Worth the wait! The beer was extra good tonight and our server Sofia was great. It was a busy night with great music, thanks Joint Chiefs. We might have to come in every Friday. 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

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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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

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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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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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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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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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

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

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

We ate here for brunch, one diner, had the breakfast burrito and loved it. I had the mahi tacos and they reminded me of Baja with a California twist. They were great. We asked if they had Ramos fizzes. Our server Ellis said they had one special maybe they could make one for me and they did and it was great. The service was excellent from beginning to end. I've been here one or two times before was my first time for brunch. I had recommend it highly. 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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We had a great time yesterday out on the patio of Laughing Monk Brewery. We had buffet style food of soft pretzels & cheese, chicken wings & mozzarella balls. It was perfect for our group of kids & adults that were there singing upgraded karaoke with our singing coach. Staff were very warm and welcoming. The spot was perfect for some great photos with the big field behind the patio. We hope to do it all again soon. read more

May I just say the food and atmosphere here are amazing. Maybe a top tier spot I have gone to locally in general. One of my favorite items is their appetizer pretzel with the melted cheese dipping sauce. They definitely earned every dollar and cent of their tips as well cause the service is friendly and fast. read more

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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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

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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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

I love this location and anytime I have ever been here I have had great luck with awesome food and great service.

The Laughing Monk did an outstanding job at the baby reveal party this past Saturday. The overall experience with every aspect went smoothly. The server/coordinator, Derek, was hands-on from setup to serving all the guests and was incredibly helpful. The beer garden was perfect, and the service staff was attentive. Every guest loved the food. The food was delicious and fresh, from the appetizers, pork sliders, hamburgers, onion rings, French fries, salad, and a few more. Derek made sure drinks were refilled promptly, and the selection of beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks were the best. Highly recommend for any occasion. A five-star place. Thank you, Laughing Monk. read more

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

Zero customer service. Rude bartender. We are easy to please but this guy did not even try. Based on this interaction and speaking to a few other friends this bartender is helping lose business! We will not be going back. 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

We love coming to Laughing Monk, and it's become one of our favorite spots in Scotts Valley. Whether it's date night, dinner with the whole family or Sunday brunch, this place delivers on great food, fun drinks and a friendly vibe. Let's talk cocktails first: the drink menu is so fun and creative (the "Pleasure Point" is a standout for me), and every time we sit down the drink comes perfectly made and right on time. The Bavarian pretzel is a must-order: huge, perfectly salted and goes well with whatever you're sipping. But what really keeps us coming back is Kenton. He remembers us (and our preferred drinks), checks in with a smile, and makes us feel like regulars even if it's been a few weeks. He's super friendly and always has great recommendations. The atmosphere here is laid-back with plenty of seating inside and out, TVs if you want them, and a vibe that's perfect any night of the week. Service is attentive, food comes out on time, and it's just a great place to unwind. 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

Derek is the man! He helped me & my fiancé out during burger week when we really wanted to try their special burger. We put in an order to go right before they closed & they made arrangements for us to pick it up after close. 10/10 service & the burger was AMAZING!! We will recommend & definitely be back! read more

I wish I could give a better review, just had a sandwich hear and didn't get much time to enjoy the area. The building is hard to find but it's in the corner of that parking lot! You'll know when you come looking for it. I had a chicken pesto sandwich and it was good, my partner had sweet potato fries and those.... THOSE WERE SO GOOD. no lie I was mad I didn't get them, the regular fries are good but those sweet potato fries are amazing! Other than that I'd love to come back and try the brews and enjoy the ambiance more. read more

Great addition to SV! The service is friendly and attentive, and the food and drink menu has recently been updated with more options. As a family of vegetarians and omnivores, its great to have a place with many options for both of us. Beer is top notch and they have a rotating selection from IPAs to sours! read more

It's kind of hard to find in the shopping center, we accidentally entered through the back. Server was nice! The fries were really good! I got the smoked Gouda burger and it tasted ok but felt cooked from frozen. The meat was kinda soft and gray so I didn't finish the second half. My husband had the bbq whiskey burger that was really tasty so I'm not sure what happened. The cider was light and crispy really yummy. My husband had a flight. read more

Abriana was great! Great service, food was amazing and we had a wonderful experience.

I've only tried their pancakes and those were wonderful flavorful fluffy. When I look at their menu, I wanna try something else but I just love their pancakes right now. If you are a pancake lover, try them out. read more

Had a late night dinner on valentines weekend. Had their special which was rib eye and was delicious. ordered two drinks off their menu, the place got immediately packed after we were seated. We asked for the upstairs just to people watch from the upper tier. Place was inviting food delicious the vibe was chill highly recommend. read more

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

The beer is worth a trip. Food was okay. It seems every restaurant that offers a burger all seems to use premade pucks. Best burger joint in Santa Cruz closed during 2020. They made their by hand I would drive from SLV to the west side. Worth the 25 minute drive. Service was okay. Very sport atmosphere. Loved that. Probably a great place to watch a game and gets some beers read more

Abriana was the absolute best! She made the place. The beer was great but her service was fantastic! Food was so good, can't wait to come back! Heard Campbell was opening soon... can't wait! read more