Low Bar — Restaurant in Oakland

We took an out of town guest here for dinner and drinks on a Tuesday night around 8:30. The place was packed! We were drawn to Low Bar because of its cheeky website prose, and we were not let down. The vibe while noisy, was fun and vibrant. The staff was very laid back and perfectly attentive. They all seem to work together to ensure every customer is lacking nothing. They even asked a couple to relocate to fit our party of 3 (which they kindly did, thanks!). The cocktails were clever and tasty. The food though, OMG. The chicken albondiga sandwich had crispy, delicious meatballs, on a soft roll smothered with a very good, spicy tomato sauce. You pretty much have to knife n fork it. Fantastic. The pupusa with brisket (ordered by both of my companions) was also phenomenal. Rich, beefy, cheesy. Stellar. We hung around long enough for the place to clear out and for a new wave start to trickle in, so we had to try the fried yucca. The server made it clear that they were not "fries". They were in fact lovely little domes of (mashed?) fried yucca. Crispy outside, creamy smooth inside, served with a tasty aioli. The chicken nuggets were real breast meat chunks battered with rice flour and perfectly fried. One of the servers suggested we order the spicy version which we did. Delicious and not TOO spicy. We will...

I can't say enough good things about Low Bar! I hosted a holiday party here last night for a local professional organization, and Low Bar was the perfect venue. The staff are so thoughtful, organized, and attentive, and the food is fantastic. Low Bar is really the place to be if you want fun, casual vibes but high quality food. Their private room was perfect for a 30-person event. The price was reasonable for the high quality of food, cocktails, and service. Our guests ranged from graduate students to retirees, and folks from all walks of life remarked on how much they loved the location. Justin was our server, and he was the dream to work with. Friendly, professional, attentive-- he really made the party a success. I felt like I could just show up and Justin and the Low Bar would make everything run well. Their event manager Sam was also a joy to work with and made everything so easy. The location is perfect for public transit accessibility, and there is a parking lot across the street. Don't sleep on the churrros! The food...

Writing this review before I walk out after sitting at the bench waiting for over 20 minutes to be seated (and multiple parties who arrived after me being seated before me). I’m generally not somebody who leaves scathing reviews and I have enjoyed eating here even though the service has consistently been lackluster but this kind of feels like the final straw. I am here by myself and watched them seat 3 two tops that arrived after me while claiming they were getting my spot ready. This is such a cute spot that I have consistently been a patron for but the terrible service is not worth it. EDIT: After speaking to the host before leaving it was further confirmed to me the service here is terrible. I will not be returning and I will be sure to stop...