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Mon / Apr 19
Party Earth Review A wee bit of clover in an area of town known more for dollar signs and day-trading than Gaelic watering holes, Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub provides a mellow retreat to sip some Guinness during the week, and a raging... ... read full review
530 Jackson Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
MUNI F Line: The Embarcadero & Broadway
415-955-1916
M–Th 11:30am–midnight (sometimes later), F–Sa 11:30am–2am
Often open Sundays for NFL football games (call to verify)
Kitchen closes M–W 3–5pm
Downtown / Financial District, San Francisco –
A wee bit of clover in an area of town known more for dollar signs and day-trading than Gaelic watering holes, Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub provides a mellow retreat to sip some Guinness during the week, and a raging – and distinctly non-Irish – dance scene on weekends.
Lured in by the deep blue façade and traditional Celtic signage, wandering tourists and office types on lunch park it on the tiny sidewalk patio or grab a checkered-clothed table just inside, where they wolf down baked brie and Ballycastle sausage rolls that epitomize the basic pub grub on offer.
The red leather booths that line the narrow, sparsely decorated main room host lots of businessmen and yuppies during weekday Happy Hour, while late evenings mark the convergence of a much younger audience, most of whom migrate straight to the basement when it opens on Fridays and Saturdays.
The downstairs evokes notions of a speakeasy with a Hibernian twist, highlighted by old photographs of Irish soccer players tacked on the exposed brick walls and cozy nooks that fill up quickly with first-daters looking for an intimate spot – an intimacy that becomes impossible once loud Top 40 and house music cultivates a college gathering that’s far more frat party than Finnegans Wake.
A mix of old-school taproom and fresh-out-of-school stomping ground, Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub may not ring with authenticity, but it’s great for casual drinks in the early hours and unabashed sweating on the (definitely not River) dance floor.
Yuppies, office workers, ye olde fart expats, wandering tourists, and lots of young and preppy college kids for the nightly dance scene, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, 20s to early 30s+.
Loud Top 40, house, and classic rock melodies, a là Don’t Stop Believing played downstairs on Fridays and Saturdays from 10pm.
Eight flat-screens tuned to the game.
Two dartboards.
ATM on site.
Menu of Irish staples and basic pub grub including fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, sandwiches, and fries.
Street parking in this neck of the woods can be a McHeadache on weekends.
Happy Hour M–F 4–7pm.
Cover charge $5 Fridays and Saturdays after 10:30pm, usually just for guys, otherwise no cover charge. Pub grub $3–$9, salads $7–$11, burgers and sandwiches $9–$12, entrées $9–$11.
Beer $5–$6, wine $7/glass or $25–$40/bottle, cocktails and wells $7+.
Casual to preppy: traditional office attire, jeans, t-shirts, button-downs, dresses, skirts.
Friday and Saturday nights after 10pm for a weekend dance scene fueled by twenty-somethings, or midweek Happy Hour to grab a chill beer and some bangers.
Bamboo Hut (479 Broadway Street) is a tropical-themed mecca to fruity cocktails that also attracts a young weekend crowd ready for anything-goes, hard-partying environments.
Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub User Reviews