The Chieftain Irish Pub & Restaurant in San Francisco, CA

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Telephone:	+1 415-625-0436
Website:	www.thechieftain.com
Address:	198 5th St, San Francisco, CA, 94103 b/t Natoma St & Howard St SoMa
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:	0.3 miPowell Street 0.3 miPowell 0.4 miBig Bus Tours Stop 6, Hilton Hotel
Categories:	Irish Irish Pub

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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations	Yes
Delivery	No
Take-out	Yes
Accepts Credit Cards	Yes
Accepts Apple Pay	No
Accepts Bitcoin	No
Good For	Dinner
Parking	Garage, Street
Bike Parking	Yes
Wheelchair Accessible	Yes
Good for Kids	No
Good for Groups	Yes
Attire	Casual
Ambience	Casual

Noise Level	Average
Good For Dancing	No
Alcohol	Full Bar
Happy Hour	Yes
Best Nights	Thu, Fri, Sat
Coat Check	No
Smoking	No
Outdoor Seating	No
Wi-Fi	Free
Has TV	Yes
Dogs Allowed	No
Waiter Service	Yes
Caters	Yes
Has Pool Table	No

Today

Today	11:30 am – 2:00 am Open now
Local time (San Francisco)	12:02 AM Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Business hours

Monday	11:30 am – 2:00 am
Tuesday	11:30 am – 2:00 am
Wednesday	11:30 am – 2:00 am
Thursday	11:30 am – 2:00 am
Friday	11:30 am – 2:00 am
Saturday	11:00 am – 2:00 am
Sunday	11:00 am – 2:00 am

Description

Specialties

Extensive Beer, Wine, Whiskey & Liquor selection. Perfect pint awards. Guinness & Murphy’s poured like it is served in Ireland. Competitive pricing & Daily Specials.

Regular Weekday and weekend Menu, popular dishes are our delicious Fish & Chips, Guinness Stew, Spicy Potato Bites, Homemade Lamb Burger, Chieftain Burger (w/fried egg), Curry Cheese Fries, Shepherd’s Pie, Hot Wings and our Mixed Irish Grill.

Sports from around the World shown live on several large screens — NFL Sunday Package and Red Zone, Giants Baseball, EPL and MLS Soccer, World Cup & 6 Nations Rugby & more.

Old World interior, relaxing and fun environment which is very close to InterContinental Hotel, Moscone & Metreon.

Private party availability along with catering your next event.

History

Established in 2001.

Formally the M&M Tavern. The building, a historical landmark originally called the M&M Tavern was opened by Martin McVeigh’s in 1934 just after the Prohibition repeal.

It became the cornerstone of journalism in San Francisco, as the home for all level of workers from the nearby San Francisco Chronicle & Examiner newspapers. After World War II, Martin McVeigh’s son Al returned from the Navy and took over the family business. Al owned and managed the M&M Tavern from 1946 to 1989.

The Chieftain Irish Pub & Restaurant opened the doors for business on March 4^th, 2001. The Chieftain is named after the first High King of Ireland, Brian Boru (c. 940‑1014) and the more recent Irish Chieftain — Michael Collins (The Big Fellow), who in 1921 signed a Treaty with Britain that created «The Irish Free State», now known as «The Republic of Ireland». The Chieftain of course is all about «YOU!» … you are The Chieftain whenever you walk in our welcoming doors.

Meet the Business Owner

Mark N.

Business Owner

Mark has been an owner of The Chieftain since it’s inception in 2001.

Simply put — our philosophy is to show «the love» to everyone who comes in our doors, we enjoy what we do and want to make sure you have a wonderful experience … warm and welcoming environment, great food, excellent drinks of every persuasion and service that leaves you smiling.

The Chieftain Irish Pub & Restaurant also recommends

Four Leaf Entertainment

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reviews

DJs

Mark N. says,

«Excellent DJ service for all your needs, Niall is wonderful and makes an event worth it’s weight.»

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23 reviews of The Chieftain Irish Pub & Restaurant

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Ann A.

Place rating: 1
San Francisco, CA

The service was ok. I food was good. But today I just noticed on my credit card that they over charged me. I only order one appetizer, one alcoholic drink and one soda. The bill came up to 28 something. I left a cash tip. They charged my credit card$ 40.07. I suggest if you pay there with credit card. Keep you receipts!!!
Contacted mark. No return call back

Alysha R.

Place rating: 4
Brooklyn, NY

Watched the Super Bowl here. I got here before kickoff, and easily found a seat at the bar. Great vibe, good time.

Mike B.

Place rating: 1
Jersey City, NJ

Racist bartender. Oh wait, is this the way how you irish people are granted to discriminate other people?
I brought my own ID. The bartender refused to serve my friend and me. The reason: «I CAN’T TELL THEIR AGE». Oh yeah fuck you! You just served a white lady before me without asking any shit!
So yeah. I called you ASS HOLE. And I’ll call you again one more time, shitty bartender, ASS HOLE YOU MOTHER FUCKER

Sally C.

Place rating: 3
San Francisco, CA

Stumbled in here after an intense workout with my gym buddies and the waitress here was super attentive and made sure we were hydrated with pitchers of water. Thank you!
We ordered the Chieftan burgers here. Pretty darn good burger and has everything I would love and expect in it: tomato, lettuce, caramelized onions, melty gooey cheese, two slices of bacon, FRIED EGG, and a really good toasty fluffy bun. However the meat was a bit smelly (low quality?) which is prob why I didn’t finish the last third of it.
Very cool pub feel and great potential to watch some games here. I’d probably come back for the drinks next time.

L B.

Place rating: 5
Santa Rosa, CA

Amazing! Met two friends for lunch there yesterday. We shared the spicy potato bites and wings — both were excellent. The potato bites had a kick to them but weren’t too spicy — they were unique as they were crunchy on the outside and hot creamy mashed potato goodness on the inside. We had the lamb burgers — they come with blue cheese and sauteed onions and they are DELICIOUS! My Martini was perfectly made and generous. Service great. Luckily we arrived just before the lunch crowd on a Friday because the place got packed.

Pat A.

Place rating: 4
Mount Laurel, NJ

Cold Guinness and ham and cabbage is what to get. Pure Irish meal for me at this place. Watched someone get booted out at happy hour they keep the place orderly and safe. The beers on tap ice cold, food very good as well

Pani P.

Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA

One of the best Cobb Salads in San Francisco. The burger is also good, and the potatoes selection great. Good for dinner of just a drop in for drinks. It does turn into a european sports bar at time, rowdy and loud, but fun. Good people, highly recommended.

George B.

Place rating: 4
San Francisco, CA

Its an authentic irish pub in the sf downtown… Its a chill spot to catch a game — it has several tvs… i tried their Irish Nachos… Wait, what?! For those who dont know, irish nachos are french fries with guacamole and sour cream… the above are a little beyond my scope but the concept is cool… service is indifferent but what do you expect from a cool, acting like an Irish, dude …

Lynn C.

Place rating: 5
Inner Sunset, San Francisco, CA

I come here to watch the Warriors play and have a drink or two. It gets pretty busy around that time but we always manage to find a seat.
I have tried the garlic fries and the calamari. They were a bit small on the portions, about 2 servings but we’re definitely really tasty.

Misha T.

Place rating: 4
Berkeley, CA

Solid irish pub with a good selection of irish pub beers and some local ones. They let my organization rent the place out for a private event and they were great. We stuck around after, once the bar reopened to the public and everyone there remained great.

Mathurin K.

Place rating: 4
Pismo Beach, CA

Standard pub food. Good beer selection and reasonable price. Noisy and crowded but good service and clean bathrooms.

Emma M.

Place rating: 4
Fairfield, CA

My mister and I tend to like going to pubs. There’s always good beer, nice ambiance, and food options we both like. This place was no exception. There was a live band in the corner, the décor is pleasant, and the menu is full of stuff I’d like to try.
We came here before a show at the Mezzanine a few blocks away. We got here around 6:30, and we were able to have two drinks each and out meals in less than an hour, which is a huge plus before a general admission show.
We got the fish & chips and bangers & mash. We were pretty happy with both meals. The fish was lightly battered and well fried, and the tarter sauce was very good. The bangers and mash was also well done. We also had one beer each and Irish coffees. The Irish coffee was pretty good; not the best we’ve had but up there.
If we are in the area again we’ll certainly be back.

Michael R.

Place rating: 5
Excelsior, San Francisco, CA

Drinks good, atmosphere good, bartenders good, girls hot. What more is there to say? Great Irish bar especially for Colin McGregor fights.

Judith S.

Place rating: 1
San Francisco, CA

I have been in this place before and they served me drinks, but what happened this weekend baffled me.
I have a Belgian passport, just like one of my male coworkers.
When he tried to order drinks on Friday night after a fun night out, he got service refused AND we had to leave the bar immediately. Because of his Belgian passport and their idea it was «fake».
Really?

Stefanie C.

Place rating: 3
San Francisco, CA

You want Irish pub? You got Irish pub. Chieftain is great to stop in for some beers with friends, though it gets crowded very fast during Happy Hour. The bartenders are super friendly and attentive. Crown Royal was also there that day and passed out samples of their new Apple Whisky. Bonus points! My friends and I ordered some appetizers, but they were unimpressive. Just your average bland bar food.
This is a great place to watch the game. I also heard they have trivia night, so I’d come back for that. Otherwise, this is not my choice of place to hangout. Meh.

Fannie S.

Place rating: 4
San Francisco, CA

Calamari = good appetizer. $ 8.95.
Special of the night: oxtail with mashed potatoes and grilled brussel sprouts. Tender oxtail, buttery potatoes and addicting crispy, basalmic drizzled sprouts. $ 15.95.
My sister tried their cheeseburger, and it hit the spot, along with steak cut fries. Once again, another good burger! $ 10.95.
Service = friendly, albeit very busy.
Prices = moderate. But I did get to take home leftover oxtail and potatoes.

Jessica W.

Place rating: 3
Irvine, CA

Pretty small place, but it’s a good place to come for drinks or a filling meal. Get here early for lunch/dinner if you want to grab a table. The bar fills up pretty quickly. I can only speak about the fish and chips, which I’ve gotten twice over the course of two years. Average fish and chips. It wasn’t the best I’ve ever had, but surely not the worst. I’m sure it’s a great place for beers, but I can’t give a review for that.
Bonus: Very close to the moscone centers!

Liz B.

Place rating: 4
Orangevale, CA

Neat little Irish pub. It’s got a timeless vibe, I’m pretty sure if I could travel back in time it’d look like it does inside, the wood might be a little newer looking but that would be it. It’s a pub, and you’ll find the standard pub fare here and it’s good eats, if you like burgers and fries and chicken wings. You know, the food you think of when you want to sit down with your pals and watch sports and drink. Even though it can get packed, it never feels so loud that you can’t hear the folks your kicking it with talk about the game or whatever’s going on with them in their life. The drinks are prepared well, and prices are decent for SF.
Bottom Line: A pub that has booze and food, a solid spot to come by to watch a game and catch up with friends.

Don B.

Place rating: 4
Portland, OR

Where do you go on a chilly SF Monday night to catch some MNF, drinks and decent eats? The Chieftain, that’s where. Especially if you’re shacked up at one of the many hotels lining 5^th. It’s super convenient, very cozy, and sports a few TV’s that can be seen from just about any seat in the bar.
The setting is dark wood, very Irish pub style. The vibe is masculine, somewhere between benign and rowdy, and the menu is what you’d expect from a proper Irish pub. This includes a few Guinness pairings, plenty of Irish whiskey, a few cocktails, and a menu boasting salads, burgers, and mains that include corned beef & cabbage, shepherd’s pie, and Irish stew. Hearty fare to soak up all that Powers you’ll be downing.
The service was plenty good and the food was tasty. The drink pours were measured (not hefty) and the prices were what you’d expect for this part of town. Overall this is an easy recommendation for a sports-focused meetup.

Elizabeth S.

Place rating: 4
Redwood City, CA

This is a hustling, bustling Irish pub on the corner– great for some bites, drinks and a game. The place is pretty cozy, divy and loud.
The bf and I came here after the Folsom Street Fair. They were packed to the brim, but our waitress was holding it down with her excellent, attentive, friendly service. I enjoyed a Dark and Stormy (Meyer’s dark rum, ginger ale and lime). We both indulged in Shepard’s pie and corned beef and cabbage. The fries hit the spot. My corned beef and cabbage was very tasty although dry. The Shepard’s pie was pretty good, but it could have used more meaty substance. It was more like glorified mashed potatoes– with little else. There is much better in the vicinity.
Either way, we’d totally come back to this lively venue for some casual drinks and bites– hopefully catching come live music too!

Robert H.

Place rating: 3
Mountain Home, ID

A group of us at here on a Wednesday night around 7pm. The pub had a nice atmosphere, it was loud, packed, and dark. Between us we ordered the ½ lb Angus burger, the Chicken burger and an Irish stew. The food tasted fine, nothing memorable. Service was slow. Beer was fine and the Irish Coffee was meh. The Pub is located next door to the Intercontinental Hotel, which made it convenient for us. Good place for a quick bite, nothing that I would go out of my way for. A meal and a drink was about $ 20-$ 25 after tipping.

Eugenia W.

Place rating: 5
Millbrae, CA

I’ve driven by this place hundreds and hundreds of time but never stepped inside because of parking issues. But this time me and my 2 coworker mamas wanted to have happy hour dinner. I decided to Unilocal something that started happy hour at 3…
We found this place and also has a deal, $ 50 for $ 75. We split the $ 50 between us girls. 5 drinks, fried calamari, popcorn chicken, shepherds pie, stew, and salmon was around 94.00 which wasn’t too bad…
Basically with dessert and tip came out to be $ 30 per person… not bad!
We were there around 3:45 and it was pretty empty so we were seated right away. It was nice to have tvs around playing baseball and whatever sports and they do have a lot of seating. Towards the evening around 5ish, it started to get packed and it got really loud to the point where i couldn’t hear my friends talk. But eventually it got better.
We parked in the parking lot across the street, it’s pretty pricey. If you know the area, try to find parking on the streets!!!

Rachel B.

Place rating: 4
Houston, TX

Four words: Spicy Irish Potato Bites.
I should just end the review right here because I’ve got to get back to planning my next visit to SF to return to these beer battered deep fried mashed potato bites from heaven.
It’s your standard Irish pub, no bells or whistles with the Chieftain
but you ask:
Rachel,
Is this really deserving of 4 stars if it’s so ordinary?
and I would reply:
Dear Reader,
Yes, maybe more. Because you see, Chieftain is serving up stellar bar food that is only to be chased down with some very well maintained taps and served with a smile from the barmaid who’s infectious sunny disposition will melt your heart.
So, please, take a seat and try and soak up a little luck of the Irish.
Yours truly,
The thristy Irish traveler
P. S. Potato Bites… seriously.

The Chieftain Irish Pub & Restaurant

San Francisco, United States