5 Fun American-Themed Bars in San Francisco

Okay, so Labor Day isn’t quite as patriotic as The Fourth of July but do you really want to wait for an excuse to drink in the name of America? Of course not. (Although, arguably, the economic and employment situation is something that might be causing some people to drink this Labor Day holiday.) In any case, be a good lush and take your excuses where you can get them. Put on your best red, white and blue and give a toast to the country at one of these oh-so-American city spots.

1. 21^st Amendment, 563 2^nd St. (@ Brannan St.) SoMa 415.369.0900

If you know your history, you know that there was once this silly little thing called Prohibition. And you know that the most important amendment to our Constitution (besides that free speech thing and a few others, I suppose) was the 21^st Amendment which repealed that law and made it all-American to start drinking in public places again. Sure, it took away the illicit fun of the speakeasies that made San Francisco so sexy, but it made drinking here a regular weeknight activity again. Celebrate your right to drink at this bar named after it!

2. Eagle’s Drift In Lounge, 1232 Noriega St. (@ 19^th St.), Sunset 415.661.0166

The Constitution may be one of the most patriotic things in America but a close runner up is the eagle. After all, it’s the symbol of the entire country, right? So if you want to celebrate the United States in style, hitting up an Eagle bar is a American theme must. This spot is divey enough and out-of-the-way enough to conjure up the feeling that you’re in just any old American city rather than the crazy liberal city of San Francisco.

3. Eagle Tavern, 398 12^th St. (@ Harrison St.), SoMa 415.626.0880

Of course, the eagle isn’t just an American symbol; it’s also associated with gay leather bars across the world. And, this being San Francisco, we obviously have that kind of Eagle. So, if you’re looking to put a little San Francisco spin on your American celebrations, this is your spot. After all, fetish acceptance is American, too, right? Or at least we think so here in the Bay Area.

4. The Connecticut Yankee, 100 Connecticut St. (@ 17^th St.), Potrero Hill 415.552.4440

Okay, if you want to get back to the real All-American stuff, you want a sports bar. There isn’t one in the city that’s more American than The Connecticut Yankee where every New England transplant in the Bay Area finds a little bit of that comfort from home.

5. Route 101, 1322 Van Ness Ave. (@ Fern St.), Pacific Heights 415.474.6092

But how did we all end up in San Francisco anyway? We did the American thing of traveling west. And most of us have traveled all up and down that West Coast in search of the American lifestyle that works for us. Route 101 is the scenic American road that takes us on these travels. And it’s the truck-stop-style dive bar which is one of the few San Francisco places that you’ll find tough guys and cowboys who aren’t wearing Wranglers in preparation for Gay Rodeo. There ain’t nothing more American than that. Oh, and this place has pool tables and a juke box too.