I hit this place up often since one of my buddies lives down the street from it. I've always liked this place even when it first opened back in the day and not too many people knew about it. Things got better when they opened up the back patio area and started serving food out there. I love the quick fire food to go along with a nice cold drink. Dirt cheap $5 dollar special (when it first started) - now it's $6 dollar El especial! - consists of a shot of tequila and can of Tecate'! You can't beat that! Good atmosphere and place to be. They play some good music. then venue is always packed. Filled with both Berkeley cats and non Berkeley cats. It's very diverse. Hit this place up when you can. I'll bet you'll like the outside grill and patio area. My take, 4 out of 5 stars. read more

Not sure I can beat Ben's check-list, but I'll give what I can. The Missouri lounge is the hipster hang-out of the East Bay, no doubt. Now what this means is several things: first people really care about their fashion but in a sort of paradoxical way - i.e. they try to look experimental or sort of grungy, they put a lot of effort into looking like they didn't put any effort into the way they look. Hm yeah. What this also means is 20 somethings my age, which I like....bars with 40 somethings always sort of freak me out...shouldn't you..uh be watching your kids or something? Furthermore, the music is new and interesting..at least it was the night I was there with a live dj. Too bad it was WAY TOO FUCKING LOUD. I hate having to scream so that the person next to me can hear me. Now, that out of the way...this place still has a sweet feel. The couches are nice...as was the fact that I watched some serious pool shark action going on while relaxing and drinking a cheap ass Pabst. So I guess this is how it went down: I walked in and immediately hated it because the music was 120 decibels...but got myself a drink, got comfy and watched the hipsters do their thing....which surprisingly enough put me in a good mood. So there we go...4 read more

Missouri Lounge aka Misery Lounge after you leave. COME FOR -- The "Special" beer and a (cheaparse) shot of whiskey for $5. Feels like burning in your mouth? Wash it down with an Olympia/PBR beer. Like!...duuude(!)...! Could totally use a hot dog, right!? $5 gets you a dog and a PBR. SCENE -- One can best describe this as a divey bar with a hipster vibe. Not quite a sports bar but has sports. Not quite a club but has a dance floor. Scientists mixing with bartenders chatting about psychedelics was what it was last Friday. NOTE -- this place allows dogs to roam and it's always 420 for some bloke here. Bathrooms are tiny. Girls, hold your pee until the next spot cause you're gonna be waiting for a while.. in the open! Awkward rhinoceros? CONCLUSION -- The pool table and outdoor lounge makes this a great afternoon spot. Live DJ and people actually dancing on Fridays makes it a great stop for a West Berkeley bar crawl. read more

Drinks are kind of weak, otherwise it would be 4 stars. I like how it's kind of tucked away from everything else. It's an outpost. read more

Great drinks, decent service (usually), good DJs (mostly), and AWESOME grilled sandwiches. Get whatever sausage you want, but get that sausage sandwich. Do it. It's so damn good. Really. I also love that this place is dog friendly and friendly in general. I'm not much on talking to strangers, but the strangers at this bar are cool! Sitting outside in the summer here is like having a mini-Zietgeist on this side of the water, minus the a-hole door people, snotty service, and hipstery hipsters. I love it. read more

The MO Lo (c) is my post-work bar so far. I like the low-key atmosphere and diverse crowd. DJ in the house on a couple nights I've worked late, working folks coming in for the $5 whiskey and beer special, and only 2 beers on tap create a simple charm to the place. Plus, there's enough light in there for me to read - a highly underrated bar activity when you're not in the mood for pool. If they get their food license and add another couple beers on tap, I'll be ready to cough up 5 stars. read more

The bartender last Sunday makes a mean Bloody Mary- I will definitely go there again for a lazy drinking afternoon/night. read more

Missouri Lounge - Dive Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Fair prices, cool vibe. Diverse crowd of people, including the sad, desperate looking fellow sitting with cans of Olympia strewn about him at a lonely table. Clearly, this young man was stood up. I would have offered him some words of comfort, but he stormed out of the place with a pained expression upon his face... Anyways, the outdoor area is heated and it's big and you can smoke if you do that. I guess. read more

I find that the Missouri Lounge is the bar that I always end up at when visiting pals in the East Bay. Though I don't get to visit as often as I'd like to since I live in San Francisco, this bar still feels like home and I love it more and more with each visit. Can't believe I only gave it 4 stars so many years ago. Easily deserving of five! I love you and I like you, Missouri Lounge. read more

Good prices on drinks and cool atmosphere. There are pool tables inside, but I prefer hanging outside in the large patio area. Weekend nights, they have a grill lit-up out back, where they serve fatty foods -- burgers and sandwiches, which is great while getting sloppy with friends. You better watch your food though, because someone else might snake it! read more

Came here friday night and had an amazing time. The drinks were gracious, and the dj was playing all the right music. This is a great place to just let go, dance, and have a good time. The outside patio is a plus, but the fact that they serve food makes it that much better. Now I know the missouri lounge is a dive bar but I almost subtracted a star because its a little dirty feeling... maybe it was just the bathrooms i dont know... regardless still five stars from me! read more

The Bartendresses are as Tender as they are Bar Pros. The Grill Masters are as Masterful as they are Manly. No better place to stay on cloud nine in the East Bay than with your feet on the ground in a parking lot that is decorated to look like the patio of a five star Bar and Grill. Naughty Natto's grill at Missouri Lounge may not look like much, but it has beaten several other gourmet steak sandwiches in taste tests at the State Capitol. read more

One of my all time favorite bar/lounges: All the employees are cool and attentive. The food served in the back patio is solid. The drinks are well poured at a good price. The music spun by the DJ's was happening The crowd has always been way friendly & fun... even to a pretty old dude up from LA. read more

I got my first treat of the Missouri last weekend, and I must say, its a place that I might frequent more often. Total dive bar action, bad mirrored glass bar, a janky pool table, and kickin punk rock tunes. The only thing that would make it better, is if it was closer to my house. read more

Went back on a Friday and the place was CRACKIN' with less weirdos and more hipsters. Music was fantastic...more hip hop, old skool stuff, mashups...and other things but honestly I was too drunk off my 2 "Especials" to do anything but HAVE A FAB TIME! I must go back with cooler folks who are down to dance their pants off. Unfortch, my lamewad of a date was a wallflower who resorted to sitting all night long. *le sigh* Who's down for a dance party next Friday a la Missouri Lounge? read more

Hipster haven? Maybe. Ok fine. Definitely. But when you've recently moved to DC and all you want is to see a girl with a partially shaved head and a Christmas sweater gettin' down to the Smiths, Missouri Lounge is your man. In many respects, hanging out here is a lot like hanging out at your own house, or maybe your grandparents, assuming that one or both of them have couches, photographs on the wall, and a sweet patio with Christmas lights and the occasional barbeque outside. Why it's better to hang out here and NOT at your grandparent's: -Shot o' whiskey and a PBR for 5 bucks or, to facilitate the leaning of your inner cholo, shot o' tequila and a Dos Equis. -Crystal Castles,Lil Wayne, MGMT, Lupe Fiasco...more. -Your grandparents would need a hip replacement just thinking about shaking it like the occupants of this dance floor. Who knew such verve was possible in such tight pants? Why only 4 stars? I don't know. Over-enthusiasm is unbecoming of my carelessly side-swept bangs. read more

Take the 3 stars as a great compliment. Super fun dive bar. Friendly staff, and all the classic dive bar drinks for cheap. Vinyl DJ, pool table, classic dive bar decor and the least pretentious bar in town. read more

My husband is pouring through vinyl at a local record store and I am being well taken care of with a manhattan while I wait. Very cozy bar and a flat screen for baseball . read more

Missouri Lounge - Dive Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

All the reasons folks give a bad review of this joint is why I go here. Nuff said. No, actually one more thing. 5 buck beer and shot. And not some pissy shot of whiskey. A get in the groove shot. Fuck yeah. read more

Such a cool place. I originally went there because I could bring my dog...but then it got better! Great food, lovely wine and an eclectic mix of people. Love it! read more

I came here on a Thursday night with a handful of my girls from work and we had a great time. Chill atmosphere, good music and enough space for everyone (there was even a little patio area, great for smokers like me). Drinks are cheap, you can leave your tab open all night and drink the whole bar and not be shocked when you get your bill. Mixed drinks are a little weak though but they have a bunch of beers on tap so bring your buddies out to play around the world! It's a locals spot so expect to see someone you know and enjoy yourself. Giving it 4/5 bc the mixed drinks were weak, only one toilet in the ladies room, and not many tables inside. read more

It just opens itself up to be available to everyone! This is a VERY friendly bar. If you can't chill while you are here I feel sorry 4 you. -really- the drinks are well priced, the people are down to earth and diverse and most nights there is a switch up of live music. 5 thumbs up-----THANKS Missouri! read more

I'm actually writing this review because I lost my driver's license there. I've tried calling the lounge a few times, but their connection is so bad. It sounds like I'm talking to a robot. From the 60s. And the robot just hangs up. Please help a kid out. HAVE YOU SEEN MY LICENSE? I was there this past Friday night. The DJ read the crowd like a college schoolbook. (Have you ever listened to the "I Love College" playlist on Songza? He took it back to the first freshmen house party.) I don't like to dance--gangsters don't dance, we boogie--but everyone was enjoying the music. (If anything, when you lose an important accessory on a Friday night, it's usually a testament to a good time. Clearly, my time was thoroughly good.) read more

I really like Missouri Lounge for its divey feel and warm atmosphere. Customers are all very lively and polite and everyone just wants to have a chill time! Can't say the same about the service all the time, but other than that, highly recommend you check it out here. They have a great outdoor seating area in the back and the snacks are pretty good. read more

Drinks are cheap, crowd is great. Definitely a great spot to hang out and grab a drink, they have pool, plenty of beers on tap for a reasonable price, and multiple specials to choose from. I think this place is a bit better in the spring and summer, they have a large outdoor seating area and it can get cold at times. Although the whiskey and beer special will probably help with that problem.... read more

YOLO AT THE MOLO. Five stars because I LOVE this place. THE SPECIAL. $5 whiskey + beer...makes for a nice end to a hard day's work. It also has a patio on which you and your friends can share a nice smoke with your drink still in hand. It has heat lamps for the cooler of nights. The grill out back serves up delicious food, and the crowd is an eclectic mix of hood and hipsters. I'm grateful to live so close to this place! Despite hearing the music late at night when we're trying to get to sleep, the music, when you're actually there, is great! All the jams! I had a birthday party here, and it was one of the most memorable nights ever. As divey and seedy as this place feels, it has heart, character, and everything you'd want at your neighborhood watering hole. read more

Somehow, downing "the special" (a shot of "whiskey" and a "can o beer"--pabst, though the whiskey went unnamed) doesn't seem as gross as it actually is here. For a dive, the place is pretty clean, and as much as I hate hipsters this place has some mighty fine looking marriageable young men. Fifth star will be earned once I work my bartender charm as I wasn't ordering my own drinks and can't comment a whole lot on the bartenders, though they didn't seem snotty or problematic (What! It's a common problem.) read more

Friendly people. Hipsters? yes... but who cares? If you like whiskey and beer you are ok with me. Driven by this place for years and every time I thought, "damn, I'll bet there are some sad stories being told in that place." Then all of a sudden it changes owners and I start hearing the name being tossed around amongst friends. Finally made it in the other night and was pleasantly surprised. Ran into a number of friends while I as was there who run the gambit from school teachers to bartenders. Throw in a couple of graduate students and we had ourselves a pretty eclectic mix. Plus $5 for a shot and a can of the "soup" makes for a good night. read more

Came here with some members of my band after a studio session. They're white males and I'm a black female. Well let me say the bartender working that night a white guy with dark hair. He was beyond rude and racist. Served me the nastiest cranberry and vodka I've ever had in my life. Tasted like poison. And it wasn't even strong! Watered down ass drink. As we were leaving near closing there was a song playing and one of my band mates made a comment that it would be a cool song to rap over. So I whip out my phone as we're walking towards the door and pull up a song I've been working on and I proceed to rap it. Just loud enough for my friends to hears me. Well I guess the bartender didn't like what he heard and he shut the music off. Rude ass prick! read more

Despite advertising themselves as hip local dive bar they have an issue serving actual locals. I am a Berkeley native and was a semi-regular for the past year but I will not be returning after my experience yesterday. When leaving the bar two of my friends and I decided we ought to mention to the bartender that we had noticed the bartender who had been working earlier had been giving our friend who was black very weird looks and used a very rude tone with her when she politely asked if we could have subtitles for the warriors game that was on, as well as a previous experience where that same bartender had been so overtly rude to two young black men that they ended up leaving the bar. We mentioned this quietly to the bartender working when we were leaving but the bartenders response was "yaaaah, she is definitely not racist" (both these bartenders are blonde white women, so yeah go figure the white women wasn't racist towards the other white women..) and so my friend responded "yeah, but you are not black"and then the bartender responded "oh so you're calling me racist now" and started yelling. Her response was repulsive and victim blaming, my friend was saying that their experiences would be different and the bartenders response was to put words in her mouth. Furthermore, after looking through the reviews I see that this bartender, Norah, has been mentioned in several reviews due to her racist behavior. read more

Yay! No Frat Boys here!!! Just normal folk from the neighborhood. Oh and Chip, the best dj in the east bay. read more

In the great tradition' the American Roadhouse in the heart of Berkeley. Its like the Unitarian Church of drinking establishments. The back outdoor BBQ area reminds me of Amsterdam. read more

Missouri Lounge - Alleged glory hole above urinal - Dive Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

I came in here to meet up with a few friends. I am here pretty often, but wasn't aware I wasn't allowed to finish my beer here which I brought from the bar down the street. All of that is quite alright. I get it, don't bring drinks from another place. Got it. The problem was when the barback kicked me out after he took my drink. I was at the bar ordering a drink with a friend (after the drink I brought in was taken) and he still wanted me out of the bar. I told him I now knew not to bring drinks in, he was really for evil about me getting out even though we were wiling to buy drinks from the bar. I now know not it dot his at this bar, yet they guy was way rude without me putting resistance to it. Anyway, still a happening place. read more

A friend and I came to see DJ Skip. The place was packed but a lot cleaner than I expected (from the stories I'd heard). Love that people can bring in their dogs, and the beers were cheap. Atmosphere was chill, if not a bit eclectic. If I lived in the East Bay, I'd probably be a regular. read more

I came here for a mid sunday afternoon drink. And it wasn't a bad place, the drinks were cheap, $3 happy hour well drinks. The area in the bad was large and you can smoke. The inside isn't as large, but there is a pool table. The parking in the front, but you have to jump a bit of sidewalk to get to it. There's also an ATM across the street for convenience. Normally at night time, this place has a ton of motorcycle riders who visit it frequently, which makes it look sketchy at night time. read more

I came here for some friends' going away party. I didn't expect there to be a nice outdoor seating area...I thought this was very cool! This place is very spacious. I cant say anything about their foods and drinks since I didn't order any, but this is a cool location and they have their own small parking lot. I parked in streets which was quite easy when I came around 7:30pm :] read more

Cheap drinks ($6 for Tecate and Tequila/$6 for PBR and Whiskey shot) and a grill in the patio section that keeps the food coming late into the night. The crowd is a bit hipster but this is expected from the Berkeley/Oakland area. I've seen people bring dogs to this place (before 9 pm), but I'm not sure if they are allowed at all hours. They had a DJ here the last time I came on a Friday night. read more

I love this place. Yeah, it's a dive, but what a great place to have fun, decent bar food, and and really good drinks! I always really like the music as well.Yes, the grill dude is surly- almost to the point of being over-the-top tongue-in-cheek surly. I think it's amusing. He makes a helluva burger. The outside patio is just fabulous- lots of space where one can smoke, drink and socialize to their heart's delight! One can really be themselves here. It's very diverse and I always meet a lot of interesting people. The people who come here are pretty down to earth. This place has NO PRETENSE which is really the biggest selling point. read more

It's a pretty small place, but it's nice to hangout and lounge outside on the benches. They have food in case you get hungry and of course, drinks if you're thirsty. read more

I have frequently driven by the Missouri Lounge and wondered, "Hm. What's that place all about?" Well, thanks to the persistent Mr. Isaacs, a post-work happy hour was organized and a bunch of teachers took over the back patio. Sunshine? Check. Beer? Check. Pizza delivered from Lanesplitter? Check (but only the one in Albany, which is weird, because the Berkeley location is just down the block). I liked the velvet couches inside and the dog-friendly outside. I think I'll stop by again, now that I know what awaits me there. read more