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    Ginger's

    4.1 (44 reviews)
    InexpensiveGay Bars, Cocktail Bars
    Closed • Closed

    Ginger's Photos

    GINGER'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Trendy
    Classy
    Casual
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Ginger's

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    Reviews With Photos

    Outside
    Jerry C.

    Being born and raised in San Francisco, but having moved away 20 years ago, I frequented a lot of SF gay bars "back in the day." I'm pretty sure I've been to three incarnations of Ginger's. This LGBTQ dive is hard to find, in a side alley off Kearny St in Downtown. Luckily my friends brought me. It's almost like a speakeasy, down in the basement of Rickhouse. It has all the gay bar basics, like a pool table, small drag stage, cubby corners, and cute bartenders. An added Yelp star for Ginger's paying homage to SF gay bar history via their cocktail names. Endearing and clever, most of the younger crowd probably don't even realize why the cocktails are named that way. Of the 13 cocktails with historical and closed bar names, I've been to 9 of them scattered throughout SF Castro, Polk Gulch, SoMA, Mission and Tenderloin (I'm really aging myself)...like Metro, N'Touch, The Gangway, Este Noche, Daddy's, Marlena's...hey where's QT? The bartenders were fun and our group had a great time. I want to return when Ginger's reopens. I love dive bars like this!

    Bar
    Liz B.

    Ginger's is worth searching for. And trust me, you won't know it's there until you look for it. Stuck at the end of an alley way, this cute dive bar has great music, attentive bartenders and a bunch of funny cocktail specials. I mean, it's a gay bar so you're obviously going to have a lot of fun with these drinks! Came here on a Friday afternoon after work for one last sendoff for a dear coworker of mine. Honestly, it was basically empty around the time I got here, maybe 4pm or so. I just got a cider and eventually the atmosphere perked up and a few more people trickled in. I have to say, I'm glad I left early because it's a small basement. I'm sure as soon as more people slowly come in, it'll be standing room only. There's a few tables and booths, a pool table, and restrooms somewhere in the dark. Ginger's is decorated in all the colors, lively, and fun with great music. Great for after work drinks or a low key date. I hear they have shows a few times a week too. I'm guessing drag shows and music? Look them up!

    Jon L.

    Hidden gem of a bar in the basement of Rickhouse. Cheers to this reincarnation of Ginger's. It's just so great to find a spot after work in the FiDi where you can find seats and enjoy a drink. Speaking of drinks, the lovely bartenders here mix up great cocktails. My personal fave is the Ghost of Ginger's which is a refreshing gin concoction with plenty of mint, ginger beer, and sparking wine. If you like gin and Moscow Mules, you'll probably like this too. If you're a fan of tequila, the Esta Noche is a pretty popular cocktail too. Plenty of seats, pool table, friendly bartenders, and lovely drinks make Ginger's a lovely spot for post-work drinks.

    Erica C.

    Cute place located down a small alleyway just past Rickhouse. Look for the rainbow flag at the entrance or you might miss it. After being carded you walk down the stairwell into an eccentrically decorated lounge are with pool table and stage. Several nights a month they host a drag show, which I didn't get the chance to see. During my visit DJ was playing 90s music and everyone was friendly. LGBTQ friendly and very comfortable atmosphere. Friend and I had a fun time here singing along to music we grew up with. Drinks are reasonably strong and well priced.

    The bar area with decoration.
    Jamie J.

    I love this somewhat hidden gem and that it's located outside of the Castro district. It felt like a gay speakeasy because you walk through the alley to get to it. Not that the bar is hard to find, but it's not on a main street with through traffic and it sits across from a parking garage. You go down the stairs and you find yourself in a cool space which was fully decorated for Halloween. The music was on point and the bartender was very friendly. The drinks are fairly cheap which is definitely a bonus and rather hard to find in the area. I would love to come back here during the weekend for my next visit because it felt like a place that's more my speed.

    colorful umbrellas hanging from the ceiling

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    7 years ago

    We had so much fun! The drag queens were amazing and the costumes very colorful! Even the drinks were good and reasonably priced.

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    8 years ago

    Amazing low key gay bar in the Financial District! Good drinks and friendly gays! Perfect to end the night after dinner

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    8 years ago

    Cute place, downtown, down a little alley, and down some stairs. Great cocktails and a cool vibe. Frequent drag shows, too!

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    8 years ago

    Good cocktails and beers , good music , great atmosphere, very friendly service ,nice decor for Halloween

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    9 years ago

    Love the Drag shows by the veterans from Marlenas and Esta Noche!!!! Every two weeks. Welcome addition to my area.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Ginger's

    Is Gingers currently open and what time do they close?

    Is Ginger's wheelchair accessible? (I know Ginger's is below street level - is there an elevator?)

    Yes, just ask the door host and they will direct you to the elevator entrance

    View All 3 Questions

    Review Highlights - Ginger's

    “Decorations are super cute, and there's usually theme nights throughout the week (karaoke, drag shows, etc.).”

    Mentioned in 12 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    4.5(105 reviews)
    2.0 mi•Mission

    What a cozy bar! If you like intimate, chill, and cozy places with board games and unique drinks…read morethis is the place to go! My party and I didn't get the chance to experience the escape room but would love to try it out the next time we come back. The staff are amazing, especially Chloe. Such a sweetheart. Loved her energy! Highly recommend the Mango Sago and Crab Rangoon Nachos!

    Really unique, immersive speakeasy. Came for a birthday and opted for their escape room, which is…read morealso a really cool feature for a speakeasy bar. The escape room is Alice In Wonderland themed and includes three drinks as part of the experience. Arrived on time for our reservation but were held in a waiting room for about 30 min before we could start. Didn't seem like anyone else was doing the escape room but it was also the week of their biz anniversary so maybe they were just super busy. Phoenix led our escape room and was such a delight. Friendly, great banter, helpful throughout the escape. The escape game is split across multiple rooms with a good diversity of puzzles. Don't want to spoil too much here but they were good challenges. Drinks we incorporated throughout and presented like test tubes that were drinkable in a gulp, kind of like a cocktail shot. Personally, I found the first two drinks to be a bit too sweet, but I liked the third, which was coconut forward. The price is definitely a bit more costly. It was $100/person for a party of five. I understand that it was an escape room + the staff + the cocktails. If you max out the party size, it's about $85-ish per person which I think is pretty solid. Still very unique and fun and glad I got to try it

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    Lore Speakeasy and Escape Room - Cool Middle Earth themed room with lots of seating! Plenty of board games available to play as well

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    Lost Resort

    4.4(282 reviews)
    2.2 mi•Mission
    •$$

    Went here for my birthday a few weeks ago, and absolutely loved the place. Great neighborhood spot…read morefor cocktails and food. Every neighborhood needs a spot like this. This place has so much going on. It makes it ideal for so many different things. Hot day? Want to bring your doggie?? They have an airy patio and a bunch of cute tables out front. The patio is covered so when it rains, it's also ideal. Feeling bougie? Order some oysters and a glass of one of their fancy cocktails. Handicapp or have kiddos? They got you covered. Need a cool place for a dinner date? There's tables inside. Have a group? Also not a problem. Feeling peckish and just need to get out of the house? Go sit at the bar, order a beer, and watch the game. Make sure to order the thrasher fries with malt vinegar salt and pepper and Dijon and black pepper aïoli. It is truly as delectable as it sounds, and by far my favorite thing there! That being said, I am a french fry aficionado. We also tried the coconut chicken sandwich which I found to be a bit different than a lot of standard fried chicken sandwiches. I did ask for the chili sauce on the side because I don't like it to be too sweet. Boyfriend loved it with the chili sauce. I liked it without. I did order a side of aïoli. Another thing I found really nice was that they use the chicken thigh rather than the breast. Most of the fried chicken sandwiches I've had use the breast and this was a very nice change. The chicken was juicy and the sandwich was super tasty. They offer all sorts of tasty delights, like fish tacos, mochicko chicken bites, mac & cheese with or without bacon and crab! Yum. If I was to make one recommendation, it would be to add another salad to the menu. Your menu offers a wonderful variety of delicious treats that are on the richer and heavier side so having another option for something on the lighter side would be fantastic. The service here was outstanding. We came early on a Tuesday, and the bartender was great. She was very helpful and excellent at her craft. The other staff members were equally friendly and so welcoming. We don't get out as much as we'd like to anymore because we have a little one so it was awesome to go out and be treated with such kindness and great hospitality. This place has an overall great atmosphere, fun vibe, with a super awesome staff. What's not to love?Thank you!!

    They've got a lovely cozy and casual patio in the back, with funky chairs and benches, though it…read morewas full when we arrived and thus quite loud, too many people in a small space and something about the enclosure really amplified the sound. Ordered the heirloom and kale salad which was absolutely delicious, I added grilled chicken and shrimp and look, I don't normally rave about grilled chicken, but this chicken was perfectly cooked and juicy and crisp, which is tough to do. Would order again.

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    Crispy Coconut Chicken Sando

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    Pacific Cocktail Haven - AAPI Cocktail Week 2026

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    4.5(778 reviews)
    0.3 mi•Union Square
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    Can see why this bar gets so much praise and love how it focuses and utilizes asian ingredients…read more They have a great outdoor space with tables and the setup inside maximizes how many people could sit + stand. Thats how I know asians own this place lol. Appreciate this level of intention. Made it feel more intimate and cozy. Everyone was very friendly and attentive. Immediately when you walk in the staff is on it. There was a handful of pandan drinks and our server explained each one perfectly and gave his recommendation. I forgot what I got but it was delicious. My cousin got a matcha one which was interesting and strong! Their menu was refreshing (no pun intended) and the type I love to see that are actually creative and culturally inspired. Got lucky with standing seats then moved over to the bar. It wasnt that packed on a Saturday evening assuming bc it was OSL weekend. They were playing great music at a good volume. But golly hella expensive. 2 drinks with the service charge and tip was over $60. Guess thats SF. Would definitely return but for a special occasion.

    Pacific Cocktail Haven (PCH) is an absolute must for anyone who appreciates creative, exceptionally…read morecrafted cocktails! We stopped in for drinks and Tina started us off with outstanding customer service. She was incredibly welcoming and made the experience great from the very beginning. We made our way through an impressive lineup of cocktails, including Get Him to the Fenugreek, Extra Fancy, Apple Bottom Beets (one of my favorites!), Barley and Me, Tropical Gangsta, Que Pop Limon Hunters, Mo Mole, Mo Problems, and more. Every drink was unique, beautifully crafted, and absolutely outstanding. Apple Bottom Beets was definitely a standout for me, but there honestly wasn't a bad cocktail in the bunch. We ended the night with Laura closing us out, and her service was just as exceptional. From the moment we walked in until the moment we left, everything was 10/10. If you're looking for superb cocktails, creative flavors, and fantastic service, PCH is definitely a place you need to check out!

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    Holy Water - Drinks and holy decor

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    4.4(331 reviews)
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    Holy Water - IPA

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    Holy Water - Inside view of bar

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    Inside view of bar

    Ginger's - gaybars - Updated October 2026

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