I came here for my first drag brunch during Pride and had such a fun time! I've always seen this spot while walking around the Castro and finally got to see it. The place is pretty quaint, enough for a small group. There's a large bar in the center, too. While I had a great time at the event and enjoyed watching the queens, the food is subpar. The burrito isn't terrible, filling enough however just not something I'd come back for. read more

Lookout - Breakfast burrito - Gay Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I came here for drag brunch for the first time and it was such an amazing experience. Everyone here was so sweet and friendly and the drinks were fairly priced.! read more

Always stop by Lookout whenever we are in town... even back in the day when it was Metro. Friendly staff, good reasonable cocktails, great views and vibes. read more

Lookout - View from outside balcony - Gay Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

A group of us went to the Lips & Lashes Drag Brunch for our friend's birthday. We had a great time. You order your drinks and food at the bar. We ordered bottles of champagne. The bartenders were nice and friendly. The entertainers were beautiful and so much fun. read more

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We got great seats, caught the end of a cute drag show that had some talented fun girls. And had drinks then got killer seats when it was over and ordered some more stuff to keep the seats. My poor husband mixed rum with vodka and fell apart we had to take him home. I won't touch rum but he keeps making that mistake and I have to remember to keep him from it. Manager gave us adorable pink tshirts for free! read more

Came in on Saturday night at 10 and it wasn't busy at all, it was very chill and super affordable. There's a $5 cover charge which we paid in cash. Very friendly customer service. Not much else to say but I would come here again and highly recommend for a quick easy good drink. read more

Lookout - Beer from outdoor balcony view. - Gay Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Food is great! Entertainment was top tier! I started off my 45th birthday here and all 15 of us had the absolute BEST time! I loved everything about this place. Tator tot nachos were delish. read more

I came on a Saturday afternoon for a drag brunch and had a great time! Buying tickets was super easy on eventbrite. They're about $10 after tax and fees. Don't get here early - they open the doors right at 12. The third person in my group hit traffic but they still allowed us to sit down and the show still went on. I tried the korbel rita and margarita which were both solid. I didn't have a big appetite so I saw the Brussels sprouts salad. It tasted way better than I imagined it would and I ate the whole thing. The drag show was awesome. I'd definitely return! read more

Lookout - Korbel-rita - Gay Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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It's been ages since I last came here. Nothing bad happened to me. It was just a different time of my life when swarthy young men quenched my thirst more than the watered-down drinks. These days I'm more excited by the sight of two fully operational slushie machines on the counter. Most bars store them away until the summer. That's just wrong. What has remained the same is the spacious upstairs bar with the wraparound balcony, definitely a unique feature in the Castro as you can stare at the often drunken pedestrians precariously crossing Market below. The balcony is set up for smokers, but non-smokers can usually find a smoke-free space out there. I came late on a Tuesday afternoon. It was pretty quiet with Eric the bartender effortlessly entertaining me with stories of his time in Hawaii. Cocktails were uniformly $12, whether it was the refreshing Peach Margarita Slushie (photo) or the more urbane Espresso Martini (photo: https://yelp.to/wB8OODtyFy). Both were equally satisfying. As I recall from days of yore, I'm sure it gets rowdy and crowded as the evening rolls on. COCKTAILS - 4 stars...satisfying libations at $12 each AMBIANCE - 4.5 stars...the spaciousness and the balcony are the clinchers SERVICE - 4 stars...Eric and the other boys were aces TOTAL - 4 stars...Look Out! RELATED - Exploring the Castro? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2HrpFPC read more

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There's a cover charge to enter a bar that is louder than a jet engine. I seriously think the decibels are a hazard.

We'd bought tickets for the drag show on Saturday, and when we got there at 12:10, when they opened at 12, there were no seats. They made a makeshift spot for us, but we were on the outskirts and didn't really get much attention. When I went to the bar to get drinks, I looked at my party, and it really seemed like we just weren't part of the show since we were so out the way. Disappointing since they couldn't save a spot for five, when they knew they had five people coming. We later heard two people who also had bought tickets online being turned away due to lack of space. A failure on the venue, not the queens. read more

My girlfriend was interested in seeing a drag show in SF, and so we decided to check out The Lookout since it had one at brunch. Beforehand we needed to get tickets, so once we got there we were able to get a seat in the restaurant pretty quickly. It does get crowded though, since shortly after we entered the whole place began to fill up. The name of the place is accurate as well, as they have large windows that show a lot of the Castro district. The drag show itself is entertaining, as they play pop music on the speakers and have the drag queens/kings make their rounds through the restaurant. Before that however, they do give you some time to eat your food so that your attention can be on the show after. For our items, we decided to get the tater tots as well as the chicken and waffles. While the chicken and waffles were decent, I really enjoyed the tater tots as they were super crispy! Definitely recommend getting that item on the menu. Overall, it was an enjoyable time and it was a cool experience! If you are wanting to check out a drag show during the day, this is a nice place to go to. read more

Lookout - Gay Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Great mainstay bar with so much more going on. Location on the corner and being on the second level with a wrap around balcony is awesome. Friendly bartenders, drag shows, bingo, and great beats... read more

Fun place! Probably not the best drag show but they have decent food, decent drinks, and it's definitely a fun environment. I just wish there was more dancing or performing of some kind than coming around collecting money. But it was still a great time! read more

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I can't say anything about this place because the security guy checking ID was one of the rudest people I've ever met. I walked up to him to ask him if there was a cover charge but he says "excuse me, don't you see me talking to someone?", which was another security guard which I didn't even realize. So I just stopped talking because I was shocked at his response. Then he goes, "ok, now you can talk, what did you need to say?" We just left after some unkind words with him because I was so shocked about it. I never even got into the club because I didn't even want to talk to the security guy because he made me so mad. I was speechless after he said that to me that another person with me had to say something to stick up for me. I understand you were having a conversation but your job is to check IDs and help customers, not finish meaningless conversation with someone else that also is an employee. Im sure the conversation might have been important, but you could have gone about it differently. I'm sure the bar is great, but I'm never going to come here because I'm afraid of being mistreated like this again. I only gave two stars because I didn't get a chance to even come inside, so I can't comment on the bar itself. Actually upon reading more reviews, I change to 1 star. I didn't realize the bouncer was an ongoing issue that nobody is ever going to address read more

A friend who lives nearby took us to this great bar in the Castro. We arrived on a Friday around 6, and the happy hour was still going strong--I was surprised to see that it runs longer than other places on Friday nights! I think I saw somewhere that said until 7:30? Well drinks were $5 and I think beer was the same. We didn't get any food because we had dinner plans later on in the evening. Drinks in hand, we headed outside to the wraparound balcony. We found a spot among some other groups and enjoyed seeing the sun set on the city. It's a spacious bar that has some nice indoor outdoor areas, and everyone we spoke to (other patrons, bouncer, and bartender) were all friendly. Always a nice bonus, bathrooms were very clean. Lastly, they were playing Mean Girls on the large TV as we were leaving. It made us linger a bit longer quoting all the lines, naturally :) would definitely come here again. read more

After I paid the cover, the guy at the door checking ID's grabbed me as I walked past, pulled me back, and told me to tip. It was one of the craziest things that's happened to me actually. I definitely didn't consent to being touched or grabbed or pulled anywhere. Not a place to feel safe unless you like to be pulled around by the staff. The bartender was very nice, so that's the only reason they didn't get 1 star. read more

Well, my partner left a review but I also felt inclined to describe our very poor experience here. This was specifically for Saturday drag brunch. Tickets were purchased in advance and upon arrival the host looked around the dining room/bar for a table to seat us at. She returned to the host stand and proceeded to move two tables in a hallway for us to sit. We were not in the room with the bar or performers or ANY OTHER guests. We tried to not get bummed out and stay positive but the longer we stayed the more painful and sort of embarrassing it was. No shade to the queens, they were gorgeous, not that I could see them from where I was seated. Icing on the cake was seeing a guest who is clearly friend with staff or dating someone there, come in with his dog. The dog was cute but it wasn't even wearing a leash and this guy was very comfortable letting his dog do whatever. We came to tip the queens down and ended up feeling like a bunch of clowns that got hosed. read more

I went to the lookout on 5-6 of September. The bouncer at the moment was a complete asshole to start off. He said his name was Ron, not sure if it was but please check the bouncer at 11:50-12:10am. An absolute mess of a man. I lost my phone in there and he REFUSED ME ENTRY TO PICK UP MY PHONE, which was lost in inside(my friend had to get it as he denied me entry to receive a my own phone). I can't believe an establish allows this. If you want further follow up please contact me, I would love to explain my experience at the lookout. This bouncer was very aggressive to begin with. read more

They were very kind to me. Had a great experience! Super busy which is good, but the bartenders were still super friendly. The cocktails are on the stronger side, if you like that. It does not take that many to get buzzed/tipsy. read more

Went here tonight with my sister, her girlfriend and my sister's gf. We were so excited to go to castro district. Entered the bar. I went to order my drink at the bar asking for a double shot of tequila (asked for other tequila that wasn't available) bartender proceeded to tell me "you know that's a $20 drink" I said yes that's fine. He reiterated "ok just making sure that's a $20 drink you know" I never asked for how much it was just how I wanted the drink. *spoiler alert* I had the drink, left a tip. Ummmmm not sure what he was implying. Guess I can't afford the 20$ drink x 3 my siblings/friends and I purchased read more

Lookout - Gay Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love the Lookout! Even though I am not a San Francisco resident, I visit at least once when I am there. They have great drinks and food, and the best drag brunches in town! read more

A staple of the neighborhood, Lookout is one of my go-to places when visiting SF. They used to have fantastic food, although in recent times I haven't tried the dishes due to arriving after the kitchen is closed. The drinks are not super strong unlike other places in the Castro but tend to be on the larger side. read more

First time here and it was great. The tots were bomb and so were the queens. Sitting at the bar you get the best view I think, because the queens move around. read more

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My favorite spot for a happy-hour cocktail with a view. Friendly barkeeps, strong drinks, and a laid-back vibe among fellow patrons. read more

Lookout - Late-afternoon unwinding with a view. - Gay Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Really fun atmosphere with a cool surrounding balcony for views! The cheap are reasonably priced and there's seating perfect for groups small to medium. read more

Lookout - bar area - Gay Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

A very fun bar to check out in the neighborhood. The drinks are made with a heavy hand, not that I'd complain. The bartenders work quickly and are super nice. Last visit, I tried a slushy lemonade drink and it was amazing. A little sweet but pretty tasty overall. My usual drink here is a vodka soda and it's made pretty well here. read more

I came here once for a wedding reception. It catered nicely. The views, of course, are wonderful. The drinks are strong, and everyone is in a partying mood when you get there. I felt welcomed here, even as a straight man. Had a good time. read more

Absolutely the best brunch ever. The show was so fun and the performers were wonderful. I loved the music choices and how everyone in the restaurant sings along. The food was great and I loved the cocktail menu. The performer names Carne Asada was my favorite. She was so full of energy and had great stage presence. I loved the sassy sparkling outfits all of the performers wore and all the glamorous wigs and outfit changes. Those girls work hard. Tip: Don't forget to bring lots of ones to give to the performers as thy dance! read more

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I guess you can say this a hit or miss type of place. Luckily it was a hit for me. Roaming about on a sunny Sunday afternoon me and my mate came across this place and decided to try it out. To be honest it wasn't busy when we arrived so getting drink orders was easy peasy. But! It felt like a day club! Say whatttttttt! Yes, a day club in the Castro! Felt like a flashback to Vegas! Minus the pool party. As time advanced into the late afternoon it started to pack up and it definitely felt like we were at a club. I lived the vibe. There was a very narrow balcony but that didn't bother us much. There was a unisex bathroom with two stalls. So the line can get pretty long. It was overall clean and I will definitely be back for the bar because the bartenders were pretty generous. read more

I've been to the LookOut several times a year for private parties in their back Lounge area as well as stopping off for a drink. Their staff is very friendly. Even when the bar is busy, they make eye contact and give you their undivided attention. Good drinks as well as the bar menu had a lot of options. On busy nights the bar has live entertainment as well as a wrap-around patio for people-watching and smokers. I've been to the LookOut during the week (always host my bday party) which could be a little slow, however, that's common in the Castro for a packed weekend night. In both expereinces I had a lot of fun read more

In pre-COVID times this would be my favorite place to start a night out, drinking cocktails on the deck and watching cars go through the chaotic intersection. In COVID outdoor dining times, this has become one of my favorite places to go to in general. The staff are pretty nice and service is better than other bars in the area. Good vibes. They also have some vegan options on the menu, like the Impossible burger and vegan queso. read more

Lookout - Vegan Queso, Hot Toddy - Gay Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Had a great time at drag brunch! Drinks were large and strong and the brunch bar food definitely hit the spot/soaked up the alcohol. The show itself was really fun, the MC was amazing! Great energy, timing, music, will definitely be back! read more

Lookout - Gay Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here wondering around the street to find a nice open place to get drinks and eat. Their beers are really cheap, and their hot drink was good, tasted like sweet tea and it was great to have since it was super cold. Their pizza was great, especially their creamy sauce. Tortilla chips with cheese dipping sauce was so good!!! The best thing was our server was so nice. She noticed us feeling cold and suggested us moving our table like two times to make sure we were feeling warm. Im straight but it is a welcoming, friendly place for anyone. read more

Lookout is always a great place to grab a cocktail. I have been before COVID and durning COVID. During COVID it was amazing that they could be open and serving food and drinks. They play some great music and mix a delicious cocktail. Staff is always friendly and the crowd is also friendly and welcoming. It is in San Francisco and in the Castro so parking can be hard to find so if you can take the Muni, BART, or Uber/LYFT. read more

We absolutely loved our experience at Lips & Lashes Drag Brunch hosted at Lookout! What an amazing show with talented Queens (and a King), the performance was amazing and the energy was welcoming and fun in this intimate venue. The specialty cocktails were a huge hit, and the menu offers something for everyone to enjoy. If you're looking for a Drag experience in San Francisco, you can't go wrong with Lips & Lashes Drag Brunch! read more

Lookout - Gay Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

It was very, very loud, exceeding 100 dbA on a number of occasions. The drinks were okay but I had a really hard time getting to/from the bar given the way the staff set up the seating for the drag brunch show. More options on the food menu would have been helpful, especially some carb-friendly choices. Perhaps this just isn't my scene but it was just in that "OK" space. Not bad per se, just probably not for me. read more

My friend went here once and she had issues with her payment, they essentially took half of her payment which was cash and kept it as a tip and charged the entire amount to her credit card. When she reached out to them about it, they falsely told her they were going to help her by refunding her the money. Nothing ever happened! It's been two + years since this happened and no money has been refunded or anything of the sorts. Don't go here!! there's plenty of other sports in SF that actually care about their customers and providing truthful customer service. read more

This place is a little dive-y, but has a balcony and a good view of San Francisco. They have a pretty big space and it filled up pretty quick as they were viewing Ru Paul's Drag Race the night I went. They also have a decent happy hour. I got a pretty good margarita and it was really sweet if you're into that. I also got some chicken tenders which were ok. I liked how crispy it was, but it could have used more seasoning (guess that's why it came with the sauces). Overall, decent place to grab a drink and hang out. Come a little earlier if you want a balcony view. read more

Lookout - Margarita - Gay Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The lesbian parade on the Friday of Pride weekend is what brought us here, to hopefully grab a birds eye view of it while having a few beers. Believe it or not, it worked! We ended up with choice seats at the corner outdoor lanai. ATMOSPHERE: The bar takes up the entire second floor of a two level building at the corner of 16th & Market, right where the parade passes. Plus, they have a cool but skinny outdoor lanai with a railing counter and bar stools that is excellent for people-watching. The inside has some good square footage but it still can get cramped. The crowd was a mix. We met all walks of life while here, including a gay-friendly drunk straight girl traveling nurse that wanted to take my gay friend and possibly me home. :-O Thanks anyway, sister lol. They have a full service bar and great music. My Bud aluminum bottles were a mere $3 regular price, yes! SERVICE: Though I didn't experience it because all of my beers were purchased for me, my friends returned fairly quickly from the bar, so service was fast despite the busyness. FUN TIP: Something that kept me entertained were the ding dong drivers at the intersection of Market, Noe & 16th. Some drivers on Noe that were headed north would stop for some reason in the middle of Market, thus blocking traffic headed east on Market. HONNNNNNNK and me SMH all afternoon long, lol! OVERALL: Cool vibe & views, great prices, free street entertainment. read more

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