Just ran into a bit of info online.
No answer to the phones there today.

Always great food imo.....we had a group of 65 there last Sat nite...must have been one of the last nites.

3 story venue, likely the basement nite club especially, wasn't working well enough....

Landlord not sure what next steps are...

Whaaaaaaaatt!! Say it ain't so.... Back in the day, Larry Blake's & Rathskeller(?) downstairs was the spot. That's too bad...

oskigobears;470472 said:

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Just ran into a bit of info online.
No answer to the phones there today.

Always great food imo.....we had a group of 65 there last Sat nite...must have been one of the last nites.

3 story venue, likely the basement nite club especially, wasn't working well enough....

Landlord not sure what next steps are...

---

Well that's very sad, I have a lot of good times at Blake's during my years at CAL some of which are very foggy from just a bit too much beer.:p

oskigobears;470472 said:

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Just ran into a bit of info online.
No answer to the phones there today.

Always great food imo.....we had a group of 65 there last Sat nite...must have been one of the last nites.

3 story venue, likely the basement nite club especially, wasn't working well enough....

Landlord not sure what next steps are...

---

Quote:

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After 71 years in business at Telegraph & Durant in Berkeley, Larry Blake’s Restaurant & Bar, also known as Blake’s on Telegraph, has closed its doors. Blake’s was once among the most popular hangouts for the Cal community—both students and faculty/employees—and until the late1990’s was famous for the Blake Burger, voted Best Hamburger in the East Bay numerous times, and for the delicious salad dressing developed in the 1940’s by Larry Blake, himself.

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http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2011-02-02/article/37270?headline=Larry-Blake-s-on-Telegraph-in-Berkeley-Closes


Went down hill after they took the sawdust out of the "Rathskeller"... We didn't even call it Larry Blakes back in the 70's an early 80s...just the Rathskeller

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:cry:

oskigobears;470472 said:

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Just ran into a bit of info online.
No answer to the phones there today.

Always great food imo.....we had a group of 65 there last Sat nite...must have been one of the last nites.

3 story venue, likely the basement nite club especially, wasn't working well enough....

Landlord not sure what next steps are...

---

Damn I thought this thread was about a new OT commit named Larry Blake.

Tragic. Dad's and Uncles Ben and James' breakfast place for decades.

WTF is going on in Berkeley? Students aren't going to the Basketball games, Blakes closing down. What next? They replace Blondies with a Chick Fil A?

Back in the 60's a friend and I went up to Davis for a party and stopped in at Blake's Rathskeller in Davis (he had one there as well) for a few pops. Larry was at the bar and we started talking. We looked like we just came in from the set of Easy Rider in our groovy gear which made us look like a couple of deranged ranch hands from some hippie livestock ranch. Still, we were obviously pacesetters by Davis tonsorial and sartorial standards and Larry started razzing us. We pushed back -it was all good natured-and my friend finally turned to Larry and said: "We wear our plumes on our soul." Larry nodded gravely as if he were in church and he offered his hand in apology. We wound up staying to closing and then went over to the party on B street where 10 women lived. Naturally we took Larry along. That was the first time I heard Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention-" Suzie Creamcheese what's got into you." Larry got way into it with the girls and the weed and I have a feeling his salad dressing started going downhill forthwith. Needless to say, "we wear our plumes on our soul' became the rallying cry for that night and for many years to follow.

Wonder how Two-for-Tuesdays Henry's is doing.

freshfunk;470512 said:

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Wonder how Two-for-Tuesdays Henry's is doing.

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My best three buddies and I have been going to Blake's every Tuesday for the past two years. We loved it then but once It was around 8 we didn't wanna be near it

The Rat!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....................
I still remember being with a group of cheerleaders/Gamma Phi's.
They had enough special beverages to dance to "Brick House".

On the tables.

GB54;470507 said:

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Back in the 60's a friend and I went up to Davis for a party and stopped in at Blake's Rathskeller in Davis (he had one there as well) for a few pops. Larry was at the bar and we started talking. We looked like we just came in from the set of Easy Rider in our groovy gear which made us look like a couple of deranged ranch hands from some hippie livestock ranch. Still, we were obviously pacesetters by Davis tonsorial and sartorial standards and Larry started razzing us. We pushed back -it was all good natured-and my friend finally turned to Larry and said: "We wear our plumes on our soul." Larry nodded gravely as if he were in church and he offered his hand in apology. We wound up staying to closing and then went over to the party on B street where 10 women lived. Naturally we took Larry along. That was the first time I heard Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention-" Suzie Creamcheese what's got into you." Larry got way into it with the girls and the weed and I have a feeling his salad dressing started going downhill forthwith. Needless to say, "we wear our plumes on our soul' became the rallying cry for that night and for many years to follow.

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Where was the Davis Blake's?

Had many many beers there back in the day. RIP.

I know the 2 mile rule doesn't really exist anymore but I remember the day when Spats, Henry's and Blakes were the only grandfathered hard liquor places around campus....I wonder if they can transfer the license or sell it to any new owner...I'm betting that the city wouldn't allow it.

I know the new Shattuck hotel has a full license, its not really a student hangout though. Am I missing any places with a full license?

MisterNoodle;470595 said:

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Where was the Davis Blake's?

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Downtown- by the railroad tracks; don't remember the alphabetical or numerical. It was the one fine eating establishment at that time, the place parents took their kids.

AUOso;470610 said:

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I know the 2 mile rule doesn't really exist anymore but I remember the day when Spats, Henry's and Blakes were the only grandfathered hard liquor places around campus....I wonder if they can transfer the license or sell it to any new owner...I'm betting that the city wouldn't allow it.

I know the new Shattuck hotel has a full license, its not really a student hangout though. Am I missing any places with a full license?

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Not sure about anymore but Kip's definitely had a full liquor license when I worked there. Although I think they got into some trouble with letting minors in.

SoCalBear323;470500 said:

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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:cry:

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+1

:cry::mad:

GB54;470611 said:

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Downtown- by the railroad tracks; don't remember the alphabetical or numerical. It was the one fine eating establishment at that time, the place parents took their kids.

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First Street between F and G Streets.

I remember going in there back in 90-93. That place was always packed. Especially downstairs. It was one of the few places that was a class drinkin joint. And they did sell hard liquor back when I was there. Wow. Were students not going there anymore?

I'm dating myself by asking this but does anybody know what the most popular drinking spots are now for Cal students? Henrys? Raleighs?

AUOso;470610 said:

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I know the 2 mile rule doesn't really exist anymore but I remember the day when Spats, Henry's and Blakes were the only grandfathered hard liquor places around campus....I wonder if they can transfer the license or sell it to any new owner...I'm betting that the city wouldn't allow it.

I know the new Shattuck hotel has a full license, its not really a student hangout though. Am I missing any places with a full license?

---

Speaking of the 2 mile rule, I think when I first went to Cal there was an archaic rule of some sort that the beer sold within a certain proximity of a college campus could not exceed 3.2 % alcohol.

They changed the format completely a couple of years ago and I stopped going there for lunch. A shame too because I really enjoyed the house salad, fish and chips.
Once that happened, the place was empty during the day. I was thinking that the Bar was doing well in the evenings. I guess not.
Won't miss it. Raleigh's has pretty good food and I do go occasionally for lunch. But once I'm that far down from campus, Mario's La Fiesta is less than a block away so I'll usually end up there.
The 'kids' seem to like The Bear's Lair on Friday afternoons and after games.

GB54;470507 said:

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Back in the 60's a friend and I went up to Davis for a party and stopped in at Blake's Rathskeller in Davis (he had one there as well) for a few pops. Larry was at the bar and we started talking. We looked like we just came in from the set of Easy Rider in our groovy gear which made us look like a couple of deranged ranch hands from some hippie livestock ranch. Still, we were obviously pacesetters by Davis tonsorial and sartorial standards and Larry started razzing us. We pushed back -it was all good natured-and my friend finally turned to Larry and said: "We wear our plumes on our soul." Larry nodded gravely as if he were in church and he offered his hand in apology. We wound up staying to closing and then went over to the party on B street where 10 women lived. Naturally we took Larry along. That was the first time I heard Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention-" Suzie Creamcheese what's got into you." Larry got way into it with the girls and the weed and I have a feeling his salad dressing started going downhill forthwith. Needless to say, "we wear our plumes on our soul' became the rallying cry for that night and for many years to follow.

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I like this story. Need more info on the orgy, however.

I used to know the owner of Blake's (and Amoeba's and Cody's) when I covered many of Telegraph's woes for the Daily Cal. That avenue has never really been a great business-friendly environment.

Sorry boys, it's the sign of the times..The Rat was gone long ago in my opinion..certainly wasn't the "same" as l971 - with cheap beer, sawdust, garage bands in the cellar..and Cal buddies working behind the bar. The students have obviously ignored it for reasons beyond our control..and lately it seems to have tried to "re-surface" as something it never was..Too bad..Kips would be the only drinking hole left from the ole days..The Bears Lair being coffee only when I was there..A good thread would be to share some Rat stories..

Cal_Fan2;470486 said:

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http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2011-02-02/article/37270?headline=Larry-Blake-s-on-Telegraph-in-Berkeley-Closes


Went down hill after they took the sawdust out of the "Rathskeller"... We didn't even call it Larry Blakes back in the 70's an early 80s...just the Rathskeller

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Just "The Rat"...

72CalBear;470772 said:

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Sorry boys, it's the sign of the times..The Rat was gone long ago in my opinion..certainly wasn't the "same" as l971 - with cheap beer, sawdust, garage bands in the cellar..and Cal buddies working behind the bar. The students have obviously ignored it for reasons beyond our control..and lately it seems to have tried to "re-surface" as something it never was..Too bad..Kips would be the only drinking hole left from the ole days..The Bears Lair being coffee only when I was there..A good thread would be to share some Rat stories..

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My recollection is that they had the first ever video game down in the Rathskeller. Don't remember what year--things are a little hazy from those days--just that we used to play Pong there for hours.

BearBones;470690 said:

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First Street between F and G Streets.

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Now a Lyons, I believe.

JimSox;470881 said:

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My recollection is that they had the first ever video game down in the Rathskeller. Don't remember what year--things are a little hazy from those days--just that we used to play Pong there for hours.

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I don't think so. The first documented coin-op game was a one of a kind unit called "Galaxy Game" that was at Stanford's student union. It wasn't commecially viable; the hardware was way too expensive except that the school provided it as a project. The first commercial game was "Computer Space".