I struggled on how to begin this review. Writing a review about Crogan's Montclair is almost like writing a review about my grandma's house. Like grandma's, Crogan's is one of those place where great memories are made. It is an integral part of Montclair culture. If you frequent Montclair and haven't heard about Crogan's, it's almost like not knowing that Barack Obama is the President of the United States; what hole have you been living in ? Crogan's has been the local watering hole for Montclarions for darn near forty years. Perched on the corner of Moraga & LaSalle avenues, the restaurant & bar is a Montclair Village landmark. I first learned of the famed Crogan's from my father who had the privilege of dining at the restaurant in the 70s & 80s. He attested to the restaurant & bar's notoriety among the movers and shakers in his hay day. From what I understand, in the 80's a kitchen fire gutted the famous restaurant and forced it's closure. Urban legend states that the fire was an intentional remodeling, but this is clearly unconfirmed. Nevertheless, some time later the restaurant & bar was reincarnated to it's present form. Crogan's offers the best of both worlds. Traditional dining and a good local sports tavern. The restaurant is quite literally divided into two. Enter the establishment and turn left.The main dining room allows you to retreat for a nice old school table cloth and silverware dinner or a quaint date. Get seated in one of the window seats to enjoy dining & people watching in the hustle and bustle of the village. Enter the establishment and turn right. The tavern welcomes you to the local ball game and a bar scene reminiscent of Cheers. This is a great, laid back setting to meet up with friends after work. One of the good things about this restaurant is that both the main dining room & the bar offer all servings from the full menu, so no matter what atmosphere you choose you can eat good. Crogan's offers good American cuisine, and I don't think you can really go wrong with anything on the menu. Personally I've found their fish dishes to be quite good. One of my favorites is their beer battered fish tacos. Be prepared! Two battered pieces of cod nestles in a flour tortilla with slabs of avocado, salsa, and cabbage. Round this out with some lime and Choula and you can cancel Christmas! Another dish that I recommend is their vegetarian black bean soup. The soup is really more of a chili that is topped with pico de gallo. You can add a dollop of sour cream to perfect this dish. For lighter fair, a cup of this recipe is matched perfectly with their mediterranean salad. Go for the bowl of soup if you want something more on the hearty side or are looking for a good vegetarian option. Lastly, I have to mention Crogan's staff. They are the ones that make it more than just another neighborhood restaurant. I've found their staff to be very friendly and attentive. They are a group of people who seem to really enjoy what they do, and have a lot of fun doing it. Just one note; on one of my most recent foodie quests for a fish taco, I found out that all Crogan's are not created equal. There are a number of Crogan's locations in the east bay however not all of them are owned by same owner nor do they have the same menu. I dropped into Crogan's in downtown Walnut Creek and much to my disappointment found a divey sports bar with not much of a menu. So my recommendation is for the aforementioned Crogan's experience, head up the hill to Montclair Village. read more

I eat at this place a whole lot, between every two weeks and multiple times per week. It's where one of my moms and I get together to have lunch, and we have been getting lunch at Crogan's for years. The big reason I keep coming back is the ritual of having lunch there with a family member, but that aside it's still a pretty decent option if you're looking for somewhere to eat in the area. There's also a full bar, which is always a good thing. Here are some Crogan's tips: if there's something on the specials that looks good get it. I think the specials tend to be better than the menu items. The iced tea is great. If you've been there before and didn't like it it's worth another try, as they recently changed chefs. There are a lot of new items, and a lot of old items that are done very differently. I can vouch for it as a good place to have lunch all the time with a parent and talk for hours about science fiction films. They won't kick you out, and they'll keep the iced tea flowing even after you've payed the bill.. read more

Good service always and food was pretty good as usual. Ribs are always my choice and the apps are good. Calamari you get more then enough and the potato skins not bad.service always brings us back read more

Haven't been here in a long while. Used to live in Montclair and came in from out of town and decided to drop in for a bite with a friend who lives up the street. First impression - it's really pretty noisy. Got sat immediately. Next impression - Wait wait wait wait wait. Had to grab the gal that sat us initially to scare someone up. Mitch, our absentee waiter, was supposed to be helping us. But, instead, some random staff member took our order to get things moving. Had a cup of the chowder. Very tasty. Glass of the house merlot. Also very good. Took a flyer on the corned beef and cabbage. Tasted exactly as I remember it as a kid - not so great. To be fair, that's probably more a statement of my tastes than perhaps of the dish. I should have taken my foster-waiter's hint when he was just "meh" when I asked his thoughts on the dish (a comment he made based on his tastes). We were pretty much ignored other than when the food was being served and plates cleared afterward. Mitch never dropped by and when asked by our foster-waiter if we wanted dessert, we passed. More out of frustration. Would have liked to have tried the bread pudding. This was the first time in recent memory that I put -zero- down for the tip. Even when service is poor I usually tip something reasonable. But this time it was zero simply because there was no one at Crogan's committed to our table or seemingly concerned at the inattention. Even during the few brief interactions with the staff, there was never so much as even a perfunctory apology. It was weird. In my friend's words "I ain't going back there anytime soon." Indeed. read more

What I don't understand is why everyone on Yelp is knockin' this place? I've been here twice and had delicious food both times! If I'm going to Crogan's, this is what I'm getting: Appetizer: Grilled Asparagus, Mozzarella cheese, balsamic reduction & olive oil Main course: Panko Breaded Rainbow Trout Nicoise Served over kalamata olives, fingerling potatoes, tomatoes, and blue lake beans with a herb vinaigrette and topped with a huckleberry reduction. This dish is so perfect..and the staff is super attentive and very friendly ;-) read more

C and I came to Crogan's for dinner last Saturday on our way to a party in Montclair. Traffic from Marin was horrendous, so we were running late. We were happy to be seated right away. It was our first visit here in about five years, and we talked about starting to frequent Crogan's once again. I ordered corned beef and cabbage, with a substitute of steamed broccoli for potatoes. C ordered a bacon cheeseburger well done with a salad substituted for fries. Our friendly server was very accommodating in this regard. My corned beef was decent, but clearly is not the best I have had. But that isn't the main issue. Despite having emphasized that she wanted a well done burger, C's came out raw in the middle. The outside of the burger looked great, but the inside was raw. She sent the burger back, but because we were already late to our party she didn't have time to have a new one cooked properly. Very disappointing. Our server was apologetic, and we were not charged for C's meal. C left Crogan's still hungry. We were very disappointed about this return visit. A kitchen getting something like a hamburger so wrong is the sign of a bad kitchen. I think it will be another five years before we return. Two stars, instead of one, because our server was very nice and attentive. read more

There's nothing really wrong with this place, but there's not much to make me recommend it. It's like the Applebee's of Montclair. As someone once said to me they "could not imagine staying and having more than one drink at Crogan's." Beating the analogies into the ground, it's sort of like a Starbucks. Do you really want to hang out there? I know the bar better than the restaurant. (Restaurant seems bland and fine.) The bar has low ceilings and the place gets loud and muggy. I am a local so if I am going to have a few pops would likely head to the more charming Montclair golf driving range or to the Silver Palace, which offer better prices. In fairness, it's between 2.5 and 2.67 stars. read more

My wife and I usually visit the Montclair restaurant two or three times a year. Then, a couple of years ago, we were surprised when they changed their menu. First, we noticed they had greatly reduced the menu. (I was looking forward to a bowl of steamed clams; nope.) Then, we saw they had raised the prices. Oh, dear. Finally, when we did get our food, my prime rib was mostly fat, with the blandest au jus sauce imaginable, and my wife got literally sick on her barbecued ribs. Well, at least the waitress was nice. However, shortly thereafter they went back to mostly the old menu, and even the prime rib was better. So, it's good to see that on more-recent visits (the last one was about a month before this writing, in August 2013), the place was back up to speed. We've enjoyed it before, and we're enjoying it again. read more

The fried catfish looked and smelled good. The accompanying black eyed peas were tasty too. But... the catfish wasn't cooked completely. (YUCK!). The waitress was nice enough to take it back so it could be cooked longer. I was brought a new piece of fish that was... still undercooked. Ugghhh... I knew I should have yelped this place before going... I've learned my lesson! read more

Crogan's is a Montclair institution to the village. They have been the longest runnung actual bar with a full time resturant. I have been here several times before for the food and they have never dissappointed. Its one of the only places in the village you can get oysters on the half shell, but today I have to report on the hand made Beignets with hot sweet cream n chocolate dipping sauce. OMG if you have ever like these fried cream puff style treats you have to try theirs, really! Its a large enough order that you should plan on sharing as you will need the help to finish them all off. The only reason for not giving 5 stars is that becuase of there locale (so close to the peidmont hood) there prices for most entree's can be a lil pricey. read more

One of the best places in the Montclair Village. I have been coming here for almost 2 years. The staff is friendly and helpful. Your food is always served fresh and hot. The prices some might consider above average (not for Montclair though) but for what you get it is well worth it. Great food, Great Service, Great Ambience. I have tried most of the menu and I have yet to find something that I do not like. Even my Family who are the pickest of eaters have no complaints. I would highly recommend you try it. You can even make reservations online or over the phone if needed. We came for Christmas Eve dinner last year and it was fun, easy and no clean up. Downside is parking, especially during business times. My suggestion is to park in the garage at the top of La Salle and walk down. First 20 minutes is free. Plus the garage now takes credit and cash. read more

The owner contacted me after my not-so-good first experience here, and I agreed to come back in. I'm glad I did because this really is a convenient local establishment for watching ball games. The kind of place you really want to like, you know? Got some wings and beer again. Beer is reasonably priced, food perhaps a bit on the pricy side. Wing sauce is good. I rather enjoyed my cheeseburger. I think I enjoyed my meal the most of my friend, my dad, and me. Big patty (a bit overcooked but still juicy, made up for with) lots of cheddar and bacon and grilled onions. Yes, please! It's a pricy burger, but they aren't skimping out on the portion size! :) The huge surprise of the night were the beignets. Fresh made, light, airy, served with two sauces. Oh man, you must get these, I don't care how full you are. I even went to New Orleans this year, and I'm telling you, these are really, really good. I even asked for more bread, and we got it. Score. Actually, the service was quite nice this time around. Had a brief conversation with the bartender. He still seems to have no personality. Well, I guess I'll just sit at a bar table when I come to watch a game here... read more

Great spot to grab a quick bite and have a drink. Friendly staff and they always have a game on. I have been coming here for years and will continue t read more

Went here Saturday with my son after some golf. Service was horrible, at least for us. We seated ourselves in the bar, the server came by and dropped off some waters. I got up and got menus. We ordered some popcorn shrimp (good), a burger (good) and the mac and cheese dinner (rip off - said it came with ham and peas, it was regular mac and cheese, and not very much for 16 bucks!) I had to get my own silverware and napkins I asked 3 times for a straw for my water, had to get up and go to the bar and get my own. Overall it was very expensive for what I got. The burger was very good, had bacon and grilled onions on it. That was the only reason that it wasn't a one star. Our receipt said Kate on it as our server, the server that was helping the table next to us seemed great, she even gave us our few refills as our server was no where to be found. Probably would have had a better experience one table over. But the few ounces of mac and cheese with no sides for 16 bucks was absurd. it was ok Mac and cheese, but come on. It seemed like we got a side order for the price of a dinner. And it didn't match the description at all. I won't be back. Which sucks, because I love pub food. Go one more exit down the road to Monaghans on the Hill, that place is great. read more

Excellent food, wonderful and attentive service. There was a big game on TV in the bar but we didnt hear much shouting in the dining room. We were happy. read more

This is a great neighborhood place to go to for sporting events. My favorite menu items are the Reuben and the smoked chicken in cream sauce pasta. Great Manhattan also! read more

Went for happy hour last Saturday. Great calamari and our server Annie was super attentive and charming. Great spot for bar food and beers.

Crogan's positive attributes are that it is open "late" (for Montclair) and it is located in close proximity to the hills. We only eat here when we're already home but too exhausted to cook (or drive to sidebar), and it is past 9. The food is eh-- it's certainly not going to poison you, and you're probably not going to be disgusted by it. On the other hand, the menu is made up of pretty boring standards and the kitchen's output is uniformly average. The price point is high, given the quality and preparation of the food, but I suppose that's the Montclair upcharge. Effectively it's a local, less gimmicky TGIFridays. At least the servers aren't required to wear flare and there's no annoying "American" shit on the walls. Crogan's also has a separate bar that is small, sorta sad, and frequented by middle aged Cal fans who, as far as I can tell, are delaying their arrival home. I suppose I should give them points because they make a reasonable martini (with gin, thank god), and they don't screw up highballs. Not a huge selection of spirits, but that's not shocking. read more

Two stars in yelp-speak is "Meh, I've experienced better." It's just sad to say that about a place that I once gave 4 stars. The place that was better was Crogan's back in the day, before the menu changed. The onion soup, which used to be "to die for" is now just sort of.... dead. A number of old favorites of mine are gone, including the angel hair pasta. The desserts have changed too; they used to have the best bread pudding anywhere and now it just isn't. A couple of times the ice tea has tasted like coffee; dunno what THAT is about. The servers are friendly and willing, but the restaurant is always so noisy that I leave with a headache. I've got a couple of family members who love the place, so I still go from time to time, but I am no longer a fan. Management, if you are reading this, I will give you both stars back for the old onion soup recipe. Honest! Just bring it back. Please??? read more

Great atmosphere!! We arrived just before the kitchen closed and thankfully they took our order. We ordered appetizers and pepperoni pizza, all were delish. We sat in the bar area and enjoyed the company of our friends who are locals to the establishment. Luv the countdown to St Patrick's day. read more

Crogan's is one of those local neighborhood spots where mostly locals go. I'm one of them.I've been a patron since I moved to the area in 2004. Crogan's is Montclair's "Cheers". I always eat in the sports bar area & watch sports have a drink and get a bite to eat. Food is always consistent, they have lots of daily specials, good hamburgers, excellent fish and chips, house made soups, and a very tasty pot roast. The thing I like about this place is if I don't want fries or a regular side salad, I'll ask for fresh vegetables, or if they have a grilled caesar salmon salad, you can have it on spinach salad. You can have it your way, and hey don't charge extra either. The waitstaff are always friendly. I'm giving them a 4 start today because I accidentally lost my wallet there last night and it's waiting in their safe for me to retrieve this evening, and enjoy a glass of wine! read more

This is a good restaurant for family's or larger groups. But it's not a must-go - by any means. Our meals were fairly good - no complaints there - but there were flies everywhere. Not only was that gross, it was very distracting when eating. Given the great restaurants in town and throughout Oakland, we likely won't come back. read more

I love this place! Its my favorite place to grab a beer after work! I love their fried zuccini. Great staff. Great place for happy hour!

You feel like you're at Cheers at Crogan's...they are always happy to see you when you come in : ) And such a good martini and yummy food. I love knowing that this old school place is part of my neighborhood and always have a great time when I'm there. The service is so friendly and fun...always looking forward to my next time at Crogans. Never leave Montclair, we love you!! read more

Alright. So, here it is... The bottom line is the hamburger and french onion soup are a must, and forget about the rest. We never seem to like the other items on the menu. When you order the hamburger, consider the sweet potato fries. read more

Fantastic french onion soup. Really really good. 2nd best that I've found Fantastic tri tip sandwich on garlic bread with grilled onions yum. Fries with that? Yes. A big mess of them. Fantastic wedge saled (fried onions nice touch) Lots of big steaks look tasty. Tasty bread while we waited for our food. I asked for olive oil to go with the bread and they brought it instantly. It was in one of those little holders with the bottle of balsamic vinegar and that can mean bland flavorless olive oil purchased at Smart & Final or Costco but this was very tasty, grassy, flavor. And when we wanted more, they brought more. Instantly. No complaints re service here. SVG liked the wine selection and we dug the enormous booth. You want a good review? Give us good food in a humungous booth even though there's only 2 us and let us linger indefinitely. read more

Ugh - run while you still can. Friendly service and a charming pub-atmosphere will mislead you when it comes to Crogans - the food is not worth your money. Most of their meals taste microwaved. read more

This is an upscale Irish pub with a formal dining room and wine list. If you have people visting from out of town this is a great spot to take them and after dinner have a stroll through Montclair Village or sit in the pub area and catch a game, the crowd usually really gets into the local games!! I recommend the fish and chips, fish tacos, veggie burger. In reply to the owner's comment: Hello Mike! I love your restaurant! I have plenty of fond memories over the past few years including the first time I visited Oakland and my entire family dined at Crogan's including my sweet 90ish great grandmother. Your staff was very accommodating of our large party and the food and service was excellent. I have probably been there over 30 times in the past four years and every time I am in the Montclair area I make a point to stop by especially if I am with a friend who has never been there. Next time I come in I will say hello to you. Thanks and cheers! :) read more

I was thoroughly underwhelmed by Crogan's. I went here with my better half a little after moving to Montclair. (Don't ask! We've since moved back down the hill.) It was sort of what I would expect from English food, and English food of 15 years ago. How this restaurant can remain popular in the part of the world that has such great restaurants and where the general quality of food is so good is beyond me. This is the Bay Area, people! The home of Chez Panisse, French Laundry, and a whole myriad of other great restaurants. it's not Milton Keynes in 1976. We were kind of celebrating/drowning our sorrows and so decided to have a drink before dinner and then share a bottle of wine with dinner. We are in our twenties. When the hell else are you supposed to drink like that? The waitress totally interrupted us with a look like we belonged in rehab and said 'you want a drink AND a bottle of wine?". You know what, yes I do. I'm an adult, I'm paying, and I want to drink some fucking booze. You have a problem with that? Apparently that wasn't allowed in Crogan's. Or at least that's what her face and tone of voice told us. In addition, the food was uninspiring and stuffy. Old fashioned, but not in the great steak and potatoes way, but in the "flame broiled to hell" kinda way. And way too pricey for what you got. Avoid it (and much of the rest of Montclair) like the plague and roll down the hill to Piedmont or Rockridge for some real food that's not stuck in the 70s. read more

Went yesterday for lunch and got a bacon cheeseburger and sweet potato fries. The food was mediocre at best. I'm pretty sure that one of my sweet potato fries was cold but I was so busy talking, that I forgot to bring it up. And these little tiny fruit flies were moseying around harassing me and my aunt! Lol Service was great. The food just didn't "wow" me. My aunt's portobello mushroom sandwich looked nom so if I'm ever starving and find myself in Montclair again, I would probably stop by again and try something new. This isn't a place I would crave, more like a place of convenience. read more

Went here last night with a friend. I was a little concerned, after reading the other reviews, about service and food quality. No issues whatsoever! We asked to be seated in a quiet part of the restaurant and were shown to a booth. Easy to chat and hear! We each had a drink from the drinks menu (OMG, the Peony--soooo delish!), and each had a salad (also delish--I had the beet salad and my friend had the Mediterranean. We finished off the evening by sharing the beignets, of which there were so many, we brought the last 4 home to my teenager. I would've wanted a little more powdered sugar on them, but that's a tiny thing--the food was really great, and the service hit the perfect balance between attentive & leaving us plenty of time to talk. 4/5 stars because $50 for 2 drinks, 2 salads, and dessert seems a little high. But that won't keep us from coming back! read more

Went the other night with the wife and kids. Positives: -GREAT fish and chips: crispy, not greasy, fresh fish, generous portion, we loved it -Friendly staff -Good flavor on the clam chowder (but see below) Areas for get your $h!- together: -Slow service - 10 minutes before a waiter came to our table, food was slow to come -WAY too much dressing on the Caesar salad -Chowder could have used more clams and had too much flour taste (as is common here in the bay area, sadly) We might tray again for the fish and chips and hope the service and overly dressed salad were just off nights. read more

Crogan's is a fun place to have a drink and some simple food. Atmosphere and staff are friendly and relaxed. Food is predictable and the popcorn shrimp and turkey burger are great! Maya is a great waitress--friendly, prompt, upbeat and always remembers us which is flattering as we aren't memorable people! It's entertaining to sit in the bar and watch the street action--especially Sunday while the farmers market is happening. Almost feels like a cafe/resto in Europe. We go for the atmosphere which is kinda old school...but I've been going here for almost 40 years so it's comforting! Lots of locals and repeat customers. Dining room is fairly quiet so it's doable if you want to have a conversation! read more

I wanted to update my review from 2 years ago when I had a visit that was 'not great'. Since then, I've returned numerous times with family which means it was typically a fairly large group (8-10 people). The wait staff has been great and very attentive to our multi-generational, oversized group. The food is consistently good and I definitely have a few faves on the menu :) Crogan's has a nice atmosphere and is good for date night, dinner with friends & family...or hang out at the bar and watch the game with friends. I like the layout because while the bar & dining room are connected, there is enough room that the patrons in the bar don't bother the people in the dining room if they are getting loud while watching a game. See you soon Crogan's... read more

Although the food is good here, the vibe was all bad. My son and I were the only African Americans in the resturant and it made us feel uncomfortable. It almost felt as people were looking at us as we did not belong nor were welcome at the restaurant. I cannot say that we will return unless it is for takeout. read more

Crogan's Montclair - Fish and chips - American Near Me - Oakland, California

Couldn't agree more with "Teacher." Prices are WAY too high for the poor quality and non creative food that they are selling. Staff is exceptionally rude, which is too bad b/c I've noticed that most of them stick around even when their not on duty, which is equally not fun. Good sports bar- but such poor service that I will never go back. read more

Dont really know what to say more than this is a play it SAFE american place. I ordered the ribs half rack. One thing for sure these people sure serve plenty of food and its good i guess but being a yelper we know the best of the best and this place is far from it. Great service though waitresses are so nice good place if you live close and dont want to travel too much to get some american eats full bar and outside sitting very nice place for summer dinning. read more

This is my perfect Crogan's meal: oysters on the half-shell, the fish tacos with pico-de-gallo, and then the warm brownie sundae with real whipped cream. Peter, my partner and I eat here regularly and we always have good service. Peter likes the pan-seared ahi tuna with extra veg. I am sort of stumped, too, who Crogan's thinks its audience is. It claims to be an Irish place, there is a count-down clock to St. Patrick's Day above the bar. However, all the posters put up all over the restaurant are in French, advertising French, Victorian products, ala Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. It must be geared to the Irish/French niche market of Montclair, whoever on earth they are. Neither Peter nor I are red-headed, Catholic, nor snail eaters, but we still nosh here. Yes, it is pricey. The food is good though. The people-watching is interesting: from the nurses spoon feeding rich elderly clients to the pseudo-riche who think eating at Crogan's is some sort of status symbol. Generally, it's my kinda place. Also, they have my beloved Splenda for my ice-tea. read more

Wasn't the best, the BBQ chicken wings were not to good, and the salad, just wasn't fond of the food in general the customer service was good and nice.. I guess it's just not my kind of place to eat. read more

I like this place. Solid Irish American Menu food good solid drinks friendly staff. I have eaten multiple things on the menu. The apps are great. Wedge Salad and Onion soup are excellent. The decor is a bit dated but that adds to the charm. My favorite maincourse dishes are the Steak and the the Fish and Chips. Good neighborhood vibe. read more