We were looking for a dog friendly restaurant near Henry Cowell State Park and Laughing Monk Brewing was the first to come up. We walked in and got a seat on the patio. Derek was our server and he was great. We ordered some drinks to start - espresso martini and the monk mistress, I was drinking on an empty stomach and was buzzed halfway through this drink. I ordered the Baja Fish Tacos which came with chips and salsa. Husband got the Prime Rib Dip and upgraded to the garlic parmesan fries. The toddler got a kids meal - mac and cheese with fruit. Everyone seemed happy with their meal. My fish tacos were ok, I thought it was a little bit overly battered, but otherwise good. Solid spot for an easy family friendly or dog friendly meal. read more

I came in on a Friday evening and it was busy. They had two events going on outdoors and of course being a Friday evening. I was told it was a 15 minute wait and was fine with that. The place is spacious and clean with a decent volume on the music so people can chat and not yell to be heard. I waited for a while for someone to come take my order. I got the prime rib dinner with a loaded baked potato and wanted a cider too. With the event and it being a Friday evening it was exceptionally busy. My cider took a while to come and the food arrived 20 mins later. I know my neighbors were disgruntled by how long it took for their drinks to come too. They requested to take it off the bill since the drinks never arrived. The prime rib and baked potato were delicious. The veggies were not seasoned at all and the carrots were barely even cooked. Just heated up so they are warm. I probably would come back if it's not so packed. read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Prime rib dinner with a baked potato vs mashed potatoes - Brewpubs Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

We were driving up from Santa Cruz and needed a place to eat that allowed dogs. We stumbled on this place and their amazing large covered patio. The weather was absolutely fantastic and there was a cool breeze. The menu was like a phone book - so many options! My youngest and my vegetarian in-laws are NOT easy with food, but somehow even my pickiest eater was satisfied with a soft pretzel and a side steak. I loved that I could get multiple side salads in small portions. I really enjoyed the spiced squash and the Pacific Picnic. read more

Stopped in here on a Monday on my day off with my boyfriend . We had the pleasure of having Charlie as our bartender / server . He was very attentive and customer oriented . He made the best Bloody Mary I have had their Oktoberfest on draft was the best I've had . I ordered their cheese curds they were also the best I've ever had with their homemade ranch and whatever other dipping sauce there was it was great . I really loved the atmosphere as well . I hope to enjoy their patio next time and I can not wait for the one in the Pruneyard to open . Thankful for a company that is involved in the community and a manager who is fighting against human trafficking . Keep up the great work you guys . read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Bloody Mary - Brewpubs Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

Our family's favorite go-to places for beer and dinner. We've gotten numerous things here, but our favorites to get everytime are the Pretzels - super soft and dougy, comes with cheese and mustard. Love the mustard especially! It's a good balance with the cheese. And the poke!! Flavored wonderfully with sesame. Bbq Vegan seitan tacos were a new favorite. Salmon was a bit fishy but overall a good healthy blend. Service is always nice and it's a good wholesome vibe inside. read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Bbq Vegan Tacos and Mediterranean bowl with salmon - Brewpubs Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

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This was my first time coming here and I wanted to come here for the longest time, but I wanna say it was only one up in the city. I'm glad there's one in Scotts Valley since that's closer to me. My friend and I decided to sit at the bar and just watch how everything was set up. It was the day after St. Patrick's Day, so the bartenders had great stories! Lol. They have a number of mixed drink cocktails, as well as mock cocktails, which was perfect for us and Ramadan for her. Her coconut orange pineapple cocktail was delicious!! I was going to order one myself, but then I saw they had a lemonade with passionfruit and I really wanted that! We got fried pickles and shared the mahi mahi tacos, which were delicious and messy!! Perfect little lunch for us!! I will definitely be back here again!! Especially to try more of their mocktail drinks! read more

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I stopped in on Monday for dinner. I like the vibe. I sat outside with my dog, they were kind enough to bring her out water. My food was good. I HAD dry cauliflower wings, sweet potato frieds and 2 tacos. read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Brewpubs Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

Nice little spot, plenty of parking in front and back. Service is a bit slow and average . I had the junkyard burger with sweet potato fries . Brought my niece, they have kids menu. They have kids cup too . They have crayons and coloring papers too to keep the kids busy . The bacon on burger was amazing , thick cut bacon too. This brewery is more restaurant style than distillery. The restroom had hand wash station outside the toilet room , separate men and women's restrooms read more

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Soooooo freaking good! I had the drewski and my goodness delicious! This hefty burger was cooked to perfection seasoned and not skimpy on the goods! I was so torn on what burgers to get because they had great options. I'm expecting so I couldn't enjoy the beers but they had a great selection that sounded crisp and refreshing! Our server was awesome had great recommendations and continued to check on us with it feeling like an interruption. They had a covered area for outside dining since the back patio was closed off for weather. I will definitely comeback sans baby so I can truly enjoy more of their offerings! read more

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Service is sub-par. They serve me frozen fish for fish and chips. The fish was also freezer burnt. The place is fine if you want to knock back a few but dinner sucks! read more

The food was great, and service too. It's always a tad noisy though, I think because of the walls or something. I ordered the poke tower because it's always been yummy but it looked different, kind of just poke and wonton with the same sauce served flat on a plate, so it wasn't a tower at all. And the poke pieces were too big for the wonton-- they broke under the weight. It was super hard to figure out how to eat it! All they need to do is cut the pieces smaller. We wound up using forks! Still delicious, just perplexing. The onion rings were delightfully light and tasty. My son's burger was reportedly great and quickly demolished. My vegan tacos were unusual, not taco "flavored", but great anyway! We love this place because it's so close to home and there's always something new to try. I've honestly never had a bad meal or even side dish there. It was too early for beer but their IPAs are scrumptious. read more

FIVE STARS: SERVICE and casual VIBE and BEER The service was very friendly, and I like the outdoor seating available. It is a great place to eat alone or to meet a friend for conversation and food. The beer, naturally, is fantastic. I had a grapefruit beer that was very refreshing. FOUR STARS: Food I ordered a steak salad, and the salad was great, but the steak very tough and kind of flavorless. The Mac and cheese came out cold in the middle. In retrospect, I wish I had ordered the blackened ahi or a burger since I saw that come out and it looked good! Sometimes it is just knowing what to order, so I suggest asking for recommendations from your server if it is your first time dining and you aren't sure what to order. read more

Stopped in while visiting a friend in the area. This place is great. Lots of nice indoor and outdoor seating. Some with fire pits. They even have some well protected outdoor seating for mixed weather. I was met and sat right away. This ambience is great. Good music and well thought out use of the space. The beer selection is great. See beers on tap pictures. The Oktoberfest snacks are great too. I highly recommend the Bavarian Pretzel! Great cheese and mustard dipping sauces and PLENTY to share. I got the west coast IPAs. And no complaints. They are opening a location in central SF which I am looking forward to checking out. read more

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Loved this place! Good outdoor area to sit with the doggos! They even have a doggie menu! Beers are great. Had the Monk Light and a wc ipa. Food was delicious. I think we had almost everything on the apps menu. And service was great! read more

Our server was wonderful - we rarely drink so he kindly gave us recommendations for the happy hour beer flights and all were so tasty! We came here during burger week which had the amazing Birria burger - wow do they know how to make a special limited addition menu add! The nachos were also great with a really tasty cheese sauce! I will be back! read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Nachos - Brewpubs Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

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Great menu nice environment in or out seating drinks for adult and kids are great and music and vibes check them out read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Brewpubs Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

Ok ok what do you do when you are from the Bay area, you are visiting friends in the area and they make a great suggestion for dinner, and they are paying.? ..hello you go!! I must say, this suggestion from my friend was wonderful. Generally speaking, I am a bit apprehensive of peoples suggestions nowadays, last time I did that I ended up at a horrible fondue place in France ;-) Hey I had a free miles ticket..ok enough for the wise cracks!! So this place was the bomb. Nestled in a busy little shopping center, tucked away in the back overlooking some barren land or walking area, it was a gem of a place. From the moment I walked in I could sense the good vibes!! This is paramount for me when exploring a new venue, if I feel uncomfortable..forget about it!! So with some suggestions from our host and my friend, I proceeded to order the Bourbon Burger, perhaps cause I was thinking there was Bourbon in it? Perhaps I needed a drink ? more on that later. So without further ado, I ordered the Bourbon Burger. So my thoughts, it was good! It is a blend of the following...Bourbon Burger Bacon-caramelized onion jam, smoked gouda, arugula, lemon vinaigrette, fries. My only suggestion here is I would really add a touch of Bourbon to the bacon onion jam and hold back on the lemon fries, that a bit overpowers the burger. With all that said and my suggestion above, I would most certainly come back!! This place has a great vibe, great service and food. Oh by the way, we celebrated here with a few cocktails. Mine was a Monk-a-rita cocktail. And you know it made me just a happy "Laughing Monk" the rest of the night!! :-) Seriously thank you Laughing Monk Brewing, and thank you to my friend for the suggestion on coming to dinner here!! You have to come out to the Laughing Monk Brewing next time you are in town, I know I will! Read less read more

Chicken tacos are good. I just wish it they didn't use so much dark meat. Also, salads seem that they cannot be ordered without dressing on them. read more

I did not think I knew better or thought the sign was lying. It was a dire situation. During my wait for the other stall to open, my brow covered in sweat, I had to make a choice that every man has faced at some point in their life (or will one day). I'm truly sorry for what I've done. Service was great. I recommend the Lasso steak bowl. read more

This place is great. Our server, Diane, was awesome: fast, responsive, and friendly. Food is good, beer is good. This is place is a regular for us. read more

I ordered chicken tenders for my toddler, and they were served frozen. When we informed the server, she attempted to downplay the issue by saying, "Oh, they're cold?" No--they were frozen, which is a significant difference. When the chicken tenders were brought back, they were ripped open exactly like the ones we had sent back, and they had been fully "nooked," which made us highly concerned they were the same tenders simply reheated. I mentioned this to the server, and she became defensive, insisting it was impossible because she had personally thrown the original tenders away. Her response and demeanor were unpleasant and unnecessarily combative, and because our toddler was with us, we chose not to escalate the situation further. Both my husband and I strongly believe the same chicken was refried, which raises a serious sanitation concern. The server also claimed that the cook had ripped the chicken open to ensure it was fully cooked. It is unclear why a professional kitchen would need to tear food apart to determine doneness, or why any establishment would feel it is acceptable to serve visibly ripped-open food to guests. read more

Food came out quickly, and the ingredients seemed to be fresh and good quality. Also the flavor profiles of the salads are just as good as I remember read more

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I had amazing service that made my experience great. Would have given 5 stars but my mahi mahi tacos were crunchy and dry and over cooked. I was so hungry and Derek was the only person waiting tables so I just asked for sour cream and decided to make do. They did taste better with that fresh sour cream but I know next time to get the fried fish. I had already ordered fried cheese so I was trying to keep it healthy with a fresh component. A couple sat next to me and he told them if you don't like the tacos let me know and we can get you something else, and I was like damn, I wish I would have sent these back and got something because they weren't very good but I just didn't want to wait for anything else when he had like 4-5 other tables. I knew if the fish wasn't over done it would have been more appetizing. Also you can't mix and match your tacos for HH. Tacos and margarita specials all day for taco Tuesday. This is a really good gastropub to hang out and they have a really good HH menu. They had TVs on running sports and they had an upstairs area and outside seating. I also ordered soup and their house wine and all were delicious. This is located in a busy plaza with parking and an ice cream place. I will return as the food was great, even everyone around me had positive things to say about their dishes, but their dishes smelled good and made me more hungry too. Keeping this spot on my central coast list because I want to try more things off their menu. read more

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Food was delicious! They allow dogs on the patio. Our server was very attentive to us. Really nice to sit outside on a sunny day. read more

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Monk Food SF-based brewery that merged with Faultine Brewing back in 2023, after being purchased by locally-owned Bedrock Restaurant Group. This is one of two gastropubs for Laughing Monk, with the other being in Sunnyvale, to go along with their brewery/taproom in SF. We arrived here as a "Plan B," since our first location didn't work out, and also after a long +6-mile hike at nearby Henry Cowell State Park. So we were fiending for a brew and a bite. The Good: *Huge dog-friendly outdoor seating that's tarped in the winter and has heaters. *Fairly large shared parking lot *Service by Julia was outstanding. *Onion Rings are bomb af and worth the $1.50/upgrade *The bacon-caramelized onion jam on the Bourbon Burger was fantastic and the best thing I had here, which says a lot because the onion rings were pretty bomb, as well. *Carissa enjoyed her Mediterranean Bowl but the concomitant Tzatziki sauce was not very good. Luckily the ranch dressing from the wings was there to save the day. The Meh: *Overall the wings were pretty good, as the mango-habanero sauce delivered the sweet-heat it promised and the meat was nice and juicy, but we wished they were crispier and not such flabby skin. *Burger was a little dry, as I requested it medium but it came out more medium-well. Luckily the bacon jam was there to add the needed moisture. *To echo the sentiments of fellow Yelper Dan B, I have to agree that none of their beers stood out as being exceptional to me, anyway. I tried two WC IPAs and one Hazy IPA and while they were all decent, none of them left me wanting a second glass. The Ugly: *I'm not sure who's picking the music but they had some really high-speed techno blasting, which didn't really fit the vibe or the clientele, for that matter. And I love me some EDM, but there's a time and place for it and this ain't it. *I'm not sure why the front of the restaurant facing the street has zero signage making it difficult to find. Hint: it's to the right of the ice cream place. Conclusion: Not perfect by any means and probably 3.5* overall, but I'll give it the 1/2* bump because we dug the vibe (minus the music) and would most likely come back. read more

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Their food and beers are hit or miss. I have been to this location multiple times. In April I went during brunch and got their breakfast burrito which was delicious! I just checked their website and it looks like they no longer serve it which is disappointing. The service can be slow which tends to be annoying. I like the atmosphere inside and I enjoy sitting outside on a nice day. If you have a dog they allow dogs in their outside dinning area. read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Breakfast Burrito - Brewpubs Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

When this first opened as Faultline, I really enjoyed coming here and the food was great. I was so happy to have a new choice in town, and it had become a go to for my husband and I. Over the last few years, I feel each returned trip has slowly gone downhill. I think the quality in food isn't what it once was. My last experience here there were 4 of us and every single one of our dishes were cold and they were not busy at the time... Being a waitress myself, I hate to send food back, so I still ate it. Service is not bad, I will say that. What I find most frustrating is that they have a beautiful patio with fire pits, and in the spring to summer transition they are only seating you in the small, tented area "outdoors". When I am asking to be seated outside, I would like to truly be outside. I understand this for the winter, but when the sun is shining and you're wanting to embrace that experience in the spring and summer it's lame that you are stuck in a tent. Another frustrating thing is they have this beer garden like patio, and some days I just want to drop in for a beer and don't mind ordering a beverage through the bartender, closing out my tab, having my beer outside, and returning my glass. Not causing much trouble for any of the employees aside from closing out the tab and pouring the beverage, but I sense the annoyance when I ask this and that it is troublesome. They did mention it will make people also want to be outside and do the same thing, but again... that could easily be fixed if you actually sit people outside on the patio . read more

Ahhhhhhhh I wish I was laughing at Laughing Monk Brewing. The menu is awesome. I wanted to try so many things! The drinks were great -- ugh, but the service was no bueno, even when the place wasn't crowded. Also what was odd was my nachos were luke warm like they had been sitting for awhile and only had a small dollop of guacamole compared to the heaps of nachos and guacamole that passed our table. There was a huge contrast that was almost laughable. (Maybe that's why it's called Laughing Monk?) Overall we did get service when we absolutely needed it, but no one was friendly, if that makes sense. We felt invisible. (It was also obvious that we were the one group that was non-white in the entire restaurant/pub, but hopefully that wasn't the reason.) The spacious, wooden hootin' and tootin' vibe is so cool here, I would want to come back and bring all my friends and family! But with the unexplainable service we received, I unfortunately wouldn't be able to do that. read more

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I love the facility and most of the people there are pretty friendly, but they really need to get their front of house in order, service can be very slow and actually rude sometimes. I still go because I love their big pretzel with beer cheese, but I was there a couple weeks ago in the cheese dip for the pretzel was runny which it's never been before and the cup was only filled halfway up. I guess they were running out and tried to make it stretch out. I don't know. I just wish they'd get their customer service in order because I really do want to like this place. They need more waiters desperately. read more

The trip here was a mixed bag because the drinks were well made, and looking around at the other tables, all the food looked delicious. It was the service that is holding my score back. We came on MLK Monday, which could also be why the staff may have been off their game. The first issue with service was that it took more time than expected to be seated at the bar, even though there was plenty of space. They were just behind cleaning the areas people vacated - could be because of the holiday staff. After we got seated, it also took a long time for the bartender to ask us what we wanted, and the follow-up to check on us for new drinks also had to be prompted. We also sat near the end of the bar and could see into the kitchen. I was able to see the chef eating fries. I get it, but it's not something you want to see. Anyway, I want to rate this place higher, because the drinks were well made, and it is hard to beat the $8 Manhattan deal on Mondays, but I also cannot ignore these service lapses. Also, we did order nachos with steak, but they were just - meh. That said, we will give this place another chance, and I would be happy to change my review when we have a better experience. read more

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This is a really nice Brew house in Scott's Valley. Nice Beer selection and the Food is delicious too. I will certainly be back.

Five stars for VEGANS! They had more than a few vegan options and not boring but great stuff ! Even vegan cheesecake and that's going the distance! Also totally dog friendly with a great patio and dog menu! C'mon those two things and the food was great this place I'll be coming back again and again. Staff was great food was great place for my dog good energy plenty of different seating options. Slam dunk read more

Laughing Monk recently allowed us to host a singing show in their back patio. They created a great space for us, the appetizers we ordered were well tended to and warm and delicious to boot. It was very kind of them to allow us to have this space and the service was great. Thank you laughing Monk. read more

Sometimes, instead of ordering 2 pints, the day you had causes you to want a 1-liter beer instead. This is the place to do that.

Man.... I always liked their food and cocktails, but I won't be going back after last night's experience. First off, the cocktail I ordered came in a cracked glass (it was a large crack down the side) -- not a big deal, but this lack of attention to detail should have been our first clue. It was their maple old fashioned, which I'd had before. But the replacement was made wrong, and I think they completely forgot the sugar/maple ($15 wasted, but I didn't send it back because I didn't want to be one of those guys). We started out with the calamari. It wasn't as good as it used to be (and tasted like it came from a bag of frozen, pre-made fare), and it was about 30% smaller -- but the same price, if not more. My wife got a martini, which is hard to mess up. My wife enjoyed her burger (not the best, but acceptable), but my grilled cheese with bacon was just so-so. For $21, I expected something better than what I could get at a standard diner. The ramekin of tomato soup that came with it was actually really good, though. Our waitress was fine, but it seemed like her focus was on turning the table as quickly as possible. I see this as a failure of management, or perhaps just an attempt at cutting corners at the margins (and wouldn't want to throw the workers under the bus -- which is why I didn't complain). Anyway, real bummer. $100+ for two people doesn't go very far these days, but this was a real disappointment. Maybe it was a one-off, but eating out is too expensive to roll the dice and hope for the best. read more

Mediocre food. Just okay service. Was excited about the bourbon burger I saw online but it wasn't on the menu. The flavor on the one I got was pretty bland. Didn't finish it. There were lots of other people coming in, so it's definitely a place for beer, just not food. read more

We were here for a late Sunday lunch. They had a big menu in the atmosphere was nice and good service, but the food was not my favorite. The crispy Brussel sprouts were fried nicely but they were way too sweet. Burger was fine but uninspired. Like the location, but they need to do fewer things better! read more

Great service, wonderful environment to be with your family, friends. Loved the outdoor seating! Tacos serving was large, and delicious! read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Mahi Mahi tacos - Brewpubs Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

Laughing Monk has become our favorite Sunday lunch spot. Staff is always friendly. Drinks and food are fantastic along with the service. Ellis and Adrianna are always there when we come in and are always quick to get our drink order. Never feel rushed to order. Nice to see the same servers when you arrive. Love the ambiance, very relaxed. Love the hard ciders and the Monk-a-rita. Plenty of food options for everyone. Not just burgers! Vegan options too. If you like sports, have TVs in different areas, indoor outdoor seating. Highly recommend the Laughing Monk. read more

I was not sure if I needed to make a reservation for 6, I called and was greeted with amazing customer service. The call unfortunately got disconnected, I called back and instantly was able to pick up where i left off. We set the reservation for 6:30pm. We arrived pretty early I'd say at least more than 15 minutes, with the expectation of waiting until our reservation time. They were able to get us seated right away! We were seated upstairs which had really cool graphics along the wall, it also felt quieter up there - great for conversations. I ordered the Cajun pasta - deliciously spicy and smooth, I did not add a protein but I'm sure it would've make it even better! Overall a great place to have a date night or even a dinner with family/friends. read more