First time bar crawling in North Beach! Wanted to participate in the Halloween Bar Crawl going on and was very glad I did. It was super lively and busy, but the line to get in here felt like there was no wait at all. There was a pool table at the top level and retro / rustic vibe to the place. There's also bathrooms available. I will say it's relatively small inside, but they make up for the bottom downstairs bar. We got to go in because of a Halloween birthday party celebration and it was such a nice space. The bartender serving us was so fun and even gave us free henny shots! Great service. Def a bit pricy though and they pour heavy just as a warning. Would want to go back again with a group when it's less busy! read more

Columbus Cafe - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Dive bar in North Beach right next to Sotto Mare off Green street. Definitely a spot to grab a drink if you're waiting for a reservation in the area or if you wanted to grab some Golden Boy Pizza. I've gone here both while waiting for dinner reservations or after for a little night cap. Friendly staff, plenty of space to sit somewhere. I don't recall checking out the other floor and areas but very convenient. Can be difficult in finding street parking out here. read more

Columbus Cafe - Inside dive bar - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Most importantly, this place is dog friendly! Secondly, they carry Miller High Life. Lastly, they give you a chip for a second beer on a selection on draft beers. And, Golden Boy pizza is close for a bite to eat. All of this makes Columbus Cafe a great place to stop and have a drink! read more

So we just needed a place to sit and have a drink. This place is clean, good service, drinks were average. Had an Aperol Spritz and an Espresso Martini (on tap). Finished with a Guinness that came in a small G glass, was too cold and it wasn't poured correctly. But they have plenty of other of beers on tap. There's a pool table and a jukebox. read more

Columbus Cafe - Aperol Spritz - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love this bar. It has great service, wonderful bartenders, lots of drink options, and sometimes even an amazingly well behaved dog! This is a good bar for chilling out with a beer and maybe a slice of pizza from down the street. Good music and vibes, good conversation with random people, and pool if you enjoy playing. There's also two for one happy hour specials if you swing that way. read more

This place is amazing! I've been in north beach for 18 years and this place is top notch! Great bartenders, awesome music, excellent out door seating! Fantastic deals on beer and shot specials and even better the happy hour Monday-Friday from 4-7 has buy a beer get a chip for another! What a gem of a place! If you haven't checked Columbus cafe out yet, you're missing out! Check it out! read more

I recently had attended a private party in the Columbus Cafe downstairs room. There was a wonderful bartender ( James ) who was attentive and made great cocktails. No host bar. Although there is no bathroom attached to the room, there are restrooms in the main bar up the staircase. Great space for a good vibe intimate party atmosphere. read more

Columbus Cafe - Business marquee - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

This block is super cool and old-fashioned...alternative...2 bars...Gino and Carlo and Columbus Cafe in North Beach Little Italy...I used AMI app to play music for a small fee and play billiards as well...try the 2 bars...have gone to the restaurant Sotto Mare...and also Golden Boy pizza many times...this block is super fun...glad that we enjoyed it...with my family too...always inviting...alternative...fun...North Beach...the 2 bars have ephemera on the wall...boxing...billiards plaques...worth visiting for tourists and inhabitants....first times and hopefully not the last times... read more

See all

My group rented out the downstairs bar area for a birthday party recently, and we had a great time! This seems to be more popular as a pregame spot, since the bar had emptied out around 11. Ben was our bartender, and was fast and friendly and a generous pourer to boot. I stopped by upstairs to check out the vibe, and it's a nice vibe up there as well. Not divey, not stuffy, just chill folks hanging out. Shoutout to Laura upstairs who was great to chat with as well. read more

I stopped into Columbus Cafe last night with my boyfriend for two shots of Fernet, and the experience was honestly shocking. The bartender poured barely an ounce each. As someone who works in the industry myself, I politely asked if she could pour the correct amount. She re measured and realized she hadn't poured a full shot, so she topped it off. What happened next was completely unprofessional. She threw the check and the pen at me and even made a snide verbal remark. My boyfriend and I were stunned. There was absolutely no reason for that kind of attitude especially when the mistake wasn't mine to begin with. Really disappointing service, and definitely not the kind of energy you expect from a bar in North Beach. It was an Asian American woman. I hope the establishment will do something about this. She's the worst bartender I've ever encountered my entire life. read more

Been coming here for 25 years but for some reason the male bartender with glasses and a 5 o'clock shadow thinks he is God's gift and will not deign to smile or even greet people he doesn't think worthy. The first time it happened, I figured he was having a bad day but after the second time, I realized he's just a D. Still love the bar... read more

I got invited to this café located in the Little Italy of San Francisco, for a private event hosted by my friend for a movie night. My friend rented more specifically the private room of this establishment, which was a perfect place for fun gathering with friends. The private area (downstairs) also had its own bar, so you and your friends could enjoy delicious drinks as you watch your movie. The place also allowed us to bring food from outside, so my friend got us pizza and salad. The bar staff kindly helped us set up the food and provide some utensils when we realized that we didn't bring any. Overall, it was a good experience. My only complaint is probably just the restrooms, which seemed a little bit dirty to me, but then again it's probably quite a normal standard for bathrooms at a bar in SF... read more

Columbus Cafe - Private room rented for movie night - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

What better way to spend over an hour waiting for a table to eat cioppino next door... There were 2 seats at the bar available There were seemingly locals playing pool in the back There was the heavily intoxicated and over dramatic lady riding her date in a booth Stiff drinks with efficient service Yup pretty good night read more

Columbus Cafe - a drink in a glass with a straw - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great bar... crappy bartender.....looked annoyed the whole time. We left and decided to spend our money elsewhere.

I attended a private party on 6/1/24. We had Michael as our Bartender. He was EXCELLENT from the moment we arrived to decorate, until the end of the party . His Energy was so lovely and welcoming. The space was lovely & very intimate. Everyone enjoyed themselves. I would recommend this space to all that wants to throw a private party. We were able to have a professional balloon artist by the name of BOLICIOUS BALLOONS come. She was really great as well! She arrived on time , ready to set up and bring the party to life just alone with her Balloons. Having Michael as the Bartender was the BEST. ( all should request him) If you want to go by and visit him before booking to meet and watch how he works you can also catch him bartendering on Monday nights !! read more

Columbus Cafe - Bolicious Balloons @ Columbus Cafe - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Super rude bartender. We spent a lot of money on a rented out party the night before and came back to clean up and the bartender did an awful job of explaining the clean up and slammed down the box of decorations we came to get without saying a word. We thanked him and he didn't say a word. Was about to grab a drink but will never be coming here again!! read more

If you want to overcharged and shamed for not tipping. This is the perfect place for that, extremely rude bartender

I always love a good dive; especially when them dranks are strong and cheap! Columbus Cafe is about that life and I'm all here for it. Stopped by for some post-brunch drinkies with the ladies and we had a nice time chilling out on their patio parklet. I don't get out to the city much these days, let alone to North Beach. But, I was pleasantly surprised with this chill little dive. We came during the late afternoon, so the crowds were minimal. We ordered a couple rounds of margaritas [hey, don't judge us... we're gals! ;) ]. The margs were nice and strong. You will definitely get a good bang for your buck here. The bartenders were all very friendly and the atmosphere was super relaxed. Although it's divey, I wouldn't categorize it as a super dive. It's just a chill, no holds barred kinda vibe. The judgement free zone, if you will. Their patio parklet is comfy and heated with a good amount of spaced out table tops. It's North Beach, so you know the parking is most likely going to be a nightmare. But besides that, this place rocks. This is one of those bars where you could hang out for a while and not get bored. But it's also a nice spot to hit up during your bar hopping excursions (if anyone still does that type of thing nowadays?!). I should also mention that the bartenders were all masked up, and the COVID compliance seems to be pretty legit. I actually have to thank my friend for taking our group here because from the outside appearance, I wasn't feeling it initially. It just goes to show that you should never judge a book by its' cover. Columbus Cafe has got it goin' on. read more

See all

Really tried to give this place a chance. Bar tender kept saying stereotypes about people of color for example how white people were superior gun owner than a person of color among other horrible comments. Coming from a black military family I knew there was a lot of ignorance in this place. I had a drink and left, most of the crowd were laughing (non-brown/black). If you are Black or brown, I would skip this place for your own mental health. read more

I bought 4 high noons and left a $2 tip and the bartender lady screamed at me repeatedly and called me a s****y tipper. As I was leaving she said "bye everyone, bye s****y tipper". Very unprofessional behavior. I'm not tipping 20% on $35 because you opened 4 cans for me. read more

Been coming here for happy hour 2 for 1 beers since 2000 after work when a bunch of copier salesmen from different companies would meet here and after many pints, grab a slice or two a few doors down on Green St! Good times on the pool table too. read more

I had private party in the downstairs area scheduled for 6p.m , but when I arrived there was a party going until 5.pm(no fault of C.C,I booked thru PeerSpace) leaving not a lot of time to decorate, but soon as I went down at 5p.m,I met with my private bartender/host introducing himself as MICHAEL.. My party was able to begin on time with the help of my host MICHAEL.. I'll say he was the very BEST with accommodating myself/guess needs throughout the night.. Everyone "LOVED MICHAEL" he was HEAVEN SENT from above.. My party was a "BLAST" from start to finish (11p.m).. Also I would to like to add the upstairs bartender was super as well as the door man.. This spot is a 10 in my eyes read more

don't know why they have bartenders working halloween bar crawl night, where discounted prices are supposed to be given with purchased wristband. tipped $1 after we were overcharged (the bartenders literal JOB, to make drinks and charge correctly) and somehow the bartender wants to catch an attitude and rudely say "wow thank you so much". just make the drinks lady.. it's packed and you're already overcharging on an event night. i don't know if she was trying to accomplish higher percentage based tip or what the deal was but you shouldn't be rude on halloween night on top of doing your job incorrectly.. you're working a busy bar crawl & expecting higher tips, you're providing divided service to accommodate higher volume of people. sorry you had to work halloween night, but you could treat your paying, overpaying, customers fairly. poor choice of staff. read more

Attended a private event here and the staff and venue was great! Our bartender was the sweetest (super friendly, was cleaning up throughout the night, helping us take group pictures), the bottom floor was roomy enough for our group size, and the bathroom was clean. The drinks were also surprisingly reasonably priced! I got a vodka cranberry for $7 before tax. read more

These guys they steal from you, they give you duck for goose, i asked for an old fashioned with bourbon whiskey and they gave me the drink with Kahlua, lied to my face while the bartender is drinking. Straight up stealing and lying to the customer read more

I would've given this place 5 stars but the bartender was a jackass. No social skills whatsoever.

My party of six was having dinner in the area when we realized the restaurant didn't have hard liquor. Since Columbus Cafe was right there, we decided to take shifts of two or three during dinner to grab some quick shots. We stopped by on Wednesday, October 24th around 7:30pm. My first round was a shot of Jameson. It was your standard pour. The bartender was attentive and gave us the backs we asked for. In most cases, ginger. And in my case, water. About a half hour later, we came back again, and I got another shot of Jameson while a friend got a beer. The vibe here is dark and kinda divey. There are plenty of TVs if you wanna catch a game. That night, the warriors were playing, so I kept spying on the game. (Luckily, they won!) Decent bar to grab a few quick rounds. And convenient if you're having dinner around the area on Green Street. read more

Columbus Cafe - Jameson - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I stopped here while waiting for dinner nearby and this had the typical dive bar vibe. Prices were reasonable, service was great, & the pool table was unoccupied so we were able to get a game in before dinner. I'd consider coming back if I'm in the area but I also have dive bars in my area that are similar...there was really nothing special about this place, it was a typical dive bar. read more

Came in on a long trek thru telegraph hill. I popped into Columbus Cafe and I was immediately "wowed" by the customer service the bartender was giving... think his name was Ben. Pretty sure it was Ben.. he gave all the recommendations and was knowledgeable about all the offerings CC had to offer 200/200 would recommend! Thanks Ben! read more

So I came here with a friend we had a drink and started playing pool when we were done with the game I went up to the bar to get us a couple more drinks out of nowhere the bouncer (I guess was not wearing a security uniform or anything) told us they were not going to serve us anymore gave no reason as to why whatsoever DO NOT COME HERE i would give it -100 stars if I could read more

The other day I went with with my friend Aaron for some drinks at Columbus Cafe. Aaron is Deaf and Nikki was very fun and accommodating. I appreciate her being willing to take the time to serve and chat with us and she even knew some signs. I will definitely be coming back bc of her :)) read more

It would be 5 stars if not for a bartender named Richard or whoever worked Tuesday afternoon. Guy was completely rude, dumissive, and straight out jerk. He needs to find a new line of work. The other bartenders , however, are rock stars compared to this jerk. read more

Decent North Beach dive. Friendly service. Big tv. Pool table. Two for one happy hour specials. Mix of tourists and locals. Great old neon sign. read more

I love coming here with my friend and I wanna give a shout out to Laura, she is always smiling, always making sure everyone is having a good time and always friendly to everybody. This place gets a mixture of locals and tourists. Its in a busy part of North Beach, has a pool table, drinks are good and its a good people watching place. I also wanna give a shout out to the door security, Mr. SF Giants Viking man! Super cool guy, doesn't act like a meat head, friendly to everyone coming through the door. Been coming here for years and felt I had to finally write about it. Thanks Laura for always being welcoming and fun! read more

Columbus Cafe is kind of a dive ... and I kind of don't care because it is still an a-ok watering hole. I sat at the bar for some pre-dinner drinks and it took a few minutes to flag down the bartender. The bar wasn't busy, but she was. Overall, the service was quite indifferent and cold. Since we arrived just after happy hour (with its generous 2-for-1 drink specials) ... so, maybe she was tired. No worries. Gimme a Gin & Tonic. I'm about to dive into my own happy hour one drink at a time. Cheers! Columbus Cafe felt like a dark relaxed local bar for real drinkers more than a destination bar for the family except, perhaps, for the happy hour that I missed. Don't care. Gimme another g+t. read more

Columbus Cafe - Bar at Columbus Cafe - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

First time here in San Francisco. Just want to say the owners are amazing. Even during COVID they still have a positive attitude and treat us like locals. Coming from LA they made us feel very welcomed. Definitely a place to visit. Becka and Zach are awesome. read more

Columbus Cafe - people sitting at tables in front of a gas heater - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place says it closed at 2am. Ok yes, most bars do, and as we all know, bars get fined if they're open past that, they tend to have last call around 1:30, fair enough. THIS bar however, at about 1:40, 10 minutes after last call, made the announcement verbatim "I WAS POLITE BEFORE, BUT NOW, YOU NEED TO GET THE *%#@ OUT". I'm sorry, huh???? How do you go from last call to gtfo in ten minutes when it's still 20 minutes to close. I am 100% sympathetic to employees wanting to go home and getting the bar closed at a certain time. But I've never in my life heard a bartender say something so egregious to paying customers. If gtfo is at 1:40 then last call should be at 1am. Granted that's an HOUR before close, but I'd prefer that over the vulgar disrespect. All things considered, won't be back. read more

I came in here with a few friends for some drinks and pool. Good crowd and vibes off rip. When we started playing pool I noticed the neon Schlitz sign by the pool table which gave me a hankering for one of my favorite San Francisco specialties, the Schlitz Cocktail. I ordered one from the bartender (good guy) but unfortunately they were out of sprinkles. Luckily, I was able to bury my disappointment deep within me and went for a whiskey, neat. Normally a lack of sprinkles knocks a full star off of any and all establishments, but the whiskey (neat) was solid and I went on a sick 4 ball run including a game winning, full table ricochet shot on the eight ball with approximately 5 inches of reverse cut that my friend's hot sister saw. Needless to say I will be back, and next time I'll bring my own sprinkles. read more

Taylor was amazing. We sit outdoor with our dog. Taylor came and offer water to our dog. He even put ices in the waters to make sure it's cold and comfortable for our dog. read more

Best local North Beach Bar ever, been coming for many Years. Sometimes visited by old Joe the Boxer and his nice Wife, owners of this place until just recently is is said. The Guy behind the Bar fir many years is way cool and great with everyone. Jumping off/Gathering soot before hitting Pizza, Seafood, etc. Anchor Steam on Tap read more