The Alley

They pour some STRONG whisky sours. I’d replace the phrase «dive bar» with «cave bar.» The building is dark and the bar is lined with wooden stools. Has a very old-​timey feel; the kind of place that will never update or gentrify. Doesn’t accept cash.

This was my first time in a piano bar/​dive bar, so it was much darker than I expected. I went with my sisters and had a blast. When you sit around the piano, you’re expected to sing. I was warned beforehand. However, it’s okay if you pass a few times as the mic goes your way. It seemed as if quite a few were regulars, but everyone was supportive and clapped after each person sang. It helps if you know what key you prefer to sing in, but even if you don’t know, you can sing a long or two so that the pianist can figure out your key. I will definitely be back once I get enough courage to sing in public again.

No beer on tap, awful service and the worst food I had in years…

Really cool place! Good vibes! Kinda Divey, kinda Pubby, heh! Business cards stapled to every inch of the walls. Good service. Not too into karaōke but, Definitely would be a semi-​regular if I lived in the area. Keep up the positive vibes! Cheers!

This bar is everything I ever wanted in a dive bar! It’s my new favorite local bar! First off everyone is super friendly! We chatted and joked with the bar tender Jen before ordering then we promptly got our beers. There were two other couples there too who were also super friendly! Really feels like your neighbor bar, like I just walked into a divey hip version of Cheers. The place is very large with lots of booths yet super cozy and intimate. There’s business cards stapled all over the walls and some funky artwork. They serve food too! Mainly just paninis and salads. They didn’t have any vegetarian paninis but the chef was more than happy to whip one up for me! Turned out to be great– cheese, tomatoes, pesto, onions and it comes with a side salad or chips. While in the bathroom the food came out and they accidentally brought me chips instead of a salad, but the waitress immediately realized and brought out a huge plate of salad without even having to ask. The service was just so great abd surprising for a dive bar.
But the best part about this place? The piano!!! There’s live piano every night, yea you heard that right– every night starting at 9pm. It’s like piano karaōke where all the regulars gather around the piano and take turns singing songs. You can tell there’s many regulars but it’s a total welcoming and supportive vibe. Can’t wait to become a regular where everyone knows my name!

Feels familiar. Walk up and sing, make a request. Share a smile or a grudge. Kind of place that every neighborhood needs… Full bar with good bourbon, whiskey vodka or a local brew of the month! Didn’t try to food… Ideal for nightcap and prep for a nice sleep

Great neighborhood place. Funky décor and a real piano bar. Cash only and definitely a dive. Great nonetheless.

Couple of things to know about the alley:
* Cash only
* Bottled beers only
* Great service and fairly inexpensive
* Singing with Rod Dibble at the piano is hands down one of the most fun things you can do on a Friday night on Grand. Promise.
My BF and I wandered in here — he had been, I hadn’t. We ordered a couple of drinks and then shyly approached the piano while we listed to others sing — there are large books of lyrics where you can pick your song, several mics, and the singers take turns clockwise while Rod energetically accompanies and helps out anyone who gets stuck or lost :) The mister dove right in, singing Girl from Ipanema while I turned beet red and passed on my first opportunity (my stage fright is big and bad). Second time around I mustered the guts to belt out some Patsy Cline, and even with a little bit of a shaky voice and losing my place once or twice had a great time and great support from everyone else at the table and Rod, who mouthed the words along with the song the whole time.
Definitely going to make a habit out of coming here to hang out and sing once in a while!

Good bar to take friends or to take a breather with colleagues. On weekday nights, the place is less frequented but that’s understandable.
One thing I don’t like about this place is actually the seats. They’re wooden, so they’re hard and not as comfortable. My butt gets numb if I’m there for a while. But I totally get it, it’s part of the bar’s overall décor and ambience.
The food is good and so are the drinks, but I think it’s slightly overpriced. Parking here can be frustrating since it’s on Grand, but hey, it’s Oakland. Workers are not known for their friendliness.

Cool looking bar but RUDE SERVICE! I went in with my a few girlfriends on an early Thursday evening. We were still barely greeted by the female bartender even though the place was empty. It took us a minute to order, but we could hear her complain about how long it was taking for us to decide. When we ordered she was rude and rolled her eyes, and made our drinks really poorly. As people who all work in the service industry, we would have given her a good tip, especially for a slow night. Instead, the Alley permanently lost three customers.

If you ever seen a submarine movie where the captain yells «Dive! Dive! Dive!», they were obviously thinking of the Alley. It’s the kind of place where you should take a blind date, because a sighted date might be appalled. But the place is so poorly lit, being sighted isn’t much of an advantage. The poor lighting was conducive to the couple in the next booth who were either extremely fond of each other or this was just a good place for the woman to do business.
That’s not to say I can’t appreciate a good dive if they have cheap drinks and reasonable food. In this case, the beer was all in bottles and priced at $ 5 each, about the same you would find elsewhere. When we arrived at 7 PM, we asked about food and they were not serving, not even so much as chips and salsa. Our waiter came over once in the hour we were there. We gave up and just ordered at the bar. Beer selection was probably as minimal as the lighting.
Other reviews talk about the food being good. Wish I could have tried it but we won’t be returning.

A local dump/​dive. One of a dying breed left on that stretch of upper Grand Ave.
It may just die if the health inspector has their way. Currently, they need a new range hood and other ‘improvements’ to be up to code. How do you improve on a classic, one of a kind place? Historic place designation, maybe? Go for the decently priced cocktails, (a rarity on upper grand in oakland nowadays) stay for the karaōke or piano bar sing alongs after 8pm. I ate there once years ago. Diner food. no more, no less. Go support a classic business. Who knows how long it’ll last at this point… Good Luck and God Bless The Alley!

When I’m on a search for a dive, this is pretty much EXACTLY what I’m looking for.
The front door may not be too fat girl friendly but the food does not disappoint. The place has business cards all over the place. It’s dark and grungy. The staff is not overly friendly but just friendly enough.
Good was delish. There were three of us so we all got different dishes and tried each other’s. Everything was delish. I’ll be back for sure. I’m glad this place hasn’t been hipster invaded.

WARNING! They are remodeling the kitchen. When we arrived, eager for a burger with a side of fried chicken, we were no less than devastated when they told us that only grilled sandwiches were available to us.
I shall return when the Rocco Special returns. God bless.

Dollar for dollar this has to be one of the best steak houses in the bay area. Are you going to get an Alexander’s quality steak at The Alley? Of course not! You will however have a solid steak in a laid back atmosphere with a full bar a few steps away. The décor is old and the booths are in major need of repair but that’s what makes this spot so quaint.
Avoid the ‘Valley Special’ and ‘New York’ cuts, stick with the Club Steak. The valley special always has a lot fat and the new york cannot compare to the tenderness of the club steak. At 13 bucks with veggies, salad, bread and a baked potato this is one of favorite deals in the area. During one of my last trips I switched gears and tried the fried chicken. Let’s just say I was impressed. If you’re visiting with multiple people, I recommend ordering a steak and fried chicken dinner and split the two.
Service has always been great. Walk-​in pick your booth and wait for your server. If you’re feeling brave step up to the piano and sign up for karaōke. The Alley has never failed to impress. I always having a fixed expectation and it is always delivered.

I was pleasantly and surprisingly happy with everything. We waited over 30mins to eat here because they served steak that was recommended on Unilocal but didn’t open until 6pm. Then, When we finally got in, we found out the kitchen is under reconstruction, so there’s no steak or anything like that. We were kind of bummed, but they did have another menu with sandwiches and salads. We figured we may as well try it, since we waited so long.
We ordered the Turkey Swiss Panini with roasted red peppers and pesto mayo on some kind of herb bread with a salad and vinegarette dressing, and a Caesar salad to share. They both were great!!! Knowing me…, «Why not have a Cadillac margarita, with tres generationes reposado tequila, while we wait?» Boy did David, hook it up! As we ordered them, someone down the bar said «oh, your famous margarita!!» Now I know why she said that! One was good for me! I definitely want to go back when the grill is up and running. It’s a dark, small, cozy place. Very cute! The bartender, David told me it’s THE THIRD OLDEST BAR IN OAKLAND!!! Worth going to check out before they remodel. I plan to. Funny thing is, a small group of young people walked in and on first appearance the girl in the front said out loud, «I’m not eating here, let’s go!» Boy did they miss out!!! The food is really good! And that was just the substitute menu!
I will be back!!!

In January, I made a silent promise to myself: that I would sing at piano at The Alley. The idea made me want to vomit in my mouth, but my inner show-​tune geek has been dying to belt out «Maybe This Time» somewhere besides my shower. And so what if «belting» equals «meekly singing into a mic in case I puke»? I had to do it.
Last night, I made good on that promise.
I approached the piano, stone-​cold sober, and shyly asked the man to my left how the whole endeavor worked. Here’s what I learned in sixty seconds:
Piano Bar with Rob Dibble 101:
1. They sing counterclockwise around the piano, each person going in turn. Pick a song from the books in front of you (not much past 1960), tell it to Ron when it your turn, hold onto the mic, and nanoseconds later he’s playing you in.
2. Don’t stop. No matter what. Just keep singing. (This. Was. Great. Advice.)
3. Ron is massively talented. He’ll change keys if he realizes you’re singing somewhere else. If you watch him, he mouths along. WITH EVERY SONG. Lost? Look at him — he’ll cue you back in and help you with any codas etc.
4. Watch Ron light up when his wife walks in — and then belts out something unexpected for a teeny octogenarian.
The really nice people next to me let me squeeze in, and fifteen minutes later (it was a busy Saturday) I WAS SINGING!
Interesting side note:
A mustachioed man sidled up next to me. He wasn’t interested in singing, but he did want to chat. He’s a piano bar owner himself with bars sprinkled along the East Coast. A nice guy, sure, and he’s scoping out venues to open a bar here.
But my, he was appalled at how standards and show tunes could be the music du jour on a Saturday night at prime time. «Not in my bars,» he said. «We’d be doing something upbeat. My players know to take control, not allow so many ballads with people just wanting to sing because they can sing well. The audience isn’t engaged. A Sunday afternoon? Sure this is fine. But not now.»
I tried to tell him something, gently, but he wouldn’t hear it: That I don’t think The Alley exists to make more money than they do. Singers aren’t there to please the «audience» and I’m guessing Ron Dibble could give two Cokes so long as at least one person at the table is having a great time.
But I think that sums up life around the piano nicely. And I hope they don’t change.
Pro tip: No one is going to mock you (at least to your face), no matter how bad you are. And it seemed that sort of behavior was strongly discouraged.

The Firetrap, I mean The Alley, is a special place with it’s own style and well worth a visit to see if it’s your thing.
I was surprised at the quality of the cocktails for a place labeled as dive bar. The bartender used Fresh lime juice not sweet-​n-​nasty mix.
Fries and onion rings were good.
Group was able to have conversation without screaming.
Unfortunate cigarette and skunky pot smoke wafting in from the doorway sucked.
You know, with all the hydroponic plant biology happening now can’t they grow a weed that doesn’t smell like a skunk’s asshole when burned? Please get on that. Smokers don’t know this but your weed and your clothes and hair all smell like skunk rectum.
Speaking of burning… having just finished two textbooks– one on fire forensics and one on arson investigation, if you smell smoke in here, get the EF out fast.
** unless the smoke smells like burger or skunk asshole.

On some Sunday nights friends and I tend to go to the Alley after dinner to see other friends (who are usually singing karaōke).
The Alley is voted one of Oakland’s greatest dive bars – and if you have never had the pleasure of hanging out at this place – you are missing out! You do not have to be a drinker to enjoy this bar either, as they have a great greasy spoon type menu.
The atmosphere is inviting, and the ambience is dark. There are a million business cards on the walls (probably holding them together) and they also line the tables. Some of the cards look like they have been there as long as the building.
The bartenders are always awesome, maybe not the friendliest, but the friendliest… if you understand what I am saying ;)
There is live karaōke on Sunday nights and this was the thing that I experienced my first visit several months ago. I came in and heard a large man singing an old Barry White song, remarkably well I might add. I was with a friend and she ordered a couple drinks and grabbed a booth so we could watch – I told my companion, «this seems like fun.»
Next, a couple came and took their turn on the mic – Irene and Daniel – wow! They were really great. I had so much fun, and that couple came and began talking to me and my companion right after they sang. We have been friends ever since, and I try to meet up with them to hear their latest songs on Sunday nights.
Stephani Smiles at the Alley ;)

Last night, my friend and I grabbed beer at the bar (Guinness for him, Blue Moon for me), and settled into one of the empty booths against the back wall. We had a great time talking about what we had coming up in the next week, and listening to various other bar-​goers let their inner Adele and Rihanna out. A group of four guys, though, stole the show as they teamed up on «Belle» from Beauty and the Beast. Amazing. So, so amazing.
It’s kind of hard to find places that you can just lounge around in on a Sunday night, so I am veryyy grateful that a place like The Alley exists. Great neighborhood bar filled with lots of personality that draws out a range of other personalities from the surrounding area. Doesn’t get any better than this.

Last night, my friend and I grabbed beer at the bar (Guinness for him, Blue Moon for me), a