Ben 'n Nick's
Oakland, CA 94618-1541
Phone: (510) 923-0327
- Cross Street:
- Ocean View Drive
- Hours:
- Daily 11:30am-2am
Editorial Review for Ben 'n Nick's – by Richard Tate
The Scene
During the day, sunlight from the wall of windows illuminates a slightly shabby interior. At night, dim lighting, the dark wood bar and tables, and tall walls covered in vintage beer promotions create a friendly atmosphere for friends to meet for drinks. Bartenders and staff are casual but competent.
The Draw
Stumbling distance from the Rockridge BART station, the bar is a regular rendezvous for young, single East Bay commuters looking for a place to unwind. Though mixed drinks are served, draft beer is the specialty. There's a wide range of microbrews and imported labels (Czechvar, Leffe, Spaten), with selections rotating seasonally. The stock of single-malt whiskeys and premium tequilas is also quite good; plus for the hungry, a modest menu of bar food is available.
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Insider Tips
Where to SitIf you're with a group of three or more, snag a big wooden booth along the wall opposite the bar.
Cheap DrinksStop by for happy hour (Mon-Fri, 3:30pm-5:30pm) and get 50-cents-off pints and 75-cents-off well drinks. Some of the food is discounted, as well.
ParkingStreet parking on this stretch of College Avenue is a challenge. Try side streets south of Ocean View Drive, further from the BART station.
User Reviews for Ben 'n Nick's
02/05/2008 Posted by thisnametkaen
Actually, they do offer wireless internet. Cheese fries, Maybe next time order something not typically found at Smokehouse and you might like what you are eating. tues pub quiz night, not too crowded on saturdays. food till ten pm. great micro brews.
05/02/2007 Posted by sleeplessj
UPDATE: the afternoon weekday barmaid (little girl with dark hair) had too much attitude for me, after I asked her to send back the cheese fries for the third time we sort of had a falling out. After I discovered Barclays down the street, I'm probably never going back to Ben-n-Nicks. Ciao.... ------ I'm a regular during the off-hours, that is to say when my "dr.'s appointment" in Rockridge is done, I head straight to Ben'n'Nicks to drown my sorrows during the working hours, with my laptop plugged into the nearest outlet and my wireless internet card fully loaded. That is, they do not offer wireless internet here to my knowledge, so you road warriors are advised to bring your own internet connectivity. Anyhow, if you do happen to have that handy, you can park here and work in relative peace and quiet while partaking of some of the better-quality draught beers. The beer selection on tap changes daily, sometimes hourly, but there are standards that are almost always available (Pabst Blue Ribbon, Pliny the Elder, Drakes etc). The music ambience depends on the bartender on duty, they sometimes tend to the more moroser sh*t but occasionally the sour mood lifts and you'll hear some good 80's-90's vintage rock. Popular place for late lunch crowd, not uncommon to see your local high priest dining here with "friends." (People of the Frock are always welcome at Ben 'n' Nicks.) Anyway the bar is very quiet during the work day and it's an ideal place to telecommute from, as long as you bring your own internet. Standard pub grub food, nothing to write home about. If you order cheese fries make sure you order them not to skimp on the cheese. - SleeplessJ
Pros: good draught beer, clean restroom
Cons: no wireless internet, barmaid with extreme attitude problem
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