Buena Vista

I'm not a big bar hopper but I have been to a handful of different saloons around the country. I have come to the conclusion that one particular bar stands out above the rest as my favorite. San Francisco's Buena Vista found at the bottom of Hyde Street. When I was living on Hyde Street during my first run in SF this Spring/Summer I would wander down the hill and grab a bite to eat and their highly recommended Irish Coffee. Little did I know I had accidentally discovered an American landmark. The bar has been around since the 1800's but in the early 1950s they really put their name on the map by bringing Irish Coffee to the US. They have perfected it and have served millions over the years. I read in a newspaper article hanging on the wall that one of their bartenders won the Irish Coffee World Championship Competition hosted in Ireland. The secret? Two sugar cubes, good coffee, Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey and cream aged 48 hours and frothed to precise consistency to give it the very tricky ability to float on top.

I knew I was on to something big when I visited Universal Studio in Orlando. They had a San Francisco ride featuring a mock version of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Buena vista. Can't beat that advertising eh?

Anyway, I wandered down tonight to grab a couple of shots so here they are....

People wait in line a long time to catch a ride on the cable cars right next to the Buena Vista...hint to visitors..they only fill it about 60% on the bottom..walk up one block and they'll stop and pick you up.
You can feel the history of this place just standing near it. If the walls could talk...

The famous cream floating on the top...mmm mmmm good