Happy Anniversary

See you this FRIDAY at the Rickshaw Stop! Bring your friends and spread the word.

Time Change

Please note:

Meli specifically asked to change the time to 8:30 because she will not be at the boat club until then. And as you all know, we cannot get in the door without her in attendance.

I guess to be safe, just show up at 9pm at the earliest.

see you there.

DBO one week early in July

I know you are all excited for DBO this month. Meli is always a wonderful host/bartender at the BVBC, and don't forget most drinks will be $2.50.

Just remember this month's DBO is one week early - July 12. A lot of us are going to Hawaii for Jessica and Matt's Wedding, so we won't be here on July 19.

Bay View Boat Club
489 Terry Francois Blvd.
(in China Basin)
415.495.9500
8:30pm

New Photots from this Month's Dive Bar - Club 93

Fun dive bar night with free popcorn and a great bartender. Although I think the scooper was there for a reason.

Guess who's next...Meli James.

Pics here

The Midas Touch

This month's choice from Jesse Golden:

I noticed this handsome little spot coming up 9th recently, and it seemed
like just the place for a DBO night. This nice-sized establishment boasts 2
dart boards, 2 pool tables, shuffleboard, Golden Tee and a stellar juke box.

The location is a desolate, forgotten part of SOMA with little to fear and
lots of parking. And a shnitzel haus a block away.

The name of the bar is a bit sentimental as well, as 1993 was the first time
I had sex. And doubly coincidental was the fact that the experience lasted
9.3 seconds.

See you all Thursday night.


Club 93
93 9th St. between Mission and Market

What's Out Is In

This just in from Kaya:

Okay, so I'm handing off the enormous responsibility of selecting our next dive bar for the SFDBO. John Tosch, my roommate, my boyfriend, and sometimes my fellow drinker will be assuming those duties. Much to my dismay, I will be out of this great town and down in the not-as-great town of Los Angeles next Thursday. Seems like if we're going to pass a torch, it should be one that burns locally. He chose and I concurred that a great bar for this would be the Hyde Out. On Hyde and California. It counts as a dive bar as it's next to Cala Foods the dive of all supermarkets), borders the Tenderloin, and has surly regulars that look at you funny when you walk in.

Pics from El Rio

Hey folks. We got a few new pics for you from El Rio. Nothing to write home about, so let me know if you have any good shots that you want to add.

pics here

Jesse, you rock!

First of all, I applaud and congratulate Jesse on an extremely insightful and noteworthy post.

After seven succesful dive bar meetings, it is about time we established some guidlines and a credo that at least comes close to the tagline that started it all:

A unique monthly descent into San Francisco's underbelly and world of distinguished dive bars.

That said, I would like to invite anyone and everyone to please start commenting or ranting (even better) about anything on this blog. What the hell...nobody reads it anyway. HA!

The following is my rant:

When I leave the house, on the eve of a Dive Bar meeting, I have expectations. First and foremost, I want to see all of the people I haven't kept in touch with for a month - possibly meet more. Secondly, I want to have fun. And thirdly, I want to experience a new bar - hopefully semi divey, in a new neighborhood, that I might possibly want to go back to. And I don't think that I am in the minority with these three expectations either.

So isn't that enough?

Maybe not.

I totally agree with Jesse in that we need to, "muster the social courage and hygienic tolerance necessary to truly explore these cultural phenomena." And if that means taking a stroll around Eddy and Larkin along with Charlene (a post-op transexual) and her pimp, then so be it. I'm sure she's nice. However, I would like to remind everyone that as a group of at least 20 strong, we have the power to completely transform a bar into our little sandbox or playground. With this in mind, we have a responsibility to respect the people whose lives we change for one brief evening - the ones that call these dive bars their home. Along with the decor (or lack thereof) and the all encompasing smell of piss, they are the ones that have made dive bars divey. And we do invade their space, albeit for one evening, while possibly offering a glimpse of "...light, carefree benevolence." However, we must remind ourselves why these men and women go to a bar and stare cross-eyed at the bottom of a glass...to drink, possibly heavily, and in peace.

Hey, WTF? Who the hell cares? There's probably a nice glass of drown your sorrows at the bar next door. I bet THAT place is not full of a bunch of SFDBO'ers preparing for the week's end by getting their drink on.

I'm sure we are all anxiously awaiting the next dive bar choice. Congrats to everyone on their contribution in making SFDBO such a success.

Kaya, you're it.

The Dive Bar Manifesto

With recent runs at El Rio, The 500 Club, and Tunnel Top, I would like to pose a question:

What is a dive bar?

This question will undoubtedly yield a variety of responses, but many of us will assent to the following characteristics: A dive bar is a place with cheap drinks. A dive bar is a place with a run-down appearance, generally displaying the wear and tear of years of social functionality. A dive bar has a tacky, dated aesthetic, and predominantly unhygienic restrooms. There's likely to be a juke box. A subtly offensive aroma. Maybe a pool table or a dart board, too. And with any luck, contraceptive vending machines.

Commendably, the participating bars in the SFDBO have thus far fit these descriptions.

However, I need to pose another question:

What is an SFDBO dive bar?

If you answered El Rio, The 500 Club, or Tunnel Top, please keep reading.

Whereas those drinking establishments may physically resemble a dive bar, they do not embody one spiritually. And the spirit of a true dive bar is what makes this organization great. The aforementioned bars are actually just trendy dumps. They even border on hot spots at times. Despite their physical crudeness, their social equity sadly prevents them from attaining true dive bar status. Purists might even call these types dive bar impostors (gasp). I'm not going that far, but hear this: real dive bars are actually quite lonesome, eerie and sad. True dive bars aren't popular. They aren't crowded. They rarely have people under the age of 40 in them. There is an air of hopelessness and staleness prevalent from the moment you enter. And the joy of the SFDBO, of this great cause of ours, is to expose ourselves to the reality of these downtrodden drinking holes, while simultaneously fertilizing them with the light, carefree benevolence each of us is so fortunate to possess. Making the forsaken saken again. Even for just one evening. Temporarily transforming these bars from isolated dens of hopelessness to frolicking urban oases is what I signed up for.

I'm not here to chastise any of us for past efforts...our mission statement had not been clearly defined. But moving forward, let's be honest with ourselves. The aforementioned bars are simply too to popular and too successful to be a true "dive." Everyone knows what a true dive bar is. Mr. Bing's. The Eagle Drift Inn. Ha-Ra. And I implore each and every one of us to muster the social courage and hygienic tolerance necessary to truly explore these cultural phenomena.

Thank you for reading, and I look forward to seeing you at the next forlorn location.


Jesse G

It's On

Melissa's blub:

What can I say except March just wasn't the same without attending a Dive Bar Thursday event. With that said, we're back in the saddle and ready to ride on over to El Rio, a staple in the colorful community we call home. While I can't guarantee what sort of eclectic ensemble will be there when we arrive, what I can guarantee is that this will be a Dive Bar you won't want to miss. As usual, the more the merrier, so pony up people and show your team spirit.

NOT to mention that I came across this recently:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=96030890

I think we have competition...or do we know this person? I didn't know and I obviously drink too much, thus my short term memory is shot.

Toodles,
Melis

DBO postponed

Say What?

Sorry folks, this months DBO is postponed until further notice. Look for an update soon.

The 500 Club

IMG_0301
Originally uploaded by 3dmatt.

New photos uploaded for the February DBO event.

Be sure to look out for the "Urban Pirates." - thanks Lizzi

jump to the pics

To Dive or not to Dive...

I might get some serious $hit for picking this one, but any bar that accepts me for three Thursdays in a row, definitely deserves our patronage.

Yes, I have the fortune of picking this month's dive bar, thanks to Patrick, who made an excellent choice last month. If you're a rockabilly, hipster, missionite, or simply under 75, you probably have been to this bar. With an absolutely marvelous jukebox, pool table, and plush booths, you just can't go wrong.

I'm talking about the 500 club. It's a little neighborhood bar on 17th and Guerrero. This is a place where you can get a $2 bottle of PBR, a glass of Smirnoff Ice, and a Boont Amber Ale all at the same time. If you're lucky, Mike will be sitting at the bar ready to explain to you the San Franciscan consumption habits of a drink called Fernet Branca. And if you're really lucky, the sweetest elderly gentleman in orange coveralls, will bus your table.

So meet us for a drink or two after work and enjoy a little gem in the Mission. Don't worry, this is a neighborhood your Mom would approve of...not like our apartment. See you there.

And yes, for the record, this will be the third consecutive Thursday attending this bar...for a few of us.

Another DBO success story.

Well, it was a balmy night compared to the past few, and DBO'ers came out in droves. I don't remember seeing this many people since Li Po.

Check out some of the photos:

January 07 DBO


Also, as a side note...I don't really know how it happened, but I actually got picked as next month's decision maker. It's research time. And I don't mean internet research either. I have three Thursdays to drink myself silly, only to find that gem of a place where we DBO'ers can call home.

By the way, i thought I'd give you a little glimpse into one of my very favorite pictures...

Eagle Drift In

The word from Patrick, our newest SFDBO member:

What is a ‘Dive’? Being that I am the newcomer to the DBO group, I found myself asking this question while trying to find a bar; what really is a ‘Dive’ bar? In order to answer this question, I did a little research. According to Webster, a ‘Dive’ is:
1. To plunge into water, esp. headfirst. - Verb
2. To go below the surface of water, as a submarine. - Verb
3. To insert quickly; plunge - verb
4. A sudden or sharp decline, as in stock prices – noun
5. A false show of being knocked out, usually in a bout whose result has been prearranged. – Noun
6. A dingy or disreputable bar or nightclub.

Now that I knew what a ‘Dive’ bar was, I asked, “How dingy and or disreputable must one be?” So, I did a bit more research. According to Webster, ‘dingy’ is:
1. Darkened with smoke and grime; dirt or discolored.
2. Run-down
3. Seedy
4. Soiled
In addition, Webster says that ‘disreputable’ is:
1. Not reputable; having a bad reputation
2. Scandalous
3. Shameful
4. Vile

With this information in mind I went to the people of San Francisco and asked them, “Where might I find a shamefully vile, run-down, seedy bar that has been darkened with smoke and grime? Who’s scandalous customers have bad reputations because of constantly soiling themselves?” Most people where surprised by my question, many ran away, but a few answered --- “ the Eagle Drift-In”.

Yes that is right, the Eagle Drift-In will be the next nesting place for the DBO. The people of San Francisco have spoken, and they told me:

“…Eagle's was dark and mellow…”
“Booths are swanky, they have darts, etc. An overall "interesting" place…”
“…I vaguely remember being able to see myself in the mirror…”
“You can drink, play pool and play darts with a view of the trash can.”
“…hot dogs in a crock pot on the bar on game days…”
“…plenty of open space to sit with your friends while you wonder what the hell you're doing there.”
“Nevermind the 'No Smoking' signs all over the place, even the bar tender smokes while making your drink.”
“Jukebox was broke…Then the bartender turned on the radio”
“The bartender was a middle age women who was sweet and kept calling me dollface.”
“Ordering things like martinis or mixed drinks is really not suggested.”
“This brings back a nostalgia long-forgotten of the bars my mom used to take me to when I was 8.”


With my new found understanding of ‘Dive’ bars and the information before me, I could not pass this one up. Ladies and Gentleman prepare your selves (No, really, wear extra clothing, a bullet proof vest, rubber gloves, bring a stun gun, go to the doctor and make sure you have the most up-to-date shots) for the Diviest of bars----- EAGLE DRIFT-IN. Hope to see you all there. Thanks for choosing me to pick this round, I hope my pick will live up to your standards. The last question to be asked… Who will be next???


Eagle Drift-In -- Neighborhood:SOMA
527 Bryant Street
San Francisco, CA, 94107
(415) 495-4527