This 5 star goes to Eric! He was such a humbling soul that cared about my tiny friend, he was patient and sweetly assertive. Patience is very important when working at a job like this. He gave me a water for my friend to help sober up. We need more people like Eric here! You guys had a short king being a d*** to ladies in line for no reason and another short king trying to kick us out when my friend obviously needed to sit down for a little. WE LOVE YOU ERIC!!!! (I don't remember if it was a C or a K I asked but I forgot ) read more

Be sure to check your bank statements after buying drinks. They snuck a $100 charge on to my account on 11/22. Bummer cause i did like coming to this place. read more

The Ritz - Suspicious af $100 charge. - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

This was a very disappointing visit as it was sposed to be one of the funnest nights of the year. I went dressed in a Halloween costume to what was a advertised event. When I arrived it was all I expected. There were people in costumes wall to wall. But 2 hours later the contest was announced so we all went to the stage but were stopped at the bottom notifying us that we all had to have wristbands. Well NOBODY could tell us where to get these wristbands and the only people wearing them were the club staff. So I was not allowed to participate after paying $20- parking and $20-×2 for admission. A very very disappointing night! read more

A cool small venue for a live show! I rolled into town to see Bloodflowers & This Charming Band (The Cure and Smiths tributes) on a Friday night. I parked with the nearby Westin valet (not a cheap option but a close and safe one), and was happy the walk to the venue was quick and felt safe before AND after the show. The venue itself is odd in layout - you walk in and are immediately confronted with a bar (no issues there of course! It just is strange), then you walk into the main open venue, spot another larger bar, and the two-tier standing areas to view the performers. The night was well sold but not packed so it was nice to be able to be up front without feeling crushed or like I would lose my spot if I stepped away. Drinks were fairly well priced though not particularly tasty, so keep your expectations reasonable if you're going the mixed drink route. Sound quality was great, and I learned well after the fact that this venue used to be an old porn theater! It made the layout make so much more sense (that rando bar up front? Concessions - duh!), and makes the space cavernous in a good way. I also spotted people heading towards what looked like a main bathroom space to the right of the stage, but in searching for a quiet place to make a call between sets, I found this giant random room near the front area bar that has a bathroom tucked away in a corner! A great sneaky find, pro tip. ;) This is a fun and comfortable venue for a live show, for those who are ready for a standing and dancing night - dive bar vibes in a big city venue. Give it a shot, you just might love it! read more

The Ritz - Bloodflowers (The Cure tribute) - 5/20/22 - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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Went here for the 90's event, large place but it does get congested inside. Bar super accessible, didn't wait long to get a drink. Overall good spot to go out for events. read more

This rating is for the venue it self. How are tickets at the door going to be CASH ONLY with no notice? The line for Emo Night was extremely long and I would be so upset to get to the front only to then find out it's cash only??? Should have been posted on their website or have a sign by the line to let folks know. Also one of the bartenders started yelling and getting angry at my bf because he just asked for more alcohol in our drinks??? The bathroom situation here SUCKS. There's only one single bathroom by the merch so obviously it was a ridiculous line for that too. Apparently there's another bathroom, but all the way next to the stage?? Which would of been so difficult to get to since it was packed. Makes no sense. Venue sucks, Emo Night is great though. read more

Was good vibs most of the night, good songs, decent drinks, then as we were trying to leave this one bouncer (short, bald, beard, clearly a small dick and a power complex) kept shoving us and yelling at us to leave, it's 12:30 at this point, we hadn't had much to drink and was in the process of trying to leave as this happened, we walk out and around the corner waiting for our other friends to come out and he keeps yelling at us to leave and shoving us, we're not even on there property anymore, now it seems like this guy just wants an excuse to fight but we finally get all of our people out and across the street and he finally fucks off, this one interaction lost all of my respect for this bar and these people, never coming back. read more

First time here for a venue/concert. Never again! Start time was 8pm. Doors didn't open until 8pm. 1st group at 9pm and main @11! No seating except about 20-30 bar stool scattered around the place. It was so hot in there and The bathroom area was even hotter. People are gross, can't handle their liquor and made the bathroom just gross. I will say the staff really tried hard to keep up with bathroom needs. The bar service and prices was decent. Not a long wait for drinks. The bar staff was quick. With all this, keep in mind this place is an older building. read more

I went here for a concert. The lines are really long to get in. There is VERY little seating, so if you can stand all night, then you're good. It's NOT handicap accessible. The lighting is the worst. MOST OF ALL THE RESTROOMS WERE SOME OF THE WORST I'VE EVER SEEN. They smell really bad. The plumbing backed of and 1 toilet worked out of 3. They said the mens restroom was worse. Disgusting the people who work there are very rude. The lines for drinks were not bad. Let's just say some people shouldn't be bartenders. read more

The Ritz - Bad lighting - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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Came here super excited to support musicians, left with a nasty taste in my mouth. What was the taste? Probably PEPPER SPRAY Security here needs to brush up on their communication skills since they only know how to put their hands on musicians and pepper spray them. Extremely unprofessional and says a lot about the manager and his company's training procedure. Loved loved loved the performers that night, did not love the treatment of them. 0/10 would not recommend read more

I like the events they host here. Sometimes they have themed dance parties like Emo Night or Hyphy Night. They also have specific artist nights, the most recent one I attended was one for The Cure. It's a really cool venue to watch a show or dance with some friends. The bartenders are pretty nice and the drinks are good. read more

Poor venue design. It was my first time at the Ritz last month for emo night and it's been on my list of places to go. About an hour in, I needed to use the bathroom and couldn't find it. GUESS where it is. Next to the stage. What the front door. I had to scooch past everyone and fight my way to the back. The bathroom is super stuffy and smelly. Not much ventilation going back there. Sorta gross. Besides the bathroom horrors, the drinks are cheap here. Not sure how much but I know my tab with my two friends was only $90! Emo night was a success, too bad it ended early. read more

The Ritz - people sitting at a bar - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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I was roofied here last weekend, most likely by one of the bartenders. I blacked out when I only had a couple drinks and was taken away in an ambulance to the ER. I was treated for alcohol poisoning because I wasn't conscious enough to explain this cannot be the case. Two of my friends also had some of the same drink and suspiciously blacked out shortly after. read more

This place is in downtown San Jose. Decent size lounge/club, but not much seating. The only seating they have are stools. If you want bottle service, it is there too. Honestly, I didn't really think about it being a place to lounge around until performers played. It's been a long time since I've came to a place like this. Nothing bad, it's just I wasn't expecting it to be us waiting for the performance to play. I thought it would be like a concert. You come in, and the concert starts. But anyway, my husband ordered a beer, and we just chilled for a bit. I'm glad we came at 8PM on the dot though, because around 9:30, that's when performers were starting to set up. I went right in front of the stage right away. So, I was really lucky to be standing in front of FIJI. I did not move one bit, to lose my spot. I had the time of my life, just listening, and singing all the songs I grew up with, as FIJI performed. There were also performers playing before him, they were also islanders, and I really loved them too. So, that was my experience for the first time. I have nothing to say about drinks, bartenders, bathroom, or anything else, because I didn't drink, or use the bathroom that night. LOL Maybe in the future, I will have more things to say, if I ever came back for more shows. read more

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I actually went here to watch the purple ones, a Prince tribute band. The place needs some upgrades but it was functional. Not a lot of places to sit and enjoy the band but we got there early and secured a spot. It is a big space and can accommodate a lot of people. The bar was ok. I respect a place where they have water that is available and accessible. Lot of bartenders. There looked like a line so I waited in line. Then someone just walked up and got helped. So I left the line and went straight to a bartender. I think it got pretty messy after that. This would not be my spot, but would go again depending on who is performing read more

Awesome place to dance. And drinks are good. Crowed is great If you want to dance the night away this is the place for you Music is awesome read more

Went to this venue for a Kung Fu Vampire concert. Great show, great service. Staff were very professional and quick to get us in and bar service. Will definitely attend another show at The Ritz read more

Had an awesome time watching Kungfu Vampire perform here! Venue is spacious and the staff is friendly.

Tip: $5 parking (flat after 6pm) and just a 5 min walk at 2nd & San Carlos garage Pretty intimate venue which I like because I can actually see the artist playing and there's still room to dance and move around Only con is that it took some time just to get into the venue itself and I came around 30 minutes after doors opened hoping there would be a smaller wait/no line. I've been to similar small venues (Bottom of the Hill, 1015 Folsom, Mezzanine, Slim's, Social Hall) and in comparison, the ritz was so slow letting people in!! read more

The Ritz - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

This venu is very unprofessional and rude !! I had gone to a show here with a group of friends and before even getting in the venu you can tell their security is extremely rude and taking their job way to seriously, never seen no other security act like this yet in San Jose. And while checking us in they don't even bother to ask for id to see if we were drinking and when we asked for the wrist band they decided to get and make a scene about as if it was our fault they didn't ask? Whatever but as they show started and people where dancing the security wasent having non of it they were dropping people and being to over protective at a metal show? Like really? Not only that their beer was pretty flat while their mixed drinks tastes water down !! As time went on we decided to step outside for a smoke in their designated smoking area. Almost everyone was smoking weed and cigarettes but once we had stepped in , 5 minutes have passed and they decided to kick us out for smoking a joint??? They gave us no warnings and explanation and also kicked out a lot of more people with us which didn't make sense If it was a designated smoking lounge ? They didn't have any signs up either SAYING no weed. After we had gotten kicked out a female in the group needed her bag from the coat lounge and the security where ignoring her and causing a scene while she was showing proof with a ticket that her bag was inside still. 4 security had ignored us till one of them finally decided to help? This place already has a bad reputation and if you are looking for a chill time I highly do not recommend this place for bar hopping and going to see any type of performances!! read more

Compared to other venues I've been to, this one is pretty nice. Came here to see Giraffage and I really liked this venue. It's a very intimate kind of venue where they have places for people to stand near the stage, a rail where you can stand and watch the performances, and it seems pretty big despite it being in a small area. For someone who is short, the place where I was (rails on the side) helped me watch the performance I went there for. Definitely have to expect street parking and you might have to park a couple blocks away from the venue, but then keep in mind it is located in downtown San Jose. This place has a bar which is good for drinks. The bathrooms can be a little tricky since they have one in the back (1 bathroom) and the other bathrooms are located in the front by the stage so sometimes you have to push your way through to get to the bathroom. In the end this is a solid venue that I would definitely come back to again. read more

The Ritz - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

The only real live venue in San Jose, pro sound, great priced drinks, huge artists, only venue to see National acts.

Attended Emo Night at The Ritz and it didn't disappoint! I had so much fun with my friends and the music was a bop. Line to get in was quick. They had free water and the toilets were fairly clean (line wasn't that packed too). There isn't much seating aside from the back couches and the bar stools but majority of the attendees stood anyways, so it wasn't that hard to find a seat. Overall the vibes were great - we stayed till the very end! I'd love to attend again. read more

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I flew in for the early weekend to San Jose for an event called Gimme Gimme Disco. I don't know where to begin on how all the staff made my entire year. I love these events and I will follow them where they go. I decided to give San Jose a chance. The Ritz is bigger inside than the pictures show. The DJ [Larry] was generous with the music. If Gimme Gimme Disco returns soon, I will too. The security staff was very polite to many of us. This venue is great for dancing too. The polished wood and the floor near the stage is good for dancing. Keep up the good work Ritz! Special shout out to DJ Larry for playing Angeleyes, If It Wasn't For the Nights; Honey Honey, When I Kissed the Teacher, The Winner Takes It All, and my favorite As Good As New all by ABBA He kept thr music moving all night. read more

I was honestly impressed with this venue. I had some low expectations but....there were two full bars, and the drinks were well done. It did take a bit of time to get the bartender's attention. They had a few people working but they didn't always see that someone was ready to order. The sound for The Hu was great. I had a wonderful time at the show. I only saw the bathroom upstairs and that was a single hole. I understand there was a bathroom down by the stage, but I didn't personally see that one. For our concert, people were just anywhere they wanted to be. I discovered there was a ledge along the wall on the far right side. I'm vertically challenged, so getting to stand on that ledge was EXCELLENT since I could see the stage. Usually when I go to a concert, I see the people's heads in front of me. It was easy to park at the convention center, and easy to get into and then exit the venue. read more

In the past, I have had great experiences at The Ritz. Been there for a lot of great shows. Drink prices are average and there is a whole separate room to meet the bands and buy merch, which is pretty cool. In the past, staff had great attitudes, were engaging and positive and obviously wanted the customers to have a good time. I don't know if the management or ownership has changed but the staff certainly has. I didn't recognize a single staff member. And I've been there enough times that a few would recognize me and even say hi. My first issue, the flier for last night's show said, "Doors at 8PM" and "Show at 9PM". I got a babysitter, drove an hour to get to the club and arrived at the front at 8:54, just in time to hear the end of the last song of the band I went there to see. NOT COOL! Next issue, the staff checking ID's and scanning tickets were rude and dismissive. Not just to me, to other people in line as well. Not a great start to the evening. And it only got worse from there. The crowd was having a great time, dancing and singing along. No reason for the staff to treat people the way they did. Staff literally pushed me aside as they moved past me four times during the night. I saw them push other people as well. There was no reason for this. I wasn't in the way of an exit. There was no exigency. No "excuse me" or tap on the shoulder, just a straight sudden push from the rear or the side. That's a sure way to start a fight. Not acceptable. Needless to say, I didn't spend a penny on drinks which means no tips. And I tip healthy. Working class for working class. Lastly, staff was promoting meeting with the bands and buying merch in the merch room throughout the show, to the very last song. After the show, I went to buy some records and the merch tables were closed. Without question, I won't be going back any time soon. Which is a bummer because my friend's band is playing there next month. I won't stand for that kind of treatment. I work hard for my money and ticket prices are not cheap at The Ritz. But apparently, The Ritz thinks they have some sort of monopoly and can treat people like crap. Wrong! I'll be taking my business to the Ivy Room in the future. Staff is still on point there. read more

The Ritz seems to have it all: located in downtown SJ, medium-sized general admission venue, big names, 21+. I got tickets to see Kero Kero Bonito with some friends and was excited that I didn't have to make the trek up to SF this time. Ordered our tickets online despite my preference to buy tickets at the box office before hand. They do have a box office but doesn't seem like they have a central system to use for all their events. On the night of the show, a few of my friends needed to buy tickets at the door but we had to wait in the line until doors opened and wasn't sure if we'd actually get tickets -___- The line was long and the folks working there were very uncoordinated. We were halfway down the block when we joined the line and it took a good 20-30 minutes to just get to the doors. While there, they had one guy check ID, another scan tickets but no one really telling folks in line to get those things ready. The ticket scanner was slow and liked to chide people as he wished while not making people go any faster. When you enter, you're greeted by a full service bar and a merch corner to the right. You can enter the stage either to the left or the right of the bar. Past there, there's another, larger bar area and then you walk down either some stairs or a ramp to the stage / open floor area. Bathrooms were to the right of the stage and pretty well kept for a concert venue. We ended up front left of the stage and there was a pretty significant mosh pit that formed while we were there. Honestly, the show was awesome but I had mixed feelings about the venue. It took a long time for the show to start with even just the openers, not a whole lot of details were given either. I didn't even know doors were at 8pm without checking the Facebook event; I just saw tickets had designated 8pm. Typically you'll state doors at time X and show at time X+1 hour. None of that. Not to mention, ventilation/air was basically nonexistent near the stage; everyone near the front was pretty sweaty. Overall, it's convenient, it's nearby, it'll have the occasional show I'd like to see, but a few improvements along the way can make this venue great. read more

This is a very small bar, we were there to enjoy a comedy. We enjoy having some drinks and watch the comedians.

I love all of the special events they do here. A few of my recent favorites were Emo Night, Hyphy Night and The Cure Night. I think it's a fun place to hang out with friends and have a drink. The vibes are always good and I've never left disappointed. read more

I will neverrrrrr go to this place again!!! Keep your receipts and be careful when the wack ass bartenders charge you they changed their tip on my receipt and over charged me by $50 . Such a scam ! Horrible place read more

Nice vibe initially. Walked in, ordered a beer & the bartender said, "here's your change faggot" under his breathe & walked away. I asked the bartender to repeat what he said to me. He said something different. I apologized to him, because I thought I heard him call me a faggot. (Which he did.) He completely blew up at me, said it was the 21st century, gave my money back & started yelling at me to get out of the bar repeatedly. I slowly adjusted my huge Sun hat, took a sip of water as he's still yelling at me. & I walked out with my dignity. What I don't understand is, why did he escalate things so adversely & secondly why is it so difficult to have a civil conversation? Well... he got what he wanted. I'll never go back again. Why take my business somewhere where they don't want people like me? So much for living in the 21st century. read more

I don't ever write reviews on yelp. But you all should be warned. It's very clear that the bartenders here are scamming customers. Twice now, just a few months apart, the bartenders here have attempted to run my card for drinks I did not order, add large tips I did not intend to leave, and run my card for $100 over and over again. Thankfully, the bank declined the multiple charges. But they repeated it so many times, that my card was frozen! I don't know if management is involved, but these shamelessly brazen people need to be called out. If you choose to visit The Ritz, make sure to keep track of your receipts, your bank statements, and (obviously) don't ever leave without closing the tab! I myself, will never return to this establishment. read more

Came here to see Emo Night and had bad experience with one of the bartender. We ordered Long Islands and the drink was super clear (mostly sprite or lemonade) with barely any alcohol in it. He literally yelled at my friend because he tried to ask for more alcohol. We felt so offended and mistreated after. It was my first time getting yelled at by a bartender. My guess was maybe he was the owner and didn't care about customers coming back or he didn't care about the business at all. We were fine with paying for more alcohol rather than getting yelled at our faces. He seemed like he was about to start a fight with my friend too. Other ppl were also staring at us wondering what happened. Well at least Emo Night was fun and kept us through the night. We decided to grab drinks from the outside bar near the door for the rest of the right. What a memorable night! read more

It is with great disappointment that I have to update my review based on one slimy night BUT it must be called out when club owners pull some shady business. Friends, I've been in the live entertainment business for 25 years as an event producer, talent booker & music marketer with the likes of MTV, Sirius XM, AMEX, Levi's, Microsoft & Olympics so I intimately understand the live business... Long story short, went to see the English Beat (for the umpteenth​ time in the last few years...Ranking Full Stop...but I digress). Advertised door price was $21.50 but when we showed up they were charging $30 via hand-written sign in the box office window. Why? Because they could. It was a Friday night show with a line down the block. When I approached the 2 security guards to inquire about the last minute bait n switch, they both essentially swatted me away saying they were charging more because "it was a popular show" OR in other words, an opportunity to cash in, never you mind the advertised price. Hey owner Corey O'Brien...what's up? Was it you or the band or both? I appreciate you've invested & risked to open SJ's premier​ live music club but don't be shady, treat your customers with respect. And I know it's tough but pls get security guards up front that serve as your brand ambassadors and treat your paying guests as such. read more

The Ritz - Shady Business Alert...despite advertised door price of $21.50 they pulled a bait n switch charging $30 because it's "very popular show" - Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Had a good time here! Great place to see a show!. Could use more restrooms. We stayed at "The Pacific Motor Inn" around the corner has security to protect your car...beats paying $35+ parking across the street...ask about special rate connection to "The Ritz" offer. read more

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Great Spot for live music... Cool Staff and Friendly Bartenders. I will be back for the next show!

Went to see kung fu vampire back in July and was blown away at the production value of the show. Staff was very friendly and everyone I came with had a blast. One of the last surviving love concert clubs in the Bay Area. read more

Went to empty night tour tonight and it was f***ing amazing! The crowd was going crazy and the band was insane.

I'd heard bad things about this place from a ton of bands who have played it and have promised to never play it again and I never expected that on literally my first time there I'd encounter the kind of assholery that has made them legendary. I've been going to shows for a long time and have never once been treated with less respect than I was tonight. After dealing with a procession of people who work there being dicks I then encountered the merch guy for Boris who was the biggest dick of them all, straight up ignored me to serve somebody else and when I finally got his attention he waved me off as if I wasn't trying to get help first. That guy may just be a bad choice by the band themselves but his behavior was just the icing on the shitcake of bad treatment by bad people at this bad venue. I don't care if Kurt Cobain comes back to life and Nirvana plays The Ritz, I ain't goin' back. read more

Attended a concert on July 14 and all was good until I saw security assault one of the performers. It didn't make sense he was doing nothing. I saw them drag the dude out and pepper spray him. Management needs to address this as it just makes for an unsafe and unsavory environment. Would not recommend at all for any artist or concert goers. read more