Wonderful addition to Oaktown. Gone are the bleachers and muck from the old Golden Bear (like) and Dapper Lounge (ick). In their place is a comfortable, inviting, friendly scene with great cocktails (gimlet with Elderberry flower - YUMYUM), a wide selection of good brew on tap and a long, solid bar with ample seating. This is a place you could take anyone: in-laws, grandparents, cool hipster friends. Looking forward to going back soon. read more

This is my neighborhood joint. It's classy and laid back with attentive bartenders and really good specialty cocktails. PLUS they have trivia on Wednesday nights and who doesn't like a little bit-o competition with your fellow drink mates? If you like sports you can also visit this fine establishment to watch football and basketball comfortably. All in all a great alternative from the same-ole spots in downtown Oakland. Gotta support the Lake Merritt businesses in all their glory. read more

Nice cocktails! Some creative stuff! Good range of beers on tap too Kind of mysterious: looks small from the street and then all of a sudden you walk in and it's a huge space read more

Room 389 quickly became one of my favorite spots and there are many things to love about it. First, they have Thelonius on tap! One of my favorite brews and I rarely see it at a bar at all so the fact that it's on tap makes it even better! Second, the drinks are consistently strong and high quality. My two faves are the Grand Hound (better than The Layover's greyhound) with not just vodka and fresh grapefruit but splashes of a couple other liqueurs that go great with citrus, and the Eric Estrada,refreshing because of the cucumber but a little dash of spicy-ness adds a great element. Third, the bartenders are always nice a take care of the regulars first! Last, the DJs play actual records! And the beats are always hot on weekend nights. If you're not at 389 right now, go! read more

Wow, this bar blows me away! Live music on a Monday night? There was an accordion, violin and guitar trio playing later on in the night. When we walked in the bar they were playing jazz music. Gave the bar a nice grown up environment which my girl and I thoroughly enjoyed. Atmosphere is awesome, I love the old style electric lighting they use. Bartenders are friendly. The Bloody Mary they have here is pretty good, and I don't like Bloody Mary's or vodka in general! Nice and smokey. Will come again. Highly recommend! read more

I was happy to see that there was a bar not too far from my place. I came upon it one day while taking the long way home. So I finally came here for the first time a few weeks ago. I got the basil gimlet and it was SO freaking good. The place was pretty busy (it was a Saturday) and I stayed towards the front. My only problem with this place was that being towards the entrance, all the smoke from the smokers outside, was coming in. It kind of ruined it for me and only stayed for a drink. Next time I come, I'll make sure to stay away from the entrance. read more

Came here with a group of friends at 11pm on a Friday and it was pretty crowded in the lively way without being too packed. We got to the bar and were able to order drinks pretty quickly and was able to find a seat. I love their greyhound, which is fresh squeeze grapefruit juice and vodka. It's $9 but have to pay an extra dollar for them to use kettle one- which is how I prefer it anyway. The crowd is very diverse and the music is more of a hipster soulful feel to it. It definitely feels very East Bay (if that means anything to anyone) compared to a bar in SF. The vibe of the place is very nice in that you have a diverse diverse group of people who are pretty lively without being obnoxious and the ambiance is casual and chill but not dingey. They also had a taco truck right outside of it at 12am, that's a nice bonus for those are get the munchies afterwards. The only reason why I docked it a point is that by 11:15, they ran out of grapefruits and had to use juice concentrate for their greyhounds. One of my friend was unlucky to get that and everyone thought it was really gross. It was way too sweet and just tasted really bad. I understand if stuff runs out but 11pm is pretty early to run out of stuff for one of your signature drinks. read more

This is what I'd call a Yelp bar. The type of bar where you wouldn't know it's awesomeness unless you knew a local or Yelped it! Saturday Night visit: Parking was easy. Drinks were Stiff and easy to get. No hovering around the bar for 15 minutes trying to get the bartenders attention. Got a great table within the first 5 minutes. Since it was big, 4 others came and shared the other side. No problem! Lounge seating in the back, but they had an engagement party there so seating was limited til the last hour before closing. They also had seating in the front outside which would be cool in warmer weather. Low light ambiance, great mix of music. Great crowd. Diverse and friendly. No one trying to show out or be a bad ass. Missed the happy hour but if I lived closer, I'd definitely be here! Overall, I love this place. Will definitely be back again. read more

This place is perfect. Diverse unpretentious crowd, lounge-y music, chill bartenders, and African food on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Best Salty Dog ever. read more

This a cozy low key spot where you can just grab a drink and kick back. It's like a neighborhood bar with decent music depending on the day. This is not the spot you get dressed up to go to but the spot that you just want to go chill and unwind and catch up with a friend. read more

I've been here twice so far and I've had good experiences both times :) The drinks are pretty darn strong so I'm glad to see that I'm getting my money's worth! The drinks off their menu are interesting but not sure if I want to spend $10+ on them again. I like my simply-made drinks just fine. The decor is very interesting and kinda hipster. They have ripped books on one side of the wall and some saloon type of decor going on near the bar. They have comfy looking couches by the back side of the bar and there seemed to be plenty of seating when I went both times. They were also serving mac n cheese one night (not sure if this is a regular thing) and it was delicious! Pretty decent serving for $7. If you go late enough at night, parking is never really an issue. This is definitely my go-to bar in Oakland! read more

Went on a Monday night when they had live music. It was a really chill atmosphere and a couple of girls were freely dancing to the bossa nova beats. Waited longer than expected to order drinks. Not sure if it was two bartenders or one bartender and a bar back, but it took some staring down to convey to them we wanted to order some drinks. The drinks were strong and made with freshly squeezed grapefruit juice- which is of course a plus. Overall good vibe, I'd like to come back for early coffee and their fresh pressed juices. read more

Bar/ I love this place, but the acoustics are so bad that even with 10 people in there during the evening, I have to almost yell in order to hear myself talk. Otherwise, fun place. Maybe good to go when you're already buzzed. Cafe/ Love it. Could get some better pastry, and charge a bit less for the tamales and quiche, which run $5.00. I love the dark atmosphere, unlike most cafe's that are lit up and noisy. Not here. Also, It's great to have a place nearby that has good coffee, good staff, and is not taken over by the bacon/pbr set, yet. And they allow dogs!!!! Excellent. All in all, mad props to the owner(s) for finding a way to utilize a bar space during the hours when they'd otherwise be making minimal cash. nice job. read more

My friend X is to 389 what Norm was to Cheers, so I've been to this bar on most Friday's after work! The staff is friendly, the crowd is diverse yet unpretentious and happy hour goes to 8 pm. It's a great neighborhood bar with a good atmosphere. As for food, you can bring in pizza, Chinese or Thai from the local neighborhood businesses or come on Friday's when the taco truck is there (yum)! I'm purposely holding out on that 5th star because my boyfriend seems to think that an evening spent at 389 qualifies as a date-night spot (NOT)! read more

Best coffee in the neighborhood, precisely what Adams point needed. What I really appreciate is that they invest in good product (bicycle coffee) but drop the snobby attitude that usually goes along with a good single-cup drip coffee. I recommend the pour-over, but the french press is good too. If you want your mind to beat itself into a bloody pulp, you can try the iced coffee but believe the barristas when they say it has tons of caffeine, I almost had a panic attack. Your mileage may vary. Good pastries, friendly barristas, especially that Emily character. Overall a nice mixture of swanky product and a fun neighborhood-coffee-shop attitude. read more

I like this place... been here a few times and I've always enjoyed the atmosphere and the patrons. The bar is stocked proper, with great whiskey's, specialty drinks made by good bartenders and there's also a coffee shop at the front. There's food to boot (which I here is actually quite tasty). They have drink specials, which is right up my alley as well as a DJ on some nights. The vibe is chill with what seems to be mainly locals. Dancing happens! The clientele is mixed, diverse, from super drunks to the proper types - black to white old to new. I dig that... However, I did get crap from some weirdo lady for rocking my Dodger cap in there once. She was a bit drunk and kind of played herself because there were tons of local macho dudes around to back her up but they played it cool and ignored the whole incident. Bravo, macho dudes. Oakland and SF have tons of great bars and this one holds it's own against them all. read more

I just received a message from the owner/manager of Room 389 saying that they have installed grab bars in their restroom. I have yet to see it for myself so just 4 stars for now but the next time I get over to the neighborhood I will definitely check it out. Thank you Room 389 for thinking of all your customers! read more

For Oakland, this place is pretty snazzy pants. Cute decor and ambiance. Stiff drinks, eclectic crowd - diverse in race and age. Friendly bartenders. Go check it out! read more

Room 389 is cozy, local watering hole near Lake Merritt. Last Friday, at a friend's recommendation, we stopped by for a drink and were pleasantly surprised by the mix of patrons. It was an eclectic mix of demographics which was a welcomed relief from the hipster-type establishments invading Oakland. It's promising that unpretentious establishments like 389 still exist in Oakland where you can just come as you are and share a drink with friends. read more

Awesome neighborhood bar! Cool friendly staff...It's has a patio!!! Trivia night, dj's & delicious food pop ups!! What else can you ask for when it's only a few blocks from the lake where everything is happening!! Very Oaklandish! read more

I dropped in here the first week they opened and didn't think much about it - figured it was brand new and nobody knew about it. It was nearly empty on a weeknight so I was worried for its survival as a new business in my hood on Grand Ave. Alas, I dropped back in for a drink and to catch up with an old friend on a Thursday and when we first got there it was empty but slowly the patrons started coming out for a drink and by 11pm, the place was decently packed for a Thursday night in Adams Point. The drinks are good and reasonably priced. I had something called the Green Bulliet and it hit the spot (although it's no Kentucky Buck from Rickhouse). I was impressed with the music. They had a DJ spinning an eclectic mix of early 90s hip hop, random pop tunes, house, funk, etc and I was digging it! Would def return for another drink, and always a bonus that it's only a 3 min walk from the crib. Welcome to the neighborhood 398! read more

Went here one evening on a fluke and would definitely come back. The vibe here is amazing and atmosphere is very laid back with a rustic charm. Bartenders are friendly and drinks are not overpriced. read more

Sampled: Bicycle coffee cappuccino & bran muffin. Time: 8:30ish AM Facts: 4 people in line & one barista. Thoughts: Coffee was tasty but took a long time to make & with the line, I would not suggest grabbing a quick cup before work. Barista was friendly but slow. Muffin was good but not exceptional by any means. May return in the future, but not itching to go back. read more

Uh oh Cafe Van Kleef, you have competition!! Delicious fresh squeezed grapefruit juice to form delicious greyhounds... Present!!! sliders sizzles in the front of the bar but the butter smell permeates all over leaving everyone smelling like buttery goodness.. The place is always jam packed with friendly patrons trying to get a drink without causing a raucous. My kinda place. read more

Gorgeous bar, beautiful artwork on the walls. Loved the huge corkboard that line the walls covered with old sheet music, pages from classic novels, etc Friday night amd the DJ was spinning jams from roots reggae to soulful house. Big tip of the hat to the bartender who gave everyone at the bar a heads up that the meter maid was "ticketing like crazy". I beat out a parking ticket just in time. read more

This is my go-to neighborhood weekend hang-out. And I guess I'm a regular now because two of the bartenders always know what I'm going to order: the Eric Estrada (awesome spicy tequila cocktail). They have other great drinks as well, but I can't not order the Estrada, it's just too damn good. Earlier in the afternoon, the atmosphere is very chill. I usually come in at around 2:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays and hang out in the back for a few hours with my laptop, getting work done. The place gets pretty packed later on in the day, especially if there is a big game on TV. It is actually a great place to watch a game if you get there early enough to get a good seat. But I mainly come here for the non-busy hours, when it is my perfect blend of coffee-house and cocktail bar. read more

Room 389 - The Eric Estrada - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Looking for that perfect neighborhood stop for a relaxing moment before heading home? This is the place. The menu goes from fancy hangover cures to great draft beer choices. The owner and staff were friendly. The food is amusing, as one night a week gives you a taco truck, guest chefs come in on other nights, and the dim sum joint next door will shop the clients, Cool without pretension. Diversity with harmony. You just got to love Oakland read more

This place is nice-ish. The interior looks a bit hip, a bit cozy. There's kind of a [i]Walnut Creek on a Saturday night[/i] feel to it, but that's more due to the number of striped shirts than the decor. The back area is comfy if you can get a seat. The bar has one really good bartender, one who has been awful each time I've encountered her, and one who macks on the ladies and points down the bar at the bad one. Maybe he's not a bartender but rather a lounge lizard who got stuck on the wrong side of the oak planks. Maybe he's also pointing at her as a warning. The drinks are good. Their greyhound has really good fresh-squeezed juice and they make good sazeracs. The prices are good for what they provide. So yes, it's a good little place, but they could use a an extra bartender or two and the bad one needs to be shown the door. read more

We were filming a shoot by the lake and wanted to have a drink afterwards. We happened past this bar on our way to a different bar, popped our heads in and winded up staying. The giants game was on and people were in a great mood, hot trays of fresh BBQ was getting set up for a dinner service and, unbelievably, people shoved up around a table in the back lounge to make space for our group of five. Maybe it was because the Giants were up 5 in the second inning, but the people in this bar were incredibly kind. I wanted a bitter beer, since I am always cautious about ordering cocktails in new bars. I chatted with a guy at the bar about beer while the bartender finished up with another customer. Then the bartender offered me a couple of tastes of beers on tap. I finally chose a Thelonious and wandered back past the crowd around the bar and into the back lounge area. A large group of women were celebrating a birthday in the lounge with us. They were all drinking cocktails and eating cake. Some of my group opted for the BBQ and two of us walked next door to pick up some Indian food from the House of Curries next door. The bar didn't bat an eye at us bringing in outside food. Between the food, the good beer, the friendly women sharing their table with us and the fact that the Giants were looking good to win the game, I got up the courage to order a couple of cocktails. My Rye Manhattan was pretty perfectly blended, dangerously well-blended, such that you forget how strong it is and drink it too quickly. My friend's Dirty Martini wasn't too wet and was good enough that she ordered a second. This is a really fantastic clean neighborhood bar. I can't wait to go back. Next time I will try one of their Greyhounds. read more

If you aren't at the game cause you can longer afford tickets.... then this is the spot. We get loud and it feels more like oracle then oracle sometimes these days. Today they were selling insane delicious tacos out front. The basil gimlet is the shit and the bartenders are nice.... Except that guy who kept giving me shit about my dogs head being above the bar. Still five stars. read more

I ordered a latte here today and was pleased by its quality. They used a good brand of soy milk and steamed it well. Lots of seating to choose from. One of my only concerns was that the lighting may be too dim, but there are several better lit places to sit. The dim lighting adds to its charms. Great place. I'll be here again. read more

Perhaps my favorite bar. Watched USA Belgium here, very appropriate place. Great drinks, they make amazing coffee too, very easy, close to everything. Gotta hand it to Bar 389, they have been my most solid option in this neighborhood for quite some time. read more

Nice neighborhood bar with a good crowd of people. Every time I've gone there seems to be a big game on TV so usually a ton of people erupt with screams every so often. Drinks are good and not too horribly priced here, definitely not the cheapest in the area but they have nicer quality ingredients. The one thing I always get a little blah about with this place is that I do seem to stand at the bar and wait for a drink a little longer than usual. Maybe I'm used to gay bars where drinks are poured and handed off to you like wildfire but it does seem to take a little longer than average to get your drink. Other than that the vibe is great and it's only a feet steps from my house so I will keep coming back. read more

Love love this palce. Cozy ambiance and great mix drinks. I also love it is a couple of blocks from my apartment. read more

Good spot for doing work during the day and then hanging out for a drink after. Great location too.

Great neighborhood bar and friendly place to pop in for a drink, prices are very reasonable too - I can't think of many loungy bars that are as reasonable. Icing on the cake though is that they are dog friendly! It would be a 5* rating, but they don't serve food, so not a place I could stay at for more than an hour or two. read more

I was here on a couple of occasions to get drinks or a coffee with friends. But the best time I had so far was on Superbowl Sunday in 2015. I wasn't feeling well enough to make the trek to SF and happen to live nearby, so I stopped in for a beer and ended up staying for the whole game. What's more, the people here were very friendly and jovial and I ended up chatting with quite a few and forgetting that I was miserable earlier that morning. This is totally a neighborhood gem and I'm so lucky to live within walking distance. read more

I'm planning on setting up camp in Room 389. Somehow I live 10 minutes away from this place, and unknowingly have been missing the best food on Tuesday nights. A 20s and 30s hang, this room is so inviting! I came here not knowing about amazing the Cameroon food I was missing in my life, and had my mind blown. Taste of Africa caters, and for $12 you get a (HUGE) plate that will satisfy your buds and belly. Drinks are cheap from 4-8 EVERY day during happy hour, and there are smooth tunes by a DJ spinning. Great time. WILL definitely be back for more!! read more

Great neighborhood bar. Easy, breezy, pleazie atmosphere....I wish there were more just like close by! Come on EASt BAY! read more

Nice decor with a couple of televisions. I watched the greatest single night of regular season baseball here. Bicycle coffee and pastries are served in the mornings. read more