Chaps II (former
location of My Place)
1225 Folsom Street (near 8th)
San Francisco, CA 94103
415/255-2427
http://www.chapsbarsanfrancisco.com/
Rating: *****
Type: Levi/Leather/SM
Crowd: Leathermen, fetishists, daddies/boys, bears
Pooltable: no
Smoking: out front
Best time to go: Fri/Sat nights
This bar is small, narrow, and dark in
a good way. Is it for everyone? No. There used to be
a dress code,
but I don't think it's needed anymore: the majority
of the men that come here
are in leather, metal, uniforms, rubber, etc. so don't
be afraid to dress like what you want to attract. And
bring
your ID.
I was tentative about this place for
awhile, but have grown to love it. The bar is co-owned
by the guy that made "Men In Gear" a success,
and he's taken theme nights to the extreme: uniforms,
rubber, leather, rope bondage, etc. and the crowd is
always game. It reminds
me a lot of the leather bars in Silverlake, Amsterdam,
or Berlin.
This has become one of our hangouts,
and the only reason we leave is because
we want to play pool.
The Lone Star Saloon
1354 Harrison St
San Francisco, CA 94103
415/863-9999
Rating: ***
Type: Bear bar
Hours: 9 a.m. - 2 a.m. Sat & Sun,
Noon - 2 a.m. M-F
Crowd: 70% bears by volume, 20% chasers,
10% uniforms & whatever
Pooltable: Yes, 2nd best
table in SOMA but the cues are getting worse
Smoking: out front
or on the back patio (covered in winter)
Best time
to go: Sunday
beer bust in the afternoon, Saturday nights before
12:30 a.m. (when all the bears mysteriously vanish).
We often go on Sunday nights to play pool.
This is a relatively large bar for SOMA,
and there's an open-air patio out back. The bartenders
are great, and the crowd is pretty laid back. This
place had a reputation for being clique-y, but I think
that's faded.
The Lone Star went through an ownership and
management change in 2008, and the crowd has changed.
Expect more 20-somethings, hipsters, and women in addition
to bears.
The Eagle Tavern (The SF Eagle)
398 12th St
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 626-0880
www.sfeagle.com
Rating: ***
Type: Levi/Leather/Whatever
Hours: Noon - 2 a.m. every day
Crowd: 99% gay male
of all sizes and ages. Sprinkling of lesbians and straight
people, especially on Tuesday nights when there's live
bands. Some bears and uniforms.
Pooltable: Yes, best table
of the SOMA bars. Bad cues unfortunately.
Smoking: on
the back patio (covered and heated!)
The SF Eagle is the largest of the SOMA bars. It gets packed
(and I mean sardines) on Sunday afternoons for the beer busts,
but I hate standing in line and feeling claustrophobic,
so we never go. For most nights except weekends,
the place is fairly empty, which is a shame given
the enormous patio. When there are leather events, however,
it's filled to the brim.
The crowd changes from night to night.
They have live music every Thursday, but I'm more interested
in chatting with people, so I avoid it. I've had some
super fun nights at The Eagle, mostly because
if you start something, they'll play along.
DJs play a very eclectic mix, mostly
rock. Don't expect to hear the top 20 dance hits. The
club has changed a bit since the owners of the Hole
in the Wall took over, although the place has never
looked better in my opinion.
The Powerhouse
1347 Folsom St
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 552-8689
www.powerhouse-sf.com
Rating: **
Type: Levi/Leather/Whatever
Crowd: Gay men only
Pooltable: Yes, but may vanish
soon if not already. Rarely played.
Smoking: tiny
covered back
patio
The most sexual gay bar in
SOMA. They've started
playing "art" movies
in the back section of the bar, which is distracting
to all. The back patio is the best place for smoking
and watching—and usually gets frisky—but
watch where you step. Nice bartenders, usually
chatty.
This was a huge tourist hangout,
but we aren't sure why since we haven't been here in
a year.
Hole in the Wall -
moved to this location mid-2008
1369 Folsom Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
415/431-4695
Rating: ***
Type: Neighborhood, some leather
Crowd: men of various shapes,
sizes, ages, ethnicities, smells
Pooltable: Excellent players
Smoking: out
front (covered, sort of)
A wildly decorated
bar (a must-see; it's better than MOMA) and Scott's
old hangout. This bar wins hands down in terms of eclectic decor, although
you're far less likely to run into a naked dwarf dancing
on the pool table than at the former location.
Good bartenders, reasonable drinks, and
some very interesting company. If you want "San Francisco"
eclectic, this is it. |
