Hmmm. My daughter, Amanda,  took three friends to Luka’s in downtown Oakland last night. Here’s her report. The photo is hers. The Belgian beer from Bosteels, Tripel Karmeliet is in the foreground in a lowly white wine stem and Old Speckled Hen, the English bitter, is in its more or less proper pint glass, American, not English, however. Old Speckled Hen was first brewed by Morland, which was absorbed by Greene King. It was named after a car in the MG auto factory. Bottom photo shows Tripel Karmeliet in its branded glass.

By Amanda Brand
In my humble, newly minted 21-year-old mind, there is a great divide in the land of beer: there are beer bars with food, and beer bars without food. Downtown Oakland best demonstrates this divide: you can go to the Trappist (cheese platter aside) or you can go to Luka’s Taproom and Lounge. And while the differences beyond that fragile fissure are numerous, when you’re looking to get a Rodenbach on Broadway, your hunger is probably going to dictate your footsteps.

Luka’s definitely has a vibe, and a decent one at that. Seating is abundant, servers are sprinkled generously around the bar and the Belgian frites come out quick and hot. On my inaugural visit to Luka’s last Wednesday evening however, my one gripe was, sadly, the beer.

The selection is decent, and I give Luka’s a pardon for listing 24 oz cans of Pabst on the same page as Rochefort 8. The classics are on tap: Chimay, Rodenbach, Triple Karmeliet, Tremens, et al. But you’re not going to get most of those in their designated glasses (a precarious wine glass served as a paltry stunt double) and you’re probably going to get them at a frosty temperature and with a dying, flat over tone that makes you long for the Speckled Hen they serve in a pint glass with a frothy top.

Luka’s isn’t lost, however. Get the glassware, open a fresh keg and get some warmth into the brew and you’ll have a beer bar that can keep pace. You can’t beat the food and the live line up of bands looks awesome.

And one last suggestion? To the bartender that met my request for a Rodenbach with a stunted “Uhm, have you tried that before?” Yes I have. And believe me, I know that’s not the right glass.