It's a pretty cool hip hop bar I go when there's nothing else to do in the Mission. It's pretty standard as far as these bars go. Kinda small, dance floor in the back. The drinks are cheap, and I like it! The crowd is urban and generally the polar opposite of the Marina crowd. Note: They play Juicy by Notorious B.I.G. every single time. I also recommend Double Dutch on the next block. It's a little more hip. read more

This place was pretty busy even on a weeknight, which is usually a good sign. I support the whole marijuana legalization ordeal but when I was there, it seemed that many of the patrons were getting lit which is okay but I don't particularly appreciate smelling like pot when I didn't even smoke any! It might have just been the night - it was kind of a themed night so maybe it's not always like that (wow, i'm at work right now and Bob Marley just came on the radio - coincidence??) The bar itself is pretty cool. I accidentally walked into the men's bathroom though because I didn't know the women's bathroom was on the right. I was wondering why there was a huge trough in the bathroom and why it smelled and looked really bad. I just shrugged it off though considering it was a bar's restroom. My boyfriend made fun of me though when I complained and told me it was the men's bathroom. So today's lesson, the women's bathroom at Skylark is on the RIGHT SIDE! read more

Bad experience at the skylark involving a bouncer... Talked to a few other people who have had similar experiences with the staff here. Seems like the management of the skylark hire thugs, not people with any kind of professionalism, and this makes for a dangerous environment, not a place to let loose and enjoy oneself. If you choose to go, just be careful. read more

Been going to skylark for a while and usually a good spot. Went in this weekend and both my friend and I got our wallets stolen. Hasn't been the first time I've seen this happen. Music is usually great, bartenders are quick but the place is getting shady with all the thefts... read more

Best bar in the city if you're a fan of hip-hop and the mission scene. Everytime I hit up Skylark I have a good time... but you gotta be up for it. The weekend schedule usually goes something like this: 9-10:30p loungin' beats, mellow scene, easy to get a drink at the bar 10:30-12:30a old school hits that make you wanna dance and drink more, diverse crowd, dance floor gets packed, 20 minute wait for a drink 12:30-2a dirrty booty-shakin' beats finish out the night, crowd turns to 80% male, street thugs start rolling in, ass-grabbing commences, dance floor withers down to guys looking for some action and girls too drunk to know the difference, 10 minute wait for a drink 2a (outside on the sidewalk) sketchy people waiting outside observing the drunken loitering on the sidewalk, homeless people asking for spare change, a hug, or a handshake... my advice: get out and go home just ignore all the drama and you'll have a good time here. read more

Lots of mixed reviews but I had a blast here. Came here after having dinner at The Summit and got my dance and drink on with my cousin and our friends. Before we knew it, our buddy Mel decides to get on the turntables and plays many old school songs and happily dedicates Ready for The World's "Oh Sheila" to his girlfriend Sheyla. Imagine drunken dancing and romancing with grinding and double shots in hand. Dance dance, da da dance. Wicked hangovers for everyone except yours truly as I was DD, but it was a damned good night. Need a replay! Who's in? read more

I NEVER write reviews, but this time I had to!! I went to Skylark bar a couple weekends ago with some friends after remembering that the last time I went (maybe 2 months ago), our drinks were only $7 each. So it was to my surprise when I ordered a simple cocktail and it was $10. I asked the lady bartender if prices had changed and she just says "no" with an attitude. I thought it was weird considering the reason I came here was specifically because I remembered it being cheaper. About 20 mins later, I ordered the SAME drink with a different bartender (male) who charged me $8. At this point, I knew something was up. I'm guessing the lady bartender decided to give herself a tip.. I don't think prices had changed within the few minutes between my first and second drink. But they were certainly both higher than the last time I visited. There should definitely be a cocktail menu with set prices here, and I would love some clarity as to why the prices were so inconsistent. read more

What can I say? When I think of Skylark, I think of all the nights I got drunk and got to dance my ass off. I think of summertime and the cool, laidback atmosphere. Skylark is my bootycall for the night. When all else fails, I go to Skylark and he welcomes me with open arms and a drink. Geeez. We could make babies this way. HAHA. I love the no cover charge. I like the bouncers. They're friendly and actual human beings not fake ass cops. And they really protect you when it comes down to it. Just like the time so dude cursed me out for "cockblocking" yess they comforted me when I was going on a rampage. The drinks are yuumy. Nothing real special. But they satisfy me. I've been here mostly hiphop nights and also reggae nights which I don't mind. The bartender is a sweetie. there's usually 2 and they're cool. My fave thing about this bar is the crowd. Hence, the mission district. it's diverse and my friends and I always seem to find someone cool to talk too or sit down with. Just do me one favor and never change =) read more

Not my favorite place but definitely ok. The night I came here I just wanted to relax and have a beer. The music was way too loud. It was almost empty so it felt a bit overkill to have it that loud. But maybe that's a good thing if you're in more of a party mood. read more

Ha! My friends and I ended uo here one night after we spent some time in a bar nearby, where the people were rude and stuck up. There was literally no room. Just elbo room :| I asked the security guard where I can go, and he recommended me here. There was a $5 cover. Threw us all off bc in Vegas, we never pay a cover haha! But we paid anyway. The place is not that big. Very intimate to say the least. They were mixing hip hop with 90's hip hop. We weren't here very long, so I didn't order a drink. We did go to what is the "dance floor" and I danced a little bit. The whole vibe was something like an underground party. Speakers bumpin, dancing extremely close, like the sweat from the other person will hit you. Some of the folks there were extremely gone, so they were more like swaying and throwing themselves, rather than dancing. But watevs I guess. I heard reggae nights are the nights to go. We were only in town for the weekend. An experience for the books, that's for sure! read more

Thank you ghetto ass guys in the back of Skylark who crowd around the dance floor, you have taught me much about picking up the ladies. Like the fine art of grabbing a woman's hand as she walks out of the dance floor dehydrated to get a drink of water. Pulling her into your web of sweaty, ball stank game. Singing her a sweet serenade of "baby"'s and "wassup"s. I have much to learn. Or maybe this bar is too east bay for me. read more

Last night the Skylark saved my life... cause you gotta get down girl. Ok, so it wasn't actually last night but Sunday but who the fck is counting anyways? Sunday was a fun day at Delores with a cute boy who was moving way too fast. Mucho rapido para mi. We had left the park and he was talking about going somewhere where we could be alone. Then it hit me!!! We're right by my favorite ass shaking location. Score one Skylark, zero for Don Juan. Got there around 9:30pm. For all you serious shakers I recommend coming early as the dance floor is free and the music is bumpin. The (cuter then the guy I was with) bartender made me a perfect vodka cran and that's when it began. Dancin' dancin' dancin!!!!! Been coming here off an on for about a decade anytime I've really just needed to move my feet and always been pleased. Never had anything stolen, seen any fights, smelt anything funky, or what ever else people are bitching about. Always a good time. No regrets.... except that I didn't even get the bartenders name. Goodness gracious.... way too cute or maybe it was the heavy pour. Nope, he was a little dope. Oh, also right near the 16th Street Bart which is kinda awesome if you want to shake it for a bit before you head home. Sucks that Bart closes at Midnight though as I was tempted to order just one more. I've mos def been there later. I've been there until the lights came on numerous nights, but I stand by my favorite time to be there is before the dance floor gets packed and your ass gets grabbed (1:55am). Realistically though, you can't shake what your Mama gave ya and not expect a little bad behavior. Skylark, I don't care what people say.... I fckn love you and your dirty beats. read more

Enjoy'd a night out with friends last Saturday. Pros: No cover, Diverse crowd, Inexpensive drinks, Bay Area Music. And if you don't want to spend your money at the bar, there is a corner store literally two doors down! : ) Cons: Only two bathrooms (one for the men and the other for women), Crowded, Small dance floor, needs better ventilation. Dance floor smelled like urine!!! Yuck! If you are drunk enough...any place can be a happy place :) Would I be back? Sure. No doubt. It's definitely a lively place! read more

Good: location, eclectic crowd (which can be good and bad but I liked that all kinds of people felt welcome there), the music was ok. You remember a good DJ. I won't remember this one. Bad: $5 cover. Really?? For this place? The space is not great either, the ceilings are really low so there is not a lot of room to breathe. But the worst part was the bouncers who were so flippin' rude. They were just cold to me but they were so rude to the group in front of me. I felt like I was trying to get in a den in Hunt's Point or something. read more

i've been going to this place for the past few years and this place never disappoints me. I usually go here on Thursday and Saturday nights (randomly). The music they play are hip-hop and some old school hip-hop, which are not bad. The area could be a little ghetto, since it's in the middle of Mission but other than that, it's a perfect place where you could just randomly go on a random night out. It's definitely a great last minute night out. read more

Great music Good drinks, standard price No cover - woohoo! A bit small, can get a bit too crowded at times. Convenient location to enable bar hopping read more

I am hungover...I vaguely remember this place but I do know I liked it! It's red and has a comfy booth and space to dance. The cutest bartender ever...Erwin or Edwin(???) who gave me strong Stoli soda's w/ lime. My head is pounding and by body is aching.... help me. water.... water.... thud! (sound of me falling before getting to the water cooler) read more

One of the reasons I even use Yelp is so I can try some of the places and see how my rating matches up to everyone else's opinion. In this case it does.. this place is pretty average. Well, let's look at the facts. We have a bar on 16th, that alone should be worth something right? The bar serves drinks, right? yes, I think that might be already two stars or something... Unfortunately, there isn't much else going for it. The layout is decent but I'm not crazy about it. I agree the crowd looked a little shady but I'm not a slender female so I wasn't worried. The beer selection was decent, but nothing too stellar. I blame the screen above the bar, it gives people who probably shouldn't be at bars alone too much of a reason to hang around. This seems like a good happy hour bar as the weekday crowd seems pretty laid back, but otherwise I think this place ranks pretty low on places I would be determined to come to on a weekend. Actually, if you're going to hold a gun to my head about where I want to drink in the Mission and we're on 16th, I will always go to the nearby Delirium or Kilowatt or even walk over to Guerrero for the 500 Club or ... (incoherent recommendation while I spill beer on myself) read more

This review is for WEDNESDAY NIGHTS ONLY! Dude. $3 Heineken $6 Mojito I get drunk & she gets drunk. Yes, I went there with my girl and, no, she was not groped (by anyone else but me). There was about a 60/40 ratio of guys to girls, nice enough, sheeeet for a Wednesday! In my single days that was golden. The crowd was super chill (25+) compared to what I've seen on the weekends. Music: Early in the night they were playing Old School. I'm not talking NWA & Run DMC, I'm talking Frankie Beverly & Maze, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Jackson5, etc. Then they broke into the MosDef, Talib, The Roots, a little reggae and a bunch of 90s cool stuff I used put on mixtapes. But seriously, the 5th star was earned by my favorite drink special. Are you ready? $9 for a shot of Patron & a bottle of Corona. Isn't that disgusting? read more

This spot definitely gets crackin on the weekends. They got a boss looking bouncer outside making sure underage kids don't get in. When you walk in you know this is a hood rich party with sweet dank aromas flowing through the air and the beats hitting strong. In the back, you can see people getting down and sloppy drunk on the dance floor. Best and worst thing about this place is the men's room. Once you open the door and step in, this wave of rank piss hits you right in the face, so bittersweet in a weird way. The room itself looks like a mini dungeon from a saw movie. But the best thing is the community urinal, it's an honor to see one of these relics from the past still in action. It's an old school tub looking thing that can accommodate 2.5 people at the same time. About the drinks, mediocre. If you're looking for a hood party in the city, this place is the place to be. read more

Prob my fave grimey hip hop bar in SF. Excited for it to open up again. Only downfall is they get some shitty DJs who play mainstream pop music. Super lit when they get the DJs who just play the hip hop cuts read more

This place is my guilty pleasure. That's all I've got for y'all on this place. Go there, don't expect it to be anything and it will be everything. Nothing says "San Francisco" like not being able to smoke a cigarette in a bar, but being drenched by waves of marijuana smoke. Drugs are indeed rampant - but hey, it's nice to have a one-stop shop, right? You can get wasted, then high, then shake your tail-feather, then go next door and get your grub on, then repeat or go home. Yay for Sky Lark. read more

This place is actually really fun. When I first thought of a bar in the Mission, I did not expect anything too special. Man, the drink specials at this place are a great deal: $6 Slamsterdam - a Jager type of drink (really sweet for my opinion) $11 Juan on Juan - a shot of Patron and a Corona The other ones i don't quite remember, but there is a dance area for those girls you are with to dance if they want to. One thing to beware is the guys' bathroom is weird. They have one of those horse trolley things that is really weird. read more

Music was good. I was totally all over the dance floor...but I think I was the only one... Given...it was early on a Wednesday night so that could have attributed to lack of people willing to dance. read more

According to Rebecca Solnit, author of "Infinite City," the Mission District of San Francisco is at the city's phrenological crossroads between "Love of Sex" (SoMa) and "Desire for Liquids". 16th Street is specifically designated "Desire for Liquids", and after a trip to Skylark the reasons are obvious. Very strong, reasonably priced drinks. Great music (it was old-school hip-hop night). Conveniently located on the 16th Street corridor just a block from the BART. The scene here is a mix of the young professional crowd, hipsters, and locals from the Mission. The place was surprisingly neither jam-packed nor deserted, at 10pm on a Friday, so it was a great launching pad for the rest of our night. read more

Our go to place when we visit SF. Music on point, they play hip hop/r&b. Drinks are strong and pretty reasonable in price, we drank vodka n cran, I guess the bartender wanted to be super stingy with the cranberry juice. Lol! I didn't mind at all!! It is kinda small and there's one bathroom for the girls and one for the boys. So when there's a line it goes out onto the dance floor. And if you go into the guys bathroom, the door doesn't lock. Lol!!! So bring a friend. All in all its amazeballz!!!! read more

Skylark - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great drinks. Music was on point. Dance floor a definite plus! I came here for the first time with friends on a Friday night and had an absolute BLAST! Me and my boyfriend don't go often to lounges like these but we had so much fun, we will definitley be back! read more

My favorite bar in town. Its a gritty mix of 16th Street BART overflow and hip young revelers. The drinks are cheap, the bartenders are adorable, the DJs are awesome and dancing is mandatory. Make sure to keep an eye on your belongings, but that goes without saying in any dark street level bar. BONUS! There's a free burlesque show at 8pm every second Friday of the month. read more

Skylark - Rasa Vitalia during "Mischief at the Skylark Bar" photo by Greg Lightner - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

One of the more yuppie friendly bars in the Mission. Attractive space with comfortable seating, a small dance floor, and decent DJs. Drinks aren't pricey, beers for $4? Not bad. read more

Another fun little bar in a long string of fun little bars that I experienced during my San Francisco trip. This time, we decided to hit up the Mission District. By the time midnight hit, the place had a pretty good crowd, both on the dance floor and in the bar area. The DJ was playing a pretty good mix of music, including some hip hop that brought me back to my high school years. Unfortunately, I don't have much more to say about the place. It's a bar. They serve drinks (which are actually decently priced, but of course, I'm comparing to overpriced Vegas). read more

I've been to Skylark during the weekend, but I have never been here on a Wednesday. Apparently, I've been missing out! $5 cover, drink specials, good jams, and a mixed crowd, what more can you really ask for? While I am totally hating work right now on this Thursday morning, I cannot help but reflect on how much fun I had last night and giggle. Only downside: One bathroom per gender. read more

Service = friendly. Granted, I'm sort of deaf, and when he asked me to pay for my first kamikaze, I totally did not hear him. Oooops! Happy Hour, FTW!! I'll be back here for cocktails. read more

If you are looking for Hip Hop to dance to without having to deal with all the Club BS, you should come check this place out. No cover and the dance floor is always packed. Sure it doesn't have all the hottest people, but everybody is there to have a good time! From outward appearances, it can seem a bit ratchet, but once you have couple of drinks and step out on the dance floor, its all love. Drinks are fairly cheap ~$7 and the bar is pretty quick, even when its crowded. Open seating, but that pretty much fills up even before the dance floor gets going. read more

I appreciate skylark. No lines, no cover, no pretenses. Just alcohol and music. The dance floor is tiny and there is only one bathroom, but I still come back. Logistics: Crowd: Mainly minorities (no, I won't say "ghetto" because of this) of all colors with a few yuppies mixed in. Music: Hip-Hop, hyphy Drinks: Strong and $8 read more

Skylark is chill. Light one up and don't worry too much about it ;). Always good vibes. I just wish it were a little cleaner . read more

Do not order a martini here. (Skylark, if you're listening, a better gin selection would be great!) read more

been coming here for the past 3+ years. and is a sorta of a default when I'm not trying to do anything big. It can get a bit crowded and since the dance floor is in the back with no ventilation it gets really stuffy. they always play good music. sometimes you do get some sketchy people but hey that comes with the neighborhood. Drink prices are good compared to other places. I actually went there last night. and is the 1st time i got crappy service. that would be the reason for the 3 stars The female bartender was making lousy drinks, skipping people and then has the nerve to cop an attitude when i pointed that out to her. I guess they hired her for her rack and not the bar tending skills read more

This tiny place was packing quite a diverse crowd. I appreciate that they don't charge cover, and their drinks are reasonably priced. The bartenders were friendly and attentive. Pretty chill bouncers, good hip-hop/R&B selection on Fridays. People on the dance floor kept swaying into me, either because they were so drunk or they just didn't care. The floor itself was sticky, and funky smelling in some areas. You'll have to wait for the restroom since there's only one for men and one for women. read more

Been here several times on Thursday nights. Pretty decent place, kinda ghetto crowd, if you're into that. Recently, as we speak I've been denied by the one bartender countless times after he acknowledged me. I'll say one visit everything, but the douche with the facial hair. Looks Latin could be white is one of the worst bartenders ever. You can see by my past reviews this isn't a bs incident. Thursday nights ok. The douch bartender. No. I give it One stars bc I've had a decent time here before. The douche bartender just fails it. Wouldve been a 4. read more

Let me keep this very simple: MONDAY NIGHTS REGGAE. Cons: The seedy neighborhood, the slightly cramped space, and the not so glam venue. Pros: AAAMMAAAZIINGG DJ's. Its a laid back atmosphere, with an eclectic mix of friendly locals, the drinks are inexpensive, and the fun goes on till 2. Plus, there's tons of late night food joints nearby for those late night munchies. The dance floor is separated from the general lounge area, and the best part, there's no cover charge. Yeaup, all this awesomeness fo' free!! Take a cab to and from the place, and you have virtually no reason not to stop by. See you on the dance floor! read more