There’s little consensus when it comes to debating the oldest drinking establishments in San Francisco. Different lists will give you different answers. But by all accounts, Shotwell’s, a cherished Mission institution, is at least the fifth-oldest bar in the city.
The saloon has stood at the corner of Shotwell and 20th streets for the past 135 years, an after-work oasis for generations of San Franciscans. During busy hours, the party pours out onto the tree-lined sidewalk and parklet. The fluidity between the outdoor and indoor spaces, combined with a century’s worth of gravitas, gives the impression that Shotwell’s is more than just a neighborhood bar — it is the neighborhood itself.
Caring for a San Francisco institution that’s decades older than the Golden Gate Bridge is not a duty that owners Tom Madonna and David Hall take lightly…