Address: 10753 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530
Hours: Tue-Wed 7 pm – 11 pm, Thu-Sat 7 pm – 2 am, Sun 2 pm – 10 pm (according to yelp)
Parking: street
Visited: February 11th, 2011, 6:30pm (if that)
We’re more than willing to admit it: Gregory’s freaked us out. It’s a combination of things – the lack of windows, the 60’s stone façade, the security gate at the entrance…and the fact they still use Myspace. That’s not to say we don’t love our dive bars — we do! It’s just that this one — wedged between a tire store and an empty lot – has “Sexy Saturday”. Unfortunately, our plan to be part of this seminal event never worked out, so we ended up visiting on Friday, an evening we presumed would be suitably lively — especially if we went early enough to hang with the Big-O folks that knocked off work and didn’t leave, and/or old(er) people (like us, apparently) that go to bars in the wee hours of the eve.
To make a long story short, we were wrong. Apparently Big-O employees cut out way early or hang elsewhere, and old people must be finding happy hour at milk bars. Who knew they’d shun such convenience? Undeterred, we parked on the street and cautiously entered, quickly finding a seat at a bar with few other patrons.
A very friendly bartender (who may be the owner, but it’s unconfirmed) came up to take our order. Dave picked between the dive-bar options of Bud, Bud Light, etc. Obviously, he opted for MGD, not to be confused with the “High Life”. Nonetheless, at G’s, how can you not be living the High Life?
Emily decided to take a chance: when you don’t know what’s good at a place, what do you do? You inquire within: she asked the ‘tender to make his favorite drink. Surprised, he considered the question momentarily, then lurched towards Emily, asking if she liked cognac. She answered yes. He grabbed a snifter from the quiver of glasses overhead, whirled around, poured 3 shots of Hennessey followed by a hefty pour for good measure, and then a shot of Grand Mariner. He returned declaring that he’d made her a “Beautiful”. This is not a drink for the meek, and it confirms our suspicion that the most complicated mixed-drinks they sling here are combinations of no more than two shots (prices taped to bottles, for convenience).
The bar deftly straddles the line between the 70’s and an aging cruise ship. If we didn’t know better (and we don’t), we’d have to say that the furniture was found at a closed-casino-consignment-shoppe. The low, curved-back vinyl swivel bar stools clearly say “nothing you spill on us in 1978 will stick.” The seating area behind us had small tables and chairs, with a gold rail separating the seating platform from the bar area. On the bar sat a couple of unusual sculptures that caught our attention. Descriptions can’t do them justice — you’ll have to judge for yourself. Also adding to the vibe is a nice 70’s-style stand-alone fireplace near the bathrooms (gotta keep those bums warm), a couple of flat-screen TV’s playing tennis, a band of mirrors, a string of Christmas lights, and a jukebox playing soul music near the door. The look was completed by a stunning piece of velvet art near the door, a portrait of someone we did not recognize.
The exterior belies the size of the Gregory’s, which extends past the fireplace into a separate room where they apparently have live shows. This must be the area where “Sexy Saturday” happens, we thought. Confirming this was a number of staged V-day items, in the ready for the upcoming “holiday”.
Gregory’s (or en Français, “Gregoire’s”, as we refer to it around the house — classing it up a bit), is what it is. Don’t go looking for exotic drinks or anything draft. We wish the urinal pucks weren’t so strong, but the bartender and patrons were so friendly it’s hard to knock it. Thanks for the “beautiful”, G’s, we probably won’t be back, but at least we’re not scared of you anymore.
Final cost: $11 + tip
Excellent post! I enjoyed the “lurching” imagery most of all.