* F*king awesome vibes, there's so many cool stickers, posters, art and general old school saloon vibes **Great options of drinks, beers and spirits. The staff are fun and interactive, and the cocktails are well done even in dive bar standards *** Piano night is sooo much fun ****Theres always something new to experience every time you stop by *****One of the fundamental Oakland feel vibe bars I'd recommend read more

LOVE The Alley. So last week after Michael & I went to the Grand Lake Tuesday $6 Disclosure Day 4pm show, & as usual, the spirits were calling us over. To supply a cushion to rest our booze on we ordered a snack of hand cut thick potato wedges aka fries. Well not to be too critical they were what we ordered..hand cut potatos & they were fried....however these had to be the least crunchy/crispy & most mushy/soft..."you call these FRIES??" ever. We ate some to do the job for which they were intended...absorb ETOH...after loaded with ketchup & I do mean loaded as the squeeze top came off when Michael squeezed..Oops! Bartender guy apologized for that & then later (& fries unfinished) after letting him know how subpar they were @ $12.00!! for maybe 2 potatoes worth of stuff ...he gave us a decent break on their cost... 50% off ADVICE!...get the 1/2 lb. burger for a couple of bucks more we still love you Alley but consider a change for those spuds read more

The Alley is a popular dive bar and nightclub in Carlsbad known for its lively, atmosphere, affordable drinks and diverse crowd. It features DJs, a packed dance floor, and events like karaoke and live bands, attracting locals and visitors looking for a fun, no-frills night out with a wide range of music. Had no idea what to expect but had a blast. You just dance the night away with people you don't know. What a vibe. read more

I visited The Alley for their famous piano bar and sing-along. The atmosphere was definitely lively and the place was packed, but the experience was a bit of a mixed bag. It was pretty frustrating at the start. Starting with the parking situation, couldn't find parking anywhere but what do you expect from San Francisco... When we got inside it was super busy and we couldn't find a place to sit, and no one really stepped in to help us. After wandering around for about 15 minutes, we finally snagged a spot at a long shared table. Luckily, a bench table right next to the piano opened up shortly after and we jumped on it. I ended up facing the opposite direction, so I didn't have much of a view, but at least my sister and girlfriend got a front-row seat to the show! The drinks were just mediocre, and it took about 5-10 minutes for them to arrive. For the price and the wait, I was hoping for something a bit better. Why it's a 3-star review: Despite the rough start, there were three things that really saved the night: The theme is awesome. There is so much detail on the walls; you can tell a lot of work went into the decorations. Our waiter was great. Even though the place was slammed, he checked on us constantly to see how we were doing and if we needed another round. The piano player was the highlight. He really knew how to hype up the crowd and his skills were top-notch. Overall, a cool spot for the history and the music, but the seating and drink wait can be a challenge. Glad the girls got to see the show, as they are more interested in piano bars than I am. read more

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I love this bar. It is so laid back but still happening in Oakland. Such a great mix of somewhat raunchy old time place plus currently really fun piano bar/sing-along, packed on a Sat PM. Finger foods and cocktails hit the spot as well. read more

The Alley - Awesome place - Dive Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Always a fun night at the Alley! I've been here a few times for piano bar nights, and the crowd and service are always friendly. The interior feels very lived-in, like a cabin of a nutty, artsy relative. Last night we tried trivia night (Tues, 7-9pm.) Friend and I split the Alley Steak special ($40), which was generous in portion, well seasoned, and def hit the spot. Drinks are always strong (vodka soda $10.) There was only one server, Malekai, and one bartender, Sophia, but they were a pro at maneuvering a packed house. Trivia was 5 rounds (gen knowledge, current affairs, photo round, music, dealer's choice.) Our team of 6 didn't do great, but it was a super fun way to hang out and test your knowledge! Will def be back! read more

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The Alley is a longtime running bar and restaurant in Oakland's Grand Avenue, just a short walk from Lake Merritt. I had never been before but my friends regularly meet up there for dinner, they unofficially call it a "Steak Club". Inside looks like a divey bar, with bar seating and an assortment of tables of booths. The staff are friendly and responsive in taking drink and food orders. Since my friends called it Steak Club, kind of felt compelled and obligated to try their steak. The offered a variety of cuts, including a Bone-In NY, I ordered the Alley Special and they cooked it how I liked it, Medium Rare. It wasn't as expensive as the fancy steak houses but they did a good job cooking their steaks. I also had one of their old fashioned's which was good, not too sweet. They also have live music with a piano player and do piano-side Karaoke some nights. I didn't sing but if I had a couple more drinks maybe I'd have enough courage. read more

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Lol, we went here on a trivia night. We came early to get a table and ordered some food. My friend and I split the Alley Steak special, it was a generous amount of food so I definitely recommend splitting! The steak was surprisingly good and perhaps the highlight of this place for me. The server did great but I felt bad that he was the only one for the whole place? At times it took a while to get an order in. We went to the bar ourselves a few times to get drinks. The beers they have are only in bottles/cans - nothing on tap. It's probably best to get well drinks to get the best bang for your buck! I like hard seltzers so I appreciated that they had white claw. The crowd was loud and it was hard to hear the trivia at times. Our seats were uncomfortable and uneven wood lol. It was a true dive experience. Also pretty warm inside/no air flow. Wear a sleeveless or short sleeve under your Bay Area layers lol. Overall we had a fun time but it wasn't the most comfortable and service unfortunately a bit slow. Down to come back but maybe not for trivia night because it was too packed. read more

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Cute little characterful dive. If you want a place that looks clean and shiny, this ain't it. They revel in the grimy patina. Service is friendly and efficient. Food is pretty good for bar food, but hella expensive. Eat someplace else and drink here. Three point five stars. read more

I love this spot! IIt's exacly the vibe I need sometimes...dimly lit, large booths, business cards stapled over everyince of the wood walls, chill servers, big portions. Dive bar vibes with full dinner service. read more

Food was good and the ambience was so classic! Dark piano bar reminds you of time past. Our waitress was amazing and attentive. Next time I come I'll definitely grab the mic and sing at (act like I can sing) at the piano bar! Order the STEAK it's worth it! It's a fun time read more

Had a very rare opportunity to go out to eat on my own, so came here last night for the first time, had their rib eye steak dinner. Delicious, cooked exactly at medium rare, nicely seasoned. Included garlic bread, baked potato, cooked vegetables and a salad. Guy playing guitar had a nice chill vibe, and going early meant plenty of room, and good, easy service. I was pretty happy with the whole experience. There was a sweet older lady who works there and helped me with my order. Would love to do this again sometime. read more

Excellent drinks and service always!! Especially love the vibes on a chill weeknight for a night cap

Food is decent, maybe 3 stars. You obviously don't come here for the food. But for $24, the 16 oz steak was cooked perfectly. The loaded potato was truly loaded. The salad and vegetables was kinda sad. But what you come here for is the piano bar. They've built a bar surrounding the piano. Those who want to sing will go up and grab a stool at the piano bar. They have plenty of mics to go around. On a Sunday night, At 6:30pm, the piano player starts playing and the regulars start walking up and settling in. By 7:30, it really gets going. I decided to give it a go. Went up there and the piano player was kind enough to ask me if I wanted to sing. When he didn't know the song I wanted to sing, he asked me to just start singing. As I started singing , he tickled the keyboard in accompanimemnt. It was super fun!! Will find more friends to go with me next time so we can really belt it out!!! read more

The Alley - Old fashion - Dive Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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There's nothing more agonizing than those moments when you're waiting for an indifferent bartender to take your order. I wouldn't have minded waiting if she was busy handling multiple orders from patrons in various states of drunkenness. What I can't tolerate is a bartender who ignores the bar to focus on her girlfriend for an extended period. Don't deny it! She didn't even glance in Jamie's and my direction for a full ten minutes. When she finally realized I was waiting to make an order, she acted like I just arrived. I will only disclose the bartender was a young woman who brought new meaning to the term "self-entitlement". Jamie wanted to bolt right away, but I ordered two $10 Tequila Sunrises just to see if she had skillz. Meh. They were on the watery side, which was too bad since the bar itself was rich in vintage atmosphere with shantytown decor and populated with worn out booths. We didn't stay long, missing the supposedly inimitable Rod Dibble at the 88. I just read the steak was great here, but alas, the who-cares bartender left a bad aftertaste for us, especially with the new Barbary across the street welcoming us with open arms. DRINKS - 3 stars...middling at best AMBIANCE - 4 stars...thick with mid-century atmosphere SERVICE. - 1 star...well, I've made myself clear TOTAL - 2 stars...barely RELATED - Exploring Oakland? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2ObVcpQ read more

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Came here with a group of friends. Drinks were great! I got a dirty gin martini ($13) and they got the dirtiness just right. The food portions are huge. I got the combo which had a 1/2 pound burger, 2 pieces of fried chicken, and fries for $25. The ambiance is definitely unique. They have a piano bar and sang some pretty cool songs. It is very dark and the walls are absolutely covered in paper and writings. Can get loud. read more

It's a small cozy local (full) bar and restaurant. Live piano on Friday and Saturday nights. Food is delicious authentic American cuisine. Service is quick and responsive. Accept credit cards. ATM for cash inside. Has a long bar seating with big screens (could be a good option for sport bar). Has indoor seating with tables and booths. Decoration is classic saloon type bar. Since more weight goes to bar side than restaurant and small seatings, not good for kids. Great for casual drinking, small gathering or meet up. Will go back for burgers, fried chicken and drinks for sure! read more

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I'm a Big fan of bars with quality food and heavy on their character and themes that the local community will galvanize behind. This local establishment is situated in a great area and is heavily trafficked for dinner hours for good reason. The business cards stapled anywhere you look are like badges of honor from the years of patrons frequenting this location and making memories. While it is dingy inside, it lacks the college bar alcohol smell you might expect it to have. The piano inside makes it a solidly obscure karaoke spot where you feel comfortable having a beer and bar food surrounded by other strangers and your closest friends. The servers are very attentive to your needs despite how busy this place gets. They are working very hard to ensure you're having a good time. Food came out on a timely manner. Food quality was surprisingly really good! We tried the fried chicken entree which comes complete with salad, garlic bread, baked potato, and mixed vegetables. The chicken quantity is pretty much half an entire bird (breast, thigh, leg, and wing) with a super crispy skin and juicy meat underneath. The dry rub is excellent, the chicken meat underneath was decent in flavor but certainly cooked well. I would highly suggest it. You can certainly share this entree with another person and leave satisfied. The also surprisingly good menu item was the hamburger. It comes out looking very plain and standard but is extremely juicy and flavorful. This was my favorite of the two dishes we ordered and also nicely priced. Half pound of meat is a good portion to share with another entree or to have as a solo dish. I will certainly come back to enjoy the environment and music which ranges from classic rock to other 80-90s songs. read more

The Alley - Fried Chicken Entree - Dive Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

I visited after not having been there for years. The place is great. Good food (such a dea!). I got the chopped sirloin.. Good atmosphere. And most importantly, good drinks. Bartender Mia is the best! read more

I have delayed reviewing this place because I really don't want anyone else finding out about it! Ha! But alas I can't hold back on the praise any longer. Most people come to this cozy dive bar for the piano and singing, but I come for the atmosphere and the food. The food is incredible. Steaks are high quality, seasoned well, cooked perfectly, and generously portioned. I've had the Alley Special and the Chopped Sirloin and both were fantastic. Both also come with baked potato and salad included in the price, which is rare these days. I stick to vodka martinis here, but they are always on point. And the service has always been attentive and friendly. The first time I visited, the place got packed, and our poor server Kevin was really working his butt off but still managed to get us everything we asked for. Amazing! This most recent time, our server (forgot to get her name!) was very friendly, had great suggestions and made us feel very welcome. At any rate ... if you're in the area and hankering for a great steak, just go in. It'll be worth it. read more

Fried food for life! Lol yes they have onions rings and chicken strips and they're good too Very interesting decor with King Cuppa watching over us. Note- this is an old.. like OLD establishment, the chairs are uncomfortable but it's part of the charm. There was live music( piano guy) when we were there. Service was fast, efficient and on cue. Love this place! read more

The Alley - Wall of memorabilia? And weird frog - Dive Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Not even 1 minute into the building, Black guy with buzzed blonde hair that works here pushed me out of the walkway. Instead of asking me to move out of the pathway, he immediately pushed me without my consent. Really weird energy considering it was my first time here. A more respectful and communicative approach would be to use his words, but I guess that's just the expected male behavior at this location. read more

Returned to The Alley for the first time in a couple years. It was our go to place for many years but pandemic changed our patterns. We loved being back ! Adele was welcoming . She prepares a delicious cocktail. The place looks great! My neighbor mentioned he had a delicious steak recently. We left happy and will be back. read more

I have known about the Alley most of my adult life. It is iconic. We went tonight and it was the worst experience ever. There was a guy who helped us initially who was extremely pleasant. We really wanted to sit at the bar. We sat at a table until a spot opened up. Our guy was great and said he would transfer our drinks to the bar. We sat at the bar and the bartender asked us what we wanted. We told her we just ordered and she responded by saying "you sit here. You order through me." She was obviously pissed. Coincidentally she was actually already making our drinks. Needless to say, we felt very unwelcome and uncomfortable because she stayed pissed off. We were pleasant with her hoping the mood would change. The bar area is small so she was right there the entire time. We would have ordered more drinks and stayed a while but ended our evening early. I believe her name was Malichi, at least that is what the check showed. She created the experience for us. Very disappointing. read more

Such an adorable place! Cute piano bar with a lot of locals lovelore ambiance!!! The night I went was karaoke! Soooo nice and homie! Strongly recommend for any type of night! Date night, birthdays, pre party, and just to meet up with friends! Adults only. I'll be back!!! The service was awesome!!! The waitress was separate from the bartender, which is nice! The best way to get everything you need/want!!! The drinks were awesome! I loved the food!!!! Soooo yummy n fresh!!!! Street parking! Clean restrooms! read more

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We are regulars at the alley and we keep coming back because we love the service Sophia provides- the drinks are incredible, the food is delicious and the service is fabulously consistent. Will always come back! Thank you Sophia! read more

Can't believe it took me so many years to check this place out. Came on a Monday around 630 and it was fairly empty. But the place was packed within an hour and I knew why once the piano started playing. What a cool freaking place with a nice mixed crowd and chill vibes. Ordered a burger cooked medium with fries and both were delicious. Definitely didn't seem like the frozen food you would normally get at most bars. Don't snooze on this place like I did and come check it out. read more

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The oldest piano bar in the Bay has not lost any of its charm. Nightly live piano/guitar bar attracts fabulous singers & musicians. Friendly staff & great atmosphere. Highly recommended! read more

Came with friends on a Friday around 8pm. Immediately got a seat. Heard some karaoke but at around 9 they had someone on the piano and it was nice. Definitely a fun spot and will be back in the future. Food 5/5 Burger was with no cheese but man it was good! We also got fries and onion rings. Both were good. Onion rings a bit oily . All came hot piping hot and quick. Service 4/5 Few times it was hard to find our server which was odd because we're were ordering quite a few drinks. But when we did order it came quick. Ambiance 4/5 Loved the live piano and lightning inside. It was busy but you didn't need to yell to chat with your table. My only issue is that the booths were a little small and not very comfortable. The backwards were shared and so you can feel when the person behind you is moving on it. read more

The Alley - Dive Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

First time here My friend and I had a great time here and I would totally recommend this place Service great!! Our waitress was nice and friendly Drinks were awesome and made quickly, food is tasty and reasonably priced The vibe in here is super chill, no drama, no bad vibes. They were playing trivia and it was super fun !! The decor is "different" but appreciated! When you walk in it's like your stepping into a different era and location You forget you are in Oakland ..... Cash only but there is an ATM machine located inside Street parking only Def a must try kinda place read more

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Waiters are friendly and efficient. The steaks are grilled perfectly. I asked for well done and I got well done. Every time. The vegetables, salad, and baked potato were great. read more

A fun place for a drink or two Nice bartenders dramatic ambiance a bit like phantom of the opera meets la boheme Loved getting a drink at the bar great experience read more

This place is the best and I recommend to everyone!! The ambience is incredible, the food is fresh and reasonably priced, the service is incredible. Already planning my next visit read more

The Alley - The Alley Special - Dive Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Well I wasn't going to do a review of this place again but since several of the staff were so rude and hostile to me I am now compelled to do so. If you like waiting an hour to sing only to have your song ruined by people hitting the piano and talking loud over your song I guess this is your kind of place. The older piano player refuses to control the disruptive conduct and even allowed one creep to call me a racist just because I asked him not to hit the top of the table. He also allowed his personal friends to play shakers over my song even when I said the song has no Latin percussion in it. I do Latin songs as well but I don't want Latin percussion in older 1930's fox trot music mainly because it ruins the authentic style and feel of the music. I asked two different band leaders what they would do if someone wanted to play a shaker over every song that wasn't a ballad and one guy said he would just walk over and take the shaker out of their hand. He added that playing a shaker on almost any song is about like playing a cow bell on every song. The other guy who leads a band called "The Best Intentions" said he would not allow a shaker to be used in almost every song either and he said it was quite rude for them to play shakers on my song if I asked them not to. Allowing people to freely hit the table with ring fingers, bottles, shakers, or their hand is clearly disruptive and the only reason these people have not figured this out is that they don't bother to listen objectively to a recording of what it sounded like. For example hitting the table top creates a low frequency tone due to the fact that the piano is a large instrument. When someone hits the table top it transfers into the piano and creates a tone like a low quality bass drum. The annoying tone created by the disruptive persons is about like someone taping on the top of one of the microphones. The knocking tone is predominant when making a recording and it can not be edited out. The irritating low knocking tone can easily be heard live as well. The other piano player Bryan did not have a problem asking people not to hit the table and yet the older piano player Jef claimed it was not practical to ask them to stop. This is quite a contradiction in my opinion. Duplicating my hi hat part with a shaker essentially made my $350.00 dollar Zidjian hi hat cymbals sound more like cheap plastic shakers particularly since the shakers were being played over the table instead of under it. I pointed out that if the shakers were played underneath the piano instead of over the top they would not be too forward in the mix however they refused to comply because they were more interested in being seen playing them than getting the mix of the music correct. In other words they refused to compromise in any way. An Asian waiter decided to illegally retaliate against me for allegedly making a "negative review about them on Google reviews". He then threatened to physically remove me from the bar unless I immediately purchased a drink and falsely claimed I had never purchased a drink their before. This was a crazy demand since I was normally given a drink of tonic water for free since I was playing the drums there for free. The Asian waiter even had the gall to say he would remove me from the bar if I even so much as continued to speak. To my surprise the waiter was not immediately fired for his illegal conduct and the management offered no apology. The manager instead said she would reprimand the waiter for giving me a free drink even though the other singers and people at the restaurant clearly appreciated me playing the drums there. I found this too be amazingly cheap and petty particularly since it was only tonic water. Perhaps these people want others to believe professional quality experienced drummers are not musicians? Several times people I did not know even wanted to give me a tip because they were enjoying my drumming. The younger piano player falsely claimed my drum set up took up more than one seating space even though anyone could see the same number of people were sitting on that side of the piano with the drums set up as without them. I had specifically designed my cocktail drum kit to take up only one seating space but he wanted to believe otherwise for unknown reasons. If they were so concerned about the number of people on that side of the piano then why did they remove the other bench that was there? To sum it up If you want a good piano bar go to Martuni's in San Francisco. When I went to Martuni's not even one person hit the top of the piano and there were no goofballs playing shakers on songs that obviously should not have a shaker part. The piano player at Martuni's also plays fox trots properly instead of confusing the rhythm with a swing as they do at the Alley. read more

A funky Oakland institution. Very reasonably priced food is good and so is the service. read more

The Alley - Dive Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

This is a pretty unique venue, which I was pleased to find on a Sunday night. They do live music here (piano/guitar) on certain nights, but on Sundays, they do karaoke. The decor and lighting create a really great ambience inside, with odd random signs, business cards, news articles, and other scraps of paper covering the walls pretty much from floor to ceiling. The layout is a bit weird with the bar area blocked in its own section but sort of narrow and squished, and stuffy on a hot evening, and the wall separating the bar area blocks the view of the karaoke area if you're trying to watch. There's one line for ordering drinks at the bar, which creates and blocks traffic in the middle of the restaurant during busy time. It's worse when they are understaffed. In fact, it seemed that way when we visited this past Sunday. It was a full house in the dining area (booths and tables) and in the bar area... a lot of people. They seemed to have only 4 employees total working, one for the entire bar area, one serving and waiting on all of the diners on the restaurant side, one cook, and one DJ/KJ. For a busy Labor Day weekend night, that's seems a bit unprepared. And if it's always like that, that's even worse. There seems to be an upstairs area, but that was not open on this day. We just came for drinks, and besides the long waits, service was great. The bartender was friendly, working hard, and made us tasty cocktails. And as it got later into the night, seats in the dining area opened up, so we were able to bring our drinks over and get more comfortable. The music was fun all night, and they were still going even after midnight and after we left (usually karaoke or live music ends earlier at other places I've been, so that was cool, especially if coming there for the entertainment). We enjoyed our time at The Alley, and it led to an even greater time afterward, so I'd say it set us up for a pretty good night. read more

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Came here on a Friday night around 7:30PM or so, heard great things about it. Seating is pick a spot and good luck, I suggest more in the back if you want to enjoy dinner and some music. Love the piano and singers honestly, adds so much to the atmosphere. As soon as I sat down, I was also fortunately next to the server's main booth and she served me right away. Was super friendly and kind, mentioned I had a buddy coming so she checked up on me again at a later time to take our order. Food was great, fried mushroom was amazing! I enjoyed the steak, got the biggest ribeye there, it doesn't compare to an actual steakhouse but if you wanted a steak to hit your craving on a weekday and didn't want to leave town, this is a great substitute. Aside from the Ribeye there are other cuts of steaks that are a lot more affordable. They also give you a lot of sides including really good cooked veggies, salad, and fries. I do want to come back here since I want to try more of their menu. They have this crazy combo of Fried Chicken and a Burger at an affordable cost. TLDR: Great atmosphere Great entertainment Great food I r8 a gr8 out of 8 read more

All things went well! The service, my cocktails, all good sooo good!! The service was warm and timely. I left quite leased read more

The Alley now accepts credit cards (noticed that on the listing). Stopped through here by chance on some errands. It turns out we came on their re-opening night! Nestled in the front booth under some red neon, we enjoyed a couple juicy steak dinners, a few decent old fashioned-s and a couple g&t's. We stayed long enough for a cool dive to transform into a revered piano bar (at 9pm). Locals and regulars sang their hearts out: solos, duets, and occasionally with the company of the piano player. We were not prepared to make a night of it, but we are sure glad we did. Don't miss out. This place is a gem. read more

We've been to this place to have drinks only and then we heard about a write up they received about the food. They said the place had a new Chef and the food was supposed to be good. Well, we went to try it out. We went on a Monday, so it wasn't too busy which was good. There was six of us, and we sat down right away and ordered drinks first which the beers seemed pretty pricey $8 for a bottle of Modelo. We looked over the menu and they don't have appetizers which is strange but that's OK. I ordered the fried chicken and my other friends ordered the ribeye, the New York, and the top loin, all steaks. All of the meals came with a side salad, a loaded baked potato and vegetables. My fried chicken was cooked perfect, good flavor, the vegetables were tender and not overcooked, and the baked potato was cooked great too with lots of bacon. My friends said that their steak was cooked perfect and had great flavor. I tried the ribeye and New York steak, and it was great. The prices on all of the meals are all pretty reasonable considering what you get. The place is funky looking inside but it was cool. Our waiter was really good for the whole time we were there. The burgers looked pretty good, next time I'll be there for one. read more

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