Wow, I came here for a how on Saturday Night (Destroyer (KISS cover band), Plan 9 (Misfits cover band) and White Wizzard (80's Metal cover band) and had a great time. The drinks were pretty in-expensive. I think I paid $3.50 the entire night, which made it really easy to buy drinks for all my friends too. My friends and I had a KILLER night. It was my first time at El Rio and I will definitely be back. Great Dive! read more

Really cool spot to meet people, have events and they do have great drinks! The place is really comfortable.

Went to El Rio today with one of the broke ass Stuart beer passports. Woman at the door said there was $5-10 donation. I told her I was just stopping in for a drink. She said if I wasn't making a donation to go next door to Virgil's. ... if there's a cover charge, just say that. read more

The day has finally come... Wow, I've lived in the mission for years and have always had no problems with el rio. It was always dubbed as a dive bar - but 10 dollar well drinks/average beers, I myself would not call it a true dive but with that said I always appreciated it for what it was. Tried to go to DTR on my birthday. They denied me bc my license expired in my bday. Annoying but fair enough. What wasn't fair was going home, getting my passport and being refused by the doorman who put his hand in my face for no reason. Is this what the gay community has become? This is how we treat each other? Time to move on from the unnecessary lines (no matter how dead it is inside), over priced covers (10 dollars at 2 in the afternoon - are you fucking serious?), below average beverages, and catty employees. On a brighter note - if you're one of the 100s of underaged teens with fake ideas who go to el rio every week - as long as it isn't expired, you should be fine seeing as how the staff are too incompetent to identify legal from illegal forms of id. read more

I'm sad to say, don't go out of your way to come here. Was just turned away at 7:30 pm on a Sunday because it was last call. They close at 9 pm today. Not the first time I've experienced something like this, and I can't figure out what it takes to get in. Happily I live around the corner and can go somewhere else. But I patronized this place pretty heavily once the lockdown lifted, and I'm sad they've forgotten my support. I'm gay and it sucks to be turned away from a gay bar. It's never happened at the Knockout or Clooney's, friendly straight bars close by. I'd like to have El Rio as my neighborhood bar, but they don't seem to want me. read more

The San Francisco Green Film Festival (greenfilmfest.org) held a Best of the Fest screening in February at El Rio, and it was a fantastic experience throughout the organizing process, during the event, and for our guests! El Rio's events/booking coordinator, film tech, bartenders, and general staff were helpful and engaged every step of the way, and helped us to create a very successful and fun event. Their resources for local non-profits support community engagement and help the Mission to thrive! Thank you. read more

El Rio - Best of the Fest Screening & Mixer in El Rio's back room event space. - Music Venues Near Me - San Francisco, California

Dive bar with good beers on tap! $6 for HH. They really do give you a oyster in Friday! It was delicious. The bathroom was also surprisingly clean!! read more

This was one of the worst experiences I've had in awhile. While dancing the dj in the flannel shirt walked over to me and said I was too drunk to be in the front. I've been sober for 3 years. I've heard that el rio is an inclusive place and I'm very disappointed to be proven otherwise. I will not be back. read more

Rude! Rude! Rude! Will never see me there and I encourage you to make your own decisions but I definitely felt unwanted and we should all feel welcome. read more

Was here Friday night and I understand with COVID restrictions, they have rules. My main criticism is how rude the waiter/bartender was. I understand you have to follow certain guidelines but being rude to customers is not a good look. The drink was not even good. Ordered a margarita and got a drink with no salt rim, I mean I figured this was standard anywhere and shouldn't have to ask for it. I have been to plenty of other establishments where they talk to you like people, not kindergartners. Never again. read more

Long overdue review of El Rio. This place rocks! We started coming here for their Salsa Sunday but have been coming here on non-salsa days too. Very friendly crowd, awesome bar tenders, clean bathroom, spacious back patios; pretty much everything you would need to chill in the sun with a drink in hand. It is consider "gay bar" but everyone is welcome and make go feel comfortable here. Highly recommend to check out this gem before this too turn into another condo! read more

El Rio - On the patio at El Rio: the heater, lemon tree and the most important patron of this bar: the cat! - Music Venues Near Me - San Francisco, California

Such a fun, casual vibe to enjoy music in one room, do karaoke in another room, and chat with friends in another. Great place for any size groups too! read more

Awesome patio area. Good atmosphere. I really enjoy how this bar has many different areas with all different vibes. You have the bar, gaming area, outside Patio and then a dance floor/room. The place has good vibes Make sure to bring cash, it's cash only Check it out! read more

El Rio - Music Venues Near Me - San Francisco, California

Shut out to this place 11/10 would return any day. Best bar I've been to in a long time. Smooth outdoor section made me feel like I was somewhere else. Friendly people, no line at the pool table. And cheap ass drinks! 2019 addendum: still good kush read more

My girl and i come very often to salsa sundays, so I decided to propose to heron one of those days. The manager and the staff were amazing. They helped me organize everything, always very responsive to my emails and very punctual with the plan. Dj emotions even helped me record the the proposal and thanks to dmthatthat we have a memory to keep. The manager coordinated everything so well, and made me feel so supported, i can not thank them enough. It was such an amazing day, our family loved the place and we all had an amazing time. Rio is the best place to have a good time, where everyone (gay, straight, old, young...etc) just come together to have fun. It is like going to a place where you can be yourself. 100% recommended. read more

Large bar on Mission in Bernal that always feels like it has something going in. They have pool, shuffleboard, a large outdoor patio, and occasional concerts and karaoke. It's cash only, so be aware of that. But overall a fun, semi-chill place to spend a Friday or Saturday. Day drinking would be great here too given the nice patio. read more

Damn, I really want to like this place. They have a great outdoors area, they host a lot of cool community events, they are very LGBTQ friendly, and they're in a good location. But they treat wheelchair users like crap. They always have, and I'm not the only one. I've effectively been kicked out of this place multiple times for wanting to attend shows in my wheelchair. I understand if your business doesn't make a lot of money and can't provide great access, but do you have to be so cruel about it? Last time I was there I got yelled at for a good couple minutes because my wheelchair was blocking access to a keg that the bartender needed to refill one of the beers on tap. She literally exploded in anger in my face because I was simply trying to exist there. Ugh. Another wheelchair user I know told me of similar experiences. And in over 15 years they still have done absolutely zero for better access. So get drunk here and support whatever progressive cause you want or pickup a date. I doubt this review is going to change much of anything because this place is so trendy and popular, who cares? :/ UPDATE: thanks to this review, the management is finally expressing some interest in accessibility (see their response below). I have messaged them to ask about what improvements can be made and am waiting to hear a response. I will update this review if any improvements are made. read more

I moved around alot growing up. It sucked cause my birthday was always around the first day of school. And there was no way at the age of 11, I was going to introduce myself to everyone in my new school, in my new class and say. "Hey my name is Jessica - and today's my birthday." Nope. And so I celebrated very few birthdays. Had very few parties. And generally never got too excited about my birthday. It blew. But after coming to the RocketDog Rescue event that Laura B organized awhile back- my whole view on birthdays has changed. I was so inspired by the outdoor area. The grilling area. The shuffle-board, the pool table, the cheap quality drinks, the friendly bartenders and the fact that you can bring dogs - that I am going to go all out this year. I'm going to have old school Cher, Whitney, and Mariah Carey songs playing in the beginning. Some Keith Sweat, Next, and some quality 70's songs playing a little bit later. And reggae mixed in with pop for the rest of the night. (A little bit of Britney goes a long way.) I'm going to have grilled angel food cake. Pitchers. Dogs. A shirt making area. A poker playing area.....and _______, __________, ___________ (please send over suggestions) And a bucket full of F-U-N! It's going to be a Jessica Blow-out Birthday Extravaganza at El Rio. Keep an eye out for an invite - say in a couple of months time. Cause... "My name is Jessica...and my birthday is coming up!" read more

Zeitgeist's patio maybe overrated. This place is BOMB. Their back patio is perfect for chillaxing, with its own alcoves for groups or couples. Chilly outside? no fear, heatlamps will warm you up. The kicker is the altar dedicated to, well, a smorgasboard of things: you'll find the virgin Mary surrounded by knick knacks, an old radio and even a Muni bus ticket. Wicked. The bartender pours a heavy hand and I was happy that my Tanqueray & Tonic only costs $6! Enjoy the galactic urinal or the universal toilet, if you've had way too much to drink. Play the shuffle board or put some tunes on the jukebox if you get bored. But most of all, come on Saturday nights for a low-key evening enjoying the night's feature band. (Haberdashers on the night I went!) If you get hungry, Baby Blues BBQ is right across the street. As Mish L. puts it, let the good times roll! read more

Super friendly and awesome dive bar that reminds me of Hattie's in Seattle. Dark, cheap, down to earth. Great music, too read more

El Rio - Came a long way to see French for rabbits tonight! - Music Venues Near Me - San Francisco, California

I have never endured a more rude bartender in my entire life! First of all, we had no idea it was cash only so we ordered drinks and the bartender clearly SAW my card in my hand. After making them he told me $19 & cash only. I only had $15 so I said "Oh ok we didn't know that sorry we will only take 2 out of the 3 drinks then we didn't realize it was cash only" he then proceeded to say "Umm yeah no I can't put the vodka soda back, don't order drinks you can't pay for" and then just say there with a dirty look on his face. My friend and I looked at each other horrified and as we looked around VERY uncomfortable, she spotted an ATM right behind us. Would've been nice if the bartender could've suggested that before having an attitude! At this point I just wanted to leave. So I went to the ATM, paid the fee to get the cash out, paid the bartender, and he literally placed my change on the bar for a second and took it as a tip and pocketed it AS IF we would be tipping him anything after that encounter. We were planning on spending our night there but after that we just headed out. First and last time here! So many other bars in the Mission that you will have a much better time at and not have a BARTENDER of all people being a downer on your night out. -The bartender I'm referring to is a white male with long curly red hair- read more

This bar fucking kicks ass. What I love about El Rio: Huge outdoor patio with heat lamps and BBQ. Dog friendly-Willie enjoyed his first DYL here. Shuffleboard, pool and a couple of tv's inside to catch the Giants game. $2.50 beers and well drinks until 9pm. 9pm!!! What I don't love about El Rio: It's not near my house. read more

El Rio - Wille at El Rio for DYL - Music Venues Near Me - San Francisco, California

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"We have no dress code but a strong preference for tutu's and wigs." How do you not love this place? I arrived all hopped up on cookies & mojitos. I'm not sure the one drink that I ordered could even qualify as an adult beverage. It was watered down cola in a Dixie cup but I had probably already had enough as it was. We lingered near the bar area, got the giggles and stuffed our faces with some cream puffs. They are really cool about bringing in your own food. As I've been dubbed the cupcake lady, that's an A+ in my book. The Rock'N'Roll Camp for Girls was holding an event in the back. We made our way through the patio, got our hands stamped and entered into one of the event areas. The music varied and I give every one of them props for getting up there and putting on a show. As a crowd, we were entertained and there was an un-deniable presence of happiness. If you weren't rockin & rump shaking with the rest of us, you need to get your pulse checked. The patio area looked amazing. We didn't have enough time to fully experience it, as I had to get back to BART. I love that they have the ability to keep the events separate from the people looking to just chill and have a drink. If I find myself in or near the mission and I want to feel accepted, embraced, welcomed and happy - I'll make my way to El Rio. read more

Used to be way better but can still have fun karaoke on Weds nights (depending on the rotating KJs). Music could be louder and they need a stage bad, but it's almost tied with Lucky Horseshoe and Knockout, not as good as Slate and Butter, and way better than Festa and the horrible Mint. read more

Super chill dive bar in the Mission with a spacious outdoor patio. It was crowded but had such an awesome vibe. I didn't spend all that much time here, but it seemed like a great place to hangout with large groups of friends. You really can't beat the Monday happy hours here with $1 Tecate and $3 well drinks from 1pm to 8pm. I came here on a weekend, but that knowledge struck me and now makes me want to come back for more! They have an actual Google Calendar on their freaking website - WHAAAAT!! No excuse to avoid El Rio when you can directly check out what happening here then put it into your own schedule. Tons of cool events from ping pong and karaoke to Bloody Mary nights and live music. Definitely bringing friends back here for a fun social! read more

I came here to support an event called Vive La Rock. Check out the band *insert shameless plug here* Gosta Berling on itunes! This horse shoe shaped bar is bigger than I thought. Upon walking in, I only saw the long narrow bar and the pool table at the end. As I walked further I spotted the beautiful patio and the extra sound room for local artists. I ordered, probably the BEST bloody mary, I've had thus far. The 4 S' of alchemy bliss. Perfectly Spicy, Salty, Sour, and Strong. The best part was the little drizzle of Guiness on the top. Next time I visit, I'll bring a ziploc bag, pour the Bloody Mary concoction inside, bring it home, and use it to marinate some chicken for a BBQ. If I lived in the city, this would probably be a regular spot for me after work. Friendly bartenders, friendly patrons, a beautiful spacious patio, and a damn good drink. read more

El Rio - Patio - Music Venues Near Me - San Francisco, California

Went here for Hard French and became an instant fan! It's really a must... Hard French takes place every 1st Saturday of the month March - November. For a measly $7 cover you will experience a totally chill ass day party that offers free bbq ($3-$5 and they do accept donations) and really cheap but strong drinks. The music features 60s girl groups, early '70s soulful funk, boogaloo, garage & Northern Soul stompers basically music you can dance to but also vibe with if you just want to kick back and look cool. The people are super chill, non-pretentious, and come in a variety of flavors. I saw a man with a full beard and lipstick and a guy in a vest in booty shorts in chilly ass SF weather. Ppl here were super cool. My friend accidently punched a girl in the face while animating a story and everyone was able to laugh it off without unnecessary drama. So it's a place you can come and wave your freak flag freely without worrying about judgment but hey that's most of SF! The ABSOLUTE highlight was the BBQ! They had the most amazing veggie burgers I have ever tasted! Perfectly cooked and the patty was crumbly and flavorful. Soooo tasty and it was FREE!! They also had reg burgers that my friends adored. The photo-booth was a nice feature as well. It was donation based but the proceeds helped a local tattoo parlor that was recently robbed so good cause for some fun. Another great feature was the pool table inside. Great entertainment and it wasn't too crowded. For a simple buck we were able to play a bit of pool for a round. Overall great time! read more

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So I strolled my ass all the way deep down in the Mission to check El Rio out, good call on my part. I dig the feel of the place. The decor has that mellow hang out, shoot pool and get tipsy kind of feel. It's not a dive bar but the patrons are same same divey chill people that I prefer to drink with. The patio is friggen awesome, I landed here on a beautiful day and got to enjoy some some nice warm sun to go along with my Red Stripe. Live music out there too, it's a perfect spot for it. Not enough locations in the city have patios if you ask me, and this one is actually nice too. Shoot some pool, play some table shuffleboard if you have any clue how to play unlike myself, and unwind. Should I be way the hell down in this hood for some odd reason I'll likely perch back up on a stool here and enjoy. read more

El Rio, what can I say about you that we don't already know? Awesome happy hour on Fridays (free oysters/bbq), interesting people, love the outdoor patio with its picnic/park type seating. They have a variety of things going on all the time. A must try for anyone in the city on a Friday night! read more

This is my favorite Mission bar yet. Happy hour that starts at 1PM?! That's how you knowwww this place is crackin'. Throw in FREE oysters (don't be too hasty now) starting at 5:30PM on Fridays AND free shuffleboard and pool?! WHUT. I am sold. Came here with a friend from San Diego, and we had our happy hour drinks: Prohibition (only beer on tap that's dark) and a well drink for $8. NICE. Played a bit of shuffleboard--this is my new bar game addiction! And had an oyster--you can choose between hot or cold, hand-shucked right in front of you! This place is LGBT-friendly with their beautiful rainbow flag raised with pride! And there's plenty of restrooms, bar stools, and the best part--the cozy/neighborhood-bbq-esque porch out back. This is great if you're coming with a date or even with a large party. We noticed that it was poppin' around 4:30PM when we arrived, and there was a huge mixer going on in the back with some group. I am totally down for coming here again if I ever have an early day off to play some shuffleboard and enjoy a pint for $4. I haven't experienced this place at night, but I think they do have cover once it's past a certain time. Big points for their outdoor space, since I'm assuming it gets pretty crowded in the cowboy-saloon-esque dingy bar. read more

Came here on a weekend night, after dinner, drinks and bowling at Mission Bowling Club. This place was PACKED for 11:30pm, with A LOT going on! Live music, food on the patio, multiple bar locations, and lots of fun people dancing! Definitely recommend if you are relaxing or have friends visiting. Very loud, very social so if you are looking at something fun to do and want to drink and hear music and meet people, the El Rio is the place to be!! read more

El Rio - These poor neighbors - Music Venues Near Me - San Francisco, California

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How I love thee, it's making me come back for more. Somehow their back patio got me sold on this baby! One of my new favorite dive bars, definitely a drunken-night type of place to go chill and have fun! I'm coming back here again, maybe SOON! ;) read more

El Rio houses such a beautiful, badass, compassionate-fucking staff, I can't even... I have to drunkenly shout out these babes at 4am. Actually amazing inside and out, those El Rio beebs (Tatini, Eli, blonde qt, all the rest of y'all) are w/o a doubt actual angels/fabulous af/sexy-ass humans that exist on this ridiculous planet to make it fucking better and I appreciate them to the end of stupid ass time. I've seen the staffs beautiful queer ass selves confront a white bro in a headdress on Halloween and make his ignorant ass either take that shit off or leave (queer woke excellence in action) w my drunk loud ass doing the Arsenal Hall fist pump and yell in the background. I've seen how inclusive they are to every marginalized demographic; thus creating such a warm, loving, supportive ass space for the lgbtq community as well as folks (especially femmes) of color. They also throw hella benefits for organizations that are working they asses off to help those that need it most, including Planned Parenthood (that's right around the corner) This space is one of the last in SF that you can actually find a legit (diverse af) community that supports tf out of each other and still manages to feel welcoming to outsiders (as long as you show respect and don't act a fucking fool) Please don't come thru if you don't know how to treat the staff w respect also. Be kind and patient w them, if no one else. Act right or gtfo. I'm not at all sorry for being hella late-night extra. Go fuck yourself if you don't agree. K, byyyyyye ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍ #appreciateyourbarstaff #tipyourbartender read more

Entrance is awkward Looking for the door Right on the Dive-y scene Inside was surprising small Outside patio was open and airy Happy Hour: $1 PBR and $2 well drinks Came here to make my YELP cape on Monday. When reading previous reviews, I envisioned this place to be a lot bigger. The entrance for one thing was quite interesting... bottom half of a wooden door and top half was a carpet? o.O Definitely divey! And cash only!! I do want to come back on a Friday or weekend for their happy hour. It sounds like a blast. Free oysters and BBQ?? Can't wait! Go green take: BART and stop at 24th & Mission! read more

I like how this place serves free oysters in the back area. Happy hour was pretty nice--$3 beers. The crowd is "older," like people in their 30's and 40's. I've never explored this part of Mission St. so it was a cool spot to check out away from normalcy. read more

Fun plays to day time party. Live dj sets and good crowd. Only downside is the long line bathroom situation for such a big crowd.

This is a review for the live music, from the point of view of a band. We've played a couple of Saturday night shows, and they have always been a blast. It's a great venue to play shows at, it's not too small and not too big. The sound is good, the sound guy is great. The people who work there are friendly. When the room is decently full, it has great energy. They are willing to take a chance on all local bands, so they are great for local music. If you promote well and have good bands playing with you, the pay out is good too. So, a great place for live music, either playing or watching! read more

I've wanted to hit this place for a long time and it's a good thing I finally went last night on a Monday night and it was wild. Went in for the $2 dollar well drinks and ended up getting doubles for $4 for a good drink. Atef is a nice guy bartender, fortunately Matt came in to help and he's the one that pours the better drink - not crazy, just a well made cocktail. Then we met the band players from MUNT - yes that's the band name of the year and these guys were not Only awesome on stage, but also just a freaking blast to hang out with and drink. That quick stop at 630 turned into a whole night leaving BLITZKRIEGED at midnight. Fantastic!! read more

I've had mostly great times there. And the bad times have been my own damn fault. Cheap beer, good crowd. The patio is everything I love about day drinking in the City. I'm surprised at the designation as a gay bar. Even though the last time I was there they were blasting kd lang deep cuts :/ So maybe I'm just oblivious about those things... read more

El Rio - We had the patio all to ourselves (drinking at 1pm on a weekday) - Music Venues Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is one of my favorite dive bars in SF. It has such a wide range and variety of people. The patio is awesome Live music on Fridays $2 Tecates ($1 on Mondays) Cash only But definitely a place to visit any day of the week read more