For most, the Outer Mission ends at the Revolution Cafe on 22nd and Valencia, about a block from the ghost town formerly known as Thrift Town. Don’t be fooled — the Mission still holds strong with businesses that had claimed a stake in the soil well before silicon was invented (Siri, who invented silicon?)
In fact, the Outer Mission is in the process of approving the first 100% affordable housing unit built in over 10 years. Not to mention the new art collective blooming on 24th. In the Outer Mission, there’s something for everyone bold enough to traverse territory uncharted by Ritual Coffee.
Savannah Jazz
I feel it’s important to start with the basics: Savannah Jazz is still around. You can catch Caltrain or SamTrans or call Uber and see some killer jazz talent at their club in San Carlos. This is your public service announcement.
Royal Cuckoo
Intimate dive bar stacked with old-school vinyl and a Hammond B3 Organ. This is the place to take that cool, thirty-something, date that shops estate sales; Her only tech industry pleasures derive from Shazam and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary app. You met her over coffee and cigarettes on Haight street and she feels the city is going to shit and you agreed…until you saw her sipping a martini on the plush Art Nouveau chairs at Royal Cuckoo. Suddenly you feel this city is just getting interesting.
St. Francis Fountain
For the young lovebirds, too poetic for Tinder and too starry-eyed for OkCupid algorithms. St. Francis Fountain first opened its doors in 1918. Don’t look at Yelp — you can’t put a rating on nostalgia. But on that rare warm evening that you feel like taking a bike ride down Valencia street and parking on 24th, on your way to Thrillhouse Records, a tall malted milkshake with two straws is the taste of vintage romance.
Roosevelt Tamale Parlor
Big bites good for sharing with that person you like enough to hide the California Super Burrito you wolfed down last weekend. This is a family place; bring your “Fuck Trump” hat.
Adobe Books
There are a slew of bookstores in the Outer Mission and, sure, the average literary consumer would devour books off the sidewalk. But Adobe Books holds a place in my heart as home of the best all-ages affordable music show, second to ska nights at the Gilman. Adobe hosts an array of diverse events, ranging from writing workshops, to punk shows, and readings by Bay Area counterculture legends. On October 14th you can catch the last dregs LitCrawl, a traveling literary pub crawl scheduled for Phase 3 at 24th street between 8pm and 9pm.
Mutiny Radio
Streaming for six years strong and based out of a storefront in the Mission, Mutiny Radio is home of some of the greatest archived performances the Bay Area has to offer. Guests and hosts range from activists, to artists, to poets, comedians, and living legends. This is a collective, non-profit community radio station that you can contact, stream, and support online. Donate, listen, or learn more at pcrcollective.org.
