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Wild Side West
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 2 pm - 2 am
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Wed, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
194 reviews for Wild Side West
Review Highlights
"Rumor has it Janis Joplin got down on the pool table."
(in 31 reviews)
"The back patio is so beautiful and interesting."
(in 20 reviews)
"The beer garden is awesome for so many reasons."
(in 10 reviews)
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194 reviews in English
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Review from Pammy S.
San Francisco, CA
1/7/2012
Loves this place. Cool. fun. great outdoor area. and free drinks for sexy me..... hayyyy!!
xo
P -
Review from Alex L.
1/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
I was told many times before my arrival at Wild Side West that this is a lesbian bar. It was as if I was supposed to prepare for a public castration by a roomful of women dressed like the "Girl with a Dragon Tattoo." What I encountered here was quite the opposite. Maybe it was because it was relatively early for a Saturday, but the large majority of folks there were men. Everyone I encountered, whether friend or stranger, was straight. This retaught me the valuable lesson of never judging a book by its cover. I've been to many gay and lesbian bars in my day and the folks are some of the friendliest and welcoming I've known.
I enjoyed a couple different refreshing draft beers while lounging around a large round table in the center. It was freezing cold outside and on the verge of raining, but you would have never known from the bar's the warm and cozy interior. They even had a nice little back patio.
Bernal Heights is one of my favorite little SF neighborhoods, so I can almost guarantee that I'll be back soon.Listed in: Best DIves, Best Brew Selections, Nightlife, Soused Badge!, Drinking San Francisco
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Review from Mayra L.
San Francisco, CA
10/17/2011
1. Owned by lesbians (heart)
2. awesome amazing back patio for those Indian summer nights
3. cheap beer and drinks
4. pinball and pool table
5. just far away from the Mission to be less Hipsterific (They're all to busy at the Knock out) and a more chill, laid back crowd
They have a great jukebox too. -
Review from Mason D.
Hayward, CA
1/29/2012
To the owner of the Wild Side West~ Do you know how much $$ you're losing by continuing to employ such a rude bartender?Yes,the redhead.The last time I visited I stopped tipping her after two drinks.Why reward such sh*tty and condescending service with my hard earned cash?Very cool patrons,great patio,horrible service.Never encountered such a depressing and sullen bartender in my life.TOTAL BUZZKILL.I will NOT be back no matter how badass your patio is and I'll advise my friends to do the same.Toodles:-)
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Review from Nick B.
San Francisco, CA
9/24/2011
After an epic fail at the club I whipped out Yelp mobile and pulled up this little gem for our party completely due to Mike D.'s fantabulous review.
A lesbian bar with a beer garden, a pool table, and a pinball machine? Okay he had me with just pinball.
This is a great bar. Maybe it was just the culture shock of going from an overcrowded club to a smaller venue. But really nothing to dislike here. I guess the best way to describe this place is it just feels like SF. Just a nice vibe and good peoples.
The only downside to the evening was when we lost our dates to a group of girls who were having a lot of fun. It is a good story, but those darn Yelp rules prevent me from sharing it in this review!Listed in: Clubs, Bars, and Dives
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Review from Margaret p.
San Jose, CA
12/18/2011
cool and comfortable. would love to come back when it's warmer and hang on the ah-mazing back patio. until then, I'll enjoy the decor, jukebox, and strong drinks
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Review from Love V.
Oxnard, CA
9/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
I like the environment, the people, and the vibe. But that damn red head bartender was such a bitch! Made me feel like I was bothering her when I ordered a drink.
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Review from rew c.
Santa Rosa, CA
1/25/2011
Love this place - yes it is a Lesbian bar, everyone is cool and would like to keep it that way. Certain bartenders are exceptionally cool and make a great cocktail.
One time I was in here with friends and 10 strippers came in to hang out and have a pow wow on the top back porch - wow great pow wow!! -
Review from Karen N.
San Francisco, CA
2/27/2011
The thing that sets Wild Side West apart is the big beer garden in the back and the cool collection of tunes and pool table in the front.
The beer garden is awesome for so many reasons. It's big and has lots of little nooks and crannies for groups to assemble and have some intimacy. Christmas lights, statues and little waterfalls create a pretty romantic ambience.
The inside isn't too bad either, as previously mentioned, the jukebox has ample tunes for your listening pleasure and there's a pool table for the folks that need a little activity.
I'm definitely returning to this bar when the weather gets a bit nicer so I can enjoy the great patio. -
Review from Mike D.
San Francisco, CA
11/15/2010
Ah, yes, the Wild Side West. : )
The beating, drinking heart of Bernal Heights, the Wild Side West is a seriously funktastic place of wonder that never fails to satisfy. Unless, of course, you are a straight guy trying to meet a straight girl, cause this place is also the beating heart of SF lesbian drinking culture (yeah yeah, lexington, whateves) and your Game prolly won't pull much weight here. (Not to say it is impossible to meet straight women here, it is just statistically less likely.)
Anyhoo, the most fabulous thing about the WSW (aside from the killer people, hi Jan!) is the beer garden, which is out back and DOWN THE STAIRS. Musicians often jam out under the big upstairs patio (you may find me here on occation), and the sprawling beer garden fills the back space with what seems to be 100's of little nooks and grottoes for private conversation.
The jukebox, which used to play a strict rotation of Janis, Eminem, and Missy Elliot has been updated to one of the internet equiped everysongintheknownuniverse kind of deals, which is cool. Much cooler than Janis, sorry to say, but hey, to each their own.
Speaking of Janis, she had sex on the pool table. True Fact!
Fireplace: so so good on those cold San Francisco days and nights in the winter. And the summer. and the spring. And the fall.
Some of the bartenders are cooler than others. Mister Nancy is a personal favorite, but a few of the other good ones were sacked/left when the place changed hands recently. Thus the 4 stars and not 5. Love this place, can't say I am much for the new management. BUT... they do care about the place in their own way and didn't sell the place for scrap wood and condos when SF lesbian icon/bar owner Pat passed away recently. I do have to say that painting over the mural on the back wall was a major fuck-up. Billie... WTF?
On a historical note, it is important to recognize that 30-40 years ago, lesbians were marginalized and maligned to an even greater extent than gay men, and that Pat and her partner Nancy put their necks on the line and their hearts and souls into a safe, positive place for lesbian women, by lesbian women. This place drew all kinds of fire from bigots for many years, and the big front windows were broken so many times by haters that they were eventually just covered up, and remain so to this day. The Wild Side West is not just a great neighborhood bar, but it is the heart of a community and really represents the best of the spirit which has made San Francisco what it is today. -
Review from Jenny C.
Fremont, CA
9/8/2011
We came here to try something a little different - and oh boy was it different! The good: a lot of ladies bought me free drinks all night! The bad: usually they wanted something in return. Oh well, no such thing as a totally free drink I guess.
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Review from Ed B.
Redwood City, CA
9/28/2011
Nice broad selection of beers and drinks -- great garden in the back, nice neighborhood in the city
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Review from Joseph H.
San Francisco, CA
11/24/2010
4.5 stars.
This somewhat clubby dive-ish bar is frequented by a mixture of locals, lesbians, and lesbian locals. It's almost always quiet enough for relaxed conversation (exception being major sporting events).
There is a huge overgrown garden backyard with seating nooks which is totally awesome when the weather permits.
The first time you walk in you'll immediately feel like you're missing the secret handshake, but that'll pass quickly if you're reasonably polite and civilized.
Whether WSW seems like a lesbian bar or a neighborhood bar varies depending on the day and hour. Straight guys are a common sight although this is probably not the best place in town to hang out in hopes of meeting a single straight girl.
The "competing" bars across the street really don't do anything for me but I do dig WSW. -
Review from Christina C.
San Francisco, CA
9/17/2010
I was there once, and although I didn't buy a lot of drinks to really know prices, etc. it was an interesting little location to hang out with gay-friendly people. I remember there are a lot of places around there too to get food etc. when you're buzzed and needing food
PS I don't really like the atmosphere as a gay bar. Being queer, I didn't find it very inviting in that sense; it just seemed like it just so happened there were a few gays in that place, not that it was specifically a gay location. The bathroom was really small too. -
Review from Kate K.
Chicago, IL
5/16/2010
I had an interesting experience at this bar. While I went there with the intention of hanging at a bar with hot girls nearer my own age than I could find at the Lex - what ended up happening was that I was maybe one of five or six queer women in a bar that was hoppin' with SF yuppies.
Weird.
But: I do love this bar. The old-timey dive-ness of it is friggin' awesome. Their back patios and gardens are really awesomely pretty (though they close at 11pm, which is a bummer). The bartenders are hot, nice and good at conversation... not to mention they give you free chips occasionally if you have been sitting there long enough...
And, then there was Ms. Claire - whom my friend Liz and I had the great pleasure of talking with for the majority of the evening. We discussed queer politics, art, lit, music, people being too obsessed with cell phones and computers and the rarity of true love...
Between Amaris, Ms. Nancy and Claire the evening - while not what we had expected - ended up being pretty awesome...
Good stuff, Wild Side West. Next time I'll wear my bedazzled cowboy hat... Yee-haw, Towanda Jane! -
Review from David K.
San Francisco, CA
8/19/2010
I love me a lesbian dive bar. Great backyard on this one. It's a trek, for sure, from Petaluma to Bernal Heights, but definitely one I'll make again. Cheap pool table, HD TV, friendly bar tender.
I can't wait to return.Listed in: Great Spots in SF
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Review from Jon B.
6/20/2010
Cheap drinks. Not so friendly staff. Tiny bathroom.
I came here to meet up with some people who were getting together for a drink after work on someone's last day. It's a block away from where they all work, so the venue was chosen for convenience.
I really didn't like it much here. When you walk in you notice an odd smell in the place. Not quite BAD, but very distracting. Kinduv an "old" smell.
I sat down at the bar and waited for the bartender to serve me. Now, I do know that this is a lesbian bar, and I didn't feel quite welcome here as a straight guy. Maybe Im imagining that, but if it wasn't because of my sexual preference, there was definitely some reason why the bartender wasn't very friendly towards me. She smiled and talked with other patrons that were either regulars, friends, or both, but wasn't nearly as friendly with me.
I tried to order a mojito because I had read on Yelp they were great here, but I was told they were out of mint. I asked the bartender if she had any other specialties, and she said she could make what tasted kinduv like an alcoholic Snapple. That sounded awesome, and I went for it. It was exactly as it was described, and was refreshing and delicious, not to mention strong. I was very polite the whole time, and even attempted to compliment the bartender on the drink, but just got a weak thanks without her even looking up at me.
Later when I wanted to play a game of pool, I waited around the bar a bit to ask the bartender for some change. After a while, she stopped where I was standing and looked at me with a questioning expression, and I asked for change, with a please, and when she gave it to me a thank you. The whole time she didn't say a single word or crack any semblance of a smile, only acknowledging the whole transaction by giving me what I asked for.
The bathrooms here are two tiny stalls out back, mens and womens next to each other. Kinda uncomfy. I had to step in on the side of the toilet in order to open and close the door. I'm sure it must get difficult for people that are drunk to get in and out.
The patrons here seemed nice enough, but the bartender made me feel very uncomfortable. Maybe knowing its a lesbian bar is making me confuse being unwelcome because of sexual preference with just plain bad customer service, I don't know. I doubt I will ever be back. -
Review from tinna h.
I consulted Yelp for a neighborhood bar with a patio when a friend of ours wanted to meet up and grab drinks on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It led us to Wild Side West, and as we approached the entrance, we knew we were in for a treat. One of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence was sitting there, collecting donations for breast cancer.
Inside, the DJ was mixing some fun dance music. The bartenders were friendly, and because of the breast cancer benefit, felt boobies of the chocolate and vanilla variety were for sale. Imagine walking up to bar and finding a random felt boobie on the bar while you decide what to order. OR being greeted by the bartender's felt boobie, strategically placed between her two real ones.
With several drinks in hand, we headed down the narrow steps to the backyard. Lots of nooks, crannies, and seating - plenty of space to just hang out. Seems to be a chill neighborhood bar, so we'll definitely be back. I'm holding onto that fifth star for subsequent visits!Listed in: ROTD here and there
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Review from Herra Chink y.
San Francisco, CA
10/2/2006
I'm literally brimming with excitement, I can barely contain myself. Because I think I have a new favorite bar in The City! Okay, okay, it's not my *favorite* (that one goes to my "Cheers" bar, i.e. The Orbit Room), but Wild Side West, I want you, I need you, please let me lick you like a spoon and mark you as my own.
You see, Wild Side West has everything I need in a bar. Down-to-earth patrons, friendly bartenders, kitsch-y decor, good STRONG cheap drinks, a cute outdoor patio for smoking, a fireplace, and THE KICKER - the round table next to the fireplace? It's an old SEWING MACHINE. Seriously, look at the base of the table. That's so sexy, it hurts.
I'm not a lesbian (although I wish I were sometimes) but I have fallen for a lesbian in the past. Like Rivers Cuomo, I lamented that everyone's a little queer, why couldn't she be a little straight? But enough about my depressing (and non-existent) love life, I just hope that gives me some dyke-cred. Patrons of Wild Side West, I'm sorry I have a penis, but please let me suckle the teat of your wonderful wonderful bar.Listed in: Thizzel Juice Dispensers, I Like Me., Are you da Ghhaaayy?
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Review from Drue C.
San Francisco, CA
7/23/2007
This bar is almost a lot of things;
It is almost a lesbian bar, but there are always enough straight people here to make you unsure
It is almost a neighborhood bar but there are enough people here who have clearly traveled from other corners of the city
It is almost a dive bar but the percent of its clientele that are career drinkers is not high enough
It almost provides great service, except when it doesn't
It is almost a good deal...the drinks are very strong, but a tad too expensive
It is almost a great place to hang out on a sunny day but there is seldom a steady stream of sunshine on their multi-level back patio
It has almost all of the things you want in terms of entertainment and ambiance; a pool table, a fireplace, a decent jukebox, old school cash register, kitchy decor and pinball, but people seldom utilize all of this to its full potential
Despite it being an "almost" bar (I didn't even know this sort of bar existed until started writing this review) it is still a great place in Bernal Heights to hang to with a few friends and quench your thirst.
Definitely worth checking out.
I am almost sure you will like it as much as I do.Listed in: Almost a dive bar, Bars with patios, I'm not gay, but my bar is.
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Review from poet d.
San Francisco, CA
5/6/2010
Last time I was at Wild Side West, I couldn't help but think to myself: "Nothing like walking into a lesbian bar and finding it full of men...."
Evidently, all walks of life enjoy this saloon. The very first time I went into Wild Side West I was a lesbian-bar-virgin and didn't have clue. The late 1800s nudes that adorn the walls got me up to speed pretty quick. The owner gave me a brief tour, rightfully proud of the lovely garden in the back. These days, while drinks are mixed by the bundle of energy that is the day bartender, I play a little pinball, or attempt a bit of Burt Bacharach on the upright piano. At this bar I've engaged in thoughtful political discussions with other patrons, watched one entertaining geriatric pool game, and caught an ep of The Barefoot Contessa on the flat screen. Very uncomplicated and relaxing. Best of the Heights. -
Review from Rosie W.
San Francisco, CA
6/17/2008
Yeah. Uhm. So I've been holding out on you. I know, you thought that since I'd been so opinionated... so caustic... you thought that meant I was an open book, so of course I'd already told you about my favorite place. I'm SO sorry but I just couldn't. I'm a conflicted Yelper with trust issues. Let's start with:
1) I don't know you. What if you're actually some chest bumper with frat manners? I can just hear you yelling backward as the lesbian bouncer hauls you out, "DUUUUUUDE! Rosie W. said this place was cool!" Which leads me to:
2) They know me here. OK, not THAT well, but Regina knows me. And she's pretty much the most professional, friendly booze ninja in this whole city. If you ruin that for me, I will be a sober nomad with nowhere to go. Which brings me to:
3) I live crawling distance from this place. It is my Regal Beagle. And when I'm here, I really can't talk to you. Because I am probably already drunk and boring the life out of some poor young lesbian who just got off the bus from Eugene and wanted to have some fun but now is stuck in a dead end conversation with a married chick. So you see, I am busy. Which brings me to:
4) This is a lesbian bar. That doesn't mean it's only for lesbians. That means if you get into an argument with a lesbian here, you lose. So you can hang out, but you are a guest and need to mind your ass. Which leads me to:
5) There's not a lot of room on the patio. This patio has been the fertile ground of many a fruitful conversation with my neighbors. It's my salon. My Algonquin Round Table. OK, sometimes it's just where I chain smoke and repeat myself (see #3). But there's not a lot of room and it's one of very few al fresco drinking spots in town with a wind guard.
I want this to work SO badly. So let's just agree that you won't thrust the door open and screw up someone's pool game, and you will say please and thank you and be friendly, and you will not hog the spots in front of the fireplace or on the patio. And you will never, ever put your cigarette out in the typewriter.
OK, we have a deal.Listed in: That Not-So-Fresh Feeling, Smokers Are Jokers!
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Review from megan w.
San Francisco, CA
12/15/2006
Heavy pours, lots of lesbians, and decor that looks like a musty attic (and also my dream living room.) If somebody threw Dire Straits' Money for Nothing on the CD player, it would be just like childhood. And lord knows the best bars remind you of childhood.
Also, they let me put my own honey in the hot toddy, which is about the best thing any bartender has ever done for me. After all, I'm an adult now; I can have as much honey as I want. -
Review from John T.
San Francisco, CA
11/6/2007
Every month or so, I pick an SF neighborhood I know very little about and just start walking. I always do this alone because I'm a rebel. Or because no one can stand my company, but that's a story for another review. This past Sunday, Bernal Heights was my chosen destination.
If you can get past the Mt. Kilamanjaro walk up Cortland Avenue from Mission Street, I guarantee you will find something here to suit your taste. A Cambodian restaurant? That's odd. Jesus Christ, there are a lot of dogs in this neighborhood; Michael Vick would love it here (just kidding). Wow, this video store (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) has almost everything from the Criterion Collection. I'll definitely come back here to get my Jane Campion on...that bitch can direct!!
Best of all, Bernal Heights is home to Wild Side West. I sat at the bar and struck up a conversation with two SF locals who invited me to join their group on the back patio. Have you been back there at night?? It's an OASIS! An OASIS of AWESOME! It's a little tricky traversing the stairs after 3 pear ciders though, so be careful.
5 Stars.
Note: My only complaint is that the jukebox sure does carry a lot of Indigo Girls and KD Lang tunes. I guess the owners really enjoy country western/folk music. That's the only explanation I can think of anyway. -
Review from gwynnie p.
San Francisco, CA
9/27/2007
I had forgotten what a cozy and comforting place the Wild Side is. Last night was a slow Wednesday, and WSW provided a great place to catch up with an old friend, with another old friend tending bar.
Good beers on tap. Pool. Fire. Outdoors. Juke. Perfect.
Don't get over to Bernal too often but the Wild Side is worth a detour any night or day. -
Review from Emily P.
Bronx, NY
5/14/2011
Awesome people, rad decor, incredible backyard, Janis Joplin's pool table. 'nuff said.
I only wish this place were in my neighborhood. -
Review from Karen S.
2/2/2011 10 Check-ins Here
Love this spot!!! Even more so now that the sun is showing it's face again 'round these parts.... making it an oh so lovely idea to be outside more...morning, noon and night!!! Besides being a fun little bar with a rockin' jukebox (a crony told me it's now one of those fancy shmancy satellite jukes) the bartenders are mostly awesome (there a couple of standoffish ones that will give you the stink eye the first 2-3 times you go then it's all good and they will make your drinks EXTRA (tres boozy) yummy!! Kat is the bomb!!! Tina F (we miss you!!) Anyway, a very stellar crew, mixed clientele although the Wild Side is officially a ladies who like ladies bar! One of the first actually, in SF!
Wild Side has been in Bernal for 30+ years now! When it first opened (by Nancy and Pat) patrons would frequently find themselves getting hassled/heckled and a couple times a month the owners would find their front windows smashed in!!! The solution? Stop replacing 'em! Which is why even to this day, there are no front windows, artfully boarded up you could say...with just a friendly swingin' door (that goes both ways) to welcome you! CAUTION: Don't go bustin' in the front door too quickly, or you may hit the backside of one of the folks playing pool! (I've been on both sides of the equation and depending on your level of inebriation can alternately be hilarious or obnoxious...you've been warned and besides, you don't want to start off on the wrong foot now, do you? Of course not!!! = )
Ahem, so this place has a pool table, great juke, fun bartenders, a diverse clientele that is there to have a blast...what else?? So glad you asked! This place has the...BEST...backyard I have ever experienced at a bar!! Better than your Uncle Bob's patio, better than many beer gardens in Munich...this here patio/yard has like...4-5 levels??? You walk out the back door and you're on a cool deck with a few seats...you go down a couple of steps and there's a nifty nook with a table and 5-6 chairs and a bench...trot down a few more steps...green trees, flowering bushes and a cozy seating area for 4 ...a little gazebo and swing and miscellaneous chairs...journey further and there's a stretch of lawn, more trees for lounging and lollygagging about on the lawn or chairs...it's really cool if you want to get some fresh air, smoke, plot a coup, make out or swap stock tips or recipes!!! AND this place has some pretty swell bbq's during football season!!! If bbq isn't your thing, you're easy walking distance from great restaurants....Vino Rosso, Liberty Cafe, Little Nepal, Piqueo's, Moki's to name a few!
On 2nd thought, forget what I said, it's really not that great here (hoping that the place won't be inundated with people...I like to think of it as perk of hanging in Bernal and being in the know!!! (~_~) Alright, just kidding...stop on by and.....
......."Take a walk on the wild side!!" (Where's a clip of Lou Reed singing when you need one? = ) -
Review from Josua P.
San Francisco, CA
4/27/2006
The first time I went to this bar I was meeting someone and was fairly new to Bernal Heights. So as I sat there patiently waiting and drinking I thought to myself, "Man, there's a lot chicks in this place." I don't recall exactly, but I may have been the only dude there. /Stage whisper/ "The Wild Side is a lesbian bar!"
That's cool. I've been back many times and have never gotten a man-hater vibe and there's actually a pretty mixed crowd. There's a pool table, a patio out back and a grandma's attic/lumberjack decor. Friendly laid back atmosphere.
The Wild Side West, where you don't need to be lesbian to have fun, but it'd be more fun if you were.Listed in: Lesbians, dogs and babies.
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Review from Jennifer s.
San Francisco, CA
3/5/2008
This place is perfect for an event or large party.
I was recently here for the Benefit for the Boob.
Lots of really cool people and entertainment.
Plus they have a lovely patio and backyard.
Bartenders are a friendly bunch.
A destination place for a warm sunny day. -
Review from Andi T.
9/14/2006
OK, call me a hater, but I have to say it... I love a dive bar and especially love a gay dive bar. I really, really want to love the WWW. It's nearby, it's kitschy, it's neighborhood-ish and queer-friendly. You can bring a group of folks here and get spots at the pool table pretty quickly, your songs come up on the jukebox in a reasonable amount of time, and there's a backyard and a fireplace.
But there's just something that's a little off. Maybe it's the fact that you have to wait forever to get a drink from the surly chick behind the bar. Maybe it's that the drinks should be just a titch cheaper for the venue. Maybe it's the rats in the backyard. I can't say.
I'll go here if you're buying the first and second rounds or I haven't seen you in a while. Or if it's a sunny weekend afternoon. Otherwise, let's go somewhere else. -
Review from Dorothy S.
San Francisco, CA
7/18/2008
Okay, before I continue on with my reviews of Chicago establishments, I had to write a quick review for Wild Side West since I paid this awesome place a visit last night with a couple of friends.
Wild Side West is the ish, yo! Seriously, the bartenders are awesome. The people are friendly and it totally beats the Lex, by far! My friend bar tends there and I actually ran into her and it was so nice to feel welcome. My friend and her girlfriend had an equally great experience because the entire vibe was incredibly chill.
The coolest part is that they don't give anyone problems, which is so great. They've got a nice little patio out back with benches and the cutest dangling lights for ambiance. Seriously, it's one of the best bars I've been too with a completely chill vibe. -
Review from Jennifer F.
Arcata, CA
8/12/2007
I love the outside patio. It's such a contrast to the bar...with rambling vines and cozy little tables. Inside is laid back random funky with flashbacks to the 70s (and before) here and there.
Haven't been there in a while, but the last couple times I went the bartender was friendly (and cute), the company was friendly (and cute), and I felt relaxed and happy with my honey (who is, again, friendly and cute).
Good place for a kick-back time. -
Review from jason l.
San Francisco, CA
9/3/2007
I wish I was just a little bit better with my bike.
I wish riding up to the top of Cortland were a casual thing, a "Oh, you know- just rode up Cortland... what're you up to?" kind of thing. If it were, I would do all my studying and homework in the back yard of Wild Side West. It feels like someone took my favorite stuff about Texas backyards (minus the barbeque), and moved it to San Francisco. And then offered me a beer.
I heart WWS forever. -
Review from Sita B.
San Francisco, CA
9/28/2006
Gorgeous.
Simply because it attracts the most laid-back honest mix of unpretentious folks in the city. The Fireplace is laden with shoes and there's always someone playing a not-so serious round of pool. Drinks are cheap and standard. But the real magic happens out on the back patio. Someone's always strumming a guitar, lighting a cigarette, telling a story. It's sunny during the day and lit with twinkling lights at night. Everybody I've taken here loves it--yes even straight guys AND lesbians. How many places can you say that about? This is my current favorite bar in the city. -
Review from Kimmie Q.
Alameda, CA
4/5/2010
Cheap brewskies, large selection on tap - including Anchor Steam, fire place, pool table - local teams play here as well, lush backyard and deck.
This would be a great place to go to with a group of friends on a lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon to enjoy their backyard area. They close it off a little earlier during the weeknights to be respectful to their neighbors. -
Review from Abby W.
Alameda, CA
2/21/2007
Wild Side West is, by far, the best place to drink outside in San Francisco. Their back patio is a little hetero-friendly lesbian wonderland in my sunny neighborhood. It is absolutely perfect!
As far as the inside goes, it's getting a little too smelly. Husband and I walked by last night and there was a curious smell emanating from inside. I don't know, it was like a combo of booze-soaked floor, backed up toilet, and bleach. Not good. Even still, that back patio is amazing. I'll take it over Zeitgeist any day!Listed in: Bernoe Mission
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Review from Keith B.
Denver, CO
10/18/2006
This bar has a great back yard and cool atmosphere. I wish I could go there again but the staff was so unbelievably rude that I have to give it one star.
I went there on a week night with a friend. When we got there and ordered a drink there were 3 people behind the bar but only one person doing anything and we were ignored for several minutes. I was a little annoyed but I thought "hey, it's a week night, everyone seems to be in a good mood, I'll roll with it".
My friend and I finally got our beers and went out back to drink. A while later the bar tender came by and told us to bring our own glasses back up since we were such jerks....WTF??? I asked her what she was talking about and she laid into us about how we were so rude when we were waiting for our drinks. Neither us us had any idea what she was talking about. She thought we had complained about waiting so long (obviously she realized we had and felt sensitive about it).
The only thing we could figure out was that we had been talking about a race my friend was going to run and she somehow pickup up "it's about time" as complaining to her.
In any case, nothing we said made any difference to her or anyone else working at the bar. As local customers clearly we were wrong and not worth listening to.
So if you go to this place, make sure you kiss the staff's butt or you may find yourself being attacked. -
Review from Erica H.
Sweden, ME
10/9/2007
We decided to go here because a lesbian friend of mine was in town and she wanted to see a little of the SF lesbian scene. This was our third stop on our LGBT SF tour for her. And by far, the most action was happening here on a Saturday night. It was cozy and inviting.
So we walked in and the gal at the pool table seemed friendly, really friendly. I think she was a regular. We saw her kissing another woman about half an hour later. Then my friend decided that she wanted to send a photo of herself kissing a woman to her girlfriend back home. So she was making out at the bar with this same pool table woman and snapping a photo with her phone. Hey, whatever turns you on, right?
There definitely seemed to be some affection goin' on in this place. So, I would say that if you are a lesbian, or bi-curious even, you have a good chance of getting some action at this place. Or at least getting a date.
I really liked the fireplace with shoes on it.
It is fine to go into this place as a heterosexual couple. Though guys might be a little jealous of (or maybe turned on by?) their girlfriends getting all the attention from other women.
Enjoy the people watching! -
Review from Jodie H.
Dublin, CA
10/25/2011
I was there about 7 yearas ago and i just remember really liking the atmosphere. I live out in the tri valley know so its a littel far to go for a drink. However if you live in the city go there
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Review from Addyline L.
Raleigh, NC
9/29/2010
Go for the enchanting back patio filled with huge windchimes, creepy maniquins, old porch swings and large, stone frogs.
You can catch the sunset and have a drink and it is so dang magical.
