The bartenders and the bouncer were not friendly at all, but I really loved the vibe of the place. Great location near BART and their reggae show for Bob Marley's birthday was a great time. Lots of dancing, lots of green, and moderate drink prices. Another semi- downer was that there is a $20 card minimum. I hate that about the mission, that they have cash only policies or ridiculous card policies. Credit is so prevalent that they should help their customer base by accommodating. read more

3.5 Stars HH $4 pints $5 wells Good amount of seating Friday night around 6pm is relatively quiet Overall Thoughts Curious to what the night vibe is like once it gets packed read more

THURSDAY NIGHTS ONLY: I LOVE THURSDAY NIGHTS HERE!!! i was a regular all summer long till school came back into my life! then the going out every week hype stopped! i try to get in there on thursday now when i can! Music: TYCOON STATUS ENT.!!!!!!! Dj Doc and Dj Nyce spinning it all night long! as they say "From the Bay to L.A". for reals tho they know what they're doing! old school, new school, bay area, etc they really do play it all!! seriously have me and my girls on the dance floor till the lights come up! Scene: its dark, kinda dingy, metallic glittery sofas, located on 16th an Valencia, i mean it really is a BAR! the crowd is a mix! hipsters, hip-hop heads, hyphy kids, and the regulars!! if you go enough like some of us do you'll start to see this place/dj's kinda have their own following you start to see and run into the same people you met there! Bartenders/Alcohol!!!: drink specials all night long! easy to get a drink at the bar! they know me cause im there so much (idk if thats good or bad) they usually hook up the drinks for me! its usually like a buy 1 get the second one for free! lol or they give me a discount on my tab! so take my advice be like me be friend the bartenders!!!! read more

Im not too big on Hyphy no more, but this is the most hipsterish hyphy in the area!! I love it and hate it!! The bartenders are hella dope, know their drinks, and will jump over the bar to slap you if you deserve one! Drink prices are decent, some of the drinks are overpriced while others are pretty cheap! Music will get you going dumb!!! The bar itself is nice, I love the dark reds and painted ceilings.. I would go there again mainly because my friends love coming here. read more

I have been here a couple of times and they usually have pretty decent music playing. I've heard mostly hip hop and some ska/reggae. I will list pros and cons, to which you may give your own ratings. Pros: Great drink specials Decent music Dance area Close to 16th street Bart Easily accessible by bus Close by other bars if you wish to check out the mission scene Close by some pretty good restaurants in case you get hungry Cons: Bartenders may be as drunk/loaded or more so than you are Very small tables, so you must hoard a few if you have a group of more than 4 Two unisex bathrooms Two bartenders on a Friday night Limited selection of beer on tap -- I love beer on tap, so the bigger the selection the better for me :) I think the crowd is pretty mellow, so you get a variety of people in there. Overall, its a great place to at least get your night started with the drink specials. read more

Pretty chill bar. The DJ was good. We stumbled into this place on a drunken Friday night and had a blast, but i think I blame that on the alchohol. go here with a good crowd and youll have a good time. ive been here sober, not so much fun. the DJ wasnt too good that night. read more

I've been to Skylark on both Tuesday and Friday evenings. Tuesday was real treat, because it wasn't too crowded, my drinks were just right, and the music was off the hook. I danced until I started spinning, and had to catch that last Bart train home. Now Friday, that was an entirely different evening. We were there way too early; so although we were able to enjoy happy hour prices and socialize, there was no DJ--bummer! And as time passed, a burlesque troupe prepared to perform. Um, no, not how I want to spend my Friday, so we left and hit up another spot. I'm looking forward to another Tuesday evening, and possibly a Saturday. We shall see... read more

I am a fan, indeed. I love me some mission dive bars, and when I want to start the night with some hard liquor before I switch to pints, my first stop is always skylark. Wells are 3 dollars, the bartenders are helpful and generous and they have even let me sample stuff on occasion. All of the house drinks are pretty good but the RUBY SKYLARK is what gets the night off to a great start. Its a concoction of ruby red absolut ( a heavy heavy pour), grapefruit and pineapple juice. They taste delicious but look out because they can sneak up on you! They have a wide selection of booze ( ouzo shots and pear cider chaser anyone?) No matter the DJ, the vibe continues to be chill. A wide mix of folk no matter the day. If 420, chill beats, dark interiors and sparkly gold cushions are not your thing, please don't ruin it for the rest of us. Plus one star for trivia napkins, minus one star for single stall ladies room (gross but its a dive bar people!). Plus one star for taking cc ( usually without a minimum during happy hour). Minus one star for shootings happening outside ( I want to hope its unrelated). Plus one star for always running into people from high school in their grown and sexy attire! Get there early to make hh prices and snag a table! read more

Juan on Juan = shot of Patron and a Corona ... $11 NO cover Dope, laid back music (not that crappy club shit you hear everywhere else, sorry Jason DeRulo) Mixed crowd filled with all kinds of random ass people. Good foods spots open late all around the area. ...and sometimes they project cartoons on the wall !!! read more

Skylurk! Can be awesome, can be creepy, can be smelly can be fun...it is what it is! It's a cool spot on 16th if you want to chill with friends, dance, listen to hip-hip or just hang out; kind of an all-in-one bar. Always a lot of people here Friday & Saturday nights so it's def. one of the places to be on the street. They have 3-4 of their own specialty drinks and a combo of corona + shot of patron called the juan on juan for $11...Not sure that's much of a deal though since a shot of patron and a shot of patron would probably come out to $12 or so, but whatever, I get it anyways. Pros: - No Cover charge - Hip-hop music + amazing DJ - Good drinks/not slow behind the bar - dance floor + tables across the bar. - No dress code (it's a bar!) - They take card (forgot the minimum though if there is one) Cons: - It's small (but kind of makes it cozy and cramped) - No baseball caps. An awesome thing about Skylark (indirectly) is that it's on 16th street so there's plenty of bars to check out and a ton of food on the street. Add this to your 16th street bar hopping list! read more

My sorority sisters wanted to go out on a Monday night. Usually I'd say no, but decided that I was up for it because I hadn't hung out with them in a long time. What's good on a Monday? No clue. But we decided to go with the Mission. Monday night at Skylark = Reggae night. Not my cup of tea, but I'm open for a good night regardless. When we got there, there were a bunch of people outside, so it seemed like a good choice to come here. NO COVER..which is always nice, haha. We walked in & the room smelled like straight-up S M O K E. It was NOT okay. It probably didn't bother a lot of people, but I'm not a fan. It was super crowded though. Music was going..but I guess Reggae isn't my style. Some people had 1 drink here & we left for somewhere else. I've been to Skylark before on a different night of the week. It was cool. Nothing too special about it though. I don't go to the Mission much. No plans on coming back for Reggae night...but maybe on a different night. There's only street parking. read more

Yikes! This place is kind of a disaster. My girlfriends and I went barhopping one night on Mission, and this place was our second stop. We literally stayed there for 10 mins and then bounced. It's dark, and the crowd was super pushy. Plus, it smelled disgusting in here! It was like a mix of weed and garbage cans (barf). Before we went in, the bouncers told us to keep watch of our phones and to not put them in our back pockets (umm sketchy much?!) Two stars only go to their music because it was poppin during the 10 mins I stayed! read more

Came for Reggae Mondays. The people are friendly, the drinks cheap, the music good. What more can you ask for? read more

Not as fun as it used to be. They play a lot more hiphop now and the crowd has shifted accordingly. If you aint feelin it, move on. Lots of other drinking joints around the corner on Valencia Thumbs UP: Week nights are better. DJs still mix it up good. Sometimes they show soft core porn on the walls Thumbs DOWN: Past its prime. Weekends are made for the bridge and tunnel crowd. read more

I like The Skylark. Cool and hip looking place. Friendly and kickback crowd. Very diverse crowd here for being in the Mission. It can get pretty crowded though, but you can always step out for some fresh air. Cool music, another place that plays lots of ol skool 90's hip hop (big plus for me). And most important...friendly women who actually give me the time of day. Good place to go if you're not into the crowded craziness of a nightclub. No cover charge either. Good luck though finding parking, if you decide to drive your car here. read more

Fun bar my homies, cronies, and damsels like to hit up for a light weight groove session. Small and gets pretty packed. Some rift raft strolls through this place but security/management does its best to regulate. They play "slappers" "slumpers" and "thumpers" old and new on the regular and sometimes allow you to smoke jah herb right smack dab in the middle of the dance floor. Worth stopping by for a a drink and a dance if your in the area and bar hopping, wouldn't stay for more than a few hours in my humble and honest opinion + I've seen a few fights go down here. I've had some great memories @ the Skylark no doubt! read more

I'm not familiar with San Francisco, let alone the Mission area, and I expected it to be pricey. I was pleased to find that this was not entirely the case. Skylark has no cover, which is an immediate plus in my eyes. The locals claim this place has great music, particularly Hip-Hop. Sure enough, the dj's selections were one point. However, I had to take a few stars off. The drinks were not that cheap. Most of the mixed drinks I ordered were about 7-8 dollars. Since this is more of a dive bar spot, I would've preferred it to be a little less than that (or maybe I'm just super cheap). Also, there was a $20 credit card limit at the bar and I heard that the bathroom situation wasn't that great. Other than that, it seems to be a pretty chill place. Walk in, grab a vodka redbull, and nod your heads to the sounds of A Tribe Called Quest and Gang Starr. read more

Dropped by on a random Saturday night, fell in love. Played 90s, hip hop (Kevin Little, Mariah Carey, Juvenille, etc.) small dance floor, but its exactly what I expected when bar hopping in the Mission, SF. Got 2 drink chips for my birthday. Wasn't fond of the $5 cover but I guess the tokens made up for it! read more

This spot is cool! The hip hop DJ starts at 9:30 ish it's located in the MISSION so you know there are a ton of mexican restaurants around here! They serve regular drinks like shots and beers not to fancy! Nice DJ and the BASS IS HITTIN!!! read more

Be prepared to dance by yourself. The quality of men available are less then steller. But, the music is throwback R & B which was hella cool. The scene is a little sketch but a girlfriend and I held our own. Plus there is Panco Villa down the street to grab a snack. I'd go back if I wanted to get back on touch w/ my ghetto Stockton roots. VEggie Friendly: Yes read more

I can see why some folks would trip initially over Skylark's unglamorous feel. There aren't any fancy signs, the decor is minimum, and the dress is casual at best. Folks here are chill though...and the jams make you wanna dance. Stuff like De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest mixed with current songs entices you to feel the vibe and eventually gravitate towards the back to shake your money maker. I had good company that evening in addition to the NO COVER. Good tunes and meeting laid-back people makes it a fun evening! read more

I can see this place being a hit or miss just depending on the crowd that is present on the night you go. We had some creepers, but they weren't bothersome. Music was good (actually old school, not hip hop that is 2 years old), and that's enough to keep me around, despite a less-than ideal crowd. We came here from double dutch, and I was much more happy with this scene. Pretty pricey, which can be annoying, because I'm not sure why YOUR stoli-soda needs to be more than $7, EVER, but maybe your soda water has electrolytes in it... idk? read more

-Good music -Good drinks -Cool bartenders -Reasonably priced Now can you say no, to a place like this? Came here on a Saturday night and I couldn't have had more fun! I can't wait until the next time we visit this place again. read more

Love this place! I lost my cell here & someone returned it to Jordan the bartender who then returned it to me later that day. That is rare in this neighborhood. Plus, this place is a guaranteed good time. Everytime I've been here, the music is great, the people are fun & the staff is fantastic. read more

Went here twice..went on thursday, which the DJ was spinning nothing but 80's music..reminded of my nostalgic days growing up..went back on a monday nite and bonus...reggae nite! love this place immediately The drinks were reasonable and strong..cool, local folks..none of that stuckup..im out of town vibe that usually get on the bigger and trendier bars.. read more

Come on folks, it's a Mission district bar. Good beer selection, and the wine by the glass is better than most high end restaurants, interesting/colorful characters.. and the DJ's kick ass. What more do you want from a neighborhood bar? read more

I walked into a Mission bar and got teleported to Oakland. Pros: affordable drinks. Familiar hip-hop. Happy crowd. NO COVER CHARGE. Cons: feels unexpectedly like Oakland. Don't get me wrong--I like Oakland when I'm there, but my expectations were not set for that type of experience. read more

I like this bar alot when in general... It can be grimey no doubt but it's a dope bar. They normally have some pretty good DJs and the drinks aren't that bad either Overall not bad However don't be shocked if it's not for you at the same time... read more

This place has gotten pretty sketchy on the weekends. I still love the music ( old school hip hop) and the fact that they don't charge a cover. We were literally in the middle of two fist fights on Friday night. They started at the women's bathroom and rolled out onto the dance floor. Felt like I was on an episode of Jersey Shores. Not a good look... read more

I would have be REALLY drunk (like fall-on-my-face drunk) to enjoy this place at all. I've accepted the fact that just about every bar/club has its share of ghetto d-bags. BUT, this place is flooded with them...as in every second, there's a dude trying to hump someone from behind... at the bar, at a table, on the dance floor, at the bathroom...seriously, CALM DOWN. Even with my boyfriend there, they would aggressively stare and try to talk to me. The music ranged from decent to "my ears are bleeding." read more

Great experience last night during the fundraiser for the flood victims of the Philippines. Of course, it was attributed to the small yet sizable crowd, no creepers, dance worthy music and a non-gross women's restroom for once. Everyone who worked there was chill and friendly. This probably isn't the experience you'd get on the weekends.... Home turf tuesdays plays a mix of r n b, hip hop and reggae. Thank God for that, cause I'm so sick of that trance electro sh**. Drinks were strong (enough). My favorite that night was called a Grapefruit Skylark? Tasted exactly like the fruit, and hid the taste of alcohol pretty well. read more

The worst bar I've ever been too, I'm 21 and they took my California ID for no reason because they thought I looked young, I can't believe they would hire some bouncer that takes legal ids that's insane that is against the law. This is such a horrible bar read more

About two months ago my date and I went to this bar after eating at that adorable cantina next door. We had a great time. Drinks were good all night. They played throwback 90s music. It was cool. Crowd was mixed. Two months later we went back. Drinks were better this time. I hope my date left the bartender a good tip. The crowd left so much to the imagination. There was a pretty light bright back twerking. Cutie pie. The dj played the exact same music from last time. My date was chilling but I almost died of bad vibes. I feel bad, I know he wanted to stay. I wanted to stay to at least for the good drinks. The music was cute the first time. Second time not so much. I will probably go back because humans enjoy abuse. Naw for the drinks their fire. They need a NEW dj on Saturday nights. read more

Good music, great bartender on weekdays and cheap drinks. Casual afterwork place on weekda read more

The bouncers at this bar are incredibly rude and pull random people aside and call them out on supposed "fake IDs". I'm 22 and the light skin chubby guy with the beard thought he was in a Vegas and tried acting all macho and wanted 50 dollars to get my "fake ID" back and into the bar. This guy should be reported to the police immediately. I hope the owner reads this and fires him quickly.; read more

Definitely don't go to this spot during happy hour. Any other time of the day is awesome. The Bartender stays on her computer furniture shopping then once you ask her for a drink she gets annoyed and barely has a conversation. The customer service aspect is definitely mission on a Wednesday. Oh well, good thing you are in the mission and way better bartenders are all around you! read more

I've dropped by on Weekends and Wednesdays. Awesome location near late night pizza and burritos, biatch. Weekend: Live and drunk. Wednesdays: I love it. Crowd is late 20s to early 30s. DJs were SICK!!! Light hip-hop mixed with old school. They were recording what they were spinning and they emailed me a link to download an MP3 of the music I was hearing that night. Never been done before, I think. Drinks seemed cheap and my mojito was done right, as I've had many a bad experience with mojitos in the past. It was more my speed than the weekend vibe. I think there was a promoter those nights, but it was free at the door, weird. read more

Sick as hell! Definitely my "spot" in the mission. The music is usually pretty good, and the DJ's are really approachable and will play your requests. Cozy atmosphere, some cute girls, great spot for hookups. Maybe you'll find the love of your life here? Or maybe just an STD. Either way, it's like Pokémon: gotta catch'em all. There's also usually free derilictitude entertainment right outside. I enjoy getting wasted and talking shit to the sidewalk lurkers who could easily kick my ass. Fun fun fun. Great place to go if you need to get something out of your system. I blow my load here every time. read more

I love this place!!! Nice ambiance, great bartender and lite on the pocket book. The DJ was well-versed and took requests and played a song for my b-day! Jasmine is the best, she remembered where I was from and that it was my b-day and got me a couple drinks celebrating my commencement! She makes the BEST margaritas ever!!! Definitely heading back when I'm SF. read more

I don't wear overly tight mini skirts. I don't let my boobs pop out of my tank tops. And I don't scam on skeezy guys dealing drugs on the dance floor. Therefore I don't really fit in with 90% of the "women" (if you are under aged are you a woman or are you still a child?!) I saw hanging out in this joint. And good golly this damn place was so hot and the drinks were pretty weak. No no never again for me. read more