The Pawn Shop

The Pawn Shop in San Francisco is a mysterious spot. The allure of a speakeasy is spicy and it's with a tapas-style restaurant, my favorite. Upon arrival, you might think you've wandered into an old pawn shop, but once the door opens, you're transported into a vibrant and eclectic space.

The tapas menu is a standout. We started with the Patatas Bravas, a classic dish done to perfection with crispy potatoes and a spicy, tangy sauce. The Gambas al Ajillo were another highlight, with shrimp cooked in garlic and oil. Lastly, the Stracciatella cheese with peas was a refreshing and creamy dish. I loved everything.

The ambiance is unmatched. The decor is quirky and unique. And don't miss out on the extra experience at the end.

Fun "speakeasy", be sure to bring a trinket of sorts to trade with the fun & sassy clerk behind the counter. It wasn't busy when we visited, maybe because it was to kill time before our dinner reservation so it was pretty early. I imagine weekends would definitely need to rsvp ahead of time, but you can make them directly on Yelp.

Maybe I was drinking sangria on an empty stomach but I only had one and I really felt it. We shared the tortilla espanola, and the pulpo (octopus leg) and it was amazing.

If you come Thursday through Sunday, be sure to ask about the secret entrance into Monarch.

I think this is a great trendy bar! The prices were average to other SF bars and the service was great! The speakeasy pawn shop idea is very unique!

The churros were average - but they gave us an extra one for free! The only thing I wish they had was more cocktails on their menu. The menu was very beer and wine heavy with only 4 choices of cocktails.

When we finished we went through another speakeasy entrance to the bar next door! We somehow found an edm concert in the basement! Overall I would come to check it out - but might not be a place I come to every month.

I loved everything about this experience!
Make sure you bring something to pawn and make a reservation. We got the shrimp, potatoes, and broccoli. The broccoli and shrimp were absolutely delicious, I would pass on the potatoes.
They only have wine/beer beverages - tried getting a sherry wine cocktail but the sherry flavor just isn't my personal favorite.
The inside is amazing. There is amazing vibes, music, upstairs/downstairs dining. The service is immaculate!
Must eat place in the city

What a unique and fun time! We came by with our team after work for dinner. Upon arrival we were rather confused where the restaurant was until we saw an actual pawn shop. They even had a guard outside the restaurant. When we got into the restaurant, either had to hand over something to the pawn master, or share a joke that made him laugh. Our group did a mixture of both before we were told where the lever was for us to enter the restaurant.

When we were seated, a variety of dishes were brought out to us as a pre-fixed menu was made for our team. Each dish was plated beautifully and had tons of flavor. The serving staff was super attentive and fun they were. For dessert we had a fun dance experience with the full restaurant.

Overall, we had an incredible team dinner and this was one of the most memorable experiences we had in SF. Highly recommend!

What a night to remember! Do not be fooled by the anti-hype, this is a dining experience you do not want to miss.

The experience all starts with the Pawn Master after you clear security (IDs required). Depending on what you bring, exchanges will vary based on your kindness, uniqueness, and willingness to part with your treasured objects. Sure, sometimes people will bring a joke ... if entry is all you're after. However, if something more is what you desire, plan ahead and be clever. We brought a custom, embroidered hat, another very special secret treasure, and a sand dollar! Sand dollars are accepted forms of currency there ;) We ended up leaving with a MOST EPIC Bob Ross POP! (Not to mention the very cool entry and experience).

We would be remiss if we did not mention the PawnMaster of allllll PawnMasters ... Whitney. We will always love you too, girlfriend. You made our night all the more enjoyable.

Let's talk about the dining experience inside. Some of the tables are set up share-style, where you may be a two-top on the end of a six-seater, with another couple on the other side. We ended up "sharing" a table with another two gentlemen, but with the seats in between us, we barely noticed them. Ideally you want to shoot for the upstairs seating if you can. It looked really neat up there and the vibes were giving.

We ordered a huge variety from the menu. The octopus is a CANNOT MISS dish, along with the Broccoli Ciccio.

Other great accompaniments were in the Tortilla Espanola (Salmon Roe Spanish Omelette) and the Coliflor con Romesco (Cauliflower with Romesco).

Our server was really nice and attentive, as well as extremely knowledgable about the menu. We told him we were Pescatarian and he noted that throughout the evening, recommending only appropriate dishes to our dietary needs.

The wine selection was pretty decent, but just a heads up, if you're a "cocktail person," all of the drinks are wine-based liquors. This means the alcohol percentage in an Old Fashioned at the bar is much different than their version here. Not a huge issue, just a heads up for those spirit-lovers up in hurrrr.

For those with back issues, it seemed like most of the seating was denoted to high-top stools. There may have been a few actual seats that we didn't see, but it seems like that was the main option. We were slightly uncomfortable and sat upright for the entire 1.5 hour dinner. If we had back issues, I could see how that might be cumbersome.

Parking might be difficult (?!?), but we were lucky enough to snag a free spot literally right across the street. After 6-PM you can actually park across the street along the curb! Keep your eyes out for people pulling out and channel a little lady luck ;)

I've always wanted to come to this speakeasy and finally got a chance to! Finding the bar might be hard; the front is an actual pawn shop.

I walked in with a friend without a reservation around 6 pm with a friend and was able to get in. Upon entering, you are greeted by someone and asked to pawn something. If they like what you give them, they will let you in. I've also heard that you can tell them a joke, and if they laugh, they will also let you in. We gave them something to pawn and then got to see the secret door.

We were seated in a cozy area upstairs, which had a nice view of the bar. I saw reviews that the food wasn't too great, so we stuck to cocktails. Their cocktail selection is quite small; there are only 5. They all seem to be wine based, so don't expect them to be strong.

I tried the following:
- Uno (5/5): The uno has elderflower and cava. It is strong on the grapefruit taste but in a good way. The cava adds a nice bubbly texture to it.
- Tres (3/5): The tres contained porto branco, which is a white dessert wine. It actually wasn't as sweet as I expected, which was a bit disappointing.

My friend also got the Cuatro and the Cinco. The cuatro is supposed to be a tinto de verano, which is red wine and lemonade. The drink did not feel very mixed; the lemonade was all at the bottom. The red wine was dry.

Ambiance here seems great for birthdays. They come singing with tambourines and cake, livening up the whole experience. Service was good.

Upon leaving, you get to exist via a secret door, which leads to a different bar called Monarch. It seems like this bar is not a speakeasy and has more cocktail options, though I did not try.

Overall, it was a fun experience at The Pawn Shop. They seem to focus mainly on wine for drinks. I was a bit disappointed with their selection of cocktails just because I did not know that it was quite limited in options but overall, still had a good time.

The Pawn Shop goes down as one of the most unique and fun dinners I've had the pleasure of attending.

When our group was dropped off by our Uber we initially looked around confused, like where is this place? Then we noticed a nondescript pawn shop and realized that they leaned into the ambiance even more than we had expected. Which, was incredible. We didn't realize that every person in the group had to bartar to get in, but we quickly figured it out, and had a fun time playing along with our host. You eventually enter through a hidden door, and the restaurant itself is just as much of a gem as the game of getting inside.

The ambiance is dark, moody, and sort of emits speakeasy vibes. Our group had called ahead for a special team dinner and we had a fixed menu that gave us a good sampling of what they had to offer. I have to say that just about everything that came out was pretty great. I was especially surprised as I would have not on my own ordered the octopus but I have to say it was full of great flavor and I really enjoyed it. I wasn't able to drink on this visit, but the cocktails looked divine and if I ever get a chance to return I'm sure I'll be partaking in some of what their bar has to offer.

At the end of the night we had dessert and their team came out and sang - it was really fun and charming.

TL;DR: The Pawn Shop is one of the most unique restaurants I've ever been to, and lives up to the hype. The food is good - but what you come here for is really the experience.

I'd consider the atmosphere, service, and experience to be the highlight of this place! It is unique for a bar/tapas place. The food wasn't a standout, a bit expensive for the portions but that is expected; drinks were standard. We were seated quickly and well served!

The Pawn Shop was one of my most favorite dining experiences in recent memory. While in SF for work, we had a team dinner here and it was simply a blast.

From the outside, it's totally unassuming -- you would have no clue there is a restaurant hiding behind the 'Money Loaned' hanging up above. Upon entering, we were greeted by colorful trinkets and random knick knacks. The person working started asking for items for us to pawn off, and we came prepared! For folks who didn't have anything, he also accepted hairflips and jokes ;) Seriously, he set the tone for the entire night and got our team so excited!

Once entering the actual restaurant space, it was so vibeyyyy. I ordered the Uno cocktail to sip on, made with elderflower liquor, cava, grapefruit, bitters, and lime. I love any drink with bubbles, so this was perfect! We had a pre-crafted menu which made it really nice to just enjoy the food as it came without having to think about what to order. Some favorites were the roasted patatas bravas topped with a tomato sauce and garlic aioli, the perfectly cooked hanger steak, and chicken skewers. We ended the evening with churros and a song/dance break from the staff. The Pawn Shop is vibrant, eclectic, and one of a kind --- it embodies SF in that way! Amazing time.