Best Black Wednesday Bars In San Francisco
In some areas referred to as "Drinksgiving," Black Wednesday is the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving when a party mindset begins. The tag originates from college students coming home for the Thanksgiving holiday to hang out with hometown friends and party at local bars before the onslaught of family the next day. Bartenders know it as the biggest party night of the year, and the revelry gets real even without bars doing anything special to bring in the crowds. San Francisco has a number of bars particularly popular with the college age crowd, but really, any excuse to party has its followers. Read on for five of the most popular bars for Black Wednesday action around town.
Known as San Francisco's premier martini bar and all around good time spot in The City's eclectically cool Mission district, Blondie's serves its giant martinis at 16 ounces for $15 with the biggest flavor selection you'll likely ever find. Indulge at happy hour from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, when Blondie's martinis are just $12.50. Add one or more of Blondie's lovable garnishes and you've got an even sweeter deal. Black Wednesday at Blondie's is a never-fail super busy night, with the high energy live band Victor Little's Big Hit. Live music, dancing, good drinks, and good times every night at Blondie's.
A little quirky with a dose of nostalgia, Butter has been a destination bar and gathering place since 1999. Open Wednesday through Sundays, Butter serves food all during its business hours with a menu unlike anything else you'll find around town. Fun sounding drinks are here too, with names like Whitetrash Driver, Shotgun Wedding, and Hubba Bubba. Check it out here before you arrive. Butter is San Francisco's quintessential anti-establishment venue, and has been voted The City's number one party bar by multiple readers' polls and media sources over the years and some have even described Butter as the "Cheers" of San Francisco. Butter has some serious ways to brace yourself for the family holiday festivities with fun stuff planned for the night before Thanksgiving, so take time out to enjoy yourself and your friends and all that. According to its promotion, Butter invites you to "Reunite with your best friends on Black Wednesday, Nov. 23 2016 at Butter's 17th Annual 'BUTTER-BALL' Turkey Testicle Dancegiving Festival. The Double Gobbler Happy Hour from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with $5 pairs of deep-fried turkey testies, $8 shots of Wild Turkey and PBR tallboys and Pumpkin-Bumpkin Shots for $4. Wait, there's more:
- Enter to win a ButterBall Turkey & get loads of FREE SWAG Stuffing!
- Party Libations & Groovy Beats served up the Butter-Baller DJ's.
One of The City's best known and innovative bar scenes that's a whole lot more, El Rio is a LGBTQ+ space that welcomes all. Wednesday is karaoke night and a busy time at El Rio, with Black Wednesday extra busy and a crowd magnet. For starters order one of the bar's mean margaritas. You and your friends are welcome to bring in food as long as you clean up after yourselves and bring in what you need for dining, but be sure it's compostable. There's happy hour all week too, with different specials depending on the day and daily bartender concoctions, so prepare to be surprised.Related: Black Wednesday Bars In The North Bay
World-class cocktails in a nostalgic setting – don't worry if that nostalgia is before your time, it's all in good fun. Step into a throwback time and décor that's a whole lot of vintage mixed with modern touches for a cozy feel and warm welcome, along with the stiff drinks that draw fame from WWII-era bars and drinking spots. Churchill's is after all, named for the British statesman known for more than great drinks. On Black Wednesday, Churchill will offer $4 draft specials and feature $7 Happy Hour cocktails until 8 pm, including a Jimmy Rose Cocktail made with apple infused brandy, rye whiskey, house made grenadine and fresh nutmeg, plus seasonal "Shot and a Beer" pairings. There will be more, so come on in.
Not quite a dive bar, though its history gave the Ha-Ra Club that one-time label, but no more. A cool bar is the better description these days; a lot of fun plus the place is a magnet for nice people. That's what everyone says, so there you have it. If your memory brings back the old Ha-Ra Club, established way back in 1947, then you're in for a surprise as the whole place was remodeled in 2015 and looks terrific. Known for its lovable bartenders (one of the descriptions for the behind-the-bar staff) and all around nice staff, the Ha-Ra Club has a good selection of beer and liquor and can rock any cocktail just the way you like it. Visit the website to check out the bar's selection of beer kegs available, and you can reserve your own keg and table for birthdays, games or other events, or enjoy a few rounds at the pool table. Although the Ha-Ra Club has nothing special planned for Black Wednesday as of this writing, keep in touch with the bar for updates as something just may develop.Related: Best Night Before Thanksgiving Bars In The East Bay
Post Author: Melanie Graysmith.
