The Graduate

Great dive bar for watching a game and eating some free popcorn while at it. Happy hour is currently until 7pm for $ 4 beer, $ 7 pitchers, and $ 3 PBR. The popcorn was popped fresh using their machine with only added cooking oil and salt. It was much too salty though — perhaps a sneaky way to encourage people to buy more drinks. I counted three heaping tablespoons of salt for each batch of around six scoops of kernels. I had to stop eating the popcorn after half a try for fear of my blood pressure going through the roof. If you sit near the popcorn machine, the smell of hot cooking oil can also get a bit bothersome. Other than that, the crowd is a lot of fun, and the prices are very reasonable.

A great, little bar in the Rockridge area. I went here with a friend to watch a Warriors game and catch up. They have quite a few TVs, so it’s a good place to watch games. The place isn’t too noisy either, so me and my friend could hear each other and talk without yelling. We ordered a pitcher of beer that hit the spot. The bartenders are nice and friendly. Another great bonus is that the place offers free popcorn, so you can have something to snack on. They also have a jukebox, which I didn’t use, but my friend said he loves it.
The only downside to the place is the bathroom, which has a weird design. First there is only one bathroom, so when it’s busy you’re going to have to wait awhile to use it. Second, and even more irritating, is the lack of privacy. The main door swings in and out, and can’t seem to be locked. There is only one urinal and one toilet. And the part with the toilet also has a small door that swings in and out too, which sucks for anyone, but mainly girls, wanting privacy. If you’re female and on the toilet, there’s a good chance a random guy walking in will be able to see you completely over the door (because its top part is only around 4ft off the ground). To make it even more awkward, the sink to wash your hands is next to the toilet area, so on a busy night people (drunk or not) will just barge in to wash their hands while you’re using the toilet. So, yeah, very awkward bathroom.
Still a great local bar, but I’d avoid using the bathroom when I can and will probably try not to come when it’s busy.

This is a great neighborhood bar. Its always a good time and people are amazingly friendly. The people who don’t give this bar 5 stars, please leave my sweet little bar to those of us who truly appreciate it; you are taking up good bar space.

A sleepy, little bar…
The patrons are an eclectic mix, which I admit I actually like. You have your Berkeley students, you have your locals, and you have out-​of-​towners. The fact that this is such a small bar gives it an intimate feel, so that’s a plus. Watch out for some Thursday nights now when this place becomes a sardine can, teeming with Berkeley Law kids for their Bar Review.
The workers are also chill and friendly. Although, I do find that my drinks can be a hit-​or-​miss, with no consistent flavor, so that part of the service could be improved.
I also like the 80s music they play in the background. It really completes the scene, in my opinion.
However, the place is small so the wait can be pretty long. The location is also awkward, next to Safeway and Bank of America, with no other bars nearby. From my experience, the bar also dies down pretty early (I guess this is ideal though for the «real» graduate students who just wants to knock two or three down and talk about politics.)
Overall, and honestly speaking, other than its claim to local fame, there’s nothing special about this place.

My favorite townie bar in town. Cheap drinks. For you sports lovers, they’re playing the sports. But they also have all the debates on — which is my personal reason for visiting on the regular in 2016. Good happy hour specials till 7, friendly bartenders, nice mix of ages. Great place to catch up with friends.

2 dollar PBRs.

The small of a gem. Awesome dive bar. I been going to this place since I was legal. 30 years ago. It’s great to see some old Oakland about town. Strong drinks & Clairemont Dinner next door.

Appropriately named the Graduate because most graduates these days are in student debt and need a strong drink to keep their mind off it. The drinks are cheap and generous, the bartender is friendly, and there is a free popcorn machine that you can help yourself to (including some sriracha to drizzle on top). The vibe is more «grab a drink and chill» than «TURN UP» so plan accordingly.

I’ve been in Oakland for a business trip and this evening we finished dinner earlier than expected simply because the ladies in our group were tired. Myself and my colleague Rob wanted to grab a few beers and the valet guy at our hotel recommended a place but we couldn’t find parking. I remember seeing this place as it is down half a block from the office I’m at.
We walked in and it was somewhat packed but we were able to grab seats at the bar. We ordered a Sierra Nevada each which costed $ 5.00 for a 16 ounce glass. Not the best price but I’ve had higher. The environment was loud with music for five minutes and then quiet down for the next five. I didn’t see a jukebox but music would blare every now and again.
The beer was good and from the draft not bottled. The bartender who was by herself was attentive but spread thin. We weren’t wanting beer after beer so it didn’t bother us. There are two TVs which had the Cubs vs Pirates game but no one was watching. If you decide to come here bring cash as they do not accept anything else. I didn’t have cash on me but my colleague did so luckily he covered me haha.
The bar was ok with the service but like I said we weren’t needy. No one seemed needy here. Not bad and in a good area with other shops and pubs/​bars. I would have to come here more to figure if they are deserving of more.

A nice small, dive bar that serves cheap drinks and is a chill, somewhat intimate place to hang. They have a few tvs so its a good place to watch games, and there’s a kitchen nearby where you can also order typical bar food (fries, wings, etc.)
They also have a popcorn machine with sriracha, which is pretty unique. The highlight of my experience was an old couple that decided to blast Whitney Houston’s «I will always love you» from the jukebox. You know a bar is solid when patrons can chat to classic Whitney.

It’s a nice college dive bar with a jukebox, cheap beer, and a friendly bartender. They also allow you to order food from the diner next door.
Seems to achieve what it intends to.

Found this spot yesterday on a late night bar search. Great casual little spot! Loved the adorable bar tenders, free popcorn (with Sriracha), and cheap drinks. Definitely coming back soon. It is cash only!

I love this place!!! Been there with wife and we had a good time.
The Staff are so friendly and welcoming, specially Rae, is an awesome dude
I say, if the employes have bad vibes, the establishment will SUCK!!!
The Graduate, u guys Rock!!!
Cheyenne and Mari

Maybe it’s just me (and it probably is), but there seems to be a lot of bars like The Graduate in Oakland. Not that that’s necessarily a problem, nor is it a bad thing. Chill vibe, friendly bartender, and relatively cheap drinks? Nothing anyone would ever complain about. It’s just not all that unique…
If there was anything that stood out about the place, it’s that The Graduate doesn’t have a crowd. Or rather, «a» crowd. During our relatively short time here, we saw an entire cross section of the surrounding neighborhood — older locals/​regulars, a handful of hipsters, random folks who happened to be in the area (like us), and a small group of Cal kids who made the trek down College. Kind of nice to see such diversity coming in here.
As for the bar itself, I wouldn’t say it’s tiny, but it does fall more on the «quaint» end of the spectrum. Still, there always seemed to be just enough seats for everyone that walked in. Since I only had a beer, I can’t comment on the pours, though my buddy’s whiskey seemed sizable enough. However, prices seem to be more than fair and there’s free popcorn, so you probably won’t have to worry about getting your money’s worth.
Despite the fact The Graduate lacks a true fatal flaw, there wasn’t much for me to be enamored with either. They’re certainly great for killing time in the area or for locals looking for a welcoming watering hole, but there’s nothing here that I can’t find at other bars in Berkeley and Oakland. Not that I wouldn’t come back one day.

The Graduate offers cheap drinks, good music, and a phenomenal staff. Highlighted by the duo of Allie and Jill on Saturday nights, this bar has a fantastic atmosphere and keeps you coming back for more
With that said, Allie is awesome. She will serve you a mean drink with a beautiful smile. She’s one fun, sassy girl!
Jill certainly has a pretty face as well. She loves to engage the customer with her intellect while dazzling with her unparalleled bartending acumen. Get these girls a raise!

Jukebox, cheap drinks and directly on my way home from school or work. Nothing else needed.
Yes, the place is small. And yes, the bartenders are not always super friendly. But people coming here have good vibes.
There’s also free popcorn. I personally think this popcorn is gross but just don’t eat it if you think the same way.
Everytime I stopped by was a weekday so I couldn’t tell how it gets during the weekends.
CASH ONLY. I kinda forget everytime but a bank of America is right at the corner so it’s fine.
The idea is that this place is great if you want to enjoy a drink after a long and exhausting day without having to get all girly and feeling absolutely ok about it!

Short story: fun dive bar. Cash only. Be explicitly clear if you want the student discount.
I love this place! I’ve *almost* never had a bad/​boring night here and I’ve been coming for years. Super cheap. It’s a very hipster crowd, which has the potential to be cold and awkward. But something about this place makes everyone socialize with everyone and I’ve always had a great time hanging out. The free popcorn always helps.
My one bad experience was due to a bad bartender (90% of the time I’ve had great service). She took my cash and gave me change based on the full price and not the student discount price, even though I had been holding my ID in my hand. She adamantly refused to give me the rest of the change since I hadn’t verbally asked for the student discount before ordering. It’s a cash only bar and they just open the register, so it’s not like it would have been a hassle to do so. The other bartender had a sympathetic look on her face and apologized but she also didn’t remedy the situation. I got my change back via tips other patrons left for that same bartender because I thought that was such a crappy way to do business. I feel a little bad for that… but just a little, and I wasn’t sneaky or subtle so it’s not like she didn’t know. It was a bitch move on her part too. *done with my toddler tantrum*
I still prefer kingfish, once that opens up again. They have dice and the bartenders are always nice. Plus they have popcorn and shuffle board.

Kind of a novel place, nice to hang out at the bar and meet random people, including the hippy gentlemen with the very long beard I ran into. The beer selection kind of sucks, but it could be worse.
You order food from the nearby diner, but almost nothing is vegan. But it’s definitely a place you should go once for the crowd.

This place is pretty chill. It’s a bit small, but they’ve got everything you need: plenty of chairs, free popcorn, and a jukebox.
Came here with a friend during happy hour and got a Blue Moon for $ 4 and sweet potato fries for $ 3. The fries came in a very generous portion; enough to fill up two hungry girls.
The bartenders weren’t the most friendly, but they were alright. When we asked about ketchup for the fries, she said it was at the bar. She had to go back to get change, but didn’t bring the ketchup, so we had to go back to the bar and wait for them to ask us what we wanted– ketchup, obviously!
There were also just a ton of guys, so we, as two young girls, were a little bit uncomfortable, but they didn’t bother us.
Overall, I’d like to quote my brother, «It’s nice if you’re in the area, but it’s not worth the trek of getting there (since it’s so far from campus).»

The graduate has supplanted the albatross as my favorite bar around. It’s closer and PBR was an almost criminal $ 1.50. I’m not sure if this was because of some deal but I will take it. Maybe 8 times.
Oh and popcorn and a totally solid jukebox.