Mad Oak

Love the upstairs/​downstairs bar. Half outdoor/​indoor vibe is awesome. Great when the weather is nice. You can play darts and take photos in the booth. There are benches and stools, but seating is limited when a game is on. They have pop up food that sells, but popular items get sold out pretty quickly on busier nights. I’ve been coming here for warrior watch parties and I always have a good time. Just arrive early for seats!

Overall a solid place to go out and drink. Place is huge so its great for big parties. Sometimes they only have one bar open and since this place is normally pretty crowded on the weekends it might take a while to get a drink but they drinks are reasonably priced so thats a plus! If you get hungry they have a food vendor right inside that sells LA street food.

Great vibe and atmosphere! Love watching the games here. Drinks are reasonably priced.
Had difficulty finding a seat to watch the game because people were saving seats I simply asked an employee, Tony and he immediately found my guests and myself some seats with the help of Sade too. Bartenders and customer service is A-​1! Will definitely come here again… and again

I came here with my pal and we both agreed that the drinks were just not up to par. I love a good Kentucky mule with that strong ginger taste, presented In a copper cup. My drink was missing all the flavors and aesthetic.
The location is super awesome. Right around the corner from the oakland museum which on select days hosts the off the grid. So if u plan according u can have a night filled with fun activities.
Whats interesting is that this bar is connected with a food truck style restaurant that serves specialty sandwiches and gourmet style fries. I will definitely be back just to eat the food.

Amazing space and friendly staff. Would give 5 stars except for the following:
1. The bar is understaffed: It took 20 minutes to get a drink at First Fridays. People around me were grumbling about the wait, which apparently is an ongoing problem. TIP: Order a double when you finally are able to place your drink order.
2. They need a bar on the upper deck: The upstairs deck is a great place to hang out. However, they desperately need a bar up there or table service. As it stands, after you wait 20 minutes for your drinks, you have to carefully trundle up two flights of stairs.
3. Bad food: I think they use an outside vendor — in this case, 310. The food isn’t really bad, but not great. Meat heavy menu and almost everything is fried. If you’re vegan, forget about it.
4. Need a DJ: DJ’s can add to a festive atmosphere (though I have to say that the last DJ I heard at Drakes was oh so trendy by playing actual vinyl, but who cares when the music he was playing was BAD). The music being softly played over the PA was fine, but a GOOD DJ would have been nice.
Parking may be tough, but you can check out the Oakland Museum lot which isn’t too far away.
All in all, however, it’s a cool spot that I would recommend.

Fresh squeezed juice in the drinks is a plus. Great drinks. Music is aweful and crowd isn’t too friendly — would be guys in summer, but not a scene for me

Beyond the brick walls and steel fence, lies the best bar in Oakland! You wouldn’t know this place existed unless you’ve been here before. Very refreshing to see such a great place in Oakland, located right by Lake Merritt.
The interior is huge. And by huge I mean seating everywhere. Regardless of the amount of people, it doesn’t really ever feel too crowded. There’s two bars, one on the ground level and one up above on the roof top. No worries about it being too cold at night! There’s plenty of heaters to go around.
Now let’s talk about the beer. There is a huge selection of beers on draft. It was quite confusing when I first ordered. It’s shown as price and then oz. For example a Lagunita IPA would be displayed as «6÷14». A thing to note is that this bar does not do pitchers of beer.
The food is amazing. I ordered a double side street burger with a sunny side up egg. It was cooked to perfection. The size of the burger was massive! Definitely worth what you pay for. Their bacon jam is such a delight. If you’re here you must order something with bacon jam! You will not regret it.
All in all, this bar has everything you could be looking for!

This place represents the reason so many Oakland natives (like myself) are frustrated with the changing face of Oakland. While so much Oakland development has been positive, this place caters to the new privileged class and exploits the «cool» factor of Oakland. They sell all manner of overpriced Oakland tshirts and other merchandise in an environment that looks and feels like LA or Manhattan. They even sell L. A-​style street food, really? The only Oakland thing about this place is the name, which they should change from Mad Oak to Mad Exploitation.
I tried to go there yesterday to watch the Warriors game, having been there once before and knowing they have a large outdoor space with TVs. I showed up 45 minutes early and waited in a line around the block. After moving slowly for 40 minutes, and noticing über after über of marina-​types skipping right past the line and into the bar, the bouncer announced that there was a $ 30 cover charge and they were only letting in presale ticket holders anyway. Thanks for the heads up douchebag. Presale tickets in Oakland to watch a Warriors game? That’s a first. And who do you think gets to go in with a policy like that? It’s probably not your Oakland neighbors.
Anyway, I hate to complain so much, but this place is not legit. Remember when this was Oasis? Now that was diverse, cool and felt like Oakland. This place could be transported to LA and no one would tell the difference. I know I won’t be going back.
Two stars for the outdoor space, you can’t really mess that up.

Hipsters galore. I’m in my mid 30’s and felt outta place. After a few drinks that would probably change but I only had two.
The gimlet and grey hound were both good. Prices are decent. I expected it to be more. A wide variety of beers and spirits.
In door and out door areas. Since we met our party around 9 we found seating.
Music was good. They played some old school stuff they had me tapping my fingers and nodding my head. We are talking 90’s R&B and some «grunge rock» I wonder if the hipsters even knew what it was.
The serve food. Huge plus and smart to keep people around.

I really enjoy the newer drinking patios around Oakland and Mad Oak is my favorite. The bar, patio, and rooftop are huge. Even when they are at capacity there is still plenty of room. The bartenders are quick and friendly. The crowd is diverse and laid back. Music is usually soul or hip hop.
The location is a bit away from other bars, but it is close to Lake Merritt Bart, 2 blocks from Ruby Room and a 10 minute walk from Tacos Mi Rancho. I am perfectly happy hitting all of those locations for a night out.

Great spot for drinks in Oakland.
I don’t make it over to Oakland much so when I do I have a list of 100 bookmarked and recommended places I try and hit up. After leaving Oakland Veg Fest my bf and I wanted to grad a drink and sit outside. Mad Oak is only a short walk from Lake Merritt bart stop so it was super convenient for us. The outdoor space is huge. It is hard to find a nice roof deck in San Francisco that isn’t super bro and overpriced, Mad Oak is a nice breath of fresh air.
The bar is large, friendly and quick service. There is a nice selection of craft beers on tap ranging from $ 5-​$ 8 depending on what you’re going to get. I went for a cocktail because they were so reasonably priced (a good cocktail under $ 10 — whaaaaaaat!!) My drink had tequila and a bit of heat. Nice balance and perfect to sip on up on the roof deck during the afternoon. Being between two buildings it isn’t too windy up stairs and you can do some nice people watching. Perfect spot for a day drink and worth the trip to Oakland.

Came here after Unilocal Spring Fling for a beer and some bites. So glad we did! Our new fave spot right downtown. Wasn’t too crowded and got drinks right away at the bar. The outdoor seating is not freezing cold – might have to do with how it’s set up between buildings but I was toasty.
So the music. Super late 80’s and some throwbacks to the 70’s which I enjoyed by dancing to self. No one seemed to enjoy the music more than me, but that’s how you can tell the bars’ style is by the music. So I grooved while we waited for our food from the little pop up restaurant.
We ordered the crab cakes (balls) and the spicy fries. The fries were killer because they were super thin and seasoned to perfection. The crab balls were amazeballs and we ordered 2 more after demolishing the first helping.
Ended the night in the photo booth like all over 30’s do.

If you are looking for a fun place to watch the game, Mad Oak is a great option! They offer a roof top area as well as a lower level indoor space for your enjoyment.
In terms of libations, you have a couple dozen draft options, various wines, and cocktails to choose from. In addition, they offer a limited menu of bites to offer.
If you are ever in the East Bay, check out Mad Oak!

This bar keeps getting better! The space is still big and the drinks are divine. ROCKBOT is still the most impressive thing I’ve seen at a bar. Now they have food!
310 eats is serving up some major bites that pictures alone will make you salivate. They have hurgers, tacos, fries, and other bites. They even deliver the food to you! We ordered the bacon jam fries with a fried egg on top! It was the perfect combination of savory and sweet. The fries remained crispy which is always a plus for me.
This place is definitely worth going to after work, for a birthday, a causal night out, you name it. An eclectic mix of people come here and it’s always a fun time. Service is friendly and food is a nice addition. It’s a bonus when the food is delicious too!

I love Oakland as I see Oak Town as a gem. It is one of the few places in the Bay Area that still has true culture and hasn’t been completely swept by gentrification.
I got Mad Love for you Mad Oak. Entrance welcomes you to a nice patio with seating and pretty sky lights. Great place to catch up/​hang out with friends. Music isn’t overly loud allowing room for conversation.
Flow of this place works well. Walk in, order drinks, and you can enjoy yourself in the main room & patio or find yourself in another area of the place where you can play darts and order food from this man in the corner.
When you’re drinking and see all these other drunkies chowing down on their burgers and hot dogs, you’ll be convinced you’re hungry too.
Drinks of the night:
–Phoebe Bikini: refreshing and tastes good. Favorite of the night.
–Room 389 Manhattan: strong.
–Mad Oak Sour: good, recommend for those that like egg whites in their drinks
–Moscow Mule: standard
Played a game of darts and it’s 20 rounds. Nice addition to the place.

They changed the fries vendors– for the worse too! Word to the wise and regulars!
Place is tres cool— very awesome little joint for meeting up with friends, play some board games (I saw it!), watch the large screens, drink and snack, etc
Plenty of parking 12/​Madison. Heat lamps abounded at all of the alfresco tables— we nabbed one upstairs on the roof.
Came before HH concluded at 7 pm. Cocktail was $ 9— my vodka’ed ginger, cuke concoction was just ok. Not enough vodka
Great night lighting, chill relaxed place. Good for Oaktown

This place is my allllll time favorite bar in Oakland. It’s not too quiet and it’s not toooooo rowdy rite jr. It’s just the right amount of liveliness .
They have many different brands of beer on tap and best of ball, they have snacks that you can buy !!
The empanadas. Are… BOMB​.COM !
It totally hits the spot when you’re kind of tipsy or… Even just hungry lol. So good ! Must have !
The drinks are pretty cheap to me too and plenty of places to sit. Either it’s inside or outside or outside upstairs. I love this place. :)

A cool spot next to the Lake Merritt.
Came on a Friday night around 7−8ish and the bar was crowded.
Took a while to order my shots but it wasn’t too bad.
The place has really cute seating and decorative lighting all around.
I really appreciate all the space for seating and although the bar and benches were crowded the 2^nd floor on the roof top had a lot of seats to sit as well.
+10 brownie points for having good heat lamps around the whole place.
+5 points for having good amount of TV both upstairs and down
I heard they play movies and have popcorn but since the Warriors games was on that was the only thing playing on the screens. (not complaining)
Overall it’s cute, hip, and cozy.

I came here last night for the first time. I didn’t stay long, but I still had a good experience. It was quite busy since it was Saturday, but I managed to get a table with my friends.
There was a large beer selection and they had food menu too! Their garlic fries were pretty good! I also got cotton candy which was quite random.
The bar itself is extremely nice. There’s seating inside, outdoors, and upstairs! The place can hold a good amount of people which is perfect for large groups! And they have darts! Entertainment at a bar is a plus!
Mad Oak also played really good music. Music that you can sing along to. The environment and people was very diverse. Many different groups. Some people really dressed up and some people dressed down. Both were acceptable.
Anyway, I liked this bar. I will probably be coming back!

Cocktails under $ 10, many many beers on tap, and good wines that you can enjoy by the bar, or at an awesome patio and rooftop deck under the stars and string lights! If you and your friends (including the ones of the furry variety), are in need of a drink and a place to hang out, Mad Oak is the place to be.
It’s not much to look at from the outside, but once inside, it’s a different story! From the street, you’ll see an old red brick building with a sign in white that one can barely make out as Fitzgerald’s Café. Enter on the right through the black iron gates and be ready to show your ID!
We met friends there on a Saturday night around 10 and we managed to get half of a picnic table on their patio for our group of 8. It was cold that evening but we were kept warm by a heater nearby. Don’t think we would have lasted outdoors until 12:30 am without that heater!
I had two Bourbon-​based cocktails, the Room 389 Manhattan and the Mad Oak Sour. Both were very good. My friends ordered wine and other cocktails.
Oh and another good thing about this bar is that food is available. You can purchase empanadas, sandwiches and french fries (gotta have it with that awesome sauce), so you don’t get drunk that fast! The hubby loved the empanadas and the chicken sandwich. I loved the french fries with that amazing sauce. We had to order another one after we killed that first one!
Easy parking was also a plus. Plenty of street parking and we scored a spot just across the street from Mad Oak.
I’m a sucker for good cocktails and cool outdoor spaces, so we’ll definitely be back!