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Categories: American (Traditional), Dive Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: SOMAMon-Fri. 3:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat. 2:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
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I am a lucky lady- I've been to many bars throughout several states. I've been from fancy-shmancy to full-on-dive, favoring the latter to the former. Let me tell ya, the Tempest is a divey-ass-dive and, without a doubt, the best bar I've ever been to.
The space is enormous! It's the size of my boyfriend's shitty loft in Brooklyn that he and 3 other people live in comfortably, if that gives any perspective. There are several tables placed around the floor, a few arcade games, and a pool table.
The bartender/owner is a character. He has a lot of charm to him and I recommend sitting at the bar for at least one drink to chat with him. $5 for a shot of Jim Beam and a PBR is my favorite deal in the world. We loved it here so much.
Oh god, and when my boyfriend saw that he could smoke indoors, I knew we wouldn't be bar hopping any more that night.
The owner/bartender walked around at 11:45pm and warned everyone that the parking rules change at midnight. That is darn considerate!
On a Wednesday night, the jukebox was very quiet (like I prefer it) so we could all talk.
The drinks were inexpensive ($5 for a pint and a shot). Very reasonable atmosphere.
There's no smoking at the bar itself but you can light your cancer sticks anywhere else.
Recommended :-)
Some friends wanted to play pool and were intent on going to Jillians. After years of working in the Yerba Buena gardens, I was tired of the tools that migrate to that corner of the metreon. Upon arrival, we found there was a private party, so we had to rethink our plans. Someone in the group took us down a couple of side streets to the Tempest, and all was saved! Not only did it have a pool table, but a rockin jukebox and salt of the earth folk.
This place is definitely a dive, but in a family way. I felt like I was at a reunion hosted by the cool uncle. You know, the one who has his own make-shift bar in the garage and set out folding tables and chairs for the family to sit. A good night for all!
Yo, looking for a dive bar. Great place for stiff cheap drinks. Gotta love it. Laidback bartender without attitude. Everyone in the join was super chill. Quiet, low key, sports on the tv, pool tables about, a little poker game going on. Perfect place to bar hop along the way for a sip of maker's mark and a comfy seat at the bar.
First of all, you can smoke up in here, which for me wins this joint as many stars as possible. Being a smoker and a drinker, the two for me are inextricably joined and not being able to do both at the same time can be kind of a downer. The divey-ness of the place only adds to their five-star flavor as far as I'm concerned, as well as the cheap drinks and friendly bartender. This is the kind of place where you can go and just chill without having to worry about whether or not your skinny jeans are skinny enough...
Tempest is a sure antidote for conceit. Having absolutely no pretense at all, it's a classic dive, which is only enhanced by the fact that it's a moderately hard-to-find hole-in-the-wall on a SoMa back street that smells like piss (the street, not Tempest). But aside from it mysteriously being a smoking establishment -- they supposedly got "grandfathered in" despite the no-smoking ordinance, go figure -- it was very cool. No looking over your shoulder to see if you're out of place or dressed the right way; nothing fancy; just people hanging out, period. They have great beers on tap: Stella, Sierra, and the fave, PBR. And a jukebox at that -- which, not insignificantly, was playing "Baba O'Riley" during my second Pabst.
Yo quiero.
I'm no priss! At least I don't think I am but this bar was a little scuzzy... well not the bar but much of the clientele... it was too early to witness that level of drunkedness for me.
They allow smoking inside which is nice if you like to smoke when you drink but if you hate smoke your f*cked.
I like the collection of $2 walmart plants they have in a tray by the bathroom- Is that supposed to filter the smoke filled air?
Speaking of bathrooms... they are pretty much disgusting... all my favorite things: random stray hairs, mystery puddles of fluid, stinky, dirty and the toilet was taped together with electrical tape
Actually this place is a dump. I guess it's good if your drunk enough which I was not.
Stella on tap
Pool Tables
Cafeteria type wobbly tables (good for spilling drinks)
Interesting (to say the least) customers.
Oh and I guess they don't take kindly to folks that like cherries... or the Raiders
I only recently discovered that the restaurant, where I sometimes grab a meatloaf sandwich or fried chicken for lunch, moonlights as a really cool hole-in-the-wall bar. I'm into it. The bartenders are super cool, and they make a really good, strong cocktail. Plus, I always like a place that let's you smoke inside...it's the principal of the thing, really.
The best news is: since it's just a few blocks from my office, I think I can make it my new favorite happy hour spot. Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get to check out the occasional local band too, like I did the other night. Good stuff.
I've had nothing but good experiences there - and always meet really interesting people when I go. Cool place, indeed. If you're cool, you should check it out... But, really, only if you're cool. It's a somewhat obscure spot, and I hope it stays that way.
People always mention the food here, but what they don't mention is that it's only until 3 PM--so don't come expecting some pub grub with your happy hour. Actually, during the day the place technically becomes "Kubala's Kitchen", which is in turn affiliated with Darla's out in the Inner Sunset. We ordered some straight-out-of-the-midwest breakfast fare (no surprise given the KU signs everywhere), but judging by the other (largely yuppie-free) tables, it's the sandwiches here that make it such a cult classic of SOMA lunch (and really, would you ever stumble across a place on an alley off 6th St?). Not a bad place for cheap post-work drinks, either, provided you're smoker-tolerant.
as divey as it gets. $2 pbr's and $5 specials always does the trick! love coming here with my chronicle friends.
A fantastically shitty little bar in a fantastically shitty part of town.
Bar Fail.
First off, smoking is allowed in this bar. Apparently, it was grandfathered in. This means, that the talent here are all smokers. That is not a problem in Daddy's world, but I really don't like smelling like a VFW Bingo Hall at the end of the night.
The real fail was the very sad attempt at decorating the inside of this bar. The walls are sparse, but have just enough random junk to really achieve that "Trailer Trashy" look.
To boot, the tables and chairs are all plastic lawn furniture. I like when my furniture can be taken out back and hosed down when needed.
Also, we had fun passing my drink around the table playing the game "What is funny about this Whiskey Diet ?"
Haiku !
Its a KU bar.
I guess Kansas has no taste
No reason to come
Talent Level ?
There was one old cougar kept thin by her year of smoking. Surprisingly, her skin was not in that rough of shape.
NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS did I expect to find a KU bar in San Francisco. Screw all the knocks below, yeah it's not the ritz, and smoking is allowed, but get over it. I have the best time every chance I make it down to the Tempest.
ROCK CHALK BABY!
Ended the night here. God bless the Tempest. Wouldn't make my best friends girlfriend a yuppie drink and suggested the perfect whiskey for me, coincidentally the one I had already been consuming all night, Knob Creek.
True dive but you have to love it. It's so SF it hurts.
I'm not going to lie, I like cigarettes. Well at least I love the thought of them and occasionalyl I do indulge simply b/c I can. You can smoke @ The Tempest. I don't mean outside in the cold just to get your fix, I mean indoors while chatting it up with your friends and enjoying a PBR and a shot of Jim Beam for $5. (that was an all night and all day special FYI) I appreciate The Tempest because it has random objects hanging from the ceiling. For example, I think I saw the largest disco ball ever in full effect while an old bicycle hung two feet away.
All I'm saying is The Tempest is not where I want to be when an Earthquake hits. I just know that that disco ball will find a way to kill me. I think I had a dream last night about that scene in Indiana Jones where the boulder was chasing him, except replace the boulder with the disco ball and Indy with me.
In the end the Tempest is a great place. Divey for all intensive purposes but big as hell. Which says that I can easily get tanked and still have enough room to pass out with out inconveniencing anyone.
Best bar in San Francisco. Hands down.
I usually just get a burger for lunch but have recently expanded my selection to include their breakfast menu.
But what really got me to Yelp them an update was their fried chicken.
Their fried chicken had a sweetness to it. Not totally unlike San Tung's wings, but their flavor wasn't derived from the sauce but found in the breading itself.
I liked it. I really really liked it.
http://www.youtube.com...
My only problem was there wasn't enough meat under all that delicious coating. It just felt like we'd been served a mini-chicken.
I'm not saying Cornish game hen, but at times it was pretty close.
I'm seriously close to bumping them to a four star rating, but . . . first I really have to try Darla's since she does the cooking for this place as well.
OK I know there's a bunch of review for the Tempest Bar, so I'm only writing about Kubala's Kitchen.… Read more »
Great unpretentious local dive bar with a fun and easy going evening crowd. Worth knowing that smoking is allowed indoors here.
My work happens to be right across the street so I also frequent Kubala's Kitchen for lunch. Not quite a 4 star establishment, but they have good sandwiches and decent burgers. I also hear their breakfast is pretty tasty. They get a bonus point for throwing in a cookie or brownie with every meal.
Initially I hated this place (I'm not really down with indoor smoking) but after coming here a few more times it's "charm" started to rub off on me. In case you're curious, by "charm" I mean cheap, but stiff, Gin & Tonics and hilarious karaoke performances. A few of my favorite performances thus far are: (1) a kick ass version of "Say It Ain't So" performed by my rockstar bf and his roommate (2) big asian dude singing System of a Down (3) another friend performing "Amish" Paradise" off the top of his head.
Come check this place out. You'll either love it or hate it.
The owner/bartender/chef (renaissance!) teaches his son chess at the bar before it gets busy and there are only a few patrons.
How CUTE is that?
I'll do a SCOTCH game and a RUSSIAN defense, no skip the vodka and straight for the scotch.
The bar is not for the prissier side of me (what?! Queen's gambit declined?!), but if you need some grease, libations, and chess tips, the Tempest is your place.
i have to say this place really does deserve 5 stars some of the best happy hour prices in the city. its located in a kind of as crack alley so only those in the know, well you know, know. smoking allowed after 5 and a number of employees from one of my favorite media outlets goes there making it a good place to meet and mingle and smoke.
with 2.25 dollar bud drafts during happy hour I'm willing to venture that its one of the best deals in the city.
Cheapest, strongest drinks. I went to this place with some ladies before Inglorious Bastards at the 12am showing and it was extremely fun! Hella hipster hotties kickin it old school style. Sweet pool table, lots of seating and the BEST juke box! The owner is the doorman, bartender, and all around hilarious. This isn't the type of place you go and order a cosmo though... I could def see the owner telling you to get the fuck out if you did that, so we ordered very strong whiskey sours and we got 3 for $9 or something.. super cheap and very fun. I'm not a smoker, but you can smoke all up in this place.
This bar is chill. I mean I lost my wallet, they found it and I lost it again. They pour really strong drinks, I mean really strong. You can smoke inside which I'm not a fan of but others are. It's in an ally but the bartenders are chill.
I played "Kill, Marry, Fuck" for the first time last night.
It's one of those terribly fun games when you're buzzed and hanging with a bunch of drunks, but in retrospect leaves you with a pile of disturbing memories...
I said I would kill Susan Sarandon.
I said I would marry George Clooney.
But why the hell did I say I'd fuck Dick Cheney?!
$2 PBR Special, I guess you aren't such a good thing after all... (No, no, I can't stay mad at you...)
ps, I hate indoor smoke. Not for me.
"Thirsty Thursdays" is what we call it. For others, "the new Friday" or "I don't have class on Fridays" are what they deem Thursdays.
Last night was at The Tempest. A dive bar at its finest (and within a few blocks from school!), this little place is situated in a well-light alleyway off of 5th. Be on the lookout for NATONA street, as my friend and I totally missed it and went all the way down to Harrison.
Cheap beers starting at $2. Extra star for serving pints of Fat Tire for $3.75. Score. Hefs are in bottles, something you can just buy from a store.
No bathroom rating as most dive bars don't usually have the best facilities. I held it in until I muni'd home. It was the best pee of my life.
Would I come back again? Yup... it's close enough to the Muni and campus, easy to grab people to celebrate the end of a school week, and cheap!
Dive. PBR + Beam Special. Dive. $5. Dive. PBR. Dive. $2. Dive. Happy Hour. Dive. Until 8pm. Dive. Cider on tap. Dive. Mixed Drinks. Dive. Strong. Dive. Cool bartender. Dive. Bike messengers. Dive. $10 credit minimum. Dive. Smoking indoors. Dive. After 4pm. Dive. Pool table. Dive. Free. Dive. Jukebox. Dive.
Yes, this might be a dive. ;)
Don't wear anything requiring dry cleaning. It's smoky in here. I've read that Darla of Darla's owns this joint. Seriously? Will have to try out the food some time.
Oh boy. So Tempest was the latest DYL venue and while I'm the last person to stir the pot with the DYL Gods, I gotta say that I can not endorse any bar that allows smoking inside. C'mon people, we live in California for a reason! Not only are my lungs killing me from the hour or so that I spent in this virtual ashtray but my wool coat and sweater need to immediately go to the dry cleaners, do not pass go, do not collect $200.
They get two stars for decent happy hour specials, although I couldn't stand to be in this place long enough to enjoy them.
Thanks for the lung cancer, Tempest, it's been real.
You should see my brand new voice box. It's shiny and makes me sound like Rosie, the maid from The Jetsons.
I have you to thank for that, Tempest.
And a note to the owner:
Just because I'm not a dirty bike messenger that blows snot rockets in public, or a 50-year-old child predator with a love of orange scarves, it doesn't mean I'm some tween yuppie who you need to card every 5 minutes.
You get one point Tempest, and that's for icy cold PBR. It tastes so good once it hits your lips.
But the smoke, asbestos, non-working disco ball, and card-happy bartender does not a happy very unhipster make.
Three dollars for a lovingly-mixed G&T. My heart flutters for you, Mr. Bartender. I wanted to pluck that weather-eaten baseball cap off your old, wrinkly head and start licking your bald spots, but instead-- instead!-- I left you a $2 tip for each drink I purchased.
Minus two stars for a visible crack pipe, the cigarette smoke adhering to every fiber of my clothing, and the scarce seating.
To be fair-- the smoke was not nearly as bad as it could have been. I've swum through nicotine as thick as treacle in Santiago's basement-dwelling gay clubs, so if my eyes aren't awash with stinging, stimulant-infected tears, I can't complain.
...too much.
I love this bar so much! Because is sooo divey. There's one bartender, who's also the owner. You can smoke cigarettes in the bar. There's a PB and J deal that's a shot of john beam and a PBR for $5. There's pool and skeezy locals to play with. There's also a great classic rock juke box. It's located in an alley SOMA, and it's a good place to make out in a dark alley. The owner is really sweet too. It's a good place to bring a group of friends.
I've been living about a block away for a few weeks, but just have not had the chance to give this place a try. I was excited to have a dive bar nearby after my stint of couch surfing in the Marina.
Went in with about 8 people on Saturday around 10 or 11. The place was pretty empty, but that was exactly what we were looking for (not a club atmosphere). The place definitely was divey, but it was NOT a filthy, punk dive bar that I'm accustomed to when people use the descriptor (not to mention the area).
Smoking, as many people report, is allowed (although from speaking with the owner, it's only have the restaurant portion closes, and not at the bar, can you smoke). I'm not usually a big smoker, but I always jump at the novelty of smoking inside.
The bartender/owner was very friendly, the drink prices were really reasonable, and the place just had a really cool feel to it. Definitely feels like one of the places you can actually become a regular and call your "home bar".
Dear Tempest,
Please send me $5 in quarters as repayment for the laundry I was forced to do which included my winter jacket, purse, and everything else I came in contact with after being in this nicotine hot box you call a bar. I will also take payment in the form of 1.75 vodka tonics or 2.5 PBRs.
Love,
Amanda C.
Arriving a wee too early for a show at Mezzanine last night, my buddies and I had to find a place to down some beers until they opened the doors to the show.
We walked around and stumbled upon Tempest and it was a good choice. It was a mellow night with only one guy at the bar and a table full of younger folks. The owner/barkeep was keeping up with all the latest March Madness since he was an unabashed University of Kentucky fan. Friendly conversation ensued about the fate of our favorite teams and a funny anecdote was delivered about serving "near-beer" by accident.
Even though I have a penchant for "down-to-earth" bars such as Tempest, what made it cooler was the fact that you could play the jukebox for free. Even though it had some faulty wiring that made songs cut short if you viewed the menu while playing, you really can't complain when the music is free. I'll be back for sure!
Hidden gem. Typical bar food, decent prices, owners work on-site, staff is friendly. I like it, not easy to find little bars like this in SoMA, divey without being dirty.
I've been to the Tempest two times.
The first time, last year some time, it was a less-than-memorable experience. Not that it was a BAD experience, but I was in a crapper mood to begin with... It was my ex of 9+ years' 30th birthday (okay, so I know exactly when it was -- whatevz), and I was all bummed and sad, and MISSING HIM. Damnit. Ugh... I hate to admit that. I was not in the mood for my usual dose of dive bar fun. I even failed to notice that it was a smoking bar.
WTF? How did I miss that one?
I kinda just felt like we were in a big K of C hall, sitting at some crappy Formica tables on stacking chairs with too much fluorescent lighting, drinking cheap beer, and I just kinda wanted to go home.
(But instead I left and went to the Arrow Bar, got way too drunk, stayed up way too late, went to Naan N' Curry, and ate way too much late-night drunk food. Same difference.)
Last night I went back to the Tempest, for a going-away party. It was open just for us, but I think a lot of the people at the party were regulars, and if that's the case, I need to spend more time here.
Wait a minute -- no I don't. I don't need to spend any more time in any more bars in SF. But for the sake of finishing this...
I had an awesome time. I didn't mind the lighting, or the cheap K-of-C-hall feel, and it's a smoking bar!, and since we ruled for the evening we got to play all manner of ridiculous music, including Terror Squad!, and everyone danced even though it made no sense for a bunch of punk rock people to be dancing to Terror Squad!, and oh it was such a good time...
The Tempest is WAY better than I remembered...
The tempest is a proper dive bar and not your wanky little pretend dive bar, the people are gritty, the drinks are strong, and the PBR/Jim Beam special for $5 will sort out a wide selection of ills. Unfortunately this place is so gritty they still smoke in there which makes for a very uncomfortable night if you are a non-smoker.
I think the bar tender might be going a bit senile, when I ordered my PBR/Jim Beam special he set me up with the requisite pint of PBR and an empty shot glass (which I assumed would soon be filled with the appropriate spirit). I waited politely for a few minutes and saw the bartender had moved on to other patrons, so i asked if there was supposed to be a shot in my glass, to which he replied that there had been a shot. Well I begged to differ and one of the locals sitting beside me backed me up that the shot glass had been delivered empty, and he filled it up while still eying me suspiciously.
Maybe its because i live about a block and half away, but I must say I do enjoy the Tempest. Ive only been here a few times, but its always been pretty fun. Not pretentious or ever really crowded, good prices, and chill people. I actually like the fact that its tucked away in a small nook that not many people know about, or else I can easily see this place becoming the next little "divey hot spot."
The first thing I noticed about the tempest was the masonry that didn't appear to be braced at all. Don't come here if you're anticipating a significant earthquake.
Otherwise, the drinks are cheap and strong (AK's vodka & soda contained little more than a splash of soda) And the bartenders are friendly. I should also mention that on any night of the week they offer a shot of Jim Beam and a pint of PBR for $5. The Tempest is a bar for drunks with an eye for value.
You can smoke inside. Everyone around you can smoke inside too. This may or may not be a plus.
The decor is odd; It feels as if a regular bar had to move in a hurry and all they could find was some warehouse space so they set up shop there. A pool table, a couple video games (Midway classics! GALAGA, bitches!) formica tables and plastic chairs. The regulars aren't really punk rock kids or hip hop kids or hipsters or dive bar types, but a little bit of all of these types mashed together. Mostly top 40 stuff on the jukebox, but there's also a little salsa music in there; Have you ever seen drunk punk rock kids attempt to salsa dance? If not than you should check this place out sometime.
Possibly the most perfect place in the entire world. I said POSSIBLY! It is my right to arbitrarily assign stars!!!
But seriously: this is my kind of bar. A bar in an alley where you come to DRINK, watch crappy television and if you come here during the day, to eat fried foods. Blissfully empty before & after the Yelp party, the perfect respite for the overwhelming yuppie-ness of Yelp (sorry, i love you, but it's the truth), I was so happy to come in Tempest, to the land of bad lighting & imperfect drunks, watching poker games on the Travel Channel. They stand out amongst other shitholes because they have entered the modern age and accept plastic. And you can smoke, which is the best accompaniment to whiskey, soda & bitters that a girl could ever ask for.
Never had a drink here, but I plan to....
But I have had many breakfast burritos and this place by far has the best breakfast burrito I have ever put in my mouth.
I still dont understand why certain bars insist on having such bright lights, its just plain eerie. If they toned down the flourescents this could be a 5 star establishment for the following reasons;
The place lacks any sort of pretentious qualities
Good drink prices
Free pool (play fast, no chitchat between turns, the locals get restless when made to wait)
Free jukebox (songs skipped at the bartenders discretion, but hey, you didn't pay for the song!)
Food in the daytime
A wide variety of characters, some pretty damn enthusiatic about their 49ers(or really drunk...not sure which)
Semi hidden location, yet not "cool" enough to ever become a place for the hipsters
Suprisingly clean restrooms for a dive establishment
Cool stuff to look at (bikes suspended from the celing, a bar table full of plants(?), neat fixturing, horrible furniture etc.
Bartenders who know who was there first, even if someone tries to cut you off at the proverbial pass.
I'd say check this place out, you might like it.....but I'd prefer to say you'll hate it, so it can remain as it is.
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
Category: Dive Bars
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Category: Pubs
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