When the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky face off on a weeknight, the Castro sports bar with the longest row of flatscreens becomes the loudest room on Market Street. Hi Tops has been anchoring this corner since before the WNBA's recent surge in Bay Area fandom, and the picnic-table setup—built for groups who want to share nachos and yell at the same screen—turns every close game into a communal event. The bar draws a mix of regulars who remember when women's basketball got one small TV in the corner and newer fans who expect every game to command the main wall. Either way, the volume stays high and the fries stay hot until the final buzzer.
Karpo tracks game-day hours, trivia schedules, and late-night food cutoffs at Hi Tops and every sports bar in the Castro—so you never miss a tip-off or last call.
Why WNBA fans claim the long tables
Hi Tops sits at 2247 Market Street, a narrow bar lined wall-to-wall with flatscreens that tilt toward rows of picnic tables running down the center. The setup makes it easy for groups to commandeer a bench, spread out nachos, and yell at referees in unison. During big WNBA matchups—Fever versus Sky, Aces versus Liberty, Valkyries home games—the volume spikes and the crowd skews louder than your average Castro watering hole.
The bar doesn't take reservations, so arriving thirty minutes before tip-off usually secures a table. Latecomers end up standing along the bar rail or squeezing into corners near the front windows. The beer list leans heavily on Bay Area breweries, with pints running seven to ten dollars. Cocktails are straightforward—vodka-sodas, whiskey-gingers—priced around eleven to fourteen dollars. Nobody comes here for craft mixology; they come because every screen is tuned to the same game and the energy feels communal rather than segmented into private booths.
Breakfast until mid-afternoon, nachos until the kitchen closes
Hi Tops serves breakfast from 10am until 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays, a window that catches the post-farmers-market crowd and fans gearing up for early West Coast tip-offs. The fried-egg BLT arrives on toasted bread with a runny yolk that soaks into thick-cut bacon; it comes with a choice of fries or mixed greens. The breakfast burrito is hefty enough to share, stuffed with scrambled eggs, black beans, pepper jack, and avocado.
Once the breakfast menu closes at three, the stadium-fare lineup takes over: buffalo wings, soft pretzels with beer-cheese dip, and a plate of nachos large enough to feed four people. The full nacho order—house-made tortilla chips piled with pepper jack, cheddar, black beans, pickled jalapeños, salsa, sour cream, and optional grilled chicken—runs twenty-three dollars. A half order costs twelve and still qualifies as a meal.
The kitchen stops at 10pm, even on nights when the bar stays open until 2am. If you're settling in for a late East Coast game or a West Coast overtime thriller, order food before the fourth quarter starts. The bar staff won't remind you, and by the time you realize you're hungry, the fryer will be off and the grill will be cold.
Tuesday trivia and Thursday gym-class themes
Every Tuesday at 8pm, Hi Tops runs a trivia night with cash prizes: one hundred dollars for first place, fifty for second, and a round of shots for the team with the best name. The questions span pop culture, sports history, and local San Francisco oddities. Teams cluster around the picnic tables with phones face-down and pens out, scribbling answers on paper scorecards. The format is loose enough that you can keep one eye on whatever game is airing and still compete.
Thursdays bring "Gym Class" at 10pm, a late-night event styled around jock aesthetics and free-shot giveaways. The crowd trends younger and rowdier, and the dress code leans into athletic gear, tank tops, and sneakers. It's a different vibe from the Tuesday trivia regulars, but both nights draw repeat crowds who treat Hi Tops as a weekly anchor rather than a one-off stop.
How the Castro location differs from the Oakland sibling
Hi Tops operates a second location in Oakland, but the Castro bar is the original. The Market Street address puts it at the heart of the neighborhood's commercial strip, a block west of the Castro Theatre and two blocks east of the Church Street Muni station. The Oakland spot has a similar sports-bar layout but draws a different crowd and books different events; if you're planning a WNBA watch party or a specific trivia night, confirm which location is hosting.
The Castro bar's hours stretch longer on weekends: 10am to 2am on Saturdays, 10am to midnight on Sundays. Monday through Wednesday, it closes at midnight. Thursday and Friday nights run until 2am. Those late windows make Hi Tops a reliable fallback when other Castro bars are winding down and you want one more beer under a screen showing SportsCenter highlights.
Getting there and claiming a spot
The Castro Muni station (K, L, M lines) drops you two blocks east on Market. From there, walk west past the Rainbow Honor Walk plaques embedded in the sidewalk until you see the Hi Tops sign on the north side of the street. If you're driving, street parking on Market is metered and competitive; side streets like Sanchez or Noe have residential permit zones that allow two-hour visitor parking during the day. The 24 bus runs along Divisadero and connects to Market via cross streets if you're coming from the north.
Arrive early if you want a picnic table. The bar fills up fast during marquee games, and once the benches are claimed, your options shrink to bar stools or standing room. If you're bringing a group larger than four, consider sending a scout ahead to hold a table while the rest of the crew finishes up at a pre-game spot in the neighborhood. The staff won't hold tables, and there's no coat-check or bag storage—travel light and keep your belongings within arm's reach.
Practical notes
Hi Tops is located at 2247 Market Street in the Castro, open Monday through Wednesday noon to midnight, Thursday and Friday noon to 2am, Saturday 10am to 2am, and Sunday 10am to midnight. Breakfast is served until 3pm on weekends; the full menu runs until 10pm nightly. No reservations; walk-in seating only. Beer runs seven to ten dollars, cocktails eleven to fourteen. The bar is dog-friendly and offers outdoor seating along the Market Street sidewalk. Nearest Muni stop is Castro Station (K, L, M). Tuesday trivia starts at 8pm with cash prizes; Thursday Gym Class begins at 10pm. Phone (415) 551-2500 or check [hitopsbar.com](https://hitopsbar.com) for event updates. Please drink responsibly and plan your ride home before you order your first round.
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Please drink responsibly. Must be of legal drinking age.
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