This place is just too awesome! You can go in there with your laptop and do some work, or go with a friend or two and spend some quality time together. Walk in, stand in line, order yourself some delicious beer, and put a couple dollars in the roll your own cigarette box. Take a couple ziz-zags, and get going... It's just a great place... loved it! Even the people that work there are as awesome as the establishment. And the people that frequent there; well, you have to be pretty cool to be into a place like this! read more

I knew I was in the right place when after we ordered the guy asked, "How chocolate-y do you want your hot chocolate?" I replied, "Very chocolate-y. Thanks for asking." That was the most coaching I gave to the guy and the hot chocolate was very very good. My friendr and I sat there for close to two hours chatting away. It's a nice comfy place, it's like you're in someone's house. They even have board games that you can play there. The Pub's hot chocolate is definitely a close second just behind Semifreddis. Its generous scoops of good old fashioned Ghiradelli chocolate, cozy atmosphere, close proximity to home, and late hours make it a new destination for me. A great place for a late-night fix. I'm not a tobacco enthusiast so I have no comments about that side of their business. read more

This place is sweet! The beer selection is not extensive, but hand-picked goodness... I highly recommend the Fuller's ESB. Easily one of the best beers in the world, in my opinion. Fun, super-laid-back atmosphere. Great place to hang out with friends and jabber on... read more

I love this place. You can get a pint, play a board game, chat with friends, have a smoke outside from one several fine tobacco products inside. I have seen them offer more and more drinkables over time, and for such a tiny space, they really have great service. It's kind of cozy, and sometimes you feel like you are in someones home. Usually the people who hang out here are ok, so that's good too. Kind of a laid back place. I reccomend it. There is a place to smoke in the front and the back, and they have a fine supply of imported cigarettes, cigars, and you can buy a pipe there or roll from the selection of Shag they have on sale. The only bad thing about this place is that it's on the small side. If you come late on a friday or saturday you may find that there is no where to sit. read more

Bitch get out of here. It's fucking horrible. I tried to order Amazon fresh here and they denied me!! Stay away. Weird people. Weird vibes. Who smokes now a days anyway? Save the trees. The techno music way way too loud. Also two dogs and a person dressed as a cat smelled my ass! The regulars just ruin this place. Also one cigarette is $12!! Wtf. I'm just a regular person. Not getting paid $$$!! Beer is $15 for a 6 oz. ridiculous! read more

Love this place! Converted house makes for a great atmosphere and there are always friendly folks around.

Ah the pub. Just perfection. home away from home that always has a cold guin. waiting for me. love it. you can bring in your own food too, and with Zachs right there....better that just about anything. read more

They serve Japanese sake. I love that you can drink sake in a living room with friends and it's as if you're at home. So comfortable. It's a good place for a casual time with good and close company. Wonderful place to have some really interesting conversations without the bar aspect. No wifi from what I hear. To me, that's a plus. That means you're more *connected* to people. Ooh. Now isn't that nice? read more

Nice warm atmosphere, friendly people, decent beer selection and you can roll you own! ...what more could you ask for except maybe a cosy fire...but there's even one of those too! read more

Have had great experience here last couple times. Tonight 6/18/19 stoped by around 10pm. Got a beer with a friend. Bartender was overly assertive; and seemed to be disgruntled. Pouting and engaging in a condescending tone. Carried a hubris disposition from initial communication and request. However did acknowledge generous tip and expressed gratitude. Will return but only solo; won't bring those I care about here anymore. I can not afford to have bitter passive employees deposit they're insecurities into my orbit. read more

I discovered this pub whilst driving up Solano Ave for the first time and it caught my sight for it's look out of the ordinary. I returned with a friend, someone who is serious about his beer like myself, and we both were wondered as we walked in. This place is what I imagined a local pub would be like, with a cozy homeliness to it. There are a couple tables and many chairs out in the front patio, mostly for the smoking crowd. The front room has several tables with chairs and seating area near a fire place with a few arm chairs. The back room has a small counter with a good selection of drinks. You can also buy cigarettes, cigars, or roll your own cigarette from their selection of tobacco. I usually hang out in the front room with a friend. There's board games, but I usually find myself talking with friends. It's a nice change of pace from other drinking establishments in the area. This is definitely a place you come to talk with people--maybe grab a couple drinks with your dad kind of place. This is not a hook up spot either, so there's no need to "dress to impress." I usually wear just whatever I'm wearing at the time, maybe slap on a sweater for the evening. I would have to say that a more upscale, trendy alternative to this place would be the Trappist in Oakland. However, if you're looking for a cozy place to converse and have a couple drinks I would recommend coming here. read more

This places rocks! Love the creaky floors and the old school furniture. It's comfortable, quiet, peaceful, and a great place to drink a pint of Guinness while reading the paper or a book. You can also have a conversation without yelling at the top of your lungs. I agree with Kate M.s response re: the person who gave this place a "1" due to no Wi-Fi. I want to up the # of slaps to 2! If you want Wi-Fi, then go elsewhere. There are PLENTY of other places to get your Wi-Fi on.. Thank goodness that Wi-Fi isn't available at every establishment! I'm a heavy laptop user and it's always nice to be "disconnected" from the machine.. read more

Great tobacco. Good selection of beer. Fireplace. Great conversations. I'd come here every night if I could. read more

I lived up the street all my life. Then when I was around twenty six I found what looks like a quiet place to study that served beer and wine. There is a back patio that you can sit and just have a cig. That is all it was to me, a mid day retreat. Then I found my self working as an EMT with the desire to be social but not in some loud bar. So I went to the Pub for an evening. Making friends so quick with beautiful intellectual conversations happening over and around each other, I felt at home. A treat to me and my friends was IPA (eepa as we called it) and every one bought pitchers and everyone drank. A lot of these people I am very close to still today and could not be who I am today with out their influence. Then, I meet my current girlfriend at the pub. Love at first sight and an old pubster Kerry just fueled our hooking up. Shortly after it was all over for me and that became our place. Now not every night is spectacular. The regulars change and shift to a certain extent. But it is our place to have a pint and a smoke. I hope the non-smokers don't get offended. You can't smoke inside and there is a fire place with comfortable chairs. Many tables for you to bring in some food from Solono to have a pint with your meal. I would recommend this place to anyone with an open mind and an inquisitive spirit. read more

I found this pub very unusual and unique for the area. They serve beer like any other pub. CASH only. And have a tobacco counter for the smokers with the selection of different loose tobacco one can buy and roll. Place is prety packed most of the time. Would be a disappointment for ppl who rather want to sit than stand. Its a chill joint if u want to smoke and drink and hang out for sometime. read more

What is a pub, anyway? Start with what a pub is not. Not a place to hit on hotties. Not a place to root for televised sports. Not a place to see and be seen. Not a place to drink your liver to jellied regret. Not a place for fine cuisine. No, a pub is not all of those things, and not more besides. A pub is a mellow, friendly place to drop in for a pint, a comfortable chair, a smoke and a chat if you wish, a book and some quiet time if you prefer. And that is all. It takes a strong sense of identity to be a pub. Many places that could have been pubs are ruined by trying to be more - more lively, more hip, more profitable. A TV sneaks in, then a dance floor, an arcade machine, or a couple of fancified cocktails. And another couldabeen pub is gone. When a pub is exactly right, all that it should be and nothing that it should not, we can capitalize it as The Pub and walk to it on Solano Avenue. As we enter through the squeaky front door but especially as we make our goodbyes a couple hours later, we'll know that we've found very possibly the finest pub in the Bay Area, perhaps on the West Coast. This was my regular pub for several years, until I moved from Berkeley. In my new town, Portland, there are many excellent bars and a few good pubs. But The Pub is in a class by itself, and whenever I'm back in the East Bay, I stop by. Alright, for the practical information: - Front porch with assorted tables and chairs, some sunny and others shaded, patrons chatting and sipping, some smoking, others sleeping on the ground (these last are usually dogs). - Inside, several small tables - laptops are welcome but there's no WiFi - and a clutch of battered armchairs around a fireplace. No smoking indoors. - One counter for beer, a few wines, coffee, and all the food you want, if all you want is a small bag of chips or perhaps a cookie. There's no food served here. It is okay to bring food (but not drink) from the outside. - Another counter for loose tobacco, rolling papers, new and used pipes, and the rest of the smoking stuff. Yes, the Pub is a smoke shop too, and if smoking bothers you, you shouldn't be here. - That's about all you need to know, until you've frequented the Pub several times. If you're a friendly, interesting, relaxed person, who either smokes or doesn't mind smoke, give the Pub a visit. read more

I heart this place. Don't show up if you're an obnoxious jaggoff cuz that'll make me sad. If you know how to share any combination of board games, interesting conversation, beer, wine, tobakky, coffee and/or tall tales of your carny days, then I hope to bum a light from you there soon. read more

Sit inside or sit outside, but be prepared to find yourself involved in conversation with pleasantly drunken strangers merrily packing away dominos or to-go grub as they swill whatever's on tap. This place is smoking and pet friendly (outside, but not inside) and has all the allure of your drunken, literary uncle's living room, replete with old encyclopedias, ramshackle lamps and leather reading chairs. And sometimes the folks serving the beer are drunk. Hilarious. Btw- if you smoke there's not only a decent collection of loose tobacco for rolling but a classy selection of cigarettes. read more

Do not come here for your birthday! Not only will they not serve you shots, it smells like my Mom's house.

A tobacco fiend's dream this is. I would come here with my sister (at the time prepping for her MCAT, the little bunny rabbit) on lazy, sunny afternoons when we were craving fine, serious brews on tap. You can sit outside, let the mess of the day unwind and roll off your naked, tanning toes. Old-school board games reside within its dusty, over-occupied bookshelves; play chess, drink beer, bare your ankles, all the while eavesdropping on the crackly conversations of tenured Berkeley history professors as they sift through jars of soft tobacco. read more

Cozy. Cheap. Great, weird selection on tap and bottled. The place has both sweet and semi-sweet mead, for goodness sake (go with semi-sweet, by the way). I don't think I'm likely ever to find a better pub anywhere I go. Laid out like a house, which only adds to the comfort. Board games, comfy chairs, and plenty of outside seating since it's a tobacconist (with a quite excellent selection, according to my friends who smoke) as well as a pub. It's best to be introduced to this place by someone you know, just because it seems to fit so well. I haven't been back since the end of August, and I'm missing the place like an old friend. read more

The Pub. Are you a Pubster? You won't know until you go. It's like church. You don't bring just anybody there. Cash only.

The floor was concrete and the bartender kept asking me for spare change. They only served domestic beer, warm and in the can. The crowd was mostly 21-25 rowdy drunks who were obnoxious and loud. And if all this weren't bad enough my wallet was missing when i went to pay the taxi driver. I don't understand how anybody could ever go to this place more than once. read more

A pub out of another time and place. Highly recommeded for a relaxed drink and a smoke with a friend or three.

Dog can hang out on the patio or inside. They have drinks and you can bring food from outside. Casual neighborhood feel. Chill folks. Loads of great beers. read more

If you like the smell of pipe smoke, the idea of drinking in a friendly stranger's living room, then this is the pub for you.

Awesome atmosphere and ambiance! People who go there are pretty interesting! Very homey and cozy style! Great place to chill, study or play games with friends! read more

Besides Fonda and Safeway, The Pub is the only place open after 10pm on Solano Ave. Even though I'm not a smoker, I enjoy stopping by The Pub for a pint, while sharing a friendly game of backgammon, and relaxing by the around the fire - a welcome relief from the all too prevalent deuche-bag sydrome that plagues most drinking establishments. read more

The coffee is perfectly brewed, the tobacco is fresh, and the conversations on the patio are interesting. I visited my brother in Berkeley and we went to the Pub every day for coffee and a smoke. Met some of the regulars and enjoyed my time spent here. There isn't anything pretentious about this place, it is the real deal. read more

Where do you go when you want to roll some natural, fresh, smooth tobacco, have a guiness, and beat some ass at Scrabble? Why, the Pub of course! This is a house converted into a quaint and cozy space where all you really have to do is sit down and relax. Dutch tobacco, very good. read more

I love this place. Games galore, woodsy tables, no judgement, good lights for reading and drinking. I don't even mind the large tabacco offerings! And I think smoking is dumb! Man, they do it right. I want to go back! read more

The Pub is the only place I have been to with my parents to grab a drink! There is a fireplace, board games, and the decor is very interesting. It is in an old house that was converted into an antique store that was converted to the Pub. You can get pitchers and coffee or tea. It is a friendly environment and the people that I see here always seem down to earth and just looking for a good spot to share drinks with friends. The people at the counter are friendly and helpful, and they introduced me to Guinness and champagne. It's the perfect place to walk off your meal and earn a beer after eating on Solano Ave. read more

Drawn in by the curious name, yet expecting a stuffy, pretentious fancy bar, we were rewarded in a big way. It's quite the opposite, cozy, and like having beer at a friend's house. I totally want to rip off this concept and bring it to The City. They even have Old Speckled Hen and St Peter's. Love. read more

It's just so comfortable. Slightly older crowd and less overrun with kids than most cafes. Good beer on tap: smithwicks, boddingtons, etc. Switch it out once and awhile, but they've got their staples. I love this place. read more

Amazing! This spot is so cute and cozy. The only place I want to stop on my way into the city. Welcome to Albany! Outside seating is nice for this location as the area is very relaxed and quaint. Tobacco selection is top of the line and the pipes are high quality. Had a gorgeous mid morning hang seated outside with an espresso and a cigar. read more

My brother-in-law introduced me to this Bar. When I first walked into this place I thought it was someones home. The ambiance as a comfy tone to the place. Make yourself right at home, they have a warm fireplace and cool seating arrangements. The staff is very friendly and they serve the best beers in town. If your in for a little competition, bring a friend and choose a board game or read a book. Whatever your liver desires, choose your beer, get a pitcher and chug away with the best folks in town. read more

We love this place. It's a great place to have a beer and a hand rolled cigarette while enjoying the afternoon sun, or evening drizzle, or the warmth of a fireplace. They have a great, yet small, selection of beers. It's a great place to place a game with some friends while enjoying a cigar. You can bring in food which is great, as long as you clean up after yourself. read more

Pub is near perfect, and I need to head there more often. It's an odd cross between a bar and a cafe and your grandparents house. It's cozy and inviting with a variety of couches and chairs and tables and a patio. I like that it's well lit, so it has more a cafe feel vs a true bar. I can easily imagine coming with just one friend for an intimate conversation or a round of cards, coming with a group for a board game night, and just coming by myself to read a book or write. It is cash only, and the beverage menu is fairly limited, but tasty! No food, but they have no problem if you bring in some chicken tikka masala from across the street. Oh, and tobacco. I'm not a cigarette/cigar type of person, but if you are, then this is really your place. read more

I came here for this book club discussion group my roommate does. It was the perfect volume in here for this. There is no real food, but they let you bring in whatever food you want. This place is unique and hard to describe, in the right ways. Go discover it! Good beers. read more

My boyfriend and I went here for a drink on Saturday afternoon, a respite after shopping on Solano. It was a gorgeous day, so the two patios levels they have out front were very inviting, and there were plenty of seats...so we took two. Dogs are welcomed, the second thing we found so inviting, and the dogs enjoyed some excellent sun on the warm bricks. This is a cash only place, so when you go inside the what was once a residence, bring your dough. It does feel like you are walking into someone's home, and can be quite intimidating at first. If you make your way to the bar, you'll find a ginormous selection of tobacco and conventional smokes, cigars, a good selection of beer on tap and in bottles, and some wine to boot. The beers looked more inviting than the thimble full of wine I got, but I give props to the one girl behind the bar who kept it together on a busy day. Just get bigger wine glasses. We got there just at the right time, lots of folks started popping in, but the community seating on the patios was pleasant. The other patrons were friendly and considerate, mostly locals and some loner kids old enough to drink and smoke expensive tobacco. It's not just for smokers, and there were some folks there who were just enjoying a beautiful day out with a soda pop and a good sit. Lots of folks were very gracious to my dogs (one being a pit bull), and they got tons of head scratches and attention. We'll go back here for sure if we're down on Solano...we live in Rockridge, and there are so many great places between here and there. I can't imagine we would make a special trip over just for some suds. However, if you're in the neighborhood, definitely stop in. It's a good price for a cold beer, and on a warm day it's worth it. read more