Came here on a Friday to check out the throwback night and came a bit earlier than I normally would, but since it was raining I didn't want to risk it. There was no long line, and I got in pretty quickly. The inside was pretty normal, you got the stage, bar in the back, and the upstairs level, but they closed out a good amount of it, which made sense since I think it was going to be a pretty smaller crowd. We got some drinks and were waiting for the music to pick up, and it indeed picked up! Great music, great old school throwbacks, and the people were rolling in. Ended up coming down to dance for a bit, and got another drink, but overall, I felt it was a great 2 hours of hanging and dancing, and the crowd was vibing too! read more

DNA Lounge - Cocktails - Dance Clubs Near Me - San Francisco, California

the rumors were right bc this place is absolute dog shit lol only went here for the one time bc my favorite djs (dual damage) was having their SF debut here. staff utterly lacks customer service and remorse, the security here is so try-hard constantly walking around w their little flashlights. i mean A+ for being on top of it i guess? the vibe here is just so off and theres barely any room to stand and to even have a decent view of the stage. my friends were in line for the bathroom and this dude just pushes his way through trying to go in when there were girls in there. so freaking sick and ridiculous read more

If I could do less than a zero star I would. Honestly one of the most uncomfortable experiences I've had at a venue. A male bouncer walked into the women's bathroom without warning while we were inside, then removed us for no reason and made a false claim that we damaged a door. No emergency, no explanation, just completely inappropriate behavior. He even lingered outside staring at us after. Not okay at all. read more

The DNA Lounge has been a San Francisco venue since the mid-'80s known for its wild mix of live music, goth nights, burlesque, and late-night dance chaos. Originally, it was a leather bar called "Chaps" when it opened in 1985. It was bought by a Netscape techbro in 1999 and reopened in 2001 as the DNA Lounge. Since then, it has become something of a legend. Ok, enough history. I went to the DNA to catch a favorite local punk band. The Middle Aged Queers were having a record release party. This was being held in the upstairs room, which I had no idea existed. The upstairs has a small stage and room for maybe 50 people. It even has it's own full bar. Acoustics were pretty good with a real sound engineer keeping it that way. Nice and loud but without breaking your ear drums. The community of patrons hanging around outside smoking cigs and eating pizza was really chill. I made new friends who had come all the way from Sacramento for the show. Very friendly crowd that is typical of our local punk community at the shows. The staff were efficient and friendly. A rocking good bartender and friendly door staff. The pizza being served by the slice was "good enough" and reasonably priced. No complaints. Plenty of street parking on a Sunday night. read more

DNA Lounge - The Middle Aged Queers record release party at DNA Lounge (upstairs). - Dance Clubs Near Me - San Francisco, California

This nightclub and event space turned out to be better than I expected. Attended the Mortified "Doomed Valentine's Day" show this past weekend. The line to get in went quickly with no problems or delays at security nor at the ticket counter to check in. Most of the seats for the event were reserved, though I came early enough to get a seat without paying the higher reserved seat ticket price. There were a few lounge/booth seats as well, and limited upstairs seating. The audio system and lighting were stellar here, clear and effective sound and stage lights for your viewing pleasure, and a practical layout, with bars on both levels. It never felt overcrowded or uncomfortable. A fun and casual atmosphere, lots of talent on stage and endless laughter from the audience throughout the evening. I loved the show, but the venue is part of what made it such a great experience. read more

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Rember when this place wouldn't let you in if you where not vaxxed? I sure do. This place used to be fun to goto, ive gone back a few times this year and all I can say is meh... its lost its fun, its the same shit from 15 years ago. The food isn't good, the security staff are bottom of the barrel and I dont see my self comeing back because its just not that fun anymore. Nobody wants to pay 14$ for a vodka redbull and listen to trashy music. Yikes I said it. This place gets a second star because of what it used to be. read more

DNA Lounge is a SF institution - weird, a bit gritty, and very cool. I've been to a number of club nights here and the music is always great and the crowd is always interesting. Drinks are expensive but that's what I expect from night clubs - at least they're fun. The staff is friendly. read more

I went for a special event (Gay Gaming Professionals) so I was grateful for free food and an amazing atmosphere provided by the event organizers & attendees. However, the actual venue isn't great. I liked the hidden lounges on the upper level and it's fun that they have an attached pizza place. But other than that... Definitely better suited for smaller crowds. The smoke machine on the upper level was so intense I literally could not see 6 inches in front of my face. So thick I was choking on the smoke. Drinks are standard overpriced SF fare but the most egregious is the cost of bag check. It's $5 per coat, $10 per bag regardless of size. I was expected to pay $25 for coat check, which is crazy. The cost check attendant was very nice but I was shocked at the cost. Also, the women's restroom only had 2 operational stalls and was rather dirty. I've been to some crazy warehouse gigs but the DNA Lounge presents itself as a nice modern club and doesn't deliver. read more

DNA Lounge - Dance floor and DJ - Dance Clubs Near Me - San Francisco, California

Went yesterday to the DNA lounge with a friend and my girlfriend, had a few drinks and they were not sitting well with me so I went to the bathroom to throw up and planned to leave once I was finished. After a while security goes into the bathroom and drags me out while I am still trying to throw up. As they're dragging me out I fall down near the exit and they drag me to the doorway scraping my elbow on floor leaving bruises. Once they get me out, there was six guards there, 3 pinning me down and 3 just watching. I tried to leave the venue but they were not letting me leave. My girlfriend tried to tell them that we were leaving and she would take me to the car but they were not letting me go instead they used more force whenever I tried to sit up, so I wouldn't throw up. They only agreed to let me go if my girlfriend would get the car and bring it back to the front of the venue. She went to get the car and in that time they were still pinning me down and talking amongst themselves "do you think she left him? Do you think she'll leave him? If she doesn't come let's call the cops?" My girlfriend came back and they finally let me go. I woke up with bruises on my wrist, elbows and neck pain from being pinned down and dragged down. A night out with girlfriend and friends ended with security guards on a power trip and treating me like a criminal. Update was just about get in the shower and once I took off my shirt I saw another bruise on my back and nail marks on my chest where they pinned me down read more

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Great pizza, amazing drinks and staff, and you'll find the more edgy unusual performances there. It's a credit to San Francisco that this place is thriving. read more

DNA Lounge - Dance Clubs Near Me - San Francisco, California

I got kicked out for no apparent reason other than dancing and having fun. The security dragged my friend and I out with no warning whatsoever because we were dancing on the stage. read more

they got mad i asked the status of my pizza. i could understand being busy but you guys lied. your register employee put me down as jason. my order was left out for almost 40 min (me thinking y'all needed time) but bc your employee didn't bother to check in w me or bother to be aware of their lobby. or just simply they don't care.. read more

Great high stage ... good lighting ... perfect size venue !!? Have never had a problem there !! Good sound ...decent food !!

Downstairs bartenders could use some hospitality training. If you want tipped maybe don't be complete rude a$$hats. Pizza was garbage. The overzealous female security running the door was a complete bit(h. No band in there right mind should play this venue. What a dump. read more

I've been here many times over the years when they had Bootie every Saturday, but I went back for the first time since covid recently for their Taylor Swift and The Weeknd themed NYE party. I was luckily able to find parking on an alley street a block away. We checked Uber pricing out of curiosity when we left around 2 AM, and it was $100 due to NYE pricing, so I'm glad we saved ourselves some money. The place hasn't changed a bit. I've always appreciated that they have multiple rooms, so you can walk freely between the three rooms when you want a change of dance floor or music. There are multiple bars too, so if you think the line for one bar is too long, you can always go to another one. I think there was one bar downstairs and three upstairs, so 4 total. Coat check is $5 and is located upstairs. For NYE, they had a big vat of balloons above the main dance floor, so it was a fun place to ring in the new year and watch the balloons and confetti fly right at midnight. The only thing is that the music wasn't really remixed. For most of the Taylor songs as well as the songs they played upstairs on the second dance floor (not the lounge inside), they played the whole song rather than remixing it, so it felt more like I was at karaoke rather than a club. I miss the Bootie remixes back in the day! For folks who want something to snack on after dancing, the pizza spot is open next door. We got a slice of pizza around 1:30, and it was a long wait. We saw people ordering whole pizzas which significantly slowed down the line. I'm glad we came to Bootie for their NYE party! It was a fun time and felt like a throwback for me. read more

I was holding a full drink for my sister momentarily that she bought at the bar. She's 21, I just turned 20 this night, so I didn't drink at all, and let the security footage show that. Suddenly I was surrounded by multiple security guards, mostly a bald guy who another staff member there warned me about, screaming at my face telling me to leave when I was simply trying to explain to them it was for my sister and was offering the solution to quite simply place the drink at the bar. The beer was filled to the brim so they should have believed when I explained I was not drinking. They were yelling at me, and insisted the many of them needed to escort me out to have a conversation. Which I'm not sure why they would all need to, I'm a skinny 20 year old girl. They already confiscated the beer and spilled it over my heels, so I'm not sure why they couldn't leave it at that. So I started walking out the nearest exit and they backed me against the wall and screamed in my face because I guess it wasn't their preferred exit(?) This white dude with grey hair seen popped up out of nowhere yelling at us incoherently, probably drunk on the job. Saying "MOD"(?) not sure what that means but I'm clearly sober in the video. When I asked for him to take a more respectful tone he continued to yell, interrupt and cause a scene when my sister and I were speaking reasonably. You can hear he says it doesn't matter that he's disrespectful. The man next to him apologizes for him profusely saying he's like that because he's old. He realizes he's being recorded and immediately switches up and begs us to stay. I tried asking for his name but he didn't want to share that with me. Very aggressive men yelling at me for nothing on my birthday seems like overcompensating for a miserable life or a small part. I hope they look into this and retrain their staff. This was completely the staff escalating a situation that should've never been taken there to begin with, I even told them they were causing a scene. We were genuinely scared in the moment, which is why my sister started recording because this white man was beside himself. He was in her face when we were just complying and trying to get out of there. I seen a video after of staff at the same club beating on women. Don't go here. They lost 6 customers this night. read more

Bartenders and other staff are great, but some of the security treat disabled like trash and shut them down, being incredibly pushy and refusing to listen to a single thing being said to them. Train your staff to ask why people are sitting down or if they are okay at the end of the show if they are not immediately leaving instead of just shutting every single thing they say down before forcing them to walk down a huge flight of stairs. read more

This review has been a long time coming... oh boy. I've been going to DNA for about 6-7 years now, and it has surely gone downhill. The staff are just horrendous! Although I love everyone working at dna pizza (tasty) & at the ticket booths (super sweet) ... + the head of security as well being super dedicated and cool .. these other security guards are for sure on a power trip. I've had a friend of mine unfortunately s**ually harassed by a man , whilst his group of friends surrounded my group of girls and I , making us feel unsafe. He wouldn't stop touching her as she was clearly under the influence when all we wanted to do was sit down after dancing. How the security handled it? They kicked him out thankfully, but when everything was all said and done, we were also yelled at from a masculine presenting female security guard (who is new working there) to "move out of the fucking way" (waving her dirty rag towel at us) for her to clean a spill up at a table NEXT to us. We clearly weren't in her way but she has a tendency to redirect her anger onto the attendees. Not only that, at one other show she has screamed at me with a flashlight in my face saying "if I see you vaping one more time you're done here" -- how about you stop the men behind me from smoking that joint , huh? There were numerous amounts of people smoking inside (cigarettes, joints, vapes) but I guess she remembered my face and went for the jugular . Oh!! And not only that!! I was assaulted by a woman in their bathroom who broke the door down on my transgender girlfriend and I. I filed a police report the following morning. And? They told me without an officer actively there during the scene of the crime, they will refuse to give me security footage of that woman being there at the venue & being kicked out because of her hurting me. Even with an active police report , I still could not get the footage from them to help support my police report against this woman ... only having evidence of the wounds she's given me. This place used to be a safe space for me to dance and have fun with my friends, I come here at LEAST 2x a month since early 2017. I understand the vaping rule, I do, but you have your attendees vomiting, defecating, fighting allllll outside of the venue. What about them? Why not handle that? Then they are let back in?! You all handle things at this venue so horribly, it's shocking they are still up and running after COVID... I go to support my favorite local artists and gf to have a good time, but I have pure sheer anxiety just going to this venue alone. I never had this feeling towards DNA Lounge, ever. It sucks this all crumbled like a cookie. read more

DNA Lounge - Dance Clubs Near Me - San Francisco, California

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My experience at DNA Lounge was of being a performer for one of the themed nights, so my experience differs from a regular patron. I will just talk about what you can expect at the club. Parking: Right across the building is a Costco where after 8PM, you can purchase parking tickets for about $25. Free street parking is also available throughout the block. DNA is an average sized venue with the bar, dance floor, stage, and 2 VIP tables on the first floor. The second floor balcony also has a bar, VIP tables, and coat check. What's great about this place is that there is a pizza parlor, DNA Pizza, connected to the club, so of course I filled up on some pizza before getting a signature drink at the bar. Some events that DNA hosts, they are for all-ages, and others are 18+. The overall feel of the event I attended was very wholesome. I've been looking for a place that hosts pop themed nights, and their calendar lists upcoming One Direction nights, Taylor Swift nights, and more. read more

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The upstairs section of this place is horrible. Went to a sold out show on 2/22 and never plan to go back. The capacity is way over crowded with little space to move and so hot it was suffocating. In addition, drinks were expensive and the bathroom situation was a joke. Super long line in a slim hallway with tiny bathrooms that had the doors open with only one stall with stinking up the whole area. Lastly, smog machines should not be allowed in a space that is already choking on excess hot human breath . read more

Maybe my friends and I came at the wrong night, but the theme really spoke for itself. The club was bootie last night. I wasn't sure if I was clubbing or at prom. All the music was what you'd hear on Kid's pop. Most of the people there looked like they were barely 18. Seriously, what was up with all the frat boys there and one tall white guy had his mask pulled up to his eyes and he was headbanging while sticking his tongue out. It was a mess! LMAO The DJs only played one good song that I could actually dance to. We stayed for a bit before bouncing off to another club. What a waste of $26.00!! Also, I don't mind the whole mask mandate, but the staff who were keeping people in check didn't ask the crowd of white guys to put their mask on. They need to stay on top of their shiz. If you require everyone to wear a mask, then enforce it. Kick out the people who aren't following the rules after giving them a warning. Another thing I'd like to mention is that, there were a group of guys that were so pushy shovey... thats not cool. Security should have done something about it. I did appreciate that the club made no exceptions for people who aren't fully vaccinated. You must show proof of vaccination here. I didn't like the vibe here at all. We all ended up going to City Nights. read more

DNA Lounge - Must be fully vaccinated and have proof of vaccination. QR code and/or physical copy only. Cannot be a picture of the physical card. - Dance Clubs Near Me - San Francisco, California

Absolute scam. No one in the club and charged 30 dollars. If I could give it 0 stars I would. This was an absolute regret, worst 30 dollars I've ever spent, and horrible music. read more

What a garbage hole. Not a single person in line for food and 6 staff members talking about Trump or some political trash ignored me for almost 5 minutes. Then I waited 20 minutes for a disgusting undercooked piece of pizza. Too top it off even if you purchase some of their rat dropping food you can't even use the bathroom to wash you hands. This dump show will be out of business soon. What a mismanaged urinal mint. read more

I have been going to the DNA Lounge for a very long time. There's a lot of really great stuff about this venue- they have excellent staff (professional, aware and kind), an awesome security team, a fabulous sound system, talented and friendly bartenders, and a variety of different events. They also have adjacent DNA Pizza which has a fun crew, tasty bites and late nite snacky options. I am a fan! read more

I went for Y2K night and had a lot of fun. Only the main stage was open but it was a good vibe. All of the workers there were nice. I tried a drink and it was not really good though. It was an enchanted drink with green apple vodka, I would definitely try out more drinks because I think I just chose the wrong one. I would recommend. read more

So I went out with my boyfriend and our friends for New Year's Eve. While most of the night went well, sadly, it took a bad turn. My boyfriend and I were separated from our friends and accused of drinking too much despite having only two drinks. It felt very discriminatory and homophobic, given other people behaving very obnoxious and explicit, while we were just dancing and enjoying our night. It felt unfair, unsafe, and I wish my partner and I could have enjoyed our night out in a more comfortable way. read more

David from DNA kicked us out because i gave a drink to a girl to hold at an 18+ event (advertised as 21+), and apparently she didn't have a "wristband" so they kicked us out because she was HOLDING (not drinking) a margarita for my roommate at an advertised 21+ event. The signage was non-existent, and they wouldn't hear us out. Ridiculous, never coming back again because they assume the WORST of their clientele! If it's a 21+ event on social media, why are you letting in underage clientele? Ridiculous Venue! read more

Great place to watch some awesome bands! I was fortunate enough to see someone stage dive and get drugged out like a rag doll. Buy your tickets at the door to save on the over priced service fee. read more

Two level venue with 4 bars. Large dance floor downstairs with stage, upstairs lounge and bar, second dance floor upstairs, bottle service style seating, and an area overlooking the larger dance floor. Typically they play different music on the large dance floor vs the smaller one. Typically mostly straight club for 18+. But they do host gay parties. Ground floor is an attached pizza restaurant. read more

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The DNA Lounge has been around forever. Excellent place to go with friends or to make new friends.

Man this place has gone downhill. I recently visited for two events and had horrible experiences both times. I will most likely never return to this establishment ever again. For the first night I went to see a metal show and for about an hour they couldn't get the sound to work eventually having to skip one of the opening bands. For a venue that's been around as long as it has you'd think they kd have it down by now. They proceeded to offer us a free shot and beer which I thought was a nice gesture. Until I went up to the bar to collect my promotional beverage. Well the bartender snapped at me saying it's only a beer or a shot. Funny how the projected screen said shot AND beer. Whatever I took my beer and finished the show. Rotting Christ was the only reason the night was fun. Hey I get it, smoking isn't allowed indoors. But when you're about to borderline kick someone out for smoking a joint in San Francisco is beyond ridiculous. Take a look outside of your business, there are people defecating in the street, the last concern of yours is someone smoking a joint. Keep up the "great" customer service. I'm positive the original owner would be disgusted of how this place is being run. Literally every interaction I had with a worker was unpleasant. I saw someone say they will pounce on any chance to kick someone out, that is not the vibe I want or spend my money at let alone. Do better DNA read more

Strange experience here. Came for a electronic/funk show and it was not that. Went to the bathroom and had a worker stand outside the one stall in there and make weird comments about me being in there peeing. The music was weird, ambience was weird, and it just so happened that it was 90% dudes there. Pizza was alright. I liked that they offered pizza. Maybe I'll try them again a different night but goddamn I'm really discouraged to ever go back read more

I came here for the first time for Midnight Bloc to see Jokr and there were two separate lines for the main stage and secondary stage upstairs which can be confusing (the one on the left is for upstairs). To enter we had to present our original physical vaccine card or online QR code. No copies or pictures count. Luckily, my friend who had to step out of line to bring up his QR code did not have to go all the way back to the end of the line. We went upstairs for the event and saw that the space and stage were pretty small which wasn't unexpected. I liked that the floors were pretty clean even though we showed up around 11:30pm! The show was great! Just remember that it's almost impossible to hear anyone next to you as the space is pretty small and you are very much right in front of all the sound. read more

DNA Lounge - Jokr above DNA Lounge - Dance Clubs Near Me - San Francisco, California

Woah clubbing during COVID? I would never have thought this was possible again. My friend ordered a VIP booth for Halloween night and I couldn't resist not going. I was a bit hesitant but I figured I'd have my own booth away from everyone else. DNA Lounge makes it very clear on their site which types of vaccine proof they accept. I'm really glad they actually check and don't just glance at cards which can be easily forged. They also actually scan the QR code unlike a lot of restaurants I've been to. Check-in was super easy. Our group was together and they walked us in to the side door bypassing the line and straight to our booth. The booth is pretty large and definitely away from everyone else. Its also upstairs which is nice but honestly the fun area is on the dance floor. I ended up spending most of the night on the dance floor. Unfortunately most people are unmasked on the dance floor. It was about 60/40 but at least I had peace of mind knowing everyone was vaccinated and that they actually checked. Also not as crowded as pre-COVID where people are completely jampacked together. It is crowded but I'm not shoulder to shoulder like a normal club. Another plus was how big the place is with multiple mini DJ booths with other music on the side. Pros: Very large, they actually verify vaccination hx and scan your QR code, alcohol fairly prices, good music, very friendly staff, two stories with a lot of great views of the stage, pizza available which is perfect with drinking, people were very friendly at the club Cons: Cover to enter, aren't really enforcing masking, did have a creeper (as most clubs do) in the back creepily watching people. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall, I had a ton of fun. SF isn't known for clubbing compared to other places I've lived like New Orleans but I honestly loved it here. read more

I've been coming here for years. It's an amazing venue to see small or up-and-coming artists. It gets very packed inside for the shows, obviously, but it never feels like an overwhelming amount of people inside. I think the staff does a good job of making sure it doesn't get too crowded inside. The bartenders here work fast and are very friendly despite how hectic it gets and the drinks are well made. read more

They have food, bar, and entertainment. What more do you need? There is a small room upstairs for live music and a huge one just to the right of the main entrance but this review is for upstairs. Small and intimate. Speakers can be overpowering. Restroom in the back but the men's only has a toilet and sink, no urinal. DNA crew are friendly. read more

Don't go here for live shows. Due to equipment malfunction, and their desire for a lame after party, one of the bands got canceled. Go to a proper concert venue! read more

You will get kicked out arbitrarily if you have a few drinks. The supervisor will go on a power trip. At least they got our coats in coat check for us. read more

The staff checking people in were rude. I asked them if there is a different line for prepaid passes and they answered sarcastically and mockingly to wait in the long line around the corner. The event falsely advertised about getting to skip the line if you pay online. DO NOT go to 18+ night if you're 21+. I had my 21+ ID on my hand, they gave me a ticket and rushed me in with no wristband to buy drinks. I went around to get the wristband and the manager said policy says if you've entered without one you cannot get drinks. I get that they have to be more strict but they should do a better job at being more organized and actually check ID's. I was offered to get bottle service and I showed my ID but the staff did not allow it because of the stupid wristband that they didn't give to us in the front. There was also a male staff member that kept coming in to the women's bathroom for a "plumbing issue." He made all of us feel uncomfortable and wouldn't leave until we shamed him. Apparently this is a common occurrence. This is literally harassment. If they have a plumbing issue, then they need to get a plumber not a creepy man eyeing women in the bathroom. Also to end the night when we took photos at the Photo Booth and were waiting to get them printed. Multiple staff were surrounding us asking us to leave because the event ended but it wasn't our fault that the printer was taking long. The manager finally came by and turns out the paper ran out when the manager checked. We were only able to get a digital copy online. I do appreciate the manager's patience and kindly informed me to ask the Photo Booth company for a refund. Literally everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong at this place. The staff was awful. However I do appreciate the patience of the manager. The only good thing about my experience here were the people on the dance floor. Edit: I forgot to add that as the staff rushed us in without checking our ID, one of them asked to check my bag but I didn't hear them. I asked them what they said but before I got a chance to understand to take my Fanny pack off, they unzipped my bag with the bag still on me. I felt very uncomfortable because my Fanny pack was wrapped around my chest. read more

I'm really glad for the staff, because without them, I would've lost both my keys separate times. I went for the first time for Death guild on Mondays, a sort of goth night with a lot of dance music. Everyone was dressed up (including myself) and it was tons of fun. Coat check is $5, bag check is $10. Street parking is pretty easy to find nearby. Definitely would go again! read more

DNA Lounge - a woman dressed as a skeleton - Dance Clubs Near Me - San Francisco, California