"A beloved weeknight watering hole of local folks tucking in for a post-shift whiskey. If the 60-year-old ruby wallpaper embellished with gold paisley could speak, it would lavish us with stories of performances by Tina Turner, James Brown, Billie Holiday, B.B. King, and Marvin Gaye. The bar was inspired by a former owner’s wartime experiences in Tunisia and was originally dubbed Club Morocco. After laying empty for almost 20 years, current owners Nebiat Tesfazgi and her husband Giday Beshue restored a dream deferred—a renovated club with Ethiopian fare and soulful sessions. With a hesitant blessing (the former owners did not want to sell) and box of original jazz recordings, Club Waziema opened in 1999, serving as one the few very bars for Divis denizens. Hearty specialities such as stewed collard greens in peppery lentil sauce are a welcome reprieve from blustery SF evenings—and the hospitality will make you feel much warmer." - ByShakirah Simley
