The Florence Bar

Poked my nose in for first time. Expecting «biker bar» I experienced: very clean area, mellow friendly people, helpful attentive bartender, wide selection of beer and other drinks. I enjoyed my hour. Charming neighborhood spot. Maybe it’s a biker programmer real estate agent accountant bar.

This can’t be an objective review…
I am a biker, and I love biker bars, beer drinking and live bands.
This is what you get a The Florence bar: cheap drink, super friendly staff, great live band, lot of bikes, friendly people and atmosphere and a perfect ‘biker style’ decoration
Seems to be a local 81 hangout place.

Loud, smoky, terrible beer selection (no draft). Not a fan! And they only take cash which is a pain. This bar is fun if you are perhaps a bit older, enjoy riding motorcycles as a pastime and love wearing leather. Other than that, steer clear!

Best bar in Fremont! Friendly staff, familiar faces and small town feel. Nothing gets better than this!

Just a simple post, but I noticed the hours of operation is 7 pm-1:30 am. That’s not correct. The regular hours are 10 am-​2 am.

The flo. It is what it is. Dive bar in the heart of niles. Good vibe. Lot of tweeky people in niles though..

Live music Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons. Cook out on Sundays during spring and summer. Fun, friendly people. I’ve been a semi regular for about 4 years. They keep a special bottle of my fav vodka behind the bar just for me. Try it. You’ll like it.

This place has some great ladies working. They make sure you get your drinks and the drinks taste great. We went to The Florence after a bridal shower. It was a Sunday and they even had live music. I will be back for some beers for sure.

This is a cool LITTLE spot. It definitely caters to an older biker type crowd but I felt nothing but welcome. The live band rocked the hits of all my fave 80’s hair bands and after the night got under way some of those «scary» biker dudes even hit the dance floor :)
But by far my favorite thing about this cool little spot was the bartender Dottie (rocking the big blond hair) not only did she know how to make a good stiff drink but she had that legit old school bartending style no pretenses no bs just a good attitude and even better drinks!
If your looking for overpriced drinks, dress codes and a bunch of youngsters grinding on each other then look elsewhere but if you want a laid back atmosphere, live bands and great drinks this is the spot for you!

This is what we like to call our «meet up spot» whenever we get split up coming back from Tracy, Pleasanton or Livermore on our way back home to Fremont we all meet here, have a drink and talk about our nigh and history between us all. It’s a feel like home for us even if we don’t frequent this place all the time we all have started our 21 birthdays here! Dotty was always so sweet to us all and I think made it for us!

This review is for Sunday bbq.
Entrée choices are chicken or steak. The chicken is good but the steak is amazing. The cook goes to the rare side so if you like it done but lots of pink then medium is perfect (was what we had).
The all you can eat sides are:
salad (typical salad bar mix with various dressings on the side)
corn on the cob
baked potato
beans (another patron said they were awesome, we thought they were just good)
Garlic bread (really yummy as long as it’s fresh from the kitchen)
And various condiments including butter, sour cream, horseradish, a1, worstishire sauce, salt, pepper, Tabasco, and ketchup.
Overall well worth the money. Had strong drinks, and loud music with bikers.

I am all too pleased to review this establishment. But, I’m going to use a new approach because there is nothing like first hand stories of actual events to portray the reality behind the marketing.
This is what we locals live with and, as you read other reviews, you’ll notice the high marks are mostly from folks who visit, pass-​by, or «Heard» there’s a «Biker Bar» in Niles.
(Please read all three true stories; I promise not to disappoint)
Story One: Biker Initiation
Having lived in this neighborhood for many years, I’ve seen these so called ‘Bikers’ up close over and over again (I use the term biker loosely; technically, a leather bound poser on a Schwinn is still a ‘Biker’ … just not in the traditional sense).
I had the rare opportunity (okay, not actually rare, more like annually) to observe the initiation process for one of these hardcore biker gangs who like to strut down Niles Blvd. This frightful and dangerous hazing ritual begins in exactly the way you would expect from a hardcore biker gang… with singing, dancing, and skipping while holding hands.
Yup, I won’t reveal which gang this is, because frankly its hard to tell the posers apart, but this gang’s initiation isn’t «Blood in Blood out» or anything so terrifying or violent; it involves making the probies hold hands at 9:00 in the morning and skip up and down Niles Blvd while singing the club’s biker song.
The guys who wear the colors (apparently they survived this chaotic and terrifying test of masculinity and now haze the next round of dangerously raw recruits) stand outside the bar and yell things like «I can’t hear you!» or «You’re not skipping high enough» … Wow, hardcore!
Story Two: Rumble in the Street
Yup, what you’ve seen on t.v. is real. Bikers battle in the streets when rival gangs show up and it gets ugly. The danger is palpable and everyone lives on pins and needles; assuming anyone lives at all (dun dun dun).
I’ve seen this dangerous exchange too many times and I can honestly say I’ve never seen bikers slap and pull hair before. Yes, it’s true, the biker women are brutal fighters… but I’m not talking about them, I’m talking about the men.
Not a joke, big, tough, burley, bearded, bedecked in leather… and wildly slapping and pulling hair during their street rumbles. Its crazy sad and mad funny at the same time.
— BUT —
When the women fight (I use the term ‘women’ loosely — the sheer mass of these physiques, combined with the snarling chain smoker gravel in their voice, and the dead mops of over dyed, frizzy hair will tend to mask a person’s sexual identity) it’s all fists and mayhem. THIS is when the real bikers come out to play (I suspect most of the men sit back and think «Wow, it looks so much more scary when you fold a slap into a rounded lump; I wonder what that’s called … and I wonder if it can be Bedazzled?»).
When the female bikers battled it out in the street, that’s the only time I’ve ever seen it get crazy. These gals are straight dangerous, get bloody, and fight better than any one of those poser men who skip down the street to earn their hardcore gang colors.
Story Three: A hard day’s ride!
Okay, I saved the best for last. This is the epitome of Biker prestige at the Flo on a Saturday night. This is a true story and it truly captures the quality of biker you will encounter. So get those images of «Sons of Anarchy» out of your head, these bikers are the «Posers of Wannabe».
Looking out my living room window (Yes, I spent a number of years, until 4 months ago, living almost across the street from white trash theatre) I watched one of The Flo’s hardcore bikers ride up G Street on his Schwinn (no, I’m not making this up, I swear this is true!) and lean it against the tree outside Don’s Auto Parts. He walked up to Niles Blvd, covertly peaked around the corner to see how the crowd looked, then backed away in satisfaction.
He pulled his leathers our of his backpack and suited up after his hard ride from where ever his trailer is parked. After he was dressed to kill, he pulled the finishing touch out of his bag… the all telling Skull Cap riders wear under their helmet.
After pulling the cap tight over his head, he puffed up his chest and strutted around the corner to The Florence. As he reached his fellow hardcore riders, he pulled the skull cap from his head, ran his fingers through his greasy hair, and was met by welcoming cheers. This was one tough hombre and those bad ass bikers can always recognize one of their own.
After the exchange of man hugs (c’mon, you know the kind, a handshake — pull in close — hug with the handshake safely between the chests to assure there isn’t too much contact — end with a pat on the back using the free hand… «Man Hug»), he marched in to quench that hard thirst a man can only get from a long day peddling his Schwinn.
That’s it, folks, that’s the REAL version of this hardcore biker bar in Niles. So enjoy the live music; but stay for the biker show ;-)

cool. But nothing like sons of anarchy…
Homer: «You’ll never defeat the cobras»
Wiggum: «But aren’t you guys called the Hell’s Satans»
Homer runs away

Biker bar

I don’t know if it was the music, or the dozens of bikers, or perhaps the summer heat in my 70’s jean jumpsuit…
Whatever it was, The Florence was the hottest place to be, and I’m sure is the hippest thing Fremont has to offer on a Sunday evening in summer.
If you like to hang with locals in the divest of bars and appreciate friendly salt of the earth people like me, this is the place to hang out.
Their food is great, and for $ 10 – you really can’t beat it! The bartenders are mixin up some great drinks and everyone is engaging and interesting.
You can’t bottle this up and take it with you — so make sure you stop by and check it out.

It’s a cool down to earth basic bar. Oh yes indeed this is the place were bikers go too.
Best kept secret is at different times of the year they have burger nights on Friday. On Sunday they have breakfast that has eggs of you’re choice, meat, hash browns, homemade biscuits, and homemade gravy…
OMG THE GRAVY MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. Bacon flavored gravy over you’re eggs and biscuits Yum Yum in my tum tum.
The food events are put on by The Niles Runaways. Checkout Facebook do a search on them. Click their like page stay update when they put on food events at the bar.
For the burger night and breakfast is $ 9.00 not to shabby.
Burger nights you can top you’re burger the way you like choice of potato salad or mac salad both are yummy.
As far as the bar very cheap drinks here with name brand sprits.
Jukebox playing classic rock and roll tunes that will take you back in time. That matches the theme of the place.
Nice and friendly staff even females are more then welcomed here.
Friendly patrons also even though its a biker bar.
F.Y.I
Located in historic Niles Fremont lots of antique shops few places to eat. A cool remodeled train depot park in the middle of the area. You can take you’re dogs to.

«The Flo» is my favorite bar! It’s close to home, the people are friendly, and the live music on the weekend is a plus. It’s a biker bar yet you will find a very mixed crowd. I’m a teacher and have made friends with other teachers who frequent «The Flo» regularly.
My favorite day to go is on Sunday in the afternoon. The summer is especially good when they have their barbecues. Don’t go to «The Flo» if you can’t hang with a fun group of people!

MAYBE we came on the wrong night? Read the reviews, and it said it was a BIKER BAR, but everyone kept saying it was FUN for a Biker’s Bar. Located in Niles near the old school mom and pop shops. Cute place to take a stroll down.
As we were walking up, there was a group of older biker men sitting in the front on the bench, and we walked in, and it was full of bikers. the older crowd. My friend turned around and goes, «This place is full of old people!» DON’T GET MAD! We were just looking for a bar with people our age group (21 – 30). So we were like. OKAY LET’S GO. Hahah, and walked straight out. As we walked out, the old guys in the front say to us, «No ID’S huh?!» We just laughed and kept on walking.
2 stars for now. When I do decided to come back and actually experience this bar and get the whole «feel» of it, I’ll update my review.

As far as bars go, this place is fan-freakin’-tastic! I’m a Niles local and I live within a short walk of the Florence. I don’t make it in as often as I’d like to, given my schedule. My favorite nights are quiet nights with the pool table and the juke box. Recently, I made it to some nights with live bands and a full compliment of bikers. Though I’m not a party-​er normally, even I can’t resist the fun there.
The range of customers is extremely wide. While bikers and their sweethearts are the most well represented group, local Niles soccer moms, older hippies, country western folks, young cutie pies, and everybody else in between can be spotted perched on their bar stools. I think its the diversity of the clientele that keeps it so friendly.
The drinks are cheap and generous. Bring cash as it’s cash only, but that tiny inconvenience is a small price to pay for pours like that! They also have an ATM machine inside, if you find yourself poorly equipped. And don’t forget to tip well. All of the women I’ve met working behind the bar are friendly to everybody.

Word on the street is that The Saddle Rack is going bankrupt, and after they started charging $ 20 cover, several friends and I decided it was time to start branching out to other Fremont bars.
First on our list, based solely off Unilocal reviews, was The Florence Bar… which we have now dubbed «The Flo».
We visited The Florence Bar on Christmas eve, so while it may not have been the best representation of who typically frequents this place… we didn’t feel entirely out of place throwing back a couple jack & gingers, jack &cokes, and anchor steams.
This place definitely had character – which we dug. And a pretty sweet jukebox (although it did have some quirks – it wouldn’t allow us to select certain songs and kept repeating that awful Santana song from 1999).
The crowd was definitely older – not really a ²⁰⁄₃₀ something crowd, and by 1am the place was packed.
I dug their beer selection — Anchor Steam, Fat Tire, Sierra Nevada, to name a few out of their selection of over a dozen varieties. And woo wee, those are some stiff drinks.
Word to the wise — apparently the cops patrol this area pretty heavily so if you can figure out a DD beforehand… it may be a wise decision.