The graduate is back! Finally the graduate from the old days is back it was purchased and operated by a great team who provides exceptional customer service The grad burger is on the menu as our many other delicious items I stopped there the other day and had the best burger I've ever had Everything is reasonably priced and it's very similar to the graduate of the 70s What's there I was so excited to see what they did with the place and how well it is run The restaurant is clean has great menu great prices and great food Many tables and games for the kids plus cool pool tables But The customer service is the best thing about this restaurant The service is impeccable with fast clean and friendly atmosphere I will be frequent in this restaurant a lot read more

I got the word that this was under new ownership and had to travel to Stockton to eat some lunch with family. I have many great memories of this place when I was younger and this trip didn't disappoint. When we arrived it looked new but had the old school Graduate feel. The service was great and they have a wide variety of beers to choose from. We went with the Voodoo Ranger IPA. We also ordered the Grad Burger, Buffalo Wings, Cheesesteak sandwich and Grilled Chicken Sandwich. All of the food tasted good and it was served with steak fries which were delicious! We will definitely be coming back when we are in town! read more

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Great sports bar vibe with TVs, video games, pool tables, beer, full bar and terrific food. The Glendale sandwich - roasted turkey, bacon, onions, lettuce and tomato on a toasted roll - is my go-to. My wife loved the hand-dipped corn dog - better than any corn dog at the fair. The burgers and pizza are killer. They have apps and steak fries. New proprietor Mike Linker has brought the Grad back to glory. The interior is bright, clean and vibrant - a huge improvement from the old days. Mike is a pro and we thank him and his staff!! read more

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Hello my first time back since they opened absolutely wonderful just like the first time today I had a French Dip and my Friend had a Philly cheesesteak both were superb Great Job and Wait Staff second to no one read more

Wow, what a blast from the past. Any true Stocktonian will appreciate how this new version of The Graduate has a a tribute to the old days of this iconic establishment. Let the lore of years past commence. What happens and is spoken at the Grad stays at the Grad :) read more

Place was packed! Had a hard time finding a place to sit and could barely hear the person calling out the orders. Come with patience and good ears. Ordered garlic cheese bread, personal pizza, grad burger, jr grad burger, fish and chips. The garlic bread was NOT good, wouldn't order again. Used a fake tasting spread that gave it a tangy taste. The burgers were good with the exception of the bun. The bun fell apart on the grad burger making a mess to eat. A sturdier bun would work better for a juicy burger like this. The fries were average could have been served hotter. The fish and chips were good and huge pieces of fish. 2 pieces served with the order. The personal pepperoni was just ok. Not the pizza of the og graduate that's for sure! The dough needed to be thinner and sauce not so sweet. It was just ok for me. Would I order the pizza again, not sure? I'd order the burger again. The service was good. Very loud, busy with few tables open, and food was fair. read more

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Looking for a nice lunch and found it here. The fish and chips are clearly the best in Stockton area. Very large portions with fresh fish tender and moist. Chips are steak fry's with good seasoning. Nice old fashioned bar area with a couple of pool tables and games. Good back ground music along with great service during weekday lunch time. I can imagine it being busy on weekends but still good with a little patience read more

I recently visited The Graduate (Stockton), and unfortunately, my experience raised serious concerns about sanitation and proper food handling practices. While dining in, I observed staff handling food without gloves and moving between tasks in a way that suggested cross-contamination. At one point, food was being touched after contact with other surfaces without any visible handwashing or glove change. As someone who understands the importance of food safety, this was very concerning to watch in real time. Proper food handling is not optional it is essential to preventing the spread of bacteria and protecting customers' health. Basic practices such as wearing gloves when handling ready-to-eat foods, washing hands frequently, and avoiding cross-contact between surfaces should be consistently followed in any food establishment. I hope management takes this feedback seriously and reinforces food safety protocols with their staff. Cleanliness and proper handling procedures are critical, not just for customer confidence, but for public health. read more

This was a family favorite growing up. We would come here all the time to celebrate birthdays or just to enjoy drinks & food. It was sad to hear that they had closed down. Wanted to celebrate the libras in our family, so we were ecstatic to hear that they had opened back up again. The makeover is nice and pretty much has the same layout as before. It's just the food is not the same and they do not serve alcohol here. Nor do they serve the delicious milkshakes they used to have. read more

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The steak sandwiches, IPA', and Whiskey' (Old Forester, etc) are great and so is all the rest of the delicious food (excellent variety)! But what stands out is the Excellent Service from Lucas, Mia and the rest of the Crew! New management really does make a BIG DIFFERENCE!!! read more

My husband and I love the variety of drinks, the choices of food items, but especially our favorite bartender Nicky she serves us with a big smile and is very helpful and pleasant. read more

i had a great time grabbing some classic pub grub and drinks here, and i loved the fun, nostalgic college-bar vibe and friendly energy.

I just wanna say that I downloaded the Yelp app just to leave this review. The young and unexperienced staff that they have taking orders is beyond frustrating. I ordered a simple pepperoni pizza, and when I order was called, the young kid(girl) working in the register insisted that ordered a supreme Sriracha spicy chicken(blah blah) pizza, then acted completely socially illiterate when I tried to explain to her all I ordered was pepperoni. then the cook came out and acted like he was doing me a favor by cooking me the actual pizza that I ordered originally. aside from the older folk working the bar, the Young staff has no idea what they're doing read more

The Graduate - Then they gave me a burnt pizza. This place has to be better - American Near Me - Stockton, California

Just Reopened I'm glad it's gonna take some time to Get it back to how it used to be back in the days but the food is still great will be back soon 5 STARS read more

New owners foods improved since last owners bars back as well stop on by try a pizza or a nice grad burger and if you drink hit the new improved bar which was taken out by previous owners.... read more

The food was absolutely delicious--fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. The service was outstanding, with attentive and welcoming staff. You can truly feel the positive energy and care under the new ownership. We'll definitely be back!" read more

While we were there having a drink at the bar the place was full with families having fun with a couple of birthday parties happening. Lots of sports on the screens. The food is always great. read more

The bathrooms were clean. I only had one drink and a shot, nothing really too much to say about those. But call me crazy. I just think you should acknowledge your customers when they walk in or sit down. I sat at the bar, they looked like they were busy with the register so I waited a few minutes and responded to some emails, but no one acknowledge me whatsoever. I tried to get the woman's attention when she walked past me for the second time, but I guess she didn't hear me but yeah if I was comfortable enough to stay a little longer, maybe I'd have more to say, but didn't feel very welcomed. So yeah, two stars for a clean bathroom I guess. read more

As of Nov 1st 2025. New ownership .at the Graduate. The food, service and Ambiance reminds me of a time when the Graduate was the place softball teams would go with kids, and definitely where to go to watch football and any other sports, a safe place to hold children's parties, or any other events read more

Great hangout spot for all ages. Amazing service and yummy pizza. What more can you ask for! You must try this spot!

Glad to see it finally reopened by someone who appreciated the old Grad. I've been a few times now and it's pretty much like it was back in the day. Excellent food, great atmosphere, friendly staff, full bar. The only suggestion for improvement would be that most of the bartenders seemed pretty inexperienced. They definitely need training, especially on mixed drinks. Also to be more attentive. It seemed they were more interested in talking to each other, instead of paying attention to the customers at the bar. read more

Caught the flu so couldn't cook for the family. We decided to order from here. We got their special-1 pepperoni & 1 combination pizza (family size) with a 2 liter Pepsi. Pizza is really good! Total was only $40! Enough to feed my family of 9! read more

The Graduate - Family size combination & pepperoni w/2 liter deal! - American Near Me - Stockton, California

Food is pretty good and service is great. The interior reminds me of the early 2000s.

Great meal Service 5 Clean atmosphere Good burger Perfect fries Zucchini made to order read more

The Graduate - Grad burgers ,fries and zucchini. Drinks dr pepper and Lime jaritos - American Near Me - Stockton, California

I miss the old wings. These aren't nearly as good as the old days here when you got the full wing. Soggy now.

December 28, 2024. First time back since they reopened. Pizza was so good and the service was great! They have lots of arcade games and 7 big tv screens showing news and sports. read more

The Graduate - American Near Me - Stockton, California

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The graduate is back! Have been there a few times since Mike and his gang took it over. Great food, fun atmosphere and the customer service is over the top! read more

A big part of me hates to write a great review because it may cause more people to invade this amazing spot. But I am glad they are open and want them to succeed.... So, here goes. It's been a month now since they re-opened... different owners and no more wood fired stove/oven but it looks the same as before with a couple of updates. You still order and pay upfront, which when it's busy causes a long wait in line. Today at 3pm... not busy at all. I wanted to see if the flavors were still good so I ordered the Grad Burger and a 14" combination Pizza. Grad Burger: A quarter pound beef patty flame broiled on a soft bun stacked generously with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles. Sauced with thousand island dressing. Plated with perfectly crunchy shoestring fries. The flame broiled patty was delicious. The Pizza: well the owner had to give up the pizza sauce secret because they nailed it. The dough was freshly made and light and fluffy with perfect crust crunch. It was like walking into The Graduate 10 years ago. Well done and welcome back! Can't wait to return with my family. read more

The Graduate - Grad burger/fries and a 14" Combo pizza - American Near Me - Stockton, California

Grew up coming here every Friday and then when I got married we came here a lot. I ordered a chef salad and my husband a steak sandwich. The steak flavor was alright but my salad was just sliced deli ham cheese and croutons. Very disappointed. Limited menu and no bar. Place is very clean and quiet. The Graduate by name only read more

I was very excited to hear The Graduate was back open. My family went here almost weekly when I was growing up. It looked nice inside. They added a few things like pool table and self grab drinks. For food, I ordered 12 piece wings (half buffalo and half lemon pepper) and a california club sandwich and a pitcher of water and sprite. Food seamed reasonably priced. It took a while for food but they were a little busy but seemed as if they were still figuring out the kinks. My name was called for my order but I couldn't hear over all of the noise. They need to invest in a microphone as several people couldn't hear their names being called from across the restaurant. I only got 6 of my wings and then told to come back for the others and then 15 mins later told they were out of the lemon pepper seasoning and then had to wait again for the other 6 wings to be made. Also the wings seemed like they were the precooked wings from the bag. They were not that great. Food was mediocre. French fries were cold. They had a lot of games for the kids but we're $1.00 each and some of them didn't work and took our money. Overall it's nice to have back open but it's definitely not the same graduate. Not sure if we will return. Maybe they will get it together after being open for longer. read more

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Had dinner Dec 4th, we both had the burgers and fries. Place looks nice, no alcohol license so the bar is empty. It will be nice if that returns and it could be once again a great place for groups to gather occasional birthday party or sports. Cashier was nice , food came out fairly quickly, but there were only two other people in there. The meat was not that great and the burgers were too salty, we also miss the homemade thousand island dressing . I think a lot of people miss the condiment serving cart with the onions, tomatoes, lettuce, etc.. The french fries were very good. Will definitely try it again, but the burgers need work, the quality of meat needs to improve. We do hope the graduate is successful. Looking forward to future visits and improvements. Hang in there! read more

Improve the lighting, it feels like a cafeteria. Tonight's bar tender, tasted a beer himself to check what type it was. Usually that little taste of beer goes to the customer. Then he wanted to close out the tab for his tips. read more

So glad The Graduate is back! You have got to try the pizza! We were pleasantly surprised with the pizza. Can't wait to try the sandwiches and burgers. Let's support this business as Stockton is slowly losing such jewels. Great place for parties and gatherings. Welcome back The Graduate! read more

The Graduate - American Near Me - Stockton, California

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Horrible As Hell!!! My son n I were sooo excited to have our fave, the Glendale! Omg it had ONE slice of cold turkey no bacon the cheese was over melted so basically no Swiss cheese n the fries had the worst after taste from the oil!! For $38 we had a roll with lettuce n tomato's on it!!! And for God sake, lower the lighting in there, purchase a microphone so ppl can hear their name being called n what's up with the cold drink storage!!! I felt like I was walking into a AM/PM!!!! I'm sooo disappointed that we'll never have r Grad back it was so fun for many many years!!!! read more

I went here with my family. It's great to see the place open! It's so nostalgic, classic Stockton, the grad burgers and pizza were great. The staff was polite and friendly. The vibe is classic pizzeria and lots of tvs for sports! It's great for the family. read more

Worth a try! They have really big shoes to fill. The food is average, the staff is wonderful, the business is clean. The Grad Burger was really good. Their Pizza is ok. It would be better if they did serve alcohol, but with all the issues in the past I can understand why they don't. I'm not sure they will last without it, or do a major improvement on their Pizza. I wish them well! read more

Good food and friendly ppl. So glad they opened up. It still has the same decore that brings back good memories.

Amazing Experience for a family fun Saturday night! Three birthday parties were going on we were a party of 9; and there was still plenary more tables available even tho it was hopping! The kids were playing the arcade games, and there's a pool table as well. Now the service upon entry was pleasant and informative. Since it's our first time we asked a lot of questions. We ordered a large pepperoni pizza, cheesey bread, fried zucchini, jalapeños poppers and a sampler plater as well. Oh and some of us got their house salad which is the best house salad I have had (but no Blu Cheese salad dressing, please add on the menu) in a while. Everything (tomatoes, red onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, olives and cheese) is in it and it's all fresh. Ok now let me tell you, their pizza was a cheesy divine bite to the last crust. And yes the crust bus delicious. Oh and the red sauce was a hit! Not too tomato-ee and the freshest of herbs and seasonings come through. Ok I saved the super best for last everything on the Sampler platter is a hit! The jalapeño poppers were the best outside of my friend kitchen, and the zucchini sticks were amazingly fresh even al dente, not mushy! The mozzarella sticks were cooked to perfection, the cheese was melted throughout, event stringy! Onion rings coating thin and delicious! Now let's talk about the stellar customer service, from the first meeting cashier to the owner (sorry I didn't hear his name) coming around asking how everything was even refilled our two water pitchers. What a great time was had by all and the Photo Booth was so entertaining! I will go back, I saw a sandwich I want to try. And I want to thank this family for opening a fun family place to eat great food, watch sports, play games and create some fun memories. Stockton needs more places like this. Oh and we did not even notice no booze. Maybe that's the key and I ain't mad. Bravo! read more

Clean and nice, brings back memories, food was awesome, supergrad burger and fries. Yes they are no soda machines and or condiments on the table but the service was good and food on point Defiantly will be back read more

Never went to the original when it was open as I'm not from here. The food was great and so was the service.