Great customer service! Great food! Fantastic ambiance! I went for poetry night. Will definitely be going again !

Good place for live music My husband and I went there for live salsa music. Free salsa lesson prior to performance. Full bar and some food like burger. read more

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

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This is my local pub and I have been going for over 30 years. I've played there countless times. There is always something going on, last night's open mike was a scream. The owners are darlings, and i am not sure when I noticed the food, so I'm not sure this is a change, but the food is outstanding. Best BLT in town, they always have Fieldwork IPAs of one kind or another. Love it. read more

The Starry Plough is an iconic institution of the east bay. The first time I visited the west coast a decade ago, a local friend took me to the Starry Plough's Monday night Irish folk dancing night for their beginner's class. Sweaty and kind of drunk, I told my friend, "When I move to SF I'm coming here every week." It turned out that was more like "three or four times a year" since it's a bit of a commute, but each time I do I enjoy myself, even if it's just to sit and have a pint by myself and let my thoughts of the day settle. The place has character, and atmosphere, and ambiance. By which I mean, "They don't blast background music so you have to scream at your friend next to you just to be heard." Pubs like The Starry Plough are hard to find; it doesn't have bland, Instagram-worthy trendiness, it just has class and comfort. I find myself enjoying small-talk and conversations with the stranger next to me. It's been a shining jewel for the last fifty years, and I hope it continues so for the next five hundred. read more

Exceptional service from Sabrina makes this spot a destination to visit again... This spot has character and a East Bay meets the world vibe... read more

This may be my first and only 5 star rating ever which is why I'm so inspired to write this review. I've always passed by this place en route to and from work for three years now and I finally experienced why this establishment shines so bright in the beautiful city of Berkeley. Now it has the attention and won my chubby Asian heart today. #shook I value quality, price, service, atmosphere, and restrooms (if u have a filthy bathroom, then what does your kitchen look like?) #eek. All were exceptional and Samantha was the bartender and created a great experience. This place also has live music on a consistent basis, which is a huge bonus. I got their hamburger and it has an option to come with a side of fries (which are freshly cut and fried), salad, or coleslaw. The burger was perfectly cooked (very juicy and thick) and the bun was perfectly toasted and very soft. The element of arugula in it was a fabulous touch. The slaw was perfectly sweet, fresh, and crunchy. I'll definitely be back! read more

Who woulda thunk it. BEST WINGS EVER?? Craziness. We got 4 orders of em (for 2 people) Yeah, they were that good. FYI: I got the sauce on the side, and no extra flour "dustings". (see pic) Note: After 8 pm, they have a weird sliding scale cover. It's strange. I didn't understand it. But didn't really have to deal with it. If I have to pay to get in, in order to eat wings, I probably wouldn't go back. BEER & WINE (limited) ONLY Bands were entertaining. Sound setup was good. As a band, it's a cool place to play. read more

The Starry Plough - Starry Plough: Wings (no sauce & flour) - A - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

The folks behind the counter were cheerful and pleasant. The fish & chips were good. I think they use rosemary in the chips. So why the bad review? The dining area reeked of wintergreen. Extremely strong, overpowering smell. If I had not already ordered and paid for my food (and my friend's food) I would have left. The odor ruined any chance of enjoying the food. I think it was from a cleaning product. I don't know how else to explain it. Also, there is no door on the men's room, just a doorway and everything is right there. read more

My first intro to The Starry Plough was on (what else?) Saint Patrick's Day. This being yet another "passed it a million times for the last 10 years but never went in" establishments, I am actually glad I never went or else I may not have kept my waifish figure for so long. *note said waifish figure no longer exists on me.* I wanted to be immersed in sweet music, rich heady beer, and savory brined meaty deliciousness (from the oven, you dirty birds). I was on the hunt for corned beef and cabbage. All hands pointed to here or Becketts. It was closer to home and not the insanity madhouse (well, almost, but not quite) of Becketts so two of my bestest friends fell prey to my promise of beer and briny meat to partake in St. Paddy's Day, Starry Plough style. The corned beef, cabbage and potatoes were great, as a return trip w/ JR reminded me. The Irish have a good thing going with all that salt and spices cooking up a pinky slab of beef. Being piggish as we always are, we tried to go for seconds but they ran out. Not surprising since it was around 9:30, so we tried their fish and chips. Too bad I don't remember how good it was, because my focus the entire day was seeking out the corned beef and cabbage so it looks like I'll have to go back and have a rematch. JR and I also had their chicken pot pie on another occasion, which was less desireable than the corned beef but on Sundays they apparently don't serve the full menu, they just make one veggie and one non-veggie dish. The crust was more biscuit-like than pie-crusty and most notably a good number of the potatoes in the pie weren't cooked throughly (there's a reason why chefs try to make everything uniform). We were starving however and ate around the uncooked potatoes, too busy listening to the reels, jigs and ceilis to care too much. Many, many beers later, some spilt due to brimming pint glasses and inebriated jovial folks, an ear full of Irish tunes and two happily fed friends, we left the stuffy, humid building with good memories of good food, good beer, good music and great friends. Thanks Starry Plough for the first but surely not the last St, Patrick's Day under your roof! read more

My friends and I intended to meet at the Starry Plough tonight to eat, drink, and listen to the California Honeydrops (local blues/folk band). We showed up a bit early around 8 (show started at 9:30) and found seating easily in the main area in front of the stage. None of had eaten dinner so we ordered a couple of pitchers of beer, a mushroom/olive pizza, and some garlic fries. The beer was good (great selection), but the food was just okay. The fries were definitely made from fresh potatoes, but they were a bit undercooked to me. The pizza, too, was standard. But who goes to a pub to order food anyway? We ended up having to leave before the show started, but the room was definitely getting packed as we walked out. The crowd looked fun and pretty diverse, which is a definite plus. If I lived closer, I'd definitely give it another shot...maybe next St. Patrick's Day... read more

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super cozy place and open mics every tuesday night! very excited to continue hanging out here and enjoying the general vibe

This place is as good as it gets. Open kitchen with very well prepared food. Quite a varied menu for pub food. Large beer menu with reasonable pint pricing. Often has free music during the dinner hour. Last time we were there a mandolin player was quite entertaining. He did not play so loud that it inhibited conversation but provided wonderful background sounds., Highly recommend this spot for both dinner and entertainment. read more

The best place to get a hamburger and beer. I love Sundays; they play live Irish music, stop by and say hi to my BFF Rose. This place is very close to my heart; I practically grew up in this place. read more

Wow....actually ate there at the most recent show (Flamenco night-FAB!). Did someone call this "typical pub food"? Really?! WOW-the food here is EXCELLENT. Tied with Spatz for the best burger in the Bay, (get the ultimate-it is about 6" high and comes pinned together with a steak knife). $15 and feeds two. Such a cool vibe here. This place is doing it RIGHT. :) read more

Great Irish pub! Has good food and drink, including Irish cider and Artesian beers, as well as non-alcoholic juices and teas. Saw the sign for Starry Plough while driving by, went in and I haven't left yet. Awesome! read more

Arrived at 2:15 on a Sunday afternoon, just after opening. I was the first person in and sat at the bar. Bartender helpful & friendly. I ordered the cheeseburger with fries & a Pranqster. Burger came out hot and delicious! Grilled onions with fresh lettuce and tomatoes - great quality. Fries are amazing! Fresh, hot, house made. Highly recommend! read more

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

This is a fantastic bar. Saw truly authentic musical performances on Saturday night, well worth the $12 cover. Baby Santa is also a well-known performer here with his steel guitar, duck-dynasty like hair, and some slap-knee lyrics you've surely never heard. This place even serves Kombucha, in fact the strongest grapefruit Kombucha I've ever tried! read more

Good beer, service, and music. It's just a cool place. Since my post is too short, I'll say again this is a cool place to get a beer, relax, listen to music, and eat. read more

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

Awesome Live Music Venue. Great food. Love the burgers there. Staff are the best. Very friendly. Place is run very well and fun always specially Thursday nights that is the night I usually go. A regular hang out. read more

The Starry Plough - Pre Concert Warm Up. - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Went to the poetry night on Wednesday night. It was a decent crowd and good poetry BUT, it was nosey when the poetry was going on because of the Bar and in addition to the 7-10 dollar cover, they also wanted you to donate more to the poets and food lol. I would go back but, just be aware of what to expect. Cheers, D read more

There was a debate going on between friends about whether Starry Plough was a dive or not. The opinions were strong on both sides, but after a few recent visits involving impressive cover bands, monstrous hamburgers from their kitchen, and a bevvy of microbrews from the bar, the jury had been swayed...Starry Plough is not guilty of dive status. But don't let that scare you away! The anti-government/ Irish pride paraphernalia gives it a charm all it's own. I feel pretty darn lucky to have this happenin' little hideaway within stumbling distance from home. They've got an interesting line-up of live music virtually every day of the week. I haven't been to their infamous Open Mic night yet, but the Friday night shows have been fun, drawing a lively all-walks-of-life crowd. You'll see old folks dancing tenderly, tripped out hippies with their eyes closed and their arms flailing, and tame observers tapping their toes. At least, this was the case for "Petty Theft", a seriously spot-on Tom Petty cover band. Speaking of covers, the bigger shows are usually $10 so you'd better plan to stay awhile, call some friends, and make a night of it. It's a down-home kinda place where just about any fun-loving boozer will feel welcomed. read more

After an hour here I had: - found a dancer for our St. Paddy's Day event - gotten my cards read, "child of the worlds" (hey!) - gone to town on a few Smithwick's - met a balloon man who created a shamrock with a penis out of biodegradable latex - learned a waltz Relaxed, welcoming and delightfully local, the Irish spirit is especially alive during ceili dancing on Sundays and Mondays. Slainte! read more

As an Irish chick, I give this bar a solid 3. Yep, no whiskey. What's gonna go in my IV before I kick the bucket? Whiskey. Why? Because potatoes won't fit in the tube. I can't believe it took me this long to get there, but it was a bar. Just a bar. Like my man said, a very well-lit bar...too well lit. And the bathrooms a bit too clean--not that I'm complaining. But it didn't reek of rotting wood, cheap perfume and regurgitated alcohol--which is what I'm used to in an Irish Pub. If it's anything different, I am suspicious and there must be bodies buried under the stairs. The bartender was great, sweet and attentive, so ploughy stars for that. She keeps a smile on even though it looks like she's working in a hostel. It did smell a bit like old man in there. It could've been the gaggle of Bukowski's sitting around drinking, playing cards and going apeshit over the Sox game. They had fingers like Cheeto's and reeked of stale smoke when you walked by. I chose to sit by an open door. They serve pizza. And burgers. And sell T-shirts. I don't know if I'm down with that. I DO like the fact they have open mic nights, Celtic music (not that you'd catch me doing any Lord of the Dance bullshit) but it's admirable that they are a host to so many diverse events. If I'm in the neighborhood I may stop by again. If there is a good band playing, I'd definitely stop by. And bring my own flask. Shhh. read more

I love how lively this place is. I recently went on a Wednesday for the Berkeley Slam Finals and had a great time laughing with everyone. I just loved the chill laid-back feel of the place. It was really interactive and the MC was hilarious. I was also hungry though so I ordered the Jalapeño stuffed bleu cheese burger. OMG it was SO juicy and SO delicious. It was definitely messy trying to eat it with my hands but OH SO GOOD. The fries were a bit salty but they were still really tasty. All the food that I saw around me looked really yummy too. This really is a great place to hang out. They have two dart boards, a HUGE collection of board games, and a stage for live music/poetry. What more could you ask for? I definitely want to come back on a Tuesday for the open mic though! read more

In search of pizza in the Ashby area, we Yelped ourselves to the Starry Plough. And, expecting pizza, we were surprised to be welcomed by a local folk band. We curiously entered the 'dive-bar-meets-Irish-pub', ordered beers and grabbed some pizza. The beer selection wasn't too great, with brews ranging between 'meh' to decent. The pizza, however, was not bad at all: tasty, cooked all the way through and nicely balanced out. Overall, Starry Plough seems like a fun place to hang out with a friend and eat some pizza and catch up... if you don't mind the beer. read more

*** BOMB ASS BURGER ALERT *** Yeah, there's a bar and a stage and all that jazz but what really matters is that this place has the best burger in the universe! It's a herbaceous, meaty, slab of greed and food beckoned sluttyness. The 1st bite delivers you and the last sends you plummeting into the realization that the experience is over. This burger begets fatness. If all burgers tasted like this burger we would all look like the people in Wall-E and make little burger shrines that worship the mighty Angus and Kobe. The economy would fall into despair and cow meat would become a tool for barter. Why does this burger taste so fucking good?!!!? I am 79% - 95% certain that this burger is a secret mechanism for world domination. Beware of the sweet, savory rivulets of grease that sumptuously slide down your cheek like dirty tears of joy as you obliviously nosh your way to oblivion. The impending calamity of fatty grief and food snob ruin will be your only fate. read more

Well...there's the Starry Plough in Berkeley. There is the Plough and the Stars in Inner Richmond. One is an authentic Irish pub with music 5 nights per week, the other probably hosts music on a similar schedule but really shouldn't. I was slightly interested in going to Berkeley last night & seeing Wayward Sway perform at a bar similarly named to one of my favorite Clement St bars. They usually rock whatever venue they enter, but this was definitely an exception & not even their fault. From the start of their set, the sound was horrible. I'm not over exagerating, either. It sounded like the audio engineer was deaf--the instruments were about the same level as the vocals. A friend in the band mentioned that he didn't have stage monitor the entire time. For a "live music" venue & pub, this place horribly fails. Maybe it was a bad night for the audio guy, or maybe the apathetic & stuffy Berkeley types forced him into a downward spiral of not caring either. BEST PART: Thomas Kemper Root Beer on Draft IF YOU ARE ASKED OR HEAR THAT A FRIEND'S BAND IS PLAYING THIS VENUE, TRY TO TALK THEM OUT OF PLAYING HERE AT ALL COSTS! read more

So. I ended up on a late Friday night. Hungry and not ready to end my Friday at home alone. I chose starry plough instead, hoping for burgers, beer, and live music. What did I get instead? Beer, burgers, and new local spot. Burger is delicious. Homemade pickles, pickled for only 24 hrs, the sesame seed bun adds a great flavor and grease to the bun. Fries are good, I am guesisng also house-made. Also they have root beer on tap. Where did my burger go? Oh. My stomach! Service is great. Kitchen closes at around 10:30. read more

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

This review is based on the buzzkill that 'ploughed' into my evening last night. "Captain F--king Sandy." Place looked busy, solid 4 stars on Yelp, driven past the 'Plough' (am I cool enough to call it that yet?) at least 50 times, why not be all urban 'n shit and check this block out. I stepped into this joint and some woman on a barstool was all... "something something some-band, and the suggested something is $10 - $15 sliding scale." SLIDING SCALE? We had NO idea what she was on about, but apparently venues don't pay artists for the bands these days - only unsuspecting patrons, trying out bars for the first time (or fans of the bands, who apparently knew they were playing that night) do. Note to the future semi-sober party people trying to escape the reality of this place after paying $10 on the sliding scale unwillingly. This place serves up ONLY the finest BEER and WINE - ONLY. None of that get rich quick liquor. The real estate (seating) was all booked up, so myself, my husband and his similarly named coworker all stood about trying to finish our beers ASAP to get further into the 'starry' bit of it. Done, done and done. Never returning. Unless... nope never returning. Well, unless - I'm driving down Shattuck and accidentally run over one of their patrons or something and need someone to call 911, because they seemingly alway cross the crosswalk at night in the dark out front of this place without looking for cars. Also, question of the century, why would the sliding scale have a limit of how much you can donate? This is not a scalable solution for the bands playing at this venue. I'll see myself out. read more

Sorry Plough. You are no longer starry. My wife and I came back after a few years of absents. This place really has gone down hill. It is NOT the food, service or music lineup. It is your patrons. The Plough was a place to go have a pint and listen to some good music. That was then. Now, you cannot even hear the music anymore with the crowd shouting over the musicians. After most every band we would talk to the band members. We will tell them we came to hear them play but could not hear a note. They were sadden too that they were voiced over by all of the rude people. Like many other places in the Bay Area it get taken over by Hipsters and Techies. They do not come to places like the Starry Plough for what makes them cool and unique. They come and invade a place because it is a "cool" and hip place without caring on why. Sorry Starry Plough... You no longer shine read more

Seen all the pics from prior patrons. Everything looked delicious, but we were sadly disappointed. We were in town and wanted to experience the pubs atmosphere and food. As we entered the establishment we were greeted by a very kind drunk gentleman. When we mentiomed to him we were there to eat and listen to the musicians, we realized that all the seating was taken by people not eating or drinking. There were empty tables with no chairs. Too bad, you lost 8 customers who are supporters of local businesses. read more

The Starry Plough hosts many different events. Which means that you should probably check what event is going on there before you head out, because maybe you're not the kind of person who wants to spend their Tuesday night watching depressed Berkeley girls with shaved heads twang away on their acoustic guitars while singing about lust. I know I'm not. Thankfully, Starry Plough has a decent enough selection of beer so you can at least get nice and hammered during the Tuesday night open mic session. Bounus points for you if you pass out. This place, I think, has plenty of ambience. It just isn't the hip kind that you can get in San Francisco at nearly every bar you go to. The Starry Plough is laid back as hell, and it's more of a community atmosphere. Friday and Saturday nights are their live music nights. Once again, a very hit or miss thing. Awesomely awesome bands like Charming Hostess, Idiot Flesh (rip) and The Kehoe Nation have played here, but that don't mean crap. They're really lax with their booking policies so you could end up watching some group of 17-year-olds who have no practice outside of their mom's garage. Another heads up: a lot of the regulars at the plough are weird as hell. Middle-aged, former hippies who damaged so many brain cells while dropping acid that they now forget to wear deodorant. Personally, I find it endearing. read more

Flannel shirts, skinny jeans, Irish beers, and guitars. Berkeley's attempt at an Irish Pub! I went here last night for the Open Mic night to see the amazing Nojos play! And I was pleasantly surprised by the talent that graced the stage. Some guy even played a shovel he made into a guitar! They have slam poetry nights too - a very community oriented Pub! The best kind....but the beers can be a bit pricey! $5 for a Guinness?! Yikers. read more

Holy crap this place is the best. Mushroom swiss burger with the garlic fries. If I could eat that for the rest of my life I would die happy. They make my favorite burger in the bay area! And its my favorite happy-hour drinking hole, so they get 5 stars. They have great open mics, too! So many talented people and a lot of familiar faces that come back every week. I have never been disappointed with any show I've seen here, though sometimes I do wish the sound guy was more on-top of things or people would shut up and actually listen to the music. The Possum Family was always a blast, though, such great energy. read more

Best place by far in the East Bay for Irish Music, Craic agus Ceol. Not to mention the Guinness which is the best in the area as it is poured from their taps quite frequently and not left to stagnate in the pipes like in other wannabe drinking establishments. Dont' come here if you are looking for fancy pants drinks. Irish pubs generally do not serve dirty martinis or daquiris or any of that nonsense. Man up and have a Guinness....it's good for you and full of Iron! FACT! As I'm Irish I will be at home in Ireland this year but I spent last year's Festival with the gang in the Starry Plough and had a great time. Get there early so you can grab the best spot. Enjoy read more

This is a mediocre Pub. Firstly they don't serve whiskey, which is an outrage. The music is often decent, but the wait staff doesn't work the floor, which means you can get trapped away from the bar at a table and unable to get a drink, especially when it's crowded. They could significantly increase revenue if they had cocktail waitresses to bring you drinks, instead they compensate by sticking you with a COVER CHARGE OF UP TO FIFTEEN (15) DOLLARS. I don't pay that much on my let's-go-all-out-in-sf nights, let alone for some back roads Berkeley "pub." The bouncers can be pretty snooty about the cover charge -- don't think that by arriving early for dinner you're escaped, instead once the band arrives they'll go around and take a collection. Pay up or get out! While the kitchen can be good (and I'm generally a huge fan of alcohol establishments that cater to the late night munchies), the quality varies widely. One time I was informed that they were only servering the daily special, which was lasagna. That certainly sounded good enough to me, until I saw the woman go to the back, scoop lasagna out out of a Costco foil tray, and then stick it in the microwave. They also boast to be a "former home of the Berkeley IRA." Here's a question: if you're a member of the IRA, and your organization's purpose is to fight for the independence of Ireland, should you be in Ireland fighting for independence? read more

I'm leaving a review for the sole reason (as usual) that multiple people have give a terrific place poor reviews. First off, the food is amazing. It's not necessarily healthy, or incredibly varied (and there pizza can be hit or miss), but the many burgers and fries are truly exceptional and a massive improvement on the previous options (5+ yrs ago). The people who work here are not surly or mean and the bartender and head cook are both incredibly nice guys (the bar tender must have been having a bad day or something when those below came to visit). The music and Irish-themed dancing and jam nights are one-of-a-kind in the east bay and deserve praise by themselves, but on top of that they give bands that are just getting into the bay area music scene a place to showcase their talents and provide a venue for poetry (really, you didn't like the poets, so you bashed the bar!). Open mic usually draws a large and young crowd, so avoid Tuesday nights if you're into a more intimate setting and thur-sat band nights often has a cover. I will agree with a couple reviewers that its difficult to get a table on a busy night, but I recommend playing some darts (rarely being used) until one opens up. The decor is awesome (if you're into Ireland) and the prices are very reasonable. The only other thing I will concede is that a whiskeyless Irish bar is a bit laughable, but this is one of my favorite bars in berkeley and not to be missed. read more

Hmm... What can I say after my first foray into Berkeley nightlife? I'll stay in San Francisco, thank you very much. Went to the Plough last night to see a friend's band play. A folky, bluegrassy, hand-clappin', foot-stompin' crew. We were prepared for a good time; we'd heard good things about this place. That it was a great little pub-venue for local acts. We were expecting, well, um, FUN. But alas, this place was a real dud. First off, the kitchen was closed when we got there, at 10:00. Um... okay. What now? We'll get something to eat in the neighborhood! Only there's NOTHING in the neighborhood. But hey, it's not the Plough's fault the neighborhood is a snore. Also not their fault is the lame crowd that gathers there. The place was full. Full, alright. Of people drinking coffee and water (and one guy SLEEPING) and engrossed in conversations that I'm sure were way too sophisticated for us SF hoodlums to join in on. Because the joint had the most unfriendly vibe of any bar I've walked into in the Bay Area. They listened politely enough when the music started -- TOO politely. But they also never smiled. I kid you not. There was no smiling in this bar. I felt mildly retarded, grinning and swiveling to Martin's music. And they golf clapped. Once again, I kid you not. Golf clapping. To bluegrass. But again, that's a product of the people and not the bar. What IS the Plough's fault is that their sound guy SUCKS. Maybe it's because it was 4/20. Maybe he had a little too much wacky tobbacky, if you know what I mean... But he clearly was not hearing the same music we were hearing. Dude, vocals up. Stage monitors, perhaps? Seriously. It's not that hard. Four people shouldn't have to come up and tell you. Or maybe it's true: the Berkeley-ans are more intellectual than us San Franciscans. But our ears are definitely more refined. read more

Want to talk about great service? Let's talk about an open mic host who goes the distance of not only providing bean bag chairs for the audience, but also giving complimentary back-alley massages. Humor aside, the Tuesday Night Open Mic is a total hit in my book. They take a while to sort out the lineups for the evening with bands and their groupies crowding the venue by 8pm. The little'ns have to be out the door by 9, so all the under 21s perform first. I'm not sure what else to say besides there being stellar service, from the bar and beyond, cheap drinks, and cool live music. read more

The Starry Plough is a great pub to hit any night of the week for a beer and some comfort food (their Ultimate burger is killer). Plus they have my favorite dessert: Guinness floats! Wheelchair accessibility notes: The entrance is a flat, low-grade ramp. Tables are at normal height but there's also a bar. Bathroom is a single-person bathroom that's large enough for any wheelchair. The absolute best parking spot is the handicap one right outside the door. read more