Elbo Room, Photo by seancope
Just before San Francisco’s weather changes from Indian Summer to dreary not-quite-Fall, I like to fit in one last epic city walk (don’t call it a bar crawl). One route that I still have yet to try is the pinball bar connect the dots. This with-purpose stroll would comprise of short jaunts between good bars — not sports bars — with pinball machines in the back.
I imagine we’d start at Finnegan’s Wake in Cole Valley. It’s open early and doesn’t turn into a scene (with a very slow bartender) until later in the evening on weekends. Next, we’d hit up lower Haight’s Molotov’s, also open early and filled with fewer dudes during the day. Bonus: A Star Trek Next Generation machine. Oh the irony of Jean-Luc Picard in a dude bar! Whatever, I used to like NextGen. We’ll take it!
Lucky 13 would likely appear later on our roster. Their two (I believe) tables at the back would allow us to stake out our own spot and get as into the game as we need to without getting distracted by the rockabilly vibe.
Last we would find our way to the Mission’s Elbo Room. A walk, but perhaps a necessary one after three back-to-back bars. Our reward would be the most pinball machines yet and a decent happy hour. With multiball and flashing lights and millions of points, the day easily turns into something very rewarding.
Molotov's, Photo by drewcipher