If recent history is any guide, tomorrow will kick off an insane month in the neighborhood.
Four years ago, World Cup fever dominated the Lower Haight, with fans packing sports bars, cafes, and even corner stores to catch the action. Those games were hosted 9 time zones away in South Africa, meaning the revelry here in San Francisco started well before dawn. The 2014 tournament opens tomorrow morning, and with only a 3- or 4-hour time difference between here and Brazil, expect things to be a little less bleary-eyed, but no less rowdy.
If you're hoping to watch the games with a few hundred like-minded neighbors, here are your options in and around the Lower Haight.
DANNY COYLE'S (668 Haight)
Danny Coyle's will be showing every game, with 10 HD televisions with stereo surround sound. They have a special menu of savory pies -- steak and kidney, beef and mushroom, etc -- and beer and drink specials as well. And for all you super fans, there will be World Cup t-shirts from different participating countries available for purchase, and souvenir World Cup-branded bottles of Bud and Bud Light .
MAD DOG IN THE FOG (530 Haight)
Mad Dog will also be showing every game live, with 13 large TVs (including one on the patio), and a large projector screen. They'll also be recording and re-airing the games in the evenings, for you folks with day jobs. There will be beer specials all month long, and DJ sets in between games. Mad Dog opens at 11:30am tomorrow for the opening ceremony, and will be open at 8am each day for the rest of the month.
NICKIES (466 Haight)
Not to be outdone, Nickies will also be showing all games live, 7 days a week. The bar will be open daily at 8:45am, serving breakfast Monday through Friday from 9am to noon, and the regular menu thereafter. Weekends will feature their popular brunch menu.
MOLOTOV'S (582 Haight), TORONADO (547 Haight), CAFE DU SOLEIL (200 Fillmore)
We don't have info on specific plans, but each of these venues has been known to show games in the past.
CAFE INTERNATIONAL (508 Haight)
This experience will likely vary depending on the customer, as the cafe is currently promising "all the balls you can handle."
LA URBANA (661 Divisadero)
Head a bit northwest to La Urbana, where they'll be showing all the games in their garage/mercado space, with happy hour extended until 6:30pm daily.
CORNER STORES
Last time around, we caught folks watching the games at places like Haight Fillmore Whole Foods and Sunrise Grocery, and this year is likely to follow suit.
THE PAGE (298 Divisadero)
Finally, if you want to avoid the World Cup entirely, the Page is your place. We're told they're more likely to be airing Giants games than any of the soccer matches, so this is the go-to for futbol curmudgeons.
