The Alley

Because it's not Penrose! The Iconic Piano Bar with pianists Bryan Seet and Jef Labes took over the music scene almost 10 years ago from Rod Dibble and have continued the tradition of accompaning singing around the piano. Each week people from near and far come to test out their voices along with the regular singers of the place. The Alley is know for its steaks, fried chicken and enormous burgers, great fries, in fact all the portions are very hearty. People come for the music, food and Alley Family!

I don't come food food or drinks, I come to sing! I'm usually solo and have a great time with the regulars and new bloods that join in on a good time. Different days have different vibes but if you enjoy music, the bravery it takes to get on the mic with a live instrumentation and random convo (or not) go for it! It's a super casual pub vibe and whether it's busy or not it's a tight squeeze. If you sit at the piano you better be singing. No food (only drinks) at the piano so eat first. If your friends ain't singing you'll be solo at the piano while they eat or drink at a table or the bar. Guitar player on early Sundays and Tuesday evenings. Two different Uber talented pianists on the other days. Bryan gets it accurate, Jef improvised like genius. All awesome. Enjoy!

Another certified banger. There are not many "dive bars" that have the balls to serve a steak dinner as good as this one. Combine that with a piano bar and an atmosphere that feels like you've stepped into the set of West Side Story and you have one of the most memorable and unique experiences in America. An absolute must for anyone showing an out of town guest "Oakland's Best". A place so inspiring that I married a woman that I picked up there.

I went last night with a couple of friends for Tuesday trivia night. My intention was not to eat; mostly I wanted to see my friends and ordered a dish largely to be respectful. So I chose the grilled cheese and marinara sauce. What I got defied belief. See picture. The sandwich was definitely not grilled, as it was a roll. And the cheese was clearly not melted, as the picture shows. Should I have sent it back? Absolutely! It was inedible. However, it was trivia night, the place was busy, and I was too chicken to flag the waiter. But then today, my friend showed me a picture of a *scrumptious* looking grilled cheese from Google reviews, presumably from the same place, and I decided I could not remain silent! Don't make the same mistake I did! Order something else (my friend says her chicken dish was spot on, so I would suggest that). Oh, and you better bring a good team if you're going on trivia night. We thought we were doing OK but finished in a tie for last place.

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.