The Square Bar & Kitchen

Whoever was bar tending on the night of ⁶⁄₁₉ (around 12:05am) needs to be fired immediately. He was unbelievably rude when we told him it was our friend’s birthday and said, «really? I don’t give a fuck». He continued to belittle and make fun of everyone and a guest at the bar called my friend a bitch as we were defending our friends. Never coming again. The service and the people are absolutely horrendous. I’m embarrassed for the owner.

This place is great, but what’s even better is the bouncer, Mike. Big Mike! He’s not a dick like most bouncers, super jovial.

Easily gone unnoticed because it’s hidden behind trees. I like it because it’s one of those out of sight out of mind and one goes because out of convenience or a passerby.
The name is probably inspired by the Washington «Square» park, which is right in front of the place.
A good bar to grab drinks and bar bites.

An awsome atmosphere each Saturday we come here, play pool, have some drinks. So much space & very comfortable. The service is perfect, fast & super duper nice! It’s not so crowded, so you can feel free & relaxed. Still, the best place for big companies.

Came late after the bar and took a load off… the service was a little rocky at first but food service was fast.
Burger was excellent and reasonable while the beer was cold crispy. Definitely coming back with friends and family.
Maybe even a date, it’s got enough privacy…
8.5 out of 10

It’s safe to say that the Unilocal reviews and pictures for the Square are not reflective of the current situation happening here now… with that said the current situation is 5 STARS and our new favorite spot to kickit for games or just some food and beer!
We first stumbled upon this place while looking for somewhere to grab drinks before a show at Cobb’s. We easily found a small table near the window, got drinks, enjoyed the crowd and decided we definitely wanted to come back.
Fast-​forward to Super Bowl weekend and I wanted to throw my guy a birthday dinner Friday before the big game. Everywhere in SF was crazy packed and we knew it might be tough to reserve enough space for 15 people anywhere — so we gave the Square a shot and Benjamin was eager to get us some tables for the night. Once we arrived, tables were available right near the pool table, we were served drinks right away and Ben, Roxanne, and Haley made sure we were good for the night! Drinks kept coming, more friends showed up, and we had a great time.
We definitely recommend the Square — it’s worth the hike to North Beach and they won’t disappoint!

I gave this place two shots, and each time they failed to deliver. First time was New Years Eve. At 7pm, they had already run out of a beer and a food item. The food was not very good at all. Tons of «from a bag» french fries and a horribly bland sandwich. The waitress was definitely not happy about working NYE and spent most of the time chatting with her friends instead of serving tables so we moved to the bar. The bartender was nice, however.
We tried this place again on a slow night thinking that would result in higher quality food and service… NOPE. Food was Denny’s quality. Got their three cheese grilled cheese and it had no flavor at all. French fries were not as good as Denny’s actually. Service was definitely not provided from someone who was happy to work there. I would stay away.

Stumbled across this little gem while looking for another restaurant in North Beach. Food is off the hook. Truffle popcorn and Tots and Eggs were incredible. I had the grilled cheese and soup. Really good although wish I’d gotten the tots. Bartender super friendly and fun.

I wish zero stars was possible on Unilocal.I also wish that Gordon Ramsay would come in here with his kitchen nightmares team and yell at their kitchen staff.
I’ve been here by myself a few times, its in my neighborhood and I wanted to love it. The bar, atmosphere, service, and drinks all ranged between passable — great, but unfortunately the food killed it for me when I brought a few out of town friends here for dinner last week.
This was my first dining experience at the square, and I will not be coming back for dinner or drinks again after experiencing this living nightmare.
everything that I ate (chicken tenders, «fish» and chips, and a few burgers) tasted like dirty old fryer grease and eternity in a freezer.
the burger meat was overcooked and dry, none of us got the medium rare that we ordered, and it was topped with too much mayo and some indistinguishable squishy «veggies»
the chicken tenders tasted like something from the grocery store in the frozen aisle, and were clearly made of some sort of processed chicken paste and stored frozen. Even Carl’s Jr. downtown manages to do a better job.
The story of the fish is unfortunately similar to that of the chicken.
As a long time North Beach local, I’m really disappointed in this place, there used to be some pride in creativity in the food here, but the square might as well be a concession stand in a baseball stadium with the food that they are serving, they have no right to so proudly boast the word «KITCHEN» in their sign…

Decent bar, awful kitchen.
I’ve stopped by here a few times and had always gotten good bar and table service. The staff are friendly and accommodating. However, whoever is running the kitchen needs to have the sh’t smacked out of them. The «chicken strips» have been in the freezer so long, they had shelf imprints on them. The lamb sliders, and the buns they came with, had been burned to a crisp in a nasty, greasy grill. It was absolutely disgusting. I don’t come to a bar and pay close to fifty bucks to be so disrespected when I order something to eat. Horrible.

I am not sure what the square is trying to be. It is setup like a dive bar but doesn’t have the décor or the cheap drinks to pull that off. It is not a sports bar despite having the tv and sports bar food like chicken strips etc. It is not an upscale bar because of all of the previous things as well as the drink selection being lack luster.
The location is actually really great as it is near Washington square park and a great place to stop by after you have had dinner somewhere else. I have never been impressed by the food here. It is American but just doesn’t stand out as something worth going for exclusively. The cocktails were decent but not very strong and the wine selection is very small.
It does get positive points for trying to be all of the things despite not doing any of them perfectly. There is great music most of the time from a live piano player and the wait staff is really attentive and nice. The bartenders are knowledgeable and can get you a good beer going at the bar. You can watch TV if you want but you can’t really hear it with the live music going on so there is that.
Bottlecap couldn’t make it here and I see the square going the same direction. it is trying to be all things to all people and it make a lackluster experience for someone looking for anything specific.

In the past year the experience here — as well as the crowds — have diminished. The menu is not that extensive, which is OK, but on a couple of visits now they have run out of basics or had none of their dishes (chicken??) early in the evening. Food is still pretty good albeit basic. I don’t see the energy they initially had for the bar experience either. Finally they have employed a piano player with a unique talent for making every song sound the same — and loud. Overall still OK and in a great location, but not the experience it was a year ago.

The drinks, the pool tables, and the great food.
I am glad I stumbled onto this spot.
The bartenders are amazing too.
They serve the drinks excellently and they have the coolest personalities.
I’ll definitely be back here again.
I love the ambiance, the décor, the lighting, and the whole atmosphere.
While I was there I hearing nothing but people laughing, smiling, and having nothing but good times.
It even brought a smile to my face.

First, I miss the WashBag.
Second, I’m not exactly a fan of what’s been done to the interior.
Just look at where the host stand used to be!!!
Third, I like it here anyway.
We came in for a light & casual dinner.
We sat at the bar.
We ordered Pinot Noir.
We started w the house made potato chips.
We shared the Reuben.
It came w fries.
I ordered another order of fries.
We noshed.
We loved it all.
The bartenders were awesome. The food is what they call gastro pub. But I don’t think that does these guys justice. It’s way more than just elevated bar food.
Who rolls their own tater tots?
Who makes their own pastrami?
Besides Wise Sons, which doesn’t count, because they’re a deli.
And also besides 4505 Meats, because, well, they’re THE MEAT GUYS.
It wasn’t very busy, which I was sad to see. Especially given the level of service & grub.
This is a tough spot. Cobalt didn’t make it. Then, Bottle Cap went.
But the Sons & Daughters team know what they’re doing.
Maybe put a ficus tree or something where the host stand used to be?
JK.
Not really.
A great alternative for when you want a bar w great food rather than a full on restaurant.
4 stars.

So this was a fail. First off, the menu online is not reflective of the menu onsite. Yes, I understand that menus change but there were many items listed online that weren’t on the printed menu.
Ambiance is truly depressing. It’s a sports bar /​dive bar trying to also be a restaurant. Waiters and waitresses are hardly recognizable, as they are wear normal clothing, no name tags. You would never know they worked there if just walking past.
Probably my biggest gripe is that, along with the menu being even more limited than I was expecting, they were out of SO much. Truly don’t understand being out of chicken. They could do the chicken tenders, but couldn’t add grilled chicken to a salad. Also, apparently the «only vegetable» they had available was kale. No fish and chips either. Left us with a pretty lean list of options. Ended up with a plate of skimpy (3 total) chicken tenders and a boring as heck kale salad. Tomato soup was so-​so. To bring it home, mid-​meal, the table next to us was delivered our check. Not really a problem for us… but just adds to the overall disorder.
It’s a problem when you leave dinner hungry. Will not be returning. Pains me that we spent money here. Pain was somewhat mitigated after a quick stop immediately after to Golden Boy.

The Square is an absolute gem in a fabulous North Beach location. It’s not divey and it’s not pretentious. It’s the perfect place for a local. I’ve shown up for a fun night out, casual dates, a quick drink while waiting, and even brought my mom! I’ve yet to be disappointed.
The crowd is always a cool mix. Sometimes you get more tourists than you’d hope, but I’ve come in on a Thursday evening and it’s just locals all talking to each other. The bartenders are all friendly and chill. If you love The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones, then come in on a Sunday night and they’ll have it playing. It’s a very cool community vibe.
Highlights:
— phenomenal whiskey ginger
— free pool
— awesome bartenders

Nothing really to report here, we were walking in downtown San Francisco along Columbus after climbing Hyde street to the top of Lombard Street and felt an overwhelming thirst hit us both. So after considering a few options we popped into the place for a quick drink. There were several large tables along with a smaller bar area. We opted to take a seat at the bar, and I ordered a local Pilsner beer and quickly downed the first one, afterward savoring the second one. My lady ordered 2 Pink Flamingos (a pink concoction of ice, rum, and several fruit juices.) Just what we needed to slake our thirsts.
Best part of the experience was the great conversation I struck up with a man and his wife that were visiting from Sweden. Lots of cross cultural idea exchange going on! Always makes me feel good to buy a beer for someone else from another country.

My friend and I came across this place for a bite before seeing a show down the street.
The place is kinda dark but we found a nice spot under a skylight. You seat yourself which can be nice.
Our waitress was very friendly and acknowledged us right away.
Our food was really good. We ordered the buffalo wings and burgers.
Deelish!
The wings were large, fried to a nice crispy then slathered in a tangy spicy sauce. So yummy.
Our burgers were equally good. Meat had some nice grill marks and tasted char broiled. The fries could not have been more perfect! And the side salad was not your typical side salad. This one had pecans and cranberries.
I’m taking away one star bc the burgers had a tad too much condiment. We both had to scrape off gobs of dressing and ketchup. The bun is oversized so I took off one half to avoid eating so much bread.
During our meal, we both needed refills and our waitress hadn’t noticed after some time. After flagging her down for refills (and asking for some Dijon to balance the sugar from the burger having too much ketchup) she took a little longer than usual to return with those items
Good thing the Giants game was on!!! I was a happy customer.
All in all, I’d still go back.

It’s a tough spot where The Square is currently. Tucked behind trees across from Washington Square Park, it’s easy to miss it if you’re not looking for it but it’s a decent neighborhood spot to grab a pint.
They attempted to go a little more elevated with the menu when they first opened — kinda like a gastropub but the menu has since been paired down to familiar comfort foods like burgers and sandwiches. Happy hour is from 3−6pm everyday so you should pop by if you’re hanging out at the park and want a break from the sun.
Happy hour highlights include $ 2 Coors, half off wells, and the burger for $ 6 + bar snacks for $ 5. It’s a decent burger. The meat is moist and flavorful but the bun did not hold up to the juices at all and started to fall apart. Well-​seasoned fries. I’ve also had the hand-​rolled tater tots and was surprised when they got to the table. These aren’t bite sized tots that you might be used to but rather large chunks of mashed taters, deep fried, then smothered with pecorino cheese and aioli. Forks definitely needed.
As a happy hour spot in the neighborhood, the Square is just fine. It’s a casual spot to catch up with friends and I look forward to checking out the brunch scene on the weekend where they have bottomless mimosas too.

I rounded up my North Beach buddies for a Sunday night supper thinking The Square was still a dining destination. Little did I know it was now a watering hole that has a limited food menu. Apparently I didn’t get the memo.
We sat down around 6:30 and ordered cocktails. The cocktail menu offered a suitable list of options. Props for that. We evaluated the brief food offerings on the menu and decided to order a simple snack. We went with the truffle popcorn to start. The popcorn was not truffley and you could tell it wasn’t fresh.
A very stinky chihuahua dog ran around the seating area. The stinky dog even jumped onto our laps (it got so close to us that we could smell it). We shooed the dog away and even gently removed it from our laps several times. The dog was wearing a t-​shirt and a collar, so it wasn’t just a random dog off the street, it was intentional.
By the time we finished our bland popcorn and cocktails we had had enough. We opted to go elsewhere to eat a real dinner down the street.
I’m not too sure I’ll be back. Nothing on the dinner and snack menu interested me and the bar area wasn’t anything special. Hey, but if you are into stinky dogs, knock your socks off here!