Richards' Goat Tavern & Tea Room

A great, charming bar and venue where I always feel super safe and can have fun. You can dress up cute and not feel weird but I also feel fine in a hoody. It's good for a low key hangout like a movie or board game, a date night, or dancing/ karaoke with a group. Sometimes when it's busy you have to be patient, but who is in a rush for a fancy cocktail or tea? The Goat is great!

We love the goat. Best bar in town, supports such a wide range of our awesome community here in arcata. tea house during the day, best karaoke in town

Great food! I always love having tea here if I am the DD, and their mixed drinks are great when I am not. Miniplex is super cool, I don't get to hang out here enough. Love it and very popular with the college crowd! The location is also nice, a little out of the way but walkable from Plaza. Distance makes for a better experience in my opinion, overall. Very worth checking out if you like unusual and unique bars. Quirky and queer friendly space!

5 stars because they are the only legit venue booking actual rock and roll bands touring through Humboldt. The beer selection is friendly to those native of the Deucheland but the $11 shot of Campari is not.

One of my favorite haunts currently. This is a wonderful space in the community that ensures safety for its patrons of all backgrounds. there's great karaoke, friendly bartenders and staff, and has a wonderful decor and very comfortable seating. My only complaint is that the attached miniplex can be too stuffy once too many people are in there, but at least it goes to show that it's a popular place to dance and drink and socialize!

German David

5 stars because they are the only legit venue booking actual rock and roll bands touring through Humboldt. The beer selection is friendly to those native of the Deucheland but the $11 shot of Campari is not.

Rael Schulman

One of my favorite haunts currently. This is a wonderful space in the community that ensures safety for its patrons of all backgrounds. there's great karaoke, friendly bartenders and staff, and has a wonderful decor and very comfortable seating. My only complaint is that the attached miniplex can be too stuffy once too many people are in there, but at least it goes to show that it's a popular place to dance and drink and socialize!

Holly Hiatt

We love the goat. Best bar in town, supports such a wide range of our awesome community here in arcata. tea house during the day, best karaoke in town

Natalie Arroyo

A great, charming bar and venue where I always feel super safe and can have fun. You can dress up cute and not feel weird but I also feel fine in a hoody. It's good for a low key hangout like a movie or board game, a date night, or dancing/ karaoke with a group. Sometimes when it's busy you have to be patient, but who is in a rush for a fancy cocktail or tea? The Goat is great!

Aazhie Ryakes

Great food! I always love having tea here if I am the DD, and their mixed drinks are great when I am not. Miniplex is super cool, I don't get to hang out here enough. Love it and very popular with the college crowd! The location is also nice, a little out of the way but walkable from Plaza. Distance makes for a better experience in my opinion, overall. Very worth checking out if you like unusual and unique bars. Quirky and queer friendly space!

Kylie Walker

Great bar with a unique feel! They have an amazing tea and non alcoholic selection as well and great food. I recommend the Mac and cheese! There is also a movie theater that plays unique films. This bar is a great place to just hang out.

Jane Gallagher

Delicious cocktails, great beers, cider, and kombucha on tap. The food selections (including gluten-free options) are always YUM but they don't have a full kitchen so they do run out of stuff. Keep an eye on their theater calendar because they get some really amazing bands that you may never have heard of but will DEFINITELY be glad you went to see! Also showing the latest indie and foreign films. Their karaoke (Sundays, usually) is off the hook (won Best in the county!) and the bar itself is pretty chill so you could totally take your parents or have a nice date here.

So much fun! Great visitors, lots of places to sit and chat, karaoke and neat cocktails. Little divey but still clean.

Sav W

So much fun! Great visitors, lots of places to sit and chat, karaoke and neat cocktails. Little divey but still clean.

While the decor and layout is really nice and the overall look of the outside logos and stuff feels really thought out, this place has been uber-hipster, way into themselves and has rubbed me the wrong way ever since it opened a few years ago. The bartenders have attitudes and the prices are high. There's some food options that you have to order from the bar but good luck getting any service. They have some old board games which is a cool way to spend the time waiting for the band, movie or your food ordered. I've never been to a movie here but my band has played here once. Since I'd never seen the "theater" portion of this place which they call the Miniplex so when I set up my drums on the floor of a small empty room off the side of the hallway leading to the bathroom, I assumed there was a more legitimate actual theater space that I hadn't yet seen and they must just put the stupid local bands in this random utility room. When I finally went to see another legitimate touring band perform here I then realized that, in-fact that small stupid room was the Miniplex. This time I noticed that theres some theater seat rows pushed against the side walls and a projector screen on the wall that they must set up for the movie showings. It is a decent setup but no more elaborate than what some people I know have in their living room. The floor is flat and almost seems to slightly slope downward away from the stage/screen. God-forbid you’re a short person because all you will see is the backs of heads. There needs to be an elevated set of back rows of some kind so you can see the stage. Yea this time they had a 12” high stage for the band. 12 inches. The Miniplex is a separate , small, dark room which makes sense for movies but when you go to see live music it’s very awkward. The door to the show, with a person collecting money/tickets is in the hallway to the bathroom. So essentially you’re already in the bar but you aren’t IN the show yet. Which also sucks because you can’t just hang out at the bar or on the couches or at a table and watch the band. You have to cram into this stupid tiny room. They get some decent touring acts and unique movies and the staff seems to be lightening up a bit but really I hate going there.

A really cool area venue, good drinks, good shows, and a good crowd of patrons. Mixed drinks aren't overpriced, service is quick when not busy and when busy service is still dependable. I used to dislike coming there for shows with high attendance because the miniplex is not that well ventilated and it gets hard to breathe and move and can be anxiety-inducing, but the Thursday night karaokes have helped me to spend more time and money there and overcome that initial difficulty

Samuel Schulman

A really cool area venue, good drinks, good shows, and a good crowd of patrons. Mixed drinks aren't overpriced, service is quick when not busy and when busy service is still dependable. I used to dislike coming there for shows with high attendance because the miniplex is not that well ventilated and it gets hard to breathe and move and can be anxiety-inducing, but the Thursday night karaokes have helped me to spend more time and money there and overcome that initial difficulty

Kirk Shelton

While the decor and layout is really nice and the overall look of the outside logos and stuff feels really thought out, this place has been uber-hipster, way into themselves and has rubbed me the wrong way ever since it opened a few years ago. The bartenders have attitudes and the prices are high. There's some food options that you have to order from the bar but good luck getting any service. They have some old board games which is a cool way to spend the time waiting for the band, movie or your food ordered. I've never been to a movie here but my band has played here once. Since I'd never seen the "theater" portion of this place which they call the Miniplex so when I set up my drums on the floor of a small empty room off the side of the hallway leading to the bathroom, I assumed there was a more legitimate actual theater space that I hadn't yet seen and they must just put the stupid local bands in this random utility room. When I finally went to see another legitimate touring band perform here I then realized that, in-fact that small stupid room was the Miniplex. This time I noticed that theres some theater seat rows pushed against the side walls and a projector screen on the wall that they must set up for the movie showings. It is a decent setup but no more elaborate than what some people I know have in their living room. The floor is flat and almost seems to slightly slope downward away from the stage/screen. God-forbid you’re a short person because all you will see is the backs of heads. There needs to be an elevated set of back rows of some kind so you can see the stage. Yea this time they had a 12” high stage for the band. 12 inches. The Miniplex is a separate , small, dark room which makes sense for movies but when you go to see live music it’s very awkward. The door to the show, with a person collecting money/tickets is in the hallway to the bathroom. So essentially you’re already in the bar but you aren’t IN the show yet. Which also sucks because you can’t just hang out at the bar or on the couches or at a table and watch the band. You have to cram into this stupid tiny room. They get some decent touring acts and unique movies and the staff seems to be lightening up a bit but really I hate going there.

This place is interesting, very different than the typical bar. I'll be honest it's not really my scene at all I'm more of a sports bar type dude but I have had fun on karaoke nights here. I just feel like I might break something while I'm here and or offend a fellow customer or staff member. It's an alternative type crowd I guess I'd say if I tried to describe the crowd

Some pretty cool unique cocktails. Good mac & cheese and furakake tater tots. But OMG the small windowless black box that is their performance space is ridiculous. Standing room only. Packed in like sardines. Waaay too loud. Will not be back to watch a show but might stop in for a cocktail and some pub food again.

Silly that they would ask customers with open tabs to either pay the DJ cover charge or leave. We arrived and opened tabs before the DJ (which we had no knowledge of or much interest in) even set up and were informed while sitting at our table that we would have to pay $10 for a wristband or leave once we finished our drinks.

Kyle Avelar

This place is interesting, very different than the typical bar. I'll be honest it's not really my scene at all I'm more of a sports bar type dude but I have had fun on karaoke nights here. I just feel like I might break something while I'm here and or offend a fellow customer or staff member. It's an alternative type crowd I guess I'd say if I tried to describe the crowd

Nick Wren

Silly that they would ask customers with open tabs to either pay the DJ cover charge or leave. We arrived and opened tabs before the DJ (which we had no knowledge of or much interest in) even set up and were informed while sitting at our table that we would have to pay $10 for a wristband or leave once we finished our drinks.

Don't go to events here. If you see a flier and it's like "karaoke" or "goth night" at Richard's goat, don't go. It's a nice bar. But it's too small for any kind of club-like event. I don't know why they keep having events here. This is a place you go for a quick drink and a snack and a neat weird little atmosphere but it does not have the space nor resources to accommodate the sheer amount of people that come to events like this. Go to the theater lounge if you want to club and dance and party. Go to the Richard's goat if you want to be in an extremely crowded space and wait an hour to get a drink or use the bathroom.

Bree Holthus

Don't go to events here. If you see a flier and it's like "karaoke" or "goth night" at Richard's goat, don't go. It's a nice bar. But it's too small for any kind of club-like event. I don't know why they keep having events here. This is a place you go for a quick drink and a snack and a neat weird little atmosphere but it does not have the space nor resources to accommodate the sheer amount of people that come to events like this. Go to the theater lounge if you want to club and dance and party. Go to the Richard's goat if you want to be in an extremely crowded space and wait an hour to get a drink or use the bathroom.

I’m sharing this as a cautionary experience. My review, along with other one star reviews, has repeatedly been removed, which is frustrating in itself. I’ve personally experienced stigmatization here, and I’m aware of similar experiences from other straight white men. In my case, it stemmed from a false accusation that began after an intoxicated individual and his group attempted to provoke a physical altercation with me. I have never tampered with anyone’s drink or engaged in the behavior implied. Since then, I’ve dealt with ongoing bullying, harassment, and reputational damage from frequent patrons tied to that initial claim. Absolutely none of this involved questions, verification, or factual follow up on their part. I’m not everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s fine. I go out to sing karaoke, play pool, and socialize. Nothing more. I know I’ve done nothing wrong, and I’m comfortable continuing to exist in shared public spaces because of that. But going forward, if harassment occurs again, I’ll involve law enforcement so proper questions can be asked rather than assumptions being made. Will they ever apologize for the way they treated me? Unlikely. That would require humility... Edit: Anyone participating in "dogpiling/harassment/cyber bullying/defamation" I've sought litigation assistance to go after damages.

(Warning to straight white men) This place presents itself as inclusive, but I’ve personally heard complaints from two other straight white men who felt stigmatized here. What I experienced was the most humiliating nightlife situation I’ve ever dealt with, and it’s something I’m still affected by when I go out in this small community. I had been going to The Goat on and off for about a year prior with no issues. No other establishment has ever had a problem with me. I’m sober and respectful. One night I was talking to a woman when a very drunk guy came up to me and asked, “Are you spiking drinks tonight?” I honestly thought he was joking and said, “No… what the hell?” To this day I do not know whether this guy was jealous because he wanted to talk to her, or if he genuinely believed something had happened to someone he knows. Either way, he had the wrong guy. He came back even more intoxicated and wanted to fight me. He was with a large friend group and was clearly the most drunk among them. I went to the bartender (Toss) and told him a guy was making serious accusations I did something I didn’t do and was trying to fight me, and asked for help. What I didn’t expect was a guilty-until-proven-innocent response. I wasn’t asked questions or given any chance to explain. I was told there had been “several reports” that night and I was asked to leave, even though the other guy was the one threatening violence. I followed up with ownership/management over the phone the next couple of days. They told me there was no evidence of anything, that I wasn’t banned, and to ignore the people involved and just enjoy my nights as long as I wasn’t creating issues. I did exactly that. However, The Goat is a very clicky LGBTQ community, and after that night I was clearly socially targeted. Toss would follow me around whenever I showed up. On Sunday, the only unusual thing I did was leave the crowded karaoke room early and later take a nap in my car because I was exhausted from working earlier that day. I didn’t even feel safe driving at that point. Then on Tuesday, I showed up and was told I could not come back due to another “cluster of complaints,” including something about me being on my phone, which made no sense. I asked them to check the cameras because I didn’t do anything wrong. Later that same Tuesday night, I saw Toss at Everett’s, intoxicated, telling the owner I should be 86’d, citing these vague “incidents.” I was just playing pool. I have no way to defend myself against false claims like this. No one ever complained about me before that first incident. I’ve spent years in Chico’s bar scene with a solid reputation. False accusations are incredibly damaging. I would never spike drinks and wouldn’t even know how. I don’t think they even realize this is bullying and harmful. I did nothing wrong, yet standing up for myself has gotten me nowhere

They have a high minimum charge for using a card to pay. Which makes it so you either have to buy someone else a drink or get drunk faster than you'd prefer. The same crowd comes here, over & over & over. They are definitely unpleasent, far left extremist types (& i'm democrat). The staff is no different. The patrons try to claim it as the unofficial gay bar. The only food, which is just tater tots, is not good & a small portion for the price. The bathrooms are in awful shape. A lot of prejudicial things written on the walls as well. I keep getting invited here by people I know, but this place is a bad scene, just getting worse.

Tyler

They have a high minimum charge for using a card to pay. Which makes it so you either have to buy someone else a drink or get drunk faster than you'd prefer. The same crowd comes here, over & over & over. They are definitely unpleasent, far left extremist types (& i'm democrat). The staff is no different. The patrons try to claim it as the unofficial gay bar. The only food, which is just tater tots, is not good & a small portion for the price. The bathrooms are in awful shape. A lot of prejudicial things written on the walls as well. I keep getting invited here by people I know, but this place is a bad scene, just getting worse.

J C

(Warning to straight white men) This place presents itself as inclusive, but I’ve personally heard complaints from two other straight white men who felt stigmatized here. What I experienced was the most humiliating nightlife situation I’ve ever dealt with, and it’s something I’m still affected by when I go out in this small community. I had been going to The Goat on and off for about a year prior with no issues. No other establishment has ever had a problem with me. I’m sober and respectful. One night I was talking to a woman when a very drunk guy came up to me and asked, “Are you spiking drinks tonight?” I honestly thought he was joking and said, “No… what the hell?” To this day I do not know whether this guy was jealous because he wanted to talk to her, or if he genuinely believed something had happened to someone he knows. Either way, he had the wrong guy. He came back even more intoxicated and wanted to fight me. He was with a large friend group and was clearly the most drunk among them. I went to the bartender (Toss) and told him a guy was making serious accusations I did something I didn’t do and was trying to fight me, and asked for help. What I didn’t expect was a guilty-until-proven-innocent response. I wasn’t asked questions or given any chance to explain. I was told there had been “several reports” that night and I was asked to leave, even though the other guy was the one threatening violence. I followed up with ownership/management over the phone the next couple of days. They told me there was no evidence of anything, that I wasn’t banned, and to ignore the people involved and just enjoy my nights as long as I wasn’t creating issues. I did exactly that. However, The Goat is a very clicky LGBTQ community, and after that night I was clearly socially targeted. Toss would follow me around whenever I showed up. On Sunday, the only unusual thing I did was leave the crowded karaoke room early and later take a nap in my car because I was exhausted from working earlier that day. I didn’t even feel safe driving at that point. Then on Tuesday, I showed up and was told I could not come back due to another “cluster of complaints,” including something about me being on my phone, which made no sense. I asked them to check the cameras because I didn’t do anything wrong. Later that same Tuesday night, I saw Toss at Everett’s, intoxicated, telling the owner I should be 86’d, citing these vague “incidents.” I was just playing pool. I have no way to defend myself against false claims like this. No one ever complained about me before that first incident. I’ve spent years in Chico’s bar scene with a solid reputation. False accusations are incredibly damaging. I would never spike drinks and wouldn’t even know how. I don’t think they even realize this is bullying and harmful. I did nothing wrong, yet standing up for myself has gotten me nowhere