The Continental Lounge And Patio

good drinks, good ambiance… but came for Motown on Monday and almost had my ears blown out.
I think creating an inviting space involves décor and attention to who and HOW MANY PEOPLE are inside your venue. When your spot is empty early on in the night, blasting music is stupid. There are no bodies to absorb the sound… it’s almost rude, at the least inconsiderate.
You are a lounge, not the Warfield.
And if you aren’t going to gradually bring the music up like detail oriented people, at least SELL EARPLUGS. Stuffing cocktail napkins into my ears sucks.
My girl says your food is good though.

This place is always a hit! It’s a great set up with a large open area to socialize and enjoy the amazing drinks they have to offer! My favorite drink is the Jalisco Heat! It’s perfectly spicy (I have a somewhat high tolerance for heat) and the flavors are awesome. Also have had the old fashioned and it was great. Good wine options as well. Good vibes.

Customer Service is key for a successful business! The atmosphere and music was great BUT the service was awful.
My husband and I went with a few friends for drinks a few weeks ago. We ordered our drinks and walked out to the outside patio to sit. My husband commented that his Jack Daniels and Diet didn’t taste right. He never complains therefore I knew his drink wasn’t correct. As we were closing our tab he mentioned to the bartender (Dakota T. On our receipt) that it didn’t taste like Jack Daniels and asked if they used well instead. She said no and offered another drink, we were leaving so he didn’t accept. She didn’t remove from tab and just cashed him out.
As I was waiting for him to return for the bathroom, I watched this female bartender walk over to a male bartender and shove the drink under his nose, laugh together and make comments. I was extremely upset and said something to them about it.
I am not upset they didn’t serve him the correct drink or even take the drink off our tab, I am upset about the service and their immature actions.

First things first. I don’t drink. I come here to dance. I’m reviewing for Motown Mondays.
I’m very happy to have this spot open Monday nights with good music. I always make new friends with dancing. The people who come are mature and fun to be around. Welcoming service. Great resident DJs.

This place has awesome music, the crowd is fun, security, bartenders, everyone is very friendly and professional. Great place to bring your friends. Definitely one of my new favorite spots.

If I had to describe The Continental in 3 words it would be intimate, classy, and mature. My friend visiting from Seattle absolutely loved this bar. The music was different than what you would hear on the opposite side of DTSJ if you want to escape the 21 year old crowd. My favorite part was the outdoor patio that has a large projector on the brick wall. If you are looking for a chill night out but still would like the option of dancing, this is the spot.

LOVE IT! Love the atmosphere, drinks, back patio, snacks, bartenders. All in all, its a double thumbs up and one of my fav places DTSJ! :)

Very cool bar. Good music, nice atmosphere, and good bartenders.
A great spot to grab a drink, sit out next to a fire place in the back patio and have a great conversation.
Not feeling like talking? Plenty of loud music and dance floor to DANCE!
Drinks are $ 8 to $ 12 each

They said there’s a dress code and they wouldn’t let my boyfriend in so I just went in to use the bathroom and there’s people in there wearing worse outfits like sweatshirt hoodies and snapbacks??? Make up your damn minds people! Plus too hot inside

Located where the old Brix gay bar used to be, is a new hipster joint. When the squad and I went to check this place out, because we have been hearing so many great things about it, we were a tad bit disappointed. It was definitely an older crowd so even for those of us pushing 30 we felt out of place. The 12 dollar cocktails were definitely overpriced but I did enjoy the Strike Brewing IPA. Perhaps we went on an off night, but i wouldn’t mind giving it another shot. Overall, if you are seeking a pretty mellow night out with overpriced cocktails then maybe give this place a go.

Love this place!
Pros: awesome service from behind the bar as well as the waitresses/​servers away from the bar. Good for large groups/​parties.
Drinks are always good! And if you don’t know what to order you can tell the bartenders what kind of flavors you’re in the mood for and they will make a drink per your request! They are awesome and have never failed.
Nice peeps here, very diverse. Never had a problem with anyone here. Great DJ’s, ALWAYS! Dancing here is fun!
They have an outside patio as well, with a bartender back there.
Cons: THEY DO SERVE FOOD NOW! they don’t serve food. BUT Café Stitch and Blue Chip down the street does. That’s WAS the only downside.
Otherwise, we all love this place. Nice hang out and the people who work here make you feel comfortable so you want to keep coming back! You’ll love this place!

Tell me why, I always thought this was inside a hotel… well, it’s not haha.
I’m actually a fan of this place! First time here was on Saturday night and it wasn’t TOO packed. I love how they actually have enough bartenders to cover their long bar. There’s always a spot at the bar too to order drinks. They have small tables along the walls and even a cocktail waitress that comes by too. Drink prices are a tad bit steep for average cocktails, but they do make a good moscow mule.
This was actually the 1^st bar we stopped by, then we came back AGAIN as our last bar of the night. The 2^nd time coming back, the place definitely got busy but at least people were actually dancing in the back corner where a DJ was spinning.
+They allow smoking in the back patio
+No Cover charge
+No Dress Code
That’s a win in my eyes!

I remember this place first when it was always packed as Brix, then when it was always empty as Brix, and then when it was always even emptier as the Metropolitan, and now it’s the sometimes packed and sometimes empty Continental.
The décor is very inviting with a long bar, rustic tables, and couches. With the open-​ish seating up front (but you have to enter first), and the back patio, this place makes great use of natural light. We had great service when we went.
I wish the drinks were as great as the atmosphere and service though. Mixed drinks are ~$ 10 which I suppose is about average (although I think the average is too high these days), though consensus was that they were just ok. Beer they could use work on. The draft selection is largely samey, with a mix of mass-​market (i.e. Stella), standard craft pales (SA White, FW 805) and a couple of IPAs (Ballast Point, Strike.) $ 8 for 12 oz is too expensive and too small for all of those. The one exception is the Timmerman’s Framboise, they use proper glassware (which is actually a little smaller) for a lambic. I would go back to get that one.
Kudos for getting Grub Shack to set up shop out back!

Diddy and I are new residents of SJ and we’ve been looking around to find some cool places to listen to music and have a couple of drinks. The spot is conveniently located about a block away from the Light Rail station, which is great since we take the light rail straight into downtown from our house.
The vibes when I walked in was very laid back. We came on a Wednesday night and there was a live Jazz band playing. We got a special $ 20 bottle of wine and sat at one of their very comfy couches right in front of the band which was great. The lounge was very dim and the interior design of the place was what I would call «hipster.» Very cool and laid back. I thought it was pretty interesting that they have a small patio in the way back where you can order small appetizers. We ordered the Kalua nachos which I must say we’re sooooo DELICIOUS! And fresh oysters. Overall, the experience was great. I hear that they play different genres of music each night so we definitely will return maybe on an r&b night.
**CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS ON «T» (two thumbs up)

Pros: Beautiful interior and little patio. Full bar. Somewhat laid back vibe. Nice food menu. Attentive bartenders. Quality booze.
Cons: Not much seating. Many of their specialty drinks seemed pretty similar to me. Reservations require $ 200 bottle service. Layout seems a little awkward for dancing. Saw at least one person smoking on the patio. Projection of the news on the patio wall was a bit odd and didn’t really fit a Friday night vibe.
They really should have someone proofread their description of their own bar. I saw at least 5 typos. It made them look a little less polished and professional. (Satallite? Pallet?) Hoping that is an easy fix for them…
Overall, okay. I have other cocktail places in SJ that I prefer more, but I’d probably come back here too.

This cocktail bar is so cool. The Continental (such a snazzy name) has a vintage vibe, kind of along the lines of singlebarrel. I love the look: wall paneling that looks like reclaimed wood, brick walls, wall of liqueur behind the bar. It’s my favorite style. The menu features house cocktails and they also have a bunch of craft brew offerings. Right above the bar, they have chalkboard signs that say what craft brews they have on tap. I picked the pisco punch from the cocktail menu, which sounded really good. The service was quick and efficient. My drink was good, but it tasted watered down. But I think the only alcohol in it was ginger beer anyway. I love the space and would totally come back to hang out here again with friends. It’s located in SoFA, right next to the CA Theatre, so it’s in a primo location, along with some other great spots!

It’s not a sports bar. It feels like a mix of Paper Planes and Old Wagon. The interior of the restaurant feels like a speakeasy bar but everything feels incredibly open with its windows and the patio in the back with the two fire pits. Even the couches looked like they belong in a speakeasy bar but someone found it and left it here.
There is a stage set up for open mic sessions or DJs to play classy 90s music (like Alicia Keys). They have flat screen TVs but they play old movies and not really any sports channels
The bartenders and service were also spectacular. The bartender does tricks sometimes but if you provoke him enough to do more tricks, he will snap at you! I should come back with quieter friends!
The price is good. We paid $ 20 wine bottle for 5 of us to share.

Bring the LA vibe to the bay. Classy, shabby, and chic! This place used to be a gay bar called the brix and the transformation is amazing, the décor alone is so beautiful! The patio has 2 open fires with a huge projected movie or music videos at all times. The inside has comfy couches to lounge on, a good size bar seating, and some bar tables.
My friend and I came here for a girls night, we loved the vibe. But the prices are a little upscale, like the restaurant. It’s fairly new, so I will give them time to develop the prices and their status with a 4 stars.
Overall, it’s a nice classy place to go to in downtown SJ, which is RARE, very Rare!

Good music an vibes, also it has a diverse crowd. .. for now. The DJ was playing house music all night long, which was dope. They kept the main room pretty dim on Saturday night which is a nice change from the overly bright cockail bar trend. Drinks aren’t that hard to come by here as the bartenders are pretty quick.
There is a back patio area with two outdoor fireplaces and a movie projector in the back, also a small bar. The outdoor area was very cool, we chilled out there half of the night.
I hope they keep having a house DJ on Saturdays as this was the most fun bar /​lounge of all we visited that night.

Earlier in the week I passed The Continental with my boyfriend and decided it was high time to check the place out.
The vibe is kind of urban/​rustic/​casual which I was totally feeling. It’s kind of a cross between Paper Plane & Jack Rose Libation House.
When we stopped by for a cocktail we were a little puzzled, as there are no menus as of yet which lead us to pick the brain of the bartender who came up with a handful of classic cocktail choices like an Old Fashioned, a Sazerac and a Corpse Reviver 2 (and of course we indulged in all 3 over the course of the evening).
I really enjoyed how spacious the place felt with its tall ceiling, and there was ample seating/​standing room with tables for groups.
I would have liked to see their creativity more, and an actual menu would’ve been nice too.
Price wise it was kind of spensy, roughly $ 32 for 3 cocktails (not including tip), so it’s not somewhere I could routinely wet my whistle.