My kid has been coming here with their dad for about a year now and they've been raving about the lamb sliders and Brussels sprouts. We finally had a chance to come on a Tuesday night and it was just as charming as they described. We got the lamb sliders and requisite Brussels sprouts, but I misunderstood and thought they said they could polish most of that off by themselves, so I got the fish sandwich (that came with house made chips). Wasn't sure if they meant UK dtyle chips which are what we consider French fries, or if they meant American potato chips, aka crisps.
The portions are generous on all three dishes. I took a bite of my kid's lamb sliders, which was juicy, tender, and the lamb patty cooked perfectly. My fish sandwich had a healthy portion of fried cod, but too much slaw and tartar sauce- made for a super messy, drippy sandwich that sogged out the poor potato roll trying to hold it all together. The Brussels sprouts are a good way to make you believe you're eating healthy (they're vegetables!) when you're gobbling down a plate of deep fried goodness 🤣 good thing they didn't feel greasy or laden with oil.
Next time I'll have to try their sausage roll, Portobello sandwich, and shepherds pie, though they have tough competition with my own versions! Overall Slainté gets my vote for a cozy little place to have some lovely, unpretentious food and soak in a slice of Irish ambiance in Oakland.
E Nay
Great food, ambience and beer. Will be back!
Timmy G Music
Live Slainte! It's the closest I've come in the Bay Area to the real Irish Pub experience. Full Irish breakfast, Shepherd's pie, soda bread, and Guinness all on point.
Heather Normandale
We loved this spot!! The fish and chips and the Shepards pie were amazing!! The atmosphere is super fun and authentic Irish pub vibes. Great experience!
Barry Hashimoto
Sláinte Irish Pub in Oakland’s Old District offers a warm, welcoming atmosphere that feels rooted in tradition. The pub is small and busy—you’ll likely be seated right next to other guests, which adds to the communal, authentic experience. This isn’t a fine-dining restaurant; it’s a classic Irish pub with solid comfort food. We enjoyed hearty dishes like shepherd’s pie and fish and chips, along with a good selection of Irish beers, including Guinness and Smithwick’s.
The highlight is the live music. On our visit, the musicians played lively, upbeat Irish folk tunes that energized the room and made the evening feel festive. That said, we would have appreciated hearing one or two of the slower, more emotional Irish songs as well, which are a meaningful part of the tradition and could bring more balance to the experience.
Service was friendly but slow, likely due to how busy the pub was and the challenge of staffing such a popular spot. Still, we’ve seen comparable places manage faster service, and that’s one area where there’s room to improve.
Overall, we had a great time. If you’re looking for an informal evening with live music, good beer, and hearty food, this place is a strong choice.
Justin Kelly
Proper Irish feel, food, and brews, but wish there were no TVs plastered overhead, instead of four, playing football.
Marcos Rodriguez
Only reason for 3 stars is no phone line to order food or to check what game they're showing in bar. Fish n chips that I ordered was absolutely delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
T P - SF
If you are not 100% excited to go to Irish Pubs go someplace else. This was my first (and last) Irish Pub experience.
The ambiance was amazing. Super cozy and filled you with warm fuzziness. The wait staff was beyond amazing. The seating was comfortable and on the cold rainy day I was there they had the fireplace going and that was ever so pleasant.
If you enjoy Guiness and whiskey and maybe a little Gin this is your place. If you enjoy anything, and I do mean absolutely anything else, this place is not for you. I ending up drinking ice water but had to order the ice.
Food was below par. My selection was the fish sandwich which came with fries. Bun was soggy and fell apart in my hand. Thd fish was not crisp on the outside and was pure mush on the inside. It was as if I had a mashed fish sandwich. Fries were super thick and chunky. They were soft, barely warm and possessed no flavor.
As I was leaving there seemed to be a group of musicians setting up (in the only seats by the fire) to play. It was not clear if they were hired musicians of just a random gathering of people with instruments . My hope is that they were just random patrons because if they were paid staff it would have been extremely rude of them to occupy all the highly coveted seats by the fireplace.
Once again, if you love Guiness this is your place.
Kid-friendliness: Not for children.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 5
K Jayman
I use to love coming here for the Guinness. When I first moved here from Ireland two and a half years ago, this was my favorite spot to get a good pint of Guinness. Unfortunately, the quality of pint has dropped drastically. Tastes like Guinness from your average American pub now.
The place is nice, the staff was very friendly and the food was good. It was a little expensive, but nothing priceless.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Online Reviews
This fish sandwich was very good. Service was fast and efficient.
Colin Ballou
A true hidden gem of Oakland. They have an impressive and excellently curated selection of Irish Whiskey. The beer selection is also on point (I'm a beer drinker). The vibe is super chill and every Sunday a traditional Irish band performs which is a truly unique experience. The food is on point. The servers are knowledgeable, friendly, and amazing. Weeknights are especially lovely and laid back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Guinness Ginger Cake, Fish and Chips, Full Irish Breakfast, Shepard's Pie
Stephen Haitch
Thanks for the feed!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips with Coleslaw
Chad Austin
The owner was a great guy. They have a great selection of Irish whisky. If I'm ever in Oakland again I'll definitely stop back jn.
Live Celtic music
My kid has been coming here with their dad for about a year now and they've been raving about the lamb sliders and Brussels sprouts. We finally had a chance to come on a Tuesday night and it was just as charming as they described. We got the lamb sliders and requisite Brussels sprouts, but I misunderstood and thought they said they could polish most of that off by themselves, so I got the fish sandwich (that came with house made chips). Wasn't sure if they meant UK dtyle chips which are what we consider French fries, or if they meant American potato chips, aka crisps.
The portions are generous on all three dishes. I took a bite of my kid's lamb sliders, which was juicy, tender, and the lamb patty cooked perfectly. My fish sandwich had a healthy portion of fried cod, but too much slaw and tartar sauce- made for a super messy, drippy sandwich that sogged out the poor potato roll trying to hold it all together. The Brussels sprouts are a good way to make you believe you're eating healthy (they're vegetables!) when you're gobbling down a plate of deep fried goodness 🤣 good thing they didn't feel greasy or laden with oil.
Next time I'll have to try their sausage roll, Portobello sandwich, and shepherds pie, though they have tough competition with my own versions! Overall Slainté gets my vote for a cozy little place to have some lovely, unpretentious food and soak in a slice of Irish ambiance in Oakland.
Great food, ambience and beer. Will be back!
Live Slainte! It's the closest I've come in the Bay Area to the real Irish Pub experience. Full Irish breakfast, Shepherd's pie, soda bread, and Guinness all on point.
We loved this spot!! The fish and chips and the Shepards pie were amazing!! The atmosphere is super fun and authentic Irish pub vibes. Great experience!
Sláinte Irish Pub in Oakland’s Old District offers a warm, welcoming atmosphere that feels rooted in tradition. The pub is small and busy—you’ll likely be seated right next to other guests, which adds to the communal, authentic experience. This isn’t a fine-dining restaurant; it’s a classic Irish pub with solid comfort food. We enjoyed hearty dishes like shepherd’s pie and fish and chips, along with a good selection of Irish beers, including Guinness and Smithwick’s.
The highlight is the live music. On our visit, the musicians played lively, upbeat Irish folk tunes that energized the room and made the evening feel festive. That said, we would have appreciated hearing one or two of the slower, more emotional Irish songs as well, which are a meaningful part of the tradition and could bring more balance to the experience.
Service was friendly but slow, likely due to how busy the pub was and the challenge of staffing such a popular spot. Still, we’ve seen comparable places manage faster service, and that’s one area where there’s room to improve.
Overall, we had a great time. If you’re looking for an informal evening with live music, good beer, and hearty food, this place is a strong choice.
Proper Irish feel, food, and brews, but wish there were no TVs plastered overhead, instead of four, playing football.
Only reason for 3 stars is no phone line to order food or to check what game they're showing in bar. Fish n chips that I ordered was absolutely delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
If you are not 100% excited to go to Irish Pubs go someplace else. This was my first (and last) Irish Pub experience.
The ambiance was amazing. Super cozy and filled you with warm fuzziness. The wait staff was beyond amazing. The seating was comfortable and on the cold rainy day I was there they had the fireplace going and that was ever so pleasant.
If you enjoy Guiness and whiskey and maybe a little Gin this is your place. If you enjoy anything, and I do mean absolutely anything else, this place is not for you. I ending up drinking ice water but had to order the ice.
Food was below par. My selection was the fish sandwich which came with fries. Bun was soggy and fell apart in my hand. Thd fish was not crisp on the outside and was pure mush on the inside. It was as if I had a mashed fish sandwich. Fries were super thick and chunky. They were soft, barely warm and possessed no flavor.
As I was leaving there seemed to be a group of musicians setting up (in the only seats by the fire) to play. It was not clear if they were hired musicians of just a random gathering of people with instruments . My hope is that they were just random patrons because if they were paid staff it would have been extremely rude of them to occupy all the highly coveted seats by the fireplace.
Once again, if you love Guiness this is your place.
Kid-friendliness: Not for children.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 5
I use to love coming here for the Guinness. When I first moved here from Ireland two and a half years ago, this was my favorite spot to get a good pint of Guinness. Unfortunately, the quality of pint has dropped drastically. Tastes like Guinness from your average American pub now.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The place is nice, the staff was very friendly and the food was good.
It was a little expensive, but nothing priceless.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This fish sandwich was very good. Service was fast and efficient.
A true hidden gem of Oakland. They have an impressive and excellently curated selection of Irish Whiskey. The beer selection is also on point (I'm a beer drinker). The vibe is super chill and every Sunday a traditional Irish band performs which is a truly unique experience. The food is on point. The servers are knowledgeable, friendly, and amazing. Weeknights are especially lovely and laid back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Guinness Ginger Cake, Fish and Chips, Full Irish Breakfast, Shepard's Pie
Thanks for the feed!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips with Coleslaw
The owner was a great guy. They have a great selection of Irish whisky. If I'm ever in Oakland again I'll definitely stop back jn.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
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