Not a huge space...not a fancy place... but certainly a friendly place. Rather spartan decor but perfect for grabbing a quick Buddha beer or cocktail on the way to or from some other SF event or venue. Very dark and intimate. Funny and friendly bar keep, makes it easy to mingle with locals and tourist alike. The beer goes down way too easy and it's easy to have 3-4. Fortunately I didn't have to drink a six pack to get a set of Buddha beer bottles( the bar keep hooked me up! I don't know why but it's such a spirited happy place. But don't fight the feeling. Enjoy this cash only old school dive bar in the heart of Chinatown. read more

Buddha Lounge - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Lou ge is clean. Bartender Annie is very friendly. Chines margarita is one to try! I recommend! read more

Buddha Lounge - Annie - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Lost my way during a SF trip and glad I did because I found this awesome bar. Asked the bartender for his specialty and it was delicious. Highly recommend this place on a Tuesday. Almost had this spot all to myself. Look forward to visiting again. read more

Buddha Lounge - Renovated Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Some reviews say this is a dive bar... lol not at all! (Dive bars smell like old carpet & beer, and don't serve Hennessy...if you think this is a dive bar you were maybe born after 1995?) Very clean and simple small bar, the bartender was silly fun. I was shocked at how inexpensive it was compared to other cities (Seattle, Madrid etc). We had a fun time, good music too! read more

This is always 1 of our pit stops in San Francisco.Centrally located in Chinatown. Super clean! Great hospitality and has class. Everything is updated and the murals alone are really nice. Our tenders are always cool and down to earth. The journey to the restroom is always an adventure! To The Dungeon you go! LOL! Pricing is also great! read more

Buddha Lounge - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Simple pop by for a drink and a sports tv for entertainment! $5 bottle for a beer and they serve pretzels while at it. Nice gesture and divey bar in Chinatown! Bar stools and hole in the wall. Straightforward to easily grab a drink and get that going! read more

Don't come here if you're trying to drink responsibly, asked for water and beer and he didn't want to serve AT ALL. Literal quote " we don't serve Asians" read more

Worst place ever! Don't even go there!! I order a glass of wine and she gave me half way and she is like $10 dollars?? Trust me dont do it, the place across the street, you get awesome MaiThai for $10 dollar and even thete my wine is $8 dollar.I used to love tne buddha back in the day but , this place' changed so much its sad. Trust me go the place acrossed the street with the mai thais , you won't be disappointed. read more

Buddha Lounge - Budda lounge half wine $10 dollars - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Stopped by with some friends on a Saturday after the lunar new year parade, friends had ordered drinks but I only wanted water. The man serving at the bar rudely refused to serve me water because I had not boughten an alcoholic drink. I feel like this was such a let down considering that we were trying to enjoy our time. A friend then went up to a female bartender and requested waters, she didn't hesitate to provide us with a glass. I would not recommend this bar due to this rudeness to deny water just because you didn't order an alcoholic drink. read more

Surprisingly clean and modern. The bar was quite spacious and I love the dragon wallpaper, the modern jukebox, and that there is sake too. There are a number of bottled beers, they're all really affordable. I got my sake warmed up. We were drawn in by the fun neon lights. Good experience. read more

Awesome bar located in the Chinese District! Mok the Bartender is amazing! Funny, respectful, and a great time. The place is small so once you get a seat don't move! The drinks are cheap and they have local specials so make sure to ask for them. They take card or cash so you're good there as well. Great spot! read more

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Bartender Annie is a great host. sad to say I haven't caught the Buddha lounge open my past few visits to Chinatown. I hope they open Again soon. Ones of my regular spots in town. read more

ZERO STARS. Came to this bar to grab a drink as were waiting I wanted to use the restroom, bartender extremely unpleasant stated "restrooms are for paying customer, either way I have customers" bartender gave a very sassy head and eye roll. Bartender very unprofessional having an entire conversation and drinking on the job with customers as my husband and I waited to be attended. Also this place is very sketch, considering I'm from LA. That says a lot. Didn't go to Restroom but what from I could see was located underneath the bar down a locked gated caged door. Couldn't get food or drinks because bartender having a full thrown conversation/drinking with customers. read more

So happy we stopped by! Apparently a huge staple in Chinatown SF I went on a search for this place and it's so small that I've walked past it a few times and finally decided to look up and saw the sign lol. Luckily we went in the afternoon bc later on in the evening we walked past again and it was jammed packed. Service was good. Very fast in taking and delivering orders. We were just basic and got Buddha Beers ($5) and like it's been mentioned CASH ONLY. They also told us we were welcome to take the bottle home, we declined but the gesture was appreciated. read more

love me a small little bar! i really like the vibe here and think their buddha beer (the signature drink!) is super delicious. it's refreshing, tasty, and the price point is perfect. my only gripe is sometimes they close earlier than advertised without warning. but i get it, sometimes days can get slow. i love that they have the touchtunes in here--it's actually something i REALLY enjoy about this place. can't wait to go back! read more

when in Chinatown, one must have a drink. so I tried the Buddha lounge this time. It was not busy at all, had a long island ice tea and was off to my next destination. read more

Julien is the best bartender ever!! He is very accommodating and genuine. Best dive bar ever!

A must stop if you're in China Town. It is worth the stop to hang out and get a drink. Perfect location as outstanding staff. Locally owned and operated! read more

Buddha Lounge - Inside Mural at the Lounge. - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Probably the worst Old Fashioned I've ever had - and it's a drink that's pretty hard to mess. When I asked for a bit more sugar, bartender just dumped straight up granulated white sugar in my drink. A friend of mine asked said bartender to make her a whisky drink, and he unenthusiastically made some undrinkable waste. I know this place gets great reviews, and perhaps we should have just stuck to beer, but I feel like our bartender could have tried just a bit harder. I'd avoid it. read more

We found this cute little bar while wandering around the Chinatown area on our last day in SF. We just wanted somewhere quiet to sit and have a couple of drinks. This is a simple place with some bar seating and a counter behind the bar with more chairs. Cheap beers, and a jukebox for music. The bathroom situation was a bit interesting because you have to go down this gated door to the basement, but I meannnnn it was fine. Decent place to stop for a breather, and seems like it's the place to go if you're a regular in the area. read more

I have been to the Buddha so many times. Never changes. Great service in the Heart of Chinatown. This is so nice my haven stays true

Friendly bartender and delicious cocktails. We didn't see a menu, but the bartender just asked what type of liquor we like and surprised us. I had a cocktail made with Tanqueray gin, chambord (raspberry liquor), lemon and club soda. Fun atmosphere, but it is a pretty small bar. They have awesome Buddha artwork on the back wall and bathrooms are in the basement. Highly recommend this fun bar in Chinatown. read more

Buddha Lounge - Buddha artwork on the back wall of the bar - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Found this on a late night walk through Chinatown, so glad that we dropped in. The ambiance was very hip and fun, the bartender was a riot, the drinks were good. We will definitely be for night caps when we are back in town! read more

For my money, MaiTais at Buddha Lounge beat LiPo -- cool dive-bar vibe is better, too . . . PROS: Corner of the street locale, good for a quick in-out adult beverage if you're on a pub crawl; decent jukebox; decent pours -- I like the taste of alcohol in my adult beverages CONS: Cash only -- but nearly every bar in CTown seems to be cash only We liked the Buddha . . . tasty MaiTais, friendly service and a good location. Cheers! RL read more

Buddha Lounge - Whetting the appetite - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Greattttt dive bar... Nothing more nothing less.. They prefer cash but they take cards no problem. Had a great night in the christmas season during our fancy pub crawl read more

I'm not sure of his name, but the bartender we had with a shaved head last night was incredible. Overall energy just fantastic.

If you're looking for a low-key dive bar, I totally recommend coming here especially if you're in the Chinatown area. If you're looking to also get a quick beer after some bomb Chinese food, then stop in. This place is tiny but it'll do the job on a Friday night over a couple Tsingtaos. Oh yea, it's cash only here so load up. read more

Boring bar and the bartender was a jerk. Other places in Chinatown with much friendlier staff and better atmosphere.

One of my favorite dive bars in SF ...if you're in the Chinatown/North Beach area check it out ...it reminds me of chinatown of old ...the owners I believe (husband and wife) run this joint quite efficiently ...the few times I've been they are good with not letting your beer/drinks run dry! Can't remember the name of the chinese liquer they have in the small round bottle but it's quite potent ..lol. There's a decent amount of seating and a TV that they usually have sports on...plenty of places to eat nearby...check it out! read more

I walked in for the first time with a friend and waited at the bar for the bartender to attend to us. After 10 mins, the bartender didn't even acknowledge us even though we were at the bar table right in front of him. We allowed him to continue to ignore us and go outside to smoke his cigarette and come back. A couple enters shortly after and he attending to them still completely ignoring us. When we asked him what we did wrong not to be served, he began yelling at us and threatened to kick us out with no explanation. We decided to leave once he started to become physical (still with no reason) and go to the bar next door. Four police men showed up shortly after and told us that he had made up a story that he's seen us before and that we waited there for 20 mins not asking for anything which was disproven by the other people at the bar who saw everything happen and also left due to him actions. I don't know if he was drinking on the job, having a bad day, or just racially profiling us but definitely wont be back if thats the service we receive. read more

Great place very friendly Annie the best bartender ever a bar you don't want to miss while you at San Francisco

This place is great. Try the Tiger lager! Small place with character. A refuge from the throngs of tourists!

The first thing that I ever heard about Buddha Lounge is that they have a gate that you have to get buzzed into to go downstairs and use the restroom. This is true. Buddha Lounge is a beloved little dive bar on Grant Street in Chinatown. A lot of people have a lot of great things to say about this bar. I get the sense that they have a good regular crowd. I tend to drop in just while passing through Chinatown for a variety of reasons. To me, this is a pretty textbook Chinatown Dive Bar which doesn't have any truly stand out feature but is still solid enough all around to stay relevant. Personally, I can't get as excited as some people do - but I like it none-the-less. Three Things: 1. Chinese Mai Tai. They have it here too. You may have heard of another bar in the 'hood that offers this drink. I tried the Buddha Lounge version and I was quite pleased. 2. Get a Buddha Beer. They only have bottled beer, no drafts. No good strong beer. A Buddha Beer makes for a good photo. 3. The buzz in bathroom. It exists. But, on the bathroom note, this is also a handy last stop before catching an Uber away from Chinatown. This is an interesting bar. I rarely stay long when I come, but I'll keep coming back. read more

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First time to the Buddha Lounge, bartender was great! Very entertaining, made you feel welcome. We had some Chinese beer Tsingtao that was great and a shot if Chinese liquor, Ng Ka Py, kinda cinnamon tasting and a glass of ice water as the chaser It was great. Prices were reasonable, definitely coming back when we are in town again. read more

If you are walking around Grant St. in Chinatown then you have to stop in Buddha Lounge for a Chinese Mai Tai!!!! Don't ask me what they put in it but it is some strong but good tasting Chinese rice wine. She'll even give you a shot to try first and says "It makes you have a Happy time later". Definately stop in for a drink but it is a CASH ONLY place and drinks are about $10 each or at least the Chinese Mai Tai was. read more

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Update 1 yr later: came back her during a business trip for MaiTais made with Ng Ka Py from Hong Kong (from Hong Kong is important because the bartender said so.. I trust her). Made some new friends.. and it's 2pm on a Thursday. Mrs. Lee is Korean and she's and awesome person. It's a dive bar.. but it's a great one and the people who come here.. are based on the Yelp reviews and locals I this place. Will update next year again if not sooner. read more

Buddha Lounge - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Love this little hole in the wall, I was walking around with my partner and we stumbled upon this little bar. They had this beer called the Buddha, loved the design of it and also the beer was so good! It was cash only so make sure to bring some! read more

Buddha Lounge - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

amazing day drinking vibes. grab a lucky buddha beer and chat with everyone who pops in. will for sure be back

This hole in the wall is one of my favorite bars now! This bar is small and cozy and it's the perfect place to come to with 1-2 friends, or even alone! The setting is dark and intimate, and it's pretty quiet in here (the TV plays softly in a corner). Note: this bar is cash only, but there is an ATM in the corner if you really need it. A restroom is available in the basement, but you need a bartenders permission to open the gate to use it. In general, the place is very clean. I was served by a female bartender who was very friendly! I asked for recommendations for sweet drinks, and I was pleasantly surprised! After a few rounds with my friend, she offered us a couple free shots of "real" fireball from Hong Kong, and some warm sake. After she was off her shift, she was replaced by a guy named Mark, who is now the coolest bartender I know. He is an enigma, with lots of interesting stories to tell. I learned to play Liars Dice at this bar with my friend, and Mark is apparently unbeatable. I'd love to come back here again! read more

Totally dirty, grimey and dusty. But the cool tunes on the jukebox (heck, a jukebox that actually works!), friendly bartender and a scary way to the bathroom (why is there a big, steel gate on the way down to the basement??) sounds fun to me. Hey, I lower my standards a bit when I'm in Chinatown. read more