I feel like a lot of my recent reviews have consisted on "how have I not known this is here", and welp, here's another one! I truly had no idea 19th Street Station (bar, not Bart) was and has been located on 19th street for quite some time...say what! The things you learn.. Filled with tons of Oakland artifacts and odes to all the Oakland sports teams (I know, tear shed), this spot is truly a unique gem and not so much off-the-beaten-path...but maybe more so a "if ya know, ya know" local hang bar. Upon entering, it felt like you could cozy up to the bar and truly chat about anything with other locals. Such a nice feeling and something truly amiss with other bars and sports bars these days. Service was quick, and the people were so kind. I think the bartender may have been the owner, and seemed so happy to be there sharing stories of the neighborhood. If/when I'm back in the area, I will for sure be on the lookout and come thru. Street parking available. Looks like you can bring your own food in with a new hot dog spot next door (Winky Dinky Dogs). read more

19th Street Station - Pubs Near Me - Oakland, California

Love this bar. Roy is a delight and stepping into the bar feels like a bit of a time capsule of the Midwest mixed with California. Can bring your own food, food is often offered, people are nice, sportsball on the screens but it's no obligation to pay attention. Can't say how happy I am that I found this place. read more

If you remember Cheers, well this is the closest to it. Nice crowd and excellent service.

Love This Place! Thanks Roy! Good hang with nice folks. Good feeling place with comfortable atmosphere read more

Cool dive bar! Lots of Oakland nostalgia, fair, priced drinks and very cool owner, Roy. It was a pleasure speaking with him about the history of his bar, Oakland sports, etc.. read more

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Nice bar to hang after work. Chill vibes. The bartender is friendly and service is good

I'm sure Roy, the owner, could give two hoots about yelp, but man! Thank you for your hospitality on Turkey day. I hope you and the gents had a great afternoon and we'll see you soon! I'm glad that you were open and cheers to your friend and World Series champion, Dusty Baker! read more

19th Street Station - Pubs Near Me - Oakland, California

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October football game he open Sunday ! Go see game and Roy Sunday this month ! You can call ask what time open ? He will good care of you ! read more

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A place that needs no introduction. If you like good service and smoking inside this is the spot for you.

Great bar I have been recommending it. The owner runs it and is incredibly nice. It's the type of bar you can pop in to after work and talk to anyone that sits down. Definitely a community vibe. read more

Why is this spot a five star to me? It's one of the oldest in Oakland. It's ran by one man -- owner. Typical old school bar. Only place folks are allowed to smoke cigarettes inside like old days. Inexpensive drinks, great customer service. A lot of history here. read more

Kool located downtown...Oakland, Ca One of the last places I've seen inna while where ya can smoke inside...Great place to watch the game, have a few cold ones and chill... Bar food Cold ones Lots of history here read more

Wow .. not that Roy needs any confirmation/recommendations but .. it's/he is simply delightful. Our story, experience .. we were heading to meet my wife's sister for dinner and passed the bar, intrigued ., went back looked inside and decided to change our rendezvous point to here. Only to realize, smoking was permitted .. ' live and let live ' Roy soo kindly allowed my wife and her sister to use his vintage Chevy truck as a ' tailgate ' brought the drinks out and joined the conversation. Honestly, he is a saint and it shines through how much he loves his calling. An absolute privilege to meet Roy and genuinely made our night ! read more

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Another Oakland dive bar gem. Awwyah! I've been to this neighborhood bar on several occasions, and has always been fun. It's super close to the 19th St BART station. Sweet! I dig the chill and laid back ambiance, but unlike the other Oaktown dives, 19th St Station is not as dark as The Ruby Room or Radio Bar. Lots of sports memorabilia, pictures, posters, adorn the walls. I swear every inch is covered with something. There are TVs throughout the bar for your sports viewing pleasure, and the other night it was all about the UFC baby! Those fellas were getting their arses whooped left and right. I digress, back to the bar - smoking is legal inside, and the smoke can be overwhelming. As a nonsmoker, smoke doesn't totally bother me. My 2 cents is that if it does get to you, just sit by the door or next to one of the electric fans. The bartender/owner is super friendly, (and during my last visit, he apologized for not noticing us when we first arrived, as his back was to us for a few minutes). Anywho, there's a great selection of alcohol, and stoked that my beloved Guinness is one of the beers on tap! There's no Grey Goose here, but they've got Ketel One and Hangar One. Drinks are cheap, and it's NOT cash only, so plastic is welcomed! For a dive bar, the bathrooms are actually very clean. Awesomeness! As for the clientele, lots of downtown worker bees (either in their business attire or tees and jeans) like to chill and unwind here after a long day. Many are regulars and the bartender definitely knows their names. They seem friendly enough, but most kept to their convos, (and my sense is that they may not have wanted a pseudo-newbie, but not quite a regular like me interrupting them). Regardless, I'll be back to this bar, and soon enough, the bartender might know my name. :) Digalicious Dive Bar! To quote my Oaktown Yelp pal, Cara Y, "Viva La Dive Bar!" read more

Well, there's a strange right wing vibe here -- fox news blares after 8pm, and the bartender distributes strange anti-global warming literature. That being said, I'm set up with a shot of jameson, a fosters and a pack of cigarettes for $15, the bartender isn't bothering me, and there's no lousy music. It'll do for getting off Bart. read more

19th Street Station - Pubs Near Me - Oakland, California

What a neat place....especially if you are a smoker. Let me start off by saying that I do not smoke. As a matter of fact I cannot stand cigarette smoke! A friend wanted to stop in here for a drink to show me something I have not seen in a long, long time...a bar that allows smoking. We pulled up a couple of seats along the bar and were warmly greeted by Roy, the bartender and proprietor of 19th Street Station. I asked Roy how smoking is permitted when it had been outlawed. He explained that the law did not pertain to bars with zero employees. Turns out Roy bought the bar in 1982 and is the only employee. He takes orders, makes the drinks, serves them and busses tables. If there is a fight he is the bouncer....but there has never been a fight there due to a few rules he has in place regarding decency and friendliness. Even though I despise cigarette smoke I can give it a pass due to the awesomeness of Roy. I deduct one star for the smoke...but really, really like 19th Street Station because of the owner. I took a photo of Roy in all of his awesomeness! read more

19th Street Station - The awesome owner of 19th Street Station...Roy! Hardest working bartender, server, busboy, bouncer, dishwasher around! - Pubs Near Me - Oakland, California

The dive bar of dive bars. The ambiance is a throw back to the glory years of Bay Area sports mixed with memorabilia. Roy is friendly and good humored bartender. A definitive window into Oakland's past. read more

The Clarences love & support 19th Street Station! Kudos for being a Dallas Cowboys fan! read more

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Great bar! Love the owner Roy! Great places to watch sports or unwind after work! Smoking inside is allowed!

I like this place, you can smoke if you like as its owner operated. The owner Roy seems odd, but he's ok too. If he doesn't talk to you, then that means he likes you. Yes I know, that's a strange comment but apparently true. The crowd are open, no yuppies, or if they are they leave their pretentious bs at the door or risk being told to F off. It's good place to wind down and they show most sports. read more

If you are a smoker, this is a 5 star place. Lots of sports doodads on the wall, cheap drinks, chill bartender. Just note that people smoke inside, and I don't like the ashtray smell I carry by the time I leave. Drinks are good priced and the environment is cool. read more

19th Street Station - Pubs Near Me - Oakland, California

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My friend and I came here on a recommendation from another friend, hoping to catch a college football game on TV. Upon entering, we were immediately inundated by the scent of stale and not-so-stale cigarette smoke. Ashtrays sat atop each table and dotted the bar. Is it 1993? How is this legal? We walked down the street to find another sports bar that required its patrons to smoke outdoors. read more

This joint was such a fun surprise! After having a killer sandwich at Stag's Lunchette I wanted to find a place to wash down my lunch with a couple of drinks. It didn't seem like the other bars in the area would be open in the afternoon so lucky I came upon this place. The decor is full of old style sports paraphernalia going back to the 80s and maybe even 70s. There's a lot of A's and Raider gear around (sweet) but the owner Roy is definitely a Cowboys fan and it shows. Speaking of Roy, he was one cool cat. He told me some funny stories and he seemed to keep the bar in check (i.e. not serving anyone that was already too hammered). The best part was meeting some cool folks who were in the bar looking to whet there whistle just like me. They were both very bright and topics ranged from the alternative energy to the crazy Hollywood business. Drinks and good times were had. As others said, this place is a gem and I'll be back soon. PS You can legally smoke in the bar (ask Roy to explain) so if that really bothers you, you probably shouldn't come here cause people definitely light it up in here. read more

Another smokeasy in Oakland? We have a public health issue in our bars here. I believe in person choice and all, but it's shocking how many places allow smoking indoors. That said, they had some beers on tap that I had never tried so that was cool in my book. 3 new flavors! Too bad they cost the typical $4 a beer and there wasn't a happy hour going on. It wasn't terribly smoky. The patrons and bartender were friendly. Mostly 30s and 40s crowd it seemed having a drink after work. The only thing I found a bit peculiar was that the people of color were distinctly on one side of the bar and the white crowd on the other. May have just been a coincidence, but it caught my eye. I'll have to go back to investigate. read more

If you're not much of a talker and you don't know how to start a conversation... This is one of those places you should go to on a date or out with strange co workers and even friends. The place is packed with crazy stuff that'll get you to start talking, reminiscing and even start an argument. This place is like Heinolds First and Last but on steroids. And it has history memorabilia from our time. And when I say our time, I mean like if you were a 90s kid time or am 80s kid time... This is also a SMOKING PLACE. So don't be surprise when you step in with fumes of smoke in your face. Yes my peeps this is a grown woman/mans bar. No judgement here! read more

What an unexpected find in DT Oakland. Usually, you have a choice between expensive and trendy (Trappist, Lukas etc.) or dirty and full of hipsters (Stork, Radio, Van Kleef). Now there's a third choice if you maybe, wanna watch a game, or just hang out without feeling you're surrounded by posers. Love it! read more

I'm a fan from way back! Roy & Bill Bailey are wonderful guys and the bar is as unique as it gets! Go Niners!

My friend Ally and I were up in Oakland going to the Fox theater, and had a couple hours to spare before seeing the Black Keys (which was freaking awesome). We started our search for a pub, and based on reviews ended up at this amazing establishment. 1. You can smoke in this bar. I kid you not. 2. Roy, the owner and only employee, is the coolest dude ever. He also knows Dusty Baker. Bonus points. 3. Regualrs are super cool. 4. Only, and I mean only, downside is that Roy heads out early and doesn't work on weekends. Early as in 8PM. Roy, you da man! I will be back. read more

As soon as you step into this place, this song was stuck in my head "Sometimes you want to go, where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came..." And where's this song from? CHEERS!!!!! You walk in, everyone is talking to each other, people know each other's name, and its just a good time here! Tons of stuff on the walls and ceiling to look at and Roy (the owner) is a true gentleman. While I was sitting there for an hour, there was such a mix crowd of people stopping in for a quick drink. Young indian/asian guys, young asian girls, older mexican lady, middle aged caucasians, etc. That's a great sign for any bar, in the MIDDLE of the day!!! Yes, you can smoke inside at this bar because the bar tender is also the owner and operator of this establishment, but its not super stuffy like an indian casino! lol Fun little dive bar and I will be back very soon!!! read more

Wow, I never knew this place existed in Oakland. It is awesome! No frills, just step up and order your drink and hang out. Clean (enough) bathroom and the gentlemen that run the bar (maybe even own the place) were super friendly and walked around talking with everyone in the place. **Just remember to choose your method of transportation ahead of time because the drinks here are no joke--they are stiff!! read more

this place looks like it's frequented by regulars. drafts (4) of quinness, harp, pyramid, miller are available. my quiness seem flat. there's a sign high up on the wall with the words "19th street station " with the namew bill bailey and roy megian? over and under the names. by coincidence, the bartenders on duty are named bill and roy. the patrons here are awesome. they bus their own empties bar to the bar. nice place to chat with friends and watch sports. didn't see any smoking going on. if i knew it was ok, i would have brought my cohiba. read more

I would give this place 3 stars except for one fact. The nasty cigarette smoke! Ten years ago, the smoke didn't really bother me, along with the fact I was not so aware of the dangers of lung cancer from second hand smoke (relative had it). Anyway, I was in here for 10 minutes, and I couldn't take all the smoke. Even with that, my clothes smelled like smoke when I got home. The place from the outside looks like a liquor store... read more

First time visiting Oakland area, will definitely make another stop here this trip! Roy makes the bar so welcoming and makes sure to chat with everyone that walks in. Bar has amazing collection of memorabilia-must check out! read more

Roy (owner) is awesome! Always has sports on! And of course if you are a smoker, it's the best! If you aren't a smoker: I have taken a lot of friends there and they don't complain because the ventilation system is very good. read more

This is an awesome neighborhood bar! Great casual, non-pretentious atmosphere, and because it's owner operated, smoking is LEGAL!!! Decent beer selection, and lots of schwag all over the walls. The only downside is that they're only open until 8pm daily, which kind of sucks. Great place to meet up with people before a show at the Fox or the Uptown, or on your way to BART. If you have an aversion to cigarettes, stay away. read more

Decent dive bar to meet cool new people to hang out and chill with. The bar offers limited food menu, so they kindly allow food from outside. Owners even hang out and sit with you. read more

This place is a dream. Cool decor. Mellow vibe. Nice bartender. Oh and you can smoke in here! What's not to love? read more

19th Street Station - Pubs Near Me - Oakland, California

I just had a really horrible and offensive experience with the bartender/owner here. As a sober person it is hard to find places to watch sports publicly where it's accepted to not be drinking. I came in here for game 1 of the NBA finals, ordered and paid for a club soda, and stood for the first quarter, as there wasn't available seating. A little after the second quarter started, a table opened up and I sat down, and watched the rest of the second quarter sitting there as I finished my club soda, planning to order another club soda at halftime. Halftime begins, and the bartender/owner comes up to me yelling that I need to give up the table, that I've been "taking up a table just on a club soda," and that "other people needed seats," despite the fact that I was not saving any seats and would have been more than happy to share the table if anyone had asked. He then proceeds to escalate and raise his volume in front of the other patrons, as if I were being drunk and disorderly. So apparently, unless you're drinking alcohol you're not welcome here, even if you're paying for non-alcoholic drinks. A really awful experience. read more

Amazing! Bartender is lovely. And you can smoke inside (plus for me, though I am sure, a dealbreaker for some). Spent a lovely, boozy Black Friday afternoon here read more

Won't be coming her again. Went a few times because you can bring in your own food--but being a woman buying a drink from the bartender/owner, it meant he was going to make some really unwanted flirtatious remark. Always made me so uncomfortable. But the real reason I won't be coming back is that someone I knew heard the bartender sharing some vehemently right winged, pro life opinions. And sure people are entitled to their opinions--even if those opinions want to restrict people's rights to their bodies--but when you're the front person in a business it's pretty unprofessional to let all that out. Besides--there are bars in Oakland they serve better beer for the same price. I'll spend my money there. read more