Gay bars castro san francisco
Castro’s newest gay bar
The label is a nod to the city’s 49 square miles and also an exclusive lineup of over 49 beer and wine options, and 10 beers on draft.
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Monday- Friday until 6pm
$3 off tapped beers
$3 off house wines
$10 Frose, spritz and frozen margaritas
San Francisco’s fabulous LGBTQIA+ scene is no surprise if you know anything about the city’s history. SF is known for electing Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the US, and is still known today for its thriving homosexual community.
At the epicentre of it all is San Francisco’s Castro District, complete of drag shows, bars and great restaurants, but there’s plenty more to discover throughout SF (and Oakland) if you recognize where to look. Whether you’re looking for kind lesbian bars, balls-to-the-wall Latinx dance parties or a very memorable drag exhibit, these are the optimal gay bars in SF right now.
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This guide was written by Bay-Area based writer Clara Hogan. At Time Out, all of our commute guides are written by local writers who perceive their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.
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Map: The Castro's Most Significant Queer Locations
Operated by Harvey Milk from 1972 to 1978, the store became the center of the neighborhood's growing gay society. It was more than a camera shop in that it offered help to those who moved to and lived in San Francisco in seek of freedom to openly express their sexual self, and was also headquarters for Milk's various campaigns for elected office. Later turned into a much-missed toiletry store, it is now the HRC's San Francisco's office.
Nurse and first AIDS activist Bobbi Campbell used the front window of this pharmacy to post a flyer in 1981 warning the collective of "Gay Cancer”—because neither the local nor national government would sound the alarm—showing photos of lesions caused by Kaposi sarcoma (the rare cancer was found to be a result of HIV's toll on the immune system). Star Pharmacy closed in 1985, but the Walgreens across the street has erected a commemorative plaque in honor of Campbell and those who include been affected by HIV/AIDS.
The theater opened June 22, 1922, and is the crown jewel of the neighborhood. It’s also place to the annual Frameline LGBT Film Festival, countless sing-a-longs, and Peach
Midnight Sun
Est. 1971
Servicing the Castro over 50 years
Midnight Daystar began its journey in the vibrant 1970s at 506 Castro Street, most recently home to the now-closed Body Shop. In 1981, we moved to our current location around the corner at 4067 18th Street.
Originally a windowless plumbing warehouse, the unused venue transformed into a lively social hub, pioneering the concept of a video bar at the same time as the rise of MTV. Our screens showcased music videos, interspersed with clips from popular shows like Lgbtq+ as Folk and Sex in the City.
While Twin Peaks Tavern made history in 1972 as the first gay bar in San Francisco to install plate glass windows, Midnight Sun bookended this history in 2011 by becoming the last gay lock in the Castro to add windows, embracing openness and visibility, and contributing to the rich tapestry of San Francisco’s LGBTQIA+ history.
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THU – FRI | 2pm – 2am
SAT | 12:30pm – 2am
SUN | 1pm – 12am
MON – WED | 2pm – 12am
4067 18th Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
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