05/10/09

Consistently good!

by RedSoxFan

Nice atmosphere, friendly staff and good food. What more could you ask for in a pub/restaurant? You will get good service with a smile along with a solid menu that features an array of foods, particularly for the carnivore.

• Pros: Spinach salad, chicken and brie sandwich

12/05/08

Great place for a dog friendly meal

by ivan0ats

Having outside tables makes this place a tasty stop on a walk with your dog, and a great place to meet up for a pint.

05/28/08

Down Home in SF

by jipsifreedom

The atmosphere is always friendly and no matter what time of day it is, there will be people sitting next to you at the bar ready to talk. Or sit at a table inside or out and have a meal, starting with the warm pastachio brie or spinach salad , cheap drinks as SF goes, and move on to a great dinner special. The regular menus keep regulars coming back, like the breakfast burrito during weekend brunch. Plus, if you like sports bars but are tired of it being a mad house, go to The Bell! Plasma screen tvs at the bar and plenty of sports fan regulars keep you in the game while the wings, pototo skins, and sandwiches keep you standing after all the beer and shots you just did! Trust me, i just moved from SF and I miss it already!

• Pros: Great Value, Service
• Cons: Parking

Home-style pub grub is served in a relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere at this Polk Street favorite.

by Contributor

In Short
This local haunt is known for its weekend brunches and late-night dinners. Count on this downplayed version of a gastro pub to attract varied clientele to its casual atmosphere with cheap eats and a friendly staff. The menu offers much of the expected, like a barbecued pulled-pork sandwich or half-pound "Bell Burger," but it also has a few surprises, like fried calamari with a creole remoulade sauce and Mexican steamed mussels with chorizo sausage.

05/22/07

Belle of the Ball

by moolatte

Bell Tower is one of my favorite places to go for a relaxed meal, especially on a sunny afternoon or evening. It's corner location catches all the sun, which makes the outdoor seating quite fantastic. Keep your eyes peeled for an open table on the hot & sunny weekends (otherwise not much of an issue). Ambiance aside, one other thing that keeps me coming back is, of course, the food. Specifically, their spinach salad. I always order it without bacon (don't eat meat, but i eat fish), dressing on the side, and I add grilled prawns. The addition of grilled prawns has been a slight issue way-back-when, but now I order it with confidence, no questions asked, and it comes out great every time. Preparation changes depending on who cooks the shrimp, but i think this makes it more exciting. But my favorite, most common, preparation is when they are deliciously char-grilled with a nice smokey flavor and crispy blackened spots. Enjoy with a nice glass of white wine. and your set. The house white is tasty, and very reasonably priced, at about $4 a glass.

• Pros: Spinach Salad w/ Grilled Prawns, Wine, Ambiance, Service, Hours
• Cons: Outdoor Seating Not Always Available on Busy Days

09/22/06

way better than taco bell

by scrothomas

pretty good for flesh eaters, though sparse on vegetarian fair... nice outdoor seating, cheap house wine, and there is usually a big dog out front that just lays there all day long. he is nice.

• Pros: big dogs
• Cons: lacks options

08/30/06

Great go-to

by sfcp

I really like this restaurant. It has great food, nice staff and great margaritas. Only complaint is that it's a little overpriced.

• Pros: Food, staff, drinks
• Cons: price

10/18/05

I love this place.

by ladybird1959

I travel to SF every year on business and look forward to going to the Bell Tower. As a woman who often travels alone, I like the friendly wait staff, casual/comfortable ambiance. It's a sweet neighborhood place with excellent quality bar food.

• Pros: Old world charm, neighborhood place

09/27/05

Good food, great atmosphere, fantastic margaritas

by jfbf

The food is great - and you can get anything from a burger and fries to salmon with asparagus and roasted potates. The perfect place if you want to start with a drink... but figure you'll probably want something to eat, too. The margaritas are tart and strong and big - a great value. The people are all nice and easy going... we've eaten all over town, and I always come back to the BT!

• Pros: drinks, food, service

09/27/05

Great local bar/restaurant to take visitors

by roryh

Great atmosphere, even during the 'slow' weekend afternoons, when you can drink and play dice. Food is always great (especially the wings and the pulled pork sandwich!). Drink specials include owner Barb's famous 'Barbaritas'. Generally friendly staff.

My wife and I had our wedding rehearsal dinner here and we all loved it, and now they love us bringing our babies here for a beer & burger at lunchtime -what more can I say! I ALWAYS take out-of-town visitors here.

• Pros: Atmosphere, Relaxed, Pretty inexpensive
• Cons: Slow service, Can be busy