Tempest
Best Dive Bar in San Francisco · CA
SoMa's beloved hideaway dive bar and Box Kitchen.
Tempest has been a SoMa dive-bar mainstay since 1986, a gloriously unpretentious San Francisco hideout with rotating taps, pool tables, a back-patio grill and a come-as-you-are crowd. Its scrappy charm and seasonal bar food have made it a neighborhood go-to for decades.
A SoMa fixture for nearly 40 years, Tempest is the 2025 Centurion Award winner in San Francisco.
Tempest is also recognized by DiveBar.info, which listed it in its guide to San Francisco dive bars as of September 2026.
What they're known for
- Rotating tap beers
- Pool tables & back-patio grill
- Come-as-you-are SoMa dive
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
Public-record snapshot as of June 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This record was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Selection follows the published criteria; Tempest met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Operating in San Francisco since 1986 — 40 years of continuous business.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in San Francisco.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: San Francisco has kept Tempest busy for 40 years.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by San Francisco regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Generations of San Franciscans have made Tempest their unpretentious home base: cheap pours, a rotating tap list, and the box burger regulars swear by, all in a brick-walled hideaway that has outlasted boom after boom.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
The details, verified.
- Legal / trading name
- Tempest
- Category
- Bar
- Founded
- 1986, San Francisco, CA
- Location
- 431 Natoma St, San Francisco, CA 94103
- Centurion Award
- Best Dive Bar in San Francisco — 2025
- Record last verified
- July 2026
Frequently asked questions.
What is Tempest?
A SoMa institution tucked off Natoma Street at 431 Natoma St, Tempest pairs classic dive-bar character with Box Kitchen's comfort food. 4.1 stars across 846 Yelp reviews.
Is Tempest award-winning?
Yes — Tempest is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Dive Bar in San Francisco, a verified, criteria-based award. Generations of San Franciscans have made Tempest their unpretentious home base: cheap pours, a rotating tap list, and the box burger regulars swear by, all in a brick-walled hideaway that has outlasted boom after boom.
Where is Tempest?
Tempest is in San Francisco, CA. Details and hours are on its website, https://tempest.pourguys.com.
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. The verification above is from the latest published award. Open a year for that year’s citation.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Dive Bar in San Francisco San Francisco, CA · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 award →Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
Visit Tempest
A signal you can check.
This page is the standing record for Tempest (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear.
Own this business? Claim the listing for free to manage it, correct it, or remove it. If you want the award kit (badge, certificate, and announcement), you pay after you claim. Through December 31, 2026, publishing is $99. The evaluation itself is free. The $99 covers the first year only. Renewals are $199/year. That fee never buys selection.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.