I've always had totally good experiences at Tap Haus as the college bar everyone goes to, but recently, I had such a truly lovely and heartwarming experience with the staff that I had to write a review about it and thank them again! If you don't care to read the story about my drama, just know that everyone who works there, from the bartenders to the security guards to possibly the manager and owner (not sure, I didn't ask who they were, sorry!) were so sweet and kind and helpful to me when they really didn't have to be, and I am forever grateful!!! I won't include the full story that I subjected them all to when I came in, but, essentially, some horrid drama with my friends happened one night out at Tap that was partially witnessed by a security guard. I am insane and decided to do some investigating and try to talk to this security guard to hear the full truth, so I went in the next day early and talked to the sweetest bartender (Allison, I think) who listened to my whole story and texted the security guard for me to get more details! Such a girl's girl. I then came in again the next day (insane, I told you) and literally talked to a circle of people (including Andre? the security guard - sorry if that's not how you spell it) about the whole story again. They were all so kind and helpful and apologetic and both helped with my insane investigation and also made me feel better about the whole situation! And then the next week, I came in with (other) friends, and a lovely man who I believe is the manager recognized me and gave me a drink on the house! So nice I nearly cried. Love you all very much. I don't want to subject them to more harassment by insane college girls trying to conduct investigations into their situationship's behavior, but just know if you ever truly need to lol, go in before 9pm and you will meet the loveliest people very invested in your drama. read more

Saturday I went out to have a drink with my man and my total was $26. I did NOT leave a tip on the receipt because I gave a cash tip instead. The next day I get a notification that my transaction was UPDATED and $4 more was added. I called and asked to speak to a manager, of course one wasn't available. The bartender said he was the one working that night, but suddenly he "doesn't handle transactions". He said a manager would call me back and nobody ever did. So now I'm returning in person because that charge was NOT authorized. I don't care how little the amount is. You do NOT add money to someone's card without their permission. That is wrong and shady. If you come here, WATCH YOUR BANK STATEMENTS and KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS because clearly they feel comfortable adding extra charges after you leave. read more

Stopped by here to chat and grab a beer. Lots of pool tables as well. They serve lots of local beers and the service is patient and friendly. read more

Tap Haus - Pool Halls Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Tap Haus is a solid spot if you're looking for a beer in downtown Berkeley. They've got a good selection of beers that are fairly priced, and the bartenders are always friendly and easy to talk to. They've also got billiards. Nothing too fancy, but that's kind of the charm. I've been here multiple times and I'll be back I'm sure! read more

Tap Haus - Pool Halls Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Came here before our karoake rezo downstairs at Jaguar. Jolly bouncer dressed in lederhosen ("It's Octoberfest!" he said. I guess it starts in Sept?) greeted us at the door. Inside was huge, with a long bar, a few pool tables. Drinks were solid (We had vodka sodas-can't mess that up.) College crowd. read more

Tap Haus - canoe on the ceiling - Pool Halls Near Me - Berkeley, California

We came here because this used to be Tower Records when I was a kid.... Overall, the worst service I have ever had. 2 bartenders and they had about 6 people waiting for drinks for over 25 minutes. These are not even fancy drinks- it's beer on tap. Save your time and go somewhere else. Also this guy is super rude. read more

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Tap Haus is definitely one of those quintessential college bars--it's got that "everyone ends up here at some point" kind of vibe. If you're looking for a lively night out with a big crowd and cheap drinks, it'll probably do the trick. But if you're expecting anything more polished... you've been warned. The space itself is pretty decent in terms of layout. It's two stories, which is a big plus because it can get *packed* on weekends, especially if there's a game or some kind of event going on. The upstairs area helps ease the crowding a bit, and gives people more room to spread out. That said, there's often a line to get in during peak hours or on event nights, so plan ahead. Now, let's talk cleanliness--this is *not* Tap Haus's strong suit. The place can feel a bit grimy by the end of the night (sticky floors, messy tables), and the bathrooms? Pretty rough. Honestly, they're kind of disgusting. It's the kind of place where you avoid touching anything if you can help it, and hope for the best. Service is hit or miss. The bartenders are usually friendly enough, but when it gets crowded (which is often), the wait time to get a drink can be pretty long. Not really the staff's fault--there just never seems to be quite enough of them working to match the crowd. All that being said, it does what it's supposed to do: it's a budget-friendly, loud, chaotic bar where you can hang with friends, meet people, and not worry too much about anything. If you're in college or looking for that kind of carefree night out, you'll probably enjoy it. If you're after a cleaner, more refined experience, maybe keep walking. read more

I can't believe last night was my first time going there. I loved the music. The decorations are so cute . I didn't get to explore the menus but the drink we got happened to be pretty good. I had a whiskey sour, I believe a lemon drop with a salted a rim. I hate that I forgot our bartenders name but she made us a special shot and surprisingly you do not taste the Hennessy (coming from a light weight who doesn't really drink and everything tastes strong). Service was great. They also have a Photo Booth and pool tables. read more

Tap Haus - Halloween decorations/Photo Booth - Pool Halls Near Me - Berkeley, California

I absolutely love this place! The drinks are awesome and it's fun to people-watch games or drunkenly play yourself. The downstairs is pretty big, which makes it a great location for small or big groups. read more

Assaulted by the staff I live fairly nearby to taphouse, so I've come by because it's walking distance and I can have a drink after a stressful day . I usually just go sit, read my book and just mind my own business. While I was sitting there, someone who said they were staff said I had "thrown a bottle" and I needed to leave. when I simply protested, I didn't throw a bottle I was grabbed and physically dragged out of the bar. I have no idea why they did this to me. I have no idea why they were so violent and why there were so quick to result to physical force. Please be wary when going to this bar. They are not nice people. They are violent. read more

Made the trek out to Berkeley on a random Friday. Went to Tap Haus after Kips and thoroughly enjoyed this spot more! We mainly hung out in the downstairs area at the bar, and the bartenders were super fun and nice! Would totally come again. read more

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Cheap drinks and a fun night for Cal kids or if you're from the bay looking to have fun on a weekend. I'm not sure how busy it gets during weekdays since I didn't go to Cal but if you ever wanna get a cheap drink and play billiards this is the spot! It honestly got really packed on a Saturday night, love the vibes. There's an upstairs and downstairs area. Downstairs had more lounge area. I personally love the Midori sour which is rare to find, most bars don't make this drink. It was perfect! read more

A few things to keep in mind--while the pool tables could use some refinishing and there's no kitchen on-site, this spot remains a popular student hangout in the heart of Berkeley. Great vibes and a central location make it a go-to for many. read more

Personally I found it open and fun! And the drinks were delicious. I would recommend you to try it out and make it apart of your bar hop cause why not read more

I like this place. More mature crowd and generally more classic oldies played here. Great place to watch the games; the decor is polished and clean; and there are some cool pool tables. The beer choices are ok. The bartender is cool but the kitchen was closed and the place wasn't properly staffed. Add that improvement and you have a 5 star place. To their credit, they let you bring in food from other places and there are many places just outside to grab food to go and bring it inside. This is a fun place to socialize and isn't as annoyingly loud as some of the hormonally infused bars around there can be. read more

Tap Haus - Pool Halls Near Me - Berkeley, California

Met 2 great guys, John and Ronald. Down to earth, chill bouncers that knows and reads the vibe really well. They're very welcoming and it's always a delight to see them work really well to make sure everyone is having a great time. Everyone else in the room are always in the best mood no matter the hours. Place and vibe overall is genuinely amazing. read more

So I've worked in Berkeley for years and wanted to stop on this spot for a while . For some reason I go down he stairs and that door is never open ?!? I see on google it is so I'm an idiot where is the door!!? Street level and to the right ! Finally I'm in! I'm looking for a hells cause I'm into that now and the bartender looks at me like wtf?!? I look around didn't the sign say brew haus? German spot ? Nein! Ok what you got ? How about a heff?! When I came in this place didn't scream German das boot , but I did see them back there . Wouldn't you know the bar felt sooooo familiar ............. It's been 15 years but why does this feel like thalassa ? Do a 360...... pool tables............... wood barback.... Small fishtanks......nautical theme......mermaids?!? Bubble inlay No............what?!? Omfg !!!!! I found my favorite stomping ground!!!!!!! Bartender shook my hand . made a point to remember my name. (Sorry miss I suck , slim brunette glasses on and off). Rocked and made me feel home. Thank you . Beers same same , it's a bar. Maybe downstairs has more of that vibe , i will be back to find out . Newbies don't listen to the neg stars it's a bar . Make the memories. If a fly gets in the drink get another . Tip well and be kind karma says it'll all be good! read more

Tap Haus - Upstairs tables - Pool Halls Near Me - Berkeley, California

I came to Tap Haus when visiting friends at Berkeley and it seems like a chill place to hang with friends on a night out. They serve a variety of different beers. We personally got blowjob shots and they were super yummy but a bit expensive. The spot also has a ton of pool tables which can be fun! read more

If I could give this dirty establishment a negative 10 I would! This is the most disgusting place you could ever walk into to have a drink! Look at the bartenders, they all look like they jumped out of bed w/o showering! This is the right place for "nasty" students with nasty attitudes! They also tell you if you ask for a drink and don't like it..... You will be charged, just because they poured their liquor and when you try to rebuttal, they ask security to remove you while yelling obscene remarks at you after they just raped you for your money! I have never seen students of a prestigious College act and treat people the way they did! They are just Ghetto kids who got lucky, IJS because it shows! I recommend the new bar "Cali's" around the corner. Cali's is much much much much cleaner, they have great food, great drinks, games and great customer service. read more

Visiting my daughter at Berkeley and came upon this joint. They have ice cold beer in a 40 oz boot. I had a Hazy IPA which was delicious. read more

Tap Haus - Das Boot - Pool Halls Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Aria was great and brought up the vibes big time. Great music and great person. Shout out her and shout out Mateo too.

Cute little date night spot. They play chill music. Pretty dim here which makes the place look vibey. They check ID's. They have a bar to get drinks. Pretty busy on a weeknight (maybe because it's walking distance to a lot of food spots & from UC Berkeley). read more

With my two favorite pool halls in town closed for walk-in-ins, my Cal kid, Gracie, told me about Tap Haus. This location has been many restaurants in the past, so I knew exactly where to go! Across the street from the Asian Ghetto. Met up with Gracie on a Sunday afternoon. The six tables are decent. Definitely weathered by spilled beers. Not coin operated, so it is by the hour. $6 before my 8:00pm bedtime. There's simple bar burgers and such. A definite step up from a fast food version. I didn't have a beer, but my friend cold one. Campus street parking is okay with school out. read more

Ladies Beware!! Creepy Tap Haus "security guard" kicked open my locked bathroom stall in the women's restroom last night with no warning and stared at me while my pants were down. I have been to Tap Haus a number of times and have had mostly good experiences. Last night, however, I had an experience that was incredibly violating and scary. I went into the women's bathroom on the main floor. I now assume the bathroom was not supposed to be open for Tap Haus patrons, but I had used that bathroom on several other occasions, I had seen other people going in and out last night, and it was unlocked so I didn't think anything of it. I went in and went into a stall by myself to pee. After about 30 seconds (and without warning) the man pictured kicked open my locked bathroom stall while I was peeing and stared at me while my pants were down. I was confused and scared, and I tried to close the door and he kicked it open again, yelling at me aggressively saying that it was "his bathroom" and he can do whatever he wants in there because he works for security. He wasn't wearing any security badge or identifying clothing so I didn't know if it truly even was a security guard or just a scary perverted man. He watched me as I pulled up my pants and was physically aggressive and manhandled me as he pushed me out of the bathroom. I took these photos of him for proof. Once I was out of the bathroom, I went to my friends and told them what had happened, showing them the photos. At this point, the man was in the bar and he saw the photos on my phone from across the room and ran over to me and my friends. He forcefully grabbed my arm and tried to throw me out of the bar, yelling at me loudly to "delete those f***ing photos NOW!" Clearly he didn't want there to be any proof of his creepy and unacceptable behavior. My friends and I left after that, and I am still very shaken up by the experience. read more

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The bathroom is tooooooooo dirty! The drinks are bad. The bartender doesn't really know how to make a simple aperol spritz. She made a pineapple vodka for me, and it tasted not good either. I highly recommend you just order beers when you come here, and don't use their bathroom. read more

Tap Haus - a glass of water and a drink on a bar - Pool Halls Near Me - Berkeley, California

We came here to play pool which was a positive experience, but ordered a margarita which was the worst margarita that I've ever drank in my life. The marg was overly sour, not complex taste, minimal tequila, and tastes like cheap margarita mix and lime juice. No agave sweetener, just awful. Took two sips and ceased finishing the rest. read more

lol we broke some glass cups and the bartender was super chill about it. We also requested they play some usher and they did!!

Awesome drink service! Elizabeth was so awesome as a bartender! Thanks for the lovely berkeley reunion experience

Awesome spot to kick it with friends, grab a beer, play life-sized jenga, pool, shuffleboard. Some friends and I went during the holidays and it wasn't too crowded since most of the Berkeley students had gone home. Lots of good beers on tap, inviting fun and warm atmosphere and really cool staff. It's also near Jaguar karaoke and the gourmet ghetto, which has some good late night cuisine, like Asian, Italian food, donuts and Top Dog! Next time you're bored or need to recommend a spot to play games and get beery, go here! read more

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nice decoration, nice music, nice beer, nice people, nice games that get even better after a few drinks I came here with a friend couple days ago. This bar is pretty big and decorated nicely... the bartender was very nice and precise on the drinks (can't remember her name but she mentioned liking Brazilian music) read more

Tap Haus - Gustavo & Jhennifer playing pool at Tap Haus. - Pool Halls Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place has terrible service I waited 25+ min just to order 2 beers and a pool table , and I counted 4 people who were behind me in line that serve first and I had a seat at the bar , came back another week some incident, I don't blame any of the employees but management n service , highly possible I won't ever come back -5 /10 also have a video ‍ read more

Tap Haus - Me waiting at the Bart 25+ min - Pool Halls Near Me - Berkeley, California

Love the vibe here. There's pool tables and jenga(free to play). The cocktails are not the best you'll ever have but the price is genuine! read more

Tap Haus - Gin tonic $8 - Pool Halls Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Love this place. Great time. Staff are all friendly and attentive. If it wasn't for you meddling kids...

I just can't get out of my head the thought of the bartender handing me, barehanded -a lemon for my water. Does anyone else think this is gross? Please give me lemon for my water on a toothpick or something- anything but you bare dirty fingers that just touched money from the neighboring guy sitting next to me...like ew. Immediately walking in and trying to order a jameson-ginger, I learn within 69 seconds that this place only has beer, wine and soju. This was my fault as I should have done my research in finding a full bar. But because this place was next door to the YEE tonight- I swallowed my pride and enjoyed a glass of beer. Besides the mishap of bare-handing-a-lemon, this place is super nice for group activities like: pool, oversized connect four and human sized Jenga. Please refer to my pictures but this place has so much room! I also really liked the variety of music they were playing overhead. read more

Tap Haus - Pool Halls Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Pretty big spot, went to eat around the area and found this spot for a drink. They have pool & some other small games. Drinks were good. Got pretty busy but the only lady Bartender there handled it well. read more

I went to visit Oakland with a couple friends from out-of-state and decided to go out to Berkeley for the bars. When we went to show our IDs at the front, the bouncer immediately told us no and said they were fake. I offered to show my passport to prove his dumbass he was wrong about my age but he told us to leave and said "You guys are lucky I ain't taking them away" so we left cause I'm trying to keep my ID and passport. Was it a RealID? No, but the guys behind us didn't have a RealID either and they were out-of-state and they had no problem. (I know this because they made friends with us) We literally bar hopped everywhere else and never had a problem. This bouncer has a stick up his ass. read more

Cochoach found in my drink. I told the bartender and they did not replace my drink. They just dumped it out and did not acknowledge me after. read more

Tap Haus - Cockroach in my drink served from the bar. Bartenders did nothing when I showed them my cup. - Pool Halls Near Me - Berkeley, California

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A great evening spot for a solid selection of on-draft beers and cocktails at a decent price (the Alameda Double IPA is great), interesting Polynesian interior decor, and pool tables and bar games galor! We had a great night playing a few rounds of pool, which I can't think of anywhere else nearby that offers such an array of games. They are fully open and starting to get a nice critical mass again as Berkeley night life returns. read more

Tap Haus - They have many tables up and downstairs! $6/hour - Pool Halls Near Me - Berkeley, California

Fuck this place. Got a buddy visiting from Texas. Got rudely rejected at the door because he had a Texas ID. Do they think people don't exist outside of the state of California? Had a great first date here though, which led to an amazing relationship. 2 stars. read more

Tap Haus is one of my favorite bars Southside. A bright light on the bleakness that is the Southside bar scene. Kip's? No thanks, don't want to lose my shoes to their sticky dance floor and terrible service. Pappy's? It's a sports bar, it's perfectly acceptable. You go here for food/drink specials and to yell at the Warriors/Giants. Free House? Do I look like a grad student? Henry's? Do I look 50? (Raleigh's gets a pass. Raleigh's is cool.) Tap Haus is youthful and fun, but sliiiiiiightly grown up without being stodgy. Super spacious, with lots of seating and big bathrooms. Huge menu of beers on tap, and some fun soju cocktails too. (No liquor or liquor mixed drinks though.) Perfect for an upperclassman who's looking to chill and "grab a beer" on a weeknight. This is not the place to throw back 4 tequila shots and stumble onto the dancefloor before crying in the bathroom and puking outside on the sidewalk. This is where you drink a boot full of beer and then play giant checkers or Jenga. Tap Haus turns into a bit of a Greek life zoo on Friday and Saturday. So uh, if the sight of a Patagonia fleece appalls or enthralls you, either way now you know. On quieter nights the super friendly and knowledgeable bartenders will spend time helping you sample their beers and wines (did you know they have wine on tap?). All of the bartenders I've talked to over the years are really chill and helpful. None of the "wave cash in their face or they only serve cute girls first" BS some other bars do. Long story short: Come here, it's chill brah. read more