Mayes Oyster House is San Francisco's second-oldest continually operating restaurant (after Tadich Grill), but it's taken a less venerable tack in recent years, shedding some of its old-school trappings to become a popular nightspot and dance club for the Polk Street crowd. In order to better accommodate that scene, Mayes' owners recently decided to give the space a refresh, adding new seats and tables, colorful lighting, new flooring, and other touches to improve the flow of the space. A few classic elements remain, including the mural of SF on the wall and the sinuous front bar. The sound system has also been amped up to keep pace with the weekend party crowd.
On the food side, Mayes continues to serve up its sizable signature raw bar, as well as bar bites like wings and tacos, but they've also added a new burger pop-up, Johnny Burgers, from famed bartender Johnny "Love" Metheny. Metheny will be serving up a variety of burgers made with American Kobe beef on Thursday and Friday nights during happy hour (5-7 pm), when the bar also offers $5 draft beers and $6 well drinks. Here's the full menu of his burger offerings, which include the Super Johnny Burger, a 12-ounce behemoth that clocks in at six inches in height. Mayes and Metheny are also offering a discount on burgers for Eater readers: just say the password, "I Love Johnny Burgers," to get it.
