R Bar

This is the spot! Super cool bartenders, chill vibes and a nice lil arcade in the back with some pinball machines, donky Kong, street fighter & shooter game. If you like chill dive bars then go here!

Love this bar. Always a great atmosphere and tasty food. Favorite bartenders too. Justin is the man. He makes great cocktails and makes the place feel like home. Definitely recommend.

Fantastic local bar! Really enjoyed my old fashioned and espresso martini. Might have had a sip of my daughter's whiskey mule and it was fantastic too. Looking for a beer? Yup, they have you covered! Draft and bottle. Cleveland fan? Apparently this is your spot. We will be back!

Lindsey put up with so much s*** from me she was amazing for her patience. Chris was awesome took real good care of me and the crowd of people were very welcoming in conversational great neighborhood bar.

Stayed in San Fran this week on vacation and found this wonderful bar. Lindsay, the day shift bartender gave wonderful advice for good local spots. The locals were friendly and helpful as well. Drinks were more than reasonably priced. The bouncer, a Corgi named Arlo, kept everyone in line :) Overall, a great place that made us feel right at home.

Stop for one or two refreshing beverages. Classic SF beer stop.

I like this place. Friendly, neighborhood vibe with a comfortable, welcoming feel. Worth your time. I’ll be back.

Nice chill neighborhood bar. Staff is friendly and quick to get you a drink when needed. They also have a nice arcade area and allow well behaved dogs. This is probably one of the only bars in SF with A/C as well so perfect for a hot day

Walking into R Bar felt like stumbling upon a hidden treasure in San Francisco. As soon as I stepped inside, the bartenders introduced themselves, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Despite everyone seeming to know each other, I didn't feel left out; instead, I felt welcomed into the fold. This place is a real local dive, in the best possible way. The kind of spot where you can strike up a conversation with a stranger or just enjoy your drink in peace. The bartenders are not only friendly but also incredibly knowledgeable, ready to suggest the perfect drink for your mood. R Bar is also a great spot to watch games. The ambiance is lively, and there are TVs strategically placed so you can catch all the action. But what really surprised me was the arcade in the back! It's like stepping into a nostalgic paradise, with classic games that add an extra layer of fun to the experience. Overall, R Bar is a must-visit. Whether you're looking for a friendly place to grab a drink, watch the game, or unleash your inner child in the arcade, this place has it all. 5/5 stars, no question about it!

Years of coming to R bar, I can't say enough about it. Nothing fancy or out of the ordinary, just well priced drinks, friendly staff, and a lot of chill regulars. The decor is like most dive bars, decent enough seating at the bar itself and on packed days the parklet is a huge savior. The small arcade in the back can be fun, still haven't played darts though. There's a food vendor on thursdays (previously tacos) but otherwise unless it's a big ordeal you're usually welcome to bring in your own food while you drink.

Amazing, dive bar. No bells and whistles, good drinks, great service. Great spot if you're in town traveling. Lindsay was awesome!

My favorite bar and essentially my home away from home. Chris, Tod, Will, Jon, Justin And occasionally Vinny are all exceptional. Great bourbon selection!

Found this bar walking around. Not a nice bar really, just ok for a quick drink during the day maybe! The outdoor seating is cool. My beer was 8 dollars and the bartender dude was a little salty. Don't recommend.

Meh bar, meh food bad service. Much better places to be around so I wouldn't really waste my time here

I like going to this bar for a pit stop during a pub crawl or just passing through. Cool people and cool drinks. I like it better now with the parklets because sometimes this place can get packed during sports or other events.

Friendly staff, fair price for a pint of beer! Good music! My first day in SF, staff helped me knowing the area.

PSA: DO NOT COME HERE Extremely racist and rude bar tender working here. I was with a group of friends for an sf bar crawl and a bar tender rudely told us "if we're not ordering anything you can leave" while pointing towards the exit. She said this with a harsh tone, giving us a dirty look despite my friends ordering drinks from her already and only being there for a couple minutes. There was barely any other people in the bar and her attitude towards us was un acceptable.

Really strange encounter tonight at this bar. I spent 10+ years in tenderloin and moved to east bay during the pandemic. My friend came back to visit me and after the dinner at hara sushi we went up sutter and walked in to r-bar. Basically, at the door, me and my friend were told by the bartender (Rob i think), we were not welcome at the bar so left because there was no point of arguing with barman and we went up to Ace bar. The whole encounter was very confusing but we left because it don't seem like there was a a point of wasting time proving the bar guy what's weight or wrong. If you are the owner of r-bar, see for yourself, pull out camera footage from 5/28 between 10:30 and 11:00 and see if we fit anything to deserve to be kicked out.

Excellent neighborhood bar!! Great fun and friendly atmosphere I definitely recommend this place.

Love this! Best people. Vinnie is the best. I met this guy there, he was so cute. He was wearing a Raiders hat and then we kissed.... And then ... Best night. Highly recommend!!

Nice neighborhood bar. Loved the bar staff - super fun and friendly. Would definitely go back for a chill drinking spot.

Best bar in SF. Chris is the man. Chill vibes, good times, quality drinks....what more do you need?

Situation - Friday evening at 9:00 PM - My friend orders two well whiskey's and diet - $12 - I order a double well whiskey and diet, and a well whiskey and diet = $21 Pros - Decent atmosphere Cons - Very expensive for a dive bar ($10 well drinks), Kozy Kar nearby is so much better - For a watering hole, there are much better and cheaper places

A pretty chill spot in the city. There are even arcade game in the back of the bar. Feel free to give the place s try.

Been coming here for years & love the smelly old place! They are also careful to check everyone's vaccine cards and have a parklette to use if you don't have a vax card. Some recent poor reviews might be confusing the super-cool R Bar in San Francisco with another R Bar in Long Beach where there is video of that other bar's owner saying some pretty gross things. Not the same bar and def not the same owner! There are plenty of videos of the San Francisco R Bar owner removing his shirt tho.

Pretty fantastic place; they're very good at what they do. Not swinging for the fences or trying to wow anyone with innovation, just straight-ahead no-b.s. drinks with solid service at a fair price. They also fill in for me as a Red Sox bar when I need one close to home, or you can take in basketball or football or anything else seasonal at the right time. Beer selection is on point. I'm not a hop-head but they have Lagunitas and Voodoo Ranger, which is enough variety to keep IPA fiends happy. Guiness always, 805 on the regular lately, and Allagash is a good addition for a choice wheat beer option. Add a Jameson or Fernet for $5, and you can be well on your way on the first round. They seem to take pride in spreading Fernet to the masses. Any cocktail you order will do the job and they're not tight with their pours. The prices are good, not dirt cheap, but they never short anyone. All in all it's a comfortable place for people who like to drink, well lived-in but divey but never scary. I don't know a better bar that's cheaper or a cheaper bar that's better, so they're a great destination when you're down for a mellow night taking in a game or a conversation in a small group.

We wanted a change of venue, so we all decided to stop by R Bar after having a couple drinks nearby. It was this past Wednesday, April 6th around 7:30pm. I was keeping it low key, so I just ordered a Bud light and a shot of Jameson ($9). I believe you can choose Fernet instead of Jameson with this special if you like fernet more. I'm not a huge fan of bud light, but it did the trick in keeping my subtle buzz going. We were here for a good two hours, so I also ordered a beer later. Can't remember the brand, but it was $4. No bad price wise. I loved the vibe of R Bar. Very laid back. It wasn't very busy when we were here, so it was perfect as our group of five just wanted to hang out and catch up. We grabbed some seats at the bar and just drank and talked the night away. Great low key bar. They also have a few TVs of if you want to catch a game while having a drink or two. Note: I believe their credit card minimum is $15, so bring cash if you're not in a big drinking mood.

R Bar is THE SPOOOOOT!!!! What a neighborhood gem! Have had such great times at this bar, super friendly staff, Chris is the best! Also, the crowd is always super fun and friendly too! Can't say enough good things about this bar.... Just go

Watched a Cleveland Browns game here! The environment was fun and they're considerate about Covid protocols. The bartenders were so extremely nice and you can tell they really love interacting with customers. I would come back on that aspect alone. The drinks were made well and the beers were cold. A perfect spot to spend a Sunday watching football!

Excellent staff, deceptively good alcohol selection whether or not you like Fernet. Ed and Will are great, this place holds a surprising number of people and the local regulars are extremely normal somehow. Good place to watch football or old movies late night.

I love this dive. I initially came to this bar to watch an Oregon football game with some fellow alumni. Because this bar is owned by Oregon alumni (they also own Wreck Room) the bar hosts watch parties where you can usually get a beer koozie with "go ducks" on it. Everyone who works here is friendly and a bit sarcastic, but in a good way. Draft beers are $5, and there are a few other cheap drink specials. R Bar doesn't serve food, but they're ok with you bringing something in. Also, R Bar is dog friendly, and specially on a weeknight you will find a pup or two enjoying the bar too. As others have mentioned, the bathrooms are nothing special. I've definitely unclogged the women's toilet before, and apparently, the men's bathroom is bigger than the women's, which kind of makes sense, because R Bar tends to have a more male dominated crowd. I was here one year for Santa Con, and a very drunken Santa wouldn't stop bugging me. He was speaking undecipherable nonsense about how some girl had just broken up with him...or at least that's what I thought he was saying...and he started to slam his fists against the bar. I got the attention of the bartender closest to me and told him that the guy was bugging me. At first they made him go to the other end of the bar and finish his drink there. He slowly kept inching towards me, and after the bartender told him to stop a couple times, the bartender took his drink away and kicked him out. The bartenders here don't mess around - they're very protective.

My review only pertains to happy hour; I've never been there late. M, T, W it's hella chill. You can expect jazz music and a real low-key vibe. Thursday picks-up and there is a guy selling great tacos, chimichangas and ceviche for, like, $2/taco and $5 for the others. And they're really really good quality! There is an arcade in the back that has a few pinball machines, video games and darts. The customers are generally all friendly.

The drinks were excellent. The bartender was friendly and welcoming. And it's so noticeable that he loved his job. He made our night! Highly recommend this bar. I wish I could give this place more than five stars!

I stumbled upon this gem one night after a long drive up from Santa Monica, and I have to say, it is one of the best bars in San Francisco! The bartenders, Chris and Tod (I think that was their names, haha!) were so welcoming and made me feel right at home. One of them had his shirt off and convinced me to do the same, it was obviously an epic night! They even introduced me to a local liqueur that they sell there called Ferned Blanco. I didn't really care for the taste of it, but these guys were pretty hyped on it, so I obliged them for five or six rounds of shots. The drinks, the bartenders, the hospitality: all are second to none!

Such a cool little place on Polk street. I always enjoy my time when I visit. It's not dreadfully crowded on weekends and it's just the right amount of dive, if that ever exists. However, being the contemplative individual I am, I wondered for a long time what the "R" in R Bar stands for... here are my suggestions: - Really good and inexpensive drinks. Some cocktails up on the board are $5. I believe it's the "cheap booze" board - Ridiculously generous pourings of liquor. We ordered a couple of Glenlivets and the glasses were filled almost to the brim - Rad interior with black walls and candle-lit ambiance - Rock-ambient music in the background - nothing too flashy but fits right in with the mood here - Ravishing ladies who I met that one night... long story - Risque paintings on the wall. Seriously check them out; I wish I could have one for my room - Ruff! I saw a couple of dogs here once--drunk petting is the best - Raucous crowd that is always ready to take on the night on Polk st Definitely come here if you're Polk hopping on weekends. --- Distinguishing factor: A dive bar that is unexpectedly welcoming and artistic. It's not located directly on Polk St., which basically halves the number of people aware of it.

Ooooh snap. We stopped by for the Leprechaun Pub Crawl and got a little attitude from the but bartender was on point with his lemon drop. Whole guacamole it was one of the best drinks we have had in San Francisco.

The awesomeness of R Bar starts with it being the home to the SF chapter of the amazing University of Oregon Ducks. In addition, it's also a NY Jets bar, Fernet and several other team fan destinations. Affiliations aside, that's where the awesomeness unfortunately ends. R Bar isn't all that spacious and it becomes very apparent very quickly when the weekend crowds come a cluttering in. It becomes difficult to score a drink at the bar, let alone just trying to scream over the crowd. Maneuvering through them becomes a tricky dance and there isn't much escape from the lack of solid ventilation. Bathrooms are a mess, but this is never a surprise in a dive bar. No one expects a spotless piece of shiny toilet porcelain by any means, but the stench of urine is enough to keep folks from using it entirely. This is only the men's side of course, but I suspect the women's restroom may not fare much better. The prices aren't backbreaking, which keeps the drunken spirits alive. Well drinks aplenty and just enough beers to keep most folks happily hydrated. To the bartender's credit, they'll make drinks potent enough to make squeamish faces post sip, but if one can find a suitable drinking hour depends largely on the crowds. Enjoy the $5 drinks!

Should be a 2.5, but unable to split a star from here. The bartenders are some of my favorite in the city. Great service! The pictures in the men's room are the other reason to go there. However, the Marina factor in this place makes it into the kind of place I don't go to often. On the rare occasion that I do, I remember why I haven't been in a while about 30 seconds into my visit. When this place falls out of style it will be OUTSTANDING.

This is my 2nd favorite bar in my hood. The booze is reasonably priced and the bar tenders are all super friendly. That's a rarity to not at least have one pain in the ass bartender, I'm impressed! My first night there after I moved to the hood I chatted with Chris (bartender and I think part owner?) and he effortlessly pulled me into a conversation with some other regulars and I ended up there much later than I intended. Partially thanks to the "welcome to the neighborhood" free Jameson he hooked me up with. The space is moderate in size but beware: If you go on a Friday or Saturday night the place is a'gonna be crazy packed. We're talkin' wall to wall people environment where you have to squish through people for 5 minutes just to make it 15 feet. This is all good though, I mean there are a ton of people there for a reason right? The crowd is eclectic and generally pretty drunk. Good times, good times.

Go Ducks! Yes this is the Oregon Ducks San Francisco Game Watching Headquarters (ODSFWH). The bar tenders are awesome and they are even more awesome if you are an Oregon fan. Drinks are reasonably priced and the crowd is always friendly (sometimes a little too friendly if you're a girl) Oregon game days here will blow you away, everyone is decked (or "ducked") out in green and yellow, the Coors Light girls show up, sometimes the Duck makes an appearance... it's the closest thing San Francisco will ever have to Autzen...after all it never rains at R Bar.

One of the best bars on the west coast. A REAL San Francisco vibe with grEat people owning and running it. I love this place

$9 for a bud light and Jameson! Bartenders were attentive and fast and it's fun sitting down and talking here since the music isn't too loud where you have to yell like at most other places.

You know I'm not sure how to review R bar. There are many different R Bars so I'm just going to review the one I know. It involves Saturday or Sunday afternoons, sometimes Sunday nights. It also usually involves NY or Boston Sports, the crowd is a bit different from the evening crowd or Oregon Duck crowd. If you are in early enough and its not too busy, order a Bloody Mary. Unfortunately the only way to sum it up is to quote the oh-so-famous marina d-bag, thanks SF Eater. "You can't fake awesome!" The bartender is super sweet, you can tell he loves working there. He also tries to get to know everyone which makes it that much more friendly and welcoming. I might even compare it to Cheers, might, maybe, don't get too excited. So my trips in usually go like this: Hi, I'm just stopping in for a drink, have some nice conversation, watch some sports and head out. OR, I'll go in, watch some sports and realize 5 hours has elapsed and I'm about 4 beers past where I start making bad decisions. Even so its always been extremely fun, I will continue to frequent their bar and so should you.

One of the best low key dive bars in SF. Super dog friendly and the owner Chris is the nicest! They have a delicious taco stand in here sometimes and they're 2 bucks a taco. Great place to watch sports as well.

Great place to watch important games Bartenders are friendly and really know how to mix a drink. Good neighborhood dive vibe...

R Bar is great and getting better! Recently renovated to reveal exposed red brick walls and added pub tables for a historic tavern look and feel. R Bar's always been a solid neighborhood bar by day where everybody knows your name, while nighfall is a a winfall brings good jukebox tunes, good vibes delivered through sound system and shots of Fernet. I think, I thought I saw a dance floor here last night? Even better! R Bar is where I watch my sports. With 5 Flat Screens there's more than enough room for New York Jets Fans to share the joint with Cleveland Browns Fans and locals; and Saturday afternoon's belong to Oregon Ducks fans. Must See TV!

So much fun! Browns fans from Cle here on holiday and got to watch the game with other fans. First win of the season and a great time! Thanks R Bar!

I spent my 'Going Away/Finished USMLE' get-together here. The original plan was bar hop all around Polk St. but we ended up just staying here. It's my ideal kind of dive bar that doesn't have loud music, not too crowded, drinks are decently priced, and service is quick. I drank too much and fell asleep at one of the tables and then I was kicked out--owned. That was a first. It was embarrassing but not because I was being the opposite of belligerent. It was fun while it lasted. I may be back another day and not sleep there. Jukeboxes are necessary at social functions.

Okay, you walk into a bar and ask for a beer. This place...There was a middle-aged employee behind the bar that was taking care of everything other than serving drinks. I didn't know that this person wasn't an employee. When I ask for a beer, he claims that he isn't an employee. Then, another "employee" that was taking care of a transaction on a credit machine, turns around to address me, and I ask for a beer. He says, "I'm taking care of another customer, and if you don't like it, you can leave," which I did immediately. I did not cause any trouble other than asking for a beer. I would avoid this place. MAYBE, IT IS BECAUSE I AM ASIAN?? I swear to God, all I did was ask for a beer at a place that serves beer....Un-fucking-believable. They are complete DICKS....

Had a great time here. The two bartenders here really worked hard to make our bachelorette party memorable. A friend of mine was pregnant and Andrew was beyond thoughtful and provided her with virgin drinks so she wouldn't feel left out. We felt like they absolutely went out of their way to make our night special.

San Francisco dive bar at it's finest! This place is fun and a ton of it. Some of the best drink prices around metro San Fran. We stumbled upon this place a long time ago and always make a point to come back anytime were in the area. Good music, great drinks, and a helluva a bunch of crazy people out to have fun. I'm sure there's classier joints around but why go classy when you can whoop it up and have some fun. When we were drunkenly invited by some more drunk people we met had no clue our bar was really R bar! They said were gonna take you to R bar and I was so confused. All that changed once we arrived. What a blast! Love R bar. Nothing but good times!

First, a word of advice from my bartender friend: Always pay cash for the first round and tip BIG! This was our strategy last night and it paid off. A couple cheap, yet heavily-poured double Makers on the rocks later and I was all smiles. I'm sure it helped that the bartenders at R Bar are cool, regular guys. R Bar was characteristically loud last night, but the juke box was playing good songs. There are a lot of good songs in the R Bar juke box. Admittedly, there are also some terrible songs, so here is my work-around: never visit R Bar after 10pm on Friday or Saturday. Visiting during the week or before 10pm on the weekends will dramatically limit your exposure to the people who have terrible taste in music and thus, ruin your R Bar experience with their jukebox selections. Besides, weekend nights are a friggin' sausage fest' in there! ...and that is a little tip for the ladies. ;-)

I've been coming here for a few weeks now and I was waiting to write a review based on how consistent this place was. I come here w/my gf to watch sports and throw back a few after work during the week. The drinks are cheap and the bartenders are cool. It's on the edge of the TL so you won't have to worry about bums trying to saunter in and ask you to buy them a drink. I did hear it gets a little douche-y on the weekend b/c the dicks from the Marina manage to make it up here. I'll keep coming here during the weeknights to have fun.

R Bar is full of amazing people and friendly staff who care to know who you are. Be prepared to have a new family after a night here. R Bar is really our bar.

Before starting your night of regrets on Polk Street, stop in R Bar so you don't break your bank. For $8, you can have your choice of a shot of Jameson/fernet with a tall can of Bud Light. Granted, drinking the can of Bud Light made me feel like I was back in college being punished for sucking at beer pong... I can't really complain because cheap beer also gets the job done. This dive bar is everything a dive bar offers - not that glamorous, simple/cheap selection of alcohol, but still a comfortable place to drink. Bartenders are attentive and cool. Bathrooms are small, but hey, we're in SF, so what was I expecting?

Best experience ever! Super accommodating and very professional staff. Celebrating a 21st birthday and they made us feel at home and were quick to serve us even with a line.

The R Bar is my favorite place to get a drink and watch a game in San Francisco. The drink places are extremely reasonable for SF, the drinks are never watered down, and I love the bartenders. Cannot recommend this place high enough

Love this bar. Great staff, vibe and generous owners. A definite feel good local place.