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Mon-Fri. 4:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
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this is a much needed respite in the heart of chinatown redux. but as a bar in its own right, it is the perfect little pub. i wish i had a place like this around the corner. if it were, i'd drink here every night.
wait, i'd drink here every night. that's what my bartender said too last night. i complimented him on his bar (great good people feel, fantastic tunes, old and dim but clean and chill, great picks on tap - they even have a big cider selection and the rare strongbow's dry on tap- i took full advantage of this one) and his tending style (sharp eye, very attentive, friendly but not too friendly). and he said that if he didn't work here he'd be drinking here every night too. it's love like that that makes him the perfect bartender, and bartenders like him that make a great bar.
they take AMEX and i hear they have food. i'll be back. provided i can find a parking spot in those woods.
My bf and I LOVE this place. Where else in the world can you get $3 Stellas during happy hour? Awesome! The food is actually pretty damn divine for pub food. Actually - strike that - pretty damn divine period! They make garlic mash that takes my English bf right back to home.
Tuesday nights bring the best quiz night in the city. We adore this place. The ambience is super cool and feels authentic instead of these pub-esq places.
Very comfy, great people, great food...just a home run all around.
Cheers!
D bags populate this place from patrons to bartenders.
Took me almost half an hour to get a BEER!
HALF AN HOUR!
On a saturday night with only two bartenders working, most people were drinking but they seemed to be preoccupied with other stuff.
Get a doorman, dont have the bartender act as the doorman!
It takes away from getting my beer in efficient manner!
Jesus this place is a craphole!
Take your money to Buckshot, Irelands, Abby, 540, ANYWHERE BUT HERE!!!!
WHEN you go here is a very important factor in your experience. I like The Bitter End but there's a bit of a noise problem: when it's packed, the sound bounces around and it gets noisy (to be expected), but when it's Not packed, the music is often so loud as to be just as difficult to hold a conversation.
I like dart game upstairs: that's fun. No full bar, but they have some good beer on tap. The groups I've seen when it gets crowded seem to be college age or mid-20s.
I really liked The Bitter End. We went there to watch the Lakers game last night, and no one threw food at us! WooHoo! I didn't even hear a moan or groan from anyone hatin' on the biggest TV in the house showing the Lakers playing! This is a plus in my book. Although, it could have been because most people were too busy drinking Irish Car Bombs than to care about what we were watching.
The food was great. We got a Bacon Avocado Burger and a grilled cheese sandwich (with fries of course). Both very tasty! Plus after two pitchers and a pint our bill came out to less than $50. Not bad! They have $3 any draft pints until 8p.m. M-F, two dart boards, two pool tables, a few TV's, nice bartender and waitress, and tons of people in there 20's and 30's. So far this is the number one spot in my quest for Lakers bars! Now all we need is to find some fans!
This place is dead most nights with the exception of trivia night and nights when bands play.
$3 beers until 8pm is a NICE touch - plenty of seating and a cleanish bathroom.
Cheap food - but its not that spectacular. I had the Burger and it was mediocre.
Decent neighborhood spot.
I love the Bitter End.
I love Tim. I love Tuesday Trivia. I love Liam. I love the overall crowd and atmosphere. I've been coming here for a long, long, while and I never get tired of it.
Beer Specials: Always - even when it's not officially happy hour they offer different beer specials.
Crowd: Awesome - everyone is super friendly.
Staff: The Best!
Tuesday Trivia starting at 9 - Ridiculous! Make sure you get there early if you want a table and some seats!
Bitter End is a great place if you want to hang in with friends or meet new people!
PS. Trivia on Tuesdays and Tim are awesome!
I never liked beer or shots, but I do love fruity girly girl drinks. Not here though, I found something even better. I do love flavored cider. Pear, peach, and my recent discovery here, raspberry! Tart and tangy, just how I love my fro-yo. Yum! It does leave your mouth with a tarty after taste though, nothing a little food can't cure.
Just your typical dive bar. Plenty of tables and seating. Food is served here as well. I really have to come back and see what all this Trivia talk is about.
P.S. You can play pool upstairs.The bathroom is upstairs too, no bueno for a girl in heels + bar!
Roommate wanted to go to trivia at The Bitter End. I asked him if I could wear sweats. He gave me the affirmative. I was in.
Not only had I never been to The Bitter End before, I'd never been to Trivia anywhere before. The former because from the outside, it looks like a shitty little bar likely filled with USF students. The latter because I have anxiety about taking tests without having ample time to study. I like getting answers right, ok.
The bar was a pleasant surprise. It's narrow, but goes back a long ways and there's even a good sized upstairs area. And the majority of patrons did appear to be well over legal drinking age. I had no idea the Bitter End was both a bar AND grill until I saw plates of semi decent looking food on some tables. The bathroom situation is not ideal -- just one stall for the ladies, definitely not sufficient for a bar this size. The bar on it's own I'd probably give 3 stars, but the trivia experience deserves a solid 5.
Roommate and I showed up teamless but luckily we found another duo to partner up with. And just as I feared...a lot of the questions are hard and I didn't know the answers!! But that's ok, neither did a lot of other people. And what I lack in question answering skills I make up for in vulgar team naming skills. The best team name wins a round of free shots. Sadly, we got 2nd, but that's not bad for a first timer!
Trivia includes 4 rounds:
1. General Trivia
2. Music (listen to snippets of songs and name the title and artist)
3. Celebrity Faces (name the celebrities pictured)
4. More General Trivia
So we didn't win, but we didn't lose either...we landed somewhere in the middle. Now that I know what kinds of questions they ask I'll be assembling my dream team for next time. Currently accepting applications for: geography expert, sports expert, and music expert.
I plead the 5th!
I wasn't here recently, nor was I here tonite. Or was I ?
This place effing rocks! From the Tuesday trivia to the sing-along. Pitchers were a flowing and baskets of huge french fries were being ordered even at 10:30 at nite.
Don't these people have jobs? Hell, who cares! Typical dive bar with a twist! Live bass guitar, killer drinks, on the cheap 'yo! Event Pabst Blue Ribbon on tap, with a shout out to my boy Justin N. ! Bathrooms are all grafiti'd out!
Two stories of packed, no I take that back...PACKED! Everyone from the blonde Marina gals to the Sunset Asians, and everyone in between!!! Having a go at the best of getting through the week.
You bet your mutha effing ass I will come back here! Not even humpday and I am already over it!!!
Love the Inner Richmond!
My first trivia night ever, had a good time. Food was yummy and drink was reasonably priced, everyone was friendly and fun. We got there at 845p and got the last table - lucky!
A fun neighborhood spot! I love this area, and I love coming here to Trivia night. I won a tshirt here once on Trivia night, how cool is that. Go eat at Q's nearby than swing by here for drinks.
I really wanted to like this pub.
They have a decent menu (their french fries with a side of curry sauce is really good) and it's pretty much your stereotypical Irish pub.
The only real issue that I have with them is the fact that when my husband came in with his service animal, we argued with the staff for about 20 minutes before they got an understanding that denying him service would have been illegal-- but you know, that's not even what made me angry, because I understand that they have policy that they have to follow, and sometimes people think that their rules supercede federal law-- totally understandable...
What pissed me off was after the situation had been resolved (or so we thought) the waitress comes up to serve us and starts talking about how pissed off she was, and how she thought he could have handled it better.
I understand that sometimes, people can be very protective of their workplaces, but that shouldn't give one an excuse to pop off at the mouth because they feel like it. There's a little thing called professionalism, and that was something that this waitress definitely lacked when she had her little "outburst".
I guess they named it the Bitter End for a reason.
The Bitter End. I love the name. It's so ironic. I find it a cozy place. It's how Irish pubs should be like. There's a younger crowd and I don't remember ever seeing anybody quite the age over 50 here. Whether there were evenings spent with a blind first date or a weekday evening spent with former boyfriend, I guess I have made memories here. I really have no complaints and I do have a tendency to criticize about everything. Service isn't the most incredible however, I think the servers really don't give you a hard time in the end.
Bottom line, if you're in the neighborhood and around Clement a weekday evening, weekend night or afternoon, don't forget to visit here your first time. I don't think you will regret it. It's quite comfy and pleasant.
If you decide, Marcus is such a recluse like an Axl Rose or Howard Hughes, so hard to find! And you need to find me to present me with an award such as "Most likely to be reincarnated as a Standard Poodle" (I have such an award) you can find me on Tuesday Night at the Bitter End.
Now I wish I could give a separate review for the Waitress who does a GREAT job. I have a weird thing that I do not like being on shared tabs (I need to get past this but this is not the point of the story..) and she is very cool about giving me a separate check.
Good beer specials and great trivia nights..
Tuesday nights here for Trivia Night are the best - it's super packed so get there 60-90 minutes early if you want to have a table/seat with friends. Food is decent, service is slow except for drinks which are great and prices are solid too; the bartender is a funny man. Where I fell in love with Newcastle.
Pool tables and kegs (to sit on) are upstairs, more quiet area away from the big crowd downstairs.
Bathrooms are disgusting, but it's a bar, who cares.
Cheap drinks! Not too crowded, even on a Friday night. The bartenders knew the locals. The people were down to earth. Liked the televisions with sports coverage. Heard they have good food. Deer heads add character. Several other bars in this area in case you're not feeling this one.
My advice: worth checking out if you're looking for a change of pace! And you may need to signal clearly to the bartenders if you want a drink. If you're sitting at the bar with an empty glass, it is not assumed that you want another drink.
I've been coming to BItter End for years now. My first Trivia night there was today, it was fun! Won a shirt woooh! I like this casual pub because of its relaxed fun atmosphere, nice people and staff and yummy variety of beer and ciders.
I have four things to say about this place:
1) Boddingtons Pub Ale on tap
2) Gets crowded
3) Lots of good places to eat around here
4) Boddingtons Pub Ale on tap
Been here recently with my Irish friend. It was kind of dead, but people were friendly enough. Nice enough place, but watch out who pulls your pint of Guinness. My friend ordered one here and an Non-Irish bartender pulled it and my friend said he did not do a good job of it at all. The rule of Guiness pulling I guess is to fill the glass halfway, let it settle, and then pull the rest. Irish people know this. But the bartender here pulled it all at once, causing the head to be nearly non-existant. My friend kept talking about it, and I kept telling him that I would tell the bartender and complain and maybe he'll give us another one on the house. But my friend wouldn't let me speak up, nor said anything himself, thinking that we were going to be kicked out. I was tipsy at the time and had no problem being bold, but not wasted enough to not be classy. Still friend wouldn't let me, I guess he was having a yellow moment. Hehehehe. Struck up a conversation with the person next to us who actually frequents the bar, and he said that said bartender's skills was not in pouring pints but making mixed drinks or something like that. I guess that's understandable, but no one should be working in an Irish pub and not know how to pull a proper pint of Guinness, if you ask me. So -two stars for that. Hence I conclude, go to Bitter End and have a good time, just be careful who pulls your pints.
Swung in here to catch some NBA playoff action and to tilt a couple. True pub feel, really laid back, cool tunes, full bar action and a nice and efficient bartender (who also had no problems bringing food to his tables) an extra star just for him.
4 pints of Guiness and approaching the final quarter, we decided on ordering a little food to put something in our stomachs. I try a little of someone's Chicken Picata (bout $9) but it was way salty. Too bad cuz it looked pretty decent for a pub.
I ended up just munching on a basket of steak cut fries to enjoy with my multiple pints of Guiness. Strange, cuz someone once told me I may have been an Irishman in a past life, and here at Bitter End, it really made sense. What can I say, I'm one easy stout guzzlin', potato grubbin', game watchin' mofo. Some days, I'm easy like that.
Nice neighborhood bar. It's wholesome fun. $3 dollar draft brew til 8pm.
Tons of seating, just get there early. Good friendly type of atmosphere, not that the people there are friendly but you know.
The bar doesn't have much of a personality imo.
Feels like a bar on the Haight.
I've must have been to the Bitter End at least a dozen times. Its usually because my friends want to hang out and drink a little bit. Seems like everyone's having a great time when I've walked in there and the seats are clean. The crowds there have been pretty mixed from what I have experienced. Then again I'm sure it depends on what's going on around there.
I'm not one for drinking but I definitely don't mind going there.
I went here feeling responsible one night and ordered a coke only to be charged $3 for it, almost as much as the beers that everyone else got on special. So much for being responsible, I would have been better off downing the beers on tap.
On a side note, I love the dart boards but the bar tender was not pleasant and seemed to be bitter that he had to give us darts & chalk.
my girls & i usually start our bi-weekly inner richmond pub crawl here. it's a great neighborhood bar to relax & have a drink with friends. the crowd is friendly, the pool is cheap, the seating is plentiful, & the drinks are strong- order from the red-headed woman, you won't regret it!
Pitcher fans welcome. Looks like I'm not able to order a single beer here....
I always end up ordering two pitchers at a time and then I find myself on a Thursday night, around 11PM, wondering:" is this the same place? Where are all these people coming from?".
Metamorphosis.....
From neighborhood pub to loud and uber-crowdy bar.
Aaaayt! I liiiiiiiike..
I suppose this place would be great if I liked to drink a lot, play pool, or be around sleazy drunk people. I don't really like any of those choices, so The Bitter End didn't make it on my top bars list. My entertainment for the night, however, was a completely trashed girl who was walking around, draping herself over all the guys.
Of course I'll go to bars, but they have to have the right ambiance. This place just struck me as a place for guys to pick up on girls who are like the aforementioned. I'll look for a place that has more personality of its own, thank you.
Really chill place. The server was friendly and sweet, claiming my friend and I were "sitting in prime real estate for trivia." The trivia was...well I don't remember but I'm sure it was good. My biggest complaint is WHY THE HELL ARE THE WOMENS BATHROOM UP A FLIGHT OF STAIRS LEADING TO HEAVEN?? I mean honestly, that's a safety hazard. Especially for my clumsy ass. Then you reach the top and there are two mirrors facing each other which really threw my drunken self for a trip. Other than the bathroom situation, The Bitter End is a legit bar. Will most likely return for the trivia on a Tuesday night.
Some girl asked me THREE times if I was a lesbian.
I only wish I could make it out here for the Tuesday night pub quizzes more often, but waking up at 5:30am for work everyday doesn't make for a nice Wed. morning.
The vibe is really cool and chill here. Happy hour drinks are about $3 which I can't complain about and everyone around the bar is so friendly! It woulda been even better if I was any good at the trivial questions, but it was an adventure seeing how much my friends and I were struggling.
If only going into work that early was optional...
A couple of years ago, my roommate and her then-boyfriend came here to break up. He is now her EX-boyfriend and they no longer speak.
A couple of weeks ago, I came here with an ex from about a year ago to have a drink. We caught up, shared some laughs, and actually had a good time.
Which of the two is more ironic given the name of this bar, I'm not too sure. All I have to say is, it's a nice bar, Colma the Musical filmed a scene here, and life, in fact, is more circular than linear. The end.
Or is it?
Went for the first time on Tuesday for their weekly pub quiz and had so much fun I almost slapped myself in anger for never coming here before.
I love pub quizzes, and Bitter End really makes it fun with its singalong, it's contests (free shirt raffle, free round of shots for team with funniest name), and the entertaining and witty pub quiz master, Tim. M
The crowd is lively and friendly, and even though we had a large group (15 people), we were all able to get seats - we just had to split up to form 4 different teams. One of my friend's teams actually won the team name contest with, "If the glove don't fit, you still go to jail for armed robbery" Haha... Hilarious! It's based on crowd applause, and people really love the witty names based on current events. The crashed plane in SD joke was mean though...
We ordered food there and it was so-so, but you really can't complain about $10 pitchers of C- and PBR. I had dinner and about 5 beers and only paid $17!
Definitely coming back next Tuesday! See you there. I'll be in an ugly Christmas sweater.
If you have the propensity to retain obscure facts, would do well on the game show "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader," or are that person who has filled up their 160 GB iPod with songs and can name the song title and artist of most songs you hear, then you want be at The Bitter End on Tuesday nights at 9 pm for TRIVIA NIGHT!
Three rounds of trivia which include random facts to test your breadth of knowledge, name that tune (artist and song title), and some random category with questions on a related topic. If you do decide to stop by for trivia night it's best to get here some time before 9 pm to get a table for you and your group. The incentive to get here early is the $2 draft beer specials from 8pm to 9pm. You can't beat that! First through third place winners of trivia night get some cash flow to disperse amongst their team, winners of the best team name get free shots, and they also have raffles throughout the night for a chance to win free t-shirts.
This pub is awesome for some good group fun -- decent beer selection on tap, good buffalo wings (even though they are more sweet and tangy as opposed to spicy), and surprisingly good service. I think my only complaint would be the limited music library on the jukebox.
I effing love Bitter. Down the street from 540 and a place that my girls and I like to settle down into when we are tired of the crowds from up the block. It is definitely my more frequented spot, as there are pool tables and nice booths for some good chats with friends. Sometimes, depending on who is bartending you can get away with smoking on the upper level but open the windows. It is an unspoken thing really. I am not a smoker but I always see people doing it upstairs while playing pool.
Some nights they have trivia, I believe on Tuesdays so if you are into bar trivia it is a good spot. So many different types of people frequent Bitter, as well as many many locals. I always run into old high school classmates here which has its perks and not. Anyways it is a awesome Avenues spot.
Great bar. Good beer on tap. Good pub atmosphere.
They have darts and pool tables upstairs.
The bouncer/door guy Chris is always good to talk to on smoke breaks.
It can get a little crowded at peak hours, but you can always duck over to Dogs Bollocks or Rockit Room and wait for it to empty out a bit.
Great place to bring friends from out of town.
My first time to TBE was on the recommendation of a friend who lived in the neighborhood almost 20 years ago and said that he loved trivia night and had met his wife there.
With that endorsement, my expectations were high even though I'm aware that 15 years is plenty of time for a place to lose its groove. Fortunately, I wasn't disappointed.
Good questions, good competition, good quiz-master (Tim - god bless his mother) and a great bar.
I generally start off with a pint or two of Guiness before moving onto a few pitchers of the special with my friends. Add a couple of baskets of chips for the table and you've got all the makings for a wonderful night at a reasonable - especially for SF - price.
I've been back on non-Tuesday nights and although the vibe is entirely different, it's still a great place. It's a cozy little place to hang out with some friends or to take a brother who's in town visiting or to catch a game when your TV is on the fritz. They have a bunch of beautiful new plasma screens and are almost invariably willing to switch it to a sporting event that you want to watch.
Case in point, a former college teammate of mine was racing at the Prefontaine Classic - a track meet - and the folks at TBE were more than happy to watch an hour of track and field so that I could see my buddy compete.
Nothing bitter about it, except that I'm now living on the opposite side of the country...
Strolled in here on St. Patrick's day. The place was packed, wall to wall, with the usual cast of shrieking morons.
Some girl begins pushing me from the back. I inform her that she is, in fact, a moron, and to never touch me again. Her neanderthal friend attempts to take a swing at me. Suddenly, entire crowd is attacking me.
And the service still sucks.
Correction: The 540's really upped their design in the past few years. The bartender at Bitter End… Read more »
This bar is not trying to make a statement. This bar is not insecure about anything (from the sticky floors to the lopsided pool table). This bar isn't for people who want to be seen or who need to impress anyone. This bar will never be mentioned on the society pages. It is not particularly a straight bar, or a gay bar or even a white bar. One can order a Corona or a Stella and not be laughed at.
This is a perfect bar for a small group of friends who want to drink a simple beer together. Period.
"Heath Ledger Also Made a Pencil Disappear In Brokeback Mountain"
...that was our team name at Trivia Night...I didn't really get it, but apparently the MC did and he liked it and gave us free shots for best team name, which was a good start to the night...at least we won something, right?
Trivia night (Tuesday) is my new favorite night of the week. Granted I am not very good, but my team was a bunch of smarties which helped. I've been reading up on Wikipedia this week though, so watch out, next week I am going to unstoppable.
Pitchers are also only $10 which is awesome...and they have a killer juke box...so many good artists I never know what to choose...the Eagles...the Beatles...the Rolling Stones...Elton John...Stevie Wonder...too many choices.
They also have pool and darts, neither of which I've played yet...I'm more of a Erotic Photo Hunt type of girl...
Yes! I love Irish pubs/dive bars, and this one is the perfect blend of both. Also, amazing pub food (try the Walnut Pear Salad) and great prices ($14 for a pitcher of Guinness?? Get out!). A great place for an afternoon snack or a night of shenanigans.
Decent juke box, charming staff and a couple pool tables and dart boards upstairs. I also love that they have a fireplace near the doors. If it's cold and rainy outside, and you snag the table next to the fireplace, kudos!
Also, happy hour from 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. every night gets you $3 pints of anything. Awesome!
One warning, ladies: Only one bathroom (boo!), which is also upstairs (double-boo!), so if you are prone to falling after too many drinks, BE CAREFUL!
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
Category: Music Venues
Neighborhood: West Portal
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
Category: Bars
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