One of the Mission’s wildest, gaudiest bars is back. Beauty Bar (opens in new tab), which closed in April 2024 after a 25-year-long run on the corner of Mission and 19th streets, hosted a preview party Friday night, giving fans a much-anticipated first look at the renovated space.
Owner Jahaziel “Jazzy” Garay posted an announcement about the friends-and-family event on Instagram Stories, so it was a relatively quiet affair. But the night’s crowd of several dozen does not belie the neighborhood’s curiosity, which has not ebbed since the bar shuttered abruptly nearly two years ago for a renovation that was initially scheduled to last one year.
A grand opening with a mariachi band is set for Jan. 22, Garay said.
The Pixie ($14) is a standout on the cocktail list. | Source: Astrid Kane/The Standard
Beauty Bar’s rejuvenated interior might best be described as “same, but different.” Gone are the glittery walls and mid-century modern starburst motif, replaced by retro-modern sconces, a row of wigs, and an illuminated bar top. Garay teased the bar’s return last fall, but his determination to redo the old interior from top to bottom pushed the opening into the winter. He is particularly proud of the flamingo-print Op Art wallpaper. “That wallpaper won first place,” he bragged. In what? “In wallpaper!”
Originally part of a national quasi-chain of bars that offered manicure services, Beauty Bar was met with protests (opens in new tab) by the anti-gentrification “Mission Yuppie Eradication Project” when it opened in 1998. Over time, however, it evolved to become a shot-and-a-beer kind of place with a reputation for turning a blind eye to various illicit behaviors. There was trouble during the 2010s, with one confirmed instance (opens in new tab) of human trafficking inside the bar, and a fatal shooting (opens in new tab) outside in 2017.
But, on the strength of its easygoing hedonism, the bar endured. Although fancier, the current iteration stays true to its spirit, and the mezcal-heavy, all-$14 cocktail list is affordable by present-day Mission standards. Among the standouts is the Pixie, a frothy gin-based libation made with hibiscus and chamomile that looks like — and drinks like — a spicier, lightly astringent Cosmopolitan, served in a martini glass to boot.
It’s only one indication that Beauty Bar has grown up a little. Garay is hoping for a more relaxed, neighborhood bar, open from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily, and he’s quick to point out the strong exterior lighting and prominent cameras as part of his commitment to keeping patrons safe.
Four-year Mission resident Melissa V. was drinking a Mohawk (mezcal, Aperol, passionfruit, and mint) with a friend. She regretted that she had never been to the old Beauty Bar and popped in out of curiosity. “I live two blocks away,” she said. “I’m very happy that it’s finally reopened.”
Beauty BarDate and timeGrand opening Jan. 22
