Those of you who read have no doubt been reading about the trend of people having concerts in their…read morehomes for small groups of people. I attended one of these recently, and had an out of body experience, while listening to one of my favorite SF-based jazz groups, the Lost Trio. This particular show took place in the living room, but the home's owner, Jack Hanny, is in the process of preparing a basement rec room as the site for future shows; he refers to it as the "naughty pine rec room". Because you are in someone's home, the vibe is very homey, and all attendees are expected to bring food or drink to share with the band and the other patrons. A wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon, hear some great music, and be home before dark.

I reached out to Aaron's group to help me surprise my family during my grandfather Arthur's…read morememorial/99th birthday celebration of life. Aaron was immediately responsive, understanding to our situation, and accommodating of our needs. The booking process was seamless and easy. Everyone that knew Art, knew how huge of a jazz fan he was, and even more so an Artie Shaw fan. Aarons trio was absolutely fabulous and they were even able to play a rendition of his favorite song, Moonglow. I'll forever be grateful as they gave my entire family comfort and genuine memories of Arthur during this emotional time. They played an outstanding performance I know my grandfather would have loved. Thank you guys sincerely!

From the owner: This ensemble brings artistry and style to any event with masterful renditions of classic jazz…read morecompositions by the likes of Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Ira Gerswin, Irving Berlin, Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. The Aaron Bennett jazz combo has been performing jazz classics at weddings, parties, corporate events, fundraisers and clubs throughout the bay area for over two decades, including a 15 year stint at Cafe Claude in Union Square. Booking Inquiries: booking@aarondavidbennett.com *fees are negotiable and vary based on availability, travel required, special requests and budget

Radio Gatsby absolutely crushed it at our wedding and we are still talking about it!…read more We had a solo pianist for the ceremony, a quartet during cocktail hour, and a full band for dinner and dancing. Every part of the day had its own perfect vibe and they nailed all of it. They played every song we wanted and steered completely clear of the ones we didn't, which honestly meant so much to us. Our guests would not stop raving about the music all night and weeks after! We loved every second of it. The dance floor was full from start to finish. If you are looking for musicians who will genuinely make your day feel like YOUR day, book Radio Gatsby. You will not regret it!

These guys are great! We booked them for our Super Bowl weekend Welcome Reception and they were…read morewonderful. Very easy to work with leading up to the event via email, and then the night of the party the music was perfect! Our guests really enjoyed it and it fit just right at our venue and with our theme. Thank you!

I came for the Take A Dance On Me event on Feb. 20th, 2026. I can't lie, the DJ didn't disappoint…read morewith the ABBA music. I even heard songs such as The Winner Takes It All, Under Attack, When All Is Said and Done, Slipping Through My Fingers, Don't Shut Me Down (new album 2021). However, the last 1.5 was dedicated to EDM and House music which ruined the mood for me. I left earlier than I had expected. The staff was very friendly and it got super-crowded in the room where the event was taking place. If they ever do another one, I plan to return.

I'm not sure why I've been so lackadaisical about writing my personal appraisal of El Rio. I've…read morebeen just a handful of times in the past year, and honestly not been disappointed with my experiences here. The only times that dishearten me was when they decided to close the bar for private events, often leaving me disgruntled to find another place to wet my whistle. I can think of worse things in life like JD Vance becoming VP. Now that would be a tragedy. I usually find myself here when they open at 5PM during the week. Jasmine has been my bartender of choice, and she makes a mean cocktail whether it be a rollicking $8 Tequila Sunrise (photo: https://yelp.to/zp4Bw0t2Cx) or one of the house specialties, the smoothly spiky $12 Margarita Silencio Mezcal (photo: https://yelp.to/NJiZldM8EI). More often than not, I find myself sauntering over to the expansive back patio where one part was usually being decorated for an imminent group event, while the remainder was free for solitary drinkers looking for a moment of reflection while imbibing a libation or three. I've yet to have a problem of overstaying my welcome, but then again, that's part of the inclusive nature of El Rio. Indeed I belong here. DRINKS - 4 stars...not lethal but potent enough to make me think the Carmen Miranda cutout actually moved AMBIANCE - 4.5 stars...it may have the only vibe in SF close in spirit to WeHo spots like The Abbey SERVICE - 4 stars...usually greeted with genuine enthusiasm...Jasmine is a gem of a bartender TOTAL - 4 stars...if you need space for your cavorting, this be it RELATED - Exploring Bernal Heights? Here's my collection of places I've tried and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CaaWFe

Make-Out Room has a lot of character and such a chill, laid-back vibe. It's a great spot whether…read moreyou're coming with friends or on a date. The atmosphere feels fun and unpretentious, and it's the kind of place you can actually relax and enjoy yourself. They have live music, and I think they even host a salsa night, which adds to the energy and keeps things interesting. It's just a really cool bar to hang out at without feeling overly crowded or try-hard. Overall, a solid spot with personality. I'd totally recommend coming here with your friends if you're looking for a fun, easygoing night out.

Had a great night here for my brother's bday! Drinks were great and strong! Music was good! Loved…read morethat there was plenty of seating! Only complaint is that there is one small tiny bathroom stall for women, the line was long all night which took away from having fun with the group. But loved the vibe!

My husband and I had Ollie's band play at our wedding last month at the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San…read moreFrancisco and were deeply impressed by their music! We'd seen Ollie and the band play on several YouTube videos we'd found online but nothing really compared to having them play live. As a jazz band they brought a beautiful energy to our wedding reception that impressed not just us but our 150 wedding guests. The music really was so beautiful and executed to perfection. Ollie is very easy going and was amenable to all our requests. A big shout out to Ben the keyboardist, too, who played Otis Redding's "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay" as we walked down the aisle :) They really were a great band to work with :)

We hired Ollie's jazz trio for a birthday party we had at our home for around 50 people. The…read moreambiance was exactly what we were looking for. They sounded great and everyone loved them. Ollie was a pleaselure to deal with. 100% credible and professional. Thank you!

My husband and I hired Nova Jazz as a quartet for our wedding in spring of 2026 and they were…read morewonderful to work with! Easy to communicate and plan with and their performance really elevated our reception. We let them know what kind of vibe and tempo we liked ahead of time and they did the rest choosing songs to play for the reception to keep things upbeat without being overpowering. Daniel checked in with us at various points throughout the night to ensure the vibes were right and if we needed any adjustments. Nova Jazz also was able to play a special request song outside of their listed repertoire for our first dance which we really appreciated and was very special for us. We'd recommend them for weddings and any other special events when you want extra pizzazz!

Working with Daniel and his band was all around an amazing experience! After reading all the…read morereviews and listening to a few of their videos online, I knew I wanted Nova Jazz Band to play at my company's 30th Anniversary celebration I was planning. TLDR; they exceeded every expectation from start to finish, and Daniel made everything completely stress-free. From our very first correspondence, Daniel was very friendly, quick to respond, knowledgeable, and incredibly professional. The music was phenomenal - very classy and perfect for our occasion. The band totally nailed the vibe. Daniel's attention to detail was next-level. He thought of all the little things that usually fall through the cracks - from what songs should play during the band's breaks, to how the sound system was set up, to which speakers the recorded music should come from. He even coordinated with the venue director to make sure there wouldn't be a single hiccup. Basically, he handled every possible thing before I could even think to worry about it. Everything ran like clockwork and I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Daniel and his team went above and beyond in every way. I can't wait to hire them for a future event! Highly, highly recommend!

Date: Saturday, July 26th, 2025 Time: around 11:15pm…read moreParty of: 5 *Tito's ($11) x3 *Jameson ($10) x3 *Old Fashion ($14) I met up with some friends after seeing a show. They weren't sure where to go, so I quickly yelped bars and this one popped. It wasn't super busy, so we easily grabbed a table. Kinda divey, kinda neighborhoody, and they played good music. Very much my group's style with the old school r&b and hip hop. Drink prices above were reasonable. I got one round and my friend got the other one. Each round averaged 3.5 drinks and about $41.50 each. $52 each with tip. Nice place to hit up if you're it the neighborhood and looking for a night cap of sorts. Music was a little loud, so talking can be a challenge, but we had a good time. REVIEW #3826

Perfectly fine cocktail bar, nominally themed for the Thin Man. Meaning, they have large portraits…read moreof Myrna Loy, William Powell, and Asta, over the bar. I walked in to a thumping beat on a Saturday evening, just killing time, really. The music was unnecessary, or at least unnecessarily loud. It was a small crowd that had nothing better to do on Valentine's night. The bartender and I had to lean towards each other to get my order right. I just had a dirty vodka martini, competently made. Nonfood available, but there was a box of pretzel snacks sitting in the bar, which she handed me. More brightly lit than an ordinary dive bar, but so much more could be done with it.

A new bartender was being trained. It was fun to overhear that. She was doing great at pulling…read morepints, but was a bit confused on beer types. Not so the woman training her. I used to work in adult beverages and ai learned a few things listening to her explain the many many beers the have on tap. I missed the live music but the place is awesome. Feels nice.

Horrific experience! Here goes:…read more I asked for my deposit back after the event ended, and they responded with "that will not be happening as you brought in alcohol which is illegal" YES, I agree, we did and the staff confiscated it as soon as we entered, no arguments just compliance from the entire party, we all bought several rounds from the bar regardless, I booked the venue for 30+ people, I even confirmed with 'Sawyer' that I am able to bring up to 40 people, They also confirmed that we would be able to come in earlier to set up and decorate, When my friends first arrived for my event to set up, they were shunned to 2 high tops for food and 2 high tops for mingling (6 chairs total) in the back near the bathroom where they set up my balloons and Birthday arc. the area could have fit up to 8 people comfortably. and maybe 12 people uncomfortably. Once the back patio cleared out we moved our party outside because I will be taking up space for an event I booked, Especially when the bar is aware that there are more attendees arriving, The space was still open for the general public to come chill and several of the general guests did, they kicked it with us ate, drank and celebrated with us and left. After which a group of males entered and they weren't an issue until one of them grabbed the pizza I bought without asking. After his third slice I asked him why he felt entitled to take someone else's food without even requesting, which aggravated his entire group. this escalated matters, as my friends are not going to watch me get yelled at. When the bar staff was alerted they tried their absolute worst to de-escalate the situation. They suggested giving me $20 for the pizza they stole, but they failed to see the point. The reason I am putting my review back up again is because my friends have videos of one of the bar staff wearing a beanie at the time standing next to the man who was yelling "IM PROUD TO BE WHITE" with his finger pointing very aggressively at me. In my last review I stated that all of my friends were POC and the opposite party was white, to which Sawyer then asked me to take down the review because it was not a "fair representation of what took place", However I documented what took place and how we were treated and thats what my review stated I do appreciate Sawyer for refunding me, but I will not be silenced with how myself and my friends were treated regardless of the refund I received, Temple allows Racism in my beautiful neighborhood and I will not stand for it. I can also add proof if and when Temple bar would like to respond. Shoutout to SFPD for actually de-escalating the situation. Best, SB