Lakeman's Club

This fairly hidden tavern in Rodeo reminded me of an old episode of Rod Serling's "Night Gallery". It was about a salesman, a 25-year veteran of a plastics company who had a few too many at lunch. His favorite bar was about to be torn down. However, when he tried to enter, he heard the ghostly voices of long-ago colleagues and friends singing "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow". I wasn't having the same hallucination, but...It sure had that old-timey vibe that made it feel exclusive to the locals who were obviously regular patrons. I was greeted warmly by the bartender who immediately saw me as not from these parts. They only serve beer and wine, so I had a $4.50 bottle of Stella Artois (photo: https://bit.ly/3KvcwW8) as the regulars went about with their conversations and pool playing. It honestly felt like a hallucination about to disappear the moment I leave. Maybe they did.BEER - 4 stars...no argument about a bottle of beerAMBIANCE - 4 stars...very vintage space like a post-WWII scene in a small town tavernSERVICE - 4 stars...treated me swellTOTAL - 4 stars...was it just my imagination?RELATED - Exploring this part of Contra Costa County? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2VyCP18

My favorite place to converse with some ogs and soak some knowledge up. This is a historical landmark, cash only put some muthafuckin respect on the name

A cool little local spot that has been around for almost 100 years. Hang with the locals and hear some good stories. Bring your quarters for the pool table. They have wine and beer. Your choice. Plenty of parking. Not a busy place, sometimes they close early, depends on the crowd. Good place for a dinner time drink.

A divey bar. Not a dive/dirty/sweaty-old-man, bar. This bar reminded me of a place my Madrina would have taken over. A wine and beer only bar. A true neighborhood bar that stays open until... Everyone, leaves happy. Could be 10pm? Could be 2am? You will count yourself lucky to arrive here when they're open. I loved the casual, friendly feel of this place. The bartender was awesome, and very friendly. The woman at the back, near the old stove reminded me of a funny, loving Auntie. There's one pool table, and that's all they need... Keeping it nice and cozy. The night I visited, they were sharing a nice lemon bunt cake. I asked, "what's the occasion?" That awesome bartender replies, "because cake is good!" Yes! Because, CAKE.

A friend of mine told me about this place. Good call. I liked it and would recommend it. Great happy hour tumbs up

First off, to describe it as a "dive" would be incorrect. When you think of a dive, you visualize sticky counters, a dark space with perhaps some unruly bikers in the mix. At Lakeman's Club you will see no coaster rings or dirty dishes lying around. It is possibly the cleanest and most well lit bar I have ever entered. Lakeman's is well cared for and has been by the same family since '35. Stumped by the number, Loraine, the owner, clarified to me, "1935." That's the year her husband bought the place. I found her placing an American flag into the sidewalk one Thursday when stopping by JT Bishops thrift. Lakeman's entrance is understated to say the least. As she opened two large doors the late morning sun revealed a small bar, which, in the past 3 years of living here, had completely gone unnoticed by me. Interested, I got out my car and began asking her lots of questions. Being new to the area she told me about the Lakeman's role in local business. Her husband passed away 4 years ago, and now her and her daughters run the place Thursday through Sunday. At the time I had my toddler in my arms, but she encouraged me to visit some date-night with my husband. Which is exactly what we did after a quick introductory stop at the Green Lantern in Pinole.If the Green Lantern was inviting, than Lakeman's Club is like walking into someone's home. As soon as we crossed the doorway that evening, we were identified as new people. Before it felt awkward we were instantly, but casually, greeted by a lady playing pool. "Just let me finish my turn," she says with her cue. When she is ready she approaches and tells us her name. She is Loraine's daughter. I tell her how I met Lorain a few week's back, but maybe she doesn't remember...."She'll remember," she insisted. And Lorain did remember, crossing the floor to greet us. The small crowd occupying the space takes interest in us. Although it feels like a private living room, it is clear we are invited.We learn that it is a beer and wine bar only. You have a choice of bud, bud light, miller, miller light...a long list of that caliber continued. We order a Stella, sit down and chat with our Rodeo neighbors. We get a good history lesson, a lot of close talkers (the familiar friendly kind, not drunk kind) and feel a presence that you start to believe must be preserved at all costs. This is old Rodeo, the community that lived in it for decades and survived through all the ups and downs of an economy that isn't too friendly on small towns. Lakeman's has seen businesses come and businesses go. But the same people always seem to find their way back through its doors. We watch friends reunite after a decade long absence, and many nice things are said to one another, memories are retold and a love felt throughout the room. Opinions are voiced, but nothing too hot headed and the jukebox plays a classic tune jumping from one decade favorite to another. Lorain listened and took such a vested interest in my own ambitions I would feel ashamed if I have misspelled her name in this review. In short, one beer and perhaps an off-menu side dish passed around the room will tell you an experience like Lakeman's is not easily replaced.

I came out here for an appointment at Aloha body. But ended up here if you're in the area you should definitely stop by and check this historic bar out. Especially if you are in the mood for a nice glass of good wine or a cold beer

Beautiful old fashioned place. Lorraine is 102 yrs old, and is still running it. What a step back in time, and history.

If you're looking to experience what a clean and friendly, low key neighborhood bar can be, then put Lakeman's Club on your list. Family owned since 1939, Lakeman's Club serves up beer, wine and friendship on Thursdays Fridays and Saturdays on 1st Street in Rodeo California. Whether you are stopping in for a cool one and a bag of chips or to join in a game of pool, this throwback to a time when the living was easy will not only quench your thirst, it will refresh your soul.

Now that I'm old enough to have a bit of history myself, I'm more motivated to explore the history around me, so I talked my hubby into a Saturday field trip to points north.The next time I'm being run over by self-absorbed shoppers at Berkeley Bowl scrambling to get to their kale chips and zen-inspired body products, I'm going to take a deep breath and remember lunch at Lakeman's Club. At Lakeman's, the pace is slow and the selection is limited to wine and a few varieties of bottled domestic beer (plus Stella Artois if you want to get fancy). All the folks there were so friendly, it felt like we'd walked into someone's home...where you can buy beer. Apparently Lakeman's doesn't serve food any more, but when Lorraine (now 93) learned that we'd come hoping for linguica sandwiches, she graciously fried us up a couple. (These were delicious--I loved the combination of crispy pan-toasted white roll, soft egg, and slightly-greasy, slightly-spicy sausage.) We were also lucky enough to get to sample some of Lorraine's almond-anise biscotti (also delicious). Hubby and I continued on to Crockett, where we visited the Crockett Historical Society and Museum, the Clayton Bailey Museum, and What's on Second Antiques--all good. I hadn't realized that Rodeo and Crockett are part of the Contra Costa Library system (as an El Cerrito resident, I'm a card-carrying member), or I would have added these old libraries to our field trip as well. The railroads, industries, and war effort that made these places into boom towns are gone (as is the prosperity that they brought with them), but their history is still alive in the buildings and in the people. If you're at all curious about the history of the East Bay, enjoy these links to the past while you can.