Wow I am totally in love with this place! The service was fast, and the drinks were strong. We…read morerandomly floated in on a Sunday night and they had a Billy Joel cover band playing - they were fantastic! This place is totally slept on - 10/10 will come back ! Absolutely loved it, great vibes

On Friday 2/20/26 I stop by it had very time since I've been near sunset. I met the most fun big…read morepersonality bar tender (Danny)we have a musician friend that we both know that was nice friend! Danny is amazing really nice smile. Spectacular bar tender. I had awesome time Danny makes you feel very welcome!

Another great show by James McMurtry and The Martial Law Review…read more McMurtry is the ultimate American Storyteller. His band also just happens to rock. Texas singer-songwriter BettySoo, frequently tours, performs, and shares stages as a collaborative partner and guest with James McMurtry. She is an incredible artist who tells personal and accessible stories through her music. If you plan to see a show at The Chapel, be sure to have dinner Curio which is connected to The Chapel. Service is excellent. The food is creative and reasonably priced. And if you eat at Curio, you will get early access to the show. Matt says plan to attend a show at The Chapel soon. It's one of the best venues in the City

LOVE this intimate venue. Have had the chance to perform AND attend shows here. Great sound,…read moregreat space, great location.

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.

Enjoyed the bar and drinks but the single pool table had a certain "winner keeps playing" instead…read moreof teams being able to sign up and play after each other (at least when we were there a while ago) & it killed my friend groups vibe because we weren't able to play at all and decided to go somewhere else.

What a cool place! I cannot believe this is supposedly closing! We were dragged in for the closing…read morefestival a few weeks ago by a fan of the Noise Pop Festival (obv. a friend of ours)! The ladies restrooms were the best seat to hear the music and relax as an introvert in a need for a break from crowds. I really welcomed that on that day. There are also seats and tables in the back in front of the merch people. The walls are full of great posters and mementos, and the front room is decorated with whimsical faux rooftops. The sign is an incredibly intricate and well designed Neon Sign, I hope that goes to a museum somewhere close, if it must be detached from the building. We didn't have food, but saw people eat and they looked alright during and after their chewing sessions.

Went out to Bottom of the Hill last night to catch an absolutely killer lineup: Honey Run, Noelle…read moreand the Deserters, and the Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit. What a show! All three bands brought serious energy, great vibes, and fantastic performances. The venue itself is everything you want in a classic San Francisco rock club -- intimate, gritty in the best way, with excellent sound and that unbeatable up-close-and-personal feel. You can tell it's a place with real history and character. It's sad to think this might be one of the last times getting to experience a night like this there. Hate to see them go. Bottom of the Hill has hosted so many unforgettable evenings over the years, and this was another one for the books. If you're in SF and love live music, do yourself a favor and get out to this legendary spot while you still can.

The service here is top-notch, the food is as authentic as it gets, and the kitchen is spotless!…read moreThey've only been open for 4 months, but I was lucky enough to try it out early on. Coming all the way from Texas, I highly recommend trying their falafel and chicken shawarma.

Sad to hear the Make Out Room is closing soon. I know so many folks have plenty of late night…read morestories here - good and bad. A good spot to catch live bands or some raucous drag performance. The bartenders are decently friendly and move pretty efficiently between simple pints to fancier cocktails. The bathroom situation could be better though. Overall still a decent night out to be had. Thanks for the memories.

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

This review is based on the weekend BBQ take-out only…read more Stopped in for lunch on our way back to Sunnyvale from Monterey. Drove by the day before and was enticed by the smell of the smoker, but they were just starting to smoke the meat and we didn't have time to wait around, so we stopped on the way back. You order through a QR code and pay, then pick up your BBQ plate at the smoker. They have a nice picnic table area to eat outside. We ordered the 3 meat plate for $30. Plenty for two to share. Came with 2 ribs, 4 pieces of ball tip (similar to tri-tip), quarter chicken (leg and thigh), coleslaw, potato salad, pickles and a Hawaiian sweet roll. Tons of food and all really good. The ball-tip was very tender. The ribs were super meaty and flavorful. Their BBQ sauce was yummy too! Loved the coleslaw...with poppy and sunflower seeds. The potato salad was a bit too vinegary for me, but my husband liked it. Overall a great experience. We left full and happy. Would definitely recommend.

Came for the local wildlife/hiking and stopped here due to my groups insistance they saw it on…read moreTik-Tok. Bright and early in the morning. First group to walk through the doors at 11 am on a Saturday. Tired and happy from the beautiful hike we had planned to spend the entire day here. Greeted by a friendly blonde female bartender who had no problem trying my crazy ideas.... I guess 2 parts fireball whiskey and 1 part pineapple juice isn't common? Unfortunately, for me since I was entirely interested in the food option, the cook does a lot of local community work and wasn't going to be in until Monday. Anyways, place has a bunch of games from casual board games to dominos even all the way to the game I could not convince my group to play. TWISTER! Continuing to asks the lady questions I learned they do karoake nights frequently, have live music and dance nights occasionally and those dance nights are sometimes themed. The place has an amazing outside patio that transcends into a small concert area with a stage and lights. Overall it is a cool lil spot. I can't give a fully thought out score because too much was missing from what I think I can experience. I want to go back but distance will make it difficult.

I'm so glad we have the Independent for live music. It's a great smaller venue. We've seen Julia…read moreJacklin, Dr. Dog, Destroy Boys, and other artists here and it's always been great. When we saw Dr. Dog here, the band surprised the whole audience with pizzas and they were all passed around and we ate pizza while watching Dr. Dog. The sight lines are great everywhere and I have always been pleased with the sound. There's also a cool arcade down the street and the BBQ place across the street is excellent. I also want to say the staff here is like the best venue staff I have ever encountered. We had an issue a few months ago and each of the door staff were so patient and kind as they tried to help us figure out the situation and in the end it all did work out. They really weren't obligated to do that for us, but they saved our night. Thank you to the Independent staff!

San Francisco has countless small music venues that offer a lot of good and interesting…read moreperformances. You can add "The Independent" to that list. I went and saw the "US National Air Guitar Championships". Wasn't sure what I was going to get. But, it was a blast! The balcony was sectioned off for kids on one side and judges on the other. Standing in the back by the bar gave you a good feel for the place and still have a good view of the stage. Definitely worth checking out.

I went to Moe's for a concert it being my first time going there. The bartending staff were really…read morenice and super helpful. When I asked about purchasing a local cider they carried I was given directions to the maker, what time they opened, and who I should talk to when I get there. Now that's going above and beyond. There was a nice variety of drinks and they were delicious. I loved the layout of the venue very intimate with the stage but still tons of standing room and if you didn't want to be inside with the crowd there was a tv with the ample outside seating where you could watch the band. The bathrooms were very spacious and super clean. The little taco stand in the back was perfect too. The tacos were delicious. I wish we had a place just like Moe's in Sacramento . I will definitely come to Moe's again next time in town.

This last Saturday August 29 was yet another in a series of The Best Show Ever's by The Greyboy…read moreAllstars, The Best Band in the World. Yes. That's right. I've seen every band in the world, and GBA are the best. Their music is infectious, like a sonic virus that penetrates the auditory cortex and sets up standing waves of bliss and intrigue, and which also penetrates the motor cortex and sets your feet on autopilot. They find the dirtiest nastiest funkiest grooves with just the right amount of dissonance to keep you hooked, like an itch that you can only partially scratch. In addition to their own vulgar grooves, they pay homage to artists ranging from Gary Bartz, Gil Scott-Heron, and Michael Jackson to Burt Bacharach/Hal David and George Harrison. And they've been at this for over 30 years now - yet you look at them playing and they are constantly laughing and joking with each other. Somehow they still seem to love playing with each other, and that energy comes across to the audience at every show. This might be their hidden superpower - the love the 5 of them have somehow held onto for doing this together all this time.

First time here and it's pretty nice. The setup is great. They have a restaurant , but…read moreunfortunately it closed just before we got there. Great selection of beer on tap, and great selection of cider on the menu. If you want to try out your axe throwing skills they also have that, I'd maybe try that out before you start drinking but up to you on that one. Bartender was friendly, asked for their best cider and got 2 choices. The one I wanted to try was out behind bar so one of the bartenders was nice enough to go get more from the fridge area. They had a band playing some good music. Place has a great vibe.

This place is plenty big. They serve Mexican food behind one bar and beer and wine behind the…read moreother. They host social events like square dancing, concerts, and amateur wrestling! And they are great for large party get together like baby showers and birthdays. Parking can be a little tough, but it's downtown.