The former Broken Record bar at Geneva Avenue and Edinburgh Street will be officially reborn as the Halfway Club when it opens Wednesday night, with a kitchen, full bar, and a “70’s dad’s basement bar” vibe.
There’s not much in terms of bars or nightlife in SF’s Crocker-Amazon neighborhood, which borders Daly City, so it was a huge loss to the neighborhood when Broke-Ass Stuart reported in September 2022 that the Broken Record was closing. And while that bar space on Geneva Avenue did stay vacant for a spell, dive bar enthusiasts were thrilled with the news this past July that the former Broken Record would be reopening as the Halfway Club, helmed by industry veterans Ethan Terry and Greg Quinn (Annabelle’s Bar and Bistro, The Alembic).
Tablehopper broke the news in this week’s Tuesday newsletter (paid subscription required) that the Halfway Club is opening this week. And the Halfway Club confirmed the news with a Tuesday Instagram post.
“Well folks, it’s time,” the post declares. “We’ve painted the walls, tiled the floors, stocked the shelves and tested the food. And frankly, we’re tired of drinking by ourselves. So, The Halfway Club will officially open tomorrow, Wednesday, January 10th at 4 pm.”
And now we have more details on the Wednesday night opening. “The Halfway Club is opening at 4 pm...AND we'll screen our first film in our dining room,” a Wednesday post says. “So tonight - Dinner is served from 5 pm - 10 pm, The Warriors game will be on in our bar at 5:30, we'll screen Vertigo at 9 pm and serve drinks until midnight.”
While the Halfway Club describes itself as taking “the idea of a 70’s dad’s basement bar,” a preview Instagram reel from Tablehopper shows the place is certainly no “dive bar.” The Halfway Club says they have “a meticulously curated 45 jukebox and a small museum of cocktail and breweriana antiques.” The food images are consistent with Eater SF’s description of a menu highlighted by “toasted cheese ravioli, a pork loin sandwich, and a hefty burger with ancho pimento cheese and griddled onions,” and the cocktails are clearly of the craft variety.
As we noted in our previous coverage, the name Halfway Club is inspired by the Half Way to Hell Club, an informal name for the group of construction workers who fell from the Golden Gate Bridge while it was being built, but were saved by safety nets.
The Halfway Club is at 1166 Geneva Avenue (at Edinburgh Street), open Tuesday-Thursday 4 p.m.-midnight, Friday and Saturday 4 p.m.-1 a.m., Sunday 4 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Image: The Halfway Club via Facebook
