Finding a good bar in the Outer Sunset of San Francisco is like looking for pretty girls at a World of Warcraft convention. That is to say, the pickings are pretty slim. There is a bar, however, that serves an oasis for nightlife-lovers and locals alike out by the Pacific Ocean.
Nestled in between Brother’s Pizza and Ocean Beach on Taraval Street and 47th avenue, The Riptide definitely lives up to its name in one aspect: When you walk in, the atmosphere sucks you in and won’t let you go.
When one walks in to The Riptide (or “The Rip” as regulars call it), the oak tables, moose head mounted on the wall and real fireplace stick out immediately, reminding you of an old winter lodge that should be in Lake Tahoe rather than San Francisco.
One could describe The Riptide as dive bar, but its rough edges are what gives the bar its charm.
For sports fans, The Riptide features drink specials for Monday Night Football, the most enticing of which being $2 Budwiser by the bottle during the game.
If the football games aren’t your thing, the bar has various themed nights, including “Ladies Night” every Thursday and “Trivia Tuesdays” on, you guessed it, Tuesday.
Drinks at “The Rip” are average priced, with domestic and imported draft beers ranging from $3.50-$4.50 and mixed drinks that hover around the $5 area.
During my two visits, the Riptide’s crowd was quite mixed. From college kids looking to party to middle-aged adults relaxing by the fire, the bar seemed like a place for the whole neighborhood to grab a drink. A good amount of regulars were at the establishment, but from what I could gather during those few nights, enough new blood entered the mix to make things interesting.
Lastly, The Riptide often features a disc jockey spinning a variety of music on its busier nights. The music played ranges from reggae and classic rock to rap and R&B.
Though the bar has plenty to rave about, it does leave a few things to be desired.
Riptide’s musical selection is one of these things. When patrons started to get rowdy and turned up the party notch, the DJ’s played mellower classic rock. When the crowd settled down a little bit, more upbeat music like hip-hop and 80’s classics was played. Talk about a mood killer.
The bartenders serving at The Riptide were also very inconsistent. Drinks were usually made consistently, but it was their attitude that seemed to be an issue.
One night, they were the nicest people you’ve ever met: giving out free shots and discounts on drinks with a smile. If you catch them on a bad night like I did my second time there, be warned: The stares of death if you don’t order fast enough can be deadly.
But the drawbacks weren’t enough for me to give this bar a bad review because The Riptide offered a little bit of everything, and they offered it pretty well. From a nice warm fire to accompany your draft beer on a cold night, to a young party crowd on Thursdays, The Riptide has bipolar personality is why it’s so appealing.
