As every other review says, this is one of the few outdoor bars in San Francisco, where everyone can smoke and drink all they want. Zeitgeist is not a bad place to be in a Saturday afternoon, what more can one ask for- they got everything: cheap drinks, good burger and great ambiance. Only thing I don't like about this place is the fact you have to wait at least 15 minutes to get a drink or the guy at the burger counter constantly reminds you that "He appreciate tips"...PUNK! Lol! Highly recommend this bar to all folks who recently moved to SF! read more

I came hear on a sunny sunday for a beer lunch with my friend and I can say the place has made me a fan. We got there at noon and we had our pick of the patio but by 3:00 the place barely had an empty bench in the house and some of the groups were quite lively (one group got scolded for setting off party poppers for a birthday party). The beers selection is great and $4.50 to $5 was what I was expecting to pay so no problem there. I was impressed by the food, not overwhelmingly fantasic, but a grilled cheese & tomato sandwich plus a ton of country potatoes for only $4 was just what the doctor ordered after a couple beers in the sun. It took a while for our food to be done, but it was pretty crowded by then and they don't have the biggest griddle for making the grilled cheese. And they have pitchers, which is always nice when you have a big group. It is definetly worth checking out when you are in the area during a nice day. read more

This place is pretty awesome, but sometimes there's too many people. When I first started going there was never a line to get in and usually there was always a place to sit. I think the place has become too popular among the trendsters, which is damaging the blue collar, dive bar appeal. Of course if you want to hob nob among trendsters while having a good mix of other types of people around too then it's definitely a high recommendation. In fact, the place is so cool I have a hard time not giving it a high recommendation even when it is the most packed. Personally I like having a place to sit, and the last few times I've gone there were less places then usual. But otherwise the drinks are definitely cheap though, so that's a major plus. read more

Awsome bar with a huge outdoor beer garden. There's a great mix of fun and friendly people (excepting the rude but in a fun way bartenders). Mainly a place for beer, but they actually make a killer bloody mary - best in the bay material! The food's pretty decent too, though overpriced for a bar. Don't be turned off by the biker bar vibe, go now. read more

The Good: Great outdoor drinking experience, lots of beer, decent prices The Bad: ratio is about 4 to1 guys. Too many guys. The Ugly: The staff(i dont mean the bartenders and the door man, they are great), the staff that cooks the burgers are complete assholes. They essentially DEMAND tips. Dont call it a TIP if its part of the price for the burger! Also the dirty man-bitches that watch the outdoor area. I dont know what their job title is but they remind me of rookie cops. They are needlessly rude to people, while everyone realizes thay are as lame as they look. read more

One of the most unique bars I've ever been to. And like most people reading this review, I've been to quite a few. I was introduced to this place by my old co-workers/friends and I finally experienced what it was like to be a patron of a truly iconic bar. We were there from 3 pm to 1 am on one occasion. The bartenders not adhering to any lines, the guys yelling out your food orders (grilled cheese is awesome), the bikes hanging on the wall, the port o potties lined up in the back, the tamale lady, and the diverse crowd (everyone's friendly - or you get to deal with the staff), it's awesome. Bloody Mary's, Long Island's, and Racer 5 - all one needs to enjoy the evening. read more

What a fantastic place to met people. The picnic tables are communal so you can met just about anyone you sit next too! Also their beer selection is great. They have local, state, and international beers on tap! read more

There should be an option for no stars, as one star for this joint is way too generous. Horrible service. Agro staff. Would never-ever-return. read more

Good Mission-area bar. They even have free Wi-Fi too which makes it an option to work from. Place has serious rock 'n roll attitude. Friendly staff and crowd. The place has a huge outdoor area for hanging out and catching some sun while you pound your liver into the ground. Oh, no smoking on the deck. They will yell at you. If you tip generously, they are known to treat you accordingly. Goes both ways too. No tip = no service. There needs to be more bullshit-free places like this. read more

This isn't a dive bar. it's a place where certain people go to be seen and be seen these days. Once upon a time it was considered to be sort of a gritty bike messenger bar, but those days are long behind this establishment. However, it's a popular hangout. Drinks are poured decently, and the bar staff is now pretty polite (wherein in years past, this wasn't the case)...It's worth a visit just to experience the contrived culture that it festers, but have a drink and then move on... read more

Bloody Mary is on point but the cooks are so slow.. This is the 3rd time I had to wait with no line for 20mins for them to tell me they had no potatoes. Won't be trying to eat here no more read more

This place is cool. Good burgers, good bloodies, good beer. Nice outdoor space. People who have their panties in a twist need not go here. Sometime the people aren't overly friendly! So what! Every time I go, people are nice to me and service is nice. Some people are just cry babies. You need a tissue for your issue? Go somewhere else then. You need a drink for your issue? Come here. read more

The beer's okay. The garden is pretty cool. The music is typically heavy metal and sounds like something you listen to before leaving your house to murder somebody. I'll go elsewhere next time I'm in SF. read more

It is what it is: Great sunny spot. Awesome beers on tap. Diverse crowd. Fair prices Consistently a good go to.... read more

five fucking stars. This place kicks so much ass, I cant believe it. Biker+beer+bbq bar. It doesnt get better than that. read more

I'm German, but I try to be open-minded about American "Beer Gardens." Zeitgeist has NO business calling itself a beer garden. Every one of the German beers on the board was spelled wrong. That's just unprofessional. And annoying. The bartenders didn't know anything about beer, and they poured all of the beers I ordered wrong, absolutely no head. The staff was overall unfriendly and unknowledgable. Ok, you can drink your flat, misspelled beer outside. Whatever. Super divey and dirty. read more

Slow service, rude staff, no bathroom: are you serious?

This place is great if you want to chill on a patio and drink some beers. Very wide selection and chill atmosphere!

If you are looking for a super relax place to enjoy after a long day at work, this is the place. Every time I go to this place is really busy, I always knew that there should be a reason why people love it so much. The atmosphere is chill and the beer is good. Last time I had this amazing beer, I do not remember what is called, but it had super high alcohol content and it was served in a small glass. The music is usually too loud to have a conversation with anyone, but they do have bike parking which is a plus. Also, it's pretty cool watching the bar back carry 20 towered glasses in each hand. read more

I haven't had any of the food, so I can't comment on that. The good is that the beer is pretty cheap. That is something. The bad is that the beer garden reeks of cigarette smoke and is oppressively full of obnoxious people, despite its actual impressive size. Good problems for the business, of course, but bad for people just wanting to go in for a drink. Seriously, be very, very okay with smelling cigarette (and other) smoke here. This being The Mission, there are naturally about a billion other alternatives, most of which don't make you fear that some drunk asshole bumps into you and spills their drink on you. read more

You're going to need something warm to wear if you think you'll be out in the beer garden after the sun gets low. It can get really chilly, and those cold beverages don't help the matter. Tipping well does get noticed. read more

Cool place to go on a weekday night. On a crowded weekend night... the security staff SUCKS and will boss you around and make you feel mighty unwelcome. read more

I was having a great time here at this most divey of all dive bars, until I went to get a pitcher of beer for my friends. The long-haired male bartender asked for my order, and when he came back with my not-quite-full pitcher of guinness, i paid the $16 and left an extra $2 for tip. the a-hole said that if i wasnt going to tip him, then not to come back and get beer from him the rest of the night. when I explained that he just took my tip, he refused to believe me and walked away. what a jerk! you work at a filthy ugly bar and were so rude to me that i will never come back here. tip for management at this dirty bar: tell your bartenders not to be so rude and arrogant. a tip isn't guaranteed, its based on your service. not believing me that i left you a tip when i did is insulting. read more

Zeitgeist has a buttload of quality brews on tap. Bartenders were knowledgeable and fun. The atmosphere is great and the outdoor area has a variety of seating options. Here's the real kicker, though... really clean bathrooms with Xelerator hand dryers. read more

The last two times at Zeitgeist the bouncer has either a) made an unsolicited derogatory comment to me, prompting the overseeing bouncer to find me in the bar later, wrap his arm around me while he uncomfortably close-talked a drunken apology on the other's behalf, or b) looked me up and down as though I was dressed in country club paraphernalia before grudgingly admitting me into the bar. Even the amazing outdoor space and backyard bbq smells aren't enough to make me return. read more

I remember a bar that used to be called Zeitgeist. For all the people that complain, show your distaste by NOT GOING THERE. Seriously! I don't know if you noticed, but they don't need you. Go to Martuni's instead. And how about all the reviews about smoking weed or sneaking in the side door because you weren't old enough to be there, or didn't "have ID". Seriously? I can't believe fuckwits that actually want to go there again would write about the shit that could get it shut down. Way to go Yelpers. I love the place. Been drinking there for 8 years, and I have never been kicked out, cut off or talked to by security. I certainly have never been told to "get fucked" by any of the staff. But then, I don't walk in to the place with a sense of entitlement, ready to judge every wanker that walks by me. I must be doing something wrong, clearly. read more

It has a nice outdoor drinking garden. Great selection of beers at good prices. Its a good place to drink with good company. The bartenders service could be better. The kitchen sucks!!! The cook is pissed off as hell all the time. The customer service is bad. It takes one hour to get a burger. They have a tip jar that read, "tips will make us nice." It feels like the kitchen is trying to blackmail you into giving them something. The food is alright. I think most people would be too drunk or too high to tell the difference anyways by the time you get your food in one hour. 3 Stars read more

I went before Burning Man and the atmosphere, service and music were awesome. They played Master Of Puppets from start to end! Then played more amazing old metal. I then went after I returned from Burning Man, and it was like a different bar. The staff were rude, music bad and the atmosphere sucked. I talked to a few people who frequent it and it's basically if the owners in or not. She is a wrinkly old hag who would be better suited to a job that isn't customer facing. She is the rudest old cow I have ever met working behind a bar. If you read this women 'Get a new job'! When you have fun at work everyone else has fun, especially the customers! Your job is then easy. Your shit at it woman, have a word with yourself and stay away from behind the bar! read more

I wanted to give this place 5 stars, I really did. For the quality and price of the food and drinks you get, it's definitely worth it. But the overall energy and vibe I get from the people who work here make it very hard for me to give this place the kind of review I think it does deserve. I walked in with a few friends a couple months back, expecting to have a few drinks and relax. Everything was cool up until I handed my ID to the bouncer. He then proceeded to make fun of the picture on my ID and called me a "baby" (I'm 21 years old). I'm used to being the youngest among my friends, and they too joke around and refer to me as a "baby", but I could tell by the tone of his voice that this dude was not joking. He was outwardly mocking me, even though he knew nothing about me except my name and my age. I guess that's what you do when you feel you have to prove just how "hardcore" you are? Anyway, I shrugged it off and decided not to let it get the best of me before proceeding inside. The bar is pretty spacious, and there's even a patio out back where you can drink outside. Also, you'd better have some cash on you, as they don't accept card. But luckily, there is an ATM inside. The bartender who served me at the time didn't have an attitude (like some people on here have said), but they also didn't seem very extroverted. I kept getting the feeling that they didn't want to serve me, or anyone, for that matter. Nonetheless, the drinks I got were pretty awesome, which more than made up for the poor service I received when I walked in. The food and drinks were also not as expensive as I had thought, so that too was a big step up. There's quite a large variety of beers, so if you really love beer, it can be pretty overwhelming. And the mixed drinks are STRONG, which I was impressed by for the amount I paid for it. Afterwards, my friends and I sat outside where we met some friendly people who were sitting at the same table as us. We actually held a conversation for a good couple of hours! All in all, I DID enjoy my time at Zeitgeist, when I had finally gotten away from the employees. It's... disheartening to say, because this place is actually pretty awesome. Cheap food and booze, what else could you ask for from a bar in San Francisco? I would come here again, but I wouldn't be a very frequent customer. I received very poor customer service, and I don't very much like being made fun of by strangers half my age. I get that Zeitgeist is considered a biker bar, so I expected some rough and tough-looking dudes, but was making fun of my age and picture really necessary? That's the kind of thing I expect from a high school bully, not a biker or a "punk". But, from reading other yelp reviews and articles from other websites about this place, I guess that's just how they treat everyone? I mean, if you're able to put up with it, this bar is (like I said) definitely worth returning to. But I'm not too sure just how long I'd be able to put up with their self-righteousness and elitist attitude. Ah well. It is San Francisco, after all, there are plenty of other bars. read more

Go for the atmosphere, stay for the grilled cheese. I liked this place...a trendy dive with a very hip crowd. My drink was very strong for the little I paid for it and the bartenders were all nice to me. read more

Sitting outside next to an old rusted out truck, getting wasted on bloody marys and hoping the grill smoke covers up the port-a-pottie smell. If that ain't livin', I don't know what is. read more

By far the BEST BLOODY MARYS I've ever had. So spicy. Awesome beer selection and great pitcher prices. The best place to hang on a sunny day! But get there early, cause it will get PACKED! You get the most random crowds there, it's awesome. A TJs crewmember fave! And a pretty rockin juke box too! read more

I LOVE watching the bartenders make their rockin' Bloody Mary's at Zeitgeist--the amount of concentration and complete perfection that goes into each drink-- I love it! And, what better to pair it with that greasy barfood, a huge outdoor patio that is always full and community-style tables, where you're bound to meet a friend. I have to say that my favorites are those lazy afternoons when all I need is a Bloody Mary and a grilled cheese. This joint has me covered. read more

Grunge beer garden, pretty sweet find. It gets pretty packed but once you get a seat on the patio, it's well worth the wait.

Amazing bloody mary's. The best I've had in San Francisco, by far. Not only do they serve excellent drinks, and serve 'em stiff, but they offer a crazy-good grilled cheeseburger/hamburger/veggie burger with home fries that perfectly compliments that vodka-induced buzz. They have a large number of beers on tap, too. The crowds are generally pretty laid-back here, plenty of pot smoke wafting through the air, espcially on the weekends. Though, sometimes hipsters will get strange looks of intimidation from the hardcore "biker punks" who act like they own the joint, but times have changed, so nobody will get hurt. That is, unless you're daring enough to take a bath in patchouli. ;) It gets pretty loud in the courtyard, the portable bathrooms are pretty gross, and if you want a water you get to pour it yourself from a dingy container along the wall, which tastes something like lukewarm pond scum. I stay away from anything that *might* contain typhus. They also don't take plastic, so be prepared to shell out a healthy fee at the general store across the street if you need cash quick. Overall, Zeitgeist is a great stop on a Friday afternoon, where you can relax, hang out, grab a hearty bite to eat off the bbq, and partake in an array of not-too-fancy but well-done drinks. read more

Wow....Z was the 4th or 5th bar of the day, and I was a bit weary as I jumped out of the cab w/ my lovely cousin. Burly biker guys were hanging outside appearing to be a little rough and a bit liquored up. Typically, it wouldn't have faced me to be in this scene but coming from the prepped out bars on Union St to this place (and not to mention the state I was in), I was certain I was going to get my ass whooped! To my dismay, I was sooooo wrong. The scene was edgy, but fairly friendly. Beers and cocktails were great. I loved the outdoor scene which reminded me of a huge Family bbq setting or a college bbq party....and the burgers...yum...too big but super good! I would definitely recommend this place and cannot wait til my next Z adventure! Takers? read more

i heart drinking outside. i don't know why san francisco doesn't have more bars with ample outside seating/drinking like this. and more tamale ladies, even though her wares sometimes make my ass throw up. but, i digress... tremendous beer selection and great bar food. the beer garden out back is the best i've been to in the city, and the bar itself has great character. the place gets predictably packed on warm, sunny days... but that makes it all the more enjoyable if you're already in and don't have to wait out in the line. my only hold-up is that i get the stink-eye from the bar tenders and other patrons who are aching to jump me because i'm wearing a shirt that has a collar attached to the top of it. it's not popped, it's not striped, and i didn't just come from the marina - so settle down. it's just fashion, it's not the boss of you. i'm a cool dude who just likes to mind his delicious beer in the sun. a guy can't live in the mission and wear nice clothes? sucks to that. let's all just enjoy our frosty, adult beverages outside like the peace-loving san franciscans we are. life is good. as an end note to people frequenting zeitgeist convinced that the measure of a bad-ass is directly proportionate to how crazy, angry or inked he is, how many brawls he's been in or how little it takes to make him want to throw hands - please do everyone a favor and cool out so zeitgeist can continue to be a great spot. there's always someone tougher. and he's probably in the bar. banging over fashion = douchebag toughness with respect = badass read more

AH! It's a biker bar. And I'm a conservative ninny. Such a great match.

It's one of the few places in this city where you can sit outside and enjoy the weather. It's not a place I like to go on a beautiful Saturday because I know it will be crowded and I have a real aversion to crowds. So as usual I try to go at off times and when I do I really like this place. Cheap booze, great bar food and no pretension. read more

Zeitgeist is a fun bar mainly because they have a great selection of beers, and there's a huge outdoor patio. Aside from that, I'd have to say: overrated. The crowd tends to be haughty and "hardcore" in the most superficial of ways. The staff is unreasonably grumpy to the point of comedy. The burgers are okay, but certainly not the salvation people make them out to be. Don't get me wrong, it's a fun bar, but fun in that a-couple-times-a-year way, not in that "regular" kind of way. read more