Ha-Ra Club

Almost hate to write this review because the conformist lames will infest however the truth is the light. Being a recent widow yeh, ouch… late Tuesday, June 14 I nocturnally strolled to Target downtown for cat food (mock me and you will be cursed) and on the way I noticed that Ha-​Ra Club had like, reasonably sane functional-​looking and attractive people inside! One star!
Say wha? That place used to be an ultra freak fest in the worse possible way I’m ‘old school’ tolerant liberal artsy chick & have avoided Ha-​Ra Club except for an unfortunate visit in the late ’90’s with the late Mr. L to protect me it was too much yuck and I should know have lived here since 1984 (broken record).
The handsome (I’m a sexist piglet) doorman accepted my smile and stepped to the side. See, some doormen are passive aggressive idiots and chose to bother a chick for no other reason than they feel less-​than; nevermind the quasi– feminist rhetoric about misogynist impotence, which there isn’t any at Ha-​Ra Club. Two stars.
What else do you want in a recently refurbished San Francisco iconic dive bar beside red velvet flocked walls and friendly talkative service men. Three stars.
Emphasis on men and being a str8 lady, well, honey, please. Ladies and gentlemen, behold your newest Tendernob cruising/​pick up/​first date/​bridge and tunnel joint. Four stars!
The is a pool table, the house white wine is 7 bucks there are drinks specials, happy hours hooks for your purse to hang on (smile) every nook and cranny is screaming for an infatuation kiss.
Unless you get a wonky doorman then you will lose your mystique and right now Ha-​Ra Club deserves 5 stars.

I see the listing as a ‘dive bar,’ probably would be better described as a ‘cool bar.’ Why? A number of reasons, not the least of which being that when you go there, right about when you are wondering if you are in the right place — you are just about there…
Three experienced SF bar proprietors (with at least one a local legend) brought this one-​time nightspot of wrestler HAnk Hanastead and boxer RAlph Figari, as well as a former brothel, back to its old glory: vintage photos, original ceiling, red-​velvet wallpaper, and all (see — a pro wrestler, prizefighter, and a former brothel — three more reasons this place is cool).
It is on a stretch of Geary Street in the Tenderloin (regardless of what the realtors and rental agents tell you) that is still a block or two from a lot of the gentrification that has happened in the area. So get there now if that’s your draw, because given how things are going in The City the 800 block of Geary will be tamed soon as well…
Ha-​Ra oozes character and stories, which whoever is behind the bar will generally share if they’re not too busy. The crowd can be ‘interesting’ depending on when you’re there, it’s a great place to catch a game or a drink before heading home. They have a good selection of liquor and beer, and know their cocktails…
I read the Unilocal complaints about the pricing, honestly not sure what people expect in SF when here. SF and the Bay Area are not an inexpensive place to eat or drink practically anywhere anymore, I don’t see Ha-​Ra as being any different better or worse in that regard. It’s a great go-​to spot for a change of pace, and it’s been a sure-​fire fun night every time I’ve been there so far.

Nice bar but these people are crooks, their alcohol is full of water. I had 2 LIT“s and trust me it just felt like lemonade. Told the bartender and still they did not do anything about it

Solid bar, not a dive bar by any means IMO, pretty dark, tiled ceiling, 3 decent size TVs, water readily available in a self serve style so you don’t have to bug the bartenders.

Went with some girlfriends last week and this place was great. The crowd is always great and interesting. I really like pool and they have a table in the front. There is a really cool phone charging station in the back.
If you want to have a private party they will even rent you a table and a keg, we don’t like beer but gotta get white girl wasted somehow :)

A new home-​base! Love it to bits! Adam is crazy sexy cool. Fredo is my lesbian wing man. Sarah is the BREAST… Both of them and much more. She is my bartender of choice. Big supporter of Wizz. So much good going on here. To be continued. Thanks for keeping it 100!

stumbled onto this place… Great Bloody Marys and COLD tap beer! service and Sphere on point.

Fantastic remodel. The guys kept a lot of the original touches but spruced up the space nicely. If you are looking for a cozy space with friendly bartenders and good TVs for sports, this is a great spot.

So much for «remaining» a dive bar… yet another TRENDALOIN bore!
Wish I can tell you more, but I will spare you.

Love love love this spot!!! Beautifully decorated and the staff is friendly and on point. It’s only been open fur a short while but is killing it and will for sure be a new regular for me.

Thank you team from aces, Scotty and Tommy for saving an old school bar. You managed to modernize it while keep the original feel. Well … Old school feel without the grim, smell, and sticky everything. It looks great and feels right! Thank you!

Why 5??? (Cue the dreamy «flashback-​sequence» effect used for exposition in the 1980’s and 1990’s…)
Ha-​Ra Club was the gritty survivor. The echos stirred at this little way-​past-​its-​prime lounge on Geary. I liked going there and experiencing the post-​modern impending demise of the last gasp of its era. The bartender, while not your average guy, was a hell of a gentleman who had a lot of worldly wisdom. Those who dwained to dwell in «old» Ha-Ra’s environs were for real. You knew it wouldn’t last. It effectively closed a while ago. In my mind, this one was buried and dead. (Finger. No pulse. … He’s dead, Jim.)
(Flash Forward — Fade into a man walking down Geary on his way to a farmers market.)
10:30am, Temperature: 62.7 Degrees. Purpose: I’m on the way to the Fillmore Farmers Mar… … … (scratch) … IS HA-​RA BACK OPEN!!!
I wondered in. And, my jaw dropped. Dropped. This place has been redone in a big way. Then, I was blown away the more I hung out and talked to the folks. They blew this remodel away. I cannot believe how good a job they did off maintaining the original character of the bar while enhancing it into a modern setting. Seeing the «old bar» and the «new bar» is something. I loved the nostalgia, but to see a place that is above-​average to begin with is quite a juxtaposition. They opened up the area over the bar and it feels much more spacious. The bar and behind the bar are the same as always. The pool area is essentially the same with the addition of high-​tops. But, while retaining these classic elements, they did it up and it is beautiful. I’d like to know if they used a professional designer — this was well done and someone deserves some props.
There should be a part of me that wishes the old place didn’t change, but I don’t feel that way. I think this has the potential to be a heck of a bar. They did a great job. And, it does stand-​out against the back-​drop of the neighborhood bars. It’ll be interesting to see how this place goes moving forward, but they have a foundation of a 60+ year-​old bar that has a lot of good vibes.

Walked in on a Saturday night and it was barren. The power was out and all they served was Budweiser from a bottle and Kentucky Reserve whiskey. It boggles my mind how anyone would want to keep this place open, let alone work there.

Ha-​Ra is yet another one of those SF places that I have deliberately not reviewed, even though I have been there lots of times.
Those of you who knew Carl know what I mean. What a character. Recently, I stopped in this joint again and got a new, young bartender. I give the guy credit, because when I started talking about Carl, you could tell that he had heard about it MILLIONS of times already. He was very eager to put that chapter behind and make his own mark as a bartender. Not easy to do in Carl’s footsteps, but I wish him luck.
At least after Carl left, the owner of the bar used to tend there. Surprisingly young, he is actually the son of one of the founders/​owner. This place has a surprising history, though you wouldn’t know it upon casual inspection. Check out the black and white photo of the Ha-​Ra from the 50’s or 60’s, when it was full of patrons dressed up in suits and dresses.

Dump. Skip it.
Visited SF a while back and saw that this place was supposed to be a fun dive bar. I’m assuming now that all these positive reviews are just a running joke with the locals because the bar was completely barren when I showed up with my friends. The bartender had the personality of an opened box of Saltines and seemed annoyed to have customers. My friend ordered a jack and coke that not only turned out to be outrageously expensive but was also almost 100% soda. The actual soda that I did order was somehow only slightly less expensive. Naturally I have to assume that they really value their disgusting bar soda to put it at that kind of a premium.
Seriously. It’s a dump. Skip it.

Dump. Skip it.
Visited SF a while back and saw that this place had a rep as a chill dive bar. I’m assuming now that all these positive reviews are just a running joke with the locals because the bar was completely barren when I showed up with my friends. The bartender had the personality of an opened box of Saltines and seemed annoyed to have customers. My friend ordered a jack and coke that not only turned out to be outrageously expensive but was also almost 100% soda. The actual soda that I did order was somehow only slightly less expensive. Naturally I have to assume that they really value their disgusting bar soda to put it at that kind of a premium.
Seriously. It’s a dump. Skip it.

Snuck in on a rainy Friday after a nostalgic walk through the Tenderloin. The Bourbon and Branch crew are taking over the neighborhood — people like me who mis-​spent their 20s ‘slumming it’ on Geary might be the reason — and rumor was the Ha Ra was the next TL dive to get the mixologist makeover.
All the signs of a bar imminently to be sold were there: three people inside, empty space on the dusty liquor shelf, and dead silence. That’s rare on a Friday in this neighborhood nowadays — hearing the building hum as you drink — and worth pursuing. ‘When’s the changeover?” I ask, trying to be casual. A sneer. «You can’t believe everything you read on the Internet!» says the barkeep.
He’s the lone man on the staff, and on his days off (Sundays and Mondays) the bar is closed. Maybe that’s how the hints of the Ha Ra’s demise began. Or maybe nobody can believe a bar/​social club opened by a boxer and a wrestler in the 1940s, and still owned by the same family, can hang on in 2014, when tech is king.
$ 10.25 for a shot of Bulleit and a Racer 5. $ 3.50 for a well cocktail. The lesson on how to hit in a bar fight without breaking your hand (palm strikes) and how to break the thumb of the dude choking you (raise your arm, twist, and pull) from the knuckle-​tattooed regular was free.
All bars in the TL used to be like this. Get it while you can, kids; it’s on its way out.

I went into ha ra last night with a buddy. (12−21−13). I asked for a beer and the bar tender, (not giving a shit) said «they don’t have it.» Then asked for another beer on tap. His response was «all beers on tap are out.» Then he asked me «how much have you had to drink tonight?. » ?!? It was the start of the night and we literally just got there.
At ease soldier, I don’t need to give you my money.
I hope this whole place washes its face with a shotgun.
If your looking for a dive in the area go to 800 Larkin.
If your looking for a great beer bar. Go to Amsterdam.
But skip HA RA, it’s garbage.

Let me tell you a little something about Ha-​Ra, or as the glowing neon sign amongst the filth of the ‘loin advertises «Ra.»
This is not a bar where you and your girlfriends go to to celebrate your bachelorette party. Nor is it a place where you and your bros from Walnut Creek visit to hit on city chicks.
This is a place where the patron’s eyes wrinkle over from years of heartache and disappointment. Where solitude comes on a busy Saturday night in the hood.
You are almost always guaranteed a game at the pool table, as most of the regulars are hunched over their scotches and whiskeys.
This is where you can share a pint with the real San Francisco, far away from the glittery lights of Polk street. This is where San Francisco goes to sit, think, and drink.

My friends and I want to start out at a dive bar for cheap drinks. We got there and it was dead (it was 7PM on a Saturday). It’s too bad that they ran out of rum already! (Where’s the rum gone???)
We ordered beer on tap and it’s $ 4.50 per beer, so it’s not bad at all. We didn’t order any cocktail drinks because my friends wanted to go to a more «classy» bar.
The bar has a pool table and a jukebox. The people there played some rock music and were singing along as they played pool.
I think it’s an alright dive bar but I’d go here if I want a glass of beer. I could give 4 stars but no rum so 3 stars. I still recommend to visit this bar because people have different feelings with dive bars.

Best dive bar in the TL.
Look at the amount of 5 star reviews! If I wasn’t such a D&$K with my reviews I’d give ‘em 5 too.
Totally worth your time and money.

HaRa! It sounds funny when you say it a bunch of times (try it)…and this is what you will be chanting after a visit to the Ha-​Ra Club.
A quintessential dive bar– don’t let the neighborhood scare you away. It’s typically fairly empty and you can almost always get in for a game of pool (unless it is SantaCon and there are like 50 million Santa’s in here).
From the looks of it outside you wouldn’t think it’s a clean and nice inside, but HA-​RA (I like to use this word instead of Surprise) it is!
New juke box with all the latest a greatest hits to go with your $ 5 glass of scotch.

OMG… With almost 200 reviews I probably won’t cover an aspect that’s new except to say that upon walking into the place for the first time, a girl in a horse head mask jumped on top of a friend and rode around on the bar and proceeded to have a great time. It was her birthday so when in Rome…
The drinks were strong and the bartender friendly enough that I enjoyed the whole crazy experience. I like the diveyness of the place and hope you do too.

Cool Dive Bar with very well priced drinks and decent cocktails. I forgot what I had but they were all pretty good.
The owner/​bar-​tender was very personable and friendly.
Most cocktails rang in at around $ 3.50~5.00
I don’t like beer so I can’t comment on them.
After all is said and done, it’s great bang for the buck!

This place is dark and divey, the drinks are strong and the jukebox is fun. The bartender was very friendly and mixed up a few Makers Mark Manhattans, we chatted like I’ve been there a hundred times before. The DYL and «Be about it» Zine party was the place to be last Friday and introduced me to the Ha-​Ra Club.
I love San Francisco locals, they often make you feel at home no matter where you are from. Since, I’m a local — we talk about the ever changing city we were raised in.
I’m drinking Maker’s Mark Manhattans at a steal of a price and finish the night off with an Irish Coffee with whipped cream. I know, not what you would expect from a dive bar, but you always find the best things when you are not expecting them.