My kale salad was good but the garlic fries were just-okay. Free House has a very nice patio area.

The service continues to be (on average) surly and disgruntled. Cocktails are weak, they are regularly out of beers on their menu and the food is mediocre. Something is very wrong with the way they hire and/or how they treat staff. read more

I never thought I'd leave a one star on Yelp, but after tonight I felt compelled. I sat down to dinner with my friends and as a server passed by I asked if he could take my drink order. His response was "What are you in a hurry?, Can't you see I'm busy right now? Do you even know how a restaurant works!?" I was taken aback to say the least, he was extremely abrasive and rude. I didn't end up ordering anything, and it absolutely ruined my friends dining experience as well as mine. I realize that employees actions don't always reflect company policy, and I sincereley hope management reaches out to me to rectify this matter. Either way my dining experience was ruined. read more

Wow! Crappiest service I have ever had. Waited 15 minutes at a table before a waitress yelled to us across other tables 'be with you in a minute'. Never came back. I tried to get another staff members attention on 3 occasions and she ignored us completely! After 15 more minutes waiting (30 minutes total) we gave up and left. Following 3 other tables who had done the same thing - and they wished us luck on their way out!! Don't waste your time here! read more

I had the fried chicken sandwich and something seemed a bit off. A couple hours later I had full on food poisoning. After a sleepless night of fever and every other symptom you can imagine, I can say with certainty I will never return. Food freshness is a serious concern, please make sure your food does not hurt your customers. read more

Worst bar in Berkeley! Do not go here if you want to actually get a drink!! Staff is incompetent and rude plus they make you wait in line for no apparent reason cause the place is empty. Bartender was counting tips while the bar was super busy. Don't waste your time and money here. read more

Stopped by before the cal football game and was immediately impressed by the atmosphere and bar. The service was a little lacking but that's expected on a busy game day. We ordered the buttermilk battered wings and fries. The wings were undercooked and all of us ended up getting sick. 2 stars for food poisoning and poor quality food! read more

Average to low quality food. If you want something decent to eat, this is not the place. The real failure here, however, is the abominable service. Let me preface this next section by saying that the restaurant was not the least bit crowded or busy when I arrived. So.... Last week I waited for about three minutes just to have someone acknowledge that I was waiting to be seated, and that was only to tell me someone would be "right with" me. Several minutes later someone did finally arrive and I got seated. Then another five minutes or so for the server to appear. I ordered something to drink, although I was ready to order food, but that didn't seem to be on the servers list of important matters. Off she went. Ten minutes later, when the drink hadn't arrived it dawned on me that this was really a pattern of truly awful service (the worst in my experience I think). So I stood up and walked out. Then, at long last, I managed to get their attention. Or at least they noticed the obvious. "Are you leaving?" Duh.... Not even an inquiry as to why that might be the case. Perhaps they knew? When this place was Adagia (and owned by the same man as Freehouse) the food was delicious and, putting it kindly, the service nowhere near the standard of the food. But now the food has sunk to below average, and the service has plummeted proportionally. There are many many other places around campus to eat. Save yourself heartburn and annoyance and go anywhere else. PS This was my second experience in less than a week. Although not as extreme as this one, the earlier was in the same league. Two times is a pattern in my book. I voted with my feet on this one. Be warned! read more

I have never felt inclined to write a yelp review but after the great experience at Free House it seemed necessary. The customer service, atmosphere, and food are all top notch. I will be back! read more

Great place looks like a fraternity house turned into a Bar and grill. The service was slow and the food was cold. The beer selection was great until they ran out of beer that you are drinking. They check your I.D. before the Game and make you put on a wristband so you can come back after the game , so when you come back for a few more before heading to BART there are doorman at the door looking at I.D. or wristbands. Will give it another try. read more

Worst cocktails ever! I kinda of want to give it two stars because the food is edible but I'm just so sick of friends wanting to come here for the convenience of the location to the grad schools and NEVER being able to get a decent cocktail. I've been holding off on writing a review but the bartender messing up my Moscow Mule is the last straw! How the heck do you mess that up?!?!!!! It's 3 ingredients!Their cocktail ingredients are never well balanced. Several months ago I tried their Ginger Shine. It was terrible. Tasted like straight liquor and lemon juice. I sent it back. Tonight, I tried it again and it was quite a bit better... still not good but drinkable. However, to me, this just speaks to their inconsistencies and lack of attention to ingredient ratios. My second attempt tonight was their California Mule but I subbed the vodka for gin. It tasted super sour like straight lime juice! Very little ginger taste despite the fact that they use good ginger beer (Bundaberg). So, to adjust it, I asked for a side of their "house made ginger syrup"... surprise surprise... it was not very gingery at all!!! It tastes more like sugar water with a slight hint of ginger... So if you're ordering one of their 2 house cocktails made with this stuff, don't expect much of a ginger taste. Ugh!!! For good handcrafted cocktails, check out East Bay Spice Co. read more

Award for worst customer service I can't even comment on the food or drinks, because we were never served. We live in San Francisco, but were visiting Berkeley for the first time to attend the Cal football game. While walking towards the stadium, we found this spot and thought it would be a great spot to grab a drink before entering the stadium. We walked up to the corner of the bar and while we were waiting for someone to serve us our friend started a (very casual, nothing to it) conversation with a woman sitting at the end of the bar. Finally, a bartender comes over and we attempt to place an order with him. He doesn't say anything, then supposedly, the "manager" steps over and informs us that we can't order a drink and we need to leave. We questioned him on why and we never received an answer besides "we do not need your business." If he was in fact the manager, he has to be the worst manager of all time! Out of all my years in business or just common customer service, you never tell your customer you do not need their business. In fact, you need their business very much as that is how you pay your bills. I will be sure this place never receives my business again and I will be sure to everyone I know to avoid this place as they do not need your business. read more

It's just not good. Their beer selection is alright, but their mixed drinks are not good. Their food is also very sub-par. Don't go here if you can avoid it. read more

We came in a big group and had dinner, a couple of appetizers and a few drinks. Ladies ordered sparkling wine and they served it in shot glasses (seriously????). The food was also terrible (chicken wings were completely dry and french fries were mushy and soaked in oil). We were celebrating two birthdays and brought a cake. They charged us a "cake cutting fee" of $40 (?!?!?). The explanation was that the restaurant has to provide plates and forks and that's definitely worth $40. We did not get enough plates or forks for all people in our party, which was completely ignored by the server. After our attempt to complain to the manager we we were told that "Free House" is not really designed to accommodate large groups. I guess they are trying to position themselves as a romantic restaurant by serving horrible bar food and pouring vine in shot glasses. We are very sorry for giving business to your restaurant, we will never make this mistake again. P.S. if you are looking for a place to grab a drink with friends, please avoid this place. Jupiter is a very good alternative and also has an outside patio. Build is a great place to hangout, and Beta Lounge is just a few minutes away. read more

Would have loved to have this place open when I worked across the street several years ago. It's a great location that deserves better.The food is boring/bad and the drink I had subpar. Sad. read more

Of course we're the only people in the world to not know they weren't open at 330 the day of a concert! Always a letdown here. Head over to Pappys, Jupiter, or Triple Rock before this place. Sorry Freehouse, but you could have posted it on the website not just on the door! read more

Free House is located in Berkeley in an historic building associated with the free speech movement, which is referenced in the wall decor. Adjacent to the UCB campus, it offers a pub type fare, which blends well with the old tavern atmosphere. After undergoing a revamp recently it has reopened with a new menu, including great burgers and fries, friendly and efficient service, two patios for outdoor dining, and many varieties of beer. Would definitely go back and try the Mac and Cheese, which everyone says is fabulous. read more

Worst service. Took forever to be acknowledged. Never got our drinks. Food was plain. Nothing special.

Some of the waiters and even the manager are extremely rude! They don't care about customer service at all! It is a pity because the location is great and they gave a very big patio which is nice for large groups of people, but all of this doesn't matter given their lack of respect for their clients! read more

Thankfully Free House is there when I need them during the work week! Its super easy for me to call ahead and have my meal waiting for me when I have a short lunch. I have really positive experiences with the staff whenever I go (its great when you're a regular)! I always love the burger and their nachos are never a bad thing. I can never say no to their cookies and their bread pudding might have been the best I've ever had. If you're close to campus and need a quick bite, go someplace else because you'll want to sit in Free House for awhile and enjoy it. read more

Great food and the manager follows up when you have a problem. I needed a receipt from 3 months ago and he went out of his way to find it and e-mail it to me. read more

Great place, great atmosphere, friendly staff and an amazing bavarian pretzel. Would highly recommend!

A great establishment that went out of their way to serve our large rowdy group celebrating the 241st Marine Corps Birthday. Thank you to the servers and staff for taking care of us. The food was great and the beer selection was good. I especially liked the Angel Dust. Semper Fidelis read more

I've had some good visits to this place! Came here on a busy friday night and the waitress I dealt with was extremely accommodating. I had a pretty large party and she let us move around the chairs however we wanted. Service was a bit confusing but you just have to be able to flag down a waiter if you want to order. If you don't feel like doing that, just run to the bar and order a drink. Tried the sweet potato fries and regular fries and they were really good. The dips that came with them were actually even better and am definitely going back to try the honey red pepper aioli. Beer selection was also great! I came during their pumpkin season special and tried two of their beers. I would recomend getting a flight with some friends because some of their pumpkins can be really hit or miss. I also tried an excellent draft beer (Maibock?) that I would definetely try again as well. Overall had a great time here. Pool is supposedly free here so I gotta try that out sometime! read more

Food's decent, 1 or 2 items are superb, prices are fine by North Berkeley standards, perhaps a bit high considering it's next to the campus. Beer is excellent, haven't tried anything else. They have 2 TVs showing different channels, and the good sense to turn the sound off. Music was unobtrusive, but somebody's recently turned the volume up. Ambience is unbelievable. read more

Fine lunch spot. No pretetence in a pretentious setting. The chicken salad and burger never disappoint. Good service too.

I come here regularly, and I'm a massive fan. The atmosphere is laid back, it never gets too crowded, and both the food (try the nachos) and beer selection are amazing. I especially love that they constantly rotate the tap selection so you're always trying new varieties. But what really makes the place stand out (and the reason I keep going back) is that the staff are amazing--special shout-out to Michael and Eila! read more

Drinks menu great, food not so much. Appalling pulled pork and slaw -- pork had weird back taste, truly vile, and slaw allegedly made from jicama was limp and utterly tasteless. Complained and got hamburger instead. Burger clearly inferior meat, had bled into bottom bun most disgustingly. Yuck. My co-diners were also unhappy with their food but not disgusted, as I was -- chicken salad, cassoulet, and steak frites all described as just barely OK. These guys should limit menu to a very few items and do them exceedingly well, keep prices low. My food was literally inedible. A shame. read more

Great, relaxed bar right next to Cal's campus. Good mix of upperclassmen and grad students, and a really great environment. The couches and fireplace are a nice touch. Advice: get a server instead of standing at the bar, their bartenders can be slow. read more

Service is quick, and the atmosphere is wonderful. They've also got a pool table where you can knock a few games in while getting drinks, as well as a shaded area in the back that's open air seating and is a nice quiet break from Berkeley's often noisy streets. read more

Real good gastro-pub right next to UC Berkeley. I've eaten here four times and men is standard fancy pub food. Really, there a lot of misses in the food department but the basic burger is AWESOME! It comes with cheese and bacon and a mound of really tasty fries. It's my weekly treat! Also, a really well stocked bar and I've been told the beer selection is terrific too. But, service is more miss than hit. Outside seating is available but never my first choice. The wait staff seem to be regulars but service is still sub par. Eating at the bar is quicker and less goes wrong b/c the bartender is always right there. Still, a super $10 burger and a big selection of beers in an old wood paneled room with a huge fireplace and high ceilings? My four stars are for the burger, bartenders and atmosphere. I'll add that 5th star when table service improves. read more

Very good spot to have a bite and drink before a football game. Burger is really good, get there early before a game. lines start to form just to get in about 1.5 to 2 hrs before a game. read more

I have never had such bad service in my entire life. My friend and I went on a Wednesday night, got a drink at the bar, then were shown to our table. We ordered food and drinks right away, then were totally ignored for almost an hour. We were busy chatting so it didn't really bother me at first, but then when I realized how long we'd been ignored I became incensed. It seemed like we were being ignored purposely. Our table was really central. I got up and walked over to our waitress and said, "excuse me, we ordered food and drinks about an hour ago and nothing has come." She didn't even apologize. She just said, rather rudely, "I'll put in the order now." I was so furious. I tried to find a manager but couldn't so we decided to leave before I lost my temper. I'm from New York and this place and its terrible service almost ruined one night of my vacation. I've never been treated so poorly at a restaurant and I would absolutely advise people to steer clear... but, on the bright side, it did end up being a "free house" since we received no food to pay for. read more

Quite possibly the WORST establishment I have ever been to!!!!! Went here with my husband, mom and aunt before a concert at the Greek. Waited at least an hour and a half for our food, which made us late for the concert and we were stuck seated in the lawn. Being 6 months pregnant you can imagine how uncomfortable this was. When we expressed our concern to our waiter he just shrugged his shoulders and walked away. The least he could have done was offer us a little bread while we waited for our food to be brought out. To top it off my aunt found somebody's chewing gum in her napkin. We waited so long for our bill to come that we just threw $60 on the table and walked out before even seeing the check. Who knows how much longer we would have waited!! Do not EVER come here! It is a shame because the ambiance and set up is really nice. Love the outdoor patio! They really need more staff working here. Please do yourself a favor and do not come here! I'd give this place 0 stars if I could!!! read more