Handles Gastropub

**happy hour**
sweet potato fries — good
pork street tacos — good
crispy artichoke hearts — pretty good
Trefethen chardonnay — good
the atmosphere is nice

Stop by for a «late» lunch after business was concluded in the area. My husband and I both had a burger — 8 oz. I had slaw with mine and he had fries. The slaw was good. A touch of wasabi in the dressing. Not too overpowering. I have a sensitivity to spice and heat. The fries that my husband had were too greasy. Seem to be the bottom of the fry pan, leftover from the lunch rush. Hamburger was great, very large. I had order my burger medium, however, it was more med– rare than medium. We will come back and try other items. The sliders that the other table was having, looked really good. Smaller portions. Service was excellent. Would like to see a smaller size burger on the regular menu. Some folks just can’t eat 8 oz of beef. Overall, glad we stopped in.

Great place to catch a game and have a drink! The tacos and sliders are AMAZING and seem to taste even better when you get them at the happy hour price! Honestly so good. Sometimes the bartender gets a bit distracted but in general the waitstaff is very accommodating and in a good mood. Usually come at least once a month!

I have to give this place five stars for the deliciousness of their food, drinks, and the fact that they have a big patio! We had margaritas, chicken tacos, fried artichoke hearts and sliders; each dish was perfectly prepared, hot and oh so tasty! Our server was efficient and not super chatty, a plus! Would definitely come here again.

Well I loved this place. Food is amazing. Pulled pork. Meatloaf. Nachos. Mac and cheese. The only negative was the Caesar salad with salmon. Not a great dish. But everything else was delicious. Sat outside with the heater. My son enjoyed himself too. Definitely will be back! Oh and the beer! Great selection. Some for 3 bucks!

Place is decent… I really want to like it more… but just get disappointed every time I come in over the past 4 years. Food and Drinks has always been decent to good… nothing to go crazy about… but the service… blah! I really like the atmosphere… super cool. They REALLY need to invest in a manager that knows teach hospiality and server common sence.

Nice old 1800’a hotel bar. Lots of draft beer on tap. They are not cheap but I really like the atmosphere and their beer selection. I usually sit at or near the bar and have had no complaints about the service. Some nights they have live music. It’s a nice lively place usually.

Came here for happy hour to meet an old co-​worker. Great beer selection and cheap happy hour eats that were pretty tasty. Would definitely go back to try more food. The happy hour food was really good. I had a couple different sliders and calamari.
The beer selection was diverse and the bartender was happy to offer tastes of new beers. In fact some were just added and he admitted not knowing the brews and tasted it with me. I always appreciate wait staff admitting to not knowing something and being honest!
Will update after i go back for round 2!

Not happy with their inconsistent kitchen hours. Friends and I walking in at 8 pm to have beer and dinner. Our waitress informed us that their kitchen was closed because of light traffic, this was after we received our drinks. Is is unsettling because there is no sign stating that their kitchen hours close early because of their «light traffic.» They definitely should do something about it.

Update: figured it out a day later, they added in an extra $ 7 drink that no one drank -.-
Oh man this was the worst experience ever.
I came with a group of 15 on a Tuesday for their all day happy hour and the entire dining experience was okay. The problem was paying the bill. I would say it took half an hour to an hour to finish paying the bill. ALMOST AN HOUR TO PAY THE BILL. We got our bill and it was unusually high so we took it back to the cashier, they forgot some of our meals were happy hour priced. That’s no big deal, people make mistakes. We look at the bill again and see something they overcharged again. We gave the bill back to another waitress and she was quick to point out to me that happy hour is over. I reminded her that it’s all day and she goes «oh…yeah…». Does no one in this establishment know their deals? Anyways we were brought back our bill again and it was HIGHER than our price… they forgot to charge a drink. We were confused why they didn’t alot of our drinks didn’t have happy hour prices… apparently only two drinks were eligible. They showed us in the menu and we found it in very small print. Ugh. hate when they do that.
It was really stressful experience and they were not helpful. I felt like I was bothering them the entire time and they were not apologetic at all. Blamed it on old age and being blind…
Avoid this place with large groups unless you want a huge headache.

I don’t know why this place has negative reviews, it’s awesome! Nice service, spacious and clean. It’s fabulous bar food w/​out the ruckus.
The Pork Nachos were huge and to die for!
We also had the fish and chips and porkchops, also delicious.
Really big selection of beer as well.
I will definitely be back to try all their small plates.

I came in on Sunday ¹¹⁄₀₁ right at shift change. The bar was surprisingly not packed. The bartender Liz was professional and attentive. She made a tasty bloody mary and recommended the tacos that were on the happy hour menu which were delicious. I subscribe to the gluten-​free diet which is a pain in the butt; however, is necessary. I was delighted to know they carry Omission the BEST tasting gluten-​free beers on the market. I had one with an order of spicy chicken wings (GF). With that said I’ve been here a few times since they opened and it was neither bad nor great but this time was very good and part of that was Liz. It helps to have hospitable staff. She wasn’t flirty or anything like that just warm and engaging.
On another note; they have a variety of NFL games on which is great because not all of us are Niner/​Raider fans.

Located in lovely downtown Pleasanton this gastropub has plenty of flavor that will attract avid beer or wine drinkers. The restaurant itself seems to be an old converted hotel from the 1800s which adds value in my book. I have been here a few times prior to this review and this was by far my worst experience. Went out on a Thursday night with my gf and two of her friends to have a few (or more) drinks. We sat outside which is very spread out and is usually pretty busy. Tonight was rather slow so I thought for sure the service would be spot on. Boy was I wrong, the server was just awful. He was very short, abrupt and at times just plain rude. I can understand if someone is having a bad day but when it’s your job to be friendly and nice to guests maybe just call out for that shift. He took his time getting our drinks, the heater for the table and rarely came to check on us despite being 1 of 5 tables that were outside. We tried our best to engage in conversation but that was just a waste of breath, probably one of the worst servers I’ve ever encountered since I started Unilocaling…
The bright point was the apple cider was delicious, the shots also were decent. The fries and sliders leave something to be desired. I really do like this place and I hope things turn around.

This place has quickly become one of my summer happy hour go-​tos. They have easy parking (their own lot!) which is amazing for downtown Pleasanton. Besides that their outdoor seating is adorable. It’s private, has great trees with string lights and often have live music. This place becomes a time suck for me– in a great way! You can sit and enjoy a changing selection of ciders (the Pinot Grigio cider was my favorite!) and decent appetizers. The Cheese and Mac is a good option, same with the artichoke hearts. Fries are standard. Sliders are okay too.

The bartender was really nice, and gave us great service.
The only thing really «wrong» were just some of the small plates/​snacks I ordered. It wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t my favorite.
I loved the atmosphere, people are friendly, and the drinks are good!

I used to love coming here, but over the past few years, the quality and consistency of the food has drastically disappointed me each time I return.
The duck tacos on the appetizer menu were my favorite. The last three times I have ordered them, the «taco shell» has been different. It’s supposed to be a steamed bao-​style taco shell, but I have gotten much different taco shells the last three times so I will no longer order them.
I ordered a cheese platter and got stale baguette with disgusting dried fruit and a few fresh berries. It was the saddest excuse for a cheese board. Cheese boards should have honey, figs, assorted breads and crackers, nuts, raisins. I got bread, cheese, and dried apricots. Yuck.
the last few times I have come down for a 9pm band in the bar, they have «closed the kitchen early tonight» despite it being a FULL HOUSE of people drinking and enjoying the band. That isn’t right at all, if you have a band playing until midnight and you want to keep selling drinks, you should have a limited appetizer menu available for patrons. Other wise they will go across the street for a different band and – guess what – food! What a concept.
I love the atmosphere and the concept of the menu. But The delivery/​presentation, quality of food, and service is just gradually taking a turn for the worse. It’s just not being executed properly. I truly hope to see a turnaround at handles as it is a beautiful venue and could be doing so much better.

Let me say this. When Handles first opened the food was good, for «pub food» and they made a decent drink. Now most items on the appetizer menu are not available and the ones that are… Not so good.
My biggest complaint is the fact that they water down their drinks to a criminal level. When I say watered down I mean order a vodka up and tell me that’s all vodka. It’s mostly water. Not cool guys.
Downtown Pleasanton has a big enough issue attracting people and this is not helping.
Yet another reason I’m driving to Livermore for date night.

Overpriced beers but quite a selection, come here with a group!
We arrived for a late night beer and to watch the remainder of the SJ Sharks game on 2.21.15. Our beers were around $ 9.00 per pint but they did have a fabulous selection and a full bar.
The atmosphere in the bar area is completely different than the restaurant, the bar is loud/​obnoxious/​full of drunkards while the dining area is serene and a nice place to bring the children (they even have coloring options).
The bar only has one bathroom so we had to scavenge and find the other that was located in the event area of the venue. It all worked out.
I did enjoy that they had live music going on, apparently every Saturday night, and it was pretty entertaining. The patrons who were drunk and dancing was probably a highlight of the evening (since the sharks lost and all).
Overall I would probably go here again if I were in the Pleasanton area with a big group, looking for a place to watch a game, or just craving a craft beer on tap.

In the past month I’ve been to Handles Gastropub for the following:
–Happy hour: It goes all day Monday and Tuesday and then 3−6pm Wednesday through Sunday. If it’s a nice day, definitely sit on the patio. It’s so relaxing out there, especially with a $ 6 glass of Pinot Grigio.
–Corporate event: The building itself is 150 years old! It’s massive with many different rooms. We fit around 175 people in the private rooms.
–Late night: We came for the band and it was packed. So much fun.
–Lunch: I ordered the lunch combo of a half Chicken & Cheddar Sandwich and half Market Salad ($ 10). Pretty tasty with really good bacon but the bread was very crumbly. My friend found her Cod & Chips to be too fishy.
The staff is always really friendly which I appreciate.
In the future I will return for happy hour or a band but not necessarily a meal.

Not amazing but definitely far from bad. I came here for a family event and we were fortunate enough to get a great deal on a large catered event on the patio.
Staff was nowhere to be found unless you meandered over to the bar where they were talking and checking their cellphones. The made to order omelets were awesome, the bacon was tasty, and the set up was nice. Nothing else to speak too highly of but it was certainly perfect for a large group and bottomless eating.
The orange juice was definitely mixed with lots of water because the only thing orange about it was the color.
Perhaps not the best place to wine and dine a date or schmooze with the boss, but a-​ok for a causal family reunion or a quick cheap bite.
The property has a ton of history and I remember 15 – 25 years ago coming here as a small child with my mom. It has lost some of its luster in the years that it has had undergone some facelifts, but it’ll always have a place in my heart.
Would love to come back and see what gastro style food they serve as we only tried brunch offerings. Don’t mark this place off your list — come try for yourself, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.