Hotel Utah

“This is an old place,” declares the descriptor on the Hotel Utah’s menu. Old, indeed—especially for a young state such as California. The Utah was built in 1908, and—modern conveniences aside (plumbing, ATM Machine)—it’s easy to believe that not much has changed in the last 100-plus years. Everything, from the old-school neon sign to the appropriately scuffed mahogany bar provides a decided contrast to its surrounding SOMA environs; tech companies come and go, but the Utah remains. Whether you’re stopping by for a beer before a baseball game, grabbing an after-work-drink with co-workers, or making a night of it with solid bar food and consistently interesting musical lineup, it’s not hard to see how the Utah is a saloon that’s lasted.