Growing up in Pacific Heights

The Snug, Pacific Heights

BARS • First Round

Since 2017, The Snug’s been a reliable Fillmore Street fixture, an unpretentious place to grab a beer and some bar snacks. Towards the end of 2023, it went dark — not forever, but for a remodel, from a post-collegiate hang into... something more sophisticated. A bar that grows up with its patrons? So it seems.

A driving force for this maturation is Maxwell Salvati, a former film student who turned his obsession with framing and plot into Kubrick-level cocktail prep. He was behind the bar when The Snug first opened before decamping for the Linden Room, and later, Cole Valley Tavern. Now he’s come home to rebuild Snug 2.0’s cocktail program, one heavy on unexpected, seasonal ingredients married with classic spirits. Exhibit A: the Buzz Button, which pairs corn whiskey with bee pollen honey and buzz buttons, a pins-and-needles-inducing flower. It’s part of a deeply weird lineup of drinks that (somehow) doesn’t feel belabored.

The Snug’s food remains unchanged from its beer-slinging days — small plates like pork belly buns and crispy brussels sprouts, burgers, and a spicy chicken sandwich. But the team behind The Snug are also behind the newish oyster bar down the street, Little Shucker. Management hints that someday soon, a Shucker influence might spill over. Grown-up food for a grown-up bar. –Eve Batey

→ The Snug (Pacific Heights) · 2301 Fillmore St · Mon 4p-9p, Tues-Thurs 4p-11p, Fri 4p-12a, Sat 12p-12a, Sun 12-9p.