.The Athletic Club Oakland Opens with Sports Bar Fare, 37 TV Screens


Oakland has a new dedicated sports bar, and the owners really went all out. The Athletic Club Oakland has 37 plasma TV screens and three projectors, and the owners clearly invested a bunch of money into the state-of-the-art sound system.

The bar and restaurant opened last Monday, just in time for GameĀ 1 of the NBA Western Conference Finals. The line was out the door that day to enterĀ the new establishment and catch the Warriors beat the Rockets.

The place still smells new, and thatā€™s because workers were stillĀ hammering and getting the spot ready for opening. Previously Izzyā€™s Steak &Ā Chop House, which shuttered earlier this year, the space at 59 Grand Ave. hasĀ been redone to create a casual and cozy environment.

Owners Miles Palliser and Ezra Berman actually met at a sportsĀ bar some 13 years ago, when Palliser worked as a bartender at Kezar Pub in San Francisco.Ā They talked about opening their own sports bar for years and opened the SanĀ Francisco Athletic Club in 2014.

The bar tops are made from reclaimed basketball court in PaloĀ Alto, and the back of the bar is made from reclaimed bleachers. Thereā€™s aĀ trophy case in the middle of the room, shuffleboard, three pool tables, andĀ metal cages that people can fill with baseballs. Customers can buy a baseballĀ for $10, write a nice message on it, and drop it in the cages. Proceeds will goĀ toward a local nonprofit; in San Francisco, they have donated about $5,000 toĀ the Boys & Girls Club there.

One unique feature is buying beers by the case for a 15 percentĀ discount, and the wait staff will bring the 24 beers in an ice-filled vintageĀ cooler for parties of six or more, ā€œkind of like bringing the tailgate inside,ā€Ā Palliser said. Booths can be reserved ahead of time with a minimum food andĀ beverage charge.

The ā€œSkyboxā€ level, previously office space, has been convertedĀ to a nice upstairs lounge area with dedicated screens that overlook the entireĀ restaurant and bar. They serve sports bar food ā€” think hotdogs, fries, grilledĀ chicken-and-bacon sandwiches, a veggie burger, nachos, and the like, with wineĀ on tap, beer on tap and in bottles, and cocktails with names such as ā€œThe Town.ā€Ā (The bar menu was developed by Matty McGee from Flora and Era Art Bar andĀ Lounge). The menu is currently limited but should expand soon with ā€œboozyĀ slushiesā€ and other food options, similar to the San Francisco menu.

Palliser said that he hopes the sports bar will be welcoming andĀ comfortable for everyone. That includes having clean bathrooms and hooks underĀ the bar top to hang coats and purses ā€” itā€™s all in the details.

For now, the Athletic Club opens at 4 p.m. daily, with hopes toĀ add brunch this summer. For special sports events, theyā€™ll also open earlier.Ā They added that they wonā€™t add a cover charge for any events, unless they haveĀ to pay for Pay-Per-View.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

East Bay Express E-edition East Bay Express E-edition
19,045FansLike
14,592FollowersFollow
61,790FollowersFollow
spot_img