On the Grid : The Royal Cuckoo

"The decor is all over the place—a deer head, a photo composite of 2 Kennedys and Martin Luther King, A small boy wearing his best Victorian finery, sketches of grumpy people and animals, Burt Reynolds staring at you longingly from the record shelf, I could go on and on… And that’s what makes this place unique, it is the antithesis of the highly curated, themed bars flooding SF at the moment. This corner spot opened up in 2011, and was such a welcome addition to the neighborhood, which (at the time) was sadly missing places to grab a proper cocktail. The Royal Cuckoo is incredibly dark and very red (and we're not just saying that to justify our crappy photos), but once your eyes adjust, you feel a bit like you are transported to something akin to a set from Twin Peaks. Live music (W-Sun) pushes the eclectic vibe over the top—when the Hammond organ built into the bar is lovingly played, accompanied by a cornucopia of uniquely talented singers and musicians. The Cuckoo is just a really special spot." - Strohl