Dave’s

I hate to write a review as an epitaph, I mean… what purpose does it serve?
But a friend of mine recently asked me what my favorite bars in San Francisco are, and I brought up Dave’s. Seriously? One of your favorite bars in The City is a tiny little dive bar in the financial district?
Yup.
It was.
I was shocked to find that it had closed.
Dave’s was there for me on my honeymoon when after a long day of walking and sight seeing, all my wife and I wanted was a cheap cold beer and a place to sit. Not only did they provide both of these things, but Dave’s had a great selection of my favorite brews on draft and for a price that couldn’t be beat.
Upon my next 3 visits to San Francisco, I always took the time to pop in to Dave’s. It was an anchor for me. The city changes so quickly… but Dave’s is there. At least I can get a cold beer at Dave’s and not have to worry about a line.
I’m heartbroken to hear that this wonderful establishment has closed, and I wish the owners and staff well.

Sorry to bring you bad timings.
Dave’s closed it’s doors on New Years Eve 2015.
Regulars only from 6.00pm till 2.30am. Great Party.
Been there for 10 years, sat in the corner bar stool for 6 years.
That is now in my house.
The new owner, apart from owning the fancy, expensive, wine and spirits shop next door,
also has cocktail bars, so you can see what will happen.
He stated, ‘Want Dave’s Customers”.
YET, HE WON’T HIRE THE ORIGINAL STAFF, ONE WHO HAD BEEN HERE FOR 25 YEARS, OTHERS BEEN 10 YEARS.
Bringing in his own staff, who don’t know know those who drank there every day.
WILL BE BOYCOTTED BY REGULARS
RIP DAVE’S
P. S. You may wonder why I only gave 1 star in my previous review.
Wasn’t intentional, so distraught writing a FINAL review, forgot to give stars.
If I could, would give 10+, for our last night.
Merv.

Cool hole in the wall spot!

I pretty much would echo Brad B.‘s review… so just go ahead and read his. :p
But in all seriousness, this is a pretty mainstream dive bar, that anyone over the age of 20 wouldn’t or shall I say, shouldn’t, feel too out of place as there is probably someone like you in the same age, social-​economic, and «whatever you’re into, dress a certain way», is likely just a few seats away from you.
As far as the drinks, the prices were reasonable. I say reasonable but not necessarily dirt cheap. Well in terms of SF, it probably is. However, the pours may be deceiving. Let me suggest to start of with a double and leave it at that. Thinking that the drinks are light on the pours just cause you don’t taste it, shouldn’t mean you should ask for multiple shots to compensate for it. Keep your pace in tack, as the ladies behind the bar may surprise you with more than what you were expecting.
So, to simplify it even more, if you’re looking for a pocket friendly, cool digs kinda spot, look no further.

Nooo don’t go, Dave’s! I only recently discovered you and you are closing at the end of the year. Will you relocate somewhere in SF? I hope so. If not, all the best to you and I hope to stop by as often as possible before you close. Thank you!

Just want to say how much I’ll miss the entire Dave’s family — bartenders, regulars, game night watchers, and even the tourists. Thanks for keeping me sane all those years I worked in the Financial District.

I went to Dave’s on a Saturday about two weeks ago (Sept. 19^th). I met up with my friend, her boyfriend, and their wedding party of about 10 – 15 people. While I normally like to review a place based on food/​drinks, ambiance, etc., this one will have to be a little different.
It was getting close to closing time when my friend’s boyfriend put more money into the jukebox to play until 2AM. At around 1:45 the music stopped playing but the CD kept spinning, so he thought there was an issue with the machine and tried talking to a bartender (Caucasian guy with a baseball cap probably in his 30s-​40s, lean build with what looked like a buzz cut under the hat) about it. He argued that he put money into the machine for another 15 minutes, and the bartender responded by saying that there are no bars in California that play music until 2AM — absolute BS because I’ve lived here five years now and there are PLENTY of bars that keep playing until 2, especially on a Saturday night. After he begrudgingly refunded my friend’s money (which I actually thought was a nice gesture, despite his attitude), he once again had to reiterate: «Just so you know, IN AMERICA…» And I had to interject right there. First of all, it was extremely rude and condescending, and, further, the three of us are Asian and I pointed out that I couldn’t believe he just made that generalization based on our appearance. He quickly shot back, «Yeah, you’re right genius,» while walking back behind the bar.
Sure, one review like this probably won’t affect the place much, but I hope Dave’s is able to reprimand this employee for such despicable behavior.
Will not be coming back here the next time I’m in town.
***UPDATE: My response to David S.***
Since credentials seems to matter a lot to you, I’ve worked in the hospitality industry (restaurants, bars, fine dining establishments) to get through school. I understand how it works, and appreciate the efforts by the staff to abide by state law. You’re right, a lot of bars turn up the lights and sometimes turn off the music anywhere from 15 – 30 minutes before the bar closes. The problem here is that my friend already paid for the juke box and instead of apologizing and refunding the money right away (thereby practicing good customer service), the bartender in question gave us a nasty attitude. You mention that he made that comment out of «frustration.» Well, my response to that is that if you can’t handle the strenuous environment of working in a bar, then this is the wrong industry for you. Additionally, no competent business owner would stand up for his employee for being disrespectful out of «frustration.» Also, if you’ll re-​read my post, you’ll see that in nowhere did I mention that this bartender was being racist. Let me give you an example: three Caucasians walk into the bar with heavy European accents and the bartender makes the same remark about bars in America. Is that being racist? No. It is, however, a form of discrimination and heavily frowned upon. I do not believe this bartender is racist. I also fail to see how your example of Chinese and Japanese patrons writing overwhelmingly positive reviews somehow exonerates someone from being racist. What is despicable here is a business owner standing up for an employee who he even acknowledges was showing frustration towards paying customers. One final note — just because you have been in the business for 45 years does not mean you’re right. Ever seen a show called Bar Rescue?

There are no bars in this ‘hood like Dave’s. Dave’s is a bar you can afford on a regular basis.
A bar where the staff is genuinely friendly.
A bar where a «shot of Fernet» is more like a «giant glass of Fernet.»
A bar where a round won’t cost you a bill.
A bar that’s never empty, and never full (unless you bring in 30 of your closest friends).
A bar where you can share a surprisingly solid BLT, Lady & The Tramp style, with one of your friends, and no one will even blink.

As the rest of the city slings overpriced multi-​ingredient cocktails, Dave’s sits quietly waiting for you to settle in for a simple nightcap. Minimal on frills and overflowing on vibe, this is my kind of bar. The kind of bar that welcomes all walks of life. The yuppie, the intern, the executive, the sports fanatic, the fashionista, the traveler and the local, all are welcomed with open arms and a cold drink. And how about that BLT?
Rumor has it that Dave’s will be closing soon — a true loss to the SF bar scene.

I honestly have no idea what ²⁄₃ of this bar looks like! Having arrived a little late after drinks elsewhere, the place was already heaving with CMs, so I stayed mostly by the door — which is actually a prime position as you can chat with anyone going out or coming in! The drinks were decent and the atmosphere festive — although again I can’t comment how it is on a typical day as there were probably 30 Community Managers squeezed in!
Well worth returning to, if only to see what the majority of the bar actually looks like!

No-​nonsense dive bar in the middle of the pretentiousness of the Financial District.
Came here with a group of colleagues after attending an event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. We were looking for a budget friendly place for drinks that also had food in order to accommodate everyone’s needs. Dave’s was about a block away from YBCA. The bar seemed well stocked, the menu was a simple crowd pleaser. The crowd was varied, mostly local, nice. Super casual, relaxed vibe. They had a jukebox full of 80s and 90s amazingness. There was plenty of seating. The bartenders were super nice, attentive, and quick. We all got hotdogs (wish that I’d read about the BLT!), which came with a whole host of fixins they were fine – I bet that after a few drinks they’d taste like heaven. Drinks and food all seemed affordable: hot dogs ranged in the $ 4, they had drink specials for about $ 5

We were just looking to hang out after a late dinner which brought us across the street from the hotel to Dave’s. Negra Modelo was the Sunday special for $ 4 a bottle.
The clientele was varied consisting of some regulars, tourists, and drift wood. We sat at the bar drinking beer and occasionally feeding the jukebox box filled with many of Dave’s mixes. We didn’t have any food but stayed finishing the final ten beers in stock and until this concept were not used to called «last call» was made.
The bartenders were friendly and we were not without a drink in front of us for the entirety of our stay. I would recommend this place if you’re just looking to chill and have some drinks.

Do you mind if I call you Dave? Okay, good. Let’s talk.
First, way to position yourself perfectly across from Park Central Hotel. For all my mid to late night drinking needs, you were there for me. Bud Lights were cheap, finding a seat at the bar was easy, and your staff made sure there was a cold one in front of me at all times. The best part? I was able stumble my way across the street back to my hotel.
You’re starting to become an important part of my travels to San Francisco. The circle of trust? You’re in. You win. And you’re not too hard on the wallet. Thank you for that.

If there is one thing that I am all about, that thing is dive bars. That probably sounds like a pretty weird sentence, but I gotta be honest, I just love places where you can drink with your friends without a care in the world. Just sit back and enjoy the night — no need to be quiet, fancy or looking at the menu too closely.
They have a good selection of beers on tap here and I believe I had a wheat one that I liked, but I might be wrong — try remembering what you had when you wake up to the worst hangover in the world the next day! That reminds me they also have Gin Tonicas (but you should probably stay away from those as I feel they are to blame for my painful morning). The lady that was working here when I dropped by was nice and efficient, and the low lights are perfect to give the bar a cozy feeling — so even though it is a dive bar, it feels welcoming.
That being said, it is quite a small place and there’s nothing too unique about it, so if you are in the mood for something truly special, maybe go somewhere else. But if the simple but great things of life are what you’re looking for, chances are you’ll really like Dave’s.

As far as dive’s go, this one is solid. Has all the classic dive features you’ve come to love (or loathe), but also has friendly bartenders, fun drink specials, dope BLTs (!!) and you don’t ever have the feeling like you might get stabbed, which is nice. Stay away if it’s crowded, but if you wander by and you see an open table, head in and grab a drink or three. It’ll take the bite out of your wallet before you hit up all the $ 15 cocktail spots down the road. Also, you can buy a drink for a friend even if they’re not there. They will put a note up on a little board behind the bar and if you see your name on there, you’re golden. So, yea, totally be that guy and bomb your friend with some Mallort shots (gross), free of charge :) Do it.

This is a no-​frills bar with all the basics: beer on tap, snacks, sammies, and a jukebox.
Surprisingly they have a good BLT, as my colleague and friend Abby S informed me
The place officially closes after New Years.

Do my eyes deceive me?
A blue collar bar in a sea of silver spoon SOMA joints.
*Thank you, guardian angel*
Also, they have chili… which I have not had but I appreciate knowing it’s here.
A few beers on tap.
Everything’s affordable… a nice change of pace around these parts.
Extra large single stall women’s bathroom.
I’d be hard pressed to find something to complain about with Dave’s.

Dave’s is…
–One of the best dive bars i’ve ever been to.
–Right across the street from my hotel.
–Super crowded.
–Also, at the same time, super not crowded.
–Super friendly
Dave’s is…
–The East Coast on the West Coast.
–My seven years in Boston wrapped up into one place
–That «i’m home» feeling bar you’ve been looking for.
At Dave’s you will find items that may resemble, but definitely are:
–Patriots related
–Red Sox WS champion (’04 and ’07, respectively) related
–NY Giants related (an odd mix for a New Englander, but i’ll let that slide over here)
–An old jukebox that might (or might not) work
–Plenty o’stickers
–Random license plates
Above all, there is a dynamic selection of beers on tap, with local brews mingling with their east coast friends. Close to these very taps is a «leave a drink» board — where I can only assume you leave drinks for (and get drinks from) friends that are (or are not) there with you at any point in time. It’s an awesome idea and I wish it to be replicated back here on the east coast very immediately.
Also, there is a microwave. It is in the front through some sort of doorway. I get that most places will have a microwave for one thing or another, but we spent far too much time hypothesizing about the primary reason for its existence for it not to receive its very own paragraph. In fact, he deserves a name. Murphy the microwave has one of the best seats in the house, and i’m sure whatever he does, he does a damn fine job.
Dave’s is the dive bar we came back to night after night — and will be a cemented fixture in my next San Francisco experience.

Classic, conveniently OPEN on Sundays, & CHEAP. Do I even need to say any more?
There’s a «Cheers» type vibe and figured this was a good place to take friends. Nothing fancy. TV screens? Check. Bar? Check. Seating? Check. Bathrooms? Check. Juke box? Check. I’m simple, that’s really all I need.
It’s a good sized place, I would say they can fit roughly around 30 to 40 people in the entire bar, not too small in my opinion. Drinks, I’d say your best bet is beer unless you like a heavy pour, which isn’t bad at all.
Oh, the best thing? In the words of T-​Pain, I can «Buy You a Drink…» They have a huge sign-​up sheet behind the bar. Basically I could buy a friend a drink, they would write their name down and when they come to the bar it’s already paid for. Cool, right?

Awesome bar!
Popped in for a solo drink whilst in town for a conference. Had a couple of pints and some food — the chilli nacho’s are to die for !
Would definitely be back and may pop back before I head home !