Hawthorn SF Nightclub and Lounge — Restaurant in San Francisco

Such a cool bar, can't believe I hadn't been here despite living so close. The only reason I take a star off is because we didn't know that the service charge was 21.7%, and only noticed the charge on card later. It would've been nice to know in advance given we also tipped on top of this pretty nicely.

The entrance is tiny and kinda deceiving because inside the place is huge with plenty options to sit, stay at the bar or be near the dance floor. I made a reservation on a Friday for the same evening but when I arrived they had no seats left, they probably didn't receive my reservation in time. Despite that, the host was kind enough to find our group a seating spot, so brownie points for friendliness right there! Note that it Friday Eve so the bar is pretty full and yet our whole experience that evening was made because of how friendly the entire staff was, which happens rarely at a bar! The music was slightly loud so not your place, if you wanna just chit-chat So we got seated, and the server brought drinks menu. They didn't have food that evening due to an event which she was sorry for, but they brought us their on-the-house truffle popcorns which I loved! The guy who made those came around to check-in twice and was super chatty and friendly as well, I forget his name but he mentioned we will be impressed by his horse-riding haha. :) Coming to drinks, great cocktails! I loved my tequila infused with spicy jalapenos and citrus, but on the second round I went with the bartender's choice, which for that evening was 'Wild Card'. Turns out the drink was an amazing selection and nutty flavored, which for $7 was a steal! I'm definitely bringing my gang again,...

We hosted a client appreciation happy hour event at Hawthorn and were thoroughly happy with the entire evening. Chadwick & Charlotte were amazing to work with and were able to help bring my vision to life perfectly. To start off, the venue is absolutely beautiful with such unique décor and state-of-the art sound system.

To go along with our Cuban theme, we hired Imangiere to cater our event. George was so helpful such a pleasure to work with to plan out our menu and Joseph was so professional and helpful during set up and throughout the entire event. The food was delicious!

The floral that Jola from Blooming Alley created was gorgeous and perfectly complimented our theme. Our cigar roller, Patricio, was a huge hit as he rolled cigars for our guests. The DJ played the perfect blend of music complementing our theme. The highlight of our event were our Carmen Mirandas! Tracy is super-talented with costume design and make-up.

Mark Sandstorm Photography does beautiful work and did an amazing job capturing the evening so well.

All the bartenders, door staff, and DJ were fabulous & friendly.

I highly recommend hosting a corporate event at Hawthorn. They are super professional, easy to work with, affordable and flexible. You won’t be...

My experience here was a complete letdown from start to finish. I came out with a group of friends, hoping to have a fun night out in San Francisco, but we were shocked at how dead this place was. There was not a single person inside except for a couple of bored-looking staff. The music was playing to an empty dance floor, and there was absolutely no vibe or energy in the room.

To make matters worse, the staff at the door still insisted that we pay a cover charge just to get in. I honestly have no idea what we were supposed to be paying for—an empty room and zero atmosphere? When we asked if it was going to get busier, they just shrugged and ignored our concerns. The whole thing felt like a cash grab.

We stuck around for a few minutes thinking maybe people would show up, but it never happened. It was awkward and honestly kind of embarrassing. We ended up leaving almost immediately and felt like we completely wasted our time and money. There are plenty of other nightclubs and lounges in SF with actual crowds and real energy—do yourself a favor and skip Hawthorn. This was by far the most disappointing and overpriced experience I’ve had in the city.

Don’t fall for it. Find somewhere else that actually delivers on...