Nope.
We came here to support a friend's band. Â Never again. Â
Sketch location, tons of people loitering all down the block, and two bouncers at the door. Â Awesome. Â We head in and pay a $10 cover charge. Â It's a little steep for the type of show we are at, but the place looks divey so we hope drinks will be cheap to compensate. Â Wrong. Â Well drinks are weak, and way overpriced. Â
I've never, ever, seen a bar with an actual line. Â With a queue. Â And ropes. Â No, it isn't just a window--it's a full wrap around bar. Â It was bizarre. I figured this was to help speed up service but the wait for booze was still painfully long.
I kept hearing that the food was good, but frankly, I'd already paid a cover and spent far too much attempting to drink away the awkward and I wasn't up to shell out even more for a sandwich.
Bottom line: I really wanted to like Roosters. Â I just didn't.
I went here to see a band play recently. I honestly feel like i wasted my night off coming here. I ordered food and sat down...before I could even take a bite, i was yelled at to get up and show my ID at the door. Um.. i have no problem doing that but this place was completely dead. The right thing to do, would have either been to check my ID at the table or wait until I was done eating since I was a paying customer. There were about 6 flat screens with a digital silhouette of a girl dancing inappropriately. The guy at the door was really rude to me, but then apologized for being rude 2 minutes later. I took a deep breath and decided to give the place a chance. I proceeded to watch the band play and could hear the employees talking negatively about the band and the elderly couple eating together. I was honestly shocked and decided not to spend another dime. I went into the bathroom prior to leaving and it was unsanitary. The only nice person in the whole bar was the sound guy. The only positive thing about this place is the quality of sound. This place is probably one of the worst bars I have ever been to, it definitely needs to be on that show "Bar Rescue".
Review Source:We love Roosters and the owners Steve and Jocelyn. They are good people and have treated us so well over the years.
If you are looking for a fancy, hipster hot spot, this is not the place for you. However, if you are looking for a wide variety of live music, good food, reasonably priced drinks and cool owners, you are in the right spot!
I think a lot of the bad reviews have to do with when people go or people are  expecting something this place doesn't even pretend to be. They have live music most nights and it spans the gamut from high school garage bands to metal to 80's cover bands to a 20 piece big band. If you go on a night when a bunch of teenagers and/or drunken 20 somethings are there you will probably pay a cover charge, get patted down by bouncers, stand in line for beer, etc. I don't blame Steve and Jocelyn for keeping a tight lid on those nights. They don't want any trouble. If you go to the big band on Wednesday or the jazz band on Thursday it is nothing like this because those aren't the kind of crowds that come for those shows. The cover charge at the door is set by the bands, not by the owners, so if you don't like the cover charge, don't blame the establishment.
That being said, the Bob Enos big band on Wednesdays is AMAZING. Every Wednesday Bob Enos and his 18-20 piece big band, Soundwave big band play and they are not to be missed. Truly incredible, world-class talent and absolutely free! There is a jazz band playing the 1st/3rd/5th Thursdays of the month and they too are incredible and free. Most Fridays and Saturdays they have live music - anything from classic rock to cover bands to metal.
Besides the great live music, the food is really good and very affordable too. Jocelyn's lumpia is great, the pulled chicken is awesome, burgers are good.
We even had our wedding reception here. We eloped and had a lot of angry family members so we decided to just throw a big, informal party. Steve and Jocelyn closed the place down for us on a Saturday and we had, hands-down, the most fun party I could have imagined. We had about 100 guests and people are still telling us, two years later, that it was the best reception/party they have ever attended. Jocelyn went all out on the food (she made +700 pieces of lumpia and they were gone so fast that neither of us even got a single piece!) and everyone loved it.
Check out Rooster's for yourself and don't let all the poser hipsters scare you away with their negative reviews. Appreciate Roosters for what it is and enjoy it!
Wow! I was here recently for a private party and was pleasantly surprised by not only how friendly everyone was, but the food was terrific! Â Tacos, salads, lumpia, dessert--it's all good! Â Parking is street only, but once you get inside, there's plenty of room to boogie! Â It's my understanding that they have live music 6 nights a week...oh boy! I can't wait to hit it again!
I'm going to be in Alameda quite a bit in 2013 and this is my place to go to unwind, relax and hear some great music!
I highly recommend going here!
I went to Roosters for the first time expecting an unpleasant experience based on the reviews. Â They couldn't have been farther from the truth. Â Staff were very polite and friendly. Â The facility was clean and recently refinished. Â There were two bands playing. Institution was the first band. Â They played their own pieces and were very good. Â The headliner was Slacker. Â They were a larger band and played with a lot of passion. Â They played covers that they reworked to make their own. Â I enjoyed the evening.
Review Source:First Show back in 3 years! This is only the beginning!
We booked this show with 4 other bands in for the evilness that is Friday the 13th. Formally being a misfits cover band, this seemed like a fitting return to the scene. I've always been a fans of Roosters, and been to and played many a show here. I've always appreciated the support of the venue towards our local music talent. With many of the classic gig'n joints closing down its nice to know there will always be a spot to throw a gig party, where we can count on good sounds in a spacious venue.
The show went off without a hitch. We were lucky enough to be booked with such talent that closing the nights live music was a cinch as good music usually begets good music. All the bands to play on this particular night came off with a quality of sound that is tough to find in many live music locals around the bay. Their venue is spacious, with helpful staff, and always quality bands who are more then willing to support the rest of the nights artists with gear and show of audience.
We'll definitely be back for a follow up show once more content is produced. Roosters will always be on our tour calendar.
I give this place high marks because it is a Real Deal venue with good food. Â it is not fancy or stuffy. when you are there you look around and notice there everyone there is having a great time. I have been there 4 times. Jocelyn at the bar always makes sure you don't have to wait or ask for a drink.
Review Source:When driving to Roosters, you will look around at the deserted area and wonder if you are in the right place. Tucked amidst this nothing neighborhood you'll find this delightful dive. I went here for a karaoke party. It was a private event so I can't speak for what this place is like on other nights. I had a blast. There was a live band who preformed the numbers after you submitted your song choice from the book. They were able to play a pretty big variety of tunes, during which a big screen near the bar played some truly priceless video clips from the 80s. That was a show in itself. Drinks were fine: neither cheap nor expensive; neither strong nor weak. Â There were also some bizarre statues
Review Source:This is for Wednesday night Big Band - you must check it out! 18 piece big band for FREE! Bob and his crew are amazing and they've been here for years. My bf and I stumbled upon this gem one Wed night after dinner. Can you believe something like this still exists on our little island and cost $FREE.99! Â They sell the previous week's CD for only $5 so grab one when you check them out.
Oh...one thing I love...watching old people dancing together. It's so endearing!
Recently attended a friend's show at this bar and I had a good time. The band was good, but the sound was not so good. I've been to other shows and know that the sound wasn't set up right. Maybe it was an off night for the sound guy, but that killed the show for me. The bands after my friend's band really shredded, so maybe the mics or monitors were glitchy.
The beers and drinks were good, but expensive. The kitchen closes early and it would have been a 4 start night if I could have grabbed a burger. It was a so-so experience and I see a lot of room for improvement at this venue.
I think I was a CIA Operative in my past life. I've always been attracted to the secret undercover life. Though I like to talk fanciful details, I tend to be very reticent when it comes to actual details of my personal life. Maybe that is why I felt a little connection with Rooster's. The building is extremely nondescript you would think they held some secret society meetings here. Not exactly the best trait for a restaurant or entertainment venue, but hey they say less is more, right?
I came here on a Wednesday when they had the 20+ piece big brass band. Doris Day and Billie Holiday would have been singin' and bobbin' their head too. It was very impressive and entertaining.
As for the food, I'm afraid I can't toot any horns here. It's greasy American food that you can get anywhere. The ribs are alright, zucchini sticks are alright, sandwiches are alright, and burgers are.......hey you read my mind....just alright. Just don't read into my mind too much, I've got classified information tucked away in there.
The atmosphere at the roadhouse reminds me of an old dark homey place that would be situated off I-40 in a one-horse town. This is the kind of place where a newbie sticks out, especially if you're not yet a member of AARP or popping a glucosamine pill daily.
It's no secret that this joint is a hit with the locals!
I've went to many shows here over the years to see friends bands play and a few times to see local bands I like play. The actions taken by and general attitudes of the many various security people I've observed over the years has general been rather poor.
I think I haven't been back here after a security guard got mad at me and almost kicked me out after a drunk 14 or 15 year old girl saw my AFI hoodie and randomly started yelling out me about Davey Havoc being a sell out and they suck.
The sound in the club is usually good enough and I usually observe the soundman doing the best he can to work with bands to get everything right. Definitely tends be defensive about bands mistreating the clubs equipment which is acceptable and most people working here don't tolerate putting up with jerks and give bad attitudes towards people they judge as jerks.
Used to see some of awesome bands here and it seems those types of show don't happen their much anymore.
Overall most visits averaged out to about a 3 or 4 star rating for the fun times and providing a place for bands starting out to play but once back in 2003 I dislocated me knee here and they wouldn't let my friend assist me 2 blocks away to get me to a bus stop and he would have to pay to get back in. Such overly strict policies seem too common based on other reviews and other incidents observed while here so a 2 star review it gets.
I cannot believe the owners of this establishment. What a Liable suite waiting to happen....I attended a show on 11/27/10. The bar had a total of 4 people on one side closest to the pool table and I was on the fully empty side next to the dance floor. There was a bar back and a female who apparently was one of the owners, I waited about 5 minutes and I asked if I could order a drink and the owner rudely pointed out that she had other customers (mind you there may have been 15 customers in the place total). So I waited about 20 minutes when three girlfriends joined me. The owner then proceeded to come over and take our order. I ordered a Jack and Coke which "she poured the entire drink with Jack and a splash of Coke"... for some this may have been welcomed, but for me I have to drive home. I couldn't even drink it, I do like my drinks strong but that was over the top.
Moving forward, there were some great bands that I enjoyed, however when one of the bands did something on stage that one of the owners did not agree with; the CO-OWNER/SOUND GUY ran through the crowd (of 15 people); jumped on stage and began yelling crazily in front of everyone at the band members, Then all the sudden IN ONE KICK; he KICKED A PINT OF BEER AND A SHOT GLASS that was sitting on the stage into the audience where one of the glass's hit me in the shin, so hard it left a huge black and blue bruise. Everything was videoed and pictures were taken.
For safety reasons, I would not go back to this place. The owners are very unprofessional. If they had issues with the way the band was playing there are alternatives to handling the situation...All the Owner/Sound guy cared about was his 125.00 mic that he thought may have gotten damaged. Fine charge, the band, but the owners have due diligence and the safety of their patrons that should come first. No one should ever kick glass from a stage! it could have hit me in the head or mouth, my teeth....The owners are truly lucky that it didn't. Â I never even received an apology from the owners. The band members apologized whole heartedly.
Everything BAD that has been said about this place is entirely TRUE!!!
I have several friends who play in bands that appear here regularly, and though I love them dearly, I will wait until their next show somewhere else to go see them. Â
Unless you enjoy being the "sado" as in sadomasochistic treatment by bartenders, bouncers, security "personnel," and "Soup Nazi"-type treatment by everyone who works there or runs the place that treats its "customers" (i.e., money machines) like prisoners or schoolchildren who can't be trusted to behave -- never mind that the customers are way more behaved than the owners and employees -- then you should save your money, get toked, go to Lucky JuJu Pinball and enjoy that same $15 you'd pay for a cover charge and a drink at Roosters in a more lighthearted place where there are no bouncers to tell you what machines you can or can't play and no in-and-out privileges once you pay your admission charge. Â
If you really need to make yourself miserable just so that you can stand in line miserably for 20 minutes waiting to pay for an overpriced drink and be treated  miserably by the staff and owners, then you are in the right place... and you deserve the treatment you get. Â
All others, the door opens both ways... walk away and you won't get hurt. Â
Worse than a dive bar... at least a typical dive bar has some character. Â This place has dirt, rudeness, questionable food-handling practices, and a sound system where you can't hear the vocalist over the bass. Â And I think the "security" guys should lay off the macho drama. Â If people wanted to go to a bar to start a fight, they'd stay in Oakland. Â
The "NO In and Out" policy is a joke. Â Geez, once you pay a cover (also way overpriced) and get a wristband, you should have all the in and out privileges you care to take for the entire evening... it's like being at the communist checkpoint with a free country with these guys. Â "STAY and DRINK or you can't come back!"
Well, I WOULD if I could get SERVED!
I went a few times to support my friends' bands. Â I tolerated what I thought were pretty crappy treatments. Â And it finally went over the line on visit number four. Â
Oh, and the Alameda Women's TGIF is held there every 3rd Friday... I won't get fooled again by the line, "Jocelyn and Steve have created a very special welcoming place for us." Â
Yeah, right. Â I felt so WELCOME that me and my money were totally ignored, and the staff couldn't care less whether I was enjoying myself. Â Once they get your money and your ass in the door, they pretty much figure you've signed your rights away as a human being and a customer. Â
In the famous words of one band who would never be caught playing there: Â "We won't get fooled AGAIN!" Â ("Who" said that?)
Bingo. Â
With so many other places that will bend over backwards and sideways to insure you have a good time, with helpful, efficient staff and at least a clean place (doesn't have to be fancy) to gather and enjoy, Roosters will always come up way short on the "repeat business" scale. Â
But again, if you like being humiliated, scrutinized, criticized, ignored, taken advantage of, bullied and otherwise reminded there are better places to spend your money but you stay here because it's Alameda, it's local, and it's close...
there are even better places in Alameda. Â
"YELP" "live music" in Alameda and see what you come up with... there has to be better if you're staying on the island, and this isn't it. Â
Roosters... you had such potential and you blew it. Â Only a change of ownership and policies will save this joint from being boarded up.
I was in a band that was playing, and went back outside to get my effects pedal. Â The douchebag doorman went all Hitler on me, AND I HAD TO PAY THE COVER FOR MY OWN SHOW! Â ... the bastard wouldn't even refund me when I told the audience about it over the mic - how many people in that audience will ever come back to your club MORONS!
Review Source:Cool place for bands to place. They tape your set and give it to you when you are done which is pretty cool. However being a photographer and there to take pictures kinda like a no go go.
Place is all ages, so cool if your in high school and you want to see one of your favorite local bands play that is not playing at a bar.
I didn't eat any of the food there, did drink some beer and the bartender was pretty laid back when she was around.
My only let down was that parking was kinda hard cause I showed up late to see some of the bands play and had to park away;s and then walk down the street in the dark being a woman that was kinda scary not knowing the location all that well.
Cover was cover you pay it you get sad... and move on what else can you do. Not all of us are made out of money but it is the sign of the times that is for sure.
If your a band though cool to have yourself recorded and then share online with all of your friends who could not go.
Our experience there was soooo baaaad!!
My boyfriend was throwing a birthday bash here, setting up three bands to play (two of which he's in). They said to get there at 8:30 to setup/get in, and of course our posse of roughly 40 people gets there at 8:30. Surprise surprise, there's a private party that doesn't get out until 9pm, and no, they wouldn't let us inside from the cold....the winter....cold.
Around rolls 9pm and not only have they not let us in because apparently "the party isn't over" (a.k.a. sucks to be you), they haven't even let the bands in to set up their gear. We try to walk in at 9:10 and they shoo us right back out into the cold night. Finally 9:30 rolls around and they're JUST letting us in after having taken forever to set up the pay stall (and believe me, all of us were so reluctant to fork over the 8 dollars after being shunned outside for AN HOUR). The bands didn't even start until at least 10pm, and of course for how late it was, many people left before my man's third and biggest/most impressive band went on at like 11:30. And of course, during the first band, the staff had the rudeness to yell "NO, NO" when the singer asked if he should do one more song. The poster up by the door fell after the show was over, and as the band members were attempting to fix it, another staff member rudely yelled "Hey! Hey! KNOCK IT OFF" like we're a set of six year olds. Please.
Let me sum it up: Rooster's is flat out rude and inconsiderate. Our group paid good money and drove 30 minutes to come support the venue and got treated like dirt. Compared to venues in SF which support local music and love their ability to host shows, Rooster's treated the set like a major inconvenience and a nuisance. We will NEVER be back, and we will ALWAYS tell our other bands/friends to avoid this place. Awful.
This place is flat-out stupid. I played a show here once a couple of years ago - where most venues allot  bands one guest per band member (almost every nightclub in the world does that), Rooster's allows a whopping TWO PER BAND. And our booker had to be one of those guests after they tried hassling her for a cover charge.
And they don't allow picture-taking. What do they think they are, Slim's?
I'm not going back to this place until I find out they're under new management, cause that one night was too idiotic for me.
And oh yes, DO BEWARE OF ALAMEDA COPS when going over there.
If there's one thing I hate, it's people/places/things that remind me of TEXAS (where I'm from)...
[I think you know where I'm going with this...]
So I read the reviews of this place, what with being new to the area and all, hoping I found the one Alameda live music venue and that it would rock. They were hardly encouraging.
But still, can you really be prejudice without having explored something yourself? So I decide to ride over there and check the place out.. . . . ..... . .
Wow.
So it was before dark still and no bands were there yet... I set my bike outside and walk in the propped open door and immediately an employee there says (he's walking out while I'm walking in)... "What do you want?"
I'm kind of awe-stricken and don't know what to say, so I'm like, "Uhm, just wanting to look around... IF THAT'S OK?"
Haha, I had to give him the are-you-crazy voice, because he asked me something crazy.
So I walk over to the people drinking at the bar and look around the place. There's no way I could enjoy a live show here. The place looks crappy on the inside with a tiny stage and blah decor everywhere you look. Very late '70s/early '80s Southern style depressing goodness.
I start feeling nauseous.
I decide to buggy it out of there before hurling and on my way out notice a place to order food. As I'm reaching for a to-go menu, the same A-hole employee goes, "Are you here for food, orrrrr...?" and looks at me bewildered....
Did he Not hear me say I was just checking the place out? So I tell him I'm just getting a to-go menu and I high tale it out of there.
THE REVIEWS ARE TRUE! THESE PEOPLE ARE ASSHOLES! JUST AS BAD AS TEXAS ASSHOLES!!!
I guess its because they're metal? I'd hope not. I dunno, I mean, I'm into punk rock myself, and punkers aren't that rude to you. Meh, this place reminds me of a depressing, dying Texas metal / rock music bar. From now on I'm avoiding it like the plague....
But don't just take my word for it, go get treated rudely by an employee yourself! I did it.... It's fun! HA!!
I probably should not have gone on Wednesday night, but I came to see the band.
- very low turn-out: no one was there except for two bands and their groupies
- in the cuts: it's so far from downtown, in a dark, warehouse area
+ pepper jack burger: best burger i ever had in my life!! compliments to my burger preparer.
Lame. This place could be a really cool little venue for local acts but fails on every level. Bizarre DMV-like bar service. Overpriced drinks. No ins and out (wtf?). 5 or 6 bouncers for a show that had around 30 people max.
Clearly, the owners/managers have no idea of how it's supposed to be done. Have any ever even been to a dive-y rock bar before? Very strange.
Wed 20 piece big band is back!
One of the old time Alameda residents told me about this hidden gem (the band, of course!) so we decide to check it out. Â Indeed, i've never seen the big band like this playing and honestly, they are quite good! Â I would recommend EVERYONE to come and check it out. Â Honestly where in the bay area today that you can find a 20 piece ensemble that won't charge you at least $50 for a show (unless you are talking about school band)?
Food's price is very decent, so I won't expect world class quality. Â I asked for a side of corn cob and that's fifty cents....fifty cents for a corn on the cob...well, it's the frozen one that you usually get at KFC, but you paid less than 1/3 of what you paid - at the fast food joint! with butter too!
8 beers on the draft........
what else can i say......go check it out yourself, on wed night!
I came to Rooster's for a friend's birthday and I feel the need to defend this establishment. Â
The whole experience reminded me of being 19 years old and driving 35 minutes across the superior bridge to an entirely different state to visit the world's sheistiest bowling alley that let us smoke and drink inside.
While Rooser's doesn't allow indoor smoking or underage drinking, it does have that divey bowling alley feel to it. Maybe with a little tiki bar feel too. Strange, but it seems to work.
Anyway, now that I'm over 21, I no longer need to cross bridges in order to drink and actually try to avoid leaving the city to party at all costs. Â I've probably done it twice in the past year, and only in situations where attendance is pretty much mandatory, such as a birthday.
Because of my lack of enthusiasm and the fact I had never heard of the place, I yelped Roosters before going to get the scoop and let me tell you, I was a bit scared from all of the reviews - they're horrible.
Maybe it was because the place wasn't super crowded or the fact that there were indeed a lot of kiddies under 21, but I didn't have any problem getting a drink and nobody poked me with a stick. Â
While typically not being poked with a stick wouldn't be a consideration or warrant 4 stars at a normal bar, I'm going to give it to Rooster's in order to even out the other crazy reviews. Â This place is not that bad. Â The venue portion is cool, the sound was good, the drinks were actually pretty strong and the bouncers were nice. Â Not sure if I just went on an 'on' night, but nostalgia aside, I had fun.
Rooster's is tucked way back in industrial Alameda, probably for the best considering the volume of the rockin' live music. Â It's a good venue for small local bands, but questionable food and a crummy bar situation really keep this place from legendary status.
 Fortunately I had a head start on drinks before coming to the show(thanks DYL!).  Average wait for a drink was 15 minutes!  Which leaves you with the unfortunate choice of getting multiple beers at one go, or getting directly back in line once the bartender hands you your drink...
 Unfortunately I didn't get some quality eats beforehand...  Basic bar food can be had here, and they're pretty quick with it.  The fried zucchini sticks were pretty good, but something other than mayo to dunk in would've made them much better. Â
 For an $8 cover charge I got to hear four awesome local bands, to me that makes Rooster's worth a trip off the beaten path of Alameda bars...
 Bottom Line:  The alcohol is slow to flow, but the live bands are the real draw at Rooster's.  Come check out the great local bands, but don't expect great local food...
I read all the reviews before going to see my friend's band play here, but thought we'd still give it a try! It was $8 cover which was fine, but the service at the bar was horrible. We tried to get a drink at the bar and after standing there for 10 minutes, a guy came over and said we had to stand in line. What line? I didn't see any line. As soon as we found what we thought was the 'line', we stood there for another 10 minutes and never made it to the bar. We finally gave up and enjoyed the music.
I give Roosters one star because they do have a nice stage and it sounded pretty good in there. I don't think I'd go back if my friend had another gig there.
Ok, first off let me mention a few of the good things about Roosters roadhouse. The place has an awesome sound system for the bands to play through. the Sound guy is always helpful to the bands and as a drummer it is nice to actually hear the rest of the band through the monitors.
The past three times I have played Roosters the service has been seriously lacking at the bar. I found it pretty lame that people had to wait so long to get a beer. The last few times they only had one bartender on duty, so I can mildly understand a bit of a wait..this time they had two bartenders. Unfortunately this didn't improve the situation. If Roosters could improve the bar, revise the in and outs policy and ditch the all ages aspect....I think the public would respond favorably.
I
Oh Roosters. You disappoint me. I came here hoping to have a good time watching bands and having some drinks, but alas, I ended up annoyed as heck.
Yes, the bands did play and they were good. (Okay I am slightly biased about the bands.) The sound was good. People seemed to really like the  music.
The patio needs some work but that's totally fixable. I don't smoke so what the hell do I care anyway.
The trouble was the bartenders. The woman working was nice enough but slow. The bar is big but they only serve on one side. The second bartender was the real issue. I don't know if he believed he was working at the Viper Room and the attitude and poor service was a treat for us patrons but no...he was awful. Dude, you are working at Roosters in a little island town. We aren't New York. We don't deserve your snark. We just want some beer, alright?
I waited for at least 20 minutes to get a beer. It was given to me eventually and it was half full of foam. I asked him to fix it and he gave me more attitude and called me a queen. Finally, he gave me one that was about 3/4 full and I just wanted to get the hell out of there. He handed it to me and said "Now is that good enough for you to pay?". I handed the asshat my money and moved along. The people behind me were getting even more lip from the dude. He told my one friend that he would be served last because he merely asked if the guy planned to come down to our end of the bar eventually. The nice guy washing the glasses actually got my friend the beer and was scolded by Mr. Cool for helping diffuse a bad situation.
This is really just unacceptable. I hope the management tightens up their bar service. This could be a cool place to hang out. Â Maybe I just went on a bad night but based on reading the other reviews, I think it's the norm.
As my uncle would say, "Each time I come here its better than the next". Â
You come to Roosters for the shows and maybe the food but don't even think about getting a drink quickly. Â It is under staffed, but the staff is friendly. Well at least it was friendly until tonight. Some temp bartender, at least thats what I was told, Â pissed me off and a lot of other people.
I went to see a few bands play and enjoy my evening. The enjoyment ended right at  the Bar. The black haired, heroin, metalhead looking dude behind the bar was a complete waste of flesh.  He couldn't manage a bar that was less than 12 feet long. If you've been to Roosters you know the bar is a square with one side having the coolers and the taps. That leaves three sides each less than 12 feet long. But nobody gets severed  on two of the sides. That leaves just one small side.  Managing such a small space should be easy but not for him. He happily ignored everyone and could not focus pass the boobs.  Even a shitty bartender could have done better than this  poor excuse.
When a line starts to form at a bar its not a good thing. When 90% of the conversations you over hear are people bitching about waiting the 20+ min to get a single drink you know its time to leave.  Remember most of these people came for the show. Its a captive audience but they expect to have some kinda service. As each band played more people left. I asked a few why they weren't staying and it was because the bar  service sucked.
As for my own experience, after waiting 20 min or more, I'm not joking really the band played over  4 songs, I decided to ask the bartender if he  was going to come down to this end of the bar. His response was to tell me I was going to be the last person severed. So with my money ready to buy two beers he puts me on his blacklist.  This didn't just happen to me. Another person also tired of waiting forever tried to talk to the bartender and was blacklisted to. A woman next to me got a beer so full of foam she refused to pay and was called a queen. A man next to me questioned if his PBR  from the tap was actually five dollars, he never got any change back.
Now I did get my beer but not from the bartender directly. Another staff member that notice what happened stepped up.  He was fast and had me served before  mister dick head noticed.  When he was ringing me up he did get yelled at by mister dick head since I was on the  "no server" list. Â
After getting there around 9:30 pm and only able to get two beers by 11:30 pm I should have left a lot earlier. Â My first beer a friend got me. It took slightly longer than the food I ordered. Â So after drinking only 2 beers and the band I came to see nearly done I left. If it was not for the band I would have left even earlier.
Another person I know left the bar so pissed he tossed his wristlet  walking out the door. He then walked many blocks to the Lost Weekend to get a drink. We joked that it took him as long to walk there as it took me to get a single beer.
I hope the manager at Rooster reads this and gets a clue. You have a venue people are willing to come to. Just fix the bar and you'll have something people won't run from when the band they came to listen is done playing. Maybe point a camera at the bar instead of the stage and record that so you can actually see how poorly the Bar sometimes is run. Â Maybe other regular bartenders rocks but the loser you had tonight lost you a lot of money.
Ask yourself , "Does Roosters actually want drinking customers?" Â Maybe you should just close the bar and server more food. The burgers are good and a lot of the other food is too.
First of all, the only reason I'm giving Rooster's a star is because it serves alcohol.
I have inconveniently been to many, many shows at Rooster's because my ex-husband's band frequently played there. Each time it seemed I would be more and more annoyed when I left.
Every security guard I've ever encountered had been a world class douche bag. When running out to the car for PA or amp cords for the band, I was told I wasn't allowed back in due to their ridiculous no ins-and-outs rule. WHY? WHY IS THAT NESSECARY? I had to call someone in the band that was inside to tell these punks to let me in. Like I carry music equipment cords out all the time or something? I paid a ridiculous cover for a place that serves overpriced drinks and I can't even run to the car to get a cord for the band? Oh hell no.
The bar is over priced (for the dive bar atmosphere), and has recently made a designated LINE area, because apparently the owner/bartender Jocelyn can only help one single person at at time. SERIOUSLY? May I add that the bar is U shaped and probably has over 30 feel in bar space? But you can only order your drinks in a line next to the only pool table where you run the risk of being whacked in the back by a pool stick. You will probably wait 20 minutes for a beer.
The food? If you've eaten the food here and are still breathing I am completely stoked for you. At a private party, my boyfriend saw the "chef" dude take buffet food people had been picking at with their fingers, pack it back up, saran wrap it and put it back in the refrigerator to serve again the next day. I once saw him heat up what looked like a pre-cooked hamburger patty for a burger. EFFING DISGUSTING.
The women's bathroom barely has enough room to be able to turn around, and one of the two stalls hasn't closed in over 4 years. There is never toilet paper. If I dropped a dollar bill on the floor I wouldn't pick it back up.
The sound guy needs to find a new "profession". The sound is always insanely distorted and unbalanced. It drives me nuts.
Unless there is a REALLY good friends birthday or Rooster's is sold to new owners that could actually fix it up to be the potentially cool place it could be, I will try my very hardest not to step foot in this place again.
I'm not sure who all the other reviewers met while trying to get drinks here, but I can't imagine it was the same bartenders I met. Â Professional, reasonably efficient and polite (if not exactly chatty), the two bartenders working the night I came to listen to a friend's band were perfectly normal. Â They kept things moving, made decent drinks and didn't force us to stand in specific places to get beverages. Â I didn't even get sneered at for wanting ginger ale.
And one thing that's not really being explored - and might explain the standing in line thing on crowded nights - is that I'm pretty sure this place is an all-ages venue. Â Everyone gets wristbands upon entry, color-coded for over or under 21. Â I can understand the club using a crowd-control measure at the bar if there are under 21 kids mingled among the more mature patrons.
Anyway, it was fun to come listen to the band in a place with a decent sound system and a refreshing lack of stumbling-drunk bartenders, but I'm not sure I would return. Â One - they do charge a cover, and while I understand the reasons the venue isn't compelling enough for future contributions from me. Â And two, I kept wanting to roll my eyes and giggle over the plethora (6!) of buffed, swaggery security guys in tight black tees. Â Really? Â In Alameda? Â I'll take your word for it.
Eh, what is there to say about this place? I went to go see two of my friends' bands play, so of course that would make my overall experience biased, since both bands rock... so for the purpose of objective commentary, i will forget about them and just talk about the location..
Let's see, there's something to be said for being a girl, because that's pretty much the only requirement to get the "no ins and outs" rule bent to accommodate what you need.. of course if you are with some of the musicians that can't hurt either... but regardless, i asked the first time to go out to my car to put away my coat and they said sure, no problem, and every other time after that I just walked out and walked back in, bypassing the line.. i'm telling you people, attitude is 90% of the game. Act like the rules don't apply to you, and most of the time they don't...
moving on.. drinks were expensive, and not that great from what i heard, it's pathetic when you have to ask for lemon for your heffiweizen or lime for your corona.. those are pretty standard things, it's not like asking for some crazy off the wall exotic cocktail... i didn't even bother with the mixed drinks.. the fact that they had a single file line for the bar was kind of interesting, and if the bartenders weren't slower than my grandmother, it might have been effective...
that said, they could use some work with adjusting the sound, it's pretty bad when band members are asking them to put more bass in the drummer's monitors or crank up the vocals so that you can actually hear them, between every song... don't they do a sound check before the place opens? that and well, it's pretty damn loud.. in fact most of the time, too loud... and i'm no stranger to loud music, so that's scary.
and the previous yelper who commented that the outside smoking patio area reminded them of crashing some bad highschool party was right on the money.
At the end of the day, if i hadn't been guest listed ($10 cover), and hadn't gotten to use it as an excuse to hear some friends play and hang out with cool people i don't get to see often, I would have considered it a waste of a night..
I know the bouncers. it's gay because now they actually check my ID even though i'm fuckin regular, i been coming here for like 6 years. I knew alot of the up-coming bands. The Charge 10 -45 BUCKS. depending on what show youre. The drinks arent great, though jocelyn is really nice, she's pulled me from a plenty of fights and arguements.
but other than that is alright if you like to see Emo Kids from Alameda in corners making out and have security following you to see if you dont buy minors alcohol.
3 stars for the sound system and lighting. Very professional sounding and looking.
The bar was horrible. I was a full horseshoe bar, except that there were service stations. The entire bar was shut down and they made you wait in line at certain areas of the bar. Ok, I got over that.
I didn't see anything on tap that I wanted, so I ordered a domestic bottle. $5! whoa. Seriously? Plus a $1 charge for using my credit card.
I am shocked that it took me this long to check this place out, and I was surprised at the size of it and the sound quality. I did half-expect chicken wire.
Alameda locals "Psychokinetics" (sp?) and "Forrest Day" were playing. It was a good local crowd with just a couple of creepers.
I will check to see if anyone decent plays this spot again. It's good to have a venue near home!
This place is a dive bar in industrial Alameda that seems to think it's some sort of exclusive San Francisco lounge. The bouncers (yes, two of 'em at the front door!) made all of our friends empty everything out of their pockets and patted down my boyfriend. There was a ten dollar cover charge, which is pretty steep for most East Bay bars in my book.
Inside: Coat check is three bucks! We went to put our coats in the car only to find out that there are no ins and outs at this bar - what the hell kind of bar keeps tabs like that? After much arguing about the ridiculous coat check prices, we managed to convince the bouncer to let us throw our coats in the car and promptly return to the bar.
Also, all domestic beers (bottled or on tap) are four bucks - including Pabst. I mean, who really expects to shell out four entire dollars plus tip for a PBR? Imports are six bucks (and my Newcastle was served in a classy red plastic cup!). Plus, you can't walk up to the bar and order - you have to wait in line and get served one at a time, like the milk carton line in elementary school.
The outside smoking patio is a dump too with some rickety plastic chairs and a ratty tarp covering that made me feel like I was crashing a bad high school backyard party.
The bartendress was also very insulting when I tried to cash out my tab- I gave her my name and described the credit card. She said she couldn't find it (which totally freaked me out) and then searched again and finally returned with it. She yelled at me that I gave her the wrong name (pretty sure I know my own name - I've been relying on it for the past twenty five years!).
The music was too loud inside too - I'm no old fogey and I like to crank it up, but you actually could barely hear any of the vocals from the local emcees on stage (maybe that was a good thing!) because of the insane bass (which the poor speakers could barely handle).
I can't give this place zero stars, so I'd say the one star above is for either the ladies' room being decently clean or for the bartender forgetting to charge me for one of our drinks when she rang my tab up.
If you are in the industrial section of Alameda and enjoy getting a free patdown and spending fourteen dollars just to walk in the front door and get a Bud Lite, then this is the bar for you!
I am not that big a fan of Roosters. Â The music is a mixed bag. Â I once heard old guys play Big Band here. Â Another time I heard really bad rap performed by very young adults. Â They actually searched my bag to check if I had any contraband. Â Hello? Â I'm in my thirties! Â This is so not the place for me. Â Some of the security is kinda hot though...
Review Source:The 4 guys wearing "security" t-shirts had nothing better to do but tell us to stand behind a tape line on the floor in a nearly empty club. The Pabst on tap were $4!!! What the...?
If booked right, this place could be a fairly decent punk/indie dive- an east bay version of Thee Parkside or Bottom of the Hill. Instead, it's a strange vibe joint sparsely occupied by a few ancient biker meth heads and friends of the band that actually made it out to this vacant netherworld in the bowels of Alameda.
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