Press

 

From July 2012's East Bay Express:

Less than ten months after it first opened, it's hard to imagine the corner of 18th and Telegraph without Make Westing: Without that bright-white neon sign out front or the gaggles of glassy-eyed revelers sitting and smoking on sidewalk furniture; without the occasional bocce ball-related yelp of cheer or despair sneaking out onto the street over the music; without, well, the energy. This is a bar that's instantly hospitable to everyone: The drinks are well made, never fussy, and entirely reasonably priced; the food is easy to eat and order and markedly, wonderfully, heavy on the animal fat; and the whole vibe is lively but not too loud, nicely appointed but not too trendy, a sort of everyman bar for the 21st-century Oaklander. Turns out, you don't need to be old to be an institution.

From Zagat:

“Roomy and good for groups”, this bar/lounge in a “prime uptown location” has become “one of Oakland’s more popular spots”; sporting a rustic/industrial look, it’s “always busy” thanks to a “nice assortment of local beers”, “delicious cocktails” and “gourmet snacks” – not to mention the “very cool” “indoor bocce ball courts”, conducive to “good ol’ drunken fun.”

From Oakland Magazine's Best of 2014:

Voted Friendliest Bar, Best Place to Meet Members of the Opposite Sex: It’s Friday night in downtown Oakland, and if you’re looking for a cocktail and a crowd, you’re at Make Westing. This wide-open, industrial-style space is wall-to-wall with 20- and 30-somethings who have one agenda in mind: drink and mingle. Whether it’s getting acquainted over bocce ball (the lounge boasts two venue-long courts) or chatting it up at the bar (with a side of artichokes or a Cuban sandwich), there’s ample opportunity to flaunt your game, and you’ll look cool doing it in the mood lighting cast by chic metallic fixtures. It’s low-brow enough to serve tall boys and has enough class to offer a fine martini. Words to date by: When the sun has set over the Fox Theater, you should be here. 

Check out some of the other love Make Westing has been getting:

Oakland Magazine's Best of Oakland and the East Bay 2014 - Friendliest Bar

East Bay Express - Best New Bar 2012

Zagat

Oakland Magazine

The New York Times

The Toronto Star

Sunset Magazine (And an offline story in the December 2012 issue)

San Francisco Magazine - Best Bar for Grabbing Preshow Brews

San Francisco Magazine

The San Francisco Chronicle

The San Francisco Examiner

The Contra Costa Times

East Bay Food Scene

AOL Travel - 48 hours in Oakland

7X7 - #34 on "Things to do in Oakland Before You Die"

East Bay Express - "Uptown's latest and greatest bar"

East Bay Express - Food Program Review

The Oakland Tribune

Oakland North

Diablo Magazine

Diablo Magazine

Tasting Table

SF Weekly

Bravo Your City!

UrbanDaddy

Thrillist

Eater

Refinery29

East Bay Express

Rockidge Bungalow

East Bay Loop Review

Examiner