The Ritz

Saw the emo night tour here and I enjoyed the show a lot! It was hot in the area close to the stage but fine everywhere else. Bathrooms are in a weird spot (near the stage) but were also fine. Getting out of the venue was a bit of a cluster - the exit and entrance are the same door.

Best music venue spot in downtown. The place always smells clean, and the sound is great. Staff is friendly and they have a good mix of musicians.

Drake vs kendrick theme last night. interesting concept at first, nice old nostalgic tracks at the start but by 1130pm, it just started going downhill. you cant just be playing a versus all night idk. and venue wasnt even packed. although gotta say, there is a lot of space here, great for a mini concert/live band which i have yet to see. also not sure the $20 cover at the door was justified. 🤷‍♂️

The bouncers are always friendly and firm when needed. I always feel safe in the Ritz. Bartenders are amazing and crack me up, my friend left a small sip in the cup and the bartender was like YOO FINISH THAT! THATS LIKE $3 🤣🤣 He a real one for that!! 🤣

I read all the reviews mentioning how the bar overcharged them and decided to ignore it... my mistake... I made sure to ask much much the drink I got was ($10), ordered 3 drinks in total and got charged ($50)... ok, not the end of the world.... but now I check my bank statement and they charged me $100....

March 23,2024 went to see Trish T , was so excited for my date Night ,but this place Was so BAD!!waited in line to get in ? And when we got in OMG ! Just a open Floor NO NO CHAIRS OR TABLES how crazy is that there is 2 bars NO CHAIRS OR TABLES the BATHROOMS are bad Too come on OWNERS you cant dance you cant enjoy your drink because your STANDING for 4 Hours WILL NEVER GO BACK sorry the WORST PLACE EVER

Cool spot, we had a good time. The bartenders are fast and good at what they do.The sound quality is sort of bad if a band is playing.And just as a warning, the smell of pee is overwhelming when you walk in the front door, like something or someone is constantly peeing in the corner. The smells goes into the main area, where its not as bad but you can still smell the urine smell.

Great lighting and sound but the venue was very hot and not air conditioned well which ruined the whole experience. Could be a 4* with good ac.

The Ritz San Jose really nice place to have fun ! The Securities were nice. Recommend People to go visit there.

Always a staple in DTSJ. Ordering drinks is pretty fast, restrooms are not super trashed at events, and there’s a cute photo booth for $5 a session! Parking can be tricky, staff is friendly, & the venue is in good shape!

Far too hard and time consuming to get a drink crowd isn’t the friendliest. The glass cups were ridiculous, pregame because drinks resemble water

As an ambulatory wheelchair user, the staff gave me a hard time during a show. I tried contacting beforehand via email about accommodations before the show (no email reply recieved), and then at the show, was questioned by staff if we actually contacted beforehand. They ended up making a space in front of the second tier for us with coffee tables that people ended up sitting on. Additionally, the bathrooms were located at the front near the stage and the ramps were crowded with people, essentially forcing me to walk to the bathrooms that ended up being flooded! Please consider already designating a ADA space instead of waiting for a disabled person to wheel over. Disabled people deserve to also go out and have a good time without facing various obstacles before the show even starts.

I emailed and made multiple phone calls to ask the venue to make ADA accommodations for me and a friend weeks before our intended concert. I never received an email response nor was I able to leave a voicemail since their inbox is full. Its like they dont want people to contact them. These are real concerns. Please consider making more ADA accessible spaces inside the venue.

Probably the best dance club in SJ for dancing. Its definitely a dance focused club.Dance floor is large enough for a few hundred people. Crowd is nice, security is nice.As usual, the events dont get lit until after 11pm. Floor gets sticky from spilled drinks so be ready to wash your shoe soles.

I got 4 drinks they over charge me 100 dollars on my credit card so be careful with that people.

Best Live Music Venue and only true concert venue in San José, friendly staff, great drink variety, sound system and lighting both superb, we need to protect the Ritz at all cost. They bring my favorite acts like Reverend Horton Heat and tons of different genres.

Great small venue for concerts. Be sure to bring earplugs because it gets pretty loud in there.

Worst worst. They played worst possible music on Bollywood night with an entry fee of 20$. They were playing songs like Saibo🤮. Worst place. I could rate as less as possible.

It was ok. Management sucks to respondAlso had to drive out there to see if I can speak to someone but it was closed when google said open.No phone number to call either.

I’m extremely grateful for this place in San Jose. It’s nice to know that there’s something reliable and consistent and open minded like the Ritz. It’s a great medium-size venue. Not medium size-experience.I’ve been a patron of the Ritz/Blank since the inception(back when Brian was a bartender). always a good variety, always a safe and sane time.One of the coolest place in SJ.Just got done seeing an amazing show, And Ryan the sound guy just perfected that room. Wow.Close parking. Reasonable pricing. Solid drinks

This place is growing on me. Initially I thought it was a little dirty and the layout was odd (there can sometimes be a weird bottleneck near the entrance to the main floor from the first bar and I dont want to walk closer to the stage to get to the bathrooms). After my second show, however, I realized how nice the smaller venue is. The raised floor is nice to get an extra view for us short people. Bartenders were nice and attentive. Their schedule has some surprisingly interesting stuff going on and I plan to keep tabs on it.

Good-The place brings in good music and the sound system is better than most SJ.Bad- womens toilet was flooded and a mess before the band even startedUgly - standing for 5 hrs wholly poop...that is just wrong there is NO SEATING

DO NOT SUPPORT THIS BUSINESS. They have assaulted street vendors in the past and now are assaulting artists. Not worth your time or money, definitely makes SJ look bad.

I love this venue! Traveling for a conference to SJ from Portland, I found myself at Good Karma, a great vegan spot. The waiter asked if I was going to see The Wailers at the ritz… thank you sir! I had no idea they were playing tonight. so I walked down and took a side journey from my work night to enjoy an incredible and unexpected concert! The staff is friendly, the sound was top notch, they just got a new lighting system which was epic. Can’t say enough about the ritz. Love this club and I’m so glad that I just happened to find my way there tonight. Shout out to the ritz for making tonight the highlight of my trip!

Played here last night, guy with dreads and glasses was really rude to us.1. I pulled up to the front to load in, someone else tells me I can bring in my drums but I need to go through the back door ( that I couldnt see because there were tour buses in the way.) I asked Dread man for directions to the door. His response (in all caps because he yelled at me:) THE DOOR IS RIGHT THERE and points to the back of the room, at nothing. Preceded to be rude when telling me where to set up and how.2. Im all set up, about to play. We inform the sound guy our set is about 25 min long (no problem at the sold out GAMH show we played the night before with the same headliner.) Okay, first of all this guy is not even the sound guy, but he tells me Your set is too short that isnt your decision and doesnt change anything. I just found it rude and insulting.I wasnt the only one, my whole band caught grief from him and I know for a fact people have complained about this guy before. I dont care if this guy is the owner, if youre a band and you want to play here just ignore this jerk and hope hell get fired some day.It sucks because you have other door guys that do such a good job, and this guy just ruins things for bands.

Some employees are super rude and disrespectful. I rather travel then see any of my fav bands there! If I can give no stars I would… what a waste of money! Not recommended!!!

I LOVE THIS PLACE--- this is the place to be on Fri and Sats. We always buy the VIP tickets and we never have any issues. Speedy entrance, we get our 3 tickets for drinks, and off to enjoy our night. Security is no problem. Bartenders are friendly and the drinks are strong. They dont taste like they are watered down as other clubs in DTLA. We never have any issues upstairs specially when crowding around the VIP TABLES. Everyone gets along. We even sometimes get invited to hang out with the group of people that have tables (not mooching off their bottle or anything). Overall, this place is super fun and full of fun, energetic people.

The Ritz is my favorite place to hang out and listen to some good music. The staff is friendly and helpful. I highly recommend The Ritz to anyone who wants a fun time at good price. 5 stars!!

I have been to this venue before and enjoyed it. The last event I attended was Emo Night on the 20th and I was taken for a bit of a ride. My tab was closed without me knowing and when I asked for a receipt I was refused. I usually dont let much ruin my night, but not being able to see what Ive been charged and refused my receipt is stealing. I never sign a bit of paper. Also, getting skipped over when the bar isnt packed is not a fun way to wait 10 minutes for a drink.

They need new staff and management (power trips and is rude)Security likes pushing people around, the only good people there are the bar tenders and the front reception.Do better

UPDATE: Last night (11/17/18), I went for “Echo Flex” night and it was decently crowded with good music and good vibes but thanks to one of the bartenders, my night started off horrible. I went to the bar near the dance floor and literally got skipped over more than 5 times. After waiting for over ten or fifteen minutes, the bartender (Hayley) saw me, we made eye contact and she turned away from me and instead helped the guy next to me, who had literally just walked up to the bar. I waited patiently for her to come around again, thinking she was going to serve me this time, then she made eye contact with both my girlfriend and I and skipped both of us again. The gentleman beside me saw this happening and decided to flag her down. It took about 3-4 tries over another couple of minutes. Finally he got her attention, and she tried to serve him but he insisted on having her serve me instead. The drink came out super weak, it was almost completely soda. After this 15-20 minutes to receive. The bar was full so I didn’t want to lose my spot in front. For my next drink I went to the more crowded area of the bar and was served immediately by an older women bartender (Kate), she even made it strong!In the end, avoid Hayley, horrible bartender. She even went on her phone in the middle of making someone’s drink.

Halloween party is super lame. An hour in and maybe 30 people. Weak drinks for 9$ a pop, Entrance fee, and lame music.

As a punk lover from the Detroit area I was so mesmerized by this location. To be honest the front didnt look inviting at all when I was there. Seemed like a special type of club was hanging there that night. If I ever get to return is hope Id get to see a show

Security loves to push people around including street vendors trying to make a living . Shoulda bought some food off of them maybe he was hangry

This is my new favorite venue in San Jose. The acoustics are great and theres so much room to dance (like, at ska shows). The only thing I would change would be the smoking area, its way too small, youre basically smoking inside.

I’ve only ever been here for The Emo Night Tour. However, every time I’ve been here( 4 in total), it has always been a great time! I have absolutely no complaints.

Staff is great, sound is way better than you would expect in a mid-sized club. Ive been twice (both punk shows) and they seem to draw a solid crowd, older and more civilized than Santa Cruz or The CIty.

Wellllll..... we just went for our first time. Saw The Egyptian Lover 4-21-17 .... it happened to be the 1 year passing of Prince...We danced pretty well the whole time...had a blast.Peanut Butter Wolf rocked the place... & we really liked Diamond Ortiz! The music was LOUD & Hard! We TOTALLY dug the s*** out of the bass. The Floor came ALIVE! The SAN Jose Playboys & other people were break dancing, & showing their stuff. It Was SSSSOOOOO cool!!! They were Really Impressive! The crowd energy was pretty good.... for the most part. A cat fight ALMOST broke out, but security was on it and had them out of there. TY!! The bathrooms were really rough..... smelly, unclean & lots of broken glass on the floor. Overall, it was a night to remember!! Thanks , L ! ILD...FOREVER!

It is with great disappointment that I have to update my review based on one slimy night BUT it must be called out when club owners pull some shady business.Friends, Ive been in the live entertainment business for 25 years as an event producer, talent booker & music marketer with the likes of MTV, Sirius XM, AMEX, Levis, Microsoft & Olympics so I intimately understand the live business...Long story short, went to see the English Beat (for the umpteenth​ time in the last few years...Ranking Full Stop...but I digress). Advertised door price was $21.50 but when we showed up they were charging $30 via hand-written sign in the box office window.Why? Because they could. It was a Friday night show with a line down the block.When I approached the 2 security guards to inquire about the last minute bait n switch, they both essentially swatted me away saying they were charging more because it was a popular show OR in other words, an opportunity to cash in, never you mind the advertised price.Hey owner Corey OBrien...whats up? Was it you or the band or both? I appreciate youve invested & risked to open SJs premier​ live music club but dont be shady, treat your customers with respect.And I know its tough but pls get security guards up front that serve as your brand ambassadors and treat your paying guests as such.

Always has the best audiences. Really fun place! The staff are killer, sound is excellent and they serve Bulleit Bourbon. What more can you ask for!?!

The ritz is a cool venue, ive see bands such as Pinback, Duster, and i also went to a skateboarding premier which had an amazing turnout. Good selection of beer, they also have white claws

This place was great. I saw THE HU concert here and it was mind blowing. It was my first time in San Jose and at this place and it was great. Definitely check this little club out.

Nice, intimate venue to experience music. Plenty of bar service to.

Great shows, awesome security, and magnificent bartenders. Thanks for the good times!

Good old cactus revival. Running into people from the old cactus club is a trip down memory lane. What a great venue for san jose. Glad that the music scene is still alive in SJ.

Dam, if thats how they treat people outside on the sidewalk I can only imagine how they treat there clients. Shameful.

You should train your security better instead of having them push around a old lady in her food cart disgraceful

Nice place, but the sound quality is very low. I wouldnt go see a show here again.

Ive seen Metalachi twice and enjoyed them show and venue. Large dance floor and staff was friendly. Will be back again for other shows.

Absolutely favorite venue for live music in sj. Full bar with friendly staff. Great sound system and awesome place for a show.

The employees here harassing street vendors. Incredibly rude and disrespectful. Dont support the Ritz.

Recently moved, same staff. Cheap drinks, relaxed environment. Small venue with frequent shows. Only downside is its downtown.

Way bigger than I thought it would be. Cool spot.

Went there for the Thank You Scientist concert. I was really happy with the venue, the sound system and the vibe.

Pretty disappointed that theyve have yet to book heavy metal bands. I talked to one of the local promotes about booking metal bands thier and he said its quite a possibility so, Ill have to wait and see.

These people mistreat and harass street vendors, they need to be held accountable

Went for a metal concert, sound was a little muddled and vocals were low. Also bathroom was flooded over with crap on the floor.

The treat people horribly. Definitely never going back. Terrible place

Awesome live music... Ratings are probably only as good as the band playing the night you go

One star for that Pu** at the Front door with the San Jose Beannie !! Never going there

If they want bigger upcoming artist to come to this venue, I suggest, that they upgrade the venue.

The best concert here is Zakk Sabbath, he rocked the house for real.

Rad place! Great service. Cool staff. Love live bands!

They dont let you spin Poi, even when theres miles of space in the back with no chance of hitting anyone.

The premier venue to see national and local bands perform. Great atmosphere, sound & bar.

Spacious, good beer, but cold in december.

Weak band, weak experience. I want my money back, Im not playing.

Very big dance floor, friendly atmosphere good music n just plain fun.

Excellent small venue. Crowd was sadly very low energy on a Thursday

Came here to watch the creature video premier. Awesome crowd and good drinks

A cool place to go on a Friday night especially if youre young!

Pretty convenient location. It is quite big inside. Sound is fine.

Awesome space, beer was cheap and the patrons were gnarly

For that poor woman harassed by your dusty security team

One of there employees harrased a street vendor

Cool stage but no toilet seats. Uhhh?

This place is not woke. Leave your fun times at home... hella unwoke

Nice concert experience.

Great venue. Great names play here!

Please hire people who respect others :(

I saw powerman 5000 there and it was an awesome show!!!

Friendly vibe .

Good music and strong drank!! Pull up!!

Terrible sound quality. Also, cockroaches.

This venue needs some (bathroom) renovations

Only place in town that will play music I like

Pretty good sound pretty good drinks

Always the best place in San Jose to rock

Good venue, great sound.

Good drinks n good music.

Love this venue!

I like this place very much

I miss the blank club

Not much ventilation

Horrible experience

Nasty environment

Awesome place!

Best place ever

Worst venue

The Ritz

Wack place

Great place

Way to dark

That elugsr is awesome! I went to rock en español, that was last night, and it was SUPER.The music was great, the DJ gave it a raffle.I will definitely come back and continue inviting my friends to go 👍👍

Rock in Spanish? I think he is misogynistic... he missed the Queen of rock Alejandra Guzmán. Not Trevi because Trevi is there was a matchmaker.

Very boring today

Good venue for live performances. Friendly staff.

Loved the staff and la maldita cruda

Very embarrassing

Excellent 👌