The Alley

My bar tender friend enjoyed her Lemon Drops. Service was exceptional. Some may think the walls have "character" (they're covered in decades old business cards). I found it dirty. The bathroom is cramped and not accessible. This place is in need of a remodel and deep clean.

It's a small cozy local (full) bar and restaurant. Live piano on Friday and Saturday nights. Food is delicious authentic American cuisine. Service is quick and responsive. Accept credit cards. Has a long bar seating with big screens (could be a good option for sport bar). Has indoor seating with tables and booths. Decoration is classic saloon type bar. Since more weight goes to bar side than restaurant and small seatings, not good for kids. Great for casual drinking, small gathering or meet up. Will go back for burgers, fried chicken and drinks for sure!

If you like the eclectic, old school Bay Area hole in the wall, this is your place! If you like the corporate clean sterile boring, please don’t bother. They have (almost) daily music program. Not everything will delight your ears ( when the neighborhood Pavarotti thinks he has to Make up for lack of talent by singing louder during open mic karaoke). Food is solid old school. Wine…. Please skip. Even the more expensive $12 glass makes vinegar a superstar. No draft beer :( Service was great land customers are as unique as the place itself. To me this is a jewel. But, check out the images before you go- to make sure it is your style. We lost WAY TOO MANY of these unique places since the early 2000’s in tie Bay Area, and with it also left the characters operating and patronizing these kind of classic Bay Area places. Come visit and visit often to keep THE ALLEY going.

The Alley is the greatest bar in all of Oakland, hands down! I hope they someday reopen the upstairs gallery to guests! Great drinks, great food, great atmosphere. Bring cash (atm onsite) and tip the musicians. It could surely benefit from a dusting, but you wont find a better bar this side of the Mississippi. Bring a date or a group of friends, you gotta participate here. Just come through and support the true local vibe.

A tiny, cozy, relaxed-vibe of a dive bar… May seem a little lengthy, but for me to leave a review means I totally recommend! Post work, I took my Bestie out for a spontaneous outing with food and drinks and I WILL be returning! The crowd varies from heels to tees or button ups and beanies. Drinks were worth the money and food was great! I highly recommend the steak! We were waited on by a petite brunette who was adorable and I’m mad I forgot her name. Bartenders and staff were also great. We arrived later in the evening so they were low on menu options so I just settled for two ribeye meals for my friend and I and they did not disappoint. The reviews are correct… this is a “come as you are and have fun” kind of joint. Not a posh, white collar, judgmental… kinda Dive. Play a song. Sing a song. Make a random, casual conversation with a stranger in passing. The aesthetic is dated (in a good way!) The Alley has history… I’m socially anxious and was skeptical when I walked in but the crowd of folks makes a lot of sense. Not five minutes in the building and someone made me giggle and lighten up a little while waiting in line for a drink order. I will be returning when my schedule opens back up. Might have found my go-to spot.

Mesmerizing. Mesmerizing. The vibe is amazing - local, artistic, nostalgic, jazzy. Great performance from the participating musicians and singers which made the dining experience unforgettable. We asked for the best seats for music and we were seated very close to the piano. Fried chicken is a blast, hot, juicy, well marinated. Burger comes with lots of veggies and a thick patty. Cocktails loaded with liquor. Will come back.

**CASH ONLY BAR** Grabbed a beer after work. Full of regulars. Definitely extremely dive-y crowd. But the ones I spoke to were friendly. Love the interior of this place. Supposed to simulate being outdoors. Sort of reminds me of being on a TV Set. Would return for the ambience. The piano also gave a mellow-type atmosphere on the night I went. Lots of 60s/70s jams in the air.

The Alley! Definitely an interesting place - quite the decor with the business cards attached to the walls. Kind of dirty divey type place. Didn't enjoy that part when I visited the restrooms...Cash only so be prepared in advance. Service was good overall. Place was kind of empty. Enjoyed the old songs played live around the piano and sang by different people seating around it. I thought that was the best thing about this place. Drinks were just ok. They don't really do too many cocktails so old school type. Food menu is typical bar food menu at solid prices. We ordered the fried onion rings which were quite oily and heavy before sharing the alley fried chicken. Food was just decent, let's leave it at that. I didn't really enjoy myself since the hygiene was ok, food was ok and drinks were ok. But definitely an interesting dive bar for those who like that type of scene.

I stumbled upon The Alley by chance while my friend was grabbing boba next door. From the outside, it looks like your typical neighborhood dive bar, but stepping inside is a pleasant surprise. You're immediately greeted by the sound of live piano music and karaoke, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. I visited on a Sunday evening after dinner, and the bar was fairly quiet. The bartender was friendly, and the whole place exuded a charming neighborhood vibe. During my short time there, it was clear that some of the patrons were regulars, which added to the welcoming feel of the spot. Unlike many dive bars that are cash-only, The Alley also accepts credit cards--a small but appreciated convenience. One downside is the parking situation. It can be tricky to find a spot nearby, so you're better off parking in the surrounding neighborhoods and walking over.

A fun place for a drink or two Nice bartenders dramatic ambiance a bit like phantom of the opera meets la boheme Loved getting a drink at the bar great experience

Food is decent, maybe 3 stars. You obviously don't come here for the food. But for $24, the 16 oz steak was cooked perfectly. The loaded potato was truly loaded. The salad and vegetables was kinda sad. But what you come here for is the piano bar. They've built a bar surrounding the piano. Those who want to sing will go up and grab a stool at the piano bar. They have plenty of mics to go around. On a Sunday night, At 6:30pm, the piano player starts playing and the regulars start walking up and settling in. By 7:30, it really gets going. I decided to give it a go. Went up there and the piano player was kind enough to ask me if I wanted to sing. When he didn't know the song I wanted to sing, he asked me to just start singing. As I started singing , he tickled the keyboard in accompanimemnt. It was super fun!! Will find more friends to go with me next time so we can really belt it out!!!

It's a small cozy local (full) bar and restaurant. Live piano on Friday and Saturday nights. Food is delicious authentic American cuisine. Service is quick and responsive. Accept credit cards. ATM for cash inside. Has a long bar seating with big screens (could be a good option for sport bar). Has indoor seating with tables and booths. Decoration is classic saloon type bar. Since more weight goes to bar side than restaurant and small seatings, not good for kids. Great for casual drinking, small gathering or meet up. Will go back for burgers, fried chicken and drinks for sure!

I'm a Big fan of bars with quality food and heavy on their character and themes that the local community will galvanize behind. This local establishment is situated in a great area and is heavily trafficked for dinner hours for good reason. The business cards stapled anywhere you look are like badges of honor from the years of patrons frequenting this location and making memories. While it is dingy inside, it lacks the college bar alcohol smell you might expect it to have. The piano inside makes it a solidly obscure karaoke spot where you feel comfortable having a beer and bar food surrounded by other strangers and your closest friends. The servers are very attentive to your needs despite how busy this place gets. They are working very hard to ensure you're having a good time. Food came out on a timely manner. Food quality was surprisingly really good! We tried the fried chicken entree which comes complete with salad, garlic bread, baked potato, and mixed vegetables. The chicken quantity is pretty much half an entire bird (breast, thigh, leg, and wing) with a super crispy skin and juicy meat underneath. The dry rub is excellent, the chicken meat underneath was decent in flavor but certainly cooked well. I would highly suggest it. You can certainly share this entree with another person and leave satisfied. The also surprisingly good menu item was the hamburger. It comes out looking very plain and standard but is extremely juicy and flavorful. This was my favorite of the two dishes we ordered and also nicely priced. Half pound of meat is a good portion to share with another entree or to have as a solo dish. I will certainly come back to enjoy the environment and music which ranges from classic rock to other 80-90s songs.

There's nothing more agonizing than those moments when you're waiting for an indifferent bartender to take your order. I wouldn't have minded waiting if she was busy handling multiple orders from patrons in various states of drunkenness. What I can't tolerate is a bartender who ignores the bar to focus on her girlfriend for an extended period. Don't deny it! She didn't even glance in Jamie's and my direction for a full ten minutes. When she finally realized I was waiting to make an order, she acted like I just arrived. I will only disclose the bartender was a young woman who brought new meaning to the term "self-entitlement". Jamie wanted to bolt right away, but I ordered two $10 Tequila Sunrises just to see if she had skillz. Meh. They were on the watery side, which was too bad since the bar itself was rich in vintage atmosphere with shantytown decor and populated with worn out booths. We didn't stay long, missing the supposedly inimitable Rod Dibble at the 88. I just read the steak was great here, but alas, the who-cares bartender left a bad aftertaste for us, especially with the new Barbary across the street welcoming us with open arms. DRINKS - 3 stars...middling at best AMBIANCE - 4 stars...thick with mid-century atmosphere SERVICE. - 1 star...well, I've made myself clear TOTAL - 2 stars...barely RELATED - Exploring Oakland? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2ObVcpQ

I have delayed reviewing this place because I really don't want anyone else finding out about it! Ha! But alas I can't hold back on the praise any longer. Most people come to this cozy dive bar for the piano and singing, but I come for the atmosphere and the food. The food is incredible. Steaks are high quality, seasoned well, cooked perfectly, and generously portioned. I've had the Alley Special and the Chopped Sirloin and both were fantastic. Both also come with baked potato and salad included in the price, which is rare these days. I stick to vodka martinis here, but they are always on point. And the service has always been attentive and friendly. The first time I visited, the place got packed, and our poor server Kevin was really working his butt off but still managed to get us everything we asked for. Amazing! This most recent time, our server (forgot to get her name!) was very friendly, had great suggestions and made us feel very welcome. At any rate ... if you're in the area and hankering for a great steak, just go in. It'll be worth it.

Came with friends on a Friday around 8pm. Immediately got a seat. Heard some karaoke but at around 9 they had someone on the piano and it was nice. Definitely a fun spot and will be back in the future. Food 5/5 Burger was with no cheese but man it was good! We also got fries and onion rings. Both were good. Onion rings a bit oily . All came hot piping hot and quick. Service 4/5 Few times it was hard to find our server which was odd because we're were ordering quite a few drinks. But when we did order it came quick. Ambiance 4/5 Loved the live piano and lightning inside. It was busy but you didn't need to yell to chat with your table. My only issue is that the booths were a little small and not very comfortable. The backwards were shared and so you can feel when the person behind you is moving on it.

This place is the best and I recommend to everyone!! The ambience is incredible, the food is fresh and reasonably priced, the service is incredible. Already planning my next visit

Returned to The Alley for the first time in a couple years. It was our go to place for many years but pandemic changed our patterns. We loved being back ! Adele was welcoming . She prepares a delicious cocktail. The place looks great! My neighbor mentioned he had a delicious steak recently. We left happy and will be back.

This is one of my favorite spots to have a drink in Oakland! Dark, intimate, great people working there (especially David the bartender), great cook, great music, always a great vibe and I always feel like home when I'm here. This place is special. Best dive ever. Enjoy and cheers!

Fried food for life! Lol yes they have onions rings and chicken strips and they're good too Very interesting decor with King Cuppa watching over us. Note- this is an old.. like OLD establishment, the chairs are uncomfortable but it's part of the charm. There was live music( piano guy) when we were there. Service was fast, efficient and on cue. Love this place!

The food is great here and those homemade French fries are bomb! Just like my French Grandmother use to make with her Steak this place is worth it! Service was on top of things quickly and the dude was super friendly

Can't believe it took me so many years to check this place out. Came on a Monday around 630 and it was fairly empty. But the place was packed within an hour and I knew why once the piano started playing. What a cool freaking place with a nice mixed crowd and chill vibes. Ordered a burger cooked medium with fries and both were delicious. Definitely didn't seem like the frozen food you would normally get at most bars. Don't snooze on this place like I did and come check it out.

A funky Oakland institution. Very reasonably priced food is good and so is the service.

Came here on a Friday night around 7:30PM or so, heard great things about it. Seating is pick a spot and good luck, I suggest more in the back if you want to enjoy dinner and some music. Love the piano and singers honestly, adds so much to the atmosphere. As soon as I sat down, I was also fortunately next to the server's main booth and she served me right away. Was super friendly and kind, mentioned I had a buddy coming so she checked up on me again at a later time to take our order. Food was great, fried mushroom was amazing! I enjoyed the steak, got the biggest ribeye there, it doesn't compare to an actual steakhouse but if you wanted a steak to hit your craving on a weekday and didn't want to leave town, this is a great substitute. Aside from the Ribeye there are other cuts of steaks that are a lot more affordable. They also give you a lot of sides including really good cooked veggies, salad, and fries. I do want to come back here since I want to try more of their menu. They have this crazy combo of Fried Chicken and a Burger at an affordable cost. TLDR: Great atmosphere Great entertainment Great food I r8 a gr8 out of 8

All things went well! The service, my cocktails, all good sooo good!! The service was warm and timely. I left quite leased

Such an adorable place! Cute piano bar with a lot of locals lovelore ambiance!!! The night I went was karaoke! Soooo nice and homie! Strongly recommend for any type of night! Date night, birthdays, pre party, and just to meet up with friends! Adults only. I'll be back!!! The service was awesome!!! The waitress was separate from the bartender, which is nice! The best way to get everything you need/want!!! The drinks were awesome! I loved the food!!!! Soooo yummy n fresh!!!! Street parking! Clean restrooms!

I went here for my birthday and I was blown away by the beauty of this place. There's free condiments those being ketchup, mustard, horseradish, A1,and 1 other which I have not found out the name of. The waiter was overall very kind. The wait was 14 minutes long. There are very little bugs. I ordered a burger with fries and it was AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS .

Pretty new bar, not very noticeable from the outside (as far as signage). Food options were good, kitchen closed early tho. Was hard to get service at the bar, long wait time.

We've been to this place to have drinks only and then we heard about a write up they received about the food. They said the place had a new Chef and the food was supposed to be good. Well, we went to try it out. We went on a Monday, so it wasn't too busy which was good. There was six of us, and we sat down right away and ordered drinks first which the beers seemed pretty pricey $8 for a bottle of Modelo. We looked over the menu and they don't have appetizers which is strange but that's OK. I ordered the fried chicken and my other friends ordered the ribeye, the New York, and the top loin, all steaks. All of the meals came with a side salad, a loaded baked potato and vegetables. My fried chicken was cooked perfect, good flavor, the vegetables were tender and not overcooked, and the baked potato was cooked great too with lots of bacon. My friends said that their steak was cooked perfect and had great flavor. I tried the ribeye and New York steak, and it was great. The prices on all of the meals are all pretty reasonable considering what you get. The place is funky looking inside but it was cool. Our waiter was really good for the whole time we were there. The burgers looked pretty good, next time I'll be there for one.

First time here My friend and I had a great time here and I would totally recommend this place Service great!! Our waitress was nice and friendly Drinks were awesome and made quickly, food is tasty and reasonably priced The vibe in here is super chill, no drama, no bad vibes. They were playing trivia and it was super fun !! The decor is "different" but appreciated! When you walk in it's like your stepping into a different era and location You forget you are in Oakland ..... Cash only but there is an ATM machine located inside Street parking only Def a must try kinda place

I'm not gonna lie, this place is a diamond in the rough! Adele & Sean know their shit and how to pour a really amazing drink! Make them fight over who makes the best old fashioned.,,it's hilarious/delicious! And if your here when I'm here expect a green tea shooter!

Diamond in the rough! Ambiance and service set the tone, then the drinks and steaks arrive to throw this into overdrive! Don't miss The Alley!

This is a pretty unique venue, which I was pleased to find on a Sunday night. They do live music here (piano/guitar) on certain nights, but on Sundays, they do karaoke. The decor and lighting create a really great ambience inside, with odd random signs, business cards, news articles, and other scraps of paper covering the walls pretty much from floor to ceiling. The layout is a bit weird with the bar area blocked in its own section but sort of narrow and squished, and stuffy on a hot evening, and the wall separating the bar area blocks the view of the karaoke area if you're trying to watch. There's one line for ordering drinks at the bar, which creates and blocks traffic in the middle of the restaurant during busy time. It's worse when they are understaffed. In fact, it seemed that way when we visited this past Sunday. It was a full house in the dining area (booths and tables) and in the bar area... a lot of people. They seemed to have only 4 employees total working, one for the entire bar area, one serving and waiting on all of the diners on the restaurant side, one cook, and one DJ/KJ. For a busy Labor Day weekend night, that's seems a bit unprepared. And if it's always like that, that's even worse. There seems to be an upstairs area, but that was not open on this day. We just came for drinks, and besides the long waits, service was great. The bartender was friendly, working hard, and made us tasty cocktails. And as it got later into the night, seats in the dining area opened up, so we were able to bring our drinks over and get more comfortable. The music was fun all night, and they were still going even after midnight and after we left (usually karaoke or live music ends earlier at other places I've been, so that was cool, especially if coming there for the entertainment). We enjoyed our time at The Alley, and it led to an even greater time afterward, so I'd say it set us up for a pretty good night.

The Alley is phenomenal! Great drinks, food, service, and ambiance. It's hard to nail all these but The Alley does!

Food is really surprisingly good and the ambience is SOOO worth the trip. The drinks are also good and the prices are super reasonable. And who doesn't LOVE LIVE Karaoke with folks who can really carry a tune!

I came across "the great" Rod Dibble's obituary just today. What a terrific guy! One of a kind! I was stationed aboard USS Hamner ('74-'76) and USS Coral Sea ('81-'82) in Alameda. And lived just down the street off Grand Ave. My 2 hangouts at the south end of Lake Merritt were Oscar's and The Alley. Without too much coaxing, Mr. Dibble would always get me to sing something! (And I was probably awful!) I had business cards made up just so I could put mine in among the thousands of others! In my 26 years in the Navy, I've traveled all over the world and have probably been in hundreds of "joints"! But The Alley and Rod Dibble are at the top of my list! I know it's a bit late, but my sincerest condolences to Rod's family, friends and fans!

A classic piano bar in the Lake District. The home of legendary pianist Rod Dibble. A great place to hear others sing or sing yourself. Those who sing are really talented! The ambiance is like stepping back in time. The piano & the brave patrons truly make this bar special. It's dark, old, has random pics & business cards everywhere with a long bar, cozy tables & kitchen in the back. The food is also classic. I had the fried chicken & it was pretty good, not greasy. For some classic karaoke & to feel like you are stepping back in time The Alley is a fun spot!

The Alley now accepts credit cards (noticed that on the listing). Stopped through here by chance on some errands. It turns out we came on their re-opening night! Nestled in the front booth under some red neon, we enjoyed a couple juicy steak dinners, a few decent old fashioned-s and a couple g&t's. We stayed long enough for a cool dive to transform into a revered piano bar (at 9pm). Locals and regulars sang their hearts out: solos, duets, and occasionally with the company of the piano player. We were not prepared to make a night of it, but we are sure glad we did. Don't miss out. This place is a gem.

Terrible experience with bartender Adele. Very rudely announced to the whole bar when I didn't tip her and asked to see my ID after I already got my drink. Very loudly announcing "I always ask to see ID if they don't tip". Extremely rude to talk about another customer that way. That experience ruined my night and I will not be returning.

Dive bar, restaurant, live karaoke, what more could two buzzed youngins ask for? We made several stops around Oakland prior to ending our night at the Alley. We got there around 7pm and to our surprise there were just a few other guests. We shared a steak which came with a baked potato and salad. The food was good, service was great. We did not partake in any singing but enjoyed our time. The place was packed around 10pm, come for the good vibes.

Great vibes on trivia night! Server was friendly and efficient. Discovered that I like Red Stripe. But the burger I ordered medium came out so well done that I thought I'd been given my friend's Impossible burger. Nope, he just lucked out with a remarkably juicy Impossible burger while I had a dry beef patty. Still worth your time if you're in the area, especially if you like trivia the old fashioned way, with pencil and paper.

Nice drinks. Nice ambiance. If you want to embarrass yourself you can sing at the piano bar.

This is more of a review of the piano bar than the bar as a whole. It's an ok place to sing but unfortunately not enough is done to stop disruptive people from ruining the mood or the music. A sign is placed on the piano top asking people not to talk loud around the piano while people are singing but it is often ignored. Also disruptive people will bang or tap on on the table top which creates a very annoying low frequency tone which ruins any possible recordings and sounds bad live as well. I found that even I ask people in advance not to hit the table top there is often someone who does it anyway. Some people even get defensive and make personal attacks if they are asked to quit their disruptive behavior and nothing is done to make them leave by the management. There is also a problem of some people shouting into the mic which causes hearing loss or ear ringing. I also don't agree that tone deaf people should be encouraged to make singing one of their main past times because it isn't doing them any good. This will most likely result in fewer and fewer good singers showing up since the people who have taken the time to learn to sing will probably not want to listen to them particularly if the bad singer picks a long and tedious piece of music. I have found that some of these tone deaf people seem to go out of their way to pick songs that even a professional vocalist would have to practice in advance instead of just picking an easy song that they know well. Another common mistake is for people to ask the pianist to do a song that has non standard unpredictable aspects to it without providing any kind of musical chart or they will not have the lyrics in front of them even though they only know part of the words. I do not drink so I can not comment about the bar except that I was given complementary soda water on several occasions. The truth is most of the disruptive people at the piano bar should get help for alcoholism. I don't try to eat there since I would loose my spot at the piano but I hear the food is good from others.

I've been going to The Alley every year for my birthday since I was 5 years old. Obviously kid friendly, and lovely atmosphere. I used to sing at the piano with Rod Dibble who helped give a huge energy to the room, and I loved reading all the cards posted on the walls. I would always get a Shirley Temple - but their food always hit the spot as well. I don't know what I would do if it closed down.

What a gem! After a long journey west I wanted to grab a beer before turning in and bam! We hit the best little spot- full of good people singing around the piano drinking great drinks. A friendly neighborhood bar with a fantastic piano player and composer at the helm of the piano bar area. We heard some amazing voices and were so fortunate to have walked in to this lovely community.

Fantastic food, I ordered the New York steak not expecting a whole lot, but was pleasantly surprised by a perfectly cooked, juicy steak. The ambiance was generally casual, but I loved the business cards and drawings on the walls so there was a lot to look at. Better service than Skates, very attentive staff. I'm so glad to have discovered this little spot.

My favorite place to sing ever. I even got the big cowbell a couple times back in the day. RIP Rod.

Their steak dinner is terrific and is a fair price. Ambiance is divey and patronized by hipsters. Service was off the night I was there but I was reassured that it's normally good. Very loud.

I've been inspired to write reviews lately due to the extreme hardships businesses are facing. We all need to get out of the house and support as many businesses as possible. The Alley is pretty epic! We went for a drink, ended up getting a couple of over the top steaks, then sang at the piano bar for 3 hours. Such an old school amazing place. Not to be missed.

Really fun environment. Unique experience singing karaoke to a live piano. I'll definitely be back.

I've only gone here twice to sit at the bar and both times I had a bad experience with one of the servers Kevin running drinks to the bar, bumping us and nearly assaulting us, also not asking nicely for us to move or say something like excuse my reach. The first time he was so rude I had to be convinced by my friend to come back in. The second time my friend was the one who was annoyed and I was getting ready to leave because I didn't see any point in calling out the behavior but I called him a mediocre server and said I'm leaving. His ego was shot and he called me a bitch in front of others. Alley management, please FIRE Kevin. He is gonna get charged pressed against him if he assaults anyone else with unwanted physical contact or name calling. He truly is a mediocre server and his behavior proved my point. I give up on finding a good neighborhood bar

Certainly a unique spot to go. Though I wish I was there for a piano night, the karaoke was a lot of fun to hear. With seemingly random decor on the walls the place has quite a charm. Even though the place was pretty packed, we got out drinks pretty quick. Our usual whiskey sours and lemon drop cocktails were very good and regular priced. I really liked the vibe of the place as singers of many caliber came up to the mic (by the piano). The person running sound did a great job of keeping vocals clear and music bumpin'. Nice and chill.

If the owner reads this review, I want to say straight away, please don't redecorate this bar in my lifetime. I loved everything. It's like Tom Waits and Amy Winehouse had a baby and that baby was a bar. Cash only, tight seating, friendly regulars. It's everything you want. Looking forward to coming back to try the food.

I love the alley, especially on Sundays with Adele, KJ Kendo and dear Stan xoxoxo the vibe there is so awesome - everyone is so friendly and welcoming, the food is yummy and it is a fun safe place to hear others and sing my heart out! I love that there are musical offerings almost every night and look forward to checking out a guitar night. Xoxoxo

. My friend new beforehand that I was going to love this place and he was right! I posted earlier how much I missed trips to Oakland and karaoke nights at The Uptown, but this place is in a league of their own! Fun karaoke Sundays, chill vibes and a solid kitchen that will fill your hunger issues so you don't even have stop singing or keep drinking! The steak and fried chicken we had was great! Only bummer is I don't have Sunday's off, but I'm gonna have to make arrangements to visit this spot more!

The Alley is definitely a unique bar. You won't find too many dives that have a piano and business cards plastered all over the walls. I came to the Alley with some friends after eating dinner down the street. The piano could be heard from the outside of the building as we all entered. It was a Friday night, and the place was pretty packed. This place definitely attracts a very diverse crowd. You will find people of all ages, styles, and colors here which is really nice. The bar has about 10-15 wooden table booths available for seating with some of which are big enough to accommodate large groups. They aren't comfy by any means, but it's a dive so it's totally understandable. The business cards are very noticeable and are a long time staple here. I don't really know the back history, but I've heard that the business cards have been around for as long as the bar has. They are everywhere, so they aren't hard to miss. The bar itself is hidden beneath a large Cabana type of encasing. There are also seats available at the bar if you don't want to sit in the booths. The drinks are reasonably priced here but the bar is cash only. They do have an ATM inside for those who forget to bring cash. Many people drop by here primarily to hear the live music. The area around the piano is quite small, and people crowd the section very quickly to watch the performances. However, the piano and vocals are really loud and emanate throughout the bar. If you're there to enjoy a drink and the show, this is perfect for you. If you are trying to have an intimate conversation, this is probably not the place to do it at. I've heard that they also serve food but I cannot comment on it because I haven't eaten here. The Women's restroom is a bit on the dirty side and could definitely use some renovations. You are limited to street parking which can be tough during peak hours, but there is a parking lot not too far from the lake that I've been able to find parking at. If you are looking for an interesting dive or to hear a nice live piano, this place will do the trick. It wasn't really my cup of tea, but that doesn't mean that it isn't somebody else's.

How had I not heard of this place sooner! This is the ONLY place in the bay I've had a $3 bottle of beer. Plus No cover, and live music!! Just wow. I tried to make it up by tipping generously. The piano player was fantastic. Anyone is free to go sing at the mic without judgment. Steak Sandwich was great, though I was surprised. It was literally a full piece of steak on a burger bun. I was more expecting like a Philly Cheesesteak type of thing. However, it was so good I practically inhaled it. Will be back again. Thank you for the fun night of listening to music and having a drink.