Telegraph

We love beer and hanging out in the sunshine to enjoy it. Telegraph is in a great location of beer gardens, restaurants and craft bottle shops. They have a nice selection of quality taps and a newer bar in the back that offers more.
However, if you aren’t a fan of beer or outdoors, they also have cocktails and an interior dining/​drinking area. I love the adult slushees, but beware — they are packing a punch behind that sweet flavor icy slush. Can’t wait until summer!

The food: the sandwiches and burgers are really good, so I sat here, eating probably the most delicious veggie burger while taking a mental note of the two other black people here as well as the white dudebro next to me with a Oakland «Ratchets» shirt on. My friend loved her sausage sandwich and we finished our meals so quickly — definitely qualify food! I was conflicted and full.
Here’s a review of the actual establishment: obviously pre-​conceived and intentionally «divey» but clean enough to appeal to your average white gentrifier in acne jeans who loves Oakland but doesn’t contend with their impact on the survival of black/​people of color residents in the Bay. They have a heated seating area in the back, which is great for chilly nights. I feel like the people who run this place are chill as fuck (or maybe they just don’t care that much, can’t quite tell but our food came quickly and they weren’t rude so idc) but a portion of the people who patronize are the same folk who walk quickly past you on the side walk. It’s a weird space, fam.
I really wanted to like this place without being frustrated, but it’s hard to. They have chill service, good food, and apparently $ 1 beers on Monday. It’s intended to look and feel like a working class/​punk/​grunge/​dive joint — but its obviously not that. Either take your sandwich to go or stay and deal with sharing a table with a dude with a «Bernie 2016» sticker on his Mac.

I’m not a beer drinker, so I’ve always kind of written off this beer garden and didn’t give it much thought. But recently someone mentioned that they have really awesome burgers. Now, I haven’t been impressed with pretty much any of the other gourmet type burgers available in the East Bay. Unami Burger, Kronnerburger, Chop Bar, etc. I tend to just stick with In-​n-​Out or Trueburger and not go for the fancier stuff.
Telegraph’s burgers aren’t cheap but they are absolutely the best burgers I’ve had in the Bay Area. I was pretty surprised to be honest. I was expecting to be disappointed. My burger was so incredibly juicy and flavorful. It was SO good. They have lots of really delicious and unique combinations like the pulled pork topped burger which was excellent.
One slight disappointment was the lack of sliced pickles for the burger but I almost didn’t miss it (and I LOVE pickles on my burgers!). Will definitely come back.

Nique F. hits the nail on the head in comparing Telegraph with Zeitgeist over in the West Bay. There’s just no comparison, in fact. Quite possibly the best beer garden in the Bay Area, Telegraph hits the jackpot, whether with a lively, unpretentious Oakland crowd, a wide, well-​curated selection of beers, and scrumptious, if meat-​heavy, food offerings.
First, the food — particularly the incredible ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ burger that’s half beef, half bacon. Try it topped with pulled pork. Absolutely delish. So good, in fact, you’ll be tempted to wolf it down all at once while forgetting your beer. And there’s a fantastic beer selection at that, with a variety of price points. Moreover, the Oakland ambience is unbeatable: a boisterous, graffitied outdoor patio with plenty of room to stand, sit, or otherwise mingle with a friendly, diverse crowd.
Judging from other reviews here, I see that Telegraph has its fair share of haters and party pissers. But if you’re into chilling with real, authentic, unpretentious people over great beer and even better food in a lively, uniquely Oakland environment, then Telegraph’s just the place for you — right in the heart of where all the action is in the Bay Area.

Telegraph. You’ve been in the neighborhood for a little while now. I like the «Beeryland» sign out front, it really sets the mood. The Side walk sign on this particular day read «We’ve got Dollar Beer and Skee ball, now all we need is Friends.» You are obviously sending rather obvious Blems at the beer drinking passerby.
So being that beer drinking passerby, there I was standing in front of a menu of burgers and sandwiches made to be beer companions, fridges full of beer with expertly labels doors and a super sweet beertender making great suggestions on burgers.
So for me I went with the veggie burger with cheese and avo, served with a side of kettle chips. Burger included the works (mayo, special sauce «thousand island», lettuce, tomato and onion) hold the mayo please and a Dollar Olympia. Sweet!
Placed my order grabbed my number, took a seat outside, much too cold. But I loved the setup, picnic tables, art, condiment station and full bar. Looks great out there. I ended up inside near the skee ball machines at what? A window seat!
I chit chatted to some 90’s tunes and enjoyed a solid veggie burger.
Highs
*interesting burger options, ½ beef, ½ bacon or beer burger with pulled pork
*beer for all budgets
*excellent music
*heaters
*full bar
*decent food options
Lows
*lack of taps
*doesn’t open till 3p on weekdays
*mostly outdoor seating
Telegraph has a friend in me!