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!!

Hello Stranger has a convenient location with a small but decent-sized bar and dance floor. The DJ…read morewas okay, nothing special, but fine for a casual night out. Unfortunately, that's all I can really comment on because three of us sat at the bar for about 15 minutes and, even though there was no one else there, the bartender never approached us. We ended up leaving without ordering anything. It was disappointing, especially given how empty the place was. Based on this experience, I don't plan to return. The lack of attention and service made it clear why the bar wasn't busy.

Hello Stranger is THAT spot in Oakland. The DJ? Fire. The music? Had me forgetting I had bills due…read more The vibe? Safe, fun, and full of people who just wanna have a good time. Drinks are on point whether you're into cocktails, mocktails, or just pretending your Sprite is fancy champagne, they've got you. The staff is hella nice too like the kind of people you don't mind bumping into when you're three songs deep on the dance floor. Plus, the brick walls and whole setup make it feel like you stepped into a cool hidden gem instead of just another bar. Honestly, it's the kind of place you show up "just for one" and end up shutting down the night. 10/10 would lose my voice here again.

Something unfortunate has happened here. I convinced my date to stop in for a drink and snack,…read morerecalling the delicious cocktails I had here years ago. We were stoked once we realized we had made it in 15 minutes before happy hour ended. But service was sooo slow. I understand there was one bartended working at the time but they really took their time, not meticulously crafting drinks, but rather talking to a friend. We contemplated going somewhere else when the bartender finally came to take our order, just before happy hour ended..sigh of relief! We made the cut off! We opted against the empanadas as we could see the cutting board in the kitchen area had a jacket on top of it. Well..the bartender slowly made our drinks, while still talking, then rung us up..just a few minutes past 6 and charged us full price. Lackluster customer service. Then, the drinks themselves were just bad..not balanced - one too sweet and syrupy in consistency; the other too bitter. This place used to be great but maybe they changed ownership. Used to see the owner here frequently working the bar. Now, I'd recommend Bocanova in the area instead - their happy hour also goes til 6, their drinks are top notch, service is pretty good, and you can get good food from the kitchen.

I had a good expectation of this bar because it would be pretty packed during the evenings even if…read moreit's a weekday. Unfortunately when I visited, those expectations were not met. It was roughly around 7 pm on a weekend, so there were not that many people yet. My friend and I took a good minute to see which drinks we wanted, and finally decided on the NSFW. To our surprise, it was already sold out. So we just chose our second option, and that too was sold out. There weren't anything else that intrigued us so I just went with the Penelope. That could be good right? Seems like their signature drink but the drink was just okay - nothing too spectacular or any defining factor to it. On top of that, it took forever for our drinks to be made. I appreciate the friendliness of the staff, but man were they chatty with the other customer. I don't mind it, but to stop making the drink to chat every 15 seconds kind of hit my nerve a bit. This is probably why my drink tasted a bit watery because the ice has already melted from the constant pauses to make the drink. I believe this is just an unfortunate one-off experience since this bar gets a lot of customers on most days.

Was here for a brief date. Looking to come back soon. Super reasonable pricing and cocktails were…read moresolid with great friendly service on a slow Sunday evening.

Save water, drink tequila…read more We tried finding a nearby cafe to kill time but every one of them was busy with no seating. So here I am, sipping on Fortaleza Blanco ($19).... *Cheers* to the Sunday scaries and Monday hangxiety! O T H E R I N F O * HH Specials: Tuesday - Friday, 4 pm - 6 pm and all day Sunday. * Bring your own food. They also have chips and tamales for purchase. * They have a bottle shop next door where you can find small-batch, hard to find spirits. * Hip, industrial vibes with indoor seating and a covered patio. * Well-behaved, leashed dogs allowed in the patio. * There's a spacious lounge area inside that's perfect for large parties and available to reserve. * Plentiful of street parking.

Came in on a mission for a good Manhattan and walked out impressed. I asked for one built on…read moreRittenhouse Bottled-in-Bond rye, and Sevan behind the bar knew exactly where to go with it. Fantastic drink. My friend tasted mine and ordered the same. The selection is the draw here. Whiskey lines the entire back wall, the rarer bottles sit behind wire-mesh locked cabinets, and there is a deep bench of tequila, beer on tap, and wine to round things out. One look at the shelves tells you they have the base for any drink you want. We split the Margherita flatbread, pesto, fresh mozzarella, and blistered cherry tomatoes, and it hit the spot as a drinking snack. The menu goes deeper than expected for a bar, with sliders, naan tacos, and charcuterie if you show up hungry. Service was good considering the staff-to-crowd ratio. Sevan stayed attentive the whole time and clearly knows his stuff. The vibe is chill and conversation-friendly, not too loud for the size of the room, with a bank of TVs toward the back if you want to catch a game. Logistics are easy. The bar sits a short walk from Pleasant Hill BART and parking in the area was no trouble. I've been a few times before and this visit confirmed why I keep coming back. For a high quality cocktail in the East Bay, this is the spot.

For beverage choices, H&S gets 5 stars. For food, one star. And while the servers are nice and good…read moreat their jobs, if there is only one covering the whole restaurant, the service is sssllloooowwww. I blame ownership for being cheap and not wanting to pay for enough servers. Lastly - DON'T ORDER THE KETTLE CHIPS! They used to make their own, but now they charge $4 for a bag of kettle brand chips tossed on a plate. Eew.

Blossom & Bourbon is one of our favorite places to go, and we've been back many times. The French…read moredip sandwich is definitely one of our favorites, but honestly, everything we've tried has been really good. The steaks are great, the pizzas are delicious, and they also have a great selection of appetizers that are perfect for sharing. We've never had a bad meal or anything to complain about. We've also celebrated several birthdays and milestone events here, and it's always been a great place for a group. Both the indoor and outdoor spaces have a wonderful atmosphere, whether you're coming for a casual dinner or celebrating something special. The desserts are always worth saving room for, and the staff has consistently been friendly and attentive. The only drawback is that they don't take reservations. You can call ahead, but on busy nights we usually still end up waiting for a table. That said, it's always worth the wait. Great food, great atmosphere, and a place we continue to come back to.

Blossom and Bourbon is a lovely place to have dinner. The restaurant is in a shopping center right…read moreoff Blossom Hill rd and there is plenty of parking. There is indoor and outdoor seating. The restaurant is very clean and decorated nicely. Perfect ambiance for a date My husband ordered the skirt steak with chimichurri and I ordered the 8oz filet. We shared the Brussels sprouts and wedge salad (pic shows half) The steaks were cooked well and were flavorful. I was 50/50 on the Brussels, there is a lot going on with that dish. The wedge salad was ok, I wish it was bigger. I forgot the name of the bourbon cocktail that my husband ordered but it was delicious. I would definitely come back. There are several items on the menu that I want to try such as the grilled branzino. Great service, The waiter was attentive. Pricing was what I expected which was 4/5 $$$$ One thing to add is that I would love if they incorporated a happy hour.

Heading out of town for a short trip. Stop in for a light bite…read more District Oakland Airport Server - Reberto, he was great and fast. He had his soccer shirt on cheering for you country. Avacado Toast Coffee - Black Mimosa - Orange The deco was nicely setup with lots of table seating. Place is very clean. A must stop in when traveling.

Great place to come if you get too much attention and demand at home /work…read more It's like you have become an invisible spirit when you're here. 2star cuz music aigggghtt Updated: staff apologized about wait which I would have added two stars back instead of just one. But not first instance of delayed service. Thanks. I'll try one more time.

We had been hearing about the karaoke competition since last year and finally got the chance to…read morecheck it out tonight for the f i n a l s. We drove in on an extremely rainy day because we couldn't miss witnessing this event and the place was packed to the brim with just enough room to still move around. We grabbed some delicious beer and watched all the teams perform for three rounds. We enjoyed the enthusiasm, the energy, the talented singing, dance moves and chemistry the teams were giving as they belted each songs. Confetti poppers and sashes were utilized and made the night all the more snazzy. The stage is a bit small and snug. Overall, a fun time and perhaps we will join in on the next season~

I always loved going to the karaoke shows here. The karaoke league competition tonight (Monday,…read moreMarch 30, 2026) was amazing! And the talent was topnotch! The bartenders were also amazing. For as busy as it was tonight, they did an outstanding job! What made this potentially 5-star review downgraded to a 3-star review was because of my interaction with the KJ here tonight, right after the karaoke league competition. When the karaoke queue was finally open to the public after the competition, I signed up for just one song, and I looked at the KaraFun queue and saw my song at 8th (#8) in the rotation. I looked at the queue again a minute later, and my song was suddenly at #10. I looked again a few seconds later, and my song was suddenly at #14. And then, a few seconds later, it was at #16. I went up to the KJ to ask him what was going on, and he said that he's just making a living, and if people tip him, they get moved up on the queue. Being a KJ myself and being part of a KJ team in the Bay Area, we do accept tips at our shows, but we don't move people up even after getting tipped. We get tipped by merit, by giving our singers their rockstar moment. Tips just come with the show and everyone's hard work. So, at this Legionnaire Saloon tonight, I felt disrespected. Before I found out I was being moved down from the queue, I was planning on tipping the KJ between $10 to $20 just for one song... just because KJs gotta support each other. I would have even waited my turn (at #8 on the queue), because it's just the right thing to do. But after this disrespect, and after the KJ even offered to move me up to #3, I just told him I was leaving, and I walk out. The damage has been done, and I wanted nothing to do with this show. I'll still come back here for drinks, but I will not come back when this KJ is working. 3 Stars. From a potential 5 stars. My two centavos.

First time at Gold Bar Distillery, we took the cocktail class and it was amazing! Johnny was the…read morebest teacher and we had so much fun!

I came to Gold Bar Distillery on Treasure Island for a cocktail-making class and left with…read moresignificantly more confidence in my bartending abilities than my wife probably wanted me to have. The class was genuinely awesome. Great drinks, great atmosphere, and an instructor who somehow managed to make cocktail-making feel both impressive and completely doable. He was knowledgeable, entertaining, and had the patience of a saint, especially considering some of the questions coming from our group. The cocktails were fantastic, the experience was genuinely fun, and I learned enough to now be dangerous behind my own home bar. My only complaint is that the instructor, Nick, was a little too charming and charismatic. I'm not entirely sure I feel comfortable bringing my wife around him again. 10/10 experience. Would absolutely recommend. Just maybe keep an eye on your spouse.

I love the lodge: the atmosphere is cozy and friendly they have excellent bartenders and drinksread more

Stopped at The Lodge to take a breather from Mosswood Meltdown. Welcoming service, full bar, free…read morepopcorn, and pop-ups in the kitchen most days of the week. As a teetotaler I was happy to find non-alcoholic options. The tamarind mocktail was among the best mixed drinks I've tried. Highly recommended! PAL Burgers was the vendor when we visited. We tried their burgers and tots and were impressed. Both well executed. I'd definitely come back!