Mauna Loa Club

If you’re looking for a place to enjoy expertly crafted cocktails in a lively yet relaxed setting, this is the spot to be. The drink menu is creative and extensive, offering everything from classic cocktails to innovative concoctions that are as beautiful as they are delicious. The bartenders are true mixologists, paying attention to every detail, and they’re always happy to recommend something based on your tastes. The ambiance is just as impressive—whether you’re sitting at the bar or lounging in one of the cozy booths, the atmosphere is both chic and welcoming. The crowd is friendly, and the vibe is perfect for a night out with friends or a more intimate evening. Highly recommend for anyone who appreciates great cocktails and a fantastic atmosphere!

Just when you think the old SF is gone you find a tried and true generational staple. This is it. Forget your balboa cafe. If you’re looking for a no frills, deeply stacked - both in cocktails and beer lineup, unintentionally crafted bar; this is the place. One of the only spots in marina with a backyard area. Buckhunter game in the back. Pool Table inside. And best of all, not too loud. Great for a catchup. Will be back. I even left here wanting to plan my trip back to Hawaii.

An absolute favorite bar of mine - it's a must for good vibes, cheap drinks, and a great time. Hannah is an amazing bartender!!

One of my top bars I go to with my friends when I’m out in the marina. The place has an old-school aesthetic, but it’s always lively and they have a mix of oldies and new music playing. Also note this is more of a party/dive bar not really a fancy type classy bar. They got two bars and a pool table and a basketball hoops in the back. It is a fun place to go with friends and they’re always seems to be a medium sized crowd. Ive taken some of my friends parents in their 60s here on a night out. It’s fairly diverse with people in age groups ranging from 20s to 30s ages. Sometimes the people there in their younger 20s can be a bit stuck up or act a bit insecure which can be a bit annoying, but other than that, the bartenders are awesome and it’s overall a good time.

Lame. They pulled the plug on basketball because they don’t want people playing until the evening. Really rude staff, specifically the blonde with glasses. Sure, take my cash and stop it mid-game. Also, they don’t have painkillers and they’re supposed to be a tiki bar. Overpriced bad drinks. Sticky floors too. Avoid.

Cute little bar with tiki drinks for under $10. (Where can you find drinks for under $10 these days?) They have some arcade games and even a nice little outdoor area in the back! A nice casual spot for when you don't feel like being all bougie. Only gotcha: cash only!

fun vibe i like the pool table

Dive bar it's been here a million years. I just dropped by to see what it's like these days and I got two really good drinks. Had fun.

I stopped in here with some coworkers after an event. It's a great spot for a few drinks and to hang out with friends. There was plenty of space and tables and we found a spot by the pop a shot basketball machine. It was fun watching people shoot baskets and we had a lively little competition going. The drinks were a good price and they seemed to have something everyone would like. I would definitely stop in again if I was in the area.

There is nothing better than a dive bar with fun games! The staff is great and really on top of everything. I always have a good night when I stop in here.

Super casual locals bar with very solid drink prices for the area, but not much more. Came here with friends for a nightcap after dinner nearby. Loved walking through the neighborhood and scoping out the eats and drinks along the way. This is a pretty vibrant area and Mauna Loa feels like a solid anchor with a strong local and regular clientele. Our group posted up in the back of the bar by the basketball game and enjoyed the long high top and standing room. The bar is small and somehow isn't too loud either, which is a def plus and gave us all a chance the chat. Had a neat knob creek and the pour was heavy and only about 12 bucks, so I call that a win. Def a fun spot to catch up with friends but it doesn't offer much in the way of vibe or entertainment. I like these bars on the right occasion and would pop in again if I'm staying nearby.

First of, not sure if I'd call this place a dive bar. If you want dive bars, you're in the wrong neighborhood. Try Mission or SoMa. Regardless, I liked this bar. Our timing was just right. It was slightly after HH on a wet Fri. eve. Perfect time to avoid any drama that this whole area seems to attract. The bartenders were cool. The people were chill. We got our tiki themed drinks and we're off to our next bar.

Love this bar, one of the all time greats in San Francisco. Chris the bartender was one of the coolest dudes I've had the pleasure of meeting. Treated me and my buddies like family, and will definitely be making this place my go-to spot for the foreseeable future. 5 stars all around, and if you're lucky enough to have Chris is behind the bar when you show up, expect to have a good night.

It's hard for me to envision a dive bar in Pac Heights just because my first images of the neighborhood relate to all the huge mansions on the hill. Now technically this is really Cow Hollow, but that's an affluent area, right? Anyway, I've heard of this spot over the years but never ventured in before. I have to admit the volcanic name gave me hope that they serve good tiki cocktails. Gratefully they do as the $13 Mai Tai hit the spot late on a Thursday afternoon (photo: https://bit.ly/3l7Pp9x). The bar was populated with European tourists who kept plying the young bartender about where all the good-looking babes hang out. Awkward as the bartender was a woman with a lot of patience. Meantime i took in the vintage decor and leftover holiday lights. Fun spot with no airs. No, I don't know where all the hot chicks are. COCKTAILS - 4 stars...stronger than usual mai tai AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...definitely lived-in and not all that dingy SERVICE - 4 stars...friendly bartender TOTAL - 4 stars...dive bar on the right side of the tracks RELATED - Exploring Pac Heights? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2Djsn6d

There's not a ton of bars I like in the Marina, but Mauna Loa is definitely one that I find myself going to when I'm out this way. My friend and I had just finished up brunch at a nearby restaurant, and wanted to grab a drink before the 49er game started. This dive bar has cheap drinks and games, what more do you really need? Mango cart on draft, shots of Jamey, it's all a win win. Luckily on a Sunday it wasn't too packed during the first playoff game, so we had most of the place to ourselves which was nice before the 49er crowd settled in. The real reason I wanted to go was because they got a basketball game in the back, so I knew I had to get the high score. It's a $1 game, but if you get the high a chore, you get a free game as well. So basically we got 2 games for $1 each time. They also have a pool table and it's $1 a game as well. This place definitely gets packed on the weekend nights, and for the most part people have been cool. It gets a little competitive over by the games, but it makes for a good nig

Great somewhat dive bar, somewhat because the marina young 20s invade it on weekends. Pop a shot in the back is super fun, make sure you bring cash! There's also a back bar that's open when it's busy to save you time in front. The layout can make it congested (and hot) but still a MUCH better option that Brixton or bus stop imo. Also one of the bartenders was so sweet when I left my card there on a Thursday night, made sure I had it in my hands the next day! Will warn, not much of a bathroom situation for women, but you get what you get. Also found this measuring thing on the wall last time I was there - had never seen it before but I'll always try something once

No shortage of tiki bars in SF, that's for sure! Our group dropped by for a quick drink before heading over to a friend's place. Fun, divey spot with some moderately-priced drinks. Not much was done for the COVID safety part... But most bars probably don't. We sat in their back patio benches outdoors. Right above were apartment units-- you can see right into people's living spaces... Very SF. PALOMA (mocktail): This is pretty much sparkling juice, right? LOL. I wasn't drinking that night, but the bartender kindly offered options he could make non-alcoholic. I LOVED it. Who knew that removing tequila was what it took to get me to like palomas :') Pool tables also available inside. My bf thought the beers here were alright. Ngl the Marina has other bars I prefer, but this isn't a bad spot for something easier on the wallet.

Chris is an absolute legend. Top tier service, conversation is always flowing, and makes the Mauna Loa experience that much better. If you get Chris behind the bar, consider your night made.

Had a small gathering with friends and new friends here. Good selection in beers and other drinks. Bartender was nice. They had the game on. Nice bar to hang out in on a Sunday afternoon. Lots of neighboring places you can go to if you're making a quick visit here.

Stopped by for a quick shot and the bartender hooked it up gonna come by more when I have time. The place is beautiful and super clean.

I was waiting for the Muni at Union and Fillmore and remembered I had been to the Mauna Loa. I haven't had a spirited beverage in about 5 years. But, they have a bar top pool table! My friend. Kaycee, opened her new shop next door. We bopped in for a drink and pool. Wow! I'm a gonna slap myself! I used to frequent this store back in my groovy days. As I recall, it ain't changed much! Ordered a club soda. Kaycee, a dbl Makers Mark rocks. We played a couple of bar pool racks while listening to 80's music on the e-jukebox Kaycee introduced me Kurt, the proprietor, is a fabulous man, whose family has owned the store for over 35 years. His family are from Hawai'i too! We are cousins! Definitely a welcoming spot! Gonna have to be a local, ya!

Awesome place with good draft list plus a pool table!! Has welcoming staff and they do happy hour too.

Fun casual tiki bar. Always one of my favorite bars to go to when going out in the marina or cow hollow. At times it's less crowded than some of the other bars in the area and feels like a great place to hang with friends when you want something more casual. The basketball hoop and other games are fun in the back. Worth a stop for another drink when you're walking from Lombard Filmore bars on your to Union street or vise versa if you don't plan on spending the night there. If I lived in the area it would be my main bar

Love this place, fun atmosphere & the bartender Chelsea made our visit even more memorable!

I visited with a friend right before outdoor dining/drinking was shut down in San Francisco. There were a few tables in the front in their parklet & they have a patio in the back. We snagged a table in the front to people watch, lol. Since the name of the bar is Hawaiian, we ordered Mai Tais to start. They were tasty & potent. My second drink was their twist on a pina colada, which was lighter than the Mai Tai & yummy. I recall that the bartender menu Horchata as one of the ingredients & I do love Horchata. Last call was at 9:30 & we shut the bar down at 10PM. I'd visit again when outdoor dining resumes. Service is quick & friendly.

Whoever is the owner, or so called "manager," of the bar was the rudest bay area bartender i have ever interacted with in the past 5 years. After ordering a vodka cran, i politely asked if they gave anything on the house for birthday girls bc it was my best friends birthday. he immediately said "you don't ask for that" and rolled his eyes, laughing with his friend. He proceeded to say "are you like 21 yrs old or what?" as he is pouring up. I responded with "That was really patronizing. Where is your customer service?" He proceeds to laugh at me once again with his friend and says something along the lines of: "I'm the manager." I asked him if he was the actual owner of the bar and he ignores me while continuously laughing at me and my friends. Immediately, I tell him, "i'm sorry for wasting your time," and grabbed my friends and left. This was all while he, once again, continuously laughed at us and talked about us to his friend all within our vicinity. I never write reviews but I've never felt so belittled by a restaurant owner in my life. Please don't give this location business.

one of the bartenders was rude & passive aggressive, prob won't ever come back because of the poor behavior from them. There are many other bars in the area with nicer staff & a lot more cleaner.

Had an enjoyable evening celebrating our 50 year high school reunion. Thanks for the great service.

This bar is racist and disrespectful. The bartender Zack made my friend group wait for 45 minutes at the bar while serving all the white people. After my friend asked why it was taking so long he explicitly told him "I'm sorry if there's white people around you I'm going to have to serve you last, gotta serve the people that matter". Never experienced a more racist encounter in San Francisco.

Regrettably, today, Feb 9, is my last time at the Mauna Loa. I don't think I've ever spent so much money or time at a single bar ever, or ever had as much fun. Sadly, I've finally had it with one of the most senior bartenders here. Her snarky attitude and demeanor mentally exhausts me, and makes me never want to come back. This is an incredibly successful staple and they definitely don't need me. Shoutout to the other amazing staff Justin, Stefani, Jesse, Chris, Tess. Curt is the kindest and most generous soul.

Enjoyed many nights here with bartender Chris however just went in to get drinks and water and encountered a horribly nasty bartender. We asked for water first as we had been drinking for many hours and refused it to us. My friend proceeded to faint in the bathroom and when I asked for water again, I was denied again. Very ugly man inside and out. Go to literally any other establishment in this city to avoid this menace.

Not a bad place, but way over packed. A touch snooty, but good beer choices and half what friendly. They got a pool table, not it's difficult to play in there. If go back, bit I'm not really sure why I would.

Came on a Friday night and it didn't disappoint - probably because my pals told me not to expect much other than it was a fun dive bar to get cheap drinks and maybe shoot some hoops. I did one of those two things and it was fine. They'll make a mean well drink or serve you up a semi-cold glass of beer on tap, but I'd stay away from their specialty cocktails as I was getting some puckered faces when friends took their first sip. They're cheap - so don't expect fancy craft concoctions. And if you're only sporting plastic in your wallet, you'll be in a world of hurt as they only accept cash. They do have an ATM on site with some nice fees, but if you want to imbibe, that's the price you pay for your liquor. I heard the place gets packed around 930/10PM on the weekends, other than that there was plenty of spots to sit around the bar and it wasn't super loud where we couldn't hold a conversation. Would for sure come back, the price was right and I had a good time.

It's a dive bar that seems like it might be a tiki bar but its def still a dive bar and for that it's great at what it is. + Questionable communal snack mix in little dishes at the bar + Cash only + Cheap drinks + Maybe the worst mai tai I've ever had but it was still drinkable so, maybe just stick to beer as one should in a dive bar I'm no regular of the Marina but I get the sense that this neighborhood isn't likely to be a place I will frequently find myself or make the trek to but Mauna Loa is a great place for us plebes to go in this neck of the woods to have a very adequate good time.

Fun dive-y bar in the heart of the Marina. It's a much welcome change of pace from nearby Balboa Cafe, Eastside West, or the Matrix. Perks: - cheap drinks - kitschy/tiki bar meets sports bar atmosphere - they have fun games (pool table, hoops, etc.) to accompany your beverages. Cons: - Cash bar - not exactly the friendliest bartenders on the block. - don't come in here expecting craft cocktails (stick with beers and shots). - depending on the time of night, it can get super crowded. So if you're looking to have an actual conversation with your drinking buddies, get here on the earlier side. All in all, Mauna Loa remains a reliable Marina staple, so long as you don't come in with high expectations.

I had a really great experience and time at Mauna Loa the other Sunday (funday). Basically, the bar transformed into a country fest! Somehow, the bar seemed to bring together so many of SF country music fans. They have a great, huge, high-tech touchscreen juke box machine that also let's you play games, post photos, etc. We put in money (it's not super cheap though) and started selected country songs and then about 5 others followed suit. Soon the whole bar was chatting about their fave country music tunes and singing along to the music. Meanwhile, we also played pool, shot hoops at pop-a-shot, and enjoyed $3 well drinks (rum & pineapple juice = so yummy even when the rum is a well!). Such a great, chill bar... with country music too! :)

Totally a dive bar in a great location. Like everyone else has posted don't expect much. The bartender seemed kind of off, but she was sweet - When I asked for a happy hour Jameson special because it was about 7pm and it didn't end till 8pm Mon-Fri she didn't know there was happy hour, I'm not mad at her. If I worked at a bar I'm sure I wouldn't know happy hour if I only worked late evenings. I would come again, wish their were bar seats available and took cards as well instead of just cash - that why we were onto the next one.

Short and sweet. A dive bar in the Marina. A much needed breath of fresh air to the douchebaggery that oozes through the streets of this neighborhood. Cheap(er) drinks than their nearby "competition." Those draaaaanks... they're stiff. No measuring here. Shoot some hoops, it's okay. Grab a seat, there's usually plenty to go around. Great juke but the price per song is a bit steep. Wear your Hawaiian shirt, you'll be fine.

Marina friend #1: Dude, let's go to Mauna Loa Me: Ah, fu**, you KNOW I don't like the Marina. Seriously, the fact that this place is across the street from Matric Fillmore almost made me puke, but I ate my words and had fun. It was more of a divey sports bar in the marina (err, "cow hollow"). I think what put it over the top for me was the chill crowd (ie: not douchebag-filled) and the mini basketball machine in the back. I could spend hours on that thing accepting challenges from strangers. Add beer to that endeavor and you've got yourself an evening.

Bars with pop-a -shot automatically get my vote. I know. Its juvenile to love a bar with a pool and Foosball table in addition to the "amazing game where you can exhibit your endless basketball skill while drunk off your ass." Its a lot harder than people think - just imagine very sloppy drunk people trying to use coordination armed with nothing but raw talent and tiny basketballs the size of a baby's head. I digress. Its a fun, lowbrow joint that serves up plenty of self entertainment and takes you back to the days where you wish you could borrow your sister's fake ID and be part of the cool crowd. Now that I have had plenty of years of imbibing under my belt, I still stand behind this establishment. Its never let me down in the sense that there is always beer flowing and fun games to partake in. Hint: Games are a great segue for a bunch of drunkards to get to know each other. So key. Needless to say its way better than the beer pong playing, college frat boy crowd at the Bar None. This is not to say ML doesn't get some overflow. You've been warned. Its the friggin Marina. If you actually expect to go somewhere here and not run across the intensely vapid schmoes that inhabit this area than you are even more deluded than they are!

Great divey tiki bar! Drinks a little overpriced for the ingredients/atmosphere but still a fun spot!

Cute little bar with tiki drinks for under $10. (Where can you find drinks for under $10 these days?) They have some arcade games and even a nice little outdoor area in the back! A nice casual spot for when you don't feel like being all bougie. Only gotcha: cash only!

By far my favorite bar in the Marina. I don't spend much time in the Marina, I find a lot of the restaurants/bars to be a bit overrated, packed, and just boring for my taste, but Mauna Loa Club is a nice diamond in the ruff. Located on the corner of Fillmore and Union, Mauna Loa doesn't look like much from the outside but step inside/step back in time to this cozy, unassuming and comfortable bar. A nice selection of beers on tap with prices from $5-$7 and also serving up a full bar with plenty of liquor and spirit options. The bartenders here are great. I have never had to wait more than 30 seconds for them to greet me, they are quick to take your order, friendly and willing to answer any questions about styles of beers/offer a taste. I had one particularly great night here on New Years Eve 2015. Not really the spot that screams NYE but my boyfriend and I were walking around town and wanted somewhere low key to grab a quick beer that wouldn't be too crowded. Spent a little while at Mauna Loa chatting with the bartenders and other patrons. At one point the owner came in and bought the whole bar a round of drinks - wooo! cheers to that. Since then, this place has had a little space in my heart for a welcoming bar that really cares about the customers and gives quality service. Also, a great patio in the back, only open two times a year (once for the Union street festival - not sure about the other time?) and BRING CASH!

Probably the only bar in the area that I wouldn't mind coming back to again. It's dive-y, and the decor doesn't match the theme really- it's a Hawaiian bar but with no real Hawaiian touches but I still really liked it. They have two bars and plenty of space so it didn't feel crowded- it was pretty crowded but I could actually sit at the smaller second bar comfortably and have a conversation at close to normal sound level. The second bar is cash only but that's really not a big deal. Their ATM charges less than two bucks!! Outside of New Orleans I haven't seen one that cheap. I have no idea why they just don't change the name of the bar to 'Our ATM charges less than two dollars' I think it would draw a lot of people in. They also have absinthe and absinthe cocktails- I didn't partake this time but I am impressed and amazed that a place carries it-what with the stigma and all. A definite 3.5 and a guaranteed return visit from me if/when I return to the San Francisco area.

I hadn't been to Mauna Loa since..holy crap my review back in 2007?!?!?! WELL. It is still my favorite "dive" bar in the Marina. ML is always laid back, has a good happy hour, and the crowd is less obnoxious than any other bar especially on a Friday night. Well, let me rephrase, the local crowd is less obnoxious, but the out of towner B&T crowd who managed to find this gem last Friday really should have taken the cues from the locals who rolled our eyes at the sad attempt at rapping to the jukebox and dancing with flailing limbs. But, the fact that most people just stayed away from these buffoons goes to show that the ML crowd tends to not get caught up in the drama and lets people who need to scream and make asshats of themselves do their thing and leave. Bartenders were fast and friendly as always. Although minus 1 star for the barback who continued to knock into me and hit me in the back with a box of beer. A simple "please excuse me" would have saved me the bruises.

As far as dive bars go, it's hard to give them 4 stars. It's difficult to find a place worthy that rating. Mauna Loa Club is definitely a fun place to hang out with a variety of games such as basketball, foosball, pool, etc... Even more fun when you've been drinking! For people from LA visiting SF, this is pretty much like a Busby's without the dance floor. I came here around 11pm on a Friday night and it was packed! It was packed like sardines. Despite the number of the people in the bar, it was very easy and quick to get a round. They have drink specials, so you can get pretty torn up here. CASH ONLY.

First time coming yesterday, and it was great to grab a table and play cards, provided by the bar tender. They also have a pool table, arcade games, basketball game. The atmosphere is wonderful, down-to-earth fun. TVs were playing the exciting football game. Even a regular, a dog, saddled up to the counter and asked for his special treat, and the bartender was quick to oblige! This is one cool bar. Don't miss it!

Fillmore Street, one of my go to places on a Satruday or Sunday night. Went there yesterday, on a Thursday night to look for a fun place to have a few drinks but most places were relatively dead. We ended up hanging out at Mauna Loa Club for a a while, having some beers and playing pool. Mauna Loa Club, located at the corner of Union and Fillmore, is your classic dive bar. With pool tables, arcade games (if I remember correctly ?!) and cheap drinks. The wooden decor and chill vibe was unexpected as we made our way along Fillmore Street, as many of the bars and restaurants around there are more upscale. Mauna Loa was a welcome addition to our Thursday night bar hopping expedition. We played some pool, choose some songs on the jukebox and had an all around good time.

The summary: not really a tiki bar. A dive bar that maybe used to be a tiki bar. Some games, random decor, an awesome back patio, middle-tier drinks with heavy pours, and a decent happy hour. What's good? Drinks are less than $10, the pours are heavy, and if you like divey atmospheres, this is a great place. Sweet (newly renovated) patio!! What's bad? Well, it's not really a tiki bar too much. Don't come here expecting an extensive cocktail menu, custom tiki cups, or tiki historical references. It's also divey, so if that's not your scene, this isn't your scene. Also the prices are only alright...they're not as good as say, trader vic's, which also has an awesome variety of tiki drinks.

Discrimination at its finest - This bar is one of the rudest bars I've ever been to and the bouncer is a huge douche.. and I'm from NYC so I think that holds some weight. My friends and I showed up on a Friday night after getting a recommendation from the waiter at Umami Burger down the street: go to Mauna Loa bar - it's a good time, tell them Chava sent you, and they'll take care of you. Upon arriving, there was nobody outside of the bar, so we strolled in. A few seconds later, a 'bouncer,' or should I say, 9th year of college frat bro who doesn't even know how to do his job, asked us to "back up" and step outside since he needed to card us. "Back up, back up, back up, go outside." Already, that's a bit rude, but expected from crappy bouncers in the Marina, so we're fine with that. But, when I proceed to ask very nicely - "Hey, we got sent over from Chava and he said really good things and that you guys are a great time - are there any specials or deals tonight?" - he proceeds to very facetiously say "Umm... nope!" and brushes us off. At this very same time, a group of blond girls and guys walk in, and the bouncer just smiles and nods them in without carding. We're not sure why they're getting in so easily when we've already had several bad quips from the bouncer. Finally, we get in and decide to let it go. But, I did tell him, "Look, I think you were sort of rude when we came in." He completely brushes it off and says, again, sarcastically, "Oh, you didn't like the way I said no?" Yeah, douche, not really. After 30 minutes or so when we decide to leave, I can't help but let him know, "Again, you were extremely rude and honestly discriminatory," to which he was completely surprised by. "Discriminatory?" Yeah, you were. You clearly had much more positive interactions with all the other customers in the bar, and news flash: discrimination is when you treat different types of people differently. It's hard to trace the why behind the actions, but the actions were very clear. Not long after, we asked for his manager to discuss the problem. This part's hilarious. He sends another bartender who is probably 7 years old and acts that way too. We then ask for someone who is truly more senior, and the 2nd woman that comes out is the same joke the rest of the staff is. She tries to offhandedly apologize just so we leave, and when we don't, because we want a genuine response, she accuses us of harassing the staff.. When we remind her we are just stating facts and filing a complaint, and that we were paying customers, she goes, "Not anymore." I'm sorry, what? You're trying to tell us we're not customers? It's one thing if we were punching people at the bar; it's another to just be stating the obvious: don't treat your customers like crap for no reason, and especially not if you're not doing that to everyone. Hello, that's discrimination. Tired of [white] people looking so shocked when you say they're exhibiting that; just because you don't think you're 'racist,' doesn't mean your actions aren't reflecting and upholding that very definition. Overall, extremely unprofessional and unpleasant experience. As someone who just moved over here, I didn't expect this. In New York, people who are rude are rude to everyone. It disgusts me that some people in SF are so oblivious to the lack of diversity and apparent ongoing discrimination that takes place every weekend in the Marina. Time to finally take responsibility for what you are or what you stand for, and stop making excuses.

I have been here in the daytime, on a weekday, when it is virtually empty, and the place itself isn't half bad. The have pool and bar snacks. Not popcorn or pretzels but that mix stuff that you can pick through for your favorite things. I like the little sesame things so this makes me happy. They even have one of those silly basketball games in the back that I havent seen since the last time I was in a Chuckee Cheese. How often do you see that in a bar? The bartenders are down to earth and the place doesn't ooze pretentiousness as many of the Marina bars do. They have an open front window so you can enjoy the fresh air on a nice day. Daytime experience is a four star experience. Night time it goes downhill. They start doing specials at the back bar (there are two) with names like "tits and ass" that have the flavor of the latter. But, they are appealing to the Marina crowd. I have heard you are what you eat. Does that apply to drinks too?

Pro: Foosball Table and Basketball Nets at the back of the bar Con: Creepy Marina boys hitting on you Pro: Fairly Cheap Drinks Con: Bathroom is tiny and gross. Pro: Bartenders get drunk while pouring and don't add your bill up correctly. Con: Cash only Pro: Lost my wallet there one night and they found it for me Con: Crowd often reminds me of the old fraternity parties in college Overall, the Loa is good for a quick drink on your way to somewhere else or as a last stop. But, if you're staying in Pac Heights that night, take a cab up that 3 block hill because Fillmore after a night at the Loa is like climbing Mt. Everest! Trust me, I've been there...3 inch heels and all.

I kind of thought that Mauna Loa would have crazy specialty cocktails, or at least rum drinks on special, but it's more of a dive bar. It's full of wood and regulars. People that drink draft beers and easy shots. Friendly people playing pool, foosball or arcade basketball in the back. And sometimes there is that one guy or gal that started drinking way too early and is either having a hard time staying on the stool or controlling their inside voice volume. It's not a regular destination for me per se, but I have to admit I do enjoy my drinks there whenever I stop in and for that it's A-OK with me.

I came here last night with some friends. The general consensus was to try to avoid the d-bagginess of some of the other places in the Marina. What we got instead of expensive and high class d-bagginess was instead a cheap substitute. Not sure I'd particularly recommend this place to anyone. There are divier places of greater repute if you're looking for a dive, and there are definitely much nicer places for anything else. A "dive bar" feel, but not quite the real deal. I should know - I've spent thousands of dollars on research over the years. Bartenders had the dive bar attitude down, including the ability to ignore me for 10 minutes twice in a row, even to the point that they took out the lemons, the knife, and the cutting board to do prep work before acknowledging me. It's alright, it's cool; I can wait. I'm a try-sexual. I'll try any place once. But lose my business as an establishment that serves alcohol and you are losing one heck of a devoted customer; I have true staying power when it comes to alcohol and would be a friend for life getting my drinkie-poo on. Hate to rain on the dive bar parade, but the next time I want to be ignored by bartenders, then here are my requirements: I want the tattoos to be prison style, not fashion, and I want the contempt to be earned, not just thrown out there like a general M.O. I'll take my chances at the dive bars on 6th Street/Folsom area, Mission, or Richmond any day, and be glad to wait 20 minutes to order my $5 beer. [Boo hiss scratch, yes, I am an angry kitten right now].

I don't know what to say about Mauna Loa. It's a cross between a dive bar, a tiki bar, a sports bar... And it's in the Marina. WHAT ON EARTH do you say about that? A few things that deserve a mention, however: They have foosball. And an internet jukebox. And the bartender is a very nice dude. However I don't know if he'll still be nice to me and my crew now that he's definitely uncovered the nasty heap of vomit we left outside the front door... (It wasn't MINE, okay?) We weren't trying to tell you anything, Mauna Loa! We actually had a good time with you and your foosball table! We were just metaphorically demonstrating our feelings about the MARINA... Get it? Vomiting on the Marina? It was a very calculated statement. Very punk rock.

This place has super ice melting powers. The cubes in my drink melted in a matter of minutes. Warm drink..bleh. ALSO.... It smelled like ass in here. No joke.

Dear Mauna Loa, I really try to like you. I've been here multiple times. You're pretty close to my workplace. You're a quirky looking Hawaiian Bar in the Marina. You claim to be a Dive. I really want to like you, but you make it very hard. Mauna Loa is disappointing. It claims to be a dive bar but doesn't have a real happy hour. Last time I was there, I was charged $11 for a Dark and Stormy at 5:30 pm! ($9 for the Meyer's Rum, and get this: $2 for the ginger beer) Now, I don't want to boast, but I've drank in bars ALL around the city and charging for a mixer when you've already charged for a hard liquor is unheard of. It wasn't even a generous pour... not cool! And a cash only dive bar? In the Marina? That charges the same prices as a nice SOMA bar for a simple drink? No thanks! It's usually pretty quiet on weeknights at happy hour time. Your usual middle-aged daytime drinkers (What do they do all day??), or your extra loud, mostly white, Marina crowd. I would tell you to skip it, but if you're constrained to that neighborhood, there aren't too many better places to skip it to! SOLID 2 STARS.