Crescent Club

I’ve never been to the Crescent Club for food, but I’ve been coming here for club nights since it was Wilhemina’s. I really like the spacious multi-​room basement layout and the large back patio area. I’ve enjoyed goth nights here, steampunk events, the Bohemian Ball and the Vampire Ball near Halloween. There’s usually cool vendors here for the event nights.
The Café overhead may be a bit rich for my blood but I’ll definately keep coming back for the Crescent Club!

A Great Event-​Location Under Café American in the Heart of Old Sacramento!
SITREP
In recent years, I’ve enjoyed coming here for the very cutting-​edge Gothic-​Industrial club events such as DARKNESS and various STEAMPUNK Balls and also this past Halloween season the recently hosted a Vampyre Ball.
THE EVENTS
The Vampire Ball was a lot of fun, and it was promoted by my friends Shannon McCabe and Frankie Vanity. DJs Bryan Hawk and David VanDyke did an awesome job of providing the music and dance-​environment.
THE LAYOUT
Besides the large subterranean rooms which are big enough and separate enough to host a band in one room and a DJ in another (which is one of the key pluses of an event like DARKNESS), I also love the patio area in the back outside, complete with it’s own HOOKAH bar. $ 10 gets you hooked up wit a hookin hookah for da night! I don’t have a smoking habit, I do enjoy a good raspberry-​infused tobacco in the hookah.
SPECIAL EVENTS
I spent my NYE here as we heralded in 2010. Most recently, I also saw German Industrial über-​rockers SLICK IDIOT (the reconstituted KMFDM) a few Mondays back. It was a fun night to remember!
I also spent previous HALLOWEENS here as well. It was worth noting that on Halloween night, a lot of peeps had had dinner in any of a number of the restaurants located nearby in Old Sac. Also, the costume party was killer and a probably a bit incestuous if you consider that many people were bragging about their costume deals they had just purchased at EVANGELINE’s only a few doors down and around the corner also in Old Sacramento!
These are just a couple more examples of how Old Sac business create a synergy among themselves in cross-​promoting and sharing the same customer base. And awesome achievement for any hood.
THE LOWDOWN
Great venue for the Darker Events!

Walking in downtown I hear some jazz music playing there is a hostess for the restaurant upstairs welcomes me to check it out.
I walk down; upon entering I see a little girl dancing to some lovely jazz music, how cute.
What you will find here is many little hidden spots full of antique furniture, piano, paintings on the wall, dim lights, and a feel of being thrown back in time, I always been told I have an old soul; and now I actually believe so. I plan on coming back on a weekend night to check out the nightlife.
I am so in love with this place and the feel; however I have not been here on a Friday or Saturday night so I cant review on the nightlife part.
«Speakeasy» theory is that the term was simply derived from a patron’s manner of ordering alcohol without raising suspicion – bartenders would tell patrons to be quiet and «speak easy from an era of Prohibition (1920 – 1933, longer in some states). During this time, the sale, manufacture, and transportation bootlegging) of alcoholic beverages was illegal throughout the United States.

What a cool place! This is one of those, «why didn’t I know this was here and why aren’t there more people» type of places we all love. For a such a large place it feels pretty intimate with all the cool sofas and places to sit and hang out. There are a few different rooms and dark corners to sink into if you don’t want to be around people too.
Drinks were really good and the bartender was very friendly. I wish they’d advertise for this place a bit more or keep their site/​facebook pages updated a little better. Most people we met didn’t even know there was supposed to be a band playing and when I checked their site to see who was playing tonight it also hadn’t been updated.
I’ll still be telling everyone I know to check it out though and I’ll for sure be back!

We took the Old Sac Speak Easy tour and this was one of the stops. I really love the underground, eclectic atmosphere of this bar. Nothing was happening at the time we were there (no music, bands, big crowds, etc.) so it seemed a little dry at the time. I’ve been here before for a party and it was hopping so I know they get lively in there. We weren’t here for long enough to get the full flavor so we will be back again (and probably again…) to really take it all in. The bartenders were friendly and knowledgeable and I adore the atmosphere. The only thing that I would require for a full five stars would have been a live band or similar type of event going on at the time we were there. I will most definitely be back!

This place is a gem. I didn’t even know it existed. I happened to be walking around Old Sac and heard some jazz music coming from a basement. Sure enough, there was a small sign that said live jazz on Fridays. The place is huge, and it is full of character and antique furniture. It feels like a prohibition pub and the jazz music fits right in.
I was concerned that the crowd was very sparse, they should’ve had a lot more people! I hope the word gets out about this place. The music was great and the character of the place can’t be beat! Definitely the place to check out in Old Sac!

I would like to share my experiences with this club…
I run a social meetup group. We met at the Crescent Club twice a month — from October 2010 through January 2011. When we began meeting there, we were generally welcomed with open arms. The manager of the club appeared to be very open-​minded. We were told that we could meet there, as long as we called or emailed, communicating the dates and times of our meetings. (*Let me provide this tidbit here: My group meets on Wednesday and Thursday nights. The club is open on those nights. The club did not open specifically for us. We met within their business hours.) On the nights that we met at the club, we brought 35 to 50 members. On one occasion, we saw perhaps six other paying customers. On another night, we saw two. Other than these aforementioned meeting nights, I never saw another paying customer in this entire HUGE establishment.
One of the problems, we believe, is the limited (and decidedly pricey) menu. Our members had several complaints about the food — being unusually expensive for such small plates. Most complaints said that the food was generally «not tasty». For example, french fries were added to the menu. The fries were obviously precooked and frozen.
Another problem was that the club was generally untidy. Food and drink had obviously been consumed prior to our arrival, and yet tables had not been cleared… and tablecloths were dirty and stained. The floor had not been swept or mopped, and the club smelled of mildew.
Our group was more than willing to ignore these issues, because the club was a nice large meeting place and aesthetically pleasing. As I mentioned, we brought 35 to 50 paying customers into the club — on nights when no other customers were present. My wife and I never had a bar tab under $ 80. On two occasions, our bar tab was over $ 150. I have proof that our average member paid more than $ 20 each night we met there.
Let us fast-​forward to today… After I sent three emails to the owner and manager — communicating our February meeting dates — I received no response. When one of my members went to the club, and personally spoke to the owner, she received a very rude response. The owner told her that they make too little money from us. He told us that he wanted to make an excess of $ 750 on nights when we met. He further told us that we would have to sign a contract saying that, if he didn’t make this amount, we would be responsible for the remainder. I would like to remind the reader here that there were few to no other customers in the club on these nights, and these were regular hours of operation.
On top of this, the owner never sent me the contract and just ignored our request to meet (with only two days notice). We have had to cancel events because of their obstinence.
Can someone please explain to me why the owner of a failing business would refuse paying customers and go back to having zero on certain nights? I invite people to poke their heads into this business on any given night and do a head count. As a result of this incident, the Crescent Club has lost a significant amount of business.
It’s a beautiful club. It’s just a shame it’s run by people who have no business sense.

Downtown has turned into a kind of giant douche magnet on weekend nights lately and it bums me out. I’ve been sad because there has been a distinct absence of quiet, relaxed, mellow places to sit and chat with friends without spending too much money and without being hit on by drunks jerks in Ed Hardy. And then I found this place.
Free live jazz, really nice bartenders, and a comfortable atmosphere that encourages you to sit back and relax for a bit. I love it.

My friends booked a private birthday party here because she said it was a newer club in Old Sacramento. We all dressed up and arrived here. I must say that the ambiance and décor of Crescent Club really makes you feel as though you’ve stepped back into the 1920s. The art, the furniture, the candles, lamps, even the bathroom!
They played pretty decent music and the bartender was OKAY. She made a delicious Strawberry and Lemonade Martini for me.
I hope that in a year this club will get even more popular. It’s definitely a Sacramento hidden secret. The vibe is chill and relaxing.

The folks at the Crescent Club really stepped their game up when they hosted the OYE in September. They were so much more organized (and prepared) this time around… what a difference a few weeks makes.
I love the décor, feel, and ambiance, but it’s the uniqueness of the venue that surprises me. I can see this place being used for live bands, DJs, special events, even comedy shows.
If you’re looking for an evening off the beaten path, I suggest trying the Crescent Club out for size. You won’t be disappointed.

Tired of mainstream clubs? Never know where to take guests visiting from out of town?
Then you absolutely have to try Crescent Club. Better yet, try it regardless. This place is impressive!
I’ve had the pleasure of attending 3 events here, and it’s official – I love it. The venue itself is super unique and has an ultra funky vibe. My coolness factor skyrockets as soon as I walk in (I know. Shallow, right?). They’ve done a fabulous job decorating the place with vintage style furniture, light fixtures and accessories. The cave-​like, mysterious prohibition era style of the building makes me feel like Lucky Luciano and his fellow mobsters are chillin’ just around the corner.
Even better, though, is the food! The eats here are truly phenomenal. I had the BEST caviar served up on tasty blini that I’ve ever had. They use sturgeon caviar that is completely sustainable, so you can feast away without feeling an ounce of guilt. They also make a mean smoked sturgeon served creatively in many different ways – all moist, flavorful and delicious.
Oh, and if that’s not enough, the desserts are dangerously scrumptious too.

I heart this place! I have been here twice ( Unilocal causes a Sensation! and last Thursday’s private event) and I must say this place is awesome! This club has so much potential and can be easily transformed to what you need it to be. (Puts top hat on and Waves magic wand)– Big time Unilocal event– BAM! it transforms easily. Halloween party event –Boom! There it is! — — — House Music (waves wand vigorously and dances) — – A-​la peanut butter sandwiches! — –House music club! –oh snap forgot …(taps magic wand on the bar) and presto! to add beautiful people and Jon for the DJ.
This club reminds me of some places in New Orleans, it just has that kind of vibe. I love the look and feel of this place. The old brick and the courtyard is really nice and just relaxes you. This club can have a different theme every night of the week and be successful. How many clubs in Sac can pull this off… not many. I vote to hold many more big Unilocal events or huge parties here.

Having come here on countless occasions, first for a Bohemian Party, for the grand opening and then for party stuff, I can’t get over the staff and owners’ hospitality shown to its customers ( Unilocalers in particular); the food; and the venue itself.
Like some hidden underground lair with chandeliers and candelabras, this place is like no other. Pictures of naked women, plush antique-​y couches, many rooms to get into mischief and one of the most gorgeous patios in Sac, are all icing on the cake. Add to that caviar bellinis, sturgeon pouches and other raw food creations, it’s just decadence.
It makes me really sad that anyone would give this place less than five stars. The venue is one of the most unique and amazing in Sacramento, the food is equally delicious, unique and bold and the service is unparalleled.
P. S. A few of the two star reviews below are mostly due to some folks confusing the grand opening event for the Unilocal event. Two totally separate events. The grand opening party had a VIP hour where comp’d apps were served. Some folks mistakenly though they were going to be offered the whole evening.
P. P. S. It’s my personal policy to never review grand openings if I have to give them less than three stars … or unless I plan to go back in the next week or so to give them another shot. Feedback is helpful, but grand openings are not necessarily indicative of how things are, and if left up after the kinks have been worked out, it’s not an accurate reflection of that biz. Just my personal philosophy.

I was invited as a Unilocal Elite to the grand opening of Crescent Club’s Speakeasy. My friend and I were really excited for the event, having found the perfect idea and perfect outfit for the occasion. We came in suspenders, fedora, and of course, a thick black mustache. Damn, we looked GOOOOD!
I was very open to the idea and excited to experience a speakeasy «first hand.» I really wasn’t impressed though. Maybe I’m just not old enough to enjoy the experience. I like having more things to do, and more things to watch. The music and bands playing were interesting, but the lack of crowd for the musicians made it hard to get into.
The performers & actors were pretty entertaining. I didn’t know Speakeasies were so much about sex and striping. Either way, that part was pretty fun. The cool costumes and fun skits. I found this to be about the only entertaining thing of the night.
The «promised» appetizer (s) were a rare rare find. My friend and I only stumbled across one guy with an appetizer tray. How disappointing!
If the event weren’t free, I think I’d be highly disappointed with my experience. I can’t complain much about a free ticket though…

When we were invited to the Speakeasy party here last Sunday, I was honestly excited about the idea that the place might be under new management or that they may have taken some huge steps to remodel the place in some way. I arrived and was disappointed.
Disappointed to find that they (they being management) are still trying to make this basement bar as fancy as possible. Let me elaborate a bit on what I think of when I think of a basement bar. I think of Vega’s. I think of the (old) Speakeasy karaōke bar. It’s dark. It’s dank. It’s dungeonous. Yes, that’s a word as of right now. I think of laid-​back folks, neon beer signs, that…‘bar smell’, and the walls covered in nonsensical junk. That makes it comfortable. I don’t want to get tipsy in a basement where I’m trying my hardest to not stain the fancy furniture or tablecloths. Uncomfortable.
This place is impossible to find. I only knew it existed because I’ve played several gigs here and I always get the same vibe from it. Some combination of the creeps and the spooks. I don’t get any cell service down there, so heaven forbid I need to call the authorities. HELP, I’M IN A DUNGEON! *What?!* I KNOW!
Anyway, I’m rambling. The bartender that is always there is always looking confused and double-​checking the drink book for ingredients. He’s also slow.
I gave this place three stars for effort and for decent drinks and drink prices. I’m sure I’ll be back, but it won’t be my first choice for a hangout joint.

This was an awesome grand opening! I don’t know why it’s not getting better reviews. I had such a great time that night! I had just become a Unilocal Elite and received an email inviting me to the grand opening of Crescent Club and the theme being speakeasy/​prohibition era. I was stoked! I love this period and especially the fashion at the time. And there’s a prize for the best dressed couple? Okay, now I got really excited about coming up with a costume. My BF and I RSVP’d and started to go to work on our costumes. We even got a password to use. I thought that was pretty cool.
We drove to old sac and found parking right away as someone else was just leaving. We didn’t know exactly where Crescent Club was in old sac, but we figured it’s going to be walkable and couldn’t pass up that parking spot. We get out of the car, decked out in all our prohibition era attire and saw another couple dressed in the same style and decided to follow them.
We arrived around 9 ish and it was apparent that we were at the right place. Ladies were looking sultry and the gentlemen dapper and dangerous. Can you guys dress like this more often? So hot! We were surprised that we were able to walk right in and didn’t need to use the password, but no biggie. That would have been cool, but certainly wouldn’t ruin the night.
At first I was confused and didn’t know where to go, so my BF and I just wandered around. We venture into the underground part and immediately get the sense of being transported back in time. It felt mysterious, and also kinda naughty — maybe I shouldn’t be here, but it’s good to be bad. The place had pictures of naked girls on the walls. *gasp* boobies! But they were drawings/​paintings and went well with the theme. The furniture and ambiance was on point. There was this beautiful chaise lounge that I really wanted to take a picture with but it was occupied. The music tied it all together.
I was a bit confused because I guess I was expecting free drinks and food, but then realized this was a grand opening, not a Unilocal Elite event, so that made sense. The BF and I ordered a vodka tonic for me and martini for him– $ 5 each, not bad. We went outside to the patio area for the wine tasting and got to sample this delicious ice wine and were told that we could get it from Nugget! Then got in line to try the caviar. It was so good. I was expecting it to be salty, but it was delicious. I can see why there’s someone there serving you, and not help yourselves!
After that we saw our friends Heather C. (whom we met at my BF’s very first Unilocal Elite event) and BF Dan. They are such good sports! You guys know what I’m talking about. Dan got us absinthe with a sugar cube in it. The sugar cube did not make much of a difference. This drink is strong! Be careful! After that we heard on the loudspeaker that the burlesque show was going to start so we went back inside. I was surprised at how risqué it was. This was the closest I’ve come to going to a strip club. But the show was very entertaining.
We ordered some more drinks at the bar, took pictures, and watched a few more shows and before we knew it, it was past midnight. We had a lot of fun meeting new people and the BF was having a blast, everyone wanted to play with his Tommy gun, which he made himself. We were wondering if they were still going to do the costume contest and later the owner himself, Mike comes over and says we unanimously won! Sweet! Now we get a a free dinner and spa treatments? How could this night get any better? But it did! Mike said that for the next 15 minutes, the bar would be serving drinks at Prohibition Era prices. Yep, that means .50 a drink. We ordered a couple of long beaches and Mike introduces us to his wife Natalya. They are very nice and down to earth people and we even posed for a few pictures with them. We decided to call it a night after watching the last burlesque show.
Sure there are a few kinks they need to work out, it’s expected on opening night. But that didn’t prevent me from thoroughly enjoying myself. It was definitely a night to remember.

From grand opening V.I.P. party talk thread:
I was disappointed. The whole night (meaning the hour that we were there) seemed unorganized and, whoever said AWKWARD, was right. I, too, was under the assumption that there would be complimentary appetizers and liquor. I saw one caviar sampling station that had a very long line, and some wine tastings spread throughout the courtyard. I went up to one winery table and the snooty old guy just looked at me. So I smiled and looked back at him. He said, «You’re probably wondering who we are». Not really, snooty old man. Just want to try your wine. He didn’t care to elaborate on who they were. AWKWARD. One server greeted us as we were walkiing around and asked «would you like some champagne?» I said sure, thinking it was free. Then she said «that will be $ 6». AWKWARD. Caught by surprise, I said «ok…is there a full bar?». She said there was one inside so I told her to scratch the champagne. I went to use the restroom, and inadvertently walked in on the burlesque performers putting on their costumes. AWKWARD. So then we tried to go inside the club and were told they weren’t letting people in yet. How were we supposed to get a drink? The bar is inside the club, right? AWKWARD. So not even 2 minutes later, they announced the club was ready for people to go inside. Guest list check-​in went smoothly and when we made our way to the bar area, we ran into a server with a tray of «seafood pouch» appetizers. Cool. Things were looking up. Got a couple Crown shots at $ 5 each. Woo hoo! Good female bartender, but I could see that she was getting really backed up because she was running out of clean stemware already. We checked out the band for a few minutes. There was maybe 5 other people in the room. AWKWARD. But of course it was hella crowded during the burlesque show, which I couldn’t see over the people standing in front of me. I also don’t think there was any ventillation down there so we went back to the patio for some air. They had some cool fire dancers performing. (I didn’t know they had fire dancers back in the Prohibition era.) I don’t think they were announced because, again, there was only a handful of people out there. AWKWARD. They were really good too. And there was no sight of any more appetizers being passed out. WTF? Glad I didn’t pay for this event. I wasn’t really impressed with the club itself. It just looked like the old Sidelines, splattered with some Spaghetti Factory décor. I did like that people were dressed up. I could tell that most of those people were the Unilocalers. Unilocalers really get into themed parties! This was definitely not an Elite event. The club owners should have asked Olivia for some help.

This place made me want to:
1. Bitch slap the old crotchety wine guy who yelled at me for pouring my own glass of wine (when there was NOBODY in sight)
2. Become a burlesque performer
3. Dress in 1930s-​era clothing ²⁴⁄₇
4. Smoke cigarettes (I have asthma)
5. Leave to go to the mercantile after waiting 30 minutes at the bar for a drink and never getting served
I’ll be back, but only after they work out the kinks. The outdoor patio is rad.

I’ve never been to this type of a joint, and kudos to the Crescent Club for definitely making me feel the 1920s vibe. I like the fact that the employees were in costume (I was just looking at the picture of the cocktail waitress in the short red suit, and then I look to my left and there’s a life-​size version!)for the grand opening. I don’t really go to Old Town, so I thought it was a little difficult to find, but I’d definitely be interested in seeing this place during the day.
I am now a big fan of the bar. It was a little crowded up until 10:30ish, but the bartenders did an AMAZING job with putting out some quality drinks for only $ 7! LOVED the Prohibition Style Cocktails — Sidecar, Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Mint Julep, Tom Collins, etc. Sadface on not having enough mint for Mint Julep at the time, though.
So I met these fellow Elite Unilocalers (shout out to the adorable Bonnie and Clyde couple! I’m sorry I forgot your name, and hello to Heather C!) who told me that past a certain time (I think it was already 12:30am at this point?) drinks were only 50 CENTS.
Yeah, you read that right. $ 0.50
Iunno if that was a grand opening special, but my new Elite Unilocaler friends lol bought me something that I’d like to dub a Beach Island? Like a Long Island with all the alcohol in the bar with cranberry juice. Absolutely delicious and I didn’t taste a thing! Someone got three and the bartender said «$ 1.50, please». Yeah, PRETTY EFFIN SWEET.
SIDE NOTE: I am easily amused, slowly discovering different forms of nightlife in Sac, and arrived pretty late to the event, so I was one happy and inebriated customer. But I highly suggest reading the other reviews. This place has promise, but boy, if it wasn’t for the alcohol, this Grand Opening might’ve been an absolute let down.

I was one of the many fortunate Unilocalers to attend the grand opening last night. There are a lot of things that I really like about this bar, and I think that it has a lot of potential, but there were certainly a few issues that should be addressed.
We had been looking forward to the event for a while… a big dress up party with a VIP guest list, secret password, champagne and caviar! When we got there, half an hour after the 9:00 start time, we felt a little underwhelmed. No guest list at the front gate, no password, no champagne. It wasn’t very crowded, so we wandered into the bar, looked around, and ordered a drink. Wasn’t quite what we were expecting.
We later returned to the patio (which is awesome… more on that later), where there were a few wineries giving tastings. That was an unexpected surprise, and while their pours weren’t too generous, it was still an added bonus (free booze always is).
We grabbed a seat as people started making their way in. The event got started, and it seemed a little disorganized. Apparently we weren’t supposed to go inside the bar yet? It looked like some people had champagne, but it may have just been from the wine tasting… for some reason they were serving in champagne flutes. After previous Unilocal events, I assumed it’d be free and abundant. I never really found out where it was, or if there was any.
So we eventually made our way (back) inside… this time with a guest list (no password required though). There was live music (with terrible acoustics) and a bar with a special menu. We ordered a pair of «streetcars», and it took a while to get them, as the bartender kept checking a drink-​making card. He served them in brandy snifters because there were no martini glasses. I really want to cut them some slack, as it was their first night, but it wasn’t too impressive.
After a surprisingly risqué burlesque show, we had to be on our way, as my girlfriend and I both had to work early the next morning. Overall, it was fun coming out to a speakeasy-​themed event in a bar that really felt like an old speakeasy. The invite was appreciated, and we enjoyed ourselves.
The event aside, here’s what I think of the bar:
The outdoor patio is flat-​out awesome. As I mentioned in an earlier review for Café Americian (upstairs, with the same owners), it feels like that restaurant at Disneyland that’s inside Pirates of the Caribbean. It’s kinda hard to find in a back alley of Old Sac, and parking is near impossible on weekends, but the location kinda adds to it’s mystique. I’m hoping they have a bar in the outdoor area on normal nights, because that’d make for a great time.
Inside is really interesting. It feels like a speakeasy, in that it’s in the basement of a building, where it almost feels like you’re doing something wrong by being there. Lots of couches and curtains. It’s definitely an experience.
I’m really curious to return and see it as a fully functioning bar outside of the grand opening atmosphere. It has a lot of potential, and if they can get their act together, it could be a real staple of the Old Sac bar scene (which could use a few new players, in my humble opinion).