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The Roundup Saloon
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- DJ, Live, 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:
- Yes
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
78 reviews for The Roundup Saloon
Review Highlights
"Shuffle board,pinball,pool tables & darts."
(in 10 reviews)
"They have bands on Thursday and Karaoke on Saturday."
(in 20 reviews)
"The other drawback is that it is cash only."
(in 11 reviews)
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78 reviews in English
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Review from Tim O.
9/7/2011 2 Check-ins Here
There are a whole lot of Roundup haters out there. Cases in point:
(wimpy voice) "Oh, it's cash only and I only have a card."
(Schwarzenegger voice) "Walk across the street to Wells Fargo in Safeway or use the ATM machine in the bar, wuss."
(wimpy voice) "I hate that it's so gosh-darn loud."
(Schwarzenegger voice) "Go home and sit in your den with a Bartles & Jaymes."
(wimpy voice) "I don't even know how to play shuffleboard."
(Schwarzenegger voice) "Grab the pucks and grow some sand."
(wimpy voice) "The bartenders aren't friendly."
(Schwarzenegger voice) "Maybe not, delicate flower, but it's because they're back there working."
(wimpy voice) "I didn't know Ron Dellums ran for Lafayette City Council."
(Schwarzenegger voice) "Learn about it. History is on these walls." -
Review from Pb J.
Oakland, CA
1/6/2012
You are a bar. But you have old school video game machines and a pool table in the back to play. You have an old western feel AND karaoke? Roundup, you are a great ball of fun, increasingly more so with drink after drink of liquid courage! My sincerest apologies for all the times I drove past and sneered, thinking you couldn't possibly be as great as you actually are!
I came here for a drink on New Years, and after a really great Mandarin kamikaze shot, I felt brave enough to show off my sub par singing skills! I was glad I agreed to karaoke earlier in the night when there were fewer people, but I do think it would be more fun to come when the bar is really crowded, or fairly crowded.
Just a note of warning: they only take cash, so make sure you are prepared before approaching the bar! -
Review from Brennan O.
Walnut Creek, CA
12/8/2011
Dead animals on the walls creeky worn out plank floors, beer served in actually frosty steins, a shuffle board table and pool tables and a gravel parking lot.
Yes Dorothy you still are in Lafeyette, but I think the year is 1963 -
Review from Eric B.
6/16/2011
Within this patch of pricey Lafayette real estate, I'm pleasantly surprised that a dive bar such as this still exists. I've been here before, but stopped in again yesterday to watch part of the Stanley Cup Finals before heading off for a hair appointment. I ordered a pint of IPA from a friendly bar keep who called me Munchkin (Cute) and proceeded to almost be the lone fan as Vancouver and Boston hit the ice.
After the haircut, I returned to watch the rest of the game. But alas, the channel was switched to the Giants game! Oy! And it's Game 7 for G-d's sake!
Oh yes the Bar. Comfortably divey with some pool tables, interesting mix of locals, and a nice antique Western bar. I'm sure to be back when I'm in the Lafayette Hood and not wanting to watch sports from a crowd who really doesn't care less.. -
Review from Wanugee N.
Pleasant Hill, CA
5/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
The Round Up Saloon in Lamorinda (Lafayette-Moraga-Orinda) is like an old spaghetti western with Squint Eastwood, I mean Clint Eastwood:
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.
The Good:
Just like the movie, this place has a western theme.
(Or is it just that old?)
Mixed drink like a Gin and Tonic, is only $3.50 everyday, anytime!
(Exception: That same drink during Happy Hour is only $3.00!)
3 Pay pool tables
Shuffleboard (this is really old school bar stuff!)
A pinball machine and a couple of video game machines
Liar's dice
Female bartender with big boobs (Isn't that the key qualification?)
3 TVs
The Bad:
There are all sorts of junk on the walls, that look decades old
There is dust all over, especially a thick layer on the stuff on the walls
At least 3 mounted, taxidermed deer heads on the walls
1 mounted, taxidermed wild pig's head, with a fake hand in it's mouth
The TV's are old CRTs, no modern, larger flat screens
The Ugly:
Some of the clients are very loud and drunk, even the ladies
(Ladies: I use that term loosely)
Except for the western theme and heritage, this place is much like that little dive bar in your neighborhood, you know, the one with no windows (although this has a large picture window facing the main street), with older, wrinkled skin regulars (well, some are nicer here in upscale suburbia and wear dockers), the darkish interior, and with a name like:
The Do Drop In, Elbow In, The Shadow Box, The Top of the Town, The Manhattan Club (these are actual names of those kind of places!)
Didn't see anyone with a thin, dark brown ciggy in his mouth, with squinty eyes, a leather hat, wearing a serape like the movie, though.
Wait, I think I hear whistling and men grunting in unison!
Could it be the hit song from the Spaghetti Westerns................"Hang'em High"?
Maybe there is another link to Squint Eastwood, given the pig on the wall here, and Squint, being the former mayor and owner of the Hog's Breath restaurant in Carmel?
For "A Few Dollars More" we'll play "Hang'em High" here again.
But I don't think they serve spaghetti.Listed in: Wanugee! Bars and Lounges, Wanugee! Lamorinda
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Review from donna l.
Walnut Creek, CA
1/5/2012
Always a fun place to stop in on our way to SF! Love the atmosphere college kids and regulars! Bartenders are always fun to chat with as well. Old school bar....fun!
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Review from Barclay W.
Santa Ana, CA
7/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
I mean, come on, what are you really expecting from here? Just by looking at the outside you should know what you are getting into.
Growing up I had passed this bar every day on my to and from camp. When I finally was of age this was at the top of places I had to try. In my mind I had made this place into a dingy dark bar full of cowboys.
What this place is instead is a mix of regulars and people passing through. The atmosphere is very friendly and very warm. The decor is definitely very dingy and run down but it adds to that local bar charm.
On my last visit playing a game of shuffle board we were joined by a slightly tipsy couple. They were heckling us and joking. Totally felt like I had been there my whole life.
The only draw back is that they take only cash, boo, but there is an ATM, yay!
When you come to the round up it is not going to a be a ritzy time, but they beer is good and the people are interesting. -
Review from Mitchell B.
Santa Cruz, CA
7/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Reasonably priced drinks paired with a super funny middle aged crowd, hokey decorations, pool, shuffle board, and karaoke.
I had a few great Vodka Tonics here. -
Review from Jon P.
Berkeley, CA
4/19/2011
Female bartender has a decent figure and a good sense of humor.
The drinks are moderately priced but the whiskey is sub par, the paler ales are ok.
Parking is okay in the back but if you have an SUV or truck, can be tight when it's crowded.
Has 2 pool tables and ping pong.
Decorum isn't all that great inside or out. -
Review from Michael H.
Lafayette, CA
3/4/2011
I always have a great time when my girlfriend and I stop by here.
Theres a lot to do, shuffleboard, pool, dice, whatever you're looking to do is satisfied. The people are nice and the bartenders are quick. -
Review from Sam A.
Alamo, CA
1/27/2011
Cool bar - one of the few in the area that don't get overcrowded
I like the cash only aspect - I hate waiting for a drink for some guy to pay via credit card. -
Review from Tina L.
San Leandro, CA
1/21/2011
A small hole in the wall bar from the outside but a bit bigger inside. They have four pool tables and I think I saw a shuffle board table too. It was crowded around 9:00 but the crowd started to thin out around 10ish.
Live music, my friends band was performing, Highwater Blues, she is the lead singer so I went to see them.
Major complaint the place was so cold we could not get warm and kept our coats on. Also the back door which is behind the band everyone kept going in and out of to smoke and opening and closing the door while the guitar player standing there was playing. They said the heaters were on but we even tried to get warm dancing and it did not help. I was so anxious to get in my car to turn on the heater. It is hard to enjoy a venue when it's too hot or too cold.
The ladies bathroom left a lot to be desired. I had an open window that you could not close and anyone in the parking lot could see into it. NOT GOOD. There was writing all over the walls they really need to invest a little of that beer money in fixing it up a bit. Come on who wants to have the men in the parking lot looking into the bathroom. Well, maybe some??? -
Review from Evelina E.
Berkeley, CA
7/9/2011 6 Check-ins Here
Good times at the Roundup, the best dive bar (and maybe the only one) in the Lamorinda area. Full of middle-aged folk ready to have a hokey time, the Roundup is sure to satiate a boring night otherwise spent at home. Play pool, do kareoke, or just enjoy the gory decor. Be ready to be heckled if you're a pretty lady.
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Review from Brandon M.
Moraga, CA
4/11/2011 24 Check-ins Here
This place, along with the bar around the corner, are my go-to spots in Lafayette for when I want to indulge in my alcoholism during the week. Misery loves company, and this musty bar serves as breeding grounds for depression and morally questionable decisions. In other words: It's my kinda place.
As I said before, I like coming here during the week. There's less of a crowd than what you'll see on a Friday or Saturday night, but during the week is when all the real winners (such as myself) come out, and it makes for some excellent people-watching. Trust me, you'll see a whole different side of Lafayette that you won't come across during daylight hours. Cougars, misguided Saint Mary's undergrads, businessmen, and bikers can be seen trying to interact with each other in this rickety wooden watering hole, and this combination can make for an interesting night.
The drinks are always stiff and reasonably priced, as they should be. Most of the bartenders are friendly, and the ones that aren't friendly are just not very social--at least they're not total dicks either way.
For your entertainment, they have a shuffleboard that isn't level, but it's free and fun to play to pass the time. They also have 2 pool tables and a ping pong table in the back. There's a jukebox, and on some nights you can catch a live band. Plus they have karaoke on Wednesday and Sunday nights, which can provide a real special experience while enjoying some adult beverages. I can almost taste the desperation in the air every time I hear someone performs a drunken rendition of "When a Man Loves a Woman." There's a big screen TV near the jukebox, and it's fun to come here and watch a game. My favorite part of the decor is the deer head mounted on the wall above the bar. As I sip my whiskey, I look up at the tacky pair of sunglasses its sporting and I get the sense that the deer wouldn't have his decapitated head on display any other way. The circle of life, it's a beautiful thing I tell ya.
This place is exactly what it sets out to be: A bar in a small town. Compared to the snooty-ness of a lot of the bars in Walnut Creek, this place has a super casual, down-home vibe that I really dig. With a small parking lot of it's own and a huge lot just across the street, parking is always really easy. It's cash only, but there's an ATM inside along with plenty of banks in the surrounding area. -
Review from Ligaya T.
San Francisco, CA
2/10/2009 3 photos
The Round Up makes for a cheap happy hour with a thoroughly entertaining roster of characters stumbling around the pool tables, shuffleboard, or Golden Eye. The rustic, dingy charm and unifying effect of economical liquor really shines through, attracting patrons of all walks: the flamingly adorable PG&E boy, his egotistical cohort who toted around his own pool cue, the local ponytailed, tattooed, earringed but scrawny badboy who picked fights and roamed around on his Bianchi only to get arrested in the plaza parking lot across the street. Like I said, all sorts. Who can resist a $5 Irish coffee when there's always a bar stool in attendance?
It's likely the corners haven't seen a mop for decades but the taps flow cleanly, and the bartender isn't without a pleasant sort of saltiness. I'd attribute her hardened attitude to the leering of the male patrons that pack the place and descend when there's a semi-precious female in their midst. If this is you, drop by with your elbows out, cash in hand, and ready to drink.Listed in: East Bay Beer
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Review from Kevin H.
Martinez, CA
7/10/2011
Being an old time Contra Costa County resident this bar is dear to my heart. It, along with the Clayton Club, are staples. Other bars try to create a "vintage" feel or an false ambiance. The Round Up doesn't need to...all it has to do is be itself and everytime I walk in there no matter where I've been in the world I feel like I'm coming home and touching my past. Oh yeah and best of all they still serve Hamm's.
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Review from Sarah M.
San Francisco, CA
5/27/2009
Wow, it's as if I stepped out of Northern California and into rural Pennsylvania. Glad to see that a dive bar here, is a dive bar anywhere.
This experience is a far departure from anything San Francisco has to offer. The walls (wood paneled) are littered with cobwebbed deer heads, aging newspapers, and appropriated traffic signs. The air is heavy with the smell of musty cigarette smoke (in spite of the fact nobody was smoking) and it even comes complete with barflies, who randomly shout/mutter at the TV. Full experience here people.
Echoing other reviewers, yes, they take their shuffle board seriously. Even the bartender was playing at one point.
While it may not sound like a resounding review, they're trying really hard. They've got an image and the people of Lafayette seem to be okay with that. I mean hey, they serve Rolling Rock, the high end working man's beer. Who can say no to that.
The place grows on me.
Minus one star for not serving Iron City or getting groped....as I said, they try hard. -
Review from Marla M.
Livermore, CA
11/29/2007
I second Jill S.'s review. I went maybe twice back in my early 20's. A bunch of dirty old men, shitty, over-priced drinks, cougars, and frat boyz. All lookin' to score! Eww, and Eww on the patrons(who is also a fellow yelper) who is probably jealous and have to pick on another yelper that wrote a review WELL over a year ago.
And yes, now I HAVE sunk to her level, but someone had to tell her about ill manners... -
Review from Tanya P.
6/14/2010
Apparently when the regulars that haunt the corner Starbuck's or Chow's need to keep it going they meander over to The Round Up...because sometimes it's literally the same line-up -- only the drinks in hand have changed. Expect a flowery assortment of folks to camp out at the bar and old ladies that can hold their own. Oh, and the serious gamers often bring their own pool, shuffle gear.
It opens quite early and has free Wi-Fi...you know, in case you need to tackle business emails and down a pint before mid-day meetings.
Stop by an ATM. Cash only. -
Review from maureen b.
Bay Area
There is nothing exotic about the Round Up. It's old, dirty & a little sleazy. But honestly, when my husband and I are headed home from the city, it's a rockin little stop.
Stop in, play some pool or even some shuffleboard. It really is a strange, funky little stop. But quite fun for a late night, I'm not ready to go home yet little stop. If you're looking for something "older"... swing on over to Petars. They have a serious cougar den for the after hours crowd.Listed in: LOVE Lafayette
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Review from Dee C.
San Francisco, CA
11/15/2007
Me + 1
Bar +1
Shuffle Board + 1
Historical Landmark + 1
Down to Earth Peeps + 1
= A whopping 5 -
Review from Mark A.
Concord, CA
4/9/2007
An old western/cowboy type bar (circa 1935) right in the center of town - this is a town staple, a landmark with historical value in an area built mainly after the 1970s?.
Old wood floors, animal heads on the wall evoke a true historical feel... people have been there before, when this was The West... would I call it a local/unpretentious/country/rock bar? I guess ...
Beer selection is ok... the crowd is a mixture of professionals, regular folks, blue collar, college kids, and slacker/wanna bees... every few years it re-emerges as a hangout for the St. Mary's College crowd... and then come the holidays, and all of the local kids who are now in grad school come after their family get-togethers die down.
They have bands on Thursday and Karaoke on Saturday. And shuffleboard. Three pool tables. Check the attitude at the door & chill out. The place has a new owner, who has worked the bar here for a while.
Since Lafayette is a "bedroom" community, there is plenty of parking on Mt. Diablo Blvd. at night, a small lot (10-15 spaces?), and a huge lot kitty corner from the bar (behind A.G. Ferrari & Starbucks). Do beware that the police station is 4 blocks west of the bar, so at night, either drive safely, or have a Designated Driver! -
Review from meg w.
Chicago, IL
7/2/2009 3 Check-ins Here
Me and A fell in here bc we were tired of casa orinda and this was the first bar we passed on the way to WC. All we wanted were cheap drinks and to talk about sex (or lack thereof] safely out of young family earshot. Yay Round Up.
Dive bar complete with deer heads mounted. I can't believe Lafayette City Council approves this place, but I salute them for them doing so.
The bartender was friendly enough and poured a good g+t. But he had the misfortune of telling me (discreetly) that it was cash only. I hate that bc I rarely carry more than $20 and it wreaked havoc with my drink limit. Although, I have to admit, it got me home On Time and Under Budget. Well G+T's ran me about $3 so I'm not complaining.
The clientele were mostly men in their mid 30's 40's. I guess. I'm a bad judge of age. I still think that I'm 39 afterall. -
Review from Wendy B.
Lafayette, CA
2/17/2006
I give the Round up 4 stars because it meets my needs when I go there.
People - the people here, who are regulars, are down to earth and not pretentious at all. You could probably spot them in the crowd. The bartenders, including the bouncers, have all worked here for years -- the reason they are still here is because they take pride in their work and take their job seriously. This is more of a guys bar, not too many women here. There are video games, music, shuffle board (haven't seen anyone take that too seriously -- just drunks playing around), pool tables (I have on occasion seen that taken seriously). Bathrooms leave a lot to be desired, though I think they try...men's bathroom is the worst I hear! St. Mary's kids do come here, especially if there is something going on at the college. It's still fun at the Round Up, people are easy to talk to.
Food - You can order peanuts and chips at the bar but that's about it. They aren't picky if you go to one of the nearby restaurants and bring food in - though you might start a trend and everyone will be headed to wherever you just came from with that food.
Rules - Bouncer watches the doors religiously. If you attempt to take a drink outside they will catch you as soon as you take a step outside. Smoking is in the front door or done at the back door. Saturdays they have karaoke...really annoying. They have live bands on Thursdays or Fridays I think. They usually have upcoming things painted on there windows. Bartenders and bouncers don't tolerate crap, they all look out for eachother so if you are a mean or obnoxious drunk this is probably not the place for you.
The other nice thing about the Round Up is it is next door to Starbuck's but you can also get free coffee at the Round Up if that is your drink of choice. We usually go to the Round Up for drinks and then walk over to Petar's who has a singer called Diamond Dave every Friday and Saturday night. He has been around forever. The people at Petar's are a much older crowd, but Diamond Dave is good to dance too. I live in Lafayette and go to the Round Up because I can walk there and home, its also downtown so you can eat then go out. Whatever.Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Eric T.
San Francisco, CA
1/30/2009
Growing up in Moraga you always hear about the night before Thanksgiving at the Round Up, which simplified means high school reunion of Acalanes and Campolindo...and get wasted. I've never been to the Round Up outside of this "event" so I really can't judge it outside of a reunion context. But I will tell you this...
Great atmosphere, they really know how to prepare for an invasion of ex-Moraga high school kids (they put everything away to clear up room). Cheap beer, cheap drinks, not a lot of bathroom space (but that's okay because there's always the alleys nearby). An overall great experience. Sure I won't go anymore, but that's not the Round Ups fault, I just don't want to be an old pervey guy with a bunch of young kids.
Thanks Round Up for hosting a great semi-reunion for all the Lamorinda kids.
Tips and Pointers:
-Cheap, Cheap, Cheap
-Can get really crowded the night before thanksgiving
-If you get sick, alley way is the way to go
-If you need to pee, alley way is the way to go
[APPROVED] -
Review from Mike E.
Walnut Creek, CA
4/14/2009
This place tries to be "ironically cool" because it's a shit bar in the middle of swanky Lafayette. The place is alright, but most of the people there suck. Amongst the semi-attractive cougars, wannabe bikers/tough guys, fat bald guys who wish they were still in Jr. College, and your typical Lafayette douchebag brosephs, the clientele usually makes me want to leave.
On the positive side, I've had good interactions with the bar tender, they have a couple of arcade games and a pool table. -
Review from Taj A.
Alameda, CA
12/26/2007
This place and Petar's are why I love Lafayette so much. Maybe it's becuause I can't stand Marina bros /hipsters in SF, or all the vato locos in San Jose. The Roundup is just a melting pot of all types/styles but everyone is so chill and just looking to have a good time.
I love the kareoke nights. People go there and dance to your performance if you are good. The drinks are cheap, the people are legit, get your booty down to the ROUNDup, where a good times are aplenty. -
Review from Mike R.
Walnut Creek, CA
4/30/2008
The Round Up is really what you make of it. If you're looking for a happenin' night spot with a bunch of hot young people then don't come here. If you're looking for a cool place to hang out, play pool, drink some beers and maybe play some shuffleboard, this is your place. I've seen some beautiful women come and go here and they certainly stand out, like a pig in a chicken coop. The place is meant more for an older than thirty crowd meaning a more mature drunken crowd.
Often times I've seen older men with younger women in here. Don't assume like I did that they're father/daughter. More like father/daughter complexes. Which is cool, I guess. I'll be over fifty one day, might be single and, if so, I will know where to go. I just hope that somebody would have the good sense to put me out of my misery..... -
Review from Cyrus A.
Minneapolis, MN
2/15/2008
This is the place where fun goes to die. I live very close to here ,and still don't go because this bar is everything wrong with what a bar should be.
First off, about a 5 to 1 male female ratio, conservatively. Yet for some reason it still packs them in like sardines on Friday and Saturday nights. Would that stop all the SMC young'ns and local yokels getting drunk for the first time from trying to play pool in the midst of a sea of other just-turned-21'ers? Nope. They go on like it's the tournament of champions, and give you stink-eye for "ruining their game". News-flash asshats: I can't even exhale it is so crowded in here!
Also, anyone who thinks this is an old-time western bar, you are a moron. Last time I checked, western bars weren't filled with clones from an Abercrombie catalogue. Maybe this place was cool back in it's hay-day, but it is not a western bar, save for the lame decor haphazardly strewn about.
The only reason I give it two stars is that I once heard a retarded girl sing Karaoke here to "Since you've been gone" and then "White Wedding". I was so drunk I commented to my friend that that she sure did have a big forehead! And yes, I am going to hell. But no matter, that cherished memory bumped this up from a one star hell-hole to a two star excuse for a bar.
Please, do yourself and the rest of Lafayette a favor: go to Petars and see Diamond Dave instead. -
Review from Kristin E.
San Francisco, CA
12/28/2007
This place has been around since my dad was living here, which was, oh, maybe 25-30 years ago. He loves the fact that it's still around, and when he is in town visiting we sometimes stop by there for a drink.
It is fun to hang out here, and has a good pool table. I'm happy to see that something in Lafayette hasn't been yuppified or commercialized on this street. -
Review from jaime z.
Oakland, CA
3/23/2008
This place is very hit or miss.
Hit: Saturdays, sometimes, because of the karaoke. Fridays with a good mix of music or live band.
Miss: Any day of the week can be a miss.
On a good night, the MILF bartender will give you free drinks, the patrons will start a conversation without hesitation, and the crowd will be infused with enough alcohol to make the crappy karaoke sound delightful.
On a bad night, the crowd is made up of a handful of guys who clearly look forward to drinking away the weekend as soon as they get out of work, and are very skilled at making you depressed as soon as you walk in.
Tagline: Roundup Your Expectations, Good and Bad -
Review from Devon F.
1/21/2007
Place to run into people you sorta kinda almost remember from high school.
It's also a place to get a nice beer shower. Always fun. Kinda. Sorta. Almost.Listed in: The Bubble
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Review from Kayla M.
1/7/2010
Supremely divey and the crowd is a crap shoot. Not to mention the brunette bartender has it out for me... I've had great nights here, but also a few rather awful experiences.
So without reiterating too much of what everyone else has said, I would offer this advice:
DO go to The Round Up with a wallet full of cash -- $20ish for drinks, some $1's for the juke box and quarters for the pool tables
DO take a big group of friends
DO go to karaoke night.*
Do NOT expect your nice outfit to be appreciated/not spilled on
Do NOT expect to meet some smart-looking young man who will buy you your drinks
*Karaoke here is great because you can hear the person who is singing if you stand near the performance area in the back, but you can only really hear the backing music if you're in the front part. Win win!
Tangent: I'd like to take a second to address some disparaging comments here about "losers who party in Lafayette"... Some people actually live here, or go to school here, or visit parents here. I fail to understand why you'd plan on going out in Lafayette unless you live around here since we only have about 2 bars in the whole city. In fact, one of the reasons I like The Roundup is because people from out of town tend to stay away UNLIKE most dive bars in Walnut Creek which have been ruined by people flooding in every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Roundup is still the kind of place where there's never a line or a cover, and wearing sweatpants isn't likely to get you judgemental stares. When I head to the Roundup I don't want to be around snobby people, so if you don't like it here, get the fuuuuuudge out! -
Review from Lindsey R.
Upland, CA
6/26/2008
This place is bad ass...
for Lafayette, mind you. I've come here on occasion and manage to have a good time. You must come here with a posse though, or you're into watch old, middle-class couples or men play pool and make jokes about something stupid and pretentious. One time I came here with a group, and my friend and I were getting some air when this man and his wife decided it'd be jolly time to give me a history pop-quiz on our presidents. Like I care. He got mad when I didn't get the answer for Abe Lincoln...but bought us both a beer. Cool.
Other times, I've played pool and lost. Totally fine. Not frettin' over it. They sometimes have live music which can be cool and very UNcool and disgusting.
The facility in itself is well....a saloon. It's all wood and looks like a log cabin almost from the inside. Things are old and run down. Looks like a place war vets come to have jack on the rocks to drown out their PTSD then pour it on their gun wound. Yah. Bad. Ass. When I walk by here during the day I see people inside and I wonder what the hell they're doing in there, which is probably drinking, and why because it's so not a place you go at 10am, y'know? Anywho, I'm not a war vet or a middle-aged married man, but I am an alum of Saint Mary's and I will say during the school year we dominate this place.
Hmph. go gaels. -
Review from Jen S.
San Jose, CA
6/25/2008
I do like a little bit of the old Round Up.
Good things:
1. It's right across the street from our apartment which makes for the shortest stumble home ever.
2. They have pool.
3. SHUFFLEBOARD!!!
4. Sometimes the bands let you hijack the mic! More on that later.
5. Karaoke is fun! Or rather, watching drunk people make fools of themselves is fun!
Bad things:
1. The bathroom. Gross.
2. The bands they let play suck! But the guitarist/singer of one of them let my super talented brother take over for a song and he brought the house down. Ha! In your face crapband! -
Review from Laura B.
Danville, CA
5/24/2009
I loved the crowd and the karaoke was fun... drinks were a bit pricy considering they only take cash (wierd) but all the reviews were right about the bartenders! Wow, I needed a stick to poke them to get some attention! It was crazy crowded and one bartender dissappeared! There was only 2... ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!!! Dumb on the owners part!.
This was the 2nd time I had been there. The first was for a live band, far less crowded, but the bar was still slow.
Its a casual, kick-it kinda spot, but don't take a date because you won't be able to get to know each other... and lose your voice trying! -
Review from Phil P.
San Francisco, CA
4/16/2008
Almost impossible to throw out generalizations about the Round Up, nearly every night is a different experience. The off nights consist of the local drunks and a few randoms shooting pool.
Every night has a different promotion, and off the top of my head it goes something like this:
Sunday- guitar hero
Monday- ping pong
Tuesday- free pool and $2 drafts
Wednesday- karaoke
Thursday- super weak with an evil bartender
Friday- ohhhh, I think Diamond Dave is in the house
Saturday- karaoke
In my mind, Wednesdays are the most entertaining and eclectic.
To remember: it is CASH ONLY.
Overall, this is an unassuming dive bar where everyone is welcome. -
Review from Vincent T.
El Cerrito, CA
2/26/2011
Went to this place for the first time last night. No complaints about the drink prices. Its a little hard to get a drink. More than anything, I appreciated the lack of hipsters that plague east bay bars. Thank you Roundup for a decent time.
-
Review from Valeria D.
Santa Clara, CA
2/25/2010
When I think of the Round Up, I immediately think of the "Grumpy Brunette Bartender" (aka GBB) - Why? I never imagined getting kicked out of a dive like the Round Up, but I apparently caught GBB on a *REALLY* bad night. So I guess that's all water under the bridge, but I have been known to hold a little bit of a grudge or two.
I've reluctantly returned several times since then, because the truth is, I do like the weird mix of people that seem to convene here, and for some reason, this place is the preferred meeting spot for after-work drinks with my coworkers. So I go, but I avoid the GBB.
You should, too.
Oh, and I bring cash. No cards accepted. -
Review from Julie W.
Bronx, NY
5/1/2009
I'm gonna make my review nice and short for the Round Up because it's simple:
The Round Up is a great bar and is always filled with people who want to have a good time. Whether it's kareoke night, DJ night, no live music at all night--I always loved this place in college.
I have it missing a star solely based on the fact that it's cash only and I'm the type of girl who never carries cash--I prefer leaving my card behind a bar and being in denial about the bill.
