One of San Francisco’s all-time greatest sports comebacks is on the verge of being completed.
30-plus-year-old Lower Haight sports bar Mad Dog in the Fog closed in March 2020, very eerily in retrospect, as it was the weekend before all bars in the city were forced to close if they had a capacity of more than 100, and three days later, shelter-in-place was declared in San Francisco. We had no idea what loomed ahead of us. But Mad Dog in the Fog owner Cyrill Hackett made a bold prediction on Facebook: “The Mad Dog In The Fog is taking a nap. We will return louder and more wicked at a new location.”
Image: Joe Kukura, Hoodline
Hoodline noticed in November that a new Mad Dog in the Fog liquor license application was posted on the former Martin Macks space that has more recently been Michael Collins, HQ, and Joplin’s. And this weekend, Hoodline noticed that the newly reborn Mad Dog in the Fog is indeed open and serving in that space.
Image: Joe Kukura, Hoodline
Staff tell us that the new Mad Dog in the Fog actually quietly reopened last weekend, August 6. It’s definitely still a soft opening; there are seven HDTVs on the walls, and none of them were functional when Hoodline popped in on Sunday.
Image: Joe Kukura, Hoodline
The bar is currently cash-only, and they are not yet serving food. Staff told Hoodline they expected to start up food service at the “end of the month.” We've reached out to owner Cyrill Hackett and will update this post with any response.
Image: Joe Kukura, Hoodline
And only the front area of the space is open. The back half of the facility is still very much under construction. So the new Mad Dog in the Fog is still taking puppy steps.
Image: Joe Kukura, Hoodline
But there are definitely some noticeable improvements. Check out the sweet chair backs on these chairs!
Image: Joe Kukura, Hoodline
And this new epoxy bar surface to the main bar is pretty attractive.
Image: Joe Kukura, Hoodline
The food service and sports broadcasts are not up and running yet, but they are serving the exact kinds of drink specials you’d expect from Mad Dog in the Fog.
Image: Joe Kukura, Hoodline
Given the new location at 1568 Haight Street (at Clayton Street), you can’t help but think about Club Deluxe, which is practically right across the street. Club Deluxe announced its impending closure last week, though there may be negotiations underway to keep that live music spot at its location. We don’t know how that will turn out, but one really has to cheer on how the Mad Dog did not roll over.
