Red Devil Lounge

I miss this place already, too many clubs going out of business this really stinks… ah memories…

I miss you

ATMOSPHERE;
I loved how there’s a cute upstairs balcony mezzanine area to chil, drink, drunk draw on napkins, and listen to the live music. Why does everything I love have to close down.
10.17.13

Came out to check out this awesome bar only to find that it’s now closed for good.
Repeat: RED DEVIL LOUNGE IS NOW CLOSED FOR GOOD so don’t come out & expect anything.

I had never been to this place but had heard about a pole. Shortly after moving back to the city I found myself at RDL. Low and behold, right at the front of the stage, there it was. The infamous pole! Incredible!
The place is cozy. The bar staff very friendly and I enjoyed the vibe. Can’t wait to go back one more time.

this place was never meant to be a concert venue. while they really tried to make it work the sound is always off and the lighting is a little over the top for the vibe in the place. when ever it rains the flooding that would come out from the «back stage» towards the stairs was insane.
every time i would use any of the 3 restrooms that they have i would ALWAYS see some sort of tiny roaches just running around. it seems like they place only books 80’s cover bands that all play the same damn songs.
if it wasn’t for the fact that the staff are super chill i would have given this place a one star.

I don’t often make it past here on polk st and I think that’s ok, unless it’s to get a sando from the cheese shop (you should do this). In any event it makes my recollections hazy but I remembered finding the prices reasonable and the service prompt.

Red Devil Lounge is a great bar. It’s obvious when you walk in that it can double up as a music venue. With a stage and an upper balcony that wraps around the walls, it’s a great setting to get your drunk on.
Before I even attempt to give you details about this place, I have to admit something. I ended up getting really trashed at Red Devil last Saturday night. To be honest, I had so much to drink that I ended up falling when I was dancing with the band on stage. The bouncers proceeded to drag me out of the bar and shout «STAY OUT!». Yeah, I was THAT guy… Not my proudest moment but FULL DISCLOSURE is necessary here. I wasn’t too bummed because luckily there was a street dog stand outside so I went ahead and ate two hot dogs with everything — they hit the spot. This means my memory of the Red Devil might be drowned out by the massive amounts of booze I consumed. Things are a little hazy.
Overall this bar is very dark. The only light you’ll get here are from the disco balls? Man, I’m trying to remember what was spitting off streams of light everywhere. I think it was a disco ball or two. The music was very loud. You pretty much have to be inches from someone to have a conversation with them so that means a lot of shouting and repeating yourself. There’s a full bar on the opposite side of the front door and you have to push through several layers of people to order a drink. However, Red Devil, at least from I remember, staffed 6 or 7 people behind the bar so they spit drinks out pretty quickly. The upstairs balcony, which wraps around the walls allows you to look down on the crowd. It’s great if you want to get a bird’s eye view of the scene and catch someone drunk idiot fall on stage… :\ They have a lot of open seating so if standing isn’t your thing, you’ll be able to find a table to rest your ass on.
We went with a group of 20 people and got in at no problem around 10pm? Sh*t! I can’t even remember what time we got there. Anyway, Red Devil is a great for big parties with a big open space and a lot of seating. They were playing good music. Even though I don’t remember what kind of music, I know it was enough to get me on stage and dance my ass off. Yeah, I got kicked out but I’ll still rep this place. I had a great time with some awesome friends.

Live music was just okay in my view. A punk/​indie feel.
Top floor is nice for a bird’s eye view of the mingling below and the action on the stage, but most of it was reserved. Plenty of places to sit downstairs in the corners away from the bar area. I got my fill in that introductory visit and probably wouldn’t go back unless friends wanted to give it a go.

Oh man this place is a divey dive. The layout is weird with the balcony going around the outside. Last time I was here, I believe a duo calling themselves the «Booty Brothers» were playing. Two white dudes bringing the rap down with the classic line of: «Booty Twin Powers Activate» while doing a fist bump. Man what a strange night that was

This is a tiny place with a small 2^nd floor area that overlooks the 1^st floor. The place is very rectangular shaped so you feel you are standing in a wide hallway and at the end of the hallway is a tiny upraised stage. The night we went there was a cover band, who were actually a ton of fun. The service at the bar seemed super slow at first as I seemed completelyl invisible to the bartender, who kept passing me up for the next person who came up to the bar. But later on another bartender came on and she was super nice and fast with the drinks.
We had to pay $ 10 cover, which I think is WAY steep for a place like this, but then again I’m not from SF so this could be the norm.
Some pluses: Drinks weren’t too expensive and the place never got overly packed. The band was fun and we danced our asses off.
Overall, a fun place with a fun group of friends.

Came here for a friend’s non-​profit fundraiser and saw the Prince cover and perform here. The venue is dicey and intimate with an upstairs section. Draft beer was $ 1 off with a four square check in, but the math didn’t add up as we ordered multiple beers., Abe you only get $ 1 off one beer you order? No idea. Beer is $ 6 or 7 on the pricier end but not horrible.
Pretty empty at first but got more crowded later on. Good location with a lot of restaurants nearby on Polk.

NFL SUPER BOWL XLVII
The balcony was overly packed but a place with tiered seating was definitely the way to go. Buckets of beer and multiple screens kept the masses happy. Now if only the 49’s didn’t ruin the joy.

Ah, Red Devil Lounge, in my youth you would have garnered at least five starts for simply being a dark haven of drunken debauchery. In my current state of middle-​aged staidness I’m afraid you just don’t hold the same appeal that you once had.
I do appreciate the wide variety of bands that show up — I was close to tears last week when I realized that you’d hosted The Untouchables and I’d missed them.
Also, thank you to the staff for allowing my party to have a VIP/​bottle service table without forcing us to shell out the $$. I do appreciate it whenever my handicap can be leveraged not just for my own comfort, but the comfort of my friends.
So, four stars for continuing to do your thing and booking interesting bands. I only wish you were a bit more posh (better bathrooms, nicer tables/​seating) but I suppose you just wouldn’t be the same if you changed to accommodate people in my age range who like to sit and swill martini’s while watching the youngsters mosh it up in front of a band from a safe distance. I get it, I’m not really your target audience, I suppose Bimbo’s is more my speed but I do still appreciate you.

My roommates band was playing there so I went for the first time. The bartender was pretty rude and she seemed pretty new but the bouncer at the front was friendly so I won’t hold the entire bar to a lower standard.
Nice small venue so I was really able to get up close and mingle around without feeling suffocated.
I had a big group of friends come by to check out the show and I think everyone enjoyed the spot. We will surely head back if we are in the area again.

Two comped tickets to see Pop Rocks — a great cover band — brought me back to RDL.
It was JAM PACKED! I felt like salmon swimming upstream as we made our way to the bar.
I asked the guy next to me how much his huge 16 oz. Tecate beer was.
$ 5. Sold!
Bring ear plugs, because this small space gets LOUD!
*Tip: I found out that the entire upstairs balcony seating can be reserved as VIP with table-​service pails of beer.

I LOVE the Red Devil Lounge.
My favorite bands to watch there are Wonderbread 5 and Foreverland (Michael Jackson tribute band).
It’s conveniently located on Polk street close to tons of restaurants. I love that they have a huge can of PBR for $ 3 as well as other reasonably priced drinks.
They work with a lot of community groups to do fundraisers as well. There’s really no reason to dislike this place.
Love that they have a coat check as well.
A+ in my book.

The interior décor matches the club name. The red lights are totally appropriate as well as the black walls. The upstairs section is even darker with red velour curtains and plenty of seats. There was even someone dressed up as the devil. It does get stuffy and hot inside but hey, what do you expect for a lounge inspired by the devil himself?
I could see the stage easily and avoid the crowd by going upstairs. The huge poles do obstruct the view though. The darkness is relaxing.
The bar area is quite large. It would be cute if all the drinks had devilish names. One seems to be named after a Nine Inch Nails song.
I didn’t check out the restrooms (wouldn’t expect the devil to keep it clean). Saw someone with a laptop — they probably don’t have free wi-​fi but the thought crossed my mind. I didn’t have my laptop with me though (too bad).

Fun Fun Fun place to be!!!
Cheap drinks, cheap cover for awesome bands like Planet Booty. Great mix of crowd, low key and friendly. Its definitely a fun place to spend your Saturday nights.
Everyone who goes there wants to just have FUN!!!
Will definitely come back and check out another live band.

It was Stormy last night in San Francisco, with hardly a cloud in the sky. The weather outside was fine, but in the Red Devil a major Storm was brewing.
I am speaking, of course, of Storm Large who blew into town this week for 2 nights at the Red Devil Lounge and rocked the joint with her own tunes.
This was my 2^nd time a the Red Devil, I found the place to be a decent club for a show.
sort of a funky ambiance with a mixed bag of décor, mixed bag of people in the crowd, and … well, just a mixed bag. It was not overly crowded and coming in 45 minutes before the show we were able to snag seats at a table. I found the staff to be friendly and the drinks decently made and not overpriced. And you have to love some of the specialty drink names — Skinny Bitch, Star Fu#ker, Dreamsicle, etc
They had set up some VIP tables near the front and the staff did a good job of making sure that the standing crowd didn’t block the view from the tables. Alas the table we snagged was not VIP, so people did block our view.
The sound was good, not too loud and not distorted. I walked around had had good views of the stage from the bar, from the tables, and from the balcony. The only knock is that the poles by the bar and holding up the balcony block the view from some spots.
I’d go there again.
And of course Storm lived up to my expectations.

Drink specials, drink specials, drink specials. Throw in some live music (Pop Rocks is my favorite RDL band) and you’re in for a crazy night. When the band takes a break head outside to cool off and grab a donut at Bob’s.
Squeeze your way to the front and you’ll be inches from the band. I’ve been to Red Devil countless times, and it never lets me down. They bring a lot of the same bands back every month, so check out their schedule and see a good one. Cover bands are the norm, so you’ll find yourself singing along (and humming the tunes the next day too). Occasionally they also have one hit wonders from 10 years ago trying to reclaim their old glory, so look out for those as well, you might want a little nostalgia for the evening.