If you’ve been reading my reviews you might notice that I like nice people. Nice people can make a bad experience tolerable while on the other hand, jerks can ruin a fun night out.

The employees at Zeitgeist are not nice. But they do make strong drinks. The bloody mary (aka salad bar soaking in liquor) is especially tasty.

The patio is a great place to drink away an afternoon on a sunny day (if you don’t mind cigarette and other smoke) And the burgers do a good job of soaking up the alcohol. But would it kill you people to smile? Rumor has it that people tip more when they aren’t treated like shit.

Hands down the best outside patio in SF
Pitchers of Beer and great bloody mary’s
They only take cash
really good cheap burgers
tattoos are everywhere but the crowd is friendly
get there early on a good day to get a spot out back

There are about a thousand aspects of Zeitgeist to hate, like the dirty bathrooms, mediocre service, hipper-than-thou clientele… you name it.

But they’ve got the three B’s: Beer garden, burgers, and bloody marys. (Four if you count the magnificent display of bicycles.)

Normally that wouldn’t be enough to warrant five stars, but add on a carnival-like atmosphere and the fleeting sense of community forced by sharing picnic tables and you’ve got a unique, oddly rewarding experience.

Sure, it’s played out and is now on the tourist radar, but it’s a San Francico original.

Zeitgeist is the dive bar in San Francisco’s Mission district, which really is saying something as there are loads of such establishments. There’s a huge beer garden, but one thing Zeitgeist is not is “subtle”. The beer garden houses portaloos - nice.

Anyway, they serve some pretty decent BBQ’d fare outside, burgers and the like. I’ll always remember asking for a “gin & tonic” and getting served it in a pint glass. Brilliant.