Mission Bar
Categories: Nightlife, Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Mission2695 Mission St
(between 22nd St & 23rd St)
San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 647-2300
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 5:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m.
Sat 6:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Music: Juke Box
- Best Nights: Mon, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
73 reviews
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
"On the menu it reads: "Good Drinks, Good Food, Good Sports, Good Times." And that's what you'll get. Excellent (and clean, and well-lighted)…" read more »
102 Reviews for Mission Bar
I used to frequent Mission Bar years ago but for some reason I rarely seem to be able to get my friends out to the mission to drink anymore. Last night I met some people there and nothing has changed, even the beer prices. Beer for $2.50 till eight PM and only $3.50 after that, you just can't beat that. The only thing that has changed for the worse is the juke box selection, I may be remembering wrong but I think it used to be much better. I put five dollars in and only found eight songs I even wanted to hear. If yelp would allow half stars my rating would be 4 1/2.
This place has quickly become one of my favorite bars in the Mission. I can't believe that it took me a bunch of years in San Francisco to try this place out.
The barmaids are sweet and remember me every time I come in, although it's really just been a handful of times thus far. The doorguy's always been pleasant every time I've gone, and I've never had to wait more than a couple of minutes for a drink, even on a packed Friday night. And this place is pretty local and charity-minded it seems. They were gearing up for a charity auction to be held there the last time I went in.
The bathroom is pretty meh and it's one of those scary bathrooms where you're not sure if it locks and you can't sit close enough to the door whilst on the toilet to be able to hold onto the door to make sure you're not barged in on in a compromising situation. Yea, it's kind of scary, and I did barge in on someone once. Oops.
And the piece de resistance? Shiloh the dog hangs out there. That's one darn cute dog.
People thought this was:
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Funny (6)
Cool (6)
dark, brooding, with slippery booths and wet surfaces.
pretty hipsters, and me.
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Local bar, cheap but good solid drinks (almost half price from what you would pay at Medjool.) Pretty laid back place with a pool table for a game or two. Wish they had the jukebox play more free music though...
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Last friday was pretty epic.
83 Proof.
Power Exchange.
Bacon Dog Cart.
Mission Bar.
I can't think of a greater way to end a night.
Janney and I ran in to use the bathroom--all that drinking and like HELL we were going to use the one at PE, and it was cramped but totally awesome when you need to hold yourself up because you can't walk in a straight line anymore.
Then it was off to sit down again. I stumbled my way through the crowd, occasionally bumping into people I didn't know and finally found Matt H. For the next 20 minutes, Matt talks and talks and talks and talks and talks about something extremely sexual but of course I have no idea what it is because I'm trying not to puke all over the floor but all I hear is "sex" this and "sex" that so I just smiled politely and laughed when he would smirk at a comment he made. Then I asked to get a cab before I passed out on the floor because since the Bacon Dog Cart was next door and I was in a room full of Yelpers who the hell KNOWS what would have gone down.
I will definitely be back in this bar, as long as Matt H. is there talking dirty and I'm sober for at least HALF the conversation.
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The doors have padding on them. So do the walls and the pillars in the middle of the bar. There are soft vinyl couches and even the tables are covered with slightly puffy vinyl. I want to believe that the owners of this bar were anticipating a lot of bar fights, but they probably just thought it was swank or they got a good deal on foam or something.
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Pool table in the back, standard bar with not alot of ambiance. Juke box with some decent selections, 3 selections for a $1. Drinks were strong and satisfying, not too pricey. Staff is nice, bathroom is tiny, and semi-clean. Worth a visit if you need some liquor before you go some place cooler and more hip.
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Not much to say except that I have, on numerous occasions, arrived here intoxicated and left more intoxicated without breaking the bank. Never as crowded as other bars in the vicinity and a pretty chill crowd too. Bring a flashlight if you are afraid of the dark. The padded walls and surfaces remind me of work.
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First off... the name of this place is The Bar Bar. Coz of the sign, yo! If it were the Mission Bar, then it would say as much on the sign, right? But, the word on the street and the word on the sign, is "Bar."
Moving on. I've never been in The Bar Bar at night. Why? Because the place is "night" itself. Meaning, it is very dark in dis here bar.
During the day, it is a perfect place to go if you are a vampire nursing a hangover and trying to get away from the piercing rays of the afternoon sun.
At night, it must be doubly dark. And this block gives me a bad vibe at night so I stay away from it. Something wicked this way comes... from Walgreens, perhaps.
But, for alcoholic-slumped-at-the-bar-in-the-afternoon-styl e drinking, I cannot recommend it highly enough.
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Perfect bar to hang out and have a good conversation. I live in Oakland, but Mission Bar is easy to get to because it's right near the 24th Bart stop. All that and $2,50 happy hour pints. Viva la Mission Bar!
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It's kind of like Doc's Clock, except with pool (not shuffle board) and flipped around, and smaller, and maybe not so bright. (Right. "Just like.") But it's another good Mission bar.
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Cheep booze and good music. 5 out of 5 for Queens of the Stone Age factor. Very much a regulars bar, although there's plenty of love to go around. If you like Zeitgeist, Bender's, & Kilowatt, chances are you'll like it here too. Extra points for close proximity to El Farolito and Popeye's.
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Mission Bar is the only reason I miss living in the Mission, and I miss it a lot. Laura, Walter, Tommy, Gabe, Bubba, Ross and Mia are the best.
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They have the touchy porn game! My friends and I stopped by for some low key drinks and hanging out. The game kept freezing, but my super smart friend reached around, unplugged it briefly, and then it worked perfectly!
This is also the bar where I unsuccessfully (and stupidly) tried to argue Led Zep isn't the greatest rock band of all time.
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What can I say? Cheap beer, although I have to admit I'm not sure if they have $3 pints anymore. Booths. Roomy bar with pool table. Open early and a good place to have the troops meet up before heading out for a bar crawl. They blacked out their super cool hex window with MISSION written on it, but it makes daylight drinking easier at the bar. Since my friends are always late, I get some serious drawing time in here. I give points for:
- Old guys reading at the bar
- I think it's dog friendly
- I have, on occasion, eaten a take-out taco at a table
- Totally chill - and I mean that in a "cool place to hang" AND it can sometimes be freaking cold in the bar
- You can also come in, have a beer, and leave
- Checkered black and white lino floor
Be warned, I'm a bit of a tom-boy, so it's a good, "hang out with the guys" bar but probably not one for the girls-from-work or for siblings expecting something GREAT type of place. You know, it's a "Hey it's Tuesday, and I need beer, kind of place."
I love this bar. I don't go out for drinks often, but usually when I do I try to steer people towards Mission Bar. Middle of a Saturday afternoon? Who wants to get coffee when you could go to happy hour at Mission Bar?
The bartenders rock, the place is a nice dive (I love dives), it's cheap, and the clientle is nice and mixed.
One time I brought some friends here, and watched two guy friends get chatted up with these girls who were dressed ultra skanky (shirts so low their bras were part of the outfit. my thoughts: "really? here? this is not the club"). After they left I asked my friend if they were dressed slutty because they were sluts or if they dressed slutty because they could simply get away with it (ie not actually sluts).
Before Mike answered, the bartender chimed in "oh those girls had skank written ALL over them."
My favorite.
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I have always called it "Bar-bar" or possibly "Babar" after the children's book Elephant King. It's a dark cavernous place, and reminds me of a less upmarket Make Out Room. Cheap Drinks, long hours, reasonably clean restrooms. Good place to duck in for a shot of Fernet at 11am while you wait for the 14.
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(Pub Commute Stop 3)
So you need a place to round out your hipster's night out at The Attic, Latin American Club, and Doc's Clock? Look no further than the Mission Bar. It's sort of the Kirkland Signature of mission hipster bars (at least, I'm pretty sure it's hipster--it was nearly empty on Tuesday, so sort of hard to judge the crowd.) Everything about it is a bit generic and/or prototypical, from the simple BAR sign to the decor that's essentially a toned-down average of the afore-mentioned 3 bars. But that's not a bad thing--sometimes even hipsters need more drink, less 'tude.
Sadly, I have no tales of madness to compare to Ed's. But the night is young...
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RATS! ....go and figure out.
The soap in the bathroom was fantastic.
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Picture this: a big (huge, really), bucket glass filled with ice, a hearty pour of Maker's Mark, and a solid splash of ginger ale, delivered to you by a friendly, attentive bartender for all of $5.00... in San Francisco. On not only a *Saturday* night, but any night of the week.
Mission Bar is almost too good to be true! Great drinks at an unbelievably reasonable price (shhhh!), really cool bar staff, interesting, diverse and friendly crowd, and a *kick-ass* rock 'n roll juke box. The bar stools are ample (which my booty appreciates), and if you're not one for bellying up to the bar, there are also tables and booths to cozy up in.
I think they even have a pool table...
No attitude. No hipster bull.
Just a great place to grab a (cheap) big-ass drink with your drunk-ass friends.
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An almost-last-call quick-stop at Mission Bar lead to me...
Almost passing out on my boyfriend's shoulder while sitting on the bar stool, holding my vodka soda, in mid-sentence about my dead father...
Then deciding that our drunk asses should stumble home and hang out on my back patio and enjoy the beautiful 2:00 AM weather...
Becoming suddenly responsible and closing the door so as NOT TO WAKE UP MY ROOMMATES. Who were NOT home. Because we left them at the bar. I think...
LOCKING MYSELF OUT. IN MY BACKYARD.
Not being able to determine a path OUT of the backyard...
Going upstairs and barging in on my neighbors' guys'-night-in Ski Patrol screening...
Drunkenly pontificating about how much Detroit sports rule with the one of them from Michigan. Even though I think he REALLY just wanted to watch Ski Patrol...
Stumbling downstairs and ringing my doorbell a million times so that my roommates who STILL WEREN'T HOME could NOT let me in...
Somehow stumbling to the bf's 'hood a mile away...
I THINK trying to buy more beer and condoms at Kansas Food Mart. Which was most definitely NOT OPEN (classy shit)...
Waking up the next morning still locked out...
With no jacket...
No phone...
AND A KILLER HANGOVER.
This place fxxxed me up.
Good dive bar.
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Welcome to Bar. Have seat, order drink.
Chat to woman. Laugh at jokes. Tell story about stuff.
Relax with friend.
Order more drink. Chew on cubes.
Go home or bring home to house.
Enjoy time.
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Very nice bar, the music is good and it's definetly a place to hang out.
Usually there are cool people, it's pretty easy to meet someone.
From the outside it looks like a crap nerd-hive, but it's actually fair. For a cheap beer in the evening, you could definitely do a lot worse. There isn't much to the place, just a long bar and some booths. The only decorations I can remember were the average "run by old punkers" novelty items and posters. Again, you could do a lot worse.
The price of the beer makes it a definite recommendation, though. I almost don't want to see it on a weekend night, because the memory of it from a weekday evening is so favorable.
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At first I thought this place would sort of suck, but it didnt and the happy hour specials are really good. I've only been when its sort of empty so maybe my review would change if it were full
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The only thing I regret about moving out of the Mission is the lack of proximity to the BAR. Nowadays it takes a bus ride and walking six blocks for me to get inappropriately smashed.
Here's to the wonderful owner (sorry doll, have known you for years, but I'm always too drunk to remember your name), the wonderful bouncer (ditto) and to Ross, who doesn't work there anymore.
Wonderfully stiff drinks. The right dive bar/non-hipster attitude. A decent pool table. Black leather booths that suck you in and won't let you go. A dog-friendly vibe.
Just be careful with what you touch in the bathroom so you don't end up with white residue on your hands - oh, and feel free to take this as a hint as to why some of the patrons are so talkative, or introverted.
I love this place. Three shiny, bright, red neon letters that spell out one thing: HOME
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I have a deep attraction for the Mission Bar. It caters to everyone (even dogs) and is just a fantastic gem of a place.
Whenever I'm in the Mission (which isn't nearly often enough) I have to come here. Everyone is friendly, the drinks are strong (and cheap as hell), the jukebox is fabulous, and I don't know... it's just the best.
I LOVE YOU MISSION BAR!
(Beware the rats on the wall. Not real, but creepy anyway. Is that new? I told you I don't come here enough)
Have to give this 5 stars....its definitely become a second living room... while that may sound sad to some, its really not!
Great bar, "divey" if you will, but stocked with fine libations. Super friendly bar staff. Laura is the shit. so is Walter.
Its cheap, its friendly. I'm there. So are my friends. You may even see a cutie lil doggy on the bar named Shiloh. What else could you possibly want in a bar?
Check it out.. you won't be disappointed. Unless maybe, its Friday/Saturday night and the bridge and tunnel folks are in, but hey.. there's no escaping that in the Mission on the weekends! Have another Fernet...it will get better...
Five stars for the memories I have of this bar.
The bar is simple, no frills, great jukebox, pool table and booths.
I became a whiskey drinker here.
This bar is pretty much my second home. I live here, and love this place. The bartenders have become my family.....If you arn't a shitbag this place will treat you well.
stop by and buy Walter a shot
i have spent MANY nights getting drunker here! yes, drunk-ER!
drinks are cheap, its usually pretty uncrowded, music is good, and there always seems to be some random couple in the back making out. huh?!
the atmosphere is chill, and yah, it does seem like theres tons of regulars.
This isn't one of my favorite places to go, but I don't really have a reason to say so. Other places somewhat nearby are Elbo Room and Delerium, but those places are WAY too crowded.
Mission Bar is almost refreshing. It's just a bar. Even its sign just says "BAR."
If I had my bike, I would be at Mission Bar right now. But there is some maniac down my block yelling about "what murder looks like" and I don't really want to take my time walking by the guy.
Mission Bar seems to always be empty, even on the weekends. They make their drinks really strong on the cheap and the jukebox is alright. My kind of bar.
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I live around the corner, so, generally speaking, this is where I go when my friends and I just ate a big meal and want a drink or two, but are way too gut-busted to actually walk any considerable amount of distance. That said, they have a nice pool table, pour good drinks and it's never too loud.
If Im in the mood to go get a drink without a doubt this is the place I will go to. Granted I dont get the time to go here as much as I would like, but I cant say anything bad about this place. Straight up what you see is what you get. What you dont get is scenesters or a fashion show, just good drinks and good company.
The owner Laura and the rest of the crew are awesome people, so tip your bartenders people!
Bar-bar has been my saving grace on more than one occasion.
The most notable of which was when it helped me to escape the throngs of the drunken, plastic hat-wearing masses on St. Patrick's Day. This place, unlike every other goddamned bar in the Mission, was NOT packed. We got a table. On St. Patrick's Day. Oh, and it's actually called Callahan's?
The drinks here are STIFF! Once, I subconsciously winced at the amount of coke splashed in my whiskey. The bartender (who has never been anything short of awesome) offered me another splash.
You're going to get drunk here. You might, as I have, ask for a Crown & Whiskey, only to be met with a raised eyebrow and another strong-ass whiskeycoke. Put on your stumblin' shoes & let's go drinking!!!
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I totally dig Mission Bar. Cheap & strong drinks, no pretense, and a kick ass jukebox. When you're in the mood for a real bar - no frills, no BS - just look for the Bar sign on Mission.
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Had my birthday here and it was fabulous. The simplest of dive bars. The owner Laura is awesome and super laid back. They have a random but amazing jukebox...ranging from Johnny Cash to Prince to the Humpty Dance. My favorite go-to place for neighborhood drinks.
I have never had a bad night here. I have had nights that went quickly downhill immediately after leaving, but I suppose, if you think about it, that is the mark of a damn good bar.
It's a two-bit sleazy dive- the kind Matt "Guitar" Murphy would've been proud to play in- with a great jukebox (with, amazingly, no pretension), great bartenders, great clientle, and lots of space, despite the narrow layout. Drinks are cheap, and they have a decent selection of taps & bottles. It's the kind of place where, when you're naming off places to go on a given night, and someone says "How about Mission Bar?" the discussion ends.
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Look, right now I know this place is awesome, but I lack the ability to properly put it into words. That will have to come later. Just trust me, now that Treat Street is gone, this is the next best dive bar in the Mission. My hangover tomorrow will do nothing but prove it.
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ahem, so, this place rocks because it has lots of big, comfortable booths covered with squeaky pleather, and even the little tables in the middle of the booths are pleather covered. their jukebox has plenty of good tunes, and it doesn't have the volume cranked up so loud that you can't hear what anyone around you is saying. the decor is basic, nothing too fancy. i believe they had a pool table. place was not too crowded but also not empty on a saturday night. very comfortable crowd, not too hip, not too yuppie. bartenders were friendly. a very comfortable bar.
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