I love this place, since leaving the east coast I have always sought that NYC cool lounge ambiance. The best thing is that it attracts a very eclectic Oakland crowd, very good bartenders that treat the customers well, and in general i good selection of music (pandora at times) and there is a permanent DJ set up for the evening times..
This is one of the few bars in Oakland WITHOUT A TV!! and that is what gets it the 5 stars, for having the good taste not to have an obnoxious tv breathing down my neck as i am drinking, this promotes conversation and makes Kingsman my favorite hip lounge in Oakland.
Cool spot to chat and enjoy music even on a weeknight. Haven't been here on the weekends yet. The bartender was a little funky - it was happy hour but he jacked up the prices regardless (this is what the three stars is for). I'll have to try this spot again when it's more lively on First Fridays.
Review Source:I really love this place. Â It is very chill, laid-back and the drinks are great! Â The ambiance is great the background music is usually going but not to loud where you can carry conversation! Â Visa the bartender is very fun and he makes really good drinks! Â I live in the neighborhood and it is a great spot to drop in and have a nice drink! Â They also have Blue Moon on tap, oh my favorite beer! Â If you haven't stopped in you need to try it!
Review Source:Let me just start by saying I went to this place for the first time on 1/20/13. Â Aside from the fact that the back part of the lounge smells like vomit and the furniture is crappy, the place was ok on the inside. Â Note to manager, get yourself a carpet cleaner and some cleaning products and give the place a good scrub down. Â It will do wonders. Â My big issue was with the bartender. Â The place was somewhat loud because of the DJ/music when we were there. Â My friend ordered a drink at the bar. Â The bartender proceeded to try to be humorous and apparently "cool" by making a very long winded joke at the expense of my friend because she couldnt hear him well (one part because of the music and one part from the fact that she is hard of hearing in general). Â The bartender heard what she ordered and instead of just making the drink, he went on and on making jokes about the fact that she couldnt hear him well and even had the nerve to do some sort of sign language thing...!!... Â are you kidding me?! Â Since when does anyone go to a crappy lounge to be insulted by an idiot bartender? Â Just make the F-ing drink! Â That's what you are paid for...not your bad attempts at comedy! Â The only reason I didnt verbally attack this idiot was because I was trying not to make a scene. Â I would never go back to this place nor would I recommend anyone else go there. Â Bad service is something a service oriented establishment should never tolerate...so, after you clean the place, perhaps you should fire one of your bartenders as well!
Review Source:I go to Kingman's for their happy hour during the week ($4 cocktails? Â yes, please!) and not so much on the weekend when I hear it gets crowded and louder.
During the week it's very chill and the music is mellow enough that you can hear yourself talk.
The bartenders are all really friendly and nice, too.
Give it a shot!
Long live Kingman and his Lucky Lounge.
Excellent staff, DJs, bar, owner, menu, atmosphere, other patrons. Only positive experiences, and many, many of them.
This is the place you bring a date you want to go home with. Â Grown n sexy. Â 100%.
Way more soulful than hipster. Way more. Â Which is why its so special.
Probably my favorite bar in any city.
Came here on all Hallow's Eve.. there was supposed to be a Halloween 80's party but, there was no sign of it anywhere. We were the only peeps in costumes and the patrons were staring at us like we were crazy.
I think this place is a less divey version of Egbert Souses if you catch my drift. So, NOT the best place for me & my dude to dress up like Lawfanduh and Kip from Napoleon Dynamite. I don't think our costumes looked like costumes to the regulars. :/
Not the best margarita in town, but the drink prices were good.
I just dropped in on a Random saturday
First
Slow bartenders...people were almost having to hustle their way in to get their attention.
then...
the DJ seemed like he was enjoying himself more than anyone else, randomly throwing in whatever song he thought was appropriate (god forbid he learns to mix and transition songs) stopping to yell over the mike  something to the effect of  "F*ck all you yelp reviewing people and that he is the greatest. then he had the audacity to stop the music again to make sure we all appreciate the slow a$$ bartenders.  you kidding me??? - Although the Dj was well dressed
I bet you $20 that you get lucky @ the Lucky Lounge! Â With the beats filtering out into the street, your drawn in to a warm place where you can chill, catch a local DJ, a diverse crowd, and all-around good vibe. Â You'll mingle among Oakland's best and never feel uncomfortable in your 4 inch heels because there is plenty of comfy seating.
Stay fly!
Stopped in for a quick cocktail with a friend. Â The bar is small and cozy, and I definitely liked the vibe here. Â We grabbed seats at the bar for a drink and to chat. Â I asked the barkeep to concoct me an Old Fashioned (I like to test bartender's cocktail history). Â He did do a double take and had to think about it, but he knew the main ingredients and went to work. Â It was a nice drink. Â
I hear they also have music & dancing later at night, and will definitely have to come back here again next time I'm in Oaktown.
Was it just me or was I there on old folks night????
This is the first time I've ever been to this place. Â All my friends talk about how this place used to be the SHYT. Â I guess they should have emphasized "USED TO" a little more.
My friends and I had to be the youngest folks in there. Â Kinda reminded me of being in Sweet Jimmie's back in the day. Â
It was not crowded at all. Â The music was good but jeez louise there were some many places to sit no one was dancing. Â I heard the drinks are good but I surely didn't stay longer than 2 hours to find out.
I'm not gonna give it less than 3 stars because maybe the recession kept folks in or at another location.
To be continued on this place :)
At this point, with half of my reviews about bars, I should probably give up the ruse of being a general Yelper and acknowledge that I'm a lush. However, I'm not ready for that step yet--and there ARE actually non-drinking establishments that I want to review. Unfortunately (or fortunately!), this is not one of them.
I came to Lucky Lounge probably 4 or 5 years ago, when I was still an undergrad and went drinking with my college friend and these guys we'd met in Berkeley. It was packed that night, hip-hop bumpin', people dancing. I thought it was a great spot. But, then, I also usually spent my time at Magoo's in Pleasant Hill or Blake's on Telegraph. I've tried to find it again when I'm on Grand Ave (an infrequent occurrence), but have never been able to. That is, until last Sunday.
What I really wanted was to go to Somar. Martin W's review excited me. "Bar snacks AND cucumber water gratis?!?" I thunk to myself. So I grabbed my friend and to Uptown we headed. Unfortunately, Somar isn't opened on Sunday, so no Uptown Bitter for me. (Sad face.) So we decided to head to the Grand Ave area to find an establishment that would serve cocktails. And when I said "cocktail," I don't mean rum and Coke; I mean an honest to god cocktail, some fancy, overpriced shit--'cause that's what I was in the mood for.
So we happened upon Lucky Lounge, and am I ever glad we did. It was pretty empty (the bartender, who earns points for being extra friendly, said it was slower than usual), some cool music was playing (and also some not-so-cool music), and I had a much more clear view of the interior than on my initial visit. The inside of this place is both boutiquey and sexy, with dim, red lighting and furniture that is reminiscent of old Hollywood. I enjoy this.
Moreover, happy hour lasts from 5-8pm. I believe you save $2 on every well drink during that time. I got a Sidecar for $5, which is certainly a reasonable price. My friend took a little longer deciding on his drink, so ended up paying about $10 after tip, but the drink he got (featured on their cocktail menu) was delightful. I'm a relatively cheap drinker, so my second beverage, a Whiskey Sour, was only $6. Again, my friend's was more in the $10 range.
Overall, if you're looking for a nice, somewhat swanky but overall really chill place to have a couple drinks, Lucky Lounge is a great spot. They don't have beer on tap, but the bottled selection is pretty decent. I'd say they have at least 12 different beer options. The cocktails may be more expensive than I'm used to, but they're also sexier than anything I would order at, say, the Stork Club--and, just as importantly, the ones we had were well-made (though my Whiskey Sour was a little too sweet, prior to the addition of some extra lemon juice). This isn't just a place for beers and shots; it's a place to have a few cocktails and, well, lounge. Plus, it's right across the street from two dives, so you can go get drunk for cheap after blowing $20 on two drinks.
And, I mean, the bartender overheard my friend and me talking about Madonna and how she is awesome and played his favorite Madonna song for us. That's pretty awesome, if you ask me.
Oh, Lucky Lounge. Â How I used to love you. Â This place *WAS* really cool, once upon a time.
My friend and I decided to get shit faced on a Sunday night to celebrate his acceptance to Pharmacy school. Â Pharm School Boy forgot his I.D., however - he had a valid passport on hand. Â Pharm School Boy gets solicited for I.D. by the bartender and gets rejected. Â According to Bartender, Pharm School Boy's passport cannot be used as identification or verification of age. Â
Why sir? Â We have no clue...
Bartender starts ranting and raving, while we both stood there - stuck in complete confusion. Â I tried to interject and politely remind him that passports are used as a form of age verification and is the *ONLY* thing (besides a Visa) that could get you in and out of the country.
Bartender then starts yelling at us, stating that this establishment could be shut down, if OPD raided their bar. Â Dude. Someone has their panties in a bunch. Â We *CLEARLY* looked way over the age of 21. Â It was a SUNDAY night for God's sake. Â Who the fuck would raid your establishment at 11:00 p.m.?! Â Buzz kill. Â
Long story short: We decided to *NOT* argue with Bartender and left to Easy Lounge, where they happily accepted a passport as a form of identification! Â Bartender with the black nails and meth mouth teeth, please refrain from being so *RUDE* in the future. Â
Kingman, if you're reading my review...I met you once outside of the Ivy Room. Â You seemed pretty business savvy: always hired the most down to earth staff, drinks were always strong, and establishment always donned with nice decor. Â What the hell happened to Lucky Lounge?! Â I demand a recall. Â Fire them all...
...okay, maybe not all...but just him.
I've been here a few times and have always had decent experiences, until recently. Â I've noticed that the place has gotten emptier each time I've been there, so I'm not sure what that's all about. Â It may have just been that we showed up early, before the crowd arrived. Â
The last time I went here about 3 months ago, the bartender (asian with glasses and huge knobby earrings) was a TOTAL EFFING DOUCHEBAG. Â He insulted me when I asked him to make a drink for me, and we left immediately, even though he had already made drinks for my husband and his friend. Â We went down the street to the bar in Camino and had some lovely cocktails while we waited for our reservation at another restaurant. Â I will never come back to Lucky Lounge. Â I have never had such rude service.
What a lame bar. I admit that places like the Lucky Lounge are simply not my scene. I feel so out of place where people go dressed up to be seen in their halter tops and heels. I definitely much prefer a good pub or sports bar with lots of beer on tap. One of the things I always hate about lounges, and Lucky Lounge is no different: no beers on tap. It kills me!
This is more of a place for cocktails, which just so happen to be fucking expensive. Like, retarded expensive. I say this because my girlfriend ordered a Saint Rita. A Saint Rita, as it turns out, is not a special cocktail. It's a margarita. Nor is it a large margarita. It's a margarita that comes in a small tumbler and goes for $9. That's a fucking ridiculous price.
Anyhow, they also have a dress code which involves no hats, and that's a policy that irks me no matter where I go. Again, I know this isn't my kind of place, and I'm sure for certain people this is a happenin' place to be. But for me, I'll go where the beers are flowing and the music I'm hearing is bumpin' from a jukebox filled with Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash.
I enjoyed my evening at the Lucky Lounge. Â They serve my favorite bourbon (Blanton's) and the furniture is very comfortable. Â I'm told the mojitos aren't as good as the ones you get in Florida, but I don't like mojitos so I don't think I could tell the difference.
We were there on a Monday when the bar was decidedly empty. Â When we left, only the philosopher/bartender and the DJ were left. Â I hope someone comes later to buy some drinks; they seemed like nice folk and they probably need the tips.
The couches are a great place for conversation. Â It was probably more who I was there with than the coziness, but hours flew by in no time at all.
In scanning other reviews, I see the place gets packed on the weekends. Â I don't think I'd like this place as a packed bar. Â I'm just going to say it's extremely pleasant for a weekday drink.
I definitely enjoy hanging out at Lucky Lounge, but lately I have noticed the place smells! With that aside the vibe is always chill, and very relaxing. On the weekends this place can get packed, so if you think your gonna come here to get your groove on, think again. This place is truly a lounge, place to come and mingle with all the great people of the Bay Area.
If you are not feeling the club scene, don't wanna get dressed up, and don't want to pay a cover charge this is the place for you.
I used to frequent this place quite often about 5 years ago. During that time it was crackin' during the week. Cool crowd, good drinks at competitive prices.
I had not been in quite a while and stopped by because I had some time to kill before an appointment, and sure enough I received the same service that I have grown accustomed to. I was greeted by a friendly bartender and it was a Tuesday evening, so I was able to take advantage of the happy hour menu. Happy hour is between 5p and 8p..niiiice! A lot of happy hours end earlier than that.
Good music and a nice place for a female to go by herself and have good conversation and not be harassed or feel uncomfortable.
positive note:
*Tess is one of the coolest bartender I've ever met. Have her mix u a drink and its a definite hit.
*The motif gives you that chill relaxing environment.
*DJ definitely knows what disc to spin to unwind the craziness out of Oaklanders
on the negative:
*I hope that the owner hire atleast one security/bouncer during weekdays. Â My friend and I were too concerned for Tess so we stayed the whole time till closing. Â There was some drunk fight when we got there and it seems like it was an unfinished deal. Â
Overall:
Great venue (considering oakland)
Amazing Bartender
Good Dj
Great place to unwind
I really enjoy the feel of lucky lounge. It looks like a fancy parlor in an old school house of ill repute. The drinks are good, the bartenders are nice. The crowd varies a lot depending on the night, but I've been here with girlfriends, for after dinner drinks, and for happy hours, and always enjoyed myself. The DJ plays chill music, and the furniture is nice and comfy.
Besides with the Lake right there just begging for a moonlight stroll, what more can you ask for?
Who knew Oakland has nice lounges? Â Okay... so i just make assumptions. Â I haven't gone out looking for lounges so maybe there are a lot of great lounges in Oakland but the outsides of these places are so deceiving. Â I, for the most part, have no interest in walking into a barred, graffiti decorated dark lounge. Â Key words are "for the most part." Â There may be situations where i will want to.
Back to Lucky Lounge... I actually think this place is really nice and classy with comfortable chairs and sofas. Â The inside isn't too dark but it's not so bright you're squinting like you're looking into the sun. Â The bartenders are really awesome and have quite a heavy hand. Â The crowd is really nice and laid back as well. Â
I've been here twice and had a great time each trip. Â Both times have been after a Coach Sushi night. Â Even when we're acting like an ass, people don't mind and and just do their own thing. Â I have pictures that documented that night... and let me just say that i was one of the trashiest things in that place. Â Sad day for me. Â Â I would like to think that i'm classy on a regular basis and proud of it, so this is hard for me to admit. Â Let's take a poll... who thinks i'm trashy?
Thanks Lucky Lounge for the good times! Â I'll see you on our next sushi night.
I don't drink.
SO... why in the hell am I reviewing a bar?
Because, every time I have been here, I've enjoyed myself. The DJ has spun tracks from Hall & Oates, Simply Red, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Michael Jackson, Tribe Called Quest, Native Tongues, et al.
It's a cool place for me and friends to come and sit, groove, laugh at people, talk and vibe. Also I'm guaranteed to get hit on by drunken white women. Always funny.
I don't go often. But when I do, it's a good time.
I *HEART* The Lucky Lounge. I really think it has something for everyone. I like diversity - and this place has it...everything from the ghetto fab, complete with grills and rhinestone jeans to the skinny jeaned, long banged emo dude with too much eye liner, and everything in between. The owner pops in a couple nights a week to hang out with regulars, and make sure things are going smoothly. Kingman interviews new DJ's whenever someone shows an interest, so things are always fresh and never stagnant. The drinks are strong, a little pricey, but I'll spend the extra $1 to not have to hang at smoker friendly Smitty's across the way. It's a great place to stop by yourself after work for happy hour, read a book on a comfy couch with Portishead or Mary J. Blige playing in the background, until the nightly DJ comes in to liven things up.
When I first moved to The Bay I had told a friend about The Lucky Lounge, and she immediately snarled her face and said "Oh...that's that mixed club."...and to me that's what it is and what I like about it....it's a place where people from every walk of life come for a little classy ambiance, but is still the neighborhood bar.
P.S. - Amanda and Jay are the BEST bartenders ever, and are not above brownie or rice krispie treat bribes.
This is my favorite lounge in Oakland!
The best time to go is during the week, when there is not a strict dress code or unsavory crowd. The Bartenders are friendly and the after-work crowd during the week could not be better.
The DJ is great, plays a good selection of music that is perfect for a lounge such as this.
Pretentious, yuppified establishment with dress code. Â This type of thing doesn't go over very well in Oakland in general, and the fact that they are situated between a bunch of funky old Grand Ave. restaurants and shops makes their self-imposed sense of style somewhat laughable. Â I've been there several times and always manage to wind up across the street at the Alley before too long. Â In a nutshell, the drinks are overpriced, the patrons always look bored, the music is some trendy electro crap and you can't even roll in wearing a hat or the grumpy bouncer will get on your case. Â My bad, I thought that the point of going out to a club was to have fun, not to sit around and look at each other all night.
Iunno, maybe some people like this kind of a scene, but even so, there's a thousand bars in SF that do this type of thing only better. Â I won't be returning anytime soon.
My friend and I went here for Happy Hour (5-8pm). Â I think it's $2 off well drinks and $1 off beer. Â Don't take my word for it. Â I ordered a mojito so those special prices don't apply to me.
It was pretty mellow. Â I like that the bartender takes shots with the patrons. Â There were probably a dozen people in there at 7. Â Nice crowd for some people watching. Â I only wish they had food food or even some light snacks. Â How am I supposed to drive home after consuming a bunch of alcohol with no food to soak it up?
btw: kudos for the clean bathroom!
Lucky Lounge reminds of a hotel lobby bar. Â Especially with the red paint and the slightly mix-matched assortment of couches. Â Combine that with a pretty interesting mix of patrons that shifts from young professionals to East Bay bohemians to baby thugs and everything in between. Â
Drinks are good. Â I particularly enjoyed the Ginger Fizz. Â I think I prefer Easy Lounge, but this is another nice place in the area.
This place is so schizo. Â Multiple personalities. Â I like it sometimes and other times I hate it. Â
Happy hour, some evenings it is a chill vibe, good people with relaxed attitudes. Â
I went on Saturday night with two friends and it felt like the music stopped as soon as we walked in. Â I don't know what it was, but it was like this was a party for all of the cool kids and we were members of the math team. Â High school flashbacks. Â Anyways, it wasn't very friendly and the chill vibe felt more like evil stares. Â I'd rather go to Easy lounge..
Red red red...and perfect for this redhead. Maybe it's bc I'm called "Lucky" by those in the inner circle, but I love this place. Love the vibe, good happy hour, wonderful atmosphere, cozy couches and seating and velvet curtains. A place you can stop in for a drink, or sit for an hour.
Nice mix of local patrons, approachable bartenders and a nice way to ease into the night. I've only been there post work , pre-sundown, but so far so good.
Love this place for a good cocktail, a comfy sofa, and a cool crowd. Â Unpretentious and mellow, mellow, mellow. Â
The short-haired woman at the bar makes a tasty mojito. Â
I like the atmosphere at Kingman's so much that I'll even overlook the people I saw having sex in the bathroom. Â I just won't sit on the seat.
Another Grand Lake/Lakeshore Vegas wannabee that has about as much excitement as watching paint dry.
Here's the simple formula at this establishment: OVER-PRICED Drinks, overly trendy, arrogant, haughty owner who thinks he's hip and inflated egos saturate a bar whose attitude-heavy bartenders make your limited stay miserable.
FULL DISCLOSURE DEPT: I was "86ed" at this hellhole because I had the audacity to have "too much of a good time". Don't  have too much of a good time here otherwise the owner will tell you to leave.
He's apparently concerned about people who appear to be overly intoxicated, but incredibly, seems to overlook the fact that there appears to be massive amounts of  shady activities going on inside the premises.
I haven't been here for several years and don't plan on going back with my new girlfriend Paris Hilton.
AVOID!, AVOID!, AVOID...Go to Levende instead...much cooler, better bar, and people who look the part; unlike the "Loser Lounge" where everyone looks like rejects from the backlot of an "American Idol" audition show.
I havent been here in a few years (moved overseas) but when I lived in Oaktown I always enjoyed going to Kingman's Lucky Lounge - apparently Kingman, the asian owner dude sometimes behind the bar, nice guy, has also opened up another venture in the east bay.
Anyway this place was always like walking into a Janet Jackson video. Great east bay vibe, gorgeous mixed crowd, incredible easy atmosphere.
I like this place because the crowd is chill and so is the atmosphere. Â It's somewhere between upscale and dive bar as are the prices. Â Â
Last night I walked in wearing my grubbiest all-day-painting-my-new-apartment outfit complete with smudge marks all over it. Â I ran into a girl wearing a full length gown fit for the red carpet. Â That kind of epitomizes the diversity you find here as well as the come as you are attitude.
I went here on weekday night, so I realize its probably an offnight...
Will come here again to check it out on more happening nights, but from what I did see, I like...honestly though, please, more bathrooms! Â But it was nice that they did have a lot of seating and good decor...the cosmo I had though was kinda blehhhhh...
Update to come! stay tuned!
Kingman's Lucky Lounge reminds me a of a hotel lobby/lounge/bar. Â Although they gave a sweet deal of $2 off all hangar one drinks, and the bartenders were quite nice, I must say, as an extremely impatient person, I was not satisfied with their need for speed. :o( Â Minus one star! Otherwise, I had a grand old time trying out their different unique concotions like Luck Be a Lady and Hangar One Kiefer Lime Giblet. Beware - drinks are very very delicious! DJ was spinning some cool beats but Yelpers were the only fools dancing! I'd rather be a fool and dance all night than not dance.
I shall be back ya hear and I'm bringing my backup dancers with me!
PS- Sammy P totally made my night! I will never ever forget the first time I've ever seen someone growling at a complete stranger. Hahahha!
Kingman's Lucky Lounge has all the ingredients necessary to fuel a superior Saturday night. No cover, an exceptional DJ (fflood) who will warm your ears with refreshingly intuitive & eclectic soulful grooves, a diverse and full-of-good-vibes crowd, and fine drinks.
Absolutely worth the drive from the city!
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