Third Rail — Restaurant in San Francisco

Perhaps I'm a bit biased, having lived in semi-barren Dogpatch long enough now to feel the rare downside of not being able to stumble home after a few quality cocktails. So, color me excited when my buddy Jean Y told me about this new addition to the neighborhood!

We showed up a week ago, where I ordered one of their Ol' 55s, and an Envy. And, well, the bartenders know their stuff, as far as naming and suggestions go, at least. As the "spiritous" category would suggest, the Ol' 55 was indeed a much stronger cocktail, with some slight medicinal notes. When asking for something a little more refreshing for my second, my bartender's suggestion of the Envy was spot on.

Now, while they're not quite at the level of favorites such as Martuni's, Rickhouse, or Zero Zero, I did like their cocktails more than say, Bar Agricole or Azucar. And at $10 a pop, and within walking distance of my home, you can be certain I'll be dropping by here more in the future, simply for the balance of quality, value, and convenience.

Accessibility Info

Venue - While the space isn't huge, they're new enough that there isn't such a crowd as to make the place feel cramped and hard to navigate through. In fact, the day we went, there were less than 10 other customers inside with us. The bar counter, however, is the usual bar counter height (a.k.a. too high for us in chairs). However, with the limited patrons, it wasn't hard at all getting the bartender's attention.

Bathroom - Didn't...

A really upscale yet chill establishment. Fantastic bar service - got drinks really quickly. And the drink was very good - I’m used to “pseudo-cocktails” where they pretend they can make something good with fancy indigents and it tastes horrible - not this place. These are cocktails that taste great and pack a punch at the same time. They know how to make a drink that leaves the punch of the alcohol yet sweetens and softens it so you can enjoy it.

The jerky is kind of a bonus - I did make a mistake of getting the sampler. 3 of the 4 were pretty spicy and I had to pace myself. But it was an experience.

Lastly, the bar was really loud and I suppose my wife and I were expecting somewhere more chill and relaxed where we could unwind instead of feeling wound up by the noise. This was the only major disappointment I suppose - but everything else about this place is top notch. Really felt like a little diamond in the rough - what they do...

As one of many stops on a barhopping adventure through dogpatch recently, we ended the night at Third Rail to grab some drinks before calling it a night. The various bars in the area are really starting to grow on me with each having its own theme and appeal. Third rail's gimmick is that it pairs all of its drinks with various types of beef jerky. I believe they even have a special combo in which you can choose one type of beer, one type of shot and one type of jerky all for $10. Each jerky comes with a very detailed description of its flavors and from this you can gather what it would pair best with. Overall, I really enjoyed this place and I would definitely come back because it is just so unique. I don't even know of anyone else that does something like this so I'm going to go ahead and say that if you're craving jerky and drinks together, this is "as good...