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    Ranch Water

    4.5 (44 reviews)
    Closed 4:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

    Ranch Water Photos

    RANCH WATER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Casual
    Good for dancing
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Ranch Water

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    Ranch Water cocktail
    Katie K.

    This is just the type of place that San Rafael needs- great cocktails, amazing bartenders, and a good, young SF vibe. Such a fun place to watch football or basketball while enjoying delicious drinks. They also have darts and a lounge area. Definitely check this place out!

    Claudia T.

    I am so excited that Ranch Water has joined the San Rafael community. It's a very welcoming space where you can pop in to grab a quick drink, watch sports on tv, or you can bring your company in for a fun happy hour. The owners are extremely nice, very friendly, and super accommodating. You walk in and feel like you are right at home. I've been here with a group of friends and had a great time, and the husband and I stopped by for a quick drink before heading to dinner. I haven't tried their speciality cocktails, but their regular cocktails are fantastic. No weak pours here. They have a lounge area with couches where you can sit and hang out. They also have the option to play darts if you want to be active and social. I highly recommend stopping by Ranch Water and grabbing a beverage.

    Paper Plane
    Todd B.

    Great spot! They support live music and local musicians and have a fantastic staff and overall vibe! Fantastic cocktails. Just read the negative review below by Lorenzo. I have to wholeheartedly disagree. I was here during his interaction with the owner. He was completely out of line and he lied on his review. The margarita is not advertised on the happy hour menu and the owner was trying his best to help this "impossible" customer better understand. The customer threw cash on the bar and stormed out like a brat. Oh well, can't please them all. Badass place! Give them your support, Marin!

    I always have great experiences when I visit Ranch Water. It's been a go-to place for me to grab a drink or have a fun night out with friends since they opened. The nights with the Dj are my fav but they also have live music, karaoke and open mic nights. I recently reached out to them about hosting my birthday party there and communicated with Duncan and Julie. Both of them were super responsive and made planning a breeze! All of the staff made sure that my birthday celebration was everything I wanted it to be for me and my friends. It was such a fun and memorable night and I cannot thank them enough! I will definitely keep coming back!

    Frank R.

    I've been hanging out at the same watering hole for just about a year now here in San Rafael. Sometimes when things don't change, you need to change. I've now been to Ranch Water three times. I was here for their opening and one other time before my visit on July third. This place has a decent vibe with what appears to be plenty of locals. I have seen patrons here that I noticed from the place I usually hang out at. I decided I need to spend a bit more time here mostly due to Julie the bartender just having amazing customer service, an amazing personality and one very friendly young lady. I asked for a New York sour and she didn't disappoint. She was behind the bar alone for the time I was there during their karaoke night. It started to get busy around 10ish and she just kept up with the flow. I've realized not to keep all my eggs in one basket and need to really start exploring more of the local bar scene not only here in San Rafael but the surrounding small towns around here. I've been here just for over a year now. This summer will be my summer to explore more. Thank you Julie for a great night and I shall be returning a bit more often.

    Just had our wedding and it ended at 11:00. The folks at ranch water were kind enough to allow my friend to DJ in the bar and host a bunch of our friends until closing. The bar managers were accommodating and made sure we were taken care of all night. They had party streamers and party poppers that made it feel like a real celebration. The best part was that the sax player from the band who played before stuck around and played while my friend was DJing. It was an amazing vibe. The drinks were tasty, and the bar owners were very kind. Would definitely come back if we are in the San Rafael area!

    Espresso Martini made by Julie.

    Just what San Rafael needed, Ranch Water is a friendly neighborhood bar with live music and more. The staff is attentive, and the house cocktails are a medley of excellence. It offers a lively atmosphere, making it a great place to bring a date or friends. You may also catch one of the owners, Duncan, a former bartender/program manager at Palm House, on site. If you don't see something on the menu that strikes your fancy, tell the staff, and they'll put something together that you'll surely enjoy. Welcome to San Rafael!

    Eileen R.

    I threw my birthday party here last weekend and it was a blast. The staff was so great. Julie was super helpful and easygoing with the planning and helped make things extra celebratory with perfectly timed confetti. Diego brought out a few decorating supplies we hadn't thought to pack. All my guests had a great time!

    From Dusk till Dawn cocktail

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    5 months ago

    Great bartenders great drinks great atmosphere great place to meet people everybody's friendly

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    Duncan W.

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    5 months ago

    What more can I say, great drinks, great music, and great vibes!! This place is a gem. Oh, and Ryan the bartender, what a hunk!

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    6 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    8 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    11 months ago

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    2 years ago

    Incredible staff and drinks! Can't wait to go back! Love the vibe so much, had the best margarita!

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Cozy and welcoming. A great spot for live music and getting together with friends. Cocktails and beer selection is great.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Excellent cocktails. Amazing bartenders, amazing owner No issue at all with anything nor anyone

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    2 years ago

    Limited cocktail selection. Noisy crowd at 6pm. Just one bartender on service. No need to go back, unless there's a good band.

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    2 years ago

    The Open Mic was bunk and way too loud. Tuesday nite. If the music was simply 20% lower we could've had a conversation and ignore it

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Ranch Water

    Do you have wines BTG?

    Hi Jess, both by the glass/bottle.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Ranch Water

    I recently reached out to them about hosting my birthday party there and communicated with Duncan and Julie.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    California Gold

    California Gold

    4.8(181 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$
    Full bar
    Happy hour specials

    WOW. Just WOW. **California Gold in San Rafael** is an absolute gem, and our experience was taken…read moreto the *next level* thanks to the incredible bartender **Víctor**. From start to finish, he was beyond amazing--warm, welcoming, insanely knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about his craft. Every single drink was PERFECT. Not one miss. We enjoyed **all** the drinks, and each cocktail somehow got better than the last. On top of that, Víctor is just an awesome human being who makes you feel genuinely taken care of. The **location is beautiful**, the atmosphere is fun, vibrant, and incredibly enjoyable--one of those places where you instantly feel relaxed and excited to be there at the same time. Great vibes, great energy, great people. This place is a MUST, and Víctor is the reason we'll be coming back again and again. Do yourself a favor: sit at the bar, trust his recommendations, and enjoy an unforgettable night.

    Service was terrible. Ordered a drink asked for an adjustment due to food allergies. Was told it…read morewould be well balanced. Bartender was annoyed and was rude. Had a food reaction and I asked if I could choose a replacement. They told me no and wanted me to pay for another drink. A patron offered me a replacement drink and he shouldn't have to do that. Was excited to check this place out from out of town. The entire drink was left at the bar and I left the establishment. The bartenders had terrible customer service skills.

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    Above Fifth - Rooftop Bar!

    Above Fifth

    4.0(114 reviews)
    0.4 mi

    Great foods, quality cocktails, tasty bites. Is GI would…read morerecommend anyone who's in Marin or passing through Marin to stop by and enjoy the views.

    Above Fifth is the rooftop bar of the AC Hotel in San Rafael, CA. The hotel is part of the Marriott…read morehotel franchise. Yes, a franchise hotel is in downtown San Rafael. Times are a changin'. Anyways, the bar is open 4pm-11pm Wednesday-Sunday, closed on Monday - Tuesday. The hotel is about 54 feet tall so it is not particular tall, but tall enough for some awesome views of downtown, surrounding hills, and Mount Tam. The seating area ,like the hotel, has modern upscale aesthetics with relaxed vibes. The views are gorgeous. The staff are sweethearts, five star service. The drinks and tapas menu price points are of course pricey. But what was up with the stained paper menus. Eww. Anyways, the fam ordered drinks (cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks) and tapas of olives, hummus and pita, and fingerling potatoes. The olives were delicious and it was a good medley of various kinds. The fingerling potatoes were a bit boring tasting, it could use more seasonings for added zing. Not sure how the green hummus tasted, I snoozed on that one. Overall, the drinks are good, ambiance fantastic, and the food is meh. This is a type of place I would go for special occasions and not on a regular basis, my wallet cannot sustain it.

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    Above Fifth - Good atmosphere, Great drinks, great service, the view is top tier

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    The Burren House - Tofu coconut curry

    The Burren House

    4.3(202 reviews)
    0.2 mi
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    I was looking for a place to take a friend to dinner. Wanted to try something completely new and…read morefound the Burren house on yelp. Located in downtown San Rafael the ownership here invested heavily in this restaurant to create an authentic Irish pub. We feel comfortable the second we walked in. Due to some food, allergies it's not always easy for me to find food that restaurants other than maybe one or two dishes on a menu. I was amazed that there were nine or 10 different dishes that I would have wanted to order. I can literally come back eight more times and order something different and enjoy it each time. The food was great! The setting was authentic. And the fact they have soft serve for dessert brings us to a 5+ rating!! Our server was great. And there was a second server managing cocktails. My only complaint was we never saw the bus boy and had to ask for our place to be removed even after they served his dinner. Highly recommend the Burren House if you're north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Note, they don't take reservations. But it's worth the chance of a table. Oh and they have live music too!

    Proper. Thats my…read morewhole review. From the people to the food, to the environment. It's the best. Where else can you get a Smithwicks on draft.? And the breakfast just hits all the notes. It won't disappoint.

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    Flatiron - The Bulgogi tacos were even better than delicious

    Flatiron

    3.9(445 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Straight up real deal: nice vibe, great service... (Please note that there are new owners and…read morerecently took over in the last few months. Therefore, pricing here could be inaccurate.) Excellent spot for watching the Warriors. Elevated bar food with great pricing. Me likes the Grilled Broccolini in black truffle salsa verde. Doesn't everybody love tater tot's? Nice tap beer selection and full bar. Best hang in Downtown San Rafael... Gets better with each visit ! Bombdigity! Love this joint!!!!

    We really enjoyed this place. We found it while visiting and wanted to watch games. It's a small…read morebar in size but the excitement was electrifying in there. The main entrance room has a bar with seating, some side high top tables, some lower tables, and a high communal table. The next room has lower tables, 5 higher tables seating 4 people each, a larger table that had chairs and a booth side, lower large table. Lots of TVs around the entire place. The food is pretty good. We enjoyed a couple appetizers (bulgogi fries and chili lime cauliflower) and then their wings. Friends ordered nachos, but didn't finish them...the cheese was a cheese sauce so the chips were soggy. Our server was fantastic. She was very friendly, helpful, and very attentive despite having so many tables and it being packed. I'd go back here again, but I'd go earlier just to ensure a table.

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    Flatiron - Inside at bar

    Inside at bar

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    Pixels Arcade & Taproom - Mario party!

    Pixels Arcade & Taproom

    4.6(34 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    This review is for booking a table for a kid's birthday party... I first attended a Yelp event at…read morePixels and had such a great time, I thought it would be great to host my son's birthday party there! Booking was easy to do online, and the owner Rob answered questions that I asked via email. Last Saturday, I showed up with 8 boys to celebrate my son's birthday, and the group had a blast. The party was mid-morning, and I appreciated how quiet the venue was. Some arcades have music that is blasting and so many lights flashing, and that can be overly stimulating. There are plenty of machines for guests to spread out. In the back, there are 4 controllers for Nintendo Switch, and the staff did have to come help change games for the kiddos but if you know what you're doing, you might be able to navigate on your own. Ordering pizza from Red Rooster was really easy, and the staff at Pixels even walked over to pick up the pizza for the party. So thoughtful! Throughout the 2 hours there, there were other families who came in to enjoy the arcade, as well as adults. 2 hours goes by so quickly! All the parents whose kids attended said their kiddos had a blast. Great place for a birthday party, young and old :) The dads are now talking about gathering again without the kids! Quick logistics: A single use bathroom is at the back of the space. Bring cash for tips or you can tip with card payment. Parking in the lot is free on weekends, otherwise pay for metered street marking Monday - Saturday.

    My family of four really enjoyed our Sunday spent at Pixels. We've also been to the pinball museum…read morein Alameda so I figured this would be a similar experience. In comparison to the pinball museum, Pixels had more video games and I think it fit our interests more. We each got a drink from the place, the kids picked out soft drink / juice, and the husband and I each got an alcohol beverage. I like that there were many local brews they are serving. I like the idea of supporting local businesses. My son was a little shy to go play the video game station set up with gaming chairs. But we pretty much tried all the other free games. There are a few machines not included in the package cost, they are clearly labeled and close to the entrance, you will need cash coins to play those, if you want to play them. The bathroom was clean. There were so many bottles of anti-bacterial solutions lining up near the entrance and inside the facility. I'm a bit of a clean freak after the Covid-19 pandemic, so seeing this made me happy that the owner cares about protecting people. We spent about 3 hours here. I saw some lady some in with a bunch of kids. It was kind of interesting to watch them because she was working on her laptop while the kids ran around and played games. It's like a cheap daycare! I wish the had one of these arcades closer to where I live, I can just let my kids loose while I do my own thing for a couple hours!

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    The Speakeasy - Famous Speakeasy Burger

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    4.2(238 reviews)
    6.5 mi
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    Omg. The corned beef! This meal was one of the best I've had in a long, long time. Highly…read morerecommended. Who knew Prosecco was the perfect pairing with corned beef and herbed, salted butter (which I slathered over everything--it's not every day...it's ok!) And I asked for corn street-sized tortillas; I made corned beef tacos with roasted potatoes and al dente cooked sweet carrots. So flavorful. I didn't eat the cabbage (being Bohemian, I'm used to a different flavor). Oh but that bread pudding--and I don't usually like bread pudding. That sauce was awesome! Creamy, very flavorful maple. Wow. Paired well with black decaf coffee with cubes of raw sugar. Always welcoming staff. Excellent, varied choice of music--great rock classics and more.

    My wife and I had the occasion to stop by The Speakeasy a few days ago. We were just looking to…read morehave kind of hors d'oeuvres and a cocktail and just hang out together, because we found ourselves with a rare four-hour window where the kids were occupied and we could just do whatever we wanted. This was a nice way to spend a few hours. The space is neat. It's as small, somewhat dark ambiance with the windows blacked out. So, you do loose your sense of time a bit inside. That's actually nice as it feels like you went somewhere/somewhen else for a while. We had a Manhattan and a Kentucky Mule, and, additionally, we had three different shareable appetizers. First thought, we ordered and devoured a really exceptional cheese plate. I know cheese plates seem a little meh sometimes, but this was really good! I would absolutely order it again. In fact, I would definitely go there just to have the cheese plate again with a drink, a glass of wine. We also had the three tacos shareable. There were three tacos that were stunningly good. Lastly a dish with some little steak medallions and a shrimp. Each of these was about two bites and the flavor and texture was excellent. All three of the shareables and the drinks were exceptional. I have to call out that, with the cheese board, came a little loaf of bread. That bread was really good all on its own. I would definitely want to eat it. I can still taste it. It was really good, but my wife, she's gluten intolerant. They offered, because she couldn't eat the bread, they offered to also bring her out some gluten-free crackers, so she got to enjoy the cheese board just the same without the bread. They gave her the crackers, and do you know, they just gave her those extra. They didn't ask for something more. They didn't do anything. They just took care of her. I really appreciate that. I have to also give a shout out to the Jessica. I don't know how she did it, but she was taking care of the whole room of tables I think. Nice. We ordred all three shareables at the same time and she thoughtfully said, 'do you mind if I course these out for you?' We said yes and she did. I don't think anybody felt like they didn't have everything they needed, so a shout out to you, Jessica, really well done. We're grateful for the service and the high quality dining experience that you gave us on a moment's notice. I hope we can visit again soon. And, especially we want to check out The Boardroom soon. NOTE: This is in a kind of older looking strip mall. Don't be concerned about that at all! It threw us off a little at first and we did wonder when we pulled in though if we were in the right place. Happily, we were!

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