Little Hill Lounge

Drinks were pro. All around. Retro bar not dive. Though feels soooo down to earth. Music was slightly too loud to have a convo the night we went but local friends tell us that’s usually not the case and they have dope live music. I really appreciate the Photo Booth. What a fun thing for a bar to have. Thank you for a great night.

Neighborhood “dive bar” that was remodeled a few years ago to still have the same look and feel but cleaner upgraded. Parking across the street is plentiful. Great selection of drinks well executed. They host bands more frequently.

Great neighborhood bar, just reopened recently after a change in ownership and remodel. The back room now has a stage and a dark, David Lynch-style vibe. Great Mai Tais and a good selection of beers at reasonable prices. They’re starting a live music program with bands in the back and there’s a DJ booth in the front.

Chill neighborhood bar. They do everything right. I’m always on the fence with leaving reviews for places like this. You want to show appreciation and you want them to be rewarded, but you also don’t want the crowds to ruin it.

A fantastic lounge for a quick drink or a night of musical entertainment. Perfectly blended mixed drinks, including, but not limited to, their own specialties. Drinks like a proper Manhattan, Singapore Sling, and even house Margaritas!

A retro lounge / dive bar that’s clean and updated with fantastic drinks and great music? (And clean bathrooms???) Welcome home. The updated Little Hill Lounge has lots of options for sitting at the bar, in booths or has tables. Our mixed drinks were on point - especially the prickly pear margarita with mezcal. The night we were there, a night of 60s surf / lounge music added to the fun ambiance. It’s easy to park and a friendly spot to meet friends or maybe more. (Currently no food is served so plan ahead. :) If you’re a DJ or have a record collection, try asking about being the DJ for the night. I hope to be sometime!

Super cool vibe, Jazz on vinyl, a great whisky selection and a specialty drink menu with a 70s wood paneling and natural stone decor. Life is better than good when you are at the Little Hill.

thank u for making an amazing naked and famous for me <3

Came here with my bestie last night after driving back to Oakland from Bodega Bay. Looks and feels like a VFW hall. Friendly service, good cocktails and reasonable prices. There's a little stage and dance floor in the back, and it was a country western band playing. Some complaints that the floor is carpeted back there, so they can't do their two step or line dancing. It's too small for that, anyway. Great date spot. Big cozy booths, plenty of bar space, old school jukebox and a Photo Booth. The musical line up changes, and sometimes it's a DJ. Highly recommended!

Cute little dive bar with a DJ up front and a band space in the back. The rockabilly band was really good.

Love the vibe here. Good drinks. Good service. Had a band playing when we came on Thursday night. Plenty of space to chill and talk with friends. Old school vibe that's been updated and clean. We'll be back soon!

Jamie W. and I found ourselves with a bit of cabin fever during the recent torrential downpours and thought we should take a peek inside this longtime bar on San Pablo Avenue. We had never been before because we unfairly dismissed it as a dive since we were already satisfied with our visits to Club Mallard down the street. We were happily quite wrong. The bar looked like it had been renovated fairly recently. They went with a stylish retro-vintage vibe with a large wraparound bar, three comfy booths in front, and a very red cocktail lounge in the back. It would've looked appropriate in a Doris Day-Rock Hudson romcom circa 1960 when they sang "Roly Poly", a bouncy calypso ditty that turned into foreplay. There's no piano bar though. However, there was a DJ on our second visit, and he was playing some nice alternative rock. We found our inner tiki god with our satisfying first round. Jamie had the $14 Singapore Sling, and I went with the $11 Little Hill Mai Tai overflowing with crushed ice (photo: https://bit.ly/3XOHagq). The scene stealer though was the $13 Mexican Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows and Bourbon (photo: https://bit.ly/3XOHc82). Perfect libation for an atmospheric river. COCKTAILS - 4 stars...good tiki drinks but the hot chocolate was the one with the biggest kick AMBIANCE - 4.5 stars...great job on the vintage decor, all they need is a terrace SERVICE - 4 stars...solid mixing behind the bar TOTAL - 4 stars...nice find on a stormy night RELATED - Exploring El Cerrito? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2VyCP18

Extremely disappointing and dishonest! I forgot to close my tab and I was charged 3 times the amount that I should have been for drinks that I never ordered ($50 vs. $157). Contacted the manager and I was told that they do not do refunds and I should contact my credit card company. I would not recommend going there

Good low key east bay rock n roll undercurrent in the room. Great jukebox. Super nice people. Just a good neighborhood bar vibe.

Very nice inside. They really fixed it up and there's a DJ with some good rock vinyl. Band stage in the back.

We like to come here, a chill atmosphere, comfortable inside. But our drinks were not strong by any means. Way way too weak. I don't get it. Why do they do that, just trying to save money???

My girl and I came here to enjoy a quick night out. Service seemed decent enough - until we were ready to settle up. FYI this was about two years ago. Regardless... .. Bartender lady, had the audacity to come back to us and straight up to ur face in front of other patrons and said, "Oh you guys didn't leave a tip." The entitlement was disgusting. We always leave cash. And did. Never went back. Only here cos yelp algorithm.

Great little dive! Great cocktails and jukebox! Super friendly staff and they had a pizza popup to boot! Will be most certainly be back!

Cute dive bar vibe with and horse shoe bar but not dive bar prices.. they recently just reopened after a remodel and The prices were remodeled as well. A bit too expensive to call it a dive bar anymore. I'll give it four stars for the energy and vibe of the place other than that not much to say.

It should be pointed out that, going down the many reviews, it appears the majority of them were written between 2016, when a man named Ted opened the wonderful dive bar and named it The Little Hill Lounge and just a few years ago when a new owner took over, did some redecorating, raised the prices, and changed the ambiance but kept the name. The reviews near the top are for how it is now and the rest are for how it was when Ted owned it. Two very different places with the same name and location!

I Love this place! Beautiful ambiance, great cocktails and awesome events. Best part is there's a super friendly and knowledgeable bartending staff. Hits all the marks I'd like to see in a neighborhood cocktail bar.

Loved the ambiance, super cozy, clean and just the overall looks so nice. I loved the drinks, again people were super nice. Definitely a bar you wanna go to on a cold ass rainy night.

I really enjoy relaxing here. Whether I come in with my pup, my smartphone, nothing or drawing stuff, I feel comfy and safe. I really love pizza day.

This is a cute little spot that I've been passing for years. So, a little background - I went to Christian school and the idea of going to a bar all of these years later, still rankles. Not because of experience, but because of conditioning. So, I went because it was my husband's co-workers birthday. We crammed around a table, but we know each other so... We ordered drinks and they have a good cider. I couldn't eat the food there because of the wheat. But all in all, we had a great time. Someone discovered that the back room was empty so we played ping pong and threw darts. Another friend, was spinning tunes up front. The music was good. It felt like a family reunion of sorts. I'm definately going back! With my own food. This was far from what the school put into my head. I thought that bars had sad people, with bad sinful lives, who had nothing else to live for so they drank all day. What I saw was a lively group of people having lively conversations and one of those conversations was with us! Too cool! I'm looking forward to more.

The. Best. Feels. Come in, grab a fresh-squeezed greyhound, sidle up to the bar--or tuck into a cozy booth--and take a breather. Soft lights, red curtains, and lounge music (think Henry Mancini). I'll be back for pizza night!

Very cool place. We will definitely be back. Love the retro vibe. Bartenders are attentive and friendly.

I definitely do NOT recommend this bar. The music is tasteless, the service is poor, and there are areas within the bar that reek of urine. I feel like the new ownership are trying to make this place "hip" but the music is too loud and trashy and worst of all, I saw a used needle underneath the table. On top of that, I was charged drinks that I did not order. I tried to politely bring this to their attention, but they were very rude and didn't even seem interested in figuring it out. Little Hill Lounge used to be a quiet, chill bar to hang out at, but the vibe is now completely different. Stay away.

Good place to have a drink and listen to music. Larger and more charming than expected.

I can't wait for Covid to be done so I can come hang normally at one of the best bars ever in the east bay. I have made awesome friends here and the staff is incredible. Love trivia nights and playing darts and so many other good times. Follow their Instagram to keep up on their Covid hours.

I'm a tiki lover and found this place in a search for mai tais! The drinks were great, and the ambiance is cozy and cute. We tried the mai tai, Singapore sling, and the zombie. All great! We will definitely be back!

Welcome to the Neighborhood Little Hill Lounge! I can't wait to see this place take off. The owner is a really great guy who is passionate about his business and bringing in local beer on tap. It was an odd location that I really never wanted to try out, as it wasn't very inviting. Since Little Hill has come in, they have renovated the interior and it looks great, classic classy dive bar style with projection TV, happy hour and a jukebox. They even have a separate back room that would be great for groups or parties. They have daily happy hour specials on drafts and well drinks, but one of my favorites is a gin greyhound made with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, I call it the Ginhound. I'm really excited for this place, I feel like they have a good vibe and can't wait to see how this place can grow with the addition of more taps.

Fantastic! Really good drinks, including martini and freshly squeezed greyhound. Delicious pizza pop up as well.

Came here yesterday for a PubSci event. As stated in previous reviews, it is a neighborhood bar with a great selection of beer. We ordered a beer and two ciders, and the total only came out to $15. Drinks: cheap! I can only speak for the Red IPA. I'm typically not an IPA typa gal, but this one is great Parking: street parking available. You can also park at the Marshalls lot across the street. Service: friendly bartenders, no complaints :) Atmosphere: dive bar feel, hipster East Bay residents/an older crowd Price: cheap! Only $5 for my IPA drink Final thoughts: Would love to come back if I'm around the area.

This is not a dive bar. It's a neighborhood bar with a discerning and kickass beer list. Love the booths. My wife and I had a great time and the regulars at the bar were friendly and even introduced themselves when we went up to get another round. Wish I lived closer but I'm sure we'll find an excuse to get to the Little Hill again!

So perfect. After work, outstanding pizza & a hard watermelon Kombucha, flower arrangement on the table, on San Pablo Ave. Could hardly be better!

Great hole in the wall. Free jukebox. Mostly good with a couple duds(Kansas?) but good overall. Good draft selection with craft IPA(the glorious Fieldwork!) occasionally there are honky think DJs or the like. Happy hour 5-7pm makes it $5 pints! Comfy atmosphere. My one big complaint is LOSE THE TV! Or at least put a dvd of a cool/ cult movie. I hate the ads on commercial TV. No need to show that.

Great little bar in my neighborhood. Love their greyhounds with fresh squeezed grapefruit. I reserved the back area for my 50th birthday. Super fun!

Cute, chill little bar in El Cerrito. Definitely a faux-dive bar kind of place, reminiscent of Club Mallard down the street. As Midwestern transplants, we appreciated the hockey on tv, vintage Schlitz decor, and rustic northern living room vibe. Other positives include free (but shitty) Elton John(!) pinball, darts, and gender-neutral bathrooms done correctly (one women's, one unisex). They have respectable beers on tap and the greyhounds are delicious, strong, and reasonably-priced. As others have said, the place is HUGE, and it was only half-full on a Friday night. Definitely a good place to meet up with groups. Unfortunately the female bartender (clearly not the one everyone else is talking about!) was kind of grouchy, and the Manhattan wasn't anything to write home about. Guess we'll have to come back when this Ted fellow is behind the bar!

Hello there little dive bar. Just kidding, there's nothing little about this place and aside from the extra dim lighting there's nothing "divey" about it either. From the outside I was expecting a much smaller place because apparently I judge books by their cover.... my English teachers would be ashamed. I don't even mind the dim lighting, it brightened up once my eyes adjusted to the giant screen TV on the wall. The TV wall is connected to a giant mirror on the wall next to it so technically it looks like there are TWO giant TV screens. Winning! $7 cocktails hit the spot. I tried the Dark and Stormy and the Whiskey Sour my sister got. Sidenote: If you get the Whiskey Sour make sure you don't ignore the luxurious dark cherry garnish. Ted the owner made sure we appreciated the special sweet treat and he wasn't wrong. Don't throw it away!!! Very relaxed and welcoming vibe filled with locals. Inviting enough to show up alone if you ever have to because you know you won't actually be drinking alone if Ted is there! *high-five*

The neighborhood bar you've always been looking for. Plenty of socializing around the horseshoe bar, fresh-squeezed greyhounds all around. If it's true you can judge a bar by it's jukebox alone, I guess this is my new favorite bar.

Best damn bar. Top 3 favorite bar. Possibly my #1. Of all time. The owner and staff are always very friendly. No BS. Great atmosphere, booths, free arcade, ping pong and darts. Always has some great stuff on their projector. The freshest greyhounds and a superb selection of beers on tap or canned. Highly recommend this place to everyone!

Cool, funky bar to have a libation. Ted has a great vision and has expressed it nicely in the Little HIll Lounge with it's varied seating, vintage bar/beer paraphernalia, pinball machines and Ms. Pac Man. Freshed squeezed grapefruit juice is a winner to me. Best thing about this neighborhood jem... No one knows about it yet. Oh, there's also a Ping Pong table in the back room and a big screen TV for sports, although this is not a sports bar.

Hello...yes, yes...hello! Best place to have a legit beer in the ec area! This used to be an odd spot called Gregory's but is now a not to miss spot. The pinball and miss pacman games are set to free on Monday's and the beer selection is not vast but all are legit!!!!! They also offers freshly smashed into fabulousness greyhounds. My man and I played a long game of darts while enjoying beers! We laughed and had the greatest time. We felt super comfortable! The owner and the new barkeeper is kind and welcoming too! Come and enjoy!!

Little Hill is a super groovy retro lounge that has a great pizza pop up on Wednesday at nights. The "Pie on the Fly"pizza is cooked in the backyard, and is outstanding! My favorite is the white pie with Soppressata and I looking to try more specials. A good selection of beers, but Robin will make you something fancy and delicious. Looking forward the return of DJs! Great drinks, staff food and music! Wish it was in my neighborhood.

Stopped by for asking in our way home from McBears. Have to say pretty cool little hangout. Chill kinda people, cool bartenders and overall good vibe. Think we will be visiting again!

Your typical hole in the wall neighboor bar, great for a first day or meeting up with friends. All are welcome here.

Cold beer? Check. Good prices? Check. Comfy booths? Check. Jukebox? Check. (and it's free!) Attentive and engaging bartenders? Check. In case you didn't notice, this place checks all the boxes and is a fine addition to the reviving East Bay bar scene (along with the recently redone Ivy Room). Worth a trip to El Cerrito.

My fiancé and I came in here because we noticed that a bar had opened up pretty much across the street from us. We went in and met Ted, the owner, who made us the best Manhattans we've had in the whole state and asked about the beer he had on draught (which was all amazing and that quality hasn't changed in the 3 months we've been coming here). Ted is so friendly, accommodating, knowledgeable , and skilled that you would be hard-pressed to get a drink you didn't like. The music is excellent, there's free pinball, and they're always playing horror movies, local games, or something else fun in the background. Can't recommend it enough.

This is one of those dive bars turning into a hipster hangout. I've been here a few times since it started getting cold outside and they keep the door open so that the temperature inside matches the temperature outside. The best thing about this spot, and the reason I returned, is that they have a good selection of beer on tap (Russian River Blind Pig).

Fun friendly crowd. Ping pong table is the best part. Good place to take a date! But beware...Ramona a regular who is 91 years old may try and hit on your date‍

Love this local dive bar. The owner and bartenders are really friendly and personable. This place has great music that'll have you feelin' nostalgic, good selection of alcohol, and has the chillest vibes. Check it out if you're in the neighborhood. It's a great place to catch up with a friend over a glass of wine or 3.

This is a great place for a random, low-key, weekday night or weekend. We used to bring our dog in as well. Great beer, good music, and Ted is awesome!! We just moved out of the area and this place will really be missed.

I only post when I have high praise or grave concerns. When I've been here before, the owner was terrific. Seriously, he was great, fun, funny, and gregarious. Tonight, I sat for 10 minutes, (I timed it) while the bartender, (not the owner), (a dark, long-haired, bearded guy), served 3 people who arrived after me, and only got served when I interrupted him serving 2 more newcomers and I alerted him, asking if I could also get a beer. He was shocked, and truly surprised that I was sitting there. Fine, this happens, I guess, in a bar with only 11 customers. I was not offered a free beer or anything. I decided, as a long-time bartender/manager, to make friends and talk beer/recipes/bar trivia, etc. But every time I tried to talk to him, he shaded me, told me I was wrong because he heard otherwise, and kept referring to his experience as a bartender. I don't know how old he is, but I'm pretty sure I have managed bars while he was in diapers, so, of course, his "experience" certainly trumps my History Degree. I can't remember when I've been treated so badly at a bar just because I wasn't one of the pretty blonde girls sitting next to me. What an asshole. I like this place for so many really cool reasons, like the games, juke box, hard-tip darts, etc. When they get rid of this jerk, I'll be here daily.

I dunno if it was shitty servers or discrimination but I sat in the booth with my buddy (of a different race) and the wait staff just walked by without saying a word us for 45 mins until we left.

A great neighborhood bar! Dim lighting, comfy seating, value priced-high quality drinks. Local beer selection. Ping pong, pin ball, darts. Great staff. You will feel at home pretty quickly. Highly recommend

Wait 10 minutes for Michelada and bartender tell other customer the story of jack in the box ...looooool

Excellent little bar in El Cerrito! The owner, Ted, is very kind, willing to talk, and knowledgeable about drinks. To some, this may be more convenient than McBear's or the Blue Moon, because it's at the other end in El Cerrito. For now, this place is low key and quiet, for the reason being that it is not known of yet. I see much potential here. :)

I discovered this place had opened up nearly across the street after a motorcycle trip across the United States (NYC to SF) and figured I'd check it out. The place has a great vibe, like a contemporary speak easy or lounge, free jukebox with some kickin tunes, and a free pinball machine to boot. Ted, the owner, is friendly and knowledgeable about his drinks and he keeps an impressively well appointed rotating selection of draught beers. The manhattans are killer, btw. The front has a good communal feel and the back is a little quieter. There's some nice couches and lounge seating in the corners and usually local sports games, horror films, or sweet nature documentaries playing with subtitles. A great neighborhood spot, would highly recommend.