On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Category: Dive Bars
2600 San Pablo AveMon-Sun. 4:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Loading...
Dropped in with a couple of friends after dinner at Sea Salt. As we walked up to the place, I notice all the bicycles parked outside. Inside were young hipsters drinking PBRs and grooving to whatever was playing on the jukebox. Pool table was popular with a long wait. Single occupancy restrooms for boys and girls so the line starts to build especially for the ladies as the night goes on. Indoor area was dark and loud so we made our way to the outdoor patio area in the back where they have another bar. The area is equipped with heat lamps. Nice! Bartender offered me a shot whiskey and a beer for $5. Sold!
Cool spot + good music + nice people + cheap booze = excellent dive bar.
Meow meow meow! Aint nothin going to make a kitty happier then 7 and 7's!! Meow meow MEOW!! Those girls do it UP! Meow meow FUCKING meow! I may be little but I can put em away for sure. Me and my retarded owner Russ chill dis motha all the damn TIME yo. You can walk there on your own even with some little as paws and shit, and the drinks aren't too expensive like at that shit hole Kitty's.
You wanna know some more meowy fucking goodness?? Almost every god damn night Naughty Nato cooks up some FIERCE as grub!!! Meow! Hotlink sandwiches, meatloaf sandwiches, meow meow, vegi sandwiches to cater to you berkeley freaks, and even lamb kabobs. Meowtastical is all I have to say. I tried to get Nato to cook up the neighbors dog, but he wouldn't listen so whatever. Health code smealth code, that fucking dog tried to eat me FIRST!
Other then dat, this joint is the meowy fucking bombdiggity meowness, but that's just one cat's meowing opinion and shit. PEACE
We decided to check out Missouri Lounge on a night of bar hopping. The crowd is on the young side...who am I kidding, the place is filled with babies! The DJ played some good selections, but took zero time to mix any two songs together. Those are the negatives, so if you can handle them, definitely give this spot a try.
You feel like you're dancing at a house party in someone's basement. It's super comfortable, no one's putting on airs. The music on this particular Friday night was a mix of latin, reggae(ton), and bizarrely, some Indian. The drinks are super cheap and there's an outdoor space for smokers... Did I mention there's NO COVER?!
I will be back, but most likely in a similar scenario. I can't imagine spending hours in the Missouri Lounge, but it will inevitably become a stop in when other places aren't fulfilling my needs.
Beer and a shot of whiskey: $5
Nestled snugly between a poorly lit, crappy lot and an offensively bright intersection, you'll find a miserable looking little building called Missouri Lounge. Nothing, and I mean nothing, about its appearance would suggest that the interior would be comfortable or worth your time, but this is where we're all wrong. The door to this place is like the entrance to the rabbit hole.
When you walk inside, you may experience fleeting delusions of a proper pub. It isn't one, of course, but it's comfortable nonetheless. The narrow bit or interior real estate is peppered with enclaves of comfortable furniture complete with coffee tables, a pool table, and possibly a talented DJ dropping jams and taking names. Behind the bar, you'll find a competent, friendly staff on the very top of their shit, serving up everything from Jim Beam to the Hipster's Choice: canned PBR.
While you might be distracted momentarily by the awesomely divey drink options, you will eventually find yourself outside on the patio, sitting on a bale of hay, joking with your friends about how great it is that you've all paid for a can of PBR, and (im)patiently awaiting the arrival of your order from the grill.
Also, did I mention it is perfectly located for a Sea Salt, late night afterparty?
Summary: If it's a warm summer night and you're over being sober, head on down.
My husband speaks English as a second language and told me about this place before I moved to Berkeley. He always used to pronounce it "Misery," and I thought, "Wow, that's a funny name for a bar."
Missouri is definitely my favorite bar on the San Pablo strip (which really only includes Acme and Albatross, so...not a lot of competition...) The "Special" is a shot of whiskey and a PBR. And the "Especial" is a shot of tequila and a Tecate. Very authentic.
I never really hang out inside, since it's a little small: just a bar, a small area where there's a DJ (7 nights a week I think) and a pool table scene.
The outside is expansive and comfortable, so why hang out inside anyway? It isn't anything pretty (and they only take cash out there), but it's welcoming, casual, and relaxed. I love the new addition of the bar and grill outside. They make some awesome sausage, onion and green pepper grilled sandwiches. Yum!
It turns out there is no "misery" in Missouri. It's just a cool, easy place to have a beer, sit under a heat lamp at a picnic table and hang.
I'm from Southern California, so bars, lounges, and clubs have a different feel. In those places, you're not just there to hang out, there's a little more expectation, but Missouri Lounge, there was no expectation. My drink, my friends, and a game of dominoes at one of the tables.
Quite nice! Reminds me a bit of El Rio in San Francisco, although smaller. Nice affordable drinks, cool people, cool vibe, plenty of places to hang in, very hipster as before noted, and very student oriented (Hey, it's Berkeley). Stopped in for a few pints and watched my boyfriend slaughter people on the pool table, and then scratch on the final ball that would have given him a 4 game winning streak. Oh well, I digress...
The back area is spacious and AMAZING. Heat lamps galore, making it quite cozy and comfortable. Often they have local bands, open mics, and other things there. If I ever hang out in Berkeley again, I will definitely go back.
Great music, eclectic scene and cheap drinks makes this place a winner.
Despite its location crowd is polite and haven't seen a fight. There seems to be a group of regulars that are mostly friendly.
Place could be a little cleaner.
I love grandma's house.
This is a great dive bar.
From the $5 whiskey and beer special (they also have tequila and tecate specials, but I'm more of a whiskey girl) to the awesome outside grill this bar is pretty much covers it all.
I also love that they have a great heated outdoor area for smoking. Plus I can walk here from my house. What more could you want?
I definitely recommend "The Miz" as I like to call it. Always a guaranteed good time.
By far my favorite bar to hang out. Always has a good vibe, cheap drinks, and I love the outdoor patio. Grill outside makes some mean hoagies --and while you do have to usually wait 30 minutes to get them its OK because you have a PBR in your hand.
Definitely a hipster joint. While everyone loves to make fun of hipsters (myself included sometimes) the mere act of doing so, I think makes you a hipster... denying the fact that your uniqueness is actually a simple formula of not caring and expensive clothing mixed with articles found at a garage sale...oh! and a road bike! Gotta have a bike!
What I mean is everyone enjoys a good dive bar. So ride your bike on down and grab a PBR at the miz-lo, cause you're a hipster!
Definitely a rockin' spot. They converted a large portion of the parking lot to an outdoor drinking area (for lack of a better term). It's kinda like a mini Zeitgeist in the East Bay.
The little barbecue they have going is also quite awesome. I tried some lamb shish kabobs as well as bacon wrapped sausages. The lamb was awesome, but the sausage was a bit of a disappointment. Kielbasa + Bacon = salt-and-fat bomb!
They have all day specials of the "cheap beer with cheap shot" variety.
The only negative here is that it's in the middle of nowhere (as in, not close to BART). But that's probably a good thing, as I don't want to be up to my ass in bridge-and-tunnelers from San Francisco ;-).
when i walked in i was like.. where am i?? but as you go to the back, its pretty chill. they have a grill going on and with a good size menu to choose from. but nothing too amazing. also the outdoor heater broke on us.
If you've kept ABREAST of my writing you know that I would *never* MILK a review for cheap laughs. No, I am a proud, substantive Yelper, and it is with my CHEST out and my head held high that I hearby aim to I provide an extremely useful and cool review of the Missouri Lounge.
Now, I'm not a big drinker and a don't spend a lot of time in bars. When I do go out, I generally NURSE a drink for longer than most, as I was never ENDOWED with a hefty tolerance. However, when there is a cause whose worth I feel strikes a chord deep within my BOSOM, I pull out the BIG GUNS and show up for the event. I may even partake in my share of fruity libations: a seabreeze, a madras, a daiquiri , maybe even a slippery NIPPLE or two.
Such is the case with the magnificent Kiki G. and her fabulous Cleavage Night benefit for breast cancer research. This lovely lady makes it her duty each year to BUST out a fabulous affair guaranteed to TITilate the fancies of even the most conservative TEETtotaler.
The Missouri Lounge was the perfect location for this event. In addition to the luscious BOOBIE CAKE that Kiki provided, the Missouri's grill was serving up what looked and smelled like delicious fare. I ordered a greyhound and waited for the bartender to fetch the grapefruit juice from the usual array of CANS in the house cooler. Instead, what she grabbed off the RACK was a shooter of fresh SQUEEZED grapefruit juice. For six bucks!
I SUCKLED that mother for a abnormally swift five or six minutes before I was ready for another. It was only a matter of time before I had multiple glasses STACKED in front of me.
Just a note: Kiki has another Cleavage Night coming up this month at HOOTERS. Hope y'all can make it...that is, if you FEEL UP to it.
This place is awesome! It has a decent bar, 5 dollar whiskey is always good. The actual bar is big enough to fit a few people. There is seating along the side of the building- there's a cute loungey area by the pool table and there's another cute booth next to the front door.
Then there's the back- very adorable and charming place. The bamboo walls wrap around the whole back area and it's highlighted with cute Christmas lights.
There is pleanty of seating in the back, lots of benches that is placed so that you could sit in a small or large group. There are two seating areas all the way in the back with heaters and seat about 10 people- those little tents are great for a party that wants more privacy.
There's also a grill in the back that servers beer. The food is really good I had a hoagie for 6.50 and it was really fucking good. They may get backed up once in a while, last time I had to wait at least 20 mins just to place an order because the cook was so backed up- but it was worth it.
I've been there twice and both times have had decent music- I get a sense that there's a great variety of music. One night I was there they played some good hip hop and after that DJ placed some more dancy stuff.
I love that this place is close enough to school and there are people from all walks of life who come here. The crowd always looks fun and the place has an overall fun vibe. I went once on a Thursday and it seemed to have a good amount of people in there- not too much where it's packed but not too little where it was deserted. I went again on a Saturday night and it was the same, maybe a little less people- but still enough people where people were dancing and I had to wait in line for the bathroom.
With the massive outdoor patio and lackadaisical attitude toward smoking of, ahem, all kinds, it reminds me a lot of Zeitgeist. Only without the Extremely Aggravated staff and WITH cheaper drinks.
I approve.
The Bartendresses are as Tender as they are Bar Pros.
The Grill Masters are as Masterful as they are Manly.
No better place to stay on cloud nine in the East Bay than with your feet on the ground in a parking lot that is decorated to look like the patio of a five star Bar and Grill.
Naughty Natto's grill at Missouri Lounge may not look like much, but it has beaten several other gourmet steak sandwiches in taste tests at the State Capitol.
Easily my favorite bar in the East Bay. I'm sort of a regular here.
great food.
cheap drinks.
chill crowd.
good music.
AWESOME bar tenders.
what else is there really?
Straddling the line between dive bar and hipster hangout, Missouri Lounge's got an effortless "chill" vibe and all the makings of a good neighborhood joint. First clue is the bike rack out front. On a no man's stretch of San Pablo, the fact that people travel here as a destination place speaks volumes, and that they come on vintage bikes... well, let's just say we saw many a crushed PBR can and it took about .2 seconds to bum rolling papers.
Bar amenities are a-plenty: pool table, huge outdoor patio with heatlamps and a sweet-smelling BBQ, turntables with a random blaring of tunes. Add paintings that belonged in a hunting lodge, drop in some laid back folks and a five buck whiskey and beer boilermaker special or six buck tequila and Tecate, and it'll be a fine night all around.
I have frequently driven by the Missouri Lounge and wondered, "Hm. What's that place all about?"
Well, thanks to the persistent Mr. Isaacs, a post-work happy hour was organized and a bunch of teachers took over the back patio.
Sunshine? Check. Beer? Check. Pizza delivered from Lanesplitter? Check (but only the one in Albany, which is weird, because the Berkeley location is just down the block).
I liked the velvet couches inside and the dog-friendly outside. I think I'll stop by again, now that I know what awaits me there.
Misery Lounge has really improved in the past year. The outdoor patio (with heat lamps and mosquito nets) is a real plus. Tip: the beer at the back bar is a tad less expensive than the indoor bar! Wheeee!
DJ's occasionally, pool table, big bathroom, Foosball outside, and the Grill: Monday through Saturday, 5pm til midnight!
The incongruity between obsessively disavowing hipsters while writing out detailed taxonomies of hipster minutia that only an insider could know isn't lost any of us. It's like you guys have run out of things to be disaffected by and have resorted to pure cannibalism.
As for the hipsters at the Missouri, they're a tame breed, more Portland than New York. The drinks are cheap, and the regulars are genuinely friendly an are seemingly less degenerate than other dives.
Those not merely interested in debating the ins-and-outs of those they feel slightly superior to may have noticed that the full menu of cheap food out back is some of the best in Berkeley. And there's tons of outdoor seating, and the drinks are still cheap. Great place.
My new favorite bar in the east bay. Realizing we were way under dressed for Kitty's , we decided to drive down San Pablo and hit up the first dive bar we saw. The lights from the huge outdoor patio caught my eye as I drove past so we flipped a bitch and pulled in. This place did not disappoint.
(2 shots of Jim Beam with a Miller High Life) x 2 for $17!!! [Yes Juicy, this joint called for such a drink ... I also needed liquid courage]. They had a drink special for whiskey and can o' beer for $5 each ... that was for round 2.
The place was a like a big frat party ... I think we were the only Asians. Since I hadn't eaten yet, the chicken kabob and the sausage wrapped in bacon hit the spot ... though they would have tickled me even if I'd just had a 12 course meal. Service is quick, patrons are friendly, I can't wait to go back.
when going to new places, it's always good to try the local beers, which is why it's surprising how hard it is to find berkeley-brewed trumer pilsner. ALAS, missouri lounge has it on tap! otherwise, they have their drink specials of a can of beer and shot of whisky for 5 bucks or a canned tecate and shot of tequila for 6. these can get dangerous!
despite the awkward dance party that forms in the middle of the room (think pre-pubescent middle school formal... with braces), this place is awesome. there's a DJ playing groovy/discoy lounge music (not typical top 40 hits that you already hear a million times throughout your day!) and a back patio adorned with christmas lights. this is a perfect example of "dive bar" not meaning something bad. there was a line out the door on a saturday night, so it seems to be pretty popular. it's a great place and i definitely plan to come back!!
A: Cheap Whiskey +
OK: Patio and Country night
=
A-OK.
This is a nice little divey place, but nothing to write home about. I have been a couple times and it just doesn't feel like the most social of places. First off, I have had more trouble getting a drink here than places in the ever-busy mission. When you go into the back patio, groups are separated in their own tables which makes it hard to talk to anyone other than who you came with. When I go out, I like to meet people and party. Missouri lounge attracts disgruntled hipsters who think the meaner they sneer, the cooler they are. I would usually pass, but I am a big fan of whiskey.
It kind of reminds me of this dude I hooked up with from Missouri. It was somewhat pleasurable, but I couldn't help thinking, when is it done yet?
The tag line for the state of Missouri is: Close to home, far from ordinary.
My tag line for Missouri Lounge: Close to home, quite the ordinary.
This is just a really fun bar. Other reviews of it say more about the food and exactly what the happy hour specials are, that's all good, but I just want to vouch for the atmosphere of this place. :)
The bartender was super nice, and was really helpful when I asked for a suggestion of "a gin drink that's more exciting than gin & tonic." I ended up with a "Left Bank," apparently a drink the bartender said her boss had come up with.
Anyway, there's plenty of space to sit inside or outside under the heaters, and you can actually hear each other talking. Just a really fun "dive bar."
I think you should avoid playing pool here unless you are really good at pool. Like, really good. There are regulars. Whatevs. I'm not bitter. I will forever have a story about quasi-hustling a smelly guy named Mondo.
Other than that, hipster city! I get the impression that this was once a really cool dive bar that hipsters found out about. We're talking crazy hipster. Clove cigarettes. Neck tattoos. Joy Division t-shirts. Twin soul ropes with rings hanging from them. I think 75% of all the drinks sold here are cans of PBR.
Anyway, I do like the idea $5 boilermakers and $6 "especial" boilermakers (tequila and Tecate). Hipsters and Mondo have me down on the place, but the prospects of cheap liquor and outdoor grills do make me want to return.
The moral of the story is that it's on San Pablo and it's better than the new Hotsy Totsy.
WORST bar i have ever been to!
bad crowd, bad service. walk down the street to ACME. MUCH better.
i really wanted to like this bar, considering i live RIGHT by it, unfortunately i don't.
firstly, i went to this bar specifically because they had a dog friendly policy. i went several times with my tiny dog, before suddenly being kicked out, rudely i might add, for having my dog with me. apparently, according to the giant rude man (who told me he "didn't give a fuck" what i thought) they changed their policies. no dogs at night anymore.
awesome... not.
also, i have no idea why everybody keeps calling this place a hipster haven! i mostly see broish types, all white & young, definitely not thrifting in their spare time...
imo, just walk down to acme, the music might be kind of intense, but the people are authentically friendly, older, and LOTS more accepting of dogs!!
Pretty darn awesome. Outdoor grill, cool bartenders, cheap drinks. The DJ's were great last Saturday - played only contemporary and classic soul music. Apparently this happens every other Saturday and apparently I will have to come back to hear more good music. The crowd was a good mix of people - not too pretentious at all (not that one would even expect such a thing in such a hip place like Berkeley). Can't wait to go back!
Great little spot. Divey in that way that's really not - more like a divey lounge, you know? Full selection of Hangar One, which I love. And cocktails made with fresh juice! Seriously, they had a pile of sliced, absolutely gorgeous blood oranges ready for your beverages. Can't say that I have ever had a drink made with blood orange juice and it was delicious!
I'd love to go back here at night or even just when there are more people there than myself, a couple friends, and the cool bartender.
Extra points for Chocolate Jesus on the NON-internet jukebox.
A fun venue with a good, large patio. They have solid happy hour specials, but prices jump significantly when it ends. (Well drinks jumped from $3 to $6 for example.) It gets very loud once the evening gets going, partly because of the number of people, and partly because they have a DJ who kept the music turned way up to be heard over even loud conversation. The food from the grill was very tasty, but they didn't seem to maximize their output and thus repeatedly got backed up, creating a long wait for food.
Came here yesterday to celebrate a birthday. We spent our time outside in the beer garden which was nice. It had little netted canopies with heaters inside to keep you warm and the party private.
Drinks were really affordable, and the business definitely picked up after 7pm.
Enjoyed the $5 whiskey and can o'beer special (PBR).
Only wish they'd serve some food or snacks that didn't cost $2.
One of my favorite places to be. This is definitely a diamond in the rough.
Missouri Lounge has a juke box, which never gets used because there are DJs every night of the week. Inside, there is enough tables and chairs to sit ten, plus another ten or so barstools. They have cable television and are usually playing some out of pocket, off the wall flick.
The drink prices are fairly cheap. You can get a beer for $2-5 and a mix drink is around $4-6. I don't think I've ever paid more than $6 for any drink in all of my times there.
I love what they've done with their "back yard". The building to the side of the Missouri was demolished, and they expanded. There is an entire outdoor area now, complete with picnic tables and benches, couches and recliners, and several canopies for when its raining outside.
The atmosphere is awesome, as are the bartenders, DJs and the rest of the patrons that come through here.
I can't forget, they also serve food. I'm not sure if they have a schedule for when they offer food or not, but you can usually find a guy at a BBQ grille outside. Last time I was there for $6 I got a toasted hoagie with some amazing pesto spread, piled high with onions, peppers, tomatoes and thinly sliced and amazingly seasoned steak. That, with a heaping side of potato salad. Yumm!
Yelp tag for 4 stars: Yay! I'm a fan.
Yelp tag for 3 stars: A-OK.
I'd say Missouri is somewhere between the two. If there was such a thing as a dive lounge (maybe there is, I don't know), this would be it - not at all pretentious, but far from sleazy. Drinks are decently priced, it was not too packed on a Saturday night (although there was a good mix of people), and the back patio is awesome (probably my favorite thing about Missouri).
Overall: Cozy, low key, fun hangout place.
Missouri Lounge is great. I am oh so happy they now have the patio section in the back. Makes it easier to breathe in the bar and move on the "dance floor". The drinks are cheap and the specials are awesome.
Before you go and complain about the music please be advised that there are different DJs on different nights so check their myspace or website to see what you'll be hearing all night. Doesn't make sense to go on a Soul night and complain that all the DJ played was soul music. Quite fucking irritating if I do say so myself.
And if you want to call a sector of the people here hipsters then keep in mind that these are East Bay hipsters, so like that's about 5 times less obnoxious than SF hipsters. Also I believe the crowd here is a lot more mixed than people have let on in their reviews.
Honestly, the weirdest thing about this place is the girls bathroom. It's a pretty big room but there's one toilet and no stall but amazingly there are two sinks in the bathroom. Why 2 sinks and one toilet and no stalls?!? Who built this place? Every time I go there I get drunk and talk about this. It amazes me to no end.
Dogs allowed? check.
$5 special? check
Pool table? check.
Jukebox or DJ? check.
Friendly bartenders? check.
Occasional disruptive customer? check.
Stupid Mustache? Check.
.... Cool outdoor area that serves steak sandwiches and has tented seatings areas with lamps alongside additional picnic tables? Check.
Now kids... the lesson learned from this experience is sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken.
I just discovered another contender for my "best dives" list! A group of us went here after finding that the Albatross Lounge further down San Pablo was hosting quiz night thus leaving no table free for a group of six. Like a true dive, it sits alone on a quiet corner. It's very dark and the furniture consists of bar stools and a few velvet couches. They also have a patio section in the back, however it was too cold last night and only three outdoor heaters that were already occupied by other patrons. I imagine on warmer nights, it's quite bumpin' out there.
Drinks are cheap and they have a whiskey + beer special for $5. The music was not too bad. The jukebox has a pretty good selection and I could even overlook the bartender's iPod mix consisting of such gems like Ludacris' 'Ho.' Oh and if you have to wait to get a drink it's because the barkeep is taking a few shots and taking a swig of beer. Nice! A great spot to have cheap drinks and chill with your homies.
Good vibe, cheap drinks, food, and a nice outdoor area.
Hey this place is awesome. I brought my dog here and she loved it. All the patrons were so nice to her, and the bartenders even had dog biscuits behind the bar.
Seldom have I ever felt so comfortable walking into a place. The music was very good, people were dancing even though the "sound system" sucked. I will definitely be coming back here sometime.
The Misery Lounge: $2.50 PBRs, friendly staff, chill patio area, and a weird mix of grizzled barflies and pickled yoots.
Damn hipsters. You spray for 'em, lay out traps, but they just keep coming back.
Berkeley, CA
Category: Dive Bars
Berkeley, CA
Category: Pubs
Albany, CA
Category: Lounges
Neighborhood: Rockridge
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: South Berkeley
Category: Dive Bars
I was once the crusader of gentrification: the hip…
Best and most colorful nightlife to woo a long…
Places I've drank. I don't have a problem with…
When I don't feel like rollin to the city, I keep…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
We so aren't that drunk couple fighting at the…
Drinking is not a past time...it's a life choice,…
i drink and drink and drink some more! also, many…
