The bartender couldn’t have been kinder. I was a local, but a first-timer at the bar, and she made sure I was always comfortable and included.
‘A Shot of Salvation’: Silver Spur
‘A Shot of Salvation’: The Blarney Stone
The bar’s Instagram and Yelp pages showcase two standout features. First, they freshly squeeze the fruit for their cocktails, a practice that, while great, should really be standard everywhere. Second, the bar boasts an inviting back patio. Once you’ve enjoyed one of their freshly squeezed Greyhounds on the patio, you’ll immediately understand why these aspects are so proudly emphasized.
‘A Shot of Salvation’: The Nags Head
If you didn’t know any better, walking up Geary from 17th toward 18th Avenue, under the shade of large, bustling sidewalk trees, you’d think you were somewhere like downtown Sacramento or Chico. Then you see “The Nags Head,” a sign with a beautiful horse (nag), and the unique Dutch-Door entrance, and suddenly, you’re in a divey pub in England or Scotland.
‘A Shot of Salvation’: Hockey Haven
I can personally attest to this, as one thing that I’ve always admired about neighborhood bars like Hockey Haven, is their welcoming nature. It’s evident in the way regulars engage, comfortably expressing their authentic selves each day at the bar with no judgement or harassment from others.
‘A Shot of Salvation’: Blackthorn Tavern, by Deno Gellepes
Ultimately, through all of my travels, I’m a San Franciscan, and there is an undeniable joy that comes over me when I know that I’m flying home to everyone else’s vacation. So, whether it was intended or not, I am forever grateful for the Upper West Side and English pub vibes I feel when sitting at Blackthorn’s bar top because it gives me a taste of both vacations right in my own backyard.
‘A Shot of Salvation’: O’Keeffe’s, by Deno Gellepes
“It’s open. It’s finally open!” I said, astonished, as I pointed directly across the street at what had always looked to me like an abandoned corner liquor store at Fifth and Balboa. But there she was, doors wide open and plenty of space inside to park. I looked at my buddy, and with Saturday afternoon conviction, we simultaneously wailed, “O’KEEFFE’S!”
The Riptide Rises from the Ashes, Celebrates 15 Years in the Sunset
The Riptide website describes the watering hole, built in 1941, as being “on the edge of the western world.” It is located on a stretch of Taraval near the Great Highway that has become increasingly crowded with popular shops and eateries.
Richmond Review/Sunset Beacon 