This content appeared in ALARM #40. Get your copy here!
With specialty coffee shops, artisanal cocktail bars, and the highest number of restaurants per capita in the USA — not to mention a great music scene — San Francisco practices a refined hedonism for fun-loving foodies. Make sure to hit these places by the Bay.
Retro rock-’n’-roll lodging
Phoenix Hotel (Tenderloin)
Anchored on one of the ’Loin’s grimier corners, Phoenix touts itself as the crash-pad of choice for rock bands staying in town, due to its proximity to venues like the Great American Music Hall and the Hemlock Tavern and its free parking. And if the bus- and van-packed lot is any indication, the lightly revamped, ’50s-era motel actually hosts its fair share of rock dudes. Just remember: those pillows that you drunkenly hurled into the pool will end up on your bill.
A virtual (or literal?) warehouse of music
Amoeba Records (Upper Haight)
This cavernous store (a former bowling alley, actually) is a Haight Street institution with vast selections of every genre under the sun, and an impressive roster of in-store performances. The no-frills interior reveals aisles packed with CDs, vinyl, DVDs, and the occasional VHS cassette — and imported rarities are a specialty.
Get historic
The Fillmore (Japantown)
For nearly 45 years, San Francisco’s historic Fillmore has hosted artists across the rock spectrum, including many psychedelic notables of the 1960s. It’s still a great room with its own quirky traditions: fresh apples are always available to any concert-goer with a fruit craving, and the venue commissions artists to create unique posters (distributed for free at the end of the night) for sold-out shows.
Get up close and really personal
Bottom of the Hill (Potrero Hill)
One of the best small music venues in town, Bottom of the Hill has an interior that emanates a junk-shop / Fiddler on the Roof aesthetic, a stage that can barely fit a three-piece, and a solid sound system. It has welcomed the likes of Mastodon, Bad Religion, Green Day, Andrew WK, and many more — both before and after they blew up.
For “warm beer and cold women”
Zeitgeist (Mission District)
Known for surly staff and an ear-searing jukebox catalog, Zeitgeist has evolved from a biker bar to a bicyclist beer garden. A few years ago, it finally dumped the porta-potties out back and installed real bathrooms, but the service remains delightfully gruff. There’s a killer selection of local beers, all drinks are served by the pint, and the greasy grill actually serves Niman Ranch-raised beef, grilled cheese, and veggie burgers.
Eat the most convincing fake meat ever
Golden Era (Tenderloin)
Sure, it’s run by cult members who promote “the Supreme Master Ching Hai” — but at least it’s a cuddly, green-friendly cult that loves animals. This Vietnamese restaurant isn’t open very late and is closed on Tuesdays, but its dishes — noodle soups, stir fries, clay pots — feature some of the most uncannily realistic faux meats, including shrimp that are distressingly shaped and dyed to approximate their crustacean counterparts.
Lunch with a lap dance
Gold Club (Rincon Hill)
This topless bar comes with a free lunch buffet. The lunch crowd ranges from Midwestern housewives to start-up nerds to bros, but it’s a great, friendly spot. Be forewarned: the ATM in here wallops a $20 “convenience fee.”