The Summer Place

If you're a befuddled tourist who managed to get lost somewhere between Chinatown and Union Square, this appears to be the casual watering hole for you. That's because the young bartender here loves to chat and share everything he knows about the local attractions to needy visitors. That leaves befuddled locals like me waiting patiently for the young pup to take my much needed drink order.Smacking my lips wasn't getting me any attention. During the summer, I managed to get the bartender to put some mileage on their eternally grinding slushie machine and ordered the $15 Hibiscus Margarita Slushie (photo: https://yelp.to/OSjYyordzl). It was quite a refreshing refreshment even if the margarita aspect was somewhat diluted. When I returned several months later, there was no evidence of the slushie machine.That was understandable given the chill in the air. This time it was more fitting to have a $15 Espresso Martini. It was a pleasantly lush cocktail which you may have figured out is in my regular rotation. They place specialty designs on the foamy topping, and for some reason, I got the Cheers TV series logo (photo: https://yelp.to/VYgmit57G_). Probably because I look like someone who would remember who Shelley Long was.DRINKS - 3 stars...impactful enough but honestly middlingAMBIANCE - 3.5 stars..tourist-friendly spotSERVICE - 3 stars...well, I just wanted to order a drinkTOTAL - 3 stars...casual Tendernob spot serves its purposeRELATED - Exploring Nob Hill? Here's my collection of places I've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2IfTVOB

Such a fun vibe! I don't know why anyone would give this place a sub-par review (looking at ya'll below). Staff is phenomenal, drinks are great, and sometimes a whole bar sing-a-long breaks out. Absolute magic. Everyone who gave 1-star is most likely a problem and a hater.Pro tip: order food from Jasmin's next door - you can eat in the bar

What a disappointing experience. We went to the bar because their signage said they served "spooky drinks" for the Halloween season. The venue had no AC and was filled with cheap inflatable yard blow-up decorations for a sweltering Party City vibe. When we entered no one greeted us, and we sat at a table for a while before going up to the bar to order since we eventually figured out no one would serve us without being at the counter. The bartender said they didn't have spooky drinks despite their advertisements, so we asked what the house cocktails were. She said she didn't have those either. I asked for a Blue Hawaiian, but they don't have curaçao either. At that point I asked her to make me something sweet and tropical so she'd have more leeway in being able to make something, since there seemed to only be roadblocks with trying to get a drink made. Despite asking for something sweet, the drink was both bitter and tart, since she had oddly added bitters to it. Each member of our three-person party had a drink that was made either wrong (for two of them - a dark and story, then a Moscow mule), or tasted bad (all three). When it came time to close the tabs the bartender gave one of my companions the wrong card. She didn't seem to care about the patron's experiences or be concerned they were advertising things they didn't have. All three of us agreed we wouldn't return.

Imma start and say this is one of my absolutely favorite bars I stumbled upon while visiting San Fran. The bartender so sweet and funny, forgot her name but she has a scorpion tattoo on her neck. My favorite game is to tell the bartender to surprise me, and dang did she. She made me the best drink I had on the entire trip(and I drank a lot lol). I known it's listed as a dive bar but definitely has a more lounge vibe and I loved it. The people and energy was perfect San Fran. Absolutely fantastic bar to stop in. Affordable prices for what is delivered, oh and no menu which is fun!

Only bar I have been to into the city. Not sure I need to go to another. Great jams, awesome bartender. Good drinks. Good people.If you are looking for a small close knight bar this is the spot. Thanks for having us for drinks:

What a fun spot, especially during the holidays! Came here on a Friday night and was instantly hit with the Christmas vibe. There were a ton of cool decorations, with Christmas movies playing in the background. Every time someone ordered a special shot, the staff would release a flurry of snowflakes to rain down across the entire bar. The drinks were good and very Christmas-themed. The hot-chocolate one came with a giant torched marshmallow which was really fun. There was no line, which made it a great alternative to the ever-crowded PCH, but you do have to walk up a pretty big hill so I'd recommend driving if you can! Highly recommend :)

We stopped by for holiday-themed drinks after catching a show downtown. It wasn't too crowded at 4 pm on a Sunday, which was nice -- there are only a few tables, and we had a party of six. Their holiday menu was cute, and moderately priced ($17/cocktail.) We tried the Christmas Eggnog, Espresso Martini, Santa's Grog (mulled wine), and spiked hot chocolate. The eggnog and martini were solid choices, but we didn't love the mulled wine/grog and the hot chocolate. The spices in the mulled wine were really overpowering, and the hot chocolate could've been a bit sweeter!

Visited on a Saturday night, it was hot like summer in there! A cozy space, but we found a table and seating right away when we arrived around 11pm, as we relaxed and cooled down. Random music playing, like Dancing Queen, In the End by Linkin Park, and Panic! At The Disco's I Write Sins Not Tragedies. The bartenders and crowd were really into it, everyone singing out loud... my kind of crowd. The drinks were of decent quality, not the best I've ever had, but better than many other places, plus they added "latte art" to the cocktail to make it look like summer. The place wasn't exactly unique in any way, it never got too crowded, people were just in and out, and everyone was friendly and respectful. It certainly had a welcoming atmosphere, and I can't really put my finger on it, but something about the vibe we got just makes me wanna return.

What a cute hidden bar! I went during the holiday time during the Santa Con. The place was packed but they serve you right away. They had a cute holiday menu. I ordered the egg nog cocktail and I could taste the alcohol. I loved that every 10 minutes fake snow would fall. If you are looking for a cool bar with holiday theme and drinks check out this place. I plan to return soon.

I came to this establishment late night last year with my fellow OCA Morris B., Philly (see his review from 12/10/22). We were on the hunt for a neighborhood hangout where we could have a few cocktails and meet the locals, and this bar came to mind. The last time I was in the bar was about 20 years ago. This is not the same bar I remembered with a jukebox and smoke filled air. Instead, it is now reminiscent of a new take on a classic bar motif. The service at first was a bit "off," in that the bartender wasn't welcoming. However, as the bartender began to interact with us, he seemed to be more personable. The drink consistency could use some work as the first drink's ratios were off ( I guess that was in line with the attitude of the bartender..see what I did there).Whether bar goers are interested in a cold bottle of beer or top-shelf spirits, they would be able to find it here. This windowless dive bar is definitely not what you would call summery, but it is a place where you can get a drink.