Silver Spur
1914 Irving Street
(between 20th Ave & 21st Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122 (415) 564-4250
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Music: Juke Box
- Best Nights: Mon, Wed, Sat
- Happy Hour: No
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: Outdoor Area/Patio Only
- Coat Check: No
55 reviews
Neighborhood: Potrero Hill
"I love this place...It is around the corner from my house and its an easy breezy bar....no scene here..just mellow, cool, good old fashioned…" read more »
21 Reviews for Silver Spur
"the russians are upon us sir, what do we do?!"
"Dive Dive DIVE!"
i was almost uncomfortable in the silver spur as i walked in 'not drunk enough for a dive'. they don't take cards, and they won't make you a cosmo (i think).
Goodness gracious, an affordable bar?? How's about two shots of Cutty and two Red Tails for $16?
That's almost as good as rent control. Vote no on Prop 98. Thank you.
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There's crazy people in there. And no beers on tap, just bottles. People were quite friendly though. I'm sure I'll be back sometime.
First time in here was on New Years Eve... right around 10.30..
and its exactly how I thought it would be
its a dive bar, but I think thats been said in EVERY OTHER review
the bartender was super friendly
and super festive even though there was NO one in the place
We had a couple shots, a beer and left
because although it was fine enough for a couple drinks
its no place I would want to ring in the new year
spend an hour or two on a Sat. afternoon.. definately
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Lots of bars in SF get called dives, but if you exclude Irish pubs, strictly ironic dives (Doc's Clock), non-ironic dives that still attract ironic patrons (Murio's), bars for when the irony crowd is burned out on irony and just wants to hang out (Broken Record), and bars that are really just for people too lazy to leave their damn neighborhood (Miraloma Club, Philosopher's Club), you don't end up with much left. Skip's Tavern, maybe, if you're talking Chicago-style dive.
But for a Northwesterner like me, Silver Spur is the closest thing to a textbook dive I've yet encountered. Low ceilings, wood paneling, Alice in Chains on the jukebox (remember: grunge now counts as classic rock), and honest-to-god plaid 'n' flannel patrons. Just like Washington, beyond the Microsoft-Starbucks green zone. One of these days I really oughtta ask what these people are doing living in SF; I bet I'd hear some interesting stories. No beers on tap, so either get a bottle or (my preference) Canadian whiskey. Stiff and dirt-cheap.
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Cheers!
To alcohol and all it's glory!
It was midnight, when a friend text me to see if I'd like to join him for a drink. "Come over to Silver Spur?"
In my mind, I knew I didn't want to be alone watching ESPN Sportcenter hoping to see what happened to Warriors, Giants, Sharks, A's, and the Atlanta Braves recap games.
I ask if there was a TV, "Dumbest question ever, all bars in SF have tv's." Anyway, joined him there. Had a few Miller Highlife and caught up on old times as well as the new times.
If you know dive bars, you know yourself. You are just like every hardworking American who can sit at a bar, have a couple of drinks, and talk about how your life sucks (compared to Hugh Hefner of course). This is the feeling when I go to a dive bar, tons of hopeless dreams, life changing experiences, and complete drunk tardedness occurs.
*Great place to avoid large amounts of people and get drunk cheap.
"Is this your CHEERS?"
Making your way in the world today takes everything you got
Taking a break from all your worries showing it will help a lot
Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name
And they're always glad you came
You want to be where you can see
Troubles are all the same
You want to go where everybody knows your name
You want to go where people know
People are all the same
You want to go where everybody knows your name.
FYI: Tip your bartender Linda, sweetest bartender ever!
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Well to begin, there is usually plenty of parking if you are coming here after dark, during the day parking can be a hassle... yes it is SF.
This is a total Dive, the Diveiest Dive I've been to in the city. I'll make this short and sweet. No Beers on Tap. Lots of Beer brands in bottles which are dirt cheap. Drinks are nice and stiff and are dirt cheap. There is a Pool Table if you feel like exercising something other than your biceps.
I've been here a couple times and it seems to be a nice mix of people, all ages and lots of girls. One complaint I had last time was... it was too crowded, at least for me. If I'm going to a Dive I expect it to be empty... or at least I expect not to make contact with another patrons body unless I do it purposely.
However with cheap drinks and a good mix of patronage I don't expect this place to be desolate all the time. 2 Thumbs Up for the Silver Spur.
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Not the best place for a date. An ex- use to take me here. The guys were nice enough, but the people running the place look like they could have hacked someone up, left them in a cooler and not thought twice about it. Nice that they have a front and back entrance, yet it is not great that this is cash only. Never been on a wed/thurs, but if you miss it, you are not missing much.
The Silver Spur is my kind of joint. And when I say my kind of joint, I mean a dive bar in the true sense of the word. It's got filthy carpet, a supremely random jukebox and clientele that is as colorful as the bottles of liquor behind the counter.
No beer on tap, no credit cards accepted, no trendy hipsters trying to look cool. Just locals, young and old, bellied up for a taste of delicious, affordable booze.
My personal favorite local is Tom, a middle-aged guy who comes in three times a week. He sits at the bar, nose in a book, and will gladly argue the finer points of literature, looking up words in the dusty dictionary procured from behind the counter. Yes, the Silver Spur has a dictionary. Actually two. It doesn't get any cooler than that.
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Maybe I've lost my taste for dive bars. Maybe I just got drunk far, far too many times at the Ha-Ra in my twenties. Or maybe I just like the ironic dives--you know the ones with the accidentally awesome jukebox and weirdly good booze and, maybe, BEER ON TAP.
My brewmeister beau is going to divorce me for giving The Silver Spur two stars instead of one--the simple fact of the lack of draft beer was a damning detail.
This joint was a dive right down to the tea cup poodle running around on the stained pool table and the nutty Irishman who thought it was completely okay to hit on me despite the very obvious fact that the man sitting next to me at the bar was my boyfriend. I have to say we had a little fun at his expense, which wasn't nice, but he had it coming and no one's feelings were hurt.
Anyway, I could see how those seeking a truly divey dive experience would dig this place. But for the brewer and I, it was doomed when we found their paltry selection of beer only came in bottles. Some people like that kind of thing. But we just think it's dumb.
I guess if you are a local and really like small, cash-only dumps with cheap alcohol, one crappy pool table, an awesome jukebox that will occasionally eat your money, an empty but crime riddled parking lot and an ecclectic mix of patrons that seem to be either sad and desperate or young and trendy, this place is for you.
If on the other hand, you are going to take a cab out here to meet up with friends for drinks, you may find yourself thinking "what the fuck am I doing here when I could be at Grant and Green or O'Reilly's or Gino and Carlo's or just someplace cool?"
The silver spur is a dive bar. Yes a real dive bar. Not those fake ones in the city that claim to be dive bars, but charge over $5 for a drink. A dive bar doesn't even have $5 drinks. It also smells has dirty bathrooms and entertaining in a weird way bartenders. But enough about the bar, how about what you may experience like I did.
While waiting for my friend's girlfriend, my friend decided to drag us into the back door of the Silver Spur, having parked in the lot, it was the convenient entrance.
After walking through the narrow hallway and bathrooms we get into the "pool room", that's when we hear a guy looking at us yell, in a heavy Irish accent, "oh sh*t". There were 3 guys in the bar and the bartender. We just single handedly doubled the occupany of the bar. While wondering why he was yelling in our direction he started apologizing to us saying that he didn't want to fight our friend. We were standing there confused because we just entered the bar and we didn't know anyone in the bar or what the hell was going on. Then this guy at the bar called us his friends and offered to buy us a drink. So the Irish guy went to minding his own business and we started talking to our new "friend" asking him what was up.
He then tells us that him and the Irish guy were about to get in a fight and the Irish guy thought we were his friends so he got scared and backed down. We played along for a little bit, which was quite amusing.
We were chatting it up with our new friend when all of a sudden he puts over an 1/8th of that sticky icky icky on the bar. Apparently the bartender didn't care. I took it and stuck it in my pocket. He told us to enjoy it, which we did later. He bought us another round. We offered to buy him drinks but he was persistant that we couldn't. Oh well.
My experience at the Silver Spur was great we got two rounds of beers and over an 1/8th of the wacky tabacky and just had to tip the bartender for our drinks. What a deal. Oh did I mention, this was a Monday around noon.
There is this one guy in a red sweater that is there pretty much 24/7. Every time I pass by its a bunch of dudes just reading the newspaper. Sometimes I go there if I happen to be doing laundry next door, but thats about it. Its a dive bar, nothing fancy and thats cool i guess, but there is something odd and depressing about this dive. As other reviewers have mentioned, the beer is cheap and cold. Also they have pinball. I can appreciate that.
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local dives have grown on me these past few years, but this one takes the cake thus far. besides the fact i know one of the bartenders, everyone, young and old, that i've met there are really great. its not one of those dive bars where everyone is creepy and keeps to themselves, but everyone really does know your name. good drinks, pool table is actually nice and clean and the music is actually great and mixed up on the juke box. wednesday and thursday nights are the best times, not too busy, but good enough crowd to be highly entertained for a couple hours.
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I almost feel as though I shouldn't write this review. You see, the Silver Spur is so bad ass for all the right reasons and I don't want this untapped resource spoiled. This place is the real dive bar without being pretentious and spoiled. No hipsters here, they will feel like a fish out of water. And that's what makes a real dive bar, a place that is so not cool that it becomes cool. Let me tell you how much of a dive bar it is: When I bring up going to 98% my friends, NO ONE WANTS TO GO WITH ME!
Yeah, it's got two T.V.s, a pool table, a jukebox with some random picks, and some real character bartenders. The patrons really make this place though, it's a regular list of characters and conversations are easily struck up here. What's better than being hammered off of cheap beer, random free shots from someone celebrating something and discussing what's going on in the world today with a stranger who is wise beyond my years.
Across the street is Irving's Pizza, so if you get hungry you can go pick something up and bring it back.
It's pretty slow going here, but not too slow, I once saw a dude almost die here one night when he passed out; and another guy almost get his arm broken in an arm wrestling match. I love this place, but seriously, don't come here, I don't wanna share it.
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I think this is really truly a 'dive bar' (like picture next to the word in the dictionary sort of thing). Just regular people. Cheap beer. No hassle. We have made it a tradition of going here every year after running Bay to Breakers (and any other time one pleases). The bartenders (owners?) are usually chatty if you want to talk straight with them. And they often (or used to - haven't been in several months) have free hot dogs during certain hours.
UPDATE: They still have the free dogs, along with free chips and other goodies. They're so nice here.
Ah, the Silver Spur. Granted, I am partial to dive bars, but this is the epitome of dive bars. Beers only from the cooler, a wide selection of hard alcohol, an utter lack of idiots. This sinkhole in the midst of the sunset hits all the right notes. College kids are rare at best, the detritus of the sunset rarely appear, as the bartenders brook no stupidity.
There are, as I noted earlier, no beers on tap, but the cooler is well stocked. Prices are cheap compared to most bars and clubs in San Francisco. This is very much a local bar, so expect a lag in service if you are not a regular or a local.
The bartenders, for the most part, are attentive and friendly. There is a pool table, although play varies depending on who is in the bar that night. It is very easy to get in on a game, if one wishes to play.
Overall, this is an icon of the central Sunset, akin in many ways to Nelly's, although with fewer Irish. If you live between 30th and 12th near Judah or Lincoln, the Silver Spur should be your regular bar just for the good service, the cheap booze, and the collection of locals that define the Sunset district.
Seriously this is a dive and the folks there will quickly agree with this assessment! It earned the 4th star just by it being two blocks down the street from my house - perfect stumbling distace I soon discovered! Go on the weekends and Mimi will serve you a beverage right! You cannot go wrong with a Jack and Coke served to you in a pint glass for $4.50 - however the price fluctuated between $4.50 and $5 but I got kinda hammered after the third one i would have gave her $5.50 and cared less! The regulars are just as entertaining as the seriously large and strong beverages being served your way. They made me feel like a princess there but I'm pretty sure judging from all the patrons it's pretty much a sausage party at all times. I don't think my boyfriend wants me to go back there unless he's accompanying me! Also, beware of the jukebox - it won't always play the songs you select - I wanted to hear OZZY not Oasis! But Mimi is kind enough to refund you if you get jipped!
This is the last of a dying breed in SF. A throw back to a simpler time when the forty-niners were king and there was no such thing as low-carb beer or house music. Just a good ole fashion dive. Pool table, good jukebox, real, friendly people, STIFF drinks, rock bottom prices. If you are looking for a younger crowd it is on thursday nights, when a lot of local twenty-somethings go looking for a cheap drink and early start to the weekend.
a stiff drink, good convo with an old friend, and an attentive, friendly bartender. is this not what you come into the neighborhood watering hole for ? if you want flash and phoniness, watered down potables, and more crap per square inch than a sewage plant, go to Pac Heights or the Marina; if you want a real cocktail without spending a day's pay, come to the Spur
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Dive. Nice. Cheap beer extra cold and the clientele extra crispy.
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