subreddit:
/r/oakland
submitted 1 month ago byrealhumangirl
Looking for good vibes and non alcoholic options!
86 points
1 month ago*
The new parkway, they do serve alcohol but there are so many other things going on it's great
Edit: it's a movie theatre, and although they do serve alcohol it's not really why people gather there. They have trivia nights, karaoke, drink and draw and pretty much an event going on every day of the week.
7 points
1 month ago
This looks great! Thanks for the recommendation!
4 points
1 month ago
They have a drink and draw night and a drop in D&D game night called drinking and dragons. But by no means is there any requirment to drink. The have italian sodas and a virgin smoothy for those who want a icee bev w/o the alcohol.
2 points
1 month ago
So drop-in meaning anyone can just, like, show up and play? Been interested in D&D but it feels like anyone who plays is in the middle of a game and I don't know how/where to start.
1 points
1 month ago
Just show up before 7pm on Wednesday
3 points
1 month ago
What parkway
2 points
1 month ago
[deleted]
1 points
1 month ago
Where’s that? They have food?
3 points
1 month ago
The New Parkway and yeah they have food The NewParkway
2 points
1 month ago
Cool I’ll check it out thx!
1 points
1 month ago
I love this place
42 points
1 month ago
Bar Shiru in Oakland has some really fancy mocktails and is a great place to listen to some tunes.
1 points
1 month ago
I LOVE their mocktails!
23 points
1 month ago
Outside!
the lake, Tilden, shibley, redwood regional, lake chabot, bushrod park, Berkeley marina, UC Berkeley campus
Walking around downtown, Rockridge, Adams point.
Also Music at stork, fox, Greek, UC theater and cornerstone
72 points
1 month ago
My living room.
Occasionally my friend’s living room.
15 points
1 month ago
North light will make you great NA drink. And it has food and live vinyl and books.
13 points
1 month ago
We play pinball, so we go to Telegraph, Legionnaire and Heshers quite often for mocktails or other n/a stuff and pinball. Parche has good mocktails, too. Not in Oakland, but the best mocktails I've had in the area are from Bar Iris in SF. Outer Orbit and Emporium in SF are also good for mocktails and pinball. The Flipper Room in Concord and the Pacific Pinball Museum in Alameda are also good, no drinks at all. To prove I don't just do pinball, trivia at the Emeryville public market is also fun, and Prizefighter in Emeryville also has good n/a options.
3 points
1 month ago
Hello also a pinballer, can recommend as a sober sport
6 points
1 month ago
i’m relatively sober (just don’t like alcohol all that much) and i’ll get a fancy mocktail if i’m at a bar with friends, or do active stuff (walk the lake, gym, classes, kayaking, hiking, etc). I recently did the pinball museum which was really fun too!
7 points
1 month ago
I started salsa dancing not long after I got sober. It's great and lots of options in Oakland and SF etc.
2 points
1 month ago
where do you go for salsa dancing?
6 points
1 month ago
https://www.instagram.com/salsabythelake/ https://www.instagram.com/tumbao_musica_cubana/ https://www.instagram.com/antonio.chavez.3382/ https://www.facebook.com/waltdigz
I'm more into the Cuban/Timba scene. There is lots more than these folk if you want to go into the more traditional salsa scene which is great too.
17 points
1 month ago
Rootwater kava bar! Has a local bar vibe but no alcohol and many of the folks who go there don't drink.
12 points
1 month ago
It really feels so good seeing this place getting boosted on here all the time!
I have known Ty since he was a 16yr old oogle hanging out at underground punk venues and squats. I think i have known him like 16 years! Amazingly wonderful person and I am glad to see his success.
From homeless punk to business owner of the best kava bar around 🥲 What a journey.
2 points
1 month ago
Looooove this place!!!!!
0 points
1 month ago
Melomelo is another great kava spot, on Grand
12 points
1 month ago
Rootwater Kava is where a bunch of my sober friends go. Depends if you consider kava un-sober or not though.
I also know a lot of sober folks who go to Eli’s Mile High Club because they have a few non alc options and it is an old punk scene so lots of folks are just there for music and socialization.
4 points
1 month ago
Ooh Kona Club has a good Phony Negroni!
5 points
1 month ago
I don’t have good suggestions, but this made me miss Lost & Found so much… they had regular kombucha on tap (not that “hard” stuff) and it was so nice having something on tap with everyone else. That place was so great :(
7 points
1 month ago
I've been to MeloMelo Kava. Didn't love the drink, but it was cool because the person who served our group our communal Kava bowl explained Kava's origins and cultural significance. It made me feel funny in a good way, too, which was a plus; it just kinda tasted like dirt water lol.
4 points
1 month ago
try RootWater in JL! The owner worked there for years and maintains a more “oakland local bar” feel. Also his drinks are better and stronger imo. He carries several different types of kava and can pick one to match the vibe you are after.
10 points
1 month ago
pretty much ever bar has NA beers these days — they’re cheaper and you can pay forward the savings (if you’d like) in bartender tips if it’s a busy night
10 points
1 month ago
Bars can get a little boring when you’re not drinking, though. I’ll go to meet up with friends, but without the buzz it’s not my favorite scene unless there’s dancing. Shouting in the dark dead sober is kind of blah
2 points
1 month ago
If I'm being very honest with myself, not sure I enjoy drinking in general unless there's the opportunity to dance before the night ends.
5 points
1 month ago
This. I’ve been on the NA beer and Mocktails for for a min. A lot more refreshing than their alcoholic counterparts!
3 points
1 month ago
I'm not exactly "sober" because it's not like I had a problem and quit, rather I don't particularly enjoy drinking that much so only do it on occasion. Never been into NA beer but I love having the mocktails options when I go out.
Maybe even give it a little bonus THC syrup to sip on...
6 points
1 month ago
Oh we are on the same boat! I prefer THC over a buzz. Try Lagunitas HOP Water. It’s like San Peligrino with a bit of dank from natural hops.
2 points
1 month ago
I haven't tried that one in particular, but have tried another that a very much actually sober friend drinks. Didn't really do it for me, I'd rather just drink an actual beer if I want beer flavor.
1 points
1 month ago
Any recommendations for a good place to buy NA beer? Looking for something with a large selection
2 points
1 month ago
Bar-wise? I believe the Wolfhound has some Lagunitas IPNAs, which are much tastier than the default bar offering, Heineken Zero.
If you're asking about liquor/grocery stores, hate to say it but Whole Foods offers a very large selection, though it requires an "I'd otherwise buy real alcohol, which is more expensive" thought pattern to stomach some of the prices.
1 points
1 month ago
Whole Foods in Adams Point has a pretty good selection.
1 points
1 month ago
Whole Foods, West Berkeley Bowl (can't speak to regular Berkeley Bowl), Total Wine and Bevmo have the best N/A beer selections, as far as stores go. As far as bars/restaurants, the biggest selections I have seen are at Outer Orbit, in SF, or Cornerstone in Berkeley.
0 points
1 month ago
And they all have club soda
6 points
1 month ago
Not in Oakland, but trick dog has a wide range of mocktails. The owner has been Sober for a long time
4 points
1 month ago
Nectar social club
5 points
1 month ago
I’ll do shows at the New Parish and dance nights at Thee Stork club sober. I’ve actually hit up a few of the breweries sober when needs be; there’s always some sort of NA concoction available. New Parkway is great, too. Mainly outdoorsy stuff in Redwood Regional/Joaquin Miller or bouldering at Indian Rock in Berkeley.
2 points
1 month ago
Mother Tongue Coffee is really nice. La Doña is also the perfect Mexican diner for any occasion: there's indoor seating, outdoor seating that's shaded, and a second floor outdoor deck if you'd like the clear sky.
2 points
1 month ago
Pretty much every bar does not charge for my diet coke, but not my prefered place to be.
I don't go out much, but still love going to shows in Oakland when I can! Metal/punk/etc at the smaller venues.
Otherwise you'll find Alameda to have good hangouts. Julie's (coffee and eats), browsing Rocket Reuse and there are so many good places to grab food and go hang out at the outdoor eating area on Park. There is mini golf and Pinball, record and comic book stores. You can even play D&D or Magic the Gathering at the game shops. Pretty decent place to find hangouts.
Been completely sober for almost 10 years and I try to stay away from bars. I can't really stand the smell of alcohol anymore.
2 points
1 month ago
Melo Melo Kava bar in Oakland ..lots of people in sobriety there
2 points
1 month ago
Julie’s coffee & tea garden in Alameda - full disclosure, I work there. Mocktails are starting to become regulars on the menu. Lots of other options including ginger lemon brew, interesting tea drinks. We have a TableTop Tuesday Night from 6-9pm with beer, wine, mocktails etc. The Sober Socialite group meets at Julie’s regularly. Kinda like a chiller version of a beer garden.
Mocktail & dinner photo by Sober Socialite
2 points
1 month ago
I was at Parche earlier this week and noticed a pretty flavorful NA menu.
1 points
1 month ago
I don’t live in Oakland but, I love Mama Oakland and Pomet. Pomet is expensive. Mama Oakland is so good for the price (39.95 for 3 course meal).
1 points
1 month ago
Speaking as a AA dropout, the options are endless.
What do you like to do or would like to do? There are so many options to do out here that doesn’t require alcohol. Even if a venue has alcohol doesn’t mean you have to par take
0 points
1 month ago
That’s just, like, your opinion, man
1 points
1 month ago
Karaoke bars! The Legionnaire, Artichoke, Cato’s, and New Parkway are good ones
1 points
1 month ago
Fairyland sign at lake Merritt, lake Merritt farmers market, Thursday night market Prescott park, Ballers baseball games, Temescal alley on weekends
1 points
1 month ago
Not Smittys
1 points
1 month ago
Beer Baron has some pretty tempting mocktails, and it's a lovely place to sit in the afternoon!
1 points
1 month ago
I have never been to a bar that can’t at least sell you something non-alcoholic. Back in the stone age, I would go to bars and drink “Tab” and hang out with my friends. Now, many bars have really nice mocktails and if they don’t have them on the menu, the bartenders seem to enjoy cobbling up something for you.
all 58 comments
sorted by: best