The Best Dive Bars in San Francisco
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The best dive bars in San Francisco, according to the experts: Huckberry, The 50, and Difford's Guide have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. The Riptide comes out on top.
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Prizefighter and Elixir hold the next two places. Difford's Guide shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with Huckberry next.
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The awards
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Rank 2. Prizefighter
Dive Bar
The awards
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
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Rank 3. Elixir
Dive Bar
The mahogany back bar has been here since the Wild West era, and Elixir wears that history without trying too hard. It's a proper neighborhood dive on the Mission-Castro border, the kind where dog walkers fill the stools by late afternoon and nobody opens a cocktail menu. A dartboard in the corner, sports on the TVs, and regulars who clearly consider this their living room, just one with a liquor license.
The awards
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: 3.5 stars · Difford's Guide
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The floor tilts so sharply that the table legs have been sawn down just to keep your drink from sliding off. This ancient saloon, built from whaling ship timbers and barely changed since forever, sits in the middle of a modern plaza like it missed the memo. Jack London drank and wrote here, then name-dropped the place seventeen times in "John Barleycorn." Order something simple and let the lean do the work.
The awards
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: 3.5 stars · Difford's Guide