Trad'r Sam can be your staycation getaway! March 6, 2026

Mentioned in this episode:

• Chinese New Year Festival and Parade
• Trad'r Sam - 6150 Geary Boulevard, San Francisco CORRECTED HOURS - 2PM until 2AM (not 10am opening)

Check out past episodes of this podcast at the To Do San Francisco podcast archive.

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Transcript

Jamie Whitaker 0:17

Happy Friday, San Francisco. This is Jamie, and this is the To Do San Francisco podcast for March 6, 2026. Whatever the week threw you, it's time to exhale. Fridays are about reclaiming your time. My thought for you today is this: give yourself permission to be "off." We spend so much of our lives being "on," on call, on task, on brand. Tonight, let the only thing on your schedule be something that makes you genuinely smile. You've earned the right to unplug. On Saturday, celebrate the year of the fire horse at the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade. I'll include a link to the event website in the show notes in case you're interested. Keep the dog at home, as they do tend to have a lot of firecrackers at the parade. Now, if your idea of unplugging involves a straw, some fruit juice, and a healthy dose of rum, then we are heading out to the Outer Richmond today. We're talking about a San Francisco institution that has been standing since 1937, Trad'r Sam. Located at 6150 Geary Boulevard, right at the corner of 26th Avenue, Trad'r Sam is officially the oldest continuously operating tiki bar in the United States. But don't expect the high concept twenty dollar cocktail polish of downtown San Francisco spots. This is a tiki dive in the best possible way. The best part, it is a high value social spot seven days a week where you might find yourself enjoying a tiki drink with a group of neighborhood Irish men and feisty women. Now the atmosphere, it's all about the snugs. Little bamboo lined booths named after different islands. You might find yourself sitting in Tahiti or Samoa while the jukebox plays everything but island music and sports are on the TV screens. What sorts of drinks might you find? Trad'r Sam is famous for their scorpion bowls. They serve them in actual salad sized bowls with those comically long straws meant for sharing. If you want something individual, go for the banana cow, a creamy blended classic with rum and brandy, or their legendary zombie. It's a good value, in a city where a glass of wine can hit eighteen dollars, Trader Sam remains famously affordable. You can still grab a potent tropical drink here for a fraction of what you'd pay elsewhere. For instance, try a pina colada, it's twelve dollars. Frozen. They are open seven days a week, typically from 2PM until 2AM. Yes, you can technically have a Mai Thai for breakfast if that's the kind of Friday you're having. The 38- or 38-R Rapid Geary Muni bus line stops nearby at 25th Avenue, just a block away. Cash only. So go to the ATM before you arrive at Trad'r Sam to keep things smooth. For today's civility tip, let's think about the people who make our Friday nights possible. The bartenders at spots like Trad'r Sam see it all. The happy hours, the first dates, and the rowdy groups. When you're out tonight, remember that your server is at work while you're at play. Practice patience first service. If the bar is three deep, give them a smile instead of a stare. Being a low maintenance customer is one of the kindest things you can do for a service worker on a busy Friday night. Now grab some cash, find a booth in Bora Bora or wherever your rum and fruit beverage take you, and enjoy the start of your weekend. Thanks for listening, San Francisco.