By Deno Gellepes

I first encountered the 1920 Bar by accident one night when I was walking with a friend on our way to a house party near the 4-Star Theater on 23rd and Clement. I realized that all the times I’d walked by 1808 Clement St. it was daytime and the business, with minimal signage, was always closed. So, I was both stunned and psyched to find that a bright and welcoming sports bar was tucked away in the back of the lively Harajuku Sushi restaurant. My friend and I decided to stop in for a couple of pre-party drinks. 

The interior space at 1920 Bar is what a real estate agent might call “cottage-like”, but you can tell the bar owners took extreme care when crafting the layout and decor. Tables and chairs are expertly placed to optimize space while ensuring guests still have a great view of all seven flat-screen TVs playing a variety of sports action. 

A pool table is situated near the entrance. Toward the back are two dart machines. While I’m not much of a dart player, I must admit that these dart machines are a lot more enticing than the traditional dartboard setup, which often makes me feel like someone is one tequila shot away from errantly putting one through my neck. 

It wasn’t until midway through my first beer that I realized I was sitting in what was the old Blue Fin Sushi lounge! The Blue Fin, as I recall, had a darker setting and a slower feel, whereas 1920 Bar was vibrant, modern and full of energy. 

A significant source of that energy came from Fernnie, the bartender and hospitality queen who my friend and I had the pleasure to meet. Fernnie introduced herself, and from the very start, it was clear that she was more than just your typical barkeep. Rather, she was the official facilitator of good times and the neighborly environment we were soon to be knocked out by. Fernnie’s talents were on full display, seamlessly singing customers’ orders in perfect time to the music playing overhead, and even breaking into spontaneous dances with regulars while keeping a vigilant eye on near-empty drinks and plates. She was a true all-star, and the ownership team should be proud to have her representing their business. 

After taking our order of a couple of Asahi Japanese beers, she proceeded to introduce us to all of the regulars at the bar. Those who were outside smoking, playing pool, or otherwise came in later were all graciously introduced to us by Fernnie, and occasionally another patron who somehow remembered our names each time. I can’t describe how kind and hospitable that was. We were so floored by the kindness that we couldn’t immediately decide if we’d be back next week or if we were about to be asked to join a cult. 

In an area with an abundance of great Irish and American bars, it’s refreshing to find a sports bar that has a Japanese theme. While they do feature the full Harajuku Sushi menu, I want to focus on the offerings specific to the bar itself. The bar’s menu showcases an array of Japanese fare, including favorites like Gyoza, Chicken Kara-age and a Japanese twist on the classic American hotdog. They also cater to the classic sports bar bites with items like chicken wings – available in both buffalo and salt and pepper flavors – calamari, and fish and chips. And here’s a bonus: They even offer a corndog! Which, in my experience is somehow a rare find on sports bar menus, but when and if it’s there, I’ll order it every time and smile like a child at the local fairgrounds. 

I’ve seen chicken wings on menus that cost $17-20 at bars around town, and I can promise you that the salt and pepper wings were better and only $8. They were perfectly crisped and seasoned with just enough salt and pepper and were washed down beautifully with our second round which, were ice-cold Sapporo lagers. Certain things in life should cost $20, but chicken wings aren’t one of them. So let us rejoice in the fact that a local watering hole will “give the people what they want!” as a friend of mine once demanded in response to overpriced chicken wings at a North Beach bar. 

Although Fernnie continued to shine, I always appreciate a technology-forward setup that allows customers to order food via the popular QR codes on the menu and have it delivered right to their seats. This frees up often overworked bartenders and allows the customer to order whenever they want with as little human interaction as possible. Some folks might prefer that. 

The bar offers traditional liquor and beer options consisting of a generous selection of Japanese beers alongside some great American microbrew options. Something that sets the bar setup apart is its liquor displays which have bottles showcased in old wooden wine and whiskey crates acting as the backdrop to the bar. The cases are a lighter wood color and are intermixed with normal shelving of a darker shade. 

One of those shelves is dedicated to Japanese whiskeys. My personal favorite was the Toki Suntory whisky, and though I’m not a whiskey connoisseur, I thought it was the smoothest whiskey I’d ever tasted in my life, while my friend swore by the Hibiki whiskey, also by Suntory. 

Similar to my profile on Blackthorn Tavern last month, 1920 Bar keeps its collection of sports memorabilia to a minimum. If you’re going to take that approach, you might as well make each piece count, and they accomplish this with a classic poster of Joe Montana, a framed picture of Steve Young clutching the Niners’ fifth Super Bowl trophy, and a straightforward nod to the greatest of all time – a plaque with the #25 for Mr. Barry Bonds! What more do you need in a San Francisco sports bar? 

The night we visited, there was a pool tournament taking place with about 10 people participating. The group embodied the bar’s friendly atmosphere as each of the participants would lightly rib each other in the spirit of competition, but generally kept the vibe to handshakes, high fives, and a lot of laughs while they sipped away at their beers and took bites of sushi and other bar snacks in between turns. As was becoming custom, each member of the tournament introduced themselves to my friend and me and even offered us a chance to join their tournament or get a game of our own in. High class all the way around and we appreciated it. 

Sitting back and sipping another Toki whiskey while the pool balls cracked that familiar sound, I kept thinking 1920 Bar was some sort of pop-up, or otherwise secret bar that would just disappear by morning and reappear randomly as needed and or funded by those only in the know. How had I missed this place so many times before? Well, here we are a month on and I’m happy to say it’s a real bar that opens daily, and I’ve been back a handful of times since my initial visit with what I hope are many more to come. 

Oh yeah, and as you might have guessed, we never made it to the party. 

1920 Bar, 1808 Clement St., in/attached to Harajuku Sushi
Friday and Saturday, noon-2 a.m. 
Sunday – Thursday, 5 p.m.- midnight

https://www.yelp.com/biz/1920bar-san-francisco