If you’re looking for a dinner spot in San Francisco I would say Buena Vista is a MUST. Really amazing Irish coffee, we tried the traditional and the chocolate one, both were amazing. All the food here was incredible. Everyone in my family got something different and we all tried a bit of each persons and it was so good! Great sandwiches, great meat dishes, even our incredibly picky eater was happy with her chicken and waffles. I personally love a good Caesar Salad and the one I had here was so good with the red bell pepper slices. Garlic fries were to die for. The service was also awesome! We have been doing a ton each day and by the time we have been sitting down for dinner we have been hangry! Buena Vista had very quick service, our server was very attentive, and the food came out in a timely manner. The bartender was also hilarious! And the atmosphere was great. Overall an awesome experience!

Buena Vista was always busy but if you didn't mind to sit at the bar, could get your Irish coffee fix pretty quickly. Another must-go place whenever I visited San Francisco. Came here twice during my two day stay. One thing I had never known was that they offered Irish coffee togo! I ordered one and now I knew how it worked. 😉 Until next time, ciao ~

This place is such an iconic place to visit! The Irish coffee is so good & is a must try!! The bartender is really accommodating & made a drink for us!! Peanut whiskey (Screwball) & a raspberry liquor & it tasted like a peanut butter & jelly sandwich!! Wow that was so good & my new favorite drink!! Just on drinks alone between the 4 of us we spent $200.00 it was well worth it & we had a blast!!!

Yes, this is a tourist destination, but that doesn't mean it isn't excellent. It is excellent. . The food is terrific. We shared a grilled cheese and a pastrami sandwich between for adults, and it was fine. I have a particularly fond memory of the German potato salad. . Of course, the draw is the Irish Coffee, of which we had plenty. It is delicious. Make sure you watch 20 being made simultaneously and engage the craftsman if you dare. He has an entertaining quick wit. . Worth going, 100%

Credited with originating the Irish Coffee in 1952. The bar opened in 1916. Go for two or three Irish Coffees. They’re delicious. Expect tourists, mediocre bar food, ornery servers, a gift shop, and a line for the bar - but that’s all part of the charm and the price of entry to sip a piece of history.

We had to stop in here while in San Francisco. The Irish coffee is a must try while here. The lobster roll was so so, the burger was good. We didn't have to wait to be seated. Staff was friendly. A little on the small side so I can see it getting crowded fast during peak times.

Iconic San Francisco Cafe, The Buena Vista Cafe near Ghirardelli is a must do when visiting the city. They are credited with bringing Irish coffee to the US and they have many tasty variants to choose from. The food is good too! It's not a complete San Francisco experience if you didn't have an Irish coffee here. Btw the movie When a Man Loves a Woman had a scene here. You can also have a ride on a cable car right across the street. Warning if you park in the area Do Not Leave Valuables in the car esp tourists.

Good food.. good drinks. Came in for a Sunday brunch date and was not disappointed. We sat at the bar since a table was a 30 min. wait. Food took a little long due to a technical issue in the kitchen. They offered a complimentary dessert which was nice. Overall, good experience. Would be back if the wait isn't too long.

While this bar offers a good time, it’s overshadowed by the very long wait for service. It took us almost 2 hours to get some stale nachos with velveta cheese and 2 drinks. We made the most of our time here, and this bar is definitely potential to be fun, but service and wait time needs to be significantly improved. They also need to get real cheese for their nachos. The food was just terrible. The Irish coffee was great though! Definitely a must-try!

If you are in SF, you just have to try their Irish whiskey! I have been bringing my family and friends here for the last five years. They usually have a long wait. They do offer Irish whiskey to-go, which is also equally good. But sitting in the bar and seeing the Irish whiskey being poured is an experience in itself! I have also tried the Irish hot chocolate and loved it as well. Have only had bar bites and they were good enough. Highly highly recommend and a must-try spot in SF!

We had crab cakes, a lobster roll and Irish coffee. We ate outside at dusk. It was a cold and dreary afternoon so the Irish coffee hit the spot. It was our first time having one and it was very good. Tip- you do not stir the Irish coffee (I had to google it). The crab cakes were very good especially with the dill sauce. The seasonal vegetables were good but there could have been more and/or some sort of potato side dish with it. The lobster roll was good, but fairly basic (as far as lobster rolls go). The french fries were crisp and delicious and the coleslaw was m'eh. The atmosphere outside was nice as the lights came on and the heater above us kept us comfortable. Over all, it was nice to experience an institution like the Buena Vista, but we would not likely go back as there are plenty options yet to try.

I mean, where else are you going to go for an Irish Coffee in San Francisco? The place was hopping, but we got right in at the bar. This is such a fun place and awesome watching them make drinks! This is a must stop for anytime you're in the city! I go here every time! See you soon!

Good food, great coffee and a San Francisco staple. The Irish coffee is a must in San Francisco and The Burns Vista is the place to grab one! Decided to grab a quick lunch a and had the Corned beef and Cabbage with a bowl of clam Chowder and I must say they were both fantastic. The clam chowder was a perfect consistency and had a great balance of flavor, potatoes and clams. The corned beef was tender with fresh vegetables. Very touristy place, but a MUST visit for Irish coffee!

First off you must order an Irish coffee, hands down delicious. We had smoked salmon Benedict. And the crab cake Benedict. Both were amazing. Highly would recommend this place for a must try in San Francisco! Super friendly staff as well

Iconic SF destination! I try to have at least one or three😁 World famous Irish Coffees when i visit beautiful San Francisco. The staff and people there are always extremely friendly. The bartenders are fun to watch and are quite the artists. You can always meet people from all walks of life. A must visit!!

Don't know about the food but the Irish coffee hands down the best one I've ever had. They have a nice patio area with heaters. Cute little joint that's always recommended on travel shows. I was hesitant at first but glad we came. So if you're in the area and love a good Irish coffee, you should definitely swing by and check it out.

The last time I was here was 8 years ago. My favorite bartender has passed away. RIP Freddie. The Irish Coffee here is a tradition and so fun to see them get made. The food is great and lucky for us we got seats at the bar right away.

Food was amazing and portions were huge!! Really nice restaurant and staff! Strongly recommended if in SF! If a coffee fan you definitely want to visit and try their coffees!! My wife had a Lobster roll and loved it as well!! If I'm ever back in SF we will he stopping by again!!

The Buena Vista is a must for visiting San Francisco! Their Irish Coffee lives up to the hype. The pub is charming and the staff is very friendly! I can't wait to visit again!

Seat yourself. Wonderful view of the Golden Gate and Hyde St Cable Car turntable from the windows. Prompt, friendly service. Lively atmosphere. Well executed food. The Reuben sandwich tasted great with compliments on the sauerkraut.

We visited Buena Vista on advice from a city tour guide by Union Square, and we tried their breakfast before returning for an Irish Coffee after a bike ride. Our breakfast was hot and a perfect portion size for the crab omelette and country sausage benedict. The Irish coffee was really strong but delicious. Service is really nice and in the morning we enjoyed their patio seating.

SO GOOD! Whenever I am in San Francisco this place is a must visit location. The irish coffee is amazing and the clam chowder served in bread bowls is extremely good. I cannot recommend enough. The people that work here are friendly and although the location is small, they ensure you are served quickly and with quality food/drinks.

The Irish Coffee is a must! It was absolutely delicious. I got one with alcohol and one without and I enjoyed both. The food for me was average. I got the avocado toast which was a little disappointing. I wouldn't suggest ordering it, especially for the price.

What a great place to end a day of sight seeing at Fisherman's Wharf! From the outside it just looked like an ordinary bar, except that it was packed in the middle of the afternoon! We googled it and found out they were the birthplace of the Irish coffee! We had to stop and so glad we did! The place is beautiful inside and the food smelled and looked amazing. We just had the Irish coffees and they were awesome! Perfect on a cold damp day. So smooth and creamy! We drank them at one of their outside tables and the best realization after relaxing with such deliciousness was that the cable car stop we needed to go back to the Beacon Grand at Union Square was right across the street from Buena Vista. A perfect end spot for a day of sightseeing!

Known for their Irish coffee, figured would stop in on a chilly night. The atmosphere was nice and my buddy and I had the Dungeness crab melt and was pretty awesome. The server was friendly, and Irish coffee was yummy!! Just be aware that the Irish Coffee are $13 each.

A friend of ours insisted we tried the Irish coffee at The Buena Vista so we went in for a night cap after dinner. It did not disappoint 😃. We had the Irish coffee and a bread pudding. I could have done without the dessert as it was a bit dry and lacked flavor. The coffee on the other hand 👌👌. I definitely recommend you try the Irish coffee if you're in the area.

We went there for St Patrick's Day. Tried the iconic Irish coffee that was overpriced but good. Women's toilets are not very clean. The lamb is way overpriced for the quantity. Overall everything is overpriced in a not very justified way even if it's good.

The Buena Vista was a real treat on our San Francisco visit. Sitting at the bar, it felt like I was going back in time, with the cozy atmosphere and warm wood decor. The famous Irish coffee was expectedly delicious, but I also really enjoyed my dirty martini. Next time I'm in San Francisco, I will be back.

Unique topping IS better than the Baileys Irish Cream I use, but I prefer my own mix more cause I can put more Jamison’s in for effect.

Came here for the famous Irish Coffee and it was great. I had the Mexican omelet with bacon and some famous S.F. sourdough toast. Comes with Potatoes that are cooked to perfection. My daughter's had Fish and Chips, and the Lobster sandwich with a pickle and Coleslaw. My wife had the Cornbeef and cabbage and all the dishes were delicious. Tony H. the bartender is the best. All in all, you won't be disappointed with anything off the menu. Did we mention the Clam Chowder was also San Francisco's best ever.

Yum!!! We went for the Irish coffee but were absolutely wowed by the food. Everybody in our party of six loved their meals. Of note, the salmon entree and the open faced crab sandwich were both fantastic. For dessert, the bread pudding was the best I’ve ever had. So good—-Highly recommended!

All I can say is Irish coffee and chocolate bacon...awesome! Only negative was the little gift shop. Trying to get a souvenir on Friday night, bartender says the gift shop closes at 7pm. Went there at 6:42, closed. Saturday, there at 6:30...closed. Sunday for breakfast, while waiting for a table thought I'd try my luck again. This time, finally, shop was open but t-shirt sizes didn't get past a large and didn't have the Go A's hat like I saw in the case at the bar. Then the girl behind the counter made a huge deal because I didn't have a mask. Didn't need one at the bar so didn't think I'd need one in a gift shop. Eh...at least the Irish coffee and the food was awesome.

Great Irish coffees and hot chocolates. The chili and salmon were good. The field salad and meatball parmigiana were okay (the kids were sad that the meatball parmigiana only had potatoes and vegetables instead of noodles). The service was great!!

The standard for all Irish coffees. Nothing better than grabbing one of these as sun starts to set in San Francisco. One of the true tourists traps that we don't mind to solicit. Cannot speak for the food, but looks pretty standard.

Hot pastrami on rye bread was great - the bread had a lot of flavor. Fries were classically good. The Irish coffee was of course 🔥 - really creamy and well balanced. Heated outdoor seating above each table was a nice touch.