Wonderful atmosphere to catch up with a friend. Mocktails are available. Service is fine.

Dark academia vibes good for nights out and dates. This is the Castro so the clientele skews mainly men, but it's very welcoming and inclusive. Have had some good conversations with the tables next to us and the people next to us at the bar whenever we've gone here. It's very accessible via Muni and public transit. Service is very friendly and helpful and funny. They have good cocktails and a variety of beers on tap. No food, but you can walk to some food establishments. I like the pool table in the back, good for groups. Bathroom is fairly clean. read more

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Stopped by as a pregame to our dinner nearby. The bar was packed for happy hour but we got a seat at the cute half booths near the door. Waiting to order took awhile but they were busy with an extra guests from community event being hosted in the back at the pool tables. Root of all evil (4/5) wished there was more of the root beer flavor and less ice because it's overflowing with ice. Kokomo(4/5) great rum based drink The vibe is really upbeat and they are also dog friendly! read more

Blackbird - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Whether a night out or an afternoon cocktail, Blackbird is a great vibe with great drinks. The drinks are complex and I love the themes. I stopped drinking recently and the mocktail selection is a one of the best I've found. The bartenders are so friendly and if it isn't too packed I love sitting at the bar and chatting with them. read more

Blackbird - Mocktails - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

After a Valentine's day meal down the street, we stopped in for an after dinner drink. The ambiance is great with plentiful seating, but unfortunately that was about it. Both cocktails (one gin based and one whiskey) were unbalanced in the same way -- to the point of almost tasting identical. Many on the menu seemed on the stronger side (a positive for me), but both felt like they couldn't decide if they were supposed to be bitter or sour. For the price I'd skip, and try one of the many other spots in the area. read more

Blackbird - Whiskey & Gin cocktail (I can't remember the names, sorry) - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

such a cute wine bar! very packed inside on saturday night! there are plenty of seats and has a very lively atmosphere. got an aperol spritz and it was very good. read more

Blackbird - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I only ever went into this place because I am a regular at their sister bar The Detour. I have been going there for well over a year almost every week for their weekly drag bingo and on other occasions. If I win a gift certificate to Blackbird I use it, but I'm not fond of how their cocktails tend to be about half the size of a typical cocktail around here for the same price. Tonight The Detour was closed for a private event. I didn't feel like heading straight home so I decided to drink a bit at another nearby bar. Normally I'd choose The Pilsner Inn, but I was very hungry and I knew Blackbird served food from The Detour, and it was closer so I decided I would just go there. I am very bad with remembering people I haven't seen a lot usually so I didn't think I recognized the bartender at Blackbird but wasn't sure. I am autistic and very bad with understanding social cues. I initially had my card out but put it away when I thought the bartender had glanced at it and gave me a cue he recognized me, but took it back out when he asked for it. I had one beer paid in cash before I was ready to drink a bit more and probably order food. I was on edge from disappointment that I couldn't play bingo at The Detour tonight, and have had a lot of pain in my feet so maybe I seem even more on edge from that. I also really needed to charge my phone and The Detour is a place I can trust to do that, but I wasn't sure I could at any other bar. When I finished my first drink, I asked for another and seemingly for no reason the bartender asked if I was okay. I felt annoyed because I don't see how I could have looked that upset, and never have I ever had anyone imply I'm getting too drunk after only one drink before, and sure didn't feel like I was. I am very self conscious about seeming awkward, or angry when I'm not in public places, but no one ever punishes me for giving off a weird vide. When I was ordering the second drink I asked if I could charge my phone there and the guy said no. Then very unexpectedly and confusingly he told me he wasn't comfortable serving me anymore. He refused to tell me why. But when I explained that if I seem emotionally off it's because I'm autistic he claimed it had nothing to do with that but I don't know if I trust that. My ID is from a far off state and shows a much different haircut, but if he was suspicious of that, or how young for my age I look, I would think he wouldn't have served me that first drink. I anxiously headed to The Pilsner Inn where I was recognized, treated warmly, and allowed to drink without being treated with awkward, mysterious suspicion. I already wasn't that found of this place due to their cocktail prices and just being kind of boring to me, but it was mostly a personal taste thing. But now I don't feel comfortable coming in here, or possibly The Detour ever again, and will never shake off the feeling that it has something to do with being neurodivergent and not seeming normal enough to that bartender. read more

Keep in mind their drinks are ridiculously strong!! 2 of my friends each ordered different drinks and both didn't like it at all. I got the Newton's Law {vodka, cider, orange, lemon, cinnamon} which was the best drink amongst my group of friends. Pass on the "Where's there smoke, there's fire." Again to each their own. My friends barely took a sip of it and was immediately regretted it. I took the courage to take the 2 drinks up to the girl bartender to let her know that my friends didn't like their drinks. I was hoping for her to make 2 new drinks. From the convo, I thought she was going to comp the drinks but she ALMOST charged me for another 2 drinks (after making the drinks), even though the prior drinks only had 2 small sips. Yikes. Interior is rustic/saloon vibes and dimly lit. Decent music choice. Has a good pool table inside. Okay service. Idk if I would be back considering lack of appealing cocktail selection. read more

This is a nice bar my friend and I stumbled across while walking on market street. It has a nice vibe to it, lots of seating so it's a great place to hang out with friends, there's a pool table in the back and two bathrooms. We ordered the raspberry CBD drink and down the rabbit hole cocktail. I liked the cocktail we got, it had a sweet and tangy flavor to it! The bartender was also super nice to us when we arrived, gave us some menus and recommended us this cocktail based on our preferences. read more

Blackbird - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Good vibes, spacious and accessible location. They also have zero proof cocktails in the menu. The mezcal cocktails were too smoky for my taste. read more

Blackbird - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I just wanted to leave a comment for Justin and Eli. Eli wasn't working today, but was another day I came by. They are such great bartenders, really passionate about what they do and made us love this bar. About the bar, it's right off of market and they have a great menu and spirit selection. We were already in love with the beautiful aesthetic, but they made us want to come back. So friendly, but again, loved to talk with us about what they liked and a little knowledge about what they were serving us. read more

A great, cozy spot where you can hear your friends, play pool (at a price), and get a quality drink ... gave me "coffee shop but dressed and keep it open until 2 am" aka the perfect chill bar. The bartenders were great and even asked us what playlist we wanted (whatever they had playing on the Friday night we went was ). Would recommend the sangria (tasted like juice), the London holiday, and the bird of paradise (def strongest of the three) - excited to come back and make this a regular!! read more

Hands down the best old fashioned in San Francisco, great atmosphere (especially for happy hour) , and friendly vibes from staff.

Vibe: cozy and intimate bar Drinks: Excellent. A clear indicator of good drinks are a smooth tasting without the indication of alcohol. This toes the line of strong drink territory. You know a drink is good when the alcohol after effects creep up on you, Service: great read more

Blackbird - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Love this place!!! Refined cocktails and cool vibe. Rustic with a touch of class, and a touch of trash. We love it! 1 pool table. Lonnnnng sexy booth. Helpful husky, Beautiful portraits. Great music. Take me here again, and take me home! Rawr read more

Blackbird - Long sexy booth - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Ca-Cawwww The eagle has landed! Bartender was helpful with the menu selection and lucky for me, I came on their Negroni week! Good craft Bevs here and specialty cocktail menu. Flavors and layers per sip and decent pricing to match. Pool table in the back and seating up front. Beautiful bar that is fully stocked so I imagine they can make it all. Pop in and have a drink.... Or 3 like we did read more

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This is a good mellow vibe type of place to meet up for a drink. The drinks were good but did take a bit to make. The atmosphere was cool. A good spot to relax. read more

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I had an amazing experience booking Blackbird's back space (the "den" area) for a group of 40 people for my bday a few weeks back. Communication leading up to the event was fast/easy, and their staff was incredibly friendly and helpful the day of. We were able to pre-order a few punch bowls and beers ahead of time and they were also able to accommodate more orders of the punch bowls the day of. Highly recommend booking with them if you have a bday/event. read more

Hidden? Gem? Both? We were just sort of walking by here and popped in for G&T's for a nightcap. They have many local gins to the area which is always a hoot, and the vibe of the place is SF and Speakeasy. Will for sure go back, everyone helping us was rad and the drinks were some of the best we had of the trip. read more

Blackbird - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've been here a handful of times but I came here solo on a Saturday and the vibe was just immaculate! Sat right at the bar and the bartenders are just so sweet and amazing! Shoutout to Justin and Ummar! Solid playlist, and overall made good conversations with random people. They have a pool table at the back as well and is dog friendly! Can't wait to come back read more

Blackbird - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

We popped in here a while ago for a drink to kill some time and had a great experience. The bartender was friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. He didn't bat an eye when one of us ordered a blended drink -- okay, it was me and I know bartenders hate blended drinks and thus rarely order them, but this one sounded SO good (and it was)! We chose two house cocktails and they were delicious. The vibe was buzzing, but not party levels, more like a bunch of happy people chatting at Happy Hour. We really liked the experience and we'll be back to try more cocktails! read more

Blackbird is a cool neighborhood bar that is never too crowded, well at least we've always been able to snag a seat! There's pool in the back if you're lucky to snag that though. Decent happy hour that goes through Friday with $10 drinks like Aperol Spritz and Old Fashioned. Bartenders put care into the drink. This is the sister bar to the Detour so you can also order food from there (I love the Detour's food!) Would be perfect for date nights. Also dog friendly! My star rating: 5 - must go!!!  4 - liked it, give it a try! 3 - it was alright 2 - I probably won't go back  1 - turnaround and run read more

Drinks were tasty. Lavender vixen was significantly weaker than the zombie killer and other cocktails I tried, but still very good. The ambiance is kind of cool - abandoned wreckage of a plane in the jungle. I, however, did not like that some tables are located directly underneath a heavy mister. We were covered in a fog for a while, and it was irritating my eyes. Service was good - bartender got to us quickly when we were at the bar and the server checked in with us a lot while we were at a table. Definitely a fun place but all cocktails are $15+ so it's definitely a special occasion thing for me (versus a dive bar under $10). read more

Blackbird - Lavender Vixen - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Very nice little spot! We were around the corner and got pizza, heard that Blackbird has a knack for signature cocktails and asked the bartender what would go nicely with our slices. He hooked us up with two Amazing cocktails! I got the "Improved Japanese Cocktail" with Toki Japanese Whisky, Nigori Sake, Orgeat, Lime Served Up and my girl got the "Hella Extra" with Blanco Tequila, Lemon, Orgeat, Egg White, Ginger Rhubarb, Angostura Soooooooooo good!!! If you are in SF you have to check this place out!!! read more

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Went there on Wednesday early evening. Cocktails were not even drinkable and the bartender seemed pretty miserable.

A nice bar in the city. It's pretty dark inside, but once your eyes adjust you'll be fine. It's very cozy, but comfortable inside with plenty of seating areas. The drinks are always good, out favorites include the old fashioned and the birds of paradise. The bartenders are really quick and are super friendly. read more

This place was packed!! Such a different vibe from their sister bar, the detour. Definitely a more mature vibe. It's really dark but they have a disco ball to help. The drinks were made strong and delicious. I am definitely coming back here on my next bar hop! read more

This is a nice, fun bar that is a bit on the loud side but has great cocktails! Seems like a popular bar for going on dates from what I observed. They have a courier partner who delivers food when you order on your phone with the QR code from their drink menu. Really great pizzas and bbq flavored tater tots (!!!). We were blown away by the amazing tots. Definitely recommend if you don't mind the noise level (I am... getting old). read more

Blackbird - The old-fashioned on the happy hour menu - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

My favorite bar in San Francisco! The bartenders are masters at their craft, and the ambiance is on par with any gay man having extremely good taste. I looked so good in this lighting. ‍ read more

Blackbird has a great happy hour that runs a little bit later than usual. Hours are Monday to Friday, 5-8 pm. I came here for pre-dinner drinks with a friend on a Tuesday evening around 5:45, and it was pretty empty. Over the course of the 1.5 hours we were here, it never really filled up. I tried two different cocktails, both a steal at $8. The margarita was a little bit strong for my tastes, but my friend and I both really enjoyed the early bird cocktail. The ingredients are svedka vodka, lemon, and elderflower. By the second of the drink, the vodka taste was getting a little strong, but the bartender was nice enough to add some more elderflower extract to the drink to balance it out. I'd definitely come back again if I was in the area and wanted drinks! read more

Blackbird - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This spot was decent. We came a bit around 10pm and unfortunately the outdoor seating was already done. I only bring that up as the place inside was hot as hell! I mean back sweat and everything. Cool vibes and the bartender was cool. I would give it another go perhaps. read more

Blackbird - The centaur was a bit wild - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Upon entry I knew that this would be one of my favorite casual bars in SF -- they were playing amazing music, had really delicious drinks, and had a pool table in the back with lots of seating for my friends and I to catch up! I went on a Friday around midnight and there was a lot of seating, no wait time for service, and really kind bartenders! I can't wait to try the food (lots of filipino options!) and other drinks! read more

Blackbird - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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A must visit place in the Castro. One of the best drinks in the city. Great ambience, too. The menu is weirdly designed and you can't really read it. Thankfully there's a big chalk board menu. read more

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Came here for drinks on a Friday evening. Wasn't crowded when we stopped by. We ordered the drinks at the bar and it took quite some time to get our drinks even though it wasn't as busy. Drinks were very ordinary. Decor is nice with dimly lit lights. read more

Blackbird - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

For a cold SF winter night, these hot toddies were hit the spot. I'm not usually a whiskey fan, but the idea of a warm alcoholic drink for my Friday night seemed like a good idea :) Haven't stopped by Blackbird in a number of years, but I'm still a fan. Plenty of seating, and we were able to snag one right up in the front. Cozy corner. Downside is that the drinks take a tremendously long amount of time to be completed. Understaffed? Slower bartenders? Not sure. But I'd be a lot better night if this could be accounted for in the overall experience. 4 stars! read more

Blackbird - Hot toddy - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Drinks were ok (3/5) but the bartender was rude and irrationally Covid-paranoid. He thinks he's protected from Covid if customers have a drink in hand but feels uncomfortable with customers not having a drink in hand. Also, I was asked for a vaccination ID check up for the second time indoors after already finishing my first drink. Apparently it's a new policy there. We are all triple vaxxed here and aware of the risks. If the bartender is really that paranoid, please stay home. read more

I have a feeling this is going to become my new favorite hangout ! I love the ambiance and the cocktails are fantastic. We made it just in time for happy hour last week (They have happy hour M-F 5pm to 8pm) and found a nice cozy spot by the window. Their cocktail menu is really cool with some interesting whiskey cocktails. With its cozy and cool vibe this is definitely a great place to hangout ! read more

Blackbird - Old fashioned - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Great vibe, solid happy hour and delicious cocktails, Blackbird is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to grab a drink. I usually stick with the old fashioned or sazerac, but my husband will try something different every time, and be happy with the drinks he gets. Blackbird is probably one of the most consistently good spots for a cocktail in the Castro area. read more

One of the bartenders was straight up ass. Tonight he had on a black bird shirt, looked like the anti flag band shirt. Straight up rude as fuck. We ordered 4 drinks together, he put it on two tabs. Didn't ask if we wanted the tab together. Was taking shots with the people at the bar. Never get high on your own supply. I asked if he could make a mixed shot, said the only shots they make are, tequila, vodka, whiskey, gin. I gave him a list of mixed shots to make. Green tea shot, gummy bear shot, surfer on acid shot. Said no, couldn't make one but behind him was Jameson and other N.A. beverages to make a decent shot. I'm a bartender also and at least try to appease my patrons. Homeboy couldn't make one?!?! Worse bar in SF. People in Bakersfield could make a mixed shot! The guy missed out on a 45 dollar shot tab plus 20 percent. At least try my dude. All I'm saying is do better. I've seen Taco Bell cantinas in Vegas do better. read more

You know those people who are perfectly happy with themselves and can have fun without alcohol? I am NOT one of those people. I'm not ashamed to admit it, I mean, looking at it from a practical point of view. Life is short and my single years? even shorter. I'm not going to waste a day off doing chores and relaxing at home when I can go out and have cocktails with friends! Blackbird is not one of those bars where you get your usual drink. The brave and savvy will order off the the butcher style paper menu hanging on the wall. This cocktail menu changes every few months and last month, they even offered barrel aged gin! * LOVE * You'll be wowed by the use of fresh ingredients, different bitters and premium liquor. Start with the Early Bird, made with St. Germain elderflower liquer, lemon juice and vodka. I drank it fast because it tasted like lemonade! Can you say dangerous?!? I followed that up with a Tourniquet, I had 2 because it was so good! It almost has the profile taste of an Aviation, a little floral but more subtle. The hefty Beefeater gin balanced by Lillet blanc and finished with a spray of Laphroaig (Blackbird bar concentrated the Whiskey Laphroaig and turned it into a spray as an added dimension to the drink) This was garnished with a brandied cherry. I appreciated the casual chic atmosphere with the red leather booths and rustic wood cut tables. There is a pool table and a photo booth towards the back for more added fun! But obviously, the stars of the show are the bartenders (shout out to Tori) who are knowledgeable and intuitive about their drink suggestions. Needless to say, Blackbird has a customer for life! read more

Blackbird - Tourniquet -- with gin and lillet - Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California