Trad’r Sam

I’m sure this place has a ton of locals/​regulars that love this place. So this place threw me off a bit since it looked funny on the outside, smells like spilt beer on the inside, but has this tiki theme look to it. The famous scorpion bowl is what I shared with 3 others and we downed it in about 5 mins tops. It feels like 99% pineapple to me and just not my cup of tea. Maybe I have a high tolerance but I just felt my pancreas hurting and a brain freeze. I’ll stick to hard alcohol or beers. I’m sure young’ems will love it but meh.

Tradr Sams is popular and always full of people. That may be a good sign or maybe because it is the only full bar within the radius of four or so blocks. I do have a problem with Trad’r Sam’s. I remember friends and I visited it a few times about five years ago. It changed a lot since. Since then it has gone down in profile, quality, and presentation. I’d break it into two categories. One is that which depends on people who run it and another which isn’t the fault of the people who run it but rather the circumstances. Keep that in mind as you read since owners aren’t to blame for some of it.
First thing that you notice is whenever you walk by Trad’r Sam’s it smells like spilled beer and spilled drinks. Basically smells like alcohol and mixers have been splashed all over. This can be smelled 4 – 6 feet away from the door. I don’t know whether I’ve just happened to walk by on busy days or whether it’s always like this.
Another very noticeable thing is the «regulars» patrons. You can see familiar faces of people who are clearly down on their luck and/​or are having problems with alcohol. They stand in front of the entrance like rude a-​holes. They’re loud, they smell, and often they just smoke cigarettes «outside» by which I mean basically inside and go to the entrance because it is the law. The bar cannot turn people away so the clientele isn’t their fault of course. They could be more firm about where the patrons smoke and loiter though.
The outside of Trad’r Sam’s looks old and worn out too. Come on guys, make it look nicer.
Drinks are great and there are flat screen TVs inside. No problem with that.

We wandered into this bar and it was awesome! Tons of drink options, unique cocktails that are delicious and affordable. Hubby got a Long Island iced tea and I got a piña colada, we felt like we were on a tropical vacation. Chill vibe and unpretentious. Next time I want to try a scorpion bowl. We’ll definitely be back!

Ive been to this place many times and I enjoyed it until last night I encountered such terrible service! 3 bartenders who took about 20−25min to make a drink and it was gross. They looked confused. one looked high and the woman was drunk. Tey couldnt even count the change! they didnt know what they were doing.
One guy with the glasses and beard took our order after 15min and waited another 10 – 15 to get our drinks and as I was grabbing my drink to hand to my friend this guy had the nerve to ask
«So I made you all these drinks and you’re not going to tip?»
I shot him a dirty look like are you kidding me? This is shitty service to begin with and he has the audacity to ask us for a tip while I was handing them a drink. he couldnt even wait 3 seconds before opening his mouth! I will not return to this place! They needa work on their attitude.

Wow. There is one woman working the bar by herself and a huge contingent of customers. Obviously she can’t keep up. Where is the management in this establishment?

If you live in the Outer Richmond District, and you don’t know about Trad’r Sam, you need to get out more.
It’s a tiki themed bar on Geary
Cash Only
Known for their punch bowls which WILL do damage. I came here once to close out the night and thought a shared bowl with friends wouldn’t be so bad. It most certainly was a regrettable decision.
All in all though, this is a very charming neighborhood bar. Doesn’t have the bells and whistles some look for in a bar, but who cares? I just really hate that it’s cash only, so I give it 3 instead of 4 stars. (Sorry)

First time there & actually enjoyed myself. My sister and I fell in love with the chocolate banana and the banana split ice cream drinks. So delicious!!! Did not care so much for their signature bowl the scorpion. But we will definitely be back with our crew.

Cheap + well-​made drinks AND the bartenders are attentive/​sweet?! Easiest decision ever.

Place is tiny and loud. It will be hard for you to find a spot for your group and be able to hear them. I recommend to avoid this place unless you’re a college kid.

Very disappointed in the service we were give upon entering. A group of friends and I had flown in from New Orleans for my birthday and we were recommended by a good friend to come here. Although some of us had come in with ease, the OLDEST person in our group was questioned about their ID and was declined entrance. He had all the backup identifications he needed to prove it was him like credit cards and whatnot. The doorman had the audacity to crack his ID in half and we have to fly back tomorrow. So what happens if TSA won’t accept it? Thank you tradr sam for being the sole bad thorn in our trip to San Francisco.

The spot is cool to hang out for a couple drinks, the only downfall is to play music that you like you have to spend $ 1.00 a song that probably won’t even get played while your in there. The drinks are awesome, me and my girls got a tidal wave bowl which was more than enough to get our buzz on.

The best «fish» bowl in the city is Trad’r Sam’s Scorpion Bowl. Trad’r Sam is located in the Richmond and is a must if you’re in the neighborhood and looking for a buzz.
Be prepared to walk into a dive-​y, hole-​in-​the-​wall tiki room. Grab a couch (if you can), pull up some chairs, and split the infamous Scorpion Bowl (served in a salad bowl) with some friends. Who knows what exactly is in it but it tastes delicious and sneakily gets you drunk.
**CASH ONLY** $ 14 real bang for your buck

Couldn’t get worse.
Came in on a slow afternoon day, service was terrible. Bartender too busy talking to regulars.
That alone isn’t worth writing a review.
However when we left, the door accidentally closed too hard, because it got stuck on a mat and I pulled too hard trying to shut it.
«Bouncer» tracked us down after 5 blocks to intimidate me while letting me know that «there’d be a problem if the door slammed again». Continued to try and instigate a fist fight. Insulted my intelligence. On and on.
But I’m sure the Mai tai’s are awesome.

Great for groups of 2 to 4, unless you come here massively early and snag a table with enough seats for your gang to share bowls of tiki-​inspired drinks and a handful of straws. This dive bar is crowded and a fun neighborhood bar complete with arcade games in the back to keep your college-​aged crowd entertained.

Divey Place: but $ 5 MaiTai will keep me coming back again and again. I here it gets jam packed with college kids at night: I’ll reserve my drinking for daylight hours.

Dear Trad’r Sam,
Please get rid of that bearded bar tender with the fedora hat. Every time I ordered from this guy, he just gave me a dirty look. It seemed like he was having a bad day/​life. Maybe he has something against people who are polite? Or maybe his favorite vintage thrift store was liquidated? Or maybe Whole Foods stopped selling his favorite gluten free pickles? Whatever the hell his problem is, I don’t care. He is toxic. Get rid of him.
K thx.
— Ray
P. S. Your drinks are cool though.

Tiki style bar joint. Cheap drinks and large amount of alcohol in bowls! Cozy areas separated by bamboos for individual groups. The Scorpion bowl here REALLY packs a punch and definitely can share between 5 people. The punch bowl here is pretty good too! Strong mai tais and sweet daiquiris!

Step foot into Trad’r Sams and instantly you’re transported to Aloha Tiki Boozy fun!
So this is a Tiki-​themed dive bar that specializes in fruity cocktails — complete with little umbrellas! Their drink menu is extensive and is broken up into the main alcohol component of each drink (ex: vodka drinks, rum, tequila, etc). A great start, but sadly they fail to list ingredients beyond the booze. Basically you’re SOL if you don’t like pineapple juice, etc.
Bartender seemed too overwhelmed to list ingredients, so don’t bother. Just pick the drink with the most fun sounding name and suck it down! At only $ 6 a piece these giant cocktails are a great deal and will get you tipsy in no time.
TIP: definitely try the blended ice cream drinks! I can’t remember which one we ordered (something with amaretto) and it was insanely delicious! Fun to share with a few friends.

I DO NOT appreciate my Kenny G and George Michael selections being turned down so much they are barely audible. Get with the program, Trad’r Sam!
Horrible drinks, very weird crowd, this place is probably a blast for the regulars but I got a headache from the piña colada and loud hip hop.
HOWEVER, I walked in with 0 expectations and had fun until the crowd got too belligerent.

Wow what a gem! My boyfriend and I were looking for a fun tiki bar and this fit the bill. It’s pretty far away from everything but worth the trip out. The drinks are SO CHEAP and has a wonderful local vibe. My favorite drink was the piña colada. We sat right up at the bar and the bartender was so friendly. I can’t wait to come back.

Been here for multiple occasions and its such a great hole in the wall, but my only disappointment of this place is 1) the size of it — SO tiny, it’s like a dentist office and 2) its cash only, so you gotta spend wisely!
It’s pretty cool how they’re open 7 days a week — I’ve come here on a Monday before and it was super fun! The bartenders are very friendly and are great at noticing if you have been helped or not! The selections of their drinks are crazyyyyy good! I’ve tried the Scooby Snack (shooter), Scorpion Bowl (super strong — I highly recommend you sharing with at least 3 – 4 people excluding a DD or über/​lyft back home!), the Volcano bowl (SO delicious and cute!), the Tidal Wave (so strong — but gets your buzz going!) and the Mint Chocolate Milkshake (it is insane how good this milkshake tastes o_​_​o Its almost too good to be true and deadly that there’s alcohol in it). The prices of the drinks are pretty standard and affordable too which is super nice. I just always feel so limited when I don’t have that much cash on hand :(
P. S. if you come here on a weekend — go early like 8pm or so! Seats get filled SUPER quick and parties tend to stay there for awhile. Oh, and it gets really hot inside!

Finally got to check out this spot! My friend was right. Come early otherwise this place get super packed and you’ll be standing for the entire night.
We got here around 10pm sharp on a Saturday and there was barely any seating except this corner by the ATM. Fortunately we were only a party of 4 so we got cozy just fine. We started off with the Tidal Wave and got their classic Scorpion bowl later. Both bowls were pretty good and for $ 14 each, not a bad deal especially because you’re sharing with others. Plus it WILL get you drunk! They’ll make the bowls in front of you by blending a bunch of ice with a ton of colorful liquor that turns out nice in the end. I don’t know if they ran out of garnishes but I was disappointed they didn’t bother to add any more frills when we got the Scorpion bowl :/​throughout the night we were able to move to a more comfy spot with a couch but even then an upgrade on their furniture would be nice.
All in all, I would come back here. Cheap tropical drinks and shots (less than $ 9-​$ 10 for an individual drink; $ 14-​$ 16 for bowls). Some downsides of the bar are that there is only one bathroom for men and one bathroom for women. The variety of music played was very random and we had to shout for conversation, but otherwise I had a good time! I’ve been to nicer tiki bars but this one’s a good choice if you’re looking for good drinks with a cool dive-​y ambiance.

I’ve been here a few times and I have always enjoyed this place! Trad’r Sam is very laidback and a great place to get some drinks with some friends. The service here is so great and the bartenders are friendly. The drinks are inexpensive, such as the Tiki Bowls, but the downside part of it is that they only take cash. The first time coming to Tad’r Sam, I didn’t bring enough cash since I mostly use my card. Just make sure to bring some cash before coming here.
This place does get pretty crowded, especially during on weekends. The décor is really nice, but they have a lot of run-​downed tables and furniture. The wobbly tables do get the best of you and your group when people have more than enough drinks going around — so be careful!
This is a great place to hit if you plan on just getting some drinks with some friends or come here as one of your stops if you’re bar hopping.

Cheap drinks, made with sugar, but I cannot deny the love of the Scorpion Bowl.
The place get s a little crowded… quick so flash your money in the faces of the bartender and you will get the attention you want. I love this place because with all good intention it reminds me of Home, trashy, divey, and full of ghetto busy bodies.

One of my favorite hang out spots, ever.
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Ok, I might sound like an alcoholic saying this, but swear I’m not.
The service is so great here. The tenders are friendly, conversational, makes great drinks — but sometimes I think they make it depending on who’s ordering.
Here me out, I’m asian but I have a higher tolerance than most and my best friend is black with a lowest tolerance imaginable. But when she orders, it’s made much stronger than mine when I order.
But it’s ok, ’cause it’s just THAT good!
The Toasted Almond and the Tahiti Monk are our favorites. They’re so similar, but so good. Yes, we only order the ice cream drinks. Judge me all you want, but it’s literally the only thing we order there, and the only reason we keep coming back.
The atmosphere is also great. The people who go there are super chill. They even have a mini arcade in the back room consisting of a pinball machine and a shooting game. Super cute. See you there, ’cause chu know I’ll be back… like, every month…

I’ve been here a bunch of time for chill but fun nights in SF. It’s a tiki lounge, cash only and its a small little joint — so don’t come on a Thursday/​Friday/​Saturday night expecting to come in and plop right down, especially with a group of 4+
I love the vibe here. Never have had a problem with the bouncers, bartenders or even the people. The music is usually good — but I guess that’s dependent on the people that are there, because it’s one of those music machines that require you to insert cash then choose the tunes.
The bowls are delicious! I especially love the tidal wave (think that’s the blue one?) and the one with the ice cream in it! One bowl can definitely get the job done for at least 4 – 5 people!
PS — don’t drink and drive!

Trad’r Sam’s is a cute dive bar the you can easily fall in love with due to its dive décor and strong drinks. They are famous for their scorpion bowl which has champaign and different types of rum. It serves up to four, but I have split it before with a friend. (CAUTION: expect to go for a spin). They have a deal on Sunday’s 2 $ off the scorpion bowl.
I love their menu, they have a whole bunch of funny drink names for example;
Lovers cup for 2
Surfer on Acid
Rastaman
Catamaran
However, they don’t tell you what exactly goes into the drink on the menus so ask or beware!!!
They last time I went, I had the Lynchburg Lemonade!!! Nom, it was perfect, you couldn’t even taste the alcohol (don’t know if that is a good or bad thing)! This drink has whiskey’s in it =)
Overall, Trad’r Sam’s is the perfect dive bar to visit in San Francisco if you are looking for an epic time with friends!