Abriana and Rachael made me feel very welcomed and their service was great! I was at the bar and they made it very quick and great drinks!

Came here for Friday Happy hour! The drinks are generous and strong but the food was a bit of a miss for me. When we came at 4, it was already pretty busy but not packed yet. We were seated right away. Our table was pretty wobbly and it is a bit small. There was a person who would come by and take orders pretty frequently which was nice. We ordered the following: - cheese curds (AMAZING) - prime rib (okay) - Caesar salad (okay) - pretzel (good) - onion rings (good) - green beans (okay) I definitely enjoyed the appetizers and drinks over the entrees, which is probably to be expected. We also ordered a ton of drinks and I was surprised by the generous sizes and liqueur ratio. Each drink was super strong! The ambiance is nice but it can get pretty loud (which is probably expected for a brewery). I feel like we had to yell across the table to talk to people. If we come again, it would probably be after a meal and for drinks / snacks only. This place is a by a lake and has outdoor seating as well, which I hope to see more of next time! read more

Did a reservation for 14 people, walked in at 3:30 and was empty! Whoa I was little scared because empty restaurants usually doesn't mean it will be good. Server was nice. Food came out hot! And was all good, I don't know what was on the nachos we ordered to share. Not sure if it had cotiga cheese in the beans or sour cream. But sometimes cotiga smells stinky and taste funny and that's what the nachos had Shared pizza and sandwiche with a friend. Both were good. Tasted the steak from my sister and it was delicious Everyone was happy and they also honored their happy hour which was nice. read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Brewhouse Cheeseburger - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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This is now one of my favorite casual dog friendly place! They have a really nice patio outdoors (super dog friendly!) and the view with the lake is also really nice. It can get pretty busy especially when the weather is nice. It's also nice that you can take your dog for a walk along the water right after eating. The only thing is that their food is mediocre. I've tried their fish and chips, and the fish came outs super dry and the portions were small. The wings are decent, but can also be somewhat dry. The only thing I really liked was their burgers. They do however are willing to serve grilled chicken for your doggy which is a plus! read more

Great place to stop by after work in Sunnyvale for some drinks and food. Small wait on a Friday night but lots of seatings here. Good amount of beer selections to start us off. Food here are shareable sizes especially the nachos! Nachos was loaded. Their wings were all right. Fish and chips were crispy inside and went well with the tartar sauce. Server was attentive and made sure we got everything we needed. read more

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Laughing Monk is in the space of what was Fault Line Brewery, which I used to frequent in the previous decade. I came in for lunch on a Friday and waited for about 10 minutes at the hostess table before seeing any employees. Then finally walked to the bar only to be told to seat myself. Then waited another 5-10 minutes to order. There was no signage or wait staff to direct customers. Despite being empty, food and drink service was terribly slow. Food was mediocre at best and expensive. It's a shame because this location had the potential to be a great working lunch and happy hour spot due to its proximity to so many tech companies in the heart of Silicon Valley. read more

Had a great time at Laughing Monk Brewing. The vibe here is awesome. super laid-back but still lively, the kind of spot you can easily hang out at for a while. The beers were really solid with a great variety, so there's something for everyone whether you like lighter, crisp beers or something with more flavor. The staff was friendly and welcoming, and everything felt well run and relaxed. It's a perfect place to meet up with friends, grab a few drinks, and just watch a game. Definitely coming back during football season. Highly recommend if you're in the Sunnyvale area read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Cheeseburger - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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This used to be the hottest microbrewery of south bay. Then Gorden Biersch came, then other microbreweries came, then they sold and changed name to Laughing Monks. It was exactly the same deco as before, including the outdoor seating. Still good beers and good bar foods. But at least 25% higher in prices than other beer places. Really?? I admit the fares are above average, but not that much better. read more

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I loved it and was also kind of confused by it. It's located in a strip mall among some office parks, but when you walk in, it actually feels remarkably warm, almost like a Tahoe cabin. Big wooden beams, tall ceilings, tables on different levels including some that overlook a lagoon or river. It made me wonder if some of the corporate office parks nearby could have been made to feel a bit less sterile. I went with a group on a Wednesday night and to our collective surprise it was absolutely packed. Big groups at big tables, and a big range of ages. Maybe there was an internal conference at one of the nearby tech companies that made Laughing Monk their dinner or happy hour destination. For a moment there it felt like maybe Sunnyvale could be cool. We got a few beers and apps. We couldn't help but notice that the Bavarian pretzel was cool to look at and tasty but also not exactly a value compared with, say, the poke tower, which had a lot more ingredients and protein and cost about the same. Oh right! They have beer tasting flights on a paddle for $15 for four tasters. Fortunately or unfortunately I was too busy talking to friends to remember which were their best beers but at least one of them was good. :) read more

First time here since it was Faultline. Was it a hit or a miss? We had a couple of appetizers one of which I dared myself for. The Philly Cheesesteak Eggrolls were not at all remotely close to the taste of a cheesesteak or other Cheesesteak Eggrolls I've had. Hard pass, as they need work. On the other hand, the Beer Can Nachos with shredded pork was very good as were the IPA's. Outdoor seating is very comforting. read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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Spontaneously dropped in on a Sunday mid afternoon, not too busy. Eddie was a great server. super attentive, funny, and had such a good attitude the whole time. Very kind and made the experience even better. He was knowledgable and came prepared with recommendations for beer and food! Appreciate the great service! We got the calamari and Philly cheesesteak rolls to share. Calamari was fire, probably wouldn't get the cheesesteak rolls again, tasted more like a cheeseburger and wasn't super memorable. For mains we got lobster pasta, the salmon, and a cheeseburger. Everything was tasty, would eat again across the board. read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Laughing Monk was something we stumbled on my accident and I am so happy we did. With a ton of indoor and outdoor seating, we've never had to wait long for a table. The restaurant overlooks a really pretty pond. Their food is amazing, my favorite appetizer is the giant hanging pretzel and I really enjoy their salads. As a brewery, the places has a cool modern feel. read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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A really fun place to have a drink or meal. The interior has large wooden beams mimicking a high-ceiling cabin feel, and much of the seating overlooks the pond which is a beautiful view. The first time we came here was for a Father's Day lunch with a group of eight plus two babies, and we got very warm and patient service. This was our second time in, and we ordered a couple of pizzas to go with our beer. The Buffalo Mac (with mushrooms subbed in for the chicken) and El Presidente (with jalapenos subbed in for the carnitas) were very different from each other but both delicious. They seem to have a new policy (at least one that wasn't there during our first visit) of only serving one beer per person at a time, but you can get multiple 2 oz pours to sample in addition to your 12 or 16 oz drink. My favorite was the Sunny Side Kolsch. The only disappointment was the Stout Chocolate Cake, which was dry and didn't taste any different from a regular chocolate cake. read more

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Enjoyed a mid-week lunch on the dog-friendly patio here. Food was good, beer selection excellent. Service a bit slow but hey, it's a HUGE PLACE. Will come back on a warm, summer evening! read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Veggie bowl, yummy! - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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Taste: 8/10 Service: 9/10 Environment: 10/10 with beautiful view right outside Drink: the pink panther, it is pretty good for those that like fruity cocktails. Appetizer: poke tower I don't recommend it,it taste a bit slimy and lacks flavor but my partner was ok with it. I typically do enjoy sushi/poke but this wasn't it. Entree: blacken chicken sandwich, bourbon burger both very juicy. Highly recommend bourbon. The fries are crispy but soft inside Overall their portion is very generous, and they are all pretty tasty. Service was fast despite a huge influx of tech employees coming in on a week day night. I would definitely recommend this place, but personally I would hold off on the poke tower. read more

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I came here one evening with some friends. I tried the truffle pub curds, salmon burger, soup of the day which was clam chowder and a few drinks. The portion sizes here are big for the price, they have various food and drink options. Good amount of TVs to watch games and feels family friendly. It's a nice spot to hang out and they have a large parking lot too! read more

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Very nice waiter couldn't be nicer , food is good beer is good too, I'd bring back my kids

Laughing Monk has cool vibes. Service was a bit slow, but we came on a Friday evening when people are getting off work. There was decent beer variety. It was quite delicious and I enjoyed my food here. Overall... you get great food, beer, a fun atmosphere, and solid service. It's a nice microbrewery-style spot especially if you're catching a game. read more

Delicious food! We got the nachos and sliders and I got a cocktail (can't remember the name) but it was good and strong! We came at nighttime so all the warning signs about car break ins did sketch us out a bit and the really dark parking area doesn't help either. read more

Extreamly loud. Service Ok, beer OK, food OK. I didn't find anything super negative but not super great either. It is walkable from local hotels and business so that is a plus. read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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I've been to the Laughing Monk Brewing twice in the past six months. Both times was for lunch with a bunch of coworkers. Each visit, there have been very few customers in the large restaurant. They have their own parking lot, so parking in this industrial area is super easy too. Note-they carry Pepsi brand beverages, so that's a bummer, but the food has been solid and service has been good. read more

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Food Quality: *** Service: ** Ambiance: *** Value: *** Decent atmosphere especially for a game. They have good food specials on particular days and a nice happy hour. However the serice wasn't the best, despite sitting at the bar it was difficult to get attention to place an order and a long wait for getting drinks. We put names down at the front but never got called within the short window we were quoted. Despite all this the pretzel and drinks were good. It is a decent spot with somewhat hectic parking, I might try it again and hope for better service read more

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Food is excellent and varied enough for picky eaters. The vibe is pretty chill and the server was really nice. read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Flat Iron Steak - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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First thing: Really good french fries! Nice selection of brews. Mr. M was a little disappointed that he couldn't ask for free samples of the beers he wanted to taste, but I think that $2 for a 3 ounce pour is fair. And it's fun to try all the little American Girl sized glasses of beer. Things we tried: wings, poke tower, turkey club, cheese dip, pulled pork sandwich. All tasty. Our server Niki was handling ALL of the outdoor seating, which was full on a beautiful Sunday. And she handled it like a champ. She was cheerful and efficient, and we were never left wanting. I would not even have realized it, except the host mentioned it to Mr. M when we were offered outdoor seating. read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Interesting brewery. Came here on a Thursday night and it was pretty lively around 7 pm with most of the bar seats taken and a private party in the main dining area. I found the inside to be a bit drab. Like a dark cave full of tvs. Not quite my vibe, but obviously appealing to others. Just came here really to try a few different beers. They had a dozen or so, nothing really seemed seasonal or special in any way. Just like standard offering. I was able to do a flight and really wasn't impressed with any of them. None of them were bad, but none were good enough to make me want to come back. Food looks like typical bar food, fries and wings and such. Perhaps somewhat elevated. Nothing looked bad. Nothing looked like dang I want to try that. Service was slow even at the bar, it took a while to get an order in and pay. Overall a bit underwhelming for my taste as far as breweries go, but nothing terribly bad to say either. read more

There is a parking lot for this location. Came in on a weekday afternoon for lunch. There were quite a few people at the bar but otherwise the restaurant was pretty empty for dining. Our server was very nice and attentive. The west of 101 burger was delicious. I ordered a medium cook but the meat was a little dry. I subbed sweet potato fries for the meal. The flavor was fine but the texture was very mushy. The onion rings were light and crispy, and paired well with the ranch dressing it was served with. The beer can nachos were delicious. We added chicken tinga as a topping and the chicken was super tender. Would definitely come back to try more food options. read more

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We love coming in on Fridays normally for their happy hour but it's also important to note that they have Taco Tuesdays ($7 margs with any flavor, $5 chips and salsa, and $2 chicken/beef tacos) and Prime Rib on Fridays! We came in this past Tuesday and were able to enjoy the $7 margs and $5 chips and salsa. The salsa was spicy in a good way and I had a spicy mango margarita which was also spicy! We love having the farmer's market pizza as well so that was a staple. We tried some dark IPA and porters and they were also delicious and not too sweet. However, they didn't have any cans of those, so we got some other cans to go so we can enjoy laughing monk at home too! read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Spicy Mango Marg with some chips and salsa! - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Posting this review a bit late, but Laughing Monk Brewery is honestly one of my go-to spots to relax and watch NFL games. It's a hidden gem compared to a lot of bars around the San Jose area. The owner even allowed me to host my NFL draft party here this past year, and my group loved the vibe. Service and food are great We usually order the pizza, wings, or nachos, and you can't go wrong with any of them. I don't drink, but they clearly have plenty of beer options. Definitely recommend if you're looking for good vibes, great food, and solid service. read more

Our server Walter was fantastic! We had poke towers, the buffalo Mac pizza, calamari, and other items and some brews to tag along with the food and everything was fantastic. The dining room has windows that highlight a spectacular fountain surrounding the living area nearby. Great food, great service. Cheers! read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Buffalo Mac-Small 10' - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Laughing Monk Brewing was such a lovely and surprising experience. It opened in place of Faultline Brewery couple of years ago I think and I was expecting a similar experience but the beer collection, food and service definitely were a notch above the former Gastropub. They have a huge interior space and even the outside seating area is ample and picturesque with a fountain and plenty of geese that makes the ambience very relaxing. We had the Grilled Cauliflower and the Tikka Masala Pizza. The cauliflower was fresh, perfectly seasoned, and a great start to our meal. The Pizza was also tasty, although it tasted more like an Indian spice and chutney inspired Pizza than a Tikka Masala Pizza. Sunnyvale has some legit Indian Pizza places so the bar is definitely set high especially in the South Bay region. That said, it was enjoyable. I also had the Mabrewhay (Calamansi Blonde Ale) and a smoked Old Fashioned. Both drinks were very refreshing on a very hot day. A big shout out to Tony, our server. He was friendly, funny and gave us some great drinks and food recommendations. read more

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We had lunch here for the first time and it was an excellent experience. We were seated right away and our drink orders were taken first. We were there during brunch so there were breakfast options as well as regular lunch items. Brunch is on the weekend until 3:00pm. We started off with an order of onions rings. They were crispy and delicious. I'd get them again. For our mains my husband tried the pulled pork sandwich with a side salad and I tried the 14" Robert's classic pizza, which we shared. The food came out quickly. Everything was hot and fresh. My hubby liked his sandwich and we both loved the pizza. We tried the sundae nachos for dessert. This was recommended by our server, Eric. It was so good. I highly recommend it. The inside is really big and they can accommodate large parties as well. They have several big screens playing various baseball games. It's a fun atmosphere. There is also a nice pond out back that looks so peaceful. Our service was excellent. All the staff were very friendly and helpful. Overall, this place was a big hit and we will definitely be returning. read more

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My go to when it comes to the seafood gumbo originally faultline brewery still the same menu always good don't forget the dessert bread pudding on hit super busy but the staff is on it handling business. Come by try for yourself read more

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Formerly known as Faultline Brewing, Laughing Monk Brewing pretty much operates the same as it did before. Food and Drinks: * Flat Iron Steak with whiskey peppercorn sauce * Fish n Chips (red snapper) Core Beers available in addition to seasonal offerings read more

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What a fun spot! Be sure to get yourself seated by the window views of the river walk. Service was lovely, prices were reasonable and the snacks were bomb! The nachos definitely stole the show, why do pubs do nachos so well? We added pulled pork, but they easily could have stood on their own. The poke tower was also good, just the right about of sesame and we also had the peach, arugula and goat cheese salad. It was good, but not epic.... A little light on the peaches and the goat cheese crumbles should be a little bigger. We will definitely be back. I had a supersized mercy something brew and it was yummy too! read more

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We came here for dessert and drinks with a reservation on Saturday night. Ordered the bourbon bread pudding, shrub life cocktail, and old fashioned. We wanted to have our drinks with dessert, but we were done with our dessert by the time our drinks came out (20 minutes later)... couldn't exactly wait for the vanilla ice cream on top to melt. Though quietly disappointed, the staff made things right without us having to say a thing. They were genuinely apologetic and comped our drinks without us asking. That tells me a lot about the service here. I appreciate the effort they put into showing they cared, and their dedication to customer satisfaction. Our dessert and cocktails were all of high quality and super delish! That secret bourbon sauce in the bread pudding was especially buttery and satisfying. The setting outside was lovely too, a beautiful lake in the back with waterbirds and plant life creating a scenic oasis. I enjoyed walking along the bridges and pathways at sunset. But even just taking in the view from inside the brewery and restaurant adds a nice touch to the dining experience at the Laughing Monk. read more

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Personally loved this place! It's very spacious despite being a sports bar/restaurant. Love how it overlooks some water so there are tables with nice views. We ordered nachos, cheese curds, and fries. They were all excellent, with the nachos being the standout. I'd definitely pop by here again and maybe try their drinks along with other noms. Our waiter was really nice too :) read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Them nachos - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

My friend and I were looking for a brewery in the area and ended up at Laughing Monk Brewing which was a great choice! We split the Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich ($22), which came with house-smoked pulled pork, BBQ sauce, coleslaw, and crispy fried pickle strings. It was really good and definitely worth the stop. The service was great as well, and since it was such a nice day, we sat out on the patio, which made the experience even better. Overall, a great spot with good food, good vibes, and solid brews. read more

If you're looking for a place for a group meal, especially after work in the area, this is a pretty good place. Like all restaurants in the area there are warnings about leaving bags and etc in the car due to theft. I was able to secure a last-minute reservation for a large party and we actually had a couple more people show up then RSVPed and they were quick to add another table for us . Given we got there early at 5 PM, it was very easy, but I did notice that it did get crowded closer to 7 as we were leaving. Our waiter was really attentive, which I appreciated and the food was fine . Two colleagues of mine got the chicken tikka pizza and I would recommend get that somewhere else not here. Everyone enjoyed the burgers that they got and the nachos were great for sharing for appetizers for the groups. read more

*LOCATION* This brewery is located in an interesting area, seems like it's surrounded by mostly office buildings and warehouses. We actually found this place by accident because we had turned the wrong way after leaving Sports Basement across the street. *WAIT TIME* It was a Friday ~8pm and there was no wait despite the parking lot being full. The restaurant is fairly big inside and has multiple "sections" when you can host parties. *FOOD* -Fish n chips: the fish was very fishy and we didn't like it at all, coleslaw was surprisingly refreshing and good, chips/fries were ok -Pig out pizza: decent amount of toppings but they didn't offer any red pepper flakes or cheese, crust was perfectly soft in the middle and crispy on the outside, hubby said it was the best crust he's ever had LOL *SERVICE* We weren't happy with the service. It took a long time for anyone to even come greet us at our table and an even longer time for them to come back to take our orders. We also had to wave them down at the end to pay. *AMBIENCE* The inside is large and spacious, nicer than a typical brewery you would think of. There was music and various channels playing on the tv's. I like that there are huge windows on the backside of the restaurant that overlooks the water. Overall, it was an ok first experience...I'd probably come back again to try the daily specials (esp the prime rib Fridays)!! read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Fish n chips - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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Beer Pressure SF-based brewery that merged with Faultine Brewing back in 2023, after being purchased by locally-owned Bedrock Restaurant Group. This is one of two gastropubs for Laughing Monk, with the other being in Scotts Valley, to go along with their brewery/taproom in SF. We enjoyed our visit a few months back to the Scotts Valley location, so we were fairly excited to try this one which is closer to home. The Good: *Reservations via the Yelp app *Huge parking lot *While I wasn't impressed with most of the beers at the Scotts Valley location, this one had some much, much better beers. The Double Hazy IPA (Professor Frizzle) was fantastic! *Onion Rings were worth the extra upcharge as they were crispy and delicious. Same goes for the sweet potato fries, but we wouldn't have minded them to be a touch crispier. *Ordered a Buffalo Mac pizza to-go for my son, and he really enjoyed it. The added truffle oil was a nice touch and gave it a nice umami flavor that rounded it out. *Burger was cooked perfectly medium as requested. The Meh: *Service was passable. Nothing overly friendly, but certainly not surly. They'd *kinda* check on us, but were a little too busy in the back yukking it up with one of the other crew members. *Nashville Fried Chicken sandwich was fried nice and crisp, but the chicken was dry and it had almost zero heat that I could detect. *I don't know if it was just the time we went in (Sun lunch) or what, but the vibe in there wasn't half as nice as the Scotts Valley location. *And speaking of vibe, the décor and furnishings could use a bit of an upgrade as it all looks severely dated. The Ugly: *Beyond the dated décor (see above), this place could just use a good cleaning. We arrived not too long after opening and the place looked like it hadn't been swept in days, and don't get me started on the dust. While most of the employees seemed busy, there were a few that would rather bullshit with each other than do any of that nonsense. How's the saying go? If you got time to lean, you got time to clean? Yeah, I believe that's it. I mean listen, in my defense I'm not the cleanest person in the world, but c'mon bruv... At least make an effort. Unfortunately, a dirty restaurant that customers can actually *see* makes one wonder how clean their kitchen is where customers can't see? Tbf, tho, they did get an 86 on their last county inspection (April '24). Conclusion: Cool spot with a lot of potential, but they need to clean up their act before we come back here again. Try their Scotts Valley location instead. read more

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