From the outside it looks like a Dive Bar for the Hells Angels. On the inside, it's pleasantly warm with white tablecloths and a wood bar. Local art and cartoons on napkins adorn the walls. If you like burgers, this place has some of the best. We make special trips for a burger fix. Live entertainment at night is fun and eclectic. Nice little trio bands, swing singers and once I saw a group playing spoons and blowing on old bottles. This is the type of neighborhood place where your experience is entirely determined by you. If you go in happy and treat other people nice, it's great. If you're an asshole or have high expectations, you're going to hate it and drag down everyone else around you as well. There are plenty of other restaurants iif you only want your ass kissed. Treat the staff with respect, they work hard and deserve it. read more

Ok, listen up folks, I am only addressing the Burgers. Therefore, I am not disagreeing with anyone here. Don't get snarky. Now, with that in mind, let's talk about the burger. Every time you bring up the mention of a burger in San Francisco, it seems like everyone is suddenly an expert. Not to mention that there seems to be an endless plethora of hamburger outlets in San Francisco. Taking all this into account, it seems as though there has to be a burger joint every 5 feet, none of which are any good by anyone's account. Somehow, something is not quite right. So, should we all turn to nature burgers and tofurkey? No, not as long as the Rite Spot continues to make the Rite Spot Burger. Be warned, ordering a Rite Spot burger is a time intensive process: generally at least 1.5 beers worth if you were to use beers as hour glass. I don't understand why they take so long, and it really is quite a mystery. The waitress takes your order, you drink two beers or so, you remember you ordered a burger about 40 minutes ago, you ask about your order and about 10 minutes later it arrives. Maybe this has something to do with why the burger is so satisfying. Anyhow, when it does arrive, it does everything a burger should do. it looks big. Good start. It has a bunch of stuff that comes with it. Cool. Like a good Lego set, you get to assemble a number of components. Once assembled, it requires dexterity and agility to handle. Ultimately, the bun will fail, the burger will unravel like a blown truck tire and you will be left satisfied before a mountain of used napkins. Now have another beer and await the food coma to come. read more

Good burgers Great poppers Horrible service The waitressing at the tables is pushy (on the reorders/refills) yet inattentive (on the details and the food). The lady behind the bar seems really pissed (and I don't mean drunk) with a chip cleaving the Grand Canyon into her tender shoulder. The music (its played 50% of the time I have visited) is "interesting" and can serve as a distraction from the crowd's buzz, and your table's chatter. The Rite Spot is a very Tight Spot Especially on nights when they have live music (which is also the nights when the waitresses can basically lose track of you and your needs, let alone wants), so make sure you get your group there on time and grab enough chairs. Net-net, a dive bar with a nice interior, In a place you would not quite expect it to be, With average++ food, and very-below-average service. Buck up, Rite Spot, if you your service stays on the spotty side of right, you will earn a reputation as a Wrong Spot! read more

Charming authentic historic SF bar. Great to see interesting, talented local musicians perform for free (you should tip 'em though). Great food! Innovative daily specials - special entree's like basil chili with gourmet cheese, special desserts like rad fruit pies, and kickass daily special cocktails like ginger beer lilet with lime and i can't remember what else (i just made that up, but you get the idea). A really nice wine list. And a GREAT burger. And like other Yelp reviewers have said - unpretentious. The ambience is simultaneously frayed vintage and a little bit artsy. Funny bartenders and waitresses. It's fun there. Try to catch Mr Lucky perform Sinatra-esque standards - I think they're on the last Saturday each month. read more

Off the beaten path for those of us that visit these neighborhoods for drink and revelry instead of breaking into cars and pooping on the sidewalk. I moved to SF so I could frequent bars like this. read more

The Rite Spot Cafe: a haiku Drunk man with mullet Waitress waits french fry in mouth I think I'm in love read more

I go here every Thursday religiously. So I can only speak for Thursdays. But on this day of the week, there is almost always a live performer. And 75% of the time the performance is unplugged or on the Rite Spot piano. It's never too crowded and the din is more than manageable (I am easily able to have conversations with Grandma, for example). The food is par for a bar; the bartenders (mostly women) will get to know you if you want to be a regular. Great place for a first date or happy hour drink. Check the calendar on their website to see who's performing! read more

The Rite Spot does a good job of blending eatery with bar, skillfully shifting it's focus from restaurant to nightclub as the evening progresses. Dim lighting and a reddish interior combine with a live pianist and unique decor to create an atmosphere that hearkens back to the Mission's days of yore, yet still manages to please the crowds of new-school couples that make up the bulk of it's clientele. The night crowd had a young but civilized feel to it, largely consisting of small groups with a few isolated couples. It seems to be a great spot for groups of two-to-eight, but the couples-centric crowd and the lack of a TV showing sports leaves solitary drinkers with few options beyond staring at the walls. (Note: There is a TV on the West Wall, though it wasn't powered on during my visit). While I haven't gotten around to eating here, I spied the plates coming out of the kitchen and what I saw looked pretty impressive. The thicker-than-normal hamburgers are bargain priced at six to nine bucks, and they were served with an ample portion of steak-cut fries that were cooked to perfection. Drinks are cheap.....a round consisting of a pint of Anchor Steam and a glass of house wine came to a paltry $7.50. I like this place. It's done a good job of joining the dimly-lit allure of a nightclub with the soft music and conversation-friendly ambiance of a restaurant. It's got humble stylishness without intimidating stuffiness, and it's got a musty charm but without young-punk chic. Keep it in mind if you've got a group to feed, but don't show up to drink by yourself unless piano music and your own thoughts can keep you entertained... read more

This spot is lovely. I had a totally different picture of this joint in my mind's eye before I went there for Amy Thompson's Art Opening. The bar was nice and warm, the service was OUTSTANDING (thanks for the happy hour hook-up after 8 o'clock. Take note folks, this is what good tipping will get you) and the folks belly up seemed local and friendly. Even though I didn't partake in the food, it looked and smelled great (not your regular bar nachos and greasy fries bullshit). Even Santa Claus was there doing whiskey shots with Satan. That's how cool Rite Spot is! Go and enjoy! read more

HAIKU REVIEW Friends drinking, cackling. Dark as Plato's storied cave. Cool performances. Kitten's on the keys. Lots of fuzzy memories. Rite Spot, R.I.P. read more

Great place for mid-week drinking. The bar is cozy, and the food is surprisingly good. Nicole is the main bartender during the week and is amazing. Live music most nights with an ecclectic mix of performers. Depending on how busy it is it may take a while to get your food, but you shouldn't come here if you are starving and expect prompt service. I took one star off because of the horrible bartender that is there on weekend. She's rude and unpleasant & almost ruins this place for me. Go here during the week... read more

Good burgers and sandwiches, great apps, delicious entrees, affordable bar, and a good atmosphere to boot. Love the white table cloths and the piano player (every once in a while), the cool stereo / juke, the neighborhood vibe, the general look and feel of the place, and the deep fried raviolis. read more

Pie Friday. Join the email list and SunDee, the superfriendly and very savvy bartender, will fill you in each week on the pies du jour. Ambience -- live music, kitschy-but-classy signage, a regularly rotating gallery, napkin drawings on the bathroom walls -- is "rite" on (ho ho). Might want to hire another waitress -- on a busy night, only one held it down, to what I could tell was the best of her ability in terms of politeness and accuracy. Pies pies pies. read more

Love Rite Spot. Feels like old San Francisco, a spot the techies haven't found and turned into a bougie vermouth bar (or some other mission district garbage). Often live music, cheap happy hour. definitely get the Brussels sprouts. Please never change, RSC! read more

I came across the Rite Spot one rainy, cabless and bussless night after being turned away from a sold out show at Bottom of the Hill. My friend and I decided to walk back to the Mission and, soaked to the bone, we took refuge in the first open door we found. Make no mistake, the Rite Spot is a dive, but its lush red walls, gold ceiling, white table cloths and candle light were a haven that night. We were the only people there aside from a patron who was playing Journey covers on the piano. We had found the right spot, indeed. Ever since, the Rite Spot had been a favorite of mine. Part of the allure is that you never know what you're going to get. It can be busy or empty. Its walls feature rotating exhibits by local artists. Service is passive-aggressive. The food ranges from amateurish attempts at old favorites to comfort food delights, though I always love the artichoke crostini and the tangy eggplant sandwich with a side salad and Ore Ida crinkle fries. Even the music wavers between tasteful bartender selections and the sometimes insane machinations of local artists. The Rite Spot is like San Francisco in that it can be pretty and ugly at the same time. If you're willing to take whatever it has to offer, you'll love it too. read more

This is my kind of place. I've been here twice each time it felt the like I was a regular. The owners are super nice: the gentleman who served us spoke with lingo reminiscent of more eclectic San Francisco days: a twinge of hippie surfer bro. That didn't make him a crazy...it made him the raddest dude there. The burgers...wow what can I say? They rocked seriously hard. The patties were not overcooked and they were juicy as hell. The setup was basically a build it yourself burger: all the stuff separate for you to handle. I chose to make a fry burger. The drinks? Well...it has a full service bar so the prices are full service bar-y. What'd you expect? I dig this place. I'm comin' back as soon as the opportunity presents itself. read more

I recently heard they closed due to health code violations. This saddens me because I loved the Post Punk Piano night on the first Thursday of the month. There are very few piano bars, let alone places where they play post punk piano. Oh well...you will be missed Rite Spot. I have had so many memories here. read more

When I first walked up to the Rite Spot Cafe to see a friend's show, I was sure I was in the wrong place. Standing across from the front door, I felt as though I was about to walk into either some kind of condemned warehouse rife with stolen goods or the kind of extreme-dive bar where a normal-looking young woman would turn every head in the place - and not in the fun, "I feel sexy" kind of way... But once I got inside I was pleasantly surprised. It's pretty spacious and dark in there, but in a cozy way with candles lighting the long bar and many tables. It took my friends and I a while to notice, but all of the art is sock monkey themed. (And I was wearing my sock monkey socks... an interesting coincidence...) I've been twice; once on a Tuesday and once on a Wednesday. I think it was on the Wednesday that happy hour lasted all night - good deals on house wines and draft beers. I am always excited about happy hour! And the food is more than decent for a dive bar/live music venue - nothing spectacular but I enjoyed both the fried calamari which wasn't too greasy and spinach salad with it's nice, light dressing. (No desserts though... sad.) One note: when there is live music they sometimes enforce the $6 (or was it $10?) per person rule. The woman working during the week has been great both times I've been, being very attentive and going out of her way. The man working during my second visit was a little... let's say "different", but he got the job done. All in all, I like this place. It's a nice venue for watching a friend play while having drinks and/or dinner, even if I wouldn't want to be walking around after dark in the neighborhood by myself. Find yourself a ride home and check it out sometime. The sock monkey art is even for sale. read more

I've had some really fun nights at the Rite Spot watching my friends play music. Sometimes it has the feeling of a large living room, comfy and cozy. They have some great regular musicians. The food isn't bad and I found it to be a good place for a date mid-week as it's dimly lit and the music isn't overwhelming, it's also usually not too crowded mid-week. I rarely pass up an invitation to the Rite Spot because I know I'll have a good time with good friends, if you get a chance you should check it out! read more

Rite Spot Cafe - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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It's hard to know what to make of the Rite Spot. We've used it as a place to get a drink after a night out on the town, a place to eat when we just can't think of any other place to go, a place to hear some low-key music when we're in the mood... Funny thing is, we always end up having a pretty decent time despite the fairly weak food and marginal music. Must be the strong drinks and the crazy shit that seems to accompany us here, i.e. homeless people storming in and asking for free drinks, cop action right outside including gun fire, stepping on crunchy needles in the gutter, tamale lady, etc. And I dig the table cloths. Nice. All part of the big city experience. read more

Sweet, south of market dining establishment that harkens the days gone by. Rotating piano players and other eclectic musicians and acts on most weekends around 9pm. Food is good and great for the date on a budget including drinks. The bartenders make one hell of a strong drink. Superb selections on the jukebox, nice clean table linens & candle light. Posh dive with prohibition style. Note: "I haven't been here since I moved to the east bay. But I know they have a website @ .net." read more

We walked down to the Rite Spot last night for a planned burger expedition... The place was near empy at 7:30 but filled up as the night went on with a mix of older mission post yups and girls who love girls. It was nice to see a wide array of people in the bar/rest. Oh yeah, there was also a guy in the who was braying like a donkey every 3 minutes. I think he might have been laughing? Not sure... Anyway, we had the buffalo wings. Not really anything buffalo about them except for the size and shape but they were tasty and the buttermilk blue cheese dippin stuff was on the spot. The burgers were good and the topping decent. I opted out of ordering the "rite SPot" burger with shrooms and onions for the classic cheese. It does annoy me though when a burger joint doesnt have American cheese. I mena, really... All in all a Nice Spot for a quick burger and beer. Staff was pretty rad too. read more

Honestly is more like a 2.5, we came for a free comedy that was supposed to talk about "cowards" and how they were bullied when they were young and only one comedian spoke about it. We really enjoyed watching 2 comedians but the rest seemed very new to comedy. We can't complain much since it was free. As for the beer selection they don't have a great variety, as for the food I would say the worst chicken wings we have ever tasted, no flavor at all. The Gorgonzola hamburger was just okay. Not sure if coming back to give it a second try. read more

A neighborhoody joint. Disheveled regulars anchor the scene while young scensters drift in and out. Burgers are a great top-off to drinking, but wouldnt come here just for the food. Bar staff are a mouthy bunch and heavy handed with the pour. What more could you ask for in an era of the melancholia of today's stand-offish bar staff? Piano shimmers after several stiffies. read more

I really like the ambiance here, esp. the piano (some guy was playing Monk) when I happened in... I would highly reccommend Rite Spot for drinks, but the food is mediocre. They do seem to feature cooler art on the walls than a lot of other places, owing to a more discerning eye of the proprietor. Even if this place is off the beaten path a bit, the place does seem to fill up quickly on the weekends. read more

We stopped by the closed Rite Spot this weekend and there were people inside who told us that it would be reopening soon. We hadn't seen the people before so it looks like there will be new management. The Rite Spot had been closed since December 2011 for health code violations and there has been work going on inside there since then. When it reopens we will go by and check it out as we live in the neighborhood. read more

Could this place have been any worse? Lets see here: Overly crowded as the whole place is absolutely stuffed with tables even when the dinner crowd left and nobody was sitting at them. This one waiter was annoying with the "you need to move out of my way" attitude. Sorry but move to where? This place is frickin tiny and there's no room anywhere. The reason there were a whole lot of people there was most of us came to see Blackstone Heist play. They never got to play. They were booked to play starting at 10:30. The booked another band to go on first at 9 who ended up not getting on stage until 10:30. So this band, this stupid retirement home acid jazz crap band wouldn't get off stage until midnight and even took a break. WTF is that? NOBODY HERE CAME TO SEE YOU PLAY! Pack up your shit and leave. And the people working at Rite Spot backed them up on them playing until midnight with the idea that Blackstone could get on after that. Low and behold with all of us waiting there, buying drinks from them the whole night when midnight rolls around they tell Blackstone they won't allow them to play. Fear of noise complaints or some reason. Why didn't you tell them that at 10:30? We all could have left your place and gone elsewhere but I guess you wanted to make some money under false pretense. Oh and your bathrooms are totally wheelchair inaccessible. Miserable experience. Never going back to the Rite Spot. read more

This place is just so sweet and cheap as hell. I've lived in SF 30 years and only recently started going here, since there were so many similar options back in the day I just never got around to making the scene. The staff are super nice! Maybe they had a rough time a few years ago but I haven't seen any attitude out of any of them and they really seem to enjoy being there. Really good place to hang out if you've got a heart. read more

Found this place when I was stumbling around in the Mission one night, I felt like I had stumbled into one of those secret rooms in a GTA game or something. The vibe was kicking after a while, piano player was ripping it up and we ordered some very plain pub food that did not come with the smoothest or the fastest service. But I didn't;t care, I knew I had found a sick little spot close to home, it's a proper dive... neon sign, worn down furnishings, artistic and friendly, cheap drinks, oh man, I hope it stays forever, a few days later I was in a lyft and picked up a passenger from the place, he told me not to tell anybody or blow up the spot, that's why I'm not writing a Yelp review or telling people to go there. Don't go there, it's awesome! read more

Decent calamari and cauliflower appetizers. Cozy atmosphere.

A great place to hang out with friends and listen to music.

The Rite Spot is such a friendly, warm neighborhood bar! The vibe is homey and hip. The food is great. Intriguing art on the walls, gallery style. Piano in the room. I feel comfortable coming here alone occasionally, to catch the end of musical acts. Things like Beatles karaoke with live accompanists (they can really do ANY Beatles song for you), and Opera On Tap (where the singers rock and project their own often-funny translations). Sometimes it's quite full so the table spaces can feel tight or limited. But, whatevs! Love this place. read more

Cool dive bar with a good burger and live music. The only downside is it's a bit cramped!