Mike T.
Yelp
1 star for shady/illegal business practices. Their security guards caught my friend w a fake ID and said they could buy it back for $40 or their security staff would just get rid of it on Sunday because they get a lot of fake IDs. So we paid him $40 cash to buy it back. (Now I will give you guys the backstory if you are interested) | | | We first went to Gold Spike but my friends couldn't get in due to the Gold Spikes dress code, no shorts or sweat pants. Then we walked and found Corduroy, it was going okay, but my older friend had a legit ID and the slimmer white security guard was really inspecting it hard w his blue light and feeling it, which was weird since it was a legit ID. Then they let that friend in and all my other friends in.
So then comes my younger friend who is provisional aged, which is over the age of 18, but under 21. I am of age to drink, so I waited behind my friend just in case they caught his ID. So the slim white security guard checks my friend's ID and really inspects it hard as well. He used a blue light and checked for security features on the fake ID. I guess he thought it was fake so he handed it to a large overweight security guard wearing a flannel shirt and a black hat and he had a beard. He had the final say, in concluding that my friend had a fake ID. Keep in mind my friend's ID worked at Gold Spike, where they used a scanner, and has worked at multiple places. So these guys are pros at detecting fake IDs. I have no problem w them catching my friend's fake ID, but what I have a problem w is that the fat guy w a beard told my friend he can buy it back for $40.
The fat guy w a beard told my friend that their bar and the bar next door are the best at catching fakes. I thought at first he was trying to make my friend feel better, but then this damn guy proceeds to say either he will get rid of his ID on Sunday as well as a stack of other people's fake IDs on Sunday, or my friend could buy it back for $40. Talk about manipulation and hustling and damn near illegal and grey area kinda stuff. I know my friend was in the wrong for having a Fake ID, but for a business with a legitimate business license that also pays taxes to do shady and illegal stuff like this is very sad to hear. Imagine how many people they catch w fake IDs at Corduroy?! If they catch 20 people with fake IDs every night, that would be $40 x 20 people = $800 a night, $800 x 365 days = $292,000. The owner of this establishment needs to hire staff that are professional. These security guards were very shady and ify. After my friend was caught w their Fake ID, another security guard asked to see mine, but I was already outside the establishment and on the sidewalk. This was the third security guard, he was either white or Latino and had a jacket or beanie on, I cannot recall. Talk about overstepping your "authority". But I knew my stuff was legit, so I showed him anyway and he handed it back in like 5 seconds because he knew it was legit. So in total, about 3 security guards got involved in our situation. One white male w jeans & a t-shirt who had the blue light, one big overweight guy sitting near the front gate wearing a flannel shirt and jeans and had a beard, and one white or Latino slimmer male wearing a jacket (the guy who asked to see my ID later) But this review is mainly about their shady security and illegal business practice of selling back Fake IDs for $40. I never actually entered the bar, it looked alright, it wasn't too big. So I don't have anything bad to say about the bar itself, but their security guards are hustlers who blackmailed us. But I think it is free to enter Corduroy. If you want a more of a bar/club scene w young adults dancing to music and having fun, I recommend Gold Spike, but beware of the walk from Fremont to Gold Spike, since you might see poop on the sidewalk. If you have never been to Freemont, it's kinda dirty and you may see drug users or needles on the ground. Also be aware of Gold Spikes dress code of no shorts or sweat pants or jerseys. Gold Spike has a $10-$20 entrance fee for males, it is free for females. The best time to go is around 11 pm-2 am. Anyways... Don't go to Corduroy if you have a Fake ID since they will illegally try to sell you back your ID for $40, which could net them hundreds of thousands of dollars every year in illegal untaxed business income!