San Francisco Gay Bars

Bar on Castro
456 Castro St (at 18th) San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.626.7220
For a booming San Francisco dance club located on prime Castro Street real estate, there isn't much room for dancing. There is however, plenty of pectoral beefcake gulping down Red Bulls and vodka.

The Cafe
2367 Market St (at Castro), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.861.3846
No cover. Strong drinks. Super-gay top 40 dance mixes that bring scraggly-haired lesbians and boys who buy their youth at the tanning salon. It doesn't get much more Castro than this.

Daddy's
440 Castro St (at 18th St.), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.621.8732
Yes, that leather-clad San Francisco silver fox with an obscenely prominent package is, as you might have suspected, tugging at his chaps for you.

Eagle Tavern
398 12th St. (at Harrison), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.626.0880
The Eagle has come into its own, of late, with bare chested bears, punk rock dyke bands and such a hardcore following and laid back vibe that even Ben Sherman-ed straight kids are getting in on the action. Also, a man in the bathroom might ask you to pee in a cup. Miss Manners has not yet ruled, but according to Eagle etiquette, you oblige him.

Endup
Sixth St. & Harrison, San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.357.0827
There ain't no party / like a West Coast party / 'cause a West Coast party / don't stop. For over 25 years, the Endup has kept the San Francisco nightlife torch alive with its all day all night weekend dance-a-thons. The Sunday afternoon gay dance is legendary.

Kimo's
1351 Polk (at Pine), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.885.4535
Tourists looking for more family-friendly San Francisco drag shows should stick to Beach Blanket Babylon. Kimo's ladies are hard-core, hard-livin' and workin' hard for their money. Still, expect a fair share of Celine, Cher and Stevie Nicks.

Martuni's
4 Valencia St. (at Market), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.241.0205
Don't let this San Francisco gay bar's funereal front, with its large and lilied flower arrangement, get you down. Have a double martini (that's the only size they come in here) and settle into the back room where a piano man and his singing muse will gather the crowd for a bittersweet rendition of "The Man Who Got Away." Ain't it the truth, ain't it the truth.

Mecca
2029 Market (at Dolores), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.621.7000
Mecca does serve food, but its best known for its bevy of D&G clad young men, swirling around the high-design, high-alcohol lounge. Air-kisses and backstabs abound. Welcome to gay Society.

Metro
3600 16th St. (at Market), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.703.9751
Line at the Cafe too long? Join a more relaxed crowd at this San Francisco bar with bitchy queens and bored butches lounging on the wrap around balcony, critiquing and cat calling passers by from their lofty perch.

Mint Karaoke Lounge
1942 Market (at Duboce), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.626.4726
Don't mess with the Mint. While Friday nights are generally packed with post-work parties and birthdays, most nights the performances can bring down the house. Think American Idol, but sponsored by the vodka industry.

N'Touch Dance Club
1548 Polk (at Sacramento), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.444.8413
This large gay dance club in San Francisco's "Polk Gulch" caters to Asian men and their admirers. Euro-pop, dance, imports.

The Phone Booth
1398 South Van Ness (at 25th St), San Francisco CA; Tel 415.648.4683
Intellectual ennui and surges of testosterone mix wildly at this refurbished Mission hang out. The jukebox is full of Nirvana, Weezer and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the patrons are full of cold San Francisco Anchor Steam. Cute boys, cute girls, fluid sexuality.

The Pilsner Inn
225 Church St (at Market), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.621.7058
This San Francisco gay bar is the default starting and ending point of any good tour of the Castro. Ring-necked collars belly (or perhaps, ab up), to this no nonsense bar with a cruisey back patio.

The Stud
399 Ninth St. (at Harrison), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.252.7883
Fawn at singing trannys, sweat to swirling beats and chug that rum and Coke. The Stud changes parties nightly but is always on target. Crowds of devilishly cute boys, kick ass ladies and nip-and-tuck gendernauts drink 'til blackout in this South of Market home.

Trax
1437 Haight (at Ashbury), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.864.4213
The Haight isn't so far from the Castro as one would think from their disparate cultures. Trax is a good honest gay bar with a little mish mash of hipster, troll, nice guy and heavy-handed bartender. Party nights attract a fitter, faster crowd, but most nights you can count on a Bud Light, free popcorn and some mighty fine tv-watching.

Twin Peaks
401 Castro Street (at Market), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.864.9470
Older men, younger men. Guess who's buying? A Moroccan-pillowed triangular space with plate glass windows and a bar stocked with casual elegance and casual encounters. Located conveniently on Market and Castro, at the foot of the San Francisco gay bar scene.

--Reviews by Michael Stabile, Boulevards.com