Hole In the Wall Saloon

I was in town for the Folsom St Fair. My entourage decided to take a break were we stood. We landed in front of the Hole in the Wall Saloon, through the black tarp we discovered a world much different from the one we just left. A world of dim lights, music, men, skin, and sticky floors. It was the best time at a bar I ever had. I showed up with a pride t-shirt and left with a harness, a gift from a stranger whom I only knew for 20 minutes. Everyone was fabulous! Thank you for the memories.

Felt Violated, Unsafe, and Targeted I had a deeply upsetting experience at this bar on Tuesday night 11/12/2025. I went in needing to use the restroom before ordering a drink, and as I started using the private bathroom (which had no lock), the bartender (an Irish man) suddenly pushed the door open while I was urinating. Instead of stepping away, he stood there watching me and shouting aggressively. It was an outrageous invasion of privacy that made me feel violated and sexually harassed. Afterward, he continued yelling in a foreign language (what sounded like Irish). From what I could gather, he was upset that I hadn’t ordered a drink first. I’ve been to gay bars all over the world, and it’s completely normal for a customer to use the restroom before ordering, but what happened here was absolutely unacceptable. I also felt like I was being targeted because I’m Asian and an easy target. His aggression and attitude made the encounter feel racially motivated and unhinged. No one should ever be treated this way.

The bar my friends and I originally planned to visit was closed, so after taking a Lyft we decided to walk to the next closest spot, the Hole in the Wall Saloon. On the way, we had a scary encounter with some men on the street, so we rushed inside as quickly as we could. Shaken up, we went straight to a booth to collect ourselves. Not even a minute later, the bartender started staring at us and waving us over. When we walked up, instead of any kind of greeting, he snapped: “I said show me your ID. Not go hide in a booth.” I tried to explain what had just happened outside, but he laughed at us. After checking our IDs, he told us the bar was cash-only and then suggested we go to another bar down the road. It was our first time visiting SF, and we were more than happy to support a gay bar — but instead we were made to feel completely unwelcome, as if we were being pushed out. The bar he sent us to (also a gay bar) treated us kindly and understood why we were anxious. Overall: 1/10. Incredibly disappointing experience.

What an eclectic spot. Hole in the Wall Saloon is exactly what you hope it will be: neon signs buzzing, the jukebox always has something good, and the people-watching is elite. Saturday happy hour? $2 beers that actually taste cold, not flat, and you’ll find yourself staying for “just one more” before you realize it’s dark out. If you like places that aren’t trying too hard, where you can grab a cheap drink, play a round of pool, and chat with folks who aren’t in a rush, this is your place. Cash only, but the ATM is right there. Go. Have fun. Don’t expect fancy, expect a good time.

My girlfriend and I are two little ladies and stumbled in here trying to avoid straight men while out clubbing. We're outside of the usual demographic that occupies Hole in the Wall, however we felt extremely welcomed! Despite the crowd, the bartender made sure to circle back and tend to us. The decor was some of the coolest we've seen, it was hard not to look around in awe! One of the best safe spaces we've been to!