The House of Shields

If ever you find yourself in need of a double with more than a splash of history, San Francisco’s House of Shields is it. Located just south of Market Street at the base of the Sharon Building, the place captures the essence of the city circa 1920. At that time, Eddie Shields took over the bar from Mr. Sharon and promptly named it after himself.

Eddie was quite the character. A horse-racing bookie and aficionado of the sport of boxing, he arranged his share of Friday night inmate fights on Alcatraz and palled around with Jack Dempsey. Ever the entrepreneur, he also ran alcohol up from Mexico during the heady days of prohibition. Rumor has it he built an underground tunnel connecting the bar to the Palace Hotel across the street to discretely ferry guests in for illegal yet dignified libations.

One particular guest, Warren G. Harding, our nation’s 29th President, was allegedly removed from the bar and brought back (via said tunnel) to the Mrs. at the Palace after expiring from heart failure on November 21, 1924. Harding’s portrait is eerily posted on a wall at the end of the main bar…hmmmmmm.

With all that rich history the aesthetics of The House of Shields do not disappoint. A beautiful carved wood bar is where you belly up and are immediately transported to the 20’s – I could almost smell cigars and hear Duke Ellington in the background.

Dramatic deco fixtures adorn the walls and the gorgeous paneled ceiling is highlighted by stunning period chandeliers. I was especially fond of the 105 year old floors which were rediscovered 3 years ago when the wood was pulled up… pretty special huh?

The bar offers ample room for groups large and small. The west facing street side booths are intimate and comfortable – great for daydreaming about a subterranean walk to the the Palace Hotel somewhere in time. If you are looking for a flashy, modern, hand crafted anything, loungey Mcloungey type of place this ain’t it, but if you want a snapshot of the yesterday’s S.F., the House of Shields is a must see.

The House of Shields
39 New Montgomery St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone:(415) 284-9958
Hours:
Mon-Fri 2pm-2am
Sat-Sun 3pm-2am