Talk about a disappointment. I just moved back to Modesto after 6 years of living in San Francisco, so you could understand my excitement when a cool, new restaurant opens up. I was so excited, that the first week it was opened, I requested that we go to Churchkey for my birthday. The place was busy, not crazy, and our waitress was completely incompetent. Not only was this place out of all of the white wine on the menu but 1, but she brought my friend and father the wrong beer, not ONCE, not TWICE, but THREE TIMES! Once we got the drinks (after about 30 minutes of waiting) we ordered, hoping the food would redeem the place. What we got of what we ordered was delicious, but our waitress failed to bring us half of what we ordered. At this point, we were over it. I went home to write an email to the owner to just make them aware of some of the new restaurant kinks, so I didn't have to publish it on YELP but the email address on the website is invalid. Additionally, most of the important things on the website don't work. What's the point of the restaurant website if you can't make reservations or contact the restaurant easily? I decided to give this place another chance and chalk up the first interaction to first week jitters. So I went back on Saturday after the Nuts game for a beer. It was 9:30, the bar was not full, but there were still people there, and they refused to serve us since it was too close to 10. What kind of place closes at 10 pm on a Saturday, during Graffiti? Additionally, there were still people at the bar, you couldn't serve a beer for us to enjoy for a half hour? I decided to chalk this interaction up to inexperienced bartenders, or staff, or whatever, but strike TWO. Yesterday I had an out of town friend visiting to see a show at the Gallo Center, so I tried calling a few times throughout the day to make a reservation since the website doesn't work to book reservations. I couldn't get through, so we decided to show up at 5:30. This place was actually busy, but it took over 15 minutes to even get acknowledgment from the staff. There was a huge group of people waiting at the door and it's like the staff was avoiding eye contact so they didn't have to help. I literally had to chase a girl who was behind the bar for some help. When she pointed at a table and told me I could sit "over there" I saw the writing on the wall that this place is just incapable of good service, so we went to Raw, where the service was great in a place equally as busy. Like I said, the food that we actually did receive was great, but the service and staff leave nothing to be desired. I think they are banking on a cool atmosphere, but honestly, you could tell me that Beyonce was playing a private show at Churchkey, but I would have to deal with the incompetent wait staff, and I would pass on the opportunity to eat here. Hopefully, they get their act together. read more

Enjoyed a very refreshing well recommended ice cold beer. The location is easy to find. Customer service is excellent. The bartender made some very delicious recommendations for food and appetizers. The pizza was great and not oily, the nachos tasted amazing as well. read more

Churchkey - This is one of the best and most refreshing beers I've had in a while. - Bars Near Me - Modesto, California

And, yet again, I just don't get it. Saw the reviews (4 stars and 130 reviews at the time I visited) and the photos and couldn't wait to give it a try. I'm really getting sick of writing bad reviews. So, I'll start with THE GOOD. Wall of many, many beers on tap. The place is super clean, and pretty inexpensive. Two beers, an iced tea, an appetizer, pizza and a burger came out to $44. Then THE BAD... First off, this place is NOISY. Even half empty. Concrete floors, block or tile walls and a big rounded vaulted ceiling means that the noise just bounces everywhere. I had to repeat every-other sentence I spoke to my hubby, and we were sitting next to each other, and I was looking right at him when I spoke. Really. They were doing a special "Oktoberfest" menu while we were here, and we started with the pretzel served with cheese sauce. The sauce was cold, and was more of a spread than a sauce. We asked for German mustard to go with (they also had bratwurst and other sausages on the special menu, so we figured they had the right mustard, too), but the waitress said that they only had yellow or Dijon. We okayed the Dijon, and then continued to check out the menu. While she was gone, we realized that they serve a homemade lager mustard with one of their burgers, so when the food runner brought us the pretzel, we asked for that. A better choice than the Dijon or cheese. For dinner, we ordered and shared the Go-To pizza and the Killer Queen burger with Brie, braised kale and bacon jam. It wasn't until after we ordered that I realized that the waitress didn't ask how we wanted the burger cooked. It came out well done (but I will say that it was not dry), but that wouldn't have been our choice. Too little Brie, too much kale, and I couldn't taste the bacon jam. (For me, all bacon jam is compared to a gastropub called The Griffon in Niagara, New York. I still dream of that stuff!) the burger also needed something acidic, because everything was so fatty and heavy. Oh, and the sour cream and onion tot sauce was served in one to those tiny little stainless steel pitchers that fancy restaurants use to bring creamer when a single person orders coffee. It was half empty. Hubby used the long toothpick used to hold the burger together to stab the tots and dip them in the sauce. And the tots were under-seasoned. The menu said that they made their own pizza dough, and after being completely spoiled by 600 Degrees Pizza in Georgetown, TX, I was excited to see someone else who actually made their own dough. The waitress said that they made their own sauce, too! Again, looking at the photos of beautifully bubbly dark crusts, I thought it would be awesome. Well, not so much. Please see my photo. This is not the thin crust other reviewers noted. The crust was the same thickness from the edge to the middle, about 1/2 inch. The edge was the same color as the center, and although it was cooked through, I think that either the oven wasn't hot enough, or it didn't stay in long enough, or both. The crust had the texture of a Boboli store bought, the sauce was sour, and I couldn't even taste the saltiness of the prosciutto or the bitterness of the arugula. The lemon was nowhere to be found. Like the burger, the whole thing was just flat. I ate one slice. I saw it on the menu, and wanted to try the maple bacon funnel cake for dessert. After the other dishes, I decided that it probably sounded better than it was, so we skipped it. Bummer. Lastly, THE UGLY... Used the ladies room while I was there. First off, out of paper towels. Went and told someone before using the facilities. Got into the stall, and there was just enough TP for one last use, before that became a problem for the next patron. Seriously... if you have a public restroom, take the time to check it out and make sure it's stocked! (From what I could tell of the towels they bought in, they were either out of the kind that their machine used, or the machine was busted. Either way, you're already aware that there's a problem, so be ready to fix it, not to wait on your guests to let you know!) Bottom line, hubby was surprised by my one-star review, but when I asked whether he'd be back, and what he would order again, he agreed with me.... read more

Churchkey - The Go-To. This is not the dark, bubbly crust I saw in other photos... - Bars Near Me - Modesto, California

Pizza is delicious!! & the beer is even better great place to go an have lunch even during all this COVID bullshit they r with the shit

STAY AWAY!!!!!!!!!!! NASTY, HORRIBLE, FILTHY AND DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This place is a DUMP!!! I have been here 3 times and today was the 3rd and FINAL time we'll ever go to this nasty place. 1. Food poisoning for my friends and me. 2. Bathrooms are disgusting with no toilet paper holders or hand soap. 3. Service is sooooooooo SLOW and rude!!! If you want to eat out go ANYWHERE but here!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Actually, try RAW sushi it's right around the corner! :) read more

First time here and what a delight. I'm happy that they have a few items from Commonwealth on the menu. Great service and conversation with Mark. So glad to have met him. The open air concept is perfect and very inviting. read more

I was very disappointed with this place. Tried to order online and the phone was busy. Went in to place an order to go and it took over 35 minutes to get. This would not have too bad if when asked prior to ordering how long it would be was told, there is no wait and should be right up. Didn't order anything fancy, just some nachos. Other people who had walked in and ordered after I placed an order, received their food before me. Open the nachos and the cheese was not melted all the way and very little chicken. Overall, not happy and not impressed. Also note that if you call and the phone is busy, that means they are not taking phone orders. Now I see why . read more

Alway good! Best pizza in town with a great staff. Liking that there open Mondays now.

Great ambiance in downtown Modesto. Open with plenty of seating. Came here for lunch with a friend and really like the place coming in. We sat a the bar and someone immediately said hello and they would be just a minute. Great first impression. It was my first time there and I asked for recommendations on what beers to have. The waitress asked if I wanted something sweet, tart or heavy. I liked that she took the time to ask what I wanted and made suggestions on what I already liked to drink. I got a burger. Perfectly done and tasted great.my friend got a pizza which I didn't taste but looked amazing. Great place for lunch, but I loved my choices in beer and will be coming back to check out the rest of the selections. read more

My friends and I came in here for Brunch on a Sunday. We were immediately impressed by how open the space is. It's nice to eat and not feel like people are all around you, plenty of space. The Brunch Menu was pretty interesting, and I'd go back for it again. The beer menu was kind of amazing, and is probably worth a trip on it's own. For Food, I got a sandwich modeled after a Montecristo, the whole thing was deep fried. Everyone at the table tried it and loved it! Worth it for sure. I also got a side of their Tater Tots, just plain ones. But they were well cooked and lightly salted. Good stuff. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food as well. Definitely heading back and hopefully trying their standard menu, cause it looked amazing. read more

So since I'm still waiting I guess I will start my review. I got here about 10 min ago and spoke with an employee because I was sitting in the wrong area. I moved to the window area and a bus boy was cleaning up right next to me. He had a good demeanor but didn't talk to me. The environment is nice and a waitress just walked up and is talking with me he couple next to me. We will see if she talks with me. She did! And was apologetic for the wait. It is rather loud in here. I have no friends so I'm in here alone. I should've written the time I got here.. I think I was 8:04 and now it's 8:36 and still haven't gotten my pizza. The waitress just came and apologized. Luckily I'm not deathly hungry or I would probably be writing a much more scathing review.. looking like 2 stars so far simply for the wait. Got my food! 8:41. So I finished up eating and the couple next to me still hasn't received their food. Before I left I had to use the restroom. They weren't good. They had a roll on top of the dispenser and had seat liners hanging? I mean I get that it probably was a busy night but it seemed that an employee put them there not as extra but because they didn't have the key to unlock the metal holders. I mean there isn't even an empty box in the metal container for the liners. The food was good. Not my style but good. My waitress was very kind when we interacted. Overall though I will have to stay with the 2 stars for the following: -Excessive wait time for my meal -No instruction for customers when they enter -Dirty Bathrooms (I've definitely seen worse though) -I finished my meal before the couple who ordered before I did got their food. I asked them if they ordered a pizza and they confirmed. The restaurant is new and needs to work on their systems. They should be able to get them down soon. I'd consider coming back. I also need to make friends so I have better things to do on a Friday night than write a yelp review read more

Churchkey - I mean toilet seat covers are supposed to go in the metal thing to keep them clean and untouched, right? - Bars Near Me - Modesto, California

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Food was ok here. The wings were great. My quinoa bowl was ok. My son got a pizza. The crust was pretty flat.

Ok, so we decided to give them another try and see if we actually got served. We were better off not getting any service. The pizza we ordered had a bug cooked into it. We let our server know about it and all she said was if we wanted her to take the piece of pizza. Not even a sorry about that or an offer for new or even maybe not charging for the pizza. Nothing! Pretty sure that is our last experience with this place! Wish I knew how to attach a picture to this review. read more

Churchkey - A bug cooked in our pizza - Bars Near Me - Modesto, California

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This was my wife's and my first time here. The selection of beer was great. Food was really good as well. We had the pepperoni and bacon and egg pizza. Both were spot in for thin crust pizza. We wild definitely order again. I ordered the oatmeal stout beer. Probably not the best selection for bacon and egg pizza (my issue not theirs). Everything was good anyway. Mixed age range but well distributed throughout the crowd. Hands down we will be repeat customers, probably bring a larger group next time. read more

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This was literally such a shock to me! I work right around the corner and hadn't know this place opened. It's so delicious and the staff was so friendly. Definitely plan on coming back soon! Note to all my veggie friends - their Margherita pizza is Amazing read more

It was decent. I had the burger that has the wide cheese coming out of it. Burger was ok. Could've used a bit more dipping sauce for my side. I don't mind the atmosphere. It's a pretty cool looking place inside. If you're looking for a quiet place to eat, this isn't your place. Tables are a bit small. I need to try it again to get a better opinion read more

Since when is it in style to serve a patron frozen food and not even warn in advance? Charge more than on the menu shown? And menu shown is same as online? They should have just said we don't want your business, please leave. I will not be going back. Their message was clear. read more

I was really excited to try this place but it turned out to be a horrible experience. It took 15 minutes to get greeted. It took and hour and 15 minutes to get our food once we ordered. Once the food came out the meat was cold. Super disappointed, let's hope they can change things up. We ended up leaving hungry and went to another restaurant. Overall, cool atmosphere and I would give it another chance maybe in a few months. read more

Churchkey - Bars Near Me - Modesto, California

One of my faves in Modesto. The atmosphere is great...food is even better! I like the hipster vibe. Their Yardbird pizza is my favorite. I could easily eat the whole thing lol. I don't know what type of magic they put in their ranch but I could take a bath in it. It's really delicious. I've tried all their appetizers too and I've never been disappointed. I like to take friends here since many have never heard of it. I really enjoy this place and I hope it stays around for a long time! read more

Cesar salad was okay nothing special my sister told me I should have ordered a pizza instead because they are good. Maybe next time!

I should have known better. Every time we come here, I get annoyed. New Year's Day brunch was no exception. Took about 20 minutes for someone to take our order. Watched our drinks sit on the bar for an additional 15 minutes. Took at least 45 minutes for my cold biscuits and gravy to arrive. If it was busy, I could understand. I'm giving it 2 stars because the pecan French toast was pretty good. read more

Service is terrible. Bartenders are slow. Food takes forever. Wings.... Were good. My advice save your money and time.

Great selection of beer and excellent food. This place was neat and clean we seated ourselves at the bar and had a great night. I will say the pizza holders feel like a trick and our pizza fell off twice. Now maybe it was the beer and I have no one to blame but myself but I think they really should think of another way to serve the pizza- which I'm pretty sure is made by angels and could be floated out on clouds. read more

On a business trip and sat at the bar. Great vibe and great selection of beer, including Pliny the Elder! Best lemon pepper wings I have ever had. Great service and very reasonable prices. Bartender Dev was very cool read more

Great local eatery! Very original, great ambiance and super friendly staff. I've eaten here 4-5 times. I've tried something different every time and have been very satisfied with each meal. Awesome beer selection and great wine selection as well. My only suggestion would be to carry more local wines. Pizzas are great! Their lunch specials are super! Give them a try you won't be disappointed. Cheers! read more

This place is one of the coolest new taphouse / restaurants in Downtown Modesto. Went there today and had a really great experience. After walking in and not knowing if there was a host to seat us, we were quickly greeted by a waitress letting us know it was seat yourself. A really great assortment of beers on tap and delicious food. Had a pizza and a few wings and everything was delicious. The waiter we had, Mark, was helpful and really friendly. Would definitely recommend Churchkey to everyone! read more

el forgotten. I understand that it's a Friday night, but when the table behind you sits down more than 15 minutes after you and their food comes out before yours, there is an issue. This is not the first time we have had this experience either. Our food showed up 45 minutes after ordering and my husband's food was cold. We will not be returning. read more

Food was wonderful ! Kale burger was to die for !!!! I chose a side salad instead of fries and the dressing was an amazing creamy balsamic like dressing ! Warning * it contains walnuts ! Pizza was delicious ! I chose the taco truck lager since it's always my go to . However , they will allow you to sample the others to see what best suits you ! Great for large crowds! Reservations and available before 5. But not after 6 on Saturday . Due to the place gets busy quick !! Must try ! read more

Let's be clear....this place deserves 5 stars in Modesto as an actual, clean, modern, relevant restaurant end of review.... Hat said...they go even further and kill it. There are few places that keep up with the modern tapehouse/artesian vibe in Modesto and this place kills it with an actually functional building you can hold a conversation in (sorry commonwealth) Come for the hot and new hipster vibes, stay for the amazing beer selection for all beer taste buds, stay for the amazing food...yeah it's pizza as the main specialty...but go ahead and do yourself a favor and delete every pizza place from your contacts and judge all future pizza experiences off of the pizza served here. All local grown and/sourced...you can literally tasted the difference done to the tomatoes. Literally every town in America needs this place read more

the service was great and the food was good!! i got wings and the pesto pie pizza. the wings were DELICIOUS, i definitely recommend trying them. the pizza however was okay, it was plain, not much flavor but maybe it was the choice of toppings i chose. overall i'll definitely be back for more!! read more

This is currently one of my favorite places in Modesto. They have a great menu and selection of drinks. Expect something new and interesting every time, but don't ignore their staple menu items. We love the nachos and if you can handle the heat, try their burger with Kimchi on it. read more

Good was good the jalapeño poppers where very good the pizza was very good also thin crust crunchy good sauce read more

Churchkey - Bars Near Me - Modesto, California

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How great service today by Jonathan... the food was also great and I loved the house made ginger beer .. thank you :)

I had the gluten free cheese pizza with roasted jalapeños paired with a Port Wipeout IPA. This will be one of my go to meals when I am in Modesto. I am looking forward to trying the in house made veggie burger and working my way down the 36 beers on draft. Excellent service and great music. read more

Churchkey - Quick stop at Churchkey. I had the King Harbor Future Waves...pretty darn tasty! - Bars Near Me - Modesto, California

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We stopped in for an early beer/appetizer, and it was really good. I had wanted to see all the beer on tap. The waitress was so friendly and gave us some suggestions for beer and what appetizers to get. We ended up getting the ceasar rolls and the tater tot poutine. Both were delicious. I'm definitely excited to come back and try other things from the menu and the wall of beer/wine taps. read more

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Positives: - vegan options! - those TOTS tho :) - Doesn't look like every gross dive bar in Modesto - lots of seating Negatives: - music was way too loud, hard to even hear the person next to me, and that was during lunch on a Tuesday! - service is friendly but slow...SO SLOW. SO. SLOW. - The almost always out of something. Last time it was tofu. And didn't adjust my price being that I didn't have a protein. -Inconsistent. Sometimes it's great. Other times it's totally off. Even when you order the exact same thing. - EVERY time I've ordered for carry-out, they've messed up my order. read more

First time here, Phenomenal food and service. Restaurant was super clean and beautiful! Margaritas tasted fresh and delicious. Definitely will be back!! read more

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Great place. Been here a number times. This is time we had an incredible customer service. I believe the server's name was Liz. She was very attentive. Immensely informative of her drink menu. I highly recommend this place. read more

Great pizzas, loved the bean and toast appetizer. Cool atmosphere, friendly service. A great addition to downtown.

Great atmosphere and food. Highly recommended this place for Sunday brunch or family dinner.