As far as Zeigeist goes, it basically only meant for sunny days outside.

The beauty is found on Saturday or Sunday mornings & afternoons -outside- when there is good weather. The best mix of people for just about anything. They also have one of *the* best Bloody Mary's in town.

You have to see it in its full scale to really appreciate the sheer beauty.

And don't forget the bar-b-que. Ask around, Zeitgeist is loved by just about everyone who has lived in the city for a long time.

I have to agree that Aunt Charlie's is probably my favorite SF dive bar. (So much so that I wrote an ode of sorts to it on Yelp: www.yelp.com/user_details ]

And FYI: I think I posted in here about a month ago that Mr. Lee-Ona's is soon to be no more. Word is that it's been sold and will close around the end of March. So get your tragic boozin' in there while the gettin's good.

And as for Chinatown (almost North Beach, I guess too) dives, my beyond fav is The Bow Bow Cocktail Lounge. The proprietress, Candy Mama, is an absolute Rock Star!!

hey charley,

i just posted the agenda for the next official pub crawl. since this yelp girl is
planing it, why not expanding it to the tribe folks?
the bigger the group, the more fun it is, and the more we help local bussineses ;-)

of course i am willing to help whatever you plan, but regarding WHAT dives to go to,
i cannot give you much info.

the HA-RA, hm, no i think i haven't been inside that one yet, but it's on
the agenda of the 3/3 crawl....

They also serve beers like PBR for I think $2.50, and last time I checked that's not a micor brew :)

and no can argue with it's run down appearance, but it does walk the line.

but yes, the debates on what constitutes a dive will rage on, and on...and there's nothing wrong with that!

uh huh. as much as i love zeitgiest too, i would not qualify it as a genuine 'dive bar' either. grungy, yes. but, checklist for why it is not:

where's the truly tragic regular clientele (who practically hiss should daylight peak in from the opened entrance), the crusty, grizzled middle-aged veteran bartender, the fabulously dated decor, the air of a genuine argument erupting, a dissolute crying jag from some lonely soul in the corner, or impromptu monologue reminiscence, or sudden protestations of immediate life-long friendship from the random chatterbox sitting next to you? i could go on (obviously. sorry.)

so, i'm belaboring a point you already get. zeitgeist has a very specific attitude and attendant clientele = arguably pretentious in its 'unpretentiousness' . (this isn't meant to start a flame war; you know what i mean.) it's a dynamite place, and i'm glad it existence. it's just not a gen-u-ine dive bar.

el rio (your dive)...i have a very old, old coaster from there, which has their logo on it
eagle's drift in lounge south of market (not to be confused with the other eagle's bar)
500 club
naps (next to el rio)
expansion
the hyde out

Pops is WAY too hipster IMO. I think you have to be under 28 to get in anyway.

I work about 200 feet from Eagle Drift-In and I FINALLY went in there a few months ago. Love it! and if you go right after work (5pm) you can SMOKE!

I know it isn't at 3rd & Bryant, but there is another Eagle's Drift In in the sunset... Noriega right off 19th Avenue. Between 19th and 20th.