*Bad management, bad system for the open mic, unaware of their own actions, uncaring and unapologetic.* After emailing the manager, I see why my evening was such a bust: he did not know what was going on or care. (Good) He bothered to reply, however, (BAD) he did not apologize or make any attempt at reconciliation. His "advice" was to try what we already had done, which he would have known had he read the complaint. He was unaware of the MC's methods even though they were described for him. (See previous review). Asking him to take another look at the original complaint he was more than a little rude in his second reply. No apology, no "I'll look into that"; only swearing and "advice" that was not applicable. Also, after talking with the other two in my group, their food was bad unlike mine, so that's a gamble too. read more

Ohhh, I'm a crazy Irish Dancing Scallywag! St Paddy's Night - Guinness, Irish Fiddle-Music, More Guinness, Dancing, Even More Guinness! and some Fun times! Love this place. From open mic, poetry slams, to Celtic Music and Dance on Sundays. Nothing beats the Plough for a wonderful evening with friends! read more

They have Poetry Slam on Wednesdays. An event you must experience at least once. There are some crazy talents folks and not equally crazy not-so talented folks. If the poet lurks deep within your inner soul of souls show up early before 7:30 and sign up your name. Don't go over the 3 minutes or you're score will drop!! While you wait for your turn or if you just want to sit back and watch the performances there's beer and food. The place is wooden, dark and cozy...a great place to hear some drunk poetry. read more

An authentically grungy Irish pub-cum-cultural center situated in south Berkeley ("Broke-ley") near Ashby BART, the Plough is a home away from home for grayhairs and willowy maidens alike. The food is greasy (but fairly decent) and dirt cheap ($2 burgers! Even dirt isn't this cheap!), the bar keeps BOTH Guinness AND Murphy's on tap, and is often tending by a charming 30-something dark-haired Irish lass who taught me a few words in Gaelic (ga ha mahagith to you too, darlin'). Their website calendar isn't updated frequently, but know this: weeknights you can expect a local cadre of regulars to bust out their fiddles, mandolins, and guitars to work up a feverish jig while patrons nurse their stouts. Weekends usually feature a line-up of newly minted bands straight from their garages--not a good time for a quiet conversation. And here's the biggie--a dealbreaker for some--Wednesday nights are Slam Nights, when the Plough charges a cover to support bad poetry. The only time I was ever impressed by the quality was about five years ago when Mike Cirelli dominated the local poetry slam scene with his odes to waitresses and Point Reyes (dude even published a chapbook called "My Tarnished Heart Still Blings" before getting out of the inbred Slam scene for good). Still, for a local hangout with no pretense, no meat-market, and good vibes (a good thing, in vibe-friendly Berkeley), the Plough is a Brokeley favorite. read more

This place gets good points for two reasons: 1- Always have good, local bands playing 2- Big selection of beers on tap including my newest favorite, Smithwicks (pronounced smiddicks for whatever reason) Not quite five stars because I had probably the worst garlic fries there. Yes, they were cheap, but it was still a wasted $4 because we didn't even eat them, not even with ketchup... read more

A dirty ghetto cool vibrant musical venue. Different bands and diverse crowd. Sorry I don't have much else to say - I was very sleepy and hungover when I went. read more

I'm not sure if there are many irish pubs like these.. but you will meet all types of people here..seriously ALL TYPES.. from hippies to conservative folks... poets, bohemians, wannabe rock stars, rappers, wristcutters, loners... the list goes on and on and every performance that i've seen here whether good or just okay has been really fun to watch and quite interesting if ya know what i mean.. my advice to anyone who wants to come to the open mic on tuesdays.. bring an open mind and come early enough to snag a seat read more

Bacon cheeseburger w/side salad = heaven on a bun. 510 Burger ain't got shit on Landis & Donnie. This is definitely Berkeley's pub equivalent of Cheers. Everyone is super friendly and the regulars know your face even if they don't know your name. ;) read more

Temporarily closed? Looks maybe like it. Phone is down. See ya on the other side. Hello to all

Great beer selection ! Chicken strips, 5 stars. Staff is awesome. Something happening every night. Live music, poetry, Irish dancing. Love to watch playoff games here. Super fun chill spot read more

Alrightie. I would say 4.5 because I am never satisfied. But really I cant imagine much better. Unless the food was better. Pretty limited menu and with a wide variety of acts and so great you want to stay a while I would hope the food would be better. I had the steak dinner and a shirly temple and was so excited I took a picture. And yes for now I am too lazy to post that picture. I went for poetry slam but was really excited to see they have an event pretty much every night. It is like a teen rec center for misfits and hipsters. Yea there are a lot of hipsters which can be a little eh. But I love it. The poetry slam was better than expected. I also like the location. Sketch enough where a pot partaker could partake but not so scummy I was constantly worried my bike or parts of my bike would be stolen for crack. A wide variety of clientèle and no cross cultural hating going on like you can find elsewhere in Berkeley/Oakland. Oh yea I had a cider for you yelpers to survey price and for $5 I thought that was fair and $2 for my temple. I think $7 for my steak/potatoes veggie dinner. Fair price even for a cheapskaker. read more

For about 6 months, a couple of years ago, I played open mic here every Tuesday. Sometimes it would go until 1pm. I enjoyed myself, even though open mic can be brutal here (as I guess it can be most anywhere), because people are getting wasted and they want something entertaining for the most part. They don't want you to express yourself artistically so much as make a fool of yourself, which is fine. Definitely fine. Anyway, I like the Starry Plough. I appreciate people getting up and doing whatever it is they do. I think the Poetry Slam Wednesdays is a lot bigger than open mic Tuesdays. Their beer selection is poor, but that's an Irish pub for you -- it's all about the Guinness. read more

Starry Plough was my first pub. Yep, they popped my pub cherry! Needless to say, I was surprised when I couldn't order a grey goose dirty martini--duh! All of my visits have been on Wednesdays for the poetry slam/open mic-- an experience every poetry and/or art lover should have at least once or twice. I find the staff to be friendly, the wine intoxicating, the pizza over-sized and delish (I went with vegetarian), and the bathroom's always clean. What more could you want from a pub? Whatever that is... read more

Ego ruins a fun night. A friend and I went here recently for an Irish dance event that they hold on Mondays. We hadn't been in something like 8 years. Apparently the guy that organizes the event (John) didn't like how we were dancing or something and had us kicked out. Apparently, if you're not part of the in crowd, you're not welcome. Don't bother unless you already know people or want to be told exactly what to do. Beer selection was all right, food was ok, but the organizer ruined our night. What a jerk. read more

Friendly neighborhood bar with surprisingly good food. They offer pitchers of beer and a comfortable place to bring babies, kids, dads, soccer coaches (hey Art). They cut their own French fries and cook them to a crunchy dark brown. The burgers are actually cooked to order. Salads are more than iceberg or romaine with shredded carrots. Highly recommended. read more

The Starry Plough - Side salad. - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

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This place really shocked me - the food is really good! Came here last night for a concert (only $5 cover and a GREAT show!) and I wasn't expecting good food. For whatever reason I have found the best concert venues often have substandard food. So after grabbing drinks and wanting to fill my stomach I cautiously ordered a Big Kahuna Burger (bonus points on the name!) and some Calamari for my wife. We got given a number and only a few minutes later our food arrived! Impressive considering the huge crowds of people there for the show that night. Oh my gosh was that Big Kahuna Burger ever AMAZING! It was juicy, perfectly cooked (not too dry) and bursting with flavor. My wife had a similar reaction with the Calamari; it was crispy batter and juicy on the inside. I think she said it was the best she has had in months. The atmosphere is hip; posters on the walls from past and present, and just a cool place to hang out. There were lots of beers on tap and the prices were more than reasonable. Also the people there had personality! For instance when the runner dropped off our food he said we were number 3, and now he was making us number 2, and should we get lucky we might even get to be #1. It was quirky and fun. I love it! Will be back! Oh also worth noting: - Lots of free street parking nearby - Kitchen closes at 10pm most nights (so come earlier for food) - Cover is cash only - Arrive early to get seats; this place gets busy! read more

They have a decent selection of beers, but the lack of ambiance and the crappy food doesn't really drive me to hang out there and pay $4/pint. The fish 'n chips I had last night were horrible. They serve frozen fish, like a big fish stick and it smells bad. The chips were soggy and made me sick to the stomach. I agree about the quality of their draft system, the first pint of Lagunitas IPA I had was off, the second was better. I've put down more than a keg of that beer in my time and visited their brewery at least twice...I know what that stuff is supposed to taste like. If you're coming there to see a band you like, then go for it. But don't go there for the food or drinks. read more

I adore this tavern not only for its revolution like theme, but mainly for the poetry slams it has been housing for god only knows how long. I have been frequenting the poetry slam for at least 15 years now and you must give credit not only to the friendly bar tender but also the poets that have made this a home to artist, writers, and great thinkers... As well as great drinkers of course. This place has a good hold on my heart. The location in Berkeley is also suiting, because what's a Berkeley adventure without meeting unique people and off the beaten road dive like places. Seriously though, don't mistake this as a dive bar. It is much more than that and not that at all. It's absolutely incredible, and do not pass up the garlic fries as they alone are also worth the visit. read more

Great selection of beers and live music. Plough burger was amazing. Nice crew behind the bar too! read more

The Starry Plough - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

Oh, the Plough. How I love thee. I have seen my favourite local bands here, from Toshi Reagon, to Love Dog, the Kasey Knutsen Band and Disappearing Completely. The ambiance is great - a wall with a poem painted on it, flags from all countries, of Che, of protest of US invasion of Nicaragua in the 80's, and seemingly home-made flags of Plughs that are starry. Cute. The Guinness and pub food are delish, and most importantly (for me), the management, bartenders, and door staff are ALL super mellow, kind, and friendly. A perfect neighborhood spot, with great sound and always a mixed crowd. Just anther reason to stay in the east bay and avoid the rowdy ego-pumped bullshit of city music venues. Word. read more

Stumbled in here on a Saturday night since they had live music and it was close to our dinner spot. I liked the flexible cover $7-10 for 3 bands. Sweet. The bartender was a cute older lady who promptly took our drink orders once we procured 3 bar stools. The food looked greasy, I wouldn't eat here. The crowd is...interesting. Mostly older folks. In an out of the way location, at least for me. read more

I love pubs. And this pub is no exception. A somewhat hidden bar, I went here with a few of my friends to catch up and grab some drinks. Had a great time with the wide beer selection (it's a pub, what do you expect?), food (I would say typical bar food, but quite tasty), dart range, and a stage where local musicians performed! Scared to bring your family here? No Fear! When I was here there were several families with their children, all just having a great time grabbing food and mingling with the local musicians. Overall I found this pub to have a great chill vibe and would definitely come here again. read more

I love the Plough for the wednesday slam. Great beer on tap, served by the Persian of Perversion. And some damn fine verse. read more

Has quickly become my favorite destination for beer, excellent food, and amazing slam poetry or music. Great staff, wonderful atmosphere, great selection of beer, and the food rules. Plus, its a five minute bike ride from my house! Winner winner. read more

The Starry Plough seems like it has been around since as far back as I can remember. It took me leaving the Bay Area to finally come and try it though. After spending a great weekend with my best friend we ended the trip with a beer at the Starry Plough. The beer selection here was really solid. Not the best I've come across, but a solid B at least. There is enough of a variety to please everyone. The food was where they started to loose me. I ordered a nice salad, and it was meh. I know salads aren't generally seen as very sexy or fun, but we are in CA which is known for produce. The salad was also supposed to be seasonal, so I had high hopes for some fresh flavors. Everything just felt sort of flat and drab. Again, I know it is a salad and a poor choice to make, but it just did not live up to the potential I saw on the menu. The service was friendly enough and the atmosphere was very kid friendly. There were kids running around and dancing on the stage. Not super relaxing for the adults, but great for them. Overall it was an ok stop. 42/100 read more

Went here for St-Paddy's Day last night and had a blast! The band was fun and the crowd was into it. It was really cool seeing people do Irish step-dancing...and fun to just dance around in Irish jigs! The Guinness was pretty good, and I was actually surprised at the selection of beers (for an Irish pub). Though it would have been nice if they had a liquor license so the wife could have had some Irish coffee or Baileys (she ain't a beer drinker). Since it was late, the kitchen was closed so we could not actually try any of the food. This was my first time here and hopefully will not be the last. The place had the feel of what a real Irish pub is supposed to be...neighborhood bar where people can hang out. read more

I love love love the Starry Plough. Memmories galore. The staff (and most of the patrons, for that matter) are super-friendly. Very warm vibe. You can go either just to hang out participate in one of their theme nights. My favorites: Sunday night: I don't especially like Irish people or culture but Irish Sunday nights are badass! Real Irish people playing real Irish intruments (what is that drum/ harp?) making real Irish music ("The night before we sailed away," etc.) Feel free to sing along or just get shloshed. Tuesday nights: Open Mic night--always a guarenteed good time- even if the acts are shitty. This is my favorite. Some of the acts are OK, many horrible but it is a very interactive affair and always very entertaining. Plus the flamboyant MC and her soundgirl(Girl George) are gratious and hillarious hosts who make sure everyone is having fun. Cheap beer, bar food etc. Especially good for entertaining visitors. read more

Such a great place! I have been coming here for many, many years. At least eighteen, I'm pretty sure. A great variety of music and creative bookings for sure! St. Patty's Day and the Murder Ballads show are two events I ALWAYS look forward to here. The have a great open mic/poetry slam night, too. Not my thing but if you're into that sort of thing, you'll dig it the most. Also Irish music jam nights and ceilis (I know I spelled that wrong...community dances in other words). I actually really like the fact that you can only get beer and wine here. I'm sick of going to bars and dealing with classless people who can't hold their liquor and try to ruin everyone else's good time over it. Especially when I'm just there to dance and have a good time without some sloppy-ass drunk spilling their drink all over me while they stumble stupidly all over the dance floor. Decent food, good grubbage for a night of drinking. Their fish and chips are pretty damn good and their burgers hearty. Yum. I have so many great memories from this place. I've met boyfriends here, made friends here, discovered amazing bands here, watched my son win a Mingo 2000 dance contest here during a day time all ages show, etc. etc. I love the Starry Plough! They're my neighborhood night spot and and I'm so glad they're here. One thing I'm unhappy about? When they remodeled their bathrooms, they painted over over twenty yeas worth of latrinalia (bathroom graffiti) and my favorite bathroom graffiti EVER is now gone. I have saved it to memory, though. Someone wrote: Some jaded miscreant sat here and thought about life for awhile... And directly under it someone responded: Thanks for hogging up the bathroom! Haha! Fer reals! I don't know why I find that so hilarious, but I do. Jacques the doorman was awesome. Where the hell is he these days, anyway? read more

I absolutely love this place! The staff are friendly and helpful. The food is pretty impressive given the small size of the kitchen. I really love their black bean and quinoa burger although it can be quite messy! They have something interesting going on every single night of the week. read more

This is.an Iris Pub. Authentic with Great fricken bar food! My first time.here so I had to try everything!.. Lol. Im big but not.big enough...Eveything i tried was exceptional and the way I like it. Shepherds Pie. wow. Mushroom burger had a ton of mushrooms. melted cheese..toasted bun. sides : Coleslaw was crisp fresh and just right amount of dressing. Best for last..Fries.... had special seasoning not sure what it was but I couldn't stop eating them. Oh.and Beer on tap. Like 30 of them. Owner was nice as was the bartender. What a great spot! read more

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This place is awesome! It's been around forever, which makes me happy. Great burgers and fries. Also, the owner is super genuine and caring towards the customers, you can tell he actually cares about community, not just profit. The staff are also super nice and welcoming. read more

This. Is. The. Best. St Patrick's Day. Ever. Seriously, how do I explain how great this place was. We arrived and I was pretty dejected to be paying $10 just to get inside. (Sorry, still slightly under the effect of all the beer, all my GRE words are coming out!) But then... the music started playing. The people started dancing. The old Irish man told us how the bartender was his daughter so he could get us our drink quicker. This place is magic, and I couldn't imagine a better place to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Some observations: You'll notice that this place is just *so* Berkeley. Adorning the walls are a fleece blanket with multiple portraits and profiles of Obama, vintage posters in both Spanish and English protesting neo-colonialism and supporting socialist uprisings in Nicaragua, Zimbabwe, and Chile, quotations from famous Irishmen, and the Starry Plough itself. I came to the pub in about as low of spirits and energy as one could be, and I left raving about how much fun it was to hear the Irish folk music, the grandma who hopped up on stage to sing an old tune, and the dance instructor who taught everyone to dance. (By the way, at least now they've got dancing at 7:15 on Monday evenings. I'll be checking it out soon!) A++. Thank you Starry Plough for the most Irish, fun, neighborhood St Patrick's Day experience ever. read more

Nique.. simple and true.. Starry Plough is a Dive Bar... lol But keep in mind dive bar's are NOT bad. The beer is cold, the food is hot, the chairs won't break under you. There is bands.. and some are actually ok. Even better is the soul this place gives can never be erased. its so engraved that even if you tore this building down to the ground, it will be in the memories of so many for at least 100 years, maybe even more. IPA, Darks, Reds.. drink up.. before last call. read more

5 years I've lived in the area and 5 years I've loved this place. You can't get a more "Berkeley" vibe. Removed enough from campus that it's not all students. Beer and wine only, so no drink aholes. Seems to be family owned. Staff are really nice, patrons are generally really nice. Darts! Live music! Rotating taps of deliciousness. Fries have gotta among the best of the Bay. My only wish is to see more vegetarian and vegan options on the menu so I can eat dinner there instead of before I head there. After all, they claim to be revolutionary... read more

Much room for improvement. I was jonesing for a fix of live music, and the band that was playing that night sounded pretty good online so I decided to head on down to the Starry Plough. They were charging $10 at the door which is pretty steep, but I wasn't about to leave because the trek involved two wrong buses and way too much walking. The venue was practically empty, but it was still rather early (around 10pm). After the opening band was finished, they left and so did their parents, leaving about 5 people to watch the headliner. That's cool; I came to dance, so I still boogied down and had a great time, but I noticed large groups of people turned away at the door because they didn't want to pay $10 for a band they've never heard of. Reduce your cover charge Starry Plough! Don't you want people to drink your beer??..at least there's no line at the bar or the bathroom, I guess. My second visit was quite disappointing. Came here straight from work one day to meet up with some friends, ordered a pizza and waited about an hour for it to come! I understand that it's made fresh and takes time to cook, but after I ordered I watched the cook chat with one of his friends for 20 minutes before getting started on my order. The price is reasonable, but the pizza is forgettable, and the service was just painful. Apparently they were hosting a poetry slam that night. We weren't planning on staying much later, but certainly would've had another pint if not for the rude lady collecting money for the slam. She came around several times to take our money, even after we told her that we were just finishing up dinner and would be leaving shortly. She made us feel very uncomfortable, so we just left. 3 well-deserved stars for good beer selection, and great service at the bar. read more

Great beer selection and delicious pub food at a good price. Burger and fries are solid, as well as the fish and chips. Considering the dearth of good restaurants in the neighborhood, this place is an oasis. Left-wing propaganda, classic beer ads, and Irish decor cover the walls. Live music quite regularly that ranges from catchy to jesus-christ-I-just-want-to-have-a-pint-with-my-friends-without-this-noise. Very Berkeley. read more

5 orales. Come in and try it. A cold beer and a phat burger. And anyone you order is great! All kinds of beer to choice from. Super friendly people that serve you... read more

The Starry Plough - The plough burger. This is just half of it. It is a 2 patty burger. And a glass of Newcastle to wash it down. The right combo. - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Starry Plough If this establishment were a woman, a woman with low standards and a little drunk, a woman who hasn't been laid in awhile and is willing to give me a chance, I would make nectar sweet love to this woman. I would impregnate this woman and have little revolutionary babies with this woman. We would feed our lil' Huey P.'s, Guinness Stout and corn nuts. We would read to them the court transcripts from the Chicago Seven trials and bedeck their baby asses in only the finest of hemp made Che' attire. This is how much I love this place. I would want it to have my babies, even though I hate babies SO MUCH. And puppies. However, I'm willing to sacrifice my convictions, throw aside my hatred for cute things, and overcome my fear of tiny hands and wobbly heads, just to have one night of bliss with the Starry Plough. 5 Stars! read more

So I went to this place this past Saturday night as part of an adventure with Rox M. - and I have to say, I'm glad that she dragged me along to go there with her .....really nice first impression, nice atmosphere and a diverse group of people being there. ordered a 10" pizza with sausage when stomach was growling and it sure did feed the two of us just fine with a price that is more then reasonable to me. Nice selection of beers, too and so will definitely check out this place again in the near future. Also a plus - really close to Ashby Bart, a quick short stroll around the corner read more

I am walking distance from this one and so have been here a bunch of times over the past several years. To me this is an unpretentious local watering hole with some great characters. When I have stopped in on my own for a beer while heading from here to there I have had some really amazing conversations with some kind people hanging out. And who can complain about the Imperial Pint? And frankly I love their cheeseburger and fries. These are frighteningly authentic fries here people. I am talking about a huge portion potato wedges bigger than your fingers brought to your table with all the condiments. For some reason I always slather mine in the malt vinegar that the fella from the kitchen brings to your table along with ketchup, mustard, and mayo. The burger may not be made from a politically correct grass fed cow who willingly gave its life for the good of humanity (not sure where they get their beef), but it is damn good. Thick. Juicy. And with a big old pile of crisp lettuce, a nice thick slice of tomato, onions, and pickles. And all of that is served on the plate next to your burger so you decide what to put on wnen they bring it to you. (I always eat the pickles on their own first). As far as being a music venue is concerned it can get absolutely packed but even when it does the people all seem very cool. Not pushing their way through the crowd. The one thing I wish they had was Sunday lunch hours. After writing my review I am now craving one of those burgers and I they don't open till 4! Oh, did I mention the Imperial Pint? read more