Trick Dog

Went here last month for the first time. It was super trendy (read ton’s of hipsters, men in flannel with beards and a bit of a meat market) with good drinks but holy heck was it crowded. Maybe I’m just getting too old for places like this but waiting 30 min fighting your way to the bar to pay $ 15+ for a cocktail (albeit a good one) seems like waayyyy too much work on a weeknight. If I come back it would be to have some food upstairs where you have some breathing space at your own table.

I lost a brand new pack of ferry tickets and I’m not even upset about it. Adorable little hipster bar, very simple, contemporary with open duct, not over-​designed. It’s like the self-​aware people from Portlandia opened a bar to NOT be ironic, but just be fun, unpretentious, and tasty… all the while having the silly and over the top drink menus with way too many weird drinks, that take a bit longer than normal to make, etc. But the theme is fun if you know what you are getting into, and the barkeeps are absolutely friendly and not Portlandia. Sorry to be uninspired with the references, but I find too many people teetering on the self-​aware and out-​to-​lunch «we’re doing this like that show» vibe. These guys know what they are doing, they walk the line, and they pull it off marvelously. =) Cheers.

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG.
Lord have mercy. On my wallet.
And my liver.
Trick Dog is the bar that I’ve always wanted to have in my neighborhood, but then, it decided to put itself in the Mission.
OK. I guess God really did have mercy on me.
The Bön Vivants group live up to the definition of their name: persons who are sociable and enjoy a luxurious lifestyle. While the bar itself is casual and not the least bit luxurious as their group name suggests, you come to Trick Dog to socialize, eat, drink and be merry. The bar area has that friendly feel where you can easily strike up a conversation with your bartender. Or the person next to you who’s been eyeing your Thrice cooked french fries. (guard it with your life if you ordered it manimal style!)
Being a mighty competitor in the James Beard awards, Trick Dog constantly strives to become better each year. The cocktail menu gets a complete overhaul every 6 months and they’re known for having a theme each time they make a switch. We went in here for the 2016 calendar cocktails (and if you bought the calendar, part of the proceeds go to SF SPCA) These guys are absolutely talented and wholly creative. Who would’ve thought to put ingredients like sunflower seeds, sandalwood and sharp cheddar in cocktails? It sounds weird, but it works at Trick Dog. I love the spicy-​fruity contrasts of the March cocktail: Diplomatico white rum, Ancho chile liqueur, strawberry, lime and Campari. My guy friends tend to go more for the brown sugar so November is perfect for them. It had Old Forrester Bourbon, pear & pecan vermouth and Mandarin Napoleon. For those who love chocolate and booze, the August cocktail has a malted milk ball garnish. Interestingly enough, this cocktail is made with Tequila Ocho Reposado which plays well with Amaro and Fino sherry. It’s a boozy cocktail so don’t be fooled by the small goblet.
The bar centric food served in their upstairs restaurant is really, really good. I can’t believe I’m raving about something non-​fried and non-​fattening, but the mountainous kale salad with slow cooked egg yolk parmesan dressing is absolutely delicious! After all, we do need to get our greens in ;-) Follow that with their meaty housemade sausage with pancakes, chicken trick nuggets and of course, MORE fries.
You’ve won me over the moment I sat down at that bar stool. I came for the cocktails, stayed for the food and now you’ve got another follower. Trick Dog is definitely, a (wo)man’s best friend.

It’s not often that we get out for drinks much anymore. But after our meal in the area with friends we walked over to Trick Dog. It was busy and we got there just in time because by the time we left the place was packed. They have an extensive menu which was kind of hard to narrow down what to get. I got the Chupacbra and it was really good.
The drinks were expensive so I wouldn’t hang out here all night but it’s a cool spot with lots of action and good drinks.

This is a pretty cool bar to catch up with some friends. But you’d probably have to do it standing. The seating in this bar is limited and lined against the wall, with the bar on the other side. The bar is clean and well-​lit, but that bathroom is way down the back hall. There’s only one TV, so if you’re looking to watch the game, we’d recommend going elsewhere. I will say that once we bought a $ 30 lucky Pina Colada (that came in a pineapple!), the GSW started winning and ultimately came back to win Game 6. You might look foolish carrying around that pineapple in a bar, but rock it with pride… as it was the best tasting Pina Colada I’ve ever had!

Excellent excellent whiskey bar with great food options! This is an amazing bar in Noe Valley and a must try. The cocktails are to die for as well and the idea behind the menu is pretty cool.
They are not kidding around with their whiskey. Definitely try this place!

Drinks here are stellar and I love that they have a rotating menu. Right now (as of May 2016), the theme is enigmas so you have drinks honoring Area 51, the Loch Ness, Crop Circles, etc. Also, the quality of the drinks are high — I’ve had the BEST old fashioned of my life here and their mixology is top-​notch. They have a downstairs that gets fairly packed and an upstairs, which is more of a restaurant/​sit down place.
I really think they could expand given their popularity. It gets super packed at the bar which I think takes away from the ambiance since we’re packed like sardines in the room. Food looks really good and very reasonably priced!
Come when it’s not busy — otherwise you’ll be standing at the bar for a long time.

Came for late night drinks so I can only comment on the bar. Very schticky with their «Top Secret» drinks menu, with each drink warranting it’s own page in the very large menu. But still very much appreciated if you are in the mood for something fun! Great craft put into their drinks. I tried the Japanese whiskey highball which had mushroom and ginger. I enjoyed it. It wasn’t too bitter or earthy, but tasted just balanced enough. I also tried the bourbon based chemtrails. This was a bit sweeter but also tasted pretty good. This is more of a neighborhood spot and I probably wouldn’t go out of my way again to come back, but it was great to try.

One of my absolute favorite bars in SF. I kind of hate writing this review because I don’t want to make it more popular than it already is. Yes, I realize it’s very humble of me to take credit for the popularity of Trick Dog. ;)
Very creative cocktails. Even though I’m one to enjoy going off menu, the menus and the cocktails are always beyond innovative. It’s so impressive to see the theme get carried so thoroughly throughout, even though it changes every 6 months. A really brilliant production. That said, I won’t even bother pointing out favorite cocktails, as they will be gone soon anyway
On the topic of food however, their staples are really great. The famous trick dog, the mound of kale, the chicken nuggets (omg that sweet & sour sauce) and the fries.
Awesome staff. Very friendly (made my first SF friend here!). Very impressive considering how busy they always are.

My wife’s friend and her husband were visiting the city from Manila and called us to meet them here on Saturday, April 23^rd. We knew nothing about the bar or its reputation. We wandered through the bar downstairs, every body was having a good time, pretty mellow vibe. Granted my wife, me and her friends didn’t fit the demographic of the place, but, what the hell, let;s check it out was our attitude.
The problem was the server’s attitude. Our friends had already secured a table for two in the pretty empty loft. As we got there, the server asked us in a rude voice-«are you here to eat a full meal, if not, you have to go downstairs.» Really? We said yes, we wanted to eat dinner with our friends who were right next to us. She says, «ok» and leaves. SInce we were by ourselves and the server didn’t offer to help, we pushed the adjacent table to our friends together. Then she comes back, stares at us until I asked for some menus. She spins around and leaves, returning a minute later with the menus, again asking if we were going to order a full meal.
Now, at this point, I have to mention that one of my daughters has been a server at a restaurant for a few years and I have learned what a tough job servers have. I’ve never been a rude customer, but I really try to make the server’s job easier when we go out.
So, the server comes back, takes our order and we eventually get our meal. The food was good but not anything I’d have to come back for and it certainly wasn’t cheap. My wife had some mineral water and when I asked for some water, the server grabbed the water that was on our table and placed it front of me and left again. I had wanted the mineral water, but she didn’t bother to ask.
So, for some ok bar food and a couple of drinks, we were out the door for $ 150.00, including a tip because the bus boys were working hard.
I would never recommend this place, irrespective of age because anyone that tolerates a server like we had does not deserve our business.

Trick Dog is clearly no best-​kept-​secret any longer in San Francisco — considering they’ve been nominated for the James Beard Awards Outstanding Bar Program at least once, that’s probably an understatement. On a Saturday afternoon, less than an hour after opening, this little joint was completely packed, and for pretty good reason.
THE HIGHLIGHTS.
+ Dark, trendy interior with limited, coveted seating
+ The coolest sci-​fi themed menus with clever drink names & design
+ Nice, patient bartenders who handle large crowds with ease
~ Regular drink concoctions on their changing menu can be a tad hit or miss, but it’s possible we just misordered
I would happily come back to try more drinks, although I’m guessing arriving at opening is the only sure-​fire way to ensure you grab a seat easily.

After a few failed attempts to try Trick Dog, I finally was able to make it happen last night! It helped that we got there before 5pm and was a smaller group.
We opted to share the Pina Colada that is served in a pineapple! It is a very well balanced drink, not too sweet, good boozy kick, mellowed out by the green tea and pineapple juice. Also was able to try the Moon Landing and Reptilian Elite drink. The Mood Landing drink looked like the moon and reminded me of a modern interpretation of a martini. As for the reptilian, it was a very refreshing drink.
The novelty of the rotating menu themes is compelling and truly a unique presentation that I can see why it keeps people coming back.
I would like to come back to have dinner in their upstairs area.
Overall Thoughts
I would return back to Trick Dog but I would not be willing to wait hours to do so

I had this place bookmarked for ages after hearing stories of the clever, odd, and sometimes downright hilarious cocktail menu themes.
We went late on a Saturday evening and while it was crowded, it was totally manageable. There is limited seating at the bar, but additional seating upstairs (although I’m not sure if this is only for those also ordering food).
First, the service. I was super impressed with the service from the bartenders that evening. It was about 2 – 3 deep at the bar and somehow this gentleman was spotting people as they came in and immediately passing over menus and taking orders. No need to breathe down the back of anyone at the front, or do the awkward «please meet my gaze» eyes at the bartender.
Next, the drinks. The menu when we went was presented in a «Top Secret» folder and featured drinks crafted around famous conspiracy theories. It was well executed and fun to read through while we waited for our orders. The drinks were delicious, just the right amount of «ooh, what’s *that*» added, without screwing up perfectly good booze.
We left to head to a quieter joint, but would definitely be back for another date night or with a group of friends. Can’t wait to see the next menu!

Came here after dinner with some friends and this was an amazing place. It’s actually quite large with a second floor where mostly people were dining. Downstairs we crowded around the bar.
The drink menu goes great with the theme and a super plus for those conspiracy theorists. It was a bit crowded for a Wednesday night, but service did not falter. After taking a while to decide on drinks, we placed our orders and chatted with the bar tender. We were asking about the name and the crazy characters and our bartender actually went and grabbed one of the coin banks to show us how the bar got its name. The dog actually does tricks to shoot the coin into the bank!
Our drinks were made in front of us and it was such a masterpiece. Carefully concocted with great attention to detail. The drinks were flavorful and unique. Area 51 is probably one of the coolest one with a stencil of an alien head.

I hate to give this place a low rating, because I really did like the food there, and the kale salad is probably going to be my go-​to method of preparing kale from now, on but a combination of an extremely hot room, horrible service, and high prices make me have to give this place a two star rating.
Parking: The parking at this location is actually not as bad as you would think it would be. It’s located on the less crowded side of the mission distract, so ti’s pretty possible to find parking spots on the street side.
Atmosphere/​restaurant: the actual restaurant/​bar itself is kind of weird. I don’t think there actually was a sign for the establishment out front, but that gave it kind of a «speakeasy» feel to it. That being said, it was super confusing, and we catually had to resort to asking a patron near the entrance of the bar if it was the right place. I get the whole theme, but when it ends up being an inconvenience, I definltey think something different should be done. Also, the loft on the second floor that is used for a dining area was extremely stuffy and crowded. I get that it might a cocktail bar before a restaurant, but the least you can do is turn on some kind of AC for the 20+ people stuck up there. The tables were way too close together and it was burning hot, it was also extremely dark.
Food: The food itself was overall very good. They had a very limited menu (which we found out was changed every 6 months actually). Some definite recommendations I have are probably the kale salad and the thrice-​fried fries. The fries were very crispy, and although I usually hate thicker fries, I really did love them.
Some things I would definitely say to stay away from are some of their weirder drinks. I got the Trick Dog Root beer and really was pretty much surprised by how bad it could be. I didn’t epect anything super amazing, but it just tasted so weird, it was hard to believe it was an $ 8 drink.
Service: Probably the worst part, and one of the biggest part of eating at restaurants for me was the service here. Not only did our server take forever to get anything done, I feel like we ended up sitting down for 2 hours and some change although the meal was only for 4. She also seemed like she was really angry/​pissed to have to deal with the very basic things that we were asking.

5 Stars for its creative concept and solid drinks. There isn’t a bar out there quite like Trick Dog’s!
Every couple months they come out with a new theme/​idea/​concept. Previous concepts have included vinyl records, Zodiac signs, a San Francisco tourist map and finally a Chinese takeout menu. Their food offerings are usually pretty much the same, but their drinks change/​rotate accordingly.
I came here with Suany W. and we had so much fun. We came here last year during their «Chinese takeout» menu. I had the #1 Boduilige Shuang (Don Q anejo rum, brandy, lime) and the #2 Qincai he Boluo (Plymouth Gin, Pineapplee, Lime, Gardenia) — each drink is $ 13.
We also ordered the Thrice cooked fries. and these were amazing. So crispy on the outside but with a substantial amount of soft and yummy potatoeness inside.
Overall — Trick Dog is a fun bar in the Mission that’s great to go with friends or bring and impress your out-​of-​towners to. The bar itself is no-​frills but the drinks are stiff and delicious and the changing «Concept» or «Themes» keep this place a fun one to return to again and again!

Omg I really liked this place.
It’s very dark and casual.
The chicken nuggets we ordered were outstanding! The best nuggets I’ve ever had! We also ordered an amazing kale salad that was massive. It was a mountain of salad! The two of us could only eat half of it! Lol. It was just tons of kale. Delicious none the less! I would definetly recommend these two items off the menu.
I also enjoyed the cocktail menu in the former of a dog calendar. Superb idea!
Check this place out!

Innovative cocktails with swoon-​worthy themed menus to match. In the past, for example, these menus have taken the form of Pantone color charts or zodiac wheels, and have gotten such an outsized reputation that they’re often stolen by customers as collectors’ items.
Alas, the decidedly un-​diverse crowd here can get quite douchey, pushy, and entitled, especially when it comes to hogging the limited amount of seats and space at ground level. Moreover, non-​white customers can count on getting passed over at the bar in favor of white customers who are out of turn or, worse yet, being addressed in an outright hostile manner from certain blonde female bartenders.
Fortunately, for a more civilized experience, there’s an upstairs dining room where the service is far better, where you can get the same food and drink as downstairs, and where you don’t have to be pushed around or be the subject of death stares for looking out of place. The food offerings are quite good and reasonably priced given their quality, whether the scotch egg or the eponymous «trick dog.»
Go for the upstairs experience and avoid the entitled, self-​absorbed West Bay crowd downstairs.

Trick Dog is a Dog lover’s little piece of heaven. Granted their is no actual dogs roaming around the bar, but cute little calendars with different dogs dressed up in outfits would def suffice.
The calendar itself act as a menu, a clever ingenious way to show case the perfectly adorb pups! I love animals so it made me more amped to order just about everything on the menu, just to say I had January to December got me all giddy inside even before i had amy drinks!
The alcohol was masked by assortments of different spices and flavor that I didn’t realized that my deep convo became a serious of «huh», «repeat that again».
Aside from their perfectly blended crafty drinks I was just as amazed by their food!
Their Kale Salad is A perfect mountain of greenery, I wondered how kale salad can have this oddly heavy taste. I later recognized the yolk dressing paired with avocado was what i was tasting.
Lastly, the manimal fries– a similar look to our classic IN-​N-​Out Animal fries in LA. Except the fries are fatter!
Overall.thumbs up!

Trick Dog has updated their menus with a calendar theme. The new menus are calendars you can actually buy and the proceeds go to Muttville Senior Dog Rescue and Northern California Family Dog Rescue. Kudos to Trick Dog for being both creative and charitable. I stopped by a couple of times to try out the new menu items and few old classic food items as well.
2016 Calendar Menu –
As usual, the drinks are truly the star attractions. While they were all pretty good, the most ambitious one I tried was the JULY cocktail. Mainly because it came garnished with sharp cheddar cheese. It was a pretty strong drink, but it wasn’t until I took a bite of the sharp cheddar that it countered the bitterness of the drink and made it actually pretty enjoyable. Very clever. One more drink to note which unfortunately I don’t have a pic of is their Scoobysnack shot. It’s a very safe and fruity shot to drink because it’s like you’re shooting down a liquified Jolly Rancher.
JULY and JUNE cocktails –
JUNE — Junipero Gin, Trick Dog Cup (apple, cucumber, tea, hibiscus, fig), Dolin rouge vermouth, Bitter Lemon soda
JULY — Fighting Cock bourbon, Amaro Lucano, blackberry, Shiraz, Dale’s Pale Ale, chipotle, lemon, sharp cheddar
Like before, their drink menu also includes some refreshing mocktails if you don’t want to get buzzed.
Summer School –
(without proof) papaya, honey, rice, iced tea, key lime
Ski Week –
(without proof) Trick Dog Cup (apple, cucumber, tea, hibiscus, fig), bitter lemon soda, lemon
The food menu has been changed up again with returning favorites like their famous Trick Dog Burger, Chicken TrickNuggets, Manimal Fries, and Kale Salad, but also a bunch a new items like their Citrus Braised Pork Tacos and Manhattan Sausage.
Updated Food Menu in Calendar –
Kale Salad –
avocado, parmesan, pepitos, slow-​cooked egg yolk dressing
Citrus Braised Pork Tacos –
pickeled pineapple pico de gallo, radishes, epazote, cumin
Manhattan Sausage –
Pork belly, cherry mostarda, Old Grand Dad bourbon, johnnycake
This was my first time trying their Kale Salad and it was a little overwhelming when they brought it to our table. A huge mountain of kale! It made for a good side dish to split or for a great veggie meal if you’re dining solo. I’d say out of the new menu items that I’ve tried, the one to get is the Manhattan Sausage. It’s so good and goes well with the provided johnnycakes. Some might not care for the cherrry mostarda as they might not like the sweet and savory mashup, but for me it works great. The Tacos were good too, but personally I’d rather have another Trick Dog instead. I had another Trick Dog recently and it’s still a very tasty burger to go well with their cocktails.
Trick Dog still amazes me with their creative menus, crafty cocktails, and delicious food. What will they come up with next? Well whatever they will come up with, you’ll know I’ll be back again to let you guys know since it’s one of my favorite bars in SF.

Uno de los cocktail bars mas comentados de SFO, ubicado a algunas cuadras de la avenida principal del Mission District. Hipster pero con un público variado, tirando a upscale. De veinteañeros con camisa abrochada hasta el mentón y barbas que vienen cultivando desde los 13 años hasta señores mayores que yo que piden Bourbon on the rocks y lo toman en dos tragos. 5 pm de un miércoles y el lugar explota. La barra tiene paneles que se deslizan para aprovechar el espacio y maximizar la eficiencia de los siempre correctisimos cantineros americanos. La carta principal (de autor) esta basada en los signos del zodiaco, aunque el gin domina las opciones. Igualmente, la propuesta del bar es amplia (incluyéndo vinos y cervezas de toda procedencia) y podes pedir lo que quieras o incluso entregarte a las recomendaciones de los cantineros. Nota aparte para la amabilidad y corrección del portero, a quien prometí pasear por Buenos Aires cuando nos visite.