Rickhouse — Restaurant in San Francisco

In SF, the FiDi is often thought to be good for banking, corporate players, being close to Union Square and hotels. I never thought it'd be a great place to grab a drink but, Rickhouse has officially made the FiDi cool. From the same team that brought us Bourbon and Branch, we get another amazing bar.

Without the huge rustic sign reading Rickhouse in white letters, you'd probably walk right by the huge wooden walls. The door is to the right of the sign. Once inside, you feel as if you've stepped into an old Western saloon/speakeasy combo. It sounds strange but, it's awesome. There's exposed brick, it's dimly lit, old wood is everywhere, the seats reminded me of comfy saddles and the bartenders are dressed in their speakeasy best with vests, ties, and rolled up shirts. Oh, correction: mixologists.

In places like this when there aren't any menus readily available, I opt for asking the professional to mix whatever s/he wants for me. Since I've bartended, the skill has gotten really crazy with a bunch of fresh and amazing ingredients that are usually mixed together in a way I would never have thought. So, I just tell them, I trust you and enjoy the tasty ride that they provide. Like a good mixologist, he asked what liquors I liked or felt like (rum) and if I like citrus (yes) then, made me something fantastic that I can't pronounce but, it was strong. Fernando, not as adventurous as I, stuck with his usual G&T. They also serve punch in real ceramic punch bowls and cups- if we were with a group, we would've gotten this because I've heard great things.

We found a seat in the upstairs area which overlooked both bottom halves of the bar. There is a second bar in the back which we discovered from our perch. There's also a fireplace that was lit and since it's tis the season, there was a Christmas tree to add festive cheer to the dimly lit bar. We were there on a Tuesday and it was crowded, so I can imagine on the weekends, it's probably incredibly hard to get into or crowded or both. If you're in the area, definitely stop by for a drink or two...or three. Fernando declared it his favorite spot in the...

Back when I was a baby yelper in 09 and when I used to drink only craft beer I was introduced to craft cocktails here, in San Francisco, but specifically here and B&B. What a better way to get into things than one of the best volume craft cocktail/whiskey bars in one of the best cocktail drinking cities in the world. I know right? Well it came at a cost. Not only was I living in Socal and driving up weekly to see my girlfriend at the time, but it got expensive to take that crash course in drinking. Thanks Castro.

Yeah it was hard to find, still is, damn that show BBiA, kinda cramping my style blowing up all the cool spots. Very whiskey centric, but it seems like everyone likes coming in these groups and doing punch bowls. I’m like, relax tiki. Pagan and Smugglers aren’t that far.

It’s dark, it’s hot, it’s rustic, but it does add to the ambiance. Pre BBiA the crowd was chill, super cool nerds and locals, actually back in the day there was tech money everywhere. In more recent times when I come back the drinks are still super solid, but the clientele get bro-ey and party on the weekends, so I stick to weeknights, early, or late as just a stop in to say hello. I think weeknights are more hipster/yuppy, but people are friendly enough to mix around.

I’m not going to go into drinks or spirits because it’s extensive, many with length backstories, but the staff is legit. When you talk about volume, they can crank and sling with the best of them (hence their awards). Upstairs is where old folks go, the party is near the bar. Price on drinks were San Francisco strong and generally having this large a selection makes prices go up and doing so many classics keeps ticket times crafty, though I did once wait far too long for drinks and ended up getting 3 just for me.

Rickhouse will always hold a special place with me, even as many of the familiar faces come and go and I can’t make it up here nearly as much, it sparked a passion in me that’s taken places/met people I’d never have imagined, and for that I’m...

perhaps this experience has completely soiled my opinion of rickhouse but in general, this place is just OK. the drinks are what you would expect for the price you are paying and the location is very convenient for after work drinks.

on my last visit, i asked the bartender to make me one of their house drinks but without any additional sweetener, like many of us do, to lower our sugar intake where we can and in my particular instance, this being a health related request.

a request to which he retorted "no, we do not take liberties with our signature cocktails and besides, it won't taste good."

oh apologies mr. bartender, i didn't realize your taste buds were omniscient. unfortunately because i was meeting friends there, i did not leave and persisted with my order. repeatedly he advised me on my palate, insisting that the drink would taste really bad if i eliminated the little bit of sweetener he insisted upon adding. i couldn't even believe my ears - if you think your drink will taste horrible without sweetener, is it because your ingredients suck? very confusing. and after an uncomfortable exchange, guess what, he made me my gin + grapefruit + lime without additional sweeter and it tasted just fine!!

advice : be nice and mix the drink you are getting...