The Saloon

The Saloon is the oldest bar in San Francisco, established on October 8, 1861 as Wagner's Beer Hall at what was then 308 Dupont Street in North Beach, later renamed Grant Avenue when the city reworked its street grid. More than 160 years of continuous operation later, The Saloon is still exactly what it has always been: a no-frills, cash-only, gritty, and completely unapologetic dive bar where the old San Francisco spirit remains untouchable and eight hours of live music happen every single day of the week without exception. The room is small, historically funky, and completely alive from the moment the first band hits the stage at 4pm until the last note at 1:30am, with two bands per night running back to back seven nights a week. The programming is rooted in electric blues, soulful R&B, and raw rock and roll, and the names that have played this stage constitute a significant chapter of Bay Area blues history: Johnny Nitro, Tommy Castro, Ron Hacker and the Hacksaws, Daniel Castro, Curtis Lawson, Dave Workman, the Powell Street Blues Band, and many others who built their reputations in this room. The dance floor is small, crowded, and absolutely active from the first downbeat. Drinks are strong, cheap, and poured without ceremony. Cash only, one drink minimum on some nights, occasional $5 cover on weekends. For music listeners who want the real thing rather than a version of it, The Saloon is not just a bar, it is a living piece of American musical history that smells like 165 years of good times and has no plans to change.