Suite 181

The club it self was kinda old looking but the music was off the hook. Over all nice place.

I wish I could give negative stars.
Ghetto! I don’t care who’s performing here, this place is a nasty dump. Lots of old, sleazy guys were here which confused me because a lot of them were there alone. Possible pimps? The staff was sleazy and rude as well. Plus a $ 20 cover! Ridiculous. Save your money and your time, skip this place!

I am terribly disappointed with Suite 181. We purchased the «After Midnight» ticket from 12:30AM to 4AM on New Years Eve and were very excited. After getting there, we were first disappointed by the ladies at the coat check who refused to check our coats. After insulting us for being white, they then turned us away from the coat check and ignored us. When 1:30AM hit, we suddenly found the music to be turned off and security ushering everyone out the door. What happened to our tickets till 4AM?
We talked to some security guards and they said the the manager, Edgar, knew ahead of time that the club would have to close by 2AM but sold tickets until 4AM because he got greedy. They directed us outside to a refund number, which turned out the be an 8 digit (FAKE) number.
Even if there hadn’t been a case of false advertising, I would avoid this place anyway. The crowd was full of creepers and the DJ sucked. Go somewhere else; it’s not worth the cover.

No doors on the women’s bathroom stalls.
It smells so bad, like, ejaculation, vomit, and piss all wrapped up in one.
Women in heels, fighting with each other over some nasty guy.
Not one person here was from SF, most from the East Bay.
Gross !

I’ve been here three times now. Two times for friends’ birthdays and a third for Halloween, when UCSF had an event here. The latter was the only time I actually had fun. Hence, one extra star for that one night of fun.
Most of the time, this place attracts a pretty un-​savory crowd. Every time I come here, there is always a throng of creepy guys standing right outside the girl’s bathroom. Whenever girls walk by, they call out ludacris things and grab at them. Does this actually get them ladies? I figure it must work once in a while since they continue to maintain their post. That or they just have a lot of perseverance. Either way, it’s pretty disgusting.
The club itself is pretty large. I can’t remember the exact lay-​out, but there are two stories. A main dance floor upstairs and another one downstairs. There’s also a «V.I.P» area in the center of the main dance floor, although it doesn’t look very V.I.P (just a bunch of shabby curtains draped around cheap-​looking couches). It can also get pretty crowded and ventilation is not very good because the distinct smell of B. O can be quite prevalent. Cover is usually $ 20, but if you can’t make it in on guestlist, it’d be wise to spend your money elsewhere.
On a better note, music is pretty good. It’s a good mix of hip-​hop and house. And there are quite a few bar areas, which is nice. Also, for those who like to party beyond 2am, this is one of the few places in SF that stays open later than that (although I usually can’t last beyond 1am here because it’s just that crappy). Besides that, there’s nothing sweet about Suite 181. TL just isn’t my scene. 2 stars!

This place sucked big ass balls. The décor is cheap the bathroom is disguisting no locks and a giant bucket with a
Dirty mop right next to the toilet with graffiti spray on the walls. Ppl wanting to
Start shit. would never go there
Again.

WORST PLACE EVER!!!
Purchased pre-​sale VIP tickets for $ 45. When we showed up at 11pm –the police and fire marshal were there not allowing anyone to enter the club due to ‘over capacity’. So the purchase was for nothing.
Some guy said he could get us in at $ 20 a person –ON TOP OF WHAT WE ALREADY PAID! So we pay an additional $ 100 to get in. Never got our VIP passes –didn’t drink for free. The music was horrible and it was not filled to ‘capacity’ it was empty upstairs.
Honestly this has to be one of the worst places EVER! I intend on getting a full if not partial refund for the evening.
I will NEVER EVER EVER go to this garbage hole again.

It would be 1 star, but they stay open an hour or two later than everybody else meaning I can get my drink on extra long and sober up.
Why…oh why. I’ll only go here if people chose it before me. Luckily I’m the party planner of my group most of the time so I won’t be choosing to come here again… or will I?
DO NOT PARK HERE. Park at Union Square and take a taxi down to the club because you’re in the tenderloin. It’s ghetto. HOW GHETTO? Let’s just say I saw a shop owner and a random bum duking it out… ONE had a freakin’ CROWBAR! With that said, if you have a shitty car and don’t care if it gets broken into or stolen or you want to take that risk, we found side street parking easily which was at the most a block or two from the club, not bad.
THIS PLACE IS HOT. Not the good hot, the I’m-just-walking-through-the-crowd-and-sweating-like-a-pig HOT. It’s not cute. The heat and the sweat mixed together goes to make really bad B.O. Please people, wear your deodorant! I hate when people marinate in their cologne, but please do it here!
GUYS have no respect here, I’ve never had so many guys grab my hands and PULL me towards them while i’m in HEELS, and walking away. It’s like they’re trying to clothesline me. If you want to wrestle, let me take my shoes off first, please. Not only that, I had my ass grabbed several times by I couldn’t even find out who– and was pretty much dry raped by a random dude that thought it sexy to just grab by the hips and do the pelvic thrust… semi-​erect. DISGUSTING DUDE.
DRINKS are given in tiny cheapie cups with ice that resembles the iceberg that sunk titanic. I’d like some alcohol with my ice, please.
With all that bad stuff said, I’ve heard the best music mixes HERE. Go up stairs and get some air, it’s not bad. The mix of people– mostly black, but some asians sprinkled out here. My asian guy friends get sad cause all the girls are taller than them hahaha :(
They do not have seating for non VIPs, so ladies, bring your comfy heels, or wear flats so my asian brothers can have a chance with y’all.
Also, the bums outside of the club are bold. I was between two GUYS with my arms in their arms for some body warmth and this dude had the audacity to get a handful of my butt. I was so shocked, I couldn’t even say anything. Luckily guys are there for my rescue.

From all the bad reviews, I was expecting a run-​down mess of a place. Instead, I got the typical SF club kind of place with mismatched, cheesy décor, too bright disco lighting, and wet floors from the sweat dripping down everyone’s faces.
The downstairs wasn’t open so the upstairs dance floor got pretty crowded. It was supposed to be some kind of album première party that night, but I saw no albums and no signs of a première. The outdoors area is good, even for non-​smokers, to get some air (albeit tobacco tainted).
The ultimate no-​no for this place, however, were the PLASTIC CUPS that served alcohol. No decent club, lounge, whatever should use disposable drinking vessels imo. Also, coat check was $ 5 which is a little steep for an establishment using plastic cups. Okay, I’m done venting about plastic cups now.

I will never come back to this place.
The bartenders there are sexist. I stood there trying to order my drink for 15min and she ignores me even though she know I was there. When she saw a guy walk up, she hurried and serve him first! This doesn’t only happen to me but a few of my friends also…
P.O.S. club

Recently, I went up north for a much-​needed classy broad getaway.
Although my inner spirits were leaning toward laid-​back bar lounge setting, I nonetheless found myself waiting patiently to enter this dingy establishment.
Waiting patiently somehow parlayed into my girls and I being approached by SF’s finest from a grossly salacious midget with a salt n pepper ponytail to a sketchy dog walker who carried the «world is against me» aura and was not afraid to express it. Needless to say, awesome first impression.
Against my better judgment, I decided to bite the bullet — being rather apprehensive that I may need to dodge one or two — and proceeded on into this seedy venue. Note of caution — be prepared to get a thorough pat-​down search, which only added to my «dead woman walking» sentiment. In addition, despite offering this venue a group of all women and having been on the «list,» we still paid 10 bucks a head. I’m even slightly embarrassed to admit this.
After finally making it into this «bleep» place, we found our silver lining — a cool bartender, who provided us with stiff cocktails and a round on the house. However, considering the backdrop — ahem, shady-​looking and socially constipated patrons — maybe the bartender recognized a cry for help when he saw one and reasoned that us ladies would need mucho Bacardi 151 to cloud the unsettling and rather scary atmosphere of Suite 181.
If you have a great group of friends, then you’ll be able to make the best of it and enjoy your evening with all the comic material surrounding you.
Cheers!

Of course. As in, of course this joint gets such terrible reviews. Honestly, whoever tells you to come here for a good time obviously has a penchant for wall-​eyed crackheads, Ray-​J wannabes, getting frisked against your will, and the distinguished odor of hmmm… ghetto.
I’m not above a sleazy dive every now and then, but Suite181 takes the concept of a dive joint to a whole new (sub)level. It tries, really very hard, to be loungy and chic, but ultimately fails. I think they should just own up to the type of place it really is and stop charging cover. Or… maybe that would really bring in the trash. I don’t know what this place needs to be more successful as a nightclub, but it needs something, and fast.
If it weren’t for good friends and free drinks from a cool bartender, this night would have been a total bust. Not representing SF, to say the very least.
I’ve given Suite181 two chances, and in retrospect it was two chances too many. My dearest Unilocalers… Live, learn, and stay far away from the hot mess that is… Suite181

I know I know, fun is what you make of it. So I did. That’s why I give this place 2 stars instead of 1.
I didn’t pay to get in cuz I got «hooked up,» and I got to hang around the «VIP» area, but I got over the segregated B– crowd and went to the dance floor. Not feelin’ liquor, so I bought myself a Corona.
SEVEN @#$%@#$ DOLLARS?!
Please. The whole dance floor is all caked with gum, the bathrooms are straight creepy (I practiced my squatting technique that night), and I didn’t want to touch ANYTHING, fearing it would get all over my clothes.
I’ve paid $ 7 for a beer before. And I’m completely fine with that. But, the atmosphere MUST match that. It didn’t.
Hanging out with some ex-​49ers was fun though.
Thanks for the memories, and thanks for playing!

Came here for NYE — overall ok til the end. but the end just ruined the entire night. there was some sh*t things that this club needs to clean up before i’d step in again, IF i’d ever even consider stepping in again. highly doubtful.
one of the previous reviewers mentioned that a man was beating a woman and no one cared. well, this time, a man was trying to force my friend to give head IN PUBLIC and no one gave a hoot. yes, you read right. so she was drunk off her ass and had no idea what was going on, couldn’t even stand. i was pulling her up and away from this man while his fly was still unzipped, trying to pull his cock half out IN A PACKED, FULL ROOM OF PEOPLE, while grabbing her head and pulling it towards him and no one tried to help. i was prying his hands off her while he was trying to pull her out of the room to go somewhere else, and the people nearby who noticed just watched. WTF?
oh sure, once the man left, a few people came up and asked ‘what happened? what was going on, is she ok?’ how the freak could you not tell WHAT WAS GOING ON?!? are you freakin stupid? we don’t need your fake sincerity. we got out as soon as we could.
it only takes one dumbass man to ruin a whole night. sure there were some decent, respectable people in there that we met earlier that night who knew better than to take advantage of a drunk chick. but this club needs to monitor who they let in and what the hell goes on inside. bartenders and bouncers need to start giving a shit, and responding when people tell them what happened.

Ya went here last night for NYE… NEVER AGAIN!!! We had this great idea of only spending $ 40 per person and having open bar. Plus the website stated that you will then by pass the line to get in. LIES ALL LIES!!! We get there at 10pm, take a look at the picture I tagged, thats where we were standing, you’ll notice that you can’t see the door, why, that’s because the line is around the corner. Oh so we finally get to the front of the line at 11:30pm. To stand in another line to get searched, to go inside, stand in another line to check our coats, to push our way to a bar, to stand 4 people deep in line to get «free» drink. Which the booze was watered down, my vodka oj was great tasting oj… Oh did mention that inside there was so many people packed in there that it was like a mosh pit of stilleto heels and popped-​collared guys? Oh and what’s with the 3 person stall bathroom?
IDK about the guys bathroom, but the womens was packed with girls in line to pee and girls in line to puke in the sink… stay classy: P
So all in all, we weren’t drunk, I honestly think that if you rung out my dress, there would be more booze in that then my drink, I got so many drinks spilt on me that night! It sucked, will NEVER come back!!!

Ew

I wasn’t the smartest girl when I agreed to go to Suite 181 back in the clubbing days.
A lot of other people aren’t, either. There is always a line outside. And it smells like pee.
OK, so it looks pretty big and nice inside. But I can’t get over the pee smell.
The bartenders can mess up every single drink you order. Mojito — with no crushed mint leaves. Vodka anything — just taste like bad liquor.
I’ve learned to just stick with beer and stay upstairs. I need to learn to just stay away. A year + and counting… that’s a start.

Hmmmm, I don’t know where to start.
It depends on what you’re looking for in a club. If you’re there purely for the hip hop and dance music, then it’s all good. 5 stars fo sho.
As far as everything else goes – the crowd, the ambiance, the neighborhood, the lack of cleanliness – it’s not a sophisticated place and the below-​par reviews are all true. I am actually shocked that the cover is $ 20. RIDONKULOUS!
Here’s my recommendation: Get a bunch of friends together, get yourself on the guestlist, get in for free before 10pm before a line starts, dance your booty off, leave when it starts to get skanky.

ghetto.

eww…