I gots to give it up for the best pool spot in the Mish. Two tables, but two very nice tables for a bar. Too bad the tables attract the "I'm way better than you at pool" douche bags like flies to a pile of Oprah's shit (I assume flies like to eat expensive shit). Very common hang out for random dudes who stand around by themselves getting drunk, hitting on uninterested chicks, whooping ass at pool. Shout out to Evy for claiming lesbo status to shake that one guy off. He didn't really care though. Besides the aforementioned douche baggery, it's got a good pool hall-ish vibe. People are generally pretty good without being phenomenal so you can still compete even if you are just OK. Roll through on a Fri/Sat though and your ass is gonna be watching for a long time before you're up. Anytime I'm in this neck of the woods with a jonsin' for some pool, Kilowatt pops to mind first. That makes me a fan I'd say. The beer selection is on point too. read more

Kilowatt sits on an eccentric corner amongst many other bars with crowds, loud music and near dark alley ways. The street lights on Mission paved a carpet to lead you inside. Outside are those hanging out, doing drunk people things, smoking a cloud of happiness and the guy who checks your id, seems a little gone. No trouble getting inside. Loud music, but I love the retro feeling of this bar! There were tables everywhere, crowded and wet. Pool tables were in the back, alongside with a PacMan machine. At the bar, it took about five minutes for us to squeeze and grab the bartenders attentions, but he dove in took our orders and made me happy. I had the stronger vodka cran in a while, it was literally all vodka and a splash a cran for possible the pink color. It's cash only but atm outside. They serve about over 50+tap beers and they're only 4$. It's a chill bar to hang out at. The best part is the retro cash register! It was old school and that really completed everything for me. Last call was exactly at 130am for us on a Saturday night. They're serious about it, closing doors and I barely got out! Great place to be. Loud music. Good people. Great bartenders. And pool tables! Parking is a slight bitch, but it's alright. Mission, I take my hat off to you. read more

Part of me has dreaded writing this review. Kilowatt is, after all, the reason I couldn't stand to look at, or even think about, liquor for a good month, and the reason I didn't visit Mission again for another five. Or, well, I suppose the real reason is that I did a poor job of holding my liquor, but Kilowatt was certainly the enabling factor here! Dropping by with the birthday girl after a dinner at Morac, I was shocked by how insanely packed the place was. There was no seating available, and even standing room was limited - being in a wheelchair, and thus shorter, also proved unfortunate, as many a person ended up tripping over me as they waded their way through the masses. Eventually, as I was feeling inclined to hightail out of there, two booths opened up in the corner. The drinks here are inexpensive though, and their shots are actually almost double the standard size. And... that's about all I remember, because once midnight hit, and my sixth or seventh double shot disappeared down my throat, so did a 11 hour chunk of my memory (I kid you not), that involved (from what I could piece together from friends) my disappearance, losing my phone (which I later found was picked up by a crackhead and sold to someone I can only assume was a prostitute), and somehow managing to push my way back to SOMA, almost two miles away, through Mission, in the early hours of the morning. Now, the low rating has nothing to do with this ridiculous experience, no no. If anything, it's probably one of the best, and scariest, stories of excessive drinking I have. The real reason is simply how obscenely packed this place gets - if not for that, I'd easily give these guys a three. But, as it is, I can't see myself coming back by choice, as I much prefer lounging around somewhere a bit less crowded, with drinks that are a bit fancier. read more

Came here to hang out with my birthday girl YuJin for her pre-birthday partay and had a blast! I actually didn't shoot any pool because I'm so rusty and I really don't want to get back into it again (addictive personality) but I certainly enjoyed watching others play! There were some old schoolers here, and everyone seemed to know each other. Although I was just an observer, many of the players were really friendly and talked to me about their experiences, and who plays what kind of games with what kind of an attitude (sneak-attacks, assholish, cry-baby, brutes, etc.). I think we were the only three Asian girls here (and one lady plays for the gal's team) so Yuj and I got our fair share of random, Asian-fetishist men using cheeseball lines to talk to us. Okay, that's unfair. Maybe they just thought we'd make good company, who knows. But they weren't "just being nice" because they were clearly using the tried-and-true lines used by playas and playa-wannabes alike. Appreciate the courage and gesture, fellas, but I have a man and so does Yuj. I'd definitely come back to shoot some pool the next time I'm back in the area. If I lived up north, I'd definitely make this a place I come to at least once or twice a month just to see the nice people, drink some beers, and kick some ass. ;) But I have to admit ... I'd most likely catch a ride here with a friend or take a taxi because FINDING PARKING WAS RIDICULOUSLY HARD! This whole area is POPPIN' on weekends so I think we spent a good 30 minutes circling around looking for parking. Ugh. But all in all, wonderful bar, and awesome pool hall. Lovely people of Kilowatt -- see you again soon! :) read more

Kilowatt - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Two out of three bartenders were really nice and attentive out of my experience last night. My friend and I did enjoy the music and vibes there but one of the bartenders was really rude and neglectful. My friend had asked nicely for another drink when this bartender announced for the last call and he simply looked at her and walked away to another customer. He made this other groups drink while we patiently waited for hers. He even made eye contact with my friend and proceeded to ignore her... the nice gentleman bartender that served us first that I ended up I waving down and he came to us and we had told him we had asked his co worker for a drink and that he ignored us. So that other bartender came back over and was really rude the whole entire interaction with my friend and felt him being passive aggressive with her...As a customer that has already asked for another order and then this bartender then proceeded to be ignoring her felt really wrong for this bartender to come at my friend with an attitude. I know we all have our moments but that isn't the way to treat your customers. I'm only giving two stars because I really liked the two other bartenders because they were really nice and chill. That other guy needs an attitude adjustment... read more

Hey yuppie, stop coming here and fucking it up. If you don't want me to punch you in the jaw or spray you down with beer, then stay away. If you are not a yuppie, then bring down the dog and watch some football. This is the best punk rock sports bar in the universe. Peter, you rule. read more

Kilowatt - Truck - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Pool tables (more than 1), plenty of tables to sit at, good music, friendly faces and cheap strong drinks! Can't ask for anything more! But it gets crowded on the weekends and the music is loud so it can be super hard to hold a conversation with your friends. Parking bites but this is in the Mission so might as well think you'll have a 20% chance of finding parking here on a Friday or Saturday night beFore you get here and just take BART! Save yourself some gas, go green and save the world from excessive pollution (if you got one of them "older models" that's not a "green" vehicle)! read more

DIVE BAR FOR PEOPLE ... AND DOGS. came here with a few friends for SF Giants game #5. Despite the rowdy overpacked bar due to the festivities and excitement, it was such a great atmosphere. wasn't much to see as we were crammed to our tables in the back but TV was visible in all angle, good stuff. Bar serves was fast. Unfortunately NO FOOD but you can bring your own food in. Mission is food haven so all works well. The most intersting thing would be dogs. Dogs outside, dogs inside. I felt like "karma" was my own dog as she walked around the bar like a regular. This is a bit strange, but i love that about this place. OH and they server Pear Cider!!!!!! read more

Dive bar with open dog policy! All the random nights I've come here, I've always managed to see 1-2 dogs lurking about~ which is the BEST. I also love that they have a wall FULL of dog portraits. Decent prices for drinks, pool tables, and pac man machine in the back. Only wish that there's more seating when it gets too crowded. TLDR: such doge, much dive. read more

I stopped here last summer for a cold beer before heading back to the office from a jobsite. I found it to be a nice dark and quiet bar that you could just stop in for a pint without the regulars staring you down. I learned about Kilowatt beause they are an AFM sponsor. I had hoped to run in to my friend Cliff, who's neither white, obnoxious, or a mailman. Cheers! read more

Kilowatt - Kilowattt Racing! - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Tracey and I actually met here last JUL... She'd kick my butt if I didn't give it a good rating. lol All kidding aside, this is a cool neighborhood bar. Centrally located in the Mission with good beers. TV's, dart board, and dog-friendly ('nuff said). read more

Well, this is a straight up dive bar with booths you can chill in. The bartenders were nice and it's in a good location in the Mission. They had some dark beer I really enjoyed but I forgot the name. read more

Super reasonable prices on beer! During happy hour (until 7 on Saturday) just about all the pints were $3.50. They had several craft beer options, including Stone, Bear Republic, New Belgium. Dog friendly. No food, but you can bring food in. TVs for sports. Cash only, so get ready for that annoyance. read more

Kilowatt - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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If there's only one dive bar you visit in the inner Mission, please go to Kilowatt. Best place to drink and go shoot some pool. I used to play in a bar league and this is where we would meet up for some practice. read more

Kilowatt isn't my favorite but my husband loves coming here to have some drinks and play some pool. The place is big and the bartenders are nice. The ambience can get a little bit rough sometimes but nothing major. They have two pool tables and lots of places to seat. Kilowatt is close to other bars, and restaurants so it's definitely a place to start and then move forward to another bar, it's also close to bart and located in the middle of everything. Weekends they have a live DJ and they open their back room and you can dance. read more

Kilowatt - Bar! - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This waiter shut off everything my gay friends played at the bar including Ace of Base and Spice Girls. They payed money for these songs at the jukebox and this bartender literally said "I don't like this gay shit". Shame on you. read more

Kilowatt - Homophobe - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

My friend and I stopped by this Sunday afternoon for a drink. He had gone to the restroom before the, overly talkative to other customers, bartender finally came to take the order. When we wanted another drink, it took forever to get his attention, even though the bar was close to empty. We soldiered on but when we tried to get a third drink, he walked by several times, even though our glasses were empty but he still had time to check his cellphone twice, and totally ignored us. BTW my friend is Asian. We had no drinks earlier and have lived in SF and in the general area for 40 + years and have never experienced such overt racism before. If this "gentleman" - self-described to another customer as 45, and Caucasian, disputes this account or if the management disputes that they are running a "whites only" establishment I would like to hear them. read more

This place was a decent dive bar on the scale of dive bars found all across SF. I wasn't carrying cash and I wasn't going to use the ATM since I didn't believe in paying surcharges for accessing my money. They had a decent amount of beer selections and based on my companions who went with me, they poured their drinks on the heavy alcohol side. Good value for the money if you like a heavy handed cocktail. They have a variety of games like darts and pool but the majority of our group stayed in a booth near the front where the ATM was located. I chatted with the people lining up which was probably the most entertaining part of my night there. Was worth the visit although I'm not a dive bar kind of guy, I did enjoy my stay here. read more

I come here all the time. Great dive bar to shoot some pool, play some darts and even Pacman! Can get pretty crowded on the weekend, but thankfully it's not the tiniest bar in the Mission. Most drinks are around $5-7 In order to get the darts- you must give the bartender $10/your ID that they'll hold onto until you return the darts. Guess someone must have ran away with the darts in the past. Sadly, from the last time I was there, looks like something happened to one of the dart boards so try to get the dart board to the left if you can. read more

As is the nature between girls, I recently showed my BFF a picture of a dude I was interested in. The exchange went a little something like this: Devon: So here's the guy. What do you think? BFF: He doesn't look like your type. Devon: Huh? He's totally my type, I promise!* Devon's Brain: Oh fuck, she doesn't think he's cute. Do I go with "He's just not really photogenic" or do I play up the "But he's got a great personality!" angle? BFF: Oh no, I didn't mean it like that. I just mean he doesn't seem like a total metro or a pretentious douche. Fair enough. It's a bit disconcerting when your future maid-of-honor can whittle down your type so unceremoniously but I can't really argue with her surmises. The girl has a point. Kilowatt is like that gentleman...upon first glance, not my type at all. I like to dress up a bit to go out, and I like the other attendees to be sporting polos and designer jeans. And Kilowatt seems like every other psuedo-divey Mission bar. It's a little dingy and rough around the edges, and the patrons often look somewhat disheveled. The bar is big, but it's full of cranky pool players who growl at you when you try to go back to the bathroom. But it works. It works because they have an excellent beer selection at affordable prices, and the bartenders are awesome at suggesting something new if you're burned out on the same old pint. And despite my criticisms of the crowd, the people are usually friendly and there have definitely been some striped shirt diamonds in the rough. It's one of the few bars in the Mission I actually ENJOY going to. In a way, because it's so wrong, it's so right. *It turns out I was correct and he was my type in that after our first date he faded off into oblivion. While you wonder if my abandonment issues are real or staged, I'm gonna head over to Kilowatt, enjoy a pint of Downtown Brown, and hope that my view of the place isn't clouded by an angry pool player shiving me with his cue. read more

Kilowatt is another dark and dank bar in The Mission. That would seem just my style but for some reason I've never been too crazy about the place. There are a couple of pool tables but serious money players usually dominate them. Sometimes I've been there and the beer tasted off and some times it's fine which leads me to think they don't clean the lines often enough. I guess the biggest reason this place isn't in my rotation is because it's just as easy to go to 500 club, Thieves Tavern, or even Dalva and I like those places much better. read more

To the best of my guesstimation, San Diego and San Francisco share sister communities. For instance: San Francisco's Marina=San Diego's Pacific Beach. Nice surroundings, but tons of douche bags that hang/live there. San Francisco's Lower Haight=San Diego's Ocean Beach. Ton's of hippies, though the Haight has much more history with the Grateful Dead and all.... San Francisco's Mission=San Diego's North Park. Hipsters galore and very few places that accept credit cards. Even though I'm a bit frightened every time I step foot into any bar in the Mission, it's as close to my vibe as I'll ever find in the Bay Area. I'm a sucker for a dark, slightly dirty dive bar... and there's plenty of 'em between Potrero and The Castro. A telling sign that you're in a legit dive bar is the bathroom. If there's no toilet paper in the stall, you know you're in good hands. Just sayin'. You shouldn't be shittin' in a Mission dive anyway.... The one thing I always forget about is the lack of credit card swipers in this area of town. Personally, I think it's more progressive to have credit cards, as opposed to cash... but the community of bars in the Mission doesn't care what I think at all. If you don't have greenbacks, you're not getting a drink. It's just the way it is. And even though I never have money with me, I'm OK with it. In fact, there's a sign above the bar here that says: "YOU'RE IN THE MISSION... CASH ONLY. ATM UP FRONT." Even though I looked like a total kook because I didn't notice the sign until AFTER I asked if they accepted credit cards... I guess you can't get more direct than that. For a dive, it's a big joint. I'd guess you could pack in 200+ people easily. There are a few pool tables, a few booths... and like most of the places in this neighborhood, dogs are welcome inside. I just wish the dog owners would put their pets through obedience school before they unleash them in an environment like a bar. There were some rough pups who really shouldn't have left the back yard... but what are you gonna do? read more

One of the stalwarts of the Mission 'Dive Bar' scene the Kilowatt has watched as their neighbors have changed names, and styles, over the years. Their formula is simple Beer, Pool, Sports....I like all 3 so this place is a winner! I'll be back soon! read more

Its your average skater bar, I say that because on most nights the place is oozing out skaters to the alley on Albion. The drinks are strong, it is cash only but with an ATM. There is like two pool tables that take up most of the space. There is popcorn which is great, I'm always down to snack. The girls in the girls bathroom are ALWAYS nice, the bartenders are sick. I'll hit up the place whenever its always a good time. read more

A good friend of mine got kicked out of here years ago, and I think it inappropriately biased me against the bar. In defense of Kilowatt, my friends was utterly drunk off his ass, and probably deserved to be tossed. The first great thing that happened last Friday night at Kilowatt was that I dropped a five in the juke box, and after punching in some numbers, still had 58 credits. And this isn't one of those irritating MP3/internet boxes where any given song can cost anywhere from one to four credits. Nope - this juke box has good old fashioned CDs in it: one credit = one song. So I programmed in about 20 songs and passed the torch to a tablemate, who punched in 20 more and passed the torch again. The point of all this, aside from all the awesome free credits, is that any bar is better when you can pick the music . . . ALL NIGHT LONG! Add to that, nice divey vibe, unpretentious crowd, dogs, two pool tables, and nice cheap strong drinks . . . did Kilowatt once oust one of my friends? I seem to have forgotten. read more

It's an "A-OK" place to go for a beer or drink. Lots of seating for groups, dark corners for making out, a juke box that is cheap (just like Joe C.), pool tables and two semi-decent ladies stalls. I had fun here despite that my first 2 drinks took me 10 minutes to order each (when the bartender was helping no one else). The rest of my drinks, I have no idea how long it took because some hottie was getting them for me. (thank you!) Rachel F. is teaching me to accept free drinks and not feel bad. **repeats new mantra: I will be Samantha, I will not be Carrie. I will be Samantha, I will not be Carrie.** All in all an A-OK experience and I will easily come back. read more

This is usually the last choice when I meet up with people in the Mission, but overall, it's solid. It's not classy, it's not fancy. It's a useful bar that serves good beers and strong cocktails, has a pool table, solid wood booths, and has a good jukebox. The location can't be beat, two blocks from BART, along the 16th St. corridor. Ladies, this place is crawling with men at happy hour. It may take you awhile to get a drink on a busy night, but that's all right, there are plenty of men on the take in there that you can entertain yourself with. read more

Kilowatt is nothing like it was back in the good old days of underage drinking and cruising for boys who looked like trouble. For starters, even I got carded here recently, so I'm pretty sure they're no longer letting in 17 year old jailbait with an attraction for all things scruffy. That's ok- I'm legal. Next up is the clientele. Gone are the bikers, bike messengers, leather lesbians, and garden variety punk rock slackers who used to be frequent fliers. Nope- now Kilowatt is kind of like every other bar in the Mission: 50% hipsters, 30% striped shirts and the ladies who love them, and 20% other (mostly comprised of B&Ters, the odd gay guy who got lost on his way to The Stud, and a tourist or two). Whatever. It's still a bar and they still serve booze and I didn't feel compelled to start a bar fight or spill a drink on anyone or make catty remarks with my nasty girlfriends. Kilowatt is packed on weekend nights, making efficient navigation of the bar impossible. You will lose your friends, you will spill your drink, and you may be knocked around a little in the process. But you'll find your people, there's more booze at the bar, and some of the people you are forced to rub up against will not be bad looking. I would 4-star them for the experience and the memories combined, but I have to take off one star for the overflowing toilets in the ladies' room. read more

"You're in the mission... cash only... ATM up front" reads the sign behind the long wooden bar. My mind responded with the following: "You're just another hipster dive bar in the mission, get over yourself." This would have been kind of a knee jerk reaction though, as the place really wasn't as pretentious as I was expecting it to be. I rolled in with a couple of hooligan cohorts, the last of our bar-stops for the night, to grab some late night hooch and kick it. The scene was dark, dog-friendly, and divey. The prices were not all that cheap, but I guess I'm in San Fran, so whatever. The tender immediately carded my friends and I, even though none of us look remotely near 21, which was kind of annoying, but again, whatever. The beer selection is decent, the pac man machine looks well used, and a bike parked up on the mezzanine (and I use that term loosely) was amazingly NOT a fixie, so I guess that they do allow some normies inside. Us normies enjoyed our Stone Pale Ales and a rousing game of travel pigmania as we helped to keep the two dogs in the bar from viciously attacking each other. It was somewhat surreal at moments. All in all, there really doesn't seem to be anything special about this place. it's kind of a shithole but it's not cheap. There's no real character. It's not all that divey. Again, whatever. 3 stars, I guess. read more

I like this bar, not so much on a friday or saturday, too crowded for me. Went here on a sunday, it was perfect, not too many people, friendly bartender and drunk friends. I loved checking out the not so hot pool player with a weird head and fake boobs. I wish she would be there every sunday. Anyway, this is a nice spot with two pool tables and airy atmosphere. See you soon. read more

Kilowatt is slowly becoming my neighborhood bar of choice... the laid back vibe, cheap drinks, great beer selection and rustic ambiance just have a way of making you feel at home. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't be comfortable in here. The first time I stepped foot in Kilowatt, Drue C and I were sneaking in to use the potty from the yelp elite event down the street at Double Dutch. On the floor of the bathroom stall was a little balled up pair of panties. We got a huge kick out of that and while we decided I could not review the place until I had been back for a proper drink or three, it was a hilariously funny first impression. Avoiding the weekend scene here? That would go without saying... read more

I'm a sucker for any bar that allows dogs - I'm more of a cat person, but anything cute and furry on four legs will get my attention. Oh yes it will! Aw, yesh, it will won't it!? Aw, yesh, you're such a good oh yesh, such a good boy, such a good boy!!! Ahem. Anyway, luckily I didn't do that while I was at Kilowatt (well, maybe a little), but it definitely gave me a good impression of the place. It's a good sized bar, fair amount of seating and a couple of pool tables which I noticed are free on Sunday afternoons (or something like that - I think the regular price is $0.50 per game or so). The drinks can be pretty strong too, also a plus - I think I paid $5 for my bourbon and coke. Decent beer selection too, and there's a little table outside for those of us who like to ruin our lungs on a regular basis. By the time we left it was getting pretty crowded, but I didn't feel claustrophobic at all, mainly because of the seating arrangements and the high ceilings. Check out the walls, there's all sorts of interesting stuff hanging up there to keep you thoroughly entertained if you're in need of a distraction for any reason (luckily I didn't that night, but you never know for next time). Another reason I need to get out to the Mission more often. read more

Of all the dive bars in the Mission, I think Kilowatt is my favorite. It's big and roomy inside, has a real long bar with lots of stools, booths and pool. The draft beer selection is comprehensive and quality and bartenders are always on top of it and friendly. Oh, and there always seems to be at least a couple dogs hanging out, too. I also love Kilowatt's great specials - a daily happy hour with $2.50 pints, $2 wells and $8 pitchers until 7pm, and $1.75 a pint for one kind of draft beer every Monday. Too bad I've sworn to (at least try to) stop going out on school nights. read more

Yeah, I can dig it! After a few rough starts years back the last few stops into Kilowatt have made up for it. Even on the more crowded weekend nights, I've gotten great service from the folks behind the bar. There was one blonde bartender who was especially cool and remembered to come my way whenever my buddy and I needed a drink. Since the inner Hessian is drawn to the dirty rocker "theme" I think Kilowatt will complete my trifecta of bars on this block of 16th Street which includes Dalva and Double Dutch. read more

Some things have changed at the Kilowatt; To start with, they appear to have a sober, competent door guy now who checks IDs carefully. Also, gone are 90% the bikers and lesbians, replaced by an odd mix of yuppies, mission hipsters, and generally ordinary folks. It's still an acceptable place for a bottle of beer on a saturday night. A bottle, specifically, because 1.) You'll have to shove your way through the unwashed masses to get from the bar to your table, and you're gonna spill the first 10% of that pint glass for sure, 2.) I saw them taking new glassware out of the box and putting it on the shelf without rinsing it, and 3.) Pacifico is a buck seventy five for a bottle. read more

I don't remember the 1st time I was here. One time I almost don't remember was here was with Rebekah T and Jaime H and some other people I can't remember offhand and apparently I purchased something with flashy colorful lights. I do remember waking up at home and wondering what the hell it was and where I got it from. I guess I talked that candy girls ear off before I bought this. I remember waking up and thinking to myself, "How the hell did I get home and what the hell is that vibrator doing next to my bed!" I was momentarily horrified at the prospect of what I had done until I made some frantic phone calls and the hazy memories started to come back. When you turn it on and spin it by it's lanyard it makes pretty colorful patterns. It now hangs from the front of my bass amp whenever I'm playing a show, cycling through it's different colors. Thanks kilowatt! Thanks candy girl! This place has a great beer selection and alcohol, drink, blah blah blah. Yeah just come here! You're smart. You can at least use a computer or smart phone and do a yelp search, you'll figure it out. It's worth the visit. read more

This is your typical Mission bar. It's not fancy, can be a bit stinky, has lots of pictures of dogs on the wall. They have a nice beer selection and have reasonably priced pitchers. Good, stiff and cheap drinks...just don't ask for a mojito. Right across the street from the bacon wrapped hot dog cart! read more

C and I used to come here because it was one of the few Mission bars that allows dogs. We ran with the night here, unless it was a weekend of course, bridge and tunnel folks with whom we do not associate. With his faithful border collie camped under his chair, we'd throw back a few strong ones, shoot some rounds of pool, and go outside to smoke. It was one of places to bear witness to the crumbling of our relationship as our lives disintegrated. He had tears in his eyes and I could tell it was over. read more

I used to come to this joint all the time, especially back in the day when it was called "Firehouse 7", and they had live bands. More recently, I haven't had much cause to make the trek to come here. However, on a recent nite off from Mezzanine, I was out on the town, attempting to track down my ex-girlfriend to maybe hang out. That never happened. However, I did run into one of my Mezzanine co-workers, and her very cute friend. So, rather than head over to see Blue Cheer at the Red Devil at my lawyer's invitation, I hung out and grabbed a very cheap beer (yay!) from the bar, which got to me very quickly despite the huge crowd celebrating a birthday. Cool. But there were so many people (due to said B-day), we got seperated, and I couldn't even reach the table they were at. So, I decided to kill some time by shooting a little pool, which my regular readers know is one of my fave pastimes. I eventually was matched up with a cute young lady, who won the previous game. she seemed to be a decent player, but I was feeling good, and thought I'd be able to win in short order. Nope. I started strong, with several nice shots to open the game, and had a 3 or 4 ball advantage. Then I missed one. She, apparently realizing that this was an actual game, suddenly came alive and starting knocking them in. Even when she finally missed one, I had no shots and wasn't able to finish her off. She proceeded to make a couple difficult--albeit makeable--shots, including a couple tough cuts to leave me with 2 or 3 balls still on the table. [sigh] That being said, I had to admire her sudden skill, so we exchanged pleasantries, but she had to go to do an early meeting at work. So, off she went into the nite. When I sought out my friend from work, she too was gone, along with her hot pal. Damn! To top it off, I was too late to catch Blue Cheer. Arrgh. So, I went back to my 'hood, and drowned my sorrows at Buckshot. read more

A dive/sportsbar in the Mission whose name suggests a level of electricity? Hmrph. They do have electricity in the bar, hence the lights, jukebox, and ability to keep things cold. The vibe? Not bad at all, but more 'eclectic' than 'electric'. I like the fact they have a long bar, tall tables & chairs, and booths. The place boasts multiple pool tables, dartboards & a good jukebox as well. The walls host various black & white photographs from past shows (?) with various local bands. I will forever be in love with black & white photography, and am also a huge supporter of local music...so major points to Kilowatt on that end. An out-of-town friend and I walked/chatted clear across town to the Mission, and this was the first bar at 10pm on a Saturday night which wasn't obscenely crowded. So...I guess take that for what it's worth as well. Reasonable prices. Stiff Drinks. The bartenders are hit & miss. I have been there before when they were more focused on getting drunk themselves and gave poor service...this past weekend they were all about helping and chatting up my date and myself. I'll be back, when all else fails. And on a final note, don't decide to walk around the city all night after riding 60 miles on a bicycle just hours before. Stupid f****ng idea. read more