Two Jews walk into a bar and what do they do?
They drink a beer and by the time they are done they have had enough of this bar for quite a while.
So if you have read our first few reviews and are starting to think to yourself, they are just going to talk about the bars they like, well you're wrong. I mean we defintiely wanted to start off with a few places for you to go, but we don't just like every bar we go into. Now at the same time, I think it's important to find something enjoyable even in the bars that we don't recommend. This will become clear shortly.
We can start with the Mucky Duck before you even go inside. Any time we walk down from our apartment to 9th and Irving, we have to walk right by this place. Every time we pass by, there are people smoking outside, being too loud and obnoxious. This doesn't change too much when you walk inside. The crowd is not too diverse. I can't really put the right words to describe them, but I can say for the most part, they are not people that we nor our readers will relate to.
The bartenders at the Mucky Duck, for the most part, are nothing special. The drinks are average, and the beer is a bit overpriced. Additionally, the place is cash only, which you will start seeing is a pet peeve of mine (although hard to avoid in some areas). If the place gets too crowded, it is hard to get served, and a couple of them even have a pretty crappy attitude. The first time we went in here was the first night we moved into the area. There were five people there, it took 15 minutes to get a drink, and the bartender seemed pissed to even be getting us a drink. I guess she forgot that it's her job. There are, however, two shining stars there. There is one girl there who bartends on weekend afternoons, and she is great. She is quick to get you a drink and serves with a smile. The other one is an older guy. Not sure if he is the owner or not (I don't think he is), but he is always friendly, makes good stiff drinks, and brings a lot of great ideas to special events. But the last time I saw him there was during the World Cup over the summer. Since then, I haven't seen him bartending.
Now my biggest issue with this bar is that it's trying to be more than it is. It is a decent dive bar that is okay for watching a game here or there, but they try too hard to make you feel like it's more than what it is. Every once and a while they have something fun, like the BBQ during the World Cup. They opened early and had drink specials all day. But a bar should not be judged simply on how they show the World Cup.
One nice thing about this bar is that next door is a decent diner, and they will bring food to you at the bar. You go into the Mucky Duck, order a beer (or in the morning, a bloody mary) and while they get the drink for you, you go next door and place your order. 20 minutes later, the waitress from next door brings your food. I will admit, although I am not a big fan of the bar, that is pretty awesome.
Overall, we don't really recommend it. If you don't want to take our word for it, the info is below. You can check the place out for yourself and maybe you'll prove us wrong.
1315 9th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94122-2308
(415) 661-4340
