If you live in San Francisco, chances are you know someone - or at least you know someone who knows someone - who has been thrown out of Zeitgeist.
The city’s most popular dive bar is famous for tossing out patrons early and often. As someone who hasn’t been among the banished, this idiot-weeding process has often seemed like a gift.
So while Zeitgeist staffers were recently named “meanest in the city” by the San Francisco
Chronicle, I am among the locals who don’t mind the gruff attitude – especially since we all understand we’re drinking in a punk bar. Until recently, I’d never given much thought to the staff, actually. I’d been too busy drinking – and on a sunny afternoon, you can’t do better than a Bloody Mary at a Zeitgeist picnic table.
But then a friend told me a story about a couple who had flown in from Chicago to get engaged at Zeitgeist. Apparently, due to one clueless relative’s bad move, the whole party was kicked out. I decided to find out what happened, and to see what other tales of Zeitgeist expulsions I could unearth.
The first thing I did was to track down Joey Stanfa. He’s the guy who traveled from Chicago to propose to his girlfriend, Denise Trevino, only to be unceremoniously exiled with his entire party minutes later. What possibly could have happened? I called Joey up, and he was happy to explain.
First of all, he wanted me to know that he planned the trip specifically so that he could propose on the same spot where he had kissed Denise for the first time, six years prior to the day. Because his plan was so elaborate, he had called the bar to make sure that what he had in mind was OK.
The question-popping part went fantastically. Denise was caught by surprise, she said yes, and the beer garden erupted in applause. But then Joey’s uncle – who had flown in from Texas – made a mistake. He’d snuck in a San Pellegrino water bottle filled with champagne, and when he started pouring the bubbly into plastic cups, a bouncer noticed. Long story short, numerous f-bombs were dropped, and the entire party had to leave. Denise wasn’t even allowed to finish her drink.
“Congratulations, but you gotta get the fuck out of here,” Joey remembers being told.
Upon hearing that story, I wondered who else was getting the boot from Zeitgeist. The easiest (if slightly unreliable) place to find out was Yelp. If that site is to be believed, drinkers have been turned out of the bar for such offenses as laying their head on someone’s lap, taking photographs, and presenting a real ID that a bartender misidentified as fake. One woman posted a five-star review about how much she loved the Bloody Marys, but later subtracted four stars after her best friend was apparently kicked out for wearing patchouli-scented lotion.
I contacted all of the reviewers, and one got back to me: the ID guy, a local photographer named Josh Bobb. He explained that on Halloween several years ago, a Zeitgeist bouncer had confiscated his Alaska ID telling him the hologram was misplaced and therefore fake. When Josh argued to get it back, the bouncer called the cops. Josh also called the police to report his ID stolen. At the end of the ordeal, the fuzz handed Josh back his property and he took off.
I also posted a note on Facebook asking for tales of Zeitgeist expulsions – and got immediate results. One of my friends responded that she’d been tossed from her own going away party for a three-pronged offense: drinking Zeitgeist beer out of a mug she received as a gift, having an unopened beer inside her purse (also a gift), and getting sassy about the scolding. A local musician and acquaintance, William Cotton, told me he’d been ejected twice: for standing on a bench and for gifting someone an unopened bottle of alcohol. Julia Donahue, a union organizer I’d met at a party, had also been booted twice: once for bench-standing, and another time with 10 friends for bringing in an already-busted Dora the Explorer piñata. Apparently, Zeitgeist has a rule explicitly forbidding piñatas.
At this point, I had heard enough from disgruntled patrons. I headed over to Zeitgeist to get another side of things.
On a recent Sunday evening, the bar was relatively quiet. When the dirty-blond-haired bouncer asked to see my ID, he wasn’t especially friendly about it. But he wasn’t unfriendly either.
I told him I was there to find out why so many people get booted from Zeitgeist, and he didn’t look impressed. He wasn’t going to say much and he didn’t want his name in the story, but finally he agreed to tell me a few things.
“When’s the last time you kicked somebody out?” I asked.
“We’ve kicked two people out tonight,” he said.
I laughed. He didn’t.
Here’s the thing about Zeitgeist, he said. It’s a large bar – the maximum capacity is 291 – and people like to show up in big, drunken groups. They’ve oftentimes come from other crazy events, like Santacon or Bay to Breakers. They bring their Burning Man gear and their Hula- Hoops and their wild dispositions, he said, and in this bar, none of that is acceptable. “Keep your party off of everybody else’s party,” he explained. “It’s common sense.”
Beyond that, anything illegal is also grounds for an ejection, and that includes bringing in alcohol from outside, smoking within 15 feet of the nonsmoking areas (which forced the exit of the pair earlier in the night), and plenty of other stuff.
“But why are people being ejected so frequently?” I asked.
The bouncer looked at me with sad eyes. He’s worked here for 15 years. He’s seen crazy shit – fighting, broken windows, injured bystanders, belligerence, total disrespect of the property. “If you are getting kicked out, it’s probably because you did something wrong,” he told me.
I began asking about specific incidents, like that engagement party that got temporarily 86ed, and the bouncer started to bristle. “I kicked them out,” he said. “They broke the law. Now they have a story they can tell about their engagement.” Another former Zeitgeist employee put it a different way: “I don’t fly across the country and poop in public,” he said.
When I asked him about the stolen ID incident, he said he didn’t know anything about it. “Your line of questioning is starting to annoy me,” he added.
Although it’s the job of the bouncers to keep order in a place where people tend to incite chaos, Zeitgeist’s staff has taken things too far on a few occasions. Yes, Joey Stanfa’s party broke the law. But it’s inhuman to throw a newly engaged couple out of a bar they traveled hundreds of miles to visit.
In its stubbornness to place policy before patronage, Zeitgeist is not alone. At the Ha-Ra Club, people have been kicked out for ordering margaritas or playing pool too loud. Specs’ Twelve Adler Museum Cafe will exile those who snap fingers at the staff, and the original owner of Aub Zam Zam used to famously tell anybody he didn’t like to beat it. This callousness has only boosted the reputations of the bars that employ it. (Julia Donahue avoided Zeitgeist for a year after her exile, but when friends insisted on going there recently, she gave in. “I had the most perfect day, and much of it was at Zeitgeist,” she said. “It made me feel different about the place.”)
Is there something masochistic about this gentle city’s fascination with gruff bartenders? Maybe. But I’d also argue that we continue going back simply because bars like Zeitgeist are great. No matter how the infamous dive handles disturbances, it still has killer Bloody Marys, a central location, and that sweet, sweet patio.
Go have a Bloody Mary at Zeitgeist just make sure not to:
• Stand on the tables.
• Take photographs.
• Bring a piñata.
• Bring in ANY outside alcohol.
• Annoy other patrons.
• Sass the bouncers.
• Look, sound, or smell like a hippie.
• Look, sound, or smell like a yuppie.
• Ask too many questions.
And if you have any good stories of being tossed or seeing a tossing, we'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.
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Kristin S
I love this piece! A tattooed, bearded old Harley guy once told me that the reason you can't take photos at Zeitgeist is because it's a safe haven for folks with warrants. Truth?
theTsaritsa
I got kicked out for resting my head on my boyfriend's lap. It was late, we had been there all day, and I was exhausted. Some big dude came from behind me, yelled that I needed to leave, and gruffly escorted me outside. I don't know if I'd go back.
http://thetsaritsasez.com/
theTsaritsa
And oh shit, you referenced my Yelp review. That's funny!!
Kelly M
This cracks me up. Ive heard alot of stories but being slightly drunken almost every time I'm in there (2 bloodies will destroy you), wild as hell and often loud, I am proud to say I have never been kicked out and the bartenders even smile at me now. Maybe it takes 100 visits, maybe it's because I have tattoos and look tough. I think its just because I treat them like the soup nazi- order quickly and politely with no small talk and NOT waiting in a line (PS there are no lines and they dont like people lining up). I dont speak small talk or smiles until they do to me..just like my gramma said- dont speak until spoken too. Great article Ashley:)
ps- dont ever order your bloody not spicy, be prepared to get extra spicy for being an asshole. learned that the hard way. again, always refer to soup nazi standards.
jbeaman
Ok. I have no tolerance for rudeness. Esp. from a bartender. But. "Yes, Joey Stanfa’s party broke the law. But it’s inhuman to throw a newly engaged couple out of a bar they traveled hundreds of miles to visit."
Inhumane?! If Zeitgeist got busted they could have easily been shut down for 30 days and levied a fine of 10 to 50 thousand dollars. Do you know how many people work there? All of them would get to take a 30 day unpaid leave. Just so this guy can have champagne. No way.
If you have a problem with this you should trade in your Democrat card for a Tea Party one. There are serious consequences for bars that violate the law. The law is the problem. Not necessarily Zeitgeist.
travis_p
never been thrown out, but I have a couple epic tales of rudeness at the 'geist.
1. bartender asks what I'm ordering, I tell her the guy next to me was there first cuz he'd been standing there a good 5 minutes longer than me. she says 'I don't give a shit, you want a drink or not?'
2. I order a burger. a few minutes later the guy from the kitchen leans out the door to the patio and calls my name. I walk up to the door, and he points to a sign above his head that says 'pick up food inside' and says 'read the sign dickhead!' I go inside to pick up the food and, though only about 8 seconds have elapsed, the same guy says to me 'what do you want?'
zeitgeist I love you.
GuidosDaddy
Punk bar? Right...
SunDevil
Umm....hey Zeitgeist, people openly smoke weed on your patio on a regular basis. I saw someone hitting a bong there last time I went. Not that I care at all (in fact, I think it's awesome). But that's not "illegal?"
I think the whole "it's illegal" argument is a cop-out. Bouncers on a power-trip like to selectively kick out people they don't like and use it as an excuse.
avalonblue
I have been going to Zeitgeist for many many years and have never been kicked out. I have however seen many patrons get the boot. The reason is simple. They acted like jackasses. They had a lapse of common sense. It happens to all of us. Rather then bitch and moan about being treated unfairly it would be better to take your medicine, learn from it and try not to do it again. The bouncers have a difficult job and need to stop a potential problem before it starts. I dare anyone to try their job for one day and tell me how easy it is. As for the couple that got thrown out on their engagement, that is sad situation and fault lies in the dumb ass friend who thought it was ok to bring in outside alcohol. He clearly knew it was wrong by putting it in a empty water bottle. The rules are simple If you act like a jackass in Zeitgeist (or any bar in the US for that matter) you will be kicked out.
omgsosy
to theTsaritsa, it's illegal to put your head down in a bar. that is grounds for immediate booting, at ANY bar. i have to do it to people all the time.
jenoaks
shannon may, I ADORE your illustrations. bookmarking your site now. <3
shoelace
zeitgeist used to be the best bar in the world, where sportbike riders and bike messengers would drink quarts of cider, smoke whatever they wanted, stand on benches, listen to hardcore, and take pictures if they wanted to. this place has turned into a mockery of what it once was. i'll still go there if the weather is right, but except for a couple of original bartenders, this place is run by douchebags who think that they're punk rock cops.
SFBarExperiment
Yes, Joey Stanfa’s party broke the law. But it’s inhuman to throw a newly engaged couple out of a bar they traveled hundreds of miles to visit.
SFBarExperiment
Are you freaking kidding me? Putting the bar's liquor license at risk shouldn't cause someone to be kicked out, just because it is their special day? Unbelievable.
When you bring in outside drinks, you risk closing down the bar temporarily or permanently and causing severe financial hardship to the bartenders, door people, cleaning crews, delivery people and everyone else that works hard so that you can drink a bloody Mary on your day off. Name one bar in the city that wouldn't do the same.
I've suffered my fair share of needless harassment by Zeit employees in the past, but never for anything that would risk their bar. It's this self entitled bullshit that makes working at a bar so stressful.
maxbatt
I think the whole "it's illegal" argument is a cop-out.
maxbatt
WTF this thing cutt off my comment,
anyways Zeitgeist isn't the only bar in the city in which people attempt illegalities. The times I've been there, the crowds have been perfectly reasonable and the staff is raging bull. The bouncers suck, but I actually think the bartenders are the worst. It's like; yeah do your job but why consistently be a dick about eveything you do?
It's like the staff got picked on to much in high school and now everyone else has to pay for it
BTW excellent article and illustrations.
uk2bay
I'm with shoelace. I've been going their for years, never been kicked out ...but it's not what it used to be. You don't have to be "entitled" to get kicked out. You barely have to enter to get rude. I go their a lot less now.
to SFBarExperiment, breaking the law is bad new ...but they could have handled it lots of different ways (keep in mind local liquor laws _aren_'t nation wide, just like state ID's differ) They could have scolded them, confiscated the bubbly. If they had to bounce someone they could have bounced the relative who brought it in. Esp give that the guy called ahead to make sure it was ok. Something most cops and bouncers forget, you _can_ enforce the law without begin a dick.
theTsaritsa
omgsosy, that may be true, but the situation was not handled well. I would surely expect a bouncer to get rough with me if I was starting a fight with someone at the bar or participating in some other type of disruptive behavior, but I only had my head down. He could have given me a warning and been done with it.
I think perhaps he didn't like my looks (I was wearing a frilly dress and had my tattoos covered up) and decided to give me a hard time.
http://thetsaritsasez.com/
Muffaletta
Zeitgeist is a disgusting s***hole filled with dumb f***s. It takes a lot more than a back yard with a bring-your-bike-in policy and semi-stiff bloody maries to qualify complete disregard for civility and the health code.
Muffaletta
...my bike was stolen from there too.
uk2bay
...but you're not bitter.
Muffaletta
bitter as english breakfast tea
SCUM
I have lived in S.F. for 39 years and have only been kicked out of Candlestick Park and a Kink.Com porn shoot. And if you don't like they way you are treated at any place don't fucking go there.
budjones
I got kicked out of pro wrestling at the Cow Palace for throwing a crumpled up wax beer cup into the ring. I didn't really care because I was high on E but later I regretted it because my friends got to meet Chief Wahoo McDaniel and I was shit out of luck.
blahblahblah
If a punk bar is a raucous, rowdy, rebellious good time, that makes going to Zeitgeist feel like a concentration camp. Follow the rules or get burned…shit…these guys are worse than cops. F*king hypocrites.
And, yes, I have been kicked out before.
TornadoSupertrouble
This is a great read. And makes me want to take my orange-themed birthday there next Friday and see what happens...
malachi
Back in the late 80s / early 90s it they were definitely less agro about booting people.
But it's not that they've become assholes - it's that more and more assholes are going to Zeitgeist. And assholes, well... they behave like assholes.
There are few jobs in SF that I'd want less than working at Zeitgeist. Seriously. The bad behavior I've seen there is largely what caused me to stop going there about 8 years ago now.
dazzle_me
yeah, i used to think zeitgeist was cool, but aside from a few old people (like 35+) almost noone i know ever goes there. simple reason: lame servers and bartenders = lame scene. there's literally always some hassle there. whether it's someone not getting in because they're using a canadian id, or a sober person getting booted out for being drunk because of accidentally spilling a drink, or some issue with smoking too near to the door or whatever.
go on about bar license this or that, but like noone else does that anywhere else. it's a joke.
plus the music sucks.
salsaman
Zeitgeist can be harsh but they consistently have the most professional and expedient staff I've ever seen at any bar outside New Orleans. You will NOT wait long to get a round for you and your friends, and it's a great place to sit outside and get drunk. What else do you people want?! They're not there to chat, they're there to give good service but not be treated like fucking servants. If it's not good enough for you, please get your ass kicked out so thirsty, respectful boozers like me and my friends can take those seats.
Champipple
I've smoke pot there more times than I care to count. Right out in the open, not trying to be sneaky about it. The excuse for kicking out the wedding party because of a bottle of champagne brought in being illegal is a copout. They just arbitrarily throw people out. They're not sticklers for the rules. It all depends on whether or not you piss them off for whatever reason they feel fit to get overworked about.
Katie C
I once got kicked out because they claimed my bicycle helmet was on backwards.
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