Doc's Clock: A Mission Mainstay

April 30, 2005

A true San Francisco institution, Doc’s Clock has been a beloved Mission District dive bar since it first opened as the Clock Tavern in 1951. It got its current name in 1961 when a dentist, Dr. Ralph Mancuso, bought the bar and installed the iconic neon sign.

In 2017, after losing its lease at its original home at 2575 Mission Street, the bar was forced to move. A battle ensued with the old landlord over the vintage sign, but with help from the community and the city’s Legacy Business program, owner Carey Suckow was able to reclaim it. On September 18, 2018, the sign was triumphantly re-lit at its new home at 2417 Mission Street, a symbol of a neighborhood fighting to hold on to its character.