Four stabbed men who lied to cops at a hospital about what happened to them have admitted being at a San Francisco eatery where gunfire erupted Monday, police said.

Cops also say a fifth person arrived at a different hospital with stab wounds in connection with the restaurant shooting in the 2500 block of Noriega Street

The ordeal apparently began as a senseless spat between two groups of friends around 2:30 a.m. A member of one group glared at a member of the other, they argued and then one of them left to fetch a gun from a car. He opened fire in the restaurant.

A man in the rival group told police he managed to wrestle away the gun. When cops arrived, they recovered the weapon but the shooter and his pals had fled, police said.

Not long after, four men suffering moderate stab arrived at Seton Medical Center in Daly City. One of the victims told police they had been attacked at Serra Bowl, a bowling alley on Junipero Serra Boulevard. Investigating cops realized that was lie.

The fifth stabbing victims was brought by his pal to UCSF, police said.

Police have not said whether any arrests have been made in connection to the bloody brawl, or where the stabbings occurred.

maldax@sfexaminer.com