Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have food?

Yes! We have a small menu of tasty fried appetizers and snacks, including Guacamole, chicken bites, coconut shrimp, corn-dogs., mozzarella sticks, edamame and hummus as well as our famous waffle and sweet potato fries. Perfect for soaking up all that rum and fruit juice!

Where’s the Grey Goose?

We take pride in featuring locally made wines, beers, and spirits. That’s why we’re proud to offer Alameda’s own St. George and Hangar One vodka as our premium vodka choices. We also offer Alameda’s own Hazy IPA (Alameda Brewing Co) and 1976 Lager (Faction).  In addition, look for other great Bay Area brands, such as Mosswood Distillers (SF), Wright and Brown (Oakland), Reed and Lacey (Oakland) and Cypress Point (Richmond).

Do you really squeeze your own juice?

You bet we do. We juice our own lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit juice fresh in-house every day. There’s just no substitute for the flavor of fresh juice. You’ll never find sour mix, Rose’s, juice from a gun, or frozen concentrates at Forbidden Island. We also make our own syrups and grenadine with pure cane sugar- never corn syrup. Our cranberry juice is naturally sweetened pure cranberry juice (not cocktail) from Oakland’s own Voila Juice. And yes, even the maraschino cherries are naturally colored and flavored and contain no sulfites. We take this pretty seriously.

How do I book a private party? 

Forbidden Island is an ideal location for a private party and one you and your guests will never forget!  Want to make your party extra special? We’ll design a custom cocktail for you.

Our outdoor tropical patio* seats 20-25 comfortably and can accommodate up to 30 guests with folding chairs. 
For parties 30 – 50, our outdoor tented area* available.
*Please note that our outdoor area shuts down at 9pm sharp, as per our use permit. (no exceptions)
The interior may be available before our “open” hours. Send us an email and we can discuss that further.
 
There is no cost for this, the only thing we require is:
-$500 bar spend minimum
-20% gratuity
-All drinks on one tab or maximum of 4 tabs.
 
The patio does close at 9pm sharp, as per our use permit and I know from experience how fast two hours can fly by. We’re happy to offer it to you from 6pm till 9pm, if that works for you.

We have big batch Mai Tais available, which works out to about $10-12 per cocktail and you may also bring in your own food/ catering.

$450 Island Mai Tai (pineapple juice based)
$500 Classic Mai Tai (lime juice based)
 
We could also do drink tickets, which could get handed out to guests. We’ll just charge for the actual tickets redeemed and add those drink choices onto the host tab. Our drinks average $15 so there’s a clear way to control costs.
 
Send us an email via the “contact us” link and we may assist you further.

 

Can I bring the kids?

No! We are strictly 21 and over only. We hold a type 48 spirits/ bar license that mandates 21+ at all times and on all areas of the property, including the patio and exterior.  And yes, babies count as well, even if they (probably) won’t order a Mai Tai.

Can I at least bring my dog?

State law prohibits dogs in all dining areas of restaurants and other retail food businesses, except for police dogs and service animals. Dogs are welcome on our outdoor patio.

Why does the patio close so early?

It is a condition of our use-permit that the outdoor patio is to close no later than 9pm nightly as we are surrounded by residential property on all sides. Also: Please do not block any of our neighbors driveways when parking! Mahalo!

What’s with the dollars on the ceiling?

It started as a local tradition soon after we opened, and has been going strong ever since. In WWII, sailors shipping out to the Pacific would leave a dollar at their local bar to get a drink when they got back. Every few years, we pull down the dollars and donate them to charity. Don’t forget to leave a message on them! Please note that they are not tips, and you should leave your tips on the bar for our hard working staff!!