Conga Lounge

Super sad that this place closed. They had a great little lounge upstairs and awesome mai tais. :(

Goodbye Conga Lounge! You will always have a place in my heart (and alcohol-​soaked liver).

I’ll miss you.
I loved this place. Had some fun times there. But hadn’t been there in years…

Just saw this place is now closed so I’m glad I was able to check it out at least once! My review that I totally forgot to hit the post button on:
I didn’t think I’d actually enjoy being in this place but its actually really cool! the décor is definitely something out of the ordinary but I like how its a laid back environment and the servers are really friendly. the drinks are OKAY — i tried the scorpion bowl & fish bowl. Both drinks got me tipsy but I expected it to get me drunk lol (they are huge drinks but definitely not strong). Thankfully I was able to get the couch and hella space to myself because it started filling up and a lot of people ended up walking out because there was no room to sit. The music was funny… usual Bob Marley tunes.

Only in your death Conga Lounge will I leave this testimony to your awesomeness.
I’ve been going here for years with my girlfriend. The Conga Lounge introduced us to the concept of Mai Tais, Scorpion Bowls, Zombies, and the rest of the Tiki pantheon. We’ve since become tiki fanatics, scouring the East Bay for prime tiki locations.
Sadly, the tiki universe is a perilous place in the 21^st century. Truly authentic tiki bars like the Conga Lounge and the Forbidden Island (the Congo Lounge’s sister bar and now the defacto go-​to for true tiki-​ing in the East Bay) are under siege by watered-​down offshoots that are either sports-​bars in disguise (see Walnut Creek’s Tiki Toms and, to a lesser extent, the Kona Club in Piedmont) or more upscale joints like Downtown Oakland’s new Longitude and the Emeryville outpost of Trader Vic’s.
For an impressionable youth such as myself, the Conga Lounge defined what a «truly authentic» tiki bar should be. Its full menu of classic tiki drinks, 50/60’s easy listening, quirky colonial curios from Oceania strewn liberally for décor, and friendly waitstaff created a general atmosphere that lacked pretension but wasn’t too dive-​y (read: the bathroom didn’t look like Dagobah swamp). It felt like hanging out in a quirky alternative-​universe version of your living room, a living room that also happened to feature decent pizza.
Much of this vibe can still be captured at the Forbidden Island in Alameda, but I will dearly miss the delectable Conga Mai Tai. Adding a bit more froth than the original Mai Tai, the Conga variant was a steal at $ 5/​drink at happy hour. More than a few Friday evening meetings were cut short so I could make the 7PM deadline for a round or two of Conga Mai Tais (and maybe some Coco Locos and Peachy Chi Chis for good measure).
I’m going to cut my lament short before it becomes too onerous, but I will close by saying that the Conga Lounge was the Platonic ideal of a tiki bar. We will not see its like again until we go to meet the great tiki god in the sky.

Super sad this place is closing. Came here b/​c I saw it was closing and wanted to give it a try. It was awesome! Small and intimate, with great décor. Drinks were reasonably priced and the food was all from the Pizza joint right below.
Happy Hour 5 – 7 even on Saturday, with both types of Mai Tais at $ 5. I recommend the one they make, b/​c the one that Trader Vic made originally is kind of just a minty, alcoholic drink. Not that tasty.
It would be great if someone would just open up this bar again as the same place, b/​c I think this is my favorite tiki bar in the bay, and I’ve been to a handful at this point.
Also, our service was great, but it was pretty clear there was just one waitress serving the whole place, of what must have been 8 – 12 different groups. She must’ve been the hardest working woman in the whole east bay on Saturday night. Hats off to her!

Been here numerous times and I can’t say I’ve had a bad experience. I wish they would play a little more dancehall but I enjoy the music though. They play reggae every first and third Saturdays so swing by and grab a drink while you’re bobbin’ your head. The service is always friendly and the drinks are good. It’s a pretty small spot right above the pizza joint in a quiet neighborhood. There are a few tables and one bathroom but this place is just too darn cute. They also serve Pupus (Hawaiian for appetizers) at a certain time but I never get the chance to try it since I always get there later, maybe one day. I believe you can also rent this whole place out for a private party but the days are limited as far as availabilities go. Wouldn’t hurt to check this place out, it’s definitely a chill spot.

This is my «must-​go-​to» bar when I visit Oakland. The funky, vintage décor reminds me of the «Tiki Room» at Disneyland! Their Mai Tai’s are the best I’ve ever had (apparently a recipe from a famous Oakland bar that opened in the 40’s), not to mention they are $ 5 during happy hour.
They serve food from the restaurant next door, and worth mentioning is their Bruschetta that is on perfectly toasted bread with fresh chunks of tomato and a very tart/​garlicy vinaigrette *mouth watering*.
It’s a pretty small venue and they get busy, so get there early for a good spot. The great thing about this place is the bartenders/​waiters work their butts off, so even when it’s busy you get great service.

Stopped on a Friday night around 9:30 and it was pretty quiet. Off night?
The place is a small, kitschy tiki lounge located above a pizza joint. You can order food from downstairs if you like. We each had a different house special tropical drink and everyone thought they were pretty good. My Mai-​Tai brought back some unfortunate memories from college days ’nuff said about that.
I might pop back in on a Saturday night to see if things are a bit more lively and try one of the other specials.

Tiniest tiki bar ever. I got their signature cocktail, their stumbling islander. Did i ever tell you I’m an islander (or was) so I thought the name was cute, plus it sounded good. My umbrella on my drink made me quite happy. whoever thought to try creating mini umbrellas for my beverage?! it’s pretty genius, just in case it rains maybe my cocktail won’t get wet.

A must-​do bar spot in Oakland. Mai-​tai was invented in Oakland too — who knew? But make sure you visit and get the full story from Hope, one of the nicest bartenders I’ve ever met.
To be honest, I find the drinks just a bit too sweet to go here too often, and the beer selection isn’t that great, but it’s a nice hang out spot. Also, the pizzas from downstairs can all be ordered at the bar, and made vegan with daiya. And check out what’s playing on the TV, or go on last Saturday of the month for 80s night (can get packed though).

Drinking here as we speak. The 2 bartenders watched me walk in — no greeting, no smile. I sat myself. The waitress hacked her lungs out into her hands and i did NOT see her wash them — guess who came over to serve me? I asked her about the specials — she seemed confused and couldn’t tell me any details.
Jungle Drums — tasty but weak
Peachtree Chi Chi — weeeeeeak, all juice
Garlic bread — bland and not worth the $ 5
Coco Loco — very tasty

A classic tiki bar, albeit a little cramped. I recommended getting dinner here and staying until it turns into a bar if you want a table.
Try the different bowls. fish bowl… scorpian bowl. bound to set a good tone for the rest of the night. Also try: Mai Tai
I would go out on a limb and define this place as the quintessential tiki lounge, surpassing by far its familiar counterpart, the Kona Club in the Piedmont area. I always have a good time here.
I don’t know what it is with tiki lounges and sticking things to the wall, but this place has tons of random kitsch. kleptomaniacs rejoice!

My first time at the Conga Lounge and I LOVED it! The amazing Hope makes not only the best Mai Tai ever (better than the one’s on Hawaii, Maui, Kauai & Oahu!) but she is so warm and inviting; t’s like you’re having drinks in someone’s home. We had the garlic bread & antipasto along with our drinks & they were delicious, too. The Conga Lounge is an absolute MUST if you’re anywhere near Berkeley /​Oakland.
Mahalo Hope!

I lived in the hood for a while and had come to the Conga Lounge a handful of times.
It usually near the end of the list, when all the other options didn’t work out for some reason.
The place always seemed a bit on the cold side (temperature-​wise) and the bartenders were just «meh». Never had a terribly bad time but never had a great time here. Hence 3 stars.

Only been here once before a few months back, and had a decent time of it.
Wasn’t expeciting to go there tonight until I saw a FB posting that some friends were chiling there with the owner so it sounded like I was in for an overdue visit.
Despite being a busy night, service was first rate. Knew from her FB postings that one of the cute barmaids there (Slavic lass by the name of Eva) was feeling under the weather — BAD– but was still gritting her teeth and getting orders filled and drinks delivered despite the unpleasant combo of a hectic tempo and her being drained by her illness.
Had a brief but cool visit with some friends, the owner and our long suffering server. Haven’t had a chance to try most of the drinks there but am told by connoisseurs that their Tiki stuff is top notch. More on that in a future updated review.
Small venue but amazing atmosphere. If I were free more often on Saturdays, I’d think about making it a regular haunt.
Did I mention the service was amazing?

Great happy hour, really cute décor. Got the original Mai Tai for just $ 5, and I was a buzzed and happy camper.
The bartender was super friendly and helpful (how often have you ever said those words?)
Go! You’ll have a great time.

My girlfriend and I were satisfied with every aspect of the service — from the delicious $ 5 happy hour Mai Tais to the top-​notch pizza and salad we shared. The bartender, Hope, made us feel so welcome. We’ll definitely be back! (P.S. The gluten-​free pizza crust is the BEST we’ve ever eaten.)

A cute little gem right above the pizza place below.
You can order pizza before Pizza Rustica closes in addition to your drinks! This place has a cute tiki/​luau theme to it and drinks to match. My friends tried multiple drinks, asking the waitress what she recommended first. The mai tai has a strong kick to it but the mini fishbowl (for a single person) is great and fruity. It’s a lot smaller than I anticipated so i would recommend coming in pairs or smaller groups to get seating. I’m planning on trying a flaming scorpion bowl if and when I make my next trip!

At every tiki joint, they always offer that one drink. That enormous bowl of alcohol laced with death that your friends and you eagerly suck down through your naïve, brainless straws. You know, as you scoff at how «weak» the drink is and sort of roll your eyes at how foolish it was to order a bowl full of alcohol for all to share. What are we in college? In about 5 minutes, the alcohol is gone and you think, «damn, I wish I ordered a Mai Tai instead.» Oh, but low and behold… wait for it… give it 30 minutes… BOOM! It hits!
All of sudden, you have no idea where you are, who you came with, what the hell is going on. And if you’re as classy as I am, I literally passed out. I was already tired from work that day, but after that drink of death, I was like, «eff it, I’m just going to take a nap on this couch.» And you better believe it, I full on passed out like a homeless person at a lounge. Whatever, bite me.
I was later woken up to, «Hey, Soo, drink some water… it’s time to go.» Party foul.
But, I do remember this… before my cat-​nap, I did have one of their cucumber-​mint drinks and it was divine. I think the best I’ve ever had!
Thanks Congo Lounge– good times!