Your guide to S.F.’s gay bars this Pride season
Just as there are all kinds of gay people, there are all kinds of gay bars.
For sporty gays, there are sporty gay bars (hi, Hi Tops).
For gay men and women who like the more laid-back neighborhood scene, there’s any number of homey places from the Castro to SoMa to wet your whistle (Last Call, the Lone Star Saloon).
If leather is your thing, there are plenty of options to put you in an alternative mood (the Eagle, Powerhouse), and if you want to dance, you can spend the night boogying from club to club (OMG, Badlands, the Cafe).
Whether you’re a local or one of the many out-of-town visitors who come to San Francisco for Gay Pride Weekend, we offer this helpful guide that tells you what to wear, what to drink and whom you’ll see at the bars.
Cheers, salute, bottoms up and happy drinking.
Tony Bravo is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.
Relaxed, anti-scene, neighborhood crew, Kevin the bartender greets people by name.
Dress code:
Casual, unironic flannel shirt and jeans.
On cold nights, the fireplace.
The jukebox is also a popular favorite.
Twin Peaks Tavern
Dress code: “Castro clone” circa 1974.
The collection of nutcrackers over the bar during the holiday season.
Things pick up after 9 p.m.
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Leather vest, no shirt.
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Weekend football games.
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The frozen drinks and saltwater fish tank.
Sports fans on game days.
Any warm afternoon or night on the patio.
Dress code:
Whatever you wore to the Safeway across Market.
The old-school wooden phone booth, perfect for selfies.
The after-work crowd is politely cruisy.
Dress code:
More trend-conscious than skin conscious.
Twinks to college boys to bears.
Dress code: A sweater for the back patio bar is never a bad idea.
Don’t miss: $3 frozen margaritas on Latin Thursdays.
Old-timers who remember the bar as the Elephant Walk in Harvey Milk’s day, newbies curious about the bar’s place in gay history.
Dress code:
Honor the bar’s namesake with a “Milk for Supervisor” T-shirt.
Funny Tuesday comedy night, the tofu scramble.
Crowd: A favorite spot for drag queens.
The Mahogany Mondays “RuPaul’s Drag Race” viewing parties.
Dress code:
Glitter works equally well on Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence as it does on the Saturday go-go boys.
Way Back Wednesdays when the bar’s video screens are put to good use showing your retro favorites.
Boogie o’clock starts after 9 p.m.
Dress code:
Shirts tend to come off quickly on the dance floor.
Pollo Del Mar’s Sunday drag show, “The Glama Zone.”
Sports fans, jocks and athletic enthusiasts.
Dress code:
San Francisco team colors are always encouraged; bartenders wear jocks for Thursday night Gym Class.
Wednesday night’s Bottoms Up Bingo.
Revelers looking for a little noise and maybe a slice of pizza.
Friday and Saturday nights on the town, post-brunch cocktails on Sunday.
Dress code:
Something to show off those pecs and a pair of binoculars to check out your neighbor.
The view from the balconies of the musclemen exiting the gym on Market Street.
Most nights attract a healthy crowd to the dance floor, where Britney, Gaga and Madonna rule the playlists.
Dress code:
The black-lit hall of urinals with overhanging mirrors.
People who roll their eyes when you suggest going to Badlands.
Weekends on the patio.
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The Monday-Friday two-for-one drink specials.
Squeaky-clean and polished, like the venue.
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Casual diners and drinkers, former punks who remember the cafe’s mosh pit days.
Sunny days when the people watching is easy.
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Casual bohemian duds.
The ambience of sipping a cocktail in the patio garden.
Mixed ages but skews more 30-plus.
Weekends for day drinking that becomes early evening drinking.
Dress code:
Chest hair preferred.
Gay dive bar regulars.
The vibe stays pretty homey and mellow even during weekend peaks.
Dress code:
If this is a gay “Cheers,” then feel free to dress like Cliff or Norm.
Thursday night’s Tubesteak Connection dance party with DJ Bus Station John.
Dress code:
Sparkle, glitter and that hint of the ’70s.
Browsing “Ye Olde Gift Shoppe,” a.k.a. the bar’s claw machine.
Trans women, drag queens, cross-dressers and the people who admire them.
Wednesday’s Naughty Schoolgirls night is a fan favorite.
Dress code:
The talent onstage for any of the numerous live performances.
Unpretentious neighborhood characters and kitsch lovers alike.
Dress code:
Try a nautical touch as a nod to the decor.
The people watching and staring up at the black-tarped ceiling.
Crowd: A true mix of all the LGBT letters with a healthy helping of straights.
Dress code: A mix of hipster uniforms then and now.
The live performances most nights of the week.
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The overall Kenneth Anger retro biker vibe.
Leather, punk, jock, neighborhood guys, a real gay variety.
Most nights you’ll break a sweat (which some patrons are into).
Dress code:
If you have some kind of apparel-related fetish, this is the place to bring it out of the kink closet.
Tuesday night’s ink-and-metal dollar-off drinks for bar-goers with tattoos and/or piercings.
Mixed ages and sexes.
Dress code:
Charlie’s famous pulled-pork sandwiches on Fridays.
Studs, twinks, goths, queens, trans, lesbians, one of the best melanges in SoMa.
Dress code: A great bar to let your freak flag fly.
The performers may be trans women and drag queens, but the crowd is usually straight bachelorettes and tourists.
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Oasis is home to many regular performance events hosted by and starring co-owners D’Arcy Drollinger and Heklina.
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Dress as your favorite “Golden Girl” or “Facts of Life” actress, depending on which sitcom is getting the drag treatment that night.
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The light show.
Techno fans and insomniacs who are looking for after-hours fun (the EndUp is open until 4 a.m. most days).
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Don’t miss: A chance to re-create the infamous “tighty whities” scene from gay classic “Tales of the City,” which was set in the bar.
Dive regulars and college kids from not-too-far USF.
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Neighborhood locals and people from out of the area cool enough to know about this hidden gem.
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The whimsical garden with views and sculpture around every corner.