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Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: MissionMon-Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
"I liked this place I really do. Was around the area, GF and I agreed to have a few drinks. Plenty of bars and such but we settled here.…" read more »
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I agree w/ the 4 star average. Cool bar.
Lots of outdoor seating out back (but don't go on a weekend night being as there will be NO where to sit) and good music [including punk rock] on the jukebox...
Pool table and food. Nice feel in the interior.
Not my favorite bar but definitely a cool change of scenery.
Still one of the best dive bars in The City.
Great feel to the place, good crowd, and well-priced beers.
Lots of cool stores nearby (Scuderia, Ocean Treasures Aquarium, etc.)
There is something about a hard as nails, biker bar, tattooed all to hell, punk rock, country, everything for the rough neck with a baseball cap, no attitude, all attitude place like this.
The walls reek with the authenticity of no bull shit shall be taken here, but now there is Purel hand sanitizer near the door and it has become written up in several sterile fancy magazines for said authenticity.
I love this place, and I hate this place. If Merle Haggard had a kid with Nancy from Sid and Nancy, and they kid ended up going to Montessori Schools and then to an East Coast art academy, this would be where the kid would hang out.
The food and the memories will always bring me back, but I also go hoping that one day it will return to former ways.
First time to this place and it sucks big time. I get the hold so called hipster thing and trying to be uncool so they can be cool concept, however the employees at this place are the worst in San Francisco. I don't understand how they are still in business. I think the only reason is the outdoor patio with tables next to port-a-potties. Been to every dive bar in the city, this one is the worst because they people who work there treat you like cattle.
This review in no way reflects the quality of the food or drinks. I have to admit that their bloody mary is one of the best in the city. However, the quality of service is DESPICABLE!!!!! How you can tell a customer "Fuck you" is still beyond me and I have never been treated so rudely no matter what hole in the wall I went to.
I came in to hang out with friends to get over a hangover with a fresh bloody mary. As it was my first time, I only brought $20 not knowing that they only take cash. So by the time I decided that I wanted to try their burger and get another drink, I didn't have enough money, so I borrowed from friends. Now I do feel an obligation to tip the bartender, I felt bad when I was already borrowing money, so apologizing to the burger guy, I said that I'd definitely cover him next time I come in. I planned to come in again. It seemed like a very cool place.
To my HORROR, this asshole's response was "Well, I have a daughter to feed, and this is the cheapest burger in town ($5), so FUCK YOU." I was stunned. I used to work as a waitress, and some people did not tip me after a served them a $40 tab, but over a $5, considering that I have to pick the food up myself, I was stunned. The tip jar was actually empty, but I was the shmuck who felt bad, and would have tipped the guy $2 instead of $1 next time I went back, and to be treated like that by an imbecile who depends cannot even comprehend how to treat a customer is abhorring.
I am actually somewhat sad to give this place a 1 star review, because otherwise, it's great, but after being told "Fuck you" by the Burger Guy for not having a dollar to tip, all I have to say is screw you. You ruined an otherwise a fun afternoon at a great location and lost a customer in one go!
People thought this was:
Are you freakin' serious?
You could have received **** for your unique albeit mellow ambiance reminiscent of a good friend's backyard BBQ uniting fellow San Franciscan hipsters and tourists alike but due to your questionable bartender and her lack of social skills, I think not.
Me: Can I get 2 Cazadores?
Male Bartender: Sure...$12 please.
Me: Ooh, and 2 limes please!
*ignored*
Random guy to the right: Oh, why don't you just grab it? Here, I'll help you.
Me: I got it, thanks!
*grabs 2 limes from behind the counter*
"Bartender": EXCUSE ME. Don't grab limes with your hands, it's unsanitary.
Me: I'm so sorry!
"Bartender": That was totally uncalled for and rude.
Me: I SAID, I was sorry.
*turns over to my friends*
Me: WOWWW
"Bartender": Excuse me? Don't cop an attitude with me.
Me: I already said I was sorry, there is no need to be rude.
"Bartender": You'd be rude too if you worked here.
Me: Sweetie, that's not my fault.
"Bartender": Honey, this ain't no Starbucks. GO BACK TO THE MARINA WHERE YOU BELONG."
Wow...what a freakin b.
I usually don't partake in altercations with people in the service industry but this "bartender" needs to be taken down a notch or three. Good luck Zeitgeist with hooking on potential new regulars, with bartenders like that, I'm surprised this place is still up and running.
One more thing, you don't serve Patron.
DOUBLE FAIL.
People thought this was:
Great dive bar which is apparently a popular place for the locals to nurse their hangovers with bloody mary's.
The bar inside is definitely dirty, grungy, or whatever you want to call it. But you know - it's a dive bar. So if you came here and unexpected anything more then shame on you for being an idiot or uninformed.
I had a burger. It was pretty damn good.
There's a large outdoor patio area with picnic benches where it's apparently OK to use your State of California approved "medicine".
I think the best word to describe this place is "grungy." So if you like the sort of barbaric culture of bars come here. They have a great patio outside where people all sit together in big wooden tables. Kind of reminded me some bars I've been to out in Europe. Beer is moderately priced. I've never tried the food but have seen people eating burgers and other sandwiches.
Oh and it's bike friendly, tons of people park their bikes out in the patio.
And lastly, I met Quentin Tarantino here. He was chilling at the corner of the bar sipping on a whiskey and I believe a bottle of Tecate.
Food - 5/5
Service - 5/5
Price - 5/5
Atmosphere - 5/5
Best Drink: Long Island (They make em strong for me!!!)
Best Food Stuff: Home Fries
Hands down, by far, my favorite bar in SF.
Their food is the bomb!
I have never had a bad time here. Ever.
The people that complain about the staff or bartenders are the ones who are acting like complete jackasses and of course that kind attitude is going to be met with hostility. Respect the bar and the bar will respect you.
Sadly, I have yet to see the Tamale lady, but it will happen. It must happen!!!
The setup outside is perfect. It forces you to be social. Especially when it gets crowded. If you don't make a new friend here, your not trying.
Prices are a tad high, but the drinks are strong and well made.
People thought this was:
I don't really know why I'm reviewing this place. I doubt anyone really cares at this point. You all know what kind of place this is. They have decent priced drinks and food and an outdoor area where you can stick your bike. And it gets hella crowded.
So instead of telling you what the other 1409(!) reviews can tell you, I'm going to give you a haiku. I checked, and none of the other reviews have a haiku.
Zeitgeist, I get it
Let's finish the night elsewhere
Fuck it, more beer please
People thought this was:
This is NOT, I repeat this is NOT a Dive Bar, people. Learn the definition of Dive Bar. I like this place because of the outdoor seating and smoking. Pitchers of good beer? Hell yeah. Crowd? Eh. Depends on what you are in the mood for, I guess. Sometimes, I meet a lot of cool people. Sometimes, I hate the hipsters. Food? Yum.
If this is what San Francisco yelpers consider a dive bar (really? there wasn't even a visible layer of filth on the floor on a Saturday night!), I'd recommend you hightail it to a seedier city (or, you know, anywhere in New Jersey), find an unadvertised watering hole, and re-evaluate your opinion of Zeitgeist.
As a lover of dive bars, I feel a need to give a list of reasons why Zeitgeist, while an outstanding bar, is not a dive bar.
Drinks are reasonably priced for this being the trendy hipster hangout that it is, but that means it's not a dive bar. Dive bars generally have a lower hipster quotient, and thus a lower price on drinks.
The space is large, especially the back patio area, which is more like an empty lot filled with long tables. Dive bars don't have these. They're small and dank and cramped and have mouldering ceiling tiles where you see open sky at Zeitgeist.
The Tamale Lady: delicious tamales, but would be chased out of any dive bar.
The staff: just surly enough to get people to listen to them, but not drunk on shift or surly enough to throw anyone out.
People thought this was:
If anyone has anything bad to say about this bar, then they obviously don't get it. The absolutely best Bloody Mary's of all time, great beer selection and great atmosphere.
Any attitude that anyone gets here is, I agree, because of the patron, not of the staff or is looking too hard where they don't need to.
Can't wait to get in from New York Shitty to have my mind bent yet once again from my favorite SF bar...
Reasons this place is great:
- the bloody mary's are slap-yo-mama good
- this is one of the few awesome outdoor bar spaces in SF
- the beer selection is pretty good
- the Tamale Lady
Reasons this place makes me want to die:
- the asshole staff
Seriously, I don't need you to smile or wish me a great day or any of that shit but if you could just serve me a beer or check my ID without giving me attitude I'd appreciate it. It's like to qualify to work here you have to have a stick up your ass and a chip on your shoulder. And tattoos and flannel.*
When I hand you my Georgia ID and point out that the "birth date is in the middle" to help you out you don't have to say "yeah, i know, it's my job" and then give me bitchface.
When I order a beer, please fill it to the top or somewhat close rather than leaving an inch and a half of head. And maybe put the change back in my hand rather than throwing it at me. Thanks.
*I have a weakness for flannel and tats so that's not necessarily a bad qualifier.
People thought this was:
I went on a weekday afternoon with my boyfriend and a friend that was in town. The bloodmarys were very good but $10 each!!! I would have gone for seconds if it was more like $6-7 each. The previous reviews are true: the employees being complete pricks - it's almost kind of gimmicky. I had a bratwurst which was pretty good, standard. My boyfriend had a cheeseburger which was very, very tasty. Also, not cheap - I think $6 each.
But the outdoor areas is pretty sweet and I definitely would come back on a sunny afternoon. Other than to enjoy the outside area I wouldn't come, but that's because I'm not really into the biker bar scene.
10 points for the cab driver who drove us directly here when we told him we were looking for a cool dive bar.
It was a Saturday night in SF and the bars were filled with the usual club kids, except for this place. It was kick back, no line at the door, fast service and great beers on tap. I opted for a Great White and we roamed the bar. There is an awesome patio, cool, chill people and it was just an awesome place to get away from the duchebaggery of the usual SF club scene.
I will DEFINITELY be back when in town.
Damn it seems worse from what I hear and in addition to my review....Still dirty..I wish it would just get torn down and put a f**ck*n Starbucks there or even a port-a-potty for public use with toilet paper inside..now that'll be an improvement
People thought this was:
Someone emailed and let me know that this is thee #1 bar in all of California. I believe that just… Read more »
BEST BLOODY MARY. EVER!
I drink bloody mary's just about everywhere that I go even if it's nighttime (and no, I don't care if that's not proper drinking ettiquette...) and based on multiple years of research, this is by far the best I've ever had.
It's the perfect consistency (not too thick but not too watery), the spices are great (not too spicy but not bland) and the green beans and olive garnish is just perfect. I drink 3-4 of these at a time so the Zeitgeist burger is a must in order to keep me walking straight. It's a pretty good burger for the money and the potatoes that it comes with are sooooo yummy!
Your best bet is to order multiple drinks at one time since the line is so long at the bar. I don't understand why people are always complaining about the "rude" bartenders. If you aren't rude to the them they are perfectly nice.
I think Bloody Mary's are gross, which resulted in two things:
1) Having to wait a while for beer while the bartender made 10 Bloody Mary's at once
2) Feeling sick to my stomach watching people drink them all around me.
The bar itself was really cool and non-threatening to us dorky, non-biker tourists. The garden was huge and had a good feel, but we didn't get a seat. I want to give Zeitgeist another chance when I don't feel like crap. If I'm ever in town again, this would be a fun place to go to with a bunch of people.
Zeitgeist has an enormous beer garden in the back, local brews on tap and is famous for their bloody mary. Rightly so since they make them Texas style: lots of horseradish, worchestire, and plenty of dirtiness. We had a delicious local amber ale but I've sadly already forgotten what it was since I hadn't heard of it before. I didn't have any problems with service and we spent the afternoon lounging in their awesome beer garden laughing and talking while patrons around us played scrabble, cards or ate hand made burgers. Really, it can't be all that bad, right?
I had a first date here over the weekend. You would think that this is a bit of a risky move and you are probably thinking that this was my idea. However, it was his. It was his because he knew that the only thing that we had in common is that we both are somewhat involved (used quite loosely) in the Bay Area punk scene...though not musicians ourselves. I was all over it. I always hide the fact that I am into the dirty bar/whiskey scene because it scares men away. This man could handle it. As such, good weeder date bar.
It is a pleasant walk from 16th St./Mission BART on a sunny day. I was hit on by a guy who was fried on Mescaline and carrying around a bowling pin on the way. Before that, I was called "puto" and then called "purple baby" (I was wearing a purple sweater). This means that it was a normal trek through the Mission. I finally found my destination and waited for the date outside. (I was on time! Can you believe it?)
I was not expecting the order of Jack n' Coke to automatically be a double/pint size. Holy #@$%! I love this place. However, I did have to sort of be on my best behavior and nursed it accordingly. Once a second drink was offered, I requested "the kids size."
I loved how I heard not one, BUT TWO White Zombie songs. I loved how tamale lady showed up. (It was Labor Day. I was expecting her to take the day off.) I loved the patio in the back and how, for some reason, nobody noticed the pot smoking. (Why are all the patios in SF? Oakland, step it up.)
I did NOT love the hipsters. In fact, if I *DID* have two double Jacks, one hipster probably would have gotten a severe Michelle S. throwdown for having no respect. (That would have also been an automatic fail on the date.)
Dating sucks. Zeitgeist doesn't. Hmm....maybe the mescaline bowler is still available. *posts Craigslist "Missed Connection"*
People thought this was:
There's nothing else quite like Zeitgeist..at least not in San Francisco. I'll start with the two glaring cons and then roll on through to the pros that make the bad stuff not matter.
The attitude. People always say New Yorkers are such assholes. Clearly, they've never been to San Francisco (this is a native SFer speaking so don't start sending me hate mail...please). Just try having a conversation with another patron here or perhaps compliment the bartender on the excellent Bloody Mary and prepare to have your head bitten off. Last time I was here I asked a dude what type of beer he was drinking and replied, "Are you speaking to me?" and stared me down until that grin was wiped right off my face. Really, just take my advice and keep to your protective crew of friends here. The second problem? They don't take cards and the ATM machine tacks on a hefty $3.95 fee. I suppose that balances out the cheap and tasty $6 burgers but that is one hefty tax.
Speaking of burgers...this is one of the best veggie burgers I've had anywhere. Fired up with real cheddar, a big 'ol bun and all the fixin's and you've completed your beer garden experience. The regular burgers are made with 100% Niman Ranch beef and the bratwurst is humongous. The garden out back is so friggin' incredible and usually packed with hipsters, hippies and everything in between but big enough that you can usually squeeze in somewhere. Pitchers galore and the BEST $8 Bloody Mary on either coast and your Sunday afternoon could seriously not be any better.
Now shut up and stop looking at me.
People thought this was:
I hate to say it, but this place sucks. I wanted to like it; the decor and ambiance are really awesome. The backyard tables and the outside mural are a great social area for drinks and good times. However, a bar is really judged by it's people, and not it's design. Everyone who drinks and works there is unpleasant. The door guy who checks ID's is always a dick. The bartenders are rude by default, and everyone who drinks there regularly is obnoxious. I've been there multiple times, and every time I've been there, I've yet to come away with a good experience. There's way better bars in the mission than Zeitgeist!
It's hard to know how many stars to give Zeitgeist.
On the one hand, it's a San Francisco institution, a required stop for anyone who visits. And there are many reasons it maintains its position as King of the Mission Dives: stunning barback skills, excellent bloody marys, sarcastic and brusque bartenders, thick coat of dirt and bike chain grease all over everything.
On the other hand, it pisses me off that they removed the grilled cheese from the menu, and the burgers are not the transformative experience they are made out to be.
Maybe my standards are artificially high. Maybe I'm just sick of being either freezing cold or unable to get a seat for love or money, depending on the weather. Zeitgeist is rad, it's just not as rad as one might be lead to believe.
People thought this was:
I wish we had a Zeitgiest in San Diego. Thats how much fun i have there when i get up to they City.
It's gonna be crowded to the max with beer drinkers and party goers on friday -sunday eve's, but thats part of the charm, and also why Zeitgiest has an incredibly huge back yard drinking area with picnick tables set up. lost of room to mingle with friends, strangers, and get the vibes rollin. If you want to duck inside the actual pub you can do that too.
they have giant bike racks where you can hang your bikes on for those who want to ride under the influence home.
Great beer selection too. Didnt have any food there, but the burgers looked good and thick. the only negatives about this place are two, the A hole bouncer dude who looks like Boss hog hanging out in the back, and there was another douchey cat who looked like he hated his job and almost tried to start funk with me for putting a pitcher of beer on an old truck in the yard.
its like dude, dont try to play with me homie, you will get smashed on. one of these days he's gonna step to the wrong cat and get beat down like a chump.
besides that, go to Zeitgiest!!
People thought this was:
"Let me take you to the most 'Austin' bar in San Francisco" my local buddy said, and though that may have been one of more amusing things one of us noted all night, turned out he was pretty spot on. There's lots to like about Zeitgeist. Sketchy and clever in seemingly equal portions (depending upon who you ask), we teetered in on part of an opening salvo bender that found us out back, at a table, hunched over one of the sea of wooden picnic tables, bottle in hand. It's a fine way to do a Friday.
I can only imagine that the best time to happen in here might be when the sun is beaming and the conversation is lively, but all the same, I rather figure that this spot doesn't want for interesting conversation much. It's casual and a little weathered, the walls stained with remnants of conversations past. And no doubt, a few down the road or via the dark corners of the latest bottle.
People thought this was:
I was blown away by how gigantic this place was. I had no idea. It's a very communal place which is nice because so few bars make it easy for you to mix and mingle with out feeling like you're a creeper, or every one else is a creeper for that matter. There's a lot of room, and although it is big, there are tons of people, and it was a Friday night that I went, it still wasn't overwhelming, which is a big deal in my book!
People thought this was:
Ohhh, I can't even begin to tell you the thoughts that went running through my mind on a Sunday afternoon as the cab pulled up to Zeitgeist. I see "speakeasy" written in neon beside the not-so-welcoming black door and dirty windows. Easy, Nikki...you're not in Dallas anymore.
Don't judge a book by its cover! Dude...this place kicks ass! I walked in to what looked like a few regulars picking up pitchers at the chairless bar. Eh, I'm thinking...dead on a Sunday. And that's when I saw it...
THE PATIO
It was like a beer garden for the homies. I saw a sea of tattoos, 80s biker jackets, purple and blue hair and emo outfits everywhere. Frickin cool.
We grabbed a pitcher of Stella, grabbed glasses from the side of the bar and squished on the end of a picnic table. Everyone seemed so at home here, and I felt like a complete outsider. But I still dug it, even in my fancy jeans and Chuck Taylors.
Side note: cash only, but there's an ATM in the back or one across the street. I had to dig into "emergency cash" to pick up a cool tee. Yeah...that's right...it was an EMERGENCY, people!
People thought this was:
Super fun, super real Mission hang out. It's gritty, but not gross, though the port-o-potties outside could use a little Clorox.
The beers on tap offer a good selection, but WHEW! The one called Damnation is the devil. It is smooth, very sweet, but as I suspected would be dangerous. I woke up with the worst hangover I've had in years--that doesn't say much because I don't get hangovers very often, especially since I never even got drunk. ;-) The beer prices are on the high side, but you can also order any beer on tap in a jar. They're at least a pint, maybe a pint and a half. Go for gusto!
Still, I love the huge outdoor patio area. There are dozens of picnic tables to hang out with your friends at while enjoying drinks and camaraderie. Why haven't I been here before? Who knows, but it's been on my list for ages.
I shall return!
P.S. I have a joke I need your help with on the punchline with. It came to me while walking towards Zeitgeist.
"Two groups of hipsters meet on a corner in the Mission..."
[help me come up with a hilarious punchline--send me a message if you have a good one]
People thought this was:
This place is Oh-Kay. I like the outdoor beer garden that sits under the freeway overpass and the port-o-lets lining the back gate. It is a perfect compliment to the decent prices on drinks and the tamale lady that runs through. They have giant jars full of matchbooks with naked women on it.
But don't expect to get anything from the staff other than looks of annoyance and straight-up-asshole antics. I get that they are trying to be tough and all, but seriously? If I wanted to get treated like shit when getting drunk I can just call an ex-boyfriend. He might even buy me my beer!
People thought this was:
Best smoking policy ever. Cheap and stiff well drinks. An indoor bathroom in case you're not drunk enough to settle for the outdoor porto potties.
And seriously, how can you knock a place that has an outdoor area styled after a German biergarten, a tamale lady to feed drunk hipsters, and bouncers paid to turn a blind eye to slightly devious activities?
This places is one of many reasons why I don't regret moving to the city from the 'burbs.
People thought this was:
This place cracks me up!! Really a down and dirty dive (ladies....be prepared for those bathrooms....). Good selection on tap and great drinks though and it's cool in good weather that there's this huge outside area filled with picnic tables. It can be a good place to hang with a bunch of people. Plus, the people watching is just plain great, there are truly some characters that end up here. If you want a true San Francisco experience, you really should check this place out, even if only once.
People thought this was:
I think I was a resident of Austin, Texas in a previous life. Though I was born and raised in San Diego, I've been to Austin a handful of times... and I constantly find myself visiting new places around San Francisco and saying, "This reminds me of a bar in Austin!" It's happened numerous times in the last 3 weeks ripping around the city, which is why my fiancé and I joke around that SF is the grown up version of Austin. If you've been to both metros enough times, you might understand where I'm coming from.
Zeitgeist is yet another long lost relative of a bar in the music capital of the world. Big joint, cash only, BBQ in the back and a sweet outdoor patio. Service is friendly enough for what this place is, and the people watching is pretty incredible.
If you're a fan of Bloody Marys, you're in luck, because these guys make one of the best ones I've had in a while. Nothing comes in a pre-made vat of tomato juice from BevMo, every Bloody is made fresh in front of your eyes, and it packs quite the punch.
I feel like 'dive bars' has a watered down connotation to it these days, so I don't know exactly how to label this place... but expect to see dirty hipsters on fixies, dudes with sleeveless shirts smoking pot, tons of tattoos and a handful of people who look like out-of-place tourists who've read that Quentin Tarantino likes to come here for a drink when he's in San Francisco.
People thought this was:
Zeitgeist won't lather your ass with margarine so drink a beer, eat a tamale and stay in control.
If you want more than that go somewhere else.
People thought this was:
Awesome place, cool patio, but the bartenders and wait staff are often dicks.
That is all.
People thought this was:
YOU WILL GET some ass hole Nazi food service from a drug-addled freak with demented and arbitrary rules for taking orders and delivery... and the smokey skunky smell of people medicating themselves WILL MINGLE with the piss and weird blue chemical aromas drifting from the battery of porto-potties that sits next to the rack o' hipster bikes.
This is the correct context however, so that when you pour your first cheap beer into your glass....and when you bite into that tasty charred burger, and when you see something bizarre and circus-like happen at the next table over, then you know everything is right in the world. And this is how its meant to be.
People thought this was:
Zeitgeist has an outdoor beer garden, so you can smoke. And if you come to this place, you'll want to chain smoke, though you won't have anywhere to ash your cigarette because it's too crowded.
My problem with this place is that its clientele is actually incredibly lame; it's a crowd that's pushing into their 30s, with I-don't-give-a-shit fashions and boring, work-related conversation. It's essentially a yuppie-lite nightmare. Bottom line, don't expect to get a decent dive bar experience, and don't think that you'll be in an intimidatingly cool crowd like you might be in New York. You kind of end up with the worst of all possible worlds.
With that said, there's a decent beer selection and the bartenders were really friendly. I don't know why there are so many complaints about them on yelp. My guess is that you West Coast softies just aren't on the level. But whatever.
People thought this was:
$9 for a pint of Maker's + Coke. Cash Only
The patio is why everyone comes here, but its like stepping into a crowded Gulag or some chinese lao-gai labor camp. avoid the tables near the porta potties.
the tamale lady is real, and the food isn't bad. eat at your own risk.
Another victim of gentrification. Overrun with yuppies/yalies/princetonians/harvardos etc.
People thought this was:
Great place and my brother's favorite bar.
People thought this was:
Best veggie burgers in the city.
Great place to hang out & enjoy a sunny SF day- as long as you can find a seat...
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Bars
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