The Rats Return! – get your Ama-Rat-O Sour at the San Francisco Dungeon this June

By | May 30, 2019

SAN FRANCISCO — Cocktails and vermin, anyone? From the crazy f*@#s at The San Francisco Dungeon who brought you the inexplicably popular Rat Café comes the next iteration of what the Department of Public Health will “allow”: Rat Bar.

Journey into the dark place where live rats run free and the booze flows like water. The San Francisco Dungeon will host this peculiar pop-up bar for a limited time only: Thursday, June 13 through Saturday, June 15 – or until the rats drink themselves into a stupor.

Here’s how it will work: right off the rat bat, arrive and start drinking Rat Bar’s signature cocktail—The Ama-RAT-o Sour. Take one guess what’s in it. Yes! Amaretto, some kind of a citrusy mix and a “rat’s tail” as garnish. 

Next – and pay attention because here’s the part you need to know – you and your odd little friend who booked this with you will experience The San Francisco Dungeon, the 60-minute interactive show where you’ll learn all about the weird, twisted, dark side of the city’s history – and trust us, there’s a lot to take in on that front. You’ll move through different points in time with actors recreating San Francisco’s darkest moments including the gold rush, Chinatown gangs, Miss Piggott’s saloon where you’ll get Shanghaied (Google it if you didn’t pay attention in history class), the plague (Yassss! More rats!) and conclude in an Alcatraz prison cell where super-creepy ghosts f*#& with you. The San Francisco Dungeon experience also includes a thrilling underground drop ride as well because—why the hell not? 

Once you emerge from the show, the rat canoodling begins! You’ll have 30 minutes to touch and hold the real-live rodents. (Don’t think about doing more, weirdo.) Since the attraction’s staff couldn’t find enough rats on their own, they’ve partnered with Ratical Rodent Rescue, which will provide the whiskery guests of honor. When you’re done letting the skittish little critters scurry all over you, head upstairs to The San Francisco Dungeon’s retail shop where a cash bar awaits. Here you can hang out for a while, make new friends with other freaky rat lovers and share a toast in honor of your newly minted furry friends.  

“Let’s be honest – pastries and coffee were nice and all when we hosted the Rat Café but that was a lot of work. We thought, ‘F it. This time, get drunk, see our show, touch rats and get drunk some more,’” says Matthew Clarkson, regional head of marketing for West Coast Midway Attractions, North America, Merlin Entertainments Group (parent company of The San Francisco Dungeon). 

If the s*#tshow described above strikes you as an educational or otherwise Instagrammable family-friendly occasion to enjoy with your spawn, virgin mocktails will be available for those under 21.