What is it about dive bars, those unpretentious neighborhood gin joints, that have a way of capturing our hearts? A certain amount of appreciation is based on our personal histories with these places. Maybe it's also because we find these bars to be a truer reflection of local culture than the artisanal cocktail lounges that have become ubiquitous to most cities. And perhaps it has something to do with an anthropological fondness for the kinds of "regulars" these bars attract.
The best dives have clienteles straight out of John Waters casting sessions: bikers, aging punks, over-painted bar flies, gossiping local know-it-alls and the occasional scary career drinker. Not to mention the various degrees of surly bartenders and cocktail waitresses giving everyone a disapproving once over.
In a San Francisco that's changing quicker than ever, dive bars provide a touch of the familiar as we watch the rest of the city become one giant leather banquette serving elderflower infusions. The darkness and aromatic boozy bouquet of your average dive always feels familiar because you could be almost anywhere once you step back outside. While we still have them, veer off the usual drinking path and raise a glass at some of these local favorites. Just remember to bring cash.
Zam Zam
1633 Haight Street
Admittedly, the glamour quotient of this 1930s time capsule of a bar is much higher than your average dive (or frankly, your average newly built concept cocktail lounge), but Zam Zam qualifies on the list for a number of reasons. Although the Persian pastiche decor and murals are mostly in great condition, a little wear and fraying around the edges of the place make you feel like you're entering a whispered about watering hole mentioned in a William Inge play. That touch of old fashioned seediness actually increases the desirability. The neighborhood regulars (some of them still griping about the hippie invasion 40 years ago—how's that for old school?) are among the most colorful bar-goers around and should be declared part of the bar if it's ever eligible for landmark status. If you're there on a slow night, ask to see the picture behind the bar of Zam Zam's original regulars from before WWII. If you're lucky, maybe one will be there!
