Shovels Bar & Grill

"The best way to get a feel for any city is to explore its bars. San Francisco is the sort of city that's almost schizophrenic, so many different iterations of itself all over. For some, that's great, and others a drawback, but I love it. Shovels embodies that perfectly. From the exterior it has the feel of a real dive, almost sketchy, but like the city as a whole, looks can be quite deceiving. Inside, the bar has a throwback vibe that feels much more sophisticated than its exterior would lead you to believe. A well curated drink menu offers some impressive options, all very well made. Now, I get that a lot of bars don't want to mess with the added complications of serving food. Sure it brings in extra revenue, but also means more staff and a kitchen space that eats up already scarce square footage. Though Shovels actually figured out that really good food is actually a game changer. While I was visiting on a random weekday afternoon, multiple orders came in over the phone for pick up orders for food, meaning a mostly empty bar on a weekday afternoon, was bringing in more money than just the patrons inside. I had the fried pickles, which were the best I've had, and enjoyed them tremendously. I will be back, for sure, and suggest you stop by as well."

"Food was decent. Just had a grilled chicken salad. The bartender was a super nice guy. Have a feeling he's the owner. It's pretty casual. Overall I would come back if in the area again"

"We came here for a few drinks before a gig recently, there was only one person behind the bar but he was SLAYING it! Phenomenal service , really friendly and quick. Really good food and a good choice of drinks. The atmosphere was cool as well, had a good rock vibe with just all around welcoming feeling. Will definitely return here again for a few drinks and a bite to eat. The menu had good choices and the prices were reasonable!"

"This place is awesome! We were staying just a street away and I'm glad we found it! The hamburgers were delicious! Service was perfect, and we loved the vibes and atmosphere. We visited again on a Sunday and even though kitchen was already closed, we got some beers and had a nice chat with the owner who was extremely nice and helpful. We will definitely visit again when in the area. Greetings from Arizona!"