MADE is absolutely fantastic. Staff are exactly my people--quirky nerds who love video games. The…read moreselection is great. You'll see a wide variety of consoles, including the Sega Dreamcast and Commodore 64, but also old computers like the Apple II running Oregon Trail. Alongside the consoles and computers running video games, you'll see art pieces that show the insides of various consoles, and info papers that share the history of each one. The magic is in the details. Seeing some consoles have what seems to be a featured game, with info on that game's history and reception, is really cool. The Panasonic consoles had info on their wonky Zelda games, and the Xbox 360 had info on Sonic '06. I also love seeing info sheets about women in gaming. These bits of history really show how much MADE cares about teaching their attendees about video games. It's $20 to get in the door, and you can stay for as long as you'd like. You can even leave and come back throughout the day. It's a great deal and honestly a perfect way to spend a day.

I visited the Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment when it was on 3400 Broadway. I went back to…read moretheir newest location, and it was as good as the last time I visited.

The Game Parlour is an awesome new spot that opened up which has delicious food and a large…read morecollection of board and card games. The way it works is that you pay $7 to play as many games as you want. Whether you're solo, a small or a large group, regardless of age range, there are plenty of options to choose from. It's the perfect hangout location to enjoy food while having fun. I decided to try the Rising Sun drink, which includes Dole whip in a delicious strawberry and sparkling water fusion. It wasn't too sweet and the pineapple added a pleasant tart flavor to it. For snacking on, I ordered the Munchkin Bites in the spicy Gochujang sauce variation. These were adorably bite sized, juicy pieces of chicken that were both crispy with a touch of spice and saltiness from the furikake seasoning. The portion sizes are great for sharing or enjoying on your own! I had a wonderful experience here and this is going to become one of my favorite go-to spots to hang out and have a great time!

Super comfortable booths, spacious area, new games. The menu is extensive and larger than other…read moregaming places. It's all super tasty. The Battleship dessert waffle and the chicken are splendid :)

I was generally surprised there was a museum about pinball machines. I did not know it was actually…read morea place someone would be interested in going to because I thought it was just a museum that people could see and maybe interact with a few machines. Imagine my surprise when I walked in and a lot of machines were playable. The older ones ~1900s were behind viewing glass but ~1920s, there were playable. There were also old jukeboxes/record players that you can interact with. Admission was a quick and simple. For all day access, it was ~22 dollars. It is cheaper for students and children. Honestly, I needed the unlimited access because I quickly learned I wasn't that great. Looks are deceiving from the outside, but it is pretty spacious inside. It was a museum with descriptive signs, but you can play on them. I liked the hourse racing even though the flippers were not all that helpful and I end up more on the side ends but it was cool to see the horses move. I also liked the more modern ones like the Guns and Roses, and especially Pokemon. It was so cool to see a skeletal pinball machine too. I always did like looking at gears. If I am around Alameda, I highly recommend and suggest going with friends.

I've been to Alameda at least once or twice a week, but somehow I had never noticed the Pacific…read morePinball Museum! After dining in Alameda one day, I randomly stumbled upon it while taking a walk and decided to stop in. The entrance is small, but the gentleman behind the counter was incredibly friendly and helpful. He gave us a quick explanation of the pricing, in-and-out privileges, and where the different games were located. He was brief but enthusiastic, informative, and welcoming. We paid for admission and ended up staying for about an hour--and it was so much fun! The games are definitely addictive, and there's a great mix of people of all ages, from children to adults. The space is a little narrow and can get crowded, but that also adds to the lively atmosphere. There's one restroom available, and I was pleasantly surprised by how clean, tidy, and fully stocked it was. Overall, this is such a lovely hidden gem in Alameda. Admission is reasonably priced, and with the in-and-out privileges, you can easily make the most of your visit. It's a fun place for all ages, and I would definitely recommend checking it out. I'll absolutely be back in the future! *****FIVE STARS*****

Went to Canto Converstion club it was a blast!! Great vibes. Super cool bartender!! (Her name was…read moreJen I think). There was a mahjong rubix cube and the food was amazing! Shout at to the chef and line cook.

Fun spot to play mahjong and do karaoke with friends. The cocktails were delicious…read more It's a very intimate space. You need to make reservations to go in the speakeasy and you have to order food in advance otherwise they only have snacks and small bites for food. There are maybe five or six mahjong tables in the main space and one table in the speakeasy. The cover is lower if you come during happy hour. Playing mahjong and doing karaoke from YouTube can easily be replicated at a friends house but I would come back for the cocktails. The service was very friendly. We enjoyed there laid back and familial vibe.

Books and wine in a cute location with velvet, green, and gold touches. Really my dream place!…read more I liked the library card self-service pour system. You can choose a taste, half glass, or full glass from about 8-10 selections (at least one non-alcoholic). It was a pleasant way to spend time without any sales pressure (or not even a tip option). All three wines I tasted were really good. I went with a friend, but I can imagine coming solo to read books. Note when I first walked in, it seemed really intimidating because I had never been in a place like this, and my anxious brain was telling me spin around and leave. But the woman working there was very helpful. I am glad we stayed.

This place is adorable! I would have loved to stay for my friend's book launch but had to leave…read morebecause I had my 7 year old in tow. I was sad to leave but understand their limitations as a business with a liquor license. I will definitely be back with friends and no kids.

$10 an hour is crazy deal, so we ended our halloween night on video games and arcade. they got…read moreclassics, like pac-man, street fighter and tetris. there's driving games, shooting games. it wasn't too busy, so it was a nice vibe for us to check out all the games in there we were done within than hour, the front has drinks and snacks too. alameda has another banger here

This place is crazy nostalgic, and I'm loving it. Playing the games I grew up with, along with the…read moresounds of kids having fun, the games are clean, and the area is fantastic. A nice park around the corner and plenty of restaurants a short walk away. I drove just shy of 100 miles to get there and try their games, and it was worth it. The town is like a cool getaway, especially if you live in an area that gets hot.

I was in the area during lunchtime today and found out the OACC had an exhibit of a local bay area…read morecontemporary mixed-media artist, Nimisha Doongarwal, on exhibit and display until the end of this month (November 1, 2025). So I stopped in to view the pieces. The venue is clean and spacious with a main lobby/foyer that leads into their main auditorium for their community music performances and tai chi classes. In addition, they have several small meeting conference rooms for other events. OACC seems like a great non-profit organization that provides lots of social/cultural/health-related activities for the local Asian community and diaspora. They had brochures of upcoming events on-site and the people I spoke with were informative, kind, and helpful. Since they offer many programs and classses for free or a reasonable price and are non-profit, please consider donating/suppporting them for the culture, service, and education they provide to the Oakland and surrounding area. OACC is in the Pacific Renaissance building, on the 2nd floor above the Oakland library. Note: underground parking in the building garage is $2 per every half hour. More expensive than metered street parking but safer and it is patrolled.

I've heard about the Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC) for at least over a decade+ and didn't…read moreattend an in-person event until a few weeks ago for a book signing/film screening event. The author and director of American Born Chinese spent their Friday evening with guests sharing their inspiration behind it all. The OACC is located upstairs above the public library. There is an exhibit going on right now with great pictures and historical facts that line up along the perimeter of the inside. There's a main auditorium inside as well, where many awesome events (such as the one I attended) takes place. They also offer various courses from art to health and various topics in between. In the past during the peak of COVID, I attended some of their virtual events, which were also excellent. Thank you OACC for all the cultural awareness you bring to the community and beyond. I'll be attending another in-person event soon. #35/2023

What a fun place to find! We weren't even looking for a sale tasting and museum place. My hubby and…read moreI were just driving around and found this gem! The people here are super friendly. They greet you and they accept walk-ins. If you want to go on a weekend then it's probably best to make a reservation. I was told it gets crowded. Lucky us, we came in on a weekday. No crowd. We watched a video on the process of making sake and we also did a self tour of the museum. We spent most of our time doing the tasting because we have never done a sake tasting before. It was very enjoyable. Karen was our lovely host and she knew enough about the sakes to help us out, The place is absolutely beautiful with paper looking birds hanging from the ceiling. Also the woodwork and displays were very elegant. I will probably visit again if I'm ever up here. I'm so glad we found it.

Decided to visit this sake brewery on July 4th with my friend and her parents. I've heard of the…read morecompany before. We had reservations for 4pm. Before going to the tasting sake tables, we watched a video on the process of making sake in English. After the video was done, we headed to the tasting table where there were matching placards of what ticket you bought, an information card, and 3 sake cups. There was a couple sitting at the same table as us. There was an employee named Reiko who explained some of the information on the info cards that were on the table. She also showed us the rice being polished at different percentages. She also answered any questions the other people had. She did do a couple combinations of different sakes for some of the other guests to taste amd see how sake can be combined. Maybe just wish the sake tasting also came with like a little snack that could go with the different types of sake. For those non drinkers they get a bottle of water and a package of crackers.