The Stud

Good people. If you're into Drag, this is the bar for you. I enjoy that they have a pool table that is separated by a wall from the stage area. Good for choosing the atmosphere you want, and there are a couple booths for a more intimate hang out session with friends.

Tons of space. I came in as it opened. Barkeep was very accommodating as I was just looking for a space to study. He set of a table next to an outlet. I’d be drunk and smart if I lived here :)

Sam Claude

My favorite queer bar in San Francisco. The bartenders are great, drinks are affordable, and the people who come here are friendly and interesting. As a trans person I feel especially welcome and happy to come here. There is a range of parties and events that happen at The Stud, from drag and techno club nights to karaoke on Tuesdays. Earlier in the evening from opening to about 9pm is the quieter time to grab a drink and hang out before the events and loud music start.

Robert Arnold

Some of the friendliest bar staff in the game. Recently held a private event for work there and they were super accommodating! Definitely will be looking into working with them again for this.

A. Painter

Tons of space. I came in as it opened. Barkeep was very accommodating as I was just looking for a space to study. He set of a table next to an outlet. I’d be drunk and smart if I lived here :)

Avgeek84

We didn’t have a lot of time in San Francisco but wanted to experience this historical gay bar. It did not disappoint these two Scottish tourists. Tuesday early evening so not busy but what a welcome and pleasant few drinks we had. Bernadette (big shout out) on the bar was very attentive, friendly and even gave us a tour and some history of the place and even recommended places to go. Gays please get out and support this venture! Very friendly gay space!

Tracy Gonzalez

Saw my friends perform here for fourth of July drag show. It's always packed wall to wall. Door person was sweet, bartender was friendly. I live for the day when I can perform on stage at the stud!! Love this place ❤️

Kevin Quintero (KrazyPup)

Good people. If you're into Drag, this is the bar for you. I enjoy that they have a pool table that is separated by a wall from the stage area. Good for choosing the atmosphere you want, and there are a couple booths for a more intimate hang out session with friends.

D. C. Copeland

I love this place! The bartenders are so cool and nice and good at what they do. The atmosphere is great. Fun, cozy, eclectic and they play great music. Also, they have awesome shows! They've earned a loyal patron 😀

Kristina Flynn

I'm giving it 5 stars, because I just did an online tour, fell in love and Yes this famous transgender woman will be coming to a bar near you. I'm coming from Boston Massachusetts (little town called Framingham), I am a Transgender female Activist for GLBTQ community and I came to San Francisco back in May 2016, but unfortunately couldn't find your bar, I'm coming, because I'm looking for a great place where the Men are and give life along with getting the party started. I'm a Celebrity in many ways, you'll know when I walk in the door. I know a few Drag Queen Celebrities and famous straight Male, Female Celebrities, so I'll explain everything when I get there. Yes it's going to take time to get there, I don't leave land, so Amtrak takes my booty anywhere, see y'all soon ☮❤✌💋⚀⚁⚂⚃⚄⚅🕆

Matt H.

Best bar I've been to, hands down. The staff are amazing and the atmosphere is friendly while being laid back and hopping at the same time. There are great shows from local artists and performers most nights of the week, and a well stocked pool table for lazy nights with good beer. Shame on you for not giving this amazing business more of your well deserved attention.

Charlie Jane Anders

This bar is a San Francisco treasure. Great shows on Tuesday and Friday nights, which push the limits of drag/burlesque/performance art, and some really fun stuff on other nights. Plus karaoke on Thursdays! If you're visiting from out of town, definitely make a pitstop here especially on a Tuesday, Thurs or Fri night.

We went here Friday night for the burlesque show and drag show. It was a bit disappointing because they both started an hour late, and the drag show was only three girls. But the shows themselves were a lot of fun, and the drinks were well made, although very expensive. Altogether, I would recommend this place, but come late for the shows.

Ryan Kent

We went here Friday night for the burlesque show and drag show. It was a bit disappointing because they both started an hour late, and the drag show was only three girls. But the shows themselves were a lot of fun, and the drinks were well made, although very expensive. Altogether, I would recommend this place, but come late for the shows.

I always have a blast when I go. The first time I went they had furry night. Everyone in animal costumes. It was amazing. Nice and dark inside. Cozy corners. 1 closed toilet and a trough for the men's room. Beer prices are avg, drinks r a bit pricey. Nice dance floor. Nice place

RJ Gonzalez

I always have a blast when I go. The first time I went they had furry night. Everyone in animal costumes. It was amazing. Nice and dark inside. Cozy corners. 1 closed toilet and a trough for the men's room. Beer prices are avg, drinks r a bit pricey. Nice dance floor. Nice place

It’s an iconic place with a fun environment. Personally I didn’t have a great time as the venue looks a bit run down. The performances where great and the staff friendly.

Marcel Castro da Cruz

It’s an iconic place with a fun environment. Personally I didn’t have a great time as the venue looks a bit run down. The performances where great and the staff friendly.

I had a very disappointing and honestly upsetting experience at The Stud during Folsom weekend. My friends and I were waiting in line, and when my husband and I got to the front, the person working the door explained the cover charge as a sliding scale and told us it was $20. We were a little confused at first, thinking it might be $20 total, but quickly clarified it was per person and handed over $40. At that point, the door person suddenly asked if we had been drinking. We were honest and said we’d each had a couple of drinks earlier in the evening, but we weren’t intoxicated or behaving in any way that would suggest we were drunk. Out of nowhere, they told us, “this place isn’t for you, you’re too drunk,” shoved our money back at us, and began yelling for us to leave. It was jarring, aggressive, and completely uncalled for. It felt more like they baited us with the question just to have an excuse to refuse us entry. If we had been drunk, that’s understandable, but we were literally sober. Meanwhile, my friends had already paid and gone inside, but after seeing how we were treated, they went back to ask for refunds too. The bouncer outside was calm and polite and agreed that we were not drunk in the slightest. They said they were the manager, but eluded that the door person has final say. Huh? The person at the door was unprofessional, hostile, and was definitely under the influence of something. It was honestly wild to be accused of being too drunk by someone who didn’t appear sober themselves. I felt like I was trying to negotiate with a tweaker on the street. Very odd interaction. It’s unfortunate because I’ve always been an advocate to support local queer venues and was glad to see The Stud return. But if management allows their staff to arbitrarily deny entry, yell at customers, and make people feel targeted, that’s not a space I can support. My past visits here were already underwhelming, and this was the final straw. I won’t be back, and I can’t recommend The Stud to anyone.

This summer, I was at the Stud for a pride event and someone stole my phone. I was informed afterward that there had been a black-out guy swiping phones there and they had dealt with it by making him leave. As in, they seemed to know who this individual was and let him leave with people's stolen phones. I'm just... gonna leave that information how there so people can judge how they feel about this for themselves.

Drinks are extremely expensive (even for SF) and watered down. And the staff has a tendency to get messy. What really bothers me though is the poor ventilation

I was excited when they reopened. I had been going to the Harrison street location for years. I went in on a Friday night and ordered a vodka cran. The bartender grabbed a glass and made the drink UNDER the bar trying to hide what they were doing. The drink was 99% cranberry juice and 1% vodka. I was charged $10 for a glass of juice. Never going back.

We went to The Stud with friends and had a really frustrating experience. At the door, the person said the cover was $20, but also mentioned it was a “sliding scale” and you could pay more. That was confusing, so at first my husband thought it was $20 total for the two of us. I clarified it was $20 each, so we just paid $40 and were being polite and friendly. Out of nowhere, the door person asked if we’d been drinking. We said we’d each had a couple of drinks earlier in the night. We weren’t intoxicated or acting drunk. Suddenly we were told “you’re too drunk,” our money was pushed back at us, and we were yelled at to leave. It didn’t feel like a genuine concern about intoxication but more like an excuse to refuse us entry, maybe because we didn’t pay extra on top of the cover. We thoughts we’d ask the bouncer outside who was professional, but the person taking covers was aggressive and seemed under the influence themselves. At that point our friends who had already gone inside ended up asking for refunds too after seeing how we were treated. Even though I really want to like this place and support their business especially considering they just recently opened back up, I’ve just never really enjoyed hanging out there. I think it shows the amount of mismanagement at every level. I’m not sure this behavior is sustainable. People want to go somewhere they are valued and respected.

Went to their Wednesday Truck event. They charged a $20 cover just to get in, which already felt steep for a Wednesday. Then I found out there’s also a $10 drink minimum plus a credit card fee. If you’re already charging a card fee, why force a minimum spend too? What really bothered me was the lack of transparency — the bartender didn’t mention any of this until after I handed her my credit card. I opened the drink and took a sip, and then she told me about the $10 minimum and the card fee. I felt taken advantage of but didn’t want to make a scene. I ended up paying $18 total for just two Athletic IPAs (including tip). Just be upfront about the costs.

Chase Adams

Drinks are extremely expensive (even for SF) and watered down. And the staff has a tendency to get messy. What really bothers me though is the poor ventilation

David Lim

Went to their Wednesday Truck event. They charged a $20 cover just to get in, which already felt steep for a Wednesday. Then I found out there’s also a $10 drink minimum plus a credit card fee. If you’re already charging a card fee, why force a minimum spend too? What really bothered me was the lack of transparency — the bartender didn’t mention any of this until after I handed her my credit card. I opened the drink and took a sip, and then she told me about the $10 minimum and the card fee. I felt taken advantage of but didn’t want to make a scene. I ended up paying $18 total for just two Athletic IPAs (including tip). Just be upfront about the costs.

TH

This summer, I was at the Stud for a pride event and someone stole my phone. I was informed afterward that there had been a black-out guy swiping phones there and they had dealt with it by making him leave. As in, they seemed to know who this individual was and let him leave with people's stolen phones. I'm just... gonna leave that information how there so people can judge how they feel about this for themselves.

Sia A.

We went to The Stud with friends and had a really frustrating experience. At the door, the person said the cover was $20, but also mentioned it was a “sliding scale” and you could pay more. That was confusing, so at first my husband thought it was $20 total for the two of us. I clarified it was $20 each, so we just paid $40 and were being polite and friendly. Out of nowhere, the door person asked if we’d been drinking. We said we’d each had a couple of drinks earlier in the night. We weren’t intoxicated or acting drunk. Suddenly we were told “you’re too drunk,” our money was pushed back at us, and we were yelled at to leave. It didn’t feel like a genuine concern about intoxication but more like an excuse to refuse us entry, maybe because we didn’t pay extra on top of the cover. We thoughts we’d ask the bouncer outside who was professional, but the person taking covers was aggressive and seemed under the influence themselves. At that point our friends who had already gone inside ended up asking for refunds too after seeing how we were treated. Even though I really want to like this place and support their business especially considering they just recently opened back up, I’ve just never really enjoyed hanging out there. I think it shows the amount of mismanagement at every level. I’m not sure this behavior is sustainable. People want to go somewhere they are valued and respected.

Anthony Anaya

I had a very disappointing and honestly upsetting experience at The Stud during Folsom weekend. My friends and I were waiting in line, and when my husband and I got to the front, the person working the door explained the cover charge as a sliding scale and told us it was $20. We were a little confused at first, thinking it might be $20 total, but quickly clarified it was per person and handed over $40. At that point, the door person suddenly asked if we had been drinking. We were honest and said we’d each had a couple of drinks earlier in the evening, but we weren’t intoxicated or behaving in any way that would suggest we were drunk. Out of nowhere, they told us, “this place isn’t for you, you’re too drunk,” shoved our money back at us, and began yelling for us to leave. It was jarring, aggressive, and completely uncalled for. It felt more like they baited us with the question just to have an excuse to refuse us entry. If we had been drunk, that’s understandable, but we were literally sober. Meanwhile, my friends had already paid and gone inside, but after seeing how we were treated, they went back to ask for refunds too. The bouncer outside was calm and polite and agreed that we were not drunk in the slightest. They said they were the manager, but eluded that the door person has final say. Huh? The person at the door was unprofessional, hostile, and was definitely under the influence of something. It was honestly wild to be accused of being too drunk by someone who didn’t appear sober themselves. I felt like I was trying to negotiate with a tweaker on the street. Very odd interaction. It’s unfortunate because I’ve always been an advocate to support local queer venues and was glad to see The Stud return. But if management allows their staff to arbitrarily deny entry, yell at customers, and make people feel targeted, that’s not a space I can support. My past visits here were already underwhelming, and this was the final straw. I won’t be back, and I can’t recommend The Stud to anyone.

Charles Russell

I was excited when they reopened. I had been going to the Harrison street location for years. I went in on a Friday night and ordered a vodka cran. The bartender grabbed a glass and made the drink UNDER the bar trying to hide what they were doing. The drink was 99% cranberry juice and 1% vodka. I was charged $10 for a glass of juice. Never going back.