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Crayon in Your Beer
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Alex Gronke
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Last Updated on July, 25 2007 at 11:15 AM
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| Pubs to Take Your Kids |
Perhaps it’s a vestige of our rough-edged frontier past, or maybe it’s a legacy of the temperance movement of the early 20th century. Whatever the origin, it’s been accepted for decades in the United States that bars, pubs, taverns, saloons, and lounges are not the sorts of places one goes with a kid.
It’s different in Europe. Some English pubs in summer are full of families. In Central Europe, tots take ceramic pitchers to the local beer hall to fetch dad’s draft. In this country, the demand for kid-friendly pubs is still far greater than the supply, but Oakland has a couple of places where junior won’t draw dirty looks from childless hipsters or run afoul of an angry drunk on his sixth Jack and Coke. |
Perhaps it’s a vestige of our rough-edged frontier past, or maybe it’s a legacy of the temperance movement of the early 20th century. Whatever the origin, it’s been accepted for decades in the United States that bars, pubs, taverns, saloons, and lounges are not the sorts of places one goes with a kid.
It’s different in Europe. Some English pubs in summer are full of families. In Central Europe, tots take ceramic pitchers to the local beer hall to fetch dad’s draft. In this country, the demand for kid-friendly pubs is still far greater than the supply, but Oakland has a couple of places where junior won’t draw dirty looks from childless hipsters or run afoul of an angry drunk on his sixth Jack and Coke.
Without question, Cato’s on Piedmont is the premier pub for toddlers in Oakland. When the pub opened 14 years ago, letting kids play with crayons while mom and dad knock back pints was not part of the original business plan, says Alex Smith, a manager at Cato’s for the past decade. But as the regulars started having kids, the kids started joining the parents at the pub.
Now, children nearly outnumber adult patrons on a typical weekday evening between the end of the workday and a toddler’s early bedtime. Mr. Smith says the fact that the bar only serves beer and wine helps to make Cato’s a family place. It does, however, offer a line of cocktails made with Korean Soju and Agave wine from Mexico. Ben and Nick’s on College has the same owner as Cato’s, but it serves hard liquor, and the number of kids in the place is far fewer than at the sister establishment on Piedmont. It's not like youngsters are banned, but you won’t find a gallery of crayon art on the wall at Ben and Nick’s.
Alex Smith next to a gallery of crayon art at Cato's. (Photo by Priyanka Sharma-Sindhar)
One would expect to find a pub that welcomes children on Piedmont Avenue. But on Webster Street in downtown Oakland, there is an unlikely candidate for the city’s second kid-friendliest bar. Karibbean City is a big, ballroom-sized place on the second level of a building on the fringes of Chinatown. The 18 month-old bar doesn’t yet have a reputation as a place to take your wee ones. It’s more famous for its big-name reggae acts and its salsa nights. But there are often children playing near the stage while their fathers play dominos at a table with a good view of a soccer match on the satellite television. The place has a warm and friendly vibe.
Like Cato’s, Karibbean City has the savory and salty fare that appeals to kids. You can even tell yourself that a plate of plantains is healthier than a plate of French fries.
Do you know of another pub that welcomes children? Send us an e-mail at editors@novometro.com
Cato's: 3891 Piedmont Avenue, 510-655-3349
Karibbean City: 1408 Webster, 510-251-0769 |
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OAKLAND
OAKKIDS
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