As the excitement of your first legal drink wears off, going to the bars becomes more personalized and less of a novelty. You find your favorites and develop habits; a certain bar becomes “your spot” and certain nights become weekly events. For the newcomers, these preferences develop over time. Over the last week and a half, I made a point of going to (most) Oakland bars to create a cheat sheet to the bar scene to help the bar-goers of Oakland determine what they do and do not like. Try out each of these places on your own and see what you think!
Peter’s Pub
Located on Oakland Ave. between Fifth and Forbes, Peter’s is a favorite haunt of Pitt’s Greek life on the weekends. During the week, this pub offers great food and a huge selection of imported beers. Peter’s boasts a large number of specials—be sure to check the link before to see the specials for each day of the week. On the weekends, this is the spot to go if you want to dance. The upstairs dance floor has a great DJ, but it gets crowded fast. The DJs are popular and play great dance mixes. Don’t be surprised to see more than one Pitt Makeout snapshot opportunity upstairs, but hey, that’s what college bars are all about.
Pros: Dancing, DJ, happy hour food specials
Cons: Crowds, weekend lines, STAIRS
My fave: $3 Long Island Iced Teas, Thursdays 10-Midnight
Click here to see the drink specials for the week!
Garage Door Saloon
Found on the corner of Sennott Street and Atwood, Garage Door (AKA GDoor) is a popular spot that is surprisingly huge on the inside. During the warmer months, they open the garage doors, which is great fun. When they are closed in the winter, it’s fine, but it can get a little smoky. Be sure to check out the window into Pizza Romano where you can order food without leaving the bar. For pickle-lovers, try the pickle shot. If you really want to commit, ask for the entire pickle—seriously. They’ll scoop out a pickle for you to munch on. It’s salty, delicious, and soaked in alcohol. If you like sweet instead, get a few pudding shots. They’re fantastic.
Pros: Spacious, pizza, billiards, and darts
Cons: Smoking environment, weekend lines
My fave: Way Back Wednesdays
Hemingway’s Café
Perhaps the most popular bar on campus, Hem’s is the home of the famous shot pitcher, laden with gummy worms and tons of alcohol. They’re sugary sweet and if you’re not careful, they’ll put you on your a** with a wicked hangover. During the day, Hem’s is great for getting lunch or catching the game, and they offer happy hour half-off specials from 11-12, 2-4, and 9-Midnight every day. I’m a big fan of Wednesday karaoke, but they also offer Tuesday night trivia. It gets packed on the weekends and getting to the bar can be brutal, but the DJs are always great and the staff is very nice.
Pros: Happy hour food specials, great environment, great DJ, nice bartenders
Cons: Weekend crowds and lines
My fave: Tiger Woods Shot Pitcher
Bootlegger’s
Located in the depths of South Oakland on Semple across from Campus Deli, Bootlegger’s (or Boots as I affectionately call it) is always my last stop of the night. During the warmer months, they open the windows, which creates a very nice environment. With the windows closed, be prepared to go home smelling like smoke. The bartenders are cool and the bar itself is very large. As far as its perks, it is across the street from no less than four food places and a hookah bar, making it a prime location. It may not be the Belle of the ball, but for cheap well drinks and a good time, Boots is on my list.
Pros: Not usually crowded, proximity to drunk food, large bar
Cons: Smoking environment
My fave: $1 Well drinks, 9-11 P.M. Saturday
Primanti Brothers
Just a block down from Towers on Forbes, Primanti’s is a perfect place to grab a sandwich and a beer on game days. The bar may be small, but they have friendly staff and great food. On Pitt game days, domestic pitchers are only $5, which is a great bang for your buck. And, they’re open until 3 A.M. from Thursday to Saturday which means it’s also prime drunk food.
Pros: Game day specials, great food
Cons: Limited bar seating
My fave: Ham, egg, and cheese sandwich with a pitcher of beer
Gene’s Place
This little hole-in-the-wall is on Louisa Street between Atwood and Meyran. Don’t let the exterior fool you: this dive is a cozy little spot perfect for grabbing beers with friends and hanging out. The crowd is usually older and more “hip” than elsewhere in Oakland, but 22 oz. beers are a great price and the owner is a gem. I had the pleasure of meeting Gene himself on my birthday when he bought me a shot (what it was, I still don’t know). I met him again last weekend and said hi, and he thanked me for coming back. It’s tiny and very smoky, but it’s a good place for a casual drink.
Pros: Great owner, cozy environment
Cons: Smoking environment, limited capacity
My fave: Gene
Papa Da Vinci’s
The farthest of the bars I reviewed, Papa D’s is located on the Boulevard of the Allies, near Bates. The bar is tiny, but the food is worth it. The pizza is outstanding, as is everything else on their menu. They also have “beer buckets,” which have 6 beers for $7, delivered to you in a bucket full of ice. It’s a great place to enjoy dinner and then start the night with drinks—it’s just a hike.
Pros: Food, happy hour specials, beer buckets
Cons: Small, far from campus
My fave: $4 Margaritas on Sunday