Among San Francisco’s thriving nightlife, one particular community favorite perfectly in the heart of the city offers a genuinely heartwarming and culturally engaging experience unlike anywhere else. The Detour within the vibrant Castro District has quickly erupted to become beloved by the queer community and beyond, and all thanks to the proprietor Shawn Vergara’s innovative and thoughtful passion towards bringing together his local patrons.
A brighter contrast to his moodier and more sultry Blackbird nearby, The Detour is radiant and resplendent with handmade art, curated arcade games both new and retro, and deliciously enticing with its wide menu of Filipino cuisine modernized for a dining and gaming experience unlike anywhere else. With a range of different community events each day of the week from drag bingo, to board game socials, Smash Bros. Tournaments, and family hours, The Detour has become a landmark with something for individuals, groups, and even children.
We gladly spoke to Shawn to illuminate us more on every detail of this venue’s growth, and why it is a must-visit this Pride Month for an unforgettable stop with a charming cultural flair along Market Street.
Hello, Shawn! Thanks for speaking, we’d love to know what inspired you to create The Detour, and what have been some of the most rewarding/positive feedback you’ve received on the games, experience, food, community, etc.?
After 5 years of Blackbird under my belt, I felt like I was in a good place to open another business. I knew I wanted to open another concept here in The Castro so my team and I began to ask ourselves, what could we bring that is different, fun, and exciting? How can we differentiate ourselves from other bars and restaurants?
We often look to our childhood or experiences for inspiration and one of my fondest memories growing up was going to the local 7-11 after school and playing video games until my parents came looking for me. Merging games with food and drinks made perfect sense! That is how The Detour was born.
Guests tell us quite often how happy they are to have us in the neighborhood. We’ve been described many times as an extension of one’s own living room. We provide a warm and inviting safe space. We have a ton of guests that come in several times a week. Whether it be attending our weekly events (Board Game Night, Drag Bingo, Trivia, etc.) or catching dinner before heading home, when you’re here, it really feels like community, something that many who live in the neighborhood said was missing.
I think people had low expectations of the food since we are known to be an arcade bar. But I’ve always thought of us as a restaurant-arcade-bar. From the beginning, I’ve said to the team that we need to think of The Detour as a restaurant first. People need to eat! Drinking and interacting with the space will naturally follow. Guests are pleasantly surprised to see a menu with Asian influence. It’s a menu that is near and dear to our heart.
And so how did you decide upon a Filipino-inspired food/drinks menu? What are aspects of the culture’s cuisine that resonated with you/the Bay Area community?
We originally opened with a straightforward American-focused bar menu. We did this on the advice of a consultant since staffing line cooks in the city at the time was extremely challenging. After a few months and meager food sales, we quickly realized the menu was not resonating with our patrons.
My sister and I quickly went back to the drawing board and decided to take a leap of faith. I told her that I had dreamt about bringing a touch of our Filipino culture to the business. Filipino food was just starting to become a part of the culinary conversation here in SF but more importantly to us, we wanted to share food that we love that was very meaningful and personal to us.
Our dad, a chef in the US, immigrated from Apalit, Pampanga, Philippines, which is a region known for its food. We asked our dad for recipes that we believed guests would enjoy. I surmised which dishes we would add to the menu that we could weave our own personal touch to excite our guests. We eventually curated a more Pan Pacific menu that leaned towards more Filipino flavors, with a touch of California influence.
The Detour has a diverse selection of games & machines. How do you source them and decide what to bring in? How about the interior design, and art sculptures?
We purchased the games through Craigslist and eBay, and we also work with a third-party vendor that helps us with maintenance. I had directed the interior design and my sister and I worked together on the layout and flow of the business.
Lastly, are there any other future endeavors for you or The Detour?
Currently we are solely focused on The Detour and our cocktail bar Blackbird.
The Detour is located on 2200A Market St., with the more intimate, speakeasy-like Blackbird down the street at 2124 Market St.
