Twin Peaks Tavern

Loved the bartenders. Felt safe here as a trans person. Albiet I was surrounded by bears with no other trans gals in sight. Really fun customers, cheap (but strong drinks) and an extra floor of seating. Will be coming back here.

The Twin Peaks Tavern is the first LGBTQ bar in the world to have oversized windows making its patrons visible from the street outside. This happened in 1972 when two local lesbians purchased what had been an Irish Pub since 1935. Historically, gay bars had no windows, to protect the anonymity of the patrons and for safety and security, as gay bars could be a target of vandalism or other violence. It's saloon days go back to the gay nineties, i.e., the 1890s. It is a designated SF historic landmark at the corner of Castro and 17th street. One of the best people watching spots in the Castro. You never know what you'll see on Castro Street in front of the bar. It nearly closed during the Covid Pandemic, but a Gofundme campaign raised over $100,000 to keep it open. There's a documentary short film, "Through the Windows," about the historic and beautiful bar.

Twin Peaks Tavern is one of those places that’s more about the experience and history than anything else. It has a classic San Francisco feel and definitely holds its place as an iconic spot in the city. The vibe is relaxed and very neighborhood-oriented. It feels like a place with a lot of regulars and a strong sense of community, which gives it character and makes it feel authentic rather than polished or trendy. Drinks are straightforward and exactly what you’d expect, nothing fancy, but dependable. One thing to note is that they only accept cash, so be sure to come prepared. Service was fine overall. Friendly enough, but not especially warm or memorable. Everything functioned smoothly, just without much of a standout moment. Twin Peaks Tavern is worth stopping into, especially if you’re exploring the area or appreciate places with history and personality. It’s not somewhere I’d go out of my way for, but it’s a comfortable stop and a good representation of an old-school San Francisco bar.

My wife and I stopped in on a Saturday. I had an old fashioned (tasty but they didn't have a big ice cube). She had an Irish coffee. It's the kind of place that SF yuppies might bring their relatives visiting from a less excitiing 'Burb. Tastefully, appropriately cozy. And definitely SF Castro, but mature.

We were there on a Sunday night in November. The bar is a beautiful vintage bar that was salvaged from an old hotel in San Francisco after the big earthquake. They do not serve food. They had 2 TVs on and we were able to watch football. Aaron was the bartender. He made great Irish coffees! We talked for about an hour about life and traveling. He was so nice and attentive. He made our night a great experience. We hope to return to hear about his travel experiences in Vermont and beyond!

It's one of the CASH ONLY bars in the city and yes they have an ATM upstairs if you need to get some. It's mainly the older crowd with a few twinks scattered about. The bartenders are handsome and the drinks are perfect. If they have never heard of the drink, just tell them what's in it and they will fix it. I highly recommend it for the 40 and up crowd. Twinks are always looking. They places location give you a view of the Bart station and Market Street and all the people who are coming and going.

I hate to write this. Weeknight bar staff can easily ignore blatant/obvious sexual harassment from one customer to another, even with loud verbal altercations, but they have eagle eyes for plastic water bottles in a city where, arguably, most people walk and use transit, and hence have bottles of water. I understand outside drink policies but it can be ridiculous for water in particular (which is free anyways) when most places would not enforce that AND in context of a perceived lack of observance of sexual harassment (possibly assault) of someone. Maybe it is just ignorance, or maybe that is relaxed given a lot of clientele seem to target younger folks, but they should never lay hands on people. Disappointing because I never leave reviews and this is one of the few locations in this city open late on weeknights.