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Fantastic Patio. Great mojitos. But this is not why this place gets 5 stars.
Want to know why this place gets five stars?
They have a jukebox that actually has a nice selection of the music of BJORK.
That, in and of itself, is worth five stars!
The back patio is so beautiful and interesting. Like the Secret Garden, but with booze and cigarettes.
This place also has super cheap beer. $2 for PBR - score!
I like the decor inside and the bartenders too. Also they have a pool table, although it's kind of cramped for a decent game.
I first started to go here for whiskey drinking on Sunday nights after our weekly vegan vampire dinner parties. The folks there for Sunday night pool scene were always very friendly and tollerant of my obnoxious behavior and foul language.
Later on I discovered WildSide's utility for day drinking. They have a back garden where one can take full advantage of Bernal Height's superior (for SF) weather. As a straight man, I recommend you order something foo foo and girly to really catch the vibe of the afternoon in the garden.
The bar maid has always been legit; she didn't even bat an eyelash when my friend rudely interrogated her about the quality of her bloody Marys.
Unfortunately their juke box only has one song from the Kick album, and its Never Tear Us Apart. Bummer!
This place is low key, friendly, eclectic and a great neighborhood bar. Love the garden!!
Perfect neighborhood bar that also happens to be 75% lesbian. Very chill place with a cozy feel. I've never seen it crowded but there is always a few people. You can play pool or go hang out in there weird statue/beer garden which is delightful. Unlike traditional beer gardens its cluttered with trees and halfassed folk art creates nooks and crannies. Not a place to "pick up" women, but rather a fun place to unwind with your buddies. The catch is that its on the top of bernal so you will only go there if you live on the hill. Maybe it's for the best, if this place was easily accessible it would be ruined by the masses.
I came here with coworkers. Didn't drink any alcohol (had to drive...and that means ABSOLUTELY NO DRINKING), had a diet soda instead. Really wish I drank though. :\
The place itself is a trip. People inside are trippier. As soon as I walked in, I thought to myself 'is this a gay bar?' The inside is small, but there is a cool seating area in the back. There is also a garden to sit and yap but it was closed off. Anyhoo, after an hour of chatting it up and listening to people talk, it was a relief to head home.
I would go back if I knew I wouldn't have to drive and to see what the garden looks like. I saw their board of some of the drinks they served and the pineapple julep sounded nice.
What a great little neighborhood bar! Nice people, cute girls, funny kitsch (even if I'd nver want it in m own apartment), and cheap drinks. I love San Fran.
Holy shit! You mean I can enjoy my vodka soda while swaying back and fourth on a fucking vintage patio swing?!?
WIN
After a day inclusive of photo taking, driving down every steep street the city could throw my way and going crazy shopping on Valencia, my friend and I decided we were thirsty and the only place which could sate our palates was Wild Side West.
I never knew about the little garden in the back with all its little secluded places to sit and get comfy. It was the bomb!!
I have to say I felt like a complete maroon after all the times I just sat at the bar itself and watched the bartender use the cool old cash register.. but we settled on into the best seat in the house, way in the back and we drank until the cows came home.....great place. I love coming to Bernal and relaxing here with friends.
This is one of my favorite bars in SF! As a bartender at a high volume bar for the last 5 years- I know what it is like on both sides of the bar. I don't require much when I go out.... but Wild Side West hits the spot in all the right places.
*But, It's a Lesbian bar.... that's what many of my little gay friends say when I suggest going there. And, they are right. But, I'm not looking to get picked up when I go out. At the Wild Side West, I have found myself in many interesting conversations with complete strangers (usually Lesbian strangers) and have had a great time. And, the bartenderess' can be,at times, gruff on the exterior but always loveable!!!!
There is one in particular, who I dont think remembers from visit to visit, but she is always so sweet- which is actually nice- because it just shows that they're good people and not trying to butter up only the regulars. I was drinking NewCastle all night and I approached the bar and said how much is a PBR. And she said $2. Then said, why the heck do you want to go to a PBR after drinking NewCastle all night? And, I said I only have $3 left and I need to tip you something! And, she said.... don't worry about it and handed me a Newcastle. Little things like that, go a long way!
Here's too many more beers and long nights at a true SF bar!
Best lil garden bar in SF!!! Rumor has it Janis Joplin got down on the pool table.
This place had a really weird outdoor patio with random sculptures and lawn decorations. The staff is nice, and my pineapple julep was good. That's all I remember.
This is my favorite bar in the entire city. The staff are fantastic, from remembering everyone's name, to knowing when I had just had my heart broken to remembering my favorite drinks. It is how your drinking experience SHOULD be.
Lovely lesbians, cute nerdy nonscene gay guys...awesome neighborhood straight people and the best jukebox in town.
They have hot alcoholic beverages in the winter, a gorgeous outdoor seating area year round, and irish food on St. Patty's Day.
You could not go to a better place, so tell Tyr, Regina, and Mr Nancy that Rylan sent you ;)
This is a charming little hole in the wall of a bar. I like that it looks kind of like a haunted house/old western style featuring real dust and cobwebs. It reminds me of what a real western bar would have been like back in the 1850's sans all of the electronics, fancy beer taps and other modern conveniences (Insert internal running water here).
The back yard is accommodating offering seating with privacy for 2 people all the way to large groups.
Good place to lounge around, I feel that for a dive bar that I'd normally rate at a 2 stars this one is a little more special than most.
Bah.
I really wanted to like this place.
It's small and cozy and just a crawl away from my doorstep.
They have a pool table and a little patio for my smokey boyfriend.
But...
The first bartender we got was pleasant enough.
All business but that's cool with me.
After we'd been there a bit there was a shift change and it was unfortunate.
We had a tidy little group of 6-8 people but dangit if that second bartender took her sweet time cajoling with the barback and not serving us. I've worked in service long enough to know that often there are unseen responsibilities that take away from customer service, but not for her, not while I was watching. And waiting.
Too bad.
I like to tie one on and I tip like crazy.
Next.
I like this place enough - it has a nice backyard.
But sometimes you never know what you're going to get here. I went here for my birthday last year and some creeper of a dude kept hitting on me and my roommate.
And I'm knocking off a star for the red-headed bartender who never ceases to be a rude ass bitch.
It's a shame I don't remember that this place is here more often. Because I live up on Bernal Hill, I'm often reluctant to go anywhere because it can be simply discouraging to think of walking back up the hill or paying a cab to lift me 300 vertical feet. But Wild Side West, despite some hills and valleys on the route, is more or less at the same altitude in my house. What's not to love?
They've got a great outdoor area and despite an apparent classification as a gay bar, I've always felt welcome (as opposed to, say, the Lexington Club). Decent beer selection and always a fun time, and I need to remember to support my local watering hole more often.
Looking for a place where you can sit outside in a gorgeous garden and smoke? This is Eden, baby. Beautiful.
Went here for my friend's birthday. I was apprehensive, at first, because from the outside, it looks small. But don't be fooled by the tiny exterior. There's a LOVELY backyard. And an even lovelier bartender. She's smokin' hot. Had a great time and will definitely be back again!
I don't know why I have never reviewed his place just have not ..
I went last Thurs to play pool though and had such a goodtime decided to yelp about it wanna hear it here it goes
Things we already know
Umm its on cortland
It's a Divebar
Been around forever
1st gay bar on Cortland
Things you may or may not know
1.Well the friend I went to meet says that she goes because she can always discover a new treasure ( you know some strange lil trailer park artifact)
2. The juke box is crackin and you can even go online and find whatever you want
I actually had hell of fun last week I have a few friends who live in the area so I may just go back more often
Holy crap, this place has THE BEST outdoor patio area in all of the places I've been to in SF.
Cute, even kitschy homo bar when you walk in. And its in Bernal Heights, not exactly known for its roaring nightlife (or roaring homos... haha), but this is wonderful place. Reminds of of Truck in SOMA, except more lezzies. The drinks were cheap, delicious, and served with pizazz. I'll be back for sure, don't miss this place gays and non-gays!
It's like a Disneyland ride in the back!
Except with booze, cigarettes and marijuana.
On a nice summer evening, this is the place to be. The "Secret Garden" as I like to call it, provides hideaways and niches for stolen kisses. I love bringing dates here and even though it is considered a gay bar, I feel extremely comfortable here. The bartenders are sweethearts and the patrons are chill. I prefer hanging outside as opposed to inside as the inside gets crowded and there is limited seating.
In the garden, people play instruments, laughter is abundant and there is a tranquil air about.
Yeah. Uhm. So I've been holding out on you. I know, you thought that since I'd been so opinionated... so caustic... well, you thought that meant I was telling you everything -- and of course I had already told you about my favorite place. Yeah sorry, I just couldn't. I have trust issues. Let's start with:
1) I don't know you. Seriously. What if you're actually some one-shirttail-tucked in, Oakley-wearing, chest bumper who is rude to bartenders? I can just hear you yelling backward as the huge lesbian bouncer hauls you out, "DUUUUUUDE! Rosie said this place was cool!" Which leads me to:
2) They know me here. Well, OK, not THAT well, but Regina knows me. And she's pretty much the most professional, efficient, friendly gal to wield a booze bottle in this whole city. If you fuck that up for me, I will be a sober nomad with nowhere to go. Which brings me to:
3) I live crawling distance from this place. (I've verified that personally.) It is my Regal Beagle. And when I'm here, I really can't talk to you. Because I am shitfaced 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, you lose. So you can come here and 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 like my salon. My Algonquin Round Table. Well, 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 places with a wind guard.
I want this to work SO badly. So let's just agree that you'll walk in slowly and not thrust the door open and screw up someone's pool game, and you will say please and thank you and be friendly and 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.
Was strolling aimlessly on Cortland Ave, a recent discovery, and passed this place. Attraction?...Raider of the Lost Ark pinball...hello.
Went with a man friend and had a great time. The bartenders were awesome...one unfortunate fellow that seemed to think we weren't cool enough for the place, but that's a mark on HIM, not the place.
Beautiful, BEAUTIFUL garden areas. Just a lovely place, lovely people.
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.
After a quick walk through the Mission district and a hike and picnic on Bernal Hill, my friend suggested we check out this little bar he and his girlfriend stumbled upon while exploring a few months back. Wanting to see San Fransisco from a non-tourists perspective we quickly agreed, especially after he assured us it was the chillest bar he had ever been to.
He wasn't lying! Even from the exterior, I knew I was going to like this place. However it wasn't until I stepped inside that I knew it for sure. And of course when I stepped back outside onto the expansive, multi-level patio I was smitten! Oh why can't we have a Wild Side East in Boston!
Visually its an overload. It's the kind of place where I bet even a regular is discovering some new scrap of paper on the wall or a clay figure poking out from behind a plant on every visit. It looks like a cowgirl's mind exploded. This is also the bar I discovered Speakeasy's Big Daddy IPA (which is delightfully making its way east and can be found in a few packies in Boston), my favorite of the local beers I sampled. Wild Side West was the perfect low-key place to take a break from a lazy Sunday of exploring to hang out and meet some locals, before disembarking to do more of the same.
Fun neighborhood bar with good drinks (I even ventured into mojito territory and it was pretty good), a low-key atmosphere, but most of all (and this is what warrants the stars) a fantastic outdoor patio...well, more like five connected patios.
On the down side, they are not cheap for being a neighborhood bar, but mostly the staff is just incredibly rude and snarky. I understand you have to be firm and straight-forward when trying to work with nothing but drunken buffoonery surrounding you, but please treat your normal, regular customers with some dignity. Last time I went I brought an out-of-town visitor along and I think it's the only time over the course of three days out and about in SF that I felt embarrassed.
I'm pretty sure I saw a gnome or some other sort of magical creature run across my feet in the back garden last time I was there.
Bonus points for being the backdrop for the WORST. DATE. EVER. Seriously, I'm glad that now I have a truly great story for my future dates when this question comes up. Before I had to mention the guy who couldn't stop talking about his retirement account or the snooze-fest guy. You have to be seriously crazy for me to be able for me to pathologize you in a single hour. Borderline personality disorder much?
Love you WSW!
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.
I went to Wild Side West for the first time for my 33rd birthday because I wanted somewhere casual and fun, with an outdoor area. It was the perfect place for my party!
We got there early enough to grab 2 big tables in the backyard patio, and as my friends trickled in, I started the night with a super-fantastic Mexican Coffee specialty drink (I am a major tequila lover, and there is nothing better than tequila with coffee and kahlua!!). We had pizza delivered from Goat Hill Pizza, and everybody was in heaven!
The cute bartendress (damn, I forget her name!) gave me a free birthday shot of my favorite tequila (and a few of my friends too) later in the evening when we moved inside to warm ourselves up.
Wild Side West totally rocked my birthday world. Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful, the bathrooms were clean, and everyone in the bar, patrons and staff alike, was having a great time. It's not fancy, it's totally low-key and no frills, so if that's what you're looking for, go for it!
Oh, by the way, it's not a Lesbian/Gay Bar, it's just that some lesbians happen to run it. It's homo-hetero-whatever friendly! Myself and all my friends there that night are almost all 100% hetero, and nothing was amiss.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I am not a lesbian.
...but on any given day I've been known to resemble a damn good one. I'll toss on a wife beater, a pair of sh*t kickin boots and roll on out the door with a pimp-like stroll, checkin out all the fine ladies; and San Francisco has got some fine ladies... let me tell you.
I am not a lesbian....
but it was when I was in one of my "lesbian moods" I stumbled upon The Wild Side West. My inner-dyke abslutely loves this bar. It has been the final stop on a couple of our Mission/Bernal pub crawls and my first visit was one of complete satisfaction. The crowd was a mix of pretty ladies, chill dudes and men and women of all ages, ethnicities, creeds, etc. I felt at home immediately.
The pool table (of which I have heard rumors has been the scene of some interesting X-rated deeds) sits center stage, but isn't situated in such a way that you'd get a cue stick in your rib while sucking down a Stella like most bars. The bar has a homey feel and the decor is as kitschy as kitschy can be.
The kicker for me was the back patio area. How can it get any better than this? One occasion it was so packed I had to have some pretty lady nearly sitting in my lap as we discussed recent concerts and artists to have played the bay area. (Now, mind you I didnt mind her pretty little self sitting in my lap because, as I mentioned, I was in my "lesbian mood" and don't mind a good lady lap sittin' every now and again). The crowded nature of the patio didn't bother me one bit due to everyone being so friendly and full of friendly conversation.
I am not a lesbian...
but if I didn't mind schleppin my butt up Cortland every now and again I'd make Wild Side West one of my regular bars. That way I can check out the hot women and hope that the patio area gets so crowded that a pretty one has to sit on my lap to converse and I can sneak a little thigh grope.
Hmmm, I may be a lesbian...
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.
I had such a great time here last Saturday. Met some great new friends and leaned some new pool tricks. The drinks were heavy and the beer selection was huge. No pressure environment with a casual hole in the wall feel.
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.
This is one of the last bar I drink in. If I was going to drink again I would Drink hear
What could be better than a cool bar located a 1/2 block from my house! Great outdoor space with private lounging nooks. These ladies (I've never seen a male bartender) pour a heck of a drink. Make sure you eat dinner first!
It's always referred to at a lesbian bar (and actually, I have been picked up a couple of times...) but it is definitely welcoming to everyone. My husband and I have been coming here for years.
And $.50 pool! Does it get any better than this?! Oh, yeah...don't forget to ask Regina for a cold glass.
Happy Hour with Spencer!
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