The Alley

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 twoNice 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 atmosphereSERVICE. - 1 star...well, I've made myself clearTOTAL - 2 stars...barelyRELATED - 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 5/5Burger 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 4/5Few 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 4/5Loved 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.