Why Hello Trick Dog! ?
New bar in the Mission District serving CLEVERLY Crafted and NAMED drinks! Best of all they are delicious! There is a downstairs and upstairs level. The upstairs level is reserved for people who are dining at the bar.
DRINKS:
Baby Turtle- EGG WHITES + Cinnamon  + TEQUILA! WOO. Frothy start to the night. (This was available the first time I was here when they had a Pantone menu)
Bank Robber - RYE, Bourbon, Congac, bitters, and blackberry. Amazing combination to give a well balanced by strong flavored drink. (The menu is a vintage disc set)
FOOD:
Beef Tartare: Sous-vide rare sirloin, egg yolk, cornichons, mustard and fines herbs, served with toas. The egg yolk mixes well with the beef.
Cracklins: Pork belly cooked crispy, with brown sugar, salt & spice- These are great chips to go with the bar drinks!!
Overall, one of the coolest bars in the Mission! Coming back again for sure.
Great drinks and more great drinks, as well as, Â friendly staff and a great location. Â Did I say great drinks? Â Man, I wish I could make these drinks at home.
I loved their pantone menu, Alas, it is no longer. Â Now they have these albums of record 45s. Â While it is not a very effective menu, it is amazing. So fun to look through. Â I flagged down a bar back to recommend something similar to the 'straw hat' from the pantone menu days. Â He recommended "shes gone". Â After a couple of those, so was I. If the drinks were not amazing, the menus would just be gimmicky. Â As it is, they go perfectly hand in hand!
Oh my dear Trick Dog. How could I have known what sweet, secret delicacies were hidden inside your walls?
Sweet mountain of Kale, your hearty, woody and cheesy flavors make my mouth sing.
Trick Dog, your complex cocktails of palate massaging flavor make my heart soar.
Your dark and moody aesthetics with warm vibrations move through me!
Thank you, for your buttery popcorn ice cream with flavor so intense my mind froze in time as I experienced the fullness of creamy goodness.
I don't write reviews anymore, but the compulsion hit. I went a few weeks back, back in the pantone-menu days. It was a pleasant kick, caressed my throat to three or four licks. Days later a public announcement to friends colored the place as pretty neat, "except for that damned menu, yo".
Then a friend emailed me a link, "check it, brother --- Trick Dog has a new menu!"
Reassured, thinking they'd addressed the design deficiencies in their old list, I went back. Here's where I get mind blown: they inconceivably made it worse. They've created, quite possibly, the worst menu in existence. There was a line of 6 people across the bar, and each group was going through the menu --- at a rough count I'd say it took the average group a good ten minutes to make a decision. Hell, a friend of mine was so befuddled he was dropping discs out of the sleeve, and struggling to keep the entire thing together.
To the dearly beloved owners: you make amazing drinks, that's all the flourish you need.
oooooooooh my.
i was recommended this one drink.
and at first i was like okkkkkkkkkkkk uhm wierd.
but then i was like i love bourbon!
and i love beet juice.
but bourbon AND beet juice?!?
ok lets try this.
and it was amazing.
someone also ordered the pork rinds. pretty sure half of them disappeared into my mouth. ooops. it was worth it.
this is a craft cocktail bar, that for sure has the craft.
There is no sign? (I know it's supposed to be hip and I'm sure they did it on purpose but when you don't care about that nonsense it's just annoying when you're trying to find the place). It takes a long while to get a drink and there are just way too many fedoras and sunglasses for a dark indoor space. Apparently the place is known for their craft drinks and they were all good and all but it takes about 5 minutes for each drink to be made. Their beer selection is a little scarce and there is a severe lack of space to rest your drink. I just think I'm not old enough or too young (in that middle range where you can't handle trying to be cool) to enjoy this place for what it is, something over stylized and kitsch that'll be the popular place to go for the year.
Review Source:THE NEW WEDNESDATES
(5 stars)
Spread it open, let it ooze out, and eat it. SCOTCH EGG HAD ME AT HELLO!
- FOOD, simple and delicious
- PRICES, decent
- SERVICE, very good
- AMBIANCE, bar downstairs/tiny restaurant upstairs. the concept is simple and creative.
Great company, great conversations, clinging of drinks, and endless laughter is what I look forward to after work the past several Wednesdays. And Wednesday was soon here again. We came here hunting for new palate experiences because that is how we roll through the concrete jungles. Knowing me, I will go lengths to experience something new, something yet not discovered by the masses, something unique that will draw you back for more, and something where I can attempt to replicate in my own kitchen. Â Their concepts and creativity makes me like this place even more. The drink menu was a book of records and each record was a drink. Good vibe, good music, good crowd, good food. I've been "domesticated" every Wednesday for the past 1.4 years, my friends have said I've been liberated from a deadbeat loser with no future going for himself.
HEFFER STATUS.
LINDA RONSTADT HEAT WAVE ($10) - Hanger one, lillet rose, melleti, galliano, watermelon, and lime. SO YUMMY. Very delicate in taste and has a light herbal and fruit taste. It was was a creeper, hit me like a ton of bricks. Their drinks here are off the chains.
CRACKLINGS ($6) - Pork belly, brown sugar, spice blend. Uhm SPICY. When I choose to eat some kind of meat, it will have to be pork. It was their version of chicharron, it was good but kind of spicy. I liked how it was freshly fried and didn't carry that old grease taste. After about 3-4 crackins, I was over it as the spice just got spicier. Good to share with another person.
KALE SALAD ($9) - Avocado, parmesan, pepitos, slow-cooked egg yolk dressing. This was one of the best kale salads I've ever had in my life. You can trust my opinion on that. It was lightly creamy because of the egg yolk and avocado, easily to take down, and just a healthy kind deliciousness I can't really explain. I can't believe I'm speaking so highly of a kale salad but it was just a great dish. Good to share between 2-3 people.
SCOTCH EGG ($10) - Soft-boiled egg, brandade, beet confit, salmon roe, crème fraiche. WTHeezie.... pretty damn delicious. I will have to say that it kinda is a bit salty, but if you take each bite with a bit of the beet confit (purple stuff) it really balanced everything out and make the dish ten times tastier. I don't think everything on the plate meshed well but the scotch egg with the beet confit go hand and hand. We ordered one for each of us. Oh my, it's a must.
Our bill totaled around $66+. Not bad at all, our bellies left happy.
Will I be back? We want to come back on Wednesdays but we have decided to not get stuck at once great places and keep hunting for more.
JABA APPROVED. Until the next review....
The bartenders here are mixologists - I am talking infusions, twists and tinctures. If your thing is scotch straight up they will have pretty much what you want; but if you like something that has to be concocted, this is your place. I didn't know until recently they served food too, and it's first rate. To be clear, drinks are why people come but I think the food alone would be worth a visit.
The only caveat about this place is that it's trendier than me (I am past the time when I was willing to stand in line to get into a bar) and that it can get really noisy.
Have you been to Trick Dog? Â What? You don't live in San Francisco? You can't easily get to Trick Dog? Well, that's no excuse. You need to get there/here/the Mission where this fantabulous bar is. Bar? Did I call it just a bar? Because it's not just a bar - it's a restaurant too! That's like a person who is good at singing and acting - that's like Jared Leto - yes! That's what Trick Dog is! Trick Dog is the Jared Leto of the food scene! It can sing and act! It's totally Jared Leto - and not Madonna - it's definitely not Madonna because she's a terrible actress.
Trick Dog has the most fabulous cocktails in all of the city - they're little artisan works of, well, art, in cocktail glasses - and, yep, there's more, they're named after the Pantone Matching System. That Grandma's Sweater you're drinking - yep, that's a color. Don't you feel all colorful and sparkly inside knowing that you're sipping liquid that's the quality of an object or substance with respect to light reflected by the object, usually determined visually by measurement of hue, saturation, and brightness of the reflected light? (That's the dictionary definition of color, by the way - aren't definitions fun!?).
And the Grandma's Sweater is good and all but you know what's better? St. Elmo's Fire! Mmm, St. Elmo's Fire. Â Mmm, 80's movies. Â Mmm, Trick Dog! Â Get there. Â Now.
I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. We arrived around 5:30 thinking we'd beat the crowd - well we did but being that there's only maybe 10 bar stools in the entire place. Of course they were all taken even by 5:30. We decided to head upstairs, eat and enjoy a beverage while sitting down. First off we had to wait a minimum of 20 minutes for the waitress to seat us, the entire 20 minutes we were staring at the 3 open tables waiting for us. Next, it took another 20 min for someone to ask us if we'd like a drink. Then once the drinks arrived and the food - it was just Meh - nothing to right home about. The drinks were tasty but unbelievably small - especially after what was now about an hour wait if you include, the table wait, the order wait, then the wait for the beverages themselves.
Honestly - I won't be returning to Trick Dog - there are too many decent bars within a few blocks of it. Asiento & Blowfish to name just a couple.
4.5 stars. Â Didn't eat here, just came here on a Saturday night to get some drinks. Â We got there and there was a line to get in. Â It's a very small space, so we waited for quite a while. Â The bouncer eventually let us in. Â Nice guy... wasn't a tough and mean bouncer.. but a nice hipster bouncer. Â Definitely hipster inside. Â Not many places to stand or hang out, so we went to the back alley way between the bar and the restaurant next door. Â Even though we were in the way of some servers and guys getting ice and stuff, they never said anything to us or told us to move. Â Even though it was packed, it was relatively easy to get a drink. Â The drink menu was too much to peruse, so I just kept the drinks easy.. maybe that's why there were so cheap. Â Bought 2 drinks twice, and each time it was like 10 or 12 bucks. Â Crowded, but relaxed and easy. Â Loud but not super loud.
Review Source:Headed out to Trick Dog on Saturday night after hearing so much about this place. Â We were definitely not disappointed! The menu is assorted Pantone colors and your drink will more or less match this. Â I asked for something with Tequila and was directed to try the Turtle (?) drink which was topped with a very frothy egg white and cinnamon latte like top. Â I can't even tell you how delicious this is! Go and try it! Â My friends also had two delicious and colorful concoctions. Â One was a beet juice and rye combo and the other a razzle dazzle (vodka?) type thing - also amazing! Â A little out of the way for us since we trekked down from Nob Hill, but we will most definitely be back soon.
Review Source:This place has totally grown on me. The Trick Dog is a nice juicy burger (I hear it has pork and some brisket or something mixed in?). Their thrice-cooked frieds "manimal style" is totally bomb. Their drinks are good, too, but I would really like to see some rotating drinks on their menu since I've had just about everything on there, way too many times.
Review Source:Surprisingly spacious at the end of a Friday night. We rolled 10 deep and tried to get seats upstairs but they seem pretty much reserved for diners. Cocktails at the bar it was, and can I just say that THE PANTONE MENU IS FREAKING ADORABLE. The grandma's sweater was really yummy, I could drink bucket-loads of that ish. Everyone else's drinks were meh. Also our bartender kinda had an attitude problem and was suuuuuuuuuuuuper slow. But I guess everyone has bad days.
Review Source:This is the closest I've ever come to feeling like I was in that "Hey Mr. Mixologist" parody video. Â I like elaborate cocktails well more than the next person, but several of these pushed the line even for me. Â The coconut vinegar one smelled rank, like rotting feet; the beet one had a very strong edge of borscht, though it was kind of drinkable. Â Many of the others were actually quite tasty. Â It's a good place to take cocktail enthusiasts, just as an edgy art gallery is a good place to take art lovers, if for no other reason than to learn your limits.
Review Source:The best out there.
I don't know remember what I drank, but I know everything was infused with creative ingredients and when I asked for something with mezcal they produced a twist on a classic cocktail ("improved mezcal cocktail") that was so expertly executed I transcended.
Trick Dog came heavily recommended from my fave bar back home, and they definitely came to play - despite the grungy hipster ambiance and the mission-to-the-mission bus ride our visit required, my 50-something french and Australian bosses were sufficiently impressed with their drinks to give me kudos on my bar selection. Â
Also, these San Francisco bartenders are SO much nicer than our Miami-based cocktail snobs. They sent me home with $20 bill with a friendly message to my local craft cocktail bar - to which the Miami crew responded with an equally friendly "F*ck off". West coast hospitality is so much less vulgar than ours - must be the humidity or constant drone of Pitbull in the background - it changes a person...
Im a fan of the Bon Vivant crew. Theyve done drink programs for many good restaurants in SF. Always solid drinks with interesting approaches to the classic cocktail. Recently I went to a party here that was wall to wall people. The Space is basically a long rectangular room with an upstairs having s few tables. Considering the standing room only first floor, the bartenders were on their game and actually got the drinks to us in a timely manner. I asked my bartender to make something of her choice with bourbon, while my friend got the non alcoholic pineapple/coconut selection. Both fairly solid drinks. I wish i was there longer to try a few more but between talking to people i knew all over the room and the parking restrictions we had to adhere to for my friends car, we had to cut out early.
One of my co workers loves the burger here so she keeps telling me i should have it. One day im going to come back on a more normal service and have food plus a few more drinks to see how they usually run. However even with these crowded, busy condition, they delivered a good time. 4.25 stars
I personally like my cocktail bars a little more low-key than Trick Dog - so take the three stars with a rim of salt:
-Great drinks.
Stupid, overstylized pantone-deck menu. Flip books are great for visual comparisons; not so much for textual ones.
-The vibe is not 'mellow'. The music is loud; it's crowded. There's a bouncer. You might get hit on. Â
-But, it's not a dancing bar. It's a standing-or-sitting-down bar - like a house party at peak hours. Lots of standers.
I can't imagine myself hanging around for a few drinks' worth - it's not a nurse-and-converse kind of place. Make it a punchy pregame, or a lively ladies' night instead, and you won't be disappointed.
My friend recommended this to me, which she heard from her friend. I walked right past the front entrance on my way here, it looks boarded up and there's not much natural lighting inside - it's a large open bar space on the lower level and a more intimate dining area at the top. We didn't have reservations for dinner but it was a nice space to have amazing cocktails while we waited.
We ordered grandma's sweater (I love anything with mint and thought the proportions were perfect), baby turtle, and gypsy tan (which I've just listed in order of my preference). The colors of the drinks are super cool and unique. The menu is interesting with a large variety (see menu at their site).
We ordered the trick dog which was delicious, manimal fries (gluttony at its best) and a soft boiled egg. All were well prepared and unique and tasty, although kind of pricey.
My throat felt super sore afterwards because we basically yelled at each other for three hours straight, since it's so loud inside. That's the only reason I give it less than 5 stars - how loud it is.
Service was average in attentiveness but very nice and friendly. I highly recommend this as a date place or a small group outing (definitely not large though).
The boyfriend and I came here around 5pm on a Tuesday night. It was pretty crowded in the bar area, but having heard about how great the food was, we headed upstairs to for an early dinner. We ordered:
Food:
The Scotch Egg- I liked the idea, but I think many people are fooled by the plating. Plus, the egg has a very fishy tasting layer between the egg and the breading. Nothing should every be fishy tasting. Even fish. Yuck.
The Trick Dog-A pretty solid burger, but it wasn't good enough to make me want to return here just for this one dish.
Cracklins- very good, but fried fat is not so hard to get wrong.
Drinks:
Pennies from Heaven- interesting, but I only had one sip because it was too alcohol-tasting for me, but I am really not a big drinker, so I always feel very biased whenever I give a drink review.
Grandma's Sweater- This was pretty good and balanced with the right amount of sweet, sour, and alcohol flavor. It didn't have the alcohol taste as much, but it was still a very strong drink! I drank about half and had to stop.
Our food came out before the drinks, which no one ever likes, but I know the bar was busy downstairs. The service was okay, not really much to discuss there. Although, the waitress did apologize for the drinks coming out slowly. Overall, I thought this meal was disappointing and overpriced for what we had. I think if I had out of town guests who were more into scene and ambiance, I would bring them here, but this wouldn't be a place for me to return any time soon.
Oh Trick Dog, what a tricky review this feels to write. If I had written this review after my first visit, this would probably be a 4 star review. However, after my 2nd visit for a friend's birthday party, I'm feeling a little less generous and going to round down to 3 stars.
The drinks are certainly the strong point of this establishment. The bartenders take their time to make them properly, and they've got some unique ones on the menu. However, I've definitely had hits and misses with them. Yes, drinks are largely a personal preference thing, but bottom line is that I'm still not happy if I'm paying $10+ for a drink I feel is "meh."
There's also a small dining area upstairs, but if you don't get in during the first round, expect to wait a long time to get a table, or don't expect to get one at all. Plus side is that you can order your food downstairs and they'll bring it out to you. However, I feel a large portion of the food falls into the meh category as well. The Trick Dog especially so. I like how their signature namesake dish is unique in that it's a hamburger shaped to fit in a hot dog bun, but I honestly don't think I understand the practical purpose or benefit to this. The flavors and textures reminded of a fancy big mac. Not a bad thing in itself, but I'd rather pay big mac prices instead of Trick Dog prices then! :P A friend ordered the scotch egg, and after I tried a bite I agreed with their once again "meh" consensus. Thrice-cooked manimal style fries weren't bad, but not stand out either. Cracklins were definitely my favorite out of all the food I tried, which unfortunately isn't saying that much.
Luckily the few times I've been here I haven't had to wait in line, but the line here can get long, and this small space gets pretty crowded. Cool joint, friendly staff, and I like the vibe here. However, I'm going to give this review 3 stars, largely due to the value I feel I'm getting for the food, drink, and overall experience.
Went with 2 friends on a Wednesday night, crowded but not unbearable. The bartenders are fast and friendly and the drinks were interesting and delicious... Pennies from heaven, baby turtle were stand outs. Â We waited to grab a table to eat, about 40 minutes, goes by fast when you have a little buzzzz ;)
Food was very good as well. Â Great prices, trick dog is the way to go, also shrimp cocktail, pimento cheese dip and ovaltine ice cream. Can't wait to go back.
From the Pantone color wheel drink menu to a space that has garnered attention from the Chronicle's style section, and of course drinks that have been crafted with as much attention as the space... this place it a must try. It is my go to for cocktails. The deal was sealed when I saw "Grandma's Sweater" on the menu. Please don't ever change.
Review Source:Stopped by yesterday on the recommendation from a friend.  Thank god that friend is smart and has good  taste!  She told me where it was and that it wasn't automatically noticeable from the street. She was right- I wouldn't have guessed it was there and would have kept on walking   Â
My friend told me she and her girlfriend went around 4:30 on a Sunday and it wasn't that crowded. They were able to have a few drinks and apps. She was totally spot on. My friend and I arrived around 5 on Saturday and bar was not too crowded. I was able to order drinks relatively fast-it took me longer to go through their drink menu than it took to make the drinks.
They have very inventive concoctions on their menu. My friend had Grandma's Sweater and I stuck with my tried and true Campari and soda (don't judge me). Both were delish. The bartenders are lovelyto look at and friendly - what a girl can't appreciate eye candy? Â Drinks were reasonably priced. The crowd was a mix of hipsters and older folks- alright by me.
We didn't have any food but it looked delish and my friend and I talked about going back for dinner very soon.
Thanks for the recommendation, Kristi. I will be back.
excellent place for drinks and appetizers...
Bartenders are great and food is pretty good.
Pennies from Heaven: interesting flavors...mix of savory and sweet
Gypsy Tan: A bit more fruity with a savory finish.
Lion Heart: tart and sweet.
Scotch egg: very good. perfectly soft boiled egg. Is a bit rich, so if you're looking for something lighter, this isn't it
Cracklins: very good. again, if you're counting calories, or you want something light, this isn't it
The Trick Dog: Juicy and well seasoned. a buger with an upgrade.
I would definitely come back for a pre-dinner snack and drink
"Do I just stand here and drink? Can I sit down? No seats? hmm.. Upstairs only for diners?" Those are the questions running through my mind on a Saturday night packed house at Trick Dog. The reasons for the 3 stars are simple: Â 1. Available drink menu. 2. Assorted interesting drinks from Fernet to whiskey. 3. Decor.
Downside is this place is pricey and the crowd has an identity crisis.
I finally came here w/ the boyfriend after he kept telling me I should try it. I have to say the drinks are pretty good! I had the "Grandma's sweater" and I really liked it!
A mix of gin, zucca rabarbaro, blood orage, lime, mint, and bitter lemon soda made a really good drink!
Trick Dog is definitely a chill bar. I like.
I finally made it here last night for drinks to cap off date night and have to say that I'm a huge fan! Â Given the fact it was a Tuesday evening, there wasn't a line at the door (thank goodness) and we found a seat at the bar rather quickly, which was a huge plus. Â
It must be stated that the drink "menu" is too cute! I was seriously obsessed. Â I ordered the Pantone drink, also referred to as the "beet drink," which was excellent. Â The hubs ordered the Alligator Alley because he thought it would be close to a gin martini. Â Much to his disappointment, aside from the gin and vermouth, it didn't taste like a martini.
The bartenders here are serious! Â It seems that they love what they do and that the cocktails are an art form for them. Â It was fun to have a bar seat to watch the alcoholic concoctions being whipped up.
This place is cool, and it has that "you gotta know to know" feel to it. I think it's a San Francisco thing to crave that type of hidden treasure so that you can later brag about it to your friends. SO go ahead, visit, and then brag.
The hot dog is essentially a burger shaped as a hot dog. Pretty flavorful and tasty.
The pork appetizer thing was taaaassty.
The Pantone was an interesting drink. in fact the whole drink menu looked cool. I'd want to try a few more different tastes.
this is a place I'll want to try again and see what other tasty bites I can get.
What a treat to live two blocks from here! I always wondered what the fuss was about--lines out the door and all--and glad to know this place is reliable for amazing food and drinks. Yayyyy.
Love the hipster "pantone" drink menu. Straw hat was my fave.
Scotch egg is an ABSOLUTE MUST. Oh dear god it was delicious.
Kale salad was a nice balance to all the greasy food we ate (fries, etc.)
Tip: It gets reeeeeallly hot upstairs. Line can be long, so be prepared to wait.
The drinks here are solid. A solid place for hand crafted drinks. We came here for Char's bday on a Wednesday for a nightcap.
Pantone: Â Almost like a kentucky buck but not really with beets. This drink is delicious and the beets provide all the hang over cure you may potentially get for pounding a bunch of these down. The whiskey/ginger beer and citrus are always a killer combo. The beets add a nice texture/earthiness to the drink (which is complemented by the whiskey), Â while the sweetness from the combier and kummel add a nice finish touch.
I want to eat here... the food looked and smelled good. The other drinks looked interesting, and I am sure they are just as well crafted as the pantone.
Went here for late night drinks for a friend's birthday. What a fantastic drink menu and friendly/knowledgeable staff hard at work.
There's a bit of a line, so I would get there early (i.e. before 10 pm). Inside will be crowded as well, and not a lot of space to sit. But all in all, it' s a great place meet up for a nice drink.
Will have to come back to try the food with all the great reviews :)
Meh. Â The food and drinks were good, but did not live up to the hype I had heard about this place. Â I had saved up for a night here (I work at a nonprofit, whatever) and felt disappointed upon leaving $30 poorer and not having experienced a truly great meal.
The one thing of note and sole reason for going back would be the Pantone cocktail. Â It was so flavorful, with notes that just kept going. Â But I'm still not sure I can justify paying so much for a drink...
I give this place an "Inc".
Stopped in there one evening a few months back while waiting on a table at Central Kitchen. Â It was pretty crowded, which is to be expected on a Saturday evening at the new "it" cocktail joint. Â Once I managed to slip and slide my way up to the bar so I could order a Baby Turtle, I was pretty much ignored by the "mixologist". Â Waited about 10 more minutes and then hit the road through the back hallway and sat on the fountain with a nice beer at Central Kitchen. Â I chalked this one up to being slammed on a Saturday night and everyone else south of Chestnut Street wanting to be there.
Which brings me to last night (03/27/2013) a Wednesday at 6:30. Â We had reservations at flour + water at 7:15 so I though we'd give this place another shot, I'm always a sucker for a well crafted cocktail. Â The place, as expected was bustling for a Wednesday but far less crowded then the previous Saturday night cocktail attempt failure. Â We looked at the Pan-tone cocktail menu, decided on a Paper Moon and again a Baby Turtle...and just like the past visit started to wait and wait and wait. Â And just like the past bailed after 10 minutes of watching the bartender methodically mix his creations. 0 for 2.
I accept the fact that a lot of work goes into each drink, but take the 1 second to look up and notice the ever impatient, thirsty, soon to be ex-patrons and at least make eye contact. Â This would inspire hope that you're at going to get to us soon. Â
I had a great deal of expectations for this place but 2 failed attempts at getting just one cocktail have brought me to a couple of conclusions:
1. This place needs to staff up to the level to handle the crowd.
2. Jay 'n Bee never disappoints.
3. The fact that this place is associated with Central Kitchen and flour + water raise the expectations, it's time to live up to them.
Trick Dog is a good bar. You should go if it's not too far out of your way. I'm just only calling it A-OK out of some neurotic personal preferences of my own. This won't be my most "objective" review. Dispite being a good bar on all technical grounds, I don't think I'm a "fan", a guide for 4 stars I tend to take very literally. I tend to hate things that seem counter cultural in a forced way so...
You need to fix up the outside of your bar and hang a damn sign with your name on it. This is not Brooklyn circa whenever people cared about Brooklyn, and we are in the Yelp era. There are no hidden "it" spots for people "in the know." The person who is "in the know" is anyone. And nestled into one hella gentrified block of the mission, your run down store front looks douchey (and hella 90s). You serve $11 cocktails, and your insulting your clientele by pretending that you are trying to get to something "deeper" than people who buy $11 cocktails. But that's just my read. Â
About the cocktails. I had a large carnivore theme for the night and ordered the Lion Heart and the Polar Bear.
I really liked the Lion Heart. Mango paired with Scotch was both a new flavor for me and a cool play on the classic wisdom that whiskeys pair with stone fruits. It was balanced and drinkable, without lacking so much structure that you'd want to knock it back in one go. Almost a perfect cocktail. Â
The Polar Bear didn't win me over as well. I think it's super clever and I'll go in on a super clever cocktail. Unfortunately it didn't taste all that great. I thought the mixture of cool mint and warm mezcal would be interesting (I'm also on a mezcal kick in general), and interesting it was...plus the minty white "Polar Bear" is cute. It just didn't taste very good.
Further note; bad door experience: The adage "always keep a line" should be amended to "never keep a line of only two." I can respect a bar that doesn't want to be too crowded, but if you literally keep only two people waiting outside, you're pissing two people off and not really doing anything for the people inside. Cocktail culture shouldn't mix with technocrats. And since I was one of those two people, you really just stuck me out there to spend two minutes with the part of your bar I like the least.
Trick Dog is a good bridge between bars and lounges. It was filled on a Tuesday night (the weekends must be packed!) so go weeknights if you could. If you don't go to lounges often, this venue is not so fancy or so nice that you would feel out of place. However, like at many lounges and speakeasy-themed venues, the drinks are very good - skillfully made with top-shelf quality ingredients. Of the drinks I tried, favorites are in order by ingredients:
Pantone 7621 (<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fs3-media3.ak.yelpcdn.com%2Fbphoto%2FFK3LjBaxVo3ciA_FGXCPtA%2Fl.jpg&s=22de1fbe9df81bc0760ceb9c02c863dfe0166e8f316ddb017d52d1a8abe504ff" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://s3-media3.ak.yelp…</a>); good kick & didn't overwhelm foods.
Straw Hat (<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fs3-media4.ak.yelpcdn.com%2Fbphoto%2Fk86HN7TyT6B9tyobLdcAfg%2Fl.jpg&s=bb2ebdb34355e37995ad63458f395857a21d749b1f8c5981ad32e6a463ff82c2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://s3-media4.ak.yelp…</a>); a second drink since many ingredients.
Paper Moon (<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fs3-media1.ak.yelpcdn.com%2Fbphoto%2FFRBf7VF772HA5YbHyAbZuA%2Fl.jpg&s=7bee2367818e1828dc826074149e64e0fcb7c6ad183fd0a5a9512d51aac6933f" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://s3-media1.ak.yelp…</a>); good and strong evening starter.
Baby Turtle (<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fs3-media2.ak.yelpcdn.com%2Fbphoto%2FF7sn1kEkMZAutqK4YNUR1g%2Fl.jpg&s=69249877a23c766ad33a485a5ae7e6f4c9ad4ddb4836693fcd9a95be2112b29e" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://s3-media2.ak.yelp…</a>); good in-between drink.
- a special nod to Lion Heart as it was just strong enough when I started the night (would recommend the Paper Moon instead if on an empty stomach). Alligator Alley and Vintage Photo were very nice as well, but alas I never did get the pics, hah!
The entire venue set-up resembled a loft, albeit loud and you will have to raise your voices to be heard. Downstairs is the bar like most places but it's not divy nor dim. Upstairs is the sit-down-dine area which is pretty nice for a bar (<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fs3-media2.ak.yelpcdn.com%2Fbphoto%2F-YHdwA8DvGPHKe0NHZ4azw%2Fl.jpg&s=261e19a2c85f96954a8b280b6eff139e43cf36345841401af6895496f8c0d67d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://s3-media2.ak.yelp…</a>). The eats were fancified bar food and really good though don't look for dinner-size portions. However, smaller plates works as they're better priced and allow for more food tastings.
Since everything was fresh, like the citrus peels, there were leftovers on the side (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/trick-dog-san-francisco?select=FK3LjBaxVo3ciA_FGXCPtA#ik4pjJjNQiv1bCPPZoWAOw">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>). This was on the way to the restroom down the hall, shared with the restaurant Central Kitchen. Parking may be tough in the area, and it is a walk from any of the BART/Muni stations.
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