In the heart of Chinatown lies the (in)famous dive, Buddha Lounge, with its name written large overhead in neon. You'll step in and grab a seat at the bar, order a drink and ask the bartender, Mark, if he'll play Liars Dice with you. Offer to buy him a drink, too. Do not expect to win.

All neighborhood bars are basically aspiring to be Rock Bar, a cozy Bernal Heights den with cold beer, surprisingly good cocktails and one of the best real-deal jukeboxes in town. Named for the rough-hewn rock wall by the bar's entrance, Rock Bar is a fine place to come before or after dinner in the neighborhood; they also offer free delivery from Southern food stalwart the Front Porch, which is right across the street. Should you feel like making a night of it.

A shining beacon of dive bar light in the Tenderloin, High Tide is noteable for their cold beers, generous shots, and their posession of one of the better neon signs in San Francisco. You'll get no frills here, but you may earn a slice of microwaved pizza from the bartender if she's feeling generous.

In what seems to be an endlessly gentrifying and more expensive Mission, the 500 Club is a welcome respite for all the San Franciscans that still enjoy a cheap drink, heavy pour, games on the TV and a bathroom so graffitied, you wouldn't be able to write a word in edgewise. Sidle into one of the booths with your friends and enjoy whatever's playing on the jukebox (usually metal), which, pro tip, you can hijack with the use of an app. No one will know it was you who played My Heart Will Go On.

Don't let the smell of injera deter you: Club Waziema is indeed both an Ethiopian restaurant and a first-class Western Addition bar, complete with pitchers of cold local beer, generously poured shots and a questionable, if endearingly stubborn, cash-only policy. The front bar is a fine place for a date (a post Nopa nightcap, perhaps?), while the surprisingly large back area, complete with pool tables, is perfect for a large, possibly impromtu gathering of friends. The food's not half bad either, if those spicy smells inspire cravings.