Little Hill is what's you get when you cross a dive bar with a community center. People of all…read morestripes gathering for drinks, meeting friends, chatting up someone sitting next to you, people watching, and listening to local musicians or DJs. Bartenders are friendly and drinks are great. The place is plastered with posters of upcoming events. The interior is classic dive bar with red lights, beer signs, circle booths, wooden bar and jukebox. I love being able to slide into a booth and watch everyone else stroll in to the bar. I try to support the occasional pop-up food booth outside to keep them coming back.

Little Hill Lounge, what a gem for our little city of El Cerrito. I love a good neighborhood bar,…read moreand LHL is exactly what you want from a neighborhood spot ~ walking distance, cool peeps, friendly bartenders, great music, stiff drinks, fun foodie pop-ups, and cool events throughout the year. We've celebrated birthdays, holidays, and taken new friends and old here. The perfect meet up, place for one/done or sit and stay a while. Good value, great Little Hill Mai Thai. During the holidays they have one of the best hot buttered rums I've ever had. Most recently, we've enjoyed their live karaoke (you get to perform with a live band) which makes for a pretty epic experience, the addition of local bands performing in the back of the bar, and the pop up Double Barrel BBQ with the amazing Lorenzo cookin' it up (yes to the smash burger, grilled cheese, and chocolate chip dipped cookie). Dimmed lighting, curtained photo booth, booth/bar stool seating..simply the best. Recently popped in and noticed new napkins with their logo and pretty menus with new creative cocktails/fun, localish names. Looking forward to the future of this bar, rock on!

I had an incredible Bingo Night with friends! The Food truck outside was dope. The Atmosphere was…read morefriendly and the Host of the night Summer was amazing. Her energy is infectious!

Looking for a super cool bar in the Richmond area? The Factory Bar is full of Richmond pride,…read morelocated off San Pablo Ave. Upon walking in, your greeted by security carding patrons (it's been a while since I've been carded, haha) and you can begin noticing the nodes to Richmond in art, decor, collectibles, and sips. It was a beautiful weekend evening and we sat in a room adjacent to the main bar in super comfy lounge chairs. This room is where karaoke and other events take place. There's great ventilation, and it's just quite honestly a great space to chill with friends, and also observe all the fun Richmond memorabilia. We also sat in the outdoor space, a super nice garden area that is well-kept and a great option to enjoy on these beautiful sunny days. I had a watermelon margarita and it was so fresh & tasty, I thought it was already summer! Friendly staff and environment filled with regulars and newcomers alike. They seem to have food trucks regularly, and we ordered food to-go from the Brazilian truck outside. Deliciously unique! There's also a few spots nearby you can bring food in from (an ice cream/waffle shop next door and Tacos El Tucan too). We took a ride share, but street parking is available. Looking forward to coming on an event night to catch the local vibes.

Great environment good people and good pool Wednesday Thursday Friday and Saturday the best…read morebartenders good karaoke good dj all around good place.

Nice atmosphere. Everyone was friendly and it's interesting to watch people play pool and also to…read morelisten to some local music.

The Hotsy has provided me with years of great memories, laughter, and good times. It is one of…read morethose places that has more character and charm than many bars twice its size. The menu changes regularly, which keeps things interesting, but one thing that never changes is the consistently excellent service. One of my favorite things about this spot is how dog-friendly it is. The owner's dog is practically the co-owner of the bar and is often lounging around, adding even more personality to the experience. If you are lucky enough to meet him, just know the dog has standards. The dog only accepts meat, so do not bother offering him the tortilla from your taco. Trust me, you will be judged. Another major perk is that they allow outside food. Conveniently, there is a taco truck right next door serving some of the best carnitas tacos around, making it easy to pair great food with great drinks. Also, keep an eye on the TVs. They always seem to be playing some delightfully over-the-top late-night movie programming that inevitably sparks random conversations and plenty of laughter among the crowd. Overall, this is a fantastic neighborhood bar with a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere and a ton of personality. It can get crowded, so try to grab a spot early if you can. You'll notice plenty of regulars who come back again and again, and to me, that is always one of the best signs that a place is doing something right.

If you're looking for a laid-back neighborhood spot with great drinks, Hotsy Totsy Club is it…read more A friend of mine used to live nearby and always raved about this place--especially the drinks and the taco truck parked outside. When I finally met him there, I immediately understood the hype. It's got that classic old-school bar feel: plenty of seats right at the bar if you're in the mood to chat, plus some more tucked-away seating in the back if you want something a little more low-key and private. I honestly can't remember the exact name of the drink I ordered (which probably says something ), but it was a mezcal cocktail--and it was so good I had two. Smoky, smooth, and dangerously easy to sip. You order at the bar, the bartender was super friendly, and the overall crowd had that welcoming, neighborhood vibe where everyone seems to know each other--or at least is happy to talk like they do. We also grabbed burritos from the taco truck outside (pro tip: do not skip this), and you can bring the food right into the bar. Great drinks and legit tacos? That's a winning combo. Overall, it's a fantastic local watering hole--unpretentious, comfortable, and exactly the kind of place you're happy to become a regular at.

This karaoke bar is the best! We had the best time! I love the wallpaper and ambiance. Kj was very…read morenice!

I'm giving this place 1 star, because I just got a fraud alert from my bank…read more. Mel o Sees is the ONLY PLACE I used my card yesterday, so the alert had to come from them.. The owner is the bartender, (who j tipped cash, by the way), and I think he running a scam.. I would give this place 0 stars if I could

Food was delicious and good service. Waiter's Karina and Marlen were real attentivea and friendly.read more

We loooove el mono. We decided to do a trip to the east bay today and decided to stop by our…read morefavorite Peruvian spot. I was greeted by Andres who was friendly and we asked to sit outside with our puppy. Andres stopped by many times to ask if we needed anything. Our server was Marlene who was very sweet and helpful. The paella takes a bit of time to come out but didn't notice that bc we were munching on some nice toasted corn and green sauce. We also ordered the pollo del buen Chico for the puppy who loved it. They also gave him his own water bowl. It was fresh and tasty. Our paella was tasty as usual. The outdoor seating area is nice and private and quiet and clean. Gotta come back the next time we're here! I wonder if they still have the live music on Fridays/saturday nights which was very nice.

Our second bar of the night! Stopped by Club Mallard after Blue Rabbit Bar for something more…read morespacious so our group could all be together. This was very nice; it was very spacious and offers outdoor patio with tiki vibes! Our group was able to snag the outdoor patio upstairs! Other people were free to also hang out in the patio too, but because we got there early and our group was big, we were able to put the tables together and it really just felt like we were the only ones there; very intimate. There is a pool table and a bar on the second floor, so you don't have to go back downstairs. The staff were very friendly and helpful. They provided great customer service and came by to our table to pick up empty glasses. There was an incident that happened where a man was taking pictures of people in the bar and he came outside to the patio and started taking photos of our group, which we felt very uncomfortable about. We alerted staff and they were able to handle the situation and came back to check on us. They don't serve food here, but they do allow you to bring food from other places! That was very convenient because we were already comfortable and didn't want to leave to go somewhere else. Tacos El Autlense is a 5 min walk away and it's one of my fave places to get tacos; that's where we got our food at! I literally had it the night before too hahaha, but I wasn't complaining! This place was so cute; the music, the ambiance, the service... a whole vibe!!! I would definitely come back.

Sexy cabin themed bar for the win!…read more Relaxed and fun spot with lots of spaces to explore. Pool, the bar and a bamboo themed patio on the ground floor, and then an upstairs too for a more intimate vibe. Drinks seem above average quality, but I just stuck with Guinness (poured quite well). Street parking.

Came here to celebrate a friend's birthday and it was a great choice. Overall the food was good and…read moreportions were good. We each got a handroll set and it was enough with the 4 rolls along with an appetizer for 3 of us to feel full. The SHUNGIKU KAKIAGE appetizer was delicious. Very nice with light batter and flavor. We enjoyed this a lot. Each roll was fresh and had a good amount of meat in it. The home made soy sauce was also delicious and had very interesting umami flavor. Our waitress was friendly and it wasn't very busy but for some reason she didn't notice to fill our water jug for a while. She was very good at clearing dishes. Parking wasn't too bad on a weekday night on the street but street parking is only 2 hours.

This place has been on my mental bucket list for a while and I had a free day so I figured I'd take…read moreadvantage. I came here after having a spa day close by. When I walked in, I was low-key excited because I saw the furniture. It was black cane furniture in a swanky restaurant setting. I decided to sit at the bar. After perusing the menu for a bit, I decided on a trio for my first time which included yellowtail, tuna, and salmon. The price was $20 for a trio and it came with cucumber salad and edamame. There was a dropper bottle in front of me and I asked the woman behind the bar what it was and she said it was soy sauce. My face when she said it was like "oh you fancy fancy!!" Each type of fish came one after another, but only after I finished the handroll. The first one was yellowtail and it was mid- which was nothing to write home about, but I was disappointed because yellowtail is my favorite. The second one came and it was tuna with crunchies and that was actually better than my yellowtail and tuna is my least favorite. The salmon one was the best, the absolute best. It had lemon in it. The dropper was fun to use and it was controlled. Service was friendly and price wise- it didn't break my Apple Pay!

I stumbled across this place randomly and luckily, it happened to be Tuesday! I saw that they had…read morethe all you can eat tacos for $15 from 4:30pm-9:00pm. They were pretty busy, so they had an estimated wait of about 30 mins, but we were able to get seated within 15 minutes! The restaurant itself is really big and has a nice outdoor seating area. The chefs and servers are all really attentive and nice as well. For the AYCE, just let your server know and then you get in line at the front where they have a setup for preparing tacos! There's a limit of four tacos each round and you let the chefs know what kind of meats you want. On the other side, they have condiments and other toppings that you can grab yourself. Whenever they run out of meats, they would rotate it with a different meat which is nice in case you get tired of the same meats each round! Surprisingly, my favorite meat ended up being cabeza because it tastes super hearty and flavorful and wasn't fatty like other cabezas I've had. To wash everything down, I got the Jamaica aqua fresca which had a strong, flavorful tamarind flavor. Overall, this is a top spot to go for taco tuesdays and any other day of the week!

I first ate here a couple of years ago after moving to El Cerrito and remembered the food being…read morejust okay--nothing that made me eager to come back. I recently stopped in again, this time just for an horchata, and unfortunately it was a disappointment. Out of the 10 horchatas I've had in the past couple of months, this was easily the worst. It tasted like watered-down cinnamon water, with very little of the creamy, rich flavor you'd expect. BB Hopefully this was just an off day, but based on my experiences, this isn't a place I'd go out of my way to revisit.

Just off the corner of Solano and San Pablo, not too far from the 80 freeway exit…read more At the tip of the epicenter of gastronomic delights-Solano Avenue in Albany. I was there the other night with my beer buddy and all around friend with the same first name as I (and that's another story!) for the tribute to the local beloved character that passed recently, Mr. Bailey Pendergrass. A longtime institution in the Berkeley music scene from way back in the day till present. An interesting, kind fellow who still walked around in skinny trousers and a leather jacket- even on very hot days. And a hairdo like no other! He kind of reminded me of a character from Rocky Horror Picture Show or someone who could be played by Johnny Depp in some hip artistic movie. A bit of an eccentric, soft-spoken, amazingly charming man. A joy to sit down and chat with who had strong opinions and a distrust for doctors and their prescribed medication's,etc. I don't go very far back other than six or seven years when I met him at a popular watering hole called the Cornerstone on Shattuck. He would invite me to hang out while he ate his standard hamburger and fries and wash it down with what I remember was cranberry juice. He could never finish the whole burger so he'd take half home but would eat the fries usually, with a little help from me. We would talk about Minneapolis (where I'm from) and Prince of course, and he would share interesting stories. I'd keep him company until the music event would start where he had carte blanche, complementary entry with a plus one at the Cornerstone. I was his plus one and it was fun one night. I'll have to dig up the mixed CDs that he made for me that he presented in a recycled/repurposed "In-n-Out" bag, it was a nice touch. There was a little hand written note as well. The IVY ROOM put on a nice event and many showed up to pay their respect. Some were given a chance to get on the stage and recall memories. However, the crowd never stopped talking, so it was very hard to hear their praises, etc. The bartender was superb, but I'm sorry I didn't catch her name, very kind and approachable and humorous and of course, extremely efficient! It's a nice cozy room with a lot of history and an eclectic group of patrons. I chatted with a couple of extremely friendly kind people. However, I left before the music started as after a long day of work, I started to fade. Thank you Ivy Room for opening up your space to honor Mr. Bailey Pendergrass, and the wonderful people attending this event.

I continue to love the Ivy room. Bartenders make the best drinks and they aren't overpriced…read more Doorman is always really accommodating and friendly, and the bands are fantastic.