Eli's Mile High Club
Blues club · Longfellow ·
Live bands, Cajun bites, dive bar vibe, large outdoor patio
Live bands, Cajun bites, dive bar vibe, large outdoor patio
"Identified in public records as the buyer of The Stork Club, Eli’s Mile High Club is described as another popular East Bay dive, and one of its owners has now purchased the historic Stork Club property." - Lauren Saria
"I infiltrate the kitchen at Eli's Mile High Club for late-night snacks, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the restaurant as part of Cooking With Brontez’s short episodes that explore home cooking and the East Bay food scene." - Lauren Saria
"I read that Eli’s Mile High Club, a self-described "garbage bar" in Oakland, has been welcoming vaccinated guests only since June 17 and is reportedly not accepting photos of vaccine cards, so patrons must bring the real thing." - Lauren Saria
"I describe how Eli’s Mile High Club, an Oakland bar owned by Billy Joe Agan, was unexpectedly descended upon by delivery drivers seeking orders from a menu last used in 2016; when the bar refused those orders customers assumed there was an app partnership, Agan lamented 'As far as the customer knows, the fault is mine,' and the apps then told customers 'They refused your order,' leaving the bar unfairly blamed despite never agreeing to be listed." - Eve Batey
"At this venerable Oakland dive bar I heard co-owner Billy Joe Agan describe a baffling run of activity: call-center–style calls and delivery drivers claiming to be from Grubhub or Postmates showing up with orders that were never relayed to the bar and even listing menu items Eli’s hasn’t offered for years. Eli’s hasn’t partnered with delivery apps for years — Agan says they were on Grubhub for about a week long ago but quit after the kitchen became overwhelmed and a driver refused to enter during a metal show — and instead built their own website that sends orders straight to their point-of-sale, which “works for us.” Still, drivers arrived with outdated menus and prices (he cites prices from 2016), armed with prepaid cards and saying the app would “cover” the difference, forcing staff to either negotiate substitutions, cancel orders when items weren’t available, or send drivers away; Agan worries that customers assume the app-restaurant partnership exists and then blame Eli’s when orders are refused, even though the bar never agreed to be on the apps. He relishes negative customer feedback about service but is rattled by logistics complaints that make him look like “the asshole,” has struggled to get help from Postmates after tracking someone down, and despite all this Eli’s remains listed on Postmates (with a full menu said to be available when the bar reopens on Friday at 2 p.m.)." - Eve Batey