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Gene's Liquor

4.1 (310 reviews)
Closed • 10:00 am - 8:30 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

About Gene's Liquor

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GENE'S LIQUOR ATMOSPHERE

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Recommended Reviews - Gene's Liquor

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Salami and cheese. Toasted and delicious with everything on it.
Jeanette W.

Remember hearing about this place a while back and decided to give it a try and no regrets here. Picked up regular-sized ham and cheese, and a salami and cheese. Both were warm subs and both were delicious. Have been here twice in one week and also tried the chicken sandwich as well. Ordered it through Yelp and sandwiches were ready for pickup when I got there. The second time I had to wait a little since the app was acting wonky, so worth the wait.

Cactus Cooler Soda
Karen H.

I started coming here, or sending my son to get a Cactus Cooler. I don't see it many other places. Orange/Pineapple flavor and Fred Flinstone's favorite drink. Sweet memories spending heat waves wearing WonderWoman underoos, drinking a Cactus Cooler and watching cartoons. (An 8 year old me loving summer vacation !!) Some do's: 1. Do try a Cactus Cooler! 2. Enjoy the music :) - there is a TV screen that let's you know what's playing- 3. Yes, the sandwiches are yummy and when it's crowded it may take a few minutes to get a sandwich, but it's worth it! *The bread is nice and soft thank goodness! (the opposite of Dutch Crunch- there are some of us who want to keep the skin on the roof of our mouth) and Hamik uses white onions- a sandwich makers secret. (i.e. a yellow or red give onion breath and can be overwhelming -but a white onion is slightly sweeter & more mild)* And a don't: Don't stick your finger in that spinny thing that produces digital images.. ! No matter how tempting!!!...

Turkey Sandwich
Thomas R.

We were working nearby and the workers said this is a great place to get a sandwich so I figured why not.. I was really looking forward to eating that day. We made it inside and it's a decently sized corner store market with a tiny station in the front corner for the deli. My sandwich wasn't bad and I went for the regular. Nothing to write home about but I still ate it. My work partner on the other hand had a way worse experience.. he wasn't too fond of the bbq chicken that he got and his chips and soda were both expired by about a month. I dont like to leave bad reviews and the lady was really nice so I'm hoping it was a bad day for them. There were plenty of people doing pickups for to go orders on sandwiches so I trust that they're regarded in the community to a point at least. The expiration dates is what made me feel the need to speak on the negatives to this establishment. Not everybody will be so laid back seeing or consuming things that aren't fresh. Try at your own risk and I haven't shut them out completely. If I work nearby again, I'll give them another chance but I've cut people off for way less

Exterior
John G.

While spending half the morning at the dog park with Jaime, it was time for lunch and I was getting hungry. I was in the mood for some sammich and I realized I had bookmarked Gene's Liquor for a while. I drove to the Sunset and arrived at approximately 1300 hours. Parked across the street and there were two customers ahead of me. COVID guidelines in place and signs posted inside as well as markers on the floor. I took this time to browse the store while studying the menu. It definitely has that beloved neighborhood look and old-school feel. When it was my turn, I decided on the large Gene's Atomic Sub ($13.50) with Turkey, Pastrami and Corned Beef served with mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheese and secret sauce on a French Roll. Unfortunately, they do not have Dutch Crunch as a a bread option, but I did ask for it to be toasted. I got into a pleasant conversation with the owner and told her I used to go to Lincoln and shared my year of graduation. I assumed they had been around since I went to school there, but she said that she bought the place around 20 years ago. I asked where she gets her meat, but she only replied that they come from the best cuts from a purveyor that only offers high-quality meat products. OK...high expectations. I thanked her when she was finished creating my sammich and we exchanged pleasantries. I was impressed by the size since it's similar to Little Lucca's. I drove to Stow Lake to enjoy my sammich and I was waiting for it to wow me after my first bite. Also, for the price point, the portion of the meat could have been more generous as it was lacking in layers. It looked good lengthwise, but didn't have the girth to it. After several bites, it was just OK and the quality of the meat didn't impress me either. They tasted like regular cold cuts you can purchase from a supermarket deli counter. Just my honest opinion. Although it was OK....it didn't live up to expectations, especially when she mentioned she only gets the best cuts. The owner was very nice though and I will definitely give 'em another chance and try their other sammiches. 3 1/2 stars.

Pastrami Sandwich
Sophia W.

I've had sandwiches from this place before and enjoyed their food. But, this last time was very disappointing. I ordered the pastrami sandwich pictured below. The sandwich had too much mayonnaise and dressing and as I ate the sandwich, I had to continually scrape off the excess mayonnaise and dressing. In addition, the service was very poor. After we ordered, we waited 10 minutes and drove to the location, which was about 15 minutes away. So, in total, we thought 25 minutes would be enough time for our sandwiches to be ready or close to ready. My partner went to check on the food with the sandwich maker and she yelled at him saying that she needed more time and scolded him for him coming in before she confirmed the order was ready on Yelp. We waited another 10 min and our order was ready, but still an unfriendly sandwich maker. While I don't like to give low ratings for small local businesses, I did not appreciate the poor service and bland food.

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5 months ago

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1 month ago

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12 days ago

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2 months ago

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3 months ago

The man is back. Now the sandwiches are back to normal. The grouchy lady that had taken over is gone. Back to business as usual

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6 months ago

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1 year ago

I live up the street and I loveeee to go get a sandwich to have with some homemade soup! Perfect cozy Sunday

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

I can always count on Gene's liquor to have what I'm looking for. They are a no nonsense store and you can get in and out quickly.

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

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5 years ago

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3 years ago

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6 years ago

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

If I could give them no stars, I would. The woman who was at the cashier was rather un-friendly.

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5 years ago

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3 years ago

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7 years ago

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3 years ago

The original Gene is back in business, so come get an amazing sandwich from this man! So glad the place is back in good hands!

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17 years ago

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5 years ago

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4 years ago

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15 years ago

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12 years ago

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5 years ago

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5 years ago

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Ask the Community - Gene's Liquor

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3.4(22 reviews)
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Went in to buy a Celsius. It came out to little more than $3, so I decided to just buy another and…read moreuse their 2/$4 deal that they have so clearly advertised. I was rung up and the total was $6 and some change. Told the cashier that it was 2/$4, so he re-rung me and it was 4.99. I just assume sf taxes are a dollar but I didn't ask. Just checked my statements and I was charged 6.52. Listen, I don't care about getting a 1.50 back, but that's pretty slimy! You charged me 4.99 to my face and then changed it later? That's bad business. It was a 1.50, and now you have a bad review--not because of the price, but because of the practices. There are a lot of other gas stations that won't charge you more like that. Crossing you off the list.

SeaBee Liquors Merchant Spotlight Lessons in reliability…read moreduring a Pandemic, and beyond.. On one's way to the beach, there's a block on Taraval & 40th ave, that's called appropriately, The Beachside Taraval. Walgreens is on one corner, and across the street, is SeaBee Liquors; and they have much more than just an excellent stock of liquor, which I have taken full advantage of during the Pandemic. Raj and his family, who own the Sunset Mom & Pop Taraval street store, have provided a real staple for nearby neighbors, especially during the Pandemic. Raj, the store manager, worked hard to keep the essentials stocked for when Walgreens would run out. For the elderly lady who can't wait to get in and eat that one piece of specialty chocolate, SeaBee has the box right up front; each piece of a glorious Ghirardelli square at 49.¢. Miss Maniqua savors the fresh gold penny she receives every morning she comes in. What people in the Beachside Taraval district have come to enjoy is the customization of their shopping experience. SeaBee pays attention to what customers like and need, and adjusts the shop's inventory accordingly. One customer, Peter, who's always out on the bench next door, at The Far Out Gallery, asked for a very special type of Salt & Vinegar Lays potato chips. Now SeaBee has it in stock perennially. Manish, who works at the SeaBee Market, told me that the main purpose of their store is for the customer to get what they need, but also they come here for the experience of buying their favorite things reliably. 'The market adds value to the regular customer's day', Manish says. And certainly during the Pandemic, it was a safe haven to come and get supplies. Neighbors who currently stop for a visit, might find 'the Seabiscuit Market experience', a pleasant mixture of necessities and simple pleasures for all those who enter.

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Raj stocking the excellent liquor wall

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George's Zoo Liquor Deli - breakfast sandwich $7

George's Zoo Liquor Deli

4.6(283 reviews)
0.8 mi•Parkside
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I LOVE THEMED BUSINESSES…read more This can be restaurants, cafe's, shops, and even liquor deli shops too. When I was looking on Yelp to check into the SF Zoo, I saw that George's Zoo Liquor Deli popped up too. Thank you based algorithm. I knew it was only going to get better after I saw the hand painted mural of the owner juggling all of his sandwiches. We were welcomed immediately and they had a playlist of reggae version pop cover songs which was really fun and set the seaside mood. I love the art that they have on the menu of the animals and the touches of personality throughout the shop (I DESPISE corpo minimalism aesthetics), such as the plushies, the photo of the owner, photo of Bill Clinton, and much more. They also have several of their own wines, surfboard wax, and coffee beans/grounded coffee for purchase. Decent selection of everything you can find in a liquor shop and they have a community wall as well. Sandwiches are crafted in house and heated for you and you can see all of the breads that they use there. I got a heated up corn dog (not bad!). We enjoyed our cold sandwich (we were going to take it to go enjoy before a concert at the Fillmore), which was the Zoo that came with ham, salami, turkey and our choice of cheese. All sandwiches come with mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and sprouts. I'm not the biggest fan of sprouts, but this was alright. Decently sized sandwich, not massive, but enough to share to tide you over. Definitely going to be a stop whenever we visit the SF Zoo.

Philip was nice enough to pose for a photo under his painting. I like his shop a lot. Cold beers…read moreand hot food. My avocado, egg and sausage breakfast sandwich $7 tasted good. It paired well with my light beer.

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Menu

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Bagel dog

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Little Original Joe's

Little Original Joe's

4.1(515 reviews)
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I was very excited for this place. The photos looked good, it had been very hyped up to us. But…read moreonly 50/50 on what was good out of the 4 dishes we got. The cast iron garlic bread was very oily and an odd texture, and the ribeye was wildly underwhelming. The cacio e pepe and the brussel sprouts were delicious. Overall, from the hype and the prices...I expected more. I don't think I'd come back.

Little Original Joe's is a not so hidden little gem right by SFSU (go gators). But even tho it's…read morelittle, I can still smell the delizioso italian aroma in my FIN 355 class that's 1.2 miles away from Joes. There have been days where the aroma lifts me off my feet and carries me over there like Jerry smelling his cheese in The Tom and Jerry. Once I'm there, I am taken aback. Not just because I've reached the source of that heavenly smell, but also because I just entered an AESTHETIC ah little shop. There's no indoor seating, but that's not needed when you wanna spend the entire time just walking around, looking at all the little items they have. I tried one of their huge rice crispy cinderblocks, and it was delectable. Once the pizza is ready, there is thankfully some outdoor seating, which, if you come at night, has beautiful tree lighting that's perfect for the AESTHETIC. The pizza comes out sizzling hot, so I would wait 6-7 minutes before you eat. But once it's ready, you'll bite into a once in a life time, flavorful, aromatic, gratifying, golden brown heart-baked masterpiece. This is one of the reasons why pizza has my heart. If you are visiting SF, this is a top tier SF experience. 10/10 aesthetic, 10/10 pizza, 10/10 service, 10/10 location. People always ask me why I chose SFSU. I grab my phone and show them on maps that Little Original Joes is only 1.2 miles from my class. That's my why

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Little Original Joe's
Little Original Joe's
Little Original Joe's

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J.M. Discount Liquors

J.M. Discount Liquors

3.7(19 reviews)
1.1 mi•Outer Sunset
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The couple here is super nice! There's a reason why they have such high rating - because they are…read morea honest couple making a honest living. Unlike the pizza store down the block. If you want respect come here! Recommend highly because they don't play games just business!

First, sort these reviews by date. Nothing new is good. I pretty much never write negative reviews…read more I take feedback to managers or owners. But this place has gotten so bad over the past couple of years, it's time. The people who staff this store couldn't care less about customers. They ignore you when you go in, they (sometimes) blast music really loud so you can't hear what they say IF they talk to you. The things they stock have dwindled to almost nothing but snacks and drinks. Instead of shelving they now have cardboard box "shelves" for things in one part of the store. The last time I was there I put something on the counter and was waiting to be helped and the person just kept stocking the shelf. He was the ONLY person working, looked at me when I came in but didn't say anything, and then turned his back and kept fussing with boxes. I could have taken something and walked right out the door. Not that I ever would do that but it's THAT unhelpful. Then when he finally slowly sauntered over he pointed to a different spot on the counter for check out. 3 feet away. Just go behind the counter and grab the item and move it where you can check it out. I walked out. I "get" that it's hard to find good retail help but the key word is SERVICE. I have never heard anyone say thank you after a purchase, a hello when one comes in. At best one gets a shrug. I was looking for a specific beverage for cooking once and I got a point from the counter. Another time I needed ice and I asked them to help grab them out of the freezer (I needed multiple) and it was as if I asked them to stand on their head. I have lived in the n'hood for more than 10 years and used to go here to pick up a beverage here or there and always threw in other things. Now I go to anywhere else. I tried again today and was reminded just how OUT of TOUCH this place is with what it means to have basic manners and the simplest customer service. The owners need to do a better job of learning about how to run a retail store or sell it to someone who does. There's a perfectly good convenience store a few blocks west and Gus's has plenty of beer and wine. Stay away from this place until they do better. How will you know? If you walk in and they don't look at you or say hello and stay on their phone just turn around and walk out. If they are trying, then see how it goes and come back to Yelp and share it's better. I wish it would be! I miss the former owners and people who used to work there who at least acted like they gave a #!@&. I'd give this zero stars for multiple visits over more than 2 years.

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J.M. Discount Liquors - Lots of new beers

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Golden Bear Trading Company - Corner of Judah & 6th Ave.

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4.7(1.5k reviews)
2.0 mi•Inner Sunset
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We had just left a store over on Irving Street and asked Android Auto where to go for the best…read morecoffee in the neighborhood. Expecting to be sent over to 9th Ave., I was surprised to be told to go to Judah and 6th. It turned out to be a very pleasant surprise! The shop is quite a mix of things. Think of part cafe, part ice cream shop, and part corner liquor store. It is extremely clean, from the dining tables to the rest room. I was very comfortable sitting down here for a snack and a coffee. The baklava was excellent. Your coffee drinks can be made with espresso or Turkish style. We tried both. We have tried coffee at several other places within a mile of this place. I'm surprised that I haven't heard of this before. I will agree that this is the best coffee in the neighborhood. The guy behind the counter was professional, but he could have at least cracked a smile to welcome some new customers coming into his shop.

Why did I pay $9.23 for a frozen microwaved breakfast burrito?…read more When I came in, the guy didn't greet me but was busy watching a game on tv.. I looked back at him and ordered. While paying, I heard a microwave door open and he tossed a packaged burrito in the microwave. Sticker and everything. I was shocked, I wouldn't have ordered it if I knew it what it was. I love supporting local businesses, but I hate feeling ripped off..

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Golden Bear Trading Company - Front of the store

Front of the store

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Gene's Liquor - beer_and_wine - Updated October 2026

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