The Chieftain Irish Pub & Restaurant — Restaurant in San Francisco

I've been here quite a few times, each time for a watching a major sports event. I've tried the other bars around the area (Rumors: pretty good but service is slow, and Ted's Sports Bar: DON'T GO; very old crowd and the one overwhelmed bartender tries to avoid eye contact at all costs). Service here is great and it's somehow large enough that my husband and I have always managed to end up with seats, even for the Superbowl or the NBA Finals.

I really like the relaxed "vibe" of Chieftain. They give you a large, pretty varied menu at your table and the waitresses are friendly. The spacing of the tables is also pretty nice - you're not knocking into each other. It's probably my favorite place to watch a game and get a nice draft beer; they have quite a large selection including cocktails and wine for the beer-nonenthusiasts out there (confession: sometimes I get wine or cocktails instead; cocktails are okay but they use smaller ice which sometimes melts too quickly for my liking - I want to sip and enjoy the game...). People are generally around the late 20s and early 30s crowd and typically pretty into the game, but it's never rowdy enough that you can't hold a conversation. Just occasional extremely loud cheers.

Onto the food: Turkey burger: Tastes relatively light but delicious. There's jalapeno salsa and melted cheese. Comes with a small side of thick fries. Buffalo wings: Not overly buffalo-ed, which I love. Comes with a side of carrots and celery, so that you feel mildly healthy. Spicy irish potato bites: Hell yes. Balls of spicy mashed potatoes and jalapeno that are...

07/2023 Ordered fish and chips and the Irish chicken burger. Very good comfort food on a long evening, hot and filling. The tartar sauce is a good addition and even a great pairing with fries. Service was fast, ambiance was great and calm. Located right at a street intersection so it is hard to miss.

09/2023 Ordered a Shepherd's Pie and an Irish Beef Stew. The Shepherd's Pie was delicious with a creamy consistency from the upper mash potatoes and a savory layer of lamb and vegetables. I did not add the free bread but should have done so. The gravy was a nice topper that added some sweetness to the potatoes. The Irish Beef Stew was a very hearty meal. The stew was the right amount of thick and had plenty of beef chunks along with assorted bite-sized vegetables.

07/2024 Added an order of Bangers and Mash and a drink of Pear Cider and a Ginger Agave Cider. The Bangers and Mash is a very filling high protein plate. The sausages are juicy and plenty for their size. The gravy either on the mashed potatoes or with the sausages adds a sweet and creamy element to the plate. And the beans certainly wrap up a hearty and strong meal to carry one's stomach for more than just one meal. The Pear Cider is a good go-to cider choice for something refreshing to wash down your meal. The Ginger Agave Cider is a different but also quite refreshing drink to have with a slightly stronger ginger note profile. Service was quick and courteous and our meal was enjoyed quite nicely. Do note that the kitchen closes at 10 PM so it's best to arrive at an...

First time in San Francisco and thought I’d stop here. First thing I noticed when I walked in was the lack of service as I had to go to the waitress and ask where to sit. The service continued to go down hill from there. The waitress ignored our table, when my sister asked for a glass of water it was almost tossed on our table. My drink order was forgotten, even after the waitress checked my ID. The food was lacking. I ordered the beer battered fish with chips and it was soggy and had an overwhelming taste of soggy fish. The chips were very good. My sister ordered the beef stew and it tasted as if it came out of a can. The only good thing that was ordered was the corn beef, it was very good. I usually tip at a restaurant, especially when I have a good waitress. I left no tip on this trip, as I felt the service didn’t warrant one. Towards the end we were the only patrons in the pub, but still no service was offered to us, instead the waitress’ and bartender sat around chatting with each other.The waitress had the audacity to follow us outside of the restaurant and demand a tip from us, and tell us that a tip was mandatory. She pointed to the bottom of the receipt, and I pointed out that it was suggested not mandatory. She than asked if we were from there, which made no sense to me. To end if I return to San Francisco, this is one restaurant I will avoid in the future. I should have read the reviews as this seems common for...