District - Oakland

GREAT PLACE FOR HAPPY HOUR!!!! If you are looking for a happy hour spot, this is your destination! They have affordable bites: wings, oysters, fries, deviled eggs, Brussels sprouts, and they have reasonably priced wine and spirits! This will always be my recommendation for happy hour in the bay.

The fries were good, and they give you a large/shareable portion. The wings were tiny and almost looked like chicken nuggets, but my friend ordered though and I didn't try them. The deviled eggs are topped with a pickled radish. I didn't try that either, but it looked good.

The drinks were good and staff was friendly. Love it here!

Great location, but you have to find street parking or park in the lot across the street. I took Lyft.

We were extremely disappointed this time around..
we came for happy hour, who isn't a sucker for happy hour right?
We started off with 1/2 dozen oysters at $1.5/each, it was good so we ordered another 1/2 dozen. The fact that they had just opened, and they ran out, tells me they don't order on a daily basis.. they did offer to give us an appetizer on the house. The options were limited so we opted for another Brussel sprouts. The Brussels weren't bad but it was just a tad too sweet. Very little bacon, but i guess good enough to order again? We had already ordered a basket of fries and that was mid. It was stale, not hot out the fryer. Wasn't a fan. We also ordered the beef sliders, and immediately when it got to the table, it smelled fishy. And it hit me, it smelled like raw beef that had been sitting for a few days in its own blood for 3-4 days, and once it hits hot oil in a pan, that burnt beef edges immediately start to smell salty/fishy. I went home and it just didn't sit well with me so i did a quick google search and i was right.. it's disappointing overall at this point..
drinks: i ordered an espresso martini, and that signature look of the foam on top with the espresso beans and taste of fresh espresso? None of that. I ordered another drink after but.. that never came..
these were all items we got from the happy hour, bc that's the whole point of a happy hour
our bill came, and to our surprise... my drink i never got was on there..
and the white wine my friend ordered from the happy hour... was actually not from the happy hour.. he didn't mention that, we went from a wine that's maybe $7 to paying $18 for a glass.. needless to say... it was not a happy hour lol it's disappointing because we have come here before several times and it's hard to find a place with happy hour on a Monday.. it just wasn't satisfying for what we paid.

I've started coming to this place with friends, Mark and Shell, and so far, each time has been a great experience. The owner/manager recognized me and my dude and immediately found us a table for the four of us

Music is always popping with a variety of old and new school.
It was Halloween weekend, so there was a costume contest, which was fun.
Usually we would order food but we had just come from dinner. But we sure did drink plenty. Always good on the drinks.
If you wavy to chill, listen to great music and people war h the check out the district.

We will always come back and bring folks when they are in town.

The service was great! I walked in and sat at the bar. I enjoyed the Brussels sprouts which were out of this world and the mushroom pizza! So yummy.

Came in at the start of happy hour, very light crowd. That changed by the time I left at 6pm on a Tuesday. Full bar in the back-middle with the surrounding dining area, in clouding high tables. Slightly dim inside, there are a couple of flat screens and several liquors encased in the wall. I sat at the bar, comfortable seating. Ordered the Buffalo Side Car, a Buffalo Trace bourbon based cocktail, good mix of flavor and strength. Next was the Honey Ryder, made with vodka, honey and guava juice. Tasty. Try the meatballs and fried chicken sandwiches, both really good.

This is a good place to hang out with friends over food and drinks. The sliders and oysters are a must have. The atmosphere is fun and not overly loud so you can talk with your friends. Staff is super friendly and accommodating.

Located in a historic building in downtown Oakland, the District serves artisanal level food.

I ordered the district burger with their fries.
The burger was amazing: cheddar cheese, house bacon, black garlic aioli, takikomi onion, b&b pickles. This sandwich came straight from a test kitchen. The burger was not only seasoned well but juicy.

The fries also were well seasoned.
The catsup and aioli dipping sauces were house-made.

The eclectic music playing made this a place you want to return again.

We've been coming to District off and on for years. It's a fun bar with a club-like vibe (but without the ear-shattering noise), and with great food, a hard combination to find.

Food-wise, I recommend the HH oysters ($1.75 apiece), the beef sliders, and the chicken sliders. The chicken sliders in particular are BOMB! Perfectly prepared, with not too much batter, and the most tender chicken.

Their HH drink selection is somewhat limited, but you can find other options on the regular menu to quench your thirst.

If you're fortunate, you will get Max as your bartender. I'm always surprised by genuine kindness in this day and age, because it is rare, but Max managed to surprise me.

One word of warning, don't drive here if you can help it. Our car door window got smashed parked only a few yards away from here. And be extremely cautious of your surroundings outside. However, these are Oakland problems (that's a lengthy review for another day), not something within District's control. Be careful in the area, but if you get a chance, District is definitely worth a visit.

Food: 4/5
Out of all four dishes I tried here, I found the crispy spiced chicken wings to be the showstoppers. The tamarind sauce they come with is delicious, sweet yet tangy. The oysters tasted fresh, ceviche mixto had an interesting twist with the octopus, and deviled eggs were likely the best I've ever had. In addition to the taste, these were from the happy hour menu, great prices and portions.

Service: 4/5
Friendly and attentive.

Ambiance: 5/5
Lovely artwork and decor. Love the music choices, even the glassware.

Stopped by for happy hour and was a little disappointed by the service.

Starting with the highlight of my visit and the reason for the 3 stars...the fries! I'm a sucker for fries and these fries were delicious. They were crispy, seasoned well, and accompanied by a sweet ketchup and garlic aioli. The garlic aioli was a little too strong for me, but definitely had lots of flavor.

The peach bellini was pretty basic, but can't go wrong with peach juice and sparkling wine. Would get again.

Now the service: Sat at the bar, was one of 4 other people in there, and the vibe was just not it. The bartender was slightly rude and not at all helpful. I understand if he was busy and he didn't have time for questions, but there were literally 4 other people in the room and he still sounded annoyed when I was asking questions about the menu. Everyone has bad days, so not taking it to heart, but just made the experience unpleasant.

The place itself is really spacious and has cute animal artwork.