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Spoontonic Lounge
Categories: Restaurants Nightlife Bars Lounges Restaurants, Lounges [Edit]
2580 N Main StSte A
Walnut Creek, CA 94597
(925) 977-1888
- Hours:
Mon-Wed, Sat-Sun 8 pm - 2 am
Thu-Fri 5 pm - 2 am
- Delivery:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Wed, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Hipster
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
162 reviews for Spoontonic Lounge
Review Highlights
"It has a photo booth which is AWESOME."
(in 31 reviews)
"The Blue Otter Pop is my favorite."
(in 4 reviews)
"I like that it's a bit hidden and hard to find."
(in 15 reviews)
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162 reviews in English
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Review from Cady C.
Walnut Creek, CA
12/21/2011
I've been coming to Spoontonic for the last 5 years now, and I still love it.
Come on down on Tuesday night for the "Spoon Saloon" and listen to awesome bluegrass music. Think Marty Robbins, Chatham County Line, and Trampled By Turtles. Thursday night is more modern and dancy, and still awesome, and Sundays you get to listen to 80's and 90's. Um, Ace Of Base, hell yes! How many bars have that kind of variety? Pretty sure there's a dj every Friday and Saturday too, that plays more hip hop and dubstep.
Come down for Monday or Friday happy hour when it's a little less busy, and quiet and meet the bartenders because they're great. Justin is really nice and funny, and also makes excellent drinks.
They don't have beer on tap, but their selection is pretty good, they try to accomadate for most tastes. I'm a Guinness girl myself, but I really like the pear cider they brought in. Also, if you come down on Saturday night, they have Cheese Zombies for sale! That's right, cheese zombies! The have original, spicy(with ghost chilis! Yum!), cheeseburger, and a veggie one.
I personally like that the bar is harder to find. Spoon is more cozy, private and friendly than most other bars I've been to, especially in Walnut Creek. The lighting is mostly black lights and a few halogens above the nar, but I've never thought it was too dark to see.
If you don't like talking to your friends and need a ton of stuff going on, I think you've come to the wrong bar. Also perhaps if you have severe night blindness. -
Review from michael v.
Walnut Creek, CA
1/17/2012
Since the opening of Spoontonic, I have been a customer in good standing.
The decore is great, drinks are decent and ambiance is nice....this place is the closest thing to a San Francisco Martini Bar that Walnut Creek has.
Over the last couple of years though, the customer service has become slow and pretentious. The bar tenders are more cocky and seem to more interested in their conversations with regular customers then serving drinks.
There is still hope for Spoontonic, but the customer service needs to improve. -
Review from Salonje R.
Walnut Creek, CA
10/29/2011
LOVE love love this place! Very chill atmosphere and DJ was awesome! I had a fruity top shelf mixed drink which was awesome!
Would reccomend this place to everyone! Some them some love! -
Review from Jimmy S.
Concord, CA
1/12/2012
Only bar in walnut creek i'll walk into! 2 dollar PBR is what keeps me coming back!
-
Review from Daniel D.
9/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Honestly, I'm not much of a "bar" person but found myself here with my best friend on a Friday night. We had a few pitchers at Stanford's and walked around downtown Walnut Creek for a few hours after work. We ended up here because one of our friends was here for a co-worker's birthday.
I've got to be honest it was kind of hard to find. After a few pitchers of Hef, it was really hard to find. Luckily my boy remembered where it was and we parked across the way. There's usually parking on "SOS" drive. The bar is actually off of SOS and is behind north main st.
There's a smoking area right after you get your ID checked. Awesome to have some second hand smoke right before you walk inside =X
The bar itself is really chill and it seemed like a decent enough place to hang out and grab a few drinks with some friends. There wasn't too much going on. Bartenders were cool, drinks are a lot cheaper than "the clubs" I'm used to going to. It's pretty small but there is a lot of "bar" area. There's also tables and seats for people who want to sit and drink with their group of friends. The beer selection on tap was just ok. I wish they had Fat Tire on tap, but that's really wishing.
The DJ was playing old school hip hop which was interesting because he had a long scruffy beard and he was caucasian. I'm not judging, just thought it was interesting.
I don't see myself coming back here unless it's for someone's special ocassion. If you like dive bars, definitely come check it out. -
Review from Liz L.
Berkeley, CA
6/13/2011
This place is awesome. If youre pooer like some of us, drinks are super cheap. The bartenders/ bouncers are pretty amazing and the Sunday DJ is the bees knees. =]
PS I like that bitter guy that left a negative review when his yelp picture is him smiling at spoontonic and the only times i have ever run into him were there. "like omgahhh there was vomit in a bar bathroom..wahhhh" uhm its a bar bro... did you expect to find gold in there?? Get off yr high horse mr "everytime i come here " uhm go somewhere else then? Just a fucking idea. Even haters return here so it must be a pretty okay place.
Love always,
A spoontonic lover named lizleal -
Review from Z H.
Concord, CA
1/12/2012
Super laid-back, fun bar. I love the artwork and the cool blue lighting. I'm a big fan of their cucumber cosmos.
-
Review from Jason A.
Pleasant Hill, CA
11/28/2011
Underground small cheap beer an a big lounge n the back sometimes packed not always ill b back dont show up wearing black the whole place is lit by black lights it shows lint wveywere
-
Review from Erica S.
Martinez, CA
8/18/2011
Everyone says this is a hipster bar (I see why) but I came here on a Saturday night and the crowd was a little more broad than that--thankfully but it is more hipster than anything else you can find in Walnut Creek. I think it's priced fairly well ($5 Dirty Shirley's which no one in my group liked but me--oh well), but in a weird location; near Masses. It's also hard to find if you've never been there since it's on the lower-back-half of an Indian restaurant/ Hardware store(?) . Definitely a dive bar.
I really like it here because they play the kind of music I like which is hard to find among other Walnut Creek Bars. The DJ was so great. Not only did he play good music (aside from a few horrible, I assume, requested songs), he was really helpful when I requested a band he had already played. Most people would probably get annoyed and not care, but he cared! It also may have been because there was a man planted there talking to him, but who cares, right?
They have a photo booth here (I'm a sucker for photo booths) and it's pretty cool because it prints out with a website and code on the bottom where you can access your pictures AND the video of it. Sounds a little creepy, but it was totally entertaining to watch...especially since you're drunk while taking the pictures. -
Review from Ryan M.
Concord, CA
8/17/2011
Pretty decent place. Most hipster's I've ever seen in one place since the last time I visited Portland.
The DJ there last time I was there was okay, except he was just playing normal songs, not remixing them or anything, but he kept doing stuff on his laptop like he was doing something to the music. He turned the volume off for 2 words so I guess that's something. The DJ before and after him were pretty good though.
The Pac-Man machine ate my quarters, so I guess it was just there ironically.
I liked the lava lamps.
A pretty good place to hang out with friends. -
Review from Kenji L.
Brooklyn, NY
7/14/2011
Yes! Get in the photo booth. It will change your life...
Finally a place in the Dub-C to grab a PBR and transport yourself out of the suburban milieu.
Spoons is an oasis. -
Review from JV V.
Pinole, CA
8/30/2011
Hi "kris h." from "Orinda" with no picture and no Yelp history. Dude you made that fake review painfully obvious. If you gave a real reason you disliked the bar enough to give it 1 star, it might have been believable. I've never gone to a bar and based my whole night on the 5 seconds I spent showing my ID to a member of the security staff. I just feel bad that you lowered our Yelp rating over a grudge and a pathetic attempt to put me on blast.
And by the way, your wording in your last sentence made you that much more obvious. -
Review from GC D.
Amador City, CA
4/20/2011
"Pretentious and hipsterish?" Are you folks sure you were at the right bar?
The drinks are great, bartenders are great and Jeff, the proprietor, knows how to run a drinking establishment. -
Review from Fabiana C.
Concord, CA
4/29/2011
I hated that place! I couldn't believe the group I was with were so excited to go there. It's so dark you can't tell who is a woman who is a men. LOL It's almost scary!
The place is a mess! It's too loud too. -
Review from Tony L.
Concord, CA
12/4/2011
The bar sucks. It's dark. No television screens. No food to order. No pool tables. No shuffleboards. No DJ's. No live band. Pathetic. I will ever come that bar again.
-
Review from Stephanie S.
Vallejo, CA
4/3/2011
Went to Spoontonic with my brother and my friend.
It was kind of hard to find and from the outside it didn't look super impressive.
Its walnut creek so of course we were THE ONLY BLACK PEOPLE THERE. We were the raisins in the hipster bowl of rice but everyone was friendly.
The music started off pretty bad but got better as it got later into the night. Also if you want to order a drink BRING A BULLHORN or the bartender WILL NOT HEAR YOU. The only disappointment of the night was that the photo booth didn't work!!! But overall a cool, laid back little place. -
Review from Schuyler H.
Walnut Creek, CA
12/27/2010
This has been and always will be hipster haven. A place where trust fund kids who grew up and decided drinking Pbr and wearing thick framed glasses is the coolest thing going.
Why is there a dog hair in my beer? O that's right the owner is a moron who thought it was a great idea to let his dog wonder all over the place. Nice health code violation.
I've never come here during its peak hours because after my first visit I decided that the clientele isn't my crowd. The drinks, except the crappy beer in a can, are usually a few dollars more than what most places charge. I was charge $7 for a beer. The bar keeps can't mix a good drink to save their life.
One annoyance is the $10 minimum charge for cards. Some times all I need is one simple glass of scotch for an hour and I might leave if a place doesn't pick up.
It's in a bad location as well. Down a hill next to an auto shop and underneath another establishment on outskirts of Walnut Creek. It's good if you are looking for a place not frequented by the walnut creek bar hopper, although they have showing up here a bit. I just don't like the stoody attitude of Bright Eyes fanboys who populated this place and make even me feel out of place. -
Review from Christie J.
Benicia, CA
9/24/2011 3 Check-ins Here
This is one of my favorite bars to go to in Walnut Creek. It's chill and has good prices. It's pretty hidden so you have to really look for it but I always have a good time here.
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Review from Karen K.
Oakland, CA
10/11/2010
Land of the misfit toys...
You know, every time I think about Spoon Tonic, it goes something like this...."What's that pretentious 'underground' bar where every wanna-be hipster/bad-ass/dude hangs out? Oh right, it's Spoon Tonic!"
Every time I go there, I want to like it because it dares to be "different" but it just doesn't make the cut. It's, "too cool for school, we will judge you before you can judge us attitude" rubs the wrong way every time. Anyone can put up neon lights in their Dad's basement and plug in their iPod, but that doesn't make you a great bar.
One star goes out to the photo booth. If you're drunk enough, it can actually make the whole visit seem pleasant. -
Review from Christopher W.
Danville, CA
2/20/2011
Came to Spoontonic as stop number two on a Friday night out. Hadn't been here before but thought it was neat that this place was off the beaten path, literally hidden from street view.
A good amount of people here, and drinks were pretty cheap. They have a cool feature that let's you queue up songs if you have an iPhone. Some dancing would have been nice, but with a small space, probably not possible.
Definitely would come back here as spot number one of the night. -
Review from Jay B.
1/30/2011
hidden lounge..
Came here with a bunch of friends. It is a cute little hide-away with a lot of funny people. Drinks here is ok but it takes a while to get your drink if it's packed. The dj here is hilarious..
You could hook your ipod to their system and choose your own music when your there at the right time..
parking sucks, if it says NO PARKING.. just park there ;) -
Review from Sam A.
Alamo, CA
4/6/2011
This place is super hipster
I have only been here a few times, but I can never remember how to get back.
Its not bad, but most times Ive been there it is dead -
Review from naoufal h.
Walnut Creek, CA
4/14/2011
Funky place with crazy black lights all over the place and $2 pbr's . and cool stuff.
Definitely a local place, good luck finding it, what makes the place even more unique if you ask me -
Review from Niki O.
Brentwood, CA
6/13/2011
WOAH Mr. Danny Y. from below! Obviously someone's a little bitter about their own problems at spoons. Don't be bringing the place down just because no one likes you there!
Spoons is a super chill, fun hangout spot! If it's your first time there, they make you feel like a friend who's been going there forever and if you're a returning customer, it's even better! Everyone is nice there and the prices of drinks are very reasonable! If you have a good time in mind... SPOONS is the place to be! -
Review from Jeff R.
Oakland, CA
8/6/2011
What the heck is it with the negative reviews? It's a fun bar in a strange location. You go to bars for the vibe, and the place has a fun vibe.
It's dark compared to other Walnut Creek bars, but quite bright compared to genuine hipster bars in SF, Oakland, or Berkeley. Not spotless but not dirty. Don't eat anything off the ground, but that's true with any bar you go to. -
Review from rose a.
Walnut Creek, CA
11/11/2010
This place is a gem!
Some may not like it cuz its off the beaten path but that's what gives this place the character, perfect for that little affair you are having in a non perfect marriage or a perfect little spot for the tough day at work and you don't want to see a soul yet have a liquid lunch.
Nothing on tap, bottles only. No TVs
Dark, clean bathroom, decent bar stools, tables and chairs.
Ive heard it gets should to should on Fri and Sat nights.
Blink and you pass it, enter where the drive way goes down after the auto parts store -
Review from Jordan P.
Little Rock, AR
11/21/2011
Just moved here from Louisiana and this bar was the coolest bar I've ever been in!!! I love the crowd and the atmosphere! Its like a bar - but has black lights, lazer lights, and disco balls so it feels like a club - but it's got an artsy "hole in the wall" kinda feel - loads of character!!!! Oh, and it has a freakin photobooth!!! But only come here if you enjoy really open minded, creative, cultural, down to earth, no drama, no-ego, musicians, artist, kind of a crowd... Because I believe the spoon tonic is a best kept "hidden" secret for a reason! No meat heads, snobs, tools, douches, and dumb bimbos are inside!!!!! It's a really chill laid back place and no one is there trying to impress anyone... Jeans and T is the "dress code" - LOVE IT!!!!!! Bar tenders are great guys too :) I live down the street and I go there almost every night - I'm the new "regular" LOL - I love love love this place!
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Review from Kori W.
Pleasant Hill, CA
6/5/2011
Spoontonic is a great bar to have a few drinks and get out of the regular Walnut Creek bar scene. It is a small, dark, almost underground lounge that is short on windows but BIG on original artwork, which are for sale. It does have a hipster feel to it, but that means good music is playing; not club music. All but one of the bartenders make good drinks and are very friendly. Wednesday night is the best night because punk rock is coming through the speakers, and the crowd is small and free of people who look like they belong in the club on a Saturday night. I will forever frequent this bar, as long as it continues to be a sort of refuge.
-
Review from Miyako L.
Lafayette, CA
4/12/2010
A little hard to find, but worth the hunt, I promise!!
When you see the Indian restaurant, you're close!! Go down that scary looking driveway and you'll see it on the left :)
I'm pretty sure this is my favorite bar in WC out of 1515, Tiki Tom's, Lift, Stadium Pub, etc. Hence my previous Tiki Tom's review, I do not (I repeat DO NOT) like to hang out at "Tool Central" with everyone else. Not my cup of tea. We went here on a Saturday night, and surprisingly... Not one tool in the building!! Score!! It's probably because they're not smart enough to actually find the friggin' place, hahaha!!
The bartender made an excellent dirty martini for me. It was filthy in fact, just the way I like it :) Hehe. Great drinks, cool atmosphere, good crowd, decent house music bumping in the background... and my favorite part... The photo booth!!! This one is real too, not the digital ones where you pick your background and see yourself in on the screen.
Great bar, I'm surprised to actually find a place like this in this area. I will be back to this funky little place soon!! I love it!! -
Review from Mai W.
San Francisco, CA
8/22/2010
This place is great. I came here when visiting a friend in Walnut Creek.
If I didn't know someone who was a regular here I would've never discovered this treasure! The lounge was definitely popping when I went on a Saturday night.
There was a photo booth! Games and pinball machines!
Not only was the people friendly and the atmosphere great! There were ZOMBIES!
Ok So before going to Spoontonic I never knew what a Zombie was until I met MIKE the guy that sells them there. Some people are familiar with them but for those who aren't they're equivalent to a Baked BBQ Pork Bun but filled with cheese and meat instead of the BBQ Pork.
It was a great way to end the night. Good drinks then some food to go with it!
I will definitely be back for more. =) -
Review from Shirley M.
San Francisco, CA
5/11/2010
Well I guess it's about time I write a review for Spoons, being that I have been going to Spoontonics, since I was legally able to.
Drinks are cheap in price, not quality. Bartenders are some of the best locally in my honest opinion, not to mention the people there are amazing.
I used to live 5 minutes away from this place, and was there every Tuesday (or wed. for their old punk rock nights, cant now due to living farther away), it's just such a great place to go and chill with friends, talk to bartenders, play games, take photos in their photo-booth, and meet awesome local people. -
Review from Kinsey J.
Scottsdale, AZ
5/20/2010
By far my favorite bar in the East Bay. Puts all other Walnut Creek bars to shame. Super cool vibe, a little bit hipster feel but awesome nonetheless. It is great on crowded nights or empty weeknights. Awesome DJ swingin his dreds around, super friendly and cool bartenders, the owner Nick is really nice and usually in there too.
Impossible to get bored...which means it is perfect for a first date because there is pinball and pacman and a photo booth! The booths are my favorite place to sit and also a great spot for people watching. The dance floor gets going on weekends.
All in all, spoons is the place to be on any night of the week! But let's not tell TOO many people about it. :) -
Review from Rachel H.
El Cerrito, CA
1/13/2009
The name of this place is so cool. Spoon is a great word, as is tonic. Why not put them really close to each other?
I feel the same way about their cucumber cranberry cocktail. I don't remember what it's called, but it has cuke infused vodka and cranberry juice and it's so refreshing that you just want to have three more and run home and accomplish all your dreams. -
Review from Mari A.
Concord, CA
4/9/2007
Spoontonic is the bar that's sorta the antithesis of the typical Walnut Creek bar, although it, too is trying to be cool in it's own word-of-mouth type of way. You have to know someone who's already been there in order to get there because otherwise you'll never get to their obscure location.
I dig it. -
Review from Jenn N.
3/27/2008
I'm going to verify a lot of the other reviews on this place.
It's chill.
It's not too loud.
It's very blue.
It's an adventure to find.
I did not do a bewbie shot in the photobooth.
Tons of comfy, plush seating.
I felt very little eye f'ing in my direction, as I walked around.
Busy but not so crowded you feel clausterphobic.
I felt a little old but well, I'm getting a little old.
I love that the "Restrooms" sign is only visible under black light and the artwork is funky & fun.
I added an extra star for the hot assed woman who left right before me. I got to follow her all the way out. Let's just say: she was wearing a white spandex dress that was clinging to her in all the right places. Rawrrr.Listed in: The East Bay Bar ROTD Queen
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Review from Joanne G.
12/4/2007
For those city folk who aren't familiar with the Walnut Creek bar scene, here's a quick little description: imagine the Marina on a particularly drunken Friday night, condense that neighborhood down to one square block and then fill it with all of those from your high school that you'd prefer to never see again. Yeah. It's absolutely like that, but worse.
And so that's why Spoontonic is the only place you'll ever find me getting my drink on in The WC. The bar's location is delightfully hidden behind and underneath the most random of Indian restaurants, ten minutes in distance from Locust St, but miles apart in atmosphere and likability.
The crowd here is diverse, laid back, and friendly. The type of people for whom their teen years wasn't the apex of their lives, if you know what I mean. Plenty of seating, surprisingly good drinks, and a great bartender too.Listed in: Walnut Creek. Born and…, Over the bridge and through…
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Review from Meg T.
6/20/2008
I've lived here for how long and I knew not a whit about this chill ass place? How?!
Kick ass vibe, cool ass bouncer and neat ass drinks people talked me into trying.
First time ever I've given a bar 5 stars.Listed in: The Bars In Walnut Creek
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Review from Brad W.
Concord, CA
2/26/2010
This is my favorite local bar in the area, hands down. I consider it my Homebar.
I could call it a dive bar, but I'm hesitant to do so because it's actually a pretty nice joint. I've seen some pretty filthy dive bars in my day and this is not one of them.
Is it the kind of place you go to club, get rubbed on by a hundred sweaty people, lose your hearing, and pay $12 for a poorly-made drink? No. You can go to the city for that.
It IS the kind of place you go to if you want to kick it with friends, listen to some really good DJs, enjoy reasonably priced drinks, dance a little, and have a good time. This place can get bumpin', but it never gets overwhelming.
PROS:
-NO COVER
-$2 PBR
-Drinks are not super expensive
-Bartenders great to chat with on a slow night
-Simpsons pinball!
-Pick music from your iPhone
-The DJs who roll through here are amazing
-Really cool artwork on the walls
-Smoking area out front
-Nice lighting and atmosphere
-Lounge area for bigger groups of people
-Great mix of people in the 21-35 age group
CONS:
-It can get crowded sometimes on big nights and can take a while to flag down a bartender for a drink.
-Very rarely there is a line outside and you may have to wait 15 minutes before you get in.
-A little hard to find if you don't know where to look (it's on SOS Dr. across from the Porsche dealership)
My recommendation? If you are sick of the bars in downtown Walnut Creek (South Main St. area), you should definitely give this place a try. If you are a regular here, it's like being a part of a big family. -
Review from Marie W.
CA
5/7/2007
It's my boyfriend's birthday, and a group of our friends get together and hop into the car to scope the Walnut Creek bar scene for some birthday libations. Downtown Walnut Creek is a total bust, as our normal destinations (Crogan's, Mr. Lucky's, Dan's) all have longer-than-life lines due to fire code restrictions...Basically, no one's getting in because no one's leaving, so getting in line is a total waste of time.
A few in our group had heard of Spoontonic, so we called the place to gauge the scene. No line? Not crowded? We were sold! Excited to finally get the birthday boy to a satisfactory celebratory location, we head on over to see how this Spoontonic place really is. After calling back one more time to get directions (this place it kind of out-of-the-way, behind an Indian restaurant off of North Main), we park and head toward the entrance of the club, only to have the bouncers greet my birthday boy with the following: "Sorry, you have to have a collared shirt to get in; dress code strictly enforced."
Now mind you, we have called not once, but TWICE to get directions, exerting quite a bit of effort to get here. We were a well-dressed, clean cut group of people, and although the guys weren't wearing collared shirts, they looked sharp, and the girls were wearing heels and going out tops. We had plenty of cash in hand, ready to plunk down on drinks, and we definitely did not look like stragglers. So what's the problem here?
Apparently, Spoontonic would rather enforce their ridiculously begotten rules (this was NOT a classy enough place to warrant a dress code, trust me) and turn away hundreds of dollars of profits in the process. Whoever owns this place lacks some serious business sense.
As you can tell by the tone of my review, I'm livid at the treatment we received at Spoontonic before even walking in the door. We went out of our way to go here, and to be turned away because of a dress code...extremely disappointing, especially because my boyfriend's birthday celebration was slightly dampened as a result. Our group consequently headed out to Lafayette where the bar scene was significantly less crowded and a helluva lot more fun than overrated WC.
Spoontonic really had a chance to convert a large group of people disillusioned with the typical bar scene in Walnut Creek into regular patrons. Sorry, Spoontonic, but due to your overzealous bouncers and ridiculous dress code, you missed your chance. I vow here and now never to patronize this establishment ever again, as do all of my friends, and I suggest all Walnut Creek bar goers do the same! -
Review from Shawna N.
Pleasanton, CA
4/17/2009
This place is awful. The worst place ever. In the history of time. Not only is the epidomy of everything that is uncool, the bouncer took one look at my ID, which could not look anything more like me. I might as well have been wearing the exact outfit as I am in the picture, and this asshole has the nerve to tell me that I don't look enough like my ID to get in. Doesn't even ask me a damn thing about it. Just says nope, not happening.
My friend got in however, realized i wasn't there after like 2 minutes, and then said that the place totally sucked and was full of old people and wanted to go somewhere else.
1 star for you! you suck!
