Plan-B Bars
By Patrick Heig, San Francisco Editor
Maybe there's a line around the block and there's a six-deep mob at the bar yelling out drink orders like stock traders. Or maybe a lopsided gender ratio means there's not enough meat at the market. Or maybe it's just dead. Whatever the case may be, having a plan-B option for your night out is crucial. Here are four great bars and four matching backup options to keep your night rolling.
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The Ambassador
673 Geary St, San Francisco, CA
This Tenderloin lounge gets--and deserves--a lot of love, but it's sometimes too popular for its own good. Skip the crowds and head across the street to Rye where there's a cool crowd but never a line. -
Rye
688 Geary St, San Francisco, CA
With a smoking area, pool table and an award-winning bar program, this well-designed drinker's bar is all you were ever asking for in the first place.
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111 Minna Street Gallery
111 Minna St, San Francisco, CA
This art gallery/nightclub has a great happy hour, but the huge space can make it feel a little empty. Just one alley over, John Colins is never empty at happy hour. -
John Colins
90 Natoma St, San Francisco, CA
This spot's got that Goldilocks appeal--just right--and good happy-hour specials to boot.
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Harlot
46 Minna St, San Francisco, CA
Harlot's beautiful design attracts some beautiful people, but if its exclusive door policy or small size turn you off, Temple is just block away. -
Temple Nightclub
540 Howard St, San Francisco, CA
Two huge floors, multiple DJs and dance floors mean Temple's got something for everyone.
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Zeitgeist
199 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA
This legendary Mission bar's the place to be on a sunny afternoon--and everyone knows it. El Rio's back patio is just as big, but there's never a line to get in. -
El Rio
3158 Mission St, San Francisco, CA
This Outer Mission bar has some of the cheapest drink specials in town and tons of outdoor space.
