I've attended several community events at this attractive venue. The interior is spacious;…read more there's a stage and a good size kitchen. Shell is very generous to let the community use this spot for events. They even set up and take down the tables. The group putting on the latest fundraiser told me that Shell was really easy to work with. So this is why it is 5 stars. The plaque on the wall said the building was dedicated in 1930 something; however, it seems older and more historic to me. The clubhouse reminded me of a school building.

Although the Shell Clubhouse is privately owned, many local community groups occasionally use this…read morehandsome, spacious, and convenient building. Over the years, I have been here for industry meetings, the annual alumni Christmas lighting, local school events, and various parties. I have always had a nice time and among some really good people. Today I stopped by for an appearance by Kevin Harvick, the driver of the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet. Kevin also visited the Boys and Girls Club of Martinez just before driving over (at the speed limit) to the Shell Clubhouse. This is all ahead of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at the Infineon Raceway this weekend. I'm not a NASCAR type of guy and there were certainly a number of people in the room today that were wayyyy into competitive car racing. Much of the friendly insider banter went right over my head, except that question about carbon footprints. Yet, it was a lot of fun and Kevin turned out to be a pretty down-to-earth and friendly guy. My son would think that all this was pretty cool, especially if I actually took him to the track.

After spending time exploring downtown Martinez's antique shops and farmers market, we headed over…read moreto Five Suns Brewing Company for lunch and refreshments. It was a beautiful day, perfect for sitting outside and listening to live music. The staff was extremely helpful, answering all of our questions and even offering tastes of their beers and sours. I'm not usually a fan of sours, so I went with the Ernst Amber Ale, while my friends ordered the Cosmo Sour and the P-Wing Sour. For sours, they were surprisingly tasty. I may have to give them another chance. Street Steam Bunz was the food truck of the day, and we ordered rice bowls with bulgogi beef and chicken katsu. Both were served with fried rice, ginger, and pickled cucumbers, and everything was delicious. A great way to spend a Sunday. Five Suns and Street Steam Bunz both earn five stars from me.

We met some friends at Five Suns for a couple of beers on a leisurely Saturday. Our first time…read morehere, but our friends are regulars and spoke highly of this spot. Nice, casual spot to hang out. The staff is friendly and helpful, and happy to make suggestions and provide samples. Prices are actually reasonable, noticeably more so than comparable places. I had an OG Burst, and a Ghost Moon Pilsner. The pilsner was very good. RB had the Granger porter and enjoyed it. There is a food truck by the patio, from which we ordered a grilled cheese, which was good. You can also bring in outside food if you prefer. Would return for another visit next time we're in downtown Martinez.

They are not returning my numerous calls to them. I gave my phone number and stated what I want but…read more3 weeks had passed and no calls received.

When I picked Cinzia up from school today, she had an ear-to-ear grin. I thought she was just…read morehappy to see me. Then I noticed her Hello Kitty backpack was being dragged along side her and she was covered in shiny new buckles and straps. As was every other kid in her class. Every year, since 1996, second graders at Hidden Valley (and the other four elementary schools in Martinez) are blessed with the gift of a brand new backpack filled with school supplies, a program sponsored by Masonic Lodge #41.

Came here for my cousin's Baby Shower this place is beautiful on the inside and outside, it has a…read morelot of history. The inside was very spacious it had two bathrooms and a full kitchen along with a bar a stage and a dance floor, there was so much room which was a great thing cause we have a huge family. The baby shower turned out amazing delicious food and drinks and you know when alcohol is involved and we haven't seen each other in a while we turnt up lol. If you are planning a wedding or baby shower or a birthday and want it to be amazing book this place you will not be disappointed.

IMHO We came here…read morefor a private event, a family baby shower. This venue is huge! Before entering the building, a nice security guard greeted us and gave us options to get to the second floor, either elevator or stairs. We chose the wooden stairs! The whole venue has a cool, rustic feel with its wood and brick facades. My first impression was that they must've just freshly varnished the entire floor because that's what it smelled and looked like. Thankfully the smell didn't overtake the venue. The floor looked great! LOL The family did all the decorating and provided the food. There is a small kitchen to do prep work. In the back there is a long bar area and a small stage. Table and chair storage holders are big and cumbersome and can't be camouflaged during your event. Bathrooms were slightly dated but brightly lit. They should update their bathroom stall latches to something other than hook and eye closures. Overall, a nice spacious area for your event.

Great location, friendly owners, great wine. The scenery is beautiful. Have a wonderful time each…read moreand every time.

We had the privilege of having our wedding at Bhachu Vineyards recently and if I could give a 100…read morestars, I would. The property is magical and my husband and I feel so fortunate that we were able to have our ceremony and reception there. Not only is the venue beautiful, Barbara and Dave Bhachu are the most gracious and generous owners/hosts you could ever work with. They went above and beyond in responding to questions, offering suggestions and directing and assisting on the day of the event. This is a place I selfishly want to keep secret but I also want to provide the most glowing recommendation because it was the perfect setting for our special day. Also- their wines are excellent and will be booking another private tasting in the near future.

This is the place you want to have your next function at! My girl got married ladt weekend and…read moreeverything was a hit....a little crazy...but mostly fabulous. I wish I had taken more pics to highlight the facilities but let me tell you this one of the best community centers Ive been to. Ample parking, hugh kitchen with mulitple refridgerators, dining and dance floor areas, dressing rooms and restrooms. Best days to rent ..Fridays or Sundays.....check it out for yourself. Ciao for now....

My first time attending an event at this venue and what a beautiful venue! Located in Pleasant…read moreHill, next to a police station but also a near an outside area that has a gazebo. They have a pavilion area, dance floor, mirrors, tall ceilings and huge windows. I attended a 50th birthday, parking was easy, they had a kitchen, staff was super friendly and helped with the garbage when it got full. I bet it gets busy trying to rent out this venue for events but I enjoyed it and if you're looking for a venue in the East Bay/Concord area, this is a great spot!

As much as I love the space the the pricing of this venue, I cannot in good conscience suggest this…read morevenue to anyone. TL;DR - Great price, but do not book unless you want to chance it with the incompetent management. Carol is in way over her head. I saw older reviews of her being difficult to work with and gave her the benefit of the doubt. I wish I hadn't. I first contacted the Arsenal in January and set up a tour. I was told to call upon my arrival so that she could come and unlock the venue and show is around. I did so, multiple times, but Carol did not answer. My fiance and I walked the grounds for 20 minutes or so when Carol finally texted me to let me know that she was in Oakland and stuck in traffic and would not be back in time for our tour. I decided to reschedule, but was annoyed that she did not let me know soon that she was going to be late. When she got back into town, she offered to run the venue if we weren't too far and we agreed. The venue was lovely and the price was great. I signed my contract February 2nd and paid the initial deposit and started planning the rest of my wedding around this, including buying the invitations and booking other vendors. A full TWO MONTHS later, and less than six months before our wedding, Carol emailed me saying, "Unfortunately due to an oversight beyond our control that date was previously reserved." Meaning, she had double booked our date and that we no longer had a reception venue. She blamed it on getting a new computer system and phone and that the technician didn't properly transfer the dates, but how this wasn't discovered until two months after we signed a contract and paid a deposit is beyond me, but is CERTAINLY not beyond their control, since the bare minimum of their business model is to book their venue for requested dates and make sure requested dates are available before booking. I am devastated and currently scrambling to find another venue less than 6 months from my wedding in a year where all postponed weddings are finally being held. Carol turned my wedding planning bliss into a stressful nightmare and I may have to postpone my own wedding by at least three weeks if I cannot find a venue available on the same date.

Our daughter recently got married at this venue. It was terrific!!!…read moreEach of our 180 guests for a sit down buffet dinner raved about the place. One of the main reasons is the historic charm of the building. The other reason is that most of our guest had never been there before (or even heard of it!) making it a special memory. And lastly, it has three areas/rooms which make it feel quite spacious. The main room is a perfect size for 18 round tables that fit 10 people each plus a small sweetheart table, d.j. tables and a round small cake table. My daughter used black tablecloths (mother gasped at first) and they looked stunning in the room due to the high ceilings and painted white brick and cute white wooden chairs. We had a d.j. and there was plenty of room for dancing. The bar area is also a great size and we had a present table, an appetizer table and a photo booth in the corner with a table for the guest book. It was a nice place to come and chat when the music got too loud! The buffet table for dinner was able to be in an inside hallway that allowed for great traffic flow and the food didn't have to take up room in the main room or bar room. The grounds right outside the room are nice with a large fountain. The area around the arsenal is old, somewhat industrial and funky with little shops. My only complaint is that it is a little hard to find the entrance to the building (and it happened to be raining)...but that makes it more a treasure when you find it! None of our guests complained about it. And my daughter who paid for this venue said it was very reasonable! I can't remember the caretakers name, but he and his daughter were very accommodating. It's a little off the beaten path, but not too far from Concord/Pleasant Hill (about 20 Min) and definitely worth the drive!!

Really amazing place, amazing cars, and truly amazing staff. Don't miss out on this place…read moreseriously. Don't listen to that guy Grigor with the bad review he sounds like a real loser. I will be back to the Cobra Experience forsure!

This is one of the coolest car-related things I've ever done…read more The Cobra Experience (which is a non-profit) periodically has an event called "What's That Third Pedal For?" This event which happens bi-monthly provides an eclectic group of cars with a variety of transmissions to learn on. I had not driven a manual transmission car for at least 9 years (when I had parked a vintage Porsche 911 during a previous job - BOY that had a heavy clutch) and for $30.50 ($15.50 if you're between 15-20), this was an absolute no brainer! The cars provided today were a Nissan Pathfinder Northwest Edition, 2005 Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z51 package, 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350 289 HiPo, and a Superformance Shelby Cobra reproduction - not just any reproduction but the one that was used on-screen in Ford Vs. Ferrari(!!!). The course is designed to have participants get the chance to drive each car around a designated area surrounding the museum for 2 laps after receiving an initial ride-along lap with the instructor beforehand and parking in the designated 'pit' area to swap seats. This included multiple stop/starts to practice clutch release, upshifting and downshifting. All the cars appeared to be well-cared for and the instructors were super patient and helpful. My goal for this was to see if I could get through it without stalling. Not only did I manage this goal even with the GT350 and Cobra having no power brakes/power steering and super-heavy clutches, but all 4 instructors gave me high marks. What an absolute treat, and on top of that they gave each participant schwag bags filled to the brim and even a poster! WOW! I highly recommend this event alone as if you are looking to practice stick-shift. It's a fantastic way to do so in a safe, controlled environment as well as potentially drive special cars as a bonus for a very reasonable price. I'll definitely go back to the museum soon for a visit. Thank you to everyone the Cobra Experience, this was AWESOME!