I went here for the first time alex and Marcus downstairs really killed it. Super chill people just…read moreproviding a good time. Alex started the night off good, super friendly. Marcus kept the good vibes going. Always an inviting place with quick beers even right after a bears game during peak hours. No line. Genuine people.

First this place is a five star dive bar! Love the service I got from Wavy Dre! His service and…read morehospitality was completely genuine! My first time in Berkeley and will be back... TOMORROW :) Thank you! -Bjaxxx

Club Mallard can easily become anyone's favorite bar! The venue is two stories and offers a lot of…read morespace for friends to gather. Entering it feels very much like a cabin vibe and you wouldn't think there's more beyond the back patio, but when you head back there, you'll notice a staircase that leads to the second floor. There's several pool tables to place a game at and there's even a rooftop patio to chill at. The drinks are good and the bartenders are super nice. They're great at making recommendations if you don't know what you want - just don't hold up the line! Club Mallard is easily one of my favorite bars in Albany! Check it out if you haven't been before!

Our second bar of the night! Stopped by Club Mallard after Blue Rabbit Bar for something more…read morespacious so our group could all be together. This was very nice; it was very spacious and offers outdoor patio with tiki vibes! Our group was able to snag the outdoor patio upstairs! Other people were free to also hang out in the patio too, but because we got there early and our group was big, we were able to put the tables together and it really just felt like we were the only ones there; very intimate. There is a pool table and a bar on the second floor, so you don't have to go back downstairs. The staff were very friendly and helpful. They provided great customer service and came by to our table to pick up empty glasses. There was an incident that happened where a man was taking pictures of people in the bar and he came outside to the patio and started taking photos of our group, which we felt very uncomfortable about. We alerted staff and they were able to handle the situation and came back to check on us. They don't serve food here, but they do allow you to bring food from other places! That was very convenient because we were already comfortable and didn't want to leave to go somewhere else. Tacos El Autlense is a 5 min walk away and it's one of my fave places to get tacos; that's where we got our food at! I literally had it the night before too hahaha, but I wasn't complaining! This place was so cute; the music, the ambiance, the service... a whole vibe!!! I would definitely come back.

Crazy good selection of whiskey, if you can't find your unicorn bottle here, you may not have hope…read more Get to acme and have a drink

Question: Is Acme a bourbon bar or a whiskey bar? I have an unconventional answer because I like…read morethe vibes here and have discovered it's actually an "everything good" bar. I love the outstanding Mezcal list. On Tuesdays (some? all? I dunno) they have a martini and caviar menu. Ten bucks get you an excellent house martinis and a healthy mound of caviar on a potato chip. Happy hour feature $6 well drinks (1 mixer) or $10 cocktails (multi-mixer shaken or stirred). Great bartenders here, especially Anaís!

Just off the corner of Solano and San Pablo, not too far from the 80 freeway exit…read more At the tip of the epicenter of gastronomic delights-Solano Avenue in Albany. I was there the other night with my beer buddy and all around friend with the same first name as I (and that's another story!) for the tribute to the local beloved character that passed recently, Mr. Bailey Pendergrass. A longtime institution in the Berkeley music scene from way back in the day till present. An interesting, kind fellow who still walked around in skinny trousers and a leather jacket- even on very hot days. And a hairdo like no other! He kind of reminded me of a character from Rocky Horror Picture Show or someone who could be played by Johnny Depp in some hip artistic movie. A bit of an eccentric, soft-spoken, amazingly charming man. A joy to sit down and chat with who had strong opinions and a distrust for doctors and their prescribed medication's,etc. I don't go very far back other than six or seven years when I met him at a popular watering hole called the Cornerstone on Shattuck. He would invite me to hang out while he ate his standard hamburger and fries and wash it down with what I remember was cranberry juice. He could never finish the whole burger so he'd take half home but would eat the fries usually, with a little help from me. We would talk about Minneapolis (where I'm from) and Prince of course, and he would share interesting stories. I'd keep him company until the music event would start where he had carte blanche, complementary entry with a plus one at the Cornerstone. I was his plus one and it was fun one night. I'll have to dig up the mixed CDs that he made for me that he presented in a recycled/repurposed "In-n-Out" bag, it was a nice touch. There was a little hand written note as well. The IVY ROOM put on a nice event and many showed up to pay their respect. Some were given a chance to get on the stage and recall memories. However, the crowd never stopped talking, so it was very hard to hear their praises, etc. The bartender was superb, but I'm sorry I didn't catch her name, very kind and approachable and humorous and of course, extremely efficient! It's a nice cozy room with a lot of history and an eclectic group of patrons. I chatted with a couple of extremely friendly kind people. However, I left before the music started as after a long day of work, I started to fade. Thank you Ivy Room for opening up your space to honor Mr. Bailey Pendergrass, and the wonderful people attending this event.

I continue to love the Ivy room. Bartenders make the best drinks and they aren't overpriced…read more Doorman is always really accommodating and friendly, and the bands are fantastic.

This is about karaoke. Wednesdays at 9pm ther is karaoke in either the back-most room or front-left…read moreroom. I've been several times and it warms my heart. The crowd (sometimes small) is super sweet. Like most karaoke places, it's often (usually) pitchy and raucus (bring and wear earplugs to reduce the volume)), but every time there's warm comaraderie and support and friendliness among the people cheering each other on. It's like attending a Little League match in the best way. (I also like Dana's monthly-ish karaoke at 924 Gilman. which tends to have more of a punk, angry-rock and death metal vibe.

The place is bigger than it looks from the outside. They have a nice little game rooom with pool…read moretables and pinball machines. The service was friendly, but terrible--as in the bartender managed to get both rounds wrong. In one case, she took my order and then promptly forgot to make the drink. I had to go back and ask her again.

HAPPY HOUR indeed! But...check out the lunch SPECIALS!!!…read moreGREAT: staff beverages food aesthetic scene are you on the way there????

Beta Lounge on Durant Ave Berkeley, been around since 2009 and just relaunched as 3.0 in 2025 with…read morea new tapas menu, wine flights, spirit flights, and fresh herb cocktails. Happy hour runs 3 to 5:30 with $8 wine and cocktails which is genuinely hard to beat in Berkeley. Wednesday wine night is 50% off bottles including reserve, so that one is worth planning around. Spring rolls and hummus plate are the go-to snacks, light menu that works well with the drinks. Comfortable couches, good music, dog friendly, bartenders that actually remember you. 5 stars, solid neighborhood spot that keeps getting better, Wednesday wine night alone earns it

Always solid here - inside bar also - pool table - great live music - local dive - good vibe oread more

I'm gonna be very honest with you. The only reason why they're getting three stars is for a…read moreBartendar. I think her name was Alex not sure who told her how to serve drinks but at any rate my first Bartendar (Wu Tang Clan tank top) curly hair with glasses was freaking amazing freakin rocked..full pour definitely worth the money, an extremely hospitable. Atmosphere was exceptional and the vibe was good, but then I went for another round of drinks after getting amazing service and good pours.. and then there was Alex. I didn't even get a full pour when she freehanded then she pulled out the measuring cup (after I observed the micro shot I got told her to make it a double) and she didn't even fill the measuring cup up, kindda was like "whatever"so I literally got (1) drink and paid for a double. I'll be back for sure because my BFF loves karaoke and this is my first time here so first impressions are lasting. The guys at the pop up food were so hospitable and very nice as well. I'll go the other way when I see Alex- yikes!

My party and I have had Max as a server twice now and he is incredible. We will continue to come…read moreback and hope to get him again as a server. He brought energy and kindness and we loved his vibe. We will be back!

That millionaires bacon craving finally pulled us back! It's been a few years and the quality of…read morethe food was still really good. It was pretty busy, the wait staff did the best they could taking care of everyone. Clean restaurant, bustling with noise, hip scene. Load up on the millionaires bacon - you won't be disappointed. The millionaires BLT sandwich did not disappoint!

The Hotsy has provided me with years of great memories, laughter, and good times. It is one of…read morethose places that has more character and charm than many bars twice its size. The menu changes regularly, which keeps things interesting, but one thing that never changes is the consistently excellent service. One of my favorite things about this spot is how dog-friendly it is. The owner's dog is practically the co-owner of the bar and is often lounging around, adding even more personality to the experience. If you are lucky enough to meet him, just know the dog has standards. The dog only accepts meat, so do not bother offering him the tortilla from your taco. Trust me, you will be judged. Another major perk is that they allow outside food. Conveniently, there is a taco truck right next door serving some of the best carnitas tacos around, making it easy to pair great food with great drinks. Also, keep an eye on the TVs. They always seem to be playing some delightfully over-the-top late-night movie programming that inevitably sparks random conversations and plenty of laughter among the crowd. Overall, this is a fantastic neighborhood bar with a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere and a ton of personality. It can get crowded, so try to grab a spot early if you can. You'll notice plenty of regulars who come back again and again, and to me, that is always one of the best signs that a place is doing something right.

Came in on a Saturday for the $15 cocktails, left an hour later when they turned on the soft core…read moreporn at 6 pm. Is the Hotsy Totsy Club a secret porno theater or is the owner just trying to make his female patrons feel uncomfortable? According to the too cool for school bar tenders, it's his choice to play soft core porn on the TVs behind the bar. "Well, we do play soft core porn," she said when I complained. So, hate to break it but I'm a middle aged white lady, who is only now learning that people like the bartenders at the Hotsy Totsy Club in Albany really hate middle aged white women! The lady bartender, who is not of the sisterhood, was not interested in answering my questions about the $15 cocktail menu. She was over it. She was too busy talking to the boys at the other side of the bar. It's okay girl, I get it, you want them to like you. But I'm about to drop $100 at a dive bar, so can you answer my questions without a side of attitude? Will you treat me with some shred of dignity? No? Too much to ask? So there we are, me, my friend and my husband, enjoying well made drinks (they were good even if the bar tender was a jerk), watching what was on the tv behind the bar. It was the 1988 Run DMC-Beastie Boys joint called Harder than Leather. We were enjoying it... until 15 minutes into the movie when the male bartender comes in to work at 6 pm on a Saturday, and turned OFF Harder than Leather, and turned ON soft core porn. Within minutes, I was drinking a $15 cocktail in a crowded bar while being forced to deal with a woman being fingered on screen. Before I left, I told the boy bartender that I thought it was really a bad look to be playing soft core porn in a bar three weeks after the Cornell/ Phi Chi Rape case broke - that this is Berkeley (Albany, close enough!) and women should be able to feel safe in a bar and not be confronted with their own dehumanization. But here's where it got really weird: when I attempted to speak directly to the boy bartender, he wouldn't answer me, and instead, the lady bar tender jumped in and defended him, energetically. She said he was just doing his job and that the OWNER actually picks out the porn to play every night, and that he was a good boy for doing his job without taking any accountability for his actions. She wasn't going to let me talk to her good boy, who btw was genuinely acting like a child, as he wouldn't look at me except with a sneer on his face. (He had one of those faces you just want to punch.) His keeper, the lady bar tender, told me the owner is the one who picks out the porns to play at the bar where no one can change the channel. It's the owner's choice. And don't give me any bull about soft core porn being edgy or artistic - this is 2026. A bar owner playing soft core porn depicting naked and semi-naked women being fingered by fully dressed men on the only screen on one side of the bar isn't edgy - no, it creates a sense of entitlement to men and dehumanization to women, and in this climate post Jane Doe v Cornell, post Shane Gillis calling women who work out whores, post Trump grab em by the pussy, post capitalist patriarchal bs - well that's a choice. He made a bold choice and I think the owner must hate women because how else can I explain such a hostile experience? How cynical must he be to think it's perfectly fine to play pornography at a bar full of women at any point but especially now? Forcing your patrons to watch porn is only good if you're a pornography purveyor and not, say, a purveyor of expensive intoxicating liquors. And let's be real - the cool 20 something kids who go to the Hotsy Totsy, they can't afford drinks like women my age can. We can drop $100 on a few cocktails and not bat an eye. And yet you're playing the porn for who, exactly? The pos young dudes who buy PRB on tap and then go off and assault women? Is that your clientele? Is that your legacy? You'd rather send the message that adult women are unwelcome here? Is that it? You don't want my money? That's fine by me. So, if you're looking for an expensive but well made drink, rude bartenders, and forced pornography, boy do I have a place for you. If on the other hand, you'd rather not engage with the dehumanization of women, if you'd rather spend money while being treated like a human and not with abject contempt, then you might want to stay away. Needless to say, I won't be back. I think it's gross and everyone who works there needs to really examine themselves and their behavior.

The calzone alone is worth coming back for! Absolutely incredible!…read more I honestly don't even know where to begin. We ordered both pizza and calzone, and the quality of the food was absolutely outstanding! But let me tell you about the CALZONE! It was on a completely different level. Seriously, if you come here and only order pizza without trying their calzone, you are missing out on something AMAZING! The flavor, the quality, the freshness, the generous filling... everything was just PERFECT! And the portion size? HUGE! One calzone is easily enough to satisfy two people! I'm actually very picky when it comes to restaurants. It takes something truly special for me to want to visit the same place again, especially when there are so many other restaurants to try. But this place? I will absolutely be coming back! I would honestly travel a long distance just to have that calzone again. That's how good it was! The pizza was excellent too, but the calzone completely stole the show. My advice? DO NOT leave this place without trying the calzone. Trust me, you'll thank me later! Hands down, one of the best calzones I've ever had. Absolutely phenomenal!

Everything about our experience at Pizzeria Da Laura in Berkeley was absolutely perfect!…read more The meatballs were delicious--so flavorful, tender, and moist, and the sauce was absolutely incredible. And the arancini... hands down, the best I've ever had! Perfectly crispy on the outside and so delicious on the inside. We ordered The Standard pizza, and it was baked to perfection! The crust was perfect, the sauce was delicious, and every topping could be tasted in every single bite. Everything came together so beautifully. The ambiance was amazing too--warm, inviting, and the perfect setting for a great meal. The service was great! This was one of those meals where everything was just right. Amazing food, great atmosphere, and an experience we truly enjoyed. We'll definitely be back!