Dali meets Disneyland: There aren't too many bars like this in the world. Everything inside is hand crafted. the designer (whose name eludes me after forever) deisnged this space and Zip Zap hair salon about a block away by curving huge sheets of copper above the bar, sweeping concrete benches and booths, and jutting wood seating at the bar. Someone painted over the copper years ago, but its still beautiful. I love grabbing a non-filtered sake (about $9) and hanging out with a friend. Great cheap happy hours (i believe $3-6 beers) and the bartenders are great. I remember being here one night in the front booth with a galfreind (we were both married but separated) making out, and a homeless woman came in chatting us up saying you are such a nice couple. Are you guys married? Well yes, yes we are. But, but not to each other. read more

Noc Noc - the entry - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This is for sure one of my favorite bars in the Area. Usually after getting the job done at Toronado next door, we stumble over here for one or 2 last beers before wandering around to find some shitty pizza to satisfy our drunk munchies. Aside from the fact that it's just a really cool looking Tim Burton-ish cave/bar, the crowd is always way chill and it never seems to get TOO crowded. I've always been able to find somewhere to sit comfortably without wanting to violently murder anybody. The last time I was here, we'll just say I was feeling a little 'euphoric', and I couldn't think of a better place where I wanted to just sit and space out and enjoy a nice cold beer. I felt like I was literally in a Tim Burton/Henry Selick movie (which, if anyone knows me, is basically my dream in life.) Needless to say, it was a pretty good night. I definitely suggest swinging by here if you're in the area and want a change of scenery from the usual (and a cold brew, obviously). You can't go wrong. read more

Hosted a surprise party at Noc Noc and the owner was so kind and accommodating to our group. We had a blast and really enjoyed the experience! I would definitely recommend considering Noc Noc for any events. Can't wait to come back! read more

Friendly bartenders. Cozy, not too loud at happy hour with good prices. Allows dogs. If you're lucky enough to get the front corner booth, the window opens. Great alternative to Tornanado. read more

Noc Noc - Beer, brew & dogs. Life is good . . . - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

A fun, laid-back bar in true Haight fashion. Where can you find a lady wearing face paint and fairy looking headbands and drink a beer next to a small dog? - Yep, you guessed it. You can do that here. Not too crowded on a Saturday night & plenty of seating. Best part? They let you bring in pizza from next door. Yum! read more

Beetlejuice beetlejuice beetlejuice! I came here dressed as a Santa Claus and drank beer without using my hands - no wonder my face is now breaking out. I left an umbrella I stole from an earlier bar here. We ordered several beers just cause we liked the logo - I found bottle in my purse this morning. Good times. read more

Such a fun bar! I can't really describe to you what the decor is like inside except for to me it looks like a plan cashed into a cave and there are cave drawings and tribal things all over the walls in blacklight glow paint! How cool?! The staff here are pretty nice and so are the drink prices. Not too shabby for a hip place like this. The crowd itself it nice and grungy and hipster. Everyone that I have ever encountered here are pretty nice.. But I can't say much for the people actually on the street. There are a few crazies out there. And cleanliness? Well, it's a bar. It's as clean as a grungy bar is going to get. read more

Noc Noc - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

9 years ago, when I was a cancer patient, me and a fellow patient couldn't find where our Qi Gong chinese healing class was one week, so we blew it off and ended up drinking sake all night at this place till we were soaked silly. If Yelp existed I woulda five-starred it ez. Having not seen my ole friend for a long time, we decided to hit Noc Noc's for old time's sake. Hadn't changed a bit of its fuzzy little navel. Still just beer, wine and sake. Great sound system and DJ (we were treated to a night of brit pop). Well populated with locals, not just lower haight hipsters but a good mix. We got soaked again, but kept enough of our faculties together to stagger out with good memories. Same time. next decade. read more

Great place to go with friends! Friendly staff/bartenders Great selection of drinks Awesome music Interior is trippy! Truly one of a kind in the city Worth Checking out read more

Sure - unique, strange, creative, and imaginative - but all that didn't make this place a nice place to enjoy a drink. Is it worth a visit just to check out what everyone tries so hard to describe? Not really. read more

Noc Noc - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Shaun was our best bartender on a slow Saturday night. He looks like a doppelgänger of Bradley Cooper. My friends and I enjoyed beers over wine and the decorations were interesting to look at. This bar was a cross between a lot of things being a sports bar, a lounge, an art gallery, a clothing shop, and a random Super Nintendo street fighter session. read more

It's been said that Noc Noc looks like what happened when the Flintstones met the Jetsons. That sounds about right. This is NOT your typical bar. Doesn't look like it, doesn't feel like it. And those ubiquitous domestic lagers are conspicuously absent. Instead, you will find umpteen imported and domestic beers, ales and ciders on tap, and a nice selection in the bottle, including a number of Belgian and Belgian-style ales. Wine and sake are also available, but no hard liquor. The furniture, the bar, and just about everything else are works of art and craft created by various folk from the original Japanese fellow who opened the place, to friends and family of the present owner. Noc Noc is a work in progress. The vibe here varies depending on the night of the week. On weekend evenings it can get quite crowded and the crowd is mostly young and hip. During the week, the regulars dominate, but for the most part, they don't bite. If you are open to a new adventure, come on in. Then again, if you are the sort who gets nervous in a place that doesn't resemble anyplace you've been before, maybe you're not ready for Noc Noc. Caveats: Art as furniture may not be comfortable for people with back problems or other physical limitations. The place is accessible, but accessible and comfortable are two different things. Street parking in this neighborhood is extremely challenging (see my reviews of other local businesses for more), but it's well served by the Muni. DISCLOSURE: I am not and have never been employed here, nor do I have an interest in the business. But I am a long-time regular and a neighbor, and over the years I've become friends with the owner and some of the employees. read more

We hosted a surprise party for my friends' engagement here and it was wonderful. Rahmat was very accommodating and very friendly--absolutely would recommend this place. read more

Ever miss Halloween? Need some October spirit? Want your date to think you're a quirky, artsy, human? Ya this could be the place for you. Dark red lighting, simple drinks, covey areas to sit and analyze the room. I was brought here on a first date and ended up loving it. I say this as someone who loves Tim Burton, Halloween, and October. read more

This is by far the coolest bar I've been to in the city. It's fun and cool and could be good for groups or if you're just with someone you like. This was the first time I tried a flavored beer and totally liked it. Definitely can't wait to go back again. read more

Super funky, super cool. Friendly staff. Great beer and sake. Great vibes.

Stumbled upon this bar a couple of months ago late one Sunday night and have been back most weeks ever since. It's a cool dark place to hide form people and there is usually a very eclectic music mix on. I can't remember the bartenders name, but he has a massive beard and a tiny dog. He's been great to chat with at the bar when you can find a seat and has even got me to enjoy sake, If your in the hood and looking for a chill place to grab a beer or maybe some sake I would give Noc Noc a try. read more

This place is dope as hell! One of the coolest bars ever. My boyfriend and I came here while we waited for the ramen resto across the street to open. They have a great selection of sour beers and had an awesome vibe..definitely gunna bring my friends here when they visit sf :) read more

A quirky "dive bar" vibe with more space. An eclectic, aesthetic cross between an Indiana Jones cave and an Alice-in-Wonderland Fantasy Trip. Great, more rare beer selection. And best of all the nicest owner. Let us set up balloons for a friends birthday and even offered us paper plates for the cake we brought. 10/10 read more

What an odd, yet cool little little place in the Lower Haight. The interior of this place looks like something out of a Tim Burton movie. Overgrown chairs, funny little nooks and crannies, and bizarre music playing in the background. Makes for a fun little detour when hopping along ho-hum dive bar after ho-hum dive bar. They only do beer and wine, but I love how they mix it up and do things different than other liquor-less bars (the Squirt and sake concoction, for instance). When life hands you lemons, make some Mike's Hard Lemonade, ya dig? It's pretty small, so seating is at a premium. Being that the Haight (more upper than lower) is pretty well known for their deep-seeded quirkiness, it's completely expected that a place like this would exist in this neighborhood. read more

I haven't reviewed this place yet because for some reason I can never think of what to say about it. I love this bar but Is that enough of a review? Would "I love this bar" as a review in anyway do the awesomeness of Noc Noc any credit? This is the first bar I ever had a Belgian beer; Chimay in '88 or '89. They used to be only half the size they are now, the area in front of the bar all the way out to the door. I can't remember exactly when they expanded into the space to the right of the bar but I was suspicious that things would change. I've always thought Noc Noc looked like what people think a cool bar should look like, more like a Hollywood set for an SF bar scene. This is my favorite place to take people from out of town, they always get a kick out of it. read more

Warning: If you go to Noc Noc, you will probably start making out with someone in a dark corner. Hopefully it's someone you know or at least find remotely attractive. My date is devastatingly cute to begin with, but the nonexistent lighting and Garden-of-Sin vibe at Noc Noc made me me feel like a bad, bad girl. Before I knew it, I was half-naked and giving lap dances left and right. Ok- that part may have only happened in my head. But for realsies, AK got a little handsy and it's because Noc Noc makes you feel like you've died and gone to hell. And hell is sexy. At least to me. Drinks are strong strong strong too. Which may explain more of my bad behavior as the night progressed. I probably need an exorcism now. I think they do those in the bathroom at Noc Noc. Because that shit was tore up. Apparently the girls at Noc Noc pee standing up. Because there was plenty of pee around the toilet seat and on the floor. I know because I slipped in pee, hit my head/shoulder on the wall, and got some on my dress. That's nasty. Minus two stars. Run of the mill Lower Haight crowd and bartenders who won't smile or make you feel welcome but who will get you as intoxicated as you want to be in a timely, efficient manner. My advice? Bring someone you want to make out in the dark with and use the restroom at a neighboring establishment. read more

If "Nightmare Before Christmas" and the Johnny Depp version of "Alice in Wonderland" got it on and made a baby, ...and that baby grew up and lived in a fuckin RAD-ass cave in the Haight it would be Noc Noc. I don't know where I was going with that analogy. The point is, nothing is ordinary here - from the assymetrical, oddly shaped chairs to the colorful walls with murals of aliens and shit. At one point I wondered, "Is this what being on acid feels like?" And then I remembered...I was being all ballsy and had ordered the Hop Stoopid IPA because it had the highest alcohol content (9.1%). Oh. That explains it. Happy hour gets you $1 off drinks until 7pm, which is fine by me cause drinks were cheap anyway. The downside is they only do beer and wine, but their beer selection (on tap and bottled) is fairly solid. Noc Noc: You ain't in Kansas anymore, motherf*ckers. read more

If Tim Burton's 'Beetlejuice' and Jim Henson's 'Fraggle Rock' had a baby, and that baby grew up to be a bar (a lot of hypotheticals here, I know), this place would be it. Inside is like a creepy-in-a-good-way cave, though you should prepare yourself for it to be packed to the gat damn gills on Saturday night. Like, we ate beforehand and kind of wished we didn't because we had to use all our strength to suck in our guts in order to fit into this place. Back on my home planet, I don't really go out on the weekends because I'm "not great in crowds". I don't dig lines, being shoved, fighting to get up to the bar only to be semi-ignored for another 15-minutes, not having a place to sit or stand, and not being able to hear anything the people I'm with are saying... which was basically the deal here, but the decor and vibe are so interesting that I actually didn't mind it much at all. It was dark and I'm getting old so I chose something off the only menu I was close enough to to be able to read... which was a beer menu and likely what I would've ordered had I been able to see the greater selection anyway. All the beers that looked interesting to me were crossed off the list, unfortunately, so I settled on a beer I probably could have gotten at the liquor store just door's down for half the price, but whatever. That's what i get for being late to the party. My beer for sure tasted kind of off, so much so that I didn't actually even end up drinking half of it, but again, I did not care because attention was being paid to the decor above all else, while my friends and I focused on re-enacted every scene in Beetlejuice that involved a Harry Belafonte song or Michael Keaton grabbing his nuts. All in all, a nice ass night at Noc Noc. read more

This was my first time going out in the Lower Haight and Noc Noc was our suggested destination. I arrived at least 15 minutes before the rest of my friends did and so I had quite a bit of time to take everything in. My first thought was that it was like nowhere I had ever been before. It had a dark, hippie, rave vibe to it which to me seemed like one giant oxymoron. Some how it kinda worked for them, though... I walked up to the bar and realized quickly that they didn't serve anything outside of beer and wine. The couple next to me weren't quite as quick to catch on and kept asking for a vodka Red Bull. The bartender repeatedly screamed at them that they they didn't serve vodka Red Bulls which went way over their heads. "What do you mean? Just pour some vodka and Red Bull together and accept this cash!" That was more entertaining than anything else but the reeealllly annoying thing about this bar were these giant, built in, wood backed stools that were ridiculously inconvenient. If you weren't sitting in them they were like a monumental obstacle standing in the way of you and your future beer. Bah! read more

What up Haight Street! Not the tourist friendly upper Haight but the Hipster friendly Lower Haight, word! Noc Noc is a labyrinth/cave of a bar where people drink in the dark and and do bar things. They got good beers and they typically have a a sausage fest going on. I've here several times and I never meet anybody that I want to know in any capacity. It's not a bad place but it's just not my place. If I were troglodyte I would be so down but I am a surface dweller so I prefer a different vibe. read more

Black velvet and that little boy smile Black velvet with that slow southern style A new religion that'll bring you to your knees Black velvet if you please. ...If you please If you please That's what i say to the bartenders whenever i go to order my drink at the Noc Noc. OK...not really, but a Black Velvet is my beer/beers of choice. They have a great selection of beers you pour with a spoon, like Snake Bites, Black and Tans, and Black Velvets. Multiple flavored ciders also help make me a happy girl. Lesson for those less knowledgeable than I: Black Velvet = Stout and cider (i guess its supposed to be champagne, but nowadays cider is the common replacement.) Black and Tan= Stout or porter and pale ale Snakebite = Lager and cider, and according to wikipedia... this is properly referred to as a Poor Man's Black Velvet. read more

This is your bar on drugs: http://www.yelp.com/biz/make-out-room-san-francisco but THIS is your bar on the Brown Acid: http://www.yelp.com/biz/noc-noc-san-francisco I love this 'Beyond Thunderdome' classic 'only-in-San Francisco' bar. But it's more special if you only visit every once in a while, you gotta be a complete sicko to make this your regular watering hole.... even though the draft beer selections are all right on. Ok... maybe i'm sick enough that if I lived closer, it would be my regular watering hole. While not having quite the over-the-top experiences casanova Matt C. had here... http://www.yelp.com/biz/noc-noc-san-francisco#hrid:wWGwBVcNz-v-aAfBHkl4Og ... I did carry a passed out Yelper home from this bar many moons ago. Don't take the brown acid man. read more

Noc Noc has a special place in my heart; As far as I can recall it was my first regular spot; The first place where bartenders and regulars recognized me, it was at that crooked plaster and sheet metal table in the middle of the bar where I first learned to drown my misery in alcohol. I cut my drinking teeth at noc noc. I also learned a whole lot about music from one of the DJs there. In '97 there was no better place for an awkward music geek. It had been about 10 years to the day since I'd set foot in there. At first glance, very little has changed; Dark as ever, same arty 80s music video decor, still beer & wine only, the same blend of electronic & avant garde from the DJ booth. I think Rahmat is still running the place too. But some things have changed, for sure. The couches are cleaner, the bartenders aren't as friendly as they used to be, and the homeless guy with his dreads on a stick isn't milling around offering to tell tourists 'the story' for a few bucks. ('The story' was this aboriginal sounding creation myth that involved characters named after whoever was in his audience at the time.) I don't know if I want to go back now; you just can't go home again. I think that this has been the most useless self indulgent review I've written so far. Sorry about that. read more

I have vague memories of going to Noc Noc at some point over the past four years to hear a punk band. I could be mis-remembering this, but I also could be remembering correctly. Aside from this "mebbe I went there once" time I have not been to Noc Noc again until last night. And, I didn't even have a drink there last night. Let me explain why - considering I may or may not have been to this establishment during operating hours and have never bought or been served a drink there - that Noc Noc gets FIVE stars (ten, if I could give it ten.) Picture this: Big Saturday party somewhere in the Mission. Party ends, no one can get cabs. There is one sober guy (Fong you rule) amongst a sea of drunks. The sober guy takes pity on me - who really just wants to go home and go to bed, as opposed to continuing to party as everyone else seems inclined to do - and, says "I'll give you guys a lift to X place where you - girl who wants to go home - can catch a cab back to the Avenues; and, you - three people who want to continue to party - can continue to party... but, FIRST I need to stop for some food." Fair enough, sober guy with the car gets food. Totally kosher with everyone. Apparently, less kosher with the universe, as the first pizza place we try is closed. McDonalds is closed. Popeye's is closed (we actually didn't check - we just went on the assumption that if McDonalds on Haight was closed, Popeye's would be too.) There is no Taco Bell with in a thirty mile radius (which is probably a good thing.) At this point we are seriously considering either the Lucky Penny or eating one of the people in the car. Then we find that [Insert Name of Pizza Place Here] next to Noc Noc is open. So sober, hungry driver and drunk, hungry friends jump in line to grab a slice and I go in search of a bathroom, as all the vodka and cranberry juice from the previous evening of partying is causing me to dance around like a five year old doing the pee-pee dance. EXCEPT: It's almost three in the morning and EVERYTHING except for the pizza joint is closed. I am about to cry, I have to go so badly, when I see the door to Noc Noc is still ajar. I timidly knock (shut up) on Noc Noc's door and say, "Hey would it be okay if I came in to use the bathroom real quick?" I fully expect a "Fuck no, drunk girl who has to pee, we're closed." But, instead - like a gift from God, Allah, the Earth Goddess or whatever you believe in - I hear the voice of Rahmat (the owner of the bar) saying, "Sure, go ahead." Not only does Rahmat let ME use the bathroom; but, he lets two of my drunk friends who are also doing the pee-pee dance use the bathroom. Rahmat is the most AWESOME person on the face of the planet. I promise you, I will be returning to Noc Noc and giving them my business (once I'm done with the whole three months of sobriety thing) as the awesomeness of Rahmat indicates that it will be a choice place to hang out. read more

Wait... Noc Noc is a dive bar? No it's not! No place this into self-image could possibly be considered a dive bar! Plus, dive bars don't publicize their wine lists -- come on! And they serve BOOZE. Not just beer and wine. Okay, okay... And sake. Ha ha! Ha! Ha! Ha... Okay, Yelp -- update the classification there... Noc Noc is weird. It fits into the Lower Haight. Wait again -- did I just call the Lower Haight weird? Yep -- I guess I did. I always think I should be doing drugs in there, and I wouldn't get bored as quickly as I do. I'd find the cavey atmosphere and the weird, low furniture and the runic graffiti a lot cooler and and more visually stimulating than I actually do. But alas, since the arrival of my gray hairs I've packed up the drugs. So they should at least sell the sauce, so I can get drunk. read more

The place is decorated so strangely that I can't help but bring my out-of-town guests here. The beer selection is great and you can usually find a seat. (Is it just me, but was this place inspired by the movie Beetlejuice?) read more

It's a bar, it's a cave, and it's got great beer. The music is always superb thanks to whoever mans that hidden DJ booth...And it's got more nooks and crannies than a damn English muffin. Its close proximity to both my place AND a pizza place as well as the fact that it's the one place that my two roomies and I always agree on for drinking in our neighborhood seals the deal. Five stars for you, Noc Noc! read more

I recognize that this place is on Haight, and judging from the peeling paint, it's been around a while. I must conclude that someone, amid a demonic encounter with LSD, ravaged this place by what seemed at the time justifiable interior design, and then fled the scene to avoid the flesh-eating penguins. I'm just not quite sure what else to think while sitting in this cave with spikes on the walls and torture-chic furniture. read more

Noc Noc has absolutely no shame about being thoroughly weird and awesome. The interior is straight out of the Flinstones - it seriously reminds me of the cave train ride at the boardwalk in Santa Cruz... I feel like I'm part of the scene with all the cavemen getting drunk. Is that ride even around still? I have yet to come across a bar as unique as this one. In fact, if you know of any, please tell me! This is a beer only bar, but luckily not a shitty-beer only bar. Every time I've come here I've had a great time! It's perfect if you're looking to go somewhere and just hang out with some old friends who you haven't seen in ages. Always low-key, but totally fun! Definitely the coolest bar in the Lower Haight. read more

It's always nice to share a bottle of cheap champagne among friends while sitting amidst recreations of cave paintings. Uh, say whaaaa? Nice bartenders, fair prices, and a stroke-inducing paint job in the restroom. HOWEVER: the weird and sort of unsuccessful concept of the Noc Noc's interior will definitely be reconfigured when (when, not if) Joanna and Robbie get their acts together and start Fraggle Night. Yeah, you see that, Joanna? GET MOVING. read more

Noc Noc's decor may be borderline creepy- but luckily that's something I find endearingly adorable about this small bar on Haight...curious and curiouser? With a neighborhood feel and a friendly vibe, I find that Noc Noc is just the right amount of relaxed and creepy for me to stay interested. I like coming here late at night with a good friend and tucking away into one of the many corners. For this outing....leave your unimaginative and humorless friends at home.... read more

5 stars for what it is. It's a unique SF bar and it's good at being just that. Here are some words that come to mind when I think of NocNoc: space Q (the restuarant) Indian Narnija leather Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice Haight St. Friendly bartendar, bathrooms so clean it's like your mom just cleaned 'em, interesting decor, good music--eclectic mix but not too weird (whatever that means...) read more

We had come to the bar while the sun still hung high, there were many people on the street and the people were drunk, drunker than we would want to be. We walked in and the decor was memorable and we knew that memorable people would be here, we ordered a round. We sat in a narrow corner and the music was enjoyable, as was the drink, and he and I talked about a number of things. We spoke to the barman and he was an honest and good man, he wore a Slayer hoodie and his dog was friendly to strangers. A group of drinkers had enjoyed too much and were acting like fools, and the barman sent them away despite their arguing. The bar is a fine and good place to drink at. - Ernest Hemingway read more

I'm unsure what compelled me to take my newly minted San Franciscan friend to this bar, but I felt that somehow she would connect with these people, that she would feel right at home, like in her old neighborhood...Beverly Hills. NO ONE SAID I WAS A GENIUS PEOPLE. Anyway, she was totally bored out of her skull and sent me eye bullets the entire time, but I was totally into the freak show parade and the horrible costumes and the guy with his snakes, really, like snakes, not trouser snakes, but you know like snakes. Maybe I'm a little circus freak inside, but WHATEVER, the Noc Noc is F U N. read more