by bonehead management.
Very unlikely I'll return to this place.
I like the bathroom (even if the stalls seem to resemble cryogenic pods from perhaps Barbarella or a Dr. Who movie) and the space is kinda cool and creepy at the same time. A little dark and catacomb-like.
Was not impressed with the food (other than the beef dish my friend ordered which was off the chain and the only reason why I didn't rate this place with one star.) The beef on the Kobe beef sliders was good, but that damn bun absorbed all the moisture from my mouth and probably any surrounding mucus membranes. Jetison the top bun - going topless is good with those sliders.
Service was pretty lackluster except for the bus dude (I think his name was Tomas). He should be a server since he gets it. He was attentive and even though I asked for ketchup about 3 times from the waitress, I asked him once and he brought it to me. I also had to remind her several times that she forgot my drink. If the place was slammed I would have been more compassionate, but it wasn't.
I would've put 1 star, but I added another one because the music was spot on...my type of music, club beat hiphop.
Pretentious snobby 'i think im the shit' bitches were all over the place...unfriendly group of people all around. Literally got pushed by some bitch who wouldn't let me step inside an inch of the sectioned off "VIP" area...theres nicer and more effective ways to say no hun.
Guys were NOT attractive...at all. Drinks were okay...the bouncers were not very friendly to the poor short spanish guy infront of me...
This place makes me feel like I'm in a Vegas club, yet it's cramped with scantily-clad dancers along with a unisex bathroom. The guest-list gives me the "privilege" of paying only $10 to get into the place, even after we arrive at around 9:30 to get in the line. Once inside, the decor is nice, the bartenders served enough alcohol to my friends, and the place was packed by 11pm.
The experience, however, was not so good. My friends were sensing the pretentiousness of this place the moment they walked in, as lots of unfriendly people were filing into the place within an hour. So many popped collars, thin-beards, people thinking they were "all that" were overflowing the place within 2 hours. There were a few down-to-earth types amongst the sheeple, though most of the crowd were people that aren't friendly. Some reviews claim this is the place for people who "want to be seen", which makes me giggle as I figure why some people's sense of self-worth are based hanging at places like this. To the reviewers who "want to be seen", do something that sets you apart from others, not something that makes you look like you should be treated better others!
I'd give this place 3 stars at the maximum. However, they were kicking people out of the place, then having those same people allegedly fight with one ending up stabbing the other. The cops were called, which was our cue to leave. A couple of ladies were also thrown out for unspecified issues as well. Any place where the expulsion rate is THAT high & public troubles me, as I do not get this type treatment anywhere else in this city!
Whether I come back here is up to how much management filters the future patrons of this place. If they make sure more down-to-earth types patron this vs. the wannabe elitist folks, then I'll have an open mind. Until then, my 1 star is the best endorsement I can give for now, as the violence was out of their control yet preventable.
Had dinner here...... and I wasn't impressed. The menu was very limited and the portions are tiny.... For the price totally not worth it. The lounge part of it was good. Good dj's and good crowd.
I heard a lot of good things about this place...and actually being here definitely lived up the hype. Although I only went for the Radio Alice's Halloween bash on October 30th, the Infusion bartenders were amazing. It was easy to order drinks; quick & delicious. There was a good vibe and ambiance. You can either choose to hang out at the bar or go to the dance floor. I don't know if the food served at the party was Infusion food (sliders, spring rolls, ahi tartar), but if so, that was good too. I would definitely go back again.
Came here for a Bday party on Saturday night. The decor was very modern and Asian theme. The food was okay. I didn't find anything great about it besides the chicken drumsticks we had. Those are probably the best I had out of everything. The service was not great, the food came out in a timely manner but the waiter for our drinks was bad. He forgot who order what. The music was interesting. It was Hip Hop song with a mash up background of other songs on the Main Dance floor. The Hip Hop room was crazy packed. My goodness you can't dance without bumping into someone. With crazy packed, it was crazy hot in there too. Reminds me why I don't go clubbing anymore. Came out to support the Bday girl.
HAPPY BDAY MARICAR.
Ok, get ready for the long ride. Where do I want to start with this one? We had dinner plans at Infusion. Before arriving we were reviewing the menu in the car. I knew the items would be pricy, but was hoping that the food would make up for it. Did it? Not even close. We even joked about grabbing some McDonald's before we arrived to this place. Maybe we should have. The menu presentation however was nice. The menu lights up. That was a nice wow factor. Be forewarn the menu online doesn't match the one that's at Infusion.
Grilled Romaine Salad ($10) - This was the 1st time that I've ever heard of grilled salad. It was a nice touch. The lettuce was nice & crispy. As for the miso-date dressing, was there really any dressing on the plate? I sure didn't taste any of it. The parmigiano-reggiano was a nice touch. The smoked salmon would have been better sliced instead of shaved. You weren't able to taste any of the flavors of the salmon. It just reminded me of sawdust because of the texture.
Scallops ($16) - Well not worth it! Were there actual scallops on the plate? All I saw were quarter size over cooked little balls. At least they should have covered the dish with bok choy. Instead they skimped on that too.
Sous-Vide BBQ Pork Ribs ($21) - This wasn't such a bad dish at all. The ribs were tasty & good in portion. The corn bread was nice, plenty of chunks of corn all around. The shichimi togarashi (cabbage slaw) was nice & spicy. This paired nicely with the salad. Thanks Melissa for the recommendation.
Dessert - The menu offered 5 items, but in reality they only had 2. Everything else ran out. So we passed on dessert. We were hoping that the dessert would be able to replace the lack of food that we received.
Decor - The place was nicely decorated. I did enjoy the unisex bathroom. The only thing is they should make all the restrooms unisex. Not unisex, men's, & women's. That way it will allow the lines to go faster. Be careful though. The entrance has mirror walls on the left & right. So if your not careful you could walk right into it thinking it was another hallway.
Music - It was good. There were 2 different dance areas, as well as DJ's. There was never a moment where we were complaining about the music. Nice job DJ's.
People - There is a good mixture of people here of all ages as well. Something that surprised me was that some of the guys were offering to take pictures for us. Great! That way all of us can be in the shot. We didn't even have to ask, they just offered from left & right. There were also some doosh bags to go around. Ladies be careful when walking around this place. Some of the men will grope you. What kind of man does that? A disrespectful dirty one does!
Management - I think it sucks that you expect your customers to pay for seating! All seating is for VIP service only & I mean all. We were sitting at the bar area after dinner & was told to get off of the stools because they were for the VIP area. So if you're looking to sit it will cost you $400 to reserve the VIP area. There were 9 of use. It would have cost us each $45 to just sit. Crazyness I say!!
Drinks - Way to expensive. A drink will cost you about $13. Just bring a gift bag/big purse & put all your bottle of alcohol in there. You're sure to get a better deal doing it that way.
Parking ($6) - If you decide to park in the garage next to Infusion keep in mind that the door closes at 10 pm. To enter the parking lot you will need to go around the block on the other side to enter the garage. So don't get to drunk or you will never make it to you car.
Bottom line, if I have to pay the same price I would rather stay in SJ. It's close to home, you get more for your buck, & they offer 1st come 1st serve areas. Why would I drive 45 mins to get anything less?
I've only been to the night club and not for food. Seems to be the new hot spot in the city. I've been a few times and both times, the line to get in has been around the block. Even if your on the guestlist its a $10 cover if you get before guestlist closes. Might as well go in the shorter pay line because you'll be paying $20 anyway. They play a lot of the popular music thats on the radio.
The crowd is good, but it does get crowded on the dance floor.
Every once in a while you'll see a local celeb in the table area.
Review is for the club at night only.
It's nice and clean. The place is pretty big.
Too bad the music was way too loud! The drinks are overpriced and it doesnt taste that good.
The bathroom was prob. one of the better places there since it wasnt that loud and noisy and it was unisex, and there was a monitor there so ppl kept the place clean. And the lines moved pretty fast.
Other than that, i dont think I'll be going back.
Despite the hour long wait in line I had a really fun time at this venue.
The bad:
- The line was almost a block long and wrapped around the building when we got there close to 11pm. We didn't get in until close to 12 and even then the bouncer was very strict on the male/female ratio. So make sure you go with plenty of girls to get in.
- $20 cover charge
- Parking was AWFUL. However the parking gods were on our side and we scored a spot right across the street!
- it's super crowded inside because half of the main bar area was reserved for bottle service. If you want more than 6 inches of dance space then save up and reserve a table. Otherwise you can be envious and stare at the people inside the roped off area. Or you can stand with the wallflowers by the go-go dancers. There is usually some breathing room there.
- CO-ED bathroom. WTF? There is no where to hide at Infusion. The men will follow you to the bathroom. There are 6 bathrooms, 3 each for male/female. However for one of the rooms I saw about 3-4 guys leaving it so maybe there are urinals inside. Bathroom is manned by personnel but it's still weird. I got bumped by this big guy while washing my hands and just got really grossed out.
The good:
- music was decent. A good mix of current and old school. And by old school I'm talking about 10 years ago. Late 90's early millenia.
- good mix of people of all race and age. There were some eye candy too.
- closes late. I called it a night by 1:45am but the party was still going on. The good thing by around 1:30am the floor started to clear a bit and I could finally breathe.
I would go back to this place. But next time i'm getting bottle service!
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Dance Clubs
Neighborhood: Union Square
Category: Lounges
Neighborhood: Union Square
Category: Lounges
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Dance Clubs
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
Category: Lounges
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