Inner Mission Beer Parlor

UPDATE! They ain’t closed! They’re just renamed –
SHOTWELL’S.
Good choice, huh?
Now, keep patronizing. Unless you suck. Then don’t invade my neighborhood.
Thanks!

Came here for the first time for a friend’s birthday Saturday night and pleased with what I found for the most part. The beer selection might not be quite up to the level of a place like the Toronado, but it’s diverse enough to provide something for everyone. The staff were amazingly nice and attentive while the place wasn’t packed like many mission bars are on a sat night. That’s when the night took a turn for the worse.
Our group looked outside to see a bus stopping in front of the bar. It took a few moments for the reality and terror of the situation to sink in, at which point we all realized that it was the kind of bus that every local bar frequenter fears. A party bus.
One by one drunken chodes started filling the bar like locusts descending onto a fertile crop. What once was a chill bar filled with laid back locals instantly became a bar packed with striped shirts, shrieking girls «LIKE OH MY GAWWWD, I’VE LIKE NEVER BEEN IN A BAR BEFORE!», and the general crowd that only tends to ruin bars on amateur nights such as New Year’s Eve and St. Patrick’s Day. I would say the place turned into a Marina bar, but that would be doing a disservice to the decent bars in the Marina.
Luckily after about an hour the swarm left to ruin another unsuspecting bar, leaving the Inner Mission Beer Parlor the way we found it. A great laid back place to have a great beer with your friends. Just beware of the locusts.

This is what a neighborhood bar should be like: plenty of space, convivial atmosphere, good jukebox, friendly bartenders, pool table, and of course, great beer selection. Note that I didn’t say «dive» bar, because it’s not. It definitely lives up to its «parlor» name too, because I can hardly imagine a better place to hang out with a group of friends and just talk, drink, and have fun.
They only serve beer and wine, but that’s just fine with me. The beer list is nicely split between Belgian styles and American/​European ales and lagers. The prices are right too, especially compared to Monk’s Kettle, for example: Duchesse du Bourgogne here was $ 7 vs $ 12.50 at Monk’s. Kind of makes me want to move to the neighborhood. In fact, I think I’ll do just that.

Full disclosure: I’m a regular.
First of all, I was there the night that the commenter two below me stopped in. The bar was indeed uncrowded. That doesn’t give you an excuse for a giant group of people to come in, suck up warmth, rearrange all the tables and chairs, and sit there for fifteen minutes without buying a drink. Imagine if you were a bar owner, kids. Buy a $ 3 PBR, for Christ’s sake, in exchange for having someplace to chill for a few minutes while you wait for your dinner plans.
So Dave and Tom are the best bar owners in this city, hands down. I have no interest in interviewing other candidates. No liquor, so it’s occasionally been a problem when I bring liquor-​only friends in. Luckily they have a small wine selection, and the liquor kids are usually pleased with that. The beer selection is fantastic. I’m a beer girl, and they’ve got a lot of things I’d never heard of. Dave’s skill with figuring out what you actually want to drink is unparalleled and he has never once gotten fussy with me when I asked him for a recommendation. (Reference: my review for Blondie’s for a comparison.) It’s the way I’ve found some new favorite beers.
It’s a little pricey, but you get what you pay for. Most drafts are $ 5 – 7. $ 4 Anchor during happy hour. Two pool tables ($ 1), a fun jukebox, and two pinball machines. Also, much to my happiness, they’ve got bike hooks in the back, there’s a bike rack out front, and Dave totally lets me prop my bike up against a wall out of the way when I bring the 40-​pound mixte that I can’t lift all the way up to a hook.
It’s also the greatest crowd of regulars ever. In order to become a regular, you have to, you know, invest some time. My first few experiences in this bar were certainly not those of initiation — when it’s slow, everyone just sort of chats. I’m not sure how Dave and Tom manage to foster this sort of atmosphere, but I can’t get enough.
They’ve got two televisions, but they aren’t obtrusive in any way. And on nights when there’s absolutely nothing sports-​related worth watching, they play Chiller, which is the greatest b-​grade horror movie channel that’s ever existed. (I don’t have a TV; so I can only assume what other b-​grade horror movie channels there are out there.)
If I made a little more cash, I’d be at Inner Mission every night. The beers are honestly a little too good and I’m not really capable of having just one $ 5 beer. It adds up for me after awhile. But this point should not be held against the bar or it’s fabulous staff. Oh, and they never bitch about how many quarters I ask them for all the time just so I can feed my pool/​pinball habit. If I could give them a sixth star, I would absolutely do it.

A true neighborhood bar that is clean and for the grown and sexy. The booths are nice, the jukebox is solid (love that The Notorious B.I.G.‘s ‘Ready to Die’ is in rotation) and the place is really well kept for a Mission bar. The games & entertainment quotient is fulfilled by the two pool tables and two pinball machines.
My criticism of Inner Mission Beer Parlor has to do with beer selection or lack thereof. I respect the British and Belgian beers that are available but I wish more beers were on tap from Northern California breweries such as Russian River, North Coast, Anderson Valley, Bear Republic and Lagunitas. I’m a day-​to-​day Anchor Steam guy and I’m happy that it is on tap, but there are times when a Racer 5 or Pliny the Elder would really hit the spot.

Some of my friends were having drinks here before dinner, and a couple of other friends and I stopped in to pick them up and walk to dinner together. It was uncrowded, and we only sat down for about five minutes to give them a chance to finish their beers and pay. On the way out, the bartender made a really rude and sarcastic comment at our group for not drinking anything.
We were planning to come back after dinner to try some beer, but based on that guy, we decided not to give them our business.

This is close to my house and in the eight years I’ve lived here this is by far the best of the three bars that have been in this space.
I’ve been here a couple of times now and I have to admit that I haven’t really figured this place out. Sometimes I walk by and the place is crowded to the rafters. They have made some attempt to offer a selection of beers and the owners are very friendly but I’ve never really felt drawn to come here regularly. I’ll update this review once I figure out why this place is so popular.

A couple weeks ago, my friend and I were returning into the city from a show in San Jose when we realized we needed to entertain ourselves for a little while until our local buddy would be able to meet up. Oh Crap!!! I don’t know bars in SF that well! I mean, I’ve been playing tour guide to SoCal kids who are SF virgins for as long as I’ve been able to drive up to my aunt and uncle’s in Marin but I’ve always had a tour guide to direct my drinking itinerary since I turned 21!!! It’s cool, I can do this… give me my blackberry and we’ll Unilocal it.
Inner Mission? Beer? 4 ½ stars? Right where we basically already are? SOLD!!!
The bar is charming and small up front with a gorgeous dark wood bar. Good selection of some slightly more special brews on tap and in bottles. Sangria was good and the sake and wine lists seemed promising. The bartenders were friendly and seemed knowledgeable when a neighboring patron was absolutely clueless as to what he should order.
My one star comes off for the lack of seating and the pool table area which was surrounded by cream walls that seemed almost detached from the bar area in décor.

Nice chill place for drinks in the neighborhood.
I was at Inner Mission Tavern last night for drinks with my roommates and it was a very convenient and likeable local bar to hang out in.
It’s not too noisy, there are a fair number of places to sit, they have a decent wine selection and for one of my roommates, who’s more of a beer gal, they seem to have a good variety of Belgium and German beers.
Also really friendly bar service. You’ll be happy to know that even if the bar is totally surrounded by people, you won’t have to wait too long for someone to talk to you and ask you what you’d like.
Very cooooool. =)

Great place!
I met a friend here a couple weeks ago and really liked the atmosphere and general vibe. We played some pool, had some drinks (they have a nice selection of imported beers as well as all the usual ones) and were able to hear each other talk which is always a plus. The bartenders are really friendly and I liked them immediately.
I’ll be back!

I love a bar owner who takes a real pride in what he carries, and here a the Inner Mission, you get TWO knowledgeable bar owners for the price of one. You want PBR? That’s cool, it’s only $ 3. You want some REAL DEAL we’re not messing around, smell before you taste, get a little history lesson on what you’re drinking lager? Tom and Dave are your guys.
I walked in with my boyfriend on an unusually slow night and told them I don’t know anything about beer (I’m a cocktail kind of gal). After a few questions about my general taste in booze, a flight of glasses appeared before me filled with 2 Belgian lagers and a dark stout. All three were surprisingly sippable for someone who is about as close to being a beer lover as Cruella Deville is to sponsoring a Humane Society.
I enjoyed the experience and the atmosphere of this little bar and would definitely venture back again.

Everybody needs stability in their life, and often that’s derived from routine. The routine I have been adopted into is Tuesday drinks at Inner Mission Tavern. While I worry that far too many of my social habits revolve around drinking, there are far worse things than relaxing here with friends and a few Labatts. Like shooting heroin with the homeless guys three block over on Capp Street. I’ve avoided doing that. So far.
This is a nice mid sized place to kick back and relax. It has a wooden, homey and traditionally atmosphere. Clean and comfortable and full of lively people, both customers and employees. Especially after the third round. It’s nice having this place right next door to my sublet, and I’m pretty sure the foor traffic it brings is part of what keeps my street as nice as it is.
So, for as long as I like alcohol, I’ll like this place.
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Update June 2^nd 2008:
After coming back a few more times, I’ve realized this is a place deserving of all five stars. You know that friendly neighborhood bar that feels like home? The place where the bartender knows your name, shoots the shit with you and remembers your favorite drink? That’s this place. After only meeting me once the bartender greeted me on my return, and asked how my housing search was.
Not just the staff, but the environment here is such that everyone is rather friendly .What more can you ask for?

As of the beginning of May, the Inner Mission Tavern is no longer a smoking establishment. This may come as a loss to those holdouts who believe that one should be able to smoke in a bar, but ultimately, it is the bar owner’s prerogative, and they chose to nix the smoking.
With any luck, this won’t hurt the bar at all. There’s plenty of room to make your way outdoors for a nic fix, and once you’ve satisfied that, plenty of room to meander about inside and figure out where you left your tasty and refreshing beverage. I was unexpectedly pleased at the selection of beers on tap– several of which I hadn’t heard of. I only had the chance to try one, a black ale, before needing to call it a night, but it was fantastic. I hope this is indicative of the rest of their selections.
Based on this brief visit and experience, I will happily return to Inner Mission Tavern, to try their pool table and a few more pints. I’ll even hang out with friends outside while they smoke.

I would have rated his place 5 stars had there not been smoking inside. I’m not a smoker, and I am not used to bars being filled with a lot of smoke, or a cloud of it, if you will. So my eyes hurt a little. I noticed a girl smoking outside the bar last night when walking by, so some people, even smokers (?) may agree.
Other than that one detraction, this is a great neighborhood bar. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and poured me a taste of the local beer without my even expecting it when I asked about it. The jukebox was fun and not too hipster. It was even slightly nostalgic what with some Journey thrown into the mix.
And they have two, count them, two, pinball machines for $ 0.75 per play. I would suggest the Attack from Mars one not because it is more fun, but it is a lot easier to rack up points and get free balls to continue playing with. I scored 600,000,000,000+ points, which I kept calling 600 Trillion in my beer-​excitement. Only later did the killjoys tell me, «no, that’s 600 Billion.» They were just jealous and had trouble breaking my score.
I wouldn’t call it a Dive Bar, like it is listed. It’s nicer than a dive: it has nice accents and wall paneling, and a great mirror behind the bar with the drinks listed on it. It’s from the 1880’s, apparently. What dive bar has such class?
Despite the smoky atmosphere, I would come back when in this part of town again.

I love this bar. I used to live around the corner, and would go every chance I got. Now I live a little farther away, so I have less chances, but I still try my damnedest to get over there, drink a Stella, play a game of pool, pump as many quarters into the killer jukebox I possibly can and smoke inside! I wish I were better at Pinball, or else I’d never leave.
The only thing that’s missing is hard liquor. They’re only beer and alcohol, but it’s OK. David, the bartender, the atmosphere, locals, smoking! and the fact that I’ve never waited for the bathroom make up for it.
Yay Inner Mission!

I had a serious case of déjà vu when i walked in here. I felt as though i had been here before.
Yes…I understand that it used to be Thieves tavern… but i don’t ever remember going to Thieves.
I don’t know. There isn’t anything that wowed me about this bar. Maybe that’s the sense of deja vu. It felt like every other bar I’ve ever been to.
Why four stars then Lauren? Well… its not a bad bar. Its a beer bar. It has a decent selection of beer. It has a pool table. It has bathrooms. It feels like a lot of other mediocre bars that i have spent many hours at before… so why not four stars. I didn’t hate it. But id rate it above average.
Its also nice to head into a smoking bar every once in a while. Don’t get me wrong… I’m glad these are few and far between… but every once in a while in California, on a cold night… its nice to not have to step outside and freeze my tits off.

Minus one star for being a smoking bar. I don’t mind a cigarette with my vodka soda as long as the butt is in my mouth and I’m EXHALING smoke, not inhaling someone else’s sloppy seconds.
This used to be Thieves Tavern, and the locals were just as rude then as they are now. I used to live around the corner and therefore spent a lot of time at Thieves. Now that it’s Inner Mission, not a lot has changed. Think large drunks rudely pushing and shoving their way around a tight, low-​lit bar with a pool table and what would be ample seating if there weren’t so many folks packed in here. On a high note, if you fancy yourself a looker, it’s not hard to find yourself in the fortunate position of «prettiest girl in the whole bar» here– this is not really a see-​and-​be-​seen sort of establishment.
The bartenders are friendly, efficient, and mix a strong soju and soda. It is important to know that they only have beer, wine, and soju. So if you’re looking for liquor, you’ve come to the wrong place. The proximity to such Mission district greats as Los Jarritos (down the street) and Taqueria CanCun (down two blocks and over one) mean you can get really plastered and then stuff your face with greasy mexican food. Not that I would. I am a lady, after all.
I wouldn’t go out of my way to come back but it’s a great option should you find yourself in this sleepy corner of the Mission and in need of libation. I hear they have lots of beers but I tasted some of the wine and I’d skip that and go straight to soju. I’ll follow matthew capital r’s lead and simply end my review with ZANZIBAR!

The Inner Mission tavern has wainscoting! If you live in the mission and you’re a drunk with an eye for victorian architectural details this should be your new spot.
This is a beer/​wine/​soju only place; However, the selection of beers is extensive and well chosen, and the bar staff is on top of things. Pool tables and pinball machines. comfortable seats too.
It also gets loud enough on friday nights that even though the jukebox is blaring you can only hear the basslines. If you’re just learning to play bass this would be a good place to hang out too.
However, the area around the bar will get crowded, and the locals are too cool to say ‘excuse me’ when they shove past you. Can you blame them? My parents say ‘excuse me’. Government clerks say ‘excuse me’. Plus there’s nothing in the phrase ‘excuse me’ that indicates whether you’re sincerely apologetic or you’re just going for irony so its usefulness is limited. I don’t know where I’m going with this.
I totally see Bucky’s point about how hard it is to wrap up a review sometimes. The Inner Mission Tavern has good beers and wainscoting. ZANZIBAR!

I heart smoking bars. If you are a smoking bar you get an extra two stars from me because one star is for me smoking in your bar and the second star is for you having to inhale my smoke. I met up with a bunch of Unilocalers here and brought some of my non-​Yelper friends who were quickly absorbed into the massive friendly frenzy and left dazed. Luckily there were drinks on hand to help them cope with the heady experience. Jill M got swept up in mutual Wisconsin frenzy with Jason K and Gino N quickly fell in love with the amazing AK. Christopher K was back in fine form despite narrowly avoiding death to play at Guitarmaggedon with a fever the prior night. Fong made his 5^th appearance in my weekly rotations and regaled my non-​Yelp friends with humorous stories of me (there are nothing OTHER than humorous stories about me, right?). Nancy and Drue endured my laughter at realizing that the two of their names side by side were JUST like the books featuring the heroine Nancy Drew. Yeah, I am a little retarded. I drank a yummy cherry lambic ale. Then all of us headed out for other bars to take the party throughout the city.
Did I mention that I am realizing that AK’s description of my being an insomniac is somewhat true? Actually I just prefer to think of myself as nocturnal. What happened to my quiet night at home? I blame Unilocal

‘Inner Mission Bar’. Owned by my Best friend: Tom (and Dave). they’ve just taken over! gave this place a cool new name (–Tom has a vision for this bar) and the changes can be seen weekly…
I stopped by on their opening night and found everyone friendly and laidback. You can enjoy a game of pool, some pinball and liars dice here.
There are some cool (rare) tracks on the cd jukebox. Great selections of fine belgian, french and german beers. try the Youngs double chocolate stout, it’s De-​lish! –hangout with the locals and chat it up w/​Dave, he’ll make you laugh=0
see you guys soon!