You'll Need To Pawn Something To Get Inside This Bay Area Speakeasy: Report

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — With its big red neon sign and "Cash for Gold" hand-painted sign, this building looks like a trendy pawn shop.

But give an item to the pawn master, and get thrown into an underground speakeasy with an extra surprise — an NC-17 cabaret show.

"Offer something fun, curious, or unique to pawn or trade. This exchange sets the tone for an evening of what awaits inside," The Pawn Shop says on its website."

The Pawn Shop in the 900 block of Mission Street has been in San Francisco for the last seven years, according to an SFGate report. But because of its exterior appearance, many who pass by may be unassuming to what's actually going on inside.

The layout is meant to honor the building's former function while transforming it into an all-new experience, according to The Pawn Shop.

"We want to keep San Francisco weird," The Pawn Shop co-owner Michael Anthony Levitt told SFGATE. "So much of that was lost, especially after the pandemic. But at our little corner of Sixth and Mission, we try to bring it back."

Read more from SFGate.