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.

Another great hidden gem in downtown Oakland. Don't sleep on this quaint cocktail lounge that…read moreoffers happy hours and expertly crafted cocktails. I recommend the banana old fashioned.

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.

An amazing cocktail bar tucked away in Emeryville! Its a great vibe - dim lights, boxing theme,…read moregood service, variety of cocktails and a wonderful outside patio space. I always look forward to coming back here when I'm in the area.

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.

We had such a wonderful experience celebrating our anniversary dinner here. From the moment we…read morewalked in, Serene made us feel incredibly welcome. She was warm, friendly, and genuinely hospitable, setting the tone for a fantastic evening. The food was excellent and arrived surprisingly quickly, which we really appreciated. Throughout our meal, Serene checked on us regularly to make sure everything was perfect, and her pleasant demeanor made us feel truly valued as guests. The atmosphere was great, the food was delicious, but what really made the evening special was the exceptional service we received from Serene. Her kindness and attention to detail turned a great dinner into a memorable anniversary celebration. We can't wait to come back!

I came here for weekday dinner and had no wait…read more The pizza was surprisingly unique and very tasty, and definitely the standout of the meal. The diavola pasta had a great texture and a flavorful sauce, although it felt a little simple since there weren't many other ingredients mixed in. The crispy brussels sprouts weren't for me, not very crispy and a bit hard. The gelato was much better than I expected and ended up being a nice way to end the meal. The service was great though and the lighting inside nice! Overall, the meal was a bit hit-or-miss, but I'd come back to try more of the pizzas since those were definitely the highlight

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.

How does a restaurant with delicious food and really good service get a 1 star? By turning a blind…read moreeye to cigar smoking on their outdoor patio. We just spent $178 on some great drinks and food, but the most lasting memory is the cloud of cigar smoke wafting over us. And then arriving back home, we found our cloths reeked of cigar smoke. We sit outside when we eat out because we are still mindful of respiratory issues and, as I'm already dealing with long term health issues, I don't need to complicate matters by raw-dogging air by eating indoors. The strange thing is they apparently allow cigar smoking outside where they serve food, yet they closed their door because of cigar smoke coming inside the restaurant? Really? There's no point in my reviewing food beyond just saying it was great. Everything just got tainted by smoke. And this from a group of guys who were not even eating but just watching the game outside on a tv in the restaurant window. BTW, I asked the staff about the smoke and the server shrugged and said "Smoking is allowed outside." Do better District. Till then, bye.

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.

This was so much fun. This was a great Father's Day gift for my husband. Johnny was very patient…read moreand gave us great recipes to use.

Johnny was very attentive to the class and great at teaching ! I learned a lot in this class .read more