Key Klub
New American restaurant · Lower Nob Hill
850 Bush St, San Francisco, CA 94108
"Sure, Key Klub is technically a wine bar, but you’d be doing a night here all wrong if you skipped the food. A full meal at the perpetually magenta-lit spot should involve their mini chicken tenders, squash and mushroom tacos, and the double patty burger—plus some fries for good measure. On top of excellent food, you’re also here to chase dinner with Key Bumps (shots of vermouth with the staff, obviously), chat up a stranger after leaning over the bar to ask for another bottle of chilled red, or to throw back a pint of beer as a pregame for a Big Night Out in Nob Hill. " - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez
"Key Klub fits the bill for just about any situation, whether you’re meeting a first date, team bonding over a company card-funded Happy Hour, or need to fuel up before a show at The Masonic. Glasses of natural wine are easy to toss back under two stories of glowing neon signs and perpetually magenta lighting that could make a pack of multi-vitamins look sexy. But this wine bar is about more than looks. Far beyond bowls of bar nuts and ramekins of olives, the shareable small plates, like bite-sized chicken tenders, golden brown fries, and crab cake arancini, are the ideal salty-snacky counterparts to whatever chilled red you end up sipping on (highlights from the wine descriptions include “golden doodle,” “hickey,” and “dub nation”). Entrees, like the stacked double burger or salsa-drenched seasonal vegetable tacos, could easily be a full meal. So when you want to bust out your flirty alter ego or have some impressing to do, make up any excuse to get here. photo credit: Nicola Parisi Food Rundown Chicken Tenders Leagues better than anything you’d get at a ballpark. The crispy one-biters are served with a highly dunkable side of honey mustard sauce, and taste even better if you spring for a side of fries. Seasonal Tacos The fillings rotate, but the kabocha squash and mushroom taco has a pleasant punch of smokiness. Extra napkins required. B-Side Burger On some visits, the cheese on this double-patty burger looked as if it came straight out of the fridge, and other times, it’s melted and gooey. Inconsistency aside, if you’ve had a couple and are in need of a solid burger, you’ll be satisfied with this one. French Toast We don’t know of any other bar in the city where you can get such a luxurious french toast. A hunk of sourdough is soaked in maple syrup and topped off with a scoop of duck liver mousse. Get one for the table." - Julia Chen
"The amount of neon signs and deep pink lighting at Key Klub could make a pack of multi-vitamins look sexy, so pick a bar stool facing the two-story dining room and large hanging paper lanterns, order your chilled red of choice, and channel your heartbreaker alter ego. The Nob Hill wine bar serves excellent food for being, well, a bar, and their pile of thin-cut fries are no exception. They’re served with tins of aioli and ketchup, ideal for flirtatious dunking while looking coy under the glow of the magenta lamps." - julia chen 1
"Key Klub is fueled by duck liver mousse-topped french toast, excellent double patty burgers, and tacos. The pink-tinted Lower Nob Hill natural wine bar (from the people behind Bodega) has one of the best bar food menus in town—which certainly helps to keep the two-story space packed. As do the glasses of natural wine under silly-named sections like “Thicc Boys” and “Here To Party.” You may have to use your outside voice for someone to hear you over the music bumping through the fancy-looking speakers, but that’s just part of the fun. " - julia chen 1, ricky rodriguez, patrick wong, lani conway
"There’s a fair chance you’re staying in Union Square, and if you want a drink before dinner head to Key Klub in Lower Nob Hill. Just a short walk from the seemingly endless hotels, this natural wine bar feels like a ‘90s club without the dance floor, and serves small plates like duck liver mousse-topped french toast that you can pick at while you chat with the locals." - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez
