Apparently it was a 5 star kind of day. After ingesting what may have been the most delicious brunch in my entire life (as I am still waiting for the perfect man to make me the perfect brunch and bring it to me), getting lost whilst driving through the city, and picking up a hot chick...I made it here. As it was the beginning of the second game, the bar was crowded, but not so much that you couldn't move. We did manage to score a couple of prime seats at the bar, and ogle the liquor selection. And what a selection it is. It was Sunday, and as this wasn't a mimosa kind of place, I went with something that I rarely drink- a Bloody Mary. The first bloody was built by the bartender (that's a letter "B" learning sentence for the kids), but on the second I did a build your own bloody. There is nothing like having a pint glass with just ice and vodka placed in front of you, meandering over to the selection of additives and being creative. I have no idea what I put in my Bloody, but it was pretty tasty. They had a good beer selection, and as I mentioned, a liquor selection that has something for everyone. Well, maybe not you, but you're just too picky. It's not the biggest bar in the land, but for a "dive," I love it. I also give bonus points (if I could, anyway) to the fact that you can bring your pooch here. I will definitely be back to do the BYOBM, but not too many, as the bathroom sounds kind of scary. read more

Does a dive bar set up bloody mary bar on the weekends with about a gazillion different hot sauces and other various condiments to choose from? No. Does it have a youngish hip crowd and bartenders? No. Does it have a great selection of beers and liquors? No. Clean bathrooms? Nope. So, anyhow, what I am getting at is that this is not a dive bar. It might not be a lounge but it is surely much nicer than some of its nearby counterparts. Yep, this is a fine place to get a drink and an even finer place to get a bloody mary. I just wish that they would rid themselves of the oversized barrel tables so that they could squeeze a few more seating options into the already cozy place. Bloody marys, no matter how damn tasty they might be, do not taste 1/2 as good if you have to stand up to drink them. read more

My friend Elixir, I would like to address a few concerns. There is a possibility that the earth will de-celerate its rotation, there by having a gravitational effect on my body making me shorter and wider. That said, if said de-celeration happened, and i had to pee, id be screwed because i can barely fenagle my way into your bathroom as it is. Its like trying to parallel park a bison on Market St. Another concern, at the Yelp Charity Balle or whatever it was called, a certain bartendress poured me not one, but TWO shots of fine tequila, of which a man of my stature, proceeded to slam BOOM then BOOM. Im sure you understand my concern, as every bar in the Bay Area was faxed a memo indicating to NOT serve me tequila. It has something to do with ball bearings, the homeless and 5 pounds of orange juice. Dont ask me. I didnt write it. My final concern, after i drank said tequila, i tried using the cloning device by the door. Not only did it not produce a baby version of me, but it kept all the Beard hairs i jammed in the Beard Hair Receptacle slot. I highly recommend you get that fixed at once! It would be a wise decision, Sirs and ma'ams. Prithy thee good day, Mick read more

This is an all around non-pretentious bar. Good drinks, good music, good selection of spirits, and people all around you having fun. What more could you want? The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, the Bloody Marys are outta this world, and whether you're in a buttoned down shirt or a sleeveless hipster tee, you'll get great service and a great drink to boot. The only downside is that it can get REALLY crowded. For being the great bar that it is, be aware that other people like it just as much as you will... so be prepared to share the space, to potentially have to stand, and to have to shout a bit to be heard. One drink in and it'll be less important to you anyway! read more

I've been to Elixir a million times, but it became a little more special to me after I volunteered for a charity bartending event for the Harvey Milk Academy (this school is what SF's about - donate your time or money at www.harveymilk.com.) This was the first time in my life I've ever been on the other side of the bar. I was getting great tips, so naturally I thought that I was an exceptional bartender and forgot that they were really donating money to charity. I was a bartender for all of about four hours and now when I order a drink at any bar I give the bartender a knowing look as if to say that somehow we're kindred spirits. Yes, that pun was intentional. On a block of dive bars catering to disaffecting, lolling, but never LOLing, 23 year old hipsters, Elixir's what's missing. The mix of people and music are both kind of all over the place in a way that feels eclectic, not erratic. The bloody marys are fantastic and the beer list on tap is also great. It looks like a pub and feels like a pub, but don't let that get in the way of trying one of their signature cocktails. I just popped over to their website and discovered...the little corner mission bar is pretty nationally renowned (GQ, Food and Wine, Esquire, NYT, NPR, etc) You know what this means!?! More bragging about the four hours I spent washing glasses - I mean mixing cocktails. read more

UPDATE: 10/16/07: I was contacted by the owner of Elixr, H within 24 hours of posting this review apologizing for any inconvenience I may have been caused, supplied me with a direct email address and asked me to email him all of my info if the charges were not resolved so he could research on his end. Luckily, my bank released the funds on it's own and my account was not officially charged. Due to the bank holiday last Monday - it seems it just took a bit longer to resolve the charges. Still doesn't explain the charges - but I really do appreciate H taking the time to reach out to me though - and for his awesome customer service and for that - they get the extra star. :) Go see H and the rest of the Elixr crew - they'll treat ya right! ************************************************************************ Pure awesomeness. Stiff drinks. Nice bartenders. Incredible company - This was the kick off to my Thursday night in San Francisco. Elixr's bartenders poured heavily and got us quite buzzed quickly - I guess it also helped that they were doing free tastings of Tequila that evening... which only allowed the guys in our group to cross the "finish line" more quickly than normal.... My only complaint (and minus one star) - is that 5 days later, there are still 2 pending charges totaling $100.00 on my bank account from starting a tab there...had I actually PAID for the drinks at Elixr - it wouldn't bother me... but one of guys in my group paid the tab without me knowing and gave my my card back.. and yet - $100.00 with Elixr's name on it is missing from my account and hasn't been released... WTF? read more

This is a great bar and that's about all you really need to say. Nice people good beer, four unobtrusive TVs, each showing a different ballgame. A good punky, grungy, quirky jukebox. Oh and good beer (did I say that already?). I loved this place back when it was Jack's - but they always had too many beers. Yes - that's right too many. Read my other reviews for comments on beer-freshness. Some of the beers were selected so infrequently ta ht drinking them could make you a little queasy (ask my brother-in-law!). Elixir has a good-size selection of about a dozen good beers - although, for my money, they could do with just ONE.... Old Speckled Hen. Blah blah blah... did I mention the Old Speckled Hen? Let's cut the crap. That's really all you need to know. Old Speckled Hen. (A good place for a dog - they provide cookies AND a beverage!) read more

For a long time, I was scared of writing this review, because while I love you people, I don't want to see you here. The place is crowded enough, and honestly, sometimes I need a break. Then, I realized: no one reads my stuff anyway. So that took a load off my mind, I can assure you. That frees me up to say: this place is awesome. Good beer selection, the bartenders are actual bartenders, not merely beer-pourers-and-bottle-openers. They take credit cards (seriously, WTF is up with bars that don't take plastic? I usually carry more than a fair bit of cash with me, but if I'm not alone, and have my drinking pants on, no reasonable amount of cash is going to suffice). I had a celery gimlet here one time, and it managed to taste more like celery than celery itself. It was like Blade Runner, but in my mouth. [The first person to truly understand that gets a free drink at some bar that's not this one. Plus, I'll help him move out of his mom's basement. That's me: I'm a giver.] The only thing that could be improved is that the bar could be a little closer to my house. As it is, it's like 7 blocks, which means I can't always drink as much as I'd like to. It's statements like that that are going to result in me starring in my own favorite TV show. Until then, though, you can catch me at Elixir. But don't. Really. read more

An Elixir by definition is a sweetened, flavored solution of alcohol and water that acts as a medium for a drug and masks its taste...Unfortunately, Elixir left a somewhat bad taste in my mouth, not a horrible one but not exactly ambrosia if you catch my meaning...In short, I found Elixir to be rather pedestrian, a tad bit on the too cozy side for my tastes and not all that engaging...a decent enough place for Happy Hour but alas it was the people that made the evening not the establishment... I think the best way to sum up Elixir is to say it was OK - nothing more, nothing less... read more

A few years ago, a friend who lived down the street and I walked by this place and I asked him what it was like, since I had never been. He said to me : "Its the kind of bar where people say shit like you know, if you really think about it, ESPN is like CNN... but for SPORTS!". I was reminded of this last night, when I hit up Elixir for a Yelp Senior Citizen happy hour and found my access to the jukebox DENIED because of some college basketball game. Not even major leagues. Uh, I mean NBA. Go Mets!!! Anyway, I have never been to a bar that has forbade me from listening to music because of a sporting event. Do people really want to listen to the commentary? WTF, right? I was ready to write this place off in my usual curmudgeon like manner, but had my heart easily purchased when the bartender graciously bought me a drink an hour later. Nice move, dude. Maybe I'll come back. Maybe. read more

Ok, so they do get points for being dog-friendly, but that doesn't really mean much. The "organic" drinks menu looks great and delicious, but unfortunately i wasn't lucky enough to actually TRY one of them. Several reasons: 1. I happened to stumble on Elixir on a fundraiser night, where all the bartenders were working to collect money for charity, so they weren't regular bartenders there (ergo, they weren't very good and didn't know the drink menu) 2. One bartender (regularly) for a whole bar doesn't seem like quite enough; especially for that location. They get a lot of foot traffic and should prepare themselves to handle masses of people demanding drinks. In my opinion, overrated. But then again, who cares about my opinion other than me? read more

Friendly bar staff, though of 3 people wandering around back there only 1 seemed to be serving drinks. Still, he was quick and skilled, able to whip up the seasonal specialty cocktails with ease. It's a modest space with an extensive (and high-end) liquor selection. The bathroom was clean, but be careful - if they propped the back door open for ventilation, it's easy to walk right PAST the men's room and find yourself in a labyrinth out back! I definitely appreciated the coathooks under the bar. Overall, solid option for a drink not far from 16th/Mission BART. read more

This place is truly A-OK. It's a fun, non-descript bar in a great location. I had a reeally fun time here but I think that was due to my awesome friends more than the bar! The cosmos were average priced for SF, $8, and deliciously icy. I'll have to find out if they have some kind of Happy Hour, because if they were cheaper I could have gotten a lot more cosmos!! However, the Malibu Pineapple I got later was horribly sweet, not really drinkable, and as you know that is usually my favorite drink. Yes I'm embarrassingly girly! So unfortunately that moved Elixir down to my "ehhhh" range. We played darts with some fun guys, and I helped my team win even though I missed the board COMPLETELY on my first few tries. It's true that the more you drink, the better your aim gets... It was pretty crowded, so we moved on down the street to scout out new locations. I can't complain about the crowd though, that's what happens in the mission on a Friday night and everyone I met was really cool at least, so who cares if they're bumping into you left and right? After bar crawling and grabbing some greasy Mexican food, we ended the night by coming back to Elixir. It's one of those places that's just nice and homey, especially if you are lucky enough to get a table and chairs. It was a nice place to hang out because the music wasn't too loud and the people weren't too crazy drunk! Unless I'm having a Malibu Pineapple craving, I will return to Elixir next time I'm in the Mish, for sure :) read more

I had avoided this joint all these years because I thought it was claimed by the hipsters. My visit Saturday proved otherwise, and made me feel pretty lame for prejudging a business I hadn't been to because of association. We walked into this place in the early afternoon on a Saturday. First of all, I'm a little hungover and they're playing Black Sabbath. This shouldn't work, but it totally did. We started with a bloody mary and were asked if we wanted to make it ourselves. Awesome. We moved onto a couple of beers before discovering their cocktail list. This place is like Rickhouse or Comstock without the assholes in 1920s clothes! We had a fresh watermelon-mint concoction that was pretty damn refreshing. In the middle of the day, some dude pushes a rickety old grill outside onto the corner of 16th and Guerrero and fires it up. Turns out their getting started on a $5 all-you-can-eat dogs and burgers thing on Saturdays. I like a bar that feels like a goddamn bar, ya know. This place does, but then it has everything else that makes ya go to places ya might not dig. The incredible liquor selection (especially whiskey), good beers on top, great bartender, bloody mary station, good music, and mixed crowd of friendly patrons makes this a perfect bar in my book. Final note: So last night I'm dropping deuce reading GQ (I didn't buy it) to find out this this joint is recognized as the 17th best bar in the country. Weird. Mind you, Comstock, Rickhouse, and some other bar made the brief list of 25, but all those places are new players on the pretentious speak-easy scene. Elixir has been around since the mid 1800s. They aren't pretending to be going through prohibition, they actually went through it. read more

Neighborhood saloon like bar. A little bit older and not as diverse crowd as I would've thought. Good taps and efficient bartenders though. Hard to get a table because this place was fairly crowded on Thursday night. Not really much of a scene here which is cool, but then not really my type of scene here either. Maybe when I'm 15 years older and when I start listening to NPR. They have Chicharrón here for $3 bucks, ps. they sell Chicharrón at every local Mexi-mart for $1. They do have a nice jukebox though. Hall & Oates, Christopher Cross, and Bone Thugs was $3 bucks. read more

Archie: Is it me or is that chick staring at me? Bear: Wow, looks like it. Archie: Should I go up to her? Bear: Of course you should, you should..oh shit..here she comes Girl: Hi. Archie: *sucking in gut and puffing out chest* Hi. Girl: Can you do me a favor? Archie: *expecting some sort of elaborate super cool Entourage-type exchange* Sure. Girl: I am trying to txt my boyfriend to meet us out and I can't get a signal, since you're by the window, can you hold my phone out there to try to get a couple bars? Bear: Ha! Archie: Sure. Small, cool place. Not very good cell coverage though. Unless I am there. Signals. read more

Elixir is one of my new favorite discoveries! I came in mid-December and I was lucky to sit at the bar next to the bookkeeper, who was telling me the history of the place. At first, I didn't know what to order and she had asked the bartender what was in the pot that she was currently stirring. Turns out, they had some hot apple cider. I asked the bartender what she makes with it and she told me brandy. So, I had to go with it. It was really good and hit the spot. The bartender was awesome as well and really sweet. I'm really looking forward to coming here again especially during one of their many events. read more

As if San Francisco didn't have enough advantages over LA, another one finally dawned on me: the drinks are cheaper here. I realized this because when I went into Elixir, the $9 price tags on the cocktail list seemed expensive. But then I realized that these aren't just cocktails, these are some of those uber-gourmet, immaculately prepared cocktails that SF Mag is always citing as the big new trend in drinking. I got to try a sip of two different ones, and they're out-of-this-world, so consider me sold. The best part? Reflecting on how you'd be lucky to get a drink like this for $12 in LA. And, if $9 cocktails aren't your thing, you can grab a $3 Sudwerk Maibock (a microbrew from Davis). Either way, the dark wood walls and sultry lighting give Elixir a classic, unbeatable ambience that will make your drink taste even better. And they even have trivia nights, which is rare for a bar this refined-looking. All in all, as close to a perfect bar as I've yet been to, right down to the name: potent times to be had here, indeed. read more

I was a teeny bit tipsy when I arrived at Elixir and I left pretty intoxicated. Soooo the booze is strong and the bartenders know how to whip up some mean cocktails. My friends and I came on a Saturday night and it was packed. This bar is already small to begin with, but add in some rowdy bar goers and it can be claustrophobic. Elixir's architecture and decor are old classics: wood furnishings, dim lighting and arched walls. The crowd is a mix of young hipsters and old-school gents. Seating and space are limited so be prepared to cozy up with some new pals. The atmosphere is lively with no shortage of excitement. The noise volume is what you'd expect at a popular dive bar. I've always had an impression of dive bars as grimy and loud so it's difficult for me to fall in love with one. Beer and drinks are reasonably priced for the area, although they don't have a large selection of beers on tap. Since I like my fruity drinks, I asked for a Sex on the Beach. The bartender had to poke around to make sure he had the right stuff to make it. Luckily he did and it was pretty good! The bartenders are actually quite entertaining and charming. One of them even took a shot with us! Final verdict: I'm not too fond of overcrowded dive bars so I won't go out of my way to visit. However, if I'm in the 'hood, I'll drop by for some raucous fun! read more

Ok first and foremost San Francisco, this is not a dive bar. When I think "dive bar" I think: sticky floors and a bathroom that i'm scared to go in. This place has neither. It may not be winning beauty contests any time soon, but it's just a bar. Period. And that's perfectly wonderful. I feel like sometimes bars get slapped with the "dive" title to boost how impressed you'll be when they actually make a good cocktail. Like there's an unspoken rule that if the floors are sticky but they make a drink with an absinthe wash, it's an automatic happy place. The truth of the matter is: it doesn't matter how gross or sparkling your floor is, if you don't know what you're doing with that absinthe, you're screwed. Elixir knows what they're doing. They don't need a gimmick - they just make a damn fine sazerac. From the ooos and ahhs of my drinking companions, i'd wager to say, they make a damn fine pretty much anything. So no, this isn't a dive bar. But is a bar with a comfortable vibe, acceptably clean floors and badass cocktails... and really, isn't that all you need? read more

At the ninth bar of Christmas I bought myself for me: One vodka Red Bull One PBR One Fernet One PBR One PBR One Jack and Coke One PBR One vodka Red Bull One pint of PBR I don't like this bar generally. It's small and awkwardly and stiffly furnished. The people tend to be just as awkward and stiff. White collar-ish too, and nothing against that - it's just not my bag, baby. We had fun here on Christmas though, and they tolerated us so... three stars. read more

OK so last night after asking the yelp gods to help us find a place to watch the NFL's opening game with no such luck, I asked my good friend google to help us find an SF sports bar. Got some immediate gratification when there were plenty of top 10 sports bars in sf returned in the search field.. To my astonishment, elixir was listed in about 3 recent top tens, Now I am thinking, whaaaat... that little corner bar by our house with all those old people and dogs is a sports bar... get out of here.. So to our delite we weren't going to have to head over to the financial, or marina area to get some beer on while watching some pigskin. . . Off we go. . . Get there, grab a seat, order two beers... 9.50.. wait, i thought it was happy hour?? gasp, okay, so gf elects to run a tab, they take debit cards, bartender promptly says, its a twenty buck minimum (okay isn't that going against the merchant service agreement they are binded to with visa, mastercard etc etc? you cant add surcharges and or minimum fees right?? or am i wrong..) Anyways, the bar was filling up with people with a look in there eye like a hungry wolf, a wolf hungry for fooootball. Great, they have four TVs, ones on a Boston redsox game.. nope, one is on a tennis game... NOPE, one is on college football.. We's getting warmer here.. and yes the plasma in the corner is on NFL network pregame countdown... JACKPOT.... until 530 rolls around and its still on the NFL network... someone ask the bartender to put it on the game channel and she looks at them with the glare of someone ready to pounce and kill.. 545 rolls around, finally she gets around to picking up the remote and hitting a button.. bingo, first quarter about half way done.. but its okay we have a game! But wait... the jukebox is still going... girlfriend now intent on not only seeing football, but also hearing football ask the bartender for some volume... she gets evil eyed by the bartender.. are you kidding me??? Okay, so the volume goes up just enough so you cant hear anything, juke box is still going.. people are starting to look pissed.. about 5 minutes into the second quarter we see the bartender mute the friggen TV... So we finished up our second beer, and scooted over to delirium, Genea was watching the games on both TVs, with volume cranking, cheaper beer, and actually got to enjoy the rest of the game. . . moral of the story is don't pretend to be a sports bar if it bugs the living crap out of you to have to put up with people who want to come in, and give you money that pays your bills and want to watch uhhhhh sports. oh and bartender person.. seriously lose the attitude read more

I have frequented many many endless bars and to be behind the bar of Elixir is an experience. The bartenders were chill and super helpful to the neophyte mixologist. The space is dark and welcoming and the booze is abundant and they have a pretty good mix and choice of hard alcohol. They have Corralejo Tequila which is one of my favorites...not many bars have it. They have a crap load of beers on tap and it's smack dab in the middle of the Mission. Any bar that allows newbies to pour for charity is O.K in my book! read more

It's... aiite. I've ended up here on more than one occasion.. On each of those occasions, it took a good while to get my drink (what gives?). With that said, I didn't even bother to order a beer the last time I ended up here (even though I knew I would be here for awhile). read more

This is an "event" bar where there seems to be all sorts of things going on depending on the night. It feels more like a pub than a bar because of the low tables next to the windows. My usual haunts are dark and dank and not exactly the kinds of places that people walking by on the street want to be able to see into. But windows are a bit refreshing. I've overdone the dank and now could use a little light from the outside. Good brews. Full bar. Bit of info for the ladies: -Don't eat a sandwich and then try to squeeze into the restroom. Something went wrong in there. -There's a hot bartender who will chat you up if you place strange items on the bar in front of you. For reals. Try it out. read more

OK. I feel like I don't even want to say this, because its the bestest thing ever...and I don't want you to crowd me out. But, I love this place so much, I'll let you in on the secret anyways :). On pretty much every Thursday night, Elixir has cocktail night. Which means a booze company comes in and makes everyone a ton of *free* drinks featuring their booze. You also get to learn a ton about how that particular booze is made, and meet some other cool drunkards because the crowd at this place rocks. You're welcome...you should buy me a Christmas present for telling you that...or at least include me as your AA sponsor. read more

LAME. I put my drink on their wobbly table, and as i rose up it completely spilled all over the table and floor. I felt extremely bad until the bartender came and cleaned it and said it's ok, it happens to EVERYONE. Umm hello?? if it happens to everyone, why don't you fix it to avoid the problem over again? I didnt even want to bother getting another drink because my last one was full and only sipped on and i wasn't spending anymore in there. Other than that, just watch out for that table. It's still a bar and a place to drink responsibly. read more

I really enjoyed the time we spent at this bar. Like many places its an old building, but it has a nice dark decor inside, and it had a nice dark and old world feel to it. The beer selection was small but good, but the only beer you should be drinking is the oak barrel aged marzen that they brew themselves and have on tap. I don't know if its something they have on tap all the time, but if they have it you owe it to yourself to at least have one glass if you are any kind of beer fan. (But my guess is once you have tasted it, you will have more than one!) The bartender was friendly, the other patrons seemed to be friendly, and it seemed like exactly the sort of place I would make my regular watering hole if I lived nearby. In fact I would have stayed here all night if it weren't for the fact we were visiting with someone, and at a certain point the jukebox got turned up loud. Normally I wouldn't mind that, but since we were there specifically to meet up with someone, it made it hard. Out of the 4 places we went to on this night, this was my favorite. read more

I'm sad to say I only stopped in Elixir long enough to walk through the bar and use the bathroom (which was pretty clean for midnight on a Saturday). The place seemed pretty cool. The room was larger than most of the bars I have been to in the mission. The room was crowded but not suffocating and the mix of people seemed good. I look forward to going back and testing out the bar. read more

I like Elixir. Everybody likes Elixir. With that said, you won't remember it for the crowd, service or ambiance alone because, while they may meet your expectations, those factors alone won't exceed them. But, from the looks of the other reviews, they seem to put on their fair share of fun events (free tastings, trivia nights) so maybe I should check out one of those before judging too harshly. Overall it's very much a 'neighborhood bar'. If you don't know about it and pass by, you'll like it. If you go in with high expectations, you won't see what the hype is about. So...either go on a night where they are hosting an event or go in expecting a decent, neighborhood bar. read more

Possibly the best Bloody Mary I have ever tasted!! Note they only add bacon to their Bloodies in the day time.. I found this out the disappointing way :( This place is cool, really old school, with plenty of beer choices and a generally impressive drink menu! I will be back to review this menu in more detail if you know what I mean ;) The bar is pretty small so gets a little cramped but that is part of its charm. It has a touch of English pub about it, so I like it read more

I'm loving this place! My 5-star rating... it's cause they have Leffe Blond on tap... where else have I been able to find that? NOWHERE. And I've been lookin and lookin for somewhere just to buy my favorite Belgian Ale. Amazing. On top of that, this place has great energy and great people whirling around. I met a bunch of people just sittin at the bar with a buddy. And plenty of good music too. Bartenders were attentive and always keepin an eye on us. I'd recommend this place as a great place to come meet me on Saturday and Sunday afternoons cause that's where I'll be again and again. read more

Keep trying to like this bar because it's supposed to have good cocktails, but I keep finding the staff rude and uncoordinated, the crowd pretty disrespectful and the prices too high for how poor the cocktail quality and cleanliness are. Go if you really like hipster environments, otherwise you will probably not enjoy, nor be welcome here. Plenty of other great bars nearby! read more

I went to Elixir for the first time to wage yet another war with my liver and fraternize with my fellow Yelpers, and found it to be decent. The bar itself is a bit small (but most bars would probably feel small when descended upon by hordes of thirsty Yelpers), but it's the bar's personality that failed to leave an impression on me. It felt kinda generic inside, which is saying a lot when you're talking about a place in the Mission. On the positive side, the staff was fantastic, and the drinks were strong and very fairly priced. This would be a good place to go if you want to take a break from the 16th and Valencia craziness, assuming it's not as packed as it was on my first visit... read more

Elixir is a good bar, a pub-style place where you can rev up the juke box and drink an Old Speckled Hen while telling stories with your buddies. Elixir did a great service to the community last night by saving a few fuck-nut customers at Double Dutch from getting punched in the face by almost every guy in our group - who are not overtly violent by nature, but can more than hold their own against a drunk douche-bag. Nothing against Double Dutch, it is the Saturday night Mission crawlers that think shoving is the same as saying "Excuse me". Thank you, Elixir, for being an oasis for us to park our 1:00am butts. I apologize for singing along to "Girls" by the Beastie Boys with a poor excuse for the right lyrics. It sounded right to me at the time. read more

Ended up here while waiting to get seats at a restaurant down the street. It was much busier than last time we was here, but the service was still good, the bartenders were friendly, and the drinks were great. They even have several cocktail menus with fresh seasonal ingredients (unfortunately they ran out of strawberries.) which i don't expect to see at a bar that is somewhat dive-ish. Great watering hole, highly recommended. read more

LOVED this place. It may have the look of a dive bar, but it's first class service all the way. I'd actually go so far as to say it's my favourite bar in San Fran. It's a cosy little spot out in the Mission - dark and worn around the edges, but with some cool decor and a lovely wooden bar that's perfect for perching on and getting through their beer and cocktail menu. There's a massive choice of both, though I was exclusively on the cocktail buzz this time round. Excellently made & presented - each one was better than the last. The two barmen who were in that night were the highlight though - friendly, courteous, genuine, knowledgeable, the lot. All round stand up guys really. Can't wait to go back. read more

Another good bar in the Mission. Nice wooden bar, good atmosphere, cozy yet aesthetically pleasing. They now serve Absinthe (it's legal, you know), but didn't heat the sugar like you are supposed to. (The dripping of the sugar is k-k-key. The whole production element to serving Absinthe is part of the deal, and I can tell you, it does not taste the same the way if you don't do the full lighting of the sugar and the dripping it in.) (Not that I really know: probably there was some reason for this approach, but it wasn't how I've seen it done in New York and London.) But I quite like the bar generally. I really don't know why anyone would go out anyplace except the Dogpatch, the Mission, and in between. Except for the Tenderloin, of course. read more

I love this place! Elixir looks like the kind of bar where you should order a beer, yet their cocktail menu is just too tempting. The fresh ingredients and creative mixes remind me of those at Cantina, yet Elixir was much less crowded and the prices were better. Since we were here on a Tuesday evening, I'm sure there are times when this place is packed as well. Great staff, good music, close to BART -- I think I've found my new favorite SF bar. read more

Eh. Fine but not recommended. The bar got crowded as the early eveving went on. There was also a scotch company promoting their wares if you could get to the samples. A lot of dogs in the bar. I like dogs but I don't like the idea of trying to navigate through a literal dog fight to get to the bar. As this is an indoor bar not sure if that is kosher. The customers with the dogs also didn't seem to be able or interested in controlling their animals. I had been under the impression that Elixir was a cocktail specialist but most everyone was drinking beer and that was the focus of the place. I did try a gimlet and at first the bartender forgot to put any sugar or sweetner in it so it was off. They added in agave which made it better but it still wasn't up to snuff. At least it was inexpensive. Elixir is a narrow bar and it can be tough to get to the bar to order a drink or to snag a stool. At least Mission Street Food afterward more than made up for it. read more