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Mon-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
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This bar is pretty dope.
Decent music/dj and cheap drinks.
I'm definitely coming back.
Nice neighborhood bar. Sure, it's kind of small and can get very crowded, and the music seems a little too loud sometimes, but it has a great atmosphere. I particularly like the comfy, dim-lit upstairs seating area, and the overall cozy feel of this place. If you want more of a bar atomosphere, the downstairs seating area should do it for you.
OK, it's not necessarily my first choice for a Saturday night out, but if you want to spend a cool evening with friends or have an intimate and flirty date night, this place is it!
One of my go-tos. I used to live two blocks away from here...oh boy did I come out looking like a hot little mess from here.
Fun music, good group of people *when its not some little girls birthday and she brings her whole pinoy family and then some* haha.
Upstairs can get a bit stuffy... I try to work it out like I'm Britney in her Im A Slave 4 U vid but it just never happens ;)
The bartenders are hit or miss for me. It honestly all depends on whos working for me....
No covers, decently priced drinks, pretty good music depending on which night you go, I'm all about it.
What happened to my favorite bar?
The staircase and entire upstairs had the overwhelming smell of a urinal. So disgusting!
Walked in and then headed right back out (trying not to touch anything on my way down).
Sad. I did really love this place.
After searching for a good length of time for a bar, any bar, close to Union Square, we were set on… Read more »
the best mojitos ever. the best. (and the cheapest!). the best.
also just about the coolest spot. come around 7PM on a week day. Non douchy crowd, really really good music and an AWESOME bartender (Brian). love it.
It's Tuesday, I'm in my cubicle at work. As I pop-lock-and-drop it in my seat (yes- it's possible) to the tune stuck in my head from last Saturday, I reflect on how "dope" the place really was.
I mean, honestly, I'm "on the wagon" this month and still had a blast there (if you've read any of my other reviews you'll know I'm quite a lush and if a bar can entertain me sober- it's probably a miracle).
Wine bottle chandelier- I want one. .. or maybe I'll make one (good excuse to drink about 60 bottles of wine).
Upstairs- fun lounge- I imagine a great place to sneak away and make out if/when you're THAT drunk and frisky.
Wall carvings- they complain about it and ask people not to do it.. but I think it "adds character"
Bathrooms- umm...... hover. And if you want to know what you look like when you pee... please- enjoy the FULL LENGTH mirror immediately next to the toilet... hrmmm
Crowd- (BYOB: Bring your own boys) Also bring Pu-rel if you plan on touching any of the guys you didn't bring. Thank gawd I have a man.. I would've been bored ... with the dopey dirt bags.
Drinks/ Bartenders: AWESOME bartender who poured me soda water all night with a smile on his face. Judging by how quickly my friends got wasted- he poured them stiff. Can't wait to get back here and really tie one on so I can do a proper drinking review.
DJ... I'm still popping... locking... and brushing my shoulders off. Remind me to un-pop my collar before my next meeting.
Went for a friend's birthday on a Friday night and had a blast! Got there early, ordered a watermelon martini ($6... woop!), and was able to snatch a couch spot upstairs. Three watermelon martinis later and a few bites of decadent delights resulted in a memorable experience. The music was mostly hip hop yet, "Don't Stop Believing" made its way in the mix, and we all went dance dance crazy!
Great value (four stars) but it gets really crowded and I don't like places where people fart as they walk (minus one star)...yes, that's awful (total three stars).
Cool place to have a fun night. No cover, cheap drinks, good music. Slightly small, but not too crowded (maybe a little upstairs).
Good drinks, good music, very chill atmosphere -- I like it! Only downside -- can get hella stuffy upstairs. Gone here on Wed nights and Sat nights - theyll play hip hop Sat nights and more house/dance on Wed.'s.
Love the decor concept and location. Yay for tunnel top!
I loved walking up the steps at the end of the tunnel and seeing this place. It felt like a scene from a movie. I felt like I was being let in on a secret.... I don't know maybe I am crazy but for some reason this place had a magical effect on me. Like, the bar only appears if you enter from the steps and say a code word and knock on the wall...
Once inside I felt like I was safe. So safe I could sit and drink and spill my guts to my friend. We talked loudly about all kinds of inappropriate things, and the men surrounding us didn't even seem to notice. I had a cucumber infused basil martini (or was it basil infused cucumber?) and my friend had a fresh watermelon something amazing. The martini was just my style, a little kick of interesting flavor but don't worry it's not a cosmo; you can still taste the alcohol. We sat and sipped and talked under the dim bar light. It was very nice :)
What happens when 4 girls in their tightest jeans and high heels walk into Tunnel Top with none of their guy friends within a 5 feet radius?
Other guys swarm around them.
I wish I could say it was a delight to have all that attention. But between the stinky European guy, the 16 year old with a cheesy smile and the arrogant dude, well, there's just so much unwanted attention around us. I downed 2 blueberry mojitos within 20 minutes to dull my senses.
Hey. Those drinks were stronger than the last time I was here!
Our friend who was feeling such a wild child last night, took the guys on single handedly.
Thank God!
I decided to get some fresh air. I flipped my phone open and started texting Erik: "where are you?! my sis is getting hit on by a guy who looks like an ugly version of Harry Potter!!"
* ting ting*
Before I could read his reply, the arrogant guy showed up and started talking.
His travels around the world. How he's a hedge fund manager.
* I really don't care for that. I'm a no load mutual funds kinda girl *
I read the reply: "maybe Harry Potter brought his magic wand? LOL!"
Ha! I could certainly use it to make this dude disappear!
POOF!
Bloody brilliant.
Tunnel Top, you still score with the cheap drinks and the great DJ.
But I could do without the rest of the trimmings. Or maybe I'll just make sure to come back with an army of bodyguards next time!
Seriously? could my night get any better?! (actually, I had freshly fried apple fritters at Bob's… Read more »
Go! Go quickly to Tunnel Top!
Be sure to get there before 11:00 PM to enjoy the understated beauty of a two story low-lit bar with exposed wooden beams and an unaffected laid back vibe.
Be sure to order a sidecar because they take the time to do it right.
Be sure to bring some cash unless you want the surreal experience of running over to the laundromat across the street to use the ATM. Bright lights Mogwai!
Then leave! Leave before 11:00 when the DJ starts to crank up the music. That music acts as a Siren's song to the popped collar crew and all of a sudden you realize that you must leave and leave you must because this is not the same bar you entered only hours before. Who says change is good?
This place is an awesome 4 star place when you catch it when it is in chill mode. It is a 2 star place after the DJ gets going.
This spot has got the right price for drinks ($6 per sidecar...made very well). Its got a chill, laid back mood w/ couches! You get some time to take in the sweet wine bottle chandelier. Some not so common liquors on the bar keeps things fresh and interesting (try out the Damrak gin if you are into lighter flavored gins). I didn't have anything off their specialty cocktail list, but it looked scrumptious (there was a watermelon drink!). My only complaint about this place as a chill bar is that they only had 1 bartender working on a Saturday night...(like, for serious?)
This place converted to a 2 star place as soon as the music picked up, and the douche crowd assaulted it. I totally didn't know how this happened with such speed and efficiency. Me and 2 mates are hanging out, having a chill conversation, and then the music got spontaneously louder. Weird. As I turn around to see why like 2 minutes later, I notice that the area behind me is packed to the brim with douche!! WTF!
Honestly, the only explanation I can think of is that they have a setup similar to Captain kangaroo somewhere. But instead of pulling on a string and getting a bunch of ping pong balls dropped on your head, the DJ pulls on a string and drops a bunch of hair gel, axe body spray, and sunglasses on every entering patron.
Went to Tunnel Pop based on a friend's recommendation while we were in SF for the Outside Lands Fest in Aug. We went there on a Thursday night and it wasn't too crowded or anything, but there were still a good amount of people there.
I enjoyed myself very much while we were there. The drinks there are dirt cheap compared to most bars anywhere. 4 drinks only cost me 20 bucks is allllllriiight w/ me. The only downer is that its a cash bar only, so I had to go downstairs to Stockton to this liquor store to get some cash. Other than that, Tunnel Pop is an awesome place to go to get some cheap, STRONG drinks and chill out.
I was reminded last Friday evening why I once loved the Tunnel Top. It had been a good 2-3 years since I had last visited and am now feeling a tad bit of remorse for having waited so long to revisit.
The DJ was awesome, spinning some great hip hop. Lately I haven't been able to find happenin' bars that play hip hop so my brain automatically went in to "fun" mode when I heard those great beats.
They have some really great and strong drinks in which they use fresh ingredients for. I ordered a raspberry mojito and was not disappointed.
I love that they have an upstairs area as well. It's nice to be able to switch levels and enjoy a small change of scenery. I imagine it'd be great if you're trying to ditch somebody too...not that I would do that or anything!
Good clean fun.
I enjoy tunnel top.
Divey place for Jack and cokes.
Went on a pub crawl and I remember it being loud and I think a DJ was playing CDs of thumpy repetitive drums that barely qualifies as music.
Whatever. I see why some people like it.
I feel like a Lego Man in a toy set dive bar w/ DJ.
2 floors, little space to get your boogie on... Tunnel Top a true listening lounge.
And don't come here if you're gonna just text all night or you will get kicked out. Nah I'm playin' =)
This place is fairly small and gets really crowded, but it somehow holds my heart for both meeting interesting characters and the effort my bartender took into squeezing the fresh watermelon into my mojito...It's an easy walk from downtown, so catching a cab home is fine...nice place to go on Sat. night if you want a noisy bar scene w/ pals but w/o obnoxious drunk kids..More of an older, work crowd and plenty of single professionals..
Oh. I get it. It's on top of the tunnel. How clever.
This place is ghetto and cash only (and it looks like the ATM has been out of service forever). The bartender is nice, the shots are stiff, and there are movies playing on a big screen mounted on the wall between the main level and the mezzanine. The bar, in general, smells like toilet... but that could be due to the fact that I was seated right at the top of the stairs probably right above the bathroom. Still, it was a bad smell.
This is definitely a spot for professional drinkers. Small, dirty, cheap. When I turn pro, if I am living somewhere nearby in the City, you may just see this review jump to 4 or 5. Until then, I'll stop in for a quick one if, say, I'm standing out front and I'm thirsty and I happen to have some cash, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way.
Hint: there's an ATM across the street at the laundromat that gives out $10 bills.
I came in here as the last stop of a bar crawl. I never would have come in here on my own.
I was grouped up with a girl I met on the crawl and we came in here together. We walked in and the first thing we saw was a spiky blond haired dude wearing a super tight T-shirt that he probably bought at baby gap so he could show off the "gun show". I turned my companion and said, "this place seems kind of date rapey" and she laughed.
We went in a little further and noticed they had one of those big boards of custom cocktails but they were reasonably priced, $6 instead of the usual $9-$11. An idea went off like a skyrocket in my head! I love green apple flavor and I'd wanted to try an Appletini for years. I rarely go to the kind of bar where they'd make one of those and wouldn't ever order something like that while out with my friends because they'd razz the hell out of me.
I ordered my Appletini and the bartender said "what?" I repeated my order and he made it for me but before he gave it to me he asked, "Is that it?" as if surely I wanted a beer and that girly drink was for someone else. As far as I can tell an Appletini is just vodka and apple pucker, it was alright, I'd just order it on rocks in the future to get it in a regular glass if I had the urge to try it again. The girl I was hanging out with thought the whole thing was hilarious, from me being insecure about ordering the drink to the bartender's reaction.
We noticed that people upstairs were dancing and the girl I was with wanted to check it out. I told her that I wasn't nearly drunk enough to dance but I probably could muster one of those 80's white boy dances, I showed her and she laughed some more. We went up the stairs and saw a group of the most rhythmically challenged people dancing away without a care to Reggaeton. If you want to dance but are concerned that you may look foolish this is the place for you!
This falls into the file of places I'd go if other people really wanted to but would never choose it on my own.
I live right up the hill from here, so I've given this place quite a few chances to prove itself... When I first moved to Nob Hill, I didn't even know this place was a bar. It just looked like a shitty old building from the outside. It wasn't until I heard music blaring one night that I figured out it was a bar. Since then, I've stopped by for both happy hour and late night bar-hopping... and I'm just not sold on it, which saddens me because I would love to have a great neighborhood dive bar one block from my apartment. I think the thing I dislike most about Tunnel Top is that each time I've ordered a cocktail off the menu, they're always out of the ingredients. So, I end up getting beer, which isn't a bad thing because they stock Chimay and Hoegaarden.
The atmosphere is pretty chill, and at night they light tons of candles on the stairs and tables. The bottom floor has the bar and bathrooms while the upstairs mezzanine has a few tables for sitting and chatting (if you can hear over the music). It gets pretty stuffy on both levels at night. Hanging from the ceiling is a massive chandelier made of beer bottles. There isn't really one "type" of person that hangs out here, so you get a decent mix of people, which also varies depending on the night.
I guess it's decent overall. Not my favorite place in Nob Hill/ Union Square, but I'll come back on nights when I'm too lazy to walk further to another bar.
Okay this bar/lounge is dope. It's so cutty but once you get inside subsequently you will realize it's like a contemporary taveran except cooler b/c it has a low light candle-lit lofty atmosphere, it's over a tunnel, they had a random projector displaying on the wall, you can drink downstairs, and shake what ya mama gave you upstairs to the cuts that the DJ spins consistantly interesting. Definitely worth experiencing once in the area.
Great spot.
Located pretty conveniently between the downtown club district and Russian Hill/North Beach areas. Always a pretty decent crowd, reasonable drink prices, and a nice loft space for dancing or chilling.
Pros:
No cover.
Decently priced drinks.
Super awesome and friendly bartenders.
Space to hang out downstairs, space to dance in the loft.
Fun music from the DJ.
Cons:
Not close to any other fun bars! Makes bar-hopping an extended drunken challenge.
DJ does the whole MTV thing where he keeps changing the songs before you get time to really enjoy them.
Observations:
Isn't it sort of a not-great idea to put the bar counter directly beneath a balcony where drunk people are likely to spill stuff over the edge?.. Anyway, I'm just sayin.
Overall: Fun spot to go start at when you can't decide on a place.
This is a coo spot. Always end up coming here when the original plan has failed miserably...good music, strong drinks, and the upstairs lounge is pretty tight. I DON'T KNOW WHY WE DIDN'T COME HERE INSTEAD OF LITTLE BAOBAB LAST WEEK RISS!!!
Next time I'm just gonna suggest we make this the destination instead of just when something else hasn't worked out. No more Broken Record. No more Little Baobob. No more Skylark!
Name says it all...it's located at the top of the tunnel.
Went to Tunnel Top for Happy Hour on a Thursday with a few friends about a month ago, yeah yeah...i know I'm late. My first impression was...wow, this place is pretty small. From all the reviews I've read, I expected more than just a narrow bar, and a narrow staircase that led to a small and narrow balcony. Nonetheless, it was still a good time with strong, yummy drinks, good friends, and glasses trail mix.
Drinks to try:
Blackberry Mojito, Watermelon Gimlet on the rocks.
There were 2 cons.
1)Tunnel Top only accept CASH and they don't have an ATM in the bar. I had to cross the street and get cash from the ATM in the laundry mat. The cash comes out in $10 bills which was different.
2) They don't serve bar food...except for the cup of trail mix that I had to ask the bartender for. Nut shots....that's what they are called...hahah!
Would I go back? Of Course!
This bar is in a cool location (right about the Stockton tunnel) and the set up is awesome - the upstairs is a perfect place for chat and cocktails! They had unique drinks that all hit the spot. Definitely work checking out.
I've been dying to go here. I love the two story atmosphere, that is until some jerk "spilled" his drink and it splashed all of us at the bar. But the bartender and bouncer were totally on top of it right away. No shenanigans here!
The DJ wasn't the regular one apparently but it was still fun, you just have to really really want to hear "Womanizer" and "American Boy" and "Get Low" for 10 minutes each. "You're not getting low! I'm going to play this until you ALL get low!"
Good times. Will definitely be back. I like the location, the view, the people, the atmosphere, the bottle chandelier.
I LOVE this bar. It's definitely one of my favorites in SF. It's pretty divey and you always meet interesting characters every time you go. I know that they used to allow cigarettes inside as long as you were upstairs (this doesn't necessarily matter to me as it's been exactly a year since I QUIT-woo hoo).
They have a pretty good happy hour special and good comfortable seating upstairs. They have a DJ at night, so it's pretty mint for dancing, etc with your girlfriends. The drink prices are pretty decent, too.
I woke up this morning with a debit card stuck to the side of my face. Thankfully, it was mine, so I can still say I haven't sold my body for money - although there ARE a few Spring Break memories that remain debatable.
My arms were intimately curled around last night's drunken hook-up: my laptop computer.
Sh*t. I sleep-shopped again.
Tunnel Top is trouble with two capital T's. Warm environment, friendly bartenders eager to pour drinks, music to shimmy to, and a cash-only policy that causes some (me) to tuck their debit card back into their purse shamefully and flirt with cash-carrying boys shamelessly.
Market street is a downhill walk from T.T., which makes getting home a snap. Last night (technically this morning), after enjoying libations with my co-workers and listening to an all-female DJ line-up, I teetered down the hill in my black patent heels and hailed a chariot (disguised as a yellow kidnapper van) in no time.
Bottom line? I might have only spent $10 on cheap drinks last night , but evidence suggests I later blew $250 on jeans that are the same kind and SAME SIZE that Angelina Jolie wears.
Thanks to Express Shipping (drunk Janney gets impatient), I'll be able to go back to this bar in three-to-five business days and say, "Tunnel Top, meet Muffin Top."
Fun place! Decent prices. The DJ was pretty good.
My favorite bar in the city hands down. The Tunnel Top has produced so many memorable nights for me, which is ironic because I end up leaving that place in a drunken stupor while asking my friends what happened the previous night!
It features the essentials for an SF bar: good music, eclectic mix of people, and of course, Fernet. The downstairs bar area can be a little cramped if it gets too crowded, but there's always the upstairs. The upstairs area adds a little twist to your bar experience. The benches along the wall provide a good amount of seating, while the walkways leading up to the dj booth also make it a great place to get down or just people watch. The crowd is generally energized, so you're definitely going to have a fun evening no matter what time you go. The DJs play a good blend of music, some nights playing old school hip-hop and other nights playing some funky house. I personally love the hip-hop, because they play stuff you won't generally hear at the gaudy big clubs.
You can come here for happy hour, or you can go there for a late night party and drink to the good, the bad, and the ugly (definitely the ugly). Tunnel Top is the sh*t. I feel like going there now....
Tunnel Top is a great little hip-hop bar -no that's not it...hmm.
Tunnel Top is a bit of a hipster mecca not far from Union Square that -er no, not really...
Tunnel Top is a cute little dive bar that oh well, wait a sec, that can't be right...
Tunnel Top serves up some of the best blackberry mojitos in town and you can really shake your groove thing here. Right? Almost? Oh.
Tunnel Top is a two-level club-like but sort of divey bar that serves blackberry mojitos which has a tiny area for dancing and conveniently located cushioned stools. It's a great spot for hipsters/marina peeps/students/geeks/thugs/punks/anyone. Not only that, but it's a laundromat. No, wait, it just smells like one...why is this so complicated??
-1 star for the lack of air circulation upstairs - get more fans up there!
Tunnel Top never fails to satisfy me. We went here again for the husband's birthday. This time it was supposed to be a low key happy hour. As always, the drinks at TT never fail us. All of us were nicely buzzed and a few were sloppy drunks. Again, I love their prices. $7 for a strawberry mojito. Beers were only $3. How can you not love Tunnel Top.
After our fantabulous meal at Bar Crudo, we stopped into Tunnel Top to mellow out, wait for our… Read more »
I'd never expect this place to be as chill as it was. You can pass the boarded up door and would never think that this is where all the cool people hang out. Conveniently located next to Sutter/Stockton garage makes it easy to meet friends. It's a tad small, but that's what makes it so cozy - a neighborhood bar of sorts.
Price wise, cheapest liquor I've seen around town. $5-6 for jack vs $8-9 you'll see around town. Can I get a hell yeah!
This place is a girly girl place. That is, similar to Cantina, these guys can whip up interesting cocktails. Gonna have to come back on a regular weekday.
This is one of, if not my absolute, favorite bar in the city. I've never had a bad time here.
First, hit up the ATM because they only accept CASH. Then order your first drink and notice how strong and cheap it is. They also always have blueberry vodka, which I love.
The bar has this awesome chandelier made out of wine bottles. There is a hanging DJ stand and an upstairs with a couch and some chairs and a balcony with seating that looks over the bar. It can get very crowded on certain nights but even when it's crowded, the crowd is pretty cool.
It is literally located right over the Stockton Tunnel, but don't try running down the stairs to make-out with someone in private because it always smells like urine down there.
Great little bar.
Crowd: younger people of all sorts (of age, of course).
Drinks: reasonably priced, neat selection of house cocktails, but knocked one star because my drink was not very strong, and nor were my friends'. :(
Service: fast
Ambiance: a contemporary take on divey with a delightfully imposing front door, love the alcohol storage behind the bar in the window.
Bartenders were lighting incense and sticking it around the bar while yelling to each other in French. Mash this up with the spirit of San Francisco and you have Tunnel Top.
You know, I read the reviews on here before I was dragged to this place and rolled my eyes, because, yet again, I was going to another 'divey' bar in the city. I was pleasantly surprised, it was a little schwanke inside with some charm and a cool atmosphere. I wasn't too stoked on being crushed against the bar, but I guess that's what you get on a Friday at 10. I was with a bunch of fussy ladies and we all had different drinks, and the bartender didn't get pissy or anything, which I wouldn't have blamed him for at all.
I was a little too inebriated to try going upstairs, but I wanted to. I guess that means I'll have to go back. Maybe much later.
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: Union Square
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Lounges
Neighborhood: Union Square
Category: Dive Bars
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