Stopped in on a warm day for a cold beer. Good service was provided in that respect, so 3 stars earned.
Caveat: Cash only? It's called Square and every place should have one by now. Even the most divey pool hall in Baltimore will take a swipe. It's not like there was a cash discount in play. The place felt a little full of itself. Like it was trying too hard to be a dive.
This feels like a modern day Cheers in San Francisco. Â Good selection, affable bartenders who help advise with tastings, and an unassuming atmosphere. Â
Popped in for a drink on Saturday and had a blast with the other patrons. Â It seems nice bars breed nice clientele. Â Will defnitely make a repeat showing....perhaps even engage in a bit of premeditated grand larceny.
This bar is amazing. So welcoming and helpful was the bartender that I kind of forgot that I was in the city to be honest.
My friend and I checked out Whiskey Thieves on Saturday night. The bartender was amazing, super friendly and attentive. When we were deciding what kind of whiskey to have in our drinks and were obviously undecided she gave us a tasting of 5 different whiskies so we could make our choice. I couldn't believe the generosity.
After about 20 minutes we chose our whiskey and she made us the most amazing whiskey sours. Heavy on the whiskey and not too sweet, just like I like 'em. Two drinks for $16 which in the city is a steal.
The best part was this woman obviously knew her whiskey and chatted with me at length about the different brands and flavors..it was awesome. I don't often come across another woman who shares such a love of this amazing nectar. Glad to know I'm not the only female whiskey lover out there.
Great spot to hang out and have a good drink in a chill unpretentious environment. I am officially a fan!
I know a lot of people that love this place, but I wasn't a huge fan. The atmosphere is just weird. Odd lighting, decor, and even the crowd. The whole place looks like it was vandalized, but not really in a cool way. Besides the graffiti in the bathrooms which is awesome. The great thing is the whiskey and I love whiskey. They have an expansive selection of whiskey, bourbon, and scotch. The bartender was really helpful. She had me taste five different scotches for free so I could get a better grasp on what I liked and disliked about each one.
Review Source:I dig a good dive bar- and the bartenders are personable and know what they're doing, which is always a major plus. And I am a whiskey person- and there is a ton of whiskey/bourbon to try. I ignore that the majority of the clientele aren't my crowd, as I have some coworkers who really dig this place and it truly isn't the worst in many regards.
I took of stars mostly because the bathrooms totally blow- the men's room anyway. It is a urinal and a single doorless stall, which may not be a problem for some but isn't very considerate to people who generally despise urinals, not to mention the transgender patrons. It blows to enjoy a place and then have to leave because of that nonsense.
Nice bartenders truly make a bar.
The bartenders here are unbelievably personable.
We came in here wanting to play a mellow game of pool and Whiskey Thieves was ideal.
No one was playing on the pool table - and for just four quarters we were able to have a fun casual game without having to worry about bumping anyone with our pool cues. The bathrooms aren't exactly the cleanest - but there was no line and in a matter of minutes it went from having no amenities - to being fully stocked. Their bar staff are obviously on it.
And later on in the evening - one of their bartenders came up to us and gave us four quarters - Â which had been forgotten at the bar. His genuine smile and outgoing charm made me realize why Whiskey Thieves despite it's bizarre wall deco - is a neighborhood destination.
I would definitely return.
Trust.
As a whiskey girl, what is there not to like about this place.
There is more whiskey then I can count and friendly staff.
The only two things I don't like about this place is the rest room (now I know its a bar but this was pretty bad) and the over crowing. Maybe I'm a little old fashioned but I believe in being able to walk in a bar to get my drink, not feel the need to crowd surf just to get to the bar.
Thievery.
One simple history: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D_8TTxGRhXWk&s=103abeb327216533c2ce88e3843f9ce2417762ecea0267948614ba20ad4f2733" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>
Another simple history: Extensive selection. Unpretentious vibe. Knowledgeable and friendly bartenders. Tough decision making.
Two drinks were ordered. One a high quality whiskey for sipping. The other a recommended cocktail. Lost in conversation they soon were finished.
Billiards beckoned but we never made it. We might have finished our drinks, but I'm not finished with this place. Games to play. Drinks to try. Thievery to enjoy.
Cool bar with a cool staff and cool vibe.
We walked in at 130PM on a Saturday afternoon and hung out a bit.
They had a bunch of Whiskeys, Bourbon, Scotch, you name it. Lots of different brands of a varied price range. The bartender asked us what our price range was and asked if we wanted it on the rocks or with ginger. I preferred mine with ginger ale and the boy had his on the rocks.
To be honest, I'm no whiskey connoisseur and mine tasted like what a Jameson ginger ale would :)
However, cool bar again with interesting murals/graphitti on the walls. I also love how they use barrels as tables along the wall. They also have a cool trap door for where their storage room is! Neat!!
Awesome things that happened at Whiskey Thieves on a Saturday night:
+I realized I want to be the cheeky bartender's best friend; Jenna, is it? The one who silently curses people who ask for anything but a shot or a beer; the one who's got the mouth of a sailor; the one who seems like she's been called "bitch" a few thousand times, but can brush off the comment and throw a snappy comeback faster than you can take that shot of Jager... AND it'll make you cry.
+I ordered a PB+J (tallboy of Pabst + a shot of Jameson) for $7 and was offered a free shot because... well, because see #1.
+The patron sitting beside me decided to divulge her need for, ahem, relations with her date. Apparently, he had yet to make a move on her and she wanted nothing more than to "get hers" that night, if ya know what I mean. So, my date and I devised various plans of action to help get that moving along, including monitoring their body language and facial positioning. We're creepy nerds, I know.
+This other couple standing up against the wall were the human form of the couple from the Pixar movie, "Up" (the young version). They were kinda dorky and super adorable. At some point, however, they were making out and it looked so awkward that I immediately thought of Virgin Diaries (they were kind of eating each other, not kissing each other) and then worried about their well being. I believe I turned to my date and gasped, "Gross! The nerds are kissing!" Not my most glamorous moment, I admit.
+By the time I turned to my randy friend who was on a date, they were gone. Godspeed, li'l lascivious lady. Hope you got yours.
Witnessed my first bar fight here.. yikes. Thankfully, it was after I had taken my shot and nearly done with my beer. ($7 special, shot of Jameson and a Pabst!) The bartenders here were great and treated my friends like SF locals. Didn't try to overcharge and we're real easy to talk too.
The place as a whole had that SF feeling to it. Graffiti was all over the walls and nice beats were playing in the background. If the fight hadn't of broken out I would've loved this place.. but by the end I witnessed one of the bartenders go from sweet to sour. Super FEISTY and wooooo she turned hood almost instantly. The cops that showed up did absolutely nothing, and that's why the bartender deserves a standing ovation. She protected what was hers and she did a damn good job.
Visit this bar and give it a chance. Try the special and challenge someone to a game of pool.
I think when reviewing bars it is really helpful to add the time and day you were there because the vibe can be dramatically different based on when you go. I went in to this humble looking establishment on a Thursday night at about 8:00pm and the place was mostly empty. I prefer more empty bars, especially at a place with an extensive menu, because it allows me to take my time and ask questions when ordering drinks. Well right now I am what a wealthy disabled man in a great movie about bowling might call a "bum". Hence, I wanted to try and get a good scotch but at a price that wouldn't make me feel more worthless.
Enter bartender, me explaining my price range, of 8-10 bucks (I'm a bum that poorly manages his finances) and him giving me a great drink. Unfortunately, I was not able to enjoy more and my next drink was  PBR. As other mentions there is also a pool table so I was able to enjoy that and my PBR while lamenting my inability to purchase more scotch.
The only negative for this place is the current lack of a drink menu/lack of prices. While the bartenders are very knowledgeable, most of the time it is preferable to avoid saying "whats the cheapest thing you got that ain't shit" or having to repeatedly ask how much different scotchs cost and then looking sadly at the bar when the price is announced. Hope they fix that!
Like the music. Â Like the drink prices. Â Like the atmosphere.
This is a cool place we stumbled upon while bar hoping Geary. Â Of those we visited, this was my favorite. Â Although I'd have to admit it might take me a bit of convincing to get me back over the Geary St.
We definitely liked the shot of Jamison + PBR special, and so did the rest of the bar. Â Wow, they go through SO many bottles of Jamison. Â
The bartenders were readily available, quick, and friendly. Â
I'm not sure what else I'd look for in a bar, but this did the trick.
What a great experience! Friend suggested coming here after dinner on a Friday night. The size of this dive bar's a 3rd of Dear Mom but it wasn't that crowded on this particular night. Lots of whiskey and beers at the bar. The bartender was generous with water too which some of my friends really needed!
To top it off, this bar plays awesome hip hop songs!!! Kind of like Brunos on Mission St which rocks.
Good drinks, good music, good company. What's more can a girl ask for?
It's divey yes. But it has CHEAP drinks. We had just left Jones and just started walking down Geary looking for something slightly less pretentious and decided to pop in for a drink. 3 cocktails ordered and they were top shelf 18 bucks. What? We've been paying close to 9 and 10 dollars per drink. Awesome.
I've been here for happy hour and it's a cool spot. But on a saturday night it's a bit hipsterish for my taste but not terrible. Definitely a good spot to get a cheap drink.
3.5 I'd say.
I mainly like this place because of their friendly pet white pitbull. Â A bar pet is peculiar and unusual. Â The place is dive-y and was emptier than I had expected it to be. Â The walls are full of graffiti and some random Vietnamese looking women art and there are pool tables and a small sticky bathroom in the back corner. Â
They serve you even if you're a dude with no shirt on.
A hipster dive. Â Yeah, I guess I can get down with that. Â Especially when they're serving up all sorts of whiskey at really reasonable prices. Â
The bartender was friendly and didn't pass judgment when I ordered JD. Â No Jack Daniels here. Â Although, there is Maker's Mark to be had with flat ginger ale.
Super dive-y!
What's up with your sign Whiskey Thieves? I could hardly see any type of signage to find this place.
Their Whiskey was on point though, they also had a good selection of craft beer. If you're into drinking Old Style and PBR then this place is for you. Everyone could use a break from IPA and stouts every now and then... haha!
Damn, your bathrooms are grimy as F%^*! Â I suppose this defines the bar's character. You should go elsewhere if you can't handle bathrooms heavily decorated with graffiti. BYOTP = bring your own toilet paper just in case...
This bar has character and a huge whiskey selection!
I don't like whiskey, but I still like this bar. Â No pretention, cool people from all walks, cool bartenders. Â Pool table, definitely a big regulars crowd, which is younger than most bars' regulars' crowds.
Do bring a friend, it's in a particularly creepy part of the Tenderloin...creepy enough to scare away most B&Ters : )
I thought I was going to get shanked on my way here from the Civic BART station, but made it here in one piece. Visited this bar for an away game for my 9-ball APA league team. It didn't long for me to get the bartenders attention. It wasn't too busy inside for a Monday night. I decided to get a Manhattan since this bar's specialty is Whiskey. It was actually sippable, not overly stiff, but just enough for my liking. The pool table is nice but unlike most other bars I played in for league night, you actually have to put quarters in. Last, but not least, the jukebox has an excellent selection especially if you like Wu-Tang clan or any of their members like Raekwon.
Overall a laidback bar in the TL. I saw someone wearing a suit inside, but it's more of a white t-shirt/hoodies/jeans type of placr.
Definitely a guys' place. Â Wear whatever you want, especially a hoodie to fit right in. Â Great selection of whiskey - an entire wall full!!This place isn't too bad, except it's cash only and the bartenders make you get up from bar stools because they save it for their friends. Â Understandable, but meh, not so nice eh? Â
Pool table - check. Cool old school arcade style video game - check. Wall full of whiskey - check. TL shit show outside where beezies brawl and everyone just watches? - check.
2 Double Dickels and coke,please.
Yes, dickel. Some kind of whiskey from whiskey land, made by whiskey gods.
Basically, parking around these parts suck.
It smells like a hipster threw up in there.
It smells like bad B.O.
It's actually filled with hipsters.
But I really love this bar, and the pool table is an excellent addition.
5 stars all the way for this baby!
We stumbled inside late Tuesday on the hopes that it would relieve our SFSOB/Infusion sickness. Â Whiskey Thieves was the perfect antidote.
Their collection of whiskeys is unbelievable, and they also offer a variety of beers for the softer drinkers in life. Â I happily sipped the rest of the night away on an Anchor Summer. Â Yummy, and perfectly priced to boot! Â (Thanks MD for my lovely beer)
S_ had their daily special, which consisted of a shooter and an Amstel Light chaser. Â Sounds crazy, right? Â I can't remember what MD had, but it looked good too.
The best part was the jukebox. Â It takes credit cards, even though there's an ATM machine inside. Â I happily threw down $5 for 17 credits, and only got to hear 2 of the songs I chose. Â But they made me happy. Â So much better than the crap we have to deal with on a weekly basis at Infusion. Â And the crowd in the bar singing Pour Some Sugar On Me with me made me even happier. Â I gladly left 9 credits on the box for whomever wanted to hear more stuff after I left.
I wanna go back and get fracked on whiskey and beer. Â Come join me.
10 Things You Need To Know :
* their name "Whiskey Thieves" says it all (for the devoted whiskey drinkers)
* located right on the edge of San Francisco's Tenderloin (keeps the snobs at bay)
* leave upscale pretensions at the door
* wicked selection of Scotch,Irish,Canadian & American Whiskies (it takes up the whole back bar wall)
* Old Masters (this alone warrants 5-star)
* whiskey "Oz" (good-natured and knowledgeable bartenders)
* reasonable prices
* straightforward vibe (low key environment)
* no-frills decor
* cash only
Thievery indeed happened here and it wasn't in the form of me stealing the bartenders' hearts. No, no, no. I was robbed of some choice beers (though I found myself sipping away on Chimay all night long so it wasn't all bad) which wouldn't have mattered in the very least but apparently as we were leaving the bar (that was pretty dead on a Thursday evening) the bartender told me that they did have the beers I asked for they just didn't want to serve them to me. I am especially surprised by this because I thought he and I had built a great rapport when I was ordering drinks. Not sure what that's all about, but like any good criminal, he got away with it.
Probably wouldn't be too quick to post up there again when in town.
This place has been on my bucket list for quite some time. Two reasons. Obvi, whiskey is my poison. Bourbon specifically. Secondly, a little birdie promised me that the juke box contained The Cramps' "Let's Get $#@%ed Up." I love that song. One of my buddies got an old juke box, loaded his favorite records into it, and would start a night of drinking with that Cramps song. Best drinking song ever. I wanted to go to the bar just to play that song! Tom R.'s MeetUp group finally brought me here last night.
As someone who became an orphan at a young age, I learned how short, valuable, and fragile our time is. As such, I decided that I would rather reget the things that I have done rather than the things that I have not. In short: take risks and learn from your mistakes. But, ugh, sonofabitch, I really really really really really regret waiting until my last month and a half in the Bay Area to finally get my ass to this beauty of a bar. A beauty it is too...a true diamond in the rough of the Tenderloin.
Those who know me well know how much I love whiskey. You should have seen my reaction when I saw the availble whiskeys. Eyes popping out of my head like those on a tightly-clenched squeeze toy....anxious smile of anticipation like that of a little kid on Christmas morning...I cried and came at the same time. Truly epic. I was too overwhelmed and I just stuck with something safe...the Maker's Manhattan on the rocks.
Lemme tell you, the bartenders aren't thrifty with their pours either. For the first time, I actually was filled with liquid courage..........I finally told my ex exactly why I left him. Maybe he'll be a better man because of it. Maybe he's a lost cause. Whatever, I got, like, three or four numbers last night. But that totally doesn't matter. (Hot guys like this bar, ladies.) What does matter is that this place is super awesome and I am sad that I will be leaving it behind this summer.
Then again, are we really suprised that I dig this place? After all, I am a pierced, tattooed, foul-mouthed, whiskey-swilling bad girl with a geek streak from Livermore.
Our last stop of the epic bar crawl night was Whiskey Thieves.
This place is owned by the same guy as Dirty Thieves and Thieves Tavern <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/dirty-thieves-san-francisco#hrid:PHAboVHKB2z9CtS-2P6lIw/src:self">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/thieves-tavern-san-francisco#hrid:zHPaDLfWgAxZzCCGWCpt3A/src:self">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>
This is the best of the three and my favorite bar in the TL. They have a great selection of Whiskey at great prices in an unpretentious atmosphere.
I know why all the bars are named Thieves but it isn't really relevant to my review.
When we got here we waited outside for a bit, I can't really remember why, when Carl from Ha-Ra came up and called us traitors. I'm pretty sure he was joking though. I don't know who was running Ha-Ra at the time, there's an even chance he abandoned the customers as there is that he kicked everyone out and closed.
Once inside Ashley and I got beers but Dupa disappeared for a bit. I assumed he used the bathroom but when he came back he asked me to order a beer because the bartender was ignoring him. It turns out that he asked for a rare whiskey thinking it was going to be $16 but when they gave it too him it turned out to be $60. Sorry Dupa but it seems pretty obvious that you heard wrong. I understand why Dupa didn't want to pay that much but I also understand why the bartender was pissed. Honestly we're lucky old Dupa wasn't thrown out.
Eventually Dupa and Ashley had to catch the Bart, why it doesn't run late on Friday's I'll never know, as they both came from the East Bay and I stayed a bit after them to enjoy some single barrel Jack. This was a fun night!
I really thought I wasn't going to like this place. Amongst all the shady dive bars (cough Nite Cap) Whiskey Thieves didn't seem like it would be any different. I fully expected to walk in to a room full of crackheads doing drugs and picking fights.
When we stumbled in here drunk on Saturday night on our way home from the Snuggie bar crawl I was SO surprised at how awesome this place was. My SSO has always wanted to go here and I was always a little weary. Now I can't WAIT to go back!
They play awesome rock music and have a really great and diverse crowd. The drinks were reasonable and it had a pool table in the back which I look forward to getting in on in the future.
I'm doing a Loin bar crawl for my birthday and WT is now definitely on the line up!!
I'm not feeling well...
but, typically, the worse I feel the morning after only counteracts the great time had the night before. Damn that whole "balance of the universe" or "Yin Yang" crap.
Whiskey Thieves was the first stop after the 5 hours of boozing at our Hotel celebrating a bachelor party.
Upon entering the dark, drab, dungeoness dive--the fluorescent lights, pool table, state of the art jukebox gave off a vibe of authenticity. Very San Francisco, in my opinion.
The employees were extremely helpful and friendly.
If I lived in the area, WT would be a regular watering-hole to quench my friday night thirst.
There is no more smoking at this bar! Someone lied to me.
4 stars for not enabling my addiction around the boyfriend.
...Oh look, a pool table where guys who don't know anything about the rules of the game take shit shots and expect them to be counted. I was 2 sheets to the wind by the time it was my turn, and yet I still only managed to lose by one ball on the table--the 8 ball. That's right, assholes. Stacey is coming back to kick some ass.
First she has to figure out how to stay sober.
There are a lot of things in this world that scare the crap out of me. The TL is not one of those things. How could it be? Look at what else is happening;
Brittney Spears has been allowed to have children, Drew Peterson has found some crazy to marry him again, reality TV accounts for 39% of all new programming, Burger King has produced cologne that smells like flame broiling and I have wasted enough hours on Yelp to have written 800 reviews.
With all of this going on how could one be afraid of a few crack addicts? In fact, the TL has become much more dignified as time has progressed, for better or worse, depending on whom you talk to.
Whiskey Thieves is one of those changes I am willing to accept with open arms, despite my adoration of a neighborhood with grit. Why? Because they have a scotch, bourbon and whiskey selection that could make a grown man cry, make a nun strip down naked and run through a brothel singing come and get it, make Burger King execs go on a double date with The Ham-burglar and Grimace... at McDonald's, and pay.
That is how good the selection is, and it is reasonably priced for what you get. The people working here know their stuff, and they will share that information with you with no attitude. No more smoking inside, which was a major complaint to many. The bar is relatively ass hat free, likely lending to the locale, and they have a pool table and nice lighting. Lighting that might even make Brittney look appealing enough that Drew P would marry her and they could watch reality TV until he whacked her. Except that they are probably afraid of the TL, thus they will never know the joys of the selection at this bar.... which is just fine by me.
Oh Whiskey Thieves you have stolen my heart!....or did I mean liver...one of those internal organs.
This cool little dive spot is about 5 blocks from my TL appt and well worth venturing into the dangerous streets of the infamous Tenderloin. (sarcasm off)
First off:
1. Cute bartender w/ cool t-shirts.
2. Free Hot dogs simmered in beer on Wed.
3. Friendly regulars..like really friendly. This dude was talking about how he just joined the "Bacon of the month club"....mmmm bacon.
4. Happy hour has about 8 good beers for $3 and all the wells for $3. It runs till 8:00.
5. I didn't have any of the whiskey, but they had plenty of it. One of these days, I will have to ask for a recommendation on whiskey, as I don't drink it that often.
6. The pool table....
So this is it, huh? Where the real players are separated from the amateurs. Anyone could put down 4 quarters and stay on the table for 8 games at Hemlock Tavern, but not here. If you stay on the table for 4 games at Whiskey Thieves, your pretty much ready for ESPN. I just have 2 words for the table at Whiskey Thieves: shark infested. Thankfully I'm a megaladon amongst these great whites ;)
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