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"I LOVE THIS PLACE! It is a total dive, but in the best way. The patrons are great, the bartender is awesome, the kj is good and the drinks…" read more »
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Summary based on several visits:
--cheap
--friendly staff
--generally people aren't jerks
--parking not that great
--upstairs is generally better
***sighs***
I've been generous enough to give 5 stars for this single solitary reason..... The Mallard has a baday!!!!!! The Mallard has heated toilet seats for my drunken butt!!!!
Ok I visited this place more times in 2 weeks then anyone should. My friend was preparing to leave for the Navy and this is his bar apparently. all in all it was a cool crowd, no problems what so ever. The bartenders are pretty friendly.... doubt they liked me too much..
Little did I know but my "friend" was seeing me and possibly a few of those bartenders...8)
Check it out sometime,...hey it's one of the few bars left that won't leave you broke...no cover and the drinks are good n strong. If all else fails there are pickled eggs and a long bearded guy name Ricky Bobby seated next to you..... Oh yea... interesting crowd...many different types in there!!! LOL good memories
People thought this was:
Since all of my home-buying friends have run screaming from the billion-dollar homes in SF, I find myself in the East Bay a lot more than I did before.
This bar is on the very un-walkable San Pablo Avenue, so you basically have to drive there and then find street parking. And then you have to stay sober enough to drive. Sucky. But once you're there, it's a lot of fun. A lot of the Berkeley bars (the ones I've been to, anyway) are packed with students and their accompanying student-y vibe, but this place doesn't have that.
Half mountain lodge (wood-paneling and animals on the wall) and half grass-hut tiki bar (torches and all), this place seemingly has something for everyone. Call it the poor man's love child of Bloodhound (http://www.bloodhounds...) and the Tonga Room at the Fairmont Hotel in SF.
It's pretty enormous; much bigger than it looks from the outside, with a cool outdoor patio and a pool table. Nice selection of beers on draught and plenty of hard-A. Great place for a party or for a drink while you're waiting for your pizza to get cooked.
People thought this was:
You know you have a good time somewhere when you end up accidentally stealing a glass. Sorry. I was drinking out of said glass this morning and remembered my time at the Mallard.
I really liked this place, but it seemed to have a bit of an identity crisis. The downstairs is relaxed, with a lovely winding bar, quick and funny bartenders, pool tables, and corners to sneak off to. I love the vibe, it's homey and full of regulars but without being exclusive. The Cali way. On the other hand, upstairs it's like a student union back-to-school mixer on speed. I'm an old so I planted myself downstairs and had a fandabulous time.
Come during the holidays, it's like Bing Crosby and Rudolph got busy up in this piece.
Awesome place, the best you can get on the north side of the east bay.
Friendly staff, quick service, comfortable seats, (girls always talk about the heated toilet seats).
Parking is not that bad, there is always a spot available on San Pablo I've never walked more than 2 blocks.
Top floor is more for talking and chilling bottom is a bit louder but you can still talk. The place is great and I do recommend going there with company or alone.
My neighborhood, afterwork, stress reliever bar. Love the bartenders. The atmosphere is great. Layed back people just looking to shoot pool and drink. My crowd! I prefer the upstairs. Jukebox music is funky and head-bobbing!
THE only watering hole in the east bay worth a damn.
Booze check.
toilets check
Smoking, Sooooper check!
Fuck, what's the point of drinkin' if ya' can't have a fag with it?
What? I smoked when I drank it ? ahhch well ya' know what I mean!
The drink an' the smoke (outside!)
OK.OK for all you Idiots an' PC'S' smoke outside Ya' see!Legal!
Damn, I'm goin' there right now!
People thought this was:
To do it right: $15
Club Mallard is another one of those San Pablo-located pseudo-sophisticated bars. Strangely, however, it is endearing. It's decorated like a hunting lodge (along with pool tables and bars), but it manages not to be horribly tacky. There are two floors: bottom floor for bar time and louder music, top floor for relaxed conversations (there's a bar up there too, of course). There's also a small patio area, which is cool, I suppose.
High Point: The Manhattan. Best one I've had in a while and only cost $4. Furthermore, the bartender took her time to properly rinse the martini glass and correctly transfer from the shaker through mesh. Impressively enough, she made this drink while also being quite friendly and absolutely gorgeous. Hurray for multi-tasking.
Low Point: The people. Saw two guys get chased through the bar by cops. Also, the woman who got up on the pool table upstairs showed way more than anyone ever wanted to see; traumatic.
Summary: Not a crazy party of a bar, but that's why you'll like it.
There is a comfortable place for everyone. The downstairs has a relaxed, lounge feel. The upstairs has pool tables and a tiki themed patio. It is like 3 or 4 bars in one.
The bartenders are always awesome, the drinks are great and you can easily spend all night relaxing on the patio. The hard part is convincing your friends to meet up for a drink in Albany.
Call me lazy, but I love this place cause its right down the street from my house! Seriously, I love the fact that they usually play rock downstairs, and hip-hop upstairs. I also like how they tend to play "old school" hits vs. mainstream crap. The juke box... gotta love it! Also the old school video games that they have. I love Kim the bar tender. She makes this pomegranate syrup that tastes amazing in a mojito, or a whisky sour!! The atmosphere is really laid back, and the people tend to be really chill. I would suggest going any day other than a Friday or Saturday, because that's when all the "loud, drunk girls who try to dress up to get a man" come. I mean seriously, The Mal?!?! Its a "dive bar"
If you were driving down the street of San Pablo Ave and thought to yourself, "Hey I can't wait to get over to Berkeley, I want a drink NOW!!!!!!" Well then your in luck!
Club Mallard is a shining neon beacon to the otherwise drab and monotonously uninviting collection of San Pablo Ave dive bars. Why?
1. The Mallard easily trumps the size of any other bar on the street. (Having a two floors of pool tables, each floor with it's own bar is awesome news for us that don't like balancing drinks while going up and down stairs!)
2. Both outdoor seating area (upstairs deck and ground floor) have a inviting tiki theme each equipped with heating lamps! (Perfect for appeasing the whiney ones in the group.)
3. Reasonably priced drinks and bartenders that respect the mixology! ( No watered down drinks here!) AND pour my Guinness for the tap correctly! ( NOTE: Pour the Guinness half way up at a tilt THEN let it settle before pouring the other half.) So simple, but you'd be surprised how often it gets screwed up!
And oh, -1 star for the constant flow of old acquaintances tapping me on the back to say hello. Shove off! I'm trying to drink here!
People thought this was:
It really amazes me how redundant and lame the 171 ( and counting ) reviews on this fairly interesting place are, but that has really become general the more I read the yelp pages. SAY SOMETHING!
"...i like this place a whooooole lot, its great, i give them money and get drinks, fun fun fun and there are people there too, like me... and then I played pool...hipsters,boo"
Instead of an ID check this bar should make everyone do something crazy before you get to come in, like moon everyone from the doorway or take off your bra while keeping your shirt on, that has always amazed me. Its like "what are you doing? an itch?...holy crap you have a bra in your hand!"
Or maybe hand out a free entry bag full of random drugs, it could be great or you could get a lacsative, never know till you try. God just something to get the juices flowing in the patrons, throw them out of their comfort zone, and finally some good conversation.
"dude you have to shit too!?"
For as much as I love the jukebox and the do-me-hoochy bartenders the patrons could put a crystal meth-head to sleep.
"Hipsters" a much used term to talk about "them" not "us", everyone in this town is a hipster of some stripe, according to where you went shopping for your outfit. The only difference between an outfit and a costume is belief and like most beliefs this one is taken with a sprinkling of context and much too seriously...and back to issue that most of these reviews are almost all the same...
"there is an outside, I like to have two floors...sometimes they card me...."
sigh...
People thought this was:
This is the type of bar you'd expect to find on the edge of a college campus. Dark decor and lighting, fairly solid pours, and in my experience, competent staff. A couple pool tables are available, both upstairs and downstairs, and a back patio area can be nice in good weather... unless it's full of smokers, which is common. The upstairs bathrooms have always been a wreck when I've been there - men's room door hanging off the hinges, for example.
Overall, if you want to hang out and have a drink with a friend, it's a fairly solid option and conveniently located.
People thought this was:
5 stars for what it is.... What can you expect?
- $4 mixed drinks
-Suprisingly current and vast music collection
- Mixed crowd and everyone seems to get along just fine
-Outdoor tiki setting (upstairs & downstairs)
-heated toilet seats
-friendly staff
-no cover charge
-free parking (where you can find it)
-pool
-casual attire
I like it. It feels comfortable here. Not pretentious or scary, just right
People thought this was:
The Mallard's really too much in the crosshairs for the Berkeley frat kids to be much of a good time. Not many hipsters (that's good), but the drinks are weak, some of the beers are actually $4.50 (now that's annoying), and it's just a generally amateur crowd. Definitely can still have its moments, but not consistently enough to earn my dollars.
Had some good memories, but won't be making any new ones.
Great atmosphere.
At first, I thought this place was very classy for a bar. I do not consider it to be dive at all. The place is two stories with outsides patios on the top and bottom floors. Space heaters are provided for cold nights.
The bottom floor is nice and spacious. A couple of pool tables are laid out and a rounded bar area. I like that its pretty low-key down here and great for just having a beer with a friend.
Upstairs is a little bit more lively. Its much more cramped at the top floor especially at the bar area. Music is bumping loud and lounge chairs and tables are limited.
From what I saw, the mens restroom is surprisingly clean although there's only one stall so you will have to wait in line for a while. Now that I think about it, this whole bar is well kept and clean.
The towny vibe is pretty cool here too. Albany has always been a pretty decent neighborhood. Its much better than Pinole, and therefore Club Mallard inhabitants beat out Antler townies. I don't feel like I need to take a shower after I leave this place.
Definitely recommended if you are looking for a decent bar because this place is well above average. All I can say bad about this place is that the upstairs bar is shaped weird and cramped. There's plenty of parking on the streets so its easy access. Have a great time
People thought this was:
i LOVE LOOVE LOOOVE the mallard. the people here are always soo super friendly and its the type of place that you can just sit down and enjoy a drink and everyone just talks to each other like you're old friends..and its always a super plus that the bartenders here are THEEEE best, esp. Victoria and Nate. not only are they suuper fun and nice but the drinks that they make is literally like a party in your mouth. PLUS, if you're lucky Victoria might just make you a merman.
Ahhh...the Mallard...located on San Pablo Ave in a inconspicuous building, but once you walk in, its like being in another world.
Its a two story bar with pool tables, two outside patio areas, and two juke boxes. Very low key & unpretentious and the drinks are stiff and a great price!
I love that they serve your drinks in actual Mallard cocktail glasses.
We came here for my BFF's b-day and took over the couch area upstairs by the juke box....! It was great!
Gotta love the heated toilets too! And don't forget to inquire about their drink specials! This time it was a French Kiss!! Oui Oui!
People thought this was:
Let me start by saying the Mallard is my favorite bar in the whole bay area! Maybe it's cause it's right by my house, maybe its cause I grew up here, but I just adore the mallard. It's a great neighborhood bar, a bit nicer than a dive, but still not too expensive. They have two great outside areas that are heated, awesome for us smokers, as well as two levels both with pool tables.
The best part? The heated toilet seat in the girls room upstairs. Yes ladies, you are not going crazy, the toilet seat is not just pre-warmed by someone else's ass, it is actually heated. The first time I sat down on this I was a little shocked. But I have come to love it.
Plus, they have dice you can rent, and if you have never played liars dice at the mallard you haven't lived.
Enough said. :)
People thought this was:
I decided to change up my weekly Thursday bar and head to some place on San Pablo. I've always wanted to try the Hotsy Totsy, Ivy Room, and Club Mallard. Unfortunately it looks as if Hotsy Totsy is still closed.
So we decided on Club Mallard. We quickly found street parking alongside the building, but discovered that they do have a tiny parking lot as we were leaving.
From the outside you can't really tell it's open or in business other than by the red and green neon sign. A heavy wooden door stands as the front door displaying their hours and the expected "no one under 21 allowed" sign.
We pulled open the door, turns out it's not so heavy. Immediately a gust of warm heated air and a faint smell of cigarette smoke flooded our senses as we were greeted by 2 doormen that didn't quite look old enough for the job... I guess I'm just getting old.
It's one of those dark bars with a pool table, juke box, smell of stale alcohol and cigarette. Sweet! My kind of bar! We quickly found us a seat at the bar, and bonus points for having the hooks for your jackets!
I ordered a Hef and my friend ordered the Guinness which came complete with the foam shamrock up top. Pretzels are available at request, and there are bags of chips and peanuts for sale at the end of the bar. I was a bit disappointed to see that they didn't have some grimy greasy bar food which I'm always in the mood for.
Place was filled with men. I think including me and the bartender there were a total of 3 females in the place, but I guess really it's a guy's kinda bar.
The indoor decor was true to its name with tons of duck decorations. There appeared to be a velvet elvis hanging over the jukebox. There's a pinball machine and bowling arcade game.
I'd definitely be more than happy to go back. The bartender was friendly and the people seemed like they were regulars at their watering hole.
People thought this was:
Same owners as Thalassa in Berkeley and equally as awesome. Lots of outdoor seating and the upstairs is great for playing pool or just hanging out with friends. Fantastic staff!
Happy New Years!
I celebrated 2009 at the Mallard. It was only a $5 cover. Plus we got a cute Happy New Years hat and noise makers.
I can tell this is a favorite spot for locals. Everyone knew each other. There is a lot of seating, Indoor and Outdoor. We got there fairly early, so we got a great booth in the corner.
The DJ that was playing was pretty good. The dance floor isn't that large, but there was a good amount of space to dance.
One downside was that one of the bathrooms was broken downstairs. They have 2 more upstairs, but I guess everyone forgot to pee at home. There was a line all night.
It's a really chill place. I would come again.
People thought this was:
I have been to the Mallard more times than I will admit as it is my official neighborhood watering hole, located merely 10 minutes away from my place by foot.
Come after 6pm when the upstairs opens. The upstairs experience, versus the downstairs, is the subtle difference between dive and lounge.
Some of the bartenders are nice and consistent, others are unchecked, hyper, and temperamental. And you may find a discrepancy between drink contents and prices between the aforementioned upstairs/downstairs and their respective staff -- so pick your favorite bartender and don't stray!
The Tiki/Hunter/Fisher/House Party theme will make you feel like you wandered into the pad of your single and cantankerous uncle who still dances with lampshades on his head after having a few too many...But in the end, just like me and many others, you'll make the Mallard your own.
People thought this was:
Arrived here Saturday night at 9:00pm. Stayed for about 2 hours.
Learned that this place has the same owners as Thalassa's! (and this other place called Tiki Lounge..?) That's cool =)..!
Great service - friendly bartenders and bar backs! We were introduced "Mama's Koolade". Quite delectable with a good punch!
Drinks - a bit on the weaker end...but again...I think it's only bc I have too much of a high tolerance..
Ambiance - Downstairs, kinda like you're in a cabin! Outside, a tiki fell. Upstairs, very kick back (pool tables, some chill couches, juke box, hip hop music playin that night)
I've passed the neon duck sign many times on my regular route up San Pablo Avenue. Many people have told me how fun Club Mallard is. Why it took me this long to see the duck up close and personal is beyond me.
A group of us showed up during prime drinking hours on a recent Friday night and to my surprise, the bar was practically empty.
Club Mallard is like a labyrinth of different rooms upstairs and down, outside and in.
Our drinking partners told us the previous owner killed himself in his apartment he lived in above the bar, which has since been converted into the second floor of Club Mallard. Creepy? Kind of, but it didn't get in the way of me having a good time.
We played a game of pool, ran around the upstairs trying to guess what each room had been when it was an apartment and hung out on the patio to take in the view of San Pablo Ave.
It's nice to find a bar that feels comfortable and isn't overly crowded on a Friday night.
People thought this was:
I want to like this place, really I do. Two floors with pool tables and couches everywhere, outdoor seating complete with heat lamps, bars on both levels. But you know what, it took forever to get a drink (and it was early, and not crowded) and when we did, I think Jack got all the tonic and I got all the gin (HA! well, then). The music was so low you couldn't hear it.
Jack insists the vibe was just off. I found it totally uncomfortable. Yeah, I'll try it again b/c jack is rarely wrong about such things... but they have their work cut out for them
The crowd was a mix, an odd mix, which I'm usually in favor of, but this night, it just didn't seem to work.
Low key atmosphere - lots of cabin'y stuff, wood, fireplaces.
Be prepared to get carded at the door, b/c, umm I did, which is just funny.
People thought this was:
Yet another favorite hang out spot. We started going here a few years back because a buddy of mine had a crush on one of the bartenders. After being forced to witness many awkward attempts to flirt with the bartender, and then having rescue my friend from possibly being thrown out of the bar, I decided that maybe I should come here for a bit.
So, fast forward to present; my buddy now has a girlfriend, moved out of the area and the cute bartender no longer works there. Looks like I can go back there now.
People thought this was:
My soon-to-be husband and I go to the mallard every Thursday night. We love to sit upstairs and watch the sunset with Victoria, or downstairs watching renee make drinks with her usual violent zeal. We love the bloody marys and the fun concoctions they come up with daily. Victoria and Nathan invented the signature drink for our wedding (it's blue!)! The Mallard is a great place for hanging out and having a drink with your sweetheart :)
I love the warmed bidet toilet seat in the ladies room ;)
People thought this was:
I was here last night with my friend. We had a fabulous time. Great atmosphere. Good beer. They even ordered pizza for us. Yes, I will definitely come back here again - rather sooner than later.
Club Mallard has been around for as long as I can remember. The atmosphere is laid back. The people… Read more »
Headed over here last night to celebrate a couple of Libra birthdays..had a great time!!!
I didn't realize how big the place was til I got inside...we mainly chilled out on the first floor patio, nicely surrounded by trees and tiki torches...drinks were stiff and cheap..just like I like it!!
Pool tables upstairs and downstairs....I loved the heated toilet seat in the bathroom..haha! Bartenders were quick and nice..
Cool bar/lounge to chill and hang with friends!!
People thought this was:
The perfect place to be after a long night of insanity.
Ingredients:
Upstairs and down stairs bar.
A decent selection of my favorite scotch and whiskeys.
Some of my favorite local micro-brews on tap.
Patio and deck, warmed to perfection. A smokers paradise.
A few pool tables located both up and downstairs.
No pretentious asses.
And a very low key atmosphere.
People thought this was:
My answer is always the same.
Question: Jen, where would you like to go tonight?
my answer: THE MALLARD!
The chillest bar you will ever go to. Halloween is off the hook here too :)
I've spent a couple birthdays there (even my parents loved it) and many a nights chillin on the upstairs patio. Its the best secret in the bay.. I've never taken someone there and had them complain.. and frankly if they do, they are retarded.
People thought this was:
Sigh, I miss this place, I lived in Albany for 9 years and this was the spot to be. I revisited last weekend and was so happy. Drinks are cheap here and service is quick. I like the two different floors with indoor and outdoor seating. The upstairs was playing hip hop music while the downstairs had country or some such thing. I wish there was a little dance floor to get your groove on though. Love love love the tiki torches, always will be the Mallard's signature stamp. Street parking is available and relatively easy to get. The crowd Saturday night was very mellow and low key. Very nice spot to chill...
Ah, the duck. Amany great times here. Shared by all. I love the mallard but it gets played out after awhile if your a local. But it will always be my main local bar within the area.
This Halloween was crazy and i had a blast (despite my buddy losing my keys - The duck no find). Not as much fun as last years though. I noticed that they painted all over the historic writing on the downstairs mens bathroom walls. Ah memories. However, lots of locals, friends and people that you know you'll see here if your from the area.
Overall, what's not to be said about the DUCK. I'm sure i'll be reviewing it again in another 3-6 months lol. Check out the DUCK when you can.
People thought this was:
Now, I'm pretty sure this hasn't always been the case but I'm going to have to put it out there just in case this would be considered "your thing". It came to my surprise and amusement the other night that the upstairs ladies room now features a bidet attachment. Which is a very confusing thing to have in a bar, much less a bar that features cabin and tiki motifs. Usually you're trying to avoid sitting on a bar's toilet seat all together and here's this bar which thinks you're not only going to sit on it but you also wish to be thoroughly spritzed.
If you're not into the water spritzels (like me), the contraption also will warm the toilet seat. I am still in amazement over this feature.
Now that i got all of that out in the open, here's the rest: the juke boxes feature awesome music, it's roomy (has two floors), taxidermy!, a large outside area and upstairs patio for the smokers, and for you pool fans it features 5 pool tables in all.
The biggest drawback is the crowd. It unfortunately gets bro-ed out so I don't stop by too often. Such a shame.
People thought this was:
Totally kickback and low key. Two floors and a great place to play pool! Definitely a spot to stop by to grab a drink with some friends and play catch up.
Tons of room with plenty of characters to people watch. Service is great! One of the few places that stay open on the holidays! That's a HUGE plus for me! ;-)
I had to use the bathroom really bad and pulled over to the gas station across the street. They would not let me use theirs but directed me to this wonderful place. I walk in and ask the bartender if I can use the bathroom, she asks for me ID and lets me go. Sweetest bartender of all time. Only if I lived up there. I'd go here monthly! =)
People thought this was:
I give this three stars primarily for the regulation pocket pool tables. Me likey. I am too old and intolerant of drunk, loud, screeching, badly dressed 20-somethings to go here on the weekends anymore. A Tuesday or Wednesday night for cut-throat pool and a pint or few is fine by me. The patio off the second floor rocks. Oh, they serve a fabuloso mai-tais(sp?). I think this may be the only place I have ever ordered this drink. Watch out, friend! They'll sneak up on you and smack you in the bean.
People thought this was:
Tonight, as I was sitting near the window on the upper deck of the Mallard, a mystery beer bottle came flying out and shattered on the ground. Seconds later,
Dude from inside: That was me, that was me!. Sorry, MY BUTT'S TOO BIG!!!
Some chick: Don't apologize; THAT'S A GOOD THING!
Some dude: Give yourself a pat on the back! You need to applaud that shit!
*round of applause*
Then Dude fuckin' sticks his head out the window, gives a short acceptance speech and then, sticks his entire torso out the window and bows several times, prayer style with his arms straight out.
All just because he knocked over a beer bottle with his big ass. Yes, us Albanians are simple, friendly and quirky folk. Love it.
And it should be noted that I laughed and grinned so much tonight that my smile muscles hurt now.
:D
People thought this was:
I LOVE this place. Sure, it might not look like the most awesome place from the outside what with… Read more »
The ladies bathroom has a bidet and a heated toilet seat. I didn't want to leave.
People thought this was:
I did go on a Friday night, it was full of wannabe hipsters, "pretty fly for a white guy" types,… Read more »
Albany, CA
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: UC Campus Area
Category: Pool Halls
Berkeley, CA
Category: Pubs
Albany, CA
Category: Dive Bars
Berkeley, CA
Category: Dive Bars
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