First Street Ale House
Categories: Nightlife, Restaurants [Edit]
2086 1st St(between K St & L St)
Livermore, CA 94550 (925) 371-6588
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
- Best Nights: Tue, Thu
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking: Outdoor Area/Patio Only
- Coat Check: No
80 reviews
Redwood City, CA
"I LOVE this place! I've only been here for the lunch buffet but oh I love this place! A great variety of food - and it's spicy!! Me likes…" read more »
48 Reviews for First Street Ale House
The fried food here is pretty good.. not bad Livermore! I like the down town much and this is as good as it gets as far as pubs go so as goes, it gets 4 stars. I like IPAs and they have an Elder one that is tasty. Its pretty crowded sometimes so I like to go in the back and you can smoke, too. The wine selection is very poor so stick to the basics and you are good as golden.
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In all honesty, there isn't much that makes this place stand out. It isn't a great bar and they don't have a huge selection of drinks.
So why come here? Well it's in downtown Livermore and there aren't many places that have many beers on tap. The staff is very friendly and also very attentive with your needs. You can sit down at the bar, grab a small table inside, or lounge out front and watch everyone walking by.
Spring and summer are good times to come here and have a drink as the weather is warm outside and there is no better place to be at than your local watering hole .
I went to the First Street Alehouse yesterday with a group of Europeans who wanted to watch the Germany/Portugal soccer game on ESPN. Since I have been bringing my lunch to work for the last 2 weeks, some food outside of my office walls sounded nice. I made them promise to take me here http://www.yelp.com/bi... on our way back and that sealed the deal.( I have van pool now so I'm unable to go on a daily basis as I did before.)
We arrived at 12:15 pm and there was a four top open for us. Three of us ordered burgers (the fourth guy ate at work and didn't order anything which I found rude). I had the bacon cheeseburger. WOW. It was really good. I asked for it medium. It did arrive more medium well but it was so juicy and good it didn't matter.
The staff was attentive and fast. The dining room is not big and all of the servers pay attention to all of the tables, which is nice because I never remember who my server is after they take my order.
They claim to have 20 different micro brews on tap. I didn't see them all but I believe them. This is going to be your best bet for beer in the area!!
What I found really charming was the beer board by the bar where locals can buy beers for one another to be claimed later. Some of the funnier ones were:
"To Kitty heart Kitty, Happy 23rd, 2 beers"
"Future leader of the world bought Ceci 1 beer"
Gives it some nice local flair.
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I like the Wild Vine to go and listen to some music and sip some champagne. Dino and Mel are the best and do a fantastic job tending to all of us wild people! Come and check it out. Music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights around 9 or so.
email is www.wildvinelounge.com
Good beer and great bar food...overall just a casual environment with really friendly service. A great place to go chill with friends.
I love this place. It has it's flaws but I love it non the less. The food is pretty good and there are a couple of really great servers that know my hubby & I and always know what we're about to order before the words leave our mouths. I like sitting on the back patio. I don't care much for the indoor and front patio seating as it's pretty much always loud and sports bar-y but it's been like that since my parents used to take me there in the early 1990's.
I discovered yesterday evening the newer staff have no idea how to make good beer suggestions. The hubby & I went there with his mum and she wanted a cream ale. They haven't got a single cream on tap. The newbie looked stunned when my mother -in-law first asked for a cream ale and then doubly stunned when she asked what else she could recommend. The poor girl started frantically rattling off everything on the menu. I suggested the Alaskan amber ale or the Snowshoe Stout. The newbie brought out samples of Sierra Nevada Celebration ale and the aforementioned Alaskan amber. Mum went with the Alaskan amber. I totally called that.
Anyways, the service is usually pretty swell, but sometimes it's gets very busy and my husband and I, although regulars, get put to the wayside in favor of other customers. Sometimes we have to wait ridiculous amounts of time for a new round. Yet, sometimes the service id great. Overall, not too bad.
It's a great place to hang out with friends on a Thursday night. The front and back patios are really nice on a cool evening.
Pretty good beer selection, although they should vary it more often IMHO. The food is OK, mostly greasy stuff, but hey, it's an Alehouse, not a health club. And greasy + beer = mmm, mmm.
I'd give it 5 stars if they rotated beers more often and changed the menu a bit towards less greasy.
Greasy food and good beer YUMMMMM!
Service is good. Tough to get a table during events or busy nights.
Super Plus!: They have a patio outside to eat, drink, smoke, and make fun of people passing by...
I really wanted to love this place. Instead, I just liked it.
Yes, bringing great beer to an otherwise-unremarkable stretch of the country is wonderful. But your beer selection was good, not great. (Or maybe I'm just picky after years in San Diego, the Microbrew Mecca.)
Likewise, I want to love a place that topped off a wonderful visit to Livermore -- an under-rated gem of a town that, from what I can tell, is San Francisco's favorite place to bash because it's got better weather, cooler charm, and not an ounce of self-righteous pretension. But being more pleasant than Pleasanton only takes you so far. Next time, try putting some fish in those Fish 'n Chips. That oughta' help.
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So I gave the Ale House 5 stars because they have great soup! Yup that's it. Just the soup sold me... nah I'm just kidding. I go there often with my friends and they do have soup that is very tasty. So the staff is wonderful, and their Thursday night special is such a great idea. They feature a different beer every week on Thursdays and when you purchase a pint you also get to take the glass home with you AND you get reduced price refills! I love it.
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I vote this the absolute best place to dine along First Street!
My happy family digs the big delicious burgers, baskets of delicious
fries and the onion rings!
Lots of outdoor dining is a plus!
All the positives written in the other reviews...
believe them!
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Very friendly owners and staff. Great selection of beer, with rotating selections. Tuesday's happy hour all day. Not at all a dive, it attracts a good crowd from families to labbies and your locals who enjoy a nice pint. The burgers here are the best in town! you must try the burgers! you will leave satisfied. Try their calamari rings...very tasty. Thursday night is pint night get the featured beer of the night and a pint glass to take home. The place is kinda small so try to get there early. There is dining in the front and back. A town favorite thats family friendly.
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This is probably the best place on First Street to grab some cheap eats and people watch. The food is excellent and they have a great selection of beers on tap. Their signature Carnitas Sandwich is awesome! Anytime you get slow roasted & fried pork on a French roll, with pepper jack cheese & grilled onions, you can't go wrong. Throw in some beer battered fries and you're set!
Outdoor seating is a definite plus, especially now that the weather is good. They also have patio seating in the back, if inside is too crowded. I imagine this place has gotta be the place to be during Football season...My only regret is that it took me 3 years to finally make it down to this joint!
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Best turkey burger around! And you've gotta love a place that keeps Budwiser on hand specificaly for a few old timers.
I'm not a big bar/club person, but pubs/alehouses are right up my alley. The casual, friendly atmosphere is great; who doesn't love an alehouse where kids are welcome!?
3.5 stars
good food
really good lookin' people
friendly service
a lunch wait that will take you into dinner ....
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OH.....MY.....GAWD.
I am so FULL.
Jalapeno Burger was so good. Fries were so good. Carnitas Cheesesteak was AMAZING. Onion Rings were out of this world.
Excellent service. Awesome selection of beer. (5 stars for the Alaskan Ale.)
Don't come here looking for healthy choices. There just aren't any.
DH wants to eat here every day. Yay me! No more cooking in 2008.
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Best garlic fries ever! My favorite night is pint night. Thursday nights that have a beer special that comes with a free pint glass. The food is really good. I like eating here in the summer because they have out door seating and it's fun to people watch while you dine. The best part about this place is of course, the beer!
This is a great lil place for some good food (burgers are huge and tasty!), beer (good variety), and to enjoy friends. Prices are reasonable, staff is friendly, always an upbeat atmosphere. Can get crowded at peak times.
Great place to hang out and have a beer and food. The hamburgers are the best in Livermore. Staff is very friendly. Pint night on Thursday is a great idea. Love to keep a signature glass from the micro-brewery of the night. I understand their building a new location on 1st st. Glad to hear it. They need more space.
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Upon final review, the Ale House would be #1 on my list of places to get good bar/pub type food in Livermore. Others on my list include:
#2 Riata Tavern
#3 Rock House Sports Bar
So why do I consider the Ale House #1?
* Food tastes BETTER and fresher than either #2 or #3.
* CHEAPER prices than either #2 or #3. A BLT at the Riata is $10. Does bacon really cost that much?
* More ATTENTIVE service than either #2 or #3. It takes about 20 minutes to get a bill at the Rock House. I blame the flat screens for mesmerizing the servers.
* And finally, LOCATION. The Ale House is right alongside 1st Street in the revitalized Downtown Livermore. It's the place to see and be seen! ;-)
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A couple of side notes about the restaurant:
* I would stick to the burgers, pork carnitas, and Philly sandwiches.
* Thursday night is PINT NIGHT. Beers are only $3 after your 1st pint and you even get to keep your glass.
* Always crowded in the evenings.
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Here's the STAR rating:
-1 STAR for those damn dive bomb looking flies that seem to just circle above the tables.
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Today at work I found myself reading the reviews for First Street Alehouse. I scrolled down to find my review and, much to my horror, I never wrote one! "How is that possible?", I asked myself. " I love this place!" Then I told myself to calm down.
I will admit that I used to work here. I think it was for like two months back in 2002 or something. I loved being able to wear whatever I wanted, hang out at the bar and, oh yah, serve food. The customers were always really great. I eventually got "let go" because one of the owners lost his real job and needed to take my shifts. Poo.
I love the selection of beers on tap, the onion rings, the sandwiches, the people-watching patio and the atmosphere. It's better than going to a chain restaurant and not as creepy as going to a "real" bar.
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Even though, you make my breath bring tears to my eyes and even my nostrils...Oh, how I love you tri-tip sandwich and garlic fries with their special garlic hot sauce w/ ketchup. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm
One of the places I miss eating out at since I no longer work in Livermore. =(
Beer is good, food isn't. I don't understand the hype, as my friends love the place.
BUT they have a great location downtown, so if you want to people watch, it's perfect.
Update: 5/28/08
Ate here on Memorial Day and was able to sit outside and people watch. The service was great! Very friendly and on top of it! I ordered a cold turkey sandwich which was fine, nothing special but the pasta salad was quite good. Spinach farfalle, kalmata olives, sundried tomatoes and feta cheese was tossed with a light vinegarette. They should just add that as a single menu item! So because of this experience, I'm upping my stars to 3.
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My husband and I just moved to Livermore and were checking out the Downtown area and this place immediately caught my husband's eye. It was a nice day so we sat outside with our chihuaua Spike. We were very happy that this place was dog friendly. Our server even brought a bowl of water out for Spikey. Everyone was extremely friendly. I loved my Turkey burger and side salad. There was a couple healthy options! My husband said the pastrami sandwich was excellent! He also LOVED the beer selection! We will definatley be visiting this place again and again!!!!
You can tell by the name, that this local establishment digs on good brew. From the moment you walk in, the elementary school like chalkboard reads a rotating beer list. You want a Double IPA? How about the latest Cider from Oregon? Chances are, if you're looking for a good, reasonably priced beer, you're in the right place.
To top it off, they have a full service kitchen for lunches, happy hour and dinner. Although the food is typical bar food, it's still the best bar food in the downtown Livermore area.
Any and every time I've been, I've always struck up some interesting conversation with my bar stool neighbor. The wait staff is phenomenal and usually you won't see an empty glass just waiting for some bar tending attention. They're quick and nice, and most of them are happy to be there.
I rarely, if ever, will drive further than 25 miles to see a show. But when a friend is involved....it's a different story. Went to see Proof @ the Bothwell Center with the Reinholdts, and then took the lovely star of the show out to dinner. After eating Thai two days in a row, Hannah starting throwing out suggestions, "Pasta...Mexican...sandwiches...alehouse." to which my immediate reaction was ALEHOUSE.
The First Street Ale House has some great food in a comfortable and friendly bar/restaurant/outdoor patio setting. Inside, a huge chalkboard lists the innumerable quaffs available including pear cider, local Gordon Bierch beers, hoity toity craftsman brews...I'm sorry, I don't drink beer. But the ROOT beer was awesome. On to food.
Mr. R orders a round of mini corn dogs-though while lacking in aesthetic charms-are mini nuggets of deliciousness. Ms. K points out their excellent corn-to-dog ratio and the super crispness of the exterior contrasting nicely with the moist juciness of the interior. Served with ranch-but I like the traditional mustard. The crust on the onion rings is SUPERIOR. Crunchy and thick (but not so thick that it's bready) and each ring is bite-able. ie. I don't pull out a string of onion leaving me with a hollow doughnut of crust, but that each bite nicely encompasses crust and onion. The club sandwich is...passable. I would have liked my bread toasted a bit more. There are other items that look delicious: fish & chips, carnitas sandwich, burgers get great reviews.
Still, good service, good selection of beers, great onion rings and mini corn dogs. Visit the Ale House.
Thursday night Pint night? should I say more? owners are great people. great selection of beer!
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Great Beer and good bar food, waitresses are sweet and helpful.
Seriously those flies pull kamikaze stunts the whole night through -1 star
Burgers are good here- careful when venturing beyond burgers.
The back area is cozy, the front outdoor seating area is good for people watching.
Thursdays are Pint Nights and that means lotsa people and 3$ pints - you keep the glass- last week was Moose Drool brew ( where else am I going to find that beer?)
Alaskan Amber ale is my favorite. They ran out as the Bears were losing last week -1 star
I really like the people that work there.
Best pub-type establishment in Livermore. Largest beer selection in town; twenty or so taps with lots of Northwest microbrews. The food is standard pub grub. Nothing exceptional, but go with a burger or the fish and chips and you'll be OK. They serve Tootsie-Rolls for desert.
The place draws a friendly, laid-back crowd, and its usually packed in the evening, even on weeknights. Weekend afternoons are good since its not so crowded, and you can usually get a seat at the bar or out on the sidewalk
My one criticism of the Alehouse is that its somewhat lacking in authentic pub atomosphere: the interior looks more like a Home Depot remodel. But if you're looking for a great beer selection, dependable pub food and a friendly crowd, you could do a lot worse than the Alehouse.
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Okay, I admit, most of the food tastes a bit like prepared bar food, but that describes *so many* brew pubs, beer joints, etc. So what! The beer selection is off the beaten path (read Peet's, not Starbucks, if you're a coffee nut), and I'm always pleased to find some new favorites each week at pint night. Atmosphere is authentic, not generic or forced. Support your local pub just like your local coffee house or bookstore!
OK, I will warn you now, I am somewhat biased in my review of this joint. You might not care to know some history, but too bad, I'm giving it to you anyway. This little hole in the wall on First Street was owned by my brother-in-law and a partner when it first opened. My husband was the resident bartender for about 3 years from 97-00. Eventually, the place was sold to the current owners. I was there in the beginning. And for the most part, they are doing a pretty good job keeping up the name.
The Good: Lots of outdoor seating out back (covered) and more out front now that First St has been redeveloped to be more walkable and charming. Food is still great, I must say. Beer battered onion rings, tasty sandwiches, all good. And they give lollipops with your entree basket. Heaters outside--good for cool fall/winter weather. The beer. How could I leave that out? 20 taps with a few reserved for "regular" features, allows for a lot of rotation...variety is the spice of life, right? Service was good, it was early on a Sunday when I visited, so not terribly busy---we saw just about every server that was on that morning. I guess they do "team service"?
The So-So: One of the things I never liked (even when I worked there as a server) is the lack of good acoustics to keep the noise level in check. When this place is full, it's noisy. It's a small place inside, so I would suggest going out when you can. It's also kind of dingy. The wear and tear on the floors over the last 10 years call for a serious cleaning or replacement of the vinyl floors...especially when you walk around the bar to the back patio. And when did they decide they needed the HUGE refrigerator sitting smack at the end of the bar? Kind of odd, but I suppose it was the only choice considering. Last, but not least, they are missing Pele's Wings of Fire (we have the recipe, they're fuckin' hot!)...those were the best wings I've ever had in my LIFE.
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Well First Street Ale house is located, you guessed it, on 1st street in the "new" downtown Livermore. Yes that was cheesy sounding...
The selection of beers is great, if you like real beers. If your not sure what beer you want, the severs, even when busy, will recommend one or even get you a sample. The servers are nice. There used to be one that looked just Liv Tyler to me. I bet she got lots of tips, she not there anymore, I think she got a movie job...
I like the food here, its general ale house fare. Sandwiches, hamburgers, that sort of stuff. Usually we are in a large group and will often get a few orders of fries. The food area is not open as late as the bar is.
The place is small but it all works out. If you like outdoor seating they now have a small area for that.
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Yay, the best part of losing a slow pitch softball game! Great beer selection to drown our sorrows in and forget about our sore muscles. My hubbie loves the pulled pork sandwich and I'll take the fish and chips. The place gets pretty crowded but they're cool with you rearranging tables to fit the team. The service is attentive and accomodating. TV's are small but the game schedule is always updated and posted. There is this IOU white board which is intriguing and I've never asked about it. I wonder how I get on that board...
good food. nice back patio. beer battered fries are the best. little pricey but a good selection of beer and local breweries. i suggest Pliney the elder and a burger. i threw a surprise party here and they were very accomodating and patient.
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Warning! This review was written after attending the Elite event at Etiquette! If it sounds like garble, it is the many Adam's leaf and someone's mama margarita speaking!
So, I am writing this review based on the fact that I want to make 50 reviews...
So, with that said..
It has consistant pub grub!
The Jalapeno burger is great, as are the multitude of appetizers..
The fish -n - chips are good but frozen, as is the calamari... Nice that instead of the fries, you can subsitute salad and have a nice varitiy with 2 to 3 people. or get a sub of garlic fries, and share! The Owner is always there! Consistent grub fub!!
AND, they always have pear cider on tap!
So, for that they earn another star!
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We, voracious hungry hikers, ordered up juicy burgers, salads, and sandwiches of all kinds. The burgers and sandwiches came with your choice of macaroni salad, green salad, or fries. Ales (blind pig, anyone?) and beers were served up and refilled quick. Food came quickly and we ate it all up even quicker. Inexpensive (they do tack on a 17% gratuity for groups of 6 or more), good solid grub. Service was great - it seemed like the one waiter was everywhere like speedy gonzales . . .
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Outdoor seating, even in the winter is great (the heaters help...a lot). Their burgers are awesome, and go great with a pint of guinness. If you are looking for a friendly bar with tasty bar snacks, this is your place.
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Great atmosphere is probably the best quality of the Alehouse. Its smack dab downtown, has patio to watch all the young bucks look hard when they roll downtown. Beer selection is decent, depends what you like. Food selection could improve, its average bar food. If you want good beer and good food go to EJ Phair in Concord.
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I think this is a perfect example of one of those really good places to eat, particularly on a limited budget, but it isn't great. It does have a sort of cool feel to it, especially on a nice summer night out in their patio area. Definitely worth checking out!
Great local bar. The um, 'historic faccade' doesn't exactly draw you in but once you get inside and sit at the bar, grab a micro brew (I like the fact that they list the alcohol content on the menu) you're a local--even if you're not. Very friendly staff, very friendly clientel. The food is good bar food. The onion rings with BBQ sauce are very tasty. Some patio dining in front and more in the rear.
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