There were very few, quirky, dive bars in the Marin area to choose from but we are so glad that we found the dugout bar. We chose this spot for our wedding after party and filled up the place. With affordable drinks, pool, shuffleboard, boardgames and a good juke box this place was just what we were looking for.:) When we went to check it out for the first time, we found out that, coincidentally, the same woman who handles rentals at our venue (Stacy) helps run the bar! Then we felt even more at home there. It was a great night! Thanks to Stacy and the dugout bar the party continued and fun was had by all. It's a special place.
Review Source:A speakeasy in Marin? Where has this place been all my life?!
Some friends and I checked out the Dugout Bar (aka the Log Cabin). It's literally a rusty shack tucked away in a sleepy San Anselmo neighborhood. I guess it's owned by the American Legion, so technically it's government property. But for all intensive purposes, this place is like a summer camp clubhouse for adults. The only thing missing was a camp counselor and some smores.
The Dugout boasts cheap drinks, darts, a pool table, shuffleboard, hula hoops (now that's something I haven't seen before), a great jukebox, volunteer bartenders (who just work for tips), a unisex bathroom with a black light and a door that won't lock.
Apparently, the Dugout was the first Marin bar to regain its liquor license after the repeal of Prohibition. I don't know if that's true or not, but this place has definitely been around for awhile (and so have many of the colorful patrons). This is the diviest of dive bars - and I loved every inch of the place. It's been a long time since I heard the words "last call" at a Marin Bar (and it was actually 1:45am). Hell, you're lucky to find a bar that stays opens til 10pm.
I look forward to enjoying more last calls and good times at the Dugout.
A friend of mine recently rented this bar for a party. It ended up being a really phenomenal event, in part due to the venue.
It's a beautiful rustic old building tucked away from the main road. The log cabin oozes character and history. The employees are good natured and helpful. There's an excellent little stage for live music. Several long wood tables stretch the length of the main hall.
The whole building has an "adult summer camp" type vibe too it. Perhaps that's why the patrons really seem to cut loose and have a good time.....or maybe it was just the booze. Either way, it's a great place for a private event.
hangovers installed and serviced here! Live music, food, women and mayhem, not particularly in that order. The first time I walked into this little time capsule I had a Viet Nam flashback, and I have never even been to Viet Nam. Shhhhh lets keep this gin joint our little secret ,shall we?
Review Source:In the days when people used to verbally ask, "Hey where can I get a drink around here?" Â I was actually verbally recommended to this bar by two separate 50+ year-old co-workers. Â If they tell me about a place, I go. Â No questions asked. Â I respect my elders.
Drinking here, I was reminded of the episode of Dawson's Creek where the high school goes on a Senior Camping trip and Joey and Pacey get an overnight cabin and do it for the first time. Â The warmth, the heat, the indoor and outdoor party, all are amazing... just like that episode.
I don't know what I liked better, drinking indoors or just kickin' it on the benches with the crunch crunch of wood and leaves and branches under my shoes.
I love the HUGE WOODEN sliding door/emergency door. Â It gives me that house party feeling with the sliding door that lets the warm drunk people stand outside as well as bringing in a cool breeze for the indoor drinkers keeping them cool calm and collective.
2 wishes:
1) an ATM at the bar since the bar is CASH ONLY. Â So all the newbs don't have to leave, hit up a gas station or liquor store down the street for cash
2) more restrooms. Â and less people going into the restroom to have private conversations. Â Whats that about? Â piss and get outta there. Â Use the powder room or your frackin' car to gossip about your ex or the cute guy at the bar.... SHEESH! Â With one toilet you strictly have to number one or number two, wipe, wash hands, re-apply lip gloss and get out
My views are based on my anticipation of trying out this place!
Hubby and I are vets but not the stars and stripes type; think post war hippies with anti gun sentiment...anyway, just because I don't want to carry a gun and scream about patriotism doesn't mean that I don't love a good vet bar! Also, I sort of want to start rocking one of those hats that old 'nam vets wear with the pins and patches (you know what I'm talking about!). I think I could get into sitting at the bar with my hat and my bourbon talking to the kiddos about the good old days and respect...
So we heard about this place and have been planning on going for months and then...I find out from my yelpers that its amaaaaaaa-zing. Can't wait to put back a pink vagina or flaming penis or whatever the drink "specials" are there. See you in the dugout yelpies.
Last Saturday I did an event at the American Legion Cabin. It was the perfect space for 50th birthday party with 60 people attending. We had Gaming Tables, Balloon drops, and a DJ. Â It is a cozy space and we stuck with a western theme as it fit the room great. Stacey who books the space is awesome. Friendly and easy going....Thank you for a cool space!
Review Source:After reading about this bar and thinking about going for a year - I finally dragged my brother out to check it out. Â It started out slow - but really picked up - drinks were cheap (for Marin/SF)- and everyone was super friendly. Â Extra star should be applied because you can leave your car overnight - if you need to take a taxi home. Â
By the way - if any one sees my license... let me know - it fell out of my pocket sometime during the night - and the address on it is wrong. Â :)
I'm reluctant to write this review because I don't want more people finding out about the Dugout and ruining what I love most about it: it's laid back, never too crowded, not too noisy, and there's always a game available (pool, darts, shuffleboard).
I love hanging out here with friends; it's a really warm, friendly place.
Came here with the co-workers after my shift, and it exceeded my expectations. The secluded spot, laid back feel, and military memorbilla really gave this place a charm that I did not expect from the Marin area.
Drinks were well priced and their thursday free yelper specials list was a hit amongst my coworkers. The bartender stacy was also laid back and easy to shoot the shit with. Ask the bartender for a history of the joint (its the first Marin bar to get a liquor license).
It's always great when places don't charge for the pool or shuffleboard as well.
How is it that I have never been to the Dugout before tonight? It's like the Presidio Yacht Club (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/presidio-yacht-club-sausalito">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>) but without the view. However, it has a huge outdoor patio which would be fabulous on a warm Marin summer night. Drinks are cheap ($5 Maker's & ginger!), people are friendly. Wouldn't say the juke box is my favorite, but you can certainly sing along to it. Will definitely be back!
Review Source:This place is rad. Â Plain and simple. Â I grew up a few blocks away and always know it was there, but it never used to be a place to hang out. Â A few years ago a local neighbor took the place over and turned it in to a great hang out that serves the community and supports Post 179 of the American Legion.
When I came home from Iraq, I spent a good deal of time here talking to local vets and civilians who were just looking for a cool bar with cheap drinks and a good vibe. Â This place kept me grounded and the friends I made there will be with me for life. Â It's a great example of what the Legion can do when a few members of the community can get together and build a place for people to come together to have a good time.
The local commander (and Post) has given Stacy (the manager) the freedom to make the place in to a great hang out and build it in to a successful business. Â She deserves a lot of credit for building a bar that provides the community with a great venue and the Legion with a way to keep the post going. Â I make it a point to go there every time I'm home.
Great drinks at a great price, cool bartenders, and always a good time.
My family and I attended a summer wedding in San Rafael and we were looking for a bar to go to after all the festivities. Although the hotel where the wedding was held had a bar, we didn't like the bright lights and mood there. Â I found the Dugout Bar through Yelp, described the place & showed pics to the family & everyone was on board. It's a lil off the beaten path but well worth the drive. Â We walked in still dressed to the nines from the wedding, but quickly felt right at home with all the regulars. Â Plenty of local flavor, cheap drinks, and the manager Stacy was great. Â I wish I had a bar like this close to my home, but my liver's lucky I live in Southern California. Â It's the real deal, drink up!
Review Source:This is a very cool  bar, heightened by a patio and free games - pool, shuffleboard, and darts. A massive TV faces the pool area and was tuned to ESPN when I was there. Be aware, however, that it's cash-only and there is no ATM nearby; the bar is part of the American Legion building, in a residential neighborhood, next to a really great park.
Drinks were good and Amici's will deliver pizza here. Pretty awesome combination, if you ask me.
Sometime you take things for granted.
When you live in a city like San Francisco, great neighborhood bars are all over the place. You could be beaten about the head, blindfolded, stuffed into the back of a Cadillac, dropped anywhere in the city, and within 5 minutes and 2 blocks find yourself enjoying a tasty beverage in a cool atmosphere.
In Marin, notsamuch.
I'd heard about the Dugout Bar. Rumors of cheap drinks, and free fun like pool, shuffleboard, darts et al made me want to check this spot out. The fact that Jessica was hosting a Yelp bash here sealed the deal.
And it does exactly what it said on the packaging - cheap drinks? check. Free games? Check. Great staff? Check. Groovy outdoor area to enjoy the perfect Marin evenings? Check, and mate.
Cash only, kids - so leave the plastic at home and hit up the ATM on the way.
How could you not be a fan that favors the veterans, has cops thanking your for picking up a few glasses (and not busting your ass as you make your way home), and has a kick ass, donations only pool table???
A pretty chill place to be sure...and they make a cool pink cooter ($4.50)- (feel free to drink this girly drink served in a shot glass with your pinkie in the air).... I'm suspicious that the prices may go up if you admit to being a yelper, but they staff is damn chill and its one of the best low key hang outs I've seen in Marin...
The Dugout is a new favorite of Marin for me and the husband. It fits the bill for a chilled out place to go after work or over a weekend:
1. great volunteer bartenders
2. cheap drinks-- they have cider!
3. HUGE area to sit outside. Seriously the outside bench must fit 100.
I also appreciate any bar that hosts a committed group of regulars-- Also extremely nice and cool.
i love it!
This is what happens to club houses when kids grow up.
When I was about 7, I was green with envy over my neighbor's tree house. To enter, you needed to climb a rope ladder that led up to a trap door in the floor. As all kids who possess something that stands out from their friends often do, my neighbor became very popular, and so decided to form his own club with the tree house as its headquarters. Â Membership was somewhat arbitrary and depended entirely upon the mood of the club's president. In just a few short months, the club became the cornerstone of our neighborhood's social structure for all kids under 10.
Girls were strictly not allowed, a rule which lasted until we inevitably became curious about the female anatomy, and figured the club would be a great place to play the childhood classic, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours." Our club, as an establishment, would never really be the same after that.
Fast forward to adulthood, and not much has really changed. We still want to play the adult version of show and tell, and somewhat ironically, we go to "clubs" for the thrill of it. Unfortunately, the REAL club of our childhood, the one which established strong friendships, inspired games, and stoked our imagination, is just a memory.
Or so it seemed until last night, when I came across the closest I've ever come to an adult club house. Granted, it wasn't in a tree, but it was in a log cabin. Â Instead of a rope ladder leading to a trap door, this place was in the basement. Make-believe swords, action figures, and other childhood paraphernalia were substituted with a pool table, giant screen TV, darts, a shuffleboard and, best of all, a fully stocked bar. Â
The prices at the bar were the lowest I've seen in ages, with nothing that I could find costing more than $5. There wasn't an extensive selection of spirits, but what they did have was one step up in quality from what you would expect of a dive bar. What's more, the bartenders were incredibly friendly and outgoing.
There was a group of older men in American Legion uniforms (which reminded me of Cub Scout uniforms growing up) who were holding a meeting by the bar. Â How do you mingle with Legioneers? Â I didn't ever get the chance to try because shortly thereafter, I came across a gaggle of Yelpers, out for a DYL party - my new neighborhood friends.
Sure, the Dugout Bar shows signs of a lot of wear: chipped shot glasses, a mish-mash of assorted furniture, sticky surfaces, and any other number of things that would make this bar unappealing to someone expecting a "scene." Â But all of that adds charm and character, and makes the place feel just like it should, just like a neighbor's backyard club house. Â Just like home.
I knew I would fall in love with the Dugout Bar.
From the first moment I stumbled upon it's Yelp reviews - I just knew
The Dugout Bar is like no other place. It oozes character, charm, and history.
Stacey and now volunteer bartender Marie constantly breathe good energy and positive vibes into this space, creating a warm place where you can sit, where you can talk, where you can drink, where you can play pool, where you can shoot darts, play shuffleboard, hula-hoop, watch TV, play Apples to Apples, cards, and just be.
This past weekend I made it to the Dugout before the sun set. My friend and I ordered a drink at the bar (the Pink Cooter goes down easy) and then basked in the San Anselmo sun on the long wooden benches outside, the echo of kids playing softball just earshot away.
When you're sitting outside the Dugout bar, watching dusk and night set in - Â it can be easy to forget about worries and you can hear yourself breathe again. Figuratively and literally.
There are no speeding by city cars. No horns. Just the sound of nature and childhood from the nearby field.
There's something unmistakably familiar and almost nostalgic about it all.
And as night sets in....
Make sure to look up as you head back to your car. Lose yourself in the bright constellations smiling above the American Legion Log Cabin, graced with old war memorabilia and steady regulars.
Come to the American Legion Log Cabin - Dugout for a good time. It's hard to have anything but.
But more importantly come to the Dugout to remind yourself how to breathe and smile.
Trust.
I think if you got 4 friends together and tried to come up with a way to hide a bar, you couldn't come up with a plan better than the Dugout. First off, it's under a log cabin. And most things under a log cabin are not good. It's either going to be bears or bear poo. Funny side story, if a bear breaks into a cabin and eats purple licorice, he poops purple! Anyways....I was very shocked when I saw there was no poo, or bears, but there was a sweeet bar! With a cool back area! If you live in the area, this is a place to check out!
Review Source:Truly a great place to have a drink.
Just returned from spending a really solid night at the bar having a few drinks and enjoying the great outdoor setting at the dugout. Drink prices are reasonable so you can feel like a big man and buy a round or two for your friends ... or some friendly strangers.
On top of the cool atmosphere they have free pool, darts and shuffleboard. I grew up in Marin and had no idea this place existed. Seems like most would like to keep this place a secret so I will only sing it's praises in the shower and to my close friends.
I don't typically frequent dive bars. But I'm thinking of starting thanks to this place. It's tucked away in a residential neighborhood, down a winding dead end road, past a pitcher's mound that I almost wound up face down in, beneath a log cabin. Kinda looks like a place one might be axe-murdered in, but the danger only adds to its appeal.
Why I like this place:
1. Erica-- our friendly volunteer bartender on Saturday night. Â She welds, she boggles, she rocks. Tip her well. She deserves it.
2. They have many free forms of recreation. Board games (boggle!!!), a pool table, shuffleboard, darts, an arcade, a big-ass TV, a sweet juke box, and the bathroom is only mildly scary. Also, we were there from 9-12ish Saturday night and practically had the place to ourselves.
3. It's a veteran's bar. Very old men in military garb frequent this place. They've got tales to tell. Listen.
4. $3.00 cocktails and $2.00 decent beer from Costa Rica that I've never heard of. It has a yellow label. It tastes faintly figgish.
5. I hear there's a baseball field here. There might also a pond or lake. It was dark and I was drunk. Was it all a dream?
This bar is unlike any other bar in the bay area, really good selection of beers (only bottles, sorry tap lovers...), cheap ass drinks, free pool and shuffleboard!
This place is literally a log cabin, equipped with helicopter blades mounted above the bar with veterans signatures and illustrations, depending on the day you may walk in to find a bunch of buff dudes watching fights on the big screen to a hardcore game of boggle, some arm wrestling or full contact shuffleboard. Â And come find out what "washoes" is.
Great place for a party, and you can rent the space upstairs, been to a couple wedding receptions and parties up there, and it's always amazing.
This bar rules, I don't care what anyone says.
This little dive is alright, the only reason I ever pop up here is because a few of my friends like this joint and one of my pals bartends on Monday's. It's well, not my favorite "Dive Bar" but it's nice to go out and see familliar faces. I'd hang here in the summertime out back and watch the "Boys" play a white trash version of "horseshoes" it's *CUTE*, and they have Boddingtons. They have a jukebox with some decent tunes.
Review Source:It is a rare site to see a bar that can turn [[some yelper who shall not be named]] into a true stumbling mess. Â Most bars can get him drunk and smiley. Â Hell, some places can get him bordering the line between *that guy* and chester-the-molester, but to truly incapacitate [[some yelper who shall not be named]] takes true skill. Â Nothing quite seeing a hardened drinking buddy into 'just got my fake ID' Â slurry of incomplete sentences and college-esque liver poisoning.
Good job Log Cabin.
Mixed drinks taste like the liquor they're poured with, not their mixers. Â
Shuffleboard!
Fun bartenders!
Fun bar patrons!
The Best Kept Secret?!?!?!
HA!
This place is no secret to drunks and losers. It's only a secret 'cause it's not worth mentioning. Half the people who wrote reviews for this dingy "dug out" actually work there or are friends of the manager. It has a limited jukebox to listen to and the service 'aint all that great. The Log Cabin itself is great for private  parties or events but you'd have a better time drinking coffee at the A.A. meetings they hold upstairs than downing shots at this dive.
Leave this place to the dedicated veterans who served in the war and the off duty city workers.
 I also suggest you do not drive to this bar unless you have a designated driver, because the city of San Anselmo's corporation yard is right around the corner (it's where the local cops fill up on gas for their cruisers).
Best kept secret in Marin!
I got married here and it is THE best place to have a wedding if you want something casual with a rustic feel to it. Stacey was our rental agent/bartender extraordinaire. She did a fantastic job!
We set up a catered BBQ reception outside and had the place jumping with the DJ. Noise ordinance is 10pm since it is in a residential area. There is a full functioning kitchen too that can be used if needed. There is a stage at one end of the main room so you can stand up there for your vow exchange. The bar downstairs opens at 6 so really you only need to worry about stocking a bar until then and the guests can then go get their drink on. Â 3 dollar well drinks that have a kick to them is another rarity in Marin! The space is a rustic real log cabin built at the turn of the century, the background for pictures is amazing. Â It smells woodsy inside as well. The lighting choices are endless. Twinkle lights, chandeliers or spot lights are all in the main room. There are tables and chairs already there as well so depending on the size of your party you might not have to bring in extras. The huge parking lot is plenty large enough to accommodate your guests. On the other side of the lot there is a fenced in fancy playground for the kids to play in if you need time for some adult fun.
The price for renting the space for the day was only 700 bucks which is amazing for Marin as well as soon as you mention the word wedding most places charge you an extra couple thousand easy. If we had to do it all over again we wouldn't change a thing. It was a perfect day and the location was amazing with the feel of the cabin perfect for a rustic casual affair.
Best kept secret in Marin!
Free pool, free darts, shuffle board, games galore, $3.50 drinks and a kick ass bartender - what more could you ask for?
Things to know:
~It's only open to the public on Mon, Wed, Fri and Sat (6pm to 2am)
~There is a rental hall upstairs which can be rented and is sometimes used for parties that are open to the public (i.e. St. Patties Day!)
~It's hidden in Memorial Park in a residential neighborhood in San Anselmo...
~If you want "fancy" or "trendy" go somewhere else!
This place is like no other.
I have been there a few times. Â Each visit is different. Â
My first visit found me in a boisterous crowd of very happy folks who were ducking out of the hot night air and into various cool libations.
Second visit, was more of a reunion of buddies and local families that I was surprisingly and warmly welcomed into.
My last visit found me playing dress-up with paper cut-outs, lip-syncing to 80's-00's rock, and recording a video documentary of an impromptu, all-girls cover band.
So you never know what you'll find here in this unlikely little nook, but you will certainly find it notable and incredibly worth the search to find it.
If you haven't heard of this place, that's not surprising. Â You, like 100 percent of the rest of the world, don't know about the best kept secret in west Marin County, that's all...
This is essentially an authentic log cabin in the middle of a park amongst the redwoods in the west Marin 'burbs. Â Do you remember on the Flintstones how Barney and Fred were members of the Loyal Order of Dinosaurs? Â Well that's exactly what this place is. Â Upstairs is a huge cavernous hall that is just BEGGING for an off-the-hook home skillet party. Â The joint is made out of actual logs. Â There are even pictures of Abe Lincoln, the famed inventor of Lincoln Logs. Â There's a Grand Poobah's chair on a little stage and photographs of all the American Legionaires plastered all over the walls. Â Stacey K., the bodoss boss lady and manager of the joint, picks up a bench seat revealing hundreds of dusty old bingo cards underneath that are easily 80 years old. Â The place is drenched in history (and whiskey). Â
Downstairs is the Dugout -- the most unique drinking venue you will ever see. Â Drinks are 3 bucks and they have *everything* here. Â Get hammy and play shuffleboard, darts, pool, megatouch or just get shitfaced with Stacey K. and all the sweet ladies and veterans of foreign wars that hang out here. Â Guzzle warm white wine -- no, I mean warmed up in the microwave warm -- and then debate whether or not it resembles urine. Â There's a sweet huge American flag that was flying over Baghdad on September 11, 2005. Â A rogue's gallery of all the proud veterans with their units (or getting hammy, whichever) hangs opposite the long bar.
Despite the occasional power surge and broken toilet -- the building is 75 years old after all -- the good times you will enjoy here are certainly a'plenty!!!!
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