Trad'r Sam

Loved my experience here the cocktails tasted ok the Mai Tai wasn’t traditional but was ok I liked the zombie more. They typically blend the zombie but the bartender gave us the choice so we went with it on the rocks. They also take card now but charge a transaction fee.

Perfection. Honestly it's perfect It's a dive bar for deseres so much love. Theo is incredible. He is so comfortable to the point he literally chased away a guy who was beyond his limits. He reads people and services them pointedly. As a Florida native he's one of the best!!!! Love this place.

This is a fun bar with a great atmosphere. Try one of the big bowls of liquor.

First time here. Went on a recommendation. Great spot. Angie is great. Delicious drinks. Not overpriced. Will definitely add to my list of regular stops.

SF has some of the best tiki bars in existence, and I really appreciate what this one offers. It’s nowhere near as “bougie” as the other ones. Just solid prices, great drinks, good vibes.

Five stars across the board!!!!! I spent time in 2020 in San Francisco. I was new to the city and the family at this bar made me feel right at home they took me in like a lost little puppy and the owner of the bar. Who’s a beautiful woman drove me around with her boyfriends over to Sausalito and the Golden Gate Bridge so that I didn’t have to walk in put myself in a dangerous situation. I will always be grateful for everyone that I met in that bar, including the owner.

Drinks? So good. The pours at this place? So generous a single order could feed a family. Staff? Swashbuckling chilllers. Vibe? Never heard of tiki bars, we just like rum and our neighbor had a lot of free bamboo and we had extra little umbrellas from my daughters diorama project. Please never change.

I asked the bartender to close my tab because we were only getting one punch bowl to share and he purposely kept it open.. when i verbally asked him to keep it closed. He took advantage of the fact that I was young and I assumed it was closed because i got my card back. Because he left it open without me knowing, he gave himself 20% gratuity without my consent. I feel super uncomfortable because i verbally asked to not start a tab but obviously he wanted to tip himself whatever he wanted so he kept it open. It was the middle aged white man with brown receding hair… beware and be firm with closing your tab.

One of the best priced bars I've been to in a looooong time. We came in on a Saturday afternoon with a big group and were able to take over a whole section of the bar. Since it was the middle of the day, the tiki vibes were felt a little less, but the tiki drinks were flowing. There was only one bartender working, and he was such a trooper. The menu is huge and didn't come with descriptions of each drink, so we had loads of questions for him. He was also happy to make us off menu cocktails that we requested from showing him the recipes. They had football playing, but were also happy to turn the music on for us since it wasn't that important of a game (no one local). I don't love super sugary drinks and since the ingredients weren't listed I went off menu, but did taste a few of the tiki drinks and will definitely be ordering one of those banana ones next time. It was dessert in a glass without the intense sugar flavor.

To me, I'ts good not great. The clientele is bifurcated, (1) locals at the bar and (2) the Youngs coming later in the night to drink communally from a tiki bowl. Feels like the kind of place where people are known to each other but not especially welcoming if you're not in that crowd. Could just be me, but when you open the door, all the heads turn to see who it is, if they don't know you they return to their conversations. They had outdoor seating / parklet for a while but it's on Geary Blvd so heavy traffic and a lot of fog and wind, I can see why they let it go.

I came in for a quick drink before dinner nearby (before they updated their interior). They had a small bar but plenty of booth seating when I went. It's a dive bar with strong tiki drinks that weren't overly sugary from what I recall. If you're looking for more affordable, strong tiki drinks and are fans of a dive bar vibe, this is the place for you!

One of my longtime faves ...one of the purest expressions of a dive bar....Tradr's is a real neighborhood joint in the Richmond district. First off, post COVID, they cleaned things up considerably. The bathroom is no longer a landmine and the outside got same sprucing up . They also serve popcorn! The drinks are solid and clearly the draw...the scorpion bowl and the mai tai are awesome. Watching the niners and giants is a mainstay.

I was this many days old when I finally stepped into the oldest tiki bar in SF... only lived here for six years. Ha.

I must admit I dropped by only cause I was in the neighbourhood and the prices caught my eye but I'm so glad I did. We came by on a Friday around 5pm and ordered 3 drinks - White Russian, Pina Colada and a Boozy Banana-Chocolate ice cream shake! They were all delicious and spiked appropriately to make you wanna go for another round. The place is pretty small but has great tiki bar vibes. It had around 5-6 people when we got there but I would imagine a whole lot of people at night so might wanna get here early if you are looking for tables. It's a cash only place but they do have an ATM inside. The menu is extensive and has a whole lot of interesting things with no explanation so I would suggest you go with whatever you heart is calling out on that particular day ;) Fantastic prices, great cocktails and fun little tiki vibes - definitely coming back with more friends.

Maybe I shouldn't give it five stars I don't want it to be filled with tourist. It's a dive tiki bar in the outskirts of the avenues in San Francisco. Not many tourists go here. It's more locals. I used to hang out in this bar all the time because I lived down the street and my best friend was also the bartender, we had a great time there and I still go back every once they have a big tiki bar drink with a lot of rum type cocktails, and addition to all the normal beers and liquor that most bars have

After a brief stint of being closed, Trad'r Sam has reopened with a remodel and refresh, and probably some of the most affordable drinks the city has to offer. They're famous for their scorpion bowl and other booze filled bowls that are all around $20. For $20, after drinking one of these, hopefully shared with someone, will do the trick. They are all blended to order, and come with long straws to sip out of. We got the tidal wave, and it lived up to its name. Other spots I've gotten bowls at in the city charge $45-65 and sometimes even more, and none of them compare to the flavor of Trad'r Sam. So for a third of the price, it's really hard to beat. Most beers and shots were under $10. Most of their cocktails are around that price as well, so value here is real good. There's plenty of TVs and self seating so good for small to medium sized groups. It is cash-only, so make sure to hit the ATM beforehand or use the one they have there.

Right in the nick of time came my 6,800th Yelp review milestone, and I'm handing it to this legendary vintage tiki bar out in the Richmond that I just tried yesterday. The Chronicle reported its demise a few weeks back due to a family legal dispute. I just figured that meant it was permanently shuttered. However, I read an update a week ago that it had reopened, so I decided to take the trek. Make no mistake. It's still a dive but in a good, unpretentious way. The rusted neon sign is still the same with the lightbox on top advertising "Polynesian Drinks" (photo: https://yelp.to/yZSAjqYcRC). Dominated by the horseshoe bar, it's not a big place with a few tables around the perimeter. The decor was surprisingly somewhat muted for such an old-time tiki bar with the palm tree lights the loudest feature inside (photo: https://yelp.to/NwHySuSg7N). The most impressive element was the huge cocktail list, three menu pages worth with reasonable prices. Jeff was manning the bar, and I ordered the $10 Pina Colada (photo: https://yelp.to/823PPinGsA). It was quite a delightful mix of rum, pineapple juice, and cream of coconut, perfectly blended. I was chatting away with a couple of local guys around my age. Not gay, just funny. They kept asking me about restaurants and bars I could recommend in their neighborhood. As you can imagine, I couldn't shut up. I think I kept them entertained, and all of a sudden, I ordered a second libation, the $10 Mango Madness, which featured mango purée mixed with tequila (photo: https://yelp.to/hpCG86g9KA). Quite delicious. What was I saying again? OK, I gotta run, but I'll be back. 6,800 reviews, baby. COCKTAILS - 5 stars...the tiki drinks were delicious, voluminous and relatively cheap AMBIANCE - 4 stars...not quite there decor-wise but improvements are planned SERVICE - 4.5 stars...Jeff knew how to mix and blend TOTAL - 5 stars...welcome back, Sam RELATED - Interested in tiki bars here and everywhere? Here's a collection of bars I've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3SpoS3c

12/2/23 is this still the same tradr Sam's?! I'm Joking the interior looks very much updated, drink menu is still the same. I got the Pina colada today

I was out on a LONG walk with a friend on a Sunday and we were hiking back from the ocean - it was about 4pm and she suggested getting a teat cocktail after our trek. For some reason recently I have had a pina colada on my mind. I maybe have had 10 of these in my lifetime, but it just has been sounding so good to me. This one did not disappoint. The bartender said it was a "special recipe". It was foamy and un-separated right to the end. Sweet, but not too sweet with enough coconut, but not cloying. AND I think it was only $10 - which is a CHEAP drink in SF! My friend said that this place is recently re-opened and she was impressed that they made it nicer - but keep the same vibe. I am keeping this place on my radar!

A classic San Francisco Dive. An old acquaintance from Florida was in town so we played tour guides for the day. We headed up 25th after crossing the bridge and decided to stop. I lived down the street in the 80's, and although the sign is the same, the interior has had quite face lift. The bar stools were filled with usual suspects watching the game-- was quite busy for 4 o'clock on a Saturday. They are still working out the kinks after reopening, but I still recommend stopping in. Check it out

A bartender here named JJ made me some incredibly tasty drinks. Reasonably priced and very good.

This is a fun place that gets you really happy after sharing 1-2 bowl drinks with a couple of friends. I was pretty shocked at the large quantity given for the low price, definitely worth it for a good time!! There is a slight difference between the mangareva and the tidal wave but still both pretty yummy and tropical!

-**10 months ago**: it's too bright now please turn off the fluorescent lights that are ON THE CEILING bc it's making me feel uncomfortable thank u -**UPDATE**: thanks u fixed it

A newly renovated dive bar with a slightly seedy crowd of people who dont seem like the typical crowd of wealthy tech bros, old folks, professional parents, and college students that live in the 26th Ave neighborhood. But folks, this is the oldest continuously running Tiki Bar in the world! If you are a fan of tiki, you have to go right away. Skip the mai tai, go for the banana cow. Plan on dieting for a week after a few of those. Mmm.

This place is great. is it worth the two hour plus wait that some people take? I'm not sure about that. It's definitely something you should experience once. Drinks are fantastic. It's an amazing experience and just all around fun place.

I love this place every time. It has the full array of classic tiki drinks, and zero pretentiousness. It feels like a friendly locals' dive, but weirder in the best ways. We accidentally came here during the Super Bowl. I randomly picked the Black Magic off the menu. The bartender, in her lovely husky voice, warned me about its sweetness so I asked for a good old Navy Grog ("I make a great Navy Grog!" she says) and dealer's choice for my bf. It WAS a great Navy Grog and her Mai Tai was surprisingly not too sweet. I'd highly recommend both! We hung out in the Guam corner for more drinks including a stiff hot toddy, and had some chili (!!) courtesy of our bartender. As soon as the game ended, she hops over to the jukebox with some dollars and says "I hate football!" Seriously, she's cool and the drinks are fun.

Trad'r Sam is a San Francisco gem, and it's pretty impossible to walk out of sober. Their cash only bar has an extensive menu, with wacky descriptions. Your best best is telling the bartender what you're in the mood for, and they'll make you something that will not disappoint. I especially liked their blended drinks, but everything I tried was delicious. Everything on the menu was around $10 or so, which is pretty unheard of in SF. Service was a little slow, but it was honestly for the best- that way we could pace ourselves. The interior decor and seatings are definitely tacky, but it adds to this place's charm.

Been through here over the past 30 years. The remodel is a brighter cafeteria. The bar service was garbage. We watched the bar tenders go past "our guy" 3x and they weren't even making drinks. When he asked they said, "chill out". After decades of great memories this version is crap. As a guy, it was a sausage fest, and can't speak to the drinks cause we couldn't but one with these knuckleheads were barely working. They could have never handled the crowd during It's heyday... this place was sick, and now ijust lower your expectations! It's crap...

This place is awesome and only cost 10 bucks. The bartender is great. cash only bar but pretty awesome place and finally decent prices. It's dicey but I like it that way. Finally a reasonable price at a bar!!!!

Delicious mai tai's and nice bartender. Funky decor, in a good way. Great little spot.

If you're looking for a cheap and good time, this is the place to be. I've been to numerous tiki bars in the city but this one takes the cake for most bang for your buck! The drinks are STRONG and we were able to get 2 large tiki bowls for roughly $20 each. The bowls were shared among 6 people and it was more than enough. The bartenders were hilarious and service was amazing. Everyone was welcoming and they even have some pinball machines in the back! The tiki decorations are adorable -- definitely gives off more dive bar than the other overpriced tiki bars in SF but I loved it. The one thing to point out is they ONLY ACCEPT CASH! So don't forget to bring cash or there's an ATM available.

Super good drinks . This is a good bar try to get there early if you go to get sits this place has a good environment. I love to come here with my friends and coworkers to talk and just relax. Service I can say they are pretty friendly they are super nice .

I love it! Trad'r Sams takes me back to my college graduation year 1996 when I had a the "chocolate banana" drink, and yep I'm old. This bar is actually considered a bamboo bar from the decor but since tiki is the more common name for it, that's what it is to most and its the oldest in the world, wow believe it or not. What I always found interesting about this bar was that the ingredients in the drinks are never written, so you kind of have to go with your gut, but for sure it will have rum! Lol The place definitely needs a facelift in a lot of areas with the decor needed attention and a new speaker for music (although I did like the music -mix of 80/90). But no doubt, the service is good and the drinks are yummy with a great prices. It was slow for a Monday night and the bartenders tell me that it goes in waves sometimes they're packed. No food service there but seems like you can bring your own if you wish. I had a "mango mai tai,"a super classic add mango and 2nd drink, I wanted something a little more interesting, so I went with the Zombie. Um, Zombies all day to get you fk'd up hahaha, loved it! My friend had the Sabotage, which was a strawberry style Tikki drink. Missed this place! I'll be coming back for another Tiki night soon, yeays!

Drinks were very sugary and the overall atmosphere was pretty far from a TiKi bar (sport games playing on TV). Not a great experience and less immersive than Last Rites, Smugglers cove or Zombie Village.

I haven't been to this place since 2016. It was good to be back with friends and order bowls again. I'm glad it wasn't as busy when we came, and we could get a table with our group. The bowls were good, and the price was reasonable. I had a good time! The bartenders were attentive and made the bowls quickly. FYI if you decide to come here, it's cash only, and there's an ATM inside, but there's a fee to withdraw. You are better off going to the bank in advance and withdrawing funds.

Oldest operating tiki bar in the US, since 1937! Glad I walked in before reading the reviews. Everyone was super friendly, drinks were super cheap ($9-$10???) and not bad. There was a guy outside who suggested we try the banana cow, which as the name suggests, is banana with milk and sugar and rum. It was decent, but I liked the pina colada better. The bartender had a little extra liquid from my pina colada, so he made a tiny extra lava flow for me, too. Lots of dairy! Cash only, but they have an ATM inside.

Just left without being served or acknowledged for 35 minutes... sitting at the bar with two friends. New decor is sterile and the magic of the place is gone. Go literally anywhere else for a tiki drink

Love for my favorite dive bar. Polynesian theme. Massive . Manhattans are $9 and you can't drink two.

I've been here twice. I really like the atmosphere of the place. The drinks are strong but good. My friends and I enjoyed them. The main issue my friends and I have with this bar is the service. The dude with the ponytail who often bartends is quite rude and has an attitude that made my friends and I feel unwelcome. I have heard there's another bartender that's a lot nicer so I would try going when she's working for a better customer service experience.

Despite other reviews, I had a great time interacting with the bartender. I met a local who will be moving out of San Francisco and we had a nice chat. I know all this sounds good but my biggest problem was with the drinks. They are nicely priced but didn't taste good at all. For my first drink, I asked what they recommended and they said it was a banana based drink... Wasn't good. I then decided to choose my next drink and didn't like it at all. Since it was on my bucket list, still glad I made it

We had the chance to stop in for a few drinks the other day. I had not been in there since I was at the Presidio in 1989. It has not changed a bit. Still great. Cory the bartender- nice guy Angie- the owner-- on-site and a blast to talk with Drinks were a good riff on the classics plus a few of their own. Nice music in the background and a wonderful crowd. Great place to spend the afternoon and Uber to the hotel after. Can't wait to get back and try a few more off the menu. A++++++

A spiritual experience. A right of passage. A gauntlet. All apt descriptions of one of SF's most beloved watering holes. Recent renovation/refresh looks good. Don't overthink your drink order.

Great dive bar, Mai tai is good, not a syrupy sweet "mai tai", bar tenders are super nice and friendly. It is a dive bar, if you can't appreciate a dive bar and are expecting a very "done up" theme bar this isn't the place for you. If you want an authentic old school dive bar with a tiki element and good environment this is the place for you. Great music played at a reasonable volume, night I was there was mostly 90's early 00's alternative, heavy on Nirvana. I've been driving past this place for years, but the straw that broke the camels back and made me come in was reading all the negative reviews this place had - I had a strong feeling the people writing negative reviews were just negative unhappy people. After having finally came here I can confirm, if you come in with a good attitude you'll have a good time. If you have a bad attitude or are looking to be offended, please spare the rest of us just trying to live normal lives.

So. Loud. I missed the Banana Cow and dive bar ambience during the recent closure and hoped the reboot would bring back neighborhood divey comfort. I'm impressed with the revitalization of the old historic murals re-exposed after decades behind dusty, kitschy, palapas. But no. The music is at ear shattering levels. Can't even hear myself talk, let alone who I am with. So much potential. So much fail.

AWFULLLL. I came here about a year ago and met an AWESOME bartender. Her drinks were awesome too. Nothing like I've had before. She had a cool vibe in there too. Apparently they remodeled but the decor, well actually now there isn't any. they got white floors now too. I don't know what bar would want white floors you can see everything on it. Sorta gross. I wouldn't go again with whoever is running the place now.

This place used to shine like no other. With the wonderful bartender who, you could tell, loved her job and loved the people. Didn't see her here though. Looks like new people. The man who "owns" the place is exceptionally rude and tends to yell at customers.. Drinks used to be better too. No fun decor either. Disappointed.

Drinks as strong as ever, same price, with a new look you can bring a girl too. Clean and smooth, with the new look, and the same Dive feeling. Check it out.

The drinks in this bar are as beautiful as the owner who served them. She was so sweet and kind. Prices are wonderful for how much you get! Highly recommend for this calm quiet bar. Definitely a relaxing time :)

Angie told me that Church of Satan founder Anton Lavey and Blanch Barton frequented the place before Lavey had a crippling heart attack in '95. They usually sat in the Kauai space and lived a ten minute walk away on California Street. Angie once laughingly told me that when she was pregnant she was afraid he was going to steal her baby for sacrifice. Angie did the yeoman's work there and defended it from the City's ruthless business bullying during the lockdown era. So now, no more Angie, and the victors have been talked into an "improved" decor (aside from new flooring and seat coverings probably). All good things must pass, I guess. Amelia Earhart disappeared the year the place opened, and Doktor Lavey is probably looking up from hell and laughing about the stupidity of the victors. Stupidity is the cardinal sin of the Satanist, said he. And the place is across the street from a real church !

The drinks were fine, pretty strong and reasonably priced. The ambiance was also okay. What really threw my friends and I off was the bartender, who was at best ~ quirky ~ and more realistically just straight up rude. He quite antagonistically told my friend and I that he hated all Scorpios and they all sucked after seeing we were Scorpios from our IDs, which was honestly more comical than anything but still kinda weird. He also responded extremely rudely to my friend when she asked him a question about the menu - he swore at her and basically implied she was stupid? Really don't think I'll ever come back here given our negative experience with the bartender.

A classic Tiki Bar in San Francisco. It's a must for the experience. A local dive as well.

Came for late night drinks and Carter was awesome! Had a good time with him as a bartender!

The bartender was exceptionally rude - we came with three people and one had a a Canadian ID and he refused to serve us even though that ID has worked at every bar in the city for two years - he was so exceptionally rude and disgustingly called my friend "sweetie". Ew. Just to say, we'll never be back ever again

I loved the vintage decor and ambiance. I didn't catch the bartender's name, but he was really kind and recommended us some of their famous "bowls". They're really strong, but if you share the. With a few friends, memories will be made for sure!

There's a very in your face MAGA vibe at this place, I live nearby so walking past the bouncer was hassling a small group of 20 somethings. As the people left in disgust, the bouncer turns to me (I'm a 6'2" blond, blue eyed white dude) and says some racists stuff I won't repeat. I tell him what to do with that stupidity.... Boycott this place.

IF YOU WANT TO SAVE MONEY COME HERE. Was very skeptical about coming to this place after reading the reviews but came her with a bunch of friends and had a blast! It's a very old tiki bar and is CASH ONLY but had a atm inside. The drinks are a generous size and very affordable. I got the Tiddle Wave bowl which was $20 and is made to share with 4-5 people. Super worth it and huge!! Other drinks are around 9-10$

Apparently this is the oldest tiki bar in north america? Come for the strong drinks, stay for the great people. Feels and is an neighborhood hangout in the best possible way. Might just me your next go to spot.