The Castro Bar Where Women’s Sports Takes Center Court

Passing the giant rainbow pride flag on the city’s main thoroughfare, a few blocks later — near bars such as Hi Tops and Blackbird, stands Rikki’s — San Francisco's only women's sports bar.

It all started a few years ago when Sara Yergovich and Danielle Thoe were playing soccer with the San Francisco Spikes, a queer soccer club in San Francisco. Yergovich said that she overheard Thoe sharing her idea about a women's sports bar in the city. 

“I ran up to her and said that I wanted to do that too,” Yergovich said. 

After some time brainstorming, Yergovich and Thoe found the perfect time to initiate the project with the launch of the WNBA expansion Valkyries squad. 

"We felt like this was the time in San Francisco, for a dedicated space where you could watch them – Valkyries and other women's teams – more generally,” Yergovich said. “We started putting things in motion, and here we are.”

Rikki’s gets its name from Rikki Streicher, who opened San Francisco’s first lesbian bar, Maud’s, in 1966 at 937 Cole St. Streicher was a community activist in San Francisco's LGBTQ community. 

Castro's Perfect Fit 

“I think Castro and its businesses have been waiting for a dedicated women's space,” said Yergovich, who also highlighted that although not being a lesbian bar, as many might think, the overlap of women's sports and queer people is really strong, tracing the historical relation between the two communities.

"Castro is a really great fit for us, and the community has just been so incredibly welcoming and excited about us coming in,” Yergovich said. 

“We were very excited for Rikki's,” said Brittany Wood, a San Francisco artist. Wood also expressed the importance of a place like Rikki's in a historically male-centric neighborhood like Castro. 

Now, with almost a year in the neighborhood, Yergovich said, “It's been really wonderful.”

Inside Rikki's

Events like board game nights, trivia and watch parties allow queer people, in particular, to commune in a safe space. At Rikki’s, women and queer people are not only celebrated but centered as the focus. 

“It's really refreshing to be at a women's bar that highlights women's sports,” said Sasha Frederick, food server and busser. “[They are] very caring about women from all different spectrums of life, regardless if you are queer, or trans, or cis… They are making it a very welcoming community,” Frederick said. 

“I like the sports bar aspect, but I also like that there are a lot of queer people here,” said Jillian Fuchs, a circus artist. “I like to have my gay girlies around here,” Fuchs added. 

When entering Rikki's, customers are met with a spacious sports-themed close-knit spot. People talk, eat, laugh, watch games on one of the TVs, or stand by the bar while ordering standout signature cocktails.  

You may see men’s sports games on some of the televisions around the bar, but Rikki’s main objective is to provide people with a hub for watching women’s sports. The regulars also cite the food as a main draw.

“This is one of the few central bars that actually offers food. It’s a great place to start off the night,” said Wood, who comes to Rikki’s once a week. “If you want to go bar hopping, you come to Rikki's, get a drink, get some food and support women in sports.”

Their menu features hearty dishes like loaded mac and cheese and buffalo chicken wings, served with sauce or dry rub. Yergovich recommends their aromatic croquettes or a savory pear grilled cheese.

One of their drinks, a purple concoction called the “Ballhalla,” shimmers in the lovely lighting at Rikki’s. Named after the Valkyries’ nickname for Chase Center, the Ballhalla includes guava, plum brandy, mint and white rum. 

Rikki’s also has several nonalcoholic options, such as ginger beer, which they serve in a glass cup with a garnish, creating an elevated experience.

Sarah Katz-Hyman, known as “Coach Mahoney” at Rikki’s, hosts monthly trivia. “Monthly trivia at Rikki’s has been such a fun way to connect with other Bay Area women’s sports fans and bring together trivia lovers in a low-key, silly and creative way,” Katz-Hyman said.

“I’ve seen friendships form on trivia teams, parents playing with their kids, and lots of eye rolls and groans at my category selections. Rikki’s has been an amazing host and partner,” they added.

Whether it's trivia night or tip-off, Rikki's is nothing short of a slam dunk.

Rikki’s is located at 2223 Market St. For more information on their hours and upcoming events, click here.