Old San Francisco is alive and well at this 92-year-old dive bar |
In a forgotten part of San Francisco, just south of Bernal Heights on a block of four Salvadoran restaurants and three hair salons, a local dive bar stands the test of time.
The original neon red sign with a martini glass still hangs above the entrance of St. Mary’s Pub. A maroon velvet curtain is draped just behind the Dutch front door. Just like the exterior, the happenings inside the dive bar haven’t changed much over its 92-year history, either. From an urban tale of a ghost behind the bar to the dynamic women who have steered it through its best years, old San Francisco is alive and well at this local watering hole. In a city that is constantly evolving, this dive bar has mostly stayed the same.
Located at 3845 Mission St., St. Mary’s Pub is the definition of a San Francisco neighborhood bar. Since it first opened in 1933, almost all of its regular patrons have lived within walking distance, and according to the owner, the majority of the current clientele visit multiple times per week. This gives the place an innate sense of community.
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It’s a, “Hey Shawn, how ya doin?” when longtime customer Shawn Tighe walks through the door, or a, “Tim, you having your regular tonight?” as the bartender places a shot of bourbon and Pabst Blue Ribbon in front of local Tim Murphy before he can even muster a nod.
St. Mary’s Pub bartender Tim appears in the bar’s entryway in San Francisco on Dec. 12, 2025.
Tim Murphy of the Excelsior District enjoys a cold one at St. Mary’s Pub in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood on Dec. 12, 2025.
For 92 years, this timeworn business has held community vibes that can only be described as honorable and caring. Owner Maria Davis, a former interior designer, bought the place in 2010 and became the sole owner in 2012, she said. She doesn’t plan on changing much, especially her USA Today-hailed bloody marys.
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“We have a lot of customers who have lived their whole lives in this neighborhood, which I think is such an asset to this bar,” Davis told SFGATE in an interview at the circular booth near the door. Her red hair and red lollipop earrings match the red pleather where we sit. “Something you hear constantly is, like, how much San Francisco has changed, which is true, but the people at St. Mary’s Pub will tell you this little nook of the city hasn’t changed that much.”
To understand the current iteration of St. Mary’s Pub, though, you must know its history. Davis, after all, is following in the footsteps of several businesswomen who fostered that community feeling and homey essence.
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“It’s almost always been owned by women,” Davis said. “But the years it’s been owned by men, it, like, turns into a s—t hole.”
Maria Davis, the owner of St. Mary’s Pub, kicks back after a long day’s work at her bar in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood on Dec. 12, 2025.
Originally opened in 1933 just after the end of Prohibition, a still-unknown owner founded the bar as St. Mary’s Tavern, according to the bar’s website. It was named after St. Mary’s College of California, which resided nearby. The area transformed into a proper neighborhood, now called College Hill, after the university moved to the East Bay in 1889.
The first known steward of St. Mary’s Tavern was Rose L. Pacheco, who took over in 1935. A woman named Leda Wallgren followed in 1937, running it alongside a gentleman named Leon Weber until 1942.
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By 1943, Peter Cancilla took the reins and changed “tavern” to........