The best dive bars in San Francisco

This longtime sports bar off Market is as close as you’ll get to San Francisco’s version of Cheers. Many of the bartenders have been working here for a decade or more, and the throwback décor weeds out the new money crowd. It’s a great spot to watch the game, and an equally good spot to have a meandering conversation (the TV is muted on purpose). You’ll shell out $5 for mixed drinks or beers and $10 for a pint and a shot of Jameson. Most bar-goers are eating nachos, for no real reason other than the guy next to him got them and—after three drinks—they looked pretty good. They are.

Can a dive boast one of the best beer selections in the city? If so, this is it. You’ll find the largest selection of sour beers in town, as well as a wide assortment from local breweries, most for around $5. It’s a loud, dark, no-bullshit spot: The walls are collaged in stickers, the bathroom is covered in graffiti and the music—usually metal or punk—is blasting overhead. The ambiance, or lack thereof, weeds out girlfriend catch-up dates. Toronado regulars are here to drink (and occasionally yell at each other across the bar). Grab a sausage from Rosamunde’s next door and pair it with a beer. Don’t piss off the bartenders—or the regulars—by veering off the menu. 

Some call nearby Li Po and Buddha Lounge dive bars, but there’s nothing divey about a $9 Mai Tai or a beer shaped like Buddha. This tiny, old-school Chinatown bar is at the busy intersection of Broadway, Columbus and Kearny, just far enough from Grant Avenue to cut back on tourist interlopers. Sidle up to the horseshoe bar and order a beer, a shot or—if you’re feeling celebratory—a $5 martini. You’re not here for the mixology or the craft beers. (There’s nothing on tap, anyway.) You’re here for the unpretentious atmosphere and the bang-for-your-buck value. Word to the wise: Unless you can drink like a Russian or lie like a politician, do not take the bartender up on his offer of a friendly game of Liar’s Dice.