[Photos: Patricia Chang]
The newest addition to the Dogpatch's burgeoning bar scene is Third Rail, a railway-themed watering hole set to debut tomorrow at 20th and 3rd Streets. The bar comes from the team behind longstanding Mission favorite Range: former bar manager Jeff Lyon and owner-chef Phil West. Together, the pair are launching a spinoff cocktail concept inspired by the location's railyard past, with craft cocktails, local beer and wine on tap and a "jerky bar" dispensing homemade dried and cured meats by the ounce.
The cocktail menu is helmed by Lyon, who's divided the drinks into four distinct categories: spirituous, aperitif, seasonal and citrus. Drinks like the Cloven Hoof (Gosling's rum, Cerbois arnagnac, madiera, 7 spices) lend a wintry touch, while the signature Third Rail, a classic Range drink (Buffalo Trace bourbon, Lillet, honey, lemon, orange bitters) and the Fireside Sour (Del Maguey Vida mezcal, mandarin, lemon, agave, egg white, cinnamon bitters) hold down the citrusy side of the list. Aperitifs like the Off the Cuff (Perucchi dry vermouth, Gran Classico bitter, seltzer, orange) and spirit-forward mixes like the Mt. Tam (St. George Terroir gin, Dolin sweet vermouth, Gran Classico bitter) round out the lineup. (Here's the full cocktail menu.)
The bar's design comes courtesy of Paxton Gate team Sean Quigley and Todd McCrea (Flour + Water, Central Kitchen), who've imbued the space with subtle Art Deco and mid-century vibes (otherwise ubiquitous reclaimed-wood surfaces are nowhere to be found here). Not so subtle is the addition of a 4.5-foot vintage French train station clock in the bar's entryway.
All told, Third Rail will seat 49 drinkers. Starting tomorrow, the bar will open seven days a week, from 3pm-2am.
· Third Rail Headed to Dogpatch in the Fall [~ ESF ~]
· SF's 10 Most Anticipated Fall Bar Openings [~ ESF ~]
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