Philosopher's Club

First and foremost, the bartenders and brothers are awesome. The people and company are big reasons why I would be a returning customer. They were super nice and treated everyone including newbies like myself with warm welcomes and even the ritual fare-the-well! I am pretty sure I replied with thanks and farewell too. It leaves me with a warm feeling in my tummy, just like pizza, or drinks. So I'm happy to return.Oh, as for vibes, it was packed! Local school teams were represented with the helmet display, so represent! They're famous mural is also a must-see.

Still probably my favorite bar in SF and if not, in the top 3. First, it's not a dive bar, it's a neighborhood bar. It's clean and friendly. Some neighborhood bars have regulars who treat it like a clubhouse and let you know you're not welcome. Not here! The regulars are friendly and if you're a Giants fan, within 30 seconds you can fall into a great conversation. The drinks are fairly priced and the bartenders are just the right amount of chatty and very congenial. Sit at the bar or the high-top tables. Don't forget to look UP to see the amazing Philosopher's mural. If you can't figure everyone out, they'll give you the answer key. The only way the public transit options could be better would be if they drove the muni inside the club. And for me, the neon sign outside should be a city landmark. Don't change a thing, PC!

Great place to catch a Niner game!! I don't think I've ever gone to a bar that cares more about their regulars/locals. The staff/team are so thoughtful and kind to everyone who stops in. They also have very cute merch. The pricing on drinks is definitely more than fair. Definitely a new favorite spot.

A great neighborhood bar! The bartender is awesome. Very friendly and welcoming, and he makes the best manhattan in town! I also like the mural on the ceiling.

I like this spot. The bartenders are chill and let you bring in your own food. It is a quiet spot with regulars. They play the game on the big screen when it is on and there's a pool table at the back, as well as an outside patio at the back. It's a good spot to unwind and chill away for a bit

The two owners, Josh and Justin, are amazing. They treat their customers like family and are welcoming to all that enter. This is my go-to spot in all of west portal and it never disappoints!

Tl; dr: Old-school SF bar. No-frills standard cocktails and beer at reasonable prices. Perfect spot to chill after a long day. No food, but you can bring some food in while you enjoy a pint. Yes, they have credit cards now. No, you can't bring your dog. After I moved to San Francisco, I discovered there's a specific breed of bar that is unique to this city: the building, the bartop, and the bartenders have been in the industry for a while, but it doesn't smell like dive bar (Thank goodness). You're not going to get a mojito or an Italian red wine or a round of fancy 1942 shots here, but you're going to get a solid Margarita or Manhattan, Fort Point on tap, you know, the classics. The beer (and the aforementioned Margarita) isn't going to break the bank, though yes, I'm sure it's more expensive than it was 5 years ago. And it's one of those places that when you walk in, everyone is going to look up to see who just walked in, in case they know you.People pre-game before going elsewhere (more expensive) in places like this, or end the night here, or end up staying - there are several TV's to watch the game here, as well as a really nice patio outside. I suppose there are a lot of regulars warming the seats. The Philosopher's Club in particular is close to the MUNI metro station, so it lends itself to that kind of behavior. Some people find this intimidating. In my personal experience, this is quite helpful, as, if you've been to one of these establishments and walk into a similar one, it's easy to get into a conversation with the bartender there (all bartenders in these types of bars are very friendly, low-key, and don't like bullcrap... and they all seem to know each other). It's a place where I can sit by myself with a book and choose to have a conversation with people sitting next to me, or not. No pressure. I guess it's like Cheers, but San Francisco? But if you've read this far, you'll know that you either know what this kind of bar is and you like it, or you prefer other kinds of bars. There's a bartender behind the bar, not a mixologist, you see? I guess what I'm saying is that I have a soft spot for bars like this, though I do frequent other places, and this is my favorite of all of them.The Philosopher's Club takes credit cards now, so you don't need to have to use that ATM in the corner if you really don't want to anymore.

Nice neighborhood bar right around the corner from the west portal muni stop. Worth a visit for cozy interior and intriguing ceiling mural

I've been meaning to come to this neighborhood bar to see one of my favorite bartenders who also works at OJW but was deterred from coming sooner due to the fact it is located further from where I live and the fact that you are limited regarding either having to pay for parking or if parking nearby the enforcement by SF Parking with the 2 hour residential sticker which I'm not a resident. At any rate, I decided to take the plunge and parked in a 2 hour spot to see what the Philly Club is all about. As I walked in, there were some Regulars and was warmly greeted by my bartender from OJW. At the PC they do not serve food and therefore I brought a sandwich with me from a shop nearby. This place allows you to bring food in while you consume your beverage of choice. First impressions the PC has a nice feel for a local neighborhood bar complete with the old school cash register which is going away soon with the touch screen variety that most restaurants and bars use these days. I can see why there are a lot of regulars who come here - both young and old. Prices for beer are on par with other bars of this caliber. As Yelpsters mentioned the owner is an artist and has some great paintings that she has done of famous local professional athletes behind the bar as well as her ceiling mural that she painted in 2010 of her choices for famous philosophers of which one is Alice Waters but where is Julia Childs? Overall 4 solid stars for this warm and friendly neighborhood bar.

Josh is awesome to talk to you at the bar. They do a great job with service and the drinks are fantastic including great beer selections. Fun crowd every night. The pool table and TVs are great too.