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Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhoods: Temescal, North Oakland
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Here is why this bar rocks my socks...
1. You can wear a ball gown or a trash bag and be treated just the same.
2. One minute you might hear Slayer on the jukebox, then Elvis, then Bob Marley, then top it off with some Too Short, musically anything goes!
3. The drinks come as you order them, nothing cheesy, nothing dumb, just a good strong cocktail or beer
4. The crowd is diverse and friendly and if nothing else fun to watch.
5.They have all sort of cool events, to keep the community connected!
6.Treat the heard working bartenders with the tiniest amount of respect and they will treat you like family!
7. The owners have put their heart and souls into creating a business Oakland can be proud of!
Overall, The Avenue, is for those who are looking for a good drink, in a fun atmosphere, with great company on this side of the bridge! See you there!!!
Finally! A dive bar in the East Bay that meets my demanding requirements:
*Drinks strong enough to ensure I get argumentative. (Who doesn't love a little spirited debate?)
*An atmosphere my girlfriend hates
*Bartenders with attitude (tongue-in-cheek wisecrackers, all of them.)
*Dim & terrible lighting
*TVs on walls playing sports (not that I'm watching, but definitely a divey standby)
*Pool tables in back
all this with room to breathe and reasonable prices. AND it's across the street from Lanesplitter's Pizza. Will I be back? Hell yes.
Great bartenders, a jukebox that takes credit cards, pool table, lots of seating, $8.75 pitchers of PBR, and either insane horror movies or NFL Sunday Ticket on their TVs. This place actually appeals to everybody, ever.
My one complaint is that I actually wish it were more crowded, with tons of insanely hot babes buying me drinks whispering weird shit in my ear. Yeah, you read that right. I want so many babes to be there that I literally "can't handle it," if you know what I mean.
Seriously though, some sicknasty young guns like me are going to start becoming full-on-hard regulars and this place will be crawling with the right kind of people (the kind that are actually red-fucking-hot, if you pardon my language, and drink PBR pitchers individually in 8 minutes). God damn I love this place.
And you can bring in Lanesplitter pizza so that's pretty sick.
Atmosphere was lovely. The guitars hanging good good, jukebox as well. The 5.50 fucking PBR was twanot. I still left a dollar tip in understanding dives need to make a living as well as my unemployed ass. Just will never go back to this convenient bar only a block away again.
Pass the baton. Hand over the throne and don the crown. The Avenue which opened up a year and a half ago, is aiming to become the greatest Oakland dive bar. The old crew from the King's X have transitioned over to Telegraph Ave. and opened something similar. This filled the gaping hole that was left when the "X," went all Tiki on us.
It is called The Avenue and its a sweet little spot to relax and have drinks with friends. Plus its awesome to see that the folks from the "X," have found a new home. And considering that this area has become all trendy and full of hipsters; this bar fits in perfectly. Its old school meets new school, all combined into one. If you want to hang out with the best bartenders in Oakland and drink stiff cocktails then come to The Avenue.
Come here to listen to punk rock, grunge, classic rock, hip-hop, funk and soul and rockabilly. Have a fat cocktail and kick back. That is Oakland for you. One big funky stew. The guys here are Oakland, through and through. They know that I know, that they know. Nice work with this bar guys. Plus there's a late night pizza joint that opened across the street, for the moment when your empty stomach can't take anymore jack and cokes.
I always have an interesting time at this bar. Such an eclectic mix of people. I guess the owner works here a lot and is a super nice guy who tried to help me locate my glasses when I thought I drunkenly left them. I've gotten a weak drink or two though, and I always feel like a dick asking for more booze, but they'll hook you up with more if you ask.
Nice lounge area in the back, very spacious and a clean bathroom.
This is the best dive bar in Oakland. After the X went all Tiki on the world, this had to happen. Well done Curtis. Go here.
Came here last night during the Temescal Street Fair. Walked in and found it to be a lot bigger than I had thought. A pool table in the back, plenty of chairs and tables to sit on. Ordered two beers, and sat in the unassuming tables in the front. I have nothing bad to say about The Avenue. Next time I come through, I'll be staying a lot longer, and take a dabble at their Bloody Mary and Hard Liquor Drinks.
This place is a total dive bar, and that my friends is a damn good compliment.
The place as a whole didn't leave a huge impression on me, but when I look back on the kind of night I had, The Avenue feels kind of magical.
Why's that? Let's see...
Strong drinks. Cheap drinks. $4 vodka tonic with some real kick.
+
Pool table!
+
Quirky, mixed patrons. Some drinking, some dancing, some playing dominoes.
+
Awesome bathroom wallpaper.
+
Getting some cute dude's phone number
=
SUCCESSFUL NIGHT.
We stopped in The Avenue Sunday after walking around the Temescal street fair to pee and figured we might as well grab a drink and chill for a while.
It's a decent dive bar type place. The bathrooms were mostly clean, which is good considering the number of people in and out of there for the fair.
My biggest complaints are about the service and quality of my drinks.
The bartender seemed really scattered. When I finally got his attention I asked him if they carried any hard cider for my friend. He answered my question, I told him I wanted one and was about to tell him what else I wanted but he walked away and proceeded to take three other peoples' orders before coming back to me with the cider. And then I practically had to grab his arm to tell him the rest of my order. And I wasn't being hesitant or mumbling... I am very serious about drinking and knew what I wanted.
I ordered a kamikaze. The first one was tasty. I ordered another and it tasted so vastly different - and not as good - that I wondered if I was even in the same bar.
But the prices were very reasonable. I got my buzz on, which was my intent. And my friends and I were able to sit in the nice cool bar with interesting folks to look at and chat.
I went here tonight after going to an event at Studio One, which is just around the corner. Avenue is a chill and grungy dive bar.
I love that this place is totally unpretentious. It has comfy chairs and ample seating. As I am lazy and hate standing at bars, this for me is totally ideal. The decor is a hilarious mix between replica guitars from Randy Rhodes and Eddie Van Halen, and some framed sports jerseys.
There is a HDTV there and a pretty killer jukebox. When we walked in they were playing Pantera, Slayer, etc., which made my husband super happy. The drinks were pretty cheap. It was also pretty empty when we walked in, so we got seats, which made me happy.
After being there for about 30 minutes, the DJ went on. As I am an old lady, I actually found the DJ to be a bit loud- you had to SCREAM at the person sitting 2 inches away from there to hear you, which isn't really my style any more these days.
It is open and not crowded, which is good, because I hate being mashed into a bar like a I am in a can of sardines.
Last but certainly not least, the wallpaper in the ladies' bathroom is absolutely priceless. You must go here, even if it is just to pop into the ladies' bathroom and see the wallpaper.
This is a dive bar in my neighborhood. The drinks are very well prepared and the prices are relatively low. The service is usually OK. The atmosphere is not too good most of the time, so I don't stay very long. If you like shouting biker-types and sports TV, you might find the setting more palatable. This place is not bad, but really needs some competition. There used to be 3 bars in the neighborhood, but now there is only one. Let's get some alternatives!
I can walk here from my house so I come here every Friday for my happy hour beer and Jim Beam and often come by for a nightcap after I've been out somewhere else. I love that there is no "scene" here, just your average dive bar with a diverse group serious drinkers and a lack (usually) of douche-bags.
The pool table is never too crowded, you can always find a place to sit, you rarely have to wait too long for your drink, there is naughty wallpaper in the women's room and the happy hour prices are great. What more could you want? They also decorate OVER THE TOP for Halloween which makes me pretty happy.
I DO hate, hate, hate the digital juke box though - when people are allowed to play whatever they want it is rarely a good thing for the rest of the bar.....
Ahhh, yes. I like a bar where you feel like you're just hanging out at your friend's apartment. Your friend doesn't care what you're wearing, how often or how loudly you say *fuck* or how you don't have a lot of cash on hand. And this particular friend happens to have a cool bartender in her apartment, along with a pool table, very random people milling about and any songs you might want to hear (if you throw a buck down her gullet.)
This friend still makes you go outside to smoke though. You indulge her this b/c, well, yeah, smoking makes things stinky. and cancer-riddled.
The Avenue is dark, unassuming, friendly.
This place is around the corner from my friend's apartment and even though she's lived there for 2 years last night was the first time she made it to The Avenue.
When we came in it was exactly what we expected: sorta dark, sorta divey, generally mellow and unassuming. The bartender (one of the owners) was awesome and "forgot" to charge us for a few of our drinks. Most everyone was friendly and the table behind us kept the jams rolling (huge points). We'll definitely be back!
girls' night isn't a girls' night w/o having multiple dudes coming to the back side asking questions like "did you girls all go to high school together or what?" or "what is this? a girls' only club?"
they have guitar hero....and cheap drinks. that's a-okay in my book.
The perennially open enticing entry is a gateway for the evening. You weave past the inevitable outside smokers who gather in large numbers on the spacious smoking sidewalk overlooking the coffee bar across the street. Inside your get a long galley view, with a bar on the right and tables on the left. Beyond that are the pool table and the entry for loos. Finally, you arrive at the low-light-cushy-chair- fireplace-lounge.
My new favorite bar. The closure of the Silver Lion was tough but frankly I had burned out on the limited jukebox. The Avenue jukebox is Internet when working. Get it FIXED! Cool atmosphere, pool table, and lounge area. The crowd here is more my style vs the Lion which was a little too dead ender... this is more late after workers, hipsters, college kids, and dive bar enthusiasts. $2 PBR when you need to slow the evening down both cash burn and alcohol wise. Great local neighborhood feel. To bad its Telegraph Ave not Telegraph blvd.
"Hes going to end up, on the dirty boulevard
Hes going out, to the dirty boulevard
Hes going down, to the dirty boulevard
And fly fly away, from this dirty boulevard
I want to fly, from dirty boulevard
I want to fly, from dirty boulevard
I want to fly-fly-fly-fly, from dirty boulevard"
dirty boulevard - lou reed - http://www.youtube.com...
Not too many places in the east bay where you can get a beer for $2.75! AND, they have a pool table and free guitar hero to play. If you are looking for a cheap, fun night out this is your place.
I try not to yelp unless I have repeatedly gone to a bar or restaurant so this may be a bit premature but after 4 or 5 trips to the Avenue I really enjoy its atmosphere, especially on Sundays. This past Sunday was my second time coming to watch the games.
What I like about The Avenue on Sundays?
1. The free food, ok its not gourmet but hey its a dive bar in Oakland.
2. The unusually large population from New Jersey. (I know what you are thinking, this is a reason, good god, why? Because Jersey people are fun!! So you may hear J-E-T-S, JETS JETS JETS a few times but its short and you are always welcome to join in. )
3. There was a man with a bald head, reindeer antlers and a Santa hat. (He tried to talk to us but I honestly have no idea what he said, they are a bit distracting.) Point? Anyone can come here, sports competition good, obnoxious I get drunk and want to fight, move along.
4. The girl bartender is really nice, so I drank water the whole 4th quarter, she didn't care. (please note: I still tipped.)
5. I can actually do my homework here and not feel out of place or distracted.
6. Make your own Bloody Marys!!!!
OK, I was a big fan of Connelly's. The one night when that one friend of mine got in a fight with the little blond bartender with the dreadlocks. One of my absolute fave nights in all my drinking history.
It's not that I don't like what those dudes have done to the place. Those are some pretty cool homemade tables. I didn't really see the need to put in TV's, but whatever. I've made it clear to them that I think the bathrooms are in need of a remodel, though the wallpaper is blah blah blah cool.
I think that the reason that I dislike this place so much is pretty personal. I've stayed late and helped them close down, and I'm friendly and I make friends everywhere, but for some reason, they just won't be my friends. When people don't want to be my friends and make whatever chit chat, it makes me sad. I'm funny. Don't be lame. Be nice, bartenders. And not just because you want to make out with my friend. Cause when it's apparent that that's the only reason you're being nice to me, it's ANNOYING.
I'm boycotting, fyi. It's unfortunate, though, cause it's hella close to my house, and close to a laundromat, and close to Lanesplitters, and the fireplace is pretty nice, and...whatever. This place sucks.
*****
Ok, I'm changing the number of stars!! Oooh yeah, Avenue. You're up to 4, baby.
Why? Well, they got rid of reggae Fridays, which I thought was a good choice. There's not a hell of a lot of dancing room, and they seemed to get that people want to chat, and that's good. Now they have art exhibited by local artists in the back which is awesome!! The drinks are strong, and the bartenders are, I hate to say it, pretty cool, even if we did get off to a rocky start.
Sorry to offend everyone, the Ave isn't so bad, even if I do still miss Connolly's. You try to be honest, and everyone gets their panties all in a bunch!
oh and btw, I would *never* boycott a place because I'd made a drunken ass of myself there! If I were to, I'd be out of local bars!
Dive-ish. Cheap drinks. Pool, video games, and a jukebox. What else do you need besides a few friends to join ya?
After moving from San Francisco to Temescal in May of 2007, I was interested in finding a decent bar in walking distance to reduce the amount of evenings I spent heading into the city on BART. I had read plenty of skurry reviews of Connolly's, the bar that The Avenue used to be, and while I figured a lot of the fear was simply hipster elitists pissed off that they hadn't been able to gentrify that bar (yet), I never went in.
Fast forward until July, when a hard-drinking friend of mine from Belfast came to visit. We were taking a stroll down Telegraph when I noticed the new sign--"The Avenue."
A couple weeks later, I dropped in with a friend for a quick drink and was surprised--it wasn't scary at all! In fact, I returned later that night with a different friend. We met Curtis, the new owner, who validated all the frightening reviews I'd read about the bar's predecessor, and was funny to boot.
So, I love it. Internet jukebox. Reasonably-priced drinks. Friendly owner and bartenders. And pizza across the street.
I can't wait until they open the patio.
Hecks yeah mofos! Now I dug Connolly's (see review) bc I really loved the bartenders, bc I like most barfly's have a soft spot in my heart for super genuinely friendly bartenders who are heavy handed pourers. BUT I will say I am ultra happy with the new takeover . . . Curtis and Davey are 2 of the rocking-est bartenders the booze Gods ever created. And now the old crappy jukebox is no more and I will be able to listen to good music in this place- Wether I'm feeling Hank Williams Sr. or Slayer that night, because I know C & D are in charge of the jukebox I am guaranteed to NOT have it turned off. These are important things to me in a bar. Another added benefit is all that redneck Nascar crap on the walls is gone.Now its still not finished, and it smells kinda wierd still but that's gonna change. So go here and chill and buy some drinks- these guys have bills to pay ya know!
UPDATE: Ok kids, I'm only gonna say this once. If you used to frequent Connelly's and wander into the Ave, please do not ask the bartenders shit like "did the old bartenders teach you to how to make a such and such yet". And the reason you should not do this is bc Curtis and Davey are NOT new at bartending, been doing it forever and have gone way out of their way to try and make the old customers happy with the new takeover. If I had a shot for every stupid thing like this I have heard (my personal fave is "did they teach you how to make a Jager bomb?), I would have cirrhosis 20 yrs earlier than expected. Moral of the story is . . . Don't piss off your bartenders!
The owner/bartenders here are friendly and cool and generous, and they are working hard on fixing up the place and making it more inviting and fun. The new internet jukebox kicks ass, and its super way cleaner than it was as Connolly's. The fireplace lounge is rad, and I hear they will be getting new couches and revamping the back patio soon. I sincerely hope with all my heart that they never remove the groovy wallpaper decorated with fornicating silhouettes from the Ladie's room....
Last time I was there I got to ogle several good lookin' inky hipster types from the neighborhood, got kissed on the cheek by a guy I've secretly crushed on since the mid-90's and had an interesting (and extremely random) conversation about rats with a fuckin' cool (on their way to) elderly couple who looked like Willie Nelson and Minnie Pearl.
Rad!
Oh, and Davey told me they will have Stella or Trumer to drink sooner than I know it, so I won't have to drink PBRs with my Fernet shots anymore...What more could I want???
Keep up the good work, boys!
At first I was a little stand offish of this place after the beloved Lion got shut down.
But fast foward a few months ago im a regular here. It's my new home away from home. The bartenders are fucking awesome. Weekends can be kinda "fratty" But what can you expect it is a bar.
Dont forget the cheap drinks and the heavy pour is always a plus in my book \m/
p.s. The only reason you dont like the bar Aaron is because you're a hipster.
CRY ME A RIVER FIXIE!!!!!!!
pretty great for a sports bar. they have a (very) modest beer selection, free pool table (at least it was last night), a living room area, and everybody seemed to be eating pizza.
they play guitar hero here on wednesdays and sundays, but i wish it was super mario 3 battle mode.
I hella heart The Avenue.
Kitschy. Cool. Dark. Dank-y.
Complete with pool table, jukebox, wine by the single serving mini bottle (chard, merlot & white zin); beer by the bottle; sans tap.
I love the fireplace, gated oldskool lounge area (This, my friends, is a must see); super friendly bartenders; cool characters.
Oh, and the bathroom. Check out the pic!
Okay, apparently cider is on the way! YAY! Thank you Avenue! I will be in soon to enjoy!
I end up here way more often than I'd like since some friends live around the corner. It's a decent… Read more »
I'm not even sure I remember leaving.
It was the last stop of the night. My 5th drink...I mumbled something incoherently to my neighbor about whatever was on the tv (I can't even remember now) and awaited the bf to finish his array of Foreigner tunes for the jukebox.
I hadn't even finished my whiskey before my eye lids started to close. I'll have to go back another Saturday when I can actually actively participate as a client and not a zombie who's drank one too many cocktails with names resembling bad comic book or religious characters from the previous bar.
It was pretty dead around midnight, but the bartender was cool, the place did not smell like a dirty diaper martini and I think nobody died that night, so all in all, a solid 3.
COol spot!!! college crowd,decent Price's peoples you have to check this place out on Halloween!!! great decoration!!!
Why does everyone like Aaron and Jennifer give the Avenue only ONE STAR because THEY can't hook up??? I find the best sort of tail in that joint and can seal the deal, too.
Whoa...first scroll down and read Jennifer's 2 star review.
Second, thank your lucky stars she…
Read more »
Cool little up in coming dive bar. The fact that it is right down the street from where I live gives it a star right off the bat. The new owners, I didn't know the old place, but apparently they are new owners, have done a great job with the inside decor, tv's, and lounge area with fire place. You will often find the owner behind the bar and he is not afraid to make a strong drink. The crowd is eclectic, but everyone is very accepting and there to have a good time.
The owner's actually reached out to me over Yelp, and seems to want to really improve the bar. They've gotten a few new whiskies and they now have a digital Internet jukebox, so the tunes selection has gotten better. I'd now put them at a cut above average, since they took the time to change stuff.
This place has the personality (and jukebox) of any-urban-bar, U.S.A., but if you've got nothing… Read more »
Since moving to Temescal two years ago, I've bitched and complained about the lack of a decent bar in the 'hood. I am glad I can put the bitching aside and finally have a beer without fear of a staph infection.
Thanks to my cousin John M., I got the news that Connolly's had changed hands and that the new owners, friends of his, were cleaning the place up. So last night, instead of meeting up at Lanesplitter for a beer, my friends and I walked across the street to check it out. The overall consensus was good and a decision was made to return, only next time with a more significant posse. Could this be my new local?
It has a fireplace.
OK, The Avenue gets 5 stars for having a fireplace you can actually sit next to and warm up. I dont know any other place in Oakland that has such an amenity (Dont say McNallys because you cant sit down next to it).
Overall it certainly isnt the prettiest of locales, but it is a good place for you and some friends to hang out on cold winter nights.
Dont look at the ceiling.... it scares me! (minus one star)
You can take my review off Yelp, but I'm just posting this 'cause I loved Devileen's review on other people. So I'm reviewing her review. +Plus+
ok, this is a 3.5 star review, but the Alley has lots of potential, so let's make it 4. I'm gonna be scientific-like about this:
Strengths:
-Great spot. Who doesn't want to do a bar crawl in Temescal without having to smell baby poop? In my 'hood, and just being in Temescal at night makes you want to drink.
-Spacious, hip-but-not-too-hip clientele, laid back. The fireplace area and promised outdoor area are tempting.
-Kind of light traffic for a Saturday night, but I guarantee it will grow.
Weaknesses:
-Too many TVs playing just sports. The clientele looked like they didn't give a rat's ass about football, but if it makes the bartender/owners happy, fine by me.
-My Jack and Ginger was weak, and so was my friend's Cosmo. come on, it's a DIVE BAR - it's the booze, stupid!
that's about it - look for this joint to get more and more popular. Location, location, not-smelling-like-diaper!
I used to come here when it was Connolly's and apparently it used to be a jazz club at some point too. I like the fireplace and the eclectic crowd where everyone seems to be getting along. A nice mix of neighborhood people, familiar Connolly's faces, and people that used to go to Silver Lion but none of the meathead behavior I used to see at Silver Lion. Drink prices are OK, not particularly cheap and the digital jukebox (kind of a ripoff at 3 songs for $2) has lots of stuff but the bartender may skip your song if you play jazz or some other "unacceptable" bar music.
My boy and I went out for a drink...and I finally discovered this place. It's a great little dive bar just blocks away from our pad. The patrons were fun to watch because it was a great mix of locals (no hipsters--yay!!). We talked, and played Ms. Pac-Man (caution that joystick is brutal). Can't wait to stop by on their Raggae/Dance Hall night!!
WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO CONNOLLY'S???
Well...after recovering from my initial shock, I finally walked over and gave the Avenue a try. I was weirded out by the clientele, first of all. (You know, those weird alterna-baseball fans?) And I was sad about the loss of the piano (not that anyone every played it), the couches (which were actually pretty gross) and my favorite bartender (if anyone knows where that superstar went to, tell me!). I'm not too excited about the addition of several huge TVs.
However, I like the new bartenders, and I'm into the new tall tables. There's just some kind of child-like (or is it childish?) glee I derive from being able to swing my legs while sitting on a chair. And I guess if I can forgive the Hut for having several huge TVs, I can forgive the Avenue, too.
I'm sticking with my three-stars-without-having-been-there review, because I feel like the place is a work in progress. It currently lacks character, but it has potential. They seem to be repelling the riff raff, which is kind of nice.
Neighborhood: Jack London Square
Category: Sports Bars
Neighborhood: Downtown Berkeley
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: North Oakland
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: North Oakland
Category: Bars
Castro Valley, CA
Category: Pubs
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