Takes a moment for your eyes to adjust when you walk in and when they do you will have stumbled upon a Great dive/neighborhood bar with friendly bartender and friendly patrons! Good pours and priced decently. read more

Dive bar done right. Strong pours, great bartenders who actually know what they're doing, and zero pretense. Grab a drink, relax, and avoid the nonsense. Bonus points for the arcade games and pinball machines in the back, I'm a little competitive. Good vibes, great people, and exactly what a dive bar should be. read more

See all

Great bar in SF. Love stoping by here when I have time to get a quick drink in that area. Also great people working there, making sure everyone is take care of. read more

This is my neighborhood bar. Friendly staff, good prices, outdoor parklet, an all around good place.

The Bar Tender with a goatee tried to poison me with a spiked water on one occasion and yelled at me when I refused to drink it. On another occasion, the same bar tender chastised me for not saying poease when I politely ordered a drink during the Super Bowl. That same evening he tried to keep my tab open after I specifically told him I wanted to close out my tab. He then complained about me not tipping him as if I am required to do such magnanimous gestures for horrific professional acumen. This establishment is a Theater of the Damned, DO NOT PATRONIZE. read more

The group of my 4 friends came to San Francisco for vacation. We did the "Ugly Sweater Pub Crawl". We had a blast. R Bar was one of our stops. Well, I left my phone in the bathroom and didn't notice for about an hour. I ran back to R Bar and thankfully someone turned it in. If you're reading, thank you to that person. The next morning I checked my photos and the bar tenders took a tone of pictures of themselves, other patrons.. HILARIOUS!! I laughed out loud at their photos. Thank you guys for saving my phone and the pictures AND the good times. read more

See all

Years of coming to R bar, I can't say enough about it. Nothing fancy or out of the ordinary, just well priced drinks, friendly staff, and a lot of chill regulars. The decor is like most dive bars, decent enough seating at the bar itself and on packed days the parklet is a huge savior. The small arcade in the back can be fun, still haven't played darts though. There's a food vendor on thursdays (previously tacos) but otherwise unless it's a big ordeal you're usually welcome to bring in your own food while you drink. read more

I like going to this bar for a pit stop during a pub crawl or just passing through. Cool people and cool drinks. I like it better now with the parklets because sometimes this place can get packed during sports or other events. read more

R Bar - a bar with a lot of bottles and glasses - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

My favorite bar and essentially my home away from home. Chris, Tod, Will, Jon, Justin And occasionally Vinny are all exceptional. Great bourbon selection! read more

Found this bar walking around. Not a nice bar really, just ok for a quick drink during the day maybe! The outdoor seating is cool. My beer was 8 dollars and the bartender dude was a little salty. Don't recommend. read more

Amazing, dive bar. No bells and whistles, good drinks, great service. Great spot if you're in town traveling. Lindsay was awesome! read more

R Bar - Beer - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Friendly staff, fair price for a pint of beer! Good music! My first day in SF, staff helped me knowing the area. read more

R Bar - a pint of beer on a table - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Excellent neighborhood bar!! Great fun and friendly atmosphere I definitely recommend this place. read more

Love this! Best people. Vinnie is the best. I met this guy there, he was so cute. He was wearing a Raiders hat and then we kissed.... And then ... Best night. Highly recommend!! read more

Situation - Friday evening at 9:00 PM - My friend orders two well whiskey's and diet - $12 - I order a double well whiskey and diet, and a well whiskey and diet = $21 Pros - Decent atmosphere Cons - Very expensive for a dive bar ($10 well drinks), Kozy Kar nearby is so much better - For a watering hole, there are much better and cheaper places read more

Pretty fantastic place; they're very good at what they do. Not swinging for the fences or trying to wow anyone with innovation, just straight-ahead no-b.s. drinks with solid service at a fair price. They also fill in for me as a Red Sox bar when I need one close to home, or you can take in basketball or football or anything else seasonal at the right time. Beer selection is on point. I'm not a hop-head but they have Lagunitas and Voodoo Ranger, which is enough variety to keep IPA fiends happy. Guiness always, 805 on the regular lately, and Allagash is a good addition for a choice wheat beer option. Add a Jameson or Fernet for $5, and you can be well on your way on the first round. They seem to take pride in spreading Fernet to the masses. Any cocktail you order will do the job and they're not tight with their pours. The prices are good, not dirt cheap, but they never short anyone. All in all it's a comfortable place for people who like to drink, well lived-in but divey but never scary. I don't know a better bar that's cheaper or a cheaper bar that's better, so they're a great destination when you're down for a mellow night taking in a game or a conversation in a small group. read more

See all

We wanted a change of venue, so we all decided to stop by R Bar after having a couple drinks nearby. It was this past Wednesday, April 6th around 7:30pm. I was keeping it low key, so I just ordered a Bud light and a shot of Jameson ($9). I believe you can choose Fernet instead of Jameson with this special if you like fernet more. I'm not a huge fan of bud light, but it did the trick in keeping my subtle buzz going. We were here for a good two hours, so I also ordered a beer later. Can't remember the brand, but it was $4. No bad price wise. I loved the vibe of R Bar. Very laid back. It wasn't very busy when we were here, so it was perfect as our group of five just wanted to hang out and catch up. We grabbed some seats at the bar and just drank and talked the night away. Great low key bar. They also have a few TVs of if you want to catch a game while having a drink or two. Note: I believe their credit card minimum is $15, so bring cash if you're not in a big drinking mood. read more

R Bar - Bud light and a shot of Jameson ($9) - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love this dive. I initially came to this bar to watch an Oregon football game with some fellow alumni. Because this bar is owned by Oregon alumni (they also own Wreck Room) the bar hosts watch parties where you can usually get a beer koozie with "go ducks" on it. Everyone who works here is friendly and a bit sarcastic, but in a good way. Draft beers are $5, and there are a few other cheap drink specials. R Bar doesn't serve food, but they're ok with you bringing something in. Also, R Bar is dog friendly, and specially on a weeknight you will find a pup or two enjoying the bar too. As others have mentioned, the bathrooms are nothing special. I've definitely unclogged the women's toilet before, and apparently, the men's bathroom is bigger than the women's, which kind of makes sense, because R Bar tends to have a more male dominated crowd. I was here one year for Santa Con, and a very drunken Santa wouldn't stop bugging me. He was speaking undecipherable nonsense about how some girl had just broken up with him...or at least that's what I thought he was saying...and he started to slam his fists against the bar. I got the attention of the bartender closest to me and told him that the guy was bugging me. At first they made him go to the other end of the bar and finish his drink there. He slowly kept inching towards me, and after the bartender told him to stop a couple times, the bartender took his drink away and kicked him out. The bartenders here don't mess around - they're very protective. read more

Really strange encounter tonight at this bar. I spent 10+ years in tenderloin and moved to east bay during the pandemic. My friend came back to visit me and after the dinner at hara sushi we went up sutter and walked in to r-bar. Basically, at the door, me and my friend were told by the bartender (Rob i think), we were not welcome at the bar so left because there was no point of arguing with barman and we went up to Ace bar. The whole encounter was very confusing but we left because it don't seem like there was a a point of wasting time proving the bar guy what's weight or wrong. If you are the owner of r-bar, see for yourself, pull out camera footage from 5/28 between 10:30 and 11:00 and see if we fit anything to deserve to be kicked out. read more

A pretty chill spot in the city. There are even arcade game in the back of the bar. Feel free to give the place s try.

Been coming here for years & love the smelly old place! They are also careful to check everyone's vaccine cards and have a parklette to use if you don't have a vax card. Some recent poor reviews might be confusing the super-cool R Bar in San Francisco with another R Bar in Long Beach where there is video of that other bar's owner saying some pretty gross things. Not the same bar and def not the same owner! There are plenty of videos of the San Francisco R Bar owner removing his shirt tho. read more

Excellent staff, deceptively good alcohol selection whether or not you like Fernet. Ed and Will are great, this place holds a surprising number of people and the local regulars are extremely normal somehow. Good place to watch football or old movies late night. read more

R Bar - The Big R - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Best bar in SF. Chris is the man. Chill vibes, good times, quality drinks....what more do you need?

Such a cool little place on Polk street. I always enjoy my time when I visit. It's not dreadfully crowded on weekends and it's just the right amount of dive, if that ever exists. However, being the contemplative individual I am, I wondered for a long time what the "R" in R Bar stands for... here are my suggestions: - Really good and inexpensive drinks. Some cocktails up on the board are $5. I believe it's the "cheap booze" board - Ridiculously generous pourings of liquor. We ordered a couple of Glenlivets and the glasses were filled almost to the brim - Rad interior with black walls and candle-lit ambiance - Rock-ambient music in the background - nothing too flashy but fits right in with the mood here - Ravishing ladies who I met that one night... long story - Risque paintings on the wall. Seriously check them out; I wish I could have one for my room - Ruff! I saw a couple of dogs here once--drunk petting is the best - Raucous crowd that is always ready to take on the night on Polk st Definitely come here if you're Polk hopping on weekends. --- Distinguishing factor: A dive bar that is unexpectedly welcoming and artistic. It's not located directly on Polk St., which basically halves the number of people aware of it. read more

R Bar - The bar of Rs - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

The awesomeness of R Bar starts with it being the home to the SF chapter of the amazing University of Oregon Ducks. In addition, it's also a NY Jets bar, Fernet and several other team fan destinations. Affiliations aside, that's where the awesomeness unfortunately ends. R Bar isn't all that spacious and it becomes very apparent very quickly when the weekend crowds come a cluttering in. It becomes difficult to score a drink at the bar, let alone just trying to scream over the crowd. Maneuvering through them becomes a tricky dance and there isn't much escape from the lack of solid ventilation. Bathrooms are a mess, but this is never a surprise in a dive bar. No one expects a spotless piece of shiny toilet porcelain by any means, but the stench of urine is enough to keep folks from using it entirely. This is only the men's side of course, but I suspect the women's restroom may not fare much better. The prices aren't backbreaking, which keeps the drunken spirits alive. Well drinks aplenty and just enough beers to keep most folks happily hydrated. To the bartender's credit, they'll make drinks potent enough to make squeamish faces post sip, but if one can find a suitable drinking hour depends largely on the crowds. Enjoy the $5 drinks! read more

Should be a 2.5, but unable to split a star from here. The bartenders are some of my favorite in the city. Great service! The pictures in the men's room are the other reason to go there. However, the Marina factor in this place makes it into the kind of place I don't go to often. On the rare occasion that I do, I remember why I haven't been in a while about 30 seconds into my visit. When this place falls out of style it will be OUTSTANDING. read more

This is my 2nd favorite bar in my hood. The booze is reasonably priced and the bar tenders are all super friendly. That's a rarity to not at least have one pain in the ass bartender, I'm impressed! My first night there after I moved to the hood I chatted with Chris (bartender and I think part owner?) and he effortlessly pulled me into a conversation with some other regulars and I ended up there much later than I intended. Partially thanks to the "welcome to the neighborhood" free Jameson he hooked me up with. The space is moderate in size but beware: If you go on a Friday or Saturday night the place is a'gonna be crazy packed. We're talkin' wall to wall people environment where you have to squish through people for 5 minutes just to make it 15 feet. This is all good though, I mean there are a ton of people there for a reason right? The crowd is eclectic and generally pretty drunk. Good times, good times. read more

Nice neighborhood bar. Loved the bar staff - super fun and friendly. Would definitely go back for a chill drinking spot.

My review only pertains to happy hour; I've never been there late. M, T, W it's hella chill. You can expect jazz music and a real low-key vibe. Thursday picks-up and there is a guy selling great tacos, chimichangas and ceviche for, like, $2/taco and $5 for the others. And they're really really good quality! There is an arcade in the back that has a few pinball machines, video games and darts. The customers are generally all friendly. read more

See all

Go Ducks! Yes this is the Oregon Ducks San Francisco Game Watching Headquarters (ODSFWH). The bar tenders are awesome and they are even more awesome if you are an Oregon fan. Drinks are reasonably priced and the crowd is always friendly (sometimes a little too friendly if you're a girl) Oregon game days here will blow you away, everyone is decked (or "ducked") out in green and yellow, the Coors Light girls show up, sometimes the Duck makes an appearance... it's the closest thing San Francisco will ever have to Autzen...after all it never rains at R Bar. read more

Watched a Cleveland Browns game here! The environment was fun and they're considerate about Covid protocols. The bartenders were so extremely nice and you can tell they really love interacting with customers. I would come back on that aspect alone. The drinks were made well and the beers were cold. A perfect spot to spend a Sunday watching football! read more

You know I'm not sure how to review R bar. There are many different R Bars so I'm just going to review the one I know. It involves Saturday or Sunday afternoons, sometimes Sunday nights. It also usually involves NY or Boston Sports, the crowd is a bit different from the evening crowd or Oregon Duck crowd. If you are in early enough and its not too busy, order a Bloody Mary. Unfortunately the only way to sum it up is to quote the oh-so-famous marina d-bag, thanks SF Eater. "You can't fake awesome!" The bartender is super sweet, you can tell he loves working there. He also tries to get to know everyone which makes it that much more friendly and welcoming. I might even compare it to Cheers, might, maybe, don't get too excited. So my trips in usually go like this: Hi, I'm just stopping in for a drink, have some nice conversation, watch some sports and head out. OR, I'll go in, watch some sports and realize 5 hours has elapsed and I'm about 4 beers past where I start making bad decisions. Even so its always been extremely fun, I will continue to frequent their bar and so should you. read more

R Bar is THE SPOOOOOT!!!! What a neighborhood gem! Have had such great times at this bar, super friendly staff, Chris is the best! Also, the crowd is always super fun and friendly too! Can't say enough good things about this bar.... Just go read more

R Bar is great and getting better! Recently renovated to reveal exposed red brick walls and added pub tables for a historic tavern look and feel. R Bar's always been a solid neighborhood bar by day where everybody knows your name, while nighfall is a a winfall brings good jukebox tunes, good vibes delivered through sound system and shots of Fernet. I think, I thought I saw a dance floor here last night? Even better! R Bar is where I watch my sports. With 5 Flat Screens there's more than enough room for New York Jets Fans to share the joint with Cleveland Browns Fans and locals; and Saturday afternoon's belong to Oregon Ducks fans. Must See TV! read more

See all

Heard this was a good place to watch football. Regardless just a solid neighborhood bar. Decently priced drinks, lots of room, etc. read more

I spent my 'Going Away/Finished USMLE' get-together here. The original plan was bar hop all around Polk St. but we ended up just staying here. It's my ideal kind of dive bar that doesn't have loud music, not too crowded, drinks are decently priced, and service is quick. I drank too much and fell asleep at one of the tables and then I was kicked out--owned. That was a first. It was embarrassing but not because I was being the opposite of belligerent. It was fun while it lasted. I may be back another day and not sleep there. Jukeboxes are necessary at social functions. read more

First, a word of advice from my bartender friend: Always pay cash for the first round and tip BIG! This was our strategy last night and it paid off. A couple cheap, yet heavily-poured double Makers on the rocks later and I was all smiles. I'm sure it helped that the bartenders at R Bar are cool, regular guys. R Bar was characteristically loud last night, but the juke box was playing good songs. There are a lot of good songs in the R Bar juke box. Admittedly, there are also some terrible songs, so here is my work-around: never visit R Bar after 10pm on Friday or Saturday. Visiting during the week or before 10pm on the weekends will dramatically limit your exposure to the people who have terrible taste in music and thus, ruin your R Bar experience with their jukebox selections. Besides, weekend nights are a friggin' sausage fest' in there! ...and that is a little tip for the ladies. ;-) read more

R Bar - R Bar beer cozy - Dive Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've been coming here for a few weeks now and I was waiting to write a review based on how consistent this place was. I come here w/my gf to watch sports and throw back a few after work during the week. The drinks are cheap and the bartenders are cool. It's on the edge of the TL so you won't have to worry about bums trying to saunter in and ask you to buy them a drink. I did hear it gets a little douche-y on the weekend b/c the dicks from the Marina manage to make it up here. I'll keep coming here during the weeknights to have fun. read more

The drinks were excellent. The bartender was friendly and welcoming. And it's so noticeable that he loved his job. He made our night! Highly recommend this bar. I wish I could give this place more than five stars! read more

I stumbled upon this gem one night after a long drive up from Santa Monica, and I have to say, it is one of the best bars in San Francisco! The bartenders, Chris and Tod (I think that was their names, haha!) were so welcoming and made me feel right at home. One of them had his shirt off and convinced me to do the same, it was obviously an epic night! They even introduced me to a local liqueur that they sell there called Ferned Blanco. I didn't really care for the taste of it, but these guys were pretty hyped on it, so I obliged them for five or six rounds of shots. The drinks, the bartenders, the hospitality: all are second to none! read more