A True Mission Gem -- Gritty, Loud, and Full of Heart Caught Star Belly Bug here recently and had an absolute blast. If you're looking for a venue with soul, personality, and a healthy dose of weird -- The Knockout is it. The Scene: This place screams underground SF in the best way. The walls are plastered with stickers from hundreds of bands, artists, and regulars that have come through -- it's like a living punk flyer wall. Dim neon lighting and vintage touches give it a divey charm, but not in a try-hard way. The Virgin Mary painting above the bar and eclectic photo strips tucked in every corner add a little extra mystique to the already vibrant decor. The Music: Star Belly Bug was killer -- great sound for a small venue, and the energy was contagious. The stage is super intimate, so you're right up close with the band, no matter where you're standing. The Knockout clearly supports local and underground talent, and it shows in the diverse lineup and passionate crowd. The Bar: Drinks were strong and reasonably priced (especially for SF), and the bartenders were cool and efficient even when things got packed. There's a solid cocktail list on the board, but also plenty of cheap beer and no-nonsense options. Vibe: Inclusive, weird in the best way, and 100% authentic. This is the kind of place where you can dance, lose yourself in the music, and just enjoy being part of the scene. Zero pretension. Lots of regulars. Great people-watching. Whether you're coming to catch a band, dance your face off on theme nights, or just grab a stiff drink, The Knockout delivers the goods. A Mission must-stop. read more

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Nice place to play - very cool people, sound man knew what he was doing, helpful and got a good tone. small place - but 40 people feels like 100 so I don't mind. Place was clean, I don't drink alcohol but some folks loved the drinks and they had some new alcohol-free options which I appreciated. Than you guys! one thing to consider if your'e a band playing here, parking is tough and unloading becomes a little dicy when double parking. Ended up having to park 4 blocks away.... that said, would play it again. cheers! read more

The bartender made my drink wrong. I let him know that it was the wrong liquor, and he replied, "I'll try harder next time" and walked away. That's sassy (and kinda funny actually), but he could have just easily remade the drink (vodka soda not gin soda). Lame, the rest of the bar is fun with retro vibes and a down to earth crowd (my high maintenance ass and present company excluded). read more

Popped in for a late night drink, no show or plans, just wandered in. It was fairly empty but lots of character and a nice bartender. We chatted with folks there, got good recommendations, and had some good laughs and drinks. Great little dive bar. read more

I normally don't write reviews but my experience is worth sharing. I came to this bar to support a friend's band, had never been inside before. We purchase a drink for $8 from a bartender. He said there was a $10 minimum for card fees, so I left my tab open. When I went to get my second drink to close out my tab, the bartender with blonde, greasy (thinning) hair rudely asks me my order, and throws my card on the table. He was very mean and cold, but I initially didn't let it phase me. I close out my tab, and for two drinks ($8 each) he charges me $20 total instead of $16. I assumed there was a tip charge added (which I thought was weird), and due to the horrible customer service, I didn't add any extra tip. As I'm about to finish my drink, he proceeds to lecture me in front of a crowd of people as to how I'm the 6th person that hasn't tipped him and how that's not how dive bar culture works. I understand his frustration, but his lack of service and horrible attitude was 100% NOT worth the tip. If I'm the 6th person that hasn't tipped you, then maybe it's because your service sucks??? He gets people involved, and I have another man (he looks like a regular) berate me about a situation completely taken out of context. I have never been to the Knockout prior to tonight and never will I go back there again. Please spare the trouble and go to another dive bar that actually cares about their business and reputation! read more

We came for Simpson's Trivia and it was super fun. The drink prices were great and the service was okayyyyyy... but i may have a high bar as i am also a server and come from a family of Bartenders. read more

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Gave the place a second chance. Our Thursday bartender was friendly & attentive! We played 3 rounds of bingo & had fun! Guy calling the numbers was funny ! The root beer float cocktail was delish. read more

I love The Knockout! Awesome staff and great ambience. There's a full bar, vintage black and white photo booth, dance floor, stage, pinball game, and both booth and barstool seating. There's outside seating as well. They offer a wide range of musical styles and other events: live music, DJs, even Simpsons trivia! Come check it out and tip your bartender and the artist of the night! Street parking only. read more

I have been trying to get some contact information and call the business because I left my belongings there and I can't find any contact information! Writing this review after email, still nothing. I don't live close by. There should be some way to contact, what if it was my credit card!!!!! read more

I had my doubts about this tiny venue for the Airiel / Deserta / Asteroid No 4 concert... but it turned out to be awesome! Enjoyed the layout, lighting, sound quality, service and drinks in a cozy, intimate venue. The drinks weren't bad (the watermelon mezcal paloma was actually really good), and the prices reasonable, too! read more

The Knockout SF - Shoegazey photo of the excellent watermelon mezcal paloma - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

My favorite local Mission dive bar... great events nightly like bingo, karaoke, even local bands! They carry great local craft brews and I love hamm job, whiskey and an ice cold hamms! Really does the trick after a long day at the office. My coworkers girlfriend told me there will even be a Grateful Dead cover band playing there on Halloween night! (Called Touch of Gay playing at 10:55pm) what more could a guy like me ask for. TLDR Went for the bingo stayed for the awesome local music and DJs!!! read more

This is going to sound petty. I came here to see an old friend play in his band. All I had was a credit card and the door is cash only. I tried getting my bank to set up a pin so I could use the ATM, but had no luck. While I know this is mostly my fault, their flyer said nothing about being cash only to get in and it wouldn't kill them to get a card scanner for the door. I would have loved to get inside to spend money on beverages and watch a show, but I had to turn back home instead and tell my friend I'd have to miss his show. read more

The Knockout is a pretty fun bar. It's very close to my stomping grounds, old and new... Who am I kidding? The city is my playground. Love the Bingo Night on Thursdays, one bingo card per drink. People call out numbers and adding a little extra with the Ohhhhh 69, winning for the kitschy prizes. I was trying for a Monster Jam posters/book covers for my 3 year old nephew. I love love the Knockout and will be back to play some more Bingo soon. read more

Came here on a raining Friday night and it was extremely packed and busy. The vibe of the crowd that night were full of people on the younger side which was made it very lively and full of dancing! This was my first time here so I can't really compare it to how it is on other nights but I had a great time. The drinks are cheap here as well but can be difficult to flag down the bartender for drinks. I also saw other people having the same problem when trying to order drinks. It also did get extremely packed later that night where people were standing shoulder to shoulder so my group ended up leaving. But overall a great place to come to with good music! read more

It was very difficult to find a good bar in San Fran on our last night there. Most of the ones we drove by were closed (it was Christmas) or they only served beer. In fact, I think we had to Yelp bars and Knockout was on the list of the ones nearby! Outside, it looked a little sketchy. Dark. I was honestly scared someone was going to stab me if I walked in, but you can't judge a book by it's cover. At first, it looked really crowded. A bit loud from all the chatter, but what bar isn't, right? There was a guy going around just taking pictures of everyone even though some didn't want their pictures taken. Luckily, he left us alone and left soon after we got in so it was a smooth ride from there. The bartender was good and he reminded some of us a little of our business law professor back home. Almost same face and pony tail. Anyway, he was really efficient about walking the counter and taking our drink orders in a timely manner. When we ran out of ideas what to drink, we asked and he suggested "Hot Apple Pie" which was actually a pretty good one (no shame in ordering a sweet drink). We ordered another round and he comped our drinks PLUS he found the time to take a shot with us. Very laid back. We appreciated the fact that he'd take some time to chill with the SF bar hopping noobies. We figured since the service was so good, we could probably take a couple more drinks before we left so jager bombs all around. Left a nice tip and bailed out! I don't drink very often. Personally, I don't like the bar atmosphere but our experience here wasn't based on how the place looked, rather, how it operated. I was impressed and very satisfied with our time at Knockout. When we got home, I made a recommendation for a few friends to stop by there when they decide to go and they did! They had the same bartender and had a GREAT time. read more

The Knockout SF - A more settling picture. - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I can't believe this was my first visit! Super fun little dive with fantastic bands. We made the trek from the north bay to check out Jonny Manak and The Depressives, Genuine Parts, and more. Frontside Five was so amazing we went to Oakland the next night to see them again. This place is small, but the sound is good. Drinks are solid, and a decent selection of beers on tap. We found parking just a short walk away, too. read more

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Had a great time here after dinner! I was able to snag a table and get drinks. The vibe was really fun with loud music and a bunch of people (outdoors). The tables are decently spaced out as other outdoor restaurant tables are, but there were a bunch of people standing around between the tables socializing with drinks. I personally felt okay because it was outdoors and people weren't really near me, but I can imagine that some people may not be comfortable so they can probably just stand further away from everyone lol Drinks were good though and the staff was good about letting people in one and at a time to use the bathroom. read more

As a touring band who drove 500+ miles to play here, the last thing you want is for the staff of a venue to be utterly rude and dismissive to you. Even the sound engineer was rude which is pretty rare. read more

Came all the way here to enjoy their 90s Simpsons Trivia & Watch Party. Every 4th Sunday of the month from 6-9pm. Pleasantly surprised to see so many people show up for the event. Bar was pretty packed, almost no place to walk. Dive bar all the way, but it has its charm I guess. Love the decor on the walls. Considering why we were there, SO and I HAD to try their Duff beer. Not bad, not bad at all. We then tried their version of a Tequila Sunrise (forgot what it's called sorry). It wasn't too strong, which is my preference. I liked that they let you bring outside food in for the event. Didn't care for the cigarette smoke that kept suffocating us all from those standing right next to the door smoking. Very limited seating area. I think they set up an extra table, but just for the event. Big giant movie screen to watch the episodes on. Only interested in coming back here for the trivia nights. read more

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What a great find on Mission fantastic music and amazing bartender loved the vibe . Would definitely go back

The Knockout is a dive bar in Bernal Mission, a very nice one with a good Character. They often do shows of local and domestic Bands which are mostly around 10$ admission. They also have pub bingo, Simpson's trivia and my favorite Part Bat Cave which is an old School Goth Party with drag queens and lots of bands! Their cocktails are simple but strong just like it should be in a dive bar their Big Ass Magerita will definitely get you started. Most importantly the crowd is always open minded and nice! read more

Hipster central , fer shozies, but ths did not effect my good time with peeps, celebrating the Giants clinching the NL Pennant. Saturday night was a Debaser night: 90's bay area hip-hop/rap spun with free cover if you are rocking SF Giants gear( $5 without). Upon entering I was completely confused as 10-12 large women dressed in Jane Fonda workout clothes dominated the scene. I am not ironic and did not understand the beep-beep-boop sounds and hipster mustache rounds. I asked the door guy who said they were gonna get it in Nickatina mode in just a few moments. Sweet. Picked a couple 40 oz of St Ide's from the bartender, poured a lil out for Mac Dre/ RBL Posse's Hitman and hit the flo. By 10:30pm it was completely packed and classics from Del, Souls of Mischief, Too Short, E-40 and all the rest of the notable greats had everyone dancing and occassionally getting " thizzle". By the time " I'm a player" by Todd Shaw was blasting loudly - I decided I would hit this Debaser party every time. Myself, my friends, and my $4 22 oz Tecate highly recommend this hip-hop party. read more

"Ohhhhhhhhh SIXTY-NINE!!!!!" Nothing trumps the crowd energy on bingo Thursday like good ol' O 69. Gee, immatture a bit are we? Good, I like it that way. A few Thursdays a month Knockout steps up to the plate with some seriously fun Bingo. Legit too, I'm talking an old school electric scoreboard keeping track of numbers and reusable bingo cards. Reusable bingo cards that appear to be promotional items from a mortuary with the advertisement at the bottom.... but reusable bingo cards none the less. Win a round and a goofy prize from the table and a free drink are yours, booyah. The vibe is nothing but love, everyone calling back numbers (*especially* O 69), and the announcer is friggen hilarious. Tipsy Justin mumbles "Bbbbbeeee elevennnnn", I needed it to win, and over the mic I get "No, and even if I pull B11 I'm putting it back now. Way to go." Then when someone mocked the background music by shouting "That shit sounds like Legend of Zelda" our quick witted announcer fires back "You're mom is a Legend of Zelda..." So awesome. I learned new bingo lingo, like the term "premature e-bingo-lation" for those jumpy folks calling out false bingo. The bar tenders were all super friendly, cool points for their love of my old school Brewers hat. I dunno, I can't think of a more perfect Thursday night out. Work tomorrow so you don't want to really "party", but drinking some Tecate tallboys and battling witts with the funny announcer while kicking it in a fun crowd sounds great to me. O 69, how you do amuse us. read more

I was at Knockout at about 5:30pm on a Sunday. I ordered a Vodka Martini, extra dirty, and after drinking the extra portion the bartender gave me, asked for a few extra olives (he gave me a small extra portion that didn't fit in the glass when I first ordered, which is cool - why I'm giving this two stars instead of one). If this bartender had simply stated to me, "Yes, you can have more olives, but I will have to charge you for it" there would be no problem here. However, he was so uptight and rude with his response that I didn't even feel comfortable asking to pay for more olives in my drink - and nor did I want to with the attitude he'd just given me. The attitude he gave my upon asking for extra olives was truly atrocious, though. Sure, I had three olives in my beverage upon ordering, which is great. But when I asked him for some extra olives, he replied with a pretentious "No." At the very least, he could have said that it would cost me extra for some more olives (and if he had asked I would have gladly paid). But he opted to say, without explanation "No..." and I was absolutely shocked by his disrespectful attitude. I don't ask for much, and when I do it is with a courteous and kind demeanor. This bartender chose to opt for the opposite type of attitude. Like I said before, I would have paid for more olives in my drink, but he didn't even mention it as an option - just gave me a solid no. read more

Walked in on a Wednesday Afternoon, and the place was packed. We squished our asses into two stools at the bar, and ordered a Lemon Drop & Dry Martini with a twist. The drinks were stroooong. After 3 or 4 of those I would probably be in for a knock out. The drinks were good, but the trendy hipsters got on my nerves. One particular inebriated hipster girl accused us of taking her seats and her sushi. We sat down in some empty seats, and about 5 minutes later, she shoots her head in between us and starts talking under her breath. I can hear things like, "left to watch the band and our seats got taken, I can't find my sushi, somebody took it.". If you want to start talking shit, woman up and talk shit straight to us. At one point, she took our dinner leftovers, and assumed that it was her sushi box. The expression on her face, when she opened up the box to find Arroz Con Pollo instead of sushi, was purely priceless. I'll probably end up going there again if I'm in the area, to try out their Dive Bar Sushi. Now that's two words you don't see together very often. An oxymoron similar to jumbo shrimp, living dead, or plastic glasses. A pun and an Oxymoron in one review. English Grammar Rules!! read more

The Knockout SF - bar - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

And I might not be around that much doesn't mean i didn't try. I can say hi and bye. Its all the same, some other time. And I think... I got a few lines left. A few lines left. To try and say that you were a sparkle to my eyes. I say your name in my head during the drinking times and hear your voice at the end of those dark nights So i got a few lines left to say. That I live my life Solitary and confined most nights. Drinking away thoughts and wondering why Desolate Yet still trying to hold onto pride You were a sparkle to my eyes. And will always hold a piece of me despite my tries. You are a sparkle to my eye. read more

One of my favorite dive bars to go to, especially for Booty bassment nights (3rd Wednesdays each month)!! Great drinks & good music. Parking is tough in that area, but there is a parking lot in the Bank of America lot for $12. read more

The Knockout SF - Booty Bassment - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Back in my high school and college days I was a total britpop girl. Spent way too much money on NME and Q magazines, spent my days and nights at Virgin Megastore in Chicago (RIP) buying imported Blur singles for the B sides, and going to clubs where DJs spun sweet tracks and I danced to Pulp's "Common People" until the wee hours of the night. Debaser at Knockout took me back to those days in a big way. Two DJs duking it out between Britpop and 90s alternative/college rock. It was magical. Not sure what the other DJ nights at this place are like but this particular evening was awesome. A surprisingly cool and non-obnoxious crowd, good stiff drinks, and a really solid tunes made this a great night. I didn't stay terribly long but the time I spent was fantastic. On my way out it started to fill up so I could see how the tight quarters could be somewhat stressful but everyone was dancing together and having a good time, so it wasn't that big a deal. If I lived in SF I could definitely see myself spending a lot of time here. read more

I never would have found this bar ... but a local Mission-ite took me here after dinner. Drinks were cheap, cash only. We spent the money we saved on drink playing Pac Man, Frogger and Donkey Kong - drunk or sober, I suck at it ... Don't believe me when I say it's the controllers that's broken. Spent the rest of my money making faces in the photo booth. Pictures are awesome - full color, great quality. $15 spent on the photo booth ... with a digital camera in my purse. read more

Such a fitting name for such a kick-ass bar! Not only do they have scheduled live music nights, they host bingo tournaments on Thursdays. It's a bit of a way out in Bernal Heights but if you're willing to make the trek, you're bound to have a good time. It's also right next to Dell'uva! (See review here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/delluva-san-francisco#hrid:i0fBrxZRjMfxc4ukx9Xa8g) read more

Five Stars - Guinness on tap! Five Stars - Hoegaarden on tap! Five Stars - 2 ounce pours shots of Jameson! Five Stars - Very fun underwear dance party on Valentine's day! Many Stars - Everyone coming up to me and saying my date and I were the hottest couple there with the best looking asses in the place ....... priceless ! read more

Hey, Yelp. It's me, Claudia. JK! That's an obscure throwback reference to the random ass videos my teacher made us watch in the 90's. Anyways, this review is to tell you about a kick-ass place called The Knockout. The bouncer was cool in/out privileges. They don't have boxing, but what they do have will make you want to move your feet. I came here for Lauren Yellow's 32nd b-day celebration. 4 bands played, here are their names: Band With 1000 Names The Eyesores Dead River Rebels Half Rotten Goddess All of them killed their sets, all of them made you want to dance your ass off. I had 2 Adios MF's and they did the job. This venue kicks so much ass, aside from live punk rock, they also have karaoke and Simpsons Trivia. Check their page for exact dates. If you live in the Bay Area, do yourself a favor and check out The Knockout. I promise that you won't regret it. read more

When I want to Mod it up, dress in my favorite vintage skirt, twist and shout and get my teenage dance fever out - this is my place. I adore the vibe and just the concept of Knockout. Venture south via Bart or the 14, or 47 deep to the outskirts of the mission, just as the hill starts to climb and you've passed the infamous El Rio, then Cancun to your left, there you'll see it, just as Valencia and Mission streets kiss. The doorway almost impreceptable, the sign hidden by a tree. But when you think you must have passed it, you'll see the hipsters outside smoking a cig, and you've arrived. Grab a whiskey or Tecate, it really doesn't matter, bring your drink to the floor and dance your brains out of your ears. Tip to the wise, arrive early as it ain't that big and the joint gets elbows to butt cheeks by midnight. Coming from the OC where every club is a bump-and-grind contest, all playing top 40, all scantly clad over made bimbos and all that jazz, this is my escape, my breath of not so fresh air. It's a night out that's fun and still sexy without being slutty. Don't think, just take it in. Oh, and don't leave without hitting up the super-sized photo strip booth in the front side. Super cute and high-quality pics. Only downsides for me are the $4 cover and its distance from the rest of the citay. read more

It will Knock-You-Out! Ok, bad joke. We went for bingo last Thursday and wow was it fun. They let us bring in like $30 of Burger King. Sure it sounds like not a big deal but that stuff smells. The crowd was definitely into the game and we didn't get booed as haters. Actually the bar was filled with other bingo loving haters. Someone won, boooo!!!!! All in good fun. When we finally won, we got to double hate. Hate you for winning and hate you for booing our win, Bam! Take that fellow bingo players. My friend won a pirate kit. It came with an Ali Baba sword, Michael Jordan earring, Captain Hook accessory and an eye patch. I have no idea what the bar is like regularly but I want to try out Bootie Basement. I hear it is amazing!!! Oh, oh and they have Sweet Tea Vodka. It is good stuff. Seriously, try it. My friend in NJ is obsessed with the stuff. My sister actually has to drive back bottles of it from South Carolina for her friend. It's that good! read more

Oh! This is where the hipsters went! I was wondering. Decent prices, decent space (not overly hot, but just enough hot to be sexy sweaty) and a rather unpretentious crowd. 90s night is where I run into hip former coworkers and reminisce about 90s music. It is bittersweet because some of it just makes you feel old, but other songs just make you dance and laugh. Like really, that Harvey Danger Song?! Warning: the bathroom line is incredibly long (one stall) for all the ladies. So avoid breaking the seal until the after party. Paranoia Paranoia everybody's coming to get me!! read more

I decided to check out this place after seeing the party hosted on eventbrite. I was reluctant at first since the venue seemed pretty small. Customer service here is absolutely horrible and the bar is so small. My friend and I sat at the bar for about 15 minutes and no one checked in with us. There is no room to sit, stand or dance. My friend and I ended up leaving very shortly after arriving. If you are looking for a nice place to hang out with friends on a Saturday evening, try elsewhere. read more

Not only Coolest Dive bar but Coolest bar I have ever been in. It's hipsters night everynight, and I don't mean old people. Upside: its a place where the chances of having a bad time is unlikely. Comon how many bars have people crowd surfing? Bad side: have a big bladder to hold ur pee for a while. All in all I love this place and all my peep that come here on the daily. If you have never been, Go! It's Unforgettable while sometimes regrettable. Peace. read more

The Knockout SF - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I good place for karaoke. Hits some Mondays. Tied with El Rio and Lucky Horseshoe but not quite as good as Slate and Butter. read more

I LOVE this bar. If you see me there on Thursday, I'm probably gonna be yelling: B eleven B-B eleven!! I've been here at least once week for the past forever. Jason the bartender is a total doll. LOVE! Good music, photo booth, old movies on the screens (think old godzilla "dudes in suits" movies. Again, I just love this place. They have a good night on some Saturdays called debaser where it's all 90's grungy goodness. I get drunk and dance to Sonic Youth. It's amazing. read more

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Woop Woop!!!!! It only took me one time and Im a fan! My NEW favorite Friday night hangout when its oldies night. Primo has got it going on. It's packed, great music TONS of drink choices, photo booth, dancing and even though its packed I've never had to wait very long for someone to take my drink order. Great bar staff, that keeps up with the pace of the bar. Nothing more annoying then a messy bar, you wont find that here. And theres a huge luchador drinking a beer on their sign out front what more can you ask for!!!!! read more

The Knockout SF - Sean the Best Bartender! He's amazing!!!!!! - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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