KoKo Cocktails
1060 Geary St
(between Polk St & United States Highway 101)
San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 885-4788
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Music: DJ
- Best Nights: Thu, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
207 reviews
Neighborhood: Mission
"Never been here until I went for FiYaH's Birthday!! The party there was "GOLDEN" every third Saturday of the month and it was sooo crackin!…" read more »
49 Reviews for KoKo Cocktails
This place rocks! This is becoming my new wish bar as a place to go when I want to grab a drink during the weekday. Everyone who works there is really cool, especially a guy named Chardmo. Chardmo invented a drink called the tenderloin stand off of something like that, watch out as it is a fun drink but don't plan on walking straight when you leave the place.
In some ways I rather not give koko's a rating this high because I like it the way it is and rather it not become over crowded with idiots like most cool places end up.
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The thing that separates this bar from other similar bars in the neighborhood is the service. Every bartender here is an absolute rock star and will bend over backwards to make your drink your way.
Another nice aspect of Koko's is the variety of DJ's. It seems I've now heard everything from dubstep to hair metal on various nights and it makes for a pleasant surprise whenever I walk though the door. Last night it was disco, really nice heavy hitting dirty disco. Pefect!
Oh, and if you go there and the dude working behind the bar is named Chardmo, and dude offers you something called a "mini".. well that spells T R O U B L E, that's trouble buckaroo.
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Reasons why this is my favorite new spot in the city:
-The bartenders are friendly, accomodating, and professional. In fact, three bartenders run the joint.
-A wide variety of excellent dj's play there on almost a nightly basis.
-The drinks are quality and affordable.
-The atmosphere leaves nothing to be desired.
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The recently remodeled KoKo is a decent neighborhood spot, but certainly not a destination bar.
To be frank, the lighting in this place is terrible. Watch where you sit because you might have a light bulb in your face and the seats that aren't spot lit with downward facing light bulbs are dreadfully dark.
To its benefit though, the space is well proportioned, making it fairly comfortable, and until it gets more popular you'll likely find a place to sit. The cocktails I've had over my three or four visits were all pretty stiff and the bartenders were friendly.
KoKo is still relatively unknown, so it's a good alternative to some of the Polk Gulch mainstays - Hemlock, Rbar and Vertigo come to mind.
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Look out for KoKo because this is going to be the new spot!
Tiny, dark, low key and friendly crowd, hella deep music and cheap libations that'll keep your booty shakin' all night.
If I could, I woud LOVE LOVE LOVE to decorate this spot. Nothing crazy or extravagant, but they could deinitely use some mirrors, updated bistro-sized tables, a few art pieces, and maybe (2) more speakers. I love their chairs on the "dance floor", very reminicent of grade school chairs with updated chrome legs.. HOTT! Definitely looking forward to my next visit.
4 stars for:
-Getting cash out at a sex shop located *right next door*
-Finally meeting Princess Buttercup (Hey girl! :D)
-Being told a story about how the cab driver's niece totalled her car on her way to her job to Mitchell's Brothers because she fell asleep and that he has a gay stalker who shot him twice and how has the Hells Angels on his side
-Serving up a *mean* vodka cranberry. Twice.
-Having a location walking distance to other bars once I'm too trashed to want to stay in one place
-Walking with Adrienne G to get cash out when a bum asks her for a cigarette, turns him down and he continues to flip her off while walking back.
-Having a nice bathroom. I think.
I don't remember much after the drinks.
Omgosh YAY you have tables!
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This used to be where the hookers and rent-a-trannies took their "liquid courage" breaks and reapplied their beer goggles before getting into cars with creepy dudes on the corner of Geary and Polk. You could regularly find them in this dark, shady dive fluffing their boas and pulling their thigh highs up. No longer.
Koko is still dark but it's more Yuppy than shady and (slightly) more upscale than divey. There are turntables (not in use on a recent Friday night) and a laundry list of foofy specialty cocktails, the true signs of a good after-work bar catering to people with white collar jobs and money to spend on drinks without "malt liquor" in the name. The space is now dark purple and pretty big and held about 30 of us very comfortably. Bathrooms are large and well-appointed.
You can leave your beer goggles at home- the crowd here is pretty easy on the eyes. But please: wear those thigh-highs.
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Ok, so I'm blind. Well, probably mostly blind, particularly in my left eye. I have to wear contacts during the day and then I pop on the thick as bottlecap glasses right before bed. These days I'm running a little low on the super duper strong contacts for the left eye, so I'm making do with weak-ass right eye contacts in my left eye. So I'm at least half blind for the time being.
And the mood lighting in KoKo Cocktails did nothing to help my current compromised seeing situation. I felt like my grandma, holding up the bills close to my eyes to see whether I was holding a 5, 10 or 20. Yep.
If it was in a little better locale, I'd schedule my next blind date there. We always look pretty in low (or in this case nonexistent) light.
I like that the bartender saw my empty glass on the bar in front of me and kindly interrupted my conversation to ask if I needed another drink. That's good customer service.
Their frou frou cocktail menu was rife with deliciousness, but I didn't try because I'm more of a standard drink gal. Although I'm sure they were lovely.
This would make a great after movie drink place on a date.
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This place is like a secret I wasn't supposed to know about.
I'm not going to tell anyone else. And when mentioned to me, I'm going to act genuinely surprised to hear about it.
"KoKo's? What? Naw never ben there. Sure, I like checking out new places."
It's better than: "I was geeked up after 10 min of being there and it's darker than a Vampire bingo hall, but I liked it."
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Gold boots, lost/found red leather jackets, homeless boyrfriends, the beautiful table and fantastic eyebrows sum up my wonderful first experience at Koko Cocktails!
Bartender is a very cool chill dude with a great smile. The bar carries Hanger One vodka (HURRAH!) BUT unfortunately, they carry every flavor except my love, keifer lime. Still, good variety of alcohol and very good prices. Crowd is a great mix and I'll definitely be back again!
Minus one star for being a cash only establishment.
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The first time I came here it was much different than my recent excursion. It used to be a a little Korean hole in the wall, dive bar with a CD jukebox and possibly a pool table. Now KoKo cocktails has switched into your new favorite TL bar complete with skinny jeans and a hot bar tender.
It is still small and still dark and still worth a few drinks if you're in the hood.
Wait . . . I think it's too popular for anybody anymore.
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My idea of a good time doesn't always include hanging out in the "Loin, but this week's DYL was just within walking distance of my apartment which let me conveniently leave the vehicle parked safely - and allowed me to drink (ir)responsibly.
The bartender who started off our night, Justin, was friendly and had some really cool tattoos. I sat at the bar with a couple of friends and chatted while sipping some Maker's Mark (with a ginger back). The bar pretty much cleared out when the DYL crew decided to head over to a different bar at about...oh I have no idea what time...but I remember I was about four or five whiskeys deep and about $40 poorer, which means that the drinks weren't too expensive and I tipped on every pour.
Crap, my head hurts.
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This bar used to be a great little dive w/a good jukebox, cheap drink prices and a pool table.
Now it's a cramped hipster dive (such a different thing) with hella expensive drink prices.
Had a good time here; but, generally wish it were still an out of the way hole in the wall which no one knew about.
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This place gets 5 *'s for two reasons.
Thier cocktails are stiff AND they're cocktail mix is hardcore-f*cking- delish-carb-overload-in-a-fully-replenished-as-soo n-as-it's-empty-plastic-dixie-cup-goodness!
They remodeled; it's uber-cute and very fun! DO IT! Have fun, GET DRUNK!
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I gotta give a shout out to the kick-ass bartenders working tonight at Kokos. The place was packed out for a soul dance party. It was at least three deep to get a drink and yet I didn't have to wait more than two minutes to get service. It was a really nice change of pace from the hipster joints nearby.
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Word to your mother: The nearest Bank of America ATM is at the AMC theatres on Van Ness and Post! Took me about 2 minutes to figure that out so I guess that makes me much smarter than your average Irish setter? Now let's get some shots!!!
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This place is no longer a shady looking korean dive. There's nothing korean about it except the little bit of hangul on the sign outside. The shadyness and diveyness is more or less gone now too, replaced by hipness and loungeyness and lowrentswankness. The cheap alcohol has been replaced with somewhat more expensive alcohol. It was more or less a complete bottom up renovation.
Still, it's not bad. It's dark and purple inside, and there's a live dj from time to time.
They have a bell over the bar that gets rung when they get a big tip, according to one bartender. If someone would be kind enough to go in and tip them really well to find out how much it takes to get a little tintinabulation out of them I'll update this review. I'd do it myself but I'm cheap.
I'm not really that cheap, honestly. just a little. And all the words in this review are real words.
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Good bar with reasonable prices, decent selection, laid back (yet attentive) bartender, oddly diverse crowd and moody interior. There's not much else to say about the place.
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We went to KoKo's for DYL this Friday. Aside form it's choice TL location off of Van Ness, this bar had a few things going for it.
1. It never got so crowded it was uncomfortable, which I really appreciate.
2. Bartenders were very chill, and very polite.
3. Bathroom never had much of a line, see 1, above.
4. Lots of seating: stools, chairs, tables, and benches. I cannot stress enough how nice it is to have somewhere to sit when you're out. Go KoKo.
5. It's close to an Irving Pizza, which was delicious.
6. The ceilings felt a little low which made me feel, like, way taller.
Great time, I'd definitely go back.
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Way better than you'd think.
You walk in, expecting a dive, and instead find a chill bar with an angular ceiling and a surprisingly good booze selection (they had something like 8 different high-end bourbons), a great happy hour, and almost obscenely good prices. Oh, and great cocktail mixing. And Speakeasy porter on tap (ah, the deliciousness).
There was a pair of turntables for a DJ that wasn't used while we were there, but I assume they get a DJ on occasion.
But mostly, I was all about the booze. Old Fashioned (on the cocktail menu) was good but had a bit too much sugar. Manhattan was very tasty, though I would have gone with 1 drop less bitters. Prices on both were stupid cheap, given they were that well made.
And an extra point for realizing, after wandering in, that I'd been there before. And had no idea when. = proof that the drinks are stiff.
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Holy shit, I totally didn't see THAT coming. What started off innocently enough with a black cherry cosmopolitan ended as a whiskey soaked wild ride through Polk; complete with stolen parking signs, blunts rolled in bathrooms, chain smoking someone else's cigarettes, and simultaneously meeting up with, and then losing friends.
Koko's is a fine establishment to get completely shit faced drunk before 10pm.
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Always thought this place looked sketchy but not anymore! It's been redone and is now is a fun place to hang out. Cool atmosphere (love the blue walls!), good drinks, friendly bartenders. My girlfriends and I just popped in there for a drink after seeing a movie at Van Ness. It's super close to the theater. I highly recommend that combo - movie followed by a drink at Koko!
This place is pretty chill...I only ever go here right after work...usually around 5 pm for a little whiskey while waiting for the 38, which has a a stop right out front. So, it's usually not so busy there, but I guess that's what I like about it. The windows up front are nice, you can check out all the crazies walk by while sipping some whiskey.
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I never ventured into the old Koko's but when my boyfriend found out that the place had been taken over by some people from his old haunt The Tunnel Top he forced me and my friend to go (and paid for all our drinks to boot)!
I liked the decor, loved the drinks, loved the reasonable prices anymore. Definitely will make a point to come back again, again.
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I think this place got yelp bombed. The reviews don't match up with how this place really is.
The place looks nice inside but it was practically empty around 11 on a Friday. The dj was really awful, playing some downtempo, nu age electronic music. ugh.
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The last time I went into Koko, it was because I really had to take a piss. It was the scuzziest dive to end all dives. Because they don't usually like non-customers using the bathroom, I grabbed a quick shot of Jim Beam. It was in a crappy rounded 1oz shot glass and cost $6. SIX BUCKS!
That was the old KoKo, but now it's got new owners and it's totally revamped.
They did a great job of cleaning the place up. The bartender / owner told me that they got it done with about three weeks of 12 hour days. They must've been slave drivers or really hard workers. If you've seen the before and after, you'd understand why.
They have interesting bottled beers and a nice top-shelf collection too. I even saw some of the bottles they use for well drinks, and they're a cut above your standard Popov.
We had Sapphire martinis. They were huge and the guy made them with care. At about 6.50 a pop, they were a nice deal too.
It's neat that they kept the old name and sign.
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I am happy this bar is under a new listing on yelp, as so not to confuse the old with the new. Now the memory, and documentation, of what a dive this bar used to be can live on;
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
I do not want anyone to forget why plastic surgery is bad and the old owner was a solid testament to why you should not go all fucking Michael Jackson crazy with the reconstruction.
About the new KoKo. It is most certainly no longer a dive, but more of a chill loungy bar that isn't quite a lounge. Dark lights and red and wrought iron accents give it that atmosphere initially but it also has a friendly and casual feel that most lounges fail to capture.
Thank goodness my wise companion helped me get over the initial disappointment at another fallen soldier in the land of seedy dives in the up and coming "Tendernob". As he pointed out it is not the new owners fault that the neighborhood is changing. Though I wanted very badly to find things to hate about the new KoKo, I couldn't. They have a nice selection, fair prices, really cool bartenders and a good thing going. So, until that changes I will look at this place, without bias, as a nice new bar, not as a shell of what used to be.
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I work right by here and I've never really noticed this bar. It's sort of a neighborhood bar. I also came for a DYL event, so there was a crowd of Yelpers. I did notice that other than the crowd of Yelpers, the bartender seemed to know other people coming into the bar. He'd give the dudes a hearty handshake and stuff, so I figured this to be a neighborhood bar with regular patrons. And it was rowdy cuz of all the Yelpers.
This place will make for a fine establishment to come and catch up with a long lost friend or somesuch.
koko cocktails is a gem. i love it for the unpretentious service from the 3 BEST bartenders in san francisco, their fabulous drink making skills, and the lack of douche bags. I also like the fact that its a nice place to chill on any given night of the week. i come here expecting a chill, friendly neighborhood bar and get just that--and more (dj mullet plays hair metal once a month!). thank god ko ko's is void of the meat market vibe and cheesy radio tunes!! you guys frickin rock! i love ko ko!!!
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Love the new space, the barkeep, the dj, the vibe and the scary-strong drinks. Two Cherry Cosmos at 6.50 a piece (cash only) and I don't remember much else.
Pseudo-dive, loungey, laid-back with hipster potential. I also remember some snippet of lovely damask wallpapering and a wooden sign with a German phrase pyrographically inscribed onto it.
Uh, I think.
Former Tunnel Top bartenders now Owners are personable, knowledgeable and crafty mixers.
Resident DJ there (Ted) was spinning Bitches Brew with some interesting breaks, then Lee Morgan, then ... I almost fell off one of Koko's elementary school-ish plastic orange chairs, DAMN.
Cherry Cosmo.
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This bar is not a dive bar. It's a nice bar. (Just because a place is dark doesn't mean it's a dive!) The cocktails are expertly made (as one would expect from folks from the Tunnel Top). (Also, I appreciate a martini in the right-sized glass, not some monster glass that results in a lukewarm drink minutes into the cocktail.)
I liked the ambiance, but my small suggestion is to up the lighting just a bit. It is a click on the dark side. It's not too light, which would be fatal, but bumping it up a bit would help. Tunnel Top has those excellent wine bottle chandeliers, and so it's a bit brighter. The Lush Lounge (another favorite) livens up the lighting a bit. Swig has the back lit bar. Dalva has candles (like the candles here, an excellent touch), but it's brighter (but still dark enough), as is Blur (also a candle place, but with a few Moroccan lights). Maybe a hanging light or two, maybe some wall sconces. It's close.
Music: excellent. Truly excellent. A tad loud for conversation, and I listen to my music loud, so . . . .
But these are small points geared toward perfection, like straightening a slightly askew picture. Probably no one else would notice, and it's great as is.
Exceptionally nice people work here, too. As I said about Umi (the source of my knowledge about the newly redone KoKo), I love the combo of a good product and good people. It's the way the world should be. (And to think I've had two such experiences in one short week!)
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Four stars for what it is-- a spacious, darkly decorated, dimly lit lounge with comfortable seating, a couple of interesting beers on tap, and what looks like a decent selection of top-shelf scotches. The bartenders were attentive and friendly, and poured a good pint. Hopefully it's common practice, but the bartender warned me that by beer was going to take a minute; he had to tap a new keg of Anchor Liberty.
The music was playing a little loud, but I'm not going to knock a full star for that. I looked around for a jukebox, as I was digging the music being played (hooray for The Dirtbombs!), but either it's well hidden or I really really need to get to the optometrist soon.
If you're looking for the old KoKo, flip this review upside down and rate it one-star. This isn't the old KoKo, and it doesn't appear to want to be. Whether that's good or bad, I can't say. The reactions of my divemaster compatriots (and I don't mean the SCUBA variety) ranged from indifferent through surprised, up to shocked and quasi-indignant. I don't mind; there are a whole lot of dives. Perhaps not many as seedy as the old KoKo, from what stories I hear... but then again, there's a whole lot of lounges. Make of that what you will.
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After a hard working day, we decided to stop by at KoKo Bar.
Friday night, they have DJ and we were having a good time. I usually drink beer but this time I want to try a cocktail so I asked the bartender(Lauri) to surprise me. She very did surprised me with a black cherry cosmos. I think I had 2-3 of the cherry cosmos, I can't remember but .. love it, and will go back for more. My boyfriend had some kind of old fasion drink and a small beer or baby beer which he like.
The owner(Lauri, Chris and Justin) are wonderful people and excellent bartenders.
I found myself in this neck of the woods last night for the first time in my 5 and 1/2 year San Francisco life! It was amazing, a whole new world opened up to me, and a whole new set of party spots!
KoKo def still had the smell of new paint going on, and the decor was sparce but new. The seats were a little uncomfortable, but the vibe was stylin. The fellow patrons were a hilarious mix of hipster and young, urban, college kids, which was fun to watch interact.
The bartenders were very very cool, pouring stiff drinks at reasonable prices. They also gave good chat, which I like. All in all, a successful new venture, I bet it's rockin on the weekends.
Ko-Ko's is Co-Cool. Cozy, solid, and dive'ish. (Bring it!) But truly doesn't this place smell a bit like tunnel top? That could be because there is some talk of the past bartenders having worked over there. It may as well have a Bosnian doorman as well. But why rock it all the way up the hill, when you can hit Ko-Ko's in the Polk Gulch instead? This place is 100% a dive, but it has enough charm to keep you going back for more. I'm not saying to eat off the bathroom floors or anything, but no reason to bug either. For best results don't be a marina boy in this locale. They seem to have a no poo-poo heads allowed rule. If this is you, why not instead watch a Knight Rider re-run and then hit Medjool, in the Mission? Otherwise your friends might miss you.
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Why is this bar the best place for a drink in the city?
1) Knowledgeable, friendly, attentive, excellent bartenders
2) No television to stare at mindlessly, only a well appointed, beautifully lit, 70's minimal style bar-so you'll either have to stare at the glowing chartreuse bottles, or actually have a conversation with someone
3) Plenty of room, big long bar, ton's of tables.
4) It's right on the 38 bus line.
5) Don't let the exterior fool you, it's ultra cool inside.
6) Great selection of liquor, local when possible.
7) Excellent music.
8) No pretentious speak-easy, fancy-pants, apple martini type b.s., just real drinks served by real people at prices an average joe can afford.
Drink here and be happy.
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Yes folks, you can teach an old bar new tricks!
This cool little dive looks nothing like the scary ghost of bad bars past. Deep shades of blue, accents of red, leather booths made from church pews and gorgeous wood top tables are some of the comforts to indulge in this cozy piece of heaven. Dark enough to nuzzle in the corners, but bright enough to see what you're drinking, this is the perfect place for meeting friends or a date. Accessible on the 38 line and sporting a constant stream of cabs on the street, it's the easiest place to get to and get home.
As a barfly, I will follow my favorite mix-masters to any location. Lucky for me, my three favorite SF bartenders are now the owners and masterminds of this swanky new spot. They sport a great stock of liquors, (including my favorite scotches and whiskeys) as well as some ingenious special cocktails. I love the crowd--locals, barflies, and industry folks on their night off. You can't beat the conversation or the eye-candy. Come on in and check it out...I'll probably be there!
i'm cuckoo for kokos and it's not the fruit loops.
This is a little gem just off of van-ness and around the corner from the lush lounge. Come here. Order a cocktail (may i recommend a capirinhia or a black cherry cosmo? Yum) --sit back and chillax. The allure may also have something to do with the super rad happy hour. $3 draft beers and $4 (good) well drinks!
There's that magical feeling when you see a new bar, and everything about it just seems so perfect, and right away you start thinking "wow, could this bar be the one for me?" You try to calm down and not get your hopes up too high too fast. But then you spend more time with it and discover more - you order an Old Fashioned and the bartender doesn't look at you like a weirdo, and he actually mixes it right - muddling the sugar, just the right hint of orange, everything nicely balanced. You wander over to the plush bench and snuggle into its warm embrace and it just feels so comfortable and right, like you could spend forever cuddling with this bench. Then you have a look at the drink menu and it's just what you would list yourself. You order a Sazerac and it's perfect too, the bartender is a god, but it's totally unpretentious, quick service, and nice and dark. Everything you discover about your new love just makes you like it more and more. Yeah, I had that feeling here.
edit : shit, some of the other bartenders aren't so hot. There's one guy who rocks the mix, but without him this place is just ordinary :(
I hate inconsistency.
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I lived in the TL for 10 years and have complained about the lack of bar offerings many times. I've finally found my perfect spot! Koko recently re-opened and they've done an amazing job transforming the place. The interior is stylish and cozy and drink prices are reasonable. Thank you baby jesus for bringing me a new place to post up on Friday nights where I can actually get a seat and talk to my friends!!!
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