Kate O'Brien's Irish Bar & Grill in San Francisco

Kate OBriens is a fairly spacious neighborhood bar with fine character. But this is what makes them amazing: They serve REALLY GOOD FOOD there! Its far better than at any bar Ive ever eaten at. The place is a jewel for that reason alone. Ill be coming back and bringing friends! Our gracious bartender was Kevin, and he also came to our table to take care of us for dinner. He was great, and his suggestions for dinner were absolutely perfect.

After a long day in San Francisco, my GF and I popped into Kate Obriens Irish Bar and Grill for a pint and something to eat. This Pub is located within a very short walk from the W Hotel San Francisco. A nice selection of draft beer as well as a menu that had enough fare to choose from made this a good choice for our evening. Nothing fancy, but most convenient. Recommended for adults, couples, and large groups.

A little pricy I thought. I did go on a Sunday afternoon (no happy hour). The atmosphere was good. Very nice bartender.

Pretty good place for after work drinks and food. Irish bar with beer wine and liquor. Bar type good which were all pretty good. Service was good considering we had a group of 10 and not everyone came at the same time. The venue is not too loud comparing to the place next to it.

Nice bar at the heart of SF downtown. Food quality and choices are good. Service is really good. Music isnt too loud either. Watched Thursday night game here.

Aaron is a great bartender, Ive traveled all over and he is one of a kind! Patient and understanding with very rough customers that have drank way too much. Definitely recommend it to anyone that likes a good atmosphere.

Everything you expect in an Irish bar. Food is good, selection of beers is good. Space is a bit small so gets nice and loud. They show plenty of sports. Has a small amount of street seating good for a small party.

Monday bartender is garbage. Have to fight to get him off his phone and get any sort of service. Bad attitude as well. Rest of the staff is much, much better. Convenient for lunch or an after work beer.

I was really disappointed. An Irish bar with reggae music, waited 20 minutes for a beer in a lipstick - stained glass not filled to the top. It wasnt even crowded! Oh well

This review is not for the selection of alcohol nor for the food. I drink draft beer here and the selection is sufficient for me I do not eat here.The service is good, reliable and fast enough for me that I am happy with 5 stars given those criteria.

Nice place indeed but always a bit crowded (which is not always bad :))

The Shepherds Pie and The Stew (lamb, I think, I just asked for steware just like my Irish-American family made back East. Delicious! The hot cider and Irish coffee also great and friendly bartenders. Great place!

This place is pretty solid but I wish they had smaller french fries, not the steak cut. Dont care for steak cut. Some of the servers seem a little scattered, but overall its chill, good beer and whiskey selection, tasty. Not health food by any stretch of the imagination. Usually not too crowded, good for a pint and maybe catching some of the game.

3 stars for the food, 1 star for the service. No pics bc they aren’t worth it and I’m not trying to sell this place as somewhere to go.Know what you’re walking into, it’s an Irish pub so the food is mediocre and the drinks are plentiful. Yet pair that with terrible service and you’d be better to avoid it.Server note: when a customer makes eye contact multiple times and raises their hand; they need attention. Merely checking in may have netted an addition 2 stars. When I have to stand and go to the bar, you serve no purpose to my dining experience. I know it’s not the most glamorous job but if you don’t want to service customers, work in the back house otherwise, find a new industry.

One of best Irish pubs in downtown SF.

The anti SF bar!I go here for a reset after dealing with the b.s. of being a techie (a self loathing one at that in a big companyThe drinks are top notch. The staff is better. Their fare is pretty good without being unecessarily expensive.Check your Patagonia pretense at the door Mr. And Ms. MBA...

We had the shepherds pie and it was excellent. They even put it in separate crocks when we told them we were sharing. Bartender was awesome too as well as friendly clientele. Nothing fancy, its a pub with great food!

My first time there last night and it was awesome. Did not drink just ate supper. I had the Shepards pie. It was incredible and I had a cup of tomato soup. It was awesome likewise. I work across the street from there and I will definitely be back to eat again it was great.

The food is really tasty! I love the Rueben sandwich, mozzarella sticks, salads, and the Buffalo wings! Reasonable drink prices as well The daytime staff is the best!

A nice little Irish bar with food near the new Transit Center. We just needed lunch and a cold beer. We walked a few blocks over from the new transit center to Kate OBriens. Its a nice pub with friendly servers, and good food. I had a Rueben sandwich, it was delish. My friend had Fish & chips, the girls had Bangers and mash. We were all happy.

Excellent food, the bangers and mash, braised beef, and Sheppards pie were all very delicious. Bar is well stocked and the staff was friendly even when busy.

Great food, even better bartenders. This place could be empty and Id still enjoy sitting at the bar over a handful of beers and chatting with the staff.

Very must a local neighborhood pub. Friendly, old-school. Smithwicks on tap!!

This is a great bar, great bar staff and a decent selection of beer. The Guinness aint bad either

Solid wings, good beer selection, friendly bartenders, and a cozy atmosphere. Considering its in the heart of SoMa, it surprisingly lacks the "corporate happy hour" feel that many other bars in the area have (even its neighbor!). Id recommend.

Good prices on beers and they have the UK classics; Boddingtons, Harp, Guinness, etc. Its a little dark inside but you can usually find a place to sit, which is an advantage. Solid selection of scotch/whiskeys. Wont be an article written about the selection, but everything Id expect to see was there plus a few I wouldnt expect.All around, good place if you want to just drink beers or whiskeys with friends around a table. I will continue to go and enjoy this place.

The bartender there is awesome. the food is good doesnt matter if its appetizers or an entree. Great place to stop an watch a game and h have a beer.

I visited mid afternoon for lunch. The bar and the entire seating area were being covered by one poor bartender who was doing her very best. Decent beer selection, but the food was nothing special.

Really like this place. Great vibe, great staff, and the location is excellent. Whole the food isnt the worlds best or anything, its quick and still good. I have a soft spot for Bangers and Mash.

This place is way overpriced, but the food quality doesnt match the prices. Be prepared to spend no less than $40 on just two entrees. I dont mind paying extra if the food is tasty and worth it, but its not. Since I didnt want to fork out $20 for pot roast, I had the chicken fingers, which were ok, but on the chewy side. The French fries were steakhouse cut, but didnt come with nearly enough to charge $5 for. They dont have a big selection on the menu. Just basic stuff youd see at an Irish bar and grill. Its a decent place to visit if you work in the area and want a quick lunch or drinks afterwards.

Solid three stars. This place has good food, a great beer selection and more over a great happy hour. Been here a couple times and the one thing that really destroys the rating of this place is the staff.In both times I have been here getting staff to actually help you get a drink or help with any really. Now normally one could say "well, its just you the staff just doesnt like you" yes this is probably true but when I see it happening to other guest it is a little more. The poor couple next to me waited almost 15 mins for anyone to even address them.Two things if your staff is too busy to handle the guess load then put more on during a shift. If that isnt the case get better staff. I worked in the industry I get bad days but no one has that many bad days.Bottom line come try this place out the wings are amazing. But be prepared for disappointment when you are waiting just to get a napkin.

Great service (Rickgood food (fish tacos at an Irish bar!and Cobb salad. Wasnt even busy on a Saturday night at 10:30pm. Would come back but visiting from Vancouver B.C.

Terrible wine, calorific bar food, great whisky. Its an Irish pub. It definitely delivers on its promise. Id give them 5 stars if the wine werent so terrible.

Good place for watching soccer (Champions leagueand such. The food could be better. Its British/Irish pub food.

Solid offering of drinks and pub food.This is a fun spot for happy hours, lots of fries/shareable options, a range of beer and liquor, and a chill vibe going on. Its an ok spot for lunch, better if youre going for something boozy than not.Most recently I had the BLTA, it was just ok. I dont think I fully understood the idea of Irish bacon but its closer to Canadian bacon than anything, back bacon thats meaty but not fatty the same way normal bacon is. It was burnt and crispy on the sandwich but I missed the fattiness of regular bacon and found the bread quite boring as well, no mayo, no butter, not toasted, just plain bread. Overall, the sandwich was lacking any real punch, as was the cole slaw served with it. The side salad was fine, it needed more dressing and some salt/pepper but it wasnt offensive.

Reminds me of back home in London. Good food with some very UK ingredients like Heinz beans! Been a while since I found a place serving those... If you are from the UK this a great place to hangout in a friendly almost pub like atmosphere, but lets face it the US doesnt know how to do pubs so is more a bar. But a great place to chill at none the less.

Friendly bartender. Pretty good food a little overpriced. Worst iced tea known to mankind.

I discovered last night that it really depends on who your server or bartender is. There are some people there that we absolutely love and others made the experience somewhat uncomfortable.I tend to like Irish pubs because they have the sort of atmosphere I prefer where you can relax with a drink and have a conversation. Being close to my work I find this to be my favorite happy hour drinks location. I have also had some pretty good meals here as well.

The tall Bartender with long hair/pony tail was rude & ignored any food or drink request. His coworker said he was having a bad day... Whether you have good day or bad day you shouldnt be taking it out on customers. Never coming back to the bar again.

Next to my work. Hard to find a seat but at least they have decent happy hour items.Not a special place....just a convenient spot to grab a drink since there are few places nearby heading towards the Bay

I went to Kate OBriens as its right near where I worked when spending time in San Francisco.Myself and colleagues went on a Friday night, and it was packed. You could hardly get near the bar due to people standing around, or those seated at the bar.The selection of beers were good and they were reasonably priced.The food was just average, not bad value though but wont win any awards.A decent drinking spot, just dont go at 5pm on a Friday!

Came here during the NBA playoffs so it was quite crowded considering the Warriors were in it, but the service was fast and there were TVs for every angle. Its in a great location right off of a main strip of action in SF. I bet when its not crowded it a great place for big happy hour groups.

Great place for drinks and catching up with friends in the financial district. Sometime it gets pretty crowded at happy hour times, but all good with the vibes. Pretty standard bar though, the most special thing is the location.

A decent Irish pub with 18 beers on tap. They have wifi for customers--ask for for the password. Happy Hour gets busy and even busier on days of Giants home games. Irish nachos are 👌.

Looking for a place to grab some whiskey and bar food and you work in SOMA around 2nd street? Kate OBriens is a good choice. Southside is too busy to sit and enjoy some brews? Kate OBriens is a good choice.Nice little Irish Dive bar in SOMA, but nothing special. Drinks are a bit pricey too for what it is. But hey, when you need a drink, its a good choice.

Great place for a beer and sports watching. Food...well it is okay. I go here because it is close. They recently updated the menu so it is more expensive but Im not sure if it is worth the price. The wings are great! Pass on the sliders. Maybe it will take some time to figure out how to order.

Local Irish pub with typical array of bar food. $12 steak is pretty good, as is the pulled pork sandwich.Update 05/05/14:Menu has been update. Prices have increased slightly but the quality of the food seems to have gone up as well. The hot wings are really good. No more cheap steak or pulled pork sandwich though.

Its a "classic" Irish "dive bar". Its a great place to go to hang out- nice selection of craft beers on tap. Their french fries "nachos" are AWESOME. Right off of 2nd street- can actually get pretty quiet/chill in the afternoon.

This is the first place that I had a beer on my first night in San Francisco, and I have to say that it was the best first impression a city could have on me. The bar tender was cool and knowledgeable. They know how to pour a proper Guinness, and I cant even begin to say how much that mean to me, and yes there is a proper way to pour a Guinness, as I have seen it done incorrectly time and time again. With that being said, this place looks like a little dive on the out side but inside is amazing. Everyone to sing songs that are playing on the speakers which makes for a very fun environment. The food is very good, though I havent tried the Fish and Chips yet, I can only imagine that they are amazing. Definitely my favorite bar in the city so far.

Quite possibly my favorite bar in San Francisco. Soaring ceilings plastered in old, over-sized posters make this narrow Irish pub feel bigger than it is. Its dark and cozy without being divey. No matter the time of night there is usually smokers standing around laughing and talking in front of the tiny outside "patio" area, but weve never not found a seat so push your way through and brave the dim. The crowd is a good blend of hipsters and business travelers. Don;t be surprised if you hear someone at a nearby table join in to sing along the lyrics to a song on the mixed bag jukebox or the guys next to you are swapping sales stories while on break from a nearby conference - every seems to be cool. The bar tenders are awesome and Id go here every night if I could.