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    Cato's Ale House

    4.0 (761 reviews)
    ModerateBurgers, Pizza, Beer Bar
    Open 11:30 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated 3 months ago

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    CATO'S ALE HOUSE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups

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    Margherita Pizza
    Charlotte C.

    The margarita pizza is so delishouness!! Very cool vibe inside too. Got the Obama another time az well and it was pretty scrumptious

    Cup of chili
    Ally Y.

    A great spot! They have a dog friendly patio out back and a large beer selection. Come in and order food from the kitchen window and drinks at the bar, they'll bring your food out to you when it's ready. Friendly staff at the bar and at the kitchen.

    Lemongrass Tofu Banh Mi
    paula c.

    My last visit to Cato's was a midweek lunch which seemed odd to me. I think I'd be more likely to come back for a beer and dinner. Service was quick and friendly (order at counter- food and bar are separate). The setting and seating are just fine. Nothing great or bad. My lemongrass tofu bahn mi bread was too soft, instead of chewy with a crusty outside. The veggies inside didn't hit the mark with the pickled flavors. The tofu was crispy on the outside and soft inside (perfectly prepared) but didn't taste like lemongrass. However, it's bar fare so I appreciated the variety. The side salad was great with yummy dressing. Other items we ordered, and liked, were the Obama sandwich (no explanation for its name), Retro burger, fish and chips and quesadilla. Almost all were big enough to bring home leftovers if you cut it in half.

    Heliana M.

    Love Catos. Come here from time to time since 2016! Always welcoming and friendly and no hassle place! Burgers, sandos, pizza are some favorites we love to share. And great beer always!

    Bob K.

    3.5 stars, rounding up. Cato's has a really decent American pub menu, but no table service. You figure out what you want, and go up to a window to order it. You order your drinks from the bar. I'm not sure why I tipped for the food, but oh well. The Wife and I stopped by, and I ordered a Belgian triple, while we shared the nachos. They were very yummy, especially adding the jalapenos that I got in the side. Could have used some additional cheese, but with no protein added, it was hardy. I also enjoyed the decor, with an interesting mishmash of historic presidential photos on the wall near us. It hit the spot, in summary.

    Hop Riot IPA
    Diane L.

    Came here to meet a friend after work. We ordered hot wings and French fries for snacks. They were both good. I had the hop riot IPA, it's was very good. My friend had a red ale and a Pilsner. Everything was good, service was friendly and attentive. Order your drinks at the bar. Order food at the counter in the rear corner of the restaurant of the space. They brought the food out quickly. We'll be back next time we're in the neighborhood. Cheers

    Debra S.

    So, whenever we have the opportunity to be anywhere near Cato's, we take advantage of it. Today I had their pozole. Omg. Perfectly seasoned (I like spicy). The best I've ever had. My husband had the impossible burger, added cheddar. He gives it an 8/10, only because he prefers a different kind of bun. As always, the beer selection is outstanding. The service is engaging (if we lived closer, we'd hang out here. Really nice staff). So glad that we happened on this comfortable, local hangout. You'll feel welcome here.

    nachos
    Irena S.

    Came here earlier tonight for a happy hour with a bunch of 10+ coworkers around 5-6pm, and I was pleasantly surprised and bummed I didn't find this place sooner! We got 2 pitchers of ciders, a pitcher of pilsner, 2 pizzas, and a bunch of apps to share (nachos, sweet potato fries, garlic fries, spicy buffalo wings, etc). Sat in the back patio area outside just for breathing room and space. Pros: - Great location for an after-work happy hour, especially if you work near Piedmont. Quick walk away from the Kaiser hospital buildings, with both an indoor and outdoor space. We chose the outdoor area that had umbrellas and heating lamps and 6-7 tables to easily share food - Fantastic delicious pizza! The vegetarian one with feta was sooo good and slices were surprisingly huge. Another sausage one we had was very delicious as well - Impressively good bar food - the garlic fries and sweet potato fries were very addicting, would opt for these instead of the nachos if you can. I definitely ended up overeating because everything tasted better than I thought it would! - casual atmosphere - self serve water available inside - All the servers were really nice and efficient Cons: - parking can be tricky around this area, it was honestly easiest for me to uber home after

    delicious ciders w/ the East Bay Bestie
    Sara L.

    Cato's has become one of my go to hangouts with buddies. From the chill atmosphere to the delicious food and drink options, there's something for everyone here. And the staff are always patient and kind. Recently I enjoyed the homemade falafel based burger and their elderberry infused cider. Each entree can be customized based on any food related allergies. I've enjoyed all of their pizza selections in the past. And there's always SO many good beer, wine, and cider choices here. Whether dining on the outside patio in the summer or indoors to stay cozy during the chillier months, Cato's is the kind of place to enjoy any season.

    Pliny the Elder Pretzel and Nachos Grande
    Daniela J.

    Great beer menu, solid pub style food and family friendly! They have a kids menu and the back patio had other families with young kids on our recent visit. Been here numerous times for the beer but on our recent trip we sat in the outdoor patio, mostly shaded in the evening and I got the retroburger and nachos and pretzel. Just an easy chill place to hang out

    Menu
    Edison H.

    Friendly for all ages with live music going on Sundays. We came here solely for their fish and chips. It was an ASMR experience cuz the batter was hella crispy. It was actually a bit too hard and way too crispy for me. It really boil down to preferences. The overall flavor was okay, but some bites were a bit salty compared to others. I'm not a fan of coleslaws but they make a really good one here! They have a lot of rotating beers on tap. Would love to try some next time!

    Hallelujah chicken sandwich
    Marco C.

    I love me some Cato's. Apparently they have cool stuff like trivia nights and live music but I'm not cool enough to do any of that, I just come for lunch. But it's a good lunch. They have good burgers, nice pastrami sandwiches and pastrami Rachel, occasionally they have some semblance of Chicago beef. And +2 stars for having some innumerable number of beers on tap, always including Pliny the Elder..

    Five Spice Chicken Banh Mi
    Gina G.

    Cato's brings such great memories of late nights on Piedmont Ave., karaoke and trivia moments, and most recently, pizza after labor & delivery! How times are a changin'! I truly think Cato's Ale House is a staple on Piedmont Ave. and Oakland ~ the beer selection is solid and the menu is always evolving. Some of the OG staff still works here as well, which is always a treat! Recently for lunch I tried the Five Spice Chicken Banh Mi (using Mary's chicken) which came on a super fresh Acme French roll, bomb siracha vegan mayo, and pickled vegetables. Did a side Caesar and loved how creamy the dressing was..the perfect lunch combo! Prices are reasonable and other menu favorites are definitely the Cato burger. Would love to try the Fattoush salad, The Town Oakland-style Fried Chicken Sandwich, and their Mac & Cheese. Finding parking can be a bit tricky on the street, but there's plenty of metered parking that sometimes just takes a few drives around the block until spaces open. Cheers, Cato's to many more years ahead!

    Margherita Pizza 1/2 the huge slice plus Banh Mi

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    1 month ago

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    4 months ago

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    Cara D.

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    8 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    Mark G.

    Thank you very much!

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    10 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    Mark G.

    Thank you, Marco!

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    2 years ago

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    Simone C.

    Thanks for coming back all of these years!

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 months ago

    Food and cider and service get a 5 star review . Parking at 3pm on Wednesday was ok. I will go back for sure .

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    2 years ago

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    5 months ago

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    Cara D.

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    5 months ago

    Great for Wednesday night live music. Good bar bites. Friendly service. Fun neighborhood spot.

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    Cara D.

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    3 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    Cara D.

    Thanks for the kind review, Jack!

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    5 months ago

    The food was nothing special. Everything was bland, very disappointing. I won't be returning to Cato's.

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    Cara D.

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    10 months ago

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    Page 1 of 20

    Cato's Ale House Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Cato's Ale House

    Does Cato brew their own beer?

    Hi B.H, thanks for the question! No, we do not brew our own beer. We are a taproom that hosts world class craft beer, focusing on breweries in Northern California. We hope to see you in for a pint soon!

    Are they doing live music as well? Would be awesome if so! Beer, good food, COVID conscious, and live music to boot!

    We once again have live music at Cato's! Wednesday nights @ 6pm and Sunday nights @ 5:30pm. Check out our website catosalehouse.com for the full calendar of bands and events.

    Does Cato's have WiFi for customers?

    Yes, they do. It's up on the bar.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Two Pitchers Brewing

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    4.5
    (151 reviews)
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    Quality/Quantity - We almost did NOT come today. After circling for parking 3+ times, I told my…read morefamily if we don't find a space this last drive by, we will go to a different brewery and/or a different place for dinner tonight! Got lucky and parked two blocks away. 10 of their beers on tap; the rest are guest taps. So of course, I had to try their $3 signature Lager - Too light for me, basically you get what you pay for. Next... Pale Ale - $7, now that's more like it! No IPA today, so I had to settle. My daughter got the Yard Bird, Strawberry Lemonade Beer. Suits her. Ready for my 3rd beer, when my daughter said she wanted to go home and party some more?!?! So I abided. Lovely's restaurant is also here on the premises. See pictures and other 5 star Yelp review. Ambiance - Cool space. Lots of semi private spaces that you can rent. See pictures or their website. Very kid and dog friendly! Unisex restrooms with outside sinks, thank you! NO parking! So bad on a Saturday evening that we almost did not come. Open 6 days a week - see picture or their website. Closed on Mondays. Service - Counters service. For both the bar and Lovely's. The outdoor bar has WAY faster service than the inside bar, just an FYI. Price - Affordable, especially for the Bay Area. Just left South Lake Tahoe and paid $9 - $10 + tip a beer there, but you know that because you are following. Owner Comment - Congrats to the building since 1919. Congrats on your success since 2021; glad we were able to visit.

    I've been to Two Pitchers a number of times throughout the years and yesterday I had an interaction…read morewith a staff member that's enough for me to not want to come back. When I went to close out my tab at the bar, the staff member who came over to help me gave me the dirtiest, impatient, pissed-off look that I've ever received in my life. It was as if I had kicked his dog and personally insulted him, his family and his entire generational line. When he gave me the payment device, he must have accidentally navigated away from correct screen because I didn't have any options to close out my tab (i.e. there was no tip screen, or place to request a receipt). I handed the device back to him and before I could point out the issue, he snatched the device away and rushed off. Knowing something was wrong, I waited at the counter for a few minutes for him to return. I raised the billing issue and his curt response was "you must have waited too long and the screen disappeared -- you're fine". I returned to my table knowing that something was off, but left with my friends since they needed to head out to a dinner reservation. After we had said our goodbyes to our friends outside the brewery, I shared the strange interaction I had closing out my tab with my wife, and as a precaution, she recommended that we head back to the brewery to try to close out the tab again, just in case something was overlooked. I thought this was a good idea, but this time, asked my wife to try to close out my tab, as I didn't want to experience the wrath of the impatient staff member again. To absolutely nobody's surprise, the tab was not closed out! This staff member is by far, the rudest individual that I've encountered in the service industry and should reconsider their employment if they hate customer interactions this much. Truly appalled by my experience and won't be coming back anytime soon. If management wants to investigate the issue further, the tab was opened at the outside bar at 8/14/26 4:23 PM, check #35, and was transacted on by three separate staff members: 1) first person who opened the tab was friendly 2) second person who added on the second round of drinks was the same rude individual who didn't correctly close out my tab later in the evening, and 3) the third staff member was the one who finally properly closed out the tab with my wife at 7:11 PM.

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    Large screen with live sports
    Large screen with live sports
    The Garage - covered patio
    The Garage - covered patio
    Large interior with ample seating and bar

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    Large interior with ample seating and bar
    Oakland United Beerworks

    Oakland United Beerworks

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    I came for a women in stem event and I really enjoyed this brewery. If it's a nice day, they have…read moresuch great outdoor seating right out front. The service was great, they allow dogs inside as well. There's an upstairs area with high top tables, couches, and space to stand too. They have an extensive beer and wine menu. I appreciate their NA selection too. It was really hot and I didn't eat enough so I got a N.A. Mexican lager for $10, it was awesome. It had great flavor, not too watery, easy to drink. Their prices were good, space was clean. They even have a beer fridge if you want to get a pack. I would come back for a drink with friends

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    Lucky Dog 4 pack
    Oakland United Beerworks
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    Ghost Town Brewing - Laurel

    Ghost Town Brewing - Laurel

    4.5
    (210 reviews)
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    I don't drink anymore but my fiancé likes to enjoy beer. I'll solely cover things non-beer related…read more They have a clean up after yourself system which I like because it holds people accountable. It gets super packed often however, the staff are always kind and efficient. The buffalo wings and (garlic) fries are always a must. I feel like the ranch could be tastier (my favorite is from Wingstop). The Fried Chicken Sandwich was not good at all. It was lacking soo much flavor and honestly only order this if you want cuts in every crevice of your mouth. I'll be trying something different next visit for sure.

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    Photos
    Buratta heirloom tomato and crostini plate "tomato salad"
    Buratta heirloom tomato and crostini plate "tomato salad"
    Hot wings (original hot and dry rub)
    Hot wings (original hot and dry rub)
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    Drake’s Dealership

    Drake’s Dealership

    4.1
    (2.5k reviews)
    1.1 mi
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    Came to Oakland for a wedding and stayed for the weekend to explore a bit…read more Drakes was a place I wanted to check out and I'm glad I did. The beers on tap were really good and their pizzas where equally as good. The vibe was really cool and I love how much seating there was. The outside is massive and they also have a cool smaller inside which can still sit a fair amount of people. Staff was super friendly as well. Would I come back.. if I was in the area yes for sure. Good drinks and food and if you want to catch a game they have TV's for that as well.

    The service is friendly because you can order with the waiters or waitresses but you can also order…read morevia the QR code on each table. They even brought more cups of water unprompted when my colleagues finished their cups of water. I got the summer toast. It had creamy labneh topped with basil, bacon, peaches, and hot honey on a warm crunchy toast. Perfectly savory and sweet balance that was super enjoyable. :) I got a side of chicken which had no flavor, no seasoning, and was so dry it felt like they boiled it then grilled it on top of that. I do not recommend it, even if you brought your fur baby with you. :/ The ambiance is the best thing they have going here though. Great playlist, beautiful dreamy outdoor vibes with the vines, stretched triangle awnings, and tree shade. Oh and plenty of seating!

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    Drake’s Dealership
    The '89 pizza, featuring spicy pepperoni, Calabrian chili, red and fresh mozzarella is one of our favorites.
    The '89 pizza, featuring spicy pepperoni, Calabrian chili, red and fresh mozzarella is one of our favorites.
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    Mad Oak

    Mad Oak

    4.1
    (827 reviews)
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    Great outdoor sports bar. Happy hour prices are great for beverages and food…read more The services was quick

    I prefer to resolve incidents like this offline as I hate to make negative feedback public, but I…read morehave contacted the restaurant directly several days ago and received no response about the incident below and I am sharing my experience here on Yelp so other customers may be aware and choose wisely. Incident: My party of 7 came to Mad Oak around 5pm on Monday evening, 7/20. I did not have my ID on hand as I didn't realize I needed it for entry. I was not planning to consume alcohol. The staff member in charge of the outdoor entry let me in anyway after a little bit of friendly back and forth. One of our friends arrived later and similarly did not have their ID. The same staff member turned them away very rudely and dismissively. I went over to the staff member to let him know that our friend was with us and I also did not have my ID. He responded very rudely despite all members of our party being very respectful. He replied me saying, "What did I tell her?! What did I tell her?!", without explanation. Our friend who was turned away identifies as they/them and without explanation from the staff member, and inconsistent application of rules pertaining to ID, I suspect it might have been a situation where our friend was unfairly discriminated against for their appearance. To sum it up, it was not clear that IDs were required for entry otherwise I would have prepared my party ahead of time; the staff member inconsistently applied an already unclear rule; he did not explain why one guest was allowed and not another, even in the same party; and lastly, he was unnecessarily rude. Our whole party ended up leaving Mad Oak to go somewhere we could all be together. In my outreach to the restaurant a couple days later, I asked for a response to let me know that they have addressed the issue and there has been no response to date.

    Photos
    Beer choices :)
    Beer choices :)
    Urban wild life. Red tail hawk posted at Mad Oak, on the look out.
    Urban wild life. Red tail hawk posted at Mad Oak, on the look out.
    Bar

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    Bar

    Cato's Ale House - burgers - Updated August 2026

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