Retro Junkie — Restaurant in Walnut Creek

"Retro Junkie" is quite a progressive concept that more entertainment venues should establish. And that is by opening up an indoor/outdoor dance club earlier in the day. That's exactly what this place does and they do it right. Their hours are Sundays from 12:30-10pm and Tuesday through Saturday from 6pm to as late as 2am on weekend nights. Location is right in the heart of Walnut Creek off of N. Main Street and close to Ygnacio Valley Rd.

I came here with a group of friends on the afternoon of Sunday, September 5th around 5:30pm and stayed until 9:30pm. We paid a $10 cover and this does allow in/out privileges after you get your hand stamped. One interesting concept about this place is that they have "themed" nights; meaning there are guest DJ's spinning a specific type of music (house, top 40, hip-hop, oldies, etc.), trivia nights, and live bands. There are also other forms of entertainment that includes cornhole, beer pong, a jumbo Connect Four game, Jenga, and even a food truck that parks adjacent to the outside area.

I consider this place to be two clubs in one. The outdoor area has large communal style picnic benches over astro turf with several tents to block out the sunshine and any other outdoor elements. This is also the area where the DJ spins a variety of music depending on the day. Additionally, there are heat lamps (as we know how much the Bay Area temperatures drop after sunset) as well as lights and palm trees that only add to the colorful setup that this place has to offer.

The inside has a look and feel of something entirely different which is a dedicated dance club complete with a large bar area and a back area complete with several pinball machines and pool tables. You will also find an area where they showcase skateboards and lots of vinyl records, hence the name Retro in "Retro Junkie". During the time my friends and I came, they were playing a ton of throwback 90's music mixed with some of the more modern hits.

During these times where we are living in COVID, all of the employees were following safety guidelines by masking up and keeping themselves and others safe. I enjoyed several drinks including an iced cold beer and a mixed cocktail. Overall, I only wish there were more places like this everywhere. Sometimes its always fun to start dancing a little earlier in the day and that's what this place does right. Overall, I give "Retro Junkie" an above average four stars. Definitely...

Really hit-or-miss bar from my experience. The tribute shows are awesome, and the few that I’ve been to have been a great time. Fun place to play some arcade games or pool as well.

That being said, the cover fee is ridiculous, especially since they lost the outdoor area which gave the location a whole different dynamic, allowing you to get some air, chat where the music isn’t drowning out your voices, etc. also considering it doesn’t get super packed very often and the cover feels greedy (especially when they end up being empty).

They also have some strange rules. Last time I went with a friend they made him remove his sports hat to enter… They said it was because people get in fights over sports teams there- whatever reason there is it’s something the business should do something about rather than causing customers to change their clothing… Like if I show up in a Lakers shirt am I supposed to go change? hysterical.

TLDR: If there is an intriguing tribute show, swing by, they’re a blast. Otherwise I wouldn’t go, good chance you’d be paying $15-$25 to enter an empty room and leave within 10 minutes (This happened the last few times I went).

Reply Response: My point is that Retro aren’t providing an experience that is worth a $15+ cover based on my experiences at many bars.

It’s very telling that in responses to negative reviews Retro Junkie seems to be quite snarky and defensive.

I’m commenting on my personal experience which is that paying a $15+ dollar cover to enter a near empty bar lacking any energy feels like a waste of time and money. This has been the case the last few times I’ve been here. If there was no cover I’d think “oh well, it’s rough tonight” and leave, but be willing to come back in the future because I’ve had good times there before and didn’t pay $15-25 for no reason. I also think that without the outside area the offering is decreased which makes me less willing to pay it and return in the future.

I don’t think it’s a crazy suggestion to say they should drop the cover if there are under 50 people, for example. Countless bars do that because it’s quite logical. (Or have no cover before 9 PM, etc) Nobody wants to pay a cover to enter an empty bar, but is happy to do so if it’s energetic and they can assume they’ll stay...

Owner is terrible! I was sober and calm, but grabbed by several men and forced to leave without a refund after only being there for ONLY 2 mins. Here's the story, I came here on my birthday completely sober ready to have fun. I was standing in the bathroom waiting for my friend. I tried to stay out the way and stood next to the mirror. The owners sister came in the rest room drunk, rude, and entitled. She pushed me out of the way so she can use the mirror. It was random and rude. She asked did I have a problem. I said, "no but what you just did was rude" she went on to talk with her hands in my face saying "her brother owns the spot and she will have me put out" she was very aggressive and weird. I told her, her brother being the owner doesn't give her a right to be rude to me, but she was drunk and stormed out to speak with security.

I went to the bar and was trying to avoid anymore drama. ESP since I had only been inside for 2 mins and just paid $15 to get in. Next thing I know security grabs me and pushes me outside. Again, I was completely sober and never rude to anyone. The owner didn't give me a chance to talk and SEE how calm I was. He didn't ask questions to find out what happened, he just put me out. When I asked if I would be refunded he said "NO, get out" I was so upset because I never acted out until I was unnecessarily grabbed by several men to have me removed.

If ANYONE would have spoken to me they would have seen that it was the weird, shallow sister that was acting out, but whatever. I still got my money back from the very sweet girl who worked in the front. She knew who I was talking about and saw that I was only there for 2 mins. Be careful at this place and their management. ESP be cautious of how they treat their women customers. Trust me I'm witness that they'll have several men grab you and make you leave without any conversation or refund. To the sister, thanks for showing me how disgusting this...