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White Horse Inn

(116 Ratings)
Iconic for 75 years

Go here for karaoke, dancing, drag shows, beer busts, and everything else your thirsty heart desires.



Nominee for Best of GayCities '23

Address
6551 Telegraph Ave
Oakland, CA 94609

Near: 66th and 65th St.

Oakland

Hours
Mon-Thu 3:00 pm - 2:00 am
Fri-Sun 1:00 pm - 2:00 am
Open Now


Featured in Best of GayCities '23
Nominated - Legendary Bar


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Reviews

hypnoticmix
hypnoticmix
Over a year ago

Hi Gil !!!

LOL...Gil is the manager of the White Horse so I have to be nice or he wont' let me in anymore. The Horse can be a really fun club, if ya'll would show up! There's cute bartenders (at night) lol, friendly service, two pool tables, an out door patio, a large dance floor and more often then not great music. It's the gayborhood bar for the local gays. I walk there from my place. It's a great alternative for those who need a break from the Castro scene and want something a little more real. Every evening is Happy Hour and the usual old timers will be found pickling their livers along with some new comers. There are also different crowds that hang out here so don't be dismayed by one persons experience because it could have very well had to do with the day and time they went. Tuesdays nights is a blast if you like karaoke. They have it on Monday too but the host on Monday is lacking unfortunately. Wednesday nights is DragKing show I hear it's fun but have never had any interest in going my self, Thursdays is College Night but with a 21&over restriction that kinda makes this night down the street from a large University a moot point. Friday and Saturday nights are usually fun with great music. The crowd ebs and flows sometimes it's crowded sometimes not just depends. Check it out and enjoy.


jase47
jase47
Over a year ago

The Old White Horse, she ain't what she used to be...

Alright, I admit I used to be a patron 20 years ago, when it was a dive and where you were more likely to get harsh stares from bone-crusher dykes than you were to get a decent drink or a good-looking guy chatting you up. The insides were dingy, the pool tables were from the Mezoic Era, and it had the kind of low-key obnoxious crowd that only Berkeley can generate. But that was its attraction! It was THE politically correct dive gay bar. And its customers liked it that way, even if we always bad-mouthed it. Alas, on returning for the first time in ten years, I was shocked to see that it had been remodeled several years before. OK, it looks nicer and IS nicer. OK, most of the clientele is the same (and I mean that literally: I think I saw some people I recognized from the 80's!) and certainly the same surly, desperate attitude remains intact. But in losing its total lack of charm, The White Horse has lost all its charm. It's as if people there were still playing parts in a play that closed years ago. Sad. Giddyup...


TheBrian
TheBrian
Over a year ago

If your parents were gay...

They would probably go to the White Horse. That said, it a pretty down-to-earth joint with a homey decor, friendly people, and decent music. The crowd tends to be a little older (and less gym-oriented), though there is a nice sprinkling of younger, cute guys and UC Berkeley students.


Local pub

Yes I have lived near the Horse forever. I have been going there for over twenty years. It is a bar to hang your hat and have a drink. I always feel at ease there even if I have been gone for a couple of years...it is friendly. A hang out, some would say a dive but if you hit it at the right time...usually early on a Saturday eightish or later on a Sunday you might run into the whole gang from the Gay Men's Health Collective. Great cute guys all who are into fun and being friendly. If I go out it is one of three bars in this area I'd go to...now if you want to hunt down some ass maybe you should go to the Bench and Bar...it is steamy...but then again if you want steam why don't you skip the booz and go straight to Steamworks, Berkeley's bath house?


nicole
nicole first review First to Review
Over a year ago

A lil' MidWest in The Bay

OK, so the carpet is probably the best thing about this place, which is good to know when you're staring at your shoes cause that cute boy/girl is looking your way. But the 2nd best thing is that this bar is NOT for scenesters -- it's a great place to chat, play pool, and find "family." It's got a really chill atmosphere and no one judges you for being a dork. A great place for when you feel like a drink, but not the madness of cruising.


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