This might be the best bar in Alameda. First and foremost, great drinks. Could use some more beers on tap, but there's an entire fridge full of delicious bottled microbrews for $3 a pop - can't beat that with a stick. Full bar, quality booze and mixers (and the knowhow to mix 'em right). Besides the drinks, the decorum is great - fresh paint, new floors, good furniture, art on the walls. The owners are fabulous people, and the patrons are quite enjoyable as well. A very diverse crowd, without most of the riff raff whose drunken dealings drive most of us out of the bar at an early hour. A great place to stop in for a drink or spend an evening, especially when there's a band (BarChords!). Cheers! read more

Fun place for a couple of drafts and catching football-both bartenders were great-gave me tastes to decide what I wanted. Good mix in the crowd with some early Halloween costumes! Want to come back to check out on a music night. read more

Great spot and a great bartender. Never a long wait with theses veteran bartenders and always serving with a smile and welcoming conversation. read more

I found this place through Yelp and thought it might be a nice chill place to hang out post-birthday dinner for the bf. The website advertised that it was going to be 80's night so I was super excited to check it out. Unfortunately I was deceived. I had no idea what music they were playing and they were also playing some strange, sometimes xxx-rated, old-school Tom Hanks movie. Bizarre. However, free pool, awesomely nice bartender staff, inexpensive drinks, and a huge beer selection made up for all of that. You'll also only find a lot of local brewed and distilled stuff here too. Awesome. read more

What a find! While I can't speak to its former incarnation, the new Fireside Lounge is inviting -- from the tasteful decor to the creative cocktails, unexpected wine offerings, and most of all the enthusiastic and personable staff (owner Patrick and cocktail queen Cristi). They made the b/f and I feel most at home and talked to us at length. Patrick was stoked to find fellow wine buffs to share notes with and hearing about Cristi's amazing journalism career was another surprising twist to the night. Stiff cocktails and very generous wine pours in oversized glasses that really let you appreciate the nose on the wines. Would give it five stars, but the music was odd (super random shuffle setting, anyone?) and a few details were overlooked -- a prohibitively dark corner, underused fireplace area, etc. But Patrick's love for his watering hole is apparent, and he has plans to outfit the front with windows and a Dutch door, so I'm confident his place will only continue to improve. While we live on the other side of the island, I do believe we've found our "neighborhood" bar. :-) read more

When I first walked into Fireside oh, around 3 years ago, I was immediately struck with just how fugly the inside of the bar was. I mean, I love a good dive bar; but the metal band in the tiny interior was enough to make my ears bleed (my eyes were already bleeding from how it looked), so I wrote Fireside off my list o' Alameda haunts. Skip ahead to today, and you have a tastefully decorated, homey, inviting place with WINDOWS (which sure as heck weren't in the original Fireside), free pool, and bartenders with personality (and yes, I too, like so many of the others here, like Alan with a passion). Tons of very interesting beers, and at least 10 or so bottles of wine at any given time. Plus, I caught the tail-end of the Raiders/Chargers game yesterday (ouch) and the place was actually pretty rockin'! I will reiterate others' sentiments about how quiet the bar is, though. I hope the Webster Curse (see Aquacotta) doesn't wear off on Fireside! I'd love to see the bar full of patrons more often. read more

I love The Fireside Lounge. Besides the sheer fascination I have for the beautiful bar, the owners/bartenders make my boyfriend and me feel welcome every time we go. I have never had a sour experience there; in fact, it was one of the first places in Alameda where I felt welcomed. I live close to Webster St and have seen how dead the nightlife can be on a week nights, so I really can't blame the owners for having limited hours. Recently, The Fireside has gotten even better: Dollar Taco Thursdays, Five dollar glasses of wine on Wednesday, and great music on the weekends. I would recommend this local bar to anyone who is looking for a casual bar with great beer and wine selection, friendly faces, and vibrant energy. read more

This is my local bar away from my place of residence. What's not to like about it? Cool Atmosphere Large selection of beers, whiskey, rye etc at reasonable prices Awesome bartenders; Sarah, Chris and Clay in particular They are also playing sporting events. Watched the Giants win the WS there this year, so they'll have a special place in my heart Also, they just started some really good specials for Sunday football. All in all, a delightful and fun place to enjoy drinks read more

Ahhhh, yes, my new neighborhood bar. Friendly warm and welcoming as their namesake suggests. For a beer lover like me, it is a small haven on an otherwise lame street. The free pool is just a bonus. 220+ beers in bottles, and another 10 taps with constantly rotating kegs. I don't know if I should be proud or ashamed that I have a few suggestions for their cooler... Hmmmm... The only thing really missing from this place is a good crowd. Oh, and perhaps an actual fire. Friendly barstaff who remember my name, and have figured out already that I never really order the same thing twice, as well as pleasant ownership who are actually here, playing pool and hanging out in their establishment, enjoying a warm spring evening. It is definitely a neighborhood spot. I hate to shuck off a star due to the lack of a crowd, but perhaps this review might help that. Much like Alameda itself, the Fireside is an unknown little gem in the Bay Area. One part of me hopes it will stay that way, and another hopes that I can swing by on a weekend night and see more than a dozen faces drinking and being merry. Just because I'm a beer drinker doesn't mean that I overlooked the full bar... they have firewater for you boozehounds too! Oh, and free Wi-Fi... I'm actually here now writing this over a nice pint of Drakes IPA, but if you want one, you better head down because next week there will probably be something new in it's place... I just wish they would have kept the Denogginator, as it's one of my faves. If it's beer you crave, and like variety, a warm atmosphere and friendly bar staff... pop through the tube or over the bridge and make your way down. *protip: If everyone who stuck their head in the door and decided it was slow chose to stay for a pint, it would have this place rockin', so don't just poke your head in, stop in for a pint. read more

This is a great, community-oriented lounge that has all kinds of fun events, great art, and delicious drinks. Highly recommend a visit, especially during any of the 80's Nights that are occasionally held there, or during any trivia night. If you're looking for something different to do with your evening, it's a good place to go and have fun. read more

I have called this location severel times today (during business hours) with no answser. When they have answered I was hung up on.

This is just regarding the Monday night Trivia night. It's hosted by some guy named Kirkland who has to be the laziest Trivia Master I've ever seen. He was late, but the worst part was that the first round consisted of 10 questions in the form "Which was invented first?" or "Which happened first?" How can anyone say they are smarter because they get those type of questions right? It was total guessing for our team, I think for the other teams as well. Then he scored each team's answers by walking around the bar, then giving the answers over the mic. He then went outside (and went outside again after all 5 rounds) for what can only be termed "A Very Extended Smoke Break." Trivia Night was supposed to start at 8pm and by the time the second round started it was 9pm! The second round consisted of Kirkland handing out papers with pictures of 10 celebrities with first names that started with "A" and having teams write down names under each picture. Then it turns out one answer was "Jane Alexander" so he gave the wrong instructions. The third round was the most brutal trivia game of which I've ever been a part - guessing movies based on descriptions or famous quotes. Get ready to cringe -- one of the quotes was "Hasta la vista, baby!!!" The fourth round was slightly better - handing out papers with sports team logos and having teams write down team names and in which city(ies) they play or played in. By the time Kirkland started walking around to score each team's answers it was 10:30. Because I wanted to get home before the end of the Biden administration, I left. Everything from the game felt like the Trivia Master spent maybe 10 minutes printing off a bunch of trivia crap from the Internet. The rest of my team was sending around texts the next day saying they had to go back to the bar that night for the tiebreaker! My advice: Go to another bar which has a slightly faster Trivia Master who puts in a little effort. Good beer, though!!! read more

I agree with my boy, Todd B. This place should be more poppin. Even on a Friday night, it was nearly empty expect for our sizeable group. But I had a great time. The bartender took care of me well with good vodka/tonic's. They have plasma's everywhere, a pool table, a foosball table, and a piano. It's also a very nice place inside. Definitely a good spot to hit up for some beer/drinks, before a night out. read more

When I was a kid, my parent's local was a place in our good old Capitol City called The Fireside Lounge. This was back when folks could bring their tykes to the bar, set them up with a few quarters and a tabletop Ms. Pacman and go to town on their Manhattans, Martinis, and Tia Marias. Drinks were served in tiny old fashions and skinny highballs. The bartender could get your folks a good deal on a side of beef, wholesale. And of course, everybody knew your name. Which could end up being a problem sometimes, I suppose. We had my dad's retirement party here, after his 45 years of servitude as a newspaperman in a dying trade. I ate my first lobster tail here in celebration of my 2nd place win in an essay contest. This place was witness to the first time I got drunk with my mom not long after my dad passed away. And it was witness to the two of us stumbling home together to compete for first rights to worship the Porcelain God. Sadly, that Fireside has been replaced with a Starbucks and a One Hour Martinizing. Yes, it's true, you can't go home again... So I suppose I stumbled into this Fireside with a few nostalgic notions in my mind. Happily, I was not disappointed. We were immediately greeted by a friendly bartender who let us taste a few beers on tap before we made a decision. No offer for a wholesale side of beef, but that was okay by me. My Martini was dry, icy, and well-shaken. We played a friendly game of pool, during which I am happy to say I did not embarrass myself. The music was cool - Johnny Cash, Curtis Mayfield, and some other stuff that made me happy but did not intrude on our stimulating conversation. The bartender politely closed our tab, asked us our names, and shook our hands on our way out. Then we stumbled across the street to Lucky JuJu and spent the rest of the night drunkenly multi-balling away. A nostalgic night to remember. read more

Nice little dive with space in the back for shows. Jazz nights are nice, and the occasional drag shows are great for people just getting into the drag scene. read more

The Fireside is arguably the best bar on Webster Street. Cheers to the three new owners for taking over and infusing this space with new energy. Past improvements are suddenly even sweeter with the addition of premium alcohol, fresh squeezed juice and inventive cocktails. A more polished crowd rounds it out. read more

My friend Cristian M. has been telling me to check out the "new" Fireside for months now, but I only managed to get there (with him) last week. Wow, do I feel like a jackass for waiting so long. This is a *great* bar. For a variety of different reasons: Ambiance The room has nice furnishings and a sophisticated feel, but lends itself to many activities-- lounging with drinks, playing pool, watching sports on the TVs above the bar (I can't tell you how happy I am to have found a bar that isn't a dive but still allows me to catch some ACC action), or dancing on weekend evenings. The crowd seems to be very friendly, with a good mix of regulars and visitors. Staff When I was there the owner's girlfriend Cristi was bartending. She was friendly as all get out, managed her crowd well (always making eye contact with people trying to order, even when she was busy, telling people she would be right with them), and EXTREMELY knowledgeable about their offerings, from beer to wines to spirits. I spent a lot of time quizzing her about different drinks and spirits and was very impressed with the amount of analysis and thought she had put in to the bar's selection of alcohols. Since her boyfriend is mostly interested in beer, Cristi is in charge of the cocktail menu (which changes seasonally), and has come up with some excellent drinks. I was also very pleased to hear that she makes their own mixers herself, since she can't stand most of the crap mixers on the market. This is a woman dedicated to making a quality drink, which makes her my type of bartender. Drinks First, they have an excellent and very wide selection of beers. I'm not a beer person but was impressed by the variety. The wine selection was good, and included some good local (and by local I mean the Bay, not Napa, people) choices. Hard liquor included lots of quality labels and numerous local products (although not Hangar One-- and with good reason, as it turned out. But I'll let you ask about that your ownselves). As importantly, the "signature" cocktail menu had some creative and as it turned out quite good offerings that Cristi had put a lot of thought in to. And, as I mentioned, the drinks are made with quality mixers that Cristi makes herself (who doesn't like a woman who declares her hate for commercial sour mix?) Really, I can't overstate how stupid I feel for not getting to the Fireside sooner, or how happy I am that I finally stopped in (thank you Cristian!). What a great bar. I can't wait to go back. read more

first impression through the door, woah. nice. we (the wife and i) sat down, got some drinks. second impression still good. nice pool table. nice decor. interesting folks. bar looks well stocked. we talked a bit about how the place is indicative of the increasing age of the hipsters. we're having kids, moving into more suburban settings and the places we are used to are slowly following us here. but... this place does not belong. by the time we were ready to leave we've decided we would not be back. on our way out the door we looked at the desperately retro phone booth at the entrance and realized what was so wrong about the Fireside Lounge. this is a place that tries to transplant the soul of san francisco to alameda, but it achieves in bringing over only the vain outer skin. a sad attempt at "hip", one of countless soulless clones without any hint of its own character. way way over rated... read more

This place blows - our friend just had his 30th birthday there - and well after telling them 2 months in advance and setting everything up - in middle of the party mind you it's only 11:30 they cut alcohol service because they were over capacity and well let me tell you there was so much space in there - I can't even believe that their capacity is that low. Oh and guess what hella people left and then still no alcohol service oh and to top it off then they shut down the bar - way to ruin my friends 30TH birthday - THANKS FIRESIDE LOUNGE YOU SUCK. And p.s. If I could put negative stars for a rating I would but unfortunately you have to have at least one star so there u go read more

OK, I get it that Alameda is sooo starved for nice bars but come on. This place has a weird vibe. Its looks like a dot.com bachelor pad--where someone just bought a bunch of stuff from Pottery Barn and tossed in a pool table. It lacks any soul or personality. It's a 40+ crowd on the prowl. And what kind of bar won't let you start a tab? A place that doesn't take credit or debit cards. You've been warned! It's safe to say I'll never step foot in this place again. read more

I was surprised when I poked my head into this place. I was expecting a dive bar and it's been newly remodeled. There is a beautiful bar, nice lounge feel and pool table. They are planning to open up the front with a picture window once they get funds from the city. They had a sign for salsa lessons on Thursday lessons - will check it out and give a review. It's drinks only right now. Hopefully they will have food but definitely a touch of class on the West side of town. read more

It's great not having to go into the city to find a classy spot. I'd been to the 'old' Fireside, and believe me, it's nothing like owner Patrick's re-incarnation. And he found a gem in Cristi, who makes the insane cocktail combinations behind the bar. Cinammon chai martinis, absinthe drinks that are strong, but not overpowering, plenty of beer, and WINE! Having joined (or been forced by my girlfriend) into the wine snob category, I'm starting to appreciate wine more and more these days, and when Patrick found out we loved wine, he started bringing stuff out from the back and having us test it out. Very heavy pours, great service, nice floor plan, everything is perfect. Do it! read more

i'm such a geek. (text alert) boy: yo it's ___! wut up, i'm in yo set. come to fireside. b here til midnite. me: really? yay, i wanna see you. why are you chilling in a tire shop for that long? boy: what?? me: what?? (10 minutes later) boy: fireside is a bar, fooh! i think u mean fireSTONE! hahahaha me: oh! hee. okay be there in a bit. do they serve chimay? boy: what?? me: what?? (5 minutes later) boy: nah, they don't serve any food. LOL! anyway, i get there and lo and behold, there is a pool table and a chill vibe. the bartender was attentive and the crowd is fairly mixed, which i love. and anyone knows that a motley crowd DEFINES a good dive bar. also, the mexican restaurant next door has slamming carnitas tacos (al carbon). ooh, and that night i met a former member of the delfonics! or was it confunction? ahh, balls. anyway, he truly blew my mind that time, yes he did. always a good time with great people! read more

Good service, great cocktails, and fun theme nights, live music. Definitely recommend to any and all who care to drink.

The worst customer service ever!! Very rude and can't even make a long island!! Loud music! Never again!!

Fireside Lounge has such a chill vibe to it; I really enjoyed it. A group of girls and I showed up for Trivia Night. Drinks were affordable and plentiful. The bartenders were fast, attentive, and friendly - they always had smiles on their faces. It's a great, neighborhood bar. read more

I had to update my review of this place. When I first tried out Fireside a few years ago it was 11pm on a Saturday night and it was DEAD. On a SATURDAY night. So I initially rated low. But then I ended up at Fireside again last Saturday due to a long line to get in at the Forbidden Island. (Unbelievable! A line to get into a bar in Alameda??) I was pleasantly surprised at how alive the place was. There was a live band playing in the back, a small crowd in the front room and some people playing around the pool table. The type of crowd was great too - a very diverse mix of age, race, gender/sexuality. :) I love that about Alameda. The bar service was great. There was only a slight delay in getting our drinks. The bartenders were very friendly. I loved it! So happy to have another great bar to go to in Alameda. read more

One of my favorite bars in the Bay Area!! From the decor and art on the walls to the soft ambiance with candles and music. I love the assortment of beers and fresh made cocktails. I even get to watch a game now and then on their flat screen. Enjoyable all around!!! Love it! read more

Chris, the bartender is awesome. I mentioned I had a sore throat, next thing I knew he made me a drink of lemon, honey & hot water. Was very unexpected and so thoughtful. Very attentive to the patrons. Thank you, Chris. read more

This is a fun place for trivia nights, and good beer if you ask the bartender their opinion. Go for the Allagash White and maybe skip the House Cab (tastes like vinegar). read more

I want to like this place. I want it to be my neighborhood bar. The remodel is nice, They have a Decent booze selection. They have a good beer selection.However My problems with this place. They post hours that they do not keep. March 5 th 8 pm they are CLOSED What kind of bar is closed on a Friday and this is not the first time. 2 months ago I tried going on a Saturday night CLOSED also. So beware of hours posted. The Bartenders are average. Wonder if the guy just uses it for a tax write off because he won the lottery or he is a trust fund baby. Do your business district and your neighbors who want to go out for a drink sell the place to someone who cares and wants to own a bar. read more

For sale? Closed? I live in the West End and try to support my local businesses as best I can. I was happy that the Fireside had a "make over" and liked the overall result. Good atmosphere, quailty drink. Prices a little high but not outrageous. Went to the "Peanut Butter and Jam" webster st fair (commercial peanut butter started on webster st. Jiffy? near the Jack in the box- the Jam is the music part and tribute to PBJ) and was looking forward to a triple IPA at FI. Not open and a for sale sign. read more

My boyfriend and I decided to drop in for a drink since it was close to home - GLAD WE DID!! We immediately made conversation with some of the patrons and ended up having a great time! Christy's concotion (something with bitters, ginger ale, and vodka?) was yummy! I can't wait to stop in again! read more

Sweet brew of the gods. They have some great draught selection in here. And check out the lambic on tap! Do not, however, be fooled by the display of bottled beer they have at the end of the bar. They do not have them all. Theres a decent mix of people here, young locals and some trendy hipsters. Some older folks sipping wine. Swanky decor, comfy leather couches and not too loud not too soft music, one standard pooltable with free play and some pro looking cuesticks. A stately fireplace at the far end keeps the bar true to its name. Artifacts of note include the historical map of Alameda above the fireplace. All in much in contrast to the divier Shamrock pub at the end of the street. Post last call, there is always Nation's for your drunken hunger pangs. read more

Great bar, great vibe, friendly employees, close to my house and Trumer Pils on tap. Overall, this place is wonderful.

Hadn't been for a year or so; went to karaoke last night. Karaoke was fun, the service was great. Nice friendly bartenders, good pours. Nice clean place, hot as hell during warm weather. Would rate higher, but the beer and liquor selection is subpar. Hangar One is a fine vodka, but not having Ketel One is just silly. No Bushmills either. Most disturbing is the beer. I am all for supporting local breweries, even if I find some of their offerings to be awful. Small batch does not always equal better. Occasionally I'm not in the mood for all that culture, and can I just have a Miller Lite or a Stella? It's obvious Management isn't insisting on superior quality, since they serve cans of urine (PBR) and also have Tecate. Any bar where I can't get a Heineken or a Guinness speaks to the vanity of the management and not the desires of the customer.... read more

I went to this place after i got an invitation to their "salsa" nights. I went inside expecting a real salsa dance floor, but all i saw was a pool table and a small space in the back, near the exit, which I can only assume is their dance floor. Hm, this is not the place for salsa though. Its a regular bar more than a lounge. It may be a cool place to hang out if you want to kick back and drink, but not salsa dancing. my friend and I were in there about 5 mins max, then we had to find a real salsa place, so we ended up going to SF. its too bad that there are no real salsa dancing in eastbay on a Thursday night. the advertisement for their salsa nights is deceiving. read more

Not what I was expecting. I walked in with friends ready to buy a round and the bartender didn't even greet us. Unless her greeting of "I need to see everyone's I.D." counts. We are all in our late 30's btw. For the second round, I had to wait for her look away from her cell phone for about 5 mins as she finally poured beers while still on her phone. Its one thing to wait when theres a crowd, but when there's not? Also, there are candles on every table and at the bar which the bartender said she didn't have a lighter for. I found one (at the bar from another worker) and lit them myself. And to top it off, we went there for the foosball table which doesn't exist. Crowd, environment, ambiance, not good either. Not sure how this place has such good reviews. read more

Reopened under new management. But I haven't been in... I hear they have karaoke? I'm giving 3 stars to average it out.

This is my favorite bar! If you're looking for a neighborhood bar where everybody knows your name, come here. The owners are awesome, the bartenders are great and the drinks are on point. Gotta throw a shout out to my faves Chris, Bitsy, and Sarah! read more