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Mon-Fri. 3:30 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat. 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 12:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
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The restaurant section is totally B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Bear) or at least binge-and-purge-worthy because the portions are huge and the carbs are free flowing! It's far from fine dining, but decent for this culinary-starved neighborhood. The appetizers tend to have the most unique arrangements but the deep dish pizza is decent.
Italian Nachos: I never never never thought I'd find such a unique and tasty snack at a Castro bar! Pasta chips kind of taste like pizza dough made into chips. The asiago cheese and Italian sausage are what really makes the dish because they beat queso blanco and chorizo any day! The tomatoes, peppers and olives add a nice contrast but were merely wingmen to the aforementioned stars of the party.
Cheese Fries: Pretty boring. After having such a great asiago cheese on the Italian nachos, I expected more. Both cheeses were bland and melted on... cheez whiz would have even been better. Definitely avoid as there are much better ways to have your carbs.
Chicken Club Deep Dish Pizza: Why put the chicken as the headliner when there is yummy bacon and ham? My pizza expertise is more in the NY-style realm, so I can't comment too much on the attempted Chicago-style authenticity. It was tasty, but super filling. I didn't like that the parmesan cheese offered was powder rather than something freshly grated.
$4 dollars for cover on a Saturday night, nice view on the balcony, amazing dancers all around, dance music blasting and GIANT DRINKS that are very reasonably priced.
This pretty much sums it up.
And for the ladies, you won't feel poached on at all. I may be stating the obvious but it's a gay bar, and I think it's perfect for a girls night out, where you just wanna have fun, have a few drinks, talk to cool, upbeat people and just enjoy yourself.
"LookOut" makes me think "makeout", which I love to do. But do you know what else I love? NACHOS! I enjoy the crunchy, cheesy delight so much that I eagerly answered "Nacho!" when a Starbucks barista in Santiago de Chile asked me for my name. Unfortunately, she decided to feminize mi nombre and wrote "Nacha" on the cup instead. Bitch.
Can you tell I love nachos?!
I was especially horny for them after a few drinks last week and the chicken nachos here really scratched my itch. I don't remember much about the divine dish except the cheese was melted shredded cheese as opposed to the liquid-y Velveeta kind (which I love too). This is seriously a great snack for drunken fools but watch out when I'm around because I will eat the whole plate! Rawr!
People thought this was:
I been here few times, it's OK.
This place pretty much stands out every time I am in the Castro. I went here once with a group of friends. Cover wasn't too bad, $6-7 from what I could remember. It was about 11ish when we got there and the place wasn't too crowded. The bar itself wasn't anything special in terms of decor. Looked like a regular bar. Music could have been better. The drinks were pretty descent, beer is pretty tasty but I can't remember what the name of it was. The best part was the outdoor balcony...nice view of the Castro. I think the reason why it wasn't so crowded inside because everyone was out there mingling. Overall, an ok place.
My Vodka Redbull was the size of my face - GREAT value :) Went there and the place is just chill, the people are fun and who doesn't *love* the castro? Went there for a DJ battle... I imagined DJ's lined up next to each other and actually battling... if they were, that would've clenched a 5th star... alas, they just took turns. *sigh*
Great spot, regardless - good view, nice atmosphere, great for a chill night of drinking.
People thought this was:
The food smelled great, the crowd was varied, the boys were cute, the balcony is nice, the trivia was easy enough to answer (but we still only managed to rise to mediocrity), Pollo del Mar was fun, Bebe Sweetbriar's mic sucked and we could hardly hear her, and the crowd was boisterous.
It was a fun, if at times infuriatingly loud night.
People thought this was:
Hot lezzie bouncer.
She's fancier than the rest.
Don't go upstairs.
People thought this was:
I was here for happy hour / a trivia night a few months back with some friends and had a blast. The Lookout isn't my typical scene but it was a great place to sip on some cheap happy hour drinks and attempt to answer some trivia questions! Everyone here is really friendly and it's a fun, upbeat environment. I don't think I'd make a special trip out to the Castro just to go to this bar but I'd definitely stop in again if I were passing by!
On a gloomy day, one Sunday afternoon, after 2 pints of beer and 2 vodka drinks, Eric G., Mark M., David T. and I decided that it would be a great idea to go to the Lookout for a few more drinks. Little did we know, this would become an epic day of booze, boobs, and boos!
It began with jell-o shots! There's always room for jell-o and we found this to be our demise! We just so happened to go on a day where there was a fundraiser for a local gay soccer team. With one jell-o shot underway, we decided to start off with a drink each. Then we were on our 2nd drink. This time i bought and let me just say that drinks were not unfairly priced but they weren't super cheap or anything either. The bartenders we're particularly friendly but they got your drink to you with a quickness. Not to say they were rude or anything, they just did their job and moved onto the next drink. As I was buying all our 2nd drinks, David T goes and buys us each a shot of Patron. So to recap, i've had 2 pints of beer and 2 vodka drinks from 2 previous places, a jell-o shot, a shot of patron, and 2 greyhounds.
By this time, i've noticed that this place is pretty crowded. People were pretty good looking, and everyone was minding their own business. We then decide to go outside and hang out on the balcony or "lookout" It's actually pretty nice. you get a nice view of the area around you, which is just market and noe/16th. We end up talking to 2 women and one of them ends up flashing us. A few guys end up flirting with Eric G., Mark M. is drunk and having conversations with people, I don't remember what i'm doing and David T. leaves.
After this i don't remember the drinks we had. I do remember more jell-o shots though! Needless to say i did some things i never do in public, Eric G. had a great time, and Mark M. has an issue holding down his liquids. By the time we stumble out of there, we are happy as hell and ready to go home.
I really enjoyed the balcony outside... and the fact that there is a good solid crowd there all the time. I see myself going back there for shits n giggles. Anyone wanna join me?
PS jell-o shots are the debil (devil) !!
People thought this was:
The LookOut makes me happy. I LOVE the bouncer on Thursdays, she's my favorite part of the LookOut experience.
Location: Right between Church and Castro on Market and in front of Cafe Flore. Really easy to get to either by the dangerous MUNI or by vehicle.
Space: Not the best decor, which is why it gets a point marked off. With such a GREAT space, you'd think they would hire a good interior designer. Not bad though. My favorite part is that there's a balcony where you can drink, smoke and judge those less fortunate beneath you.
Ambiance: I usually go on Thursdays and I love my lesbians. The lesbians here are young, hip and hotter than any gay boy. Other than Thursdays, the crowd seems pretty bland, in a good way though, kind very quiet and chill.
Service: The bartenders are always nice and ready to give suggestions as to drinks. They make a good cosmo and martini.
Food/Drink: I asked for something sweet and blue and she made an amazing drink. They make pretty good drinks and have a fair selection of alcohol.
Overall: One of the places I like to frequent on Thursdays. I love my lezzie nights there very much and hanging out there with friends on the weekdays is always a joy.
I went here and they said 1) all girl dj's and 2) $2 cover charge and 3) good dance music. (according to marketing material and posters I saw online).
Here's how it measured:
First, the dj wasn't a girl. Okay, they said all women dj's so I expect nothing less. However, it was a guy. No big deal, but thought I point it out.
Second, the cover charge was indeed $2 dollars and there was enough space to dance. There weren't a lot of people there (Thursday night on long weekend), but it was still a sizable crowd. For $2 dollars, it's still a good deal to listen to music and dance the night away.
Third, good dance music. I thought the music was pretty good. It's def. more dance, energy type music and less hip hop and R&B which I like anyways. Many Castro joints are similar in terms of music interest.
Fourth, I liked how even though it was women's night, they actually had a good blend between lgbt and straight and also men and women. it was nice to see that diversity and also in terms of ethnic background.
Fifth, it was very easy to find parking and since it's late at night it was free. I literally parked on sidewalk 1/2 block from it. It is also near residential so it's pretty easy (minus pride weekend) to find parking.
Sixth, for what it's worth, the bathroom wasn't that bad. Def. better and cleaner than the Cafe and some of the other clubs I've been to in the city.
Seventh, for smokers, they have a cool outdoor small patio ish area that extends on the trims of the building (2nd floor). It's nice to let the smokers do their thing and to have that separation versus at the Cafe it's a smoker's room, but right in the middle of the dance action.
A couple things on why I think it can be better:
1. Cheaper drinkers- no drink specials and it was $9 + tip for one. I don't mind, but they should do some specials last night.
2. It would have been nice if they served a little bit of food.
3. Would have been nice with more people.
Will def. go again because of the low entry price and decent music and will def. review it again on yelp.
People thought this was:
Some of the best things about the Lookout are the people working there. I've befriended the staff and the bouncers, and they def make the experience! They have a great selection of liquor, have a food menu, and actually have their own privately brewed beer - something unique that not a lot of bars have; especially gay bars! The balcony makes for a great space to hang out on sunny Sundays, but can get smokey on busy nights - which are most nights of the week and weekend!
Cons - bathroom, as with most gay bars, is pretty gross - and sloooow. The backroom could be better utilized - seems to never get people back there.
The pizza here is amazing. I've been meaning to come back here again sometime for the food. Supposedly they have all you can eat pizza on Tuesday, so I'm definitely going to have to hit that one up. :)
The bar itself is really nice. You get a good view of Market St. and you can see all the colorful people walking around outside. They also have a DJ on the floor and they play video clips of random things on the flat panels on the walls. One time they were showing the Japanese anime Paprika o_O.
Oh, I do have to admit though, that sometimes this place gets super packed, which is annoying and tedious, one time I couldn't even get to the bathroom until I started body surfing on the crowd to get there *joke* but it would have been way faster I would imagine. I think it was Frat night or Boys night or something. So if you see anything advertising that, beware, unless you like your body constantly pressed up against some half naked boy and its so hot and sweaty you can barely breath. Well the first bit sounds nice :)
People thought this was:
When the Metro occupied this spot, it was a quiet little happy hour/post-brunch bar whose main draw was the balcony. Now the new owners of the bar now called the LookOut are regularly creating new event nights to keep it fresh. Different forms of music, drag shows, trivia nights, charity fundraisers, jocks in jocks with jell-o shots, and some of the friendliest bartenders in the Castro. I've seen go-go boys on pedestals, in showers, and in cages (though usually there aren't go-go boys at all). Love that you can order from the adjoining pizzeria from the bartenders, and still love the balcony (though the seats are getting ricketty and maybe should be repaired or replaced).
Five stars for the kindness, helpfulness, and great services from the staff, Eric and the Manager, Chris at the Lookout. I had my birthday party at the mezzanine and Eric was so helpful to get my party set up. He was quick and flawless. Although he was busy at the restaurant, Eric still managed to take care of my needs. Great nibbles and drinks, too. I wish I could give them more stars for their friendliness and flexibility to work with me on my schedule and requests. My guests had a great time and so did I. Love it love it and they sure know how to provide good service. Lookout has always been one of my favorite local bars to hang out with my friends. Now, Lookout is the first place that I would think of if my friends want to have drinks and hang out. Thanks again!!
People thought this was:
hmm where to start
good music
affordable drinks
not a very aggresive crowd
friendly atmosphere
(i am straight)
bad
i had to pay a $4 cover
will i go back i am sure ill be there again one day
Better than I remember, and I remember it being just slightly average.
The patio is nice, especially for apres-brunch drinks, they're still open for that, right?
I've never had to wait in line here, normally I just nonchalantly breeze past the cover charge guy as well. I'm not sure why they're so lax with me, but, hey, I ain't complainin'. Nothing exciting, but since it seems to be one of the few remaining bars in the Castro that hasn't completely jumped the shark, they get an extra star.
Plus, last time I was there they had the most-hottie-McHottiepants-hot-hot-heat-flames-on-t he-side-of-my-face bartender that I've ever seen in MAH LIFE. No, REALLY. I almost tripped and fell twice because I was watching him.
3.5 stars, kiddos.
People thought this was:
This place is THE place to be on softball Sundays or any other glorious summer day in the Castro. Otherwise, it's just about average. The pizza is good though!
I was more of regular there until Trigger opened. Then I moved the party on down the street...
Surround deck is like surround sound, you get the FULL experience out here. The gossip, the kissing and oh my my the fondling. I love gay men and yes, I know that makes me a bona fide fa* ha*. Oh go freshen your makeup.
Came here on a pub crawl with nary a non-hetero swinger in our crowd and guess what? everyone still treated us with love. My dilemma? A place filled with sincere, gorgeous men looking for love and spice. LORD. I tried my bestest to hook up the cream of the crop with each other, but it seems that under 25 and full of um, "energy" was more the order of the day.
Wig O'Rama was in full swing with a benefit for dental care for the toothy challenged south of the border. They were full of high spirits and so were the bartenders. Loved my stiff drinks and smiles.
Like I always say, know what you want. This is a great bar to stop by and check out the 'view' from the deck and the scene, esp if you want to kiss your own kind, is friendly and boisterous. But if you are an electrical cord looking for his plug, keep it short and move on.
People thought this was:
Decent gay bar at a good location.
I'd give it 5-stars for the location and the patio (I don't smoke but enjoy looking out from it), but the long lines on many evenings, the cover charge, the "packed like sardines in a tin can" space, the UBER strong drinks (they make drinks at Ginger Trois and Trax taste like baby solution) and the spotty crowd give it a 3-star. But then again, I'm a fan of bars like Trax, The Pilsner, The Cinch, Ginger Trois, etc. so its just different tastes.
It attracts quite a clean cut, non-edgy, somewhat polished crowd of youngins many evenings, all dressed preppy casual. There seem to be numerous community based events and fund raisers going on, which is neat. The music is good albeit very loud at times and making your way through the bar on a crowded night can be an adventure.
I used to frequent it a lot when it was The Metro and had the Chinese restaurant attached to it eons ago. Decent place to grab a drink but not a place I make an effort to head to regularly.
People thought this was:
1 Star for the location
(I love that it's on the Church-Castro route)
1 Star for the drinks
(tasty drinks from pretty bartenders)
1 star for the music
(never seem to be bad rotaions when I'm there)
It loses points for the drink prices and unattractive and mediocre queers...no offense I love queers (:
Also the fact that Ladies Night which is on Thursday costs money yet have no drink specials for the ladies..bad move
After making some friends from brunch at Lime, they suggested we head to LookOut for some drinks.
It was a rainy day but I would imagine that it would be more crowded on sunny SF days. Which inevitably would only lead to more friskiness going on amongst the crowds. Bartender was fast and made the drinks STRONG at a decent price. First time I was called a HBIC....Hot B*tch In Charge. Plus stars just for that.
Vodka tonics at 4PM on a Sunday? Sure, why not. Because like my new friend taught me, Sunday is FUNday.
People thought this was:
Thursdays are the only night I've gone to The Lookout, for the ladies night.
The Lookout is a nice bar with some seats for group socializing, and a great deck-type thing looking out over Market Street for fun people watching. Thursday nights there is a DJ, and some people dance in front of the DJ booth, but I wouldn't label this a dance party or club, I would refer to it as a bar with music and optional dance space if the mood strikes ya.
*Draft Bud Light... as lame as it sounds, I do enjoy it.
Always nice bartenders and if you're hungry for some good bar food, the snacks from next door are yummy. We had beers with a friend and nachos (I know - so healthy; guess I'll put in an extra hour on the treadmill) and pizza, enjoying both.
If it's nice out, the people watching from the wraparound balcony is the place to be. Hence the name. ;)
People thought this was:
It's a sure sign when you go out and the first drink you order, the bar tender after giving you your grey goose and tonic asks if you're high on coke... to just call it a night.
I was visiting SF this past weekend and was meeting a friend there, I got there sort of late, around 1:30AM on a Saturday night... was my first time.
How should I have taken that? I was kind of shocked, and didn't really understand at first. I don't do, or ever have done drugs. hrm wow and I still left a tip.
I was dressed nice, hair was good. My eyes were a little red from having really bad contact in all day. hrm.
And I thought LA's gay scene was bad.
You have to be 300 lbs or over 40 to get the bartender to serve you.
People thought this was:
It is fun to come on Sunday afternoons. The drinks can be a bit pricey, but otherwise it is a lot of fun to enjoy the music and if you lucky enough, stand outside and overlook Market and Noe.
I always have a good time at The LookOut! I went to meet some co-workers on Sat. The Look-Out played good music.. the bartenders are super nice and they make a delicious margarita... which is pretty surprising, not many places make good margies.
2 Thumbs up for the LookOut!
People thought this was:
I love the LookOut.
The location is great, right off Market street. The patio that wraps around the bar is amazing. It's cool that you can just hang out and people watch outside. Nice view.
The bartenders are friendly and attentive. The drinks are strong, and the music is good. This bar is a lot of fun, and always a good time. There's like a three dollar cover sometimes, but its worth it.
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Staff is incredibly warm and helpful. We have worked on a couple events together and its been nothing but smooth sailing.
Extremely professional.. AND good drinks and good food at thick and thin!
:-)
People thought this was:
Great bar, good drinks, staff is friendly and very accesible.
Had a birthday happy hour event a…
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Ok, so I get it. This place isn't for me. It's a scene, just like 330 Ritch and District are for us straight kiddies. I show up in my Sunday finery, and expect to get the evil eye from the gorgeous bouncer, the pretty bartenders, and anyone else with a penis who is not attracted to me.
But I don't.
Instead I get shown the digs, with a spot overlooking Noe and Market, and within seconds we're given strong as Ahhhnold margaritas. More people show up, and we get to see all the pretty gay men trickle in. I check. Damnit, yep, still a straight female.
And then 3:00 pm hits.
Wooo Britney Spears "Circus" release party! Bitches better recognize that my guilty pleasure has a new album out! We dance around and enjoy ourselves and order a delicious Thin barbeque pizza to coat our bellies. I watch my cutie-patootie gay roommate get his ish on with a hot lawyer from the Duboce triangle.
I end up leaving at 4ish because hey, a girl's gotta get her swerve on in a place where gentlemen recognize her boobies and whatnot. At least I walked out with the phone number of a hot female Polish photographer who wants to take pictures of me. Notes on a Scandal FTW!
Gah. It's 7:17 pm on a Sunday and I'm hungover from daydrinking extra strong margs from the Lookout. *Checking.* Yep, still a chick.
People thought this was:
If you're looking for a place to dance and be silly with your friends in the castro, this isn't the place to go. If you're looking to chill out, be seen, socialize, listen to music, people watch and is okay with big crowds then you should come here.
The Lookout was so full on a Saturday night that it was hard to get from point A to point B. I came here with a bunch of friends. I must say though that when it was Metro the crowd wasn't that great looking. The crowd was definitely good looking (straight girl here lolz) and everyone was really friendly. The DJ was pretty funny he danced and sang with me and played an array of good music. Bathrooms were meh. Only one bathroom for the gals which guys ended up using. Drinks were good and the alcohol was plentiful. I wouldn't mind coming back here again for the social scene.
People thought this was:
The Youngins love a good drag show! Who knew? This place is crawling with cuties every Wednesday night! The show is really good too and it starts at 10:30 PM so I can still get up and go to work the next day.
People thought this was:
To be frank the LookOut is pretty boring inside. There is rarely ever what you would call a crowd there, and the people are pretty stand offish. The best part of the LookOut is the rap around patio where you can sit out and people watch or smoke. As the LookOut is located at the intersection of three streets it has a very ironic name, as near accidents are frequent. So schadenfreude enthusiats consider the LookOut as your drinking destination.
There is also a fairly good pizza restaurant Think N Thin Pizza attached to the LookOut. The pizzaria doesn't open until 530 though.
I REALLY enjoy coming here. The music is decent, the crowd is always nice and the drinks are great! I always find very attractive mens here too! Ladies, if you're single and looking for attractive men, this place may make you a little depressed. Sorry, they like boys... but we still love you ladies here anyway!
My only complaints are the bathroom's seediness, the cover charge (although, whatever... everywhere charges cover now) and it does get a bit over-crowded in there! However, it has a balcony around the top that looks down (i.e. lookout) onto a happening part of the Castro. And if you need a quick breath of fresh air, you can get out here easily.
I went tonight and had fun. The staff is really friendly and awesome. I met a couple Pinay lesbians, it was fun talking to them, I like the outdoor balcony. The DJ was good tonight.
People thought this was:
There is something about being straight and waiting in line to go take a piss in a gay bar. I never thought I had to wait in line, ever. That was the highlight of my night-- waiting in line.
I actually had to pee about 5 times, and each time the line got longer. I got smart after the second time-- women's bathroom.
Other than getting my asian ass grabbed and pinched a few times, the place was rad.
Went here for a few drinks on a Friday afternoon after experiencing my first 10 day week! Having come from Dallas, and not really being a "Castrolite", nor someone who does the happy hour thing with any degree of regularity, I actually found this bar only "kinda okay", I mean, as bars go, it had cold beer, a somewhat attentive bartender, music and the usual S & M crowd holding court at the bar (in Dallas the S & M crowd is what we call the "Stand and Model" crowd).You know the types; pretty maids all in a row, but you say hi i them and they automatically shut down and go into their best Gloria Swanson pose and their struggling! Anyway, after having experienced the Bar on Church first, this place was a welcome respite. I managed to find seating out of the hustle and bustle and just sit and sip my drink and visit with my boyfriend. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this joint about a 6
Been there twice as a Peachy's Puff and gay men are sooo much more generous with tips, smiles, and happy good times than annoying drunk straight men hitting on you. At least at closing time folks were dancing, not very many, on their tiny dancefloor the times I've been there. I like the deck, but it was way too packed with smokers.
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Happy hour oyster bar
Sausalito, CA
3 Topping Meal Just $15.99
Neighborhood: Civic…
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Gay Bars
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Gay Bars
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Gay Bars
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Gay Bars
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