McTeague’s Saloon – San Francisco’s Hidden Gem with Heart
Being new to San Francisco, McTeague’s was one of the first bars I stumbled into — and I’ve been thankful ever since. It’s not just a bar, it’s the kind of place where strangers become your drinking buddies, and regulars feel like family. Some of my closest friends today? Met ’em right here over a Guinness and a few games of pool.
The bartenders are solid — friendly, quick, and always on their game even when it’s packed. There’s a strong “locals-built-this” vibe, and you can tell the regulars have shaped the character of the place just as much as the brick and mortar.
No food served, but that’s actually a plus — you’re welcome to bring your own in. And with pizza, Chinese, burgers, and Thai food all within a couple blocks, you’re basically set for whatever craving you’ve got mid-session.
Tons of TVs make it a great spot for catching a game, and they go all out for UFC nights. If you’re looking for a real-deal neighborhood bar with personality, a pint, and good people —...
Read moreDivey yet generally solid Irish / Texas bar on lower Polk in Tendernob. Can become too much of a mob scene for me at times on weekends, but overall respectable joint.
The good: 1- cheap drinks 2- around a lot of other places (good location for barhopping / pub crawl) 3- shiner bock 4- has an "Alex Smith #11 Sucks" sign up at the bar 5- closest thing in the bay area to Texas for Longhorn football watching 6- near my house (file under: things of great importance to you)
The bad: 7- can develop a slightly bro-on-the-prowl creeper vibe on weekend nights (Marina lite, I'll call it...) 8- despite being a decently big place, it fills up (I guess this is both a pro and a con) and can get super crowded, almost overwhelmingly so 9- like most places on Polk, McTeagues has like a 5:1 guy:girl ratio. While you'd think this would be a plus for me, please see #7 above. 10- $15 bar tab minimum, which at the McTeagues prices, you may or may not be...
Read moreCame here to get turnt up on Saturday night and did just that. The bar is pretty big, but its packed fast. The crowd is somewhat diverse. Actually I would say it is a good cross section of the SF demographic, pretty much a little bit of everything, where as some of the other bars on Polk skew one way or the other.
Drinks are decently priced and they take card to it makes things easier. Once you get your drink and find a spot, you can start partaking in the drunken fun which may or may not include drunken dancing and singing (as room permits). I am pretty sure the music comes from somebody's ipod or computer since there is absolutely no mixing or focus on any particular genre...Top 40 though out the decades we have lived?
No cover and relaxed atmosphere...
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