San Francisco wakes up early for sport. A 49ers Sunday runs alongside Premier League kickoffs that land at 7am Pacific, so the city splits between the rooms that pour coffee for a London match and the rooms that fill three deep for an NFL noon game. The screens are easy to find. The trick is the room that turns the sound on for your match and draws the crowd you want next to.
This list ranks the 10 bars our editors point people to when the fixture matters, scored on the seven factors in our game-day method: screens and sightlines, sound, crowd, the leagues each place actually shows, game-day operations, drinks and food, and how hard it is to get in. For the wider picture, see our full San Francisco sports bars guide and the global sports bars hub.
Watching the Game in San Francisco: The Basics
Soccer concentrates around the Haight, Cole Valley, and Polk Street, where the supporters pubs open early for European kickoffs. The 49ers crowd spreads across the Marina, Russian Hill, and the Sunset. For a 7am Premier League match, call ahead to confirm the opening time, and reserve for a Champions League final or a 49ers primetime game.
The 10 best bars to watch the game in San Francisco
01 — BEST ALL-SPORT ROOM
The San Francisco Athletic Club
Lower Pac Heights
28 Screens
$$
Takes Reservations
The Athletic Club bills itself as the city's best sports bar and largely backs it up, with 28 screens spread over a big room plus pool and shuffleboard for the slow stretches. It is one of the rare SF sports bars that takes reservations, which matters on a 49ers Sunday when the place fills fast, and the staff will set the audio to the marquee game. The mix of NFL, NBA, and the major soccer fixtures makes it the safe default for a group that follows different teams.
We recommend: Book ahead for a 49ers primetime game or a playoff Sunday. Walk-ins lose out once the early window starts
02 — BEST 49ERS INSTITUTION
Greens Sports Bar
Russian Hill
Classic Room
$
Sound On
Greens has anchored the corner of Polk and Greenwich since the 1980s and remains the no-frills 49ers room locals name first. There is no kitchen and no gimmick, just a wall of TVs, a long bar, and a crowd that turns up for the game and turns the room loud when the Niners score. It packs out for a marquee Sunday, so it rewards getting there early, and it covers the wider NFL and college slate alongside the home team.
We recommend: Arrive before kickoff for a 49ers Sunday and bring cash. The room is small and fills the moment the early games start
03 — BEST SOCCER HERITAGE
Kezar Pub
Cole Valley
Soccer Supporters
$
Opens Early
Named for the old stadium next door, Kezar has been a San Francisco soccer staple for decades and is the home of local Liverpool and Aston Villa supporters groups. It opens early for Premier League mornings, shows the Champions League and the major tournaments, and draws a knowledgeable crowd that came for the football rather than the brunch. It works as a proper neighborhood pub the rest of the week, which keeps the room honest on a matchday. See our Kezar Pub profile for hours.
We recommend: Get there before an early Premier League kickoff and ask which screen carries your club's feed
04 — BEST FOR EARLY KICKOFFS
Mad Dog in the Fog
Upper Haight
British Pub
$
Opens Early
A longtime favorite for SF soccer fans, Mad Dog in the Fog moved to the Upper Haight and kept the early-open tradition that makes it a dawn-kickoff staple. Men in Blazers recently named it the fourth-best soccer bar in the country, and the dark-wood British-pub setting draws a committed crowd for Premier League and Champions League mornings. It is the room for the fan who plans the weekend around a 7am fixture and wants company that does the same.
We recommend: Go for a top-six early kickoff and arrive before the doors get busy. The room turns over fast between matches
05 — BEST FOR SUPPORTERS GROUPS
McTeague's Saloon
Polk Street
Club Sections
$
Opens Early
McTeague's on Polk Street is one of the rare SF rooms that reliably opens early for the Premier League, Serie A, and La Liga, which has made it a base for several supporters groups. It is the home of the SF Evertonians, American Outlaws SF, and a Crystal Palace crowd, so the room often picks a side and gets loud for it. The wide league coverage and the early hours make it a smart pick when your club is on at an awkward time and you want fellow fans around.
We recommend: Confirm which group claims the room for your match, then arrive before kickoff to land a spot near the main screen
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06 — BEST FOR BIG-MATCH MORNINGS
Maggie McGarry's
North Beach
Opens 7am
$$
Live Music + Sport
For the biggest soccer mornings, Maggie McGarry's in North Beach opens around 7am so you never miss a marquee kickoff. The Irish roots show in the decor and the pour, but the matchday crowd is international, which gives the room a real tournament feel for a Champions League final or a World Cup weekend. It doubles as a live-music venue later, so a morning match can roll into a full day without changing seats.
We recommend: Use it for a final or a derby that kicks off early. The 7am open is the whole reason to choose it
07 — BEST FOR CRAFT BEER AND THE GAME
Golden Gate Tap Room
Union Square
100+ Beers
$$
Big Screens
Central and easy to reach, the Golden Gate Tap Room pairs huge screens with more than 100 beers on tap, which makes it the downtown pick when the group cares about the pour as much as the score. The Union Square location pulls a mixed crowd of visitors and locals, and the screen setup handles the NFL slate and the major soccer fixtures without trouble. It is the room to name when half the party wants a serious beer list and the other half wants the game.
We recommend: Meet here when you are downtown and want the game plus a deep tap list. Go early on a marquee Sunday for a table
08 — BEST NEIGHBORHOOD NFL
Blackthorn Tavern
Inner Sunset
19 HD TVs
$
Irish Pub
Blackthorn is the Inner Sunset's reliable Irish sports pub, with 19 large HD TVs covering the NFL and the rest of the American slate plus the big soccer fixtures. It is a true neighborhood room, less of a scene than the Marina or downtown, so it suits the fan who wants a guaranteed seat and a friendly crowd over a packed-bar atmosphere. The pub food and easy vibe make it a comfortable home for a full Sunday of football.
We recommend: Choose it for a normal-week NFL Sunday when you want a seat and the sound without fighting a crowd
09 — BEST MARINA 49ERS BAR
Final Final
Marina
Classic Sports Bar
$
49ers Crowd
Just off Lombard near the Presidio, Final Final is the Marina's old-school sports bar and a dependable 49ers room on a Sunday. It is small, unpretentious, and loud when the home team is on, with TVs over the bar and a regulars crowd that knows the bartenders by name. When you are in the Marina and want the game without a wait list or a cover, this is the corner to head for. See our Final Final profile for the details.
We recommend: Walk over for a 49ers Sunday from the Marina. It is the low-key alternative to the Chestnut Street crowds
10 — BEST NEAR THE BALLPARK
Pete's Tavern
South Beach
Many Screens
$$
Ballpark Crowd
A block from Oracle Park, Pete's Tavern is the multi-level sports bar built for a Giants day game that rolls into the NFL and NBA slate. Screens cover every wall across two floors, so the room handles a packed baseball afternoon and a Sunday football crowd with equal ease. The location makes it the natural pre-game and post-game stop on a ballpark day, and the wide coverage keeps it busy long after the last out.
We recommend: Use it before or after a Giants game, and head upstairs for a screen when the ground floor fills up
How we picked these San Francisco bars
We started with the sports rooms in our own database and the venues local editors return to, then verified each against current independent coverage, including The San Francisco Standard, Time Out San Francisco, and the Matador Network soccer guide, plus each bar's own listings for hours and which feeds it carries. We confirmed the early-kickoff openings, the supporters-group affiliations, and the screen counts before ranking.
We left off rooms that show sport only as background, and we did not pad the list. Every venue here turns the sound on for a real match, draws a game-day crowd, and tells you what it is playing this weekend. For more, the sports bars near me hub and the global sports bars hub go wider.
Frequently asked questions
Which San Francisco bar shows English Premier League matches?
Mad Dog in the Fog in the Upper Haight, Kezar Pub in Cole Valley, McTeague's Saloon on Polk Street, and Maggie McGarry's in North Beach all open early for Premier League fixtures. McTeague's hosts the SF Evertonians and a Crystal Palace group, and Kezar is home to local Liverpool and Aston Villa supporters. Our Premier League bars guide covers more cities.
Where do I watch a 49ers game in San Francisco?
Greens Sports Bar on Polk Street is a longtime 49ers institution, The San Francisco Athletic Club runs 28 screens and takes reservations, and Final Final in the Marina packs out on a Sunday. Blackthorn Tavern in the Inner Sunset is a reliable neighborhood NFL room. See our NFL bars guide for the national picture.
Which San Francisco bar opens early for overseas soccer kickoffs?
Maggie McGarry's opens around 7am for big morning matches, and Mad Dog in the Fog and McTeague's both open early for European fixtures including the Premier League, Serie A, and La Liga. Call ahead the week of a marquee match to confirm the opening time.
Which San Francisco bar is best for soccer supporters groups?
McTeague's Saloon is home to the SF Evertonians, American Outlaws SF, and a Crystal Palace group, while Kezar Pub hosts Liverpool and Aston Villa supporters. Mad Dog in the Fog draws a wide international crowd. Our Champions League bars guide has more.
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