Beast Blog

Heinold's First and Last Chance

The Bay Area Bites Blog posted about Oakland's most historic bar: Heinold's First and Last Chance, found in Jack London Square. Is there any other Beast drinking or eating establishment that's operated since before 1900? Since before 1920? Fenton's Creamery is the only one that comes to mind.

Sunken Whiskey

Food, booze, and carousing. What else is there to life? Why, doing these things in new and unique settings! Heinold's Last Chance is about as unique and unusual a place to imbibe as could be wanted. Heinold's, stationed at the end of Jack London Square, is positively ancient. So much so that it's bent, slanted, and off kilter no matter where you sit. Wait... Strike that. Heinold's isn't bent, it's warped. The bartender's a sweet chap in a dapper outfit, and the bar is usually packed with Amtrak workers bitching about the ineffectiveness of their organization, and the long sordid tale of this bar's past is laid out on a sheet of paper at each table. Complain all you want about the commercialization of Jack London Square, Heinold's Last Chance is reason enough to sell your soul every day after work.

Brick Day!

This and every October 15th is Brickday!
A "national drinking holiday" with hazy origins, some say Brickday was started by East Bay (now-defunct) cult fave band, The Gazillions, some say it is an ancient holiday with proletarian European roots.

Brickday is celebrated by calling in sick to work, going to a bar, and drinking all day. The catch is, you HAVE TO bring a brick with you! Here's how it works: When ordering your first drink, place your brick on the bar. When the bartender asks you why you have a brick, tell him/her "It's Brickday, and you should have one too". It's just that simple!

You can celebrate this holiday at any bar (and I encourage you to do so), but my friends (former Gazillionaires & their friends) and I have always celebrated Brickday at the Stork Club in Oakland.

We'll be meeting there around 1 PM, please join us!

Because Mickey, owner of the Stork Club, loves Brickday so much she has offered to make this into a BBQ. She said that she'll provide hotdogs and hamburgers, but asked people to bring sides to share.

If you want to know more about Brickday, Katy St. Clair (East Bay Express) wrote a very nice origins piece a few years ago that can be read at the following link:

Brick Day!

The Stork club is located at 2330 Telegraph Avenue (at 23rd St.) in Oakland and is readily accessible by bus (the 40, 43, and 51 lines) and by BART (19th Street station). Hope to see you there, don't forget your brick!

comfy dive bars

here is a random list of comfy dive bars in no particular order:

baggy's by the lake: intimate, a fireplace & tables/chairs, as well as bar/stool. i use it for meetings. older quiet clientele, except when the raiders are on. then they're noisy! E. 18th Street (across from Merritt Restaurant, near Lakeshore)

george kayes: very small but boisterous. good times. broadway near 40th.

connolly's: two rooms, one with career alcoholics starting at 6 AM, the other with a pool table & room to dance. used to have punk shows here, but uppity neighbors didn't like the kids. telegraph @ 42nd.

the alley: large, with wood booths. an oakland institution- it has the same guy playing at the piano bar every night. grand ave, north of lake park.