Johnny Foley's

I have been frequenting Foley's for 20yrs, it's been consistently good all that time. It has the best Guinness in San Francisco although it's pricey. The food is quality and they have some proper Irish dishes, the wheaten bread is great although the curry chips sauce is not as good as it used to be. It is always busy and has a good mix of locals and tourists. The way they divide the space is unusual and most of the tables are reserved for people eating.

Typically, we visit the dueling piano bar downstairs, but Saturday it wasn't available so we went into the main bar area and they had a live band playing cover songs (80s and 90s rock mostly) and they were really good. People were singing along and dancing. It was a good time. We didn't have food during this visit, but we've eaten lunch here before and it was good.

I wish I could give this place ten stars for service and a couple extra for the food. Started off with a couple of Guinness and a massive plate of fried calamari. Honestly, had we known how big it was we may not have ordered it. It was clearly enough for a table of four, and there were only two of us, so..... yeah, we ALMOST finished it. My buddy had the fish and chips (he always gets the fish and chips), but he doesn't always finish his plate, and tonight he demolished it. As you can see, the filets were generous, set upon a mound of fries. I switched it up and went for the Cottage Pie (think Shepherd's pie, except made with ground beef instead of Lamb). It was soooooo good. Perfectly seasoned, great texture, just the right amount of moisture, mashed potatoes, and mixed chopped vegetables. The setting is a typical Irish pub, so sports playing on the monitors and lots of wood, stools, and eclectic wall decorations. While the food was worth returning for (again, and again), the highlight of our visit was the staff. Our server, as it turns out, had been there over a decade and was the second longest-serving employee, second only to the bartender. The hostess who seated us was all smiles and carried a really cool vibe, a cross between Wednesday Adams meets Taylor Swift. All business, but all smiles. The patrons seemed to be primarily travelers with a smattering of locals, and if I lived in the area, it would definitely be one of my go-to haunts. If you happen to be in the Tenderloin area of San Francisco, especially near Union Square, you'll have no fewer than 100 restaurants to choose from. Take the time to stop into Foley's, have a pint and a snack, and enjoy the atmosphere. It's a nice break from the hustle and bustle of walking the streets of SF all day.

Great Irish pub atmosphere, many seats at the bar, attentive staff, and fast drink service. We only visited for late night drinks, and had a fantastic time on a Thursday night. The bar was moderately busy, with good music, and a mature clientele. Would recommend for pub atmosphere and good drinks at a full bar.

Great Irish Pub in a great location. Close to everything. Pretty loud with plenty of music by the band and people drinking and having a good time. Decent service. The waitress needed to check on us a bit more and not super friendly. The Corn Beef and Cabbage was the best I have ever had. Huge potions with tons of corn beef, cabbage mashed potatoes and little new potatoes. Definitely more than one person can eat. Great sauce on the dish as well. The fish and chips were crispy and fresh. The fries great. Not to of the skinny fries. Great batter on the fish. The lamb shank meal was fall of the bone tender. A great value for the price. Overall, a great experience.