Heinold’s First and Last Chance

I must admit, it’s brilliant to have a sports bar right by the waiting area. I don’t think I’ve ever picked anyone up from the Oakland airport, but I’d be feasting on beer and the Pizza Hut pizza if I was waiting for someone and heard their flight was delayed. No question.
We were here only because we were starving and just got off a five hour flight at 10pm, and this was the only place serving food that was open. The Caesar salad left a lot to be desired, and well Pizza Hut pizza really always leaves a lot to be desired. But they did have a TV and the Warriors game was on, so it wasn’t that bad. The bartender was a funny guy too, but overall this place is just okay. That was probably the first and last time I’ll be here.

Eek. This was quite possibly the worst airport meal of my life. Seriously, try to find *anything* else to eat.
What was so bad?
*non-​existent service
*frozen or pre-​packaged everything; not even the high-​quality pre-​made stuff
*not cheap prices
I know your options at the Oakland airport are limited, but a granola bar would have been a more solid choice. Why two stars then? Because I usually reserve 1 star for food poisoning.

I’ve eaten here many times from ’12-’13. I like the sandwiches and salads. My main gripe is that they are expensive for what you get. Typical airport pricing as said in other reviews. There have been good and bad servers. The speeds of food are spotty as well. Expect average food at a high price and you won’t be disappointed.

Too pricy and limited food selection. Typical airport Over Priced Beer and Drink. Place is empty and service is lacking.

Absolutely the worst tacos I’ve ever had. I needed a meal before I hit the road after my flight. Look, I know I was at an airport. I just needed something to fill my belly.
I decided I had had enough sandwiches in the past few days, so I ordered the fish tacos. The entire thing felt like it was from a can. They used those tiny salad shrimps. None of it was hot.
I finished them. $ 12, and I was still very hungry! Good thing my friends had an entire meal waiting for me at their house.

When I arrived the first young lady that served me was great. She checked on me several times however after the shift change the skinny blond with stringy hair, Autumn, was on duty for over 20 mins and said nothing to me… while she filled the ice i was looking directly at her (I was at the bar) she said nothing to me… i did my hands in a «what about me gesture» and finally she agreed to help me but not after asking «is that not yours?» Yes, but it was less than a swallow. I ordered a drink and than realized she had been scratching & playing with her hair but had yet to wash her hands so I changed it to a beer. She let me know she had just put the beers in the fridge but if I gotta drunk here at least I know I don’t have whatever is in her head in my drink not to mention the ingredients that were supposed to go in the drink were in her words «frozen solid»…wow this must be a really hard job.

Pricey… yep. Its at an airport. Still, they make one of the best bloodymary and its about the only choice you’ve got. Usually some good beers on tap, and my bartender has always been friendly.

Yes the reviews are correct! It is the only place to eat if your waiting to pic up. Unless you want to eat skittles and Reese pbc from the souvenir shop across the hall.
I ordered the burger and my son had the Pizza Hut personal pizza. Ok so it’s not great but it’s decent in a pinch. The beer was cold and the tv was on the warriors game.
I was happy to haven’t there for my 45 minute wait.

Rude servers! Foods terrible! Expensive too!
First: My family had to stand and order our food from a Pizza Hut menu.
Second: When our pizzas came and they gave us paper plates and plastic forks to eat off of. This was suppose to be a restaurant.
Third: After terrible service the server named Philip came over and demanded we give him a tip. It was really rude and especially since I was with my kids
Fourth: the pizza wasn’t even real Pizza Hut
Stay away from this place at all cost.

Place was supposed to be open at 8am but it didn’t open til 11:30 am. Whoever was supposed to open that morning didn’t show up for work. There is nowhere else to get food once u exit the security screening area so I would suggest to everyone to eat while u are still near all the boarding gates. I ordered the pancakes thinking it was the safest bet and was expecting 4 normal size pancakes. The four of them would equal about 1 normal size pancake, for $ 10. This place should be called last resort.

Wow, this is the worst airport food I have ever eaten including the plastic wrapped crap you get from vendors! At least it was expensive!

Kind of like the name, it’s the First and Last Chance, before you are up and off and in a new city before you know it. This restaurant is actually located on the outside of the terminal, so you can spend those last few moments with your loved ones before they are off.
Although it shares the same name as the Classic Jack London Square historical bar, it’s not at all the same. They don’t boast the same beer selection as the original, yet have a full bar. We decided on a couple Bloody Mary’s and a Turkey Club to split.
The food was okay, pretty decent for airport fare. Service was great and it was nice to be able to hang out with my guy just a little bit longer.

Came here since it’s the only pre-​security restaurant available in the terminal so if you’re hungry, might not have a choice like me.
The food and service was fine, which is to be expected of airport restaurants. The bill was $ 11 for a sandwich so you can decide if that’s expensive or not for airport food.

This could also be called the Only Chance Bar as it is the only option pre-​security in the Oakland terminal. I arrived very early for a flight, hoping to catch the Olympics. The airline wouldn’t take my luggage that early (strange rule) so this is where I had to hang out. I would say that it’s not the best airport bar I have ever been to — but totally what was expected. The food and drink were fine… at those steep airport prices.
The one complaint I would have is that there seemed to be alot of issues among the staff. Clearly the senior bartender thought the new guy was not pulling his weight and taking some of her customer business. Even the manager seemed to get involved in a quite petty discussion. Having this play out in front of the customers at the bar is quite unprofessional.

The service was ok, now that I know some alternatives I won’t go here. If you want something quickly go get a pizza there. You can drink a coffee there and sit down watching people while waiting for a flight.

Airport food is generally expensive and not so good. Heinolds is fairly priced, and good food to boot. The big advantage is that this is a restaurant outside the security area. We had just flown in from Phoenix and had an hour before the shuttle bus would come, and we were hungry and thirsty, so this fit the fill. Generally, I would give a 3 star rating here for food, prices, etc. but because it is the best food at the Oakland Airport I added an extra star for their attempt to offer good food for travelers. The other review faulted Heinold’s for not looking like the other one in Oakland, but give me a break!

Originally opened in 1883, Heinold’s Saloon was a commuter’s first and last chance at refreshment for those traveling between Alameda and Oakland, or for those going overseas from the Port of Oakland. There is a spirit of adventure in the old bones of that Saloon, one that cannot be replicated.
So, I was quite surprised when I debarked from my flight and found a Disney-​fied version of the First and Last Chance staring me in the face at the pre-​boarding area of Oakland International’s Terminal 1. I believe that this spot used to be a «¼ Pound Giant Burger».The faux wood logs and attached Pizza Hut next door, juxtaposed with the familiar neon signage sent conflicting signals to my brain. Monstrosity. This should not be!
I’m conflicted. I applaud the fact that a local landmark has set foot in the airport to both welcome and «fare-​thee-​well» to travelers. I’m saddened that this slick plastic version lacks any feeling or spirit associated with the real First and Last Chance. I’d say that the only spirit found here is in the bottles.