I recently came here and ordered a mocktail as I am unable to drink alcohol. The bartender said they were out of one ingredient and asked what other things I liked so he could make me something different. After a few sips I started noticing that I felt light headed and my chest was warm. Asked the bartender and he confirmed that it did indeed have alcohol in it. He mumbled that he was sorry and walked away. We had to go to the bar and demand a refund, the very least that could be done. It's one thing to get a drink mixed up and a very different thing to dose someone with a drug that makes them very sick. To not even show a little compassion or effort to make amends is even worse. Will definitely never return. read more

This place was pretty disappointing. The service was soo slow and low key rude, and the food was mediocre and overpriced (except the tofu tacos, which I enjoyed!). We came here bc the happy hour goes until 7. The place is fairly small, there's some high tops, couches and a bar. The bar was full so we were sitting at the couch and I went to the bar to order. I said "hi, i'd like to place an order," to which the bartender said sarcastically, "well, you are at the bar." Umm...what's with the attitude? Then we waited suuuper long for two beers, and when they came he apologized and said it would be free (cool), although they apparently ran out of my drink on tap so it was like half a drink. Eventually our food came (no napkins or utensils until we asked for them) and we managed to order another round. No one takes orders except at the bar, apparently. We ended up with a $60 bill for three small plates and 1 1/2 rounds of beer. Meaning, we got charged for what was promised as on the house. By this point I said whatever and just left without getting it taken off my bill. Overall v unimpressed, felt like I wasted my money and didn't enjoy the experience...I wouldn't return read more

Bartender can whip up AMAZING margaritas and the vibe is SUPER chill! Highly recommend for dates and/or chill drinking nights

Price: B+ Instagram worthy: C Food: B- Drinks: B+ Service: B+ Visited: Friday 6:00pm Beta lounge is a pretty cool bar, it's not fancy by any means but for a bar it's pretty clean. The staff is super friendly, so that's always a plus! They also have Saturday Happy Hours, sooo i mean that's huge right there! The food is okay, not a huge selection, but if you want a snack while drinking the selection isn't too bad. I would recommend Beta Lounge for after hour drinks with coworkers (that's what i do at least!). Also a big plus is if you link your credit card with yelp you get 7% cash back! Not too shabby! read more

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Happy hour till 7 on a Saturday! Good deal. I think it's $5 wines and $1 off beers. There's also cocktails. Most of the food was pizza that was on happy hour. The mushroom and pepperoni pizza was good. We also ordered a charcuterie board that was good too. Overall, good place to chill. read more

Beta Lounge - Charcuterie board - Lounges Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Cozy, inviting, friendly, delicious healthy bar food/plates ...welcoming to everyone...not just students! There are lots of bars downtown on Shattuck...but take a tiny detour and visit Beta!! read more

I went to Beta Lounge for a relaxing drink. The drinks were strong but delicious. Service was great as well!

Delicious food in a fun environment! Attractive decor and comfy sofas to enjoy a drink and unique food offerings for a bar/lounge. Service comfortably meets expectations and I'll definitely be returning. read more

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Cute, smaller sized bar located close to the corner of campus. We went here for our team holiday gathering. They have a mix of seating options-couch area towards back, 6-top high tables on the side, and bar seating. We made it in time for happy hour which was nice for the working crowd (4-7 MWTh). Good mix of snack options, wine, and spirits. Would definitely go back with our team again. read more

Very nice aura walking in. Was helped quickly and given a menu. It's very simple and sweet; for a drink, I chose bees knees and it was the right combination of strong with the lavender taste. Needed a bite on the side and went along with the hummus platter. The hummus was great and the vegetable sides were fresh such as the naan. The bartenders were warm and welcoming, would come again! read more

The girlfriend & I + an old friend had dinner reservations at a nearby restaurant on a Friday evening. We all arrived early & had some time to kill. What better way to kill some time than Happy Hour? So we met up at Beta Lounge 1st for a couple rounds of Happy Hour beers. Beta Lounge claims to have the best Happy Hour & it's hard to argue. It's a $1 off all draft beers, but, much more impressively, Happy Hour is Monday-Saturday, 4pm-9pm. Yeah, their Happy Hour is 30 hours/ week! I honestly think it would be more difficult for me to come here outside of their many Happy Hours. Beta Lounge isn't just a Happy place, either. It's a really cool, modern space with a relaxed atmosphere. & the beer. The beer selections available on their 8 taps was like something you'd find at the Trappist. The bottle list was solid too. We all had some really good beers & hung out until it was time to go grab some dinner. For a Happy Hour that features a fine selection of real beers & runs all evening into the night in the vicinity of downtown Berkeley, Beta Lounge is it. I will be back. During Happy Hour. Because with 30 Happy Hours/ week, it's hard not to. read more

One star for a good happy hour and decent sandwiches. The rest is left to be desired. We spent $35 in drinks and food and left NO tip due to the horrible customer service received. Evidently, the bartender's friends are much more important than servicing the customers. read more

It was very nice to spend the first day of 2010 with fabulous people. Yelpers, you get five+ stars. Beta Lounge gets a solid three. My honey and I were debating whether or not to leave the house on New Year's Day but, after an always reliable flip of a coin swayed our decision, I changed out of my PJs and we made our way into Berkeley. We decided to drive in but it is nice that Beta is BARTable. We found street parking about a 1/2 block away no problem. Beta is hip and clean and I think that the space worked well for a DYL. I am always pleased to see unflitered sake (nigori) on a menu and we started with that. It was a good deal during happy hour. The food was okay. I tried a piece of the cheese pizza but wasn't too impressed. It was made on french bread that was tasty but difficult to maneuver and eat in a bar setting. Later on in the evening, we ordered the spring rolls and the Italian plate (meat, cheese, bread, olives). The best thing about the spring rolls was the sauce. We ended up dipping some of the bread from the Italian plate into the peanut gingery goodness. I don't know why I often opt to order an item that I could easily make at home (i.e. Italian plate). It was okay but next time I would stick with dishes that I wouldn't be so apt to prepare myself. Definitely check this place out during happy hour. That is a great time to sample what Beta has to offer. read more

This is a fun little spot in Berkeley. We stumbled across it on our way back to the BART from a game at Cal and was pleasantly surprised. It's a small place but the drinks and bartenders are great. It had a good vibe and was open late after the game which was great. All the drinks we had were great and and the bartenders and service was good. read more

I've been meaning to check this place out for quite some time due to the abundance of good reviews and finally was able to this evening! Definitely a cool spot, great bartenders, good beer selection. They have an amazing happy hour Monday through Saturday, 4-9pm. The happy hour includes deals such as $5 classes of wine, sake, and food specials, a wide variety of Belgium and Craft beers, including Chimay, Delirium Tremens, Dogfish Head, Duvel, and Saison Dupont. For food discounts, they have hummus platters and pizza. I would highly recommend their bread sticks though, they come with about 8 large pieces of tasty, crispy, yet soft bread, flavorful pesto, olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. Pretty awesome if you ask me! The atmosphere is lounge-like, dimly lit, has two TV's, art work on the walls, and the bartender was welcoming. We asked her about the different types of Chimays and she did an excellent job of explaining he different varieties. I look forward to coming back in again! read more

Beta Lounge - Bread Sticks - Lounges Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Excellent and attentive service and a great happy hour. Really great prices. I was pleased that one of the bartenders switched the TV channel for us to watch a hockey game we knew no one would be watching in the area. read more

Great place to get after hour drinks or to have tapas after work. I heard that this place donates a significant percentage of their profits to charity and those in need. The food won't disappoint you and the drinks won't let you down either -- they are loaded with nearly twice the hard liquor you would get anywhere else. This place has great tapas, however, I recommend you to get one of their pizzas first and once you are done with it if you can handle ore then by all means get a few small plates and you'll be delighted with them. Totally recommended! read more

My friend and I were looking for a happy hour place before watching a movie. The sign outside said "Best Happy Hour in Berkeley" so we wanted to see for ourselves. Sat at the bar and started talking to the bartender, who we found out was actually the owner for the place (Hi Elon!! haha). We end up not getting the happy hour drinks because we wanted to try the cocktails that we heard was oh so good. My friend got the Cloud 9 (nigiri and lychee) and I got the Pink Pearl (pomegranate grenadine, cranberry infused soju, sparkling wine). Both were good but that sparkling wine definitely creeped on me because I was buzzed after one drink! Will come back when we go bar hopping! read more

Decided to visit here because it's close to where a friend lives. I liked the environment very much, decoration and everything, it's a very cozy and welcoming place. I'll be honest, I don't have much experience drinking, so I usually ask info to the bartenders, mostly trying to understand what each drink is and see if I would like them or not. The bartender that night, Rafa (I'm guessing that's how it's written), was just excellent! He was very attentive and talkative, which usually is the case, but he gives special attention to everyone and you never feel like he is forcing it. Definitely coming back! read more

At first a bit disappointed at Beta (because I was 19-20 when I was living right above this place when it opened and couldn't drink), I've returned a couple times with both small and larger groups. Honestly, nothing stands out too much. I can appreciate happy hour for sake, since it's better than fu-fu cocktails and beer to me. Their HH consists of $4 small carafe warm sake (about 4-5 shots full), $5 small carafe (~7-8 shots) cold nigori, and $5 small carafe (~7-8 shots) cold extra dry sake. It's nice to share with others. Given they tend to use Sho Chiku Bai, the cold and warm temperature options are nice. Other than that, we enjoyed chillin in the back on the couches and small tables when there is space for HH. Otherwise can get a bit crowded especially on weekend nights. read more

I actually never knew this place existed until a Valentine's Day Bar Crawl in Berkeley. This place is actually pretty easy to walk by//this isn't a densely populated area, so that may explain why I hadn't been here before. The drinks: Normally I would give this place 3 stars, but the staff is so sweet so I'm giving it 4 stars! Seriously, the waitress we had here was wonderful, patient, and gave us great recommendations. If you're into sweeter drinks, you'll probably like this place. I tried their raspberry cocktail, and liked it. It was a bit watered down, but nonetheless, pretty good. Same goes for the white peach martini--sweet but not the strongest. If i were to come here again, I would try the sake flight--I've heard great things. The atmosphere: Beta Lounge actually does resemble a bar-style lounge. I've never seen this place overly crowded, so it's always easy to find a place to sit. There's a cool little couch area to hang out as well as some tables to sit and eat. Overall, it's a pretty laid back place to kick it back with some friends. read more

Coming to the Beta Lounge is like visiting family. We get a warm welcome, (especially from Rafa!), a fun vibe and delicious snacks. Since we travel from the South Bay, we don't get to visit too often. So, we were glad to come up and see the latest iteration of our favorite Berkeley hang-out. We still get the chill vibe and welcoming staff. But, now there's a generous, comfy seating area, new wine selections and an expanded menu. And, live music is coming soon! I love coming here for date night with my sweetie, a snack before the theater or just to have a drink and watch a game on one of the three screens. Pro-Tips: The French Bread Pizza (Spicy Veggie) is To. Die.For. House wines are excellent. And, there are a wide variety of vegetarian options. Pay a visit and say hi to Rafa and me (if I'm there)! read more

[BACKGROUND] This is one of my favorite bars at Berkeley. Because of the convenient location, I came here quite often, whether for deep laid-back conversations over wine, crazy half-remembered nights with too many drinks, or spontaneous weekday night outs with a mojito to de-stress. [AMBIANCE] Though the frosted glass windows are in no comparison to the magnificent waterfront view of Skates, Beta nonetheless has a very calming ambiance and is on the classier side, especially when it's not busy. There are some tables on the side which are good for groups of ~6, a couch area in the back, and the bar spans the length of the place with an admirable bottle collection on the wall. The bathroom is nice, but as there is only one there is usually a line (funny to watch this line of inebriated people who are smiling but quite obviously annoyed at having to wait so long). [SERVICE] The service of Beta is on par with wine bars. I especially like the guy in the plaid shirt because he usually tries to strike up a short conversation with you so you almost feel like a regular who knows the bartenders. In general all their staff are pretty nice, unlike most places such as Thalassa or Pappy's that have very mediocre service towards college students. Haters. (jk lol) [DRINKS] They claim to have the best happy hour in Berkeley, and it's not bad (M-Sat 4-9pm). They got stingy after getting their liquor license, because it used to be better and included cocktails along with more specials on each day of the week. They do seem to have a better selection now. Their glasses are unique and artsy-looking. Not the best for wine swirling (funny that some of their beer glasses are shaped more like wine glasses), but it's a nice change from traditional bar glassware. All the drinks I've tried are good, though the cocktails are on the fruity side. Here is a list of what I've tried and would recommend: Mojito: my favorite drink here! They are quite generous so you keep sipping, get slightly tipsy, and your glass never seems to be finished. Cloud 9 (Nigori and lychee sake) Pineapple dream (Nigori, triple sec, organic pineapple juice) Raspberry lemonade (vodka, lemon juice, club soda, simple syrup, raspberries) Cab sauv (Louis M Martini; black cherry, currant, spice) Zinfandel (Haraszthy; blackberry, spice, vanilla, licorice) Chardonnay (Grayson; peach, apple, tropical fruit) [FOOD] Mostly overpriced, especially the pizzas. It's essentially flatbread with toppings. I would go for the spring rolls which are also pricey, but not something I can easily make myself. [IN CONCLUSION] Great hangout place for your post-21 Cal days. Close to southside, affordable if you eat beforehand and catch happy hour, and they treat you like real normal people, not like poor and reckless college students. read more

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Such a beautiful welcoming bar! Today i wasn't in the mood for a drink so, I asked if they have a tea and when they served the tea I was totally surprised! Beautiful plate with Honey and Lemon on a beautiful china plate. read more

Beta Lounge - Persian tea beautifully served with Honey and Lemon! - Lounges Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great service! Friendly staff. Relaxing atmosphere. Excellent drinks. Must try, good music

Underrated bar at Berkeley. They have a variety of food and drinks with a cool space to hang out in both small groups and large. There's bar seating, sofa seating and my favorite, high tables. The food is reasonably price and good. I regally enjoyed the flat bread pizza! They have happy hours which are good and the service is also really really great. read more

Beta Lounge - Garlic Shrimp Scampi - Lounges Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Our CRAFT bartender Nima fixed NOT-too-sweet mojitos, & threw in Happy Birthday/happy hour whiskey sour shots! Love this hidden gem! read more

Beta Lounge - Our CRAFT bartender Nima fixed NOT-too-sweet mojitos, & threw in happy hour whiskey sour shots! Love this hidden gem! - Lounges Near Me - Berkeley, California

Drinks are lousy No good music Not true mixologists. Smells inside like dirty towel. Definitely not coming back. read more

The ambience is casual classy, the alcohol selection is pretty extensive, and here's a long and late happy hour with $5 wines. There's really nothing I can find not to like about Beta Lounge, including the fact that it's not packed. I guess it's far enough off the main drag that it's overlooked, but this is a pretty awesome place to hang out and drink with friends without feeling that you've spent WAY too much money. read more

Beta Lounge - Happy Hour Crowd - Lounges Near Me - Berkeley, California

Beta Lounge is the kind of place I missed out on by attending UCSD, which is as far from a college town as you can get. My friend and I were drawn in by a sign claiming the "best happy hr in Berkeley" and a girl who told us they had the best soju and sake cocktails. Now I haven't explored Berkeley enough to know if there's any merit behind the best happy hr claim, but I think this place could hold its own in a showdown. The decor is sleek and classy, with bar seating, tall tables for small parties, and a comfortable looking lounge area in the back for a large party. They have happy hr Mon-Sat from 4-9 that includes $3 beer and $5 wine. They offer a variety of hipster-ish food (think cheese plates, meats & crackers, hummus, and very healthy sounding sandwiches) and pizza for the less fancy. The bartender and owner, Elon, is very friendly, and like the girl promised, made some very yummy cocktails! The Cloud 9 (nigori sake cocktail) and Pink Pearl (soju & sparkling wine cocktail) are a must-try! And best of all, this place is within walking distance of theaters, more food, ice cream, the Berkeley campus, and BART so you can safely go onto any tipsy adventures you want after! read more

Came here on a Friday night and it's a nice lounge to chill and have some drinks with your friends. For us, it was the place to pregame haha. Plenty of options to sit - tables, bar, couches in the back. My friend happened to know the owner Elon who was not only cute but also really cool. And he looks like 5-7 years younger than his age! ;) There are many flavors of sake, and Elon recommended some delicious tasting ones. I forget all their names, but bomb we had had rasberry sake and a little soju in a shot mixed with blue moon I think. Mixed drinks were delicious and about $7. Elon really took care of us to make sure we were having a good time and even took some shots with us! Now that's a great manager! Haha. So if you like sake and a chill atmosphere, come here! I'll make sure I will next time I'm around Berkeley :) read more

guy bartender took our chairs back from a reserves table and told us to get our own chairs. Seriously?!? We're paying customers while your reserved table isn't giving you any income. Drinks aren't that great but the female bartenders are nice and willing to help u on what drinks to try. read more

Not going to leave too much criticism but there are better dives in the area. Me and the bf were treated terribly by the staff. I'll leave it at that. read more

My go-to place for happy hour. Pint of Blue Moon for $3? Gotta love that! Beta Lounge is very chill and clean, unlike many of the bars around the campus. A lot of their cocktails are worth getting. My picks would be the Lemon Drop, their signature drink Cloud 9, Cotton Candy, Pink Pearl. They also have sake bombs for $5 each. I would love it even more if they offer more than just Asahi for Japanese beer selection. The bartenders are very friendly (and cute!). No matter where you're sitting--bar or table--they will provide prompt service to get your order whatnot. Food is on the pricier side. I love their guacamole and chips! Their guacamole is so addicting! Breadsticks are decently priced and quite filling. I gave their spring rolls a try. I'm not too much of a vegetarian when it comes to spring rolls, but they were definitely refreshing. read more

Beta Lounge came through in the clutch. There's not many places with a chill vibe, good food, excellent drink specials and WiFi that's suitable for a late co-working session. This place is close to the University, and they are out on Summer break so I'm sure that factors into the low-key vibe. Nevertheless, it's a nice neighborhood spot. We will be back! read more

Beta Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Berkeley, California

I'm so glad they are in the neighborhood, they offer great food and wide selection of drinks. I love their Belgium draft beer. Nima is very friendly and he is always smiling and Jesse is always has great attitude and knows how to mix drinks. If you are thirsty or hungry always try them they are open till late. It is good to have them open during these hard times, lets keep our economy up and help local business. Bottom Line you are missing if not trying, Cheers read more

I am slowly finding out food/food-like items that my body will be rejecting. This is yet another place I'm allergic to. However, allergies won't stop me from going. Fresh Fridays at Beta Lounge are now my favorite. The bartender is an AMAZING woman. I feel like she's my best friend, and made me drinks that made me forget her name. It was my first time at her bar, and the entire staff let me know what's good and popular. I noticed that the staff paid close attention to the patrons, something I hardly see. I did wake up with hives...I guess the Asian in me is allergic to fermented rice?! read more

We had, I don't even know how many, carafes' of pineapple, blueberry and cranberry Soju last night. 15 friends and I came out to celebrate a girlfriend's birthday. Good beats and good drinks is all we need for a happenin time. I like that its loungy and not the club scene. We're grown and sexy! We don't need to get dressy and impressy to enjoy some good music and good drinks. Beta is a nice spot. New and semi trendy with excellent service at the bar! They have local art on the wall, the cool geeky kind that my husband likes. Not to mention anime playing on the big screens, 2 points! I'd come back to try the food and to have some Lychee Soju! They were out of it last night. read more

Went here for my 22nd birthday on a Thursday late afternoon for some quick drinks to get my birthday buzz going. Greeted by friendly staff, and we were given information about the beers, and cocktails offered that evening. My roommate chose to get a beer while I ordered three cocktails one with gummy bears, I don't remember the name but it was delicious! I actually had a second one and ordered this lemonade looking one too. The atmosphere was nice, seemed like a much older crowd that day. I like bars with good drinks, especially with gummy bears. read more

Beta Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Berkeley, California

Sweet, attentive (and cute) bartenders, never too crowded, chill atmosphere, lots of seating and lychee martinis! What more could you ask for? ALSO THEIR FLAVORED SAKE IS SO GOOD. Opt for the flight read more

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