I used to come here. Like a lot. Back when they opened in the early nineties and I was seriously carded. It was a true bear scene back then, and the patio was hopping. It was better than a National Geographic spread. Then time marched on, and for whatever reason, i realized I had not been back for the greater part of three decades. Well, it was certainly time to return. Jamie W. had never been here before, so after we finished having dinner on Folsom on a weeknight, we headed over for some libations. The vibe felt different from what I recall of my youthful cubby days of yore. Sure, part of it related to my rose-colored glasses looking back, but it was also a post-COVID weeknight with a sparse bear population. We got our $12 Makers Mark and Ginger (photo: https://bit.ly/43LzT3B) and headed out to the surprisingly almost empty patio. I remember all those vintage metal signs on the wall and the big wooden block seating areas. We parked our ample derrières on one of them and took in the decidedly mixed group of customers hanging out. Still chill though are bears facing extinction in SoMa? DRINKS - 4 stars...they know how to mix 'em here AMBIANCE - 4 stars...still like the western vibe, more classic than corny SERVICE - 4 stars...friendly to old regulars TOTAL - 4 stars...guess the bears were hibernating RELATED - Exploring western SOMA? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2H0vGTV read more