Lookout

"Perched above 16th and Market streets, the Lookout isn’t just a Castro District gay bar with a reliable menu of sandwiches, tacos, and pizzas: It’s also one of the best views one can get of one of the city’s busiest and most fascinating intersections." - Paolo Bicchieri, Eater Staff

"With the only second-story terrace in the Castro, the Lookout is popular with smokers and those who like to sip a drink while looking down on passersby. It’s also a dance bar with a tiny dance floor and a big rectangle of a bar perfect for taking twirls ‘round the room. The Lookout’s busiest day is typically Sunday, and for Pride weekend they’ll also be doing a Monday “recovery” party for everyone who took the day off. Saturday’s dance party is called Bounce, and there’s also a drag brunch on Saturday hosted by Carnie Asada — yes this place serves food, too." - Jay C. Barmann

"Why is Lookout consistently ranked among the most beloved queer bars in the city? It’s probably the location, a second-story perch surveying a massive six-way intersection in the Castro and all who sashay across it. But it could also be the way the kitchen churns out Tex-Mex queso and fries, alongside the boozy slushes and bourbon shots served at the bar. Enjoy Lookout’s ground-level expansion into Noe Street, whose occasional closures to traffic is one of the best things to happen in the Castro in a while." - ricky rodriguez, peter astrid kane

"One of the Castro’s most popular gay bars, the Lookout is also home to the weekly Lips and Lashes Drag Brunch. Carnie Asada, a popular drag artist and comedienne, serves as host for the two shows held every Saturday at noon and 2 p.m. featuring drag illusionists, burlesque, live vocal performances, and more. Saucy breakfast totchos (scrambled eggs, chorizo, and tots), share the menu with freshly baked cinnamon rolls, chicken and waffles, and the famous Lookout Burger. Quench your thirst with a mimosa, bloody mary, or the signature Resting Spritz Face. $5 cover." - Linda Childers

"Why is Lookout consistently ranked among the most beloved queer bars in the city? It’s probably the location, a second-story perch surveying a massive six-way intersection in the Castro and all who sashay across it. But it could also be the way the kitchen at this incomparably vivacious spot churns out carnitas tacos, Tex-Mex queso, and “deep-fried bourbon shots” - fries with bacon-caramel sauce - alongside the boozy slushes and actual bourbon shots served at the bar." - Peter-Astrid Kane