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Thu / Feb 25
Party Earth Review Home to more than 120 varieties of rum – quite possibly the largest selection in the city – Hobson’s Choice is a place where real men quickly discover the power of a frou-frou drink. Haight residents sporting skinny jeans... ... read full review
1601 Haight Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
MUNI N Line: Carl Street & Cole Street
415-621-5859
M–F 2pm–2am, Sa–Su noon–2am
The Haight, San Francisco –
Home to more than 120 varieties of rum – quite possibly the largest selection in the city – Hobson’s Choice is a place where real men quickly discover the power of a frou-frou drink.
Haight residents sporting skinny jeans and perpetual five o’clock shadows drop in for Happy Hour, slinging back $3 House Punches as med students from UCSF plop onto antique couches with one of the monthly specials. Tiffany-style lamps and gold-leaf mirrors give the venue a Victorian flare, but the long shelves of bottles set behind the well-lacquered bar are what most patrons are focusing on.
A few older locals in dreadlocks and 60s duds sit at one of a handful of tables, sipping Dark N’ Stormys and watching the Giants finish up on the flat-screens, while barbecue fare from Asqew Grill a few doors up ensures cocktail garnishes aren’t the only thing patrons have to eat.
Once the evening sets in – especially come Friday – it’s normal to find Hobson’s wall-to-wall with barhoppers, large groups of students, and tattooed hipsters unabashedly ordering another round of Wiki Waki Woos – and it’s about that time that regulars know to dart upstairs for balcony views of the sugar-charged madness below.
Showing up at Hobson’s Choice after 10pm means shouldering through a crowd and then fighting some more for the bartender’s attention, but once it’s time to order, all the non-beer drinking visitors face a simple decision: rum…or rum.
Sure, the signature rum punches are spectacular, but if you need a little kick, try out the delicious $5 Van Gogh espresso martini. Just don’t hold any sharp objects when you drink it – it’s packed with caffeine, and it would be a shame to get the shakes and end up looking like the drink’s namesake!
College students, eccentric Haight locals including the kinds who wear full-body leather on nights other than Halloween, pierced and tattooed hipsters, med students, edgy young professionals, and tourists dropping in on the Haight scene, 20s to late 30s.
Jukebox featuring an eclectic mix of mostly alt rock. A few flat-screens usually tuned to local sports. Pac-Man tabletop game.
Barbecue grub from Asqew Grill, including ribs, skewers, and vegetarian dishes, available until 10pm. Upstairs can be rented for private parties. Happy Hour M–F 5–7pm. Credit card minimum $20. ATM on site.
Appetizers $4–$5, skewers $7–$12, chicken and ribs $10–$18. Beer $3–$5, cocktails $6–$9, rum punch $5–$6/glass, $18/two-person bowl, or $30–$35/large bowl.
Anything goes: jeans, t-shirts, medical scrubs, hoodies, work attire, polos, tie-dyes.
Friday and Saturday nights for the largest crowds, or anytime during the week for the $3 Happy Hour punch specials.
The Alembic (1725 Haight Street) is a very popular neighborhood haunt with a large selection of liquor, beer, and specialty cocktails, as well as an ever-changing menu of intricate American cuisine.
Hobson's Choice Bar User Reviews