Beta Lounge

I’m usually disappointed when I go to bars in Berkeley, but this time I wasn’t. Gabe took care of us. Not only was he friendly, he also made us some delicious drinks. I had the Lychee Martini and then I ordered the Fruit Punch drink and asked Gabe to throw a lychee in there and he did! I’ll definitely stick to the Lychee Martini next time since it’s my favorite. I’m always looking for a nice bar that can make a mean Lychee Martini and I’m glad I found one in Berkeley. We had two rounds of drinks and we were happy customers when we left. I didn’t try the food, but I’ll definitely be back. Thanks Gabe and Erica for taking care of us!

This place is the best. Almost four years ago I started working in downtown Berkeley. The perils of my job ensure that I need to drink often, and I was looking for the perfect place to call my local watering hole. Being Berkeley, most places seem to be overrun with frat boys taking jaeger shots and newly-​legal co-​eds drinking mixed drinks with Hypnotiq in them. (Not that there’s not a time and a place for that) But my after-​work spot needed to be mellow and chill.
Beta is perfect. They have great beers on tap which are always rotating, a selection of quality liquors and mixed drinks, and a menu which redefines the definition of «bar food»… fresh ingredients which leave your taste buds and tummy happy! The music is eclectic, and so is the crowd. A nice mix of students and older professionals makes sure that the place doesn’t get as annoying as Kip’s down the street. Come here after work and grab a beer or two while you watch the big game on one of their several tvs.
The proprietors (who you will find behind the bar as well) Gabe and Elon are great people who run a great bar, so make this hidden gem your next stop in downtown Berkeley!

Very reasonable wine here, with good variety. They also have like 7 beers on tap that I’ve never heard of which is pretty impressive.
It’s pretty low-​key and has a mixed crowd on most nights, but never seems to be TOO empty. It’s the perfect place to relax with a glass of wine after work, or maybe to get a little more work done after work
The staff are knowledgable and friendly.
If ONLY there was a place like this in SOMA. FAT CHANCE!

I actually never knew this place existed until a Valentine’s Day Bar Crawl in Berkeley. This place is actually pretty easy to walk by/​/​this isn’t a densely populated area, so that may explain why I hadn’t been here before.
The drinks: Normally I would give this place 3 stars, but the staff is so sweet so I’m giving it 4 stars! Seriously, the waitress we had here was wonderful, patient, and gave us great recommendations. If you’re into sweeter drinks, you’ll probably like this place. I tried their raspberry cocktail, and liked it. It was a bit watered down, but nonetheless, pretty good. Same goes for the white peach martini – sweet but not the strongest. If i were to come here again, I would try the sake flight – I’ve heard great things.
The atmosphere: Beta Lounge actually does resemble a bar-​style lounge. I’ve never seen this place overly crowded, so it’s always easy to find a place to sit. There’s a cool little couch area to hang out as well as some tables to sit and eat. Overall, it’s a pretty laid back place to kick it back with some friends.

Beta Lounge is a small bar in a nondescript location, so it’s easy to miss if you don’t keep your eyes peeled for it. I’ve been here a few times when I was in college, and I was really blown away by the cocktails. Seriously. Amazing!
They also have a really long happy hour from 4−9pm everyday except Sunday, so thumbs up for that!
Last time I was here I had this amazing cocktail that had some sparkling wine and lavender, but after taking a quick look at the menu, I don’t see a drink with that description on there anymore which is really too bad, but it’s also an excuse to make another trip to check out all their cool new drinks!

Weird vibe, not so great food, and in my opinion, not worth the happy hour special.

Great place to grab drinks & food.
They have an awesome happy hour menu & the staff is always super sweet & welcoming :)

Relatively new bar with a decent happy hour during the late afternoon, and a relaxed lounge vibe at night.
TL;DR:
+ Drinks ⁴⁄₅
+/​-​Food ³⁄₅
± Happy hour with limited options ³⁄₅
We came here during their happy hour, which was an average deal with only a few options. I ordered the sake flight, which was four different types/​flavors of sake varying in degrees of sweetness and strength. The peach and apple one were really sweet and came with a fruit gummy, I didn’t try the lychee one but the boyfriend said it was okay, the nigori one was definitely brutal because of how strong it was, but otherwise they were pretty solid drinks in general.
We also ordered a hummus plate and spring rolls, which were kind of average. Seemed to be like they were store bought, but they weren’t terrible either. Would have liked to have the price be a little lower to reflect the happy hour status and quality of the food.
All in all, a pretty nice, classier, and quieter alternative if you don’t feel like going crazy at Kip’s or Pappy’s.

Excellent and attentive service and a great happy hour. Really great prices.
I was pleased that one of the bartenders switched the TV channel for us to watch a hockey game we knew no one would be watching in the area.

Oh jeez… just really an abysmal excuse for a bar. After searching around after dinner for a place with a full bar, a small group of us stopped into Beta for a few drinks to finish the night. Two grabbed a beer, one grabbed 2 shots of vodka (yeeeap), and I settled in with what I hoped would be a sweet, yummy, girly cocktail: a White Gummy Bear.
It was made immediately clear that while pretty, the spread of «Beta Original» cocktails were all designed by someone with zero mixology experience, and perhaps zero drinking experience. They were all tart, dry, or acidic beyond reason, and virtually untouchable.
I drank the Gummy Bear (which was mostly Brut), sampled the Raspberry cocktail (bitter, way too much club soda, and overly-​tart raspberry segments… and lemon juice, because why not at that point), and then ordered the Cloud 9, which I thought would be my savior…
I’m not even kidding, I Googled «How to drink something really gross» on my phone after getting this drink (FYI:
). It was the *worst* drink I’ve ever paid for in my life — it was passed around the table and elicited grimaces before Mr. Vodka-​Two-​Shots chugged it and put us out of our misery.
After that, they started a DVD of Avatar on the screens around the bar. We promptly left.
Only one toilet in the joint & lackluster service sealed the deal on this one.
Next time I’m looking for the *Alpha* Lounge.

This bar is a little hidden and off on the side. Also, don’t expect to find parking in front; additional parking just a block over, public parking lot ahead… walk it off.
It’s pretty small but somehow it feels larger than it is, good breathing space at least. Seating… if you find a spot squat and hold your ground. Once you’re up, t’s gone. There is a large wall to wall U shape sofa in the back but during our visit it was rsvp and some sort of gathering.
Drinks are simple though I sense the barkeep try’s to put their own spin on things.

Went here for my 22^nd birthday on a Thursday late afternoon for some quick drinks to get my birthday buzz going. Greeted by friendly staff, and we were given information about the beers, and cocktails offered that evening. My roommate chose to get a beer while I ordered three cocktails one with gummy bears, I don’t remember the name but it was delicious! I actually had a second one and ordered this lemonade looking one too. The atmosphere was nice, seemed like a much older crowd that day.
I like bars with good drinks, especially with gummy bears.

I held my 25^th birthday here and rented out the place. It was a perfect size for my group. Elon is the owner and he was very accommodating to what we wanted as far as layout and decorations. Mike was the head bartender for the night of the event. He was very helpful and friendly. He executed my vision flawlessly. The other staff members were patient, laidback, and helpful as well. One of their bartenders who came back to enjoy the party was the most loving person ever! He even helped out behind the bar when it got super busy. The food was ridiculously delicious and huge portions.
We drank out their Jameson stock for the night. Lol my crazy peeps! If you’re looking to hold a private event hassle free and with cool people, this is the place to do it. Food and drinks are amazing too. Bonus!
Oh, honey gem was my drink of choice for the night, yummy!

Saw this place on Unilocal and figured why not. I’m only giving them 3 stars because the service was great! Very nice and accommodating .We ordered pepperoni and mushroom pizza. They forgot the pepperoni but were apologetic. All was forgiven. I read a review earlier with someone stating that they are not true mixologist. This couldn’t be more true. Drinks were honestly Terrible! Terrible. I’m sitting here trying to suck my drink down before I leave to avoid wasting it. But they are strong ! They get the job done .
Vibe is intimate. Good mix of music. Low– Key. Oh. And it’s freezing here.

Been here numerous times and not once have I received bad service. Great spot to chill and catch up with friends to remember or not remember the night, that’s up to you.
They serve salads, appetizers, pizzas, paninis and sandwiches. I’ve had their Brie & Apple Panini and it was delish! A good variety of drinks from Bourbon to flavored Sojus and Sake. They have a pretty good cocktail list as well. Haven’t tried all of them but I particularly like the Fruit Punch drink. I’m certain that I’ll be back here in the near future.

Great little place if you want to get away from the Shattuck and Bart hustle and bustle of Berkley. The beer selection is great with quite a few choices on tap as well as a wine menu. I am a little hazy on what was actually on the menu because my date that night was talking about sex non stop. I tried to change the subject but it kept coming back to that. At one point she told me I could audition to be one of her lovers. She had a stable of them and thought I would fit in perfectly. Hmm No thanks.
Oh yea the bar. Its really cozy and we sat in the back lounge area. There isn’t a lot of room here so it turns into a standing up type of place when its busy. Luckily it never seems to get too busy and just seems to be a great place to go after work to grab a simple drink with friends or coworkers.
I think it gets three stars mostly because nothing really stands out. Its a simple bar with great bartenders and a mild selection of drinks. You are going to get what you want but nothing really more. Lots of sports on the tv and not too many odd folks sitting around you. Some people go to bars for the stories, the atmos, or the people. Some go to drink and thats excatly what this place is for. I for one am glad Berkeley still has places like this.

Drinks are lousy
No good music
Not true mixologists.
Smells inside like dirty towel.
Definitely not coming back.

This place is pretty chill and relaxing! It’s hidden in the corner right by Thalassa. Seating here is limited since it’s so small but the people here are friendly enough that you can find a table to share. Drinks are relatively priced the same as other bars.
Also, they are VERY generous with the alcohol.
Electric realization:
Really sweet and strong. I would get it again
The Manhattan:
VERY STRONG! One drink will get you buzzing.

One star for a good happy hour and decent sandwiches.
The rest is left to be desired.
We spent $ 35 in drinks and food and left NO tip due to the horrible customer service received.
Evidently, the bartender’s friends are much more important than servicing the customers.

[BACKGROUND]
This is one of my favorite bars at Berkeley. Because of the convenient location, I came here quite often, whether for deep laid-​back conversations over wine, crazy half-​remembered nights with too many drinks, or spontaneous weekday night outs with a mojito to de-​stress.
[AMBIANCE]
Though the frosted glass windows are in no comparison to the magnificent waterfront view of Skates, Beta nonetheless has a very calming ambiance and is on the classier side, especially when it’s not busy.
There are some tables on the side which are good for groups of ~6, a couch area in the back, and the bar spans the length of the place with an admirable bottle collection on the wall. The bathroom is nice, but as there is only one there is usually a line (funny to watch this line of inebriated people who are smiling but quite obviously annoyed at having to wait so long).
[SERVICE]
The service of Beta is on par with wine bars. I especially like the guy in the plaid shirt because he usually tries to strike up a short conversation with you so you almost feel like a regular who knows the bartenders.
In general all their staff are pretty nice, unlike most places such as Thalassa or Pappy’s that have very mediocre service towards college students. Haters. (jk lol)
[DRINKS]
They claim to have the best happy hour in Berkeley, and it’s not bad (M-​Sat 4−9pm). They got stingy after getting their liquor license, because it used to be better and included cocktails along with more specials on each day of the week. They do seem to have a better selection now.
Their glasses are unique and artsy-​looking. Not the best for wine swirling (funny that some of their beer glasses are shaped more like wine glasses), but it’s a nice change from traditional bar glassware.
All the drinks I’ve tried are good, though the cocktails are on the fruity side. Here is a list of what I’ve tried and would recommend:
Mojito: my favorite drink here! They are quite generous so you keep sipping, get slightly tipsy, and your glass never seems to be finished.
Cloud 9 (Nigori and lychee sake)
Pineapple dream (Nigori, triple sec, organic pineapple juice)
Raspberry lemonade (vodka, lemon juice, club soda, simple syrup, raspberries)
Cab sauv (Louis M Martini; black cherry, currant, spice)
Zinfandel (Haraszthy; blackberry, spice, vanilla, licorice)
Chardonnay (Grayson; peach, apple, tropical fruit)
[FOOD]
Mostly overpriced, especially the pizzas. It’s essentially flatbread with toppings.
I would go for the spring rolls which are also pricey, but not something I can easily make myself.
[IN CONCLUSION]
Great hangout place for your post-​21 Cal days. Close to southside, affordable if you eat beforehand and catch happy hour, and they treat you like real normal people, not like poor and reckless college students.