10 San Francisco Bars that Open at 6am

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Sometimes you just don’t want the party to end. You’ve been up all night dancing, drinking, drugging, doing the deed, and suddenly it’s 6am and you’re like, “Damn, I bet I’m in perfect condition to be out in public and in a drinking establishment.”

Well, that’s one reason bars open at 6am.

The other one, often times the more popular one, is that people who just get off a graveyard shift want a fucking drink. People like doctors, janitors, strippers, nurses, strippers who dress like nurses…there are plenty of jobs that end just about the time many of us are waking up. And for them, 6am bars are the best thing in the world.

Here are 10 San Francisco bars that open at 6am:

Ace’s Bar

Dear god, please tell me this is at 6am. (image from Big Blue)

This NYC centric bar has been holding it down on the 6am tip for a decade. During regular people hours, Ace’s is a  solid, divey place to get your drink on and watch a game. At 6am I imagine it’s the same but weirder.
(Open every day at 6am)

The Brown Jug Saloon

Telling it like it is. (image from nileguide)

Besides being a fantastic bar to cry in by yourself, the Brown Jug is also a 6am bar. Considering it’s location in the heart of the Tenderloin, no matter what condition you come in, they’ve seen far worse. That said, it doesn’t mean they’ll tolerate your bullshit either. They’ve got a strict zero tolerance policy for your bullshit.
(Open every day at 6am)

[Editor’s note: RIP the Brown Jug]

The Cinch

Possibly the last gay bar on Polk Street, the Cinch is also the second oldest surviving one in SF. It’s old and divey and weird and hella gay and wonderful. If you’ve never been, it’s a must, especially at 6am.
(Open 6am on Saturday and Sunday)

Clooney’s

This may even be 6am for all I know. (image from Xpress)

This also happens to be a bar you can cry in by yourself. Clooney’s is the second one on this list. I wonder if there is a correlation. Regardless, my buddy Isaac Fitzgerald once spent an entire day in this fantastic bar, from 6am to 2pm, and live tweeted it. It was brilliant and was for a Bold Italic article that no longer exists on the internet.
(Open every day at 6am)

Gino & Carlo

What a great sign! (image from SF Weekly)

As old school as you can get in San Francisco, Gino and Carlo is a hold over from when North Beach was a working class Italian neighborhood. It’s the kind of place where you you pretty much inherit the seat at the bar from your dad.
(Open every day at 6am)

The Mix

Probably not 6am…but you never know. (image from yelp)

Easily one of the most laid back and friendly bar in the Castro, The Mix is the little neighborhood joint that never judges you no matter what shape you’re in when tumble in the door. Even at 6am.
(Open every day at 6am)

Pop’s Bar

It’s probably not nearly as majestic looking at 6am. (photo by Grahame Perry)

In December Pop’s announced that it would be joining the 6am club. All the doctors and nurse at nearby SF General Hospital rejoiced because, GODDAMN do they need a drink after seeing the shit that goes down at the hospital.
(Open every day at 6am)

Silver Crest Diner

Here she is win all her glory. (image from SF Gate)

Part doughnut shop, part diner, part bar, The Silver Crest Diner never closes. In fact I was told they have never locked their door since first opening in 1970! Kinda makes your work ethic seem like shit doesn’t it? So if you’re near here at 6am, they will serve you booze. The bartender’s choice is always ouzo by the way.
(Always open! Starts serving booze at 6am.)

Silver Spur

Is this sunrise at the Silver Spur? And are you there? (image from Foodio)

In the Outer Sunset lies the Silver Spur, beckoning you with its 6am siren call. Will you go? Will you drink her her superb divey-ness and chase it with a shot of Jameson? I sure as fuck hope so.
(Open every day at 6am)

Vesuvio

I fucking love this place. (image from slyscope)

Hands down one of the best bars in San Francisco, Vesuvio used to open at 6am everyday but now it only does on Saturday and Sunday. That’s cool though because if you stop in on Sunday you get to hang out with my buddy Tony, who is a wonderful bartender. In fact, read about his 6am shift here.

Which ones are we missing? Leave them in the comments.