[[HIGHLIGHT]]Pretty cool dive joint in Mission that me and the work crew stopped in after all day workshopping. Pretty much a metal joint and it was what we needed.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We ate before we got there so no food but we had some good drinks. While in line for drinks, I looked and saw they had Weller in which I was shocked that this place would have it. It consumed me for the rest of the night as thats all I dranked...neat of course. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Good vibes, atmosphere and crowd...would definitely come back[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Bender's Bar and Grill - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Metalhead dive bar with a shockingly good kitchen and competitive billiards scene.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Counter service kitchen with sufficient table seating inside and out.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Just be prepared for cigarette smoke if you want to eat outside.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Highly recommend the schnizz sandwich! But be prepared to come with an empty stomach. Their full bar has a solid range of beers and IPAs to choose from both on tap and bottled. Some non Alc options too. This is my go to spot for any friends visiting the city who appreciate a great dive scene. read more

Bender's Bar and Grill - Tater Tots Schnizz BBQ Sandwich - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Although you wouldn't think so from outside, their kitchen is GREAT. Possibly one of the best burgers in town. [[HIGHLIGHT]]They have two pool tables and a great outdoor patio.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Plenty of space even for your bike.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Bartenders are very nice too. Been coming here for ten years and never had a bad experience. Love it. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Benders is a classic neighborhood dive bar in San Francisco's Mission District, offering a unique experience.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Punk Rock Vibe Bender's has a distinct punk rock atmosphere, pool tables, and pinball machines.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The bar attracts a diverse crowd, including metalheads and punk rock fans.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The interior is adorned with San Francisco memorabilia and features rotating art shows by local artists.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] - *[[HIGHLIGHT]]Dog-Friendly*: The back patio welcomes dogs[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] @overkillgrill SHOUT OUT TO RICHARD for holding it down ! Overkills menu features delicious bar food, including burgers and fries unique toppings. Make sure to be in the lookout for the specials Overkill prides itself on using locally sourced produce and sustainably raised meat for its dishes. read more

Came in for a couple of drinks while cruising the neighborhood with our son (the best tour guide in SF!). We have been here before when visiting SF and the place does not disappoint. Viewing it from the outside, you are not actually anxious to enter, but this is a nice little dive bar with a terrific vibe. Great beer selection and their kitchen is actually a vendor that rents space. The food selection is pretty eclectic and one of our party thoroughly enjoyed their burger and tater tots. I liked the table tops with drivers licenses laminated for all to see. Classic Dive Bar and a place you must visit! read more

A neighborhood gem in the city's best neighborhood!!! Something for everyone and did I mention the food? OMG Overkill Grill is absolutely amazing!!! The Chicken Schnitz is the best chicken sandwich in the city in my humble opinion. The rest of the menu is just as good!!! read more

Bender's Bar and Grill - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I live in Sacramento and come to SF twice a year with my wife for getaway weekends, the last 4 years. Bender's is the only bar we go to - have never once had a bad time here. Pete and Jeff are awesome bartenders, friendly, no attitudes (even when drunk patrons act a fool), and fun to hang with. Drinks are poured well, and the Overkill Grill is definitely the little grill that Could! The food is well prepared and super tasty with lots of cool options. [[HIGHLIGHT]]A really great vibe here every time![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I have Benders stickers on my work laptop to spread the love. read more

This is ONLY a review of the cruel bartender, as the rest of the experience was lovely as always. Great food, cheap/good drinks, cool clientele. We have a friend who is basically a shut in. He has severe anxiety and a processing disorder, so he rarely leaves his house (he does not work and this was only his second time in a bar--he's 35). We decided to go out in a group of about 15 people in support of him, because his mother was in town and he wanted to try to do something with her. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We chose Benders because it's low key and mellow, and large w/an outside area.--no pretense.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]We went and sat on the back porch where it was less loud and there were fewer people, and he was able to tolerate things w/a bit of a weed assist.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] At one point, he was feeling strong and decided to go grab a drink for his mother, so she gave him money and he successfully made it to the bar, ordered the drink and returned. We were proud of him because this was a huge step for him, considering just being there was an overwhelming experience. Throughout the night we all ordered drinks, tipped heavily and also ordered food. As we were leaving about three hours later, the bartender literally screamed across the bar "Hey guy in the yellow shirt! Thanks for stiffing me on my tip!!" to which we all turned around in shock and stared at him (as everyone else in the bar stared at my friend). I watched my friend's body becoming stiff and rigid, and then crumble as he ran out the door and down the street, awash in shame. It turns out he didn't quite understand how tipping etiquette worked, and thought he had to hand the tip to the bartender, and once the bartender served him, he did not come back. My friend got overwhelmed and returned to us with the drink, but had in fact "stiffed him" $2. Considering we brought our entire group, and he easily made $50 on tips from the rest of us (we're all $2 beer, $3 cocktail tippers), it's quite sad that he would choose to be so petty and cruel, destroying someone's self worth over $2. This is a perfect example of why you should never be a dick to others, because you don't know what they're going through. We had even told him when we got there that this was "his first time in a bar", so his "feedback" was intentional and meant to hurt. Not cool, dude, not cool. read more

Such a great dive bar + really good food! They have pretty diverse menu here and I love it. I got the noodles with Schnitzel and wow was it good! It was spicy but I liked the kick with the schnitzel. They also have burgers, sandwiches, tacos, salads and more! They bartenders and food team were also awesome and welcoming. Definitely will return! read more

Bender's Bar and Grill - a plate of food - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came here on a Wednesday night when a couple friends were around - one was visiting in town and our other friend has been here every now and then with their bike riding crew. The bar is way bigger than I had thought it was going to be. The initial images I saw made me think it was going to be a small grungy dive bar, but it was actually quite nice inside! Got dropped off by an Uber as a precautionary to the other people speaking about the parking situation, but I think it could be okay if you drove over and left your car on street parking... I just didn't want to take the chance of it getting a smashed window for no reason... we weren't there for too long. I would probably need to take another look at the area though cause I only remember the bar itself. Our Uber driver told us we might see some prostitutes around the area - don't be surprised - we actually saw one wandering the sidewalk. There are two pool tables, a juke box, a Photo Booth, a place to hang / post your bicycles by, tables for large groups, the kitchen area is where you're able to walk up and order food - this is separate from the bar itself - Overkill Grill rents this space out inside of the bar which I think is genius. They do close a little earlier than the bar itself - food I believe closes at around 11pm (I placed my order maybe 10 minutes after 11, but the guy still happily took my order). A nice selection of things they have on their menu, you're bound to see something you'd want to try - from tater tots, to burgers, to salads, and noodles, ranging from $.50 to $15 (the lower end are add on pieces I think). Food recommended by the guy: - Bent Burg (grilled onions, bacon, cheddar, picked jalapeños, shredduce, and OKG sauce) *this is what I ended up getting and it wasn't bad at all and its a good sized burger - Chill Schnitzz (fried chicken with shredduce, tomato, and lemon mayo) *almost got this - DinDin Noodz [w/ sichuan schnitzz or tofu] (spicy noodles with peanuts, bell peppers, and herbs) *a popular amongst the crowd - was actually sold out The bar had 1 bartender working when we went to order some drinks. There was semi-short line when we first walked in at the bar. We were busy chatting so we ordered when there was no line. Beers on draft and by the bottle, along with I think a full bar. We took up maybe half of the seating where there were tables, yet there was still a TON of space for other parties and empty high tables and bar seating available. I liked the decor - there is a lot to look at and no, Bender's Bar and Grill was not named after Bender from *Futurama*, its just pure coincidence even though you might notice Bender memorabilia hanging about. They have actual $$$ bills posted to their ceiling (I took it as a form of art) and decorated their bar tables with collages of Photo Booth film from visiting patrons which I thought was cool and they're all pretty interesting to look at. The lighting is dim, but not too dim where you cannot see. Would recommend anyone who is looking for a new place to check out. read more

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LoVE this bar! The patio is small and quaint despite the bar being big inside. The kitchen wasn't open but I heard great things about it! The service was great and the drinks were cheap! read more

Bender's Bar and Grill - a variety of liquors - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

A great classic dive bar with great food, great beer, and great vibes. (The table was covered in what I assume are confiscated fake IDs, which was pretty amusing). I got the bent burger which has a nice thin patty topped with bacon, cheese, and jalapenos. Every bite was such flavor bomb, it was absolutely delicious. Paired with a beer on tap that the bartender recommended as well as a side of the crispiest and freshest tots, this made for an amazing way to spend a Friday night. read more

Bender's Bar and Grill - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The service here was great! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Even when the bar was crowded- the bartender was efficient and served us with a smile![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Great dive bar, decent food, solid beer selection, and immaculate vibes. Reminds me of Lucky 13 (RIP). It's pretty huge inside so it's a good place for larger groups. The portions with the food are very generous. read more

Benders is a bit of an institution of a bar. A great location on South Van Ness at 19th. They now have parklets for outdoor seating as well as seating inside and they follow the covid protocols. My last visit was on a late Friday afternoon. I ordered a an Bulleit Rye Old Fashioned, which was pretty exquisite and my wife order a gin tonic and we also had a couple beers. As a bonus I had a really good pozole from the Overkill Grill which is located inside. Check them out for sure! read more

Bender's Bar and Grill - A couple of beers at Benders! - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Very divey. You'll find out soon why this place is named Bender. Came here to play pool but the wait was too long so we left after a drink. It's ok. Not too busy read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great place if you enjoy punk rock + pool + beer.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Low key and good is delicious! I plan to go back!

This is a perfect dive bar. Smash burgers and schnitzel and tots are delicious and reasonably priced in these times of inflation. Kitchen is open until 11PM. They pretty much always have Pliny the Elder. Bike parking and pool tables. Bring your cash obviously. Lots of seating. read more

Bender's Bar and Grill - Schnitzel and burger - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

benders has become my home bar. the staff are friendly and the food is great. the prices can't be beat. ask for Elle she's a great server

A great local bar! We went to go watch Sunday football. There's a ton of room with plenty of room for sitting and standing. Two pool tables, which I loved!! I'm always looking for a spot with pool tables or games. There looks to be a back patio but I didn't wander back there. Really great service and decent bar food! I got tater tots but will be back to try a burger. Good pricing too! I would definitely recommend this for any local. read more

Bender's Bar and Grill - a pint of beer - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

5 star dive bar. I love the overkill grill's tots, fried chicken sandwich, the frankenburger, fried tofu, and din din noods. My partner gets the burger every time. Service at OKG is great, and at the bar is everything you dream of in a dive bar. Outdoor seating in the back and on the sidewalk outside. Pizza night on tuesday is good, too. read more

Tostada grilled cheese catapults me into another dimension. Somebody get this place a Michelin star asap....

Great beer selection? Damn straight. Cool bartenders? Absolutely. Phenomenal burgers and tots? Find out for yourself. If you know, you know. read more

Dive of the dives. I love dive bars, but apparently I was too dressed up for this place. Found the spot on Yelp while visiting SF for a biz trip. Bouncer was a little rude about me having a button up on. Said I didn't fit in, but inside the place was A1. Really chill, cool people, chill vibes, and affordable drinks. read more

Bender's Bar and Grill - Art - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Megan is the most attentive bartender I've ever experienced in San Francisco. As a world traveler and multi billionaire I have dealt with a lot of broads but no one comes close to her. read more

I used to LIVE for happy hour especially in the FiDi - drinks, cute men in suits, drinks, cute men in suits. Did I say, cute men in suits? Well that meant, making sure you looked cute as well...for me, that meant wearing sky high heels. Except I'm a walking calamity. Trying to walk in heels, I looked like a baby giraffe in roller skates and ended up with several sprained ankles. These days, comfort is everything (I haven't worn heels in yeeaaars) and happy hours are a rarity. But, some days, you just need to cut lose and just don't GAF about having to impress those cute men in suits. Well, because there are none in Mission dive bars. I was in The Mission at an appointment when my friend met up with me and said, he was hungry. I had Tater Tot with me and saw Bender's Bar on my nearby bookmarks: full bar, dog-friendly, and grub so we headed there. Bender's is CASH ONLY but they have an ATM inside. As others have mentioned, Bender's is a smaller version of Zeitgeist but without the douchewad employees. The female bartender (blonde with sleeve tats) is super sweet and the guy with the ponytail at the Counter Offer is super friendly (he pet TT and showed us pics of his friend's Pomeranian). It's divey and dark which means everyone looks good in dark lighting after a couple of dranks. There's a pool table, juke box, small outdoor patio, and a photobooth ($5): http://bit.ly/2dqAzXS. The crowd was from all walks of life: hipsters, grunge, skaters, millennials, and a handful of techies. For dranks, I stuck with my usual Hendrick's Tonic. The bartender made me one stroooonnng one that was only $8! Yah, so very cheap drinks. To accompany those strrooooonnnng dranks, you must try the food at the Counter Offer, a food counter at the right side of the bar. On the menu are fried pickles, chicken wings, burgers (including a doggie burger), fried chicken biscuit, mac & cheese, crispy tacos, and fried "f*ckin'" oreos. Burger menu: http://bit.ly/2eVim5o. They also have a "Burger of the Week" and this week is "The Elvis" with peanut butter and bacon. My friend ordered the Hand Dipped Corn Dog ($5) which was a special of the day: http://bit.ly/2eKA0sW. It was one loooonng, girthy dog. The polish sausage was juicy, and not overly salty which was perfect with the sweet corn batter. We each ordered the Bent Burger w/ bacon, american cheese, preserved jalapeños, louie sauce, L.P.O, tater tots ($14): http://bit.ly/2ea12bj. This is what dive bar burger dreams are made of. It was incredibly juicy (not a frozen patty) and had great layers of flavors from the salty bacon, melty cheese, tangy and spicy jalapenos, and animal spread-type sauce. The burger was cooked to order (medium rare) and the warm, toasted sesame bun held everything together...but not for long because that patty is juicy AF. It's a messy burger and I had beef juices running down the sides of my hands but what great burgers aren't. It's accompanied with perfectly crunchy tater tots. Tater Tot got a Chester Burger ($2): http://bit.ly/2emA6V9 and was a happy camper. When I returned to the bar for another round of drinks, an overly friendly drunk techie walked up to me and said, "Hey, HR lady!" He told me how he's making a point to tell people one "hot" thing about them. What did I tell you about THAT lighting! read more

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Dear internet reader: if you're checking Yelp to see if you should go to Bender's, you probably should not. If you go to Bender's and you feel it's the most divey of dive bars you've EVER been to, you should probably take a risk by stumbling in to more seedy looking bars (preferably that you didn't find on Yelp). If you go to Bender's, have a bad time, and then write a REVIEW on YELP about it, you're doing the right thing for the rest of the world. Keep up the great work, everyone! And bring cash. read more

Bender's Bar and Grill - Here's a stellar rock and roll band playing at Bender's one hot Saturday night. - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I heart Benders. Very fun, music and live shows are awesome. Most importantly - they make drinks good and strong. Plus the food is good, everything I have had has been awesome. Love, Love, Love ~ BENDERS! read more

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Divey and grimey ...reminds me of the old school city bars that are far and few between with the influx of millenial and hipster establishments taking over.Decent beer selection,back patio,pool tables and live music! There also is food served and the burgers looked bomb..too bad we already ate :( Check this spot out before the gentrification get's it read more

Bender's Bar and Grill - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

At first I was annoyed that I had to walk from Giordano Bros to Bender's on South Van Ness, but I had never been to this bar or heard of it. And after I visited the bar for a couple hours, I realized that I really enjoyed this bar. They played heavy metal rock music and there were hipsters. It felt homey and like a nice place to spend time at. You could meet people there if you tried. There's an outdoor patio. I had 2 crispy tacos, which were okay, but not stellar. And it took a million years for them to bring them to me after I ordered. The bartenders are cool. I was with 3 guys. I liked the atmosphere. It was better than the Knockout for sure. I would come back to this bar. It's more than a dive and the experience is fun. read more

Bender's Bar and Grill - Tacos - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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First things first: Cash only! There's an ATM inside but who wants to pay an ATM fee? With strong cheap drinks, great burgers and a photo booth, you're gonna want to come here with a few bills. The bartenders are chill the cooks are sweet and I keep coming back for Bent burger and tator tots. I mean there's no better combo than crispy bacon, jalapeños, American cheese and their special sauce. The decor is fun, they have tables adorned with fake IDs and money stuck on the ceiling. They have live music on weekends and it's always fun to listen to and support local bands. Whenever I come here with friends We always go to the photo book for sourviner photos, so again don't forget the cash! read more

An awesome dive bar in the Mission! They offer cheap drinks and good food. The drinks are cash only and they have an expansive menu of beers and some ciders. You can find some steals here like a $5 glass of Racer 5 and they have Pliny the Elder on tap. On the other side, they have an assortment of food items. I'd recommend the tater tots as well as the sliders. The food side of Benders takes card. There's also a photobooth, plenty of places to sit and a pool table as well. Would recommend coming here for an after work hangout! read more

Quick pit stop after for a birthday. Came and went. They have billiards here, pbr for like 2 bucks, and a bike rack indoors. read more

Found Bender's on Yelp, while me and some buds were looking for a good spot to have a few drinks and catch up and talk about the new Arcade Fire album. We got deep into the drinks then into a deep discussion on wether or not Arcade Fire are playing their fans for a fool or just trying to be super creative and clever with the new songs. Either way their musical melodies get stuck in your head and we all still love them. Much like we all still love a place where you feel at home while getting a drink or two on! Super nice bartender, cool art on the wall, and just like that the drinks fall! Not super divey, but not upscale, I'd say it's a casual bar where they make you want to jump, jive, and wail! read more

Bender's Bar and Grill - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

They built these awesome outside, covered units w/ well-distanced tables, and my friend and I agreed it w/ be fun to sit under there when it rains! They are taking all precautions, and have a good system in place. I had a super delicious burger and fries... and the service was friendly and fabulous as usual!!! read more

This is our second time here we like this bar! Dion was our bartender. He pours some sweeeeet drinks! And he's a lover of Thai food. Great recommendations. Definitely head to this bar, and bring your dollar bills for the ceiling. Quarters for the photo booth :-) Thank you Dion! read more

Cool bar, friendly staff, good food, their electronic vaccination verification works, good outdoor space, glluten free options. TV, pools tables, jukebox, clean working bathrooms, all good. The parklette on S. Van Ness gets noisy, but it's covered and clean. read more

Wow - I haven't been back to Bender's in years, but yesterday seemed like an appropriate occasion to enjoy a warm night on Bender's' back patio. As soon as we found a corner in their intimate open aired patio - I recognized some folks. Catching up below the darkening sky, as Bender's regulars chimed into the conversation - I sighed happily. Van Morrison crooned out from the juke-box. Oh the bliss of living in San Francisco. Bender's is a big space, but despite it's vast size - it still maintains a casual neighborhood vibe. Everyone I encountered last night was friendly and conversational. I will definitely be sure to enjoy more Mission nights here. Trust. read more

When I asked my friends if they'd been to Benders, both responded by saying 'nahhh that's not my scene'. Ohhh okay. Because yeah, I roll up on my vintage purple harley, with chaps on all the time. My bad! Yes, it is a classic biker bar in the city but do not be mislead, this joint is for everyone. If a glitzy gal from L.A. can roll up in some chucks and grab a pint, I'm pretty sure you could too. I don't know about hipsters though. The bar maid might throw you some shade along with your pint. Two pool tables, a little space for a small band to play and ample room for drinkers and revelers, make this corner spot a favorite of mine. The beer and liquor selection is sure to satisfy a range of preferences. They pretty much have it all! Not to mention the Counter Offer serves up delicious food! The new Bent Burger was finger licking good. It's a messy one filled with jalapeños, American cheese, onions, some crazy delicious sauce called louie and crispy BACON!!! Tater tots on the side seal the deal. You must try it! Don't worry veganites, they have a really nice selection for you folks too. Be sure to peruse all of the driving licenses screwed into the tables for a good laugh. I am so thankful I was not old enough to partake in the 80's hair trends. Lord! Everyone here is extremely friendly. The bouncer might look as though he'll eat you if you look at him the wrong way, but hey thats his job. He's really nice. Come check it out for yourself. read more

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I like it when people call me Sweety. As long as it isn't in a sarcastic bitchy way, that is. To side note that: if you do happen to be brave enough to utter it in my direction (with that tone) I will take you down. After I located my friends and dropped off my various loads of paraphernalia, I made my way back over to the bar to get a drink. I was enchanted by the hundreds of pieces of origami hanging from the ceiling and side noted it; "to take a picture of" for later. I was then rudely cut off by a guy whose drink order was apparently much more important than my own. The bartender saw him do it and threw him a bit snark accordingly. She carded me, called me "Sweety" and poured my drink quickly. It was interesting because the drink I was handed at that point was nothing like the other two drinks I was handed subsequently afterward. They got bigger and stronger but the price stayed the same. My "take a picture of the origami" side note sailed away somewhere in the first few sips of rum/rum/rum/rum/rum & coke #3. The tables are really cool; ours was various drivers licenses suspended in epoxy resin. I befriended the table next to us (full of guys) as the night progressed. As I pulled out various colors of play doh and then cards & chips - one of them remarked, "How many games do you have in there?" He totally tried to help me cheat by telling me where to put my hand when drawing "champagne toast" with my eyes closed. I know it's "effed up" to have to draw it without looking Mr. Befriend, but those are the rules. My favorite part: I had to charade "Rags to Riches". My partner wasn't getting it, one of the employees was headed into the little kitchen area - stopped, watched me for a minute and said, "What is this?? Some kind of tribal ritual?" :P After I got home and the rum & cokes wore off, I logged into yelp with my fingers crossed. Only to find heartbreak, no one else has posted pictures of the beautiful waves of origami. :( I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to get back to Benders but when I do, that will be objective #1 upon re-entry. read more