I like the 49er Inn for 2 reasons, the main reason I go there often is because they have karaoke all 7 nights and the kj does a good job with the rotation and the sound system is great for karaoke The 2nd reason is because a very special bartender named Michelle, she is probably one of the best all around bartenders I have ever met. She makes excellent drinks, beautiful lady, so so sweet and its a pleasure just talking with her and she is so down to earth, that I wish all women were like her, the world woould be a much better place. I know she works Tues & Wed nights and Sunday during the day and a few other days. I am also a dj/kj at a different local bar with very good bartenders. She is beautiful, so very sweet and makes a great Margarita. read more

Alex49er kicks ass!! The bartender Tiana is super sweet and super helpful also! Always a great time for drinks after a long day at work

Wanted to use the restroom real quick so I went inside the restroom to use it and the bartender was banging on the door, being was rude as hell. Scolded me for not saying hi to her and demanded my ID. Gave it to her and she was threatening to kick me out despite being of age and tried shoving it in my face that she was the owner. How was I supposed to know she was the owner lol no one was outside to even ID check you can't expect new customers to assume youre the "owner" and check in with you. Weird energy in this place. If this is how the "owner" treats their customers then it makes sense why this place has a 3 star.. and it honestly should be lower. if I could give a 0 star I would. If any of you come across a white lady with eyebrows arched to the moon, you're in for a terrible experience at this "inn" read more

Margaux is a great bartender! Very welcoming and friendly. I enjoyed playing the foosball table. Decent prices and good vibes

I have been a frequent regular at Alex 49ers, but after my experience tonight, my boyfriend and I will never return. I came in with my service dog, which has never been an issue before. However, tonight there was a bartender I hadn't met before who was incredibly rude and flatly stated he does not accept dogs. When my boyfriend and I explained that he is a legally recognized service dog, the bartender refused to listen, stated he does not accept service dogs, and completely escalated the situation by calling my boyfriend a "bitch" just for trying to explain that we come here all the time. To make matters worse, the regular bartender, Michelle, who knows us well, completely pretended not to recognize us and just said she had to do whatever he said. Denying entry to a service dog is clear discrimination and a violation of the law. The blatant disrespect and hostile behavior from the staff tonight toward regular customers is entirely unacceptable. We will no longer support this establishment. read more

Ambiance, dive bar and friendly people. Bartenders remember who I am even if I don't come in after a few weeks.

Went over there after a comedy show. Karaoke was fun and drinks were good and reasonably priced.

Never drinking here again, Service towards me was way off almost as if they didn't want me there, yes I'm talking about the big white female bartender. read more

The "Ambiance" ? Dive Bar 100% Like that's kinda all there is to say ? But I will say more . They have a heavy Bouncer at the entry Door at all times of day or night .... There's your set up ... that and the fact that this venue is sandwiched between an Adult Novelty Store & a 99cents Store ...Meaning you are also 100% likely to meet an interesting character, how "interesting" is determined by lottery ... & the stern doorman obviously. However, They have multiple pool tables , a classic Zoltar mis-Fortune Telling Machine , Potato Chips in packages for sale from the wall& Staring Role --strong cheap Drinks . A veritable amusement park for certain individuals in a certain mood. That's about all I have to say about that . read more

Bar tender was pleasant but the bar looked a little crappy. The karaoke host would let his friends or regulars sing 2 or 3 times before letting others sing. They charged some crazy price for a soda. I won't go back but if you want to play pool and drink, it might be fine for you. read more

The rude fat, white female bartender That worked November 30, 2024 Saturday night was not very professional and is very rude. My first time there. I bought a drink the first time it was fine I got my change back and I tipped her. I swear I got overcharged for my drink almost $20 for a 4 oz drink! The second time I bought My last drink I really was way overcharged again and on top of that I did not get my change back and she was rude. I even asked for water I was ignored. this place sucks when the bartender has given bad service. I will tell everybody I know even all the celebrities that this place is HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED TO GO TO! THEY RIP YOU OFF. THAT FAT FEMALE NEEDS TO BE FIRED FOR BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE! read more

I went here with my stepdad and a friend on a Monday. It's a cool spot for karaoke had a great time! Diverse crowd in terms of ethnicity and age! read more

Man I really wanted to give this place 5 stars as I had a great time however upon paying I noticed the bartender overcharged me , then I thought it was corrected then the next day I check my bank account and noticed I was charged triple of what my actual bill was ! Super disappointing , won't be returning again. read more

The newish bartender is sketchy and scamming people out of their change for tips and also for free drinks. I want to go back not be harassed into buying the bartender drinks or giving all my change back to the bartender without offering it. Please don't twist my arm. Owner is losing customers this way unless they condone this. It's a cool place to play pool though but listen I'm going elsewhere as long as this problem exists. read more

All the bartenders here are nice and welcoming, the bar is set up nice just you better bring cash with you or be prepared to have to make a trip out of the bar to the atm. read more

My good friend and I just finished a great day on our feet and were next door at the swinging hookah when we noticed this place. It looked like it had loads of character so we said "Why not?". Upon entering, we noticed the place had a lot of people in it and it was bigger than we thought. Everyone was also very friendly. We had a couple at the bar near the door welcome us; both her and I were sure they were regulars and inebriated, bit it was still very nice! Drinks for a Sunday were incredibly inexpensive, $2.25 for a jack&coke, $2 for Jello Shots, $2.25 for buds and bud light. They also had karaoke on Sunday night! There were a lot of people participating too which was fun! The bartenders were also quick to help both of us out when we wanted another drink or water. Overall; this little hole-in-the-wall is a fun place to have a few drinks and meet some good people. It is very dated on the inside, but if you get past that, it's a grand ol' place read more

Alex's 49er Inn - Her jello shot - Dive Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

Alex's 49er is a dive located just steps away from such conveniences as the Firestone tire shop, the Dollar Tree, Hollywood Hustler (a store that sells racy clothing and neck massagers), and the Pink Poodle (a low-end strip club). I'd wanted to go to this bar for a long time, and even tried once. My first try was on the very day of the 2020 super bowl, which featured the 49ers playing football both before and after Jennifer Lopez danced on a pole. The bar is the teams namesake. At the time, I didn't know about the super bowl and was greeted by a bouncer who had to wipe the chicken-wing residue off of his hands to inspect my ID. I only stayed long enough to confirm that there were no seats. My second attempt was successful. Little did I know this would be my last night out before the great quarantine of 2020. I can only hope that someone reading this in the distant future has to try hard to remember what I'm even talking about. My friends and I ordered Pabst and Corona. I would say Alex's has a sufficient level of beverage diversity as compared to similar bars. The establishment has two sections. When you walk past the bar, there is a room with a pool table (the kind that takes quarters that you have to get by asking your friends if one of them has a dollar bill, and then one of them fishes one out from the depths of his wallet, and you take it up to the bar, and wait along with all the people ordering jacks n' cokes, and let the bar tender know that she has to do the dumbest part of her job now which is getting quarters out of the register for you). My unsubstantiated hypothesis is that bars would make more money serving more drinks if they just made the pool table free. But I digress. The pool table was fine, there's not a lot of foot-traffic in that part of the bar, so you don't have to ask people to excuse you while you set up a shot. After losing at pool, which took a LONG time, I bummed yet another dollar bill off my friend and used the mechanical fortune teller. This is a glass box like the kind of you might fish plush toys out of with an impotent three-fingered mechanical claw. Inside the box is the upper half of a male mannequin wearing a turban, vest, and a beard that looks like it is made from real human hair. But like the hair was glued on as an afterthought to an otherwise beardless animatronic man. I put in my dollar bill (this machine takes bills, unlike the pool table) and "Zoltar" moved his hands, mouth, AND eyes, for an amount of time that someone decided was one dollar's worth. However, I feel that the real value was on the paper message that the box excreted after the performance (photo included) which informed me that "doubt is the father of invention". I like to picture doubt and necessity hitting it doggy style. read more

Alex's 49er Inn - Zoltar's excretions - Dive Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

I'm a dive bar guy but this place took me too the tippy edge of what I'll call a 'dive' (compliment) pushing the needle towards 'our inevitable decline'. Sign says 'Happy Hour every day'. And it is. Buds are $2 a bottle. I noticed I was the only one without one. Sign says 'almost all Red Sox games are on TV' and there was some Sox stuff on display. Sign says: No high heels behind the bar. The was new for me. Many of the folks were near passed out in a fetal position spooning their Bud bottles clutching big handfuls of Lotto tickets, drooling advertisements for a 'get rich slow' approach to financial planning. Interesting place. I won't be back. read more

Oct 24, 2009 Alex is a jerk that got rid of the 3 best bartenders I've EVER come in contact with. Allon, John & Annie. I haven't been back since I heard the news and after reading the most recent reviews I won't. Sounds like bad news all around. I can't wait to see where Allon ends up next so I can have a new place to play. ZERO STARS IF I COULD read more

Horrible service renne worst bartender ever she doesn't even know how to count . Will never go here again

So many reasons to love this place. 1. Great bartenders who I love. 2. Great people whom I call friends 3.great, cheap, and stiff drinks 4.best karaoke in town (arron the kj is awesome) Ahh must I go on? In other words great place all around. Sadly after almost 2 yrs of going I moved to az. Gonna miss this place. read more

Alex's 49er Inn - Dive Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Awesome karaoke every Wednesday and Saturday night. The song selection is pretty good and the drinks are nice and cheap. That's my favorite part. I couldn't tell what to make of it from the outside but just like a lot of places like that when I walked in there was a huge party going on in there. They also have a tv. read more

Went here last weekend with my husband it's an ok bar but I we went for the karaoke but upon arrival we were adviced they no longer have karaoke. So we had 1 drink and left read more

I like to go to bars to suck down a few and play some pool. Last time i was their the pool room was small with only 1 table. I had to wait about 30 mins to play and had to keep moving when players took a shoot. Decided to give Alex 49ers another chance. They took down a wall and it really opened it up. Now they got 2 tables and its not as cramped as it was before with only 1. Good move read more

Alex's 49er Inn - Opened it up and added a table - Dive Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

I have been coming here over the years periodically because I use the nearby Midas for oil changes and this is a convenient place to kill time. Now that the prices are higher ($5 for a bottle of Bud Light), it simply does not make sense anymore. Yes, I understand it is a dive bar, but the prices should reflect that reality. When chain restaurants like Chili's or Buffalo Wild Wings have lower prices AND far cleaner bathrooms (and they take credit card and they have more TVs), it really does not make sense to drink at this establishment. read more

Have you ever dreamt of combining your favorite soup kitchen, homeless shelter and sports bar all into one congested shit-hole? Well, LOOK NO FURTHER! Thanks to some brave entrepreneur, this dream is now a reality. Despite being located next to the high-end and uppity department store Savers, Alex's 49er fails to attract the stuck-up snobs you can find shopping for a 3 dollar suit next door. As if its superior location wasn't enough, Alex's 49er is home to anybody that is looking to get absolutely shit-faced, while taking advantage of their 9AM Happy Hour. That's right NINE AM in the MORNING! No more waiting around on a Tuesday night for your favorite bar to start serving drinks at half price. Nope, just crawl your ass out of bed and head down to Alex's 49er. Don't even brush your teeth (don't worry, you'll fit in), just go! The second I walked into this halfway house I could feel the magic in the air! But it wasn't until I saw a prosthetic leg, all alone in the corner, looking for it's owner, that I knew I was dealing with something special! That's right, A PROSTHETIC LEG. Apparently, Alex's 49er has such good drink specials, that there was some one-legged asshole hopping all the way home that night, not realizing that he had forgotten his leg. Fuck forgetting your keys or wallet, that's for pussies. REAL DRINKERS forget their limbs. So, whether you are looking for a good place to pick up an alcoholic homeless person, or you're in need of a prosthetic leg, Alex's 49er is the place for you! Homelessness aside, I managed to enjoy my time here, as well as the impeccable service that my friend and I received. read more

I came in here tonight, and was refused service. I talked to my fellow customers and they said I wasn't drunk. I talked to the bouncer and he said I wasn't drunk (and thank'd me for not making an issue of it). I even offered the bartender( an asian girl named "Talia" I think {it was loud}) my keys, even though I took an uber. Don't go here if you're frequenting across the way. Go to 7 Stars instead!. read more

For whatever reason, San Carlos Street in San Jose has it's fair share of dive bars. Sure, the infamous Coconut Willy's is gone, but the Red Stag, The Bears Cocktail Lounge, and Alex's 49er Inn pretty much make the dive bar strip that is San Carlos Street. All of these joints feature cheap booze, an assortment of shady characters, and oddly enough, karaoke nights (with a good song selection and KJ). All these ingredients add up to a dish Archie G. wants to sample every now and then. Overall, Alex's 49er Inn offers the best San Carlos Street dive bar experience. For starters, the booze is as cheap as it is going to get. They take pride in serving up cheap beer and well drinks. If the recession has got you down and you want to drink on the cheap, this is the place to go. A drunk girl liked one of my karaoke performances so much that she wanted to buy me whatever I was drinking, which was Jack and (diet) Coke. And for $2.17, the bartender presented me with some a strong concotion of Old Crow and diet Coke. Victory! The people are hilarious. One guy, with blond "Weird Al Yankovich" hair, told me my that my karaoke performance was super awesome and then, asked me if I smoked [insert your illegal drug of choice here] and if I wanted to smoke [insert your illegal drug of choice here] with him. Puzzled, I looked at him and said, "Sure." He then looks at me and says, "Cool," and then adds, "Oh, by the way I just ran out. Do you have any?" I guess the recession has him down. Damn. Other great characters include: a group of 21-year old girls decked out in glittery club outfits, high heels, and big hoop earrings getting annoyed whenever the guy with approximately 12 teeth hits on them. Or maybe the 47-year old guy in sandals that swears he can pull any girl at the bar and then gets so mad when they turn him down he would take a shot of whiskey to calm himself down. I also enjoyed the old man that kept talking about the upcoming alien invasion. He was rad. In the end, Alex's 49er Inn is a fun little dive bar that has cheap booze, karaoke, and lots of little wieners. And that was not a "Man Jose" joke. Seriousyly, they have a crockpot full of wieners in the joint. Nice. read more

At times when I get that battered washed-out-relic-from-the-Hippie-days feeling, which is perfectly appropriate in my case being as I am less than 12 months away from 60, here is one place I can go where it don't feel too out of place... that feeling. I can schlep in, settle onto a bar stool, order a cheap drink... and karaoke to a little working man's Joe Cocker, or Ray Charles, or Doors, and not feel quaint.. this is the perfect spot to do that.. It's the perfect music for this place.. and lots of fellow relics.. and also lots of younger folk who are just sort of into wallowing in some of that ol' battered-blue-collar-washed-out-Hippie-day-relic feeling, do just that. And it's never too crowded here or never too empty.. certainly never too Hoitee-Toitee. Sometimes dancers from the Pink Poodle across the street drop in after their shift.. which manages to stimulate the libidos of us relics as much as stimulation is still possible. This is also where, a few years ago, I received my most impolite, ethnically-offensive compliment to date.. after my usual killer-rendition of La Bamba.. .."Man, for a Chinaman, you sing those Mexican songs real good.." enthused a Mexican to my face.. but he was so sincere in saying it, I was not offended at all.. And really, other than the hostility and derisiveness with which it is sometimes uttered, is there anything *inherently* offensive about the term "Chinaman?" I mean the *Chinese* word for Chinese is "Zhong Guo ren," which literally translates as "Zhong Guo" = China and "ren" = man (you know.. "Chinaman") so what's the big deal? Besides I think being called "Chinaman" has a certain panache that being called "Chinese-American" lacks.. But as usual I digress. Karaoke here Wednesday thru Saturday... read more

The most fun I've had in a dive bar, ever! Sure, there was some slight (by slight, I mean A LOT) harassment from a partially toothed, "Naw'Leans" native, but hey! After walking past 3 homeless guys arguing about squat spots right in front of the entrance, my standards for the bar dropped precipitously! Nevertheless, the bartenders were hilarious and super attentive, so all of my qualms about being sandwiched between Twiddle-dee and Twiddle-dum at the bar quickly evaporated! The only bummer I'd say about the bar is the cash only policy. The KJ was a bit strict about sharing the microphone with a fellow belter, but after tipping generously and batting my lashes, she allowed us a duet with a single mic (it sounds better that way). Our rendition of the 4 Non-Blondes' "What's going on?" was an epic hit, which meant, free beers for us for the rest of the night! Hooray!! read more

Locals only bar!! We live in the neighborhood and have on 3 aarempts tried to get a drink at this establishment. First two times was on a busy night where we were I fear of getting mugged. Third time was tonight a Sunday night at 7 pm. Not busy. This time we walked in with our dog. We were immediately told the dog was not welcome. Our dog is a service dog. The first and foremost, any establishment is not allowed to ask if it is a service dog. He is. Or ask for credentials, which we have. We left for the last time. Alex's bar is not for us. We again were not welcome. I'm only yelping to let the owners of this bar know that how we were treated tonight is law suit material. So get your staff educated. read more

Let me tell you a story about how me and Alex's came to know and love each other. after a frantic day of searching for ugly cat sweaters at Savers, I decide to stop in to Alex's with my partner in crime and celebrate our sweater victories. $2 well and beer all day...every day... we started knocking back the drinks at 7:30pm... at about 9pm the karaoke shows up. Apparently we sing every song we can think of till around 11pm where we're so drunk that we fall asleep in the car waiting for our sober friends to come pick us up. They located us on opposite ends of the car without our pants on... none of us have any idea why we took our pants off... Also, two different men asked me to come home and sleep with their wives, and he-who-shall-remain-anonymous exposed himself to a drunk Irishman who was later on escorted out of the bar via the police for groping a woman or two... We immediately came back the next night. This is not the bar for everyone, but if you want a night you wont remember and might regret, go here. read more

OK the drinks are cheap, the 5 kinds they carry. I will pay LOTS extra to drink where you don't need a cattle prod to keep the wierdos away from you. They get all horned up at the Pink Poodle and come over to Alex's looking for action. The Karaoke is unspeakably bad from all points from available songs to singers to sound. I hear they are getting a new guy for Sunday nights that is good, though. This is at night. In the day not too bad for a quick drink after shopping the thrift store. But they don't carry my drink, so I rarely go unless somebody I know works there so I drop in to say hi. Since they go through bartenders like underwear I am never obligated to go to say Hi often. Skip it unless you are really broke. read more

If your willing to have an open mind it is a good place to come and have fun, hang out and have some cheap drinks. The crowd is older and very interesting if your into people watching this is this is your kind of place. Karaoke is always fun (tip: the earlier you get here the easier it is to sing, the place gets crowded with regulars and the wait time is too long) But they have good song selections and it is a good crowd to sing to if your good or bad no one cares everyone just wants to have a good time. The drinks are amazing well drinks and beer are only $2 all day everyday and they even have wifi. As a SJSU student I try to save money so I definitely love the $2 drinks. You get people here from all walks of life, sure some people are a little weird but just smile and be friendly. Its all about your attitude if you come here with a positive outlook you will have a blast. I recommend everyone to go here at least once and to give it a chance. It wont disappoint. read more

I asked for an "authentic San Jose experience" and this is what I got. I was apprehensive about the sketchy people that were lingering at the front door, and I raised my eyebrows multiple times at the clientele (most notable- the man in overalls and a hard hat who was desperately trying to "make eyes" at anyone and everyone- oh wait- or the awesomely awful karaoke singers who butchered two of my favorite songs), but overall, I suppose I appreciate the happy hour that is advertised to last 20 hours a day ($2 wells and $2 Budweiser) and I really liked the cushy arm rests that surround the giant tables. If I were to fall off my stool, I wouldn't bump my head! Cash only, karaoke is Weds-Sat, great people-watching. read more

where to get lit and sing karaoke before hitting up the pink poodle. it's not at all as sketchy as it used to be, seems actual 49er fans frequent the place now- i.e. white people who drink wine at a tailgate. three stars because it is also a convenient place to get drunk before attempting to shop at "savers", except that it has resulted in me purchasing at least two ill fitting faux fur jackets and a pair of extremely used heels that upon sobering up i realized would probably give me some sort of staph infection. *see uploaded photo of my dear friend in from NYC actually bringing the house down with his version of "losing my religion", that was highly enjoyable and i for the most part hate karaoke. read more

Alex's 49er Inn - for the ladies in the audience - Dive Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Well what can I say? This is the place where beezies be going when beezies be broke! You can never go wrong here. Roll in with a 20 dollar bill and you're rolling like Donald Trump! "Drinks on me!" Mmm hmm, got enough to buy you, your wingman and the person to the right and to the left of you a round of drinks. Drinks are cheap and cold (just like my women) and the service is friendly. All walks of life here people, that's the beauty of it! Wanna sing? Get there early! You're gonna have to fight off some of the regulars but don't fret, you'll get your turn to be the next American Idol, in the mean time, buy yourself a $2.00 Bud light or maybe 2 or 3. Sit back and enjoy the ride, this should be a San Jose Landmark! read more

Are you looking for pricey and drinks and a pretentious atmosphere? Are you looking for expensive bar food and a humdrum atmosphere? If the answer to these questions are yes and this is not the place for you. What they have is the right mix of dive bar and karaoke. I've been showing up on Wednesday nights because the karaoke is amazing. I've even seen it break out into a dance party just because the crowd was all hyped up. Night club party atmosphere and dive bar prices... Who would've guessed? read more

I Live pretty close,my old roommate hangs here sometimes.I dig the friendly old school atmosphere.Drinks are actually affordable here and they have some snacks,a pool table and yes!!! Karaoke and the songs are well known from 60's/90's kinda thing! It's close to Burbank so keep your wallet in your car.....under the back seat mats! read more

Calling this place an "Inn" makes about as much sense as calling a mortuary a fast food restaurant. It's just not true. This place is about as dive as it gets, and it's cash only. So what's the draw? You can get drunk of $20. $2 beers. $2 well drinks. Karaoke. Nuff. Said. read more