Comstock Saloon

30s / 40s / Bar / Birthday Parties / Blues / Business Types / Cool Restaurant / Country / Couples / DJ / Dinner / Expensive / Food Specials / Good for Groups / Groupies / Happy Hour / Hipster / Jazz / Live Band / Locals / Locals / Lunch / Mid 20s / Restaurant / Sandwiches / Seafood / Snack Food / Specialty Cocktails / Steak / Unpretentious / Yupster
Comstock Saloon Comstock Saloon in San Francisco’s Financial District is an old-school bar with great cocktails, food, & live jazz. Call SF out at Party Earth! San Francisco United States 37.796963 -122.405686
3.8 8
Comstock Saloon - Bar | Restaurant in San Francisco.
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4 User Reviews
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Ratings:
Lucas
Adriana
Jonah
Emma

Party Earth Review Located a few blocks from the madness of North Beach, amid hordes of high-rises and scurrying, briefcase-toting fellows, Comstock Saloon is a beautiful homage to the Barbary days of yore – minus the toothless gunslingers... ... read full review

  • Metro:

    MUNI F Line: The Embarcadero & Broadway

  • Phone:

    415-617-0071

  • Links:

    Official Website

  • Hours:

    M–Th, Sa 4pm–2am, F noon–2am, Su 4pm–midnight

  • Recommended as:

    • Day Spot
    • Night Spot

Party Earth Comstock Saloon Review

The Scene

Comstock Saloon in San Francisco’s Financial District is an old-school bar with great cocktails, food, & live jazz. Call SF out at Party Earth!

Downtown / Financial District, San Francisco –

Located a few blocks from the madness of North Beach, amid hordes of high-rises and scurrying, briefcase-toting fellows, Comstock Saloon is a beautiful homage to the Barbary days of yore – minus the toothless gunslingers angling for moonshine.

Named after noted mining tycoon Henry Comstock, the bar occupies a space that’s been satiating thirsty denizens since 1907. It has since undergone extensive renovation, but the venue still exudes historic flair, from the handcrafted bar made from a single cut of mahogany to the vintage curio cabinets and the brass palm fans slowly rotating above gilded barstools.

The guests, of course, are far more modern than the décor, with everyone from local businessmen and yuppies to the hippest of hipsters crowding in for old-school libations like the Bamboo (sherry and vermouth) and the Blood & Sand (scotch and cherry liqueur), as well as an array of creative dishes like fried oyster po’boys and bone marrow potpies.

Cool and classy groups settle into the booths across from the bar to chat and clink their pricey drinks, while overhead – tucked in a little recess – a regular band plunks out jazz, blues, and Western styles that carry into the adjoining dining room.

Comstock Saloon is regularly busy, so finding it on a bad night would be difficult – especially since it’s the sort of place where patrons can certainly spend a lot of cash on a cocktail, but ordering a regular ol’ beer wouldn’t be social suicide.

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Tip from Jonah:

Daily Happy Hour is always nice, but it’s hard to beat Free Lunch Fridays, when buying two adult beverages gets you a free meal. The food changes from week to week, so why not make it a regular part of your end-of-workweek plans?

  • Crowd

    Cocktail connoisseurs, savvy tourists, hipsters, couples, unpretentious yuppies, groups of celebratory friends, older local businessmen, mid-20s to late 50s.

  • Entertainment / Music

    Live band plays mostly jazz, blues, and Western from 7:30pm M–Sa. DJ spins honky-tonk country tunes from 7:30pm on Sundays.

  • Food / Miscellaneous

    Creative menu including crispy pork with homemade biscuits, fried oyster and ham po’boy sandwiches, braised beef shank and bone marrow potpie, rabbit, and daily prix fixe lunch and dinner specials.

    Special “Home Cookin’” menu 4–10pm on Sundays featuring amped-up traditional American fare like smoked cheese curds, fried grits, crab, fried chicken, and tri-tip.

    Fans of Comstock should check out Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, a chichi French joint run by the same group and that touts an acclaimed menu of craft cocktails, an extensive wine list, and the namesake hallucinogenic drink.

    Happy Hour daily 4–7pm.

  • Prices

    Snacks $5, appetizers $9–$18, entrées $17–$22, sandwiches $13–$20, prix fixe lunch and dinner $38–$45, desserts $8.50.

    Beer $4.50–$10, big bottles of beer $30, wine and champagne $8–$12+/glass or $34–$89+/bottle, cocktails $8–$13, spirits $7–$22.

  • What to Wear / Dress Code

    Stylish casual: blazers, skinny jeans, button-downs, vintage dresses, understated skirts.

  • Hot Nights / When to Go

    Friday nights after 5pm for the surge of patrons from the business district, Saturday nights for the youngest crowds from all over the city, and Sundays for the popular “Home Cookin’” menu.

  • Close By

    15 Romolo (15 Romolo Place) a few blocks away in North Beach offers intricately crafted cocktails and a hipster vibe not exactly prevalent in this touristy part of town.

Tags:
30s40sBirthday PartiesBluesBusiness TypesCool RestaurantCountryCouplesDJDinnerExpensiveFood SpecialsGood for GroupsGroupiesHappy HourHipsterJazzLive BandLocalsLocalsLunchMid 20sSandwichesSeafoodSnack FoodSpecialty CocktailsSteakUnpretentiousYupster

Comstock Saloon User Reviews

Average rating:
Western Chic
Paris Donnatella C.
Paris Donnatella C. Apr 24, 2013
This place will forever be embedded in my memories of San Francisco. Mixing old class, gritty urban style and some form of Western chic, this haut may be on the slightly more expensive side, but one thing is for sure: you get your moneys worth. With an air of a 1950's speakeasy, people line out on the street waiting to get a seat, or try some of their famed nosh. If you're lucky enough to catch the bartenders attention through the crowd, the connoisseur drink makers not only suggest cocktails but make them from scratch based on your likes and dislikes. Housing a mixed bunch of yuppies and hipsters, the crowd is laid back and welcoming, usually sipping on some type of whiskey and watching the band who take to the balcony overlooking revelers seven nights a week. Although the urge to don a cowboy hat may arise when entering, you honestly could wear a football jersey and people wouldn't bat an eye lid. Slightly older, but very cool crowd.
Awesome Drinks, Lukewarm Service.
Sydnee E.
Sydnee E. Mar 31, 2013
I've been here a handful of times, and I really like the ambiance. It's old-time swanky, like you're hanging out it in an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. Sometimes they even have pretty decent musicians playing on the balcony above, which is a nice touch. The drinks here are good. You can tell that the bar tenders have got it together and know their way around the shaker. I always get either the Cherry Bounce or the Blood & Sand. As far as the food, it's okay, but nothing to write home about. I don't think I would take anyone here for dinner, but for small plates and a drink it's great. Unfortunately, every single time I've come here the service is really bad. I've had servers walk away from the table while someone is asking a question. During one of my visits the table waited for 15 minutes to start eating when one person in a party didn't get their plate. I think it's the sort of place where you just have to sacrifice a little service for a nice drink and a cool setting.
Swank. Seductive. Serious Poutine.
Jane L.
Jane L. Feb 18, 2013
A classy watering-hole in North Beach, Comstock is a fun place to seduce your date over classic cocktails, gab with your gals over gin and tonics, or sit solo at the bar and gorge yourself with Montreal-inspired poutine. The old school ambiance replete with dark woods, dim lights, and bartenders with perfected handle-bar mustaches gets you relaxed for drink one, but by drink two, the bar gets 3-deep and starts hopping with the the live jazz tunes provided by piano man (sometimes lady) on the upstairs balcony. Make no mistake, you don't come to Comstock for just any old drink - you haven't had a real Sazerac until you've come to Comstock. Boys club drinks not your thing? Just tell the bartender what you like and you're sure to get a personalized concoction that'll tickle your tastebuds. Service is friendly, witty, and charming, but can like any other popular SF hang out, can lag on busy Friday and Saturday nights.
Cocktails Finest
Rachel G.
Rachel G. Dec 10, 2012
This is a pretty low-key bar, at least when I have ever been there, even though it is closely located to the madness that is North beach at night. What is particularly awesome about this bar are the cocktails. They are experts at creating fine cocktails. You can watch the bartenders create unique cocktails and then scamper off to your personal booth with your friends. Apparently this bar has a lot of history to this bar, something I never knew going in. The history is not relevant to your personal experience at this bar, but when I did hear about it I was pleasantly surprised. I never think bars have much history behind them. Fun find!
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