The Lone Star
(my San Francisco hangout)
1354 Harrison St
San Francisco, CA 94103
415/863-9999
www.lonestarsaloon.com
Rating: ****
Type: Bear bar and some leather
Hours: 9 a.m. - 2 a.m. Sat & Sun,
Noon - 2 a.m. M-F
Crowd: 80% gay bears by volume, 10% chasers,
10% uniforms & whatever
Pooltable: Yes, not the best
table in SOMA, but players are fun if a bit
serious
Best time to go: Sunday beer bust
in the afternoon, Saturday nights before 12:30 a.m.
We often go on Sunday nights to miss the crowd and
chat with Bruce the bartender on duty who is beautiful,
smart, and hilarious. Steve the manager is wonderful,
as are all of the barstaff
which is a rare thing indeed.
The Lone Star is my favorite
SOMA bar, and it's where you'll find Scott and me
80% of the time on a weekend. We were the "fun" couple,
which basically means we only go home with each other
and we like to cause a stir. I like chatting with
all of the bears and playing pool, at least the ones
that will still talk to me after the balloon hat fiasco.
Enough said.
The Lone Star has a reputation
for being "clique-y," and it's true that
some of those that go there travel in packs and only
talk amongst themselves. Make the effort, however,
and you'll be rewarded. I've met a ton of people here
from all over the world, and they've all been great
for the most part despite my lack of chest/back hair.
The uniform crowd congregates here after
events, so there's almost always someone dressed in
full leather on the back patio smoking a cigar. I don't
get it, but it keeps the mosquitos away.
During
the week, it's pretty slow. Tuesday nights are pool
tournament nights, so don't go until after 11 p.m.
if you want to play pool. The good news is that it's
usually free after the tournament is over.
There's a store upstairs which sells
great t-shirts, sweatshirts, and various bear-related
accountrements. There's an online
store if you forget something during
your visit (the anvil shirt is my favorite; great design).
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. Some bears and uniforms.
Pooltable: Yes, best table
of the SOMA bars
The Eagle is packed (and I mean
sardine) on Sunday afternoons for the beer busts,
but I hate standing in line and feeling claustrophobic,
so we almost never go. For most nights except weekends,
the place is fairly empty, which is a shame given
the enormous patio.
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: ***
Hours:
Type: Levi/Leather/Whatever
Crowd: 110% gay male of all
sizes and ages. Some bears.
Pooltable: Yes, but may vanish
soon if not already. Rarely played.
The liveliest, most sexual gay bar in
SOMA, with the broadest spectrum of gay men: uniforms,
leather, boys, daddies, sluts, twinks, and tourists.
They've started playing "art" movies in
the back section of the bar, which is very distracting.
The back patio is the best place for smoking and
watching—and usually gets frisky—but
watch where you step.
The Powerhouse hosts the largest number
of weekly events: everything from nipple play to wrestling
to rope bondage to bootlicking. Check their website
for the latest schedule since new events are added
frequently.
Nice bartenders, sometimes chatty, usually
shirtless. We especially like one of the barbacks and
usually only go there to chat with him.
Chaps II (former
location of My Place)
1225 Folsom Street (near 8th)
San Francisco, CA 94103
415/255-2427
Rating: **
Type: Levi/Leather/Whatever
Crowd: Unsure
Pooltable: Yes, or at least
planned for the rear of the bar.
Totally redone, this is run by the same
guy that helped made "Men In Gear" a success. Small,
and with no smoking patio (you go out front), it doesn't
take many people to make a party. I've never been here
when it was busy, but it does get full on the weekends.
They're marketing is really interesting
since they promise no microphones (i.e., no "shows").
I'm also not sure about who exactly goes here, although
the uniform clubs are my best guess.
Hole in the Wall -
MOVED TO NEW LOCATION mid-2008
1369 Folsom Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
415/431-4695
Rating: ***
Type: Neighborhood
Crowd: Very mixed, 99% men of various shapes,
sizes, ages, ethnicities
Pooltable: Yes, and good
players too
A wildly decorated
bar, 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. Bathrooms are (by law)
gigantic and fairly tidy.
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