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The Chieftain Irish Pub & Restaurant

4 star rating
based on 199 reviews

Categories: Pubs, Irish  [Edit]

Neighborhood: SOMA
198 5th St
(between Howard St & Natoma St)
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 615-0916
  • Hours:
    Mon-Fri 11:30 a.m.-2:00 a.m.
    Sat-Sun 11:00 a.m.-2:00 a.m.
  • Price Range: $$
  • Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
  • Parking: Street
  • Attire: Casual
  • Good for Groups: Yes
  • Good for Kids: No
  • Takes Reservations: No
  • Delivers: No
  • Take-out: Yes
  • Waiter Service: Yes
  • Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
  • Outdoor Seating: No
  • Good for: Lunch, Dinner
  • Music: Juke Box
  • Best Nights: Thu, Fri, Sat
  • Happy Hour: Yes
  • Alcohol: Full Bar
  • Smoking: No
  • Coat Check: No
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199 Reviews for The Chieftain Irish Pub & Restaurant

Review Snapshot   

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"Great fish and chips, and a fun Trivia Tuesday night." (in 30 reviews)
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"My friend had the cottage pie and I had the bangers and mash." (in 8 reviews)
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"This place has the best fricking lamb burger I've ever had, yuuuummmm." (in 9 reviews)
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matthew c.

Berkeley, CA

2 star rating
10/09/2008

My friend and I tried the split-pea soup and the Guinness stew. Both were exceptionally salty and we immediately regretted ordering food. I think for a bar, they have a good food selection, perhaps we just weren't drunk (enough).

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Elite '08

211

396

Joe B.

Oakland, CA

3 star rating
10/05/2008

Not a bad little bar to stop in at on a Wednesday when you're dropping off your girl for a burlesque practice.  Pretty easy to park, cheap-ish drinks, great bartender.  We did end up with a loud, douchey crowd of guys that came in shortly after us, but they were pretty harmless.  A decent place to get your drink on if you're on your way somewhere else, or to meet up with a few friends after work.

I'm especially proud of how I demonstrated my grasp of the proper use of you're and your in this review.  I hope you're impressed. ;-)

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Elite '08

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405

Jessica P.

Oakland, CA

4 star rating
10/06/2008

This bar was ok, outside of the fact that a group of sportsminded men from the Marina wandered in looking for a particular female bartender and Fernet "Deals".

I'm sorry, no sober individual drinks Fernet on a week night... "just because". I liken this drink to the reason why some nights go wrong, why some nights go right and why sometimes, you really believe that after a night with Fernet as your last shot, you may never drink again. Nobody enjoys the taste of perfumey- battery -acid- cough- syrup (unless that really is your drink, and for that, I am sorry) unless you've had enough liquor beforehand to make the medicine go down with narry a shutter or body tremble.

Don't get me wrong, I've had it, I've ended nights with it, and I am sorry for my own mere existence for days afterwards.

I was only there for a small amount of time, sipping on my Guinness (it was the first thing that came to my mind) on my way to a rehearsal. If I still worked in the area, I'd maybe grab some friends and kick it with some spuds and beer here.

I made the mistake of stopping by on St. Patrick's Day last year and immediately walked out, lest I choked myself with a little green wrist band to deal with the crowds.

On a normal night though, I'd definitely stop in again for some pub grub and peace of mind. This night though, the crowd can get a little iffy. And for it only being 8:30pm, I can only imagine the debauchery it must house later on. We already had a girl sitting on the sidewalk outsdie the door on her cell phone on the way out--cocktail in hand and all.

I miss those days...sometimes.

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18

54

k. c.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
10/08/2008

Looking for a place downtown for a quick bite with and old friend, and this came up interesting on Yelp, so we took the plunge.

We were in the mood for chatting and they were holding a bingo night or something so it wasn't the optimal setting for our reunion. However, they were serving $4 pints of beer, so it was an even exchange in my book.

The food was delicious, if just a wee bit skimpy for the price. But overall the place had charm, the eats were satisfying, and the staff was mighty friendly!

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Elite '08

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134

Sus.annah B.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
09/30/2008

A little crowded for my taste, but I think that's only because of the event that was going on - I get the feeling that normally this place has just enough people to make it not seem dead, but not so many you can't hear yourself think.

Due to the crowd I opted not to eat here, though everything looked really good, even the stuff I don't like.  

Had a good time meeting new people, catching up with others and playing with one of the most insanely adorable puppies in the universe, who also happened to be one of the most friendly yet chill puppies I've ever seen.  If there was enough lead on the leash to allow him to frolick a little my head would have exploded from extreme cute overload.

There was Longboard for $3 as a special that evening, among other drink specials.  Friendly bartenders and the food looked good, but honestly I'd go back just for a chance to see that puppy again.

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Elite '08

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179

Pam B.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
09/26/2008

Although I love San Francisco, I often miss Boston.  There is something about the pubs in Boston that make me feel like I'm coming home.  Maybe it's the raucous patrons, the smell of the fish and chips, or because I've got a little Irish in me.  I don't know what it is- but the Chieftain brings that feeling back (minus the snow outside).  

Why the Chieftain will become a regular for me:

-I got the parking spot RIGHT OUT FRONT.  While I may not always need it, I always love to see my parking karma in action.

-The guy who Nicole and Jessica set the happy hour with was AWESOME.  So were the other bartenders, who didn't laugh at me too much when I ordered a mudslide (which turned out to be a bad idea later, but oh well).

-The fries are yummy.  

-They have 3 strategically placed t.v.s which might be beneficial for watching some Sox beat some Angels...

----And although it is unrelated, there was the cutest puppy ever outside, looking all forlorn and just waiting for me to take her home.  Which I didn't.  But I thought very hard about it, because she was THAT cute.

This is a place I'll definitely be visiting again, and I will definitely try a burger.

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Elite '08

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192

Jenn N.

Brentwood, CA

4 star rating
09/25/2008

The bartender called me sweetheart,

and I liked it. :)

It was packed, so packed it was tough to navigate around.  Luckily, I'm small and stealth.  The friendly bartenders were doing a great job of keeping up with the large crowd.

I scored a strategic spot in the corner booth, so I was able to people watch.  There are 3 large tv's, the one above me was showing a baseball game, the one to the right of me seemed to have various sport stories running and the one directly in front of me was showcasing the 2001/2002 Raiders. :l

Tuck rule my ass.

Thanks to that programming selection, I suddenly needed another drink.

The food looked and smelled great.  I heard a lot of compliments rolling around about it.  I wasn't hungry but was coerced into trying the crab dip and it was good.

tip: The malt vinegar is the same shape and size of a beer bottle.  Just be careful.  *wink* Nicole *cough* :P

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Andrew T.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
09/25/2008

i was the first to arrive because im a raging alcoholic. beer special was a bottle of Longboad for $3. a hawaiin beer that i had never tried before. NICE! i love places where the specials are different as opposed to bud light or something. of course, i ended up getting 2 bud lights later on but that is beside the point.

finally, people started trickling in and, an hour or so later, the place was beyond packed. not bad for a wednesday early evening! probably due to the location being right smack dab in downtown. although it was a pretty small place too, but had a nice/cozy feel.

the girls ordered food, but of course, some of us had to "help" them eat it. the crab dip was awesome and garlicky. the fish & chips looked good even after being accidently drenched with beer. anyways, they had plasma's with a different game on each tv. and the bartenders/servers were all very polite. definately a wonderful place for happy hour!

oh, and they had a guard dog outside :P

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125

ABBY A.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
10/02/2008

~Cool little bar across the street from Intercontinental Hotel and walking distance from Metreon.

~Not too big, not too small, dark with plenty of seats and tables.

~Went on a Saturday night and there were groups of out-of-towners.  I knew they weren't from here because they were excited about going to Ruby Skye.

~There was only one waitress but she handled business. Service was fast despite all the people ordering.

~Sex on the Beach was GREAT!

Abby A. will return.

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Elite '08

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408

matthew r.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
09/25/2008

At first glance it seems like any other irish bar, only a little more crowded than most and with consistently great service.

But this irish bar serves a burger with a fried egg in it. (I know, it sounds gross, but tasting it is like seeing the Kyrgyz Light.)

Does the Plough and The Stars have such a burger? I don't think they do. The Four Deuces doesn't either, and while The Liberties had some good food last time I was there, I don't think they have a burger like this. The Dogs Bollix? Please.

There's soccer and rugby and stuff on TV too, but I think most other bars have those. But not fried egg burgers.

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Elite '08

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300

Karsten P.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
09/29/2008

This is a decent utility Irish Bar.

You will come in here for two reasons: to get drunk, or to have a drink on the way to getting drunk. The crowd is fun but in  that specific way that typically involves youth, loudness and stumbling.

Also screaming laughter.

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Elite '08

14

204

Cade P.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
Updated - 09/25/2008

UPDATE:

I went in last night around 6pm for a Yelp party. It was my first to actually attend, and I was excited. I already liked this place and knew where it was.

However, I was slightly afraid that the parking situation would be ultra-HELL because of the darn Oracle convention taking over SOMA and parts of the rest of the city.

Anyway, I had a parking pass for the Oracle lot (don't ask), and got there just fine. I was also worried that due to the convention that this medium-small place would be overly packed and therefore not fun.

It was just the right amount of busy. I was very pleased. We found our group and had a good time.

One thing I want to mention is that the last several times I've gone here, I've gotten the Fish and Chips. I love it. It's a little on the greasy side, but not in a bad way. The fries are simple but pleasing. The beer never lacks (how can you mess up a beer that you KNOW is good). My one call out on last night's event was that the tartar sauce was HORRIBLE. It was thin and runny, which I could deal with, but worst of all, it was almost tasteless.

The cool thing that happened was that the above-and-beyond waitress, Jen, asked me what normally is in tartar sauce. I'm not a cook, but I happened to know exactly what is in it. I mentioned sweet relish, lemon juice and before I knew it, she brought me out a plate of pickles, some lemon wedges and a knife to cut up the pickles with. WOW! That's customer service. She mentioned that they don't have any other tartar sauce in the back, but offered this solution. How brilliant is this lady? I was so impressed yet again.

Thank you Chieftan. My Fish and Chips were still not as good as normal, but they were saved from the trashcan by this brilliant staff member. Thank you Jen. You need a medal, a raise, and a promotion. ;-) So say I! Here, here!

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 4 star rating 10/31/2007

    The Chieftan is a place I chose because it's an Irish pub (lots of great beers to choose from) and… Read more »

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Photo of sean m.

 

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195

sean m.

San Francisco, CA

2 star rating
09/11/2008

After reading the reviews before going here, this place was a huge letdown. My friend and I ordered the basics, fish and chips and irish stew. The fish was overly battered and much greasier than at Kells or The Irish Bank, the stew had a brown watery sauce I'd guess you'd call it, potatos and carrots were okay, the meet was stringy and the bread that came with it had the texture and taste of sawdust. I gave it two stars because the waitress was nice and worked fast, I'll pass on this place from now on.

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2

61

Brian K.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
09/20/2008

The chieftain is a tough review for a few reasons. The service was painful, 30 min after we sat we got our first drinks,,, after we ate our appetizers.. There were 2 people working the from of the house, 1 bar tender and 1 waitress serving all the beer and food while busing all the dishes.. the place was busy and the staff was in the weeds.   We ordered the fries with cheese and curry, they forgot the curry and were rather tasteless. I got the Irish coddle and my friend got the Irish stew, both were very good..

I'll give it 3 stars fgor the food and the fact that the service could not be that bad all the time. perhaps someone called in sick and left them hanging.

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Jennie L.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
09/04/2008

OMG their potato skins are so good.

I had a long island - nicely potent, but not too much. I got buzzed, I had good food (maybe a little too much), and I had a damn good time. Their little trivia night thing was going on, they played old school mashups - and I can't believe they played Rick Astley's "Together Forever" (http://www.youtube.com...), circa 1987.  now that's tight.

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70

Michelle H.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
09/08/2008

Delicious Irish food with a laid back atmosphere. I ordered the sausage with a side of mashed potatoes and beans, and it was delicious. If you're looking for a no-frills place to get some comfort food, I would highly recommend the Chieftain.

If you're looking to have a drink with your meal, I wouldn't go for wine, since they have a limited selection. Stay with the beer and hard alcohol drinks.

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Elite '08

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191

Larry A.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
08/30/2008

Last night before our gig at Annie's Social Club, I was dying for a burger.  I absolutely need nourishment before gigs because I need energy to destroy your ear drums and make you succumb to Hellhunter's unfiltered heaviness!    So walking around the neighborhood, I decided to stop in The Chieftain.  It was a wise decision because the 1/2 lb lamb burger was fantastic.  The steak fries were also kick ass!  I stuck around a little longer to watch the 49ers and Raiders games simultaneously.  I just wish I had more time because the place had a cool vibe and I wanted to drink more.

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Elite '08

140

311

Jennifer R.

Oakland, CA

4 star rating
08/05/2008

I haven't really figured this place out.  I spent a good part of my first few minutes here looking at the ceiling, which, if you're going to a bar for intrigue, is a bad sign.  Ceiling gazing almost always means lack of intrigue.  It was a really nice ceiling.  The good news is, it was easy to hear everyone in my party talk (even using their inside voices) and the place felt clean and relaxed.

I would like to come back some night that isn't Monday.

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Elite '08

21

483

Maximillian M.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
08/19/2008

Jules Winfield would love the Neiman Ranch burger. The curry cheese fries could've used more curry sauce. But the big deal here is that I've discovered Smithwick's! Yum.

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Elite '08

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Megan K.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
08/07/2008

A word to the wise: avoid the veggie burger at all costs. If you're vegetarian, stick to drinking dinner. If you're not vegetarian, don't be like me and wonder why you didn't spend less time talking and more time looking at the menu and ordering something less prone to (mis)interpretation. The other items my dining companions ordered fared much better--a better-than-passable fish and chips, a decent Irish stew, among other orders. No complaints for the Irish on their drink selection--a big variety of beer on tap and lots of Irish whiskeys to choose from. The ambiance was relaxed and on the smaller, intimate side without being overly crowded or noisy, but then again I haven't been there during a football match...

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4

Ben P.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
08/08/2008

I live above the chieftain and my liver pays for it.  You wouldn't think that pub food could be so good... but it is.   I reccomend the fish and chips, or the lamb burger (as long as you like bleu cheese).  You really can't go wrong eating here so do yourself a favor and stop in for a bite n' a pint.

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1

9

Jen O.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
08/26/2008

Stopped here on my walk to a Giants game one Saturday afternoon. I drove by it several times before and always wondered if it would be the quaint, friendly Irish pub I longed for, so I convinced my boyfriend to eat burgers and beer at The Chieftain.

Better than decent burger, A-OK beer selection and definitely lots of whiskey to choose from. The place was empty when we arrived (around 11:00 a.m), so we had great service and quick drink refills.

My only major complaint is the price. $4 for a Coors light?? No thank you...

Don't know if I'll go back, especially because of its somewhat un-central location, but definitely a decent joint to have a beer, enjoy some lunch and watch some sports.

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28

289

Dilip M.

Santa Clara, CA

4 star rating
Updated - 08/01/2008

So I had a chance to go back to this place once again last night. We started drinking at 4:30 on a Thursday night and I could not think of a better place...

The drinks as usual were very good. How wrong can one go with Hefeweizen! The key though this time was the crab and cheese dip...there was something remarkable about this. It left a wonderful taste in your mouth. The wings and the fries are not much worth raving about...but the crab-cheese dip made up for it.

The service is a little annoying, but I guess it happens...an Irish pub, drunken lot. How can you blame the staff!

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 3 star rating 12/06/2005

    Nice cosy place. I did not find any daily specials on the drink. However it has enough bar seats and… Read more »

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imelda j.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
08/05/2008

Ah, the Chieftain.  One of my coworkers always suggests this place anytime someone mentions everyone going somewhere afterwork, whether it's for a drink or someone's birthday.  "Hey, how about the Chieftain??"  

This place is nice.  This is coming from a chick who doesn't really drink very much, much less enjoys hanging out at bars.  It does get busy after work and into the evening.  I've been here a few times just to hang out and also for trivia night.  On trivia nights, it gets a bit crowded, so just be aware.  The servers are nice.  If anything, the food here is great.  I've never eaten anything that didn't taste good.  Anything fried is yummy.  I mean come on, food that's fried makes anything better.  Mmmmm.  Some of my coworkers have actually ordered lunch from here to go so it's that good.

Trivia night is fun.  Granted, it does get noisy as the night wears on because everyone starts getting drunk and it's hard to hear the trivia guy read the questions.

Bathroom is clean and surprisingly kinda nice and not gross like your typical bar toilet.  

A definite place to check out if you work in the SOMA and feel like grabbing some drinks and food with some friends or coworkers.

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130

29

Michael H.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
07/09/2008

We need more bars like the Chieftan in the SOMA area. This place is a solid spot to get your drink on, watch any major sporting event, or just grab a quick bite with some good friends. The prices aren't "dive- bar-cheap" but for San Francisco, they are reasonable, and every shot I've had here has been poured in a rocks glass.

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Elite '08

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713

Wendy L.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
06/28/2008

In all of these years, I'd never been to the Chieftain. It looks a bit divey from the outside, so I was expecting sticky floors and tabletops but was pleasantly surprised to find a relatively bright, nice little pub.

A couple of us went to the Chieftain for lunch and beers (it had been a long week). I suppose if you're playing hooky to watch sports, this is also a good place to catch a game during the workday (and probably on weekends too). On a Friday afternoon, the place was ~75% full so there was no wait and somebody to seat you (which gives it an advantage over the madness that can occur at Zebulon during the lunch hour).

I got the burger with cheddar cheese and avocado (yes, that's my version of a healthy burger - it doesn't have bacon!), and the burger was cooked to my order (medium!) and tasty. I'm a believer in steak fries (it takes me back to my youth spent at Lyon's restaurants), so I was happy to find steak fries with my burger. Steak fries can be delicious, especially when they are super fried and still nice and potatoey on the inside (like the ones at the Chieftain). Plenty of beers on tap - looked like there were ~8.

Our server was super nice and helpful, and the food arrived quickly. We were in and out in ~45 minutes without any need to hurry the kitchen or the server.

A pricier lunch option (burgers start at $9 with extras...costing extra) but pretty good for a sit-down, high-quality meal.

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4

32

Tong L.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
07/15/2008

Fish & Chips are worth the stop to The Chieftain. Service was good and the lovely bartender gave me a free coke. Sometimes life is good!

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18

Shawn C.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
07/10/2008

One of my favorite local watering holes!  Great place to hang out with buddies and catch a soccer game (which always seem to be on here).  Great Guinness and they probably have the BEST fish & chips in the world.  Mmmm...crazy delicious.  The atmosphere is genuine Irish (if you've been to Ireland).

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10

26

Rogerio F.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
07/03/2008

I was here once, for happy hour. I was supposed to check out a place to rent, but the guy ended up flaking so I was bummed. But being there with friends, and a beer in hand definitely helped lift the mood up. Maybe I'm not used to the SF vibe, but it's places like this in SF that make me want to come and live there, so, if I was downtown with a bunch of friends, this is the a place I'd be saying " hey guys, I know this great divish Irish bar just around the corner..."

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M S.

Pasadena, CA

3 star rating
06/26/2008

This was my neighborhood bar for a couple years.. Years ago, it use to be M&M's, where all the Chronicle journos use to hang out. Rumor has it, that they were there so much that the bar had a wire to the paper's newsroom. But I digress....

In my opinion, Chieftain has lost a step or two over there years.  On my last visit, I ordered my favorite burger in the world, The Chieftain burger....but dammit, it was missing some key ingredients! Eggs, mushrooms and bacon. Hopefully the Chief went back to his old burger, because it really did the place justice. The rest of the menu is pretty legit, not to mention they have daily specials that will make your mouth water. The vibe is still cool, very comfortable Irish pub, with great wood work, and feel good booths (that are ceremoniously named after people, cool). Not to mention, they serve Magner's tall-boy bottles, as all legitimate Irish institutions should. I miss the old neighborhood, I miss The Chieftain.

On a side note, I use to kick it around with The Chieftain soccer team. 2 or 3 successive promotions! You'll see the trophy's on the wall. Unfortunately, the success came to a crashing end, coach Gianni was a bust.

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Elite '08

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325

Mikey U.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
05/21/2008

There is a special place in my heart for this pub, though I've been here only once, so far.

Last Sunday (Bay 2 Breakers), at 7:30-ish in the morning,... -yes, say it with me, "in the morning"-... fellow yelper RJR and I strutted into the Chieftain to start the momentous day in the only fashion that seemed suitable... with BEER!  

-I technically started with a heavy pull of Jack Daniel's from fellow Yelper Brandon H.'s brown bag bottle... then I had a shot of Maker's Mark... THEN I had a the beer... the first of many beers... etc etc.-

And thus, my affinity for Chieftain is a touch superficial, and perhaps a tad disturbing.  Steeped in a Vegas-y sensation of inappropriate imbibery, nekkid people, most welcome bewbage, not-so-welcome wangus, more boobocity and other colorful words that I'm too tired to make-up... Chieftain will ever be part of the memories of my first Bay 2 Breakers...

Ah, Chieftain, I look forward to seeing ya again next year, if not sooner... Good times, good times!

PROPS and CONGRATS to Walter P for participating and completing the run!

THANKS to RJR, my walk, drink, photo-op cohort for 4-some-odd miles of crazy!
__________________________________
7:30ish a.m. - first beer with RJR
8:15ish a.m. - second beer with RJR... & the BayWatch girls... mmmm!

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Elite '08

93

897

Jen D.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
05/27/2008

Pretty decent neighborhood pub. Came here for round three on Friday night. It was pretty packed, but we managed to get a table.

Decent selection of beer and all the liquor you could need.

Clean bathroom too.

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6

10

Justin R.

San Francisco, CA

1 star rating
07/16/2008

The Chieftan is a nice place, as far as the building, but its' current management really sucks ass.

I took three of my friends here last night for a round of beers after a false alarm for a protest of DEA action at a nearby medical cannabis dispensary.  I gave the bartender my credit card for about $21 and explicitly asked not to have a tab opened.

Bartender refuses to return my card or even make eye contact with me while serving other customers for at least 15 minutes.  After I finally sit and drink about 1/5 of my beer, I take a break outside to medicate / smoke, and return to find that my card has been declined.

I pull up my account on iPhone and see that the bar has charged significantly more than my balance - enough to keep a tab open - and made me unable to purchase lunch the next day - today - which is why I have time and inclination to write this.

I may have raised my voice, but I certainly can be louder, and got a bit upset at the bartender for screwing my account and then demanding that we pay cash for his dunderheaded mistake.  The bar own flew at me with physical threats, refusing to look at the account statement I was showing him, refusing to show my friends while I was smoking the actual credit card bill which was declined, only giving them a list of drinks poured, which we didn't stay to drink, though we paid, because WE are reputable citizens.

The bar manager had the nerve to tell me to "come back when I was sober", though in fact, I was sober, having only had 1/5 of my Sierra Nevada, and we all felt that we smelled liquor on his breath - tequila, perhaps?  I'm from Texas and I can pick up hints of it.

I called SFPD and asked them to come down and breathalyzer the manager, who was physically threatening me, but they told me that I'd have to wait around and endure threats to make a report.

I complained to Chris Daly on Facebook about this, and the SFPD reaction, and will be going after The Chieftain's liquor license.

If you enjoy this place, I'm sorry, start looking into taking over for the old management soon, or find a new place to drink - SF has no room for establishments run like this.

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6

55

Andrew Z.

Berkeley, CA

4 star rating
05/21/2008

The list of beers on tap
Guiness
Smithwicks Ale
Carlsbad
Fat Tire
Czechvar
Sam Adams Boston Lager
Bass Ale
Pilsner Urquell
Stella
Sierra
Murphy's stout
Bud
Bud Lite.

Beers in Bottles include
Corona, New Castle, Anchor, Magners, Coors Light, Becks, Heineken.

Plus a full bar and a kitchen that closes 930-10pm.
The music is surprisingly FREE. There is no "internet jukebox" which i would still want to pay money for. The bartender wasnt too busy, so the service was great.

Between here and the Tempest Bar you can definitely have some quality cold beers.

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114

Omid T.

San Francisco, CA

1 star rating
03/28/2008

It seems as though a great many people love the Chieftain.

While that's true, it's also undeniable that a great many people have bought Kelly Clarkson CDs, made Wal-Mart a juggernaut, and elected George W. Bush president. Twice.

All it takes to be successful these days is to go to a cattle-call TV audition, sell shoddy goods at deep-discount prices, or make up for a decade of hoovering coke by hooking up with a god-fearing librarian.

Or if you're in the bar business, order the "Irish Pub in a box" kit, complete with wooden furniture, some Guinness taps, frozen fish sticks, and a subscription Setanta sports.  

Never mind charm, individuality, or atmosphere.

Just slap on a name that recalls leprechauns or clovers or schlocky Celtic folk quartets, and the drooling morons will beat a path to your door.

Never mind the old Irish hospitality and friendly service.

Just be as cold, austere, and uninteresting as surrounding SoMa, and be more or less the only choice in a neighborhood bereft of... anything.

And honestly, this pains me.

A proper pub should be warm and inviting, overflowing with Guinness (or Harp or Smithwicks or Jameson or whatever you choose to drink), and more so with what the Irish call the craic. Because that's what makes a good local. A "good times" vibe and a "devil may care" attitude, where everybody's welcome as long as they're ready to tie one on. Not a bunch of signs on the wall. Not rugby on the TV. Not even a semi-decent plate of fish & chips.  Those are all great things, but they're no substitute for soul.

I can recount all the lousy experiences I've had at the Chieftain, whether it had to do with the uptight service, the dumbass clientele, or an improperly installed keg. But none of them are as big a downer as the utter lack of... well, anything to talk about.

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Elite '08

41

178

Dee M.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
06/03/2008

I'd been here once before and decided I didn't like it as I often do for god knows what reason. I went back recently for dinner with the bf because I'd heard they have good fish' n' chips and I'm on a quest to find the best fish'n'chips outside of  Otani's in Oxnard, CA.

Our server was great! The fish' n' chips were good. Not my favorite, but good nonetheless.   They didn't have cider on tap. WHAT?!?! But the size of the bottled Magner's cider available made up for it. The Reuben sandos and Caesar salad were good as well.  I think the only thing I was bothered by was the fact that my fish'n'chips weren't served with coleslaw.

And yes, to agree with Jen D. they did have a super clean bathroom!

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0

11

Chan L.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
06/26/2008

This place is far away from most of the haunts in SOMA, yet it kinda stands out on the corner of 5th and Howard so its easy to find.

Its a good place to gather with friends in a laid-back atmosphere but it can get very crowded in this small establishment when the 9-5 work week is over.

The bar has a large variety of beer on tap but its a bit pricey.  All my party bought were a few drafts but it totaled over $90.  The beer is fine, but I think I can get the same tasting beer at another place for much cheaper.