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"I had a dream that Butter came to Sacramento. I have sweet sweet dreams of the night that I ordered jello shots from the trailer door with…" read more »
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Swig is cool. No cover, dancing, no dress code, lines aren't terribly long. Crowd is usually mixed. Restrooms do have some lines but it's not an issue like element lounge. It's fairly dark in there so that helps me. ha!
Drinks are fairly stiff. I'm sober writing this review, so I'm not swayed by the al-al-al--cohol at all.
Music is usually a mix of hip hop ad 80s. Some mash-ups as well come into play.
And as I've written for my ambassador review; this place is in a very close vicinity to ambassador, rye bar, ruby skye, slide and johnny follies if you want some piano bar action!
Me: Hey Mr. DJ... the crowd isn't dancing to your lame ass music. Can you put some beats on like house or trance maybe faster beats?
DJ: No, not allowed to.
Me: Huh? But no body is dancing.
DJ: Yea, sorry, I'm trying but my music isn't working.
Me: I'm just saying!
Me: Bartender, can I get a Makers and water, a Jameson and Ginger and a draft beer?
Bartender: Yea...that'll be 21 dollars.
ME: deja vu...am I in Vegas? As I give her 25.
Bartender: Here's your change.
Me: $2.00 WTF? Can she add and subtract? I guess she takes her own tip these days as I pocket my 2 dollars.
Place was crowded and they even moved the couch...but no one was feeling the music. 2 stars for 2 hot Asian gals that were with me.
I never brave bars alone. Until tonight. After dinner with a friend, she headed back to sleep and I, being a bit restless and looking for a bit of spice (and a sip of sauce), continued on ... alone in the big city.
It's a Tuesday night and only a few smattering of quiet guests graced this place. I cozied up to the bartender ... who was less than enigmatic, engaging or conversational. Oh well. As Michelle B says: "Hey I don't eat (drink) the service." So true. In fact, I'm having a hard time justifying my obsessive need to be the world's servicie. That's like foodie, but with ... well you know.
Anyway, the cocktail I had, The Stairs, was absolutely fantastic. Hangar 1, spiced pear, ginger, lemon and organic apple juice -- it was perfection. Spicy. Unlike the night itself. And that's ... OK.
I went to this place right after RYE. I was expecting it to be more like a club, but its not; it's definitely a lounge. When we walked in around 9:30pm it was empty-ish. Then it started to pack with a lot of guys. This place doesn't have a dancefloor. You just shake it where you're standing I guess, somewhere between the couches and the bar.The drinks menu is good and they serve many different brands of different types of alcohol. The DJ was spinning hip-hop, nothing spectacular, and the duration of songs was long I think. Since I get ADD sometimes and like it when the DJ switches up songs within a couple of mins. By the time we left around 11:30 it was getting very packed.
Swig introduced me to two magical cocktails - The Elderflower and Strawberry Cucumber Fizz. Both of which I want to hire someone to make for me in my home when I'm rich and can afford such luxuries. Considering this spot was walking (ahem, stumbling, ahem) distance to my hotel it seemed like a no-brainer to spend an evening having drinks here. So this is what our group did.
The space has that dark sexy feel and the night I was there it was fairly empty so there was plenty of room for us to spread out on their low leather seats and couches. The cocktails they are crafting here are exactly that - a craft, whether they are up to par versus other cocktail bars I couldn't say. I'm from Denver where we only drink beer. But, the moral of this story is don't expect your drinks in a hurry, but the wait will easily be worth it if you order one of the two drinks I fancied.
I definitely AM a Fan!!!
Caroline, you are fantastic! When I mentioned my likes, my birthday drinks could were made right there and then. When it comes to the bar section, PERFECTION!
The only thing that holds me back is the music. I didn't really grow up in the 80's so the appreciation is not quite there. How about 2 decades later?!
The bartender here was a total jerk. Honestly, I was super nice to him the whole night, and he was fairly rude. At the end of the night, I finally asked him what I could do to get him to smile. I said it in a super nice way, not demanding. He said, "I'm working. I'm not here to entertain." So I said, well, yeah, but I'd still love to get you to smile. He never spoke to me after that. He didn't smile or make eye contact once. Honestly, if I was the owner of this bar, I'd be super pissed that my employees were treating customers like shit.
Smack dab in the heart of the TenderNob, Swig is a decent stop, but isn't a gem.
We arrived for a friend's birthday Saturday night, and had the pleasure of mingling and celebrating in the private area upstairs. The space isn't large, but it held about 25 of us comfortably, and the private bar upstairs is a fantastic retreat from the rodeo downstairs.
Nothing too fanciful on the cocktail menu, and the service was attentive and warm, but nothing truly stood out.
Wasn't a particular fan of the music, and the crowd seemed a bit uneven, but I did have a good time.
I prefer Rye and Ambassador in this area much more.
Yeah, this place is definitely a wanna be Rye, which is dangerous considering Rye is just a few blocks up the street. If you've never been to Rye, go there instead. We came here because we passed by it on our way to Rye and thought "why not?" and it was relatively empty so our large group could spread out. And yes, also because we're Yelp CMs and are forever on a hunt to find new places to review. It's just how our brains work.
Typically my gut tells me to order off-menu at cocktail bars and let the usually skilled bartender come up with something delicious. However, the minute I walked in here my gut told me that the bartender probably wasn't quite up to snuff, and I should stick to what's listed. I was really really pleased I did that, as my gin gin mules were delicious, unlike some of the drinks of my cohorts.
+1 star for the DJ: I really enjoyed what he was doing, pairing some of my favorite motown tunes with more current stuff, but not in a cheesy sample-y way.
Dear Guy Bartender,
Please put less flair into your cocktail crafting and more care. I asked for a drink with Bénédictine. You volunteered up a Monte Carlo off-menu. I was pleasantly surprised, because that's pretty much what I had hoped you knew how to make.
Sadly, what I got was like absolutely no Monte Carlo I'd ever had. But I just didn't have the heart to let you know that your suave moves behind the bar do not a classy cocktail make, as evidenced by the puzzled looks I got from colleagues who also sampled my beverage.
Please Google the recipe for a Monte Carlo, refresh your memory, and save some poor future Bénédictine fan from the same fate.
Expressly yours,
-Kevin
--------
Dear Lady Bartender,
Thank you for the delightful chocolate cake shots. Your efficiency, the yumminess of well-proportioned liquor, and the ridiculous size of the shots all made up for the errors of your colleague.
I appreciate your salvaging the reputation of the establishment at which you are employed.
In gratitude,
-Kevin
I feel like I'm dating the ugly kid in school by going here. I going along, enjoying my evening...until I discover that nobody really cares for this place. It's the ugly kid. Well...the dolled up ugly kid.
I'm not a loungey, craft cocktail type of gal, but Swig does the trick for me. Sure, could be that it's walking distance to Hotel Monaco, could be that I was here with a great crowd, could be that I was here mostly mid-week so it wasn't very crowded. Whatever it was, it worked for me. Even the $9 cocktails worked for me. Generally I'll scoff at a $9 cocktail joint, but the way cocktail places go in SF they could easily charge $14 for these cocktails. And they've got some tasty cocktails too, including ones with elderflower liquer...my new fave.
Not really my kind of place. I guess it's really the crowd and not so much the bar itself that turns me off. I'm more into places where the people are chill and ready to have a good time, but everyone here seems too pompous and stuck-up. And the crowd is an older crowd. I would say the average age is probably between 27-40. Not that 27-40 is old...but for a bar/lounge/club within a couple blocks of about 3 college dorms...it's an older crowd. I guess the vibe I got was "don't relax and enjoy yourself or you'll look like an idiot". Not much fun.
A little uppity, a little pricey, but nobody was rude and the service was friendly and attentive. I had a pretty simple vodka cran, which is hard to mess up and my girl had a lemon drop martini, that wasn't too great a little too sweet, so I wouldn't recommend that one.
I absolutely love the fire place! Everyone in SF knows it is damn cold outside, so being able to warm up next to a cute fire place is a definite plus in my book!!
My girlfriends and I threw our birthday parties here and packed the place in December. We rented out the top rooms, which didn't have any music. It's too dark to see anything and it was way too crowded. The only thing that was good about this place was the fact that they gave us our own area with security guard.
Place was ok! Drinks were pricey for the venue. Earlier the music was good, then it just became more sucky, isnt music suppose to be better when the place is more poppin?
Anyways the place is nice, i would go back if friends decided to go there for drinks, but I would definitely not suggest it unless there is nothing else to do.
Early in the evening this place was quiet. I popped back around 11pm and there was a bustling crowd. It wasn't packed but there were people. The darkened surroundings are quite sexy, and the open bricked back wall of the bar adorned with a huge array of spirits is impressive.
I went for a cocktail called The Stairs. It is a mix of Hanger 1, pear and ginger. It had the potential of being nice, unfortunately the balance wasn't right. The crowd of young guys and girls were cool, but nobody stood out as I had a little sway to the hip and enjoyable music.
This is a nice bar which is slightly lacking in the vibe department, but worth popping into if you have your own group.
I like this place. I do. But I'm always disappointed that it's not more crowded when I come. I've stumbled in here with friends on at least a handful of occasions now only to be greeted by sounds of crickets. Okay, maybe it's not that quiet but it's definitely not full.
One thing I will say, unlike some places ::cough Ambassador:: the DJ here is awesome. He played great hip hop and top 40 that made all of us want to shake our asses, even when there was NOBODY on the dance floor. Yup, lone dancers.
If you want a swig... make sure it's beer. Mixed drinks were super watery. I got a cup of ice with a bit of tonic and a splash of gin. At least the beer isn't econo-sized. Was fun for halloween, but nothing special. had a private party that closed off the top part, so the bottom was a little crowded. music, vibe, so so..
Terrible service. The bartender was not welcoming and was not friendly. The drinks barely had any alcohol. The cup was full of ice with juice and drops of alcohol
Poor service and pricey. I will not go back there.
My friend took me here for a few drinks. I had a Chimay and he had a hef. Great atmosphere, good music and plenty of space if you get in early enough.
we came to swig after a show at stag werx theater....
-atmosphere: chill and inviting.
-drinks: strong and yet, pricey.
-music: non-offensive.
-staff: slow but friendly.
me and my friend cristina were tango dancing together on the dance floor--yeah yeah, i know, two chicks tangoing, hot!, but it wasn't like that, we were goofing around...and yet, some drunk guy thought it was hot and grabbed his junk while trying to cut in. ew--but funny! ya now, ew-funny! we can hold our own!
later a guy in a bright red sweater vest looking like christmas exploded in his frontal lobe tried to chat us up (our group was both boys and girls)...this may have been fun except we couldn't understand a word he said. we did get a kick out of the x-mas attire though.
ironically this hap'd at the same time i ordered a bourbon and orange liqueur drink that completely tasted like "bad christmas" .....whoa!
i guess what i am saying is if i were in the hood again i would totally go back. and bring your twisted sense of humor ;]
Damn! Yelpers don't lie when they say it's HOT in there. Leave your sweaters, jackets with you - or wear as little clothing as possible. Poor ventilation and thank goodness for deodorant!
We were there for a birthday celebration. My friend rented the "penthouse" room upstairs. The bartender that served us commented on my nice hair but her selection of liquor at the bar was weak. No kettle? No Bacardi?
The drinks are slightly overpriced. The place is small. It's nicely decorated - but nothing fancy. There is music but you'd have to make an awkward circle to dance.
Oh - and be careful where you leave your stuff. You have to watch out for the 5-finger discount'ers. The bouncer by the stairs let some strangers in our reserved floor and my friend's phone was stolen. Meh.
Swanky yet not pretentious drinking spot. Passion fruit vodka.
Cost to worth it rating: 3
Return worthiness: yes
Highlights:
- Passion fruit vodka: 42 below flavor. I'm a flavored vodka girl so was thrilled to find something new and quite delicious. They had a few different flavors from this NZ producer like honey and kiwi as well.
- Wall of liquor bottles: an impressive sight with the brick wall behind the bar covered with shelves of bottles
- Bartender process: the industrial engineer hub appreciated their efficiency. In the crowded bar, she'd bring someone their drinks and take another order at the same time so everything was always moving so there was no lag.
- Decor: big open window up front so it was a frame of a wall giving an open feeling to a relatively small square place. I was mesmerized with the bellagio-like glass lighting structures on the ceiling that looked like prickly red sea urchins.
Lowlights:
- Long line later in the evening
I enjoyed my drink and hang out time here and would come back.
Pub Crawl Stop #6~
No cover. A bar. But more like the club crowd. People were dressed up. Big place. But superduper packed. Great music. Would've dance but seriously waaaaay too many people.
Some crazy bum was burning a cigarette box and butts while we were waiting in line. She was probably keeping herself warm since she had no pants on. Thank goodness, her shirt was long. The bouncer stomped the fire out. The bum set it on fire again. The bouncer came back to stomp it out and kicked it to the streets. That was entertaining for couple minutes.
For some reason, Swig to me kind of feels like a Marina bar transported to the Tenderloin. Maybe it's because the decor reminds me of Matrix. The crowd is an interesting mix, I didn't notice an abundance of any one type of person (as you would in, say, the Marina).
I've been here 3 times, and only the last time was I able to get drinks fairly quickly. The decor is pretty nice but I've never found the place comfortable. The fireplace thing looks cool but is too hot for a crowded bar.
Also, they had a DJ playing music pretty loudly, which isn't a bad thing except that the sound system couldn't handle it. Most people probably won't care as much as I do, especially if you drink enough, but I was really annoyed.
Last but not least, the drinks I ordered were weak and expensive (not an uncommon complaint, if you read the other reviews).
After paying $10 for a tiny Sazerac, and leaving a perfectly generous tip, I later asked the young bartendress if I could get change for a dollar (I needed a couple of quarters so I could take the bus home after having a cocktail with my friends). Her reply:
"Sorry, we don't deal in coin here."
"WE DON'T DEAL IN COIN HERE"...wha...???
Are you freaking KIDDING me...?! (And isn't that illegal or something?)
Anyway, who cares. It's so far beyond pretentious that I wouldn't deign to go back to this place. Ever. Or, if I do, I'll be paying for my 10-dollar cocktail with quarters. And my tip will come in the form of several rolls of pennies.
Swig is another one of SF's offerings in the "dark craft cocktail bar" genre. High end booze, creative cocktails, dark atmosphere, high prices. it's formulaic. I am not sure who started it, but I am generally a fan of the formula, as long as it's not pretentious, not over-expensive, the cocktails are made well, and the place is not full of D-bags.
I enjoyed a nice, chill, Wednesday night at Swig. My cocktails were decent (although not up to par as against some of Portland's better spots), the service was friendly and fast enough, the prices were on the high end, and the crowd was light on the D-bags. There was a DJ rocking some amazing tunes (new and old funk, soul, and rare groove mixed well), a comfy couch, and excellent company. I really couldn't ask for more...
Ok, well I can. My Manhattan was good, but as compared to the true craft cocktail bars, pedestrian. And it was expensive. My Sazerac was not all that either. I loved the wide range of rye selections for my drinks, but when presented with the final product, it was, well, underwhelming. Now I have to be relative about this. Had I been served any of these cocktails at a regular old bar, it would have been impressive, but at a bar that seems to be attempting elite status, it's just not quite there.
I have to say, that in general, I was impressed more with the overall experience than I was when I was at Rye, the drinks themselves were not quite as good.
Still, it's good. I like it.
Live band, no cover, small spot.
Lots of dancing!!!
Had our pre-dinner cocktails here on a Friday night before heading across the street to Cortez for dinner. Small, open space, comfy couches, simple design. Love the brick and the wall lined with millions of bottles of alcohol behind the bar. DJ spinning house/techno music.
Cocktail libations are creative, made fresh, and lots of variety to please every palette. I ordered the strawberry cucumber fuzz. A bit on the sweet side for me, but you can taste the artfully infused strawberry and cucumber flavors along with the splash of soda.
Nice space, great cocktail options and impressive alcohol inventory (especially whiskey), music, seating, cool casual atmosphere.
I came up to the city to meet up with a few old friends and this was the destination of choice.
The pros:
- No cover
- Friendly bartenders
- Good mixed crowd
- There's an upstairs if you want to host a private party
The cons:
- This could be a pro for some people but I felt like I was at a frat party for business professionals who wanted to dance their stress out.
- It's a bit small so when it gets crowded (and it will) it gets so hot and sweaty, like a high school locker room
- The upstairs is usually sectioned off for the private parties, leaving the bottom completely crowded
- I don't drink but the Sprite that I ordered tasted a little weird. How can you get Sprite wrong?
Don't know if I would come back again on my own but I wouldn't be against it if someone wanted to go here.
Cool bar / lounge with friendly staff and strong drinks. As another reviewer noted, air-conditioning was conspicuous by its absence, which on a sweaty June evening made for a slightly uncomfortable perch at the bar.
Observation: the homeless people in San Francisco are WAY crazier than the homeless people anywhere else I've been. Lots of them hang around this neighborhood.
I came here once and met a guy, spent most of the night talking to him, he seemed like a nice enough guy... at about 1 he invites me back to his place, which conveniently is a block away, I politely decline, and he turns around and walks out the door in a huff! He didn't even buy me a drink! Wow, biggest loser ever.
Despite this unfortunate encounter, I like Swig.
I love lost nights in chilly San Francisco where you can walk down the street in very little clothing knowing that once you're inside the door it will be toasty warm and you'll get your sweat on. It allows you to not have to carry that big thick heavy coat around with you as your anti-fog protection device.
Equipped with a small evening purse, a skirt that could double as a kleenex and knee high boots, I walked into Swig to meet one of my best friends for a late night drink. The line was marginally long, but due to the fact that I knew one of the bouncers from the Red Room back in the day and the other one had a huge crush on me, I waltzed right in the door, leaving all the suckas outside to freeze. Parking was a bitch that night, as usual in that neighborhood, but I was lucky enough to grab one right across the street.
A long bar on the right, high ceilings, and a pretty good sound system immediately enveloped me and I attempted to find him in the crowd of half yuppies, have working kids such as myself still in their corporate suits. Let's just say I walked in the door and people were, well, a little taken aback. But what's new, my best girl always says that I love the whole "shock factor" thing. I guess she's right to some aspect. She knows me a little too well.....but in the best way.
After getting an incredible strong drink poured from the beautiful Columbian bartender that was a friend of one of my boys, I found a spot in the middle of the floor with them and began to get down. Not really a dancing scene, only half the attendees were rockin' out but that night I was really in the mood to wear down my heels and get my sweat on. Dropping a few good beats, along with the help of many, many, many, strong Belvedere and cranberry beverages, we danced the night away til closing, and then some.
Drinks were reasonable, the crowd was conservative but workable, and the location was great for a post fab dinner spot to grab some beverages and hang with the SF crew. I like the decor, and the bathroom was clean all night which was impressive considering the amount of people packed into the space.
All I can say is I ended up on one of the barrels by the front of the bar dancing the night away, with the crew right below me, having a great time. The only problem was that my hangover at work the next day didn't do me too good of a service.....but I've had worse.
I have been to Swig quite a few times now and it's always pleasant to drop in and grab a seat at the window or by the lovely gas fireplace. Cute and cozy decor featuring exposed brick, sleek leather seating, and backlit shelves of multicolored bottles.
The upstairs areas areas are nice too, if you're with a group you can have your own home base upstairs overlooking the main area, complete with a dedicated restroom.
Crowd tends to be mixed, interesting and laid-back. Case in point: Last time we were here there was some sort of Glenlivet convention going on, complete with 20 guys and girls in kilts!
Swig has swug downhill for me :(
Years ago, when I lived in the Tenedernob (yes, I lived in da hood and the crack-addicts were my peeps), Swig was a semi-swank-but-low-key spot to hang out, meet friends for a drink or three, and enjoy live music on Thursday nights.
Now that the Tendernob is this "hip" place where everybody wants to be, Swig has become this place with bouncers, wayyyy too many people, and overall average standards.
Oh Swig, maybe I'll know you again. But for now, I'll keep a safe distance.
Weak, watered-down drinks. We ordered vodka tonics that tasted only of tonic. At $10 a pop, I expect a little more vodka.
Cool hand-blown glass "chandeliers" and a nice fireplace on a chilly San Francisco night, but poor acoustics with music played MUCH too loudly for the space.
The women's bathroom does not have a mirror, so ladies, if you're looking to touch up your makeup or hair, you'll have to do it in the metal surface of the hand-drying blower. Wack.
The night started off a bit slow. Place wasn't very packed but it seemed like the bartenders were a bit too busy making sure they were stocked just fine. Took about 10 minutes for me to get my first beer, but once the place was poppin', around 10:45, the service got A LOT better and wasn't as pricey as I expected. Tab came out to 30 including tip so I was pretty damn happy. One bonus star for having BAD ASS Exlerator hand dryers in the bathroom! If a hand dryer makes your skin VISIBLY move, it's all good because you have more time to spend at the bar!
First time here on a Saturday night for a birthday party. Bartenders were nice and attentive. Drinks were average. Good ambiance.
So, I was going to give this place 2 stars, but after the DJ telling me very rudely to "GO AWAY" after I requested nicely to play some music that had a bit faster tempo-screw that! To the DJ-your music selection is quite poor-time for an update!
Asked the people that were standing in line while using the bathroom-they're not planning to ever come back and neither would I! Yes, this place did start shooing everyone out at 1:20 a.m. :O( Poor customer service!
We had a LOT of fun here - came for the Fri. sushi happy hour deal and stayed long past happy hour. Sushi was yum, really fresh. Drinks were yum too - I can't remember the names of what we had......a tequila cocktail with something spicy in it, a champagne something or other and vodka fruity martini-ness - all were outstanding. It wasn't crowded at all, but it was 4th of July weekend so a lot of places we went were uncharacteristically dead I think. DJs were playing some fine deep house and easy funk. We parked it on the couch by the fireplace and did some serious eating, drinking, and chilling. Was an all-around super fabulous time.
P.S. chopsticks make GREAT props for pictures taken under the influence.
I would like to create a visual for you of my opinion of Swig's atmosphere and music/DJ: it was sagging lower than Aretha Franklin's unsupported boobies.
Happy Hour in J-Town!
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Category: Lounges
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