83 Proof

My favorite bar in Soma!!! I work a few streets down so I come here after work often. All the bartenders are super friendly especially nick! He makes the best drinks! I always tell them to surprise me and they think of something awesome! If your looking for a unique drink that you will love come here!

I came here with a couple of friends after work on a Friday. I was reading some of these reviews and noticed that one of the main concern was finding this place. Honestly, we just guessed when we saw a bar with a lot of people inside and assumed it was 83 Proof.
The place was rather small with an upstairs space to hang around. Unfortunately, there was an event going on so we couldn’t go upstairs.
I got a mint mojito and I would say that it was decent. Our bartenders were fine during the first 30 minutes but when we were closing the tab, it took them a while to get my friend’s card back and almost thought they lost it.
Would I come back here again? Maybe…

A coworker and I went here for Happy Hour last week. It was a cozy, intimate setting, the bartenders were super nice, and they make a delicious Old Fashioned. We’ll definitely be going back!

There was a software issue with emails getting through to the staff.
Once Vernica contacted us she has been nothing but professional and helpful with planning our event. She gave me her personal number to contact her in case there was an email issue again. I can’t wait to meet her and thank her for making this event possible.

Great place for winding down with colleagues and co-​workers from a long (or short) day’s work. The bartenders are great and sometimes quite imaginative, if given the chance to mix you a surprise concoction of their own designs.

83 Proof’s low key space is dramatically anchored with a wall of alcohol.
Everybody say it with me: «Oh hello, gorgeous bottles of alcohol!»
300 bottles of social lubricant, mostly dominated by whiskey. I’m a gin girl through and through, they’ve got quite the selection of the premium stuff. There isn’t a cocktail menu to be found (there’s only a beer list on the wall) so come with an open mind and a thirst for adventure. Tell the barman what your preferences are and surely he’ll craft you a balanced cocktail and at a price of less than $ 10! (I had a delicious Corpse Reviver #2)
Weekdays are deafening in here due to the financial district crowd. Speaking of which, most are men, so ladies if you and your girlfriend are standing up in your heels holding your drinks, you don’t need to breathe down on someone’s back to get seats, they’ll just be graciously offered to you ;-)
Love the vibe here and it’s not an aggressive scene even with the after work crowd. I’ll be seeing you soon! That wall of alcohol left a lasting impression on me.

Good for small group happy hour. Typical loud and crowded. Drinks were good, but know what you want as there’s no menu and it’s hard to hear bartender recommendations.

Oooh, ooooooh! Your typical lowkey «financial district» bar so expect SF pricing for your draaanks.
Bartenders can definitely make a solid Grey Hound. Would recommend for a smaller group happy hour.

Had a glass of red wine and my friend a glass of white. After we both sipped our wines… we realized we had made a bad choice in our drinks.

This place gets annoyingly crowded, but a crowd is telling, right? Five stars for the skilled bartenders. Despite how busy they are, they somehow seem able to keep track of who walked up to the bar next to order drinks. I love that. Also, these are bartenders who you can give one specific request to, such as «make me something with Tito’s», and you will receive a concoction that will exceed your expectations. And I mean cocktails that aren’t even on their menus. My friends have also asked them for one to two specific requirements, and the bartenders consistently deliver. Not only that, but you can see the smiles on their faces when they get the liberty to showcase their skills. Yay for their talent and service.

This place is super annoying to find and not in the cool speakeasy way. You just have to count up (or down) the numbers on the adjacent buildings. On the other hand, I hope this keeps this place less crowded because I would actually come back here again. There is some bar seating, seating for twos along one wall of the bar, and upstairs seating too.
My friend and I came here during happy hour. We figured there was happy hour, even though it was not advertised anywhere. I wish they had signs or menus or something. We just had to ask the bartenders. Speaking of which, the bartenders on this particular day neglected the sides of their bar and only focused in front of them, not even acknowledging their other customers. It took forever to get a drink even when the bar was not very busy, but the bartenders were pretty nice. I was slightly annoyed, but 83 Proof does have a decent selection of beers, wines, and spirits.
Happy hour prices are amazing and I would definitely come back for those. $ 2 off draft beers! Chill after-​work vibe. Just your average FiDi bar but still a good place to hang out.

Decent spot for a quick drink. Watch out though, this place gets SUPER packed!!! The drinks overall are rather good, but I simply cannot get into the whole standing room only, super loud, super packed bar scene. And when I say this place gets loud, I mean real loud… you can barely hear the person standing next to you even if they’re yelling.
Their drinks are rather delicious though! They also have a vast array of drinks so you can find just about anything. The bartenders are also pretty friendly and attentive.
I’ve been here on several occasions and have had mixed experiences. I went around 2 pm once to grab some wine with some co-​workers and it was actually rather nice. Not crowded and most of all not loud so I would highly recommend going during off-​peak hours in order to truly be able to enjoy your experience.
Tips:
–If you want to be able to hear the person you’re with and not be elbowed every three seconds go before 4 pm in order to avoid losing your voice from yelling over everyone.
–You virtually can’t go wrong with drinks, so don’t be afraid to try something new!

It’s crazy how 1 bad experience could ruin a bunch of previously good experiences and change one’s impression of an establishment.
I started my Wednesday night over at 83 Proof which is usually a solid bar. The typical crowd is in their late 20s to late 30s of professionals from the financial district. There’s 2 TV’s to watch ball games (or whatever) and a well stocked bar with an excellent whiskey selection (almost entirely from America).
I’ve come here several times in the past and had good experiences until now. Typically, the bartenders are pretty personable and well skilled. Unfortunately, this time I was served by a bartender that practically treated me like I was in a dive bar. Not that there’s anything wrong with dives but we, as patrons, pay a premium to go to nicer bars with better service.
First off, this dude gave me some attitude when I couldn’t hear what he was saying (it’s pretty loud inside). Secondly, he scoffed a little at my typical one-​off drink– Sazerac, half cognac, half rye. I’ve never been rude to a bartender before but he was kind of pushing it. I mean. I’m ordering a solid whiskey drink with a unique twist. Don’t knock it til you try it bruh.
My reasoning behind giving this usually 4 establishment 2 stars is that I could go to one of the other dozen bars plus in the area. Until I cool off on this place, you can catch me at Michael Mina’s, Pabu, Novela, Local Edition, Sutter Station, Rickhouse, Patriot House, Café Terminus, Sens, Natoma Cabana, Louie’s, RN74 and Steph’s just to name a few places.

Didn’t spend a lot of time here, as we had some time to kill and wanted a quick drink. This seems to be a local spot and it was packed at around 6:30 or so. I mean packed! Like you could hardly move or hear someone even if they yelled in your ear. Still, there drink selection is amazing.
The gf got some sort of berry drink and it was top notch. They must have used some special alien alcohol for this one as it was fantastic. My drink was good as well. While, not cheap, it is cheaper than most of the bars that serve these types of specialty drinks. If you like you’re drink in an environment which is really loud and rowdy, then sign up for this place. Only qualm I had.

The drinks were fair, and chatting up the bartender revealed that his grumpiness was probably due to a long day at work – but that doesn’t excuse how overwhelmingly rude he was towards my friends when we first arrived. While some of us were rather inebriated and took a fair second to decide what we wanted, the bartender made comments like «7 of you and only 3 have ordered drinks?» «hurry up hurry up» and «this is a bar, you’re going to come here and not order anything?»
3 stars because I’ve come here before, and I like the vibe of a small, more intimate setting. The bartender was very nice when I talked to him individually, and grabbed me a glass of water before I even asked. And $ 4 beer during happy hour is worth the return trip.

Solid happy hour with terrific service! $ 4 draft beers and other well drinks — hard pressed to find a better deal than this in FiDi.
If you’re looking for an after work spot this is it! Bartenders are attentive and friendly. They dim the lights early on so it feels more upscale than it really is. Fun atmosphere that’s noisy but not too loud so still good for conversation.
Only complaint is the seating area gets crowded really easily. Upper floor lounge is available for private parties if you’re looking for a space. If not, show up around 5pm and be ready to stand back to back with coworkers, friends and cheerful strangers.

YUMMY GIMLET!
also, $ 4 beer :)
Came here for happyhour around 4 and the bar is very dark inside. It’s probably better to come around 6 so that the lighting inside starts to show. It got crowded around 5 and by the time we left people were waiting for our seats. This place only serves alcohol and no food.
My gimlet was delicious. Barely tasted any vodka and the lime juice was refreshing!

Chill place with bespoke drinks. Bartender will make you whatever you like or invent something on the fly. Their most popular drink is the basil gimlet, which is nice and refreshing.
Service is good and was quick when I was there.

Decent drinks at fair prices, but really shitty service.
You’re a bar. A bar on Saturday night. How the F*** does it take 45 minutes to get a drink? It’s not just me, EVERYONE said they waited that long.
You’re a bartender. This is your job. You’re a professional. Why the F*** do you give your customers attitude for ordering drinks? I ordered multiple drinks for my group (because you took FOREVER to get to me) and you were super rude and gruffly told me that you can’t memorize it. I don’t know, I see plenty of bartenders calmly, cooly, and kindly take a much larger drink order just fine. No need to be a d*** to your customers for ordering drinks. AT A BAR!

I am kind of a huge fan of this place despite it’s awkward position and severe lack of everything else nearby.
This place definitely lives up to its name, 83 proof is full of amazing whiskeys, rums, and all kinds of other liquors that I care slightly less about than the first two. I love that the bartenders are very knowledgable and definitely know all of the liquor they have on the shelves. They can make great recommendations, great drinks as well as help you do a progression, an almost whiskey tasting if you will if you so desire.
The location is a little weird, there is a large bar, comfy seats and lots of standing room but I can’t imagine this place getting insanely crowded at any one point.
In general, I’m a big fan of places that can create drinks because the bartenders know more than just what is on the menu. When they realize that you’re a serious [insert liquor name here] connoisseur they don’t give you that «did you look at our menu» crap and just make you something interesting.

AFTER WORK SPOT
(5 stars)
As much as I like to be as far as possible from FiDi after I’ve clocked out, I don’t mind walking around the corner to grab a well crafted cocktail! First timer here and it will not be my last.
Great service, great bar, great drink.
My teammates all settled for beers and I settled for a nice fancy «fufu» cocktail to close up the week. I ordered «something fruity» and the bartender asked me several questions to narrow down my vague request. I was handed a beautiful drink, very much up my alley, called GIN DOMINATRIX (minus the pepper) garnished with a basil. Ohmy! Purple drink, classy look, fresh fruit taste, and refreshing. It was a nice way to wrap the end of the week with my cool coworkers. No work, just cheers and laughing. I need that.
Jaba approved. Until the next review…

Renaming it to 1,2,3 Poof… Would have been more fun and clever! However, it wouldn’t quite match the speakeasy vibe to this bar place!
They specialize in cocktail drinks and bf ordered the French 75 for me because I wanted something zesty and had a sour punch to it, which that drink did!
They serve up wine, bubblies and beer.
The ambiance is dimly lit and of wooden décor. They have an upstairs, mini lounge area for some seclusion from the main base floor.
Bartenders and staff is spot on — a great bar addition to the FiDi!