The Station Bar & Restaurant

We’ve been coming to Ferry Street Station for years now… it was a great place!
But alas, just like our fav bar down the street, Louie Bertola’s, it is now CLOSED!!!
Thanks new ‘owners’ (NOT!!!) You ruined a long-​time favorite place to have fun, dance and listen to a variety of live music…
So it doesn’t really matter how many stars I give it ‘cuz it’s gone, plum gone!
So long old friend, they took ya down.
r & j

Killer drink, legit bar food, and live music. Def check out High Tide when they’re playing, also the Al Smith Group. Great for dancing or just chilling and watching the talent.

Went there years ago when smoking was allowed. The place reeked so bad that it made my knees buckle. I know it is a different time, but the smell is still there in the background. … could be my subcouncious mind. Other than that, the place is just ok … nothing special.”

This is where tons of hot women go to dance EVERY Tuesday night to an amazing rock band with cheap drinks.
This is my plea for more men to join us.

Bored and dont know what to do? This place always has something going on. I come in here alone a lot and the bartenders always take a few minutes to chit chat when they can. Kris is probably my favorite. She is the cute little blonde one… tip her well!!!

One of my Favorite places to go listen to live music Thursday, Friday & Saturday
Drinks are reasonably prices and very strong, wait staff and bartenders are friendly but the ownership is a bit standoffish.
If you are in MTZ and like live music this is the place to go
From tthestations Facebook page on 11÷5÷11 (so reviews may be suspect)
TO ALL YOU UnilocalERS OUT THERE WHO LIKE PARTYING @ TtHE STATION!!! IF YOU POST A REVIEW ON TtHE STATION BAR & RESTAURANT RATE IT 4 OR 5 STARS, SHOW US YOUR REVIEW YOU WILL GET A DRINK ON US!

So after we were done people watching at a dive-​bar down the street and had 2 drinks spilled on my stuff during their bf/​gf drunken fights, we were heading home… UNTIL, we heard some bad-​azz music coming from THIS SPOT.
Last time we visited here it was over A YEAR AGO. It’s was cool because it had a dance floor, but kinda has the same divey, white trash atmosphere that the other dive had, the police were EVERYWHERE and we could never get a seat. I’m happy to see that it is DIFFERENT NOW. I guess they came under NEW MANAGEMENT (SAME OWNERS, but they replaced one of the partners last December-​2010?) Anyhow, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the «new place».
11pm: We were SHOCKED that the music was coming from a LIVE DJ… on a THURSDAY NIGHT?! AWESOME! I LOVE to dance, so I was very excited to see that we could *BIG Smiles*. We walked in and everyone looked like they were having a great time (good sign). It was 20’s, 30’s, 40’s crowd and everyone was ATTRACTIVE (nice eye candy). The people were super friendly and even the bartender was smiling and dancing to the music. Cool, I felt comfortable and immediately headed to the bar. I was really surprised when I was told that were able to order AT HAPPY HOUR PRICES AT 11pm! HECK YA!
My drink of choice: Vodka/​Redbull. I hate to be a snob, but I couldn’t take anymore crappy Toca Vodka like that dive from down the street (guaranteed headache). The bartender here was very cool and gave me a long list of Vodkas available. Dude, I’m not a snob, I just hate feeling like crap the next morning… Sky Vodka it is.
*I probably shouldn’t say anything, BUT the glass as LITERALLY 90% Vodka and 10% Cran and get this… it was $ 4! Oh yeah ;)
Unfortunately, we were too late to enjoy their menu, but after reading the menu, I was a little sad. I could have really used a FAT 10oz. Rib-​Eye STEAK Sandwich at that hour to soak up what we already drank that night… Oh well, I know for next time :/​
We chilled out and made a ton of new friends, danced our butts off and got to request a few of our favorite songs. The DJ was awesome (sorry, I forgot your name), he was able to identify our requests from my off key singing. A HUGE RANGE of music, but all of it was GOOD MUSIC *smiles*
2am: Damn we hate being around for the 2am police escort, gawd they really have nothing better to do?! GOOD NEWS: I guess the police like the new management, because ALL OF THE POLICE CARS were waiting outside of the dive bar down the street… LMFAO! Sweet.
IF Thursday night is their «slow night» here… then I can’t wait to see what’s going down on a Friday or Saturday night *looking forward to it*.
My ONLY real gripe (we Unilocalers LOVE to GRIPE!): I did read the other reviews and was kinda bummed to see that they do charge a $ 5 cover on Fri/​Sat nights to help pay for the LIVE BANDS. You get a drink ticket, so I know I’m not really paying a cover, but still. I’m thinking that it’s to make sure you’re coming in with at least 5 bucks? Probably keeps some of the rift-​raft out: P

I spent 2 weeks in Martinez and spent every night in the station watching your employees and talking with your customers to get a feel for the place. So that way I can give you my best quick + long term fixes.
The first half will be my review on the new ownership. And the second part will be my recommendations on how to fix your company.
Ok this place used to be off the hook, packed every Friday and Saturday night. It WAS the place to be, it was standing room only. Think «Coyote Ugly». But it has lost its luster (I went there last week for the first time in about a year) and the previous clientele has since moved on.
The old station used to have the awesome following traits (which don’t exist anymore):
1. Pool tables (only place on this side of Martinez that had them now you have to go to Cue & Brew over by Highway 4)
2. Attractive and attentive staff that used to dance on the bar top
3. Good music
4. No darn cover (especially for a bad band)
Attention new owners you have a bar in the County Seat where they have courts, prisons, and the Psychiatric wards. This is a Blue-​Collar city. You are NOT going to bring in «posh», clientele no matter how hard you try, because of the commute from those areas and the amount of competition.
For some reason the new owners refuse to look at the demographics (the statistical data of a population, especially those showing average age, income, education, etc) of the area that they are currently in. They also seem to be new to the bar or club scene. You can’t put a «posh» club in the working class area and expect «posh» clientele to show up; this is not «Field of Dreams»
—— Now how to fix it ——
A few ideas on how to bring the clientele back, you need to make changes now, before the business will be forced to shutter its operations. This is a shortened version of the email I sent them.
1. Get rid of the non selling beer that is on tap, and put in something that you sell more of (its lower overhead to sell from the keg than the bottles). I would put in one Coors light, one Bud, one Guinness, one or 2 micro brews that people are asking for. The Coors, Bud, Guinness would be main stays; the 2 or so micro-​brews can be on rotation. Just ask around or have a form /​suggestion box asking what kind of brew they would like to have on tap.
2. Knock out the walls that you don’t need like the U shaped one in front of your cooks window and the one next to the bar that looks like a catch all (so you have more space for people.
3. In the space that the U shaped shelf was (in front of the cooks’ window) put the stage so that way you can project the sound of the band OUT the window to draw in a crowd. But turn down the volume of the band a bit, seeing how your venue is small.
4. Have an open mic night /​battle of the bands when you can, based on your demographics. It brings in new sounds and the bands will tell their friends that they are playing there and the friends will come with their friends also.
5. I would also bring in a DJ that plays House or Dub Step once a month (stay away from DJs that «scratch» they are annoying now and so 2000) it’s the new trend for music as of late, look at all the car commercials and commercials in the theaters, it doesn’t always have to be Jazz or Oldies.
6. Hire some more attractive cocktail waitresses and bartenders. Your job is to get them in the door; once they are in (especially with really attractive bartenders) they will stay. Think about it, what man or woman (married or not) doesn’t want to look at something attractive while they are having a night out. The ones you have are cute, but let’s face it, bartenders should be sexy. Don’t believe me? Check out Coyote Ugly or Cocktail.
7. Put back the pool tables, as stated above, you are the only place on this side of Martinez that had drinks AND tables. The tables will sustain business; you could hold monthly tournaments on the slower days of the week. Sure you might get some nefarious activity every once in a while. But that is why you have security (they are called bouncers for a reason) and the door dude.
8. Reduce or get rid of the cover charge. Even though you give them a drink ticket, no one wants to pay in advance for a drink. You are driving them away with charging at the door. Did you know the other 2 bars down the street have TRIPPLED their income since you started charging a cover? Yes, it’s true, I’ve asked them and they said «Thank you!» Don’t believe me, then should go ask them.

This place is a total dive bar. But really, that’s part of it’s charm. Downtown Martinez has changed markedly in the past decade, but it still retains that blue-​collar quality about it. So no, The Station is no a classy joint — you can go to Walnut Creek for that. But if you’re just in the mood to drink or listen to some cover bands, the Station will serve its purpose.

This is a good place. Fun little bar, very nice TV’s for watching sports. Three of us had lunch there and everything was very good. No complaints!!! The chicken sandwich’s are very good.

This place stinks! The bartender ladies (if you can call ‘em that) are impossible to get a drink from. Last time I went there (the LAST) we waited about 20 minutes for a drink (not busy) then I was served the most nasy hamburder I’ve ever had. The cook brought it out to me, the waitress was too busy f-​ing off and talking to her friends.
Needless to say, I stiffed the waitress/​bar chick and split.
I gave the nice lady at Ray’s the tip from ferry street and enjoyed myself there.
Ferry Street Station has got to have the most douchery going on in the county. Worst bar ever. And it’s too bad, because the building is cool, it could be such a cool place.
I wouldn’t go here if the had the last bottle of booze in the state. Seriously.

Now revamped, beautified and called Tthe Station. Steak Bites are super awesome, and we serve REAL potato french fries, not frozen. Also, sweet potato fries are off the hook. The BEST steak sandwich in town, bar none. Now, lets talk about LIVE MUSIC. This is surely the best live music venue in COCO county. Great stage, great bands, great dance floor. Happy Hour Daily! Food served until late, so you can always get drinks, dinner and then dance the night away. Blues in Tthe Backroom Jam every 1^st & 3^rd Ttues of the month. Always Rocking Fri & Sat night at 9pm, with a special bonus of live music Sundays at 5:30 p.m. also. And dont forget, Women on Wednesday Acoustic Jam for female musicians ONLY once a month!!!
Martinez is the Cannery Row of Coco County, with 4 live music venues in three blocks. SO… Park & Walk, Don’t Drink & Drive!!!
Dont forget to visit Armando’s, Whiskey Lane and Rays Lounge while you are in MUSIC MARTINEZ!!!

My review is only based on my weekend night dancing experience with the live bands. Our second time was last Saturday night when Square One band was playing. They were a great rock band playing the classic that I love. Great small venue for dancing and drinks. The band was absolutely amazing. The place has plenty of regulars and I can see why. I’ve never tried the food. It is not a fancy place, it is mainly for those who are casual and want to just have drinks and a lot of fun listening to music, dance or people watch. It is also a crowd of many age ranges which I like. Mostly 30+.

I’ve only ever been here post-​ownership-​change, but the food is actually pretty good for a hole-​in-​the-​wall; heavy, southern-​style pub food. The drinks are cheap (especially the happy hour combos), and the bands I’ve seen so far have all been surprisingly talented. The music’s usually something along the lines of blues/​bluegrass/​classic rock.
The folks seem to range from 20-​something to 60-​something depending on the time of day you come in (but averaging more around the middle-​aged), and the ratio of men to women is pretty much 50:50 on the weekends (obviously more gritty old local-​type guys during the off-​periods.) There’s an allover easygoing, comfortably dive-​y atmosphere. Decent way to burn a weekend evening.

$ 7 for draft beer, 2 sliders, AND a side?! Definitely coming back here for happy hour!

Been there a couple of times since the new ownership.
They have a nice happy hour that last until 8:30! With food and beer specials.
Sliders and fries were great, one of the BEST steak sandwiches I have ever had.
Crowd was mild and ranged from 20’s to 60’s
Both bartenders were nice and attentive, poured some hearty shots.
I’ll be interested to see how it is with the bands the stage takes up most of the back room and it’s very high. But after a few drinks who cares!

Smells like gym socks.

CLOSED as of 12.09.10
May or may not re-​open under new management sometime…

Every time we have walked past this place at night the most annoying douchey drunks are standing around.
We walk downtown for dinner sometimes, and I could be in the middle of a conversation with my husband and some drunk ass will say something loud and annoying to us. We just stare and keep walking.
But the other day on our bar tour of Martinez we decided to come during the day when I assumed it would be a little quieter.
The bar was pretty much empty. So we saddled right up to the center seats and ordered a round of Sailor Jerry’s/Diet Coke (for him) a Cosmo for me.
They have the radio playing and another customer complained because it was mostly commercials. Yet, the guy didn’t want to spend money on the juke box. Man up and put a buck in the juke box dude!
So the bartender put a CD on that kept skipping. So I bit the bullet and put a few bucks on the ITunes Juke Box.
The bartender also showed me how you can open your ITunes account through the machine and it apparently charges your ITunes account to play songs. I didn’t want to do it though. Good idea but not for me.
It got a little busier in there as the afternoon went on. Other reviews said that they serve food but I never saw anything that said we could order food. We left and went to La Beaus for a snack.
During the day I would totally come back. During the night though? No thanks, loud dumb drunks are not my thing.

Hot bar girls. populated by dead enders, after workers, fat speed metal people. age range 27 – 50 yr.
20 guys 10 chicks
$ 3.50 gin and tonic
Small town pub. Neato cruk in bar to lean against