Stray Bar

Sometimes a fella just needs to sip a beer and hang out with his dog. This is the place to do it. Don’t get fussy with your drink, just order a beer and a shot, grab some popcorn, an enjoy the crowd, almost all neighborhood locals. Sad to hear the owner may be moving on because she’s friendly, cheerful, and always comes from behind the bar to chat with her 4 and 2 legged patrons.
EDIT: Closed! So sad :(, now my dog and I have to find a new place to get tipsy…

This place is awesome. The bartender is really nice and your dog can run around freely and mingle with other dogs. The prices are also reasonable. The only drawback was that they had nothing in the way of high end whiskey. But i still loved it here and will be back for sure!

If I lived in this neighborhood you’d probably find me here after work — a lot! Better yet — maybe if I lived only walking distance from here maybe you’d find me here everyday and maybe with my dog too! Yeah — where can you have drinks, get buzzed, be happy and be with «Fido» too! Maybe if you get lucky — «Fido» may help you find your way home too!
It’s kinda cool when neighbors who live here get to mingle with each other, watch the Giants play and just be neighborhood about it. There is a great feeling you get when you frequent a local bar with local faces! It makes that much fun to chill with them and chill with their dogs too! Of course — non dog owners are always welcome too!
Cheers!

Once again, we’re not frequent review writers on Unilocal,but sometimes a place is just too great to go unappreciated.

With a pool table… fireplace…dart board… it’s already a fun place to be. You just feel comfortable and relaxed the minute you walk inside.
Drinks are refreshing in taste and price.
Karen, the owner, and the staff are simply lovely– and they pay it forward with their excellent service and engaging personalities.
It was truly a delightful experience all around.
Thank you Stray Bar!

Let me set the stage:
Saturday night, roughly 20 friends divided into 4 competing teams, Scavenger Hunt Pub Crawl, uproarious laughter, rowdy antics, celebratory mood…
This bar was one of the stops in our 3 hour scavenger hunt and we had an awesome time here. The drinks were good, the prices more than fair, the bartender was great, and the atmosphere was a casual, neighborhood, divebar. The kind of place you love to find because it’s filled with real people, not a bunch of trendy a-​holes advertising the impressiveness of their Cool Quotient (seriously, if your «Cool» requires effort and planning, then you might want to look up «Poser» in an urban dictionary).
Our scavenger hunt required us to interact with strangers on a pretty significant level and get picture proof we met the challenges. So we were challenging random strangers to chug drinks against us, we were orchestrating group hugs, engaging them in arm wrestling matches, creating kung-​fu scenarios, giving/​receiving piggyback rides, getting strangers to let us taste their food, making full body chalk outlines on the sidewalks… it was mad fun!
We also had to find various items (some planned, others happenstance) — Take a picture with someone wearing red pants, find a Jukebox playing such-​and-​such a song, an antlers or horns, someone with an instrument, a garden gnome, a girl with a mullet, a guy with a mohawk, someone with a moustache and hipster glasses… etc.
This bar not only welcomed our flashmob of scavenger hunters, they joined in the party and helped the teams fulfill their goals — Is that awesome, or what?
If you’re looking for a fun, down to earth, unpretentious, neighborhood bar, then look no further… this is it.
Loved this place!

Dog friendly. Has a dart area, pool table and board games. Owner is fantastic, although I think she is selling soon and moving away.
This is the greatest street in Bernal Heights. Many cool business in a couple block radius. Go get a sandwich at Paulines and eat it here.

This is a great place to…
…meet some nice lesbians. Whether you’re one or not.
…meet nice neighbors of all flavors.
…meet some nice doggies. This was my dog’s favorite bar. (Yes, Topper had a favorite bar! He was our dog, after all.) I pity the fool who tried to walk him past the door without going in.
…kick it on a couch munching popcorn and drinking beer. All the comforts of home!
…watch any sporting event, but especially Giants or 49ers games. Watching the first World Series win here was a lot more special than catching it at home. My cats are terrible high-​fivers.
…share a first kiss with the Mr. We sure did. Right by the jukebox, April Something, 2006. MMMMWUAH!

Good For a (Satisfyingly) Average, No-​frills Evening
And I mean this as a good thing, and with the caveat that I’ve only been there once.
Walked by this bar a few months ago and decided not to go in because it looked pretty lame and too sport-​bar for me on a weekend afternoon, but I knew at some point I’d have to check it out since it’s in my neighborhood. Turns out the subdued nature of the place (that made me say «meh, let’s move on») is actually its most attractive feature. Sometimes I just want a quiet place where I can enjoy a conversation at a normal level of voice over a drink, and that’s just what we got last night.
The place has a very local neighborhood, blue-​collar feel. It is a sports bar, even though no one seemed to be watching the TVs on a Friday night and there was music being played instead of the sound of the television (weekend afternoons might be a different story)?
The bartender was friendly and prompt (the place was decidedly not busy at about 9, but began to pick up a little during our time there). I took a chance and ordered a manhattan, on the rocks. It was presented foamy and vigorously shaken like a fruit cocktail, and may have had bit of cherry juice in it. I might have preferred it done a bit differently, but I’ll give kudos to the bartender for having her own take on it. It certainly wasn’t bad (I even ordered a second one!) and the price was reasonable for medium-​shelf bourbon.
I’ll go back again, when I’m in the mood for a low-​key evening without pretense.

This is definitely a chill local bar. I came here with high recommendations from a friend in the neighborhood, and spent the night enjoying myself. Not many people were there on a Thursday night, which was great for me.
Free popcorn!
Friendly bartender! She was unfamiliar with the drink I requested and looked it up to make it just for me.
I don’t know what else to tell you. The only reason this bar isn’t packed is because it’s tucked away safely in Bernal Heights. I’ve already got plans to go back this week.

I absolutely fell in love with this bar on a recent trip to SF. My husband and I were staying in Bernal and happened to visit the Stray Bar on several occasions. Each bartender we met was extremely friendly and provided great service. All the locals we encountered were fun, easy going and great to chat with. The atmosphere is very laid back and friendly. The Stray Bar has great prices, a good beer selection, and free popcorn. To top it off, they allow dogs indoors. I only wish NOVA would do something like this.
If you’re in the area, definitely check it out.

Nice vibe, quaint. My girlfriend and I decided to check out this bar because of the great reviews it got on Unilocal!Thank you fellow Unilocalers for your assistance in us coming here.
It is located in a great location and there are other bars/​restaurants/​shops on the same street which makes it a great bar to stop at and have a couple drinks.
This bar reminded me of when I was in college. It had a very hip vibe with a crowd of young souls but the average age (assuming) was about 28 – 34.
We had a couple beers and it was really affordable. We will def be back!

Great local bar with great local bartenders. Customers are pretty friendly — not the kind of «rude» crowd. Very down-​to-​earth place.
This place welcomes dogs. Too bad my little terrier tries to terrorize other dogs when she’s on leash!!!
Don’t forget about the pool table in the back!

Squee! This might be my favorite place. EVER. Okay, maybe not «EVER» but it’s pretty high up there. I can’t believe it took me so long to come to a place that I can get a decently priced beer and bring my dog!
Walked in this afternoon (after wearing my dog out at the park for an hour) and was greeted by the friendly bartender and her new puppy. There were some other nice patrons in the corner with their pug. We took a seat with our dog, and were offered a biscuit. Not only were we happy that we could bring Mr. Bojangles into an actual bar, but they had snacks for him!
After a few minutes, a few of our dogless friends met us there and we played Jenga. There was a stash of other board games in the corner to pass the time away. The bar wasn’t overly crowded or loud. Just right.
I can’t wait to go back. I might have enjoyed it more than my dog. Wish this place were in my ‘hood.

Do you have a dog? Do you like to hang out at Bars? If so, then this is definitely the place for you!
Happy Hour drink specials, kewl crowd, nice décor, jukebox, foosball, pool table, popcorn. Need I say more?

I met a friend here on a rainy Sunday afternoon and had a blast.
While I wish they had cheaper drinks, $ 3 pints of Pabst ain’t half bad, and the bartender was great. She was very friendly and kept giving us bowls of popcorn which was perfect as I had slept through breakfast and planned on having a liquid lunch.
There are lots of games to play at this mellow bar, as well as a pool table. I’ll definitely be back.
Tip: There is a $ 15 minimum on cards!

If it weren’t for that street festival in Bernal Heights on Sunday (and of course my friend), I wouldn’t have stumbled upon this place. My friend (fellow Unilocaler Zell C.) was like «They have unlimited beer for $ 10!» My boyfriend and I walked over as soon as we finished eating lunch.
When I first walked in the bar, I noticed a lot of dogs. I thought to myself «Wow, dogs are allowed in here? That’s awesome!.» My friend later tells me «its a dog friendly bar.» Then I noticed the «dog owner rules» on their bulletin board
. Sweeet! It IS dog friendly! I’ve never been to dog bar before and I never knew they existed! I LOVE dogs and I’m happy I found this place!
It was nice petting and looking at all the cute doggies that came in. This dog pwns the bar though. Check out his picture:
He’s such a cutie! He’s the top dawg around here! So your dog better stay the F*** away from him cause he will F*** your dog up! Just kidding. He was such a sweetheart. I think one of the bartenders own him.
FYI, every Sunday they have unlimited beer for $ 10. If you’re a fan of PBR, you might want to take advantage of this. They also have a jukebox and free popcorn. The staff here is also pretty awesome and I LOVE their décor. I’m definitely coming back here! I have two dogs. But I think I’ll just bring my Pug here. My Pomchi might try to start shit with the other dogs. She’s such a bitch. [pun intended]

5 stars: you can bring dogs – we didn’t see any, but there are signs saying they’re welcome; cool photography exhibit
0 stars: Happy Hour advertised on web site (see photo) and sidewalk sign «$ 2 and $ 3 beers, 4 – 7 PM»; bartender who was peeved over interrupting his cell phone call/​ciggie break to help us, even though we were the only ones in the joint.
While I love the idea of a place where pups are welcome, it’s never cool to advertise one thing and then not deliver. We arrived @ 5 PM for Happy Hour and were told that only 4 beers were available b/​c they were still «cleaning the lines». Fair enough, no prob.
After ordering, we weren’t charged anything near the $ 2 – 3 on the website and sign that sits on the sidewalk in front of the freaking building! I don’t mind paying full price, but don’t lure me in and then tell me the ‘special’ is only for pints scooped out of the toilet (PBR, Tecate). I just might bite you in the ass.

The Stray Bar is a local bar in Bernal, somewhat newish — they are earning their weight by the drinks they make. The décor is cute, jukebox is digital and plays tons of music, free popcorn, you can bring in your dog and now one more plus — Yummy Bloody Mary’s, that are pure and simply wonderful.
Besides the really cute, tattooed and incredibly talented bartender who mixes these concoctions like snowflakes — each one different and special in its own way. Did I mention they have bacon strips that can be added to your Bloody Mary, how genius is that? My bloody mary had fresh asparagus in it, so crisp and just soaking up all that goodness.
After my bloody mary, I asked the bartender to make me something good. Something good, refreshing and not too sweet. He mixed up a special drink compromised of Vanilla Vodka, pineapple juice, hibiscus juice and a little sprite. He told me that all purple drinks taste good, he was right — it was delicious.
I bought some raffle tickets supporting their softball team and I really hope I win — I was hoping for a tee-​shirt or a pair of the little boy shorts. CUTE.

Because I am getting old, I can no longer be found at the end up on a Friday night, shaking my ass and sweating to the music. The only thing I’m sweating to these days is the Oldies. Oh, snap! Because I have lost the ability (and interest) in rubbing up against former mid-​90s ravers who just don’t know when to say when, a recent Friday night found me here with «couple friends». This is the only couple we are good friends with. Mostly because they rock. I digress…
I kind of fell in love with Stray the second I walked in. Part Bordello, part neighborhood haunt, they have something for everyone. You can drink wine, imbibe spirits, give lap dances, get your groove on to pretty much any kind of music that piques your interest on their awesomely packed juke box. Even the restrooms are a pleasure to relieve one’s self in.
Since Bernal is kind of a hot lesbian destination of late, one might mistake Sway as a queer bar. However, despite the fact that there are quite a few girls who like girls lining up at the bar, there’s room for those of us who like it boy on girl. And some of those ladies are pretty hot…

You know why I like this little gem I was brought too, because I went with 7 people and all 7 where drunk by the time we left. Not only that but they happen to have the
KEY INGREDIENTS FOR A BAR:
nobody harrassed my friends when they where having sex in the bathroom
nobody bothered my girl when she sang mariachi at the top of her lungs because they have mariachi on the jukebox
nobody kicked us out when we accidentally knocked over the art on the wall
nobody charged us over 40 dollars when we ordered plenty of shots of Patron
We felt loved, like we where in our own damn living room. We got to feel like the Stray was ours, and thats what the fuck counts when you spend your money… RIGHT