Midnight Sun

Their RuPaul Drag Night has been one shining light that we gays have not turned off the light in the Castro yet. A beautiful bar, I was there to meet some fellow Gay Nerds and hopefully eat actually in the almost adjacent Hot Johnny's, but Hot Johnny's was closed. Easy getting my nonalcoholic drink from the bar, no one even stared. Bartenders are hot bearish with the obligatory twink. Seating is comfortable for relaxing, and cruising is calm at most hours. For the alcohol.. they don't seem to water it down and their beer has no skunk.When I go to the Castro I usually relax there.Visit before we are extinct.

Stopped in with a friend for happy hour cocktails before dinner. The vibe at Midnight Sun is exactly what you want when you're in the Castro - lively, energetic, and full of character. The bartender was incredibly friendly, fast, and always had a smile. We took advantage of the 2-for-1 happy hour specials and were seriously tempted to skip dinner altogether and just soak up the music and atmosphere! Alas, dinner called. -Don't miss it!

We happened to get into Castro right when they were having a holiday market and it was amazing. Stumbled into Midnight Sun and to our surprise it was 2 for 1 night until 9pm, the super friendly bartender had an amazing smile and helped our crew out with drinks. Everyone in the place was happy to be out and feeling festive. It was busy but there was still room to hang and talk with our friends. I'll for sure be going back.

Must visit for the bartender Summer- ask her to surprise you and you'll try the best drinks ever ! Cool spot, cheap drinks, and fun karaoke vibes for a Wednesday. - 2-4-1 !

What a difference a bartender makes. That point was made oh-so clear recently at what has long been the prototypical gay bar in the Castro. It's no accident that this has usually been the first place people think of to grab a drink in the 'hood since the 1970's. Its open front window and multiple video screens were considered groundbreaking back in the day.After a very long absence (we're talking years), I decided to take advantage of the 241 Happy Hour on a free late afternoon. The bartender was the big, burly type and he was as friendly as can be. I had a tantalizing Tequila Sunrise for the rock bottom price of $8.50 (photo: https://yelp.to/M7TYQcCQCo). He also left me a chip for a complimentary one. I was happy because other bars give you both drinks at once.My experience downshifted on my next visit a few weeks later. I returned later in the day, so it was more crowded but not overbearing. I sat at the bar where a completely different and younger person was tending. He appeared to engage with customers at his whim, and for whatever reason, I couldn't get on his radar because he just kept accepting other drink orders.When I finally told him, he gave me prune face and quickly made me the $12 Frozen Strawberry Lemonade light on the tequila (photo: https://yelp.to/xtcYQXK6cc). When I tried paying him, he snapped back, "Could you just wait a minute?" and then ignored me. Luckily I had a ten spot and two singles, so I left that on the bar and moved to a high-top table. The drink was delicious, but the snub left a bad aftertaste.DRINKS - 4 stars...I like the drinks served here...AMBIANCE - 4 stars...and the vibe is still chill, even as a solitary customer but...SERVICE - 2.5 stars...your experience will vary wildly depending on what bartender is in residenceTOTAL - 3 stars...yeah, I'm stuck on 3 as a resultRELATED - Exploring the Castro? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2HrpFPC

House of M's Barrelhouse Drag Brunch was a lot of fun this past Saturday. The performers were lovely and energetic, engaging the audience and filling us with laughter and smiles throughout the show. We also enjoyed the bday celebrants being put on the spot on stage, to entertain the crowd and keep everyone in good spirits. The venue was casual and inviting, with various seating options in a somewhat small space. The cocktails were tasty and made well (I got the lalo-rita). Also, food from Hot Johnnie's was easy to order using the QR codes at each table. We had some yummy bites for a late lunch, the sweet and spicy garlic shrimp stir fry, and monte cristo (absolutely love that irresistible smoky pastrami from HJ!). Everyone at the event was friendly and welcoming, ensuring a positive experience. I wouldn't hesitate to return.

Love over the excitement. Love the feedback . Late the SFVIBE. Specified Don d the need to grab a my friends drinks. Not a fan. I won't be going back. A

Saw the DRAG show they hold every 3rd Tuesday here! The performers were very funny and fantastic, especially for a free show! The bar staff was friendly and accommodating!I only got a coca cola so I can't judge the drinks, but they have a wide variety of craft cocktails which look fun!The lights and big windows and screens are fun!

Midnight Sun has a lot of history going back to the early 80s when it was a dark, windowless, black interior watering hole. I know that because I used to go there almost every night for 2-4-1 happy hour when I lived on Castro. Luckily its 2-4-1 happy hour has survived!My friends and I usually make this a stop on our crawl when I'm I town. I remember the spliced VHS videos that were so awesomely original and hilarious. This still is the premier video bar in the Castro. Now there are huge windows that open to the street. Plus pandemic street curbside drinking space.The bartenders that served us were friendly and make good drinks. Happy hour is still packed, but everyone seems older than I recall LOL.

Worst bar I have ever been to! I had not planned on leaving a yelp review but after seeing how other guests have been treated I wanted to say my peace. [Tw for those that are sensitive to blatant acts of transphobia and/or racism]My friends and I (black, trans man), who are all LGBTQIA+ & BIPOC wanted to celebrate PRIDE in the Castro. We had decided to make our first stop at the Midnight Sun to start off with a few drinks and hopefully some good music. For the first 30 minutes we were having an amazing time but as I was trying to buy a second round of drinks, the bartender made a snarky remark that my friends/"your people" need to control themselves. At the time I was unsure of what to even say to that because we had only been dancing and singing along to the music. If anything I would say the most outrageous thing we had done was kiki with those around us but thinking back I wish I had said something before it all escalated ughh. About 10-15 minutes after getting our second drink we were confronted by an older man that told us we had to leave. When I demanded to know why, I was told that I was acting inappropriately toward the other guests and they would not allow me to return. It's disgusting what he said "I did" that I can't even bring myself to repeat it. What's worse is that it was a blatant lie since I was with my friends the whole time!! I'm unsure if this whole situation was due to our race, identity, or how we were dressed but I will never come back to this bar for how they treated me and my friends. Luckily, the bar across the street, The Mix, were able to take care of us. My biggest regret is wasting my money on a cover fee for a bar that is catered towards white gays and told a bold faced lie to remove me from their klub.