Question Mark Bar: Where Law Clerks & Drag Queens Share a Drink
Tucked into an unassuming stretch of SoMa, right across from the courthouse, sits a place with a name that makes you pause: Question Mark Bar & Restaurant. That pause is intentional. This isn’t just a bar. Not just a restaurant. Not just a music venue. It’s whatever you need it to be, depending on the night and the version of yourself that walks through the door.
From the outside, Question Mark Bar & Restaurant catches the eye with cobalt blue walls, bright yellow trim, and a neon question mark sign that shifts colors throughout the night. Inside, the space is warm, weird, and welcoming—dim lighting, swirling wall murals, and a curved wooden bar with cushioned stools set the tone. Towering 5-foot Pink Floyd and Alice in Chains album covers overlook the room, while painted nudes hide in plain sight on the tables, usually only noticed when you’re really looking. Toward the back, the Hip Pocket bar offers a cozier, art-filled lounge space perfect for private hangs. The layout is flexible and full of character, and you’ll often spot the owner’s dog, Lu, making the rounds like she owns the place.
The owner, Jeremy Paz, is a San Francisco native and a Navy veteran. He’s also the product of some of the city’s most eclectic roots. He was raised by a ’60s it-girl mom and a proudly gay uncle. His dad was a beat poet and improv actor named John Brent who was one of the original members of The Second City and The Committee. There’s a story that John Belushi once ran into him in an elevator and knelt and kissed his feet. Brent once ran for mayor on the slogan “Anything You Want.” That spirit lives on here: unapologetically inclusive, creative, and a little rebellious in all the right ways.
After decades behind some of San Francisco’s most iconic bars and nightclubs, Jeremy didn’t open this place to get rich. He opened it to build something that felt different. A place without gatekeepers. A place where courthouse clerks and drag queens could post up at the same bar. Where cops and punks, DJs and dog walkers, could all be part of the same crowd and feel like they belonged.
The building itself has history. It used to be a cop bar. And sure, you might still see a badge here and there. But these days, the energy has shifted. The regulars are as varied as the staff, and the vibe is unfiltered and welcoming. No curated cool. No front. Just real people having a real good time.
At its heart, Question Mark is a music space. There’s a proper stage that hosts everything from live bands to karaoke to full-on dance parties. Silent disco headsets let the crowd get loud without bothering the table in the back. And if you’ve got a playlist or a set of your own, just ask. You might end up on the decks.
The kitchen is the kind of surprise you don’t see coming. Run by a chef with more than 30 years of experience, the menu is big, the flavors are bold, and the portions don’t mess around. There’s always free popcorn, and the drinks are strong, simple, and priced for the people. Whether you’re after a dialed-in classic or just something cold and fast, it’ll be served with zero pretense and no upsell.
With its own lot, parking is actually easy. That’s a small miracle in SoMa. Inside, the space is flexible. Movie nights, trivia, birthday ragers, offbeat themed parties, private events, even slideshow setups—it can handle all of it. Rooms can be rented. Dogs are always welcome. And the energy always feels like someone just hit play on something good.
Question Mark isn’t chasing trends. It’s rooted in something deeper. It’s a bar that doesn’t try to define you. It just gives you room to show up however you are. Whatever kind of night you’re after, whoever you are when you walk in, there’s space for you here.
Howdy! My name is Katy Atchison and I'm an Associate Editor for Broke-Ass Stuart.
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