Definitely as Dive bar as it get. Â Just wish I got better service. Â The bartender was a hot mess and our drinks were warm. Â Thank god this was a pit stop on one of many bars in San Raf. Â I know its a dive bar but DAMN poor me a decent drink will ya.
I could have stayed home and poured the same shit for myself and done a better job. Â Sorry lady go back to bartender school.
Like boozy cocktails? Enjoy local music from non main-stream bands?.. Then you just might dig this dive. The only way this local haunt might get any better is if you had a short walk home afterwards or a driver designated for such occasions.. The drinks are strong and the crowd is interesting. A good place to start or finish a night of boozing, depending on how many of thier capacious cocktails you have ingested.
Review Source:It's funny they call this place a dive, because you're safer here than you'd be at most bars. The owner has total control of the bar and respect of her patrons. The crowd acts like family, while newcomers are welcomed.
And they have KILLER live, local bands that play often. It's a great place to unwind and get your groove on.
The bar sucks. Â Period. Â Dive bar or no dive bar, what makes a bar is the bartender(s).
Alexis is a piece of shit. Â She has ripped off at least two of my friends and lots more have complained of the same. Â What she does is tells you a drink is lets say $5.00 for story purposes. Â Ok, you order two or three. Â So you hand her a $20.00. Â She doesn't give you change back. Â You think she owes you $$$. Â She acts like a c#nt and says no she doesnt. Â This will go back and forth until she kicks you out. Â To boot, she will snag your last drink out of your hand and then kick you out...trying to make herself look like a billy badass in front of her looser friends. Â Btw, this did not happen to me. Â This happened to someone I was with which later I found out she did the same thing to two other people I know....she only serves her friends. Â So if your a crackhead, she'll serve you proper. Â The bar deserves no stars....I only give it one because of some of the bands that play there which are great and deserve a better venue.
Drunk Bartenders Stealing money from the owner, while being rude and not giving a rats ass for anyone (but their friends at the corner of the bar) is the only thing that stick to my mind every time i leave that place... seriously , at least serve me on NOT SO HOT glass.
And if you think that this is one of the best bars in town, Â maybe its time for you to start going out of town to have something to compare to.
the drunkards and the nasty restroom don't really bother me that much.
We went there last night and the woman behind the bar, who had been doing shots herself between customers, charged me $5.oo for a pint of beer.  I gave her a $20 bill and she gave me 5 single dollar bills back in change!  I checked it immediately to find that she had swindled me out of $10.oo   It was so sneaky, so sly.  I was stone sober, (more than I can say for the bartender) and had just come from the ATM and had only twenties on me.  She insisted that I had given her a $10 bill, and she became very nervous; so much so that she then knocked over a stack of liquor bottles.  Karma.  Turns out she's one of the "partners", so there's no supervisor to take this up with.  So, if your car breaks down on 4th Street in San Rafael, and this is the very last bar on Earth and you are dying of thirst, and you can afford $5.00 for a draught beer then watch your change if she's behind the bar.  Aside from this incident the place is too grungy for our taste, so we left, and not soon enough.  Turns out the beer was $15.00 when it was all said and done.
Review Source:I have no idea why there's so many bad reviews of this place. It's the best bar in town, in my opinion.
It's not full out douche bags every night, like every other bar in town, and whenever there's some skeezy dude trying to hit on me the bartenders/door men always tell them to fuck off.
The drinks are cheap and yummy, everyone who works there has always been super nice to me--
In fact, the only time I see them be rude to customers is when the customers is way too drunk and won't go home, won't show ID, or is harassing someone.
Maybe I'm a bit bias, because my dad's been playing music here since I was 15, so I've known them all forever, and I used to stand outside the bar to listen to him play, and even then the staff would get skeezy dudes to leave me alone. The doormen would stand outside with me just to keep me company!
I had my 21st birthday here, too, and it was the best night of my life, and my dad just had his 50th birthday there. It was fun and everyone had a great time.
Also, I really don't know why people are adding in the homeless people who walk by the front of the bar into the reviews. It's San Rafael, that happens at EVERY business here. How is that the bar's fault anymore than the pizza place next door? C'mon, now.
I have been to this bar twice, and while I don't think it's the best bar I have ever been to, I feel somewhat surprised by the anger in many of the reviews. Â I haven't ever been there super late, and maybe that is why I haven't experienced as many homeless or drug addicts as some fellow reviewers. Â However, if I did see these things, I wouldn't be surprised since the bar does not have a sign with a name on it, is located on shady block, and looks like a black hole. Â The outside of this bar tells me that if I go in, I am not likely to encounter lovely decor, the finest cocktail list, or the most genteel of service or patrons. Â To enter the bar and expect it to be different seems a little unfair.
Myself, I have experienced fairly good service both times, once from a lady bartender and once a guy. Â At one point when the bar wasn't very crowded, the bartender was outside hanging out, but I just took that as one of the quirks of the place. Â I would have been irritated if there had been a line or if I was really thirsty, but it was ok. Â
What I like about the place: Â *really* good live bands on both visits, excellent internet jukebox when there isn't music playing, and there has been no issue with bringing in food from Sol Food across the street (a BIG plus, since they don't serve drinks at the restaurant!). Â An interesting crowd also collects when bands play, ranging from aging punk-types to yuppies, which makes the bar feel democratic and unpretentious. Â Surprisingly, the bathroom is rather clean considering (though it can get kinda gross later in the evening, not surprisingly).
I have had a really good time here, and am likely to be back again soon!
As I'm writing this I'm just getting over the hangover provided by the Tavern last night. It was a very good time. It's really a great place to find local live music. They have all sorts of bands play, most are somewhere in the classic rock to rockabilly range. I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars, because the place can be kind of a dump, but the music and the people there really make it a nicer place to be.
It was fairly busy, especially considering it was a Monday night, but I hardly had to wait at all to get to served. it's a fairly tight space, with the stage on one side and the bar on the other, so you're constantly bumping shoulders when there's any kind of crowd there.
There's a good mix of people there most nights. I used to come here all the time, but not as much lately for various reasons. Last night I was constantly running into people I knew from all over Marin, all of whom I was glad to see. Nostalgia tends to clean places up a little, but going there again reminds me that it's the kind of place you find a puddle on the floor of the mens room and you might get your hands dirtier if you use the sink, but that does make it just a little more punk rock.
A friend's band played here a few weeks ago - that gave the place an extra star. Â
The drinks, while not dirt cheap, were not great and the first thing I asked for, a special announced on the board, prompted a pretty surly and derisive response from the bar-tender who didn't know how to make it. Â He explained to me that the day staff wrote things on the board that he neither approved of or was trained to make.
Heck, I felt sorry for the guy - it was crazy busy. Â Howev, that is just horrible management. Â Get some specials on there, make sure the ingredients are handy, in plentiful supply, train everybody on those drinks, maximize the profit margin on them and then sling 'em like there is no tomorrow!
It also stunk, the floor was sticky, some funky dudes hit on me outside and the guy from goonies and the golden child with the messed up face was running around on some combo of crack and E. Â He came on to both my boyfriend and my girlfriend. Â Lucky thing my lady-bitch friend smacked him upside da' head (verbally) and 86'ed his ass.
Okay... I just wanted to point out that everyone who said that the bartenders are bitchy were women. I am a chick and I have NEVER had a bad experience with any bartender there except one, who was fired a few months later. I wont name names, but she was blonde, fat and used to sausage stuff into really small shirts and only serve the men at the bar.
Anyhoo, the rest of the bartenders are great... Nathan makes the best top shelf Long Island Ever... Ali is a total sweetheart.... Jason FINALLY is working behind the bar, as opposed to at the door which is cool and everyone else is just cool and mellow.
Drinks are cheap, the regulars are awesome and if you go earlier int he afternoon, there are some great people there. Later on in the evenings is when you get a more diverse crowd, but it is still a very fun place to go.
Its not clean. Its not where you take your grandma (although both my parents loved the place). Its close to food - which is always convenient if you get the munchies during your drinking sesh.
I like this place. Â I think it is kinda grungy and certainly a dive, but it is a good place to hide. Â I think marin needs more bars like this. Â Never at this bar do you have to listen to blarring techno or top fourty. Â Usually the juke box music is mellow and fitting. unless there is a show going on, I find this bar a good place to hide and share a drink.
Review Source:The only reason I give two stars is my favorite tribute band (Zoo Station/U2) plays here. However, more than once my friends and I have received very rude service which involves us standing at the bar far too long while the ONE bartender talks to another customer without even looking around to see if others are waiting. And then when you get their attention, they serve someone right behind you and then tell you it's because that person had better eye contact?! Â How dare you.
Review Source:The place is a dive bar. Â Despite Marin's reputation as a high end county, the 4th Street Tavern is one of the last bars left in the downtown San Rafael area, and it can be filled with all kinds of weird people. The regulars are bar flies and some really funky looking druggies ~ the same down and outs that have been there forever as well as folks just in there to keep warm. Â While trying their best to keep out the riff raff you always see these same denizons in there. Â They do get some pretty good musical acts there on occation, only because there is really no other venues in San Rafael as New Georges has been closed and boarded up for many years now. Â So much for San Rafael's storied reputation as a town where the rock stars live. This week they found a female patron of the 4th Street Tavern murdered in the back parking lot. Â In what may be the sign of the times, the 4th Street Tavern may be going down for the final count as local Marinites have long stopped going there. Â I can't say that I'll miss the joint.
Review Source:Here's a dirty little secret: I love dive bars. I've loved 'em since I was in college, back in the day when I first discovered how much awesome fun one can have going to a dive bar to listen to some even awesomer live local music.
The Fourth Street Tavern is no exception. The patrons are usually a widely eccletic bunch from your usual Marin folks to your die-hard dive bar regs. Â The bartenders, who are known for pouring a heavy-handed drink and a pretty decent pint, take care of their patrons. And on most nights, they have pretty good, sometimes even awesome, live local bands. Â
There is no cover charge if you get there before 9:30, which is around the time the band(s) is getting ready to play. Â After 9:30, the cover charge is normally $5.00, and although I don't mind paying the charge at the door, I usually try to arrive sometime way before 9:30. I like to sit at the bar, where I always receive pretty good service and never fail to meet some interesting people.
Most nights, they have music performed by local musicians, including Culann's Hounds, and Tres Borrachos. On Wednesday nights, they have free pool. And, if you prefer to not stay to listen to the live music, they do have a jukebox from which you can listen to any one of your favourite tunes.
The next time you're in town, stop by the Fourth Street Tavern and don't forget to wear your dancing shoes! I may even buy you a drink, if you're lucky.
If you're looking for a non-pretentious, totally cool place to hang out and listen to a wide variety of music (in that "live music desert of Marin"), this is a place to check out. Sure-- it's nothing fancy-- but hey-- where else can you get a cheap beer, flirt with some really nice door guys and hear some kick-ass music?? Some local bands have started here and gone on to bigger billings, so you never know who you could see. (Storm, Mother Truckers, Eric McFadden...) It's also got a pool table that stays pretty busy... I actually like this place just as well on a low key Sunday afternoon where I can hang out, relax and have the best bloody mary around.
Pros-
- cheap cover, cheap drinks
- variety of local bands/types of music
- best bloody mary ever (but order during the slow time/daytime)
- friendly clientele and door
Cons-
- the women's bathroom isn't great
- sometimes really crowded and hard to get a drink
- no food (although Extreme PIzza is next door and they'll let you bring in your slice)
Well, I am french ; lived in SR 5 years ago... My first time at the Tavern... was cool ; Came to see an "unofficial" boyfriend playing with his band... The atmosphere was a bit weird, but I guess that's part of it... Bouncer was cool, i was not 21 but he let me in a few times (we can get into club at 16 in france !)
Review Source:I'm a little undecided about this place, so I guess I will have to succumb to the pros and cons lists that I thought I had left in kindergarten.
Pros:
-The drinks aren't massively expensive (but I guess that's part of its divey-ness)
-They have a really diverse array of bands that perform here.
-Most of the clientele is pretty nice, it just depends on the night.
Cons:
-If you're a girl, every guy will have something to say to you and will not go away.
-The bartenders can be total bitches.
-The bathroom is pretty disgusting.
Yeah, overall, it's ok. Just ok.
This is the home of the Mother Truckers, which is why I now have the experience of a San Rafael bar. Reading the reviews beforehand I was skeptical, but going for a sold out show packed with friends is apparently another experience altogether. The stage is set up right at the entry, so they either have to move the door over to the left (if you are looking at it from outside) or to the back, where it belongs. It's a real mess to have a stage at the entry when people are constantly having to go out to smoke, and the bar is quite long so you have a mix of folks trying to get a drink, folks coming and going and a bunch of people watching the band and bouncing around, creating a nasty bottle neck effect.
I found some of the crowd lacking in bar etiquette, but on average many were fun and friends of the band. My first impression of the barmaid was not wonderful, but the other barmaid impressed the shit out of me. For some reason they weren't well stocked for a Saturday night show, which they were well aware would draw a huge crowd. Most tap beers were gone by 10pm. Small selection of the sort of all American crappy beer you'd expect by the bottle. I chose a $4.50 Corona (it's imported ya know) and took the lime out as I always do. I didn't realize she noticed. About an hour later, I squeeze my way back to the bar, she sees me "Corona, no lime"...color me impressed...I was one of over 100 people drinking and she was slammed. The door guys were really friendly & nice also, I don't think it's the sort of bar that gets that much action so they were a bit flabbergasted. I can't say I'd go back to 4th St Tavern, but my experience there was awesome.
Although I have no personal experience, I hear crystal meth is bad for you. There are stories of people cutting their lawns with scissors in order to get each blade of grass even while high on meth. Or picking at the bugs on their bodies. Or any number of extreme OCD-type things. I wonder if it could make a bartender push her way through a crowd so she could line the barstools up "just so" and push people out of the way so she could clear drinks - from the outside of the bar! Just wondering.....
Another highlight was the homeless guy who came up to us outside... my friend pulled me far away from him and said "He has peed his pants - and it looks like there's dried up jizz around his zipper too!"
Depending on the night you go, it will either be brimming with white trash or full of hot teenage girls. Â
Fourth Street Tavern is great for live local music, there is a gigantic poster posted on their window describing who is playing each night. Â They have an official website, however, it's under construction. Â It would be useful if it was working, otherwise you wouldn't know who was playing each night. Â
The place is a little divey, not my type of place. Â Also, it's kind of cramped, there isn't much of a stage and it is very close to the floor. Â The bartenders are bitchy, too.
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