Biscuits and Blues
The Verdict
"Intimate basement blues club near Union Square. Every seat is close to the stage. Dinner service is decent but you're here for the music. Weekend shows sell out, so buy tickets in advance. Two-drink minimum applies."
What you need to know
Biscuits and Blues is a basement club on Mason Street near Union Square. It’s been booking blues, soul, and roots music since 1994. The room holds about 100 people at small tables arranged around a low stage. The menu is Southern: fried chicken, catfish, cornbread, and the biscuits in the name.
What to Expect
Live music runs most nights, with shows starting around 7:30 or 8 PM. The booking covers blues, soul, funk, and the occasional R&B or roots act. The musicians are working professionals, many Bay Area based, with national touring acts on weekends. The room is small enough that you’ll hear the amp hum between songs.
The food is served during performances. You eat, you drink, you listen. The combination works better than it sounds. The fried chicken and biscuits are genuinely good. The bar is full service.
There’s usually a cover charge plus a food or drink minimum. The math adds up to about $40 to $60 per person for an evening.
Visiting
401 Mason Street, Union Square. Open most evenings. Cover typically runs $15 to $25 depending on the act. Food and drink minimums vary. Check the website for the specific night’s details. Reservations recommended on weekends.
The club is underground, literally. Walk down a staircase from street level. The entrance is easy to miss.
Getting There
Powell BART and Muni Metro is one block south. The 38 Geary bus runs along Geary one block north. Union Square Garage is two blocks away. Street parking downtown at night is metered.
Skip this if you don’t like blues. The venue is dedicated to the genre. If you do like blues, this is the only place in San Francisco doing it at this level in this kind of room.
📍 Location: This activity is in The Tenderloin. Explore the neighborhood →
