Swell Bar

A Tiki Bar in Alameda?! Sign me up! I just moved to the area and have been missing the tiki bars…read moreback home. Super happy I found this incredible little spot not very far from my new spot! Made a reservation for a Saturday and was able to grab a seat at the bar. This was definitely a necessity. I'll always keep this in mind when planning a visit here. Upon arrival, we were met to cute tiki interior, dollars overhead (my version of heaven), and an incredible staff! It was such a warm and welcoming environment. The staff was mega nice and helped us answer all of our burning questions. The drinks were perfect! I honestly can't remember everything I had, but the menu was expansive and all the drinks were tasty. We got a bit hungry and ordered some empanadas. I loved these! A nice change from other food at tiki bars ive experienced. Awesome visit to Forbidden Island! Im looking forward to visiting again!

Visited this place on a Sunday evening with a reservation for a party of six. The place is so cute…read moreinside, with inviting tropical-inspired bar seating and cozy booths. They also have a large outdoor seating area. As soon as you step inside, you feel like you've been transported to a tropical island--it definitely gives you that vacation vibe! The drinks weren't exactly cheap, but everything we tried was delicious and pretty strong, so we definitely enjoyed them! The service was also friendly and attentive throughout our visit. Overall, such a fun and vibrant spot to hang out and enjoy some tropical drinks!

Outside patio area

More of the atmosphere of the forbidden island, and I love all the money hanging from the ceiling

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The two mugs that they have available. The mug on the left is a special edition mug and $150. The mug on the right is $40.

Park Station

4.5(63 reviews)

1.2 mi

Think old tire shop vibes, but now with amazing selection of beer and tasty food next door. Park…read moreStation is a great new addition for Alameda in the "not quite downtown" "not quite Bay-front" neighborhood. Popped in on a Sunday afternoon to grab a couple of terrific double IPAs from Pure Project Brewing and Bottle Logic Brewing respectively. Hubby had some sparkling wine that was on point. Drinks worked their magic, so we ordered food next door at Southie: some popcorn chicken and hand cut fries as nibbles. Also delicious. Fun outdoor space and friendly service. Great crowd too enjoying the beautiful late August afternoon and excellent vibes. We'll be back!

Been waiting on this spot for the whole time I've lived in Alameda and was glad that they didn't…read moredisappoint * Beers and food options are a great pairing. I specifically love how the rotation stays with similar tasting beers ** The choice of musicians and diverse genres make it such a fun time *** Dogs are happy and welcome to chill and frolic around the wide space **** The vibes are always so fun that even when you walk by it, it invites you to stop by ***** Perfect spot to have an event, watch a game or have a live music get together

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View from the bar

Almanac Adventureland

4.3(453 reviews)

2.3 mi

Almanac, refers to the Farmer's Almanac, a seasonality reference guide for farmers that has been…read morepublished every year in the U.S. since 1818. Quality/Quantity - Wow, has it been 4 years since I have been here!!!! This might be my new favorite Alameda Brewery! Discovered and bought the 36oz Stein! With $10 refills. Help... Wait, I don't need help; I can drink all this by myself. Today I got the Aussie Holiday - To remind me of my Australia Holiday. And the Fest Coast - German IPA, have not been to Germany (yet). Love your beer, even better that I can pick it up at Costco sometimes. Scolaris food truck - Always good food! I have not been here since they closed Rock Wall Winery, sorry. My wife ordered a blueberry bacon cheese burger - So good. Pictures uploaded at Scolaris. And now Marley's G is here from Park Street. I will eat here on the next trip. Atmosphere - Cool, hip, and rocking!! The place was fairly empty, but today was a Monday. Very family oriented, family friendly. See all my pictures. Pinball machines, arcade, sand box for kids, etc. Also very dog friendly; surrounded by dogs, in a positive way. :) Indoor/outdoor seating - See pictures. Indoor seating - Table, bar, lounge, etc. Plenty of parking across the street. Two parking lots now, one dirt and one paved. I only took one picture. Open 7 days a week from 11am or noon till 9pm, 10pm or 11pm; see Yelp or their website for specific hours. Private events available. Do you give tours of your warehouse or brewery? Service - Good, I like the new system. It is much more organized. Quick and friendly service. Price - $37 including tip. Expensive, but worth it. Can't wait to come back for more refills. :) Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 2011 and this location since 2018; we were day one customers!

Came here for a friends bday and it was really nice to spend time outside at the picnic tables!…read more Lots of slushie options - very strong! I tried their mango and strawberry one. I don't think you can go wrong with a slushie on a hot day. Inside there's a bunch of games and pinball machines. Very family friendly. Will be back!

Pinball games

8/10/26 FYI.

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Barrel Hall Rental Space

Faction Brewing

4.3(740 reviews)

2.9 mi

Surprised how much I enjoyed Faction Brewing. I have always been drawn to their labels and names…read moreon their beer and purchased several times. No idea they were in Alameda! Tucked away oasis with many indoor and outdoor spaces. Also the view! Wow. Various food truck(s) are stationed if you're hungry. First beer flight and it was so interesting! All on tap - favorites were the petite saison, which is most similar to a Belgian style beer and their limited rice beer - so smooth and creamy.

Super great brewery!…read more Easily accessible and spacious! Doesn't get too hot on the inside, and tons of space for private and public events. Great range of beers and sharable snacks, good prices too. The staff is extremely helpful as well; they can recommend something if you describe to them what you're looking for. Even with a long line, they still personalize the experience and take their time with you! Thank you Faction Brewing, I can't wait to come back !

Penske Files pale ale.

Outdoor seating

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Birria Nachos - 3.5/5 (LA SANTA TORTA food truck)

Fireside Lounge

4.0(268 reviews)

1.0 mi

Fireside Lounge is a fantastic bar. When you are there, they make you feel like you belong. The…read moredrinks are wonderful too. Tons of fun, between their trivia nights, local songwriters showcase, comedy shows and DJ/live band nights.

Have frequented Fireside for several years but I decided to host a large party there. Sandy (the…read moreowner) was amazing to work with, very down to earth and helpful. On the night of my event everything was setup as agreed and the staff was great! Very friendly with efficient service. Fireside truly exudes a kind and welcoming atmosphere, if you're looking for a place to host your event, I highly recommend Fireside!

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Fireside

The Yard at Saltbreaker

4.0(62 reviews)

2.4 mi

Went to The Yard before a musical event and it was a perfect temperature to be outside. The seating…read moreis open and all you have to do is order with the staff and get a number. We ordered smash burgers and they had a beyond meat option. Both were delicious. Also the Cauliflower Buffalo Dip was surprising in that it tasted so much like buffalo dip and had a great texture. Definitely check it out!

Service and Staff: - Order at the register or via the QR…read morecode on your table - Staff will bring food to your table - We ordered oysters, which never came. When we let the staff know about this, we waited because they needed to double-check that the order did not come out after all. This was confirmed (still weird because what if the staff didn't remember or said that it did go out?) - Staff seemed confused by table numbers as we had three different dishes brought to our table that weren't ours Food and Drinks: - Shrimp roll: filling and tasty - Smash burger: definitely filling - not super exciting though (mainly just tasted the cheese). The fries were very good though - Lemonade: nice and tart - Caesar Salad: good (light meal) Miscellaneous: - Good for small and medium-sized groups - Outdoor seating only (some coverage by umbrellas) - Parking available via shared parking lot with other businesses - Good for families and kids - Casual and average level of sound

Main counter - love the container conversion

Fish & Chips

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Pasta salad

Humble Sea Brewing

4.4(70 reviews)

2.4 mi

This is such. Great setup at Humble Sea Alameda. The brewery is part of the condo complex here that…read moreincludes a great restaurant, wine bar, and a few other retail spots. Popped in for a beer, and was able to also grab last service of a bbq vendor on the patio area. Love Humble Sea when they were just a Santa Cruz spot. The Alameda location has the full gamut of beers plus some ciders and soft drinks. I went for the IPAs on tap and took them out to the patio/yard to enjoy. Nothing better than good beer and a chill Friday summer evening. It was the night before americas 250th, so no real reason to feel proud and celebratory with the Orange Cheeto in office. But we are alive and ready to fight, so that's something.

I'm glad my daughter invited me! Very nice area that I didn't know existed!…read more I will come back I really am happy to be here! Second part of my birthday!

Humble Sea Brewing has a great location at Alameda Point.

12/14/23 FYI

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Lemon Drop

The location is great, the space is big and the bar tender was awesome. I went for the first time…read moreand I can already tell it won't be my last. My friends said the garlic fries were good and I enjoyed my drink very much. If you want a place that has good drinks and I has nice staff, I'd say Lemondrop is a good place.

Saw this place was highly reviewed and had some interesting fusion bites, so went to check it out…read more The restaurant is cute, they have a nice bar area and some fire pits outside. The wait staff was really nice don't get me wrong, but it took one of us to go up to them (chatting with a regular) to order drinks & food, and another one of us to bother them to pay as well. I think that was biggest qualm though! Just that the wait staff should be slightly more attentive, especially at times when the restaurant is mostly empty. The food was bomb though. We had a tikka pizza, the lemon pepper wings, and French fries. All were super great with the cocktails we ordered. Definitely a great catch up spot with the girlies, I'll probably return and manifest better service.

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Lemon drop

Club House

4.2(45 reviews)

1.2 mi

Dive bar in the front, expansive backyard and gardens in the back. (But the backyard area…read morefaithfully maintains the dive bar vibe, with various old mismatched tables and chairs.) There is also a horseshoe pit! Staff is very friendly, and prices are reasonable. Highly recommended!

Friendly neighborhood bar with the charm you find in a cash-only dive The bartender Bridget is very…read morewelcoming, and there's a good community of locals. They also have one of Alameda's best back patios!

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Lucky 13

3.8(458 reviews)

1.1 mi

* Great dive bar experience with a good balance of local charm, punk grime and familial welcoming…read morestaff ** Had all my tattoos on this spot so I'm glad this place is now a part of me *** A must spot to start a crawl or make the whole evening a moment here **** The charm of this is so East Bay

Lucky 13 is a mood! My coworkers and I went to celebrate another school year ending. The food next…read moredoor is a great addition to the drinks. I personally love the ambiance and the bartenders are always a great help in picking drinks.

Drinks

Sierra, cold beer.

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St George's and grapefruit juice

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5 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Zaira H.

0

1

0

1 year ago

Today I visited a bar that has been a favorite spot for me and my parents for the past three years. We've always enjoyed the atmosphere and drinks, but unfortunately, this time was very different. We had a disappointing encounter with one of the staff members -- a woman with several tattoos -- who was incredibly rude. We asked a few questions about drinks that weren't listed on the menu, just to see if she could make them, and instead of responding professionally, she walked around the bar visibly annoyed and made us feel like we were being a burden. She then asked for my partner's ID but not mine, in a way that felt dismissive and demeaning, almost as if she didn't want us there. To top it off, she remarked, "This is a bar, not a restaurant," which felt completely unnecessary and disrespectful. It's really upsetting to have this kind of experience at a place we've supported and enjoyed for years. I came here to relax and have a good time, but left feeling insulted and unwelcome. I won't be recommending this place anymore. read more

Mark S.

0

1

0

8 years ago

I'm sure you can read through the lines of the rebuttal of my review from ConnXtance. I was not with the table she was yelling at, I was merely there with a few of my friends for trivia, we were so offended at this woman's lack of respect for her patrons we left before trivia was even over. No one in our group was drunk or out of line, we witnessed what happened and were already feeling pretty uneasy about her actions before her vicious blow up. This is my neighborhood bar as well, I have also come here and was a regular patron, not anymore. SO disappointing, and to have one of her friends (so very obvious) write a rebuttal in her defense, even makes my experience worse, I was hoping to be contacted by the manager not have someone try to disregard my experience by having a friend write a review. How very disappointing. Like I said this is truly sad as the other bartender staff are excellent and great company. read more

Mayur A.

3

89

14

1 year ago

Basic bar with pretense of being the neighborhood local, but is basic and racist...esp the skinhead bartender, good luck.

Annie K.

3

0

14 years ago

Everybody knows your name and they're always glad you came.

R. R.

6

29

0

14 years ago

Nice little bar...

Swell Bar - bars - Updated October 2026

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The Benton

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Fabulous bar staff, great drinks, Scolari's pizzas are delicious. Serviceable pool table, darts…read more.. The playlists are eclectic but always cool. What more could you ask for from a neighborhood bar.

We went here for the first time in years. The bartender was great. He was friendly and helpful. The…read moreonly reason for not giving it five stars is because the jukebox on the wall was not working and unplugged. I had seen pictures here on yelp of the jukebox and that was one of the reasons I wanted to stop by here, but unfortunately it was not working. The bartender was playing music, but I would've enjoyed being able to play some tunes I wanted to hear. Hopefully they read this review and fix or replace that jukebox and give their customers the option to listen their choice of music.

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4.1

(49 reviews)

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Wally's Corner

3.6

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Straight forward dive bar with a pool table and juke box. I received quick service by the lady…read morebartender. At first glance, I was a little intimidated by the patrons hanging outside smoking but all was good going in. Simple chairs with round tables and bar seating. Things are kept clean. They are open until 2 am every night and mixed drinks were strong enough. No air-con or table service. Go up to bar to order.

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Soon's Cocktail Lounge

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Room 389

4.2

(518 reviews)

I absolutely love this place. It was my first time visiting. I will definitely be back. It's a cool…read morekick back vibe. A nicely decorated intimate lounge and great for dates or a night out with friends. The staff is welcoming and waiting time for drinks is minimal. I not sure if they sell food. I'll have to check that out next time.

Super chill, casual bar with great vibes!…read more Came here on a Monday evening, and the place had a good amount of people hanging out. Loved that there were lots of seating-bar seating, high tops, and cushioned booths in the back. Good music (D'Angelo, Fugees, Tupac...) which was at a perfect volume, so nobody was yelling! The string lights made for a warm, very comfortable vibe. Our martinis were perfectly chilled and delicious. There's a self serve water dispenser next to the bar, which is always nice. No food, so don't come hungry. They have a cute DJ booth, and looks like they have occasional DJ sets that are posted on their IG-Might be fun to check out! Really glad that we stopped by this place, and will definitely be back. Great way to close off a 3 day weekend!

Train Station

5.0

(8 reviews)

If you're looking for a spot that blends good vibes, great food, and a view that hits different at…read morenight, this waterfront lounge is it. The atmosphere is easily the standout--right by the water, with a relaxed but upscale feel. Once the sun goes down, the place really comes alive. The lighting, the music, and the sound of the water make it perfect for anything from a chill date night to hanging out with friends late into the night. Service is friendly and attentive without being overbearing, which keeps the whole experience smooth and enjoyable. Big plus: they stay open late, which is rare for a spot this nice by the water. Whether you're stopping by after dinner somewhere else or making it your main destination, it's a great place to unwind and enjoy the night. Overall, it's one of those places you keep coming back to--for the view, the vibe, and the late-night energy.

The best place for big events, large dining area, and outdoor patio seating. Available for all type…read morecustomers. Full bar and kitchen.

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First time stopping in at this new spot. They have a pop-up…read morecollaboration with Gim's Chinese food, so in addition to our cocktails we ordered veggie egg rolls, chicken lumpia and salt and pepper wings. To drink we had a pineapple ginger cocktail-it was good, a Paloma- good and a passion fruit margarita-not my favorite. The space was very crowded and the servers were attentive. I'll plan to visit again soon.

The Double Standard

4.0

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Love this spot! The back patio is great - super spacious, cool lighting, randomly feels like…read moreChristmas hahaha. They have cocktails, mocktails, beer/shot combos (including one with a High Noon! which I'm into, haha). No food served but outside food allowed! Dogs allowed too - lol there was some guy's dog there last time I went. The bartenders are super friendly and take good care of us whenever we go. Good vibes and friendly service. Come through and support your neighborhood bar!

I came here with a group of friends for a night out in the East Bay. We hit up this bar for a round…read moreof slushies after pregame at my friend's apartment. I got the Blue Hawaiian, a yummy classic, and it did not disappoint. Despite the cold front over the Bay Area this weekend, I instantly felt as if I'd teleported to Hawai'i. Service is pretty quick here, but they do have a minimum credit charge of $10. It's pretty easy to reach though if you order a cocktail or slushie.

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