Welcome to Swig City, where we point you toward don’t-miss cocktails at some of the best bars, restaurants and clubs in the city. Cheers!
I wasn’t alive in the 1970s. But I have watched a lot of That 70s Show. Which means I’ve always thought it would be cool to spend an afternoon in a wood-paneled basement listening to Fleetwood Mac and drinking with friends. Now there is a place in San Francisco where that dream can become reality: Rick & Roxy’s
The double-barreled bar (one half is called Rick’s, the other Roxy’s) opened on Lombard just west of Fillmore Street in late August, bringing a two-for-one nightlife destination to the nexus of the Cow Hollow and Marina neighborhoods.
Wander in on any given evening and you’re likely to find co-owner Michael Wilbert behind the stick at Rick’s, the more laid-back of the twins. Rick’s is designed for easygoing fun: Decks of Monopoly Deal and Cards Against Humanity sit on the bar. Amble farther back, past the decorative rock wall and jukebox, and you’ll find a skee ball machine, dart board, and a five-foot-tall Connect Four.
It’d be understandable if the cozy vibes make you want to crack open a can of Budweiser. But try the cocktails, which Wilbert has designed to be craft but, without the pretense. The Kind of a Big Dill ($15) is a briny martini riff that blends Tito’s vodka and pickle juice. The Smokey and the Bandit ($15) is made with jalapeno-infused tequila, mezcal, Aperol, and mango and teeters between smoky and sweet, while the tropical Espresso Yourself ($16) is made with coconut-infused tequila.
Roxy’s, the more flamboyant of the sibling bars, is only open on weekends. It is the Elton John to Rick’s Billy Joel. Here, bargoers can pass the night away on a kaleidoscopic checkerboard of a dance floor as a disco ball spins overhead. The cocktails—designed for speedy delivery to customers who just want to get back to dancing—include the Gimme! Gimme! Guava! ($13), which combines tequila, guava La Croix, and lime. Groups can go all in on a Disco Ball Bowl ($95); the shareable drinks serve 7 people with two options, one vodka and one tequila-based.
Wilbert says he’s already booking out the space for birthdays and holiday parties. Customers can book out either the full bar or just the elevated front portion, where a wraparound booth and a half dozen tables provide a perfect perch for watching the action on the dance floor.
Wilbert, who lives in the Marina, also owned Del Mar, the sandy, tropical-themed bar and nightclub that prevouisly occupied the Roxy’s space. When the Rick’s side, formerly an attorney’s office, became available, he jumped at the chance to expand the business’s footprint. About a year later, Rick and Roxy’s was born. He hopes it’ll be the rare bar that appeals to everyone, from aspiring hippies to disco queens.
Rick & Roxy’s
- Website
- rickandroxys.com