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    Merchant's Saloon

    4.1 (249 reviews)
    InexpensiveDive Bars
    Open • 7:00 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)

    Merchant's Saloon Photos

    MERCHANT'S SALOON ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Divey
    Classy
    Juke Box
    Loud

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    Pool table too!
    Wanda R.

    Just landed from SFO and the first place I stopped was Merchant always dependable always a cold one and always a cool crowd. Pool table is not bad either. You rock!

    Whiskey!
    Jorge P.

    Found this bar just walking around Jack London Square. Looks a bit intimidating on the outside, but the atmosphere is great on the inside. They got TV for the game, a big bar plenty of seats and a cool vibe, loud music with lots to see inside. The bartender was great. I had a couple of whiskey pours with my friend. They are not shy with the pour, prompt service and overhaul like I said a good vibe.

    Whimsical wall decor
    Dan B.

    Classic Dive Bar vibes. Real people. Stiff drinks. Love this kind of place! Classic Dive Bar vibes. Real people. Stiff drinks. Love this kind of place!

    Menu
    Shayla B.

    A total dive by all means necessary! Cheap drinks, devilish references on the walls, loud rockin' music, and a crazy crowd. I came here with some friends on a Friday night after leaving Heinold's right across the way. We wanted to continue the party and one of our friend's told us that this was the place to do it. We walked in and the place was semi-packed, but there was still lots of open space. The inside is very spacious! It has a horseshoe style bar that wraps around to the other side. Near the entrance you'll find some crazy trinkets in the wall along with a vintage style jukebox. Near the back of the bar there's a a vintage looking red sofa accompanied by a stripper pole. Very classy, right? On the other side of the bar, there's a pool table and a couple of seat available for lounging. The walls are covered with with a few satanic references; one being the "666" that is blatantly posted above the bar and is easily visible when you walk in. They play a variety of different music here and we really enjoyed ourselves while they spun a few of our favorite classics. We took some shots to begin with and a couple of my friend got a few well drinks since they were so cheap. Not sure if it was just because it was a Friday night, but the bar service was ridiculously slow! There was only one bartender working the bar that had over 40+ people standing around. I don't know if they're having staffing issues, but they should have at LEAST had two bartenders if not three working that night. It was really frustrating having to wait so long and trying to get the bartender's attention that night. I think if came back, I would try visiting on a week night to see if the bartending service is better.

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    3 years ago

    One of the few real good dive bars in the Bay. If you don't like dives, avoid. If you do, it's a must.

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    6 years ago

    Love Merchants's, but right now it's too cute I want the Old one at least put the stripper pole outside

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    6 years ago

    Super cool place, super cool staff. Marshall D can suck & eat a bag of dicks. Oakland bar staffs don't take your entitled

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    Page 2 of 7

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    Review Highlights - Merchant's Saloon

    “That last has a stripper pole separating the two benches and is not the most unusual decoration in this bar.”

    Mentioned in 22 reviews

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    Tallboy - Deli dog

    Tallboy

    4.4(188 reviews)
    2.5 mi•Temescal, North Oakland
    •$$

    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!

    Photos
    Tallboy - The bat and the awesome bartender!

    The bat and the awesome bartender!

    Tallboy - Free AYCE popcorn with your dranks!

    Free AYCE popcorn with your dranks!

    Tallboy - Cheese in the trap

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    Cheese in the trap

    The Avenue - Outdoor patio

    The Avenue

    3.9(224 reviews)
    2.8 mi•Temescal, North Oakland
    •$

    As I was in this neighborhood, I decided to stop in here for a drink (it was recommended when I was…read moreacross the street at Burma Superstar for lunch). Friendly, low-key bartender, jukebox, pool table, and lots of cool stuff to check out throughout the bar. As no one was playing the jukebox, I got to play to my hearts content, which was very fun. I'll definitely be back, hopefully to play some pool.

    All right so we came here on the Fourth of July and we were greeted wonderfully. It's a crazy bar…read more Lots of things to look at. The ambience is your grunge look but not if that makes sense. They do have a great happy hour that's until 7 o'clock. It's a dollar off well drinks and the prices are great. Since today was the Fourth of July they were having a barbecue outside that had hotdog and hamburgers for FREE!!! There were great people around us lots of different diverse groups of people and what was awesome was when they were giving out hotdogs to the people that were driving by. While you're inside it kind of looks like a graveyard but hey, I love it! They also have a pool table back in the back so you can really enjoy your time there. The drinks are definitely strong. The people work in there are definitely nice. Here comes uncomfortable situation. As we're all celebrating Independence Day, we need to include everybody within. My friends and others around us started to feel uncomfortable when an individual on a bike came out with the confederate flag.... right afterwards an employee who works there came out with a don't tread on me with the snake flag... if you don't know what that means, look it up. As an establishment we're all there to really enjoy independence Day and just really be happy that we live in such a democracy. To see that someone that worked there had that flag on their head that represent politics really made me feel uncomfortable. Everybody has their opinion, but when you're working at an establishment politics need to be kept out of it! When you bring politics into your establishment, you're really turning off other people that really want to enjoy themselves. You did a great job of giving out to the community by providing a barbecue, but when you start to have political means on top of your head , it makes your establishment look like there is bias. I WASNT THE ONLY ON WHO FELT THAT WAY. This is a 5 star place... take the politics out and you'll encourage everyone to come.

    Photos
    The Avenue - Outdoor area at the back of the bar.

    Outdoor area at the back of the bar.

    The Avenue - Bathroom entry nicely labeled

    Bathroom entry nicely labeled

    The Avenue - Bar ceiling

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    Bar ceiling

    Space Lounge Oakland - Live music

    Space Lounge Oakland

    4.9(7 reviews)
    0.8 mi•Uptown

    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!

    Photos
    Space Lounge Oakland - Was feeling fancy , they knew what was going on ! Champagne was amazing ! Vibes on vibes baby . Oakland shows the most love

    Was feeling fancy , they knew what was going on ! Champagne was amazing ! Vibes on vibes baby . Oakland shows the most love

    Space Lounge Oakland - Great hospitality! Drinks were on point

    Great hospitality! Drinks were on point

    Space Lounge Oakland

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    Merchant's Saloon - divebars - Updated September 2026

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