I'm an official East Bay resident!!! I shamefully admit that it took me five years to get here. I thank Lorrayne L. for inviting me to her 35th birthday shindig, which started at the New Parkway and culminated here. Great itinerary! So not only did I get to experience this unique and fun bar, I did so with many new and old YELP Elite friends. How fun is that?!
I love that Heinold's looks like something out of the Wild Wild West. It could have been a bar in Bodie (the best preserved ghost town in California). The slanted floor (not done purposely, but the result of earthquakes) reminded me of my long ago visit to the Winchester Mystery House too.
Drank bottomless vodka martinis (thanks, Markus N!) out of a plastic cup and wandered outdoors to enjoy the sunny afternoon on the patio. It was a perfect Saturday afternoon in Jack London Square :)
Great place for a drink and to experience "real history" of an era gone by. Â Lots of interesting info on Jack London and this area of Oakland. Â You can have a nice drink inside or out. Â Very information bartender as well. Â A must see in the Jack London Square region. Â We will be back.
Review Source:This is our local bar as we live 1 block away, and are here at least once a week. What's not to love. It's historic, dark, good drinks, good bartenders. It's a 130 year old dive, just what I like. Thursday nights there is usually live sea shanty music. I can't think of a better spot to have a beer on a sunny day than the outdoor patio, perfect for hanging out, people and pet watching. My only complaint is listening to the bartenders have to tell every tourist that walks in the same spiel about the history of the joint. I feel bad for the bartenders. If you have never been, there wasn't a fire, it's creosote from the wood that makes the inside look burnt, and it's crooked from surviving a couple earthquakes!
Review Source:This place reminds me of McSorley's in New York, without the blatant historical misogyny. Things you probably know, or will immediately know once you enter.
-the floor is slanted. Earthquake.
-the place is old. Like more than 100 years.
-the beer is very good.
-if you like history, you'll love this place!
-the tables and chairs are bolted to the floor. See bullet #1.
I wish there were more places in our country like Heinold's. Cheers!
They just celebrated their 130th birthday over the weekend. The floor is slanted for a reason. This bar has survived two big earthquakes. Bar tenders are friendly and well dressed. Drinks are reasonably priced. The outdoor patio is fabulous for nice, balmy days and evenings. The music selection is varied.
This is one of those places you hope will be here for a long time. It's a great place to meet friends before wandering around the Square or just relaxing and having a chat with the locals.
A friend of mine knows all about the history of this place. There is a flier sitting around so you can be informed too.
It's a part of bay area history that is here to stay. Go support it. They have a small selection of snacks. We ended up picking up some food and bringing it back to the bar. There are too many corporate bars - it might be your first and last chance to experience it.
This place is a perfect place to have a drink and just kick it. The bartender is super friendly and it reminds me of the old watering holes in the city during my younger days when I preferred character and nostalgia to the shiny, pimped out bars dripping with the pretty peeps. I only wish they served food -- y'know, fried stuff to sop of all the alcohol. Then you pound a couple more.
Review Source:I appreciate the novelty of this place.
The artifacts on the walls, the slanted floors...
Sitting outside in the sun sipping out of plastic cups certainly fits nicely sometimes.
But - bellying up to the bar and waiting for the bartender to demonstrate quirky aspects of the bar to patrons with drinks in their hands while I'm waiting on my first is particularly annoying.
And after witnessing his witty banter with these people and then getting dry service ourselves?
Ugh. No thanks.
With a paltry gin selection, to boot.
I'm not feeling it.
Lately it seems as if I have been investing a lot of my "me" time in Oakland. Living in the east bay, trekking all the way to SF just to hang out at a café or enjoy a good beer on a patio just doesn't make a whole lot of sense from a cost perspective nor economically.... So anticipate a lot of up-and-coming reviews for "the town" from me.
Heinolds first and last was my last stop on my Sunday retreat all while avoiding the bay2breakers madness in SF.
Walking by, oddly enough, it is kind of easy to pass. I saw a lot of people outside on the patio; some kids, some animals and other studying.
My initial thought was "this cant be it"... sure enough, it was.
The crowd seemed hipster-esque which can be annoying at times, but seeing as I wanted just a quick cold beer on a beautiful day prior to getting on my train I didn't see an issue.
Upon walking in, the place presents a few quirks. Its REALLY small, its dark, its got nick-nacks all over the walls and WTF IS THE FLOOR MOVING OR AM I DRUNK.
Yes, the floor is uneven. No complaining here, it adds to the charm.
The bartender was extremely nice, knowledgeable and talkative. They were out of the IPA because they just started a new keg but offered me other options which were similar. I got my beer (in plastic cup) and hit the patio.
Within 5 minutes, I find myself basking in the sun, playing with a dog and making friends with the other patrons. The Oakland hipsters are much nicer and less pretentious than your standard mission hipsters, so I found out.
The other all vibe of heinolds is "a neighborhood bar" feel in the middle of beautiful jack London square, the patio is a nice touch and I admire all of the quirks. I can easily see it becoming a not-so-local hangout for myself and friends when I make the move to Oakland.
Awesome with character. Â If you can't enjoy a sideways bar that looks half-burnt down, but with great customer service and a world-unique atmosphere, then you should just stay home and sip your half-warm 2 years old coors lite.
They got it going on... and it is small with character!
todd
I'm sitting here on my hands trying to make the minutes pass more quickly and it's only 4:18 and I'm not meeting the others for at least an hour and up to this minute I thought I'd be better off inside but I can't take it anymore. Â I'm going to pop.
I am going to pop right out of this chair in my paper strewn but sunny room with a view of the jail which is awesome and head the three blocks down the estuary to First and Last.
Others can tell the story of how this little shack of a museum of a bar came to be here better than me, but I can perhaps do justice to its bug-light qualities vis a vis this particular phasmid. Â
I've been coming since the days before Merchant's changed. Â I've been coming since before progress razed JL Village with as much respect as if by so many B-52s, since before Haven and Bocanova. Â And over these generations the Saloon has stayed the same. Â Which is why I keep coming.
Small, and sometimes packed with curious humans from far away but if you pick your hour judiciously you don't necessarily have to suffer the crowd. Â On a sultry summer's evening, on the outside patio, listen to the water lap at the sailboats, feel the roots of the freight train, watch the orange turn to grey to that dark blue still lit n the west by the electricity of SF. Â
It's a sweet setting, with reasonably priced cocktails and an odd lack of pretension. Â Come with old friends, arrive by boat (once) thanks to pirate ninja with a belly too full of rum, come alone - it don't matter, you're time will be productively spent.
So I'm off then, off to First and last. Â It's 4:39 now and I've tarried too long. Â If you're near, please come. Â I miss you and I'd like nothing more than the chance to keep your company for a glass of wine, a story.
Its like I'm in the movie Casablanca when I'm here and I love that! their is great history with this bar a lot of military decor still up from way back when... Seriously the place was on fire and after the earthquake it left the place slanted and its still up and running strong.
Now this place isn't a fancy bar or a big one, its small and intimate. You sit, Drink, Conversate for a few, tip your wonderful bartender and leave. Like I always say I love the simplicity and the quirky things that a restaurant or bar has to offer me. Don't get me wrong though this is Oakland we are talking about and it is a little hard to find the place if your not familiar with the area also because it is a bar in Oakland they might have a few interesting characters that pass through those doors, like last time I was there I met a older woman from Texas and she kept calling me a hooker, apparently that means she likes me??? haha!! interesting am I right?
All in all if your looking for a semi quiet place to sit and drink and conversate in a dim lit intimate place and enjoy the old time military decor then look no further. Just watch your step ;)
It was a beautiful evening last Friday and a friend I wanted to enjoy a drink in the sunshine.
Headed over to Jack London Square with our dogs and were dismayed to find that every outdoor seat was taken!
Well, this is what you get when you live in a bi-coastal climate. Â We were stoked when we found one empty table and
my friend went into the bar to buy us our drinks. Â In the middle of enjoying, a rude, little man with his bicycle helmet approached
us. Â Please bear in mind that our table was isolated. We assumed it was part of the Heinhold's tables since it looked the same, but apparently was not.
He had the most rude and aggressive tone and yelled that we needed to learn how to read signs and that we Â
were not allowed to take drinks out to where we were sitting.
I think that his tone was incredibly rude and obnoxious and so loud! It totally embarrassed us.
Neither of us deliberately did this. Â We were just happy to find seats and were not paying at close attention to signage as we should have been.
Another patron walked by us after this exchange and exclaimed "WOW! What an ass____!"
Being embarrassed I walked up to this guy who was now unchaining his bike and asked him if he was the owner.
He said no - he was the bartender. Â I told him that in my opinion there is a polite way to address the same issue with a guest.
He could have very politely pointed out the exact same thing instead of yelling so loudly that other people heard. Â He made himself look like a fool as well as the
establishment. Â After I told him that he could have been more polite he proceeded to yell even louder...by this time the entire patio was starring at us.
I told him to shut his mouth. Â And took a seat on the patio. Â Two tables came up to us and remarked at how rude he had been the first time.
They said they were afraid to say anything to him. Â He went into the bar, continued to stare at us and pace around like a mad man.
He then came out and told us we needed to leave. Â I said I would after I finished my drink . Â Once again, tables are starring and he looked like a lunatic.
He then came out about 20 minutes later and said he was calling security to eject us from the patio. Â By this point I had finished my shitty wine - day ruined.
Everyone's mood ruined - and we left.
Congrats to Heinhold's...Good job guys!
I absolutely love this little bar. The history, the military decor, the slant of the room (although, that can be dangerous after too many). But, just to sit in the same seat Jack London did and enjoy a cold one is a good day.
The new seating/patio out front is a real improvement. My Wife and I go there on Sundays during farmer's market. Grab some grub at the food stands and walk over to the Last Chance to eat it w/ a bloody mary or a beer...or both.
So I walked in and had a strange feeling I had been in here before....it was the slanted bar. I "walked" in here in 1996 after attending an event near downtown. My first time in Oakland besides going to an A's game.
The future, every time Oakland came up in a conversation I would always tell people about this bar next to the water that was slanted. I used to think it was on a boat that washed ashore and was converted into a bar. People would ask me the name and I would shrug, because I really couldn't remember much other than the slanted bar. (I was 21...so eh)
So the other week, I am in Oakland and find my self at Beer Revolution and decided to take a walk. I see this quirky bar next to the water and low and behold, it's my mystery bar from 1996 with the slanted bar top. I was only disappointed to discover  that  it wasn't on a boat washed ashore. Here is to rediscovering a great place with 16 years between visits.
I give 4 stars because it's way to small
I could see people loving this place and people hating this place. It is tiny. If 10 people fit inside the bar I would be shocked. The look inside is very eclectic which I personally love but if you are looking for some VIP ultra lounge then look elsewhere. This is the exact opposite. There is a large outside area right on the water which is really nice.
Review Source:Richly steeped in history and somewhat in my liver.
This place is great for its historical ties to Oakland's storied past and touted as Jack London's hangout spot where many of his novels came alive. I couldn't help but be in awe of the slanted bar (thanks to settlement and earthquakes), vintage pictures and not to mention the neighborhood and touristy cohesiveness.
To say I drank here, I was treated to a Jack & Coke in honor of Jack himself of course. It went down good, made me warm then I was on my way for more mischief. Another great thing is we were able to enjoy our libations outside in a designated area.
The history didn't end there either, Jack's Alaska cabin was brought down and placed just a few steps from the bar. I enjoyed looking in to see what he possibly may have left behind.
All in all this is a great place to visit and experience!
We stopped in here for a drink before having dinner nearby. What a cool little, (and I do mean little!) bar!
The actual bar is at a slant due to the 1906 earthquake, (yes, they've been around that long.)
I'm glad I was dressed in layers, as it was pretty chilly in here.
Well made & reasonably priced cocktails, and locally made beers on tap.
There's actually more outside seating than inside.On a warmer evening it would be nice to sit out there and have a drink. It's also dog friendly, (both inside and out) which i LOVE.
This is perfect bar to have a few drinks and hang out, as well as appreciate the character and history of the place.
recently i had a day long date here; meaning, we got there shortly before they opened, waited outside until the door was unlocked, then over the course of 5 hours drank about 4 shots of bourbon on ice, slowly, got very drunk and laughed, cried and caught up with a long distance date. Not once were we bothered, we met the sweet woman who owns the place, she is a glamour queen! we never felt rushed or that we were being too loud or emotional. I love this place!
Review Source:This place is great.
It's definitely divey, the floor is not even, and there is all sorts of entertaining items to explore around this tiny rustic bar. It's rather small so on pretty busy nights, don't expect to find a seat inside. People young and old come here and I love that its right on the water. You can sit outside, but its usually cold in the bay. It'd be really awesome if they put out some heaters! Their closing time is... well flexible depending on the crowd. If its busy, they'll stay open a bit later for you, but if its not so busy, they might close early.
Despite the anti-profanity signs, I've run into my fair share of not-so-nice people, which can be the case when drinking is involved. Some very insulting men- not directly as the bartender cooled them down a bit, but people who talked about me from afar. I'll admit I'm a bit sensitive to people talking about me, or even thinking they're talking about me, but it's pretty obvious when they're yelling (but thinking they're only talking normally).
Anyway, cool place overall.
The drinks are cheap! Which is a super plus.
This bar is cray, but I love it. Â You see, I had a French, Jack London obsessed, couchsurfer stay at my place for a couple days. Â I took him to Merchant's Saloon and was like, "Yeah, this is Jack London Square..." Â Then I remembered that this place existed! Frenchie (that's not his real name) was totally speechless. Â
So we sat at a table and ate our Indian food and chatted a little. Â But then he saw some pins hanging on the wall. Â They were pins with swastikas. Â As a 28 year old American girl, I can look at that stuff and say, "Wow. Â Interesting collection" and totally move on. Â This was not how Frenchie felt. Â He seemed pretty baffled/upset. Â Awkward.
Moral of the story: Â If you plan on taking a European man that you hardly know to a bar in Jack London Square, face him away from the swastika pins.
This is in a little plaza that my friends and I barely saw behind the directory map.
We were early to a movie at Regal about half a mile away and we yelped for a place to drink since we weren't from the area. (Loving the GPS on my phone!) Not judging the creepy train tracks and poorly lit streets away from the bright lights with certain businesses still open we saw a lot of people walking the area, so we hoofed it to Heinold's!
Upon entrance, from the door and the level you have to step down, there was a few tables indoor, maybe 3 tables? but there was also a few tables to sit outside as well, but it was  alittle cold, and I'm still getting over my cold from last week so we sat all warm and comfy inside. Since It is small inside, the only seats left were at the bar, a couple saw our dilemma of a seat short (5 seats total at bar) so they scooted over for us three to sit down.
Jim! What an awesomely sweet bartender! He knows when to get back at us for drinks and when to joke around with us.
I only had 2 drinks:
** Lemon Drop - oh my goodness, it was good! no overwhelming alocohol. Not only was it sweet, it was citrus-y and then after you savor the fluids, the alcohol sneaks in. LOL
** Kettle One: citrus - honestly, I just asked if I could take a shot of the kettle one since it was sitting right in front of me. Jim just laughs and says "why not" got a little chaser to go with my shot.
First of all, a shot here, is like 2 large gulps for me. I'm a girl who can handle shots pretty easily, but here? It's a giant shot in a tumbler cup. NICE. Jim laughs seeing my reaction for my shot and laughs. I don't know if he was overly nice for my shot, or if that's the normal amount. The two drinks total costs $15 :)
The atmoshere in there is pretty much anything you can throw up at the ceiling, i spent a good half hour just looking up and seeing what was on there. There's money stapled to the wall, a deer head mount with sunglasses, a gas mask, a collection of hats... etc and a small television tube behind the bartender. Haven't seen one of those in a decade! :)
The counter we sat at, at the end, was slanted, I wasn't even sure if the drinks were going to slide off or not. But it stayed, I added my lemon drop picture to show the slant. It may be cold outside walking about, but once you're inside, it's overly warm, so hold on to your jackets :)
I had forgotten about this magical place. Here is the history: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fheinolds.com%2Fhew%2Fhistory.html&s=caeee1af2bcc573f0d27703fb3b6f535e509d2c9c708df2d91d8c9ee92dab3f9" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://heinolds.com/hew/…</a>
Go on Tu-Thurs when Ben is working. He's got a great life story and is just an interesting guy.
We had one drink here, because honestly, it was the only place around that had any life to it.
If you're in Oakland, it's a must stop place (because there isn't much else...trust me, we looked). Â If you're in San Fran, I guess you could make your way over, but there really isn't much else around.
Anyway, this place is LITERALLY a historic landmark, and it looks just like it. Â A place that has been around since the late 1800's is always a must, but then it sells you beer...of course!
Oh...cash only.
After enjoying a few bites and sips at the Eat Real Festival, we stopped at this bar before heading back to our hotel. Cozy little spot for some liquid aloha.
The service was great, Full Sail amber kept us smiling and we just loved the charm and character of this place, especially the slanted bar that was affected by the earthquake in the early 1900's.
A definite must stop if you're at Jack London Square.
Apologies to the Propellerheads for this rendition of "History Repeating"
The bar has some clout, the beers are evolving,
whatever may come, I hope the tap keeps revolving
They say the perfect drink is here,
that puppies on the patio are near,
but to me it seems quite clear
that it's all just a little bit of history repeating
Just a little bit of history repeating.............
Finally! Â I had a relaxing beer at Heinold's historic saloon after making my way carefully down the slanted floor to the also slanted bar (my klutziness is almost as famous as this place...well to some anyway). Â
It was everything I thought it would be. Â Brought our drinks outside to soak up a little sun while watching patrons try to control their puppies as they pulled a rendition of 1001 Dalmations (they were trying to talk to eachother). Â All kidding aside, such a great place to sit with good company (friends or pooch, your choice), enjoy some nice weather, and soak in a little local history. Â I'll definetely be back!
I'm not a historian, history buff, or even contemporary resident of Oakland. But this place is a friggin' institution. Even an idiot like me who doesn't spend a lot of time in bars can tell you that.
No, you're not super drunk and having a hard time walking - the place is slanted. Like, I have no idea how the drinks don't slide all the way off the end of the bar. THAT kind of slanted. It's dark. It's small. It's smattered with all kinds of stuff from ceiling to walls to haphazard booze bottles behind the bar. Drinks are simple, thankyouverymuch, and the bartender was quick but courteous. It's perfect.
Go here. Take people here. Drink on the patio. Drink inside. It oozes character and dive bar charm and though it may not always be your number one choice for a quick drink you should sleep better knowing that there are places like this in Oakland.
Legend has it that the one and only Jack London frequented this place back in the day, which makes sense that it's located at Jack London Square. Whenever I'm in Oakland I always make sure I give myself time to shop at the Farmer's Market at JLS, which is followed by a beer at Heinold's. The beer selection is pretty good and this bar is cool because the floor is slanted. So, no, you don't have vertigo, the floor is supposed to be like that.
There's no food here (I think just chips), so don't come hungry. Grab a cold beer, sit outside, and just people watch. Enjoy yourself!
With a mason jar filled with yellowish liquid, the bartender poured a dirty, filthy martini on his slanted bar - leftover modifications from the 1906 earthquake. Â After sipped, the girl exclaimed it was better than an orgasam, but her friend disagreed and a discussion into their sex lives ensued.
Whatever - making any drink on such a slanted bar means that the bartender should get props. It's a great little place, one of the centerpieces of Jack London Square and worth the prices to sit in the open-air, overlooking the water and sailboats amongst the tourist trap.
Warning be to those who drink here, you may get a whiff of sewage now and then.
I love the character of this place and the characters in it (usually). The sloping bar and the story behind it makes it a perfect tour stop whenever folks are visiting.
I've had some great chats with the bartenders and there's a sign behind the bar it took me forever to decipher. Will you buy me a drink if I tell you?
I am a sucker for quirky, historic, unique bars and this one is surely a winner! One of my favorite places in the Bay area that I've been to since transplanting to the area. Whether it's rainy or sunny, this place is awesome if you want a comfy, cozy, fun spot to grab a drink.
The place is super tiny but don't let that scare you away, come on in, get comfy, and enjoy all of the old historical gems adorning the interior. The bar tenders are dressed up like old school saloon gents, the floor is slanted from the 1906 earthquake and the bar counter is slanted as well so watch your drink so it doesn't slide off, lol. Oh how I love this spot!
Come here on a sunny day as well with a group of friends and sit outside since there are plenty of tables and chairs out. If you're in the area, stop by, this place is quite an experience. Just imagine Jack London is sitting right next to you, sippin' on a drink. Cheers!
I write this just hours before I board a one-way flight back to San Francisco.
The East Coast I'm about to leave behind recently had an earthquake that would make native Bay Area kids laugh until they peed. (And it's only fair because I got a lot of shit during last year's snowpocalypse).
No visit to the Bay Area is complete without visiting this bar. It's close to its original condition. The floor remains slanted from the 1906 quake. They pour a solid heavy-handed drink. Jack London himself spent a lot of time here! And when you've had just about enough, take a stroll for a block or two and visit JLS's other old-ish joint--Merchant's Saloon. (Just don't put anything down in their piss trough).
If you live in the Bay Area, this is a good weeder bar for early dates. You can get a good sense of a potential mate's character when they see this bar. If s/he gives you the stink eye, give her/him the stepping papers. It's not a match.
Haven't you always dreamt of drinking Jack & Coke from a plastic cup, in a wood cabin with a seriously slanted floor? Well there's only one place you can make this dream come true, and you know what place I'm talkin' 'bout.
Heinold's baby. If you haven't been, you're not an official East Bay resident. Drinks are simple two-ingredient mixers, like the good ol' days, so don't expect any frou-frou cocktails or even a drink menu, for that matter. Come for the history, for the funky digs, for the rowdy friends, and for a break from those sceney bars that we secretly love just as much.
Surprise, surprise...this dilapidated cabin even takes credit cards. What a wonderful world.
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