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B412 - CLOSED
Categories: Nightlife Bars Nightlife Dance Clubs Bars, Dance Clubs [Edit]
412 Emerson StPalo Alto, CA 94309
(650) 326-7183
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- DJ
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- Yes
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Ages Allowed:
- 21+
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
239 reviews for B412
Review Highlights
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"Love the back patio with the house music." In 41 reviews -
"The outdoor patio is awesome." In 30 reviews -
"Went for the wine tasting event on the back patio." In 3 reviews
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239 reviews in English
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Review from Jackie T.
Manhattan, NY
1/18/2012
Fun night on University Ave in Palo Alto. I always go to this bar when vising the area because of the great DJs, strong reasonably priced drinks, and cool, lounge/patio area. During my past visits, they've played hip hop in doors, and techno/dance outside on the patio. I love all types of music so its nice to have some variety. There's usually a ten dollar cover, but thanks to my friend, who's family with the bouncers, we get in for free, which is a huge plus.
The only downside are the crowds. On saturday nights, I'm pretty sure this place is breaking some sort of capacity/fire code. The bathroom lines are long, and it gets pretty stuffy inside. But this is what you should expect when going to a trendy lounge. Thankfully this place has a good size patio if you need to escape the stuffy crowd indoors. Beware though- like any other bar, there are plenty of smokers. So if your sensitive to nicotine, consider this a warning. -
Review from Zha L.
4/16/2011 1 photo
$10 cover charge at Palo Alto downtown? You have got to be kidding me. Who does that?! And cash only at all bars? Now you're just playing dirty!
I honestly want to like B412, but I don't think I ever will. Even though it's convenient and the closest thing to a club... it can stress you out! You need to be in the guest list and arrive before 10pm if you don't want to pay the cover charge. It's $5 if you arrive a little later.. and $10 if you arrive too late.
Their dance floor is small with pillars between the bar and the tables. It can get crowded and stuffy to the point of grossness. However, I do like the outdoor patio in the back. It's more open and has a larger bar.The crowd is a mix, and the DJs are alright. -
Review from Elizabeth S.
Sunnyvale, CA
2/20/2011
I've been here about once a month for the last year and always have fun. The security, and staff in general is great.
However, there are couple things that really need help. The seating area inside used for bottle service absolutely reeks of cocktail spillage and cleaned up puke. I am reminded every time I want to sit there at the end of the night to meet my friends to leave after the lights go on. The outdoor patio is nice except for THE OLD CRAPPY BRICK PATIO. This is the biggest problem for me and all my girlfriends since the house music is played outdoors. This patio wrecks your stilettos heels. When will they pay some money to have some mortar/cement grout put in between the bricks so stilettos don't get caught in between bricks and heels ruined?? -worst outdoor dance floor ever -
Review from Emily Z.
San Jose, CA
Updated - 5/3/2011
How can you not have a sign that WARNS people about a CASH ONLY night??
Why would you need to arrive before 10pm for free entrance?? OHHHH is it so that you end being stuck inside having to cash out at the ATM to pay for your drinks all night? Ridiculous!!!
I would rather pee outside than to go into their nasty and disgusting bathroom.
Other than the awesome music and the roominess of the outside area, I don't know why I keep coming back willingly.
The only other thing that was remotely interesting was a crazy fight that broke out and I witness a grown ass man punched one of his lady friends in the face.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/2/2011
Some highlights:
*The name is very creative!
*Big outside area in the back
*Good size bars
Some low… Read more »
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Review from Stephanie W.
Chicago, IL
2/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wine and cupcake tasting pairing? Yes, please!
Boyfriend and I came here for an event last night courtesy of Yelp. Though we didn't try anything off the regular menu or from the bar, the wine tasting and cupcake pairing (with Sprinkles cupcakes) was super yummy.
Evidently B412 organizes events like this every month or two, and the ticket price is only $15-20, an incredible value for upwards of 15 tasting pours, three lovely little cupcakes, and a spread of cheese, crackers, chips, salsa, guacamoles, bruschetta, and nuts.
Our two favorite pairings were the Fortino Almond Champagne with the Strawberry cupcake and the Astrale e Terra Syrah with the Red Velvet cupcake. They also did a drawing for a dozen free cupcakes if you wrote down your favorite pairing and email address.
I would definitely recommend!Listed in: Date Night Around the Bay
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Review from Yang Q.
12/13/2010
$10 cover for a place that's a little bigger than a giant living room? No thanks. There is a nice outdoor patio area, but they play house music. If you want top 40s, you have to stay inside. A whole bunch of drunk people grinding in a small ass space = hot mess. Or just, mess.
I still had fun, but just not worth the cover.Listed in: You like to drink, so do we
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Review from Christine V.
Redwood City, CA
Updated - 1/9/2011 4 photos
Pretty much don't come here to eat dinner. We came for a friends birthday and had the whole place to ourselves for dinner but it was FREEZING in there. We were eating dinner with our jackets on. It was pretty bad. They claimed they were having problems with their heating system. The food was ok and service was fine. Drinks werent too expensive.
Love the back patio with the house music. They play really good music and I love to dance. It's a good thing they have heating lamps too otherwise I dont think i could have stayed there for very long. Inside gets a little too packed for my liking so we stayed out back the whole night.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/29/2007
I loved this place when it was F&A's. Now they charge $10 to get in! It's pretty ridiculous, so if… Read more »
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Review from Amanda G.
2/17/2011
I was here for a Nirvino wine tasting, Sprinkles cupcake pairing last night. It was the second Nirvino tasting event i have attended here, (both times I got free tickets through Yelp. Thank you Yelp!)
I was VERY underwhelmed by the first event i went to several months ago, but last night was great.
The staff was pleasant, bathrooms were clean, and due to the powers that be allowing less people in, it wasn't crowded and chaotic like last time.
The space is lovely, with different areas of seating, and tables.
Although the "bites" that were offered were basic cheese, crackers, chips, salsa, and bruschetta, they were kept refilled. I only had a few tortilla chips, since we were planning on getting dinner after.
I really appreciated that they gave everyone tickets for their mini cupcakes. I heard they had run out very quickly last time, (which is no surprise.) Therefore, this system was put in place, and it was a success! It would be a great idea if Yelp would do something like this at their events. -
Review from Steven C.
12/7/2010 2 Check-ins Here
I only ever goto B412 for the nightlife on Friday/Saturdays since it strikes a balance between a not too crazy night if me & co. are too lazy to head up to SF. I suppose Bistro 412 is the formal name but that would involve a review of the restaurant portion that's listed elsewhere on Yelp.
For people looking for a good time out, a night that can go from chill to crazy without traveling too far from South Bay, B412 is probably the perfect compromise. Definitely go with friends.
There's two areas for music, inside is always hip hop whereas the outside usually plays House or whatever the night's promotion group has planned. Interior bar can get really packed since the small-medium sized dance floor is next to it, as well as their bottle service tables. Drinks are usually $10 and I've always thought bottle service at B412 is excessive.
Outdoor area has two bars and a few tables, the bar in the far back is a lot nicer and better stocked. Before B412 became so popular, the tables were actually open to anyone that was tired of standing and no music was played outside, allowing people to actually lounge and chat. It's more of a small club vibe now.
Guestlist can usually be found through their Facebook page as long as you find the right event date & promotion group. Cover is $10 usually past 11pm if you don't make guest list.
Not a bad venue, just wish it wasn't so packed nowadays, but good for them now that it's pretty popular. -
Review from Fraulein C.
Santa Clara, CA
10/23/2010
My first low rated review for the year.
My boyfriend and I wanted to throw his birthday at a nice venue outside of San Jose, since most of his partying is always spent there. He figured San Francisco was a far drive for himself and friends to dance and drink. So, we opted to choose B412. I should have known from the beginning, poor management.
We contacted the phone number provided on their website. WARNING! They're website is well under construction, so you could only call or email them for inquiries based on bottle service, food, and price details if they had any cover charge, etc. Of course, they had no information on their menu and business hours. Yes, it was just their email, phone number and street address.
First phone call attempt, kept ringing and ringing with no response and/or voicemail/answering machine. Tried to call a second time around hoping they were too early to contact at 11am (thinking they are a restaurant, so they should be open for lunch hours), so we called at a later time in the evening (promptly dinner time hours). Of course, they did not pick up the phone.
Worried we wouldn't be able to get a hold of them by phone, decided to email them. Checked email everyday for two weeks, hoping I would receive a response back. In my digress, no feedback or anything!
Upset for the time spent in contacting someone, I was smart enough to find them on Facebook. YES! Facebook! Left a message asking for someone to contact me. Their only response I received, "Email us at the following address that's left on our website." Utterly, I've been nothing but patient to simply contact management for little details.
Doesn't stop there, my boyfriend and I, drove all the way to Palo Alto just to drop in and speak to someone. When we arrived, they were closed!! Of course we wouldn't know when they're open. THEIR WEBSITE DOES NOT CLARIFY THEIR BUSINESS HOURS!
After all these many attempts, I definitely do not recommend coming here if you plan on celebrating an occassion, if nobody cares. -
Review from Cat C.
I think my coworkers wanted to come here early to avoid the cover charge...and there was no way in hell I was paying cover! Half of us ate here at a table which later turned out to be for bottle service...yet no one sat in the booth the entire time we were there. My Enchiladas Gringos($9) were so damn bland! They were supposed to have chicken in them too, but I mostly saw & tasted a bunch of veggies. We did arrive before 9, and luckily the kitchen was still able to serve us, but our food took awhile to come out. One of the girls that ordered the same thing agreed with me, and she had some grisly chicken pieces in hers. The other, however enjoyed her chicken burrito.
The outside patio reeked of fertilizer. House plays on the patio & more top 40's inside. One of my co-worker's Long Island Iced Tea was just straight up booze, not mixed well at all. My Blue Hawaiian was alright. This club is definitely for older folks....cougars, silver foxes, and a 40 year old virgin or two! But, it's Palo Alto, I expected it!
I guess this place is only awesome for Yelp parties (last year's Ugly Sweater Holiday Bash), but what can I say, we came here out of love for one of co-workers.Listed in: No Thanks!!
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Review from Cathy N.
Redwood City, CA
2/16/2011 23 photos
Although this venue needs a lot of work in terms of the interior. The Main Lounge, I suggest, the booths needs to be replaced and/or a little deep cleaning to get rid of the smell of old alcohol spilled since the new ownership. The bricks outside on the Skyview Patio is in dire need to get re-bricked, I say.
Other than that, I love the nightlife events here. The security is firm but understanding as long as you don't disrespect them. I get along with all of them. It probably helps the friendship as I am a nightlife photographer that covers that venue a whole lot.
The bartenders are spectacular! They take care of you if you remember to take care of them first time around. So tip 'em... at all times!
I'm currently locked in with 2 promoters that throws their event here every 1st Fridays & 1st Saturdays of the month.
1st Fridays are very diverse, fun and concentrates on both Hip-Hop, Top 40, Mash-Ups, Dance, Electro & Commercial House music. I've been doing photo coverage since 2009 and I can assure you, they sure do know how to throw a fun filled night!
2nd Saturdays are classy and an upscale event mainly focuses on House music on the Patio. Bring out your sexiest and glamorous dresses ladies; this is the spot to be scene at on a Saturday night in Palo Alto!
Overall, if you live around the Palo Alto area, I do recommend this spot. It is the only spot in Downtown Palo Alto where you can experience different types of music at one venue. -
Review from Kimberlee H.
Fremont, CA
11/23/2010
Wanted to spend a weekend with a different crowd. My girls and I were thinking... hmm upperclass men who wouldn't mind spending a few bucks on a drink for us? So we decided to hit up B412 in Palo Alto.
We get there, and there was cops parked all around. I figured, okay, well it's in a nice area, so there must be cops to control the crowd or catch any drunk drivers. We get to the front, and had to get in line. Two minute wait, no big deal. As soon as we got IN the door, like literally, ONE step, I was massacred by a bunch of horny males and females drenched in perfume and cologne all sweaty, being sandwiched left and right trying to get through. Really? Don't you guys have a MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY?!
I did like the layout. Dance floor, bar, patio, bar. Bathrooms were DISGUSTING. Common, for being in an upperclass shopping center, couldn't at least get DECENT clean bathrooms with doors that weren't BROKEN? Typical $4 beer. And the crowd, totally not what we expected. Can I say a little mix of GHETTO? Don't get me wrong, but I'm not down with the whole "brotha" crowd licking their lips and grabbing their nutsacks and then reaching out for my arm when I walk by. Ugh, gross.
Some girl got so drunk and nearly fell on me before she landed face first on the hard concrete floor. Ridiculous. I liked the music. They played pop/hip-hop. A lot of guys here (the ghetto ones) liked to stand around and stare around, kind of creeped me out. It was alright. I'd choose going to a bar over going to this place again. -
Review from Darryl P.
Sacramento, CA
9/13/2010
I have been here twice now and both times have been a WTF experience. How some of the employees here still have a job is a joke. From bouncers picking fights with club goers to bartenders dropping food and serving it to customers. I've seen with my own eyes! It is sickening.
The drinks are pricey and are average tasting. I had a friend spend about $20 for a drink and I spent around $21 for a beer, a cocktail and a ginger ale which was actually a mix of sprite and coke.
There are so many other places to hang out in the area. -
Review from Thuy H.
Updated - 3/22/2011
First of all, I'd like to say "THE BATHROOMS AREN'T THAT BAD PEOPLE!"
Second of all, I'd like to say "$10 cover charge? That's dumb."
I took off two stars because it's ridiculous trying to get a hold of the people for the lounge. Does guestlist even exist here? I'm beginning to think not! I emailed them and recieved no response. Called the number a few times and NOTHING.
Was here on Friday, and you know what? My friends and I had fun. Definitely not a place I'd come back often to, but once in awhile, it isn't so bad. I like the music inside (hip hop) and outside (house). The heating lamps and tent in the outdoors patio was a good break away from the inside every now and then.
And PLENTY of parking is always a thumbs up.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/19/2009
No bouncer at the door to check ID 1 star
Opened spaced patio in the back 1 star
Dark lighting in… Read more »
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Review from Jennifer L.
San Francisco, CA
11/30/2010
This place just does not do it for me. The only reason that I had a great time here though was because it was the night before Thanksgiving and all my friends were back home for the holiday.
I had only been out in Palo Alto once before, despite having grown up here. I have spent my entire 21+ year in San Diego, so I was nervous / excited about trying out the night life in back here at home.
Put simply, I was severely let down. the drinks were insanely expensive ($7 for a the size of a southwest airlines water cup filled with way too much ice) I can get twice the amount for 12 bucks at an ultra lounge in San Diego downtown without a cover. I don't understand why anyone would ever buy a table / bottle service here because it's not even that nice. I also don't understand why anyone would want to pay cover to get into this place. I definitely went before 10 o clock, left, and then came back later.
I also agree with what other people have said about the bouncers being on a power trip. It is sooo unnecessary. It wasn't like people were falling over in line or acting too drunk. I don't know. This place was really strange, despite my fab time here. -
Review from Tiffanie P.
Fremont, CA
12/20/2010
B412 aka Bistro 412...
We bought a table for a friend's birthday and still had to pay $5 p/person just to get in the door and we waited in line... in the rain. There was no special VIP which makes me think that the $350 we spent on 1 bottle plus the extra $50 we had to pay for the ten people at our table, really just isn't worth it. The dance floor is small, but the outside patio area is a great hang out spot during the warmer months. The patio bar is adjacent to the restrooms too and on those chilly evenings they have a few of those heat lamps set up. Overall it's a chill spot with a-ok dj's usually spinning Top40. Definitely disappointed by the service, and be prepared to step foot into cramped quarters. This place is small! Drinks range from $8-12 at the bar, and be prepared, they're light on the liquor. -
Review from Scott L.
Mountain View, CA
2/19/2011
Caveat: This review is only written for the many, many events I continually go to. 2.5-3 stars.
The long bar does make it easy to order... what little food I've had here has been passable, but not memorable either way. Maybe that's a good thing. LOL Cuz I don't think they make it there, unless it's warmed up in a microwave.
The space itself has long since been freshened up and the staff is very competent and polite. My biggest "thank god" comment is that the bathrooms don't reek like the old SJSU field bathrooms did before their remodel. I know it's been this way for a while, but....
Why do I bring this up? As it's in Palo Alto, more is expected and to me even though it's still an uptick from F&A, they still need to kick it up a notch. To me it's just a big empty space that gets hot too easily and an outside spot that's nice to escape to... unless there's far too many people smoking. For most events, not a problem... but during the clubbing hours, it must be excessive. -
Review from Victoria T.
San Jose, CA
4/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
B412 my 3rd time back & its been awhile. $10 cover charge and I'm a girl?!?! Foreals?!?!??! Whatever.. the main room was the hip hop area and the back outside played dance/ house music.
My preference was being outside since I love dance music, but last night I was on a date and it was his friends birthday. So, I did have a good time just wished I was a bit more intoxicated throughout the evening. I would only come back if my friends were throwing something but to go out of my way and hang out here not really. -
Review from Adrienne H.
Palo Alto, CA
1/26/2011
I haven't been to this place as a club, so I can't comment on that, although I agree that it seems really weird to have a velvet rope/bottle service kind of place in Palo Alto. I went to an event hosted here awhile ago & wasn't super impressed with the space. I did like the plush seating areas, although I would imagine you have to pay to sit there when its operating as a nightclub. It didn't work well for the event that was being hosted there. The area where the food was set up was very small and ended up being incredibly crowded and there wasn't enough space to stand around and talk. I think we had too many people for the space. I don't think it would work well for more than about 30-40 people, and even that might be pushing it.
In addition, they catered some appetizers for our group, which were very mediocre. They also didn't label anything and after we had one piece of cheese quesadilla, we went back to get another one, only to bite into it & discover that it was, in fact, a shrimp quesadilla (I'm allergic). It seems really weird not to label things, especially when you're putting out something that looks identical to what was out before but has different ingredients and when there are so many vegetarians/people with allergies. I definitely wouldn't recommend the food, based on what we had. -
Review from Tisha K.
9/15/2010 1 Check-in Here
This place is such a joke. Remembering it puts a bad taste in my mouth.
From ridiculously rude bartenders with less-than-par mixology skills to pathetic pig-headed bouncers picking fights with customers, I really have nothing more to say that Sandeep R. and Darryl P. haven't said already. Do yourself a favor - if you absolutely must visit this venue, stick to a simple drink like a liquor on the rocks, a beer or a simple cocktail. Their martini's are VILE. I never waste liquor but I couldn't even make myself finish their sorry excuse for a classic martini.
As has been previously mentioned by many a Yelper: please note that there are much better places to visit in Downtown Palo Alto to spend your cash than at this farce of a joint. Save yourself the grief and the disgust and go elsewhere!Listed in: AVOID, YOU HUMANOID!
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Review from Elaine N.
7/26/2010
I came her with my friends on a Saturday night. It was crowded and very stuffy. The dance floor is small and there is barely room for you to move around. They have an outdoor where people could get some fresh air and dance to house music, but it is not that great.
They also have a cover of $10, but if you are on the guest list, then it is $5. I don't get why they even stamp your hands if there is not coming in or out of the place. -
Review from Chris C.
10/18/2010
Came here for a friend's birthday party. Drinks are pricey as expected but was pretty disappointed at the guest list cutoff time. I got there a few minutes late and had to get in through the regular line. I've never had their food either but their outside patio area is pretty cool if only less loung-y because the music is just as loud outside as it is inside. I would have liked to see a more chill atmosphere on the patio for shmoozing separate from the dance floor inside.
Also dress code is misleading. I felt way overdressed in a button-down as there were people there in oversized polos. -
Review from Melanie C.
San Jose, CA
1/15/2011
Cover charge of $10. Drinks tasted strong/not great, but for some reason the Long Island didn't kick in as quickly as we're used to and we had to get shots to go with it.
We tried dancing on the edge of the crowd, but the constant stream of people heading to the back got annoying. We worked ourselves more toward the middle.
The crowd seemed ok, but for any club, the deciding factor for me is music. Some of the songs that we liked, the DJ put on for maybe 10 seconds before changing it. Some of it didn't feel danceable. Eventually once the drinks kicked in, we made do, but some of the transitions were awkward and the music was not really our preference. -
Review from Howard L.
San Jose, CA
2/18/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Came here the other night for a friend of a friend's birthday. Never made it to see that friend, but my group of friends had a blast...from what we remember..
The line moved pretty quickly, however they even charge 5 dollars for guestlist. Who do they think they are charging guestlist! Anyway, indoors they play top 40, and it gets pretty hot as its small, but there is an outdoor patio. Outside has a large bar, and a DJ spinning house music. It was pretty cold that night but once the alcohol started flowing it didnt bother any of us.
Outside, they also sell food when you have the munchies. One of our friends didnt eat dinner, so he bought a few quesadillas to eat before he started with the shots. Good plan! The one downside of the outside patio is...the smokers. Yea i have smoker friends, but the smoke gets overwhelming at some point..nothing you can really do about that though.
Nothing else to say aside from the name stayed true...before 12..thats all i seem to remember..... -
Review from Flor D.
10/9/2008 1 Check-in Here
F&A's...Fannie & Alexander...what happened?
A little makeup and a new name, and suddenly you are too goo for me?
Waited in line on Friday (mind you-I don't do lines) and then gave up. For some reason, this joint likes to have people WAIT outside in 2 lines to maybe make itself look busy...who knows? Music sounded good...next time....just let me in...I have some bumping and grinding to do!
We shall be back! -
Review from Dano G.
6/5/2009
Do you like to wear "designer" jeans with loud back pocket designs, and even tattoo-ish designs beginning on the back and ending up on the leg? Are they boot-cut?
Do you like to wear t-shirts made by brand names that are supposedly made for MMA fighters? Or do you wear t-shirts with tattoo designs on them? Do they have that "bedazzled" look? Are they overly done and finished with sequins and shiny metal studs?
Are your shoes pointy-tipped? Are they mock cowboy boots? Do they also have cool tattoo style designs on them?
When you roll up your long sleeved dress shirt, with the many syllabled word you never use in daily vernacular embroidered across the back, does your super cool "sleeve" tattoo show and impress all the ladies?
Does your chest hair peek out from the top half of your unbuttoned collared shirt with the doilie-worthy embroidery?
If so, you are a douchebag.
And you should go here. -
Review from Dennis O.
2/18/2010
I've been here a couple of times and its not during the weekends so I can't say much about crowd or the entertainment.
I do like the big open space in front of the bar. Its a little strange to have all these beams in the middle but I guess that's how this place was made. It messes up the view on whoever is performing if you're sitting by the bar.
The open area at the back also looks good, it was a little cold so I didn't stay out there longer. No heatlamps were turned on.
I think this place needs an experienced bar manager since the bartenders are easily 'addled' when a good-sized crowd comes in. Come to think of it, I came here on a weeknight, must be weak if it was a friday or a saturday. -
Review from Helen C.
San Jose, CA
Updated - 5/10/2009
Second time around was even worse! This will be my last time there... fosho!
Horrible front door service. Once again, good luck telling them you are on a guest list. What a waste of time! The place is way too bright. Also, the music SUCKS!
Mark my words! I won't be there B412 or After12 again. End of story.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/13/2009
The last time I checked, this was PA, not SF or NYC. So how does this place get away with charging… Read more »
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Review from Tracy T.
San Francisco, CA
2/24/2009
There is a bar outside, bar inside, a small dance floor inside and patio seating/tables outside. It's a cozy little place and a great break from SJ, different crowd/vibe/music. For once, I felt like a minority (for that day, that is). It could be good or bad, but a nice change. I remember the drinks were strong and they were still serving alcohol minutes or seconds before closing, how cool is that?
P.S. They have a Pizza My Heart that opens late and is within the vicinity.Listed in: Clubs, Bars, and Lounges
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Review from Trinity G.
Fremont, CA
10/28/2010
The last time I was here, I apparently had a fantastic time. Too bad I don't remember any of it.
If you rent the VIP section you get half of the top floor, complete with bottle service, a lounge area and a pool table. I couldn't tell you what the music was like, but I'm sure I still danced to it. I remember the drinks being pretty decent, and it wasn't too difficult getting service at the bar.
Would I come back? Sure, why not.Listed in: Wild Nights with Maxine
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Review from Molly M.
San Francisco, CA
8/14/2009
OK, so I went here to hear some house music becauseI knew Taj was going to be playing. Overall the place was pretty cool, decent sound system, nice set up in the back, outside patio and plenty of room. The inside was of course hip hop and it was disgusting. I did, however have a few issues with this place:
* The lighting in the back was horrible. Someone kept turning these bright lights on that were blinding.
* The security were rude and they kept making the DJ turn the music down, which I get but I'm just saying!
* There was no where to sit unless you paid for a "VIP" table.
* Also, the crowd of people there were kinda weird and very young, or maybe I am just getting older, lol.
* Bar staff were very slow
Nevertless, I appreciate the fact that there even playing house music and much props to the promoters for exposing Palo Alto to some quality dance music! -
Review from Brandon T.
Portland, OR
9/13/2010 1 Check-in Here
How this business survives in Palo Alto is beyond me...
I have to admit that the two bar set up is pretty cool. They have an indoor bar and an outdoor bar. Inside has a bunch of very nice benches/booths along the wall and outside has plenty of standing/dancing room. Unfortunately the list of pros ends there.
Twice when we ordered drinks the bartenders asked us what they were even though we were ordering cocktails from the menu. How can the bartenders not even know what cocktails their bar offers?
The food is way overpriced for what you get, especially the tequila shrimp. $10 got us four very small shrimp and a tiny slice of bread cut into two pieces. When we ordered calamari the person serving us dropped the dish and then proceeded to pick up the pieces and put them into a plastic cup before bringing them to the table. No apology was given, no refund was issued and no extra calamari was brought out even though we lost more than half of what was on the plate to begin with. As for the quesadilla, it consists of one tortilla, folded in half and sliced into four pieces served with days old guac and at room temp. -
Review from Aivy C.
7/14/2008
This place actually deserves 4 stars for the venue, but I am docking 3 for the ill-mannered rhino in an off-the-rack cream suit that was manning the door on Saturday. We arrived a few minutes after guest list closed, and as I used to work in clubs, I generally know the protocol - if you don't get there on time, and the promoters aren't your friends, then too bad so sad.
For the record, I wasn't trying to NOT pay (admission was $10, which isn't bad at all considering this was a really nice place and I've paid more for lower-quality venues in the city), I was merely trying to bypass the line since we were there for a private party.
I guess instinctively I kind of stood on my tiptoes, trying to look past him into the club - when he RUDELY got in my face (which wasn't hard, his head was twice the size of mine) and barked, "I don't care who you're waving at back there, you're going to wait in the same line."
Bitch please, you're like 3 feet wide, there's no way I could possibly be waving at anyone let alone actually see who I would theoretically be waving at.
The line wasn't a big deal, and neither was paying admission, but that experience left a bad taste in my mouth, especially after hearing that some friends who had arrived BEFORE 11 PM had also been forced to cough up cash.
Nice venue, great DJ's, but that other guy has got to go. And FYI, anyone over 250 pounds who doesn't live in Miami should probably lay off sheer colors. I'm just saying. -
Review from Laura S.
4/7/2010
I remember when this place was F&A's. Too bad it's not anymore.
This seems to be the only place in downtown Palo Alto that has the ghetto downtown San Jose crowd/kind of vibe. You know what I'm talking about.
$10 cover? Hah, you're kidding right? Psh, no thanks. Stuffy inside, crowded with creeps that seem to be observing drunk girls, and it has a funny odor.
When I don't want to drive all the way up to the city from San Jose, I'd like to be able to go to a nice, fun place in downtown Palo Alto, but I will not be coming back (and I haven't been back for months, thankfully). I left San Jose to escape that crowd, not to party with it in PA. But if you're looking for that, then by all means, enjoy B412. -
Review from Christina C.
San Francisco, CA
10/24/2010
Mehhh because of three things: Dance floor is way too small!!! I do like how there are two dance "floors" - one inside and one outside, but the one inside is way too small given that it's the one with all the pop/hip hop music. Secondly, there is a lack of diversity in the dance crowd, but that may be because a lot of the people there are Stanford students. And I'm pretty sure I saw a guy on top of a girl in one of the "VIP" lounges. I just don't want to see that when I'm bumping to some music. Shouldn't the bouncer do something?
Anyway, overall, it was meh. -
Review from Tina N.
12/2/2008
B412 is a pathetic attempt for an alternative clubbing joint in the South Bay!!!!
B412 use to be called F&A's (that place was chill!) but now it's home to all the would-be clubbers who can't make it to SF and who think they're too good for downtown SJ (true though, dtsj is ghetto!).
There's a mix of the same ghetto-ness you find in Downtown SJ (ah snap, they found the place), some college grads, working professionals, to euro/middle eastern douche bags!!! Let's just say, a fight or 2 broke out that night!
If you're not on the guestlist or arrive late (which we did, at around midnight), you'll have to pay cover (cash only), which was like $20 a person!! Depending if it's crowded or not, I'm sure the cover changes.
THE ENTIRE STAFF at b412 SUCKED to the bouncers, who seemed nice at first until they let in a bunch of losers cut the line, to the bored/impatient hostess at the door, to the slow-witted bartenders who obviously couldn't tell who was waiting the longest and instead, judged by how big your boobs were and whether or not you would flash him. (TRUE STORY!)
Drinks were moderately priced, served in plastic cups - nice!
Music was alright. Inside it was too hot to dance and outside, it was too crowded to move. The entire night I was wondering when the fire department would come and shut them down since they obviously hit max capacity and MORE!!
Outside they had a "patio" but it was too crowded to do anything! The ground was all rocky, NOT good for heels. They played house outside but there was no room to dance!
I still had an okay time and I probably caught B412 on an "off" night (annual d-bag meet up that night?) so I'm giving them 2 stars. Other than that, this place sucks.Listed in: For All You Clubrats, SF BAY AREA NIGHTLIFE
-
Review from Susan J.
San Francisco, CA
1/15/2011
B412? No thanks.
1. The bouncer is an ass. I asked if there was a cover one time (I didn't end up going inside), he grunted "$10" and didn't even look at me.
2. Went for a friend's birthday and she signed us up for the guest list, which means no cover before 10. I think we got there at...10:10? And they charged us all $5. To top it off, we were on the guest list so they put is in a different line. But they were only serving those in the other line, aka the non-guest list people while we stood there watching them file inside. Gee, if NOT being on guest list gets you inside faster, why didn't I think of that??
3. The crowd...is weird. Mix of older people, younger people, drunk cougars grinding on younger men. Not cool. It's too strange for me and not my type of club...or bar? I still can't figure that out. Which leads me to...
4. It's like they're trying too hard to be a club...but the inside is small and stuffy with about half the space devoted to bottle service. Which nobody buys. So you end up closing off all the empty booths and having a packed dance floor/bar.
5. The DJ inside was terrible. Just terrible.
6. The patio was alright. I like the house music. Less crowded, but still kind of gross.
Will not be going back. Plus it also doesn't help that at the end of the night, the only other place open is Pizza My Heart where all the drunk people migrate to continue their loud/drunkenness shebang. -
Review from Tracy Y.
Bay Area
10/18/2010
Came here after dinner and for some reason they were treating this place like a club. The bouncers here are not the nicest people and act like they're the shit. Um, seriously? I used to be a club promoter in SF and have been to many parties and I have never met such rude bouncers before besides at Suite 181. The funny part was that they were trying to be like Vegas clubs and let groups of girls skip go to the front of the (short) line.
Anyways...so once inside and hearing the music they were playing I knew it was going to be one of those nights where you need to be drunk to have fun. Lol. I mean, what were they playing? And they kept playing the same songs over and over again. I think I heard the same headache inducing song like three times in the hour and a half I was there.
On a good note though...drinks are only $8! I think that is the cheapest I've ever come across, but then again that means spending more to be able to charge it since they have a $20 minimum. But yea...despite the cheap drinks I don't think I will be back. Sorry B412....you just didn't do it for me. -
Review from Rachel S.
11/9/2010
I came here when it was F&A's...awhile ago. My experience then seemed better then than my current one. I was a few months pregnant, designated driver for a bunch of drunk friends...and I think I had a better time then than I did this past time. Weird. You'd think I'd have a not good time pregnant. Guess being sick is worse.
Saturday night, the boyfriend and I headed to B412 for two friend's birthdays. They had a table on the patio area. Well, first off, we arrived late...which wasn't the best plan on our part. Their regular line and "short line" is a joke. Why don't they have the "short line" to the left side? Who knows.
I went up to the guy in charge in the front by the door, because our friend told us to go to him and say our friends had a table. I went up to the "guy in charge of the not-moving line" and asked him where to go if our friends had a table. His response was "guestlist is closed". That's cool if I asked you about the guestlist, but I didn't. Let's try this multi-tasking again "My friend has a table, where do I go so I don't have to stand in this ridiculous line"? Bouncer: "EVERY0NE, CLEAR THE FR0NT". Thank you for answering my question douchebag.
We went to go stand in the long line again, I was getting irritated at this point. Then one of our friends came out front and he got us in the "short line"...yay [rolls eyes].
0f course, it was a $20 cover for the two of us and neither of us had cash...so I had to go in and use the ATM. It wasn't their fault that we didn't have cash, but honestly when the guy taking the cash says "HURRY UP PE0PLE". Really? Way to be rude, again. People at the front door are really on some kind of power trip.
We finally pushed our way through all of the drunken people grinding and spilling their drinks everywhere inside and made it to the table outside. I'm only giving this place two stars because the "table" was a big area. We were all able to sit down and talk and we were in good company with people.
Bottom line for my low rating -- the staff. They're on a power trip, especially on the front door. I promote events at many different venues throughout the Bay Area and I don't think that I've ever come across a bouncer staff as rude as these. This isn't Vegas, hell this isn't the city or San Jose, stop acting like it. It's a big bar that's trying to be a nightclub and no one in Palo Alto knows where else to go.
