Viridian on Broadway Uptown, one of the most awarded bars in the country and it earns every…read moremention. Esquire best bar, World's 50 Best Discovery, Tales of the Cocktail nominated year after year. Got the Tomato Beef which is their signature, savory and bright and not what you expect from a cocktail, in a good way. Soy Sauce Old Fashioned is the move if you want to understand what they're doing here. Umami tots with chili crisp sour cream disappeared immediately, Szechuan salt and pepper wings were the best version of that dish ive had in Oakland. The whole room feels like a Wong Kar-wai film set which sounds like marketing until you're actually sitting inside it. Get there before the line on weekends, worth every minute either way

I've gone four times and each time it's been soooo hard to pick a responsible number of cocktails…read more They have so much variety and a lot of unconventional combos; the staff is very good about helping guide you to something that matches your preferences, but everything I've tried there was really good. The bites are generally really good too, though I wasn't a huge fan of the chili cucumbers. Try the Tomato Beef cocktail-- it's really yummy! The Li Hing Ramos is a good go-to if you like egg white drinks, and the seasonal milk punch has always been good. The ambiance is very cool, not bright inside, but bright colors, very hip. Great date night spot.

This place is music nerd heaven. They have a section of their menu dedicated to their speakers and…read moreamps, ferchrissakes. I love the atmosphere in here. Staff are always cool, vibe is relaxed. Even the security guard at the door is a cool guy. The interior decor and lighting are gorgeous. Silent Sundays are pretty fun: they play an album from top to bottom, and everyone has to shut the hell up for the duration and can't order any shaken drinks. See? Music nerd heaven. I almost forgot to talk about the drinks: the menu is solid. Good cocktails, reasonable prices, well made.

My sister and I were really excited to come here, but unfortunately, the experience was incredibly…read moredisappointing. We waited 15 minutes outside in the cold, where Taylor, the same hostess who later seated us, added us to the waitlist and then asked us to leave because there was "no standing room." After 30 more minutes, we finally received the text to come in. When we returned, Taylor didn't acknowledge us and told us to go to the back of the line. After showing her our text, she seated us. We noticed two open seats at the bar and asked if we could sit there. She said the bar was first come, first serve..yet moments later, she seated two walk-ins who had been behind us in line at those exact seats. The inconsistency and lack of hospitality made us feel completely disrespected. We were excited to finally get in, but ultimately decided to leave. Such a bummer!!

Everything about this Bar was exceptional, decor, food, service and music. I was in town from…read moreArizona for a memorial service and was asked to attend the Eagle Creek presentation and tell a couple stories of this legendary saloon in San Francisco. I told the story about us being on a float and the time I had to defend myself and the owner from a man waving a knife in my face.

Great service with a decent happy hour ($2 off many drinks starting at 5). Amazing ambience with…read moredisco ball chandelier. And they have AC - making it a perfect getaway from the heat on a hot day! Also a perfect retreat after a hard day's work! Love!

Love this spot! The back patio is great - super spacious, cool lighting, randomly feels like…read moreChristmas hahaha. They have cocktails, mocktails, beer/shot combos (including one with a High Noon! which I'm into, haha). No food served but outside food allowed! Dogs allowed too - lol there was some guy's dog there last time I went. The bartenders are super friendly and take good care of us whenever we go. Good vibes and friendly service. Come through and support your neighborhood bar!

I came here with a group of friends for a night out in the East Bay. We hit up this bar for a round…read moreof slushies after pregame at my friend's apartment. I got the Blue Hawaiian, a yummy classic, and it did not disappoint. Despite the cold front over the Bay Area this weekend, I instantly felt as if I'd teleported to Hawai'i. Service is pretty quick here, but they do have a minimum credit charge of $10. It's pretty easy to reach though if you order a cocktail or slushie.

Decided to pop in after work and got some grilled baguette and some adobo chicken. I decided to get…read morea ginger whiskey sour and it was so good! My friend got a spicy old-fashioned. She enjoyed it. I tried it and it was not my favorite. I was very much in love with my Ginger whiskey sour. But one hit was the fried baguette along with the double chicken. I will be coming for the double chicken alone. They did tell us that because we didn't have reservations that way they would check in on us at 7 PM but we were there for a quick drink and no reservations so we were seated pretty quickly. But yes, note to yourself next time we go we're getting some reservations. The space is beautifully decorated lighting is dim, and you can't go wrong here

I really like the atmosphere at Sobre Mesa. Whoever did the interior decor really knew what they…read morewere doing, because the place is just beautiful to be in, with rich colours and visual textures. The staff are super sweet and hard-working, and many of them are covered in tattoos. You're likely to be bowled over by how gorgeous all the customers are too. Every time I've been in, I've been shocked by the beauty of everyone in sight, in this gorgeous place. And I haven't even gotten to talking about the food yet, which is delicious. I've loved everything I've tried, and as someone who sadly can't have gluten, there's still plenty to enjoy here. Great cocktails, too. I should add: the food and drink are as beautiful to look at as their surroundings. This place is a bit of a fever dream of general awesomeness. Every time I come in here I feel lucky to be in Oakland.

A nice, energetic, yet comfortable Sunday afternoon spent with Dad. He recommended AU, so there we…read morewent! Great service, attitude, and food! We had some of their chix wings & garlic bread as appetizers, followed by blackened shrimp with garlic noodles & collard greens and chili fried shrimp with garlic noodles & green beans. Every single item was delicious. Served piping hot as well. Can't wait to go again! Thank you, AU staff.

Au Lounge has such a calm and classy vibe inside. It feels peaceful yet lively when you walk in…read more The servers are extremely accommodating and kind. And the food is divine! Chef Smelly cooks up plates that truly bring joy to your soul! They're also great for to go food. I recently stopped by for some sides to accompany my leftover ham and sheesh! They took me to another level.

Date: 2/22/2025. Time: 4:00 PM. 63°. Sunny…read more I was supposed to be at 1701, but they are not opened yet. Thus, I met my friend next door at Space Lounge for drinks. Usually I don't imbibe. I am not much of drinking the Henny. All their cocktails have exactly that. The only one that looked appealing to me was the expresso martini. The service could be a little more attentive. My friend and I were the only two people in the lounge at the time. We sat and waited for somebody to come by to ask what would I like to drink. It did not happen; thus, my friend had to go the bar and purchase the expresso martini. The expresso martini was smooth and mellow. The only time I had the Henny was years ago at a Chinese wedding banquet. I added some to the shark fin soup, which enhanced the flavor of the soup. Yes, I enjoyed the expresso martini. The atmosphere of the lounge is one of sophistication and upscale. Comfortable seating all around. Nice place to hang out, do some chillaxin' with friends. Rating: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

Super chill spot with hella cool people! Wandered in here with a friend while waiting for a concert…read moreat Fox. So we had a few drinks and chatted it up with Rick. He's super knowledgeable AND passionate about his craft, plus an overall fun person to hangout with. We heard that this spot isn't getting much love these days and just wanna say it's totally worth the visit! You get excellent service, people who love what they do, community and also some bomb a** lumpia if you show up when the lumpia ladies are taking orders! Come thru!

O M G…read more I cannot even say enough about this place!! we took a chance and tried a new place, as usual. We lucked out and came in when there was no show. I am certain that the shows are astounding, however... Coming here when there's nothing going on gives us all of the attention. :-) Bookie brunch!! We had the frittata sandwich and the truffle Benedict .. the flavors in both of these are indescribable. You simply must experience them both. This was so good that we begged to meet Alessandro, their chef from Italy! A particularly beautiful man, who is ridiculously talented. Every bite was a celebration. But wait, there's more! Lupe!! she greeted us, she was our bartender, our server, and all around just an amazing individual who was running the show. Not to mention, Mixology. Glover margarita, lavender lemon drop, and the mandarin. All three certainly recommendable. Ambiance - a party!! Come with the expectation of a good time. Forgot to take pictures before we dug in but here you go

Clean organized bar and lounge in DT Oakland with full bar, dance floor, DJ/scene setup for parties…read moreand night events. Open area good for mingle, dance, socialize. Good variety of American and Mexican food. They serve brunch too with decent selection of breakfast dishes. Service is OK and can get slow when busy. Parking is at mercy of DT Oakland, somewhat difficult with paid street parking. Flat entry and wide routes inside make it accessible. Great for parties, groups, get to gather for sport events. Big projector screens make it great place for events watching.

So been living in Oakland for going on 15 years now. I'm not what you would call a "bar" person. I…read moretend to enjoy my cocktails, wine, and beer in the cozy confines of my own home. That said I'm occasionally inspired to go check out the local watering holes for a good pour, some food if possible, and just to be in the presence of the human pulsation. Walking into Tallboy on a Thursday afternoon was a bit like Nirvana for me. There is a comforting vibe of neighborhood and after work people shedding responsibility and "toe the lineness" and transitioning to pondering true meaning and the other side of the elliptical bend over nicely crafted cocktails and HOTDOGS! I am a hotdog fiend, and Tallboy has a very creative range on the menu that does not disappoint. From a basic onions/mustard, an Elote Dog, an a Coney Islandesque (it has chili) version. Some folk go to bar and line up shots (or craft cocktails). At Tallboy you can do that AND line up their hotdogs which I intend on doing in the very near future. The pleasantries don't stop at the food (there are other delicious snack items on their menu to choose from too). Tallboy has a fully stocked bar, and the menu has a list of really unique and delicious signature craft cocktails. I'm not a Mezcal drinker, but I ended up dubiously ordering their Guava Martini which to my smokey surprise is made with Mezcal. I stayed with the smokey fruitiness of this Guava Martini as it was my mistake that I did not read in the description it is made with Mezcal, and ended up chasing it with their Tamarindo Cocktail which also has Mezcal. To those who really enjoy Mezcal the Tallboy Guava Martini and the Tamarindo Cocktail do not disappoint. Both have that deep Smokey Mezcal essence, but cut with the fruit sweetness. I personally think the Tamarindo balances well with the Mezcal. The Guava Martini the Mezcal comes through stronger, but both are just the tonic to release any existential pinging going on in your head. If you really want to kick in the hyperdrive pair either of these with an Elote Dog. I had their Deli Dog which sufficed. I think the Deli Dog would pair better with their standard Martini, but hey let's us not bring that snobbiness into Tallboy. Tallboy has an element of cloak and dagger or secret treehouse club about it. What I mean here is there is no signage on the outside (please keep it that way!). When you walk past all you see is this quaint beigeish/yellow brick façade of an establishment which begs you to press your face to the glass and scan what in the blazes is going on in here! Before you know it you are caught in the Tallboy tractor beam, and you find yourself sitting at the bar with some kind of craft drank and hotdog pondering the space and the very nice old fashioned wainscoting painted a shade of green circa 1930 (my description of winning in life). The cadre of bartenders are all really pleasant folk, very attentive (checking in with you to see if you need another round, hotdog, or snack), have tight shaker skills, and they know their craft and the menu. Tallboy also has SLUSHIES, and I did not do a deep dive on them, but I'm positive they may/do put spirits in them; or not. Also I noticed other patrons with a beautiful enticing thing that looked like an ice cream sundae milkshake hybrid (it had what looked like whipped cream on top) in on old timey soda fountain ice cream goblet. This could be a craft cocktail they make with the slushie, but major props for serving it in that goblet. I will investigate on my next visit which I intend to be very soon. Tallboy is the kind of bar establishment I could easily adopt as my after work living room for a couple of hours everyday.

Had an amazing experience at Tallboy!…read more Sat at the bar on a sunny weekend and immediately loved the vibes. Bartenders were friendly and seemed to know a lot of the regulars. Can't quite describe it but it didn't feel like an SF bar, felt more open and like a community watering whole. On to the food and drinks. I'm vegetarian so was so excited to try the dogs - which are vegan. And I may be biased but you cannot tell that you're missing out on anything with all the flavor packed combos. The bun was fluffy and soft and you have multiple fun themed options to choose from. My partner and I ended up getting the deli dog and truffle meltdown. Deli was perfect - classic mix of spice and crunch with the spicy brown mustard and giardiniera peppers. And the truffle meltdown was so savory and decadent - totally different flavor profiles from each dog! We were only going to grab one drink but the menu was so inventive we ended up getting two. I ordered the banana hammock (which comes with a fire show) and espresso martini slushee which was is up there with the frozen Irish coffees I've had in New Orleans. Man writing this has my mouth watering... definitely coming back for more dogs, drinks, and vibes!

Great outdoor sports bar. Happy hour prices are great for beverages and food…read more The services was quick

I prefer to resolve incidents like this offline as I hate to make negative feedback public, but I…read morehave contacted the restaurant directly several days ago and received no response about the incident below and I am sharing my experience here on Yelp so other customers may be aware and choose wisely. Incident: My party of 7 came to Mad Oak around 5pm on Monday evening, 7/20. I did not have my ID on hand as I didn't realize I needed it for entry. I was not planning to consume alcohol. The staff member in charge of the outdoor entry let me in anyway after a little bit of friendly back and forth. One of our friends arrived later and similarly did not have their ID. The same staff member turned them away very rudely and dismissively. I went over to the staff member to let him know that our friend was with us and I also did not have my ID. He responded very rudely despite all members of our party being very respectful. He replied me saying, "What did I tell her?! What did I tell her?!", without explanation. Our friend who was turned away identifies as they/them and without explanation from the staff member, and inconsistent application of rules pertaining to ID, I suspect it might have been a situation where our friend was unfairly discriminated against for their appearance. To sum it up, it was not clear that IDs were required for entry otherwise I would have prepared my party ahead of time; the staff member inconsistently applied an already unclear rule; he did not explain why one guest was allowed and not another, even in the same party; and lastly, he was unnecessarily rude. Our whole party ended up leaving Mad Oak to go somewhere we could all be together. In my outreach to the restaurant a couple days later, I asked for a response to let me know that they have addressed the issue and there has been no response to date.