Great mixology!! Andre and Rodney are the dream team !! From Manhattans to Ghot Pepper Martini s !!

I should be embarrassed that I had not discovered this longtime SoMa bar after all these years, but I refuse to live in regrets. Too exhausting. After all, after nearly two decades of Yelping, you have to forgive me for overlooking a watering hole that really syncs up quite well with my sensibilities. In the late afternoon to the early evening, it's a relaxing, low-key spot. The space is dimly lit but with bright front windows that make it feel welcoming. There are rustic touches to the decor like tree stumps, wooden posts, and maritime paraphernalia strewn about. And you have to love a place that has seat pillows on the bar stools. That's what I call civilized. Anyway, I walked in when I saw a small sandwich board advertising $9 Manhattans. Even though I had not had a Manhattan since the first Clinton administration, I thought I should make an exception (photo: https://yelp.to/Zv2yLb6VGk). In fact, I made a couple of exceptions because the vermouth was smooth and the bourbon quite rich. Plus Chris, the bartender/owner was great company. No surprise that I've been back a couple of times, and the quality of his $13 craft cocktails never wavered. I've had the Oakland Sour, a lovely, rather idiosyncratic concoction with Bok Gin, Cocchi Americano, Lavender Syrup, Lemon, and Egg White (photo: https://yelp.to/jSEmreQlQa). On my last visit, just today, I tried the Good Times, which amusingly looked like a Diet Coke but was instead a smooth, slightly sweetened mix of Four Roses Bourbon, Cherry Heering, Averna, Walnut Bitters, and Orange Bitters over a big ice cube. Periodically there's live music here, but Chris mentioned that there isn't currently a regular schedule. I'd like to come back with Jamie W. for a performance and a cocktail. I also found out Driftwood is a drop-off point for a sustainable seafood subscription service called Sea Forager. To go with its maritime theme, I guess you can pick up a whole fish while you tipple. Glad I found this spot. Like I said, no regrets. COCKTAILS - 5 stars...creatively conceived libations nicely executed AMBIANCE - 4.5 stars...very chill in here SERVICE - 5 stars...Chris does his job very well TOTAL - 5 stars...glad I found it as late as I was RELATED - Exploring western SoMa? Here's a collection of places I've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2H0vGTV read more

See all

Just wow !! Came here in a Friday nite I had no idea what I was in for It was a total accident that I came here I happened to park right in front of the venue earlier that nite When I came back to my car I was in for an awesome surprise We a saw a live dance off Drag Queen dance off Attitude and all LOL Bartenders were great Crowd was great Vibe was great read more

Driftwood - Butt dial (What my drink is called LOL) - Lounges Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

A friend recommended this place, particularly for a date spot, and I've been here a few times on the weekends. Love the atmosphere. The drinks are solid and usually are in the $10-$20, if my memory serves right. The bartenders are friendly and knowledgeable. Will definitely come back again! read more

Driftwood - Lounges Near Me - San Francisco, California

Good drinks & aesthetic. There's seating in the first room, bar, and second back room. Disclaimer: I went for a private event. read more

This place is fantastic! Super welcoming, cozy, and inclusive. Drinks that are reasonably priced and delicious. Great selection. My friends and I happened on this place on a random Fri night and I'm glad we did. read more

After hitting up a wine bar next door, I wanted to switch it up. We yelped places nearby and found Driftwood. My group of three stopped by on Friday, November 17th around 9:15pm. We grabbed our drinks at the bar and ended up at the table by the window to the left of the entrance when you walk in. *Kolsch: Cali Craft, Walnut Creek CA, 5.2% ($6) *Fresh Squeezed IPA: Deschutes Brewing, Bend OR, 6.4% ($6) *Blood & Sand: Scotch, Cherry Heering, Sweet Vermouth & OJ ($11) *Bulleit I just got the kolsch while another got a cocktail. My old friend from out of town grabbed the other beer and shot. I believe the bulleit was bourbon (not rye) as he didn't indicate the kind of liquor. Our bartender was fast and attentive when it came to ordering. The bar has a dive like feel with dark lighting and loud music. Even so, I hadn't seen my friend in a while, so we were still able to talk and catch up for the hour and half we were here. Nice spot for stop for number three on my somewhat impromptu crawl around the neighborhood. I really just needed something light to sip on and Driftwood did the trick. read more

See all

I love this place, I kept driving by it and wondering what was going on! They're always sick seem to be a fun lively crowd sparkling lights and some cool music. I guess this bar always never hit my radar before. Now that they serve food with the caterers across the street it's a double win. They partnered with Mac attack, and they offer a lot of signature cocktails beverages. I'm not a drinker per se so they do have ginger beer. I've ordered two dishes one time the truffle mac & cheese which was absolutely perfect and last night I had the hamburger which was so exceptional it's something you really expect at a five-star establishment the fries were interesting in yummy, and even though I'm more of a kosher pickle kind of guy the sweet and sour pickles were a total hit for me and there's Finley sliced crunchy and delicious I highly recommended! The hosta really friendly and the funky and ample table space makes this a true hit! read more

See all

Want to know why they call it driftwood? Go to the bathroom and take a few nsfw pics with the wood lol. Amazing drinks and friendly bartenders. One of the better bars in SOMA. read more

Driftwood - three cocktails on a table with a strawberry and cucumber garnish garnish - Lounges Near Me - San Francisco, California

One of the queer gems in Soma's necklace. Lovely gay-owned cocktail, beer and wine bar with lovely lighting and ambience. Friendly bartenders with a local neigborhood feel and several themed nights - e.g. Jukebox Wednesday. Some nice nooks exist for tucked away conversations and sometimes they have a DJ on the weekends for a real party with a dancefloor space in the back! read more

Yikes. Wouldn't come here again. So the cocktails were very OK, but the service was embarrassing. The bartender couldn't close out anyone's accounts, then when he got it figured out he swapped me and my friend's accounts. So he had my name on the top of one tab and charged her card for my order and me for her orders. Then I noticed later he gave himself a tips we didn't select.... It's super shady and I would not recommend. read more

Driftwood - Lounges Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is a great bar that I have been to several times, the latest visit was on Pride Sunday. The bar knows how to throw a party with delicious cocktails, fun music, and good people. They even had free food and the punch with the fresh watermelon was divine! read more

Stumbled upon this bar and really enjoyed it! Delicious drinks (we tried the mule and whiskey sour) and fun driftwood decor. Was pleasantly surprised to end up there on a night with live music -- the band was bluegrass/folk and fantastic! read more

Simple and low key bar that is located in SoMa area. They focus on cocktail specialties and the price range is mediocre. Dimly lit ambiance and a small, play piano area to lounge around at. It's an easily overlooked bar lounge if one is not particularly looking for it. read more

See all

Me and a few co-workers had been volunteering at a nearby soup kitchen and we decided to head out for drinks afterwards. As none of us was familiar with this particular area, we asked the Yelp App to point us in a boozy direction and just like a good dowsing rod it pointed us to Driftwood... And boy am I glad it did bring us here: we've had such a good time. The place is cool and exudes a good vibe. The bartender on duty was a very nice chap and he helped us make some good decisions on what to drink. For example, he explained to us where the Lagunitas Sucks Ale got his name from...if you want to know this...I guess you have to come to Driftwood yourself and find out! They have a nice cozy area in the back where you would even fit in with a larger group. read more

See all

Cute and cozy bar! Such a chill ambiance and the bartenders service was welcoming. Come and enjoy some drinks by the fireplace! read more

Driftwood - a person holding a glass with a drink in it - Lounges Near Me - San Francisco, California

Good vibe, great old fashioned! Chris was a charming bartender. Comfortable environment to hang & chat with friends.

When writing this review from a week ago, I totally forgot what Driftwood was. Even after looking at pictures, my friend had to remind me that it was the place with Manhattan Mondays. Either it's totally forgettable, or I had one too many Manhattans. I'd say it's the latter. Looking around Driftwood, there wasn't any indication of their $7 Manhattan Mondays. Must be a secret special or something. Good idea to get people into the bar on a less busy night. Anyways, the bartender gladly obliged getting us drunk on such a simple but delicious drink. When we arrived at Driftwood, there was plenty of seating available, but that's because we got there right before the post-work rush. The volume soon got loud, or maybe I got drunk, and we made our way to another bar. Would love to try other drinks here... And get the chili lime nuts again. read more

Cool little bar with $6 Old Fashioned Fridays. Wish they had more cocktail choices. It's worth a drop by while bar hopping towards Raven Bar, Trademark/Copyright, Cellarmaker, etc. read more

Jovan is a fucking gem. He made our night amazing! We were trying to find somewhere before going to a show and to be honest- Jovan made the night. Great music at this bar too! Drinks were on point! read more

My sister and I both work off Folsom. Me off third, her off 11th. So for our monthly meet up, I figured happy hour at Driftwood would work out as I thought I had been there before. And as I was walking down Folsom, I went past Bloodhound and said to myself "Oh, that's the bar I was thinking!" Fortunately Driftwood is also a solid cocktail bar! As we arrived around 5:30, the place had a few tables taken, plenty of space open at the bar, and a group of gay gentlemen on the far side of the bar starting to fill up - while they have the Pride flag hanging, we didn't know this is a gay cocktail bar, or a cocktail bar with a gay crowd. Either way, we were here for cocktails. What I loved was the "Soup du Jour" menu - basically their drink of the day. I lucked out that it was a mezcal drink and got one. They also have their list of wines and beer behind the bar, and a menu for the cocktails. Before I left I hit up the bathroom. A good bathroom is important for bars and they have two - both very spacious, which I appreciated. So good drinks, unpretentious vibe, a bit out of the way. I could see coming back if I was in the his area. Maybe a pub crawl with The Willows and Bloodhound! read more

Super rude and pretentious bartender. Very unwelcoming and patronizing. This is a pretty mediocre bar. Please get over yourselves! read more

Talk about GOOD VIBES ONLY. I walked in here with my tail tucked between my legs after a horrifying encounter at Southern Pacific Brewing (F that whole place). Walked in wondering if SF had changed into some post apocalyptic world with zero respect for one another but found this place to be AMAZING! The bartender, Brian I think his name was, was incredibly sweet. He told us we could sit anywhere we wanted and he would serve us. He served us and chopped it up with us and we had such a positive experience here! He saved our night from the garbage experience at Southern Pacific Brewing. The bar is cute, cozy, intimate, and updated. Feels like a nice bar in a Big Sur Hotel. And the service was impeccable. Just really lovely and I can't praise them enough. If you're looking for a relaxing and chill vibe, this is it. Would give more stars if I could. THANK YOU! PS- we loved the pups & our bartender read more

Such a great place! I should have written a review a long time ago; however always slips my mind. I have been coming here for over a year now and always love this bar. I was with my two friends doing a Onesie-Bar-Crawl in the SOMA area and was so excited to see that a bar I knew was on the list. Great vibe - FUN BARTENDERS and overall just a place I want to be. I look forward to continued visits. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK DRIFTWOOD!!! read more

Driftwood - Lounges Near Me - San Francisco, California

Excellent service. Thought I'd support my neighborhood bars and decided to check out Driftwood. The drinks are great and the staff is very welcoming. Highly recommend this place for a date spot. read more

Driftwood makes: A) For a cool design concept that's slightly nautical, a few notches of Folsom St. fierce, and 100% beach house-comfy with lots of places to sit and lounge. B) Delicious, expertly crafted cocktails, with enough interesting and distinct choices to cater to everyone's taste buds. C) Chill tunes and vibes with its live DJ sets and other live music. D) For a good night always. The answer is... E) All of the above! The one thing is that they've raised their cocktail prices to $11. When they used to be $10, I truly considered this place a hidden gem. Prices are now on par with most San Francisco cocktail lounges, which I can't knock them for. So I'll definitely keep stopping by every once in a while. read more

Wanting to bond with some new friends over booze last week, and, being in the area, the six of us decided to check out Driftwood, which had been sitting in my bookmarks for months. Having a Langton and Brooklyn over the next two hours, and sips of drinks from the others, I'd say that their cocktails are all pretty solid, quite tasty, and reasonably priced. And, on a Wednesday night at least, the venue itself is a pretty chill and cozy joint, being very conducive to conversation, or, as the couple sitting behind us proved, making out without a care in the world. ***Accessibility Info*** Venue - A medium sized bar with some couch/sofa based seating towards the front and the back. The bar itself is, of course, standard bar counter height, so the former is much more accessible than the latter. Bathroom - Didn't check them out. read more

yes. love. the picture is a decoration they have in the bathroom! do i need to say more? the vibes are great, the drinks are great, and the people you meet there are also great. a nice bar to chill in when you need to catch up with you friends. its also very photo friendly so if you need pictures for the gram, you should come and visit read more

Driftwood - a toy soldier and a gourd - Lounges Near Me - San Francisco, California

I loved this place! It was very cool inside. The decor is very modern. The bartender was super chill and always around when your drink was almost empty. Can't recommend it enough!! read more

Ahh...I may be back here for a chill night of drinking. Came here with a friend when we were scouring the area for a place to sit down, talk, but not be in an entirely empty bar. On a Saturday night, about 10PM, this was the perfect location. We walked in and could go straight to the bar with no problem. Ordered immediately. Bartender was friendly, and could recommend a good beer. NICE. I'll admit...I was nicely alcohol'd before coming here. So...I didn't continue to booze much beyond a beer. It was actually quite perfect for me, as my friend was stressed from work and just wanted to chat. The space was cool. Tables and chairs set far enough away from each other that you don't feel crowded nor lonely. Some people though...find this place a LITTLE TOO COMFORTABLE. I'm looking at you, girl who took off your shoes and plopped your feet on the table! Not even drunk and already gross. You were wearing FLATS. There's no need to free your feet from FLATS. Oh...then you put your DRINK where your FEET were?! Eww. Begone. This is NOT your home. Respect the space! read more

Thank you jaysus. We now have a truly great bar in the 'hood. Killer happy hour, great interior design, great cocktail list, friendly staff, a piano, and a bring your own vinyl policy. Still easy to waltz in and grab a seat in these early days, sure to be thronged in the days to come. Drift on in, you'll get wood. read more

See all

This is an insanely quintessential neighborhood bar despite being relatively new in a regal location. The music is always smart and wonderful and the drinks top notch. Interrogate the bartender over the wine if you go that route. read more

Stoked this place is open, one of the best neighborhood bars. Delicious and fun cocktails, cool seating, fun vibes!

Driftwood is one of those amazing spots that evolves from great to awesome to completely rad as the night goes on. Show up a bit early for a chill space and a nice chat with the friendly bartenders. Stick around a little longer for some live music and the community vibe. Or hold out for the night until the place transforms into a dance floor. :) read more

Friendly bartender Plenty of seating but not empty either Live music Average drinks I wouldn't go out of my way for a trip here but it was a good pit stop while wandering through SOMA. A group of four of us stopped for a quick drink Thursday night and opened the door to a live band and loud chatter. It was easy to order drinks and we found seats in the back. read more

We'd walked around this part of SF for a mile or so, stuck our heads in a number of bars and quickly evacuated those places, and were feeling fairly defeated, when we stumbled upon the Driftwood bar. I'll say up front that there are a number of hipster aspects to this place. So if you have severe psychological allergies to All Things Hipster, you might want to bring your epi pen with you. That aside, I really liked this place. There's a standard wood bar with a number of stools, some chairs at the front of the building, and a few cozy sofas towards the back. There was only one bartender on this particular Saturday night, but he managed to whip up decent cocktails in a timely fashion. I also adored the music they played: the radio was set to a David Bowie Pandora station, which offered a plethora of dance-worthy musical ballads. The guy who I assume was a barkeep assistant was a bit creepy, lacked communication skills, and swept by patrons as if they weren't there while he worked on his chores. He caused enough grief for me to drop my rating from five stars to four. So, hey, guy, maybe you shouldn't work customer service if you can't tolerate people. Nonetheless, the two restrooms they had were clean, and one of them has an amazing phallic sculpture. I took pictures, but I think they might be too inappropriate for Yelp. So you'll just have to go see for yourself! read more

Driftwood - Lounges Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Plenty of seating variety at 6 pm on a Thursday. We had a corner nook of cushions to ourselves. Fruit flies swirled in big lazy circles all around the bar, and that kinda added to the cowboy ambience, but sanitary & civilization has got to win out, guys. The drinks were fine. We had a smoky Sheridan and a tepid Clementina. All cocktails are $11. Not much to say about Driftwood beyond it being A'OK. There certainly are other places working harder for your cocktail dollar. read more

Of all the bars I've been to in SOMA, this one is pretty high on my list of returning to. It has great ambiance, (although a tad too dim for my liking because if it's past 10pm I'll fall asleep), cool vibes, and uses the space well functionally. There's a decent amount of standing vs. sitting room. The bartenders are nice and seem knowledgable. They don't have a lot of extra ingredients if you want something specific, so just find something you fancy and go with the flow (pun kind of intended). The music here ROCKS!! When I come back, it'll be just for that. Also, if you understand how Urban Dictionary defines "driftwood", tell me where you find it. ;) read more

I LOVE Driftwood!! The bartenders are great, friendly, they make a killer Manhattan, and I feel really at home in this bar. I'll be back.

They have Cards Against Humanity! And fairly good cocktails and decent wine and a "living room" vibe. We ended up staying for hours after starting at happy hour and playing Cards Against Humanity with "new friends." There are way too many bars to choose from (and spend mucho dinero at) in San Francisco but this is one of the best in this part of SOMA (along with Bloodhound). I'd recommend you check it out! read more