Terrible service, filled with smoke, very dark and a bad DJ the night I was there to boot. Will never go again.

asthma be damned! the Ruby Room is a completely hilarious spot that is deprived of any light. at all. there is an eerie rutilant glow that hovers behind the bottles of liquor at the bar, reminding literature nerds of the Embryo Store in Huxley's Brave New World: "The bulging flanks of row on receding row and tier above tier of bottles glinted with innumerable rubies, and among the rubies moved the dim red spectres of men and women..." go to the Ruby Room and be prepared to adjust your eyes to the red glow while you drink pacificos, cough up a lung, and dance/sing along to Cindy Lauper, Dr. Dre, Prince, Tool, Wham!, etc. everything about the bar is non-sequitor and a total blast. read more

Cool... laid back bar. Awesome place to drown ur sorrows away with their extremely cheap yet strong drinks. Not my favorite bar but Ill be back! read more

Why did no one tell me about this place? I had to wander in alone, already well warmed up and loudly declare "Wow, is it always this dark in here? What time do you open?" The answers are "yes" and "5:00," for the curious. If they opened early I would maybe just decide to live here. It's that great and is just about as close as Smitty's, so now I have a selection to work with. I really wish someone had told me about it earlier, though. Help me out, people. read more

I still find it a little shocking when you step in from the street at 10pm into a room that feels like it's pitch black. This place definitely has a great vibe, and I kind of dug the darkness after my eyes had a chance to adjust. Drinks are pretty affordable, people seemed pretty cool, and DJ (on Monday night no less) was spinning some great beats. I shall return! read more

really dark. mostly fun. tip: show a student ID for a discount on drinks! read more

The Ruby Room is alright by me. It's situated between the lake and downtown Oakland, and right across from the Oakland library. Parking was pretty easy but I would definitely move your valuables to a more "secure" location. When we walked in, I felt like I had fainted or was blacking out because it was so dark! I had to rub my eyes to get adjusted but after a few minutes, it was fine. The drinks we ordered were really stiff! I took a few sips of my long island and had to pass it off to the mister. There's a backroom where you can play pool that permits smoking too. The front didn't smell like smoke though and the back room barely smelled like it. Apparently they have free wifi too because the last time we were there, we saw a guy lounging on the couch, smokin' an old man pipe and surfin' the net with his laptop, which is pretty quintessentially Oakland if you ask me but that's not the point of the review. The music has been good both nights I was there so that's always a plus too. I like this place but I don't think I'd go alone or with my girlfriends. The ultra dark vampire atmosphere and the super stiff drinks sound like a recipe for disaster aka foul and highly regret-able hookups. Also, major shout out to the bartenders that held my phone for me after I left it in the bathroom like an idiot! thank you guys so much! read more

the first time i came here, it was my first week of work and my co-workers decided to take the new girl out for a drink. the fact that i don't drink was irrelevant. after doing the post-work happy hour rounds, we ended up at the ruby room, which my friend described most succinctly as "half moulin rouge, half dive bar." the drinks were cheap, the lighting very low, the seats were worn and leather-ish, you kind of get the feeling you should avoid touching surfaces and hand rails, and the back room has a pool table area where you can smoke inside. it sounds better than the reality of it, because to me, that musky back-room smell conjured up the sensation of being in a small time casino's back room blackjack table in Reno. early in the evening, the vibe is more subdued. as the night rolls along, more people start coming in, and it seems like this place is gathering a loyal following. still, the music is good (most of the time), the bartender is super adorable, the drinks are cheap and well-made, and if you're there with the right people you'll have a damn good time. read more

How have I not reviewed The Ruby Room yet? This is the place I always end up at the end of the night if I want to dance. Kinda seedy but always fun. read more

I used to drink here every weekend (or close) back in the late 90s when I lived in Oakland, and semi-regular trips since that time have revealed an utter lack of change. You can count on the Ruby Room for stiff drinks and a dj spinning... something, any night of the week past 10 PM. You can do an all right bar hop with Ruby Room and Radio, but Radio is a little bit less... read more

I wish I could like this place more. Maybe I am just not hip enough. It is right around the corner from my house and I have tried unsuccessfully to make it feel like my neighborhood hang for the last several months. sigh. If you are more of a punk 20-something with plenty of tats, you will probably love it. They have decently priced drinks, a pool table a a dj who usually spins some kind of retro-80's stuff. I'm pretty sure the same people own Radio too... read more

I go to the Ruby Room often to get a drink and sit at the bar sulking or giggling with a friend while ignoring the dudes standing around my back. I mostly go becasue it is in my old neighborhood and I can always hear songs from my past spun by the dj. read more

Dive bar. Very Dark inside. Smoky. Pool tables are always a plus in my book. Strong drinks another plus! Good DJ dropping 80's beats!

There is something about downtown Oakland that seems to foster real, unpretentious bars. San Francisco certainly has more bars, but it is hard to find one that has that true, slightly gritty, urban feel without any of the pretentiousness. Enter the Ruby Room. I've only ever gone there on the early side, before it gets crowded. The only bar that I can think of that is darker than this one might be The Attic in SF (another good, unpretentious place). The drinks are strong, and the bartenders are no-nonsense. I would imagine that SF hipsters would be surprised at how much better this place is than the places that they are going to now. read more

They have a really great Happy Hour till 9:00pm. I love the Margaritas!

The atmosphere, the drinks, the people... there's no way to not love The Ruby Room! Cheap drinks with good music and dark light!

Oh my god luv this place. the darkness, music, and rebellious bathroom graffiti are my fave aspects. hehehehe a++

This place was great. Kinda crowd you had forgotten about think lower haight in the mid 1990's with prices to boot. They also have a backroom for smokers and tokers will appreciate. The music was very good hit hop. read more

A devilish glow lights up this bar, The Ruby Room stays true to it name and a part from being just another small bar hidden in Oakland. There is a rather cozy smoking room towards the back of the bar with a pool table and seating area that allows you to relax inside without having to leave for a cig. read more

Fab atmosphere, pool table, good music, impossibly hot bartenders, and CHEAP DRINKS. Seems like the hipster quotient has been going through the roof recently though. Minus one star for being super smokey, but that's just a personal thing for me. Still gets some locals, which is a good thing. read more

love this place. sasha is amazing and it's fun, on certain nights though. other nights it's dead and weird. i went last night, which was a tuesday, and it was amazing. the DJ was awesome and there were so many cool people hanging out. read more

Its OK. My friend is a bartender (the eye patch guy) and its kinda nice to walk in and see people I know. Drink specials, dancing and laid back. Good music too. read more

Great place, good mix of people, good drinks. Coming here for years since I found it when my friend moved near it in 2001. Pool table in back, a drink special of my favorite drink (Jameson and beer) great jukebox, etc etc. As a funny bonus point thing, the owner came into my friends store in Berkeley recently and liked the music he was playing so gave him a 2 free drink ticket, so that tells you something. My friend then gave it too me since he has never had a drink in his life (poor lad)... read more

The drinks are stiff, the lighting gives you the dive feel, and the inside by the pool table gives you that trucker stop bar were you go get hustled out of money playing people of the like named Tex, or Charlie. Im a dive bar dood but im pretty conflicted about this joint, i want to dig it but if you give me the choice this wont be first. Decent music selection on a friday night but lets face it, this place ranks under my Start the NIght getting fuct up on a budget list, then move on. read more

This place was awesome! I stumbled in here quite by accident after an aborted Saturday night visit to Oasis (which was charging 10 bucks for a DJ). It's kind of hard to find from the street (considering it's near a seedy liquor store), but look for the red glow/hole in the wall...:P I found The Ruby Room to have NO COVER, JUST AS GOOD DJ, AND BETTER PRICED DRINKS THAN OASIS!! For example, if you are a student w/valid ID, Ruby Room has $2 well drinks!! :O And they have budget beers (Olympia, PBR) for 2 bucks as well! KICK ASS!! Lighting is dim and sexy..Take a date here on a budget and get down on the dance floor..:) read more

no doubt, it's bloody dark in there! it's so dark I can't hear anything! the bartenders are real nice and drinks are mighty strong :) it's true there are rumors you can smoke in there, but when I was there I didn't see one spark. dope jams and all the patrons seemed nice (meaning no drunk guy swaying side to side telling you how hot you are). bring a friend have a drink and relax...in the dark. read more

The perfect dive bar in the perfect place for a dive bar. Oh Ruby, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: 1) strong relatively cheap drinks, the dive bar gold standard 2) the place is run by a motorcycle gang, who show up regularly to intimidate the scrawny locals = pure awesome 3) they have dancing and host some sweet local djs, and ppl actually dance! 4) ppl talk to each other here, not the typical hipster joint filled with snots and wallflowers, and a good mix of different folks too 5) pool table, nuff said 6) indoor smoking, the one-time mid-westerner in me digs this the most 7) cute & attentive bartenders, the cute isn't imperative but it adds to the atmosphere 8) super chill door guy, always good for a bit of conversation, the few i've seen there are always reading a book 9) close to the lake and bart - neighborhood isn't that great, esp after dark, but what more would one expect from a dive bar? 10) friendly to derby girls on skates, i used to flier here back in the day So there you go, a perfect ten. Ruby por vida. read more

Great place to go in Oaktown. I'm not a club person so the ruby room comes thru perfectly, super dark which makes for good time in a hazy cloud of drunkeness, then stumble to Lake Merritt bart..... read more

This boy has traveled from afar to different spots in the Bay Area, this bar has to be my favorite bar of them all. Been coming here for years now, disappeared for a bit, but now I've been coming back around and its still as good as I remember. The Environment is awesome, there is always good music on for the most part when I come here. But to be honest its about the drinks and the bartenders here. Nen is legit she always knows whats to make me and my girl every time we come in. Drinks are affordable and the staff here is amazing. There are always new people to meet here and its just a good environment have a drink and just chill. I've been to spots all over Mission District SF and nothing beats this bar right off of the lake in Oakland. read more

Caution. Everyone looks hot here. Beware the 2:00 scramble. I haven't been here in years. It has changed a bit. But still goof fun. Can't get enough of the cave vibe...faux rocks and all. And who doesn't like the ruby colored lights? This is the kinda place you go to make that back room deal. read more

Went last week after realizing that drinking at the Lake Chalet would require a tie (and a cessation of cursing). After my eyes adjusted to the dark, I realized that my fears of getting murdered/eaten were without merit. We sat at the bar and drank $2.50 draft somethings while talking about SNES. I'll go back next time I'm day drinking in Oakland whilst tie-less. read more

Ruby Room was just OK. I think I was there on a Tuesday and the music was complete sh*t. There wasn't anywhere to sit and there appeared to be many creepy people there... but the drinks were strong so yay! read more

I don't know why I always end up here. I think it might be because they are ALWAYS open. Every time I come to this bar, something freaking insane happens and well... I love it. I always have a good story to share when I leave here. Come for the cheap drinks, stay for the shenanigans. read more

Leaving this review for Indigo, because they're an incredible bartender, and I had to watch them get treated poorly by a group who became indignant after being asked for ID... One of these scubby, no-style-having, contemptible, virgin-looking, old, ugly fascists flipped Indigo off and stormed out; then the friends tried to return after being rude as shit! Indigo handled the situation with grace and patience, and continued to serve all the customers with ID without taking any shit! read more

The month of November 2018... I walk into the ruby room around 8 pm and left without my iPhone 7, been trying to find where my iphone7 might be at this point. I would be grateful with the assistance of the management team, I can be reached at my resident 1105 la mesa Escalon 95320. Thanks...happy holidays. read more

There is always a good crowd on the weekend; there is a postage stamp of a dance floor and sometimes there is a good DJ and lots of dancing. Can get smokey and busy at the bar. If you want to get some dance in Oakland this might be one of the few options. read more

I want to have the Ruby Room's smoking, drunk, biker baby.

Everyone's already covered this place but drinking, smoking, a pool table and lots of local flavor . . . of course I love it!

Really rad place! Definitely will come back again. Seemed like a chill Punk Bar, good vibes, when I was there. Service was good, prices were reasonable. Would definitely recommend it if I knew someone was in the area! read more

Great prices compared to other bars around here. Bartenders are friendly, and while it can get kinda loud and busy later at night, early on it is pleasantly not that. read more