I went to Middle 8 for the first time last night and absolutely loved it! The drinks were delicious, the vibe of the place is incredible, and the bartender (Benjamin) was super nice. He took the time to explain how they made their strawberry infused tequila which made the drink THAT much better. I'll definitely be back! read more

The vibes are always the best especially when Ben is working. Highly recommend coming in here anytime of the week.

So just came across this bar last night (it appears to be one of the only places in downtown that is still open after 9pm). It's pretty cute! The decor is sort of vintage/80's.... Disco balls hanging from the ceiling, neon lights, fancy glasses for your drinks. There are two pianos; at least one pool table. Bartenders were friendly! Cocktails were a little pricy... I had the Porn Star martini, which was excellent, and the cucumber martini, which I found to be sour and not nearly as good as my other drink. They also have featured non-alcoholic cocktails which is very cool! I'll definitely be coming back here and would recommend you check it out! read more

Middle 8 - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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I'd give ZERO stars if I could. Don't even know where to start- Watered down drinks that are overpriced, horrible music, filthy floors and furniture with disgusting stains (which they cover up by keeping the place dark), RUDE manager who gets a rush out of bullying his paying customers. He should be reported for his obnoxious behavior. Avoid this place at all costs! So many better options with nicer looking and better behaved people. read more

First of all, how has this cocktail lounge managed to stay hidden in the middle of a very busy Pleasanton Downtown? I must have driven and walked by several times and somehow just missed seeing it. We happened to stumble upon it via serendipity- were headed to the wine place before our dinner reservation, found it closed and as we were wondering what other options we might have, we found ourselves in front of Middle Eight. The teal colored couches, the retro vibe, the blue lit bar and the dark walls make for a cozy setting. We found out that a band plays here on certain days of the week. Between, there's a piano in there too- nice touch! On to the drinks, we found our bartender to be very pleasant and knowledgeable about the drinks. I decided to get a chocolate liqueur one but before you judge me on getting a dessert for a drink, let me tell you that the drink was not candy and a far cry from the usual hum-drum cocktails- citrus forward with just a hint of chocolate taste and aroma. It's called the Holly Jolly Roger. Hubby decided to get the 'Stranglehold', which came in a beautiful glass and had a great citrus flavor to it (lemon and angostura). Definitely check it out, this is just the kind of place that Pleasanton Downtown needed. read more

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Me and my friends went and it's an absolute vibe! Drinks were strong and very interesting mixed shots. I definitely will be back for the classy vibes. Think Lucifer meets James Bond. Love it. read more

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Do not come to this bar!!! My drink was lanced and I'm pretty sure it was the bartender. I repeat do not come to this bar. read more

Great customer service and the music was amazing. A very chilled environment. Will be back!

Benjamin was the absolute best, the environment and vibes were immaculate. We asked for recommendations and he delivered. Very welcoming and fun. The drinks were incredible. Pool table was a great addition to the experience. read more

Bartenders are wonderful! I lost my phone and it was so kindly returned to me! Shout out to Crystal

I believe the place is cute BUT THE MUSIC MEAH is ok music I like it a litlle bit i but need something better like you feel more party .

It was very chill and the drinks were good. The ambiance was very classy and intimate. I got a hurricane and it was quite good and it was off menu read more

I'm new to the area and since the first time I stepped foot into this amazing establishment Benjamin took care of me and made me feel welcomed like family. His old fashion is made with love. Love the 80's vibe. read more

Middle 8 - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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FINALLY a spot in downtown Pleasanton that stays open past 10 pm! Thank Goodness. Dancing, chillin, catching up with friends and making new ones is now possible at a later hour. This is often where we all end up after the brew crawls, or birthday dinners. They have nice seating, photo ops, clean restrooms, and tasty beverages. I always have fun, and I want to give this spot 5 stars- but I will say that the service is so hot and cold. I don't mean that there is a wait when they're busy, I mean that there is a wait if you're unlucky enough to get one of the stuck up bartenders. Twice now I've had the same arrogant self absorbed dbag sort of stare past me with no interest in taking my beverage request whatsoever. I don't think that every bartender has to give me a kiss on the cheek and do a cartwheel when we walk in, but that smug attitude is so unnecessary. I know that sometimes drunk people can be a little extra, but you chose this job. They're not all unfriendly, some are awesome, and I'll only tip the ones who are decent from now on. The Middle 8 has a smaller bar for private parties. We were there last night for my friend's birthday. Our bartender was great, and some of the other guys should take notes from him. read more

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Had a little getaway in the middle of the week in downtown Pleasington. Went to dinner and then decided to have a drink. We ran into a cool little bar. Very retro. Great music. Wonderful service. We arrived as the bar was opening. We were the first ones there and as the bar filled up, our server Benjamin was able to still give us great service. He is a great guy. We definitely enjoyed our time there. I highly recommend this spot. Very welcoming. Great drinks. And if you see Benjamin I hope you like him. He's great! read more

Middle 8 - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Pleasanton, California

I like pool, alcohol, and good music. 1 star. Some of the best classic cocktails this side of the Mississippi. Don't know though I don't travel. Staff is super fun. read more

Middle 8 - Pool table and drinks wooo - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Pleasanton, California

Cool spot but with at least one bad apple behind the bar. I was there for a private event with an open bar. Drinks were flowing but after a while, one of the bartenders started charging us. I didn't think much of it; i assumed open bar ended. But then I wasn't charged for the next drink. Turns out, someone back there was pocketing the $$$! Tisk tisk Middle8. UPDATED: Nice try with that cute story Rick D. read more

We came here to grab a quick drink while we were waiting for an Uber which was 15 min away. It took 10 minutes before anyone came to us, which was odd considering the bar was mostly empty. When the bartender finally came to us we kindly said "hi! We have a car arriving in 5 minutes, can we get 4 shots of don Julio ". She immediately gave us a passive aggressive response of "cool..can I finish what I was doing first?" Honestly she could have just said yes, finished with her other customers and then served us and it probably would have been fine. Instead she made us feel unwanted in such a short interaction that it wasn't even worth waiting. Perhaps this is typical of the area but it was off putting enough to share with others. read more

Music was absolutely horrible! Held our high school reunion here and the owner refused to accommodate the playlist

Came here for a few drinks and man oh man the bartender was so nice. It was our birthdays and he made us special shots that put me overrrrr. It tasted like nothing but hit you like a truck. Had a great time here with friends. We came early so it was not busy. The drinks were good. I had the French 75 and it was okay, I've had better elsewhere but overall had a great time read more

Middle 8 - French 75 and other cocktails - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Pleasanton, California

This setting is so cool. There's not a ton of well done themed bars, and the back room is epic. We had a private party there, and the drinks and bartender were 100% on point. read more

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omg bruh crystal was the best bartender and person i've ever interacted with! she's everything to me! i'll be back :))

If I could give zero stars I would. If you're looking for a fun night out in Pleasanton, dont even bother with Middle 8, especially if you have the misfortune of dealing with a bartender who claims his name is Benjamin. Let me break it down: this guy has no business working in customer service. From the second we walked in, Benjamin was on some kind of power trip. He accused us of having fake IDs (news flash: they're real). Then, he had the audacity to snatch my friend's ID out of their hand, glare at it, and say, "This is cutting it too close." Excuse me? What does that even mean, Benjamin? Were you drinking on the job or did you forget the minimum legal age was 21? Either way, extremely disgusting and unprofessional. Let's not ignore the obvious ageism here, either. Benjamin's condescending attitude screamed, "I think you're too young to be here," which is ironic since he clearly couldn't handle acting like a grown-up himself. Treating paying customers like they don't belong because of their age is NOT acceptable and should never be tolerated. Even with all this unnecessary drama, he took our order, except he wasn't just taking it; he was trying to flirt and "joke." Spoiler alert: he wasn't charming or funny at all. He was arrogant, rude, and honestly just embarrassing himself. Then came the cherry on top: Benjamin charged me for an extra shot I never ordered. When I pointed it out, he argued with me like I didn't know what I paid for. After I clearly explained that HE made the mistake, he reluctantly admitted it and fixed the charge, but not without being a complete asshole the entire time. No apology, no accountability... just attitude for days. Pro tip, Benjamin: if you hate your job, find a new one instead of ruining other people's nights. And here's the kicker: after reading other one-star reviews, it's clear this wasn't just a bad night. It sounds like there's a pattern of bad behavior here, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same guy. Middle 8, you've got a serious problem on your hands if this is the kind of service you allow. So, to sum it up: I was right, Benjamin was wrong, and if you're heading to Middle 8, good luck dealing with his ego. read more

Such a great find! Fun and relaxed atmosphere, comfy couches, good music and awesome drinks. The Porn Star Martini was delicious! Crystal was tending bar and was fun to watch and Rick (the owner) even came over to check on us. Looking forward to coming back here more often! read more

Middle 8 - Delicious (and fully enjoyed) porn star martini - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Pleasanton, California

We had such a fantastic time thanks to Benjamin and Crystal! Their energy was absolutely infectious; fun, fab, and so genuinely welcoming. We're not exactly a young couple, but they made us feel right at home from the moment we walked in. It's rare to find that kind of warmth and great vibe behind the bar. read more

We came in on a Wednesday evening to celebrate a friends birthday. Middle 8 was decorated for the holidays and had a real cozy vibe. People were playing pool and hanging out on couches. It was the perfect spot for getting drinks and chatting. The cocktail menu is pretty extensive with featured drinks, classics, low ABV and Non Alcoholic which was greatly appreciated as we were all on different levels of either driving home or celebrating :) Special for the holidays, I was super impressed with my cocktail with a 3D printed dabbing Santa on top!! My friends drinks were equally festive and fun. We also loved the live singing piano player playing hits and Christmas jams. Middle 8 will be a solid addition to our Pleasanton evening options! read more

Middle 8 - Holiday cocktails! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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Lovee the vibes and drinks here!! My friend and I visited for the first time today and the retro vibes and lighting here make the whole aesthetic. Our bartender was so nice and the drinks were AMAZING. We got the Amaretto Sour and Disco Lemon Drop Martini and we loved both of them. Def coming back on a Friday/Saturday night! read more

Middle 8 - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Pleasanton, California

Crystal and Benjamin are literally the most friendly bartenders ever. They make you feel like you've known them forever, really enjoyed the vibe with our group. Thank you for the wonderful experience! read more

My husband and I love Middle 8. Our favorite bartender's are Crystal and Ben. They both take excellent care of us. Crystal brightens up the room with her personality and humor. Ben is a gentle soul and such a sweetheart. Thank you Crystal and Ben for always taking care of us. You both have exceptional customer service etiquette. :) read more

Crystal was amazing great drinks great customer experience and iI had a great time. I would definitely come back again and would recommend this place to my friends only because of crystal she was great !!!!!. read more

This is definitely me and my boyfriends go to bar. The ambiance, the owners Rick & Saverin, the bartenders, especially Crystal, make this bar feel like another home to me. This bar is where we've met new friends that I consider family now . Karaoke Tuesdays are always one of my favorite nights because I love singing and James the Emcee always does an incredible job running karaoke Tuesdays. Shoutout to Crystal, Ben & Jackie for being the best bartenders I've ever met, they always make my visit worthwhile and always make my drinks perfectly. It's the best bar to sit, relax, enjoy a good drink, good music and good company. Middle 8 is where it's at, I guarantee that you'll have an amazing time. read more

Love this place! It's the go to spot for drinks! I say definitely go to Ben he's a cool dude with style and always makes sure you are good! Best service ever!!! 20 out 10 read more

We love Middle 8! They were very kind and accommodating for our holiday white elephant party. It was decorated so beautifully that I didn't need to bring decorations myself. The drink choices were wonderful! My favorite is Mr. Fig stuff with cognac, orange, fig, egg foam, etc. Thanks Middle 8! read more

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Loved the atmosphere! The drink menu was interesting and has something for everyone. Has to ask for some bar snacks...but overall really liked this place! read more

First thing, I love the aesthetic of this bar. Definitely need more of this in the area, it's dark, nice decor, somewhere to go out, have a drink, maybe dance...that being said, this place has SO MUCH POTENTIAL and I feel like it's wasted. Drinks were fine, bartenders were okay, music was so lame. I sat at the bar and it took strangely long to get my order taken. I almost felt judged going in here, not the best vibes. I went in around 10pm on a Friday night, maybe Saturdays are different? I'll probably give it another go. read more

Drinks were pretty pricy but most of them esp the Espresso Martini were worth it. Only one not worth the price was the lemon drop. The rest, tried 7 of them, were good. Good place to hang out with friends. Clean including the bathroom read more

We had a great time at Middle 8! Went here on the night before thanksgiving to catch up with friends and the drinks were awesome. Benjamin makes a PHENOMENAL dirty martini - 10/10! read more

CRYSTAL IS AMAZING!!!! @rick is so lucky to have her. She was soooo accommodating and Personable!

Went there with a friend and the Retro vibes are a huge plus and the drinks are fantastic! The bartender Krystal was extremely nice, personable, and made sure we were well attended to. We would definitely come back for another time however there was a patron by the name of Bob that continuously harassed me and my friend throughout the entire night. This guy went around to every group that had women in it and made the whole situation uncomfortable. I had to block his hand a couple of times so he wouldn't touch my friend. He seems like a regular so luckily a few guys took him back to the pool table out back so we could leave without him following us out. Would recommend to go if you're a group of guys or if he's not around. read more

Crystal and Ben were the best bartenders that have ever graced a bar in the last 25+ years. Their service and their hospitality completely overwhelmed me with joy. Will be back for more soon read more

Middle 8 - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Pleasanton, California