Old Ship Saloon

📍 Financial District 💰 $$ 🍸 Historic Pub

The Verdict

"Barbary Coast history and a heavy wooden bar. A solid downtown stop."

What you need to know

The History

The Old Ship Saloon dates to 1851. The ship Arkansas ran aground on rocks near Alcatraz in December 1849, and an entrepreneur named Joe Anthony opened a saloon called “The Old Ship Alehouse” inside the wreckage, cutting a hole in the bow for the door and running a gangplank up from the wharf.

In 1859 the upper parts of the ship were dismantled and a hotel was built on top of the deck and hull, with the bar renamed “The Old Ship Saloon” on the ground floor. Henry Klee owned it through the 1906 earthquake and fire that severely damaged the building. Klee rebuilt it in 1907. Bill Duffy bought the bar in 1992 and restored the original name.

The Barbary Coast surrounded this spot in the late 1800s. Sailors were sometimes shanghaied from bars in the area: drugged and delivered to ship captains who needed crews. Local lore points to trapdoors and tunnels connecting waterfront bars to the piers. Historians debate how much of this happened at this specific address versus elsewhere in the neighborhood.

What to Expect

Ship wheels and anchors decorate the walls. The bar is heavy wood. The lighting is dim.

The food is pub fare: burgers, fish and chips. The beer selection covers the basics.

When to Go

Jackson Square empties out after the galleries and antique shops close. Evening crowds are typically a mix of visitors and Financial District workers. Weekday afternoons are quietest.