This was my first time experiencing a "food stand" type of eatery. It's a window in the wall, with the menu on the open door. You order and pay at the window then chill on the sidewalk while your food is prepared, or go to the bar next door and they'll bring your food there. I was intrigued by almost every item on the menu. They were common dishes but with really clever and fun twists, like mac and cheese egg rolls or kimchi slaw on the chicken sandwich. There were several sandwich options and a couple salads, as well as a few appetizers. We got the garlic parm fries, which were delicious! I loved the punch from the garlic, and the fries were crispy and hot. I got the chicken and waffles, which came with two pieces of chicken, a waffle, and seasonal fruit. The chicken was delicious, greasy (as expected!) but not in a bad way, and it wasn't dry. We walked over to the Orpheum Theater with our food, to sit nearby and eat before a show (pre-COVID!). Unfortunately by the time we got there, the waffle was a bit soggy and heavy; given the caliber of their other food though, I imagine it would've been delicious and slightly crunchy if I had devoured it right away. The seasonal fruit was (sadly!) not even a full mandarin orange, but it was delicious and on-point. I felt safe walking with my family at night, but I probably wouldn't wander the nearby streets alone. This is definitely a place to try out if you're in the area, walking around, and looking for a unique bite to take on the go. read more

Watch out for the doorman from hell with the real bad attitude. That guy was either high on something or they've hired a psychopath to man their door. We'd just had one drink in the bar when we stepped for not more than 3 minutes to order food from the box, and when we went back in we walked past this tall dude, back to the bar where our beers were waiting for us. Tall dude turns out to be doorman, comes over and demands to see my friends ID. After seeing it, starts out a lecture on attitude and just gives my friend shit for no reason. He then grabs my friend's drink and says to leave. Both of us were too shocked to really comprehend what had just taken place. But seriously, that guy seemed off in the head and I would not feel safe in a place that had him in it. Skip this place as long as you see a tall guy, with big holes in his earlobe on a total power trip as a doorman. read more

I went to the Tempest last night and it almost brought me to tears. My favorite dive bar has become a mecca for douchey hipsters. You can't smoke in there anymore. Some idiot says, "I think it's way better now without the smoke." Well, screw you, dude. Why don't you bike over to Mission and 17th after you finish your beer and go to every bar that now looks exactly like this one. I miss Eric and his wife. I miss looking at the bizarre school picture of their kid in the background. I miss the hand stenciled postings about Kansas and his threats to not serve you if you use your phone. And I miss the smoke; it weeded out the weaklings. Now this bar is just like every other bar, which makes it okay, I guess, but it certainly isn't awesome. And it isn't unique. The best bar in the city has gone extinct. We should all shed a tear. read more

So deliciously divey good. My good friend Netty L was kind enough to introduce me to this hidden gem. $2 happy hour PBRs until 8 PM, but who cares about happy hour, they go up fifty cents after the fact. You can afford to be a big shot. But it was more than the cheap drinks that had me loving this place. You can help yourself to free hot dogs on Monday night football nights with all the fixins. And want a cigarette? No need to go outside, smoking in the bar seems to be more than acceptable at this dodgy spot. The bartender is originally from Kansas, both he and his hoodie told me so, and he was extremely excited that I had a South Dakota ID. We bonded immediately. A perfect low key place where you can kick back and forget about your worries for the night. read more

Stopped by Tempest in SF and was bummed to find out the main kitchen is closed for now, but honestly, Steph completely turned the experience around. Her customer service and energy were top-tier. You can tell she genuinely cares about making sure everyone has a great time. They're running a limited food menu at the moment, and Steph recommended the grilled cheese. Shockingly good! Simple, melty, and exactly what you want with a drink in hand. The vibes here are great, laid back, unpretentious, and full of character. Cheap drinks, good music, and bartenders who actually make you feel welcome. Even without the full kitchen, I still had a great time. Big shoutout to Steph for making the visit memorable. Will definitely be back once the kitchen reopens! read more

There are dive bars out there and then there is the Tempest. This bar has so much going for it, I would put it in a class of its own. The tempest class or bars maybe! Not only does The Tempest serve $2 PBR all week long, but it also allows animals inside. On top of that it serves food. How do they get away with that? Pure genius, that is how. Most places would be shut down by Health and Safety for letting animals inside, but since their food is technically next door and they are cool with you eating it inside the bar, there is no problem with animals plus food. There are nearly zero places I can bring my dog to in SF. Most of the parks aren't even dog friendly. So to have a bar that exists here just blows my mind. read more

As far as divey bars go, I love Tempest. The clientele is more up my alley than the thick of SOMA, and the drinks are stiff and cheap. We can sometimes get a table, but on busy Friday/Saturday nights, good luck. Prepare to stand shoulder to shoulder, and sometimes on top of your fellow bar patron. Don't think too hard about what happens in the bathroom, and if you need something to stare at to avoid that awkward guy or lady hitting on, check out that artwork on the wall. Ye be hungry? Hit up Box next door and then bring it back inside. Protip: the chicken sandwich. Yes. The good: cheap drinks, great place to hang out with friends. The bad: people like this place, so lots o' people be hitting it up. read more

This place is pretty grim. You can drink and dine off of sticky sticker covered tables with your choice of bums from the neighborhood or "party animal" bearded tech toughies - probably a mix of both since the hood is packed with both at all hours. It reminds me of San Francisco ten years from now..... The food looks good but I would be hesitant to try it due to the not so foodie vibe. I play pool a lot but would not play on this table. It takes dollar bills and is right in the middle of the mud, blood, and the beer. 30 and under for sure. Ghetto as F*ck. Wanna party like a "real local"? Go here. Its a "black out and have unprotected sex" kind of spot. Dirty as a beard. read more

This really is exactly what I've been searching for. No thrills local pub with superb cheap PBR on draft, in addition to a complete bar for whatever you alter your mind on afterwards. The staff is friendly and there's a pool table in the middle of the tavern for some great amusement. What is better than bars that don't serve food, is pubs that let you bring food in, although they do not serve food. Food that is next is a small and delightful restaurant with hamburgers and awesome chips. It's possible for you to order from the and come back to pick it up, and eat it in the bar. Ample and active, plenty of choices, great people watching, amazing location. I am a huge fan. read more

Love this place! Not only does it have a great Pabst and JB special for 5 dollars, but they also have some of best bar food I've ever had. You wouldn't think they even have a kitchen but they do. Outside to the right is a little hole in the wall where you can order your food. They have the best chicken wings, spicy, sweet, sticky Asian wings. So bomb! They also have these fries mozzarella sticks that are amazing as well. Burgers, pork sandwiches, fries. They got it all. And at a very reasonable price. Oh yeah and fried pickles. Now I'm hungry. Do yourself a favor and go. You won't regret it. read more

walking into this bar i felt like i was right back in the midwest, not just the run down decor and folks seated within but the smoking as well really brought the whole scene together. it was quite the sight to be seen. if you ever wanted to hide from the world this is the bar to run to. it's cheap and easy not to mention the 'knocked up' movie poster in the bathroom is a rude awakening of being careful of just how much booze one should consume in an evening. it is an ideal dive bar! read more

A cool thing about this bar is that the food is ordered in a hole in the wall next to it. An even cooler thing is that if you order a drink with that food, a power tripping overgrown high schooler will tell you to go across the street and eat, but then when you try and come inside he will tell you "well you were drinking across the street, that's unacceptable" as if his train of thought doesn't end in a hard left into a brick wall. Absolute shithole of service. read more

Smoking indoors! that's right you can smoke in this bar, illegally of course. The area is a bit creepy and I would never attempt to walk here alone, but it is a cheap place to grab a few drinks, plus they have free hot dogs on Monday nights. This bar is as blue-collar as they come, can I say blue-collar or is that not P.C. anymore? Well anyway that is what it is and if you can handle the smoke it is a great place to grab a few drinks and chill out. read more

Good. This is a really nice place. Boardwalk themed. Souvenirs, coffee shops, restaurants, Merry go round, picture booths, people watching, sea lion watching, sea lion information room with kid activities and information presentations, after sun set many homeless are present, during day many street performers (some great some not so great). Definitely worth the walk. Get a cone of Ben and Jerry's or a hot dog while you take it all in. read more

Went to a Giants game recently and maybe had a few adult beverages at the game and some how some way ended up at a little random dive bar called Tempest. It's still a little fuzzy how we got there but it was meant to be. We had a great time with some great bar eats to help soak up some of the frosty beverages. If I lived in the city this place would be trouble. Great local hidden spot to hit after the game. read more

Don't buy the food here! The bar is fine, but I was recently given food poisoning from a lovely chef with a Raiders hat on after he was done starring at my girlfriends chest and "dabbing." Never happened before until last night. The fat guy with the Raiders hat should be fired. Save yourself the day of suffering that I'm currently experiencing by not eating here. Seriously considering tracking that guy down read more

The bartender Ben is a real dick. If you don't like your job find a new one¡ Good thing for freedom of choice, I can now choose another bar and never return to Tempest¡ I hope for the sake of business you can learn how to enjoy life and how to be hospitable in the hospitality industry. The bar seems to have great potential but I will not let some guy who hates himself bring me down from my high horse. read more

Tempest is located very close to my work, so I visit it frequently and have not had a bad time so far. Prices are great, the crowd is a lot of fun, and they have really good food. There is a $10 minimum on a card, so if you're looking to have one drink I recommend bringing cash... or you can always buy a stranger a drink (it's happened to me before, always fun.) read more

Drinks are super cheap and the crowd is pretty cool but my one star rating is because the kitchen guy with the afro hit me in the head with a fucking Frisbee inside the bar and uses the "N" word to a degree which made me and my friends uncomfortable other than that the bartenders were all pretty cool but they need to re-think some of the people they hire read more