Dan's Irish Sports Bar — Restaurant in Walnut Creek

Every town has a few institutions that, because of years in operation, location, or local acceptance, carry the real soul of its people. They're the zeitgeist of the populantion and the real social climate they exist in. It's not self-anointed. The honor is not bestowed by the city council, quite the opposite. It's chosen by the masses in the decision they made on where they choose to close out their night. It's not the flashy upscale place with overpriced, over-iced, drinks. Its not the place the elite go to so they can brag to their coworkers. It IS a place there the "locals" go. It IS a place where you can feel the amperage and the ohms of the region. It IS where whatever you're wearing is good enough. Where the wait staff and the cooks and the cops and the RN's and your 7th grade teacher go to peel the weight of the world off for just a bit. Not just now but for generations past. A place like that IS the place your dads dad drank his Crown Royal at because your grandma was being insufferable again. DANS IS THIS PLACE. There is no Dan. The owner is not Irish. There is no overt focus on sports. Its not hidden or secret but you have to KNOW to go here. When Contra Costa County had more horses than people, Dans was there. Before most of the current concrete was poured in this city Dans was quitely serving drinks. Since the days of Fat Tim pouring heavy handed red-eyes, Bud Light on tap, and Goldschlager shots to the nearly homeless, laborers, & the 21'ish (IYKYK) Dans has never tried to be more than it is. It's changed some over the years but its guts are still the same. It has outlasted Crogans, Blarney Stone, The Cantina, Spoontonics, Abernatheys, Massimos, Black Diamond Brewery, Pyramid Brewery, Margaritaville, Johnny Loves, and dozens of other places that all dwarfed Dans with pazzazz and esteem when they came on the scene and died sometimes with less than a whimper. All the while Dans was serving drinks to their staff when they got off work. Dans IS the east bay. All 4 generations of legal drinkers frequent here. It reflects the soft underbelly of blue/white/grey collar workers who are still slugging it out in California. The students taking a light load at DVC or CSUEB AGAIN. Those who've seen other of the state/country and realize the grass isn't greener elsewhere. Those who fell in love with the pace of life, having 4 seasons, and being proximal to the bay, the redwoods, Tahoe, and world class cities. Dans is the bays social blender on "frappe". It's dark, few windows, you left the world behind. The smell, like the black on a cast iron skillet is the areomatic seasoning you wouldn't dare remove. Generations before you have put it there and you have no right to remove it. It only adds to the flavor. Bands that play there are usually east bay locals. The drinks are THICK and made correctly. When every dollar counts you've hit the jackpot. Don't order wierd shit. This isn't the time or the place for that. You don't have to impress people you don't know here. ( PRO TIP: tip big early bartenders will act like they dont notice but they do. They will favor the regulars 1st THEN the people who helped make their rent, then everyone else ) Barteneders are the high priest/priestess here, they know things, they know people, they've seen things, so act accordingly. Kindness is generously rewarded and bad behavior is quickly and swiftly dealt with sometimes by the patrons themselves because to disrespect this place and those within is to screw with the very fabric of society. Disagreements are frowned upon and conversation over Money, Religion and Politics are unwelcome. People her are actively closing out their week on a high note. It OPENS AT 11 AM but it doesnt really start crackin till @ 10 PM'ish. Come early, pace yourself, hit the ATM 1st, be polite, make friends, simple. Say hi to Charle Denum when...

I will NEVER be returning due to their terrible bouncers. My partner and I visited this bar last night to enjoy some good music, which for the two of us meant me dancing next to him sitting on a stool, air drumming.

All was fine until my partner got up to use the restroom and out of nowhere, this bald-headed bouncer appeared and aggressively grabbed ahold of my partner's arms and forced him outside. My partner was confused on what was going on but he did not resist. I was in shock yelling at the bouncer asking him "what did we do wrong?" As I followed behind, I noticed something peculiar. We, specifically my partner, had the darkest skin color in the room.

I am very understanding to a bouncer just doing his job, but he did not handle this in the correct manner. He did not come over and check on my partner and I. He did not ask or make us stop buying drinks. And it was unnecessary to latch onto my partner as he did, forcefully pushing him out the door with no explanation on why.

Before leaving the bar, I enlighted the bouncer that since he wanted to throw us out then he should have thrown out the swaying girl that kept coming in and out of the bathroom.

Come here if you want to be...

4/8/2018 I just witnessed one the most pathetic abuses of authority in Dan's Bar by the security personnel that I have ever seen. A young woman was standing on a bar stool video taping people dancing when one of the security personnel grabbed her around the waist, carried her about 15 feet in the air before setting her on the ground. A male patron, which I believe was with the young woman, tried to intervene, which would and should be the natural response of any man accompanying a woman and seeing this abuse of authority should do. Another member of the security team tackled him against one of the seats near the wall. This was totally uncalled for! All security needed to do was ask the young woman to step down from the chair. This careless abuse of authority almost caused a riot inside the establishment since many of the other PATRONS were quite upset with how the situation was handled. Hopefully this will serve as a wake up call for the management of this establishment to provide better training. Horrible customer...