GREAT fun place! Mature crowd, good music, a just a fun bar! Great drinks with great prices! Matt was my bartender and delivered GREAT service..with jokes!! I'm from Texas and will ALWAYS pop in for drinks.. with a laugh! What's the common denominator for The Hole in the Wall Saloon??... IT'S GREAT!!!!!! read more

I've been in San Francisco since 1978, been a bartender, for over 20 yrs, & until today never went into the HOLE IN THE WALL. I wandered in here on my way to COSTCO, & I absolutely LOVE this place. It's been here 31 years. It has a fascinating interior & today a great friendly bartender. If you have an open mind & are prepared for a gay bar on the exotic side, with, I hear might behave in very gay ways, come enjoy an exceptionally entertaining experience. I get so bored in most bars, but there a great pinball machine here & good music & who knows what your experience will be like. So glad this favorite bar, is finally in my list of things to do. read more

Hole In the Wall Saloon - The back bar. - Gay Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

We popped in for drinks in a friend's Sunday funday bar crawl. A regular in the gated area told us to come in, it was his favorite bar. It was a really cool interior, dark, with very eclectic decor. Another regular came over to offer us a corner booth that would accommodate our group of 5, which was very sweet. The drinks were made well and quickly. Definitely rely check them out when in the area! Cool place with friendly regulars. read more

See all

You ever see "Cruising"? That's the 1980 movie where Al Pacino played a cop that goes undercover in the West Village S&M leather scene to find a serial killer targeting gay men. Believe it or not, it wasn't a comedy, and it was the first time I saw a leather gay bar even if it was just a movie. Well, I had a flashback to that film when I entered this bar in the middle of the afternoon. Definitely dark but honestly not that foreboding. It felt more like a hangout for regulars who want a little more edge in the atmosphere. The leatherbound bartender was obviously a longtime employee because he barely cracked a smile the whole time I was here. I ordered a $6 Tequila Sunrise which to the bartender's credit, was as potent as one could handle in the daylight (photo: https://yelp.to/9WNvrDpffx). I'm sure Al would've cuffed me and read my rights. DRINK - 3 stars...had real swing AMBIANCE - 3 stars...yep, it's a leather bar alright SERVICE - 3.5 stars...not Miss Congeniality TOTAL - 3 stars...is that you, Al? RELATED - Exploring western SoMa? Here's my collection of places I've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2H0vGTV read more

See all

Fun, accepting, mature crowd for drinks, guys, rock, and cruising. Like being home with your favorite company. I've come back after some years away, and my homecoming has been, frankly, epic fun! read more

Was in there for 3 minutes and employee walked up and said you buy a drink or find some place else so hostile when I just spawned in ... for what? read more

Felt Violated, Unsafe, and Targeted I had a deeply upsetting experience at this bar on Tuesday night 11/12/2025. I went in needing to use the restroom before ordering a drink, and as I started using the private bathroom (which had no lock), the bartender (an Irish man) suddenly pushed the door open while I was urinating. Instead of stepping away, he stood there watching me and shouting aggressively. It was an outrageous invasion of privacy that made me feel violated and sexually harassed. Afterward, he continued yelling in a foreign language (what sounded like Irish). From what I could gather, he was upset that I hadn't ordered a drink first. I've been to gay bars all over the world, and it's completely normal for a customer to use the restroom before ordering, but what happened here was absolutely unacceptable. I also felt like I was being targeted because I'm Asian and an easy target. His aggression and attitude made the encounter feel racially motivated and unhinged. No one should ever be treated this way. read more

I really enjoyed this place. While visiting a friend and also the city again (hadn't been since 2017!) I decided to go in on his recommendation, and it wasn't a bad recommendation at all! I was able to talk to the bartender who was from Ireland, I think his name was Jack? Super sweet. Hilarious. The pool was intimidating but the other patrons explained how THEY were playing the game, handed me a pool cue, and off we went. It was a hell of a lot of fun. I did WAY better than I thought I would. My mind was all over the place honestly while playing, and not from the drink, but because the guy I was playing against was eyeballing me up and down, and I was doing the same to him... so it was distracting a little bit, but also, fun... and sadly, my husband was not with me on this trip... but HAD he of been... I think the night would have looked a LOT different lol! The night was still young when I said goodnight to everyone, and then my friend and I went back up the street to his place... and hung out for a few more hours and then I went to sleep for a little bit to get ready for a flight back to Denver... but man, I will never forget this place... and I hope it stays for many years. I will be back... and I hope to see it when I get there. :) read more

I really hope the manager looks into Larry and all the corruption he is causing. I went in there and put my name down on the pool table and I asked him how far I am from being next. He told me I'm not next and he stated the next name on the list and said that person is next. Well that was strange because it was me. He said it was not me and he went into the smoking area and asked everyone who was under that name. I went to the smoking area to confirm why he went out there and they said they were looking for me and I was like OK great I already told him I was next. When I went to play pool a few minutes later, they said I could not play because I was in the smoking area and my turn was skipped. It was really ironic because he went to the smoking area to look for the person that was next on the list but when it was me, he skipped me. He started to play with other people and told me that I was not in the bar, even though I was in the smoking area where he was looking for the next candidate up to play. I try to be friendly to him and ask him how his night is going and he ignored me and walked by me. Long story short I'm not sure why he was so against me participating in playing pool when I right fully wrote my name as the next person in line and he skipped me. It was extremely an explicitly discriminatory. I've never experienced this at this bar. Most of the bartenders are nice. & realize that he was on the clock, playing pool... being disrespectful to guests along the way. Horrible unhappy person in his personal life for him to act the way he did. read more

Never in my 20 years of going to bars have I been ask to move from a seat at the bar while actively ordering and paying for drinks. Queer bar or not, the experience was disappointing and disheartening. I couldn't help but notice I was likely the only Black woman in the space--and that fact didn't feel irrelevant in how I was treated. It is what it is, but I won't be back. read more

Friendly staff good cheap drinks . The decor is out of this world . I will be donating a piece

Delicious pizza!! We ordered the combo. It arrived hot and tasty!!! Will definitely order again next time we have to come to SF fir follow up appointment at UCSF!! read more

Great ambiance. No long waiting for drinks. Enjoyable music and bartenders. Lots of interesting stuff on walls.

The service is great unless their is a codray of boys/men waiting for the drinks and coctails.

I always have a good time here! The staff is always very friendly and welcoming, so I've never once felt out of place there. And even tho it's a gay biker bar and I'm non binary more on the pink barby fem side, I've always felt seen and accepted! Everyone makes conversation! Sometimes the social vibe there isn't quite what I'm looking for even tho I enjoy going there, but that's nobody's fault considering my aesthetic vs the aesthetic of the bar. All in all fantastic spot that I have zero regrets for! read more

8/19 Bartender was super unfriendly and had an attitude especially towards women. Did not make us feel welcome. Left as soon as we could.

Love this bar. This definitely feel like a men's bar. It's dark, cool, bartenders are awesome. It's not everyone's cup of tea and I love that about it. Matte is awesome. read more

Hole In the Wall Saloon - This is the bathroom. I'm not actually pissing in this photo but you get the vibe - Gay Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Not my favorite bar. The bartenders and the regulars have been rude each time I've been. The bathroom has poor ventilation and is pretty grimy. There are better bars in the area. The drinks on the other hand were not horrible, read more

You can tell they are not welcoming to lesbians at all. Very rude atmosphere and service.

Great atmosphere for local dive bar with fun specials daily. Crazy over the top decor which adds to fun wonky bar

This is a great Sunday Funday place. The drinks are reasonably priced and the staff is very welcoming and friendly.

As far as dive bars go, the Hole-in-the-Wall Saloon really delivers on its title. While it is exactly what it says it is..its the style in which it achieves this that I love the most. It rather over-develops the dive bar theme it is in no way a boring experience being in there. They've done it with a particularly quirky style. It was like being on the the set of a children's TV special in the 70's directed by Tim Burton and decorated by Pee Wee Herman on an acid trip (Work THAT one out). As I was sitting in there looking around I happened to notice this piece on the wall, and upon further investigation...Well just look at the picture I've attached and you'll see what I mean. Also notice not just the foreground of the picture but zoom in and check out all the stuff around it. Zoom Truly a one-of-a-kind experience. I will be back. read more

Hole In the Wall Saloon - This "piece" on the wall was almost overshadowed by the other weird shit in this place. - Gay Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

The last time I was here I had Calamari with Capers and a Lemon Butter. Could melt in your mouth and it did. Fantastic Service and exceptional food. Very nice indeed read more

I great bar. I recommend this to everyone. The Brazilian guy from the 440 told me come here because they also are amazing bar attendants . Great DJ , a real great bar with no attitude. read more

best queer dive bar in SF. friendly sleazy good drinks great music. legendary bartenders

Like stepping into an exclusive art museum. Everything in this place will be worth tens of thousands of dollars one day. A definite must visit spot For art enthusiasts. Also great music and amazing beer prices. Any wait to go back. read more

Hole In the Wall Saloon - Gay Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Interesting dive-type bar, but fun decoration and arcade games available. Comparable to other SOMA scene gays in terms of clientele. Cash only. read more

The bar itself is pretty cool, but the bartender and regulars are something else. I came in with 2 friends for pool and drinks. Immediately, the bartender started to yell at us as we sat at the bar. We moved a few seats down and ordered drinks. A couple regulars (the bartender was calling them by first name) came up to the bar and kept using really offensive language and making comments about my group. We paid and left. Not a fan of this place at all. read more

If I could leave 0 stars I would. I came in with a group of lesbian women and expected to be welcomed in a queer space. I decided to use the restroom before I began drinking and the entire time I was peeing a MALE bartender was trying to FORCE open the door. There was no lock on the bathroom door and the door was forced open while my friend held the door closed for me. This is a male only space and they make sure you feel that way. I would not recommend this place to ANYONE!! read more

This is the coolest place I've been in a long time. Stumbled upon it, and I am so ashamed at myself for not coming here sooner. Come enjoy yourself! read more

Hole In the Wall Saloon - Gay Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I was born under a pile of sweaty t-shirts in the back of the Hole in the Wall. The pretty bar tenders swaddled me in bar towels and baptized me with rail gin. If you find my pants, let me know... read more

Really cool place best dive bar ever! The scene and the Vibe screams Vice city. Excellent staff and patrons, the drums are strong and keep putting. Can't ask for much more in a bar. Arcade and nice bathroom facilities are A++ read more

See all

Disappointed in the service me and my friend visiting from Mexico received here. Upon showing his passport, the elder white gentlemen at the bar questioned whether it was valid and proceeded to question my identification as well (I'm a US citizen.) For a bar that pushes inclusion and acceptance, my experience here has been nowhere near the sort. NOT BIPOC INCLUSIVE read more

You remember that little game where everyone yells "penis" to see who has the biggest balls (pardon) to yell the word the loudest? Well, that game manifested into a bar. Welcome to the penis jungle. After dinner, the crew was up for a quick drink elsewhere before heading back to the hotel. Now where would one turn to when in need of a suggestion of somewhere to go, within certain geographical and financial constraints? Well, Yelp of course. While the rest of the block was a bit dead on a week night, we moved forward, past the reefer scented doorway. What we experienced next was definitely moving. And memorable. Sure, many boast about having a large penis. But, Hole In The Wall has one of the biggest penises I have ever seen. And it was green! It was as if the Jolly Green Giant got snipped and mounted, all for the glory of the bar. Why, hello there. A quick look around lead to the discovery of more penises. (I wish the plural of penis was peni, don't you?!) Penis, penis everywhere. Penises with faces, penises exploding, penises on bears that prevent forest fires...you name it! I know a great drinking game that we could have played. I spy the penis. That would have been great fun. So, maybe we didn't quite fit in here. (I was without my leather chaps.) But, no one in there cared. Sure, maybe we cared that they may have cared...but they didn't. We made sure to get a quick drink and a round of shots was every bit worth the $21 dollars shelled out for five of them. Say woooord! If you like peni (it's my review so I can make up words) you may want to give Hole In The Wall a poke. Think of it as a penis museum if you will - you must approach it with great respect. Oh, and make sure to tip your bartender. I would hate for the big green penis hanging above to get mad at you. read more

I believe in rating businesses on how successfully they pull off whatever it is they're purporting to be. Expensive, frou-frou places better have some damn good frou-frou food and someone refilling my water glass after every sip. Dive bars need only have cheap prices, legit character, and something interesting on tap. Hole In The Wall, as far as I can tell, is successfully pulling off being the gayest gay bar that ever gayed. Hence the 5 stars. From the giant, green, blacklit penis hanging over the bar to the walls covered - every inch - with phallic imagery to the poster of Smokey The Bear ejaculating by the bathrooms, this is a place that is clear about who its target demographic is. Now, obviously that's not the entire gay contingent - this black-painted, light-string lit, dark and divey joint isn't for everybody, but it definitely has a distinct personality. And I love how fully that's embraced. REALLY fully. Just ask Smokey. Now, I and the group I was with (other Yelp Community Managers - yep, Yelp led us here...oh, the importance of labeling businesses properly...I went ahead updated "bar" to "gay bar") stuck out like sore vaginas, not just because we were primarily girls, but also because we were dressed for going out. The dress code at Hole In The Wall was more grungy jeans, t-shirts, some no shirts, etc. However, despite us CLEARLY being more spectators than participants, no one gave us the stink-eye or seemed to care - which I really appreciated, and which I wouldn't have blamed them for. Everyone was just having a chill, relaxed time playing pool and hanging out, and left us to ourselves to bask in our poorly concealed ignorant amazement. The bartender was friendly, too, and our kamikazes were huge, strong and $21 for the 5 of them (insert joke). AND we drank them under a giant glowing penis. Like I said, 5 stars. read more

See all

Cheap drinks, relaxed clientele, and one of the quirkiest most unique interiors in the city! A real gem of a bar. read more

See all

Great bar for a drink near the clubs. Chill, get naked drink and listen to mixed og rock dance tunes. Great place to get over a bad day.

One of my favorite gay bars in town, and I'm a straight, straight man. I used to come here after I was done hanging out at Folsom St Foundry because they have cheap beers, cheaper if you pop your shirt off, and a pool table. Yes it's all gay dudes in here usually, and yes you know they are gettin mad busy in that oversized bathroom in the back, but hey, if I was gay I would totally dig that action so right on? The giant dick on the wall makes some great photo op material, and who doesn't love a caged in smoking lounge? Something for everybody. read more

Awwww, it's a bouncing-baby-bar. A brand new, tricked-out Hole in the Wall. The owners jumped through many hoops and spent a fortune to get this place open, and I applaud their hard work and efforts to make this place as true to the original Hole in the Wall as they could....sans dirt, dust, cobwebs, scratched up plexiglass over the artwork, homeless folks, and that unmistakeable Hole-in-the-Wall-smell. (Unfortunately, sans some of the artwork that couldn't be moved and the motorcycle above the pool table as well. And...no more giant memorial candlewax mountain. Also missing are the backlit red wolf's eyes.) Yes indeed, the new Hole looks like...well, the old Hole. Painted black throughout, all the old prints and pictures (including the Polaroid collage of buttholes and penises) are on the wall and brand-new plexi covers all the artwork. The new bar is a gorgeous solid slab of redwood. The pool table is also brand new and, I must say, a pleasure to play on...and the floor is an exquisite work of art laid by my friend Lenny, and is much nicer than the painted plywood floors at the old Hole. The original Hole had an old piss-trough with a urine-splashed mirror hung above it at penis-viewing level, with only the weak green neon light of the old Heineken sign to light the view, and one toilet, exposed to the urinal area...yes, delightfully disgusting. Women used to post sentinels outside the bathroom entrance so they could hover 3 inches over the sopping wet toilet seat. The new Hole has two sparkling new giant bathrooms. It's a huge leap forward for sanitary reasons. The new Hole is next door to the Powerhouse. This creates a great circuit for SoMa revelry....Chaps II, The Lone Star, The Powerhouse, The Stud, The Hole in the Wall, and the Eagle, all within an easy walking (stumbling) distance from one another. Hooray for leathermen! Look around and see what a sparkly-clean, new Hole in the Wall looks like. Drink a beer in homage to the old Hole....the new Hole has several on tap....and remember the good-ol' days at 289 8th Street. read more

Hole In the Wall Saloon - New Hole Stained Glass Window - Gay Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

The bartender on Fridays is the best ;-) This is my Beer & Pool Bar every Firday from noon to 5PM read more

See all