Very unfortunate how totally lame this place is considering the very cool history behind it; but most times we just can’t have it all now, can we?

The first thing I remember about this place—besides how totally empty it appeared—was that the bartender couldn’t tell me what beers they have on tap. Now there were only 5 or so if my memory serves me correctly, which is not a good sign in this girls favor. Barkeeps should know what
the hell it is they are serving…right?

The building itself though is pretty impressive. Awesome brick work abounds and the walls are plastered with some very cool old time photos from back in the day and those alone make a venture to this financial district spot well worth the journey. And don’t forget to check out the wall plaque outside on the building—great story and definitive dates stamped right on there.

V for Verbose’s Review:

So, i’m a total sucker for history…this bar has been covered by KQED’s ‘Barbary Coast’ tour as well as local tour groups and i had to be able say ‘i’d been there’. And, unfortunately, will probably be the last time.

The Good Parts: the interior is beautiful, the bar is open and hanging, there is a WWII alter in the corner and the whole space is really open and clean.

The Bad Parts: the crowd SUCKED (unless you like working/living/hanging out in the financial district – if you do, you will love this bar) – it was so bland, quiet and soul-less (yes. i said it.), am i in a waiting room or a bar? couldn’t tell…It doesn’t  help that it’s tough to get to and there’s nothing around.

I would go here: to have lunch with one of my board members. the end.

So, that combination = 1 out of 5 for me…basically, i have a crush on the history. And wish i had a flat that looked like their interior…

• The Old Ship Saloon (1851) – corner of Pacific Ave x Battery (M-F)…this bar has AWESOME history, seriously. So, of course i’ve included it….(at the very end)
  

• Li Po Cocktail Lounge (1937) – 916 Grant Ave. x Washington…which, if rumor/internet searches/urban legends are true, has an opium den that serves as a music venue. (having a really hard time determining validity of opium den…sure looks like one, would make sense historically, but hit me up if you can back that up!)

• The Saloon (1861) – 1232 Grant Ave. x Fresno and Columbus

Old ships never die, they just get retrofit.

The Old Ship Saloon saga began in December of 1849 when a three-masted boat called the Arkansas sailed into San Francisco Bay.  A storm blew the Arkansas aground on Alcatraz Island, and the ship was towed into Yerba Buena Cove and set on the beach at what is now the corner of Pacific and Battery.  At the time, the area was widely known as the Barbary Coast, a maritime district by day and by night, one of the raciest neighborhoods in the west.

In 1851, enterprising Englishman Joe Anthony cut a door into the side of the Arkansas’ hull and converted it into the Old Ship Ale House.  He installed a gangplank to the Pacific Street pier and posted a sign next to the entrance that read, “Gud, Bad, and Indif’rent Spirits Sold Here!  At 25 cents each.”

By 1855 landfill had locked the ship in place and a sailors’ rooming house had been constructed on its deck.  In 1859 builders dismantled the above-ground portion of the ship and constructed a brick hotel on the site.  A barroom on the ground floor of the hotel continued the name of The Old Ship Saloon.

Until the turn of the century, The Old Ship Saloon operated as a sailors’ tavern and shanghaiing den.  Many a sailor drank drug-laced liquor here and found himself on an unintended voyage.  In 1897, Henry Klee purchased the business, then rebuilt the building following the 1906 earthquake and fire.  In the 1940′s a brothel upstairs entertained a steady stream of GI’s before they left for the Pacific during World War II.

]]> http://boozers.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/round-2-sfs-oldest-bars/feed/ 0 vforverbose Yer crazy tour guides... http://boozers.wordpress.com/2009/01/16/first-adventure-sfs-oldest-bars/ http://boozers.wordpress.com/2009/01/16/first-adventure-sfs-oldest-bars/#comments Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:11:34 +0000 vforverbose http://boozers.wordpress.com/?p=51 ]]>

Wild Goose Chase #1: the 5 oldest SF bars (and if you have others, especially pre-1900, holla! )…which was harder to track down than you would think. All the more reason (i might add) to do what we’re doing – Go Team!

So – congrats to the peeps who braved our first adventure, last Friday Januaryish…Starting from the Folsom house, we all donned very smarmy & stylish lids and attacked (cuz it did kinda feel like that at the beginning) the Madrone…the building dates from 1889 (no, not the bar itself…yuppies aren’t that old).  And because i dig history, here are the details:

Built 1889 The Theodore Green Apothecary was designed by architect Samuel Newsom, noted for his designs in the Queen Anne style, the most exuberant being the Carson Mansion in Eureka. The Green Apothecary is one of the few unaltered 19th Century storefronts in San Francisco. According to journalist Dave Weinstein, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is related to Samuel Newsom (Signature Architects of the San Francisco Bay Area, by Dave Weinstein, published 2006). Info: http://www.noehill.com/sf/landmarks/sf182.asp

Our second bar (which was technically a detour – we were thirsty damn it!) is still waiting it’s official inclusion in Old Bars of SF, but the Gold Cain was fun. And more will be added ’bout that one…(I leave this bit o’ homework up to it’s biggest fan, Michtheory2)

And our final bar, (old and Irish i might add) was the The Little Shamrock dating from 1863. (Although the bar sign says 1893 – requiring further investigation) Our reviews will be posted shortly…(we’re currently pondering our oh-so thoughtful reviews)

(And a very special thank YOU to  MUNI! for not leaving us stranded on various corners for longer than the appropriate amount of time!)

Very Important – Next Boozers Outing: Friday jan. 23…meet at Folsom House…7:30ish, bring yer flask and we dare you to dress up (trust me.)

The Gold Cane has been a personal favorite since I moved to the city 4 years ago. All in all it’s just a cute neighborhood local, there’s a single pool table in the back and an abundance of tables. The back patio is a great place to meet, drink and smoke with randoms who quickly become friends even if only for a night. And many nights will bring guitar toting locals who provide impromptu live music as they see fit.

Drinks can take a while but be patient, Brandon takes care of his regulars and this is in a touristy neighborhood so if you don’t look familiar it can take a bit, don’t take it personally and buy in quantities to avoid excessive return trips to the bar. The patio is worth the wait and in my opinion is the real reason to visit, although be warned this is the Upper Haight and even though the patio is shielded from wind it can get quite cold, so bring an extra layer to be safe if the weather is questionable.

MicTheory2′s Review:

The historical aspect of this bar is still up in the air, but from what I understand it is the oldest bar in the Haight though it has relocated from its original location.

For me the Gold Cane is a staple—-I do live in the Haight after all and lets face it Upper Haight leaves alot to be desired when it comes to bars.  (If anyone out there has reason to deny this please send me your suggestions and we can check em out)  The Gold Cane for me is all about the back patio.  There is always a great crowd, very friendly people and more smoking going on than you can comprehend….and yes you know what kind of smokin’ I’m talking bout here.

For me that is all that needs to be said, but the fact that every time I come here I end up chatting with all kinds of people is a real benefit.  Everyone here is very open, friendly and into meeting and hanging with new people, which lets face it is hardly the way it is in most places in the city….so for a guarantee good time this is it!

MicTheory2′s Review:

OK, now we are talking!!  I am an Irish Pub whore….hands down my fav places anywhere are Irish Pubs.  There is just something about the vibe at a pub that can’t be beat anywhere else.

So for our first Irish Pub review I was thrilled that it was also the oldest Irish Pub in San Francisco;  pubs aren’t exactly hard to come by here—-the Irish are everywhere!  This place has a distinctive neighborhood bar feel which is a very pub-like characteristic so points there.

Also great seating areas with super comfy couches which I always dig…..and we walked straight in and found a totally open couch area to chill on and before our butts even hit the cushions the waitress (who was super cute) was taking our orders—-talk about service—-super sweet!

The place is very well lit and the atmosphere was loud and jovial..plus they have super cool green lights behind the bar….very Irish yet X-files all at the same time.

N-Dawgs’ Review:

Admittedly by the time we reached this living room styled Irish Pub I was already a bit on the tipsy side (long live my flask!!) This local pub is relatively attraction less, meaning I didn’t see a stage for music or a patio or any additional draws.

It’s more or less a giant living room with multiple seating areas for groups of all sizes. Would probably be a better place to start an evening than end one, or would be great for a rainy day game of chess or something low-key. Really enjoyed the space, and it’s close to GG Park which is an added bonus!

VforVerbose’s Review:

*Has the ultimate neighborhood bar feel – well lit, super eclectic interior, tons of cozy corners to huddle in with just enough dive-y-ness to remind you that fuck yeah, this bar is old.

*the atmosphere is both interesting and mild – a great place to take your Aunt, old boss, your childhood friend that is freaked out by the City, or just a couple of friends…but because of the lay-out (tables, chairs and couches spread out like little pocket islands), meeting new peeps might be tough. Or, just  saddle up next to one of the Norms  at the bar…

*Great service (yes, agreed – she was cute)  but the location is a bit narly for a mission rat (MUNI is such a buzz kill) – if this bar is in yer hood, get yer a** in there & claim it.

3 out of 5…mainly cuz i’m lazy and i prefer to stumble to/from a dive…

VforVerbose Review:

*Interior is fantastic – ornate wood bar, great lighting with a art deco feel…like a swanky (and tame) first date

*I appreciated their top shelf liquors, service was decent but the DJ’s spinning old skool funk was pretty mind blowing…

*Peeps – ick. Best case – straight urban professionals desperately trying to go home with someone. Worse case – douchbags sprawled across the dance floor like fungus earnestly discussing the stock market. (seriously.)

What makes this bar decent – going with a group of friends. Don’t have high hopes about making new friends here….i would say 2 out 5.

MicTheory2  Review:

Well…want to start by thanking vforverbose for getting this thing going—hooray team leader!!

Yes….we were quite smarmy in our hats—felt a bit like an ultra-cool gang cruising the city looking for lights to shade our eyes from, but I digress.  So for what it’s worth here are my notes on the evening.

Super cool old school building (see previous history lesson) that houses one of the coolest bars in town.  I’m talking the physical bar here……very unique, natural, cut whole right from the tree so its got a bit of that rustic vibe going but that is about as far as that effect goes in this joint.  The best thing about this spot is it has a very nice variety of couches/seating areas that are super comfy, well laid out amongst the space and easy to lounge but still watch what all is happening around ya.

The DJ’s that were spinning that night were pretty fun; lots of classic soul tunes dropped in with some more modern beats and it had our crew jumping.  However, the rest of the dance floor was packed with peeps who didn’t feel the need to shake their booty, just stand around and look cool so there were some major points off for that one.

N-Dawgs Review:

Madrone featured extremely helpful doormen who guided us to exactly the distance away from the bar where we could smoke our bowl and then graciously smiled and opened the door for us upon our return. Much respect! The Bartenders were attentive although due to my lagging energy and the desire to throw down to the best funk I’d heard in ages I opted for a $2 Sparks in lieu of a cocktail or beer.

While I have no problem busting out Billy Idol style and “Dancing with Myself” I was very surprised at the overall crowds refusal to give it up to the DJ. Granted there were some trainwrecks, but the song selection alone should’ve gotten much more of the crowd on their feet… Alas the majority stood in the center of the dance floor discussing whatever, but not dancing and not getting out of the way for the 5 or so of us that wanted to throw down. I’ve heard the dancefloor is usually thumping, so perhaps it was just an off night.

All in all an excellent excursion. Left for other destinations only because we had too, would’ve been content to stay for several more hours.