Winters Tavern

Best bar in Pacifica. Great beer, great bands, great bar tenders, great owners. Best bar, period.

Nice chill environment with nothing but craft beers on tap. Bartender is hot and crowd is friendly.

Howdy folks. How are all my Unilocal friends doing? Well, I hope you all are thirsty because it is time for another «Nasty» review. This time we are headed to Winters Tavern in Pacifica, California.
I first visited Winters Tavern when my good friend Carver landed a job working the front the door at a show that was taking place that night. He invited me a long as I was staying at his place in Oakland. Being that I had just returned from the Philippines earlier that day I was a bit out of it. But being I am a big music lover, mixed with the fact that I really needed a drink, I decided to come a long.
My first impression of the place was that it was a little whole in the wall kind of a joint. That is not a bad thing with me as I really like places like this. Once I walked inside I felt as though I could have been in a roadside bar out in the Mojave Desert instead of the San Francisco Bay Area. It had a groovey atmosphere. There was even one of the old fashion popcorn machines with all you can eat free popcorn. Hey, hey. Can’t beat that. And get this. A KISS pinball machine. Being that I am a die KISS fan I definitely thought that this was a nice touch.
There were about five bands playing that night, most of which were theatrical. The first band had a deep sea theme and even had some guy, maybe a roadie, dressed up in this Lobster outfit who was dancing around as the band played. I filmed part of their set. All of the bands were pretty groovey and upbeat and the crowd seemed to be digging them. I was digging them to.
Now lets move on over to the bar. Now this is where things kind of go downhill a bit for me. I went up to the counter to order drinks for me and my friend working the door. There were three bar tenders back there and I was ignored by each one of them. Not just for a few minutes. I wasn’t keeping track of time, but I must have stood there for at least twenty minutes as they each passed me by apparently pretending that I wasn’t there. I realize that it was a bit busy in the place considering there was a show going on. But keep in mind that there were three bar tenders back there. I think at least one of them could have found the time to ask me what I wanted to order. The bartender I dealt with wasn’t rude, but wasn’t exactly friendly either.
Finally I manage to get someone’s attention and I order a beer for my friend and a margarita on the rocks for me. My drink was ok, But nothing to write home about. The bartender who mixed it didn’t bother to ask me if I wanted salt on the rim. This is something that kind of annoys me. It’s either a lack of knowledge that a margarita is supposed to have salt on the rim, just as a martini is supposed to have an olive on a toothpick in it. That or the bartender just didn’t give a you know what. Either way it is unacceptable.
Anyways, I guess this just about wraps up this here review. If the service had been better I probably would have given this place a higher rating. It is a groovey bar. But the staff definitely needs to step up their game a bit. Until next time, may the force be with you. Happy trails.
Nasty Nathanial

Perfect dive-​y bar with a great beer selection on tap. Plus live music and free hot dogs… could you ask for more? Surprising gem in Pacifica.

My band played here recently and had a ton of fun. I can’t remember the last time I played a show where the guy who books the venue actually watched all the bands. Enthusiastically, too. The beer selection is great and the place just has a cool vibe.

I played here last night and had a great time. Cool people running the place, and they treat the bands well. They have a lot of free shows, check it out.

I have been there twice and both times had the bartenders cheat me. Once, during a show, I ordered a drink that came out to $ 12, gave the bartender a $ 20 and he never gave me my change. I asked him, and he got pissed off, and refused to help me the rest of the night.
Recently, at a show I ordered a drink, and the bartender charged me $ 15 for a Manhattan.
The next round, I bought a Manhattan and a soda and was charged $ 16 for both. This same jackass bartender would ignore me as well, so I had to rely on the other bartender across the bar. Sleazy business. Be careful if you go.

cozy！fun！I drove by this place and I saw a band was playing a show there. I walked in and this place is really amazing

Your local dive bar. This is a bar that you would see in a horror film. It’s cool though. Drinks are inexpensive and the music can be good at times. In the parking area you can find the locals smoking and engaging in other activities! The bathroom is the worst. First off, I can’t even stretch my legs. I am faced to face with a condom dispenser. Sometimes the toilet dues not flush. But, I can always go to my buddies house that is down the street. The live performances held here are always rocking. I have had the opportunity of getting to see my friend’s band play. Overall, great experiences here. Do not let the outside of this place or the crowd stir you away from here. Come here and enjoy yourself on a Friday or Saturday.

I like paciifca, yet this place can get bit crazy loud at times. but I suppose other than that its not too bad

This weekend, 6/​13, come see Bay Area legends (kinda) The Evicted along with purveyors of punk: TWAT… and the ever jubilant Fuzz Attack! No Cover and the show starts about 9.

If your not a regular you’ll more than likely be ignored. You got to be from Pacifica. It’s too bad they weren’t more friendly, it would be a nice place to have fun.

Winters shows em how to rock! Great beers and great music. This historic venue is almost always free and if there’s a cover. .it will be small and worth it! Fabulous and fun owners! Watch out for one eyed Marty during the day:)

Just experienced one of the BEST shows EVER at Winters… Agent Orange with The Sea Men, The Swells and Jello Biafra spinning in between sets! Bought tickets in advance because knew this show would sell out (and it did, which was easy to see on the facebook event page) and duh, it’s AGENT ORANGE, who didn’t disappoint one bit with their killer blend of surf and punk. Jello joined ‘em for a song and the pit was non-​stop slammin’, even the owner CJ got in on the action! If you’ve never been to Winters, you owe it to yourself to catch a show there when DJ Sid Presley is spinning (or Jello!) with some cool surf band or French pop outfit. Plus, as they say, «no crap on tap» in the beer department and the coolest club vibe on the coast. Thanks again for an awesome show with Agent Orange!!!

Horrible customer service.
Made the trip down for the agent orange show. No where on the website could you buy tickets, and it was not listed as sold out. It was sold out (I checked from my car still not listed that way) and got no response on where I was supposed to but a ticket?
thanks for nothing, and I wont be back

Went to support my friend who was opening for another group. Friend was supposed to go on at a certain time and was told that another band was given the same time to go on. Then I had trouble getting the bar tender to serve me. Once he came over I asked for a bloody mary… he got an attitude and said: «you want me to make a bloody mary at this hour?»…with attitude… yuck to the service worker behind the bar…

We were done here to support a band’s performance. I really didn’t know what to expect after reading previous Unilocal reviews. The place is much better than I expected. It was roomy, well maintain, more than the average dive bar. I don’t think you can even call this a dive bar, more like a pub. I didn’t know what I want since I am not a hard liquor nor beer drinker. The bartender made me this awesome drink using St. Germain from just listening to what I like/​not like! That is the kind of bartender you want to have, creative and reasonably priced.

First time visiting for a concert we arrived about an hour before the show started. Free popcorn, free pasta, sports on the TV, great jukebox, and drink specials. Cool locals hanging out. Only real downside is single occupancy bathrooms, so you get a line when the place is crowded.
Great fun, I’ll be back!

A real gem of a neighborhood bar. Winters Tavern has made a complete turnaround since the new owners took over. They’re working hard to the bar’s rough reputation and make it a place for everyone to enjoy.
It might look like a dive bar on the outside, but it’s not your typical «PBR and a shot of Jack» place. They’ve got an extensive list of specialty brews and booze. I don’t get too fancy when it comes to drinking, but I love looking at all the unique products they have. You can tell that someone’s taken a lot of time to assemble a top-​notch drink collection, and they seem to be getting a reputation for having the good stuff.
Their music program has also improved 1000%. It almost feels as if they’re trying to build community through music. There’s not too many bad metal cover bands from the South Bay playing here anymore. Some nights may feature surf music, others feature blues. It’s always different. And on the nights where there’s no live band, they’re piping in digital jukebox tuneage on a killer sound system. There’s definitely something for everyone here.
This place is definitely worth checking out.

I went here to support my boyfriend who was performing one night. What to think of Winters??? Okay, so overall everyone is pretty nice, but they look super tough like biker bar tough. But I’m sure that is just your local Pacifica people being themselves. I was offered a free drink and a dance from two different guys. The dancing guy wouldn’t take no for an answer, he said in his super drunken state, «You’re at Winters honey, you dance at Winters.» Somehow I got out of that hot mess.
My favorite was the bartender with the long beard and tats. He is a sweetheart. Helped me discover a drink I never knew I liked and he was nice to all the band mates who wanted to redeem their drink tickets. The other bartender, younger, was more of a bully when it came to the band drink tickets.
The have a pool table, and shuffle puck. Read that there are darts, but I didn’t dare walk towards the back. Stayed in my safe spot. Oh, I really liked their free popcorn, it has a pepper kick to it. If you are in the band, they have your name on a billboard, which is pretty cool, your moment of fame.