The Plough and Stars Irish Pub serves Irish cuisine and beer, but its live entertainment features a host of different music genres, ranging from rock, blues and folk music to bluegrass and country western. The establishment provides entertainment every day of the week, along with special events such as the Bluegrass Country Jam, set dancing, and acoustic, blues and Latin nights. San Francisco Weekly hailed the venue as the best Irish pub in the area. There are also pool and dart games for patrons to play in between sets. Irish beer such as Guinness is served alongside local beers, as well as a collection of whiskeys. The pub is open from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Thursday and from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday through Sunday. Shows begin at 9 p.m. There is a cover charge on Fridays and Saturdays.
The Plough and Stars Irish Pub
116 Clement Street at 2nd Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94118-2420
415-751-1122
theploughandstars.com/
The Sundance Saloon is a country western dance club and bar combined with a non-profit organization, and it also offers dance lessons. Many activities are offered every month, such as two-stepping nights on Thursday and Sunday and line dancing nights, among others. A DJ provides the music, which features the saloon's Top 20 country western music by artists such as Martina McBride, the Zac Brown Band, Darius Rucker, Tim McGraw and more. Admission is $5, and patrons must be at least 21 and provide identification. Sundance Saloon features a full bar. Hours are from 5-10:30 p.m. on Sunday and the rest of the week from 6:30-10:30 p.m. Parking is on the street.
Sundance Saloon
550 Barneveld Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-820-1403
sundancesaloon.org/index.html
The Saddle Rack is approximately a 40-minute drive from San Francisco. It originally opened in 1976 but was completely renovated and re-opened in 2003. It includes an open area with bars (including an Oxygen Bar) and a mechanical bull. Singers and bands perform on stage, and there are also video screens on the walls and a main dance floor. Dress is casual, but the code disallows patrons wearing caps, baggy clothes, bandannas, sleeveless shirts and T-shirts, flip-flops or dirty tennis sneakers. The club offers dance lessons such as the country two-step, the jump jive boogie and the southern delight. There are also special concerts. It is open Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.; Thursday from 7 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; and Friday and Saturday from 7 p.m. to 1:45 a.m. It offers country music dancing with both a band and a DJ on Thursdays; a mix of country, pop and rock with a band and DJ on Fridays; and two bands on Saturdays.
The Saddle Rack
42011 Boscell Road
Fremont, CA 94538
510-979-0477
thesaddlerack.com
