Ernie's Tin Bar

This place is great! Inexpensive, friendly people, great service, and no cellphones!

Best "dive bar" we've ever visited and we definitely seek them out. Great beer selection, great atmosphere and people. Ernie is the nicest guy and Chris is great; she's a lot of fun to chat with. It may not look like much but you definitely want to stop in if you're in the area. We make trips from Napa whenever we're traveling nearby and have brought numerous people there.

Probably one of the best hidden gems in plain site. Fantastic beer selection and great prices. Nice dog friendly patio. Only detractor is no food (they sell bags of chips only), BUT YOU CAN BRING YOUR OWN!! Great service rounds out what is always a great pit stop.

Amazing place! We were made to feel so welcome for their annual pot luck event on new year’s day. The food that was brought to share was wonderful, the vibe was cheerful and staff were lovely. Literally just a shack by the road, but it puts many other places to shame in both atmosphere and beer selection. Kid friendly, family owned, and music on Saturday afternoons! Ill be returning!

Such a cool hangout that has become quit trendy of late. Great beer selection with knowledgeable staff. No cell phone use allowed as it should be.... Beware that they only have portata potties and they aren't very clean so don't drink too much beer as the ladies will want to avoid if possible.

Love this place - it's like they bottled up the essence of Sonoma and turned it into a tiny bar in the middle of nowhere. Staff are always friendly, the beer selection is amazing (more beers than the number of people they can fit in the bar, including Pliny on tap!), and the vibe is effortlessly authentic. Stop in some time.

Ernie's is the best bar in Sonoma County. The service is excellent. The beer selection is awesome. The prices are exceptional for craft beer. Bring your own food. No kitchen. No cell phones, or you buy a round for everyone!

One of my favorite bars I've ever been to. Attached to an auto service shop a few miles outside of Petaluma, this little ton shack keeps one of the better beer selection in the area. They can be pretty strict about cellphone use, but I like that. In the last few years they have added a covered outdoor area to expand seating capacity, but I've never been here when it's too full. Added bonus, On weekends they have a subsedized taxi service to get you or there!

Awesome locals bar in a former garage space, great beer selection.

No other place like it! If you haven't checked it out, then you should! The photos are from the garage on the other side of the bar.

Friday after work, perfect spot to stop with my husband, catch up, and decompress. Bartenders are so friendly and REAL!

At the Cross roads on the Lakeville hwy and Stage Gulch Rd. Great place to stop and have a pint or three. Great ambience, w/ a cute Barmaid pulling down perfect pints of locally sourced Fresh Craft Beers. If you're out there you Have to stop in. A truly memorable experience. No food but really Great Beer.

Ernie's is out of the way, and totally worth it. They're serious about their "no cell phones" policy, but with the fantastic on-tap selection and roadside watering-hole feel, you probably won't even notice. Grab a friend and a beer, and watch the cars go by against a serene vineyard backdrop outside, or check out the skeletons of old half-assembled cars in the adjacent mechanic's shop inside behind the bar. There's even a free shuttle service Fri - Sun, 3pm-10pm.

Just what you'd expect on a Thursday night. Loud commoraderie at the bar, cold beer and friendly staff. Cute lambs across the street too.

I love this place. They only sell beer but their selection is vast, so you can always find something yummy.

Great roadhouse bar! My band The Merchants played there this past weekend and it was awesome. Great staff, great owner and fun crowd! 🤘🏼🎶

Rustic and down to earth. Friendly staff. The "no cell phone policy" is great. People actually talk to each other.

+2

Passed by on a Saturday afternoon, saw the fun being had by all, and had to stop for a beer or three. Live music, friendly faces, great beer, good times. What’s not to like?

This is my second time visiting here and it is still as I remembered it. A bar that is built on the side of an old garage with porta potties for bathrooms. Don’t let that deter you though, this place has a lot of personality and a fantastic selection of draft beers. They have music on occasion and this is the 100 year anniversary for them this year. Drop by and have some fun in a unique setting.

What a great little roadside watering hole! No talking on your cell phone!( it’s a really good rule this bar has)My wife and I stopped in to stretch our legs and get a quick drink. We ended up staying for over an hour talking with the bartenders. They have a wide variety of local beers. This roadside bar and service station has been in the family for several generations. There’s lots of memorabilia on the walls. They also regularly have tiny concerts inside the bar. People from all over the world come play in the corner of the small bar. They have posters of all the people who are played. There’s no air-conditioning but the ceiling fans keep you very cool A hot day. The beer is also cold so that helps. They have a great rule. No talking on your cell phone or you have to buy the whole bar around. If you’re passing by and the traffic is slow I highly suggest you stop in and get a drink and watch the slow traffic pass by.

A must-stop for anyone on Lakeville Highway. A good selection of local beers and certainly filled with local residents. You can't help but feel happy in there unless you need to make a cell phone call. Be careful when parking or crossing the street.

Roadside pitstop, garage, tavern that is to be appreciated and enjoyed. Great beer list… special shout out to ‘Tuesday’ Andrea! Let’s just stop and have some fun! C’mon! Cheers 🍻 Vern

Passed by this place for years...wife finally let me go with friends.......well worth the wait Delicious beer beautiful bartenders and yes !!! 1.75 beer that's actually better than half the beers on the menu.....it's a tight squeeze tho...

Historic car shop turned into a drinking place where you can still get your oil changed. Great selection of beers. Cool location amongst the eucalyptus trees. Cool shirts for sale....I bought one....👍

Such a cool place :-) no cell phones allowed and great beer. A perfect local spot.

Great Place to hit when in route to Sonoma Wineries. A must to go kinda place and great experience. Nostalgic. The beer is always ice Cold n Delicious 😋 the bar tenders have always been extremely friendly with fantastic service even when busy.

This little jem of a bar is one in a million and serves high quality beer including Russian River's Pliney! More than a bar its a destination!

Brian Travis

Passed by on a Saturday afternoon, saw the fun being had by all, and had to stop for a beer or three. Live music, friendly faces, great beer, good times. What’s not to like?

johnsko Johns

This is my second time visiting here and it is still as I remembered it. A bar that is built on the side of an old garage with porta potties for bathrooms. Don’t let that deter you though, this place has a lot of personality and a fantastic selection of draft beers. They have music on occasion and this is the 100 year anniversary for them this year. Drop by and have some fun in a unique setting.

bartellj

What a great little roadside watering hole! No talking on your cell phone!( it’s a really good rule this bar has)My wife and I stopped in to stretch our legs and get a quick drink. We ended up staying for over an hour talking with the bartenders. They have a wide variety of local beers. This roadside bar and service station has been in the family for several generations. There’s lots of memorabilia on the walls. They also regularly have tiny concerts inside the bar. People from all over the world come play in the corner of the small bar. They have posters of all the people who are played. There’s no air-conditioning but the ceiling fans keep you very cool A hot day. The beer is also cold so that helps. They have a great rule. No talking on your cell phone or you have to buy the whole bar around. If you’re passing by and the traffic is slow I highly suggest you stop in and get a drink and watch the slow traffic pass by.

VERN

Roadside pitstop, garage, tavern that is to be appreciated and enjoyed. Great beer list… special shout out to ‘Tuesday’ Andrea! Let’s just stop and have some fun! C’mon! Cheers 🍻 Vern

Jerry Zimmerman

A must-stop for anyone on Lakeville Highway. A good selection of local beers and certainly filled with local residents. You can't help but feel happy in there unless you need to make a cell phone call. Be careful when parking or crossing the street.

Marcelino Vargas

Passed by this place for years...wife finally let me go with friends.......well worth the wait Delicious beer beautiful bartenders and yes !!! 1.75 beer that's actually better than half the beers on the menu.....it's a tight squeeze tho...

Dean Bangert

Historic car shop turned into a drinking place where you can still get your oil changed. Great selection of beers. Cool location amongst the eucalyptus trees. Cool shirts for sale....I bought one....👍

Kristi Price

Such a cool place :-) no cell phones allowed and great beer. A perfect local spot.

Ramon Martinez

Great Place to hit when in route to Sonoma Wineries. A must to go kinda place and great experience. Nostalgic. The beer is always ice Cold n Delicious 😋 the bar tenders have always been extremely friendly with fantastic service even when busy.

Nolan Browne

This little jem of a bar is one in a million and serves high quality beer including Russian River's Pliney! More than a bar its a destination!

If you haven't been to tin bar, stop in at least once in your life. In the No-man's-land between Novato, sonoma, and petaluma is a very interesting bar. At the intersection of Lakeville road and hwy 12, is a popular, quaint spot with friendly staff and lively patrons. There is probably room for only 15 or so people to sit at the bar and there's not a whole lot of interior space past that. But man I love landing a stool on a wet winter day next to the fire place and grabbing a can of Olympia for 2 bucks. It's a day bar, closes at 8pm so don't expect to make it a late one, but if you wanna let traffic die down its ideally located. Great spot.

Always a fun stop on a Saturday afternoon. Warm enough outside for a quick game of cards while enjoying a great kolsch.

Amazing little beer bar on the route from San Fran up to Sonoma. Incredible selection and feels frozen in time. Loved it

This is a classic dive bar with substantial appeal. It has significant local support and its quirkiness and nostalgic atmosphere is hard to resist. Don't miss Ernie's it's a gem. Many great beers on tap but no food and limited seating.

Rob Jones

Amazing little beer bar on the route from San Fran up to Sonoma. Incredible selection and feels frozen in time. Loved it

Ben R

If you haven't been to tin bar, stop in at least once in your life. In the No-man's-land between Novato, sonoma, and petaluma is a very interesting bar. At the intersection of Lakeville road and hwy 12, is a popular, quaint spot with friendly staff and lively patrons. There is probably room for only 15 or so people to sit at the bar and there's not a whole lot of interior space past that. But man I love landing a stool on a wet winter day next to the fire place and grabbing a can of Olympia for 2 bucks. It's a day bar, closes at 8pm so don't expect to make it a late one, but if you wanna let traffic die down its ideally located. Great spot.

Canaan Richards

Friday after work, perfect spot to stop with my husband, catch up, and decompress. Bartenders are so friendly and REAL!

Rebecca Thompson

I love this place. They only sell beer but their selection is vast, so you can always find something yummy.

gregory neuhaus

A true classic/unique Americana roadhouse, Ernie's may have the best beer menu in the Bay Area. Great live music at the end of the bar and an absolutely killer staff that were super welcoming! They've had excellent music playing every time we visited and just started staying open until midnight on Fridays & Saturdays. No cellphone calls on the property was an added bonus. Super friendly patrons to chat with and have a cold one. Big shout out to the bartenders Chris & Katie. What a cool place!!

T Haw

This is a classic dive bar with substantial appeal. It has significant local support and its quirkiness and nostalgic atmosphere is hard to resist. Don't miss Ernie's it's a gem. Many great beers on tap but no food and limited seating.

Fun spot for sure friendly attractive Bartenders very popular spot so you might not get your beer or wine as fast as you'd like but fast enough. And they have a large selection of brews on tap to choose from . This place also has a FREE pick up and take home shuttle service if you like to drink and don't drive with a (15) that's right fifteen mile radius wow! You know the place right off Lakeville HWY at stage filch you've past it many times and said I want to stop in there take my advice stop outside patio now too.

Nice, cozy, out of the way, friendly bar with an interesting clientele. Occassionally there are live performances there, not a full band, but more like single or duo performances. Just stop in, have a drink, take a break and shake off the road before continuing your travels. Enjoy!

Came back after passing on my way to Petaluma yesterday. They have a big selection of taped, bottles and cans. Nice place to catch a little of the 49er game and have a cold one

Fine place to quaff a brew. Top selection of craft brews across the spectrum. A brewery would cry to get their brew in here Plus there is some wool in the neighbors pasture 🐑

Cool little place to stop for a quick beer. They have music on the weekends.

mike dunlap

Came back after passing on my way to Petaluma yesterday. They have a big selection of taped, bottles and cans. Nice place to catch a little of the 49er game and have a cold one

Larry Ladd

Fine place to quaff a brew. Top selection of craft brews across the spectrum. A brewery would cry to get their brew in here Plus there is some wool in the neighbors pasture 🐑

Chris Cohoon

Cool little place to stop for a quick beer. They have music on the weekends.

The last time I went to ernie's tinbar, they don't serve food, they have bar snacks. They have the same craft beers as many other locations. They don't have a real parking lot, and their patrons pretty much cause numerous traffic violations, There on the corner of Lakeville and stage gulch.

Love this concept of no phones, everyone seemed friendly enough, good beer choices. Seems strange though to ban phones but have 2 massive TVs at the bar in your face... I didn't get to really meet anyone because most were glued to a screen much larger than a cellphone. It would be great if they cleaned the place once a year, nasty grime and cobwebs litter the ceiling and lights. Also would love something other than a port-a-potty. Anyway, this place could be really great with just a few tweaks.

John Doe

The last time I went to ernie's tinbar, they don't serve food, they have bar snacks. They have the same craft beers as many other locations. They don't have a real parking lot, and their patrons pretty much cause numerous traffic violations, There on the corner of Lakeville and stage gulch.

2 beers for $23? Lots of attitude from the bar maids, ok fine. But don't pretend to be a dive bar with these prices

LOST MY BUSINESS FOREVER I discovered the bar approximately 15 years ago and they were never overly friendly, but it was a perfect place to stop on a ride. I would go to the bar 4 + times a year. I understand the no cellphone policy. In the past if you answered your cellphone they would ask you to nicely put it away or buy the bar a round of drinks. Things must have changed. I answered my cellphone and the female bartender started SCREAMING at the top of her lungs to get off the cellphone. I hung up and walked onto the patio and she started screaming from inside the bar to get off my phone. At the same time Ernie (owner) started to run up on me from the front door. I didn’t even have time to hang up. I put my phone in my front pocket. I felt I was about to be attacked. Once I placed my phone in my pocket. Ernie went back in the bar and did not say anything. I went back in the bar and asked Ernie politely what happens if someone does not get off their phone. Ernie stated we get more aggressive. After that I went out to the patio area to avoid any further conflict and finish my pint. While on the patio several regulars came up to me and stated that was over the top. One female patron said that was her first and last time going to Ernie’s. I had been going there so long I even had an Ernie’s shirt that I will be getting rid of. I won’t even give it the glory of being a shop rag. Totally disappointed and this is no way to do business.