This Week's SFist Reprint

They say that ‘Beer is dear but liquor is quicker’. Well, Barrespondent Drew has found that if you just combine the two it becomes an express train with no brakes, careening through stations leaving your fellow passengers bewildered and late for work. Commuting problem solved!

Being a city full of more transients than your average Greyhound station, San Francisco needs places that you can count on. After all, if you’re coming back from a 5 year stint of trekking the Himalayas/Grad school/prison, the last thing you need screwing up a big reunion with your buddies is to find that the bar you’re meeting everyone at has closed down or turned into a tapas restaurant or something.

Luckily, for as much breakneck change as there is here there’s an equal number of places that can be counted on to stay exactly the same until the bloodline of the original owner is broken. Places like these you can safely make plans to meet at 5 or 10 years from now and rest assured that the same bartender, patrons, stains and smells will all still be there.

The Latin American Club on 22nd & Valencia is a place we only seem to go to when someone’s either getting ready to leave town or have just made their triumphant return. The perfect atmosphere for large groups of well-wishers/parole officers, The Latin is, as far as we’re concerned, the alcoholic Ellis Island of San Francisco.

Even with the sad and untimely passing of The Red Man (ask your hipster parents, kids) a few years back, the Latin has still maintained its happy and divey vibe. Whether you choose to camp out in the booths by the window or up on the stage, you’ll find The Latin to always be a comfortable place to hang out with any size gathering.

The bartenders at The Latin have always been top notch. Whether it’s a Cosmo, Margarita or your simple shot with a cheap beer back, the friendly attitude remains the same. So don’t worry about mixing it up and aggravating your drinksmith, this isn’t that kind of bar. And as crowded as we’ve seen it here, waiting to place a drink order has never been a problem here. Efficiency and politeness have always been front and center at this place.

So check your calendar and find out when your buddy’s gettin’ back from walking the Great Wall. Might as well make plans now to meet him at The Latin American Club.

Liver… Out!!