I recently hosted a surprise karaoke party here for my husband who turned 70. Duncan, the owner made it all so easy. He was so responsive and accommodating to every question I had and email I sent. The bar is clean and comfortable and atmospheric. Julie, the manager was fantastic to work the night of the party. She had everything under control and the bartenders she had working were fast and so nice to the guests. Duncan arranged for the karaoke guy for me and suggested I have Los Moles (around the corner from the bar) bring the food, which they did and everyone loved. Duncan and Julie made the night a huge success and one our friends are still talking about. I can't wait to find another excuse to have a party there. read more

Cute bar! I love the theme and the live music was cool. Also really creative drinks, not priced too badly. Definitely coming back!

Finally got the chance to stop in and try ranch water. My friend and I went on a Monday night so it was pretty empty. Our bartender was Jacob was such a chill dude and really cares about the cocktails that he makes. I had told him that I had a couple Moscow mules from other places so he decided to make me his style of Moscow mule and it had the perfect balance of all the ingredients which I really enjoyed. He made my friend this fig and lavender whiskey drink which was yummy and different than anything we've tried. He was a great conversationalist and I loved the vibes of this spot. I would def come back to get some more drinks. read more

Ranch Water - Bars Near Me - San Rafael, California

What a neat place for a drink. Atmosphere was so cheerful with a holiday vibe right now.! Topher is the man!! Fun barkeep to talk to, will keep coming back!! Come check this place out everybody:) read more

Ranch Water - Holiday Cheer! - Bars Near Me - San Rafael, California

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! read more

Ranch Water - Ranch Water cocktail - Bars Near Me - San Rafael, California

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. read more

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

Yes, love it. Crowded, friendly, and very fun people to be around. They host a lot of local bands and good music. I'll bring my friends and we'll be back again. read more

I highly recommend Ranch Water. We love coming for their delicious cocktails (amazing margaritas) and relaxed ambiance. I got the idea to have my husband's birthday here and they let us rent out a small part of the back area. I was able to decorate, bring cupcakes, and they added some details to make him feel really special. It was so easy to work with the owner, Duncan, that my friends are already planning their next birthday there too. It's the perfect place where it has a great vibe, excellent drinks, great service, and fun music. Highly, highly recommend! read more

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! read more

Ranch Water - Paper Plane - Bars Near Me - San Rafael, California

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!

So we stopped in in transit between stations visiting San Fran, our kids were being slightly difficult and myself, my wife and my brother wanted to just have a quick shot to put out some flames and this bar could've easily made about $25-35. When we entered, the bartender came out and said "absolutely no one under 21 allowed." Totally get it, it's a bar, it's California, there are rules, however she said it very rudely. I don't want them to get hemmed up for doing something they're not supposed to. But as I'm holding our four year old passed out in my arms and our seven year old is just standing there, I casually asked, "could the adults just do a quick shot and be on our way?" To which she once again very rudely replied "absolutely not." Ok jeez, don't have to be that rude about it. So while I get that we couldn't be served anything having children with us, there was also no sign on the door that said "no one under 21 allowed" and also she was beyond rude about how she handled the situation. "This could have been handled better" I said to her as we made our way to our next transit stop. Meanwhile, she interrogated my wife simply trying to use the bathroom before we proceeded by asking "what are you doing?" Once again in a very rude tone. Mind you, I'm an 11 year active duty navy officer who worked food and beverage for 13 years prior to joining... I know how to handle a problem like that far better than this bartender. More importantly, I've seen hundreds of situations like this handled way more professionally than this. She flipped out, got reactive and lost control of the situation. This is someone who needs to take this as a stark learning point and be better! read more

Our friends and I went to Ranch Water on Saturday night for my birthday. The DJ was spinning all the best jams from the 90s and 2000s so naturally the dance floor was on fire! The cocktails were great and the staff friendly. We're so glad to have this bar in SR. We'll be back! read more

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. read more

Ranch Water - Bars Near Me - San Rafael, California

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! read more

Ranch Water - Bars Near Me - San Rafael, California

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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! read more

Ranch Water - Bars Near Me - San Rafael, California

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! read more

Ranch Water - Espresso Martini made by Julie. - Bars Near Me - San Rafael, California

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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! read more

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My personal favorite place to go in San Rafael, excellent crowd, phenomenal bartenders, energetic DJs and fantastic bands and artists frequent the establishment. THE BEST KARAOKE in the bay area. All my friends constantly speak of it and love going. read more

Stopped in to try this new bar. We were huge fans of The Tavern, and wanted to see if it lived up to its predecessor. We can honestly reveal that Ranch Water is a great little bar. Wonderful ambiance, super cool bartender, fun atmosphere, and delicious cocktails. Coming back to try more off the cocktail menu, and want to stop in for karaoke night. read more

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Fun local place...went there on a random night Very friendly bartender... Pretty I might say..Fun on a Wednesday night! Friendly people I'd recommend read more

San Rafael's new hip cocktail bar offers live music and a wonderful vibe. Amazing staff and selection. read more

We hosted a staff holiday party here that was a blast! Perfect setting (cozy, casual, comfortable for a crowd), excellent service (thx Julie and Jacob) and tequila selection, and we got to use the stage for a live music jam. It's a great place to pop in for a beer, watch a game, or catch up with friends. read more

First time coming here. The beautiful Arianna made bomb ass drinks and also funny, great sense of humor. The place has a nice environment I enjoyed myself. They have a n64 that I didn't not try but will try next time I'll go. Recommend read more

Such a fun atmosphere! It was giving Scottsdale vibes in San Rafael. When we walked in as a group of 5 couples after being on a party bus, the male bartender (maybe owner?) said a very ballsy, rude comment about our husbands, but THANK goodness they didn't seem to hear him. The female bartenders were great and the cocktails were delicious! May just want to consider the one bad apple. Overall, a great time was had! read more

Really cute spot with good bartenders who make bomb ass drinks. I recently went there to catch some live music (I didn't even realize they had opened as it use to be a different business). So I really wanted it to be a great spot as it is within a decent walking distance to my house. I forget the name of the drink I had but it was beet juice and Mescal and it was a crafted cocktail made by a professional and attentive bartender. Nice to have a rock solid bar that mixes high end drinks. Will definitely be back. read more

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

I really, really want to like this place. I have brought friends and recommend it to as many people as I can. Now, this is a fairly new bar. Funny I have not heard of it because there is no advertising. The bar is really not impressive and by that I mean that the have many duplicate bottles that are clearly there to take space. Very limited tequila selection but I can get past that. The owner has the customer service skills of a spoiled toddler. Zero personality to the point of a condescending jerk. Advertising happy hour margaritas except the house one? Adios. Let your professional bartenders handle things if they decide to stay. There are too many other places and as a local you have literally missed the boat read more

Great spot! Glad I finally checked it out, stopped in for happy hour and met the owner Duncan. $6 draft beers from 4-6 pm daily. Very close to the SMART train for a cheeky pint. I'll be back with friends to really have a good time. read more

It was a great place. The Karaoke and host were great...i went there with my colleagues and they had a lot of fun singing and the bartender was friendly. offered to go to the store to buy more jack but i settled for captain...it's a cute place. I enjoyed my drinks. would definitely come back if i ever visit again read more

Watch your receipt!! We went to check this bar out, heard good things. We ordered 2 drinks at $16 each. Bill came, my fault for not looking at it closer. The bill was $40.24, I tipped $4 for drinks. Later realized, 2 drinks $16 each + 10% tax = $35.20. So, I should have looked at my bill. Will NOT be going back. read more

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

Nicest new bar in San Rafael, Johnny Metheny, one of the best bar owners in the East Bay and Bay Area. He always has his finger on the pulse of nightclubs and bars since the old rugby days in Berkeley and Oakland the best rugby player I've known. read more

Excellent new bar in San Rafael. Excellent service and knowledgeable bartenders. Big screen TV's to watch a game and dart boards in the back for those that want to play. Good vibe with a fun, comfortable decor. read more

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

Love the sinking couches. Which makes it good for a long stay. Delighted by the bar tender Melissa. Which she was very attentive and welcoming, beautiful and light on her feat. Be sure to tip her big! She earns it! I will be back for more wine in the near future! Thanks a bunch! read more

Love this place! Their cocktails are freshly made and the ambiance is always so fun. The hospitality is warm, friendly and welcoming with lots of recommendations on drinks if you don't know what you're in the mood for. I love the cantinerito cocktail- their version of a Paloma :) read more

There's not many places to dance and listen to live music in San Rafael. This has both. The band was fun and the drinks were strong. I'll be back. read more

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

Fun bartenders and solid cocktails. The authentic western vibe was accented by a hogtie demonstration. Overall would recommend, just don't forget your cowboys hat and chaps. read more

Ranch Water - Dance floor was full of ranchers - Bars Near Me - San Rafael, California