Bender's Bar & Grill

735 reviews

806 S Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110

www.bendersbar.com

+14158241800

About

Bender's Bar & Grill is a Bar & grill located at 806 S Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110. It has received 735 reviews with an average rating of 4.6 stars.

Photos

Hours

Monday2PM-2AM
Tuesday2PM-2AM
Wednesday2PM-2AM
ThursdayClosed
Friday2AM-12AM
Saturday12-2AM
Sunday2PM-2AM

F.A.Q

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The address of Bender's Bar & Grill: 806 S Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110

  • Bender's Bar & Grill has 4.6 stars from 735 reviews

  • Bar & grill

  • "There's not to many amazing old school Rock bars in SF anymore"

    "Love Johnny, STILL after all these years! Pool table has new pink felt for the tatas! Ooh I remember when the 1st remodeled"

    "I was charged $20 for a shot of well liqour + energy drink"

    "This is a great place to catch a good, loud, free punk/rock show"

    "The bartenders were fantastic"

Reviews

  • Visa victor

There's not to many amazing old school Rock bars in SF anymore. But Benders stands out, and smothers any outside cliches that may cross into its sacred sincere space. It seems to be about 25yrs old, but I'm sure it's about 15. The nostalgia built up on the walls of other amazing but dead bars of SF, gives it age and appeal to folks who were around, before and after the dot com boom suck the life out of us non techie folks, and the city landscape. The owner took it upon himself to salvage, the marquees of bars, which had a run at SF. And I can say, I been to them all, and when they gave up, it was sad. Seeing this artifacts bring a smile, and a rush of familiarity. Anyways, this bar is special and not for the faint of heart. You can pretty much seperate the real world, with the ones living in the fake one, just by the filter Benders provides. Bartenders great. Food great. Space is amazing.

  • S.I. TL. (Stellaaahhh)

Love Johnny, STILL after all these years! Pool table has new pink felt for the tatas! Ooh I remember when the 1st remodeled. It was too nice. I told Liam. You did too good of a job. The techies wi take over! What did you do??? You think it's that nice? YES! Come to pass another rénovation later, Liam is in Australia. Kevin , The Vanilla Gorrilla, is at Emperor Norton's Boozeland formerly Deco Lounge, and Johnny is minding bar NOT in the back office... times have changed, but not the quality of his drinks. What IS sad, is thay he had dropped his entertainment license. Karaoke, live shows, gone forever... i r sads!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

  • Stefan Smith

I was charged $20 for a shot of well liqour + energy drink. I still can't believe it. This place is a complete ripoff. Went to a bar around the corner where they charged $8 for a mixed drink and poured it a lot stronger. Food also wasn't available on a Saturday during peak hours. Edit: I called and apparantly this was a mistake but they also told me don't have a single drink that's as expensive as $21 & $16 so I still think the bartender Mike maliciously charged me extra. They refunded the difference which is nice. Regardless, I don't trust the bartender Mike and neither should you.
Price per person
$30–50
Service: 1

  • Alma “Almita” Soul

This is a great place to catch a good, loud, free punk/rock show. food is great, the regulars are divey, the music is random. People may tell you that they are with the band when they are saving seats before a show so get your food and sit before those types get there. No pics of food because I ate fast but I ate tatertots with a bunch of good toppings
Meal type
Other
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Bacon Jalepeno Cheddar Tots

  • Babe City Bambina

The bartenders were fantastic. When I walked in I ordered 2 drinks and as my friend sat down the bartender gave us each a drink and I said, "Oh, no. Those are both for me " and then I went to go play the impossible yet worthy pinball machine. The vibe was chill and mellow, friendly and fun. The place itself is everything I love in a bar pool tables, punky stickers peeling off the counters, neons, strong well made drinks and a menagerie of characters all around. Oh and lone star beer.

  • Alisha Alexander

Benders is one of my favorite local rock n roll dive bars. They have great bands for affordable door costs on Saturday nights, punk Karaoke on Fridays, as well as cool, friendly staff, pool table, back smoking area, bar grub, and daily drink specials. It's where rock n roll people congregate in SF and feel right at home, whether they are locals of out of towners. I hope this place exists forever!

  • Robin Maegawa-Goeser

The food is top notch, the bartenders are great, the atmosphere can't be beat. The only thing that doesn't make it 6/5 stars is that it's too popular so the pool tables aren't always open.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Chicken Schnitzel, Tater Tots

  • Daire Lyne

Great dive bar one of the few great ones left in the city. They've got hot food and cold drinks, they take good care of their pool tables which by the way are pink!!! Great to play on though!! The owners are straight up, no F'in around, I like to go here for a quick lunch and a few games of pool before the place comes to life in the evening. All in all not a bad spot

  • Ariel Ramseth

Came here right when they opened for our lunch break, sooo good. I got one of the grilled cheesez with crispy tortillas and enchilada sauce, such a tasty snack. The tots were also great, super crispy.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Tater Tots

  • Gentry

Love this dive bar in the Mission. Their backyard patio is great for a smoky evening or sunny day-drinking. The bartenders are nice, friendly and welcoming. The bar itself offers a good selection of beer, but what sets them apart is their delicious appetizers/ bar snacks - its great if you're a vegan/veggie - but if not, the food is just as delicious.

  • Arkady Bogdanov

My favorite bar in the mission. Kitchen for bar food, 2 pool tables, great selection on the jukebox, great atmosphere. The stuff manage to be rude to you in a way that's enjoyable. Like going to a punk show. Six effin stars. Oh right, they also serve my favorite beer, Pliny the Elder. If you haven't had it, do yourself a favor.

  • Matthew Janes

My favorite pub, and the only place I've ever been a regular at. Both the staff and the other regulars are good people.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Bender Burger, Chicken Schnitzel, Tater Tots

  • Bonnie Noble

Six stars. Seven stars. This place is chill. Unassuming and unpretentious. Homemade black bean burger (vegetarian) was so delicious! Next time we're in the neighborhood we're stopping by again for sure! Also, hush puppies with the spicy honey were an eye opener to someone who had no idea what a hush puppy was.

  • Anne Marie McGill

Always a great time with old & new friends & pups on the back deck. Full bar, pro bartenders, classic juke box & tasty kitchen. Perfect spot to kill the afternoon. ***Bent Burger*** keeps me up at night, haunts my waking hours, meets & exceeds my momentary emotional needs. I can't quit you Counter Offer.

  • Sophie Carnegie

Great and hospitable staff, awesome happy hour deals, I had a blast coming here two nights in a row. They change their art monthly whis is cool, and they have this game where you throw dollars at the ceiling with a pin - i got mine up there on the 3rd try! Keep in mind it is a cash only bar

  • Take Back Roads

For a shot and beer kind of place, Benders is definitely a memorable experience that will leave you wanting to come back for more! Reasonable prices, decent selection, and awesome stickers on the back patio
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Other
Price per person
$10–20

  • C B

Great cash-only dive bar *just* far enough off normal Mission walking routes that it stays a little less busy. Good prices, especially during happy hour, and good food sold separately at a counter. They have pool tables, a small back patio and space to store a few bicycles.

  • SVEN S

Always a good place to do some hang time and play my album on the juke, Sven & Masterful Orchestra. Ha...Cheers and go get a fantastic beer or drink at this place. It's a rock & roll paradise in the Mission!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

  • Melanie Joy

Food was good only complaint with the food was that tator tots were a bit too crispy. My taco had a pickle on it which was interesting, the drinks were made strong. The music however, was way to loud prior to the band playing and i could not converse with my fiance

  • Ivy Vasquez

Fun vibes and the bartender is hilarious. Happy hour is the time to come for sure with perfectly priced drinks and the food is amazing. You need cash for the bar and card is fine on the kitchen side since they're separate. Recommend to anyone on this side of town.

  • Geoff Wilson

Another chill spot for the locals proud of its dive, biker-bar like feel with two pool tables, a popup food spot inside, and a cage door haha. When we were here it was dead so guess there are some weeknights where you've got all the room and tables you'd want.

  • Vivek Sridharan

The last true SF rock and roll bar. A treasure. Cheap booze, awesome bartenders, awesome music. Come in on any given night and you'll likely find people from local bands as well as bona fide rock stars. The food is definitely better than normal bar food too.

  • Herschel Patel

Dive bar in the mission that had a back patio and pool tables. Drinks are pretty cheap, $5 for mixed drinks and the bartenders were cool too. They are a cash only bar so plan accordingly. They also have good 3, didn't try it but I heard it's pretty good.

  • Shawn Keene (Elskipador)

This place is amazing! It burned down once & a few years later it was back from the dead. The staff is awesome & the food is great. It was one of my regular haunts when I lived in SF. Easily accessable via bart or muni. Do yourself a solid & go there.

  • Jamie Apuna

This is your neighborhood bar. Great selection. Good prices. Awesome staff. It's edgy but can still pass sanitation codes. The bartenders feel real; they know what they're doing, have a twist of humor, are good people but not nauseating or fake.

  • Charles Schirra

Fun bar with the perfect atmosphere for hanging out with friends.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 4
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Chicken Schnitzel

  • Kristi Kremes

The bouncer is always cool... Greets me...asks 5 dollars to support the bands...I appreciate hearing that, makes me aware that I am helping support live music. The bartenders are always on top of their game, friendly, accomodating, I feel

  • Paul Volk

Yup. It's a total dive. Expect nothing less. But there is room to move around (it's not that super cramped dive where you can only sit at the bar with the stench of skanky beer flowing through the air). They've got a good selection of

  • Justin Barker

Actually a perfectly exceptional dive bar. Excellent bartenders and a huge space. Didn't get to eat this round
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Other
Price per person
$10–20
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

  • Peter Willis

One of my fav bars in the city. Great food, great service, nice people, great vibe, pool tables, juke box. Just
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

  • Scott Lebengood

The coolest hole in the wall bar around. Pete pours em heavy and Richard makes an incredible smash burger. Don't forget the tots! Damn!!!!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20

  • Tyson Quick

This place is the worst. Horrible staff ruins what could be a decent dive bar. I'd recommend going somewhere else if you're in this part of town.
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20

  • Eric

Benders is a breed of dive bar that I will always hold a special place for in my heart. Cheap beers, no pretensions, and tater tots.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

  • Rob bregoff

They had a somewhat dry cider on tap. A fine list of beer. Bike racks inside. It's funky like San Francisco should be. Friendly. Garden tables. Decent food. Good place to get tipsy.

  • Zachary Kupu

Excellent dive bar. Staff is very welcoming and professional. The atmosphere was relaxed, but I felt like security and the barstaff maintained control when people got out of line.

  • RW

Always awesome SF dive bar. Good people, Cold Beers, and Great Atmosphere. Scope the walls for signs from other SF establishments that are long since closed. Cheers …

  • Abigail Cobb

The best dive bar around town! Get there early to claim a pool table. Drinks are strong & cheap & bartenders are hilarious!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4

  • Matthew Ebert

Great jukebox.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Other
Price per person
$10–20
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Tater Tots

  • Lee M

Awesome dive bar. Smoking patio out back. Pool tables and video games. ATM inside. Good beer selection. Full bar.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

  • Miikka Skaffari

Classic dive bar with its own set of characters from the bartenders to the clientele. Obscure live music every once in a while.
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 4

  • Letícia LB

Great service - and affordable drinks and burgers!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20

  • Peter Anderson

Cash only dive with pool tables and bike storage. Fun laid back place, but it's an odd mix of people and too many smokers.

  • Shane Mattner

Dive bar feel but a nice place with good affordable food and plenty of beer options. Pool tables, pinball, dog friendly

  • Clara Bear

Dope bar in the city. Delicious food. Awesome pool table. It was pink. Would definitely go back

  • María Cruz

Very cozy bar. Has a nice outdoor patio, pool tables, and very good burgers in the kitchen.

  • Philipp Hüwe

Great Pub, nice staff, cold Drinks and Rock‘n Roll
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

  • Tiffany D

They are very diligent about safe covid practice's. Pretty clean bar.

  • Jonathan Perez

Best bar in town. Best music around, too.
Food: 5…
More

  • Nicola Young

Fun dive bar with good priced beer and pool tables.

  • Tonieh Chenoweth

Good drink and music selection...

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