The Chieftain
| Address: | 198 5th St, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA |
| Phone: | +1 415-625-0436 |
| Site: | thechieftain.com |
| Rating: | 4.1 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–2AM 11:30AM–2AM 11:30AM–2AM 11:30AM–2AM 11:30AM–2AM 11AM–12AM 11AM–2AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
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Sylvia Lewis
Ive been here quite a few times, each time for a watching a major sports event. Ive tried the other bars around the area (Rumors: pretty good but service is slow, and Teds Sports Bar: DONT GO; very old crowd and the one overwhelmed bartender tries to avoid eye contact at all costs). Service here is great and its somehow large enough that my husband and I have always managed to end up with seats, even for the Superbowl or the NBA Finals. I really like the relaxed "vibe" of Chieftain. They give you a large, pretty varied menu at your table and the waitresses are friendly. The spacing of the tables is also pretty nice - youre not knocking into each other. Its probably my favorite place to watch a game and get a nice draft beer; they have quite a large selection including cocktails and wine for the beer-nonenthusiasts out there (confession: sometimes I get wine or cocktails instead; cocktails are okay but they use smaller ice which sometimes melts too quickly for my liking - I want to sip and enjoy the game...). People are generally around the late 20s and early 30s crowd and typically pretty into the game, but its never rowdy enough that you cant hold a conversation. Just occasional extremely loud cheers. Onto the food: * Turkey burger: Tastes relatively light but delicious. Theres jalapeno salsa and melted cheese. Comes with a small side of thick fries. * Buffalo wings: Not overly buffalo-ed, which I love. Comes with a side of carrots and celery, so that you feel mildly healthy. * Spicy irish potato bites: Hell yes. Balls of spicy mashed potatoes and jalapeno that are fried. Genius.
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Tu Lam
Im not sure how long this place has been around, but it wasnt what I expected when I walked in. First of all I wanted something different so we walked around a few blocks away from Union Square. Ive known this place was around, but never went in until now. We wanted lunch and Irish food is always good. First you walk in, you hear some poppy music playing and theres sports on the the TV, today it was womens tennis. We were told sit anywhere you like and menus were brought to us. It was only slightly busy on a Saturday afternoon, and it seems like most people are regulars here. I got an order of corn beef and cabbage. The portions are big and its a standard fare at any Irish restaurant. We did wait a bit for our food, it looks like the popular entries are the fish and chips and burgers. The food was satisfying and it was nice to be able to watch the tennis match. The other TV was playing a baseball game, but I couldnt see it from where I was sitting. Service is good here, the waitress checked on us just enough times. I really like the look and feel of the place, the back wall of the bar area was stone (like a castle wall) with plenty of wood wall panels all around, solid wood tables that seat 4, and dim enough to forget its noon outside.
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A Private User
Been here twice, I like the place... good craic, as the Irish say... The bartendress is gorgeous tomboy type with an air of masculinity about her that makes me feel shy... even though Im not at all into women! She seems to me to be tough as nails, also with a sweet side. She made me a "special" drink and then winked at me twice over the course of the evening. She is totally in control! It was pretty fun to see her rougher side and the fire that entered her eyes as well as she screamed at some drunk patrons: "I SAID, NO glasses in the bathroom!" Hmm... a certain Katy Perry song is coming to mind! Drinks are average price for being down in the SOMA area, on the pricier side of moderate. The place is large as well, which makes it good for groups. I notice that groups tend to frequent the place; both times when I was there everyone was in group, making it hard to really meet people if you dont break into conversations and all that. But it is a good enough place for a quick drink in a nice atmosphere!
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Carl Cooper
Its an authentic irish pub in the sf downtown... Its a chill spot to catch a game - it has several tvs....i tried their Irish Nachos... Wait, what!? For those who dont know, irish nachos are french fries with guacamole and sour cream ...the above are a little beyond my scope but the concept is cool... service is indifferent but what do you expect from a cool, acting like a tough guy ,dude ... Hey, Its me again and i would like to update my previous review... This time i sat a table and ordered the Irish Nachos again(i guess i missed it since my last visit), Harp beer (Delicious Irish pilsner beer)...in my opinion, seating at a table is a better option due to a great, seamless, friendly service. Our servers name was Luke and he was awesome, fast, and efficient. ...in addition , my sister, who is a regular, mentioned that their Shepard pie is to die for. To conclude, this place has great food,ambience,location and great service. Ill be back 100%
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Amber Angeline Sheldon
I live near here so ive been in a hand full of times. Id say 1/5 times is a good experience. The food is expensive. The review says it has a one dollar sign but its definitely a 2. The food is not consistent. Its pretty good food but not amazing. Definitely the worst ruban from an irish pub in the city. Hell, the Utah afew blocks down will have a ruban special from time to time that is superb. The Reuben at the chieftain is dry and doesnt have nearly enough flavor. I have gotten it twice and both times had to drench it in condiments. The service is way better at the bar. Sitting down the service sucks. Bad! All in all the food is good 3.5 stars. The service sucks 0 stars. Good atmosphere 4 stars. Sports bar 3 stars. Intimate bar with good beer 4 stars. Really dont like this place and im mad it says the food is cheap and the service is good cuz those are both bold face lies
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Michelle Rowe
Ive been here a two times and both times were completely different. I came here in the mid-afternoon mid-week with a friend and had quick service and excellent food! The place was on the emptier side. We ate the potato spicy Irish potato bites! Delicious! They have a decent selection of beers on draft too. The second time I came here was during the NBA play-offs when the Warriors were playing. (Go Golden State!) It was busy. Packed everywhere. My friend and I managed to find a place at the bar and got really good service for how busy they were. I got the hot wings the second time. They were good but nothing amazing. This place is really good for a drink and a bite to eat if youre over in that area and kind of want to get off the main grid.
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kathe welch
This is a pretty good place for a late night beer and meal. Our party (of 3) was seated quickly, even though we shoulder up on slate on a busy Friday night. The wait staff was super helpful and attentive. The beer list was decent and they recommended an Irish beer I had not yet tried - Smithwicks - which I can now recommend. Our meals arrived quickly. I have dairy allergies. They served my burger with no bread or cheese as requested. The night we were there, a musician was playing rock classics and a few originals. He was very good and some of the crowd was into him, but you were still able to talk to the people you were with.
