San Francisco Gay Bars and Clubs
- AT&T Park
- Bayview
- Castro District
- China Basin
- Civic Center
- Downtown/Union Sq.
- Embarcadero
- Fillmore
- Fisherman's Wharf
- Haight District
- Hayes Valley
- Japantown
- Marina
- Mission District
- Nob Hill
- North Beach
- Panhandle
- Polk Street
- Potrero Hill
- Richmond District
- Russian Hill
- Sixth Street
- SOMA
- Sunset District
- Tenderloin
- Waterfront
- Western Addition
The Castro is an undisputed heavyweight in the San Francisco gay scene, but if there’s one thing to keep in mind about bar-hopping in the city, it's that San Francisco’s inclusiveness knows no bounds. In addition to a series of rainbow-flagged sidewalks and storefronts, the Castro offers a wide variety of activities for everything from LGBT-friendly dance parties to the most outrageous drag show in the city. However, gay-friendly bars, clubs, lounges, dives, biker bars and all-night-long dance clubs can be found all over San Francisco. And, for everything that's going on in San Francisco, from GBLT to Straight-Edge, visit the events calendar.
Join other local businesses. Get listed on this page.
+ Add your business
The Mix
4086 18th St., San Francisco CA 94114; Tel. 415.431.8616The Mix offers a sense of warm familiarity as the Castro’s “neighborhood bar.” In addition to a selection of beers, cocktails, pool tables and friendly bartenders, patrons will also enjoy the Mix’s jukebox and open-air back patio. It’s a great spot for bonding over a pitcher with old friends or branching out and making new ones.
The Edge
1270 Valencia St., San Francisco CA 94110; Tel. 415.285.1200The Edge is a divey corner neighborhood stop in the Castro with friendly bartenders and a happy hour that starts at noon and lasts until 7pm. Affordable drinks aren’t the only incentive to head to the Edge—its tagline promises “Strong Drinks, Low Lights, Men.”
Blackbird Bar
2124 Market St., San Francisco CA 94114; Tel. 415.503.0630The Blackbird offers visitors a classy night out with local wines, artisanal beers, craft cocktails and an unpretentious attitude. Sip on drinks such as the Farmer’s Daughter or Old Boy while enjoying feature artists.
Twin Peaks Tavern
401 Castro Street (at Market), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.864.9470Older men, younger men. Guess who's buying? A Moroccan-pillowed triangular space with plate glass windows and a bar stocked with casual elegance and casual encounters. Located conveniently on Market and Castro, at the foot of the San Francisco gay bar scene.
The Cafe
2367 Market St (at Castro), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.861.3846No cover. Strong drinks. Super-gay top 40 dance mixes that bring scraggly-haired lesbians and boys who buy their youth at the tanning salon. It doesn't get much more Castro than this.
440 Castro
440 Castro St (at 18th St.), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.621.8732Yes, that leather-clad San Francisco silver fox with an obscenely prominent package is, as you might have suspected, tugging at his chaps for you.
Endup
Sixth St. & Harrison, San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.357.0827There ain't no party / like a West Coast party / 'cause a West Coast party / don't stop. For over 25 years, the Endup has kept the San Francisco nightlife torch alive with its all day all night weekend dance-a-thons. The Sunday afternoon gay dance is legendary.
Kimo's
1351 Polk (at Pine), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.885.4535Tourists looking for more family-friendly San Francisco drag shows should stick to Beach Blanket Babylon. Kimo's ladies are hard-core, hard-livin' and workin' hard for their money. Still, expect a fair share of Celine, Cher and Stevie Nicks.
The Lexington Club
3464 19th St., San Francisco CA 94110; Tel. 415.863.2052While the menfolk have their run of nearly 30 San Francisco gay bars, lesbians are often limited to also-ran club nights. Luckily, San Francisco has the Lexington Club -- the only lesbian bar in San Francisco to boast and attract a wombyn-on-wombyn clientele 7 nights a week. It's got a pool table, some pretty ladies and a rough hewn style that befits the rag-tag city that begat it.
Martuni's
4 Valencia St. (at Market), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.241.0205Don't let this San Francisco gay bar's funereal front, with its large and lilied flower arrangement, get you down. Have a double martini (that's the only size they come in here) and settle into the back room where a piano man and his singing muse will gather the crowd for a bittersweet rendition of "The Man Who Got Away." Ain't it the truth, ain't it the truth.
Mint Karaoke Lounge
1942 Market (at Duboce), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.626.4726Don't mess with the Mint. While Friday nights are generally packed with post-work parties and birthdays, most nights the performances can bring down the house. Think American Idol, but sponsored by the vodka industry.
The Phone Booth
1398 South Van Ness (at 25th St), San Francisco CA; Tel 415.648.4683Intellectual ennui and surges of testosterone mix wildly at this refurbished Mission hang out. The jukebox is full of Nirvana, Weezer and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the patrons are full of cold San Francisco Anchor Steam. Cute boys, cute girls, fluid sexuality.
The Pilsner Inn
225 Church St (at Market), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.621.7058This San Francisco gay bar is the default starting and ending point of any good tour of the Castro. Ring-necked collars belly (or perhaps, ab up), to this no nonsense bar with a cruisey back patio.
The Stud
399 Ninth St. (at Harrison), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.252.7883Fawn at singing trannys, sweat to swirling beats and chug that rum and Coke. The Stud changes parties nightly but is always on target. Crowds of devilishly cute boys, kick ass ladies and nip-and-tuck gendernauts drink 'til blackout in this South of Market home.
Trax
1437 Haight (at Ashbury), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.864.4213The Haight isn't so far from the Castro as one would think from their disparate cultures. Trax is a good honest gay bar with a little mish mash of hipster, troll, nice guy and heavy-handed bartender. Party nights attract a fitter, faster crowd, but most nights you can count on a Bud Light, free popcorn and some mighty fine tv-watching.
Join other local businesses. Get listed on this page.
+ Add your business
