My company had an outing here at the Laughing Monk Brewery. Great place for company outings as this restaurant is huge and can accommodate these types of events. There is plenty of parking available. They occupy the former restaurant, Faultline Brewing Company. They have house music playing. They have outdoor seating as well. Appetizers, food, and drinks were plenty. It looks like the menu is fairly the same for large parties. Salad, dinner rolls, roasted vegetables, bbq chicken, salmon, skirt steak, & marinara pasta. Oh, and I had to try my Yelp friend, Lee D's favorite beer here, Redwood Ale. It's a smooth, robust, amber beer! The service was nice and accommodating. Overall, 3.5 stars. I will be back. read more

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Quality/Quantity - I believe this used to be Faultline Brewery...? Umami Salad - This was good; my wife really liked it. I enjoyed the refreshing mandarins, soy beans, etc. on the salad. Chicken & Beef Taco - All was good. I had 4 tacos and my wife had two. Redwood Ale - My favorite of the beers. Flaming Moe Pale Ale - Second favorite beer. English Monk Pub Ale - Just okay. It did not beat out the other two beers. But I had to try their signature beer. Atmosphere - Huge space, both indoors and outdoors. Cans to-go available, see pictures. Open 7 days a week from 11am or 11:30am to 8pm or 9pm. Happy Hour: M-F from 4-6pm. Plenty of parking, but be safe. Excessive warning signs of break ins... Both clean and spacious men's and women's restrooms. Service - One of the 4 bartenders was good (the blonde one, hope that helps to ID her); the others we had to flag consistently for service. And other than the private event, it was NOT busy here on Taco Tuesday... Price - $41 + generous tip. Very reasonably priced for what we got. Of course today was $2 Taco Tuesday, which helped the most! Owner Comment - Congrats on your success and merger on 12/1/23 and congrats now for your successful 3 locations. read more

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My girl and I enjoyed this spot, our server Omar was very friendly, he made sure we were having a good time and checked our table often. Also, If you a beer person like me, this is the place!! Looking forward to go there again. read more

We had a nice experience on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Bartender was cool. Margaritas were delicious. Food was on point. read more

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I'm starting to love this place. It has great beers, good service, and really good food. The menu has a wide range of food. Anything from basic bar food to salmon and veggies. It's got some cool scenery is you sit in the back of the restaurant by the pond. The last time we went we ordered the pretzel, garlic fries, pulled pork sandwich, blackened chicken sandwich, and the chicken and biscuits. We got onion rings as our side. All were really good but I have to say the onion rings were outstanding. read more

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I came here for lunch on a Saturday and there were actually quite a few people there for lunch. We ordered the poke tower because I wanted to see how it compares to Yardhouse and I have to say that Yardhouse is better. For food we got the Nashville hot chicken sandwich and a brewhouse cheeseburger. The brewhouse cheeseburger was delicious, I was able to swap out the cheese for pepper jack. Though the Nashville hot chicken sandwich is definitely a NO ORDER- it was dry, the coleslaw was flavorless and in the sandwich with none on the side, and the sauce kind of tasted like Cholula hot sauce mixed with Tabasco hot sauce because there was a vinegary taste to it. I tried their Apple Cider Mimosa and it was pleasant, though I could have done without the sugar/cinnamon rim. ~~Parking: They have a dedicated parking lot with plenty of parking that also bleeds into a company parking lot. ~~Service: Fair. I thought the service was just okay, but that could have been because we decided to dine inside because it was a bit hot for me and most of the other people eating there were outside. ~~Best Part: The views. Most of the breweries I've gone to are in a warehouse with nothing to see, versus this place has nice ponds outside that have birds, turtles, and little fish! ~~Return: I want to come during a Happy Hour to try it out! read more

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What a fun vibe this place is! This place is huge! Plenty of seating for a large party. My friends and I came here for dinner on a Wednesday around 7 and it was moderately busy. A lot of folks come here after work at the local tech companies from what I could see. When we arrived we didn't have a reservation for a party of 7 but the wait was only a few minutes. The reservation option is nice especially if this place gets packed which I can imagine it can. They have plenty of TV screens too if you want to catch one of your sports games. They have a bar seating area and a dining seating area so if you're in the dining area you still have access to the TV screens. Everyone got a little of everything so we were able to cover a lot of bases of the menu. We started with a few apps and my friends ordered beers and cocktails. Since I don't drink I ordered a Ginger ale in a mule cup, they were able to satisfy this request which was nice. Our server, Juan, was also very nice and attentive. He even offered recommendations on serving sizes and recommended we order more to accommodate our party. I really recommend their food, please see photos for our order and reviews. Everything was delicious! I recommend their business. read more

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Happy hour we waited so long for our food, then when it arrived it was the wrong order. We wanted to like this place, but comparing to other restaurants it leaves much more to be desired. It may be improving as I do see more customers now. Hopefully it'll get better. read more

This restaurant used to be Faultline Brewing company and now is Laughing Monkey Brewing. It is my first time here. Great for large groups. I see many parties of six or more at the restaurant. It is Tuesday night today and the place is still very packed! The restaurant is very spacious. I tried the calamari, nachos, and pretzels appetizers; all were really good. My entree was gumbo, it was good too. I saw many people ordered pizza and that looked delicious too. I would come back to try the pizza next time! Overall, the restaurant is spacious to accommodate large and private parties. Service was ok as our waiter was very busy, had to flag him down to get service. But once he got our attention, he was right on it. read more

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We have a table of 8ppl. We waited over 30min on weekdays for table. Ducks and pond outside is very nice. Food comes fast. Check takes a long time. Great place for beer and appetizers. read more

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We went to the Laughing Monk Brewery in Sunnyvale and this was our first time there. The service was amazing and our server Walter was very nice and helpful in our ordering. So if you are ever in Sunnyvale, or there may be one nerdy you, go chech out the place. read more

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A group of three of us went, and overall, we enjoyed our lunch. We went on a Thursday, and they have $6 pint specials which was a nice surprise. The restaurant is very large with a lot of seating, and we found it to be very quiet during the time we went. I suspect Laughing Monk is more of a happy hour, evening, and weekend type of spot. While they have a good amount of pub food options, we found the menu had a good number of other options as well. The prices are a bit more expensive than I would have expected (burgers are nearly $20 each, but they looked quite large). We tried a few of their IPAs, they were all decent. I'm not too picky (as long as the hops are decent), so take this beer feedback with a grain of salt. For my entree, I had the flat iron steak. They did a good job cooking the steak for me (medium rare), but my friend's steak (ordered medium), was closer to a rare (and a lot more undercooked than my medium rare). They took the steak back, but it took them such a long time to bring it back that the rest of us were done with our food before his steak came back. The restaurant wasn't busy, so I'm not sure what took so long for them to cook it through. The dish said it came with onion rings, but it literally came with two onion rings (which were delicious). Given how much I enjoyed the onion rings, I would probably try the fish n' chips next time. My main qualm was the speed of service. Given we were there for lunch during a work / weekday, it would have been nice if service was a bit faster / more present (especially given the entire restaurant was maybe 10% full (and the work lunch crowd usually needs to get back for... work!). I wouldn't come back again on my own, but I wouldn't mind swinging by again if a group of friends came. read more

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We came here on the weekend to watch football and eat. It was very clean inside. The service was quick. We came and it was empty, but when the games were starting the bar/tables around the bar were filled almost immediately. The food was good! I liked the pizza. Everyone who was drinking in our group enjoyed the drinks. read more

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It had been a while since my last visit. It reminded me how Lovely atmosphere! It is and appreciated the warm hospitality!! Beer cheese was so good! read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Pretzel with Beer Cheese(top) and Crispy Calamari(bottom) - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Laughing Monk Brewery in Sunnyvale is a true gem! This place just gets it right--the atmosphere is just as fantastic as the beer and food. From the moment you walk in, the ambience is genuinely lively and inviting. The rustic, industrial-chic decor, combined with beautiful natural light and views of the lake (if you get a patio seat!), creates a vibrant energy that makes you want to settle in and stay awhile. read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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They serve huge portions! I was there for happy hour and appetizers were $2 off. I tried the nachos with steak. I think they were like $20. I'm envisioning a taco bell grande size dish. Wholly Molly was i wrong! It literally was a pile as tall as my pint glass! The steak was diced, but the flavor was great. I took home 2/3rds and had more the next day. Not as good as chips were soggy. I also had their amber beer. Similar to Jeramiah Red at BJ. Lots of flavor. I will come back with my friends. read more

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Laughing monk brewing is the new logo of the Faultline brewery that has been there for decades. They changed the sign and that's about it. They didn't even change the WiFi network name. The restaurant is a bit old but still has its appeal. The main floor is clean and presentable but not trendy in any way. The bathroom is a bit grungy and needs a good cleaning. Service was friendly but they kept asking for orders about 5 times before we even got a chance to look at the menu. Once the orders were put in, the food came out quickly. Running through the dishes. The nachos were actually good with lots of cheese and chicken. The tri tip dip was excellent, well cooked and flavorful. The pizza was very good with a nice crust and generous topping. The bourbon burger was very tasty with a nice smoked Gouda cheese. The sweet potato fries were unfortunately disappointing. They're just too thick and mushy, and a bit tasteless. Apparently the beer is good but I didn't try. read more

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In for a baseball tournament and a few family's decide on Laughing Monk. Plenty of parking. Wait was minimal for a table. Nice vibe inside with good background music. The beer and cocktails were delicious. Where they fell short for my wife and I was the food. Others who ordered burgers and fish and chips loved their food, and good sized portions. My wife ordered the Baby Back Ribs and by the look it was a big dinner with about 6 bones. The problem was it wasn't seasoned, just bbq sauce and they were extremely fatty. Her garlic mashed potatoes had no garlic. Cole slaw was good. My dinner on the other hand was the Tuscan Chicken. Presented nicely with garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus and the smallest piece of chicken, disappointed to say the least. The sauce had a good taste, mashed potatoes were not garlic. The size of the chicken itself was disappointing, especially seeing other dinners at my table were big portions. Laughing Monks beer is good and that would be the reason I would come back, maybe a burger & fries the next time. read more

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Atmosphere was really cool. Beer was good pizza was delicious. But I got a French dip that was the biggest disappointment. Waitress actually recommended it which was crazy. Description said sliced prime rib with caramelized onions and provolone. This was not prime rib. It was extremely dry and I didn't get any onions. Luckily my wife and kids got pizza and that did not disappoint. This sandwich needs to be fixed or removed from menu. If we had just came for pizza and beer I'd give it a 5 tho. I'd definitely come back. Just not ordering a French dip again. read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - French Dip - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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Good time, good food and good brews. Lots to sample and beers to try. There's a lot of seating here. Service was good and wished it was a little attentive. read more

Terrible service. So disappointed in this place because the food is good and it looks so cool but... service is awful. They were so rude and no one wanted to take our order. I really don't think this place would last which is sad because I believe they have so much potential they just need to hire more people with customer service who care. read more

Friday night $25 prime rib deal is off the hook! Cocktails are made well, bartenders are amazing. Service is excellent. We always sit at the bar. It's full of people but not crowded if that makes sense. 10/10 recommend. read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - $25 prime rib special and spiced pear manhattan. - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

We've been very happy with our experience at Laughing Monk. My husband loved the gumbo which later was taken off the menu after a number of years. He tried another dish--a seafood paella. He's had it several times since then. He's also tried several of the pizzas offered on the menu and has always enjoyed them. I've always enjoyed the food and service at the Laughing Monk. I've had the Mediterranean bowl several times. The salmon has always been cooked perfectly. I've had at least two different versions of their hamburgers and I've been disappointed. No fault of theirs. I just didn't care for them. Today I tried a grilled peach salad. I wanted more of a meal so I added a piece of grilled salmon. It was excellent. Today, we had an appetizer called the Bavarian soft pretzel. It came with a mustard sauce and a beer cheese sauce. We loved that, too. We both enjoyed eating on the outdoor patio. We dined there today, too. The service was still excellent. It's on our regular list for places we enjoy! read more

Our waiter was so kind and funny we loved having him! We came for the Happy Hour on Friday and wanted the prime rib and once we told him we were excited for that he asked if we were all getting the prime rib (party of 8) to which we all replied yes and he said okay let me get those in for you right away before we run out and then I will come back to take your drink orders. We thought this was so kind of him and such great service. The prime rib was huge and I could not finish it all. We also ordered the onion rings and fries and they were both delicious especially with the dips. I'm not a big fan of beer but this was a great place to try and I liked that they rotate their beers every now and then to get different selection so there's always something new to try. Would come here again! read more

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I usually get seated right away and I love sitting on their outdoor patio with my dog. Super spacious and comfortable with a nice view of the neighboring water. The food usually comes out in a timely manner and they have a good selection of daily deals. I usually like getting their personal specialty pizzas. read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Bavarian pretzel and beer cocktail - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

It took forever to get acknowledged to even order a drink at the bar, then the bartender forgot one of them until we asked a different one to get the drink. Then it took forever to even order apps. Once they got to us they were cold. Then when we finally were able to order our food (after having backs turned on us) they all came out separate. We won't be back. read more

3-3.5 stars. It really depends on what you're looking for; if you're looking for a relaxed vibe with reasonably priced beers, Laughing Monk is a solid spot. If you're looking for great craft beers and/or food, this probably isn't the place for you. Laughing Monk takes over the old Faultline Brewery space. I stopped by around 2:30pm on a Monday, and it was busy but not crowded at the time. They had 20 beers on tap, but 6 were tapped out the day I went. I liked that they had a wide variety of beers available, as well as a full bar for the non beer drinkers. Their Happy Hour deals are really good (Monday-Friday, 4-6pm, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=02EW0BAo0A5JO7ugrixYXw&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): $2 off all appetizers, $2 off 10" specialty pizzas. $2 off well cocktails, house wine, and pints Daily Specials Monday Madness: 10% off all appetizers Taco Tuesday: $2 Street Tacos, $7 Margaritas, $5 Chips & Salsa Whiskey Wednesday: $2 off House Whiskey Cocktails Thirsty Thursday: $6 pints all day Prime Rib Friday: $25 Prime Rib Dinner (available after 4pm) Pizza Party Weekend: $12 10" Specialty Pizzas all weekend I had a flight of beers, and all were ok but not great. I would come back to check out their truffle pub curds. Their bartender was awesome, and holding down an entire section on her own! There was plenty of seating inside as well as a huge outdoor patio area. Parking was easy to find since they had a huge lot with plenty of spots. read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Happy Hour Specials - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

We've given Laughing Monk Brewery multiple chances, coming here several times with groups of 8 or more, and every visit has been a headache. They refuse to seat parties larger than 8, which is fine if that's the policy, but the attitude from the staff makes it way worse. Even when we try to just sit at the bar area or split up on our own, they act like we're doing something wrong. The worst part is the rude female bartender who claims to be the manager. She's unfriendly, snappy, and honestly seems annoyed to have customers at all. This last visit was the final straw -- when we told her we'd just leave instead of dealing with it again, she literally waved us off and said "goodbye" with a smile. The food is actually very good, but the service ruins the whole experience. Their IPAs are average at best, and with the kind of attitude we've gotten every single time, we're done trying. There are too many good breweries in the Bay Area to waste time at this one. read more

Really pretty place with good food and great service! Over server Robert was extremely polite and attentive. We ordered the buffalo mac chicken pizza and garlic parm fries. Both were delicious and honestly the 10" pizza was perfect for 2. They have a great vibe inside and out and the windows look out to a little pond with trees. Overall, great food and a great experience. read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Had dinner with a big group. Service was great, and food hit just right and came out in a timely manner. The pizza was really good especially the banh mi lover pizza. Calamari was also really good. The crust was crunchy and super satisfying. It has a big bear diner version of a pub vibe. Would come again! One critique is the Buffalo Mac pizza did not have enough buffalo sauce and banh mi pizza a bit too sweet. read more

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TL;DR A visit to a local haunt with out-of-town guests turned into a frustrating experience, leaving me utterly "PISSED OFF." -- Upon arrival, after an unenthusiastic greeting, I was informed the bar offered full service. I clarified that we preferred a table and didn't mind waiting. What struck me immediately, as we were being seated, was the abundance of empty tables in the main dining hall and even outside. Yet, we were relegated to the back room-- you know the one, the one with terrible acoustics. Seated between two large (and loud) after work groups, and where the dishes were being tossed after they cleared tables ( god forbid one places dishes down gently). I.e.: we couldn't hear ourselves think. It felt like a deliberate punishment for not opting for the bar option. My gut told me the hostess was annoyed by my request for a table. Anyone with a couple of decades under the belt knows what I'm talking about. I hoped to move, but our server was conspicuously absent, walking by without acknowledgment (though looking over their shoulder after passing by). Same server that was flirting with the hostess when I went up to the front. Probably nothing... Around the 15 min mark of just sitting there, the situation escalated. My wife, who rarely voices strong opinions, leaned in and asked if things felt "weird?" Her rare candor confirmed my own unsettling feeling, signaling it was time to leave. It was at that moment, that I am certain we were being penalized for not choosing the bar option. The reason for my being "PISSED OFF" became clear in the car ride to the next restaurant. You see, my wife's use of the word "weird" to describe this experience carries real and actual weight. She is a woman of few words, and each highly curated/calculated. She clarified we should never return, the experience was too outside any norms of behavior/engagement and hence too great a risk for her. So now this brewpub, a place I have enjoyed in the past, is now off-limits. F! I understand the owner sometimes responds to these reviews. If they choose to reply, I'd appreciate a clear explanation of what happened and what steps will be taken to prevent such a systemic failure from recurring in the future. Again, not for me but those peoples of the future that might come in to enjoy a brew and some food...I'm just trying to plant a seed for shade that I'll never see... read more

We have been wanting to try this place for years. We got invited by our daughter on my husband's birthday. We ordered dinners and appetizers . Service was ok but food was very disappointing. Mushroom risotto tasted like it was from a box and tased sour, chicken wings tasted bland. The only good thing was the pretzel which remained soft and chewy throughout the meal. read more

I have been here twice since Laughing Monk took over the old Faultline brewery. The beers are quite good. The service has been a bit slow, but generally good. I think they were understaffed the times I went. I have tried half a dozen things on the menu. The food is a bit mediocre--nothing bad, but you can get most things I tried better many other places nearby. The place is exactly the same as it was 20 years ago which has some nostalgia value. read more

We visited this restaurant as a group of 12.. it's a big and spacious restaurant. We got a large table in the back indoor patio area. It was nice and lively and our waiter Walter was the best! He was very attentive and constantly checked in on us and was funny and a great spirit! We were there for about 4 hours and he was there the whole time taking our crazy orders. :-) great place for large groups and happy hour. read more

I rarely give one star reviews so when I do, it means something. I'd rather each a lunchable or Blaze pizza than the cheap quality pizza they are serving for a ridiculous $16. Lots of parking which makes it easy but the parking lot is quite dark at night with signs everywhere about protecting your valuables to prevent theft. Service was really slow, the lady helping us was forgetful and seemed very rushed. Given the speed at which things happened I think they are understaffed and probably underpaid. The food is really what the one star is for though. I can't believe this pizza in the photo is normally $16 but was $12 on Saturdays. Lunchables taste better! The ingredients just don't taste fresh or even have much flavor. The pepperoni was the most bland pepperoni I've ever had. Jalapeños weren't spicy at allllll. I don't think this is the chef's problem but the corporate's issue of purchasing cheap ingredients. The crust tasted like it came prepackaged and was frozen before this. It legitimately tasted like something that belonged in a school cafeteria. This is a good place for groups with lots of seating and big tables but only if you're planning to drink a lot and not be able to taste how bland the overpriced pizza is. read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Spicy Hawaiian pizza tasted like cheap cafeteria food for the price of a fancy restaurant. - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Came here for a work happy hour before and had a great experience, so I decided to bring some friends yesterday to enjoy some beers and appetizers. We sat at the bar and were shortly greeted after. We're pretty indecisive people, so it takes us a bit to decide on what to order, but our waiter was not friendly at all. Not sure if he was overwhelmed, but we asked him questions about the menu and he seemed annoyed the whole time. I shook it off the first few times he visited our table, but it was a very unpleasant and uncomfortable experience. We ordered the poke tower first and I asked how the spinach and artichoke dip was and actually didn't order it. But both came out and we weren't in the mood to complain. The poke tower was pretty good, but the spinach artichoke dip was bland and came with 6 crostinis (I wish I took a photo because the size of the dip with the crostinis did not match up). Our waiter noticed we had a lot of dip left and 2 crostinis left, so he asked if we wanted more and we said yes (with no mention that it would be extra). Not super happy that he offered to bring us more and wasn't transparent that it would be an extra cost. We left pretty disappointed and I don't think we plan on returning. Total: $71 Tip: There are a few breweries nearby with better service :) read more

Laughing Monk Brewing - Side Crostini is $4 extra - Gastropubs Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Ok so keep in mind I was here for a DJ event so did not have any food, strictly reviewing the bar and venue. There were major problems with the bar. At one point there was a line all the way into the dining area, away from the bar. That was not moving, so we went up to the bar to see what was going on. This still resulted in quite a bit of a wait and we were only behind a couple of people. I think it was a 30-45 minute process. They were not making the specialty mixed drinks from their menu, only beer and easy drinks. That suited us fine. Due to the exorbitant wait time to get drinks, we got two mixed drinks and a shot each. I was really annoyed by the time this situation took away from dancing. The dancing area was a good size and the music was LOUD. Nothing some ear plugs couldn't fix. But since I didn't have any that evening, I had to rely on the drinks to numb me out, and that worked like a charm. The drinks were potent, considering I had just eaten a couple of hours before going. The DJ event itself was great! The space is huge and as people have said, resembles a large cabin. There is a large covered dining area out back, though we went back in quick because people were smoking. I would def go back but maybe start the party on the way if you know what I mean. The bar situation was a real bummer, hopefully it's not the norm. read more

We celebrated my friends Birthday and this place is so yummy and nice! Our server was Walter and he was so great! Really attentive and service was smooth and enjoyable. We will definitely be back! read more

Used to go here regularly when it was Faultline, even thru the slow COVID times in 2020, and food and service were almost always great. Me and a friend have been getting the Laughing Monk rotating Belgian at Eureka regularly for 2 years now, so decided to go the source. They didn't gave a Belgian style on tap, so we settled for Maibock, which was good. However, the service at the bar was pretty much the worst. One bartender never smiled, almost looked upset that we asked for samples. The other (bar manager likely) seemed equally depressed. When my friend asked for water, it was served almost warm/room temperature. When he asked for ice, she said with an almost equally inexpressive face that they didn't have any. No smile, no apologies. "God's Gift" her neck tattoo said, but I beg to differ. How does a bar not have ice? The only saving grace was the other guy behind the bar -- didn't speak English well, but always smiled and fixed our order when the kitchen made a mistake with our wings. Also, wings were puny and mostly all wings and very few drumettes. The chicken tikka pizza was good, but clearly a misnomer of what chicken tikka is supposed to be -- chicken pieces that have been seared in a tandoor/oven. The only reason I even left a 20% tip was because of the one nice bartender, cuz the other two sure didn't deserve a dime. Regardless, I'm not coming back. Seems like this place is only good for large corporate parties. I'd recommend avoiding the bar completely. read more

This place used to be Faultline brewing. We came here Friday around 2:30pm. The host said we can only sit at the bar. Which was fine so it's only us two. Bar wasn't crowded at all. We ordered a pint of hazy ipa and calamari. Didn't realize the jalapeños were $2 extra. We made sure to eat all the jalapeños. It started getting crowded when it was 3-4pm. Fast service. read more

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