The Oldest Bars in San Francisco
Why not drink where you can taste history too?
By Julie Albin
Bars. This city is brimming with them like an overfilled pint glass. Some are fabulous, some are — uh — not so fabulous, and some are really, really old. These five pre-1906-earthquake bars have beaten the odds and stood the test of time, reminding of us our city’s rich history, from the natural disasters it underwent to the triumphs thereafter. Let’s toast to these old-timers that continue to grace the San Francisco bar scene to this day.
Old Ship Saloon—1851
298 Pacific Avenue (Jackson Square)
In 1849, a ship by the name of the Arkansas entered our beloved bay, only to find itself confronted with a rough storm that forced it aground on Alcatraz. Shortly after, the ship was towed over to San Francisco, where an entrepreneur came along and decided to carve it up and convert it into the Old Ship Saloon. The bar immediately attracted the likes of sailors, gamblers and other disreputable folk.
While the interior is now modernized and full of flat-screen TVs, it’s impossible to ignore the maritime adornments. The sailors and gamblers have long since been replaced by neighborhood locals, young FiDi professionals and tourists who come for the local craft brews. This is what you call an oldie but a goodie.
Elixir — 1858
3200 16th Street (Mission Dolores)
During the height of the city’s Barbary Coast years, the very thirsty sought refuge in this local watering hole. Destroyed by the tragic earthquake of 1906, the tenacious then-owner was one of the only barkeeps to rebuild his bar in the same exact spot.
Nowadays, this beautifully restored space, with its polished mahogany bar (which was brought in from another location and may actually be even older than the establishment itself), offers cocktail aficionados some of the freshest seasonal concoctions in San Francisco. Whether you prefer having craft spirits in a cocktail or neat, Elixir has something for everyone, from random passersby to serious boozehounds.
The Saloon — 1861
1232 Grant Avenue (North Beach)
Situated in the heart of the infamous Grant Avenue bar scene, the Saloon is not only the third-oldest bar in the city but also a hotspot for some of the best live blues music in the Bay Area. With talented music acts playing frequently, the owner keeps a collection of noteworthy CDs inside the bar. And in the unlikely event that no band is playing, the bar also packs a fantastic jukebox.
Having survived the 1906 earthquake due to its abnormally stout timbers — or so the story goes — the Saloon welcomes a diverse crowd, from longtime regulars to visiting vacationers, who come to sit back and sip their PBR while catching some great live music.
Northstar Cafe — 1882
1560 Powell Street (North Beach)
Our number 4 spot takes us just a couple of blocks away from the Saloon to the bright-yellow Northstar Cafe. Once a Prohibition-era speakeasy, this bar remains a neighborhood favorite for grabbing a beer, playing pool, watching sports and guiltlessly munching on fistfuls of free popcorn.
Northstar Cafe’s happy hour, which, they boast, was ranked #1 by the Betty Ford Clinic, runs Monday through Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and features $3 beers and well drinks. Given the sky-high drink prices in San Francisco these days, this is certainly something to get happy about!
Shotwell’s — 1891
3349 20th Street (Mission District)
Interestingly, Shotwell’s began life as a “grocery saloon,” meaning a market with a bar in the back. Then came the 1906 earthquake and, later, a fire, which destroyed much of the neighborhood. During the rebuilding, City Hall seized the opportunity to ban grocery saloons in order to keep children out of establishments that serve alcohol. So the owner did what anyone (at least what I) would do: he scrapped the groceries and rebuilt the place as a bar.
Since then, Shotwell’s has gone through a hell of a lot of name changes, but as of 2006, it was renamed Shotwell’s in honor of its historical roots. Speaking of historical, the old wooden back bar was brought in from New England via an old transcontinental train and still has the bullet holes to prove it.
Other Places to Get a Drink
Photos courtesy of Julie Albin.
