Fan Appreciation Week at Beta Lounge, Berkeley

Beta Lounge is one of the few places downtown for people looking for something more sophisticated than beer and fried food. Located on the bottom level of a mixed-use apartment building near the UC campus, Beta Lounge is celebrating a year in business with Fan Appreciation week starting today.

Simply show them proof that you are a fan on Facebook or twitter (this is where your smartphone becomes handy), and you will get happy hour prices on drinks all night. That means $3 beers (draft and bottle) and $5 glasses of wine and Nigori cosmos. They also have $5 cocktails all night Mondays, and $20 bottles of wine all night Wednesdays.

Beta is a low-key place with a chill ambience. Dimly lit with stained windows and gray walls, Beta can almost double as a club, which may be why there's live music on Fridays and the weekends. Since it is near campus, groups of students are a common sight, but it doesn't reach obnoxiously drunk levels like it can at bars. The bartenders are friendly, chatting you up on slow nights, and cocktails good with a heavy Asian influence, like lychee and Soju.

Beta Lounge
2129 Durant Ave., Berkeley

Photo: J.A.B.

Yelp Drinks Week East Bay

The East Bay is closing out Yelp Drinks Week. Starting Monday, over 20 bars and restaurants across the East Bay will offer three handmade cocktails 50% off all day every day until Sunday, March 21.

I will be heading to Penelope and B, since they are within walking distance of work. Penelope has great cocktails, including its signature Penelope with beets and the Oaktown Heat with habanero-infused vodka.

Other highlights include the newly opened Bocanova in Jack London Square and the well-reviewed Grand Tavern by Lake Merritt.

$2 off pitchers & more at Triple Rock in Berkeley

Among the many brewpubs in Berkeley is Triple Rock Brewery and Ale House on Shattuck Avenue. Unlike the others, Triple Rock is one of the first five brewpubs in America and the only one of the five to still be owned by the people who started it. History aside, you should also go to Triple Rock for their deals and beer specials, especially if you are a beer drinker.

Today and every Tuesday, get $2 off any pitcher, which comes out to between $14 and $16 each. Every Thursday, try the in-house only, 8% A.B.V. Monkey Head Arboreal Ale at $9 per liter. For print-out coupons like 2-for-1 appetizers or a free pint with any burger, sandwich or entree, head to Berkeley Good Life.

I like my beers on the light side, so I stick with Red Rock Ale with my favorite burger, the A.B.S. (avocado, smoked bacon and swiss cheese). The food at Triple Rock is actually pretty good but limited to mostly burgers. With over 15 burgers and sandwiches, including vegetarian options, deciding can take a while. Vegans will have to stick with the smaller appetizer and salad menu. Seasonal brews are also a specialty, so ask your server if you are looking for something different.

While the deals are great, the slow service during dinner may dampen the experience. It takes a while to get noticed, takes a while to get your order, and takes a while to get your food. I have gone over a half-hour for my burger and have had to flag down the waiter for water, extra napkins and extra condiments. I don't think they are intentionally avoiding me as much as I think the waiters are that laid back. The staff here could easily blend in with the customers, mostly grad students and others a few years out of college who come to Triple Rock to unwind and toss back a few.

Triple Rock Brewery & Ale House
1920 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley

Trivia Tuesdays

One of the first things I did when I moved to Berkeley in 2006 was trivia night at Pyramid Brewery and Alehouse. Back then, only a few people knew about it, so our team easily landed in third place and went home a six-pack heavier. Nowadays, there's major competition as people arrive a half-hour early to get a prime spot. Trivia nights are great. It is free, alcohol is nearby, and most people like to think they're the smartest in the room.

Today, three spots in the East Bay let you show off your Ken Jennings skills. Get a team together, think of a cool team name, and maybe win some alcoholic prizes.

The Den at the Fox Theater
1912 Telegraph Ave, Oakland
Every Tuesday at 7 p.m. when there isn't a show at the Fox

Pyramid Brewery and Alehouse
901 Gilman St., Berkeley
Every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Ben & Nick's Bar and Grill
5612 College Ave, Oakland
Every Tuesday at 8 p.m.

Beckett's of Berkeley
2271 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley
Every Tuesday at 10 p.m.

Missouri Lounge
2600 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley
Every third Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

If you can't make Tuesdays, visit a few other spots throughout the week.

The Albatross Pub
1822 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley
Every Sunday at 8:15 p.m.

Cato's Ale House
3981 Piedmont Ave., Oakland
Every Monday at 7:30 p.m.

Henry's in Hotel Durant
2600 Durant Ave., Berkeley
Every Monday at 8 p.m., $10 pitcher of Stella

The Alley
3325 Grand Ave., Oakland
(510) 444-8505
Every Monday, call for time

What's your favorite place to go?

Yelp Drinks! Month

Love it or hate it, Yelp throws some great parties and is starting to organize foodie weeks. To complement October's inaugural Yelp Eats! Week when participating restaurants offered $35 prix fixe meals, this week is the beginning of a monthlong happy hour across the Bay.

Select bars will offer three handmade cocktails 50% off all day. The first week hits San Francisco today to Sunday. Silicon Valley is next from March 8 to 14, and the East Bay last from March 15 to 21.

My tentative plan is Butter in SOMA for their cleverly named drinks, 5-Star Yelp-Tini ($5) and Bitchin' Camaro ($4) and Hayes Valley's Pisco Lounge for their Spanish specialties (all under $5). Any recommendations?

Welcome

Many people know San Francisco is a great city for dining, but few venture east, across the bay, for anything other than Chez Panisse. I live in Berkeley and love finding great deals and memorable spots, high-end or low, gourmet or hole-in-the-wall. I want to share my adventures and learn from others who enjoy food just as much as I do.