Most recently, the bar has been purchased by two of the longtime bartenders Bruce (19yrs) and Charlie (13yrs). That’s something we are very proud of, it means we have done our job. It is fair to say the bar has a very special place in a lot of people’s heart, countless encounters started here, some lead to marriages that are still strong to this day. The Lone Star has been open for business and serving bears ever since. But above all it meant you were proud to identify as a bear. And what did it mean? Many things to many people: Older likes small, big likes big, small likes furry, and on and on. If you saw someone wearing a Lone Star t-shirt in London, Sydney or Tokyo you knew what it meant. With some cutting edge (at the time) social uses for it, the bar gained a reputation around the world. Needless to say, the fringe scenes fit together seamlessly even as the bear movement become the bar’s calling card. The leather/biker crowd soon began to merge with the bear scene, which was gaining its momentum as the Lone Star settled into its permanent home. The space, with its ample main room, nooks, crannies, and soon-to-be legendary patio, appealed to the biker crowd that previously made The Ambush - the notorious leather bar once located directly across the street - their HQ. Like a proverbial phoenix it rose up at its current location at 1354 Harrison St.
The bar, only 6 months old, was rendered unsafe and had to be demolished. On October 17, 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake struck. And in general, the bar’s founder, Rick Redewill, was helping to foster an atmosphere that appealed to working class men who felt more at home in SOMA than the Castro. They were humble beginnings indeed but at a time when HIV/AIDS was ravaging our community it was more about a sense of place than anything else. Just beer and wine - oh yeh, and sake, fresh from the microwave. At first it was a bar for old gay hippies.
The Lone Star Saloon first opened its doors in 1989 on the corner of Howard and 7th. Check out our upcoming events in the events section of this website. The Eagle remained closed throughout the pandemic, but reopened for business in June.Ĭurrent owner Lex Montiel, speaking before the Land Use Committee last month, said, "The San Francisco Eagle has been an institution for many, many years," and it's remained a vital touchstone because it is "open to every color and flavor of our community."Īnd, also during that meeting, per the Bay Area Reporter, Haney called the bar "a cornerstone of the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District, an important historical asset, a cultural institution, and a community anchor that deserves all of the protections and privileges that the city can provide." And Haney added "it is imperative that we acknowledge this significance, and that we endeavor to prevent this rich history and essential part of SOMA from being erased due to the de-stabilizing pressures of ongoing gentrification and development.We are back OPEN for business!! Our hours have changed a little but the beer is cold and the bears are hot so come on down. As of two years ago, these are all now part of the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District, and the area of 12th Street directly outside the Eagle is now a public plaza called Eagle Plaza. The area now has only four remaining - Hole in the Wall, Powerhouse, the Lone Star (sometimes), and the Eagle - along with a few leather businesses like Mr. The Eagle opened in 1981 at a time when much of this part of SoMa was populated with gay leather bars. And now that the bar has landmark status, removing it from this location could prove more difficult. There is still no immediate danger of the bar itself closing, even if a property sale goes through.
#SAN FRANCISCO EAGLE GAY BAR WINDOWS#
Two other SF LGBTQ bar sites have been made landmarks: Twin Peaks Tavern in the Castro (notable for being the first gay bar in the city to have windows facing the street so patrons could be seen inside), and the former Paper Doll bar and restaurant site in North Beach.įans of the Eagle, many of whom are part of the gay leather community, were anxious to learn that the bar property was up for sale a year ago, though it appears not to be on the market now. Thank you Lex Montiel, & everyone from the who worked with us to make this happen. It is just the 7th LGBT historic site & first LGBT landmark in SoMa. The SF Eagle Bar was just approved unanimously as a historic city landmark!