Who is Libby? She's obviously a very important person since it's plastered in graffiti art all over the women's bathroom. It's not Banksy, but it'll do since it was the only place Sunday after Xmas that was open in the neighborhood. Other than the dive bar qualified bathroom, this bar is all dark red low lighting with pool table and worn leather seats.We went to the smokers' area in the back and watched other people play pool and lounged while discussing religion, philosophy and politics per usual. Bartenders were chill, and I couldn't get over how nice the decor was for an alleged dive bar. I've been gone from CA for too long. Also, it's super cheap (and the cheapest in the area according to my friends who live nearby). Two super strong and decent sized rail drinks set me back $8+tip! Not bad for a Sunday night! read more

I enjoyed my first experience at the Ruby Room. Everyone says it's too dark, which it is, but it was fine. Give your eyes a few minutes to adjust and have a Tokyo Tea and two and you'll be able to see just fine! The Good: -Fast and fairly friendly bartenders -Strong drinks (I had 3... I told him sweet and strong and he delivered) -Decent prices -Pool table (although we didn't play) -Ample seating The Bad: -It was tough to find the building off the street for a newbie like me, I guess you should know the place has a red door before you get there...that was the only hint I got -the Darkness could potentially be bad if you're trying to holler at some cute chick, have a few strong drinks and then you get her in the light and you're like, "Damn, I thought I had a dime!" (this could also be the case for some dude you meet too) -I think someone broke the no smoking rule, which was, in the words of Jennifer Anniston, "Uncool" The bottom line: I like strong, sweet drinks and great people and the Ruby Room had both, so I'm a fan! I'm easy to please ; ) read more

Diviest divey dive bar. That's the way, uh-huh, uh-huh, I like it. Strong drinks, comfy chairs, sticky tables, laid back vibe and really killer music. I'm not a smoker anymore but the cloud of smoke helps me get my second hand fix. Go black Lungs! After one drunken night I woke up and couldn't recollect where we ended up after the bar crawl and then the stale smell of smoke in my clothes helped to remind me where we ended up. Go Ruby Room for giving me back my black out memories! read more

One night drives through California, on the outskirts of towns where the stars still shine. and one stolen Social Distortion line. Find some change in the cracks from my pocket in the cushion and the bench of the van. Can buy a four loko and a slim jim the next town we are in. Josh Mosh, who's this band You keep playing on the stereo, I nod in and out of sleep to the rhythm of the beat Awaken to laughter and stories about monkeys burning down radios. I wanna talk about the adventures in the van. The places we have been. Vegas and SF with Off with Their Heads Locked up in jail and a night to forget. Madison Bloodbath in El Centro, We sing along, I don't speak Spanish but I know the song. I need some coffee, someone put Dan Padilla on J-dub is generic okay? Like Lucero used to say we're living on a few bucks a day. Talking about 'pedro and FYP Todd gets a new band Almost every damn day One stop before crossing the bridge To The City and the Thrillfest days. Lets hit Ruby Room before the chaos begins and tell stories that never get old Hang out with friends the Oakland way Order one more and just show up late to the show across the bay. I'd rather stay in Oakland Anyways... read more

There aren't many clubs that I would ever walk out of. The desire to dance will keep me on just about any dance floor. I have overlooked terrible crowds and lack of people and I have overlooked terrible music. I have even overlooked the person grinding on me and splashing drinks on my crotch while she yells things into my ear. I have looked past a lot but even I couldn't make it in Ruby Room. Maybe it was just point in the night for me. Maybe we shouldn't have shown up at 12:30am after leaving a late night of drinking. Maybe I should have ignored that when I was standing outside that someone ran buy saying "did they shoot him" "is he dead?" Heard more gunshots and then heard the man say "did that kill him?" as he ran toward the gunfire. Maybe I should have ignored the looks of everyone I walked past in the bar that seemed say you are not one of us. Here is my summary of the night. I walked in. I was greeted by the red light that made everyone glow and look even creepier than I was already feeling for being in there. I was stared at by everyone as I walked to the bar. I looked past it to see if people were dancing on the dance floor. There were two people and they were both staring at me while they danced. And they weren't dancing but more swaying while holding eye contact with me. I believe there were people playing pool somewhere in that dark room but I feared my soul had already been removed from my body so I didn't linger too long. The music was just awful. I don't even remember what it was but I don't know how anyone could dance to that. The whole crowd looked like they would rather not be there. There was an immediate vibe of there has to be a better place than this and then a vibe of maybe we should just call it a night. I have never had a place just suck the life out of my on a Saturday night but this place did. I am sure it has some positives and maybe I just caught it on a bad night. But given location, the people that were there, the music, and the overall creepy vibe of the place I can't recommend it to anyone looking for a good time in Oakland. Maybe if you are a local and you know your way around its worth a visit but if you are tourist just stick to uptown and the safety and sanity of a place that doesn't make you feel like you walked in a ritual you weren't supposed to. read more

Favorite bar of all time. Lolololol to all the people who gave this place a bad review. Stay away then, yuppies. Cheap drinks, great music, diverse crowd, efficient bartenders. Don't listen to what anyone else says. read more

Hey, Bartender chick socializing with her friends with her back to me. (For over 10 mins) You suck and you're not as cool as you think. You saw us and went about hooking your friends up with free drinks. You should be fired. As for the bar, loved the dingy vibe with the added hip hop. Usually, dives like this play metal which is what I'm used to. Too bad they didn't know who I was. read more

I can't breathe. Someone help me, I need a new set of lungs. I thought smoking is prohibited in bars, but why are people still doing it. I came here with my roommate and her friends. We met them up here. Why? I don't know. We wanted to party and have some fun. Fun yes, party.....not really. The place seemed like a former dive bar where bikers would get drunk, fight, and start bullshitting with other patrons. The bartenders were great and attentive. The drinks were reasonable and the pours were great. It's the same way I would pour at home. Stiff and plenty. What really bothered me was... I felt out of place. I was too old for the college kids and too cool for the old timers. Maybe it was the way I was dress or the way I was dancing with the peeps. Whatever it was, I didn't get the feeling I was "in" with the posse. I really like the fact that the place was large enough to accompany large groups of people with seats and a decent dance floor to dance. Last night, the Stanley steamer was out and yet no steam came out. read more

Ruby Room is a bar to go to where you can drink, dance and shoot the shit with your funky , hipster, homie, thug or dorky friends. It's an eclectic watering hole in downtown Oakland. Fun times ya'll. Note to Men: DO NOT approach my table at 1:30 AM and stand three feet away from me and then tell my friend that your friend,who is standing RIGHT NEXT TO YOU, thinks I'm cute and could she tell me so that his friend and I can meet. Grow a pair and talk to me yourself. Also...grow a few more inches because you didn't fit my height requirement. The End. read more

Probably my favorite bar in Oakland...top 3, at least. The crowd and 'vibe' can be inconsistent, as can the pours/ service you get from the heavily-inked stone-cold bartenders. But bathe in the sultry red light, listen to the little girl spinning classic soul records @ 70rpms, shoot some pool, make out with your lady in a dark corner, and get your groove on...you're in Oaktown. People smoke like chimneys in the back, so be forewarned. read more

Great place for a fun, affordable, and chill Friday evening. 1, The drinks are strong and cheap 2. Smokers Lounge 3. DJ on Friday nights 4. No drama type of crowd Btw this is also a great place to pre-game on any day of the week read more

This is MY kind of bar. Wish we had more of these type of bars in the City. People hanging about, serious about their drinks but not so serious to pass you up for a conversation at the bar. There are regulars but usually a good mix of folk enjoying the company. Then on the bigger nights you mix in the DJs and some cuties usally dancing about and it makes for a better time. The smoking thing may be a turn-off to some, but I'm a bit nostalgic about it. I'm really not a smoker but whenever I think of a classic bar setting, it just seems that there's smoke around. Regardless, this is a place worth checking out in the East Bay and a place worth returning to if you appreciate a fun, non-pretentious drinking environment. read more

Addendum, 08/02/06: After a couple of months of floundering, the Ruby Room has found its groove in my Tuesday heart again. Every Tuesday is freakin' different -- from annoying-ass 19-year-old girls in tropical pattern halters with their newsboy-hat boyfriends pumping them up and down on their laps (last night I yelled, "Just cut a hole in your pants and then cut a hole in her pants and freakin' penetrate her cuz you're doing it anyway, GOD!"), to the balding lechers and a few intersparsed Rats -- but I think I'm in love again. Jackie is the freakin' best. My friend and I might be the only ones in to Snack Nite, and next week might be peanut M&Ms! Plus the RC Cola has only been amazing lately! Now I won't have to go next door in desperation to the store with the potted meat! *** Ah jeez. So I started going to the Ruby Room just when it was on the verge of being hipster-annoying, then again when the hipsters stopped going. Now it's quite a mixed bag. You've got the middle-aged men staring at the girls in studded belts, the surly pool guys, the tremendously tattooed, and of course, the constants: - The East Bay Rats. It's their second headquarters to their clubhouse on San Pablo. Third would be the Alameda Antique Fair where they grouse for vintage Tupperware. - There's always a lump of shit smeared on the far right wall, right where the mirror ends and dance floor begins, across from the end of the bar. Seriously, it always smells like punget alleycat shit there. - The DJs that when you hate them and try to request something decent and they reject you, they always say they're gonna move to Germany the next day. Seriously, it's happened like 3 times to me. - The balding old Asian men (one each per visit) that resemble this one friend of a friend who is currently researching exotic fats as some crazy chemistry proposal. (A brief interlude, to Ruby Room RC Cola: Oh Ruby Room RC Cola, you are the one beacon of light during a dreary week of work hell and frustrating run-ins with citizens of the earth. No other sodas compare, and even when I buy you at the supermarket it just isn't the same. There's something about the way the Ruby Room does it -- they put crack in your formula then up the syrup concentration x3. The day I die having collapsed under the weight of falling sprockets and cogs help by the rusty chains above, they will slice open my body on the laboratory table and find the magical RC potion coarsing through my veins.) Snack Nite is freakin' inconsistent. Tuesday nights are supposed to be the empty bliss of a weekday with pints of hot fries, bugles, and things that resemble styrofoam packing peanuts. I LOVE IT. But sometimes I get denial of its existence. God, I sound like a bittah old man lashing out about the shrinkage of my virility as younger specimens populate my once beloved hangout. Nah, I still love the place and come all the time. I just wish I had more good than bad nights. The clientele is sometimes annoying, sometimes amusing, I love the Mongolian pizza place next door and the convenience store with the potted meat where you pluck Snack Nite out from the strings of heaven, sometimes I like the great hip hop and old 40s music, sometimes I sing along to the melodramatic '90s brit rock, and sometimes I don't even have to think twice to answer, "Yes!" to, "So'd'ya'wanna go the Wooby Woo?" read more

I can't say I've actually had an honestly good time at this bar since before I was 21, when they used to not card me. After I turned 21 and moved into an apartment a block away from the bar, I spent way too many nights getting sloppy drunk and stumbling home. Is that the bar's fault? Not really. But I just don't think I can go there without reliving my early 20's drama. Boo! They do have a good jukebox, and I always liked when they had DJ's. I think they do a KALX night? I haven't been there in about a year and a half. I don't know if you can still smoke in there, but even when I was a smoker, it was too much for me and I had to step out a lot for fresh air. I don't really have a point except to say that the Ruby is good place to get fucked up, snort coke in the bathroom, and make out with strangers. Is that useful, funny, or cool? Probably not. Whatever. read more

My other favorite bar in Oakland after the Layover. It's nice to go here when you know Layover is gonna be packed.... Really cheap. If you have a student ID you can get well drinks for TWO DOLLARS on Saturday nights. What! Bartenders are congenial. Weird crowd...random people plus lots of Oakland punk rock kids. Indoor smoking in the pool table area. read more

Go here. Get drunk. Hot bartenders, lots of boys on bikes, pool table & the "you know you're drunk when. . ." dance floor. . . Me likey. read more

Great dive with hip hop music and space to dance. It's close to my house so it's a go to for me.

First off I love love love the laid back atmosphere at this place. It's super dark and chill with the soothing dim red lights. The mirrors on the walls give this place an open spacious feel. The bartender is pretty quick, and doesn't short pour you on the beer. The well drinks are just as strong as they are cheap ($3 last Friday). Pool tables in the back, as well as booth seating along the wall. Plenty of standing room too. My only gripe with this place is that they allow smoking inside, now I'm not the type that's gonna raise a big stink about it, but I'm also not going to spend money on drinks where I can't properly enjoy them. Simple solution, hop to the next bar. The live DJ showed up about an hour after we arrived, and the party jumped off shortly thereafter. Maybe it's the darkness, but even with the blaring music Ruby Room still felt really relaxed. Bottom Line: Drink specials, awesome. Cigarette smoke, not so much... But definitely include this ultra chill spot in your bar hopping festivites. The dive bar at it's finest. read more

*It's not as seedy as it looks* I just moved to the area and passed by the place quite a few times. It's next to a liquor store that yields a questionable crowd, but don't let that deter you from stopping in! It's very dark with red lighting (hence the name) but it's actually pretty fun. They play good music and offer pretty good drink specials. And the bouncer bought us a round! read more

Others have sort of summed this place up. Dark. Smoky. Scummy.(I didn't drink or visit the ladies, so I can't speak to those things.) I had a better time than I expected when I first walked in there. I wanted a place to dance the night away, and that's what ended up happening. However, please note, this "dance floor" is about the size of a stamp. If you laid four pairs of hipster jeans end to end that would about span it. As for quality of music, they did play "Push It." But how in the white-man's-overbite hell is anyone supposed to dance to "Eye of the Tiger"??? I can roll with many playlist punches, but when this came on I was at a loss. read more

One of the most fascinating things about Yelp reviews is seeing widely divergent opinions on essentially the same things, with folks giving one star for the same features that other folks give five stars. Shows why singular, paid reviews suck. So I realized I'd never set foot in this place on a weekend. I didn't even realize there was a big room in the back, DJs, or smoking. I just recall all the times I met up with people at the bar or the front booth, enjoyed stiff drinks while bathed in red light in a quiet, mellow, how-are-you-I'm-getting-drunk-thank-you atmosphere. The first batch of these nights came when I was traveling for business once or twice a month and getting bitter about the number of Southworst Airlines flights I was racking up ("No roaches seen on *this* flight! Score!"). A kind soul made sure that each pickup at OAK was followed immediately by a seat at the bar and a glass of decent whiskey. A cowboy hat was often part of the deal if I was flying in from Albuquerque. I've been back a few more times recently, and it seemed like little has changed. I also like that the red lights insure that your night vision is optimized for the trip home. How many bars are astronomy friendly? And, that red glow makes everyone look a little healthier and a little happier. If only you could look so good afterward, or the next morning. read more

Dimly lit, inexpensive, and filled with a myriad of personality types behind and in front of the bar. Even on a slow evening there is some great people watching. Located conveniently across the street from a McDonald's franchise on 14th Avenue. The bathroom and the pool tables are like something out of a movie. Whether the movie is good or bad, that's for you too decide. read more

Dark, dank & divey, just the way I like it. If you're sensitive to smoke, don't like to hear curse words or don't like your drinks to strong, don't come to The Ruby Room. If you're lookin for a place with good lighting to check out/enjoy that new book you just got with a nice glass of pinot noir, don't come to The Ruby Room. If you are lookin for a place with a heavy handed bartender, cheap drinks and a no nonsense attitude as well as a throwback interior than The Ruby Room is for you. Light up a smoke, play a game of pool and throw back a couple of (hooked up ass) shots. Definitely my kinda place. read more

I dig the dirty bars where you can "get the job done." And by "get the job done," I mean the following: (1) Enjoy a drink without an investment banker from the Marina all up in your grill; (2) Order stiff drinks in big glasses worthy enough for a liver of steel; and (3) Kill yourself one cigarette at a time. Even the homeless guy chilling outside who yelled at me because my "white forefathers raped and pillaged the African race" wouldn't stop me from patronizing this bar. Whoa....was that rude that I laughed at him? I assumed that he wasn't talking to me. I'm asian. read more

I went in here on a late evening get together. It's dark, the music is weird and the cocktails are stiff. Winner winner chicken dinner. If you like dim lighting and beer goggle viewing points, look no further. People watching was ok but Shania Twain playing in Oakland in a dive bar was pretty much the most incredibly unexpected piece of joy. I'd go again but never on a blind date. People could easily hide a lot of ugly in that place ;) read more

I love this spot. Cozy, eccentric, and cheap. Oakland has a jewel across from the lake and main library! Just might have to make this my new main hang! read more

You walk into the woman's restroom and a woman is shooting up into her pussy. It's soo dark I can't see my feet. It smells like pine sol, 100 years of spilled PBR and drunk lawyers. My vodka soda tasted like VODKA. It's better than Acme. I LOVE IT! read more

I always forget I'm a middle aged dude whenever I go here, but luckily my gray hair can't be seen because it's so freakin wonderfully dark in there. Cool music, inexpensive drinks, nice scene and I'm in bed by 9. Just kidding, read more

This is the first place I ever had a salty dog, which is the drink of choice for : (a) grizzled old sailors (b) prostitutes with at least one wooden leg (c) indeed all prostitutes who frequent dockside bars (d) any old gal who's trying to work through some stuff Here's a bit of advice: if you ever order a salty dog that isn't quite strong enough, ask the bartender to "put a little more hair on that dog." Fortunately the heavy-handed bartenders at Ruby Room never need to be asked. read more

I'm 31 and got carded. Found out my license was expired (a couple days ago). Was not admitted. Bull-pucky. It's not illegal to let me in, it's just your prerogative. Never really liked the scene anyways, was just looking for a drink on the way home from the A's game. I like it even less after their prime clientele tagged a dead whale with graffiti. Way to keep it classy. read more

This place used to be filled with beautiful rock n rollers. Rock n roll and the best music was Only played there. I had endless nights of debauchery there. People used to be dressed to kill. All of Oaklands finest. That was then and this is now. People wear shirts. Have the worst pick up lines. The crackheads begging for change outside have more love in there heart more love for Our city Oakland then those gross yuppie bridge and tunnelers that now frequent this place. Neighborhood Silicon Valley newbies at there worst. I don't drink and I'm not looking for a one night stand and a line of shitty coke at all thank god. I mean for shits sake they have like a freakin cocktail list now!! That's just madness. And as for the djs,my god. I could turn that place out blindfolded:) But business wise kudos to them For not being shut down like everything else here in our city to make room for crappy overpriced restaurants. The ambiance is still magnificent. And at least I have my memories of all the glitter and glamour of yesteryear:) read more

This place is ok, a bit dark but kind of cool besides the pool room which needs a bit more light. But good drink selection Worth a look for someone new to the neighborhood read more

Everyone looks better under red lights. Even me! Ahh my gold--make that ruby--standard for all things dive bar. It's not effortfully shitty like many hipster dives try so hard to be. It seems more like a nice lounge that has aged beyond its glory days and has made a smooth transition into a dive. Out of the handful of red-themed bars in and around the bay area, the Ruby Room is my favorite. At the risk of a $100 fine, many a smoker bucks the law and lights up in the back, adding to the diveyness. (It should be noted for the record that the staff does not encourage nor allow smoking here). I've been here sporadically over the past 5 years and have always enjoyed good music (indie, punk, rockabilly, soul, funk) and good pool. The crowd is usually laid back, and it's near the Lake so a post-beer walk is pleasant if the Lake doesn't have the funk. read more

Nice little hole n the wall. They are doing the whole red-lighted atmosphere similar to Radio. Nice space in side, very roomy. There was not a large crowd but it seemed extra slow for a Friday night. I thought there would be more since it there was a full moon. Who knows......... It looked like a great place to hang and I will be back with friends. So we can drink and dance all night looooonnnnnng, all night., all night, all night loooooonnnnnngggg, ......... read more

I work at the courthouse a block away and I cannot believe I haven't been here sooner! I've actually walked by this place a lot and never knew it was a bar...until this evening. I love how dark it is inside. You can barely see anything other than your drink, the red lights, and maybe - maybe the person next to you. It's awesome. I guess this is a dive bar, but it seems kind of cooler than that,. But in any case, I got a sweet tea vodka (for someone who doesn't really drink and likes the fruity, sweet stuff) and it was a solid drink for $5. Can't really beat that. They had something called a SoHo Dirty, which had lychee liqueur, grapefruit juice, soda and rocks....sounded deelish, but alas, I had already gotten a drink. Now that I have a hot 2 days left in Oakland, I better be going there one of those days...just sayin' read more

5 stars for the drinks. They are strong and CHEAP. $4 for a gin and tonic. That's cheaper than a beer at most places! I went on a Friday night and the music was an interesting mix of early 2000's R&B and some stuffs that I had never heard before. It was sort of hit or miss. It would start off with Shaggy "Wasn't Me" then would abruptly change to some tribal beat type deal. Maybe I'm ignorant to good music or not cultured. Maybe cultured people enjoy the music more. All I know is I'm most happy when old school Nelly is playing uninterrupted for the entire night but maybe that's just me. Plea to the manager: PLEASE stop letting people in when the place is saturated. The bar is tiny. By 11 pm it was nearly impossible to move yet I noticed the bouncer letting more and more people in. We ended up leaving because it was so crowded and hot and not worth it :/ Still, I give the place the 4 stars because I like the laidback vibe, the cheap drinks, and the hip hop/R&B jams. read more

Low key. Dive. Very dark. Attentive service. Strong pours. Great crowd. Good Music. Empty pockets. Awesome time. Disastrous hangover. Repeat. read more

Holy shit...this place is dark as fuck. I felt like I was high but I wasn't--it was that red and dark, esp. in contrast to the bright Sunday sun. Bartender was nice and gave a little mixology lesson to go with our drinks, which were dive bar strong. I need to stop hanging out in places like this before I become a chick-version of Hunter S. Thompson. read more

So I asked my boyfriend what he'd give The Ruby Room, and he said, "Aren't all bars pretty great?". DARK, DARK, DARK: Liked the ruby mood lighting since I wasn't full blown wasted. I can see how this can trip me out though. CHEAP? : I didn't do any drink buying but I noticed 5 bucks can get you a shot of Jameson and a pint of PBR. AWESOMENESS: Small dance floor--hey, it can get wild. Long bar--decent amount of seating. Separate room w/ pool table. BATHROOM: It's dark as it is and so did they really have to paint the hallway completely black? Nyctophobia+ethanol+The Ruby Room hallway to the bathroom = piss in pants. read more

"Yo, Imma go rock climbing!" Friend: "What are you talking about, yoo you too faded man" "Check it out im rock climbing!!" I went rock climbing here. I was so faded I walked out the bar and tried to climb the rocks! LOL Rewind it back to the beginning. You walk in to this dark cave knowing well you are going to have a good time. Dark, Red, and full of people, the Ruby glows and calls out to the best of people while keep things simple. Take off that Pink Button shirt bitch, stop looking cute, and get back to the basic of kicking it. Head to the bar and get a nice stiff drink, Not caring what anyone around is about to think.. Pound it quick and order another.. Oh no check out this brother.. He's about to smashed.. This is the place he goes to get trashed.. Talk to a person of two... Stumble of the bar you're through.. Drop the tendor a fat tip.. He'll pour em fat so don't sip.. Time to hit the john.. Piss out all the alcohol till its gone.. Bar to bar for a shot.. The brain is now tied into a knot.. Time to play some pool... Strike up a game with some fool.. Turn around and listen to the Dee Jay.. Rock'n the ones and two with no Delay.. Oh no it's last call.. All around drunk and about to fall.. Don't forget your card.. Walk out drunk like a retard.. Climb the rock wall... Unable to walk so you crawl... See you again Ruby.. You made me look like a newbie.. LOL read more

The Ruby Room - Welcome to the cave! - Dive Bars Near Me - Oakland, California