Virgin Yelp review here... :) And a few other firsts as well - first lunch & check-in at Old I, and first photo posted to Yelp!
On 3/4/13, Met the hubby outside my office & strolled a few blocks down to Old Ironsides for lunch. I was looking forward to eating there as I've heard the food is great!
Walked in shortly before noon and there was only one party seated at one of the little circular booths. Hubby & I often sit at the bar when we go out to eat (faster seating) so we grabbed a couple stools at the counter, even though it wasn't crowded at the time.
From the outside, Old Ironsides' building is very nondescript. Inside, it's got some  character. Wood interior, a small coat closet right inside the door, small circular booths along one wall, and what I can only imagine - authentic, old school Pabst decor along the bar. If my memory serves me correctly, Old I holds the area's oldest liquor license west of Mississippi. I believe the menu states it opened in 1939 - how's that for a little local history?
The bartender (unfortunately I've already forgotten his name) came right over to take our drink orders & give us menus. As usual, I had a hard time deciding as several options appealed to me, but I happened to see something on their Daily Special board that caught my eye... A Sunny side Burger - with of course, a Sunny side up egg on it, and fries on the side. Hubs ordered the meatloaf sandwich, and a cup of soup to start. We didn't wait long for our order. However, hubby's soup never came, but he was quite happy with just the sandwich as it was hearty, flavorful and quite filling.
My burger was big, tasty and kinda messy - as one might expect due to the runny egg yolk. The crinkle cut fries were nice and crispy, just like I like 'em. I happily took it all down leaving nary a crumb on my plate.
Our bartender was great. Friendly and attentive, but not overly so. Kept my glass full without me asking once. Found out he also handles bookings for the nightly entertainment at Old I, which is cool!
The only downside to my experience was that it was a little bit of a challenge trying to take bites outta my big burger & not make a mess while leaning over the arm cushion of the bar counter!
I will definitely be back again to try other things on the menu... Heard the garlic chicken sandwich is delicious, and a coworker friend told me she likes many of their salad offerings too.
This place is really cute. Looks like a typical bar on the outside, but when you come in.. it has a diner feel. Owned by a couple, the food has its own yummy character.
Typical salads, burgers, and sandwiches. Nothing super fancy, but everything home made and fast to get you some food fuel.
I ordered the terriyaki burger. A good size piece of salmon, glazed with terriyaki sauce (a bit too much) and grilled. Wedged between two pieces of bread and dressed with lettuce, tomato, and cheese? I ordered mine with just lettuce and avocado. Served with your choice of salad or fries.
It was pretty good, but too saucy. I would've also liked my burger bun dry since I'm not a fan of dairy. Otherwise, the price is good.
The service is great and the servers are really quick and good about checking up on you.
I love the music!!! I went here on a Saturday night when there was a DJ playing various british pop. It reminded me of the bars in London, very charming with colorful personalities. Sadly, Sacramento is lacking bars with great vibes such as this one. It only gets 4 stars because the drinks could use a little work.
Review Source:This is my second visit to Old Ironsides, but I can't seem to remember the first time I came here!  Shows how memorable this place was.  This historical bar and grill is pretty standard and fits the dive bar criteria.  Somewhat dark, somewhat gloomy with no interesting décor to speak of with a few TV's at the bar that features your only entertainment.  I read that it was established in the early 1930's.  They have a back room area that is used as a night club where live music, dancing and Karaoke happen on certain nights. Â
That's how my boyfriend knew about bringing me here on a Thursday night.  His brother-in-law "Jaco Moe" is part of an event called "Music Night".  Anyone who loves to play music or just listen and enjoy can participate:  <a href="http://www.yelp.com/events/sacramento-music-night-jam-old-ironsides">http://www.yelp.com/even…</a>  When we arrived, multiple band members were playing and singing along to some old classics.  People (young and old), slowly trickled in with their instruments from guitars, drums, bass, fiddle, organ, accordion, even a saw!  Now that's entertainment!  One of the women players brought some extra "easy to use" music makers for the layman to try out!  There were shakers, tambourines, cymbals, wooden sticks, and flutes.  I used the shakers and after a few drinks, was pretty confident with my musical skills!  Ha! Ha!  Well, I thought I was!  At least no one seemed to give me any disapproving looks! Â
We had 3 1/2 hours of music making fun. Â The bartenders were up beat and friendly and the drinks made our night even more enjoyable! Â I found "Music Night" to be an original form of entertainment and a great way for musicians to come by and show off their talents. Â I don't know when the next get together will be, but I look forward to going to the next one! Â In the meantime, I'll be practicing at home with my maracas, and maybe even get discovered.......
I absolutely love this place! Old Ironsides is one of my favorite lunch spots because it's not too far away from my office; the staff is friendly and wonderful; and I have not had anything on the menu that disappointed me.
STAFF and ATMOSPHERE
I've become a regular at Old Ironsides. I love the staff and how well they treat their customers. Sam, the mustachioed owner that runs the bar at lunch-time, is sweet, always makes me feel welcome, knows my name, and is fun to chat with while waiting on an order. Â The place has an older feel to it, a place where you feel comfortable and everyone knows your name. Lol... not Cheers. ;)
FOOD
The food is superb. I stuck with a few dishes at first but eventually worked myself through the various items on the menu. I honestly have enjoyed each one I tried. Their specials aren't listed as regular menu items, so look out for them on the blackboard. There are dishes that will blow your mind! *Hint: try the lamb.* ^_^
**Sam told me that they will be updating their menu soon! I'm excited to try whatever they dish out.**
PRICE
It's fairly priced for dining downtown. A meal can range from $6.50 to $13.00, depending on what you get. Burgers and big salads will be around $8. The higher-end meals are totally worth it!
NIGHTLIFE
I haven't attended their night scene, but they have live bands regularly. They also entertain parties if you call ahead and make reservations.
Super divey with good food and friendly staff!
I've only been here for lunch but I heard the night life is pretty awesome!
Bloody mary is delish here! I'm a huge fan of the grilled blue cheese sandwich! To make it "healthier" I always ask for it on wheat with no butter, lol. Yum, yum, yum! The salads are good too!
What I don't like about this place is that it's so dark! But at night what does it matter when there's a live band playing!
Check this place out! :)
Cheap drinks. Live music. Sometimes even a DJ! The bartenders are friendly and rather good even if sometimes they don't know how to make a fairly standard mixed drink.
Lunch time here is pretty decent. Nothing spectacular on the menu but definitely much better than bad. The food was served hot and fresh but was just a little too cafeteria standard to tickle my tongue. Great place to have a good beer and lunch though.
One of my favorite lunch spots in midtown. Â
Service is friendly and prompt, and the food is delicious and well-priced. Â I typically can't break away my usual garlic steak sandwich, but do make an exception for one of their tasty lamb dishes. Â I love the large carafe of iced tea.
Today was a real testament to their prompt service. Â There was a large party celebrating a retirement. Â Despite this, and my usual O.I. partner-in-crime's predictions that it would be slow service, we were in, fed, and out in less than 40 minutes. Â And our tab was under $22.
Today we thought breaking from the norm would be a good idea, but we were a tad disappointed. My vodka and tonic tasted like a glass of flat Sprite and my coworker's rum and coke was mostly coke. Sad about our choice to branch out, we decided to try out the food menu.
I had the bbq chicken sandwich (w/cheddar) and she had the grilled bleu cheese sandwich w/clam chowder. My sandwich was actually quite good. The chicken was tender. Sometimes breast meat is really dry, but this sandwich did all the right things. The only thing missing was bacon, which I should have added. The waitress told me the bbq sauce is homemade, and I definitely appreciated its flavor. Unfortunately, the fries left much to be desired. I think maybe they were cooked to death and beyond. Next time I'll have a salad on the side.
My coworker enjoyed her grilled bleu cheese sandwich and I second her on that. The flavors were absolutely wonderful and totally unexpected. As a bleu cheese fan, I fully intend to order that should I venture to Old Ironsides again, which will probably happen.
Overall, the experience was "ok". I liked the booth, the place was clean, the staff was friendly, it was easily accessible, and I liked my food. Now, if they could just work on those drinks...
Chill scene with music venues that hit the spot, along with world-class bar tenders Louis and Gonzo... and can't forget security man, Abraham. Â All good! Â
I'm hesitant to share the world-famous band members we ran into last week after catching the Black Keys LIVE for the second night in a row, but here's a hint... One was the Lead Vocalist and renown rock Guitarist, and the other was a tall, friendly, off-the-charts talented drummer. Â We were BLOWN the F'away when they walked into Old Ironsides and though I risked my life in the process (appropriately protective and terrifying BK body guards), we got a picture before they left.
Go to Old Ironsides, often... It's a worthy venue for music enthusiasts and they serve tasty nutrition and adult beverages. Â Dan A. had a TALL glass of Maker's Mark, (handmade Kentucky whisky) and a Greyhound or two. Â Patrick stuck with suds -- we followed their lead. Â What an EPIC night!
Finally came here for lunch the other day and found that it's a completely different atmosphere during the day. The room that is a dark dance floor at night turns into a well lit and nicely appointed space with tables and chairs when the sun is up. Service is great and the food, wow, the food is excellent!
I had the Mediterranean which is a lamb burger with greek dressing and it was delicious. Others in my party had various hamburgers including the Bleu Cheese Burger, salads, and even a Steak Sandwich. Everything looked and smelled amazing and I will definitely be going back to try the steak sandwich and garlic fries on a day when I don't have afternoon meetings and I don't have to worry about offending someone with my breath after eating garlic!
Old Ironsides is a great place for lunch... it's cozy, parking is free and the food is excellent!
This place is my go to restaurant when meeting people because it's easily accessible and has a good variety of menu items.
I think this is a family-owned business and I do have to mention that one of the waitresses clearly hates working here.... I have never seen her smile or say "you're welcome." Â Not friendly at all.
Nevertheless, this is still one of my favorite spots.
I've been to Old Ironsides a few times at night, normally lateish for a beer after having been elsewhere for dinner, and it has been great for that (and I am normally three sheets to the wind by then too). However, today I went for lunch (sober), so this review is based on that.
To me, Old Ironsides is the opitome of an old school dive bar. They serve a good range of well priced alcohol, the staff are friendly and welcoming and the food is surprisingly good (as well as being reasonably priced).
Don't expect 5-star dining, but if you want good solid bar/grill type food, you won't be disappointed.
The only downside to our lunchtime visit today was that we arrived at the same time as a big party of people, so our food took a long time to arrive, but to be fair that was out of their control, and our waitress was on her first day on the job, so she was a little unsure of some of the items, but she was nice and friendly.
I'd be more than happy to go back for lunch again, and will most likely do so on a semi-regular basis.
Charming dive bar that is the oldest bar in Sacramento. I love coming here for Lipstick and I also enjoy seeing bands here. I have seen some of my very favorite shows here. I have also had a great time when I come here. The cover is generally between $5-7 (total deal) and the drinks are inexpensive. The bartenders never act snotty or put out if you ask for soda or water.
The interior is small and dark and a little claustrophobic, but that is part of what I like about it. Such an intimate atmosphere and a great place to see a live band. There is such energy here.
They also have velvet fuzzy wallpaper in the bar - which I think is great! I will hopefully continue to see shows here for quite a long time.
If you are over 40 and want to feel your age, go to Old Ironsides on a Friday or Saturday night. Â The music is loud as I would expect it to be and it is not the kind of music that I feel comfortable with. Â It is young, claustrophobic, and uncomfortable with service only available at the bar. Â Did I mention dark and smelly?
The music and dance floor is in one room with the bar and seating in another. Â If you need to use the bathroom, you have to crowd your way past the dance floor. Â It is kind of an awkward arrangement in my opinion.
I have been back during the week when it is a little quieter. Â Unfortunately it still has the dark, dank, cave with vintage repulsive, wreaking, cigarette stained walls that give you the feeling of being in the ever constricting stomach of a snake vibe like so many other places around Sacramento. Â I know plenty of people that enjoy that kind of atmosphere but it is not my personal favorite.
If you are in your twenties and not part of the Ultra Park Lounge crowd, you will probably love this place.
Neat Old Dive with a warm home kind of feeling.
I knew of this place for a very long time though I don't typically go to bars.
For this instance, I came here to check out the open mic night with a group of friends. One of my friend's friend were playing. Coming in, the bar tender greeted us like a mutual friend which was cool. Really awesome service and feel.
Great prices for beers too with a limited selection they had.
Open mic night was pretty awesomely set up.
There was free food for the guests!
Great bands and people playing.
No one sucked!
Recommended for open mic night!
Pros: Open Mic Night, Service, Prices, Antique'd
Cons: Space
Stars: 3.75
LOCAL SACRAMENTO WATERING HOLE TAKES IT UP A NOTCH WITH MUSIC & DANCE MADNESS WITH "LIPSTICK" and "FASCINATION"
THE SIT-REP Â (Situation Report)
*DIVE! Â DIVE! Â DIVE!* Â [NO. Â That is not a command with the KLAXON HORN alert indicating that a SUB is SUBMERGING, but rather the heads-up that we have entered the "DIVE BAR" ZONE!]
What can I say about Old Ironsides? Â FREAKIN AWESOME PLACE! Â It seems like I'm here at least 2-3 times a month! Â Last time was only last week the UYE Humpy hour. Â People! Â You can't beat $2 PBRs!
And it does have the dual-distinction of being BOTH a convenient day-time work luncheon location, as well as one of the my PRIME social Meccas for night-life!
TALLY Â UP
So (1) between blue cheeseburgers during the day to drool over, (2) and $2 Pabst on tap beers at night, (3) and then the work get-togethers celebrating a birthday during the day. or (4) the Humpy Hour, and (5) THEN throw in Tuesday Night LIPSTICK with DJ Roger Carpio and DJ Sean Slaughter at night, you got a winning combination!
But there's MORE! Â (6) My friend Natalie Liquori (aka DJ Dark Star) also hosts FASCINATION, the Retro 80s - Dark Wave night every 2nd Saturday. Â And (7) THEN promoter Jerry Perry brings some of the BEST musical acts to Old I for live performances that are to die for to see! Â (8) Recently even saw my work buddy MARCUS CORTEZ perform live there, creating an even FURTHER MYSTIFYING combination of both a WORK crowd AND SOCIAL crowd mixing in my world! Â
Woo-hoo!
THE LOWDOWN
WHAT FREAKIN FUN! Â I love this place!
It's a dive in the best sense of the word. Old Ironsides is one of the more popular bars of its kind in Sacramento and I can totally see why. No frills, just a cool bar, a centrally-located space and a large dance floor/stage that is great for up-close-and-personal views of quality local bands.
While I'm tempted to knock off a star because the music sucked the last time I was there (really DJ, does this look like the hip hop crowd?), I can't discount the fact that this was the exception to the norm and Ironsides is usally pretty good about bringing in quality indie acts.
One other gripe: the place can get pretty packed on a weekend, and I know that can sometimes be a negative for winos like me who like easy bar access. Consider yourself warned. :)
It's hard to say for sure but if Anthony Bourdain came to Sacramento and I had just 1 day to show him the coolest parts of the 916, I think Old I would be a destination. Definitely for the always kick-ass shows that tireless music promoter, lover of Sac and up-and-coming band advocate Jerry Perry puts on if not also for the food and history of the place. Seriously, show up at Old I on any given night they have live bands and if you are open to it, you will probably experience something awesome, whether it's young indie kids, punk rock legends, rock-a-billy locals, touring 19 year olds who have played 23 shows in the last 25 days, unusual tribute shows or just a good ole fashioned hoedown.
Their food during the day is some of the best in town. Try the meatloaf sandwich: it's the best I've ever had! Also, the Mediterranean chicken sandwich is a savory delight with a blackened, flavorful chicken breast and feta cheese. They make homemade soup everyday as well, and that alone would drive me here every day if I worked nearby.
Just plain awesome for for live music and few drinks. Nothing fancy, but not a total dive bar from my perspective. The stage is right on the floor making for some really excellent and intimate performances. Lot's of great indie acts pass through Sac, and Ironsides is a great venue to catch a few of them.
They have a full bar and a some decent local beers on tap (sierra, anchor steam) along with the obligatory PBR. They offer pitchers on draft beer as well so you can save a couple bucks if you're with a group. Most of the bartenders are pretty efficient even on busy nights, but I don't usually have great expectations when the place is packed.
One thing to note, you will almost always be paying a $5-$10 cover after 9 or 10pm. They have live music or a dance-DJ almost every night they are open and can't recall a time I didn't have to drop a few bucks at the door.
I've been to Old I for group lunches in the past, but this week, this was me and my coworkers' spot to watch the World Cup semis during lunch.
Mr. Bartender sells those daily specials like hot cakes, since 90 percent of the people order it after he describes all of the goodies in them. I'm not a huge fan of steak (that was the special for both days I was there), so I passed and ordered the Cajun Veggie Burger the first day and a Turkey Club the second. Both were flavorful and not extremely messy to eat. I haven't regretted asking for crinkly fries over salad. They're so crisp! Â
Thank you Old I for provided necessary entertainment and great food in the middle of a work day!
It appears that I've been quite liberal with the 4's and 5's of late. Â But I can't help it! Â I've had a long string of really good luck!
When I was living 7 blocks away from this place, I stopped in a few times for drinks. Â Checked out a couple bands. Â Big deal. Â You serve PBR, you're probably a dive bar. Â Cool; nothin' wrong with that whatsoever. Â A week ago, I went in for lunch, after I remembered watching a segment on one of those stupid morning news shows. Â The cook was on there making a tri-tip sandwich with bleu cheese sauce or something.
My first Old I lunch experience was just over the top. Â The soup of the day was lentil and bacon. Â What did I say about bacon? Â I'm a Christian; I love Jesus. Â Know why? Â Several reasons, but this one's important: Â even though He was (is!) Jewish, one thing HE WOULD NOT DO is deny me bacon. Â But I digress . . .
I also ordered . . . you guessed it . . . the BLT. Â Two contenders, in a tie for 2nd place for Sac's BLT: Â Fog Mountain and Magpie. Â Sorry . . . this one killed them both. Â Grilled sourdough, sprinkled with parmesan cheese; the LT with light mayo, plus more B than I've ever had in a sandwich EVER. Â Throw on a cup of this lentil/bacon nirvana and a Coke, for $10.50 or so? Â I was too thru!
A few days later, I went back and got the Tuesday special, the tri-tip plate, with that bleu cheese sauce, mashed potatoes, and spinach (WITH BACON!) Â I'll die early (and broke, 'cause this one costs $13.95), but I'll die happy. Â Is there a jukebox in there? Â Because while I'm stifling moans of pleasure, barely avoiding embarrassing myself by licking my plate, I'm hearing hits from the 40's. Â
On my 3rd lunch there in a week, the bartender greets me and laughs, probably because he knows I'm trying to avoid the place and can't.
Oh my Old I. This is the place where I met Jackie Green, asked for a light and he obliged. This is the place I think about when I miss old friends that have moved or married. This is also the place that has spawned Sacramento's music scene and my past love for tortured rock souls.
But until recently I had relegated it entirely to the past. I'm glad they had their 75th birthday and I hope they turn out another decade of memories for me and the rest of Sacramento once again.
Long time occasional Sacramento resident, first time Old Iron patron.
I came early on Tuesday where I had $2 pints (9-11 pm) of Downtown Brown and Anchor Steam. Â I enjoyed this deal, the happy [after]hour. Â After a few beers with some pals and a surprise visit by one of my hermanos then the Lovemakers played a few songs. Â
Although I am one who long lost faith in music still I can appreciate the merits of a band and the group playing at this joint seemed pretty good in the indie pop sort of way. Â The small room made for close quarters with the group and so you could see the blood, sweat, and tears (figuratively speaking). Â Also, your ears will ring through the evening until the next day.
This experience was thoroughly a five star experience as a bar would go.
Old I is my favorite place to see a show. Great lineups and great crowd.
A pretty wide variety of acts perform from country twang to punk rock, thanks to Jerry Perry. The crowd is not as stand-offish as at other venues. People actually let loose, dance, and generally act a fool here. Best place to spend New Year's Eve, hands down.
The place is small, but can pack a lot of people in. The stage is tiny and the ceiling is crazy low. So low that freakishly tall lead singers have been known to bonk their head on it when rocking out. The sound is pretty good, but not the best in town. The back-to-basics feel is part of the appeal.
There's very few douches, and at bigger shows like New Year's Eve parties, the douches generally get kicked out before causing too much trouble. The security steps in when needed, but generally just hangs to the side and outside, so the fun isn't hampered.
I don't drink, so I can't vouch for the bar aspect. I wish they had a jug of water off to the side. The bartenders are pretty nice about refilling water cups, though.
The jukebox is pretty cool and loaded with a lot of local music. The ladies bathroom is kinda gross, but I've seen worse.
Old I is to Sacramento what CGBG is to New York City, except it doesn't feature as much punk.
I agree this is a beautiful relic: a solid brick edifice w/ a mural on S Street, cool neon signage, a bar with true character, porthole windows, a marlin hung on the wall, and a CD jukebox -- not one of those new-fangled satellite ones.
Mixed drinks are reasonably priced, but the best part is the social scene: friendly bartenders, meet up with friends, make new ones, listen to live music and dance... Jerry Perry books local and travelling bands; he's part of this institution as well! If you don't want to stand and watch the band, you don't have to give up your barstool. A closed-circuit camera will relay the band's performance to flat-panel screens!
Tuesday night is LIPSTICK, the nine-year-and-counting indie rock dance party. Thanks to Shaun Slaughter & DJ Roger! britpop and some electro thrown in the mix keep the dancefloor packed.
This year also marks the return of Larry Rodriguez's Flower Vato dance parties on Thursdays...
Dear Old I,
Oh, how I want to hate you. Â You've come to represent everything I hate about the Sacramento music scene -- the elitism, the snottiness, the rusty vanfuls of egos raging out of control. Sometimes, in adolescent fits of rage, I just wish you would go away...but like an heiress with a highly-rated reality show, you stubbornly refuse. Â So since you insist on clinging to life as the sole reminder of the late, great mid-to-late nineties Sac music scene (RIP Cattle Club), I suppose it's only fair that I love and accept you the way I would a blind kitten with a wonky paw.
You've done so much for me for so little, Old I. Â We've been pals over the years, haven't we? Â I've gone to your shows, both good and bad. Â I've been a quiet observer, and I've been the belle of the ball inside your hallowed, sweaty, tacky, nautically-themed walls. I've done my share of illegals and vomited up the entire contents of my stomach inside the rank bathroom. Â I've stood next to the frighteningly tiny stage and fallen in love with the men who tried to jump, but just ended up knocking a panel out of the ceiling. Â When it was my band's turn to play, I didn't jump. Â I knew I wouldn't clear it and besides, I'd had a burrito earlier in the evening and I thought I'd spare my drummer the misery.
Most importantly, I've felt the hot-pink glow of rock-and-roll right-now love under the sick green lights with many a skinny punk rocker. Â Looking up at someone with the glassy-eyed sparkle that can only be described as love, drunkenness or both is an experience that I always savor with my oft-shattered heart. In short, I've touched a lot of rock cock thanks to this place, and that is totally awesome.
Long after I've left Sacramento for good, long after I lean out of a moving car window - both arms outstreched, middle fingers extended - screaming "SO LONG, SUCK TOWN!!" in my best available Homer Simpson voice...the rickety neon sign blaring "OLD IRONSIDES" will have burned a permanent scar in my mind, and in my heart.
Minus one star because the women's room always smells like piss.
I loved visiting this place! Â The drinks are cheap, but I'm comparing to Los Angeles prices... $7 for a well cosmopolitan and a beer. Â Beer on a Saturday night is only $2?! Â Awesome.
We saw Ricky Berger, who was amazing. Â She was so sweet with a loungey voice, played the keyboard, ukulele and flute! Â I liked the two separate rooms with the TV in the bar area to see what's going on in the show area. Â You can see their Live Music Calendar on their website for shows, it looks like they have shows quite often! Â
The decor was beautiful, lots of cute relics from the 1940's made it very charming. Â Ample seating for you and a few guests or a party. Â There were just enough people in here to make it interesting and also to hide a bit. Â If this place was in my town I'd go quite often! Â In fact, it reminds me of another bar I love in New Orleans called Mimi's in the Marigny. Â Awe, I love to love cute bars!
Ahhh the stopping grounds back home. Â Old Ironsides, you've given me so much, and also fucked me in the ass. Â I had too many drinks here once and well... the rest is history. Â
Ass-fucking aside, Old I is great. Â I was usually already buzzed by the time I got here so maybe it's a good thing they're drinks aren't too strong. Â But if I was in the mood for beer... well they had two of my favs. Â Downtown Brown all the way from Eureka, CA (one of the only places I've been to that has this on tap), and.... you guessed it, PBR. Â Gotta love that PBR.
At one point I was part of a secret org called TNQ, which was Tuesday NIght Quartet. Â We came to lipstick at Old I. Â We danced and we fucking owned. Â Sometimes we were shitfaced, sometimes just there to dance and sweat, sometimes there for the "meat market" (this meat market is totally vegan too).
Out front is always a blast... the guys don't tell you to get off the sidewalk and I've hung out up to an hour after the bar closes. Â You see all your friends wasted and falling down, smoke tons of ciggs, and sometimes see Downtown James Brown, the homeless crackhead, do some sweet dancing. Â Goddammit I miss Old I. Â
So why 5 stars? Â The bartenders are great, they do their best to keep up. Â The cover is reasonable and free before 10. Â The kids are nice and most of the guys are respectful of the girls. Â They have lots of great local bands play, and the sound guy knows what he's doing. Â If you spill a drink on the dance floor, it's cleaned right up, no questions asked. Â Free pretzels and tuesday night drink specials (on beer) before 11.
I need to find a place like this in Boston.
I don't think I have ever had a BAD time at Old I. Ok, scratch that...once...but that wasn't Old I's fault.
The bartenders are great, the door guys are great and if the Secretions or Knockoffs are playing you are sure to have a good time ;)
Support your local music scene - screw the dance parties - go to a show!
***UPDATE***
I felt the need to update my post after reading Chris M's review. They DO have shows at Old I - if I am not mistaking - every week. In fact they had one last night (Monday). So please readers, don't get the idea that this is only a dance club. Pick up an Alive and Kicking for more show listings.
I've frequented Old I on Tuesdays (Lipstick dance night) and it's been consistently friendly. Smaller venue; obviously perfect for a lot of local shindigs. Lipstick itself has grown out of her britches, but I like a packed dancefloor!!
I love Old I. Say hi to Art (the awesomest bartender in Sacramento; Id bet money).
Good times at that place.
I have had so many amazing experiences at this bar. I've seen shows that I will smile to recall for the rest of my life.
But it was when I was in a band that I really came to appreciate Old I. They gave us a chance when nobody knew who we were. If we were willing to work hard and promote ourselves they noticed and rewarded us. The sound guys were always great. WE GOT PAID! We were totally wiling and eager to play anywhere, any time and didn't expect to get paid. It still pissed me off though if someone would offer money and then not come through (Press Club) but Old I always delivered. They told us the deal up front and they stuck to it. And if we were too amped from playing and left without our little envelope of money you could bet it would be waiting for us behind the bar the next day.
I love Sacramento and Old I is one of the reasons why. Looking forward to many more great shows.
Have you ever wondered where one can take lunch, and have a out of the ordinary experience. Â Treat yourself to Old Ironsides. Â This modest establishment is old like the city it seems. Â Yet, the paradox is that it caters to every generation and always provides new entertainment. Â
For lunch, I had the meatloaf sandwhich which was hearty, comforting  and modestly priced along with fries.  My friend had the pesto spaghetti.  The alcohol list is varied, and multi faceted thematically, a plus.  Our waitress was succinct and helpful.
Old I is a great place.
Besides the fact that it occasionally smells like vomit. In fact, it has smelled so much in the past, it only gets 4 stars.
OLD I is a beautiful relic, all old wood inside, porthole windows and funky and interesting architecture.
The drinks are poured reasonably, and are a bit more pricey than other dives in town, but considering OLD I does music and dance parties? Its all worth it.
This place is definition of "small club" as I don't think they can safely fit more than 150 people in the whole place, so if you want to see a show in a small intimate setting, here's your place! (just don't forget the earplugs!)
Lipstick on tuesday nights is a great relief, as its something OTHER than top 40, top-40 "80s", hop hop etc. You can actually hear some decent indie and britpop and if you're really lucky, some electro.
The cover ain't much, and the monthly "Vicious" is REALLY fun... themed dance parties that can't be beat!!!
Definately more of the fixed gear riding indie kid crowd rather than the  " i have a vuitton bag" crowd.
Old I is my favorite place to see a show, and last night was one of the best shows I've ever seen. Â The Mother Truckers from Austin, Texas headlined. Â They were electrifying. Â The lead guitar was intoxicating, the vocals were commanding, and the steel guitar was amazing. Â They played loud and proud to a small crowd. Â Even though there was a low turnout of people, The Mother Truckers played as if the place was packed. Â If you ever get the chance, make sure to see or hear The Mother Truckers.
The Bottom Dwellers opened the night and were also really good. Â The Bottom Dwellers inspired me with their music and lyrics. Â They were accompanied by the steel guitar player from The Mother Truckers, which really gave a perfect layer to The Bottom Dwellers songs. Â I swear, that steel guitarist can play! Â He has mad skills.
Rowdy Kate was supposed to open before The Bottom Dwellers, but had to cancel. Â I've seen them before. Â They're a good country swing cover band.
Thanks to our friend Sacabilly to recommending the show. Â This one will go down in the record books as one of the best!
While I do not understand why the ceiling is so low or why they can't get some ventilation going, Old I is proving to be an excellent place to see a show or get my groove on. Â
I went to Vicious last night and was actually impressed by the level of music and dancing going on. Â Not to rag on Sacramento or anything, but y'all seem to be seriously lacking in good dance parties. Â I got spoiled living in San Francisco, so this was desperately needed and I will definitely be back to check out Lipstick now that I'm living in midtown.
Last night a friend of mine and went to see two shows at Old Ironsides. We found easy parking just around the corner and were there by 9pm ($8.00 cover) to see to shows play. "Bucho" and "Sol Peligro."
We ordered a pitcher of Red Horse ale for $12.00 and waited for one of the bands to start. It was nice to see a variety of ages in the crowd and everyone was very friendly. Neither of the shows started until almost 11pm however. Despite the wait, the music was a lot of fun and we enjoyed talking with friends and others mingling in the bar.
Old Ironsides was cozy with plenty of dancing room and was just a great little place to have some good drinks (we tried Red Horse ale, Anchors ale, shots of spiced rum & red headed sluts) and listen to good music. It was a fun night out!
I have not been to OI in awhile. Â This is because the prices went up at the door and the bar, and also, I had a baby. Â The last band I saw play there was The Alkali Flats. Or maybe it was Knock Knock. Â I can't actually remember, because it was definitely over a year ago.
The best show I saw there was Filibuster back before they renovated. Â The second best show was 99 Tales.
I can't believe how many bands I've seen there, and I'm sure I'm not alone. Â The only places that I think I caught more bands coming through were The Cattle Club (circa 1980s/early 90s) and The Living Room (in Goleta.)
I never tried the food. Â Only the Pabst. Â And maybe a few Rolling Rocks.
I think nowadays they pull more outside bands than the locals. Â I think some local bands have beefs with this family/bar manager, and you may not see, say, No Kill I play there anytime soon.
The thing with this place is that it's family owned, and whether you like that family or not, it's still going pretty damn strong. Â And that's great. Â For Sacramento.
Now, all we need are MORE places for  music and arts, so that the door charges at places like OI, where they get lots of bands coming through, comes down a little...
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