Pomeroy Bar and Grill

Reviving a Classic” – nod to Pomeroy’s historical roots with a modern edge

Paying homage to the rich history of San Francisco.  Pomeroy Bar & Grill is named after Arthur D Pomeroy who received a $30k loan to build what he named St Paul Apartments and contribute to revitalizing the community after the 1906 earthquake. Coincidently, he had a son that died at age 2 named Paul which we suspect was the impetus for the name.   

Pomeroy at the corner of Larkin and Turk is in the historic St. Paul Apartments building. Built in 1911, the   original tenant was David Z. Buck Liquors until prohibition started in 1919. It then transitions to a Cigar stand which was a well know front for a speakeasy.  The space has a basement the same size as the ground floor which provides the perfect setup for a speakeasy with a back exit up to the street.  The door to the basement still has an antique brass and glass peek hole to see who is on the other side.

In 1930’s it became The Lodge (possibly the Sail-N Lodge or later renamed), and the current front bar and back bar were installed by United Showcase & Fixtures, a San Francisco company (ceased to exist in the late 30’s).   The lodge was a popular hangout for longshoremen in the 30’s and was about 8 blocks closer to the shore before the land fill. The tile mosaic of a schooner above the door is a relic from this era.

In the 60’s, a prominent Irish Bar owner Harry Harrington, who has a successful pub on Front Street, identified by his name’s sake takes over the Lodge and changes it to a second Harry Harington’s. For over half a century it was a prominent Irish Pub until 2020 when the covid pandemic shut it down.  It reopened as a craft beer, whiskey and cocktail bar called Shovels paying homage to the gold rush era.  Guinness was always kept on tap to appease Harrington’s spirit and keep the establishment a place where everyone wants to relax.