The Cinch is a western-themed gay bar on Polk Street that has been around since the 1980s, when Polk Gulch was the centre of San Francisco's gay nightlife before the Castro took over. Push through the saloon doors and you will find a long, narrow bar with country-and-western decor, a pool table, video poker, and a jukebox that leans classic rock.
The crowd is friendly, mixed, and unpretentious -- regulars and newcomers drink side by side without much fuss. Do not miss the refrigerator door entrance to the men's room, which catches every first-timer off guard. The Cinch is one of the last surviving gay bars on Polk Street and a welcome antidote to the slicker scene elsewhere in the city.