Starry Plow has great vibes. It's very much a friendly neighborhood bar with a community feel. They have live music and lots of cool social justice/activism oriented decorations. Because of that though, it's definitely a bar you go to when you're looking for social interaction and music, not when you're looking for somewhere to watch sports (there's only one TV). Food is average-above average bar food depending on what you order. I've had fish and chips there that were kind of bland and I've had mac and cheese with rosemary and a few kinds of cheese that was quite good. Happy hour is long which is a plus, but the deals aren't great which is a minus. You get a dollar off a drink but the drink has to be under $6 to begin with, which doesn't leave a great selection. Overall, not a bad place to go get a drink with friends but not my favorite. read more

The Starry Plough - Good mac and cheese, ok beer, great decorations - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

We checked out the Starry Plough Pub since I had 2 tickets to see some band Th 4/11/13. It's walking distance from Ashby Bart so you don't need to drive. They have a bar & sell food. B. got fried calamari $6 - he ate a bunch & gives it 2 stars, it was crispy, but didn't taste like calamari, I didn't try it. He also got 2 glasses of red wine - he seemed to like it. Band - was forgettable. Bring earplugs!! otherwise you'll go Deaf!! They charge you to hear the band - Not free. Sliding scale, I think she said $6-12 when we went. After that band we left, but there was suppose to be a bunch more until Midnight! If I lived closer maybe I'd go back, not in any hurry. read more

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Tried their fish and chips, a couple of their burgers; (Mushroom & Swiss, bacon and blue cheese) the food is great, beers they serve, include both Guinness, and at least one Irish red; the atmosphere is comfortingly Irish-American, and it's a short drive, from the beautiful Berkeley Marina, and several hotels, near there, and in Emeryville; they even let me play harp there, with a quartet, in 2020, once! Thanks, Starry Plough! read more

I like this bar quite a bit. It is a very short walk from the Ashby Bart and they rotate their taps every once in a while and always have a good and full selection. Their happy hour deals are not bad either as you can get a pint for $4 at that time. In terms of their bar food it is not more special than any other bar food with the usual things being offered like burgers, sandwiches, and mac and cheese. There is also only one TV that isn't accessible everywhere in the place but they're always playing the most relevant sports that day. What is really cool about this bar is that fairly frequently they have live bands perform and different shows. Usually the cover charge is $10 but that does also get you a beer. So if you are looking for something fun to do and like bars and small local bands I would definitely check this place out. read more

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

This Pub always seemed random to me. I actually grew up not to far away from it. Before 2020 I generally avoided this place. The Food and Drink here are top notch. Most of the time I went to other places in the area. It sucks that The Starry Plough isn't open part of the week, because I would love to go here on Friday and Saturday night. read more

I was in Berkeley and thank God I decided to stop by this place. The food here was amazing and they had a great selection of beer. But I was more impressed with the quality of service. This pub is doing all the right things, which doesn't surprise me that they've been open for a long time. The atmosphere here was really lively. Definitely will come back here anytime I find myself in Berkeley. read more

I haven't been here in years, but we stopped by today because our dog's circus school teacher was playing in the fiddle jam--how's that for an East Bay intro to a Yelp review? XD The fiddle band was really fun. The bartendress was nice and poured me some beer samples, but actually, their house Cabernet was solid for $7. We ordered the Irish poutine which was a little bit odd. Fries were fine, and there was a decent melty cheese, but no curds. The gravy was beige, and there was a ton of onions and green onions. I suspect there are better food options at the bar. The Starry Plough is a cozy place to hang out on a Sunday afternoon. There's some natural light, good beers on tap, and friendly staff. Would definitely return. read more

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Best bar ever! Good food good beer good music good vibe. Great place for anyone to be whomever they want to be.

Drove to come eat and it was close. Please keep an updated schedule. Good looked great but it'd a bummer.

Starry Plough is a great local Irish Pub. It's got beer, cider, burgers, stew and desserts and they are all good. There's Irish music Sunday, Irish dance with lessons for begginers on Monday, Poetry Slam and other stuff other days. Well worth going to just sit and socialize as well. read more

This bar is good, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. They seem to attract clueless millennials who aren't who aren't ready to be parents. I'm trying to watch the debates in a bar. Don't to this bar. The local children run amok, screaming and running all l we threw place. It just shows how fucking stupid and clueless these people are. I can't wait to see how your chidden turn out with your direction. If it was my Pub, it give you a warning and then cut you off. It's OK to have a locAl pub, but to be successful you need to create a welcoming en environment . If you let a couple millennial parent , who are oblivious of child-rearing run a-mock, you completely destroy your brand. read more

Loved this place. Anyone know when it might reopen? Miss it. Had great times there. I reviewed it in full 4 years ago.

My husband and I ate here for the first time with some friends yesterday and I have to admit to food was delicious! I had the ultimate burger and it definitely lived up to its name!! It was cooked perfectly and it was huge! I can honestly say it was the best burger I've ever had. Full of flavor and juicy! Garlic fries are to die for as well. The staff was super friendly and had a lot of patience. I asked a lot of questions while I was debating on what to order. The dining room had a lot of space and the bathroom was clean. Overall great experience and I'll definitely come back when I am in town again. read more

The Starry Plough - You GOTTA try the ultimate burger. I swapped regular fries for garlic! :) - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place is amazing! The staff is so sweet and make you feel at home. Plus, the live bands on Sat night were too cool. So much talent in such a small place! Good food? Check. Good service? Check! Great entertainment and energy? Double check! read more

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

I love open mic. This was definitely one of the coolest I've ever seen. The sound guy did a great job. Not easy. I would definitely recommend if this is your thing. Play here. Come watch these talented people. read more

Still a great local Irish tradition. Still partially closed to limit crowds on the weekend. Hoping Thursday funk night will be back soon! The video is from Sunday night, a real Irish folk music performance. Musicians welcome read more

Love this place up down and sideways. Such an institution. Great food and drinks. Old school ownership. Great people!

I'm neither Irish nor white, so the idea of checking out the Irish pub near an area I frequent didn't seem too appealing to me. But one day I wanted both food and a beer, and Starry Plough popped up in my good ol' Yelp app, so I figured why not. Turns out what I had envisioned this place to be was a little far off. Yes, there are Irish themes (and actual Irish clientele), but also a variety of other folks (I'm assuming from the neighborhood) who frequent this cozy little spot. Since then I've came in a few times for happy hour, and have tried a couple food items. Earlier today, I had a regular ol' cheeseburger, and I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. The patty was seasoned and charred just right and the homemade mayo was a perfect accent. I'm not a pickle person, but even those were really nice! I'd come back for that alone. read more

Yet another update.... Still happy they're back, but the schedule really sucks. Closed Friday and Saturday nights? Who's bright idea was that? Losing a lot of revenue there. Many times we haven't gone because they're not open Friday or Saturday and those are the best days for us, and many other people who work. So, we'll still go when we can, unfortunately it just won't be weekly like it once was. Closed to monthly now read more

I don't venture outside San Francisco enough, so when it came time to plan a hangout with my friends who live in the East Bay, we decided on somewhere in Oakland. The Starry Plough seemed close enough to the Ashby BART station, so we met up there. Upon walking in, it was cool to see a group of musicians jamming out on their instruments! Seemed like they were friends that do this often. We were originally planning to eat dinner here, but it turns out the kitchen was closed. Probably remodeling. That's too bad. We did enjoy a beer before heading to our next destination. They have a decent selection of beers, though I wasn't too thrilled about the cleanliness of the seating areas. It was a mediocre place to hang out. I wouldn't be thrilled about coming back here again, but I'm sure some customers have made The Starry Plough their regular, comfortable watering hole! read more

Some come for the good selection of beer, some come for the fun nightly events, personally I come in for the freaking amazing food. Seriously, the chefs here know how to make a mean burger (I strongly recommend the jalapeño burger--and they do too) and the fries are so delicious they're a euphoric experience in and of themselves. One time I ordered an apple bread pudding dessert and the entire bar was in awe with the amazing, glorious piece of culinary perfection they whipped up. As for the setting, the plough has the perfect "casual, local bar" vibe mixed with the exciting event atmosphere. It's rare to find a chill bar that simultaneously caters to the hardworking after-work drinking crowd as well as artists AND families. it's a nice feeling. Reminds me of home. read more

The Starry Plough - Apple bread pudding with ice cream and whipped cream yummm - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great mf food hella flavor fresh cooked, coolest bartenders in the world and they give ppl a mic on tuesday nights to spit your issue. Open mic tuesday night is turnt up hella local artists read more

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

Love this place. I lived on the same block as the bar for 11 years, met a good friend there on open mic night 15 years ago, we're still good friends. I love the crusty old customers, the regulars, I've seen them on the corner or in their stools for over 16 years, couple of them have died, some day I'll die, but in the meantime, I'm really glad this place exists for the space it holds for the community, there's something for everyone every night. read more

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Four stars because it's a local staple, been coming here for as long as I can remember. Audio - kinda loud for the size but the acts they book - including regulars - is eclectic and the vibe is good. Food - it really depends on what you order; keep it simple and it's ok (e.g., grilled cheese sandwich, fries)...anything requiring quality or technique (e.g, hot pastrami), you might be disappointed. Overall, a fun, simple, inexpensive neighborhood joint. read more

Starry Plough, i haven't been here in decades, not since my college days. Starry has changed, evolved into an artsy venue for performance arts, poetry readings, musical performances, etc. new is the stage, the food. dispensary in the left corner, the cluster of tables in the middle for dining. the bar on the left is the same. h-h , 4-7? m-sat, didn't ask what's involved. . probably beers pour: summerfest (4) daily special eats: creme brulee (2.5) -got 3 small one. closeout? or is this the way they come? heavy sugar glaze custard flavor not too noticeable. creamy.. on draught: -4 stars for the remaining bar and draught choices -not rating the venue since i wasn't really listening.to the band. -has the same irsh poster on the walls from way back when. read more

Great good! Great food! Great people! I especially love Sunday night Irish music jam and Monday night Irish dancing. They serve Irish fare, shepherds pie and corned beef and cabbage, year round. So lovely that it's in our neighborhood! read more

A great place to catch a live band and hang out. I immediately felt at ease as I walked in ~ a friendly, Irish pub, locals vibe filled with a pleasant mix of people, ranging from college age to seniors. The set up consists of an open-room format ~ a long bar and a few tables + chairs on one side, a counter for ordering pub food in the back (fish & chips, burgers, sandwiches, pizzas and daily entree specials), and a low stage with a medium-size dance floor on the other side. Folks were rockin' out, having a blast the night I went. read more

The Starry Plough - toe tappin' to Quinn Deveaux's band ~ - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

Went here for a show and decided to get dinner here as well. The gentleman who took our order was extremely sweaty, kinda twitchy, and kept scratching his butt. We kept an eye on him to make sure he wasn't preparing our food. Turns out he was and we didn't see him wash his hands... ever. He cooked our pizza and then cut it into tiny quadrilaterals and triangles. Eating this pizza was one of the most awkward dining experiences I've ever had. To make matters worse, the pizza wasn't even good. The dough was undercooked and tasted like it was from a can. Prior to getting our food, we had to go to the bar to order drinks because drinks can't be ordered with food. We also had to wash the plates which were provided because they were dirty. The bands did an excessively long sound check 2 hours prior to the show - like they each played a few songs in their entirety. It was super loud and we were not able to talk during dinner. read more

The Starry Plough - See all the angles?? - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Stopped by in the middle of a Sunday afternoon to find a great band called These Wiley Coyotes playing. Good beer selection. Great diverse crowd. Nice sound system. Thoroughly enjoyable. I'd heard a lot about the place over the years and it didn't disappoint. read more

The Plough is a Berkeley institution. I've been here a few times to hear friends' bands play, and this is the only reason i'll come here. Although they have a large selection of draft beer, it's a beer/wine only bar. The food selection is limited as well -- burgers, fries, sandwiches, and pizza. I like their fries -- it tastes homemade. The kitchen closes at 10pm. Other nights may be different, but every time I'm here I notice more than 50% of the crowd drinking juice, Snapple Iced Tea or water, which is not a bad thing. You wouldn't want belligerent drunk during a show. It's also nice to be at a bar where you can feel comfortable ordering a cup of tea, which I did last night. Beer sells for $4.75 - $5, and the quality can be inconsistent. I had a very pleasant glass of Liberty Ale -- good pour and chilled glass. Yum. And then I had yucky Murphy's Stout -- taste was off, a little bit watered down, and too much foam. The sound guy should be fired!!! This guy never showed up last night. No phone call. Nothing! The whole show was delayed by over an hour. My friends called around friends and friends of friends and got a guy to come out and rescue three bands that were lined up to play. The crowd is very diverse -- young East Bay/SF hipsters, baby boomer hippies, arm-pit haired and no arm-pit haired ladies. Some people def have BOs. read more

The Starry Plough - Cheeseburger and fries - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

A long standing family owned business, they have friendly staff and quality food. I come here every week for Irish céilí dancing on Monday nights, and once they opened back up following the Covid-19 shelter-in-place, I realized how much of myself I was missing without it. An excellent place to grab a bite or a drink with friends, with live Irish music on Sundays and Mondays, and plenty more interesting attractions throughout the week! read more

Awesome place to enjoy a night of slam poetry! I've been here on several occasions for their Wednesday night poetry slams, needless to say this is the place to be for such gathering. The performers are all regular peeps who come to share their voices/words with others. It's great, I love it. There are sometimes live bands/djs too. Pretty great place to enjoy live entertainment. Not to mention the food here is pretty darn good. Everything is prepared fresh daily, or from what I observed they seem to be. The fries were cut on the spot. You know this isn't your typical kind of bar food cause they actually take time preparing the food. The burgers here are fat and filling. I was very pleased. Their cheesy pulled pork fries were pretty tasty too! Oh, and the bar is pretty awesome too. The beers are about $5 a pop. Pretty decently priced for a bar. If you're ever in this area, and love poetry etc etc check Starry Plough out! read more

The Starry Plough - Loaded bacon cheeseburger - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I had a great time even as a one-time visitor! Very cozy, wholesome, not loud. It happened to be Monday dance night, so I really enjoyed the merry tunes of Irish folk music while soaking in the happy vibes from the dancing class. read more

I love Starry Plough. It is loud and friendly like a British pub with a distinct Berkeley flair. The food is good the cheese pizza is my favorite. I always order more than I can eat, so that I can enjoy it for breakfast. You know pizza is good when it tastes good cold. Another plus is that they have Wider's Cider - my favorite. When my day has been worse than average, I head over here for pizza, cider and enjoy the entertainment of the night. It is nice to have such a solid neighborhood pub. read more

Awesome pub with a great open mic night and friendly staff. Check it out and have a drink and listen to some good original music on Tuesdays! read more

Fun open mic nights! Heard some really good music here. Diverse crowd. Enjoyed the vibe, and had a good time. read more

We came here for New Years 2019. This was my first time here. My boyfriend recommended it because he enjoyed coming to this bar. The New Years event included live music from a couple bands. The overall vibe was nice. It got really full towards the end and we left early. We also ordered food from the kitchen. I got a bacon cheeseburger with feta instead of cheddar. It also came with a side of fries. The burger was really good and cooked deliciously. read more

This is THE hang. Great atmosphere, wide selection of music. Staff is kind, welcoming and friendly. The manager especially is really a great guy. If you're in Berkeley, this is THE place to be. On great music nights, place can be packed and rocking and you'll meet all kinds of great people. Great food too, and the beer and wine is priced fairly. Can't say enough good things about The Starry Plough. It's a Berkeley institution, and absolutely deservedly so. read more

A really nice neighborhood Irish Pub - Great Beers on draft and I can not comment on the food but I have heard great things from others. Came in here for a quick drink to buy time, it was about 30 minutes to playoff Warriors game and it was about 50% filled. There was still live music some sort of strings band which was very nice. There is tv's playing the game. The bartender was super relaxed and found out I got a $1 off my first drink for checking in on Yelp! Anyways I ordered a Guinness - I used to hate Guinness, now love it especially if its poured the right way out the tap. The cans of Guinness are complete GARBAGE - You have to order draft. Anyways over good experience and would like to come back and grab some grub along a pint next time. Thanks! read more

I'm obsessed with their food! Drool alert!!! So I typically go for their spicy fish sandwich with coleslaw and fries or garlic fries. Recently I ordered chicken strips sooo yummy! They bread or batter everything when it's ordered, so it's nice and fresh. Always pipping hot when I get my food. They have a great menu full of yummy choices and great prices. The staff is always friendly and helpful. Food is made pretty fast as well. I have gone on a few nights were they've had poetry reading and bands playing. Great atmosphere to just chill, be weird and vibe out. :) read more

The Starry Plough - Yass yum. - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California