A very generous neighbor of mine invited my husband and me to the Alameda Elks Lodge Annual Crab Feed, which was held yesterday evening. I'm giving the lodge a four star for my dining experience and an enjoyable evening. My husband has been here more than a few times to play games of pool with our friendly neighbor and one of his friends. I have been here before for another event almost three years ago. The interior is beautiful, but the walls are thin. One can actually hear people talking in the next room. Our meeting place was the Mahogany Room for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. I did not want to stuff myself with the appetizers and not have enough room in my stomach for the main entree - crab. Nor did I want any libation before the meal. After the cocktail hour, we were escorted to the Rathskeller (basement of the lodge) where the dinner was held. The gentlemen on the waitstaff were lined up in an orderly manner, serving us whatever we desired - be it the bowtie/penne pasta, dinner rolls/garlic bread, coffee, dessert. Presentation of the crab, the wines (red and white), Caesar salad and the antipasti plates was excellent...casual, yet classy. Dessert was a serving of raspberry sorbet. The only minor drawback was the bowtie/penne pasta served on the same plate as the salad plate. Even though I did not win any of the door prizes after making a donation of $20 for 20 raffle tickets, they had some nice ones, such as the $100 gift card from Scott's Seafood, $100 gift card for Yoshi's dinner and show, $50 gift cards from La Penca Azul, C'era Una Volta, 1400 Bar and Grill, Jim's Coffee Shop, Pier 29. From what I heard, the lodge raised about $1,500 in raffle ticket sales. I also have to give kudos to the waitstaff, many of whom were very tolerable and patient with this woman who sat at the next table behind my husband. She was in the wine (whine) mode. "I want penne pasta. I don't want this dinner roll with butter. I want some garlic bread. Don't you guys have any garlic bread?" On and on she went...egads...she had a sense of entitlement. Yes, there were two bottles of wine at each table, but her incessant whining almost had me do a "face palm" on her. Ooh, I wanted to offer her a piece of cheese, which would have complemented a glass of wine very well. (Now, quit your whining, lady...lol.) read more

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I was there for a wedding and they did a great job. I also liked the environment. The service was good, but the food was average

We went to 'our' lodge for their annual Veteran's Day Dinner. Hubby surprised me with tickets for the event. I am a USAF Veteran and the spouse of the 'member' of this lodge. Evidently, this lodge does not recognize or honor your service to this country if you not 'the member' at this event. Seriously, that is what I was told, how disrespectful is that? Shame on you Alameda Elks Lodge! We will not be attending any future events at this lodge and will not be renewing membership. If you do decided to join this lodge just know spouses are not members and are treated very differently than 'the member.' read more

Came here for a baby shower event. Nice how they rent out the bottom room. It's a good size with a bar so you have access to a sink. Stage area was nice to have with a mic setup for announcements and games. Wood floors. Nice big space. Bathrooms were decent too. read more

Had my Wedding here. It was the most affordable venue I could find and we had worked with the staff before. They have in house catering service that's prices can't be beat anywhere else. McDonough catering is the best! He will of course do a sample dinner for you and your family to pick your menu. The room can seat up to 300. I ended up with 280 and there was plenty of dance floor left. The ceiling detail makes this place a romantic setting for a wedding reception. read more

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For years, upon moving to Alameda, the Elks Lodge loomed large in many activities that my family participated in. My son and daughter were in scout troops sponsored by the Elks. My daughter's ballet school served as bussers for the monthly breakfast where they earn tips for their program. Troop celebrations were held in the Rathskeller and in the main Lodge room. Many times I'd encounter a member who would tell me I should join, but I didn't. I was too busy. Finally, a friend was in the process of becoming an Elk and invited me to the Mahogany room for drinks and I found myself enjoying the company of the friendly bunch there and before I knew it I was filling out the form and becoming a member. It really is a friendly, lively place and I'm doing my part in bringing in new members. I think the Elks do incredible things for the local community as well as offer fellowship to be able to socialize and be a part of a community. I like that the national organization, as well as the local lodge, is working hard to bring the idea of a benevolent society into the modern world. I believe reaching out to those in your local community is necessary to break beyond the silos and barriers we have created in the new social media age. Share a meal with someone who might not be your age, your religion, or in your political tribe. That is how we will change the world. read more

Always a good time when we have our school crab feed or attend a wedding or party at the Alameda Elks lodge.You can feel the history in this building ..almost a little creepy.Parking can be difficult so it's a good idea to park in the parking garage on Oak St just around the corner. The Lodge is 3 floors with a basement ballroom equipped with a bar and stage and well lit.I'm guessing it'll hold around 150-200 people.The main floor is the lobby entrance,bar and offices.The top floor is the main Ballroom which will fit several hundred people no problem and has a large stage. When you're in this building the history of it is very evident everywhere you look and even the smell...lol. I recommend this place for your party or event ...the bartenders here pour STRONG too! read more

Living in Alameda for over a quarter of a century, I didn't even know this gorgeous place. It's like one of the many gems in this town. It's amazingly historical and beautiful. I also felt it's well maintained. I was glad that I made it to the meeting for the "Alameda's Future..." read more

Alameda Elks Lodge - a crowd of people sitting in chairs in front of a stage with flags hanging from the ceiling - Music Venues Near Me - Alameda, California

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The main ballroom upstairs is very impressive. The stained glass dome skylight is by far one of the nicest I've seen in a while. The staff I've encountered is friendly and the facility is well maintained. The 2nd Tuesday brunch is something to check out if you have time. It's down in the basement and they host an full bar...order the Bloody Mary. read more

Alameda Elks Lodge - Jellyfish in the main ballroom. - Music Venues Near Me - Alameda, California

****This is a review based on my experience as a guest at awedding reception. From the outside, it looks very very nice. Inside, it's a little musky when you walk in almost like an old library. However, the interior and random animal heads on the walls made this place seem very mysterious to me. The main hall is pretty nice. What really makes is stand out is the beautiful stained glass dome. I loved that part of the hall. What really offset the beauty of that, however, was the elk heads mounted on the wall. They looked real, so real. The plush seating on the perimeter of the hall was nice too to get a good view of things and just to sit and lounge. There was also plenty of room for the dance floor, which all the guests enjoyed. They also have a bar here, but I don't think the bride and groom unitlized this. The restrooms are rather... uncirculated. Altogether I enjoyed this venue. read more

We had our AHS class reunion this year 2017 and all was perfect! (must I say the year? oh well 55th) Both bartenders were darling, the room was great and all went well. A good time was had by all. There was another high school reunion upstairs and we sneaked up to check them out. Their room was gorgeous; as they had a huge class, they had the bigger room. They too were having a ball. Would definitely have our next reunion there. read more

I won't bore you with paragraphs. 1. Friend's wedding reception was hosted here 2. Very small parking lot - had to park on the street. Thought I got a ticket, gave me a heart attack. Ended up being a flier for the new fro-yo place across the street. 3. Beautiful architecture inside with a glass dome. Reminds me of an old frat house in New England. 4. Big enough for about 250 guests 5. No AC? Or AC not on? Regardless, it was freaken hot. Unbearably hot. So not cool (literally and figuratively) 6. Woman's bathroom kinda smells funny. Ok, it smelled really bad, like a gas station bathroom. But cleaner than a gas station bathroom. 7. Dead animal on the walls? uh... I guess? 8. Sign outside by the driveway that said "Elks Crossing." cute. read more

I love this place. The people are friendly. The liquor is inexpensive. And the money goes to a charity. What's not to love? In my experience, they're very accommodating. The facilities are very nice. The card-room and Mahogany room are nice. The basement (they call it the Rathskeller) is also quite nice, and I've been to many of their public breakfasts there (which I heartily recommend). The ballroom is downright breathtaking. It's huge, with lots of stained wood, colorfully painted ceilings, and an amazing stained-glass dome. Very classy. read more

Been here for all sorts of events. Small parking lot in the back. Lots of parking sopaces dedicated to the police on the other side of the block, and for big deal Elks. Impressive building from the front. Front door entrance is always unavailable. Entrance to all floors is in the back from their parking lot. The basement is the Rathskeller. Remodeled with new walls and ceiling and lots more canister lighting. Bar at one end. Actually a nice place. Ground floor is a decently sized room with windows which can be a nice reception area. Main Elks bar located on the ground floor too. Upstairs is the main venue space. It's pretty big and there's a big stage too. The downside here is the walls and decor is dated and dark. The upside is the great stained glass rotunda above you. Very impressive. PA system. read more

DO NOT PLAN YOUR NEXT EVENT HERE! It takes a lot to get me mad but boy am I mad! Just had our 40th high school reunion at the Elks. I was the chairperson. We chose this venue because one of our reunion committee members had a connection with the Elks resulting in a very inexpensive room rental fee which really helped keep the ticket costs low. Well you get what you pay for! This place is a dump and most of the staff was horrible! We were treated like absolute dog meat! We were told we had the room until midnight. We paid for 2 bartenders and only one actually stayed around. Then at 10pm, the bar manager announces "last call" (no notice) and refused to serve anyone after that. No level of reasoning would get her to re-open the bar and party still had 2 hours to go! Remember we had the room until midnight. I threw a FIT as we paid for 2 bartenders for the entire event and a no host bar! Then this bitch of a bar manager tried to shut down our reunion at 11pm. She said the Elks closes at 11pm - WTF???? We had a contract until midnight. I raised holy hell! The AV equipment didn't work so we were unable to play a video that took months to make. They tried to charge for that too and their equipment would not work! Ventilation was horrible very very hot in the Rathskeller. We dealt with a guy named Bill who was flat out rude to me on the day of the event claiming we needed to pay $1300 for the room when our contract said $600! He tried to tell us that "no one even members don't get the room for less than $750" - not my problem pal we had a contract! The reunion went off great anyway (the caterers - Alameda Best Caterers - great food and NO affiliation with the Elks) and all had fun but the AHS Class will NEVER EVER host another event at the Elks in Alameda. Awful, horrible experience and they need to fire Bill for being such an incompetent Rude bafoon and that bitch of a bar manager - she was the Worst ever and should be fired too! Awful horrible they deserve zero stars! read more

One of the nicest Elk's lodges in the country, plus the people are all really nice. Super nice bar. Upstairs and downstairs halls are beautiful. You gotta see that stained glass dome. Looks like a state capital building. read more

The Mahogony Room bar is a nice setting, the bartenders are good[especially Mary], and the prices are an invitation to a serious drinking problem. The Friday night buffet and other dinner events are consistently good. The downstairs Rathskeller has a more low-rent ambiance but again the lunches and dinners are tasty. The monthly facility breakfast is the best food-related event of all, though it would be nice if they'd call it a brunch and extend the hours until after wake-up time. Recommended for members and non-members both. read more

I've been here on several occasions in the 33 years that I have lived in Alameda. Christmas parties, birthday parties, Special Olympics events, fundraisers, and even my own AHS class reunion! It's a really neat, old Alameda building. Old but functioning. A perfect venue. The only thing that makes me nervous is the stairs. I can't count how many times I've gotten vertigo on those stairs. Other than that, great memories are had here. read more

The first Friday of the month is bingo night. I had never been to bingo before and didn't know what to expect. It was a lot of fun. I look forward to going again. The people are very friendly. You can buy tickets only for $10 or have dinner also for an additional $14. Good vibes and friends. read more

ALAMEDA'S BEST CATERING@ALAMEDA ELKS LODGE Dear Bill, Karen and I wanted to thank you for all your efforts to ensure our wedding reception last Saturday night was a success. The Rathskellar Room was the perfect venue for our party. The stage, the floor space with tables and chairs, dance area, a beautiful bar with fireplace and your special lighting controls all created a superb atmosphere. When the DJ arrived and added the final theatrical touches, it turned out beautiful. Our guests commented throughout the night just how lovely our space was. Joe, Jean and Ray and the crew from Alameda's Best Catering coordinated everything regarding food and drink. The preparation and presentation of our meals at each table as well as the buffet area was fantastic. The food was delicious. All our guests were served food and drink promptly and courteously. Our bartenders, Doug and Ric were great. Even though we put this event together on short notice, you and your staff were accommodating and understanding with us. Your personal assistance with our A/V presentation was so helpful and, while your presence was never overbearing, you made yourself available whenever needed. Bill, you made the night very special for my son and his bride, their friends and our family. We will remember that night for years to come through the photos taken that night. You can review those pictures on the newlywed's website http://alanandmin.com/ . Feel free to use any of them to help promote your beautiful venue along with our recommendation to others looking for an event site. Sincerely, Al & Karen Meadows read more

I have attended a few events at the Alameda Elk's Lodge and found it a diamond in the ruff. Hall rental is the best deal for the buck in the area.The 105 year old building is a beauty! There are two main venues for parties, weddings,receptions, services...The main lodge room has an ornate stained glass dome that is spectacular. There is seating for 225++,a full bar(cheap drinks& friendly staff), huge stage for plays, bands, DJs.. and plenty of room for dancing. The catering was done by Scotts Sea Food for our party and they hit a home run. Down stairs is the newly remodeled Rathskellar room with a full bar, and seating for 125++ I attended a business meeting there and was really impressed. There was a medium size stage for our guest speaker, a modern digital projection TV/interactive monitor, great lighting, and the room is finished with beutiful mohogany wood trim. There was no problem bringing in our own food for our meeting. The parking was good and there is unlimited overflow parking 1 block away. There is an elevator and drop off area for the disabled. I will use this place again in the future read more