Twin Peaks Tavern

The first gay bar to feature plate-glass windows, Twin Peaks Tavern is a beautiful, historic place. The bar is intricately carved, the bartenders are pleasantly world-weary, and the regulars queue up as early as 8 a.m. While the nickname “Glass Coffin” sounds cruel, one quickly learns that it’s an affectionate moniker those same regulars toss around. It’s not cheap, music might not always be playing and the restroom smells like the oven from the adjacent Hot Cookie; but this landmarked bar is a national treasure, refreshingly unlike the bastions of EDM found elsewhere in the Castro.