Barclay's Restaurant & Pub

Barclay's Restaurant & PubBarclay's Restaurant & Pub
Barclay's Restaurant & PubBarclay's Restaurant & Pub
Bar, Eatery

2430 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, California, 94704
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.14
Reviews:
27
Ratings:
33
pDev:
8.94%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by MonkeymooTJ:
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Reviewed by MonkeymooTJ from California

4.22/5  rDev +1.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
Barclays is a small, intimate bar/eatery in the heart of a trendy Oakland neighborhood. I was a little worried when visiting thinking that it would be an uppity/trendy crowd. On the contrary, it was an extremely laid back crowd with very friendly service. It is small as I mentioned with only about 10 seats at the bar and enough table seating for around 50 people. There is also a patio in the front of the building that is just a few steps below street level.

Inside there were 20 beers on tap of mostly local brews. It had a rustic look with old beer bottles on display on one of the walls. I ordered a Pliny and the server returned with it within 5 minutes. She seemed very knowledgeable as my wife had a question about who brewed a certain beer and she was able to answer it without hesitation.

The food selection was decent, a lot of pub grub, but also some interesting sandwiches and appetizers. I ordered the fish and chips, which was decent and my wife ordered a chicken pesto provolone sandwich that she really enjoyed

All in all, I was really impressed with this place. It was really nice to see that craft beer can still remain in a neighborhood that values its fine wine. The service was great, and it is family friendly for those of you with kids. I will be frequenting this place again
Jul 04, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.51 by bouncepass from California

Dec 20, 2015
 
Rated: 4.53 by barleywin from Missouri

Oct 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.45 by Dodgerrigo77 from California

Feb 03, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by atpca from California

Jul 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by MrDave from California

Jun 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by RBassSFHOPit2ME from California

May 07, 2014
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Reviewed by Mark from California

3.55/5  rDev -14.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.25 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 3.75
This is a mixture of reviews, part 1 is prior to us being treated rudely, part 2 is post being treated poorly. Smallish, slightly below street level restaurant and pub in Oakland, right on the Berkeley border. This pub had a very English feel to it in the aspect that it really seemed like a local full of regulars. People seemed to know each other and quite a few guys had shirts on that signified they were "club" members. Large selection of quality beer on tap and two were offered cask conditioned. Food was excellent, very tasy and ample portions. Service was very friendly and our waitress smiled often and found out answers to my questions most happily. Suzanne and I enjoyed our time here and commented on how it really did feel like a true "local". A bit expensive but the pours were Imperial pints and glassware authentic, (British Conical). We liked this place and will return.

This place has become our true local. The staff has gotten to know us and knows our preference for cask ale. They have made efforts to make sure it is available as often as possible. We love hanging out here and the employee's are outstanding. Rowdy is awesome as is Tori. Tori has a great sense of humor and we look forward to joking with her. Terri is great and is a joy to have serve us. all the staff are great and I wish I knew all their names. The last time there was the best. We walked in and were sad to see there was no cask Red Seal, but Rowdy saw us, went to the back, brought out a fresh cask and loaded it on. We were very pleased to say the least and most appreciative. This place is among if not our favorite pub that is not in England!

Part 2. Sorry to say bad service and attitude last time we visited. Does not rate what I had scored it which I think I made mistakes anyways. The bartender, who knows us, short poured us and ignored us. Prices have gone up, beers are stiff at over six bucks if you don't buy the tokens. Our waitress, same situation as mentioned previously, gave us an attitude the rest of the day because I complained about the pour. I might have been a bit jerky but I did preface my comment and told her later that I was not trying to be difficult. Didn't matter, the attitude continued. We have spent lots of time and had lots of fun in this place. Now we might not go back. As of now we have not been in weeks and have pretty much wrote this place off, too bad as we had some good times there. We have shifted our business and loyalty to Triple Rock, and are very happy we have.
Apr 03, 2014
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Reviewed by mxchap from California

4.4/5  rDev +6.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.25
Ahhh Barclay's. What can I say about this place?

To be fair, this has been my current pub-of-choice for the past 2 years. So my opinion is rather biased.

Atmosphere - classic pub with lots of hardwood and beer decorations. Also very family friendly and there are always owners + dogs outside. (4.5)

Quality - the food and beer is great here! (4.25)

Service - BEST BEER SERVICE that I have had (hence why I go here). All of the waitresses either know their stuff or will bring you a taster. If you buy beer chips, you can get 4 imperials pints for ~$20. (5.0)

Selection - The food menu is fairly diverse. However, the beer menu is a bit unbalanced. Always a ton of IPA and Pale Ales on tap. Would love to see more dark beer and cask ales. (4.0)

Food - solid, no complaints. I recommend the pot pie if it is on the daily food specials. Always a winner. (4.25)

Value - Fantastic if you know what you are doing. Either become a Barclay's member if you plan on frequenting ($3 pints 2nd Sunday of every month and prizes as you drink more). Or just buy beer chips and get 4 imperials pints for ~$20. You can't lose!

Give this place a try. It's worth it!
May 19, 2013
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Reviewed by NorCalScott from California

4.33/5  rDev +4.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
I've been going to Barclay's for about five years now during Cal Bears football season and about 3-5X additionally per year. I don't live nearby. I love this pub! Wish my town had something similar. I was just there Sunday night, 1/6/13

Here is the scoop: They have 28 beers on tap at all times. They rotate kegs all the time. If a keg runs out they replace it with something different. Beers from major breweries and smaller pubs so there is always something good to try. Yes, as one guy noted, it is mainly beers from NorCal, but also SoCal, OR, WA, and a few others. They have a Beer Club where you can keep track of what beers you've had as each beer is numbered, they're up to about 1500 now.

A- nothing great but a nice wood & dark green theme. It's a pub. If you want fine dining look elsewhere on College Ave, there are plenty of upscale spots. About 16 tables total, from 2 seats to 8. Bar seating is about 12-15 with an additional side bar of about 5-6. Also a patio at entrance with about 4 small tables. Typical pub decorations in beer signs, some sports stuff. Three 40" HDTV's for sports viewing.

Q- top notch beer & food

S- can vary depending upon how busy they are and, of course, who your waitress is. Most are really good, friendly, and helpful. My fav is Frankie, a true sweetheart.

S- food menu changes regularly just like the beers on tap.

F- really good, and a new chef arrived in Sept/Oct who just kills it. From breakfast/brunch items to burgers, sandwiches, pasta & garden burgers we've had it all and never disappointed.

V- Beers are kinda high at $5.75, but if you buy chips (4 for $19) you can save a few bucks. They do also offer pitchers. Food prices are competitive.

This is a nice neighborhood pub, alot of people know one another. Rory is the undisputed beer guru, he's Barclays' version of Cheer's Norm, but Rory knows a ton about beer.
Jan 09, 2013
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Reviewed by John_M from Washington

3.83/5  rDev -7.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Stopped for dinner after another full day of wine tasting. Barclay's consists of a smallish dining area, located a bit below the street (College avenue), with no more than 10 or so tables and chairs, with another 12 to 20 spots at the bar and side bar area. The vibe is very informal and laid back, and on this day (Saturday evening early), there was a fairly good size, boisterous crowd, filling up the place (we were very happy to find a couple of empty spots at the bar).

In terms of the beer, there were some 28 beers on tap this day, with no crap on tap. I think they have a fairly decent bottle selection as well, but the draft selection was more than sufficient to keep me happy. Other than guinness and boddington's, there were no imports on tap, which I thought a bit unusual (considering the size of the draft list). As for the craft selection, other than the one beer from NB (snow day), everything I saw on tap was from either California (mostly norcal) or Oregon.

Food was pretty good I thought, and I was very happy with my ceasar salad (the dressing tasted as if at some point it might actually have come in contact with an anchovie), and the quesadilla my friend had was also quite good.

Prices for beer I thought were just a bit on the high side, with imperial pints going for an acceptable $5.75, but then "premium" beers such as blind pig going for $5.75 a regular pint.

All things considered, Barclay's is a pretty nice place, especially if you happen to live in the neighborhood. On the other hand...

One of the things that really stood out was the lack of any Belgians, any strong ales, any barleywines, any DIPA's or any imperial stouts. It's winter time here in California (or at least for what passes for winter), so if not now, when? Frankly, it's pretty hard to reach any conclusion except that this is an intentional decision on the part of management here, one I assume was made for financial reasons. Obviously, they could provide things like stone RIS, old foghorn, bigfoot and the like, but I assume to do so they would have to revamp their pricing structure (currently there is a set price for beers by the pint/imperial pint - depending on whether you're getting a premium beer or regular beer, half pint [which I think is very cool], sample size, pitcher, or wheat glass size). It's a shame, as while I was happy with my glass of blind pig and imperial pint of SN weizenbock, it would have been nice to have seen a few high end beers on tap as well. Oh well...

One other comment I should make I guess... my girl friend reminded me that I now live in Baltimore, and so perhaps I'm not the best judge of food at many of the places we visit here in California. Her point is well taken, as there's no doubt that the standard for cuisine is just a bit higher in California than what I've come to expect in Baltimore. So while I thought the food here was surprisingly good, I have to concede that for beer bars and brewpubs here in California, what I encountered today may just be the norm.
Feb 05, 2012
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Reviewed by Seanibus from California

3.9/5  rDev -5.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Kind of noisy, but a fun place to meet for a beer and some food after work. Not much to look at, atmosphere-wise - a downstairs restaurant in a non-descript modern commercial building. It aims "Quirky" by using some mismatched, distressed furniture. Not sure if it works, but not bad. The beer list is quite good, however, which is the whole point, including a great selection of local Bay Area beers and California regionals with some other stuff thrown in. The menu is conventional pub, but reasonably well stocked and appealing. My companion and I both had the taco special, which was good - small, but tasty. The service is hip, friendly, and informal.
Jan 14, 2012
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Reviewed by colonelforbin from California

4.28/5  rDev +3.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
A neighborhood spot in North Oakland, near the Berkeley border, with an excellent tap list. You won't find too many Belgian beers or too many imports at all for that matter, but lots of great local hoppy brews and other assorted beers.

Nice wraparound bar, usually filled with the same folks day in an day out. There are many many regulars at Barclay's, more than just about any place I've been. Everyone knows each other here. Comfortable atmosphere all around. 3 TVs are spread about the bar and dining room. Tables cover the area that isn't a bar and there is a small darts area in the back corner. Families often will come here, especially on weekend days. Nice little outdoor patio right below the sidewalk, unfortunately they let people smoke on said patio, which takes away from its charm.

They generally have around 20 beers on tap at a time and plenty of good local brews at that. Usually at least 4-5 solid IPAs or DIPAs are on tap, and other random newer things populate the tap list from time to time. Every beer is numbered from when it first appeared on the tap list. They are somewhere in the mid 2000s now with the number of beers they've served over the years.

One of the better spots in Oakland to grab a beer. Great place for watching games as well, and I hear that the food is pretty good. Only 3 blocks from BART, so that is quite nice as well. Definitely recommended.
Nov 09, 2011
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Reviewed by Billolick from New York

4.14/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Visited in August with my non craft beer loving daughter in tow...just about 10 steps below street level, out door seating area, mid sized place with a baseball game on several boob tubes, with a long wooden bar straight ahead as you enter. I/we enjoyed the casual and relaxed vibe, friendly and low pressure service, multiple quality tap options, including several tasty and fresh IPA’s from heavy hitting California brewers. No time for a bite to eat, but the food looked to be interesting and perhaps a notch or two above typical pub grub. All in all a worthy destination for quality brew in an easy to relax and enjoy kind of atmosphere.
Oct 22, 2011
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Reviewed by DaveHS from California

4.3/5  rDev +3.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
My new neighborhood spot. About 20 taps, all really good stuff. They had an events calendar above the bar that included a "Hair of the Dog brunch." Sounds good to me. A few beers on tap seemed to have been brewed exclusively for them, including a blended, barrel aged sour. There's plenty of table and bar space inside, but we sat outside at one of the lawn furniture tables. Very pleasant on a quiet night in North Oakland. Tap highlights included locally made Oktoberfest beers from Iron Springs and Firestone, Russian River Damnation 23 and a few barrel aged/sour beers I've never heard of before. You can tell a lot of thought and effort goes into their tap selections. Top notch.
Oct 16, 2011
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Reviewed by mckeehn from California

2.66/5  rDev -35.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 2 | service: 2 | selection: 3.5
I'm a big beer fan and since a trip to the Kingston Brewpub a big cask ale fan.

This weekend I went all the way to Oakland to get me some; Barclay's would be my first stop. It was the first time I ever entered this bar.

This Bar is one of three in Oakland which reputedly has Beer Engines. Upon arrival I saw the engines on the back wall. The waitress was completely clueless about cask ale. When she asked what I wanted to drink I asked what she had on the engines. I clarified when she answered only with a perplexed look. "What do you have on your beer engines" At which point she began running down her whole tap list. So I clarified again "The ones that you pump" OH! Now she gets it. "I'm sorry that keg ran out." "Let me see if they will put another one on. " To which she approaches the bar tender who shakes her head 'no'. She returns with regrets and we politely excuse ourselves and we leave the pub to go to Ben 'n' Nick's Bar down the street, whom, yes, did have a cask tapped and ready to go. I will say that the staff was polite and nice which is a plus.

Why such a negative review over what some would see as a small issue? I REALLY like cask ale, far more than regular beer. It is extremely hard to get. And I was faced with this situation.
1. I wanted a specialty item.
2. I found places that carried it.
3. I traveled for an hour to get it.
4. Upon arrival the staff was not knowledgeable about the item desired.
5. Investigation showed the item to be out of stock.
6. No constructive information on when restocking could/would occur was offered.

My constructive hat. You can stop reading here if suggestions for improvement are not of interest. First I am just a customer who likes beer and bars, I have never been an owner nor employee of any food service nor drinking establishment. So one layman's opinion is all that it amounts to.

If you are going to carry specialty items to gain a wide area draw, appeal, and brand distinction in a highly competitive market (e.g. MY bar is better because I carry XXX) recognize some people will travel greater than normal distances to your establishment specifically because of that item. They would like to see.

A. A staff that knows the basics about the specialty item. My waitress doesn't even know what I mean when I refer to a "beer engine" am I to be so confident that an item which has very VERY particular care and serving requirements has been cared for and prepared properly? Contrast with the Henry House in Halifax, whose waitress instantly started running down the ins and outs of cask ale, as it differed from "normal" beer, the instant that I ordered one, to ensure the less fizzy warmer ale is what I really wanted. (And yes, yes it was what I really wanted)

B. The item is in stock. Hard deal I know with cask ale seeing that it only keeps for about 3 days once you drive the spile into the shive. But some effort and the right equipment (1 atm cask breather) can keep the ale fresh long enough to last at least 10 days without substantially altering the flavor or feel. So seeing how when properly stored it keeps for 3 weeks to a month, and when properly served keeps for more than a week, my sympathy for not having any available is quite small.

End result today, you passed up the opportunity to form a positive relationship with a first time customer and sent him down the road to a competitor.
Oct 06, 2009
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Reviewed by Natural510 from Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +3.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Simply a good place to have a beer.

The atmosphere is sparce, yet not dingy. In addition to the interior, which is generally packed with patrons on stools, is a small patio, just downstairs from street level.
The taps are clean, and good beer is obviously at the forefront here.
Service can be somewhat aloof, but I did not want for a beer while seated at the bar. An by reputation, they know their beer here.
While they do carry mostly local stand-bys from Russian River, Moonlight, Trumer, etc, you are also guaranteed at least one or two "special" taps...such as the latest Black Butte porter release, or a five-year-old Bigfoot keg. If none of that catches your fancy, you can always order a cask ale.
Prices are good: $6.00 for a 20oz imperial pint and $3 for a 10oz beer.

Great neighborhood beer bar. Perhaps a beer snob would find some fault, or not be impressed by its lack of Belgians, but to your average beer lover, this is a solid place to park your buttocks.

Tap list is updated daily on their website.
Aug 26, 2009
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Reviewed by TheEremite from California

4.35/5  rDev +5.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
This is my favorite beer destination in the East Bay. I know, you can't find rare beers or bottles here, but there are a ton of taps, the food is great and the price is right. The atmosphere is a little lacking, but on par for a beer joint (stale smell and a little sweaty). And, I love Rockridge. If you can get there early enough to sit on the patio in the summer, then that's heaven to me. They almost always have an excellent IPA on tap, a few decent belgians and something is always on cask. You can't ask for much more.
Jul 29, 2009
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Reviewed by mjl21 from California

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Barclay's was part of a nice long weekend of beer bar hopping. Due for a review.

Barclay's is in a great area in Oakland. It is right down the street from a BART Station and has plenty of metered parking available during the day. I can't speak for how parking is at night, but I would imagine it is worse. It is not that big of a space. They have a few tables outside the entrance. Inside they have a fairly decent sized bar and tables scattered throughout. The beer menu is listed above the bar on the right hand side. There are 2 dart boards.

We went on a Saturday at around noon. My wife and I both had the breakfast sandwich with their thin cut fries. The food was very good. They also have tons of sandos, salads, and fried pickles, which I will have to try the next time I go there.

The beer selection is very good. They update their website everyday with what is on tap. I went with a 21st Ammendment Primus and a RR Blind Pig. Both were served in imperial pint glass and I believe they cost about $5 and some change. They carry a ton of local stuff. I saw Moonlight, Moylan's, Marin Brewing, Iron Springs, and Drake's. They also stuff from Big Sky and some British offerings.

The service was very good. Beers and food were brought very quickly. Can't say whether they know their beers as I knew what I wanted.

I highly recommend this place for anyone doing a Beer By BART crawl. Great place with a very good selection.
Jun 22, 2009
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Reviewed by ipa247 from California

4.4/5  rDev +6.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I work in the local area which means I have been in here on dozens of occasions over the past decade. I was recently in here on a Thursday evening for a few pints.

As mentioned by others, it is in a great location due to the fact that it is only three blocks from the Bart train station. No need to drive here as the parking can be difficult and lots of cops drive around this neighborhood. Also lots of other decent beer establishments (Ben & Nicks) and other restaurants in the nearby area. It is a relatively small place and can get crowded in the evenings especially as you get closer to the weekend. It has an outdoor patio with tables that is nice during the summer months.

The beer selection is above-average. 20+ on tap with usually one or two on cask. A lot of local California products with a few imports sprinkled in for flavor. Green Flash, Bear Republic, Russian River, Ballast Point, Moonlight and Stone beers were on tap during my last visit. You cannot beat a place that almost always has at least 1-2 Russian River beers on tap. The beers are a little pricey but nothing unreasonable for the location and quality. You can save some $$$ if you buy the "chips" sold at the bar. The food is above-average pub fare and I have never had a bad meal here.

The bartenders and service staff are very friendly and willing the discuss the beers with you and give you free samples to try before buying. The waitresses could use a little more training on the specifics of the beers they are pouring. I frequently have had to go to the bar to uncover the particulars concerning an unfamiliar beer..

Overall, a fine taphouse that I can recommend to anyone visiting the Oakland area. I will undoubtedly be back soon for the Pliny the Younger on tap which should be end of January.
Jan 10, 2009
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Reviewed by mattffrost from California

4.33/5  rDev +4.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I have been to Barclays twice now, once with my wife and once alone.

This is the best atmoshpher bar I have ever been to. People all seem very friendly and nice. Both times I went it was easy to talk to the bartenders and customers. They are really good about letting you try samples.

It was really nice to try Moonlight Toast. I also tried my first Green Flash on draft here. The first time I went there was no Pliny or Pig but the second time they were both on draft. The carry an excellent selection of beers with a good balance of varities.

I look forward to going back again and again.
Jan 03, 2009
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Reviewed by SacoDeToro from California

4.22/5  rDev +1.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
Ah... my hometown of Oakland. Between the Raiders and a dope ass beer bar, does it get any better?

The admosphere at Barlay's is cozy. It's tucked away in a the sunken terrace of a mixed use building in the Rockridge District.

The staff is freindly and the service is quick and dependable.

The food is decent pub grub, but nothing widly spectacular.

The beer selection is always awesome. You can almost always find RR and Moonlight beers on tap there.

They have a nice outside patio in front where they allow dogs.

Barclay's is a great place to spend a few hours over a few great pints.

The patrons are always very friendly and carefree.
Mar 18, 2008
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Reviewed by francisweizen from Washington

4/5  rDev -3.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
A nice big open bar with a small outdoor patio area. This place is basement level and located in the excellent Rockridge neighberhood. Beer selection is great with a ton of taps and a lot of one off beer sI've not seen elsewhere. Food is basic pub grub, but executed well. Service is fast and friendly, clientele is cool but a bit yuppyish. Prices are reasonable for rockridge and the quality of the beers is always good. Good place definately part of the one-two rockridge crawl with ben and nicks.
Feb 09, 2008
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Reviewed by bcm119 from California

4.08/5  rDev -1.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
A good place to go for a beer if you're in the area, or looking to watch a college or NFL game. The atmosphere has a sporty, vaguely ex-frat boy vibe on weekend afternoons, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your age or interests. On weeknights the crowd seems more local and has a friendly neighborhood feel-- yuppy neighborhood, but neighborhoodly nonetheless. The beer selection emphasizes locals, and many of them are uncommon to find on tap. Quality of beer and serving glasses is very good to excellent.
Jan 22, 2008
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Reviewed by DrewBeechum from California

4.08/5  rDev -1.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Went here a few weeks ago on my way to talk about beer.

Very, very BART accessible. Damn that's a good way to go. Seriously, walk the two blocks and call it aday.

Lots of tv's in this place on a Sunday. Sadly subjected to a Raider's game!

Service was a little surly in terms of asking about things like "Hey, you gotta Moonlight or on the engines?" "Check the board!"

Otherwise, a solid (if not uber exciting) lineup of beers and decent food to keep you going. Really nice place to spend a lazy afternoon.

Had: Bridgeport IPA, Schooner APA, Trumer Pils. Pickle chips are awesome.
Oct 06, 2007
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Reviewed by Denali from Colorado

4.55/5  rDev +9.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
A few of us went here on a Saturday nite after the DIPA festival at The Bistro.

Getting to this place is very easy - only a few blocks north of the Rockridge BART station, so driving is not necessary. Its in a really nice neighborhood too.

Inside, its a cross between a restaurant and neighborhood sports bar, and is able to function as both, depending on your choosing. There are plenty of tables in the restaurant area, and the bar seats about 15+ people. Dart boards were also available, as well as plenty of television sets.

The bartender was very friendly and was more than willing to answer any questions from a Barclays rookie such as myself. They have about 20 taps, ALL micros - extremely impressive selection (keyword on "selection", since they don't have 50 million taps so they chose very wisely). Moonlight, Anchor, Drakes, Rubicon, and other regional breweries were well represented. Beer quality was impeccable.

The crowd was very friendly as well, including the regulars which were more than happy to explain to me about the beer club that they have.

We were then seated at table. I ordered a hamburger and fries, which hit the spot.

All in all, a great time, and worth checking out again when in the east bay.
Feb 25, 2007
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Reviewed by Georgiabeer from Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +5.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Great place, probably my favorite in the East Bay. As others have mentioned this place is slightly below street level with a small patio outside. Certainly not much to look at from outside- very stark, and not very homey looking. Inside is better- mismatched tables, some sorta rough hewn, a good bar, very basic and beer focused. The service is good and effecient and quite friendly. Everyone seems to know at least something about beer, and those behind the bar quite a bit..The selection is excellent, about 25-30 beers on tap, almost all regional brews and some quite hard to find.Its not so much that they try to stock rare beers as that they often have stuff from small breweries and will get their more unusual offerings when available. Also, they have some cool special programs like brewers dinners and Christmas in July when they put back on kegs of winter brews that have been aging. I've never had a beer here that wasn't impecably fresh.The food is also good-not just pub fare but substantial plates of sausages or stews or pastas often with quasi exotic ingedients (for a pub) like tasso ham or good seafood. Great place that I always enjoy returning to.I once ate dinner here every night for two weeks straight.
Jan 21, 2007
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Reviewed by DaPeculierDane from Wisconsin

3.66/5  rDev -11.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4
Brewbacca was good enough to show me this place after a meeting of the Bay Area Mashers. Barclay's had a strange vibe. It was kind of yuppie family meets college kids meets sports bar crowd vibe. It kind of threw me off especially when I saw all the taps. As I recall there were quite a few of them (I remember about 25) along with at least one nitro, and two casks. Most of them were regional including selections from Drake’s, Sierra Nevada (including BF on tap), Moon Light, Deschutes, E.J. Phair, and something from the local Pyramid. Some of the other breweries featured included New Belgium (just Fat Tire) and Guinness. Service was fine –nothing to bitch about but nothing to write home about either. Didn’t try the food. Wasn’t blown away but it seemed like a good place to get a general feel for the various breweries in the area and their most popular offerings.
May 17, 2006
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Reviewed by misterscooter from California

4.14/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
A great location and a great atmosphere. Barclay's caters to a wide variety of customers, from college to local to people just stopping by because of the other places on the block.

Plenty of beers to choose from and a knowlegable staff who is also friendly. I've stopped in for a pint a couple of times and can just feel myself relax, allowing time to drift by. I felt very much at home.

I have not tried any food at Barclay's (ok, fries, but I won't base any review on that, despite how good they were). For me and friends, it is mostly a place to meet for a pint.
Sep 27, 2005
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Reviewed by Troyone from California

3.58/5  rDev -13.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
Atmosphere is kind of like a sport bar with limited dining inside and almost as much on the patio outside. Similar to a college bar with good beer and food.

Wooden tables, chairs, waiting area, and bar with TV screens. Did not use the restroom.

Service is prompt almost to the point of a rush, probably cause of the limited seating.

Good selection with a couple of cask, one brewed by English Ales that I had at the Englander in San Leandro. Lots of local micros on the beer menu including Magnolia's Proving Ground IPA, Racer 5, Pliny the Elder, etc...

Healthy items on the menu and the food was good.

Reasonable.
Apr 30, 2005
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Reviewed by donnebaby from North Carolina

4.53/5  rDev +9.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Probably the best reason I have ever to leave the city and head to the East Bay ;) Barclay's has at least as good or better a selection of beers on tap as Toronado -- and certainly a far better selection of local California and obscure offerings -- their best point. For example, where many beers in the area have Drake's IPA on-tap, Barclay's will feature a different brew, their Expedition ale in my most recent visit. They always have at least 30 beers on tap (almost all american) and they change on a daily basis. There's probably 2 to 3 new beers each evening. I go once a week and the selection is always completely different.

Service is speedy and cheery from an array of beautiful waitresses and the bartender Bryan kicks ass.

Food is above-average certainly.

Not an over-abundance of character in Barclay's on College, more or a college/sports bar feel, focus less on the atmosphere. Two nice dart boards w nice darts. Big TV for games. Love the chalkboard in the mens' bathroom where anyone can write whatever they want..

They have a beer club for avid beer drinkers and an arcane numbering system, which has a unique number (sometimes 5 digits long) that represents each beer. Something to check out if in the area for an extended period of time.
Apr 28, 2005
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Reviewed by Bang34 from California

4/5  rDev -3.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I must have walked past this place about 30 times before finally going in there. I actually lived just a mile from the place for about two years.

It is actually located below street level giving a a bit of a Cheers feel. Simple wooden bar and tables, plenty of seating inside and a patio outside which is nice during the summer. Great selection of beers, about thirty taps and two casks, they do not have any bottles.

Also to top it all off, the grub is good to boot with good portions. I like the fish and chips, goes great with a nice brown ale of your choosing.
Feb 12, 2004
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Reviewed by Rumrunner from California

4.28/5  rDev +3.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
This pub is in a great part of Oakland. A very quaint neighborhood with authentic shops and plenty of restaurants and bars.

Barclay's is slighly below the street. The outdoor patio is small with a few tables and chairs. A good spot when the temperature is warmer. A small pub with plain wooden tables and chairs taking up most of the space. A medium sized wooden bar with stools is across from the front door. Windows face the street which let in natural light. Some bar parifanailia on the walls and a decent tap collection for decor. A real quality small town pub atmoshphere. I could tell it was filled with locals as many of the patrons were talking across the room to each other.

The service was friendly and very prompt. When my first beer tasted like soap because the glass was improperly rinsed it was replaced with no fuss. The bartenders were very happy to talk about beer and a few other topics. Since I was road tripping by myself that made me feel very welcome and I wish I could have stayed for a few more pints.

About thirty taps and two casks. No spirits. They do serve wine. The beer selection is very good and diverse. Plenty to choose from in the craft beer range. Sudwerk, Drakes, New Belgian, Hoptown, North Coast, Wydmer's, Anchor Steam, Marin, Moonlight, Anderson Valley, Hair of the Dog, Bear Republic and plenty more. They even get a keg or two from Pizza Port from time to time. They also have a good glass collection.

I did not try the food but I could see most people were enjoying their grub.

The next time I am in Oakland I will have to stop by. A quality establishment with a very friendly staff and patrons. Give this place a try.
Dec 29, 2003
Barclay's Restaurant & Pub in Berkeley, CA
Place rating: 4.14 out of 5 with 33 ratings