Category: Marina

we had just barely survived the hellish scene at Mauna Loa and, as if we hadn’t had enough punsihment, we decided to try out a second bar in the marina. from everything i had heard, the Matrix is the quintessential marina bar. looking inside, we could already see that the crowd was gonna suck. every guy in there was wearing the striped button down shirt that is the mandatory uniform required in this neighborhood. i had read online earlier that this place was filled with the kind of guy that this article was written about, and from what i could see, it was totally true. at first i was worried (or relieved) that they might not let me inside, but they did.

he bar itself looks really nice. everything is sleek and black and shiny with a large modern firepit in the center. the drinks were overpriced, but i guess that’s expected for a place like this. when i went to the bathroom, there was a bathroom attendant handing out paper towels. come on, is that really necessary?! i know they’re trying to be fancy and classy by having an attendant, but it just seems lame. we hung out for a while, trying to endure the overcrowded, overannoying, and overly lame scene, but finally, we just had to leave.

the Matrix Fillmore is at 3201 Fillmore Street in San Francisco

for the new year’s resolution, i was determined to explore the districts of SF that i havent really visited too much. so, despite all my reservations about it, we decided to try out a bar in the marina. i’ve always avoided this neighborhood like the plague because the bars there attract the worst people ever. well, within seconds of walking into the Mauna Loa, i could see why i’ve been avoiding this area. i felt like i walked into a frat party from hell. everyone there was super cheezy. the kind of people who used to be a fratboy/jock/cheerleader and now have lots of money and like to brag about it to everyone around them. within a few mnutes of being there, a fight almost broke out. of course, in the end there wasn’t an actual fight, instead it was just some testosterone fueled bullshit where people can act all badass and then go home later and brag to all of their friends how they almost beat someone up. ugh.

the thing is, the bar itself here was actually pretty cool. nice bartenders, decent beer selection, foosball table… the place would actually make a decent bar if it wasn’t for all the idiots that were there. after one drink, richard refused to go back inside but the rest of us toughed it out and had another drink. then, we got the hell out of there.

also, i’m still not sure why this place has a hawaiian name seeing as there is nothing else hawaiian about it.

Mauna Loa is at 3009 Fillmore Street in San Francisco