Unsuspecting from the outside but full of charm inside. From the old wood bar/tables to the glasses behind the bar, you'll feel welcome. They have cute kettles sprinkles throughout. Seating is first come. Did I mention they have a lot of veggie options and piny the elder on tap? Server was patient with our group of 5. Recommend for a spot with brews n food. read more

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Been to this location a number of times and tried various items from their menu - would give them food-wise a 4. On the other hand, there's a staff member who functions both at the bar and as a server, who has one of the shittiest attitudes working at a restaurant. You know, the one who will flip his bitch-switch because he's having his monthly menstrual cycle when you're there? Yeah, that one. My thing is that if you're working at a place that is in the field of "hospitality" (e.g. restaurant, hotel), your personal problems take a backseat, and you are to provide a pleasant experience to your clientele. I do not care to receive any feeling of hostility because you cannot regulate your emotions because of your problems with whomever you're having a beef with. If you're contemplating whether to patronize this establishment, by all means avoid the person that has straight-ish shoulder length hair and that wears glasses. He has a very bitchy, snide, and condescending attitude that you'd want to avoid. As I said, the food is a 4, but this individual drops the rating for Yelp down to a 1. read more

Service and staff: - Bartenders were nice and answered our questions regarding recommendations - Tables and bar seats available Food and Drinks: - Blood Orange and pomegranate cider: opted to get this despite it being in a can. It was good! - Pickle jar: fun little jar of picked veggies and an egg - Chili cheese fries: these were a unique twist on chili cheese fries. Delicious and filling - Fries: comes with a good amount - tasty Miscellaneous: - Good for small to medium groups. Looks like there's a back private room available for a larger group though as a large group came out of the back and walked past the bar at one point - They have a dinner menu and a "late night snacks" menu that takes effect around 10pm (that's when the chili cheese fries came out) - Parking is available via metered street parking read more

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Came for a party of 5 for an after work drinks. I went with the Ahi Nicoise to go with the great selections of draft beer. Definitely plan to go back. It was a solid spot in Rockridge. read more

The Monk's Kettle - Ahi Nicoise - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

I used to go to the SF location and liked it a lot. This was my first time to the Rockridge location. I'm sorry to say I was disappointed. They have a great selection of beer! I found something right away I was excited about. The food was okay, but not great. The main issue I had was with the service. Our server seemed to loose interest in us after we ordered. I checked the box that we were celebrating a birthday when I made the reservation. We had gifts at the table, so it was hard not to notice. We weren't even offered dessert. I asked for the check after a while when no one came by. We reluctantly left a 20% tip because I find it hard not to do at least that in this economy. When we left we passed our server and she said nothing. read more

The best burger i could find in Oakland, so juicy and tasty. I added bacon and avocado and ask for extra aioli for my garlic fries that are so delicious. I paired with a Cellarnaker Hazy IPA, it was wonderful. Great music, attentive and kind staff. read more

Great food and ambiance at Monk's Kettle. We walked in on Saturday for lunch and sat at the bar. Their covered back patio is also a good option for a dinner. We got the steak frites and breakfast sandwich. Their steak frites were amazing, great sauce and well seasoned fries and the breakfast sandwich was very unique with lamb meat. The food came out pretty fast and they also have a vast beer option to pair with any dishes. I'll be coming back to try the burger sometime soon! read more

The Monk's Kettle - Steak Frites - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Great service, yummy food, and dog friendly back patio! Came for lunch on a Sunday and sat down almost immediately. Cute ambiance for families. Quick service and friendly staff. Pork rinds (chips & dip) were delicious and the guacamole was extra limey which I loved. Butternut squash soup was delicious and cozy. Smash-burger was great. If you are starving get 2 patties tho. 1 was good for me because of the soup but if i hadn't gotten it I would have wanted two patties. Would recommend if you are in Rockridge! read more

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Showed up Saturday night, apparently you need reservations for busy nights( I guess I'm lucky). Mac and cheese was solid, burger was juicy. Steak frites looked ok my Mrs had that. Her garlic fries looked better than my regular fries. They have 20 different beers available, but I gave that up til Easter. Ima say 4.8/5. Great place despite not being able to describe how formal or casual it is. read more

The Monk's Kettle - Monk's Burger - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Only enough sauce for the top layer. Wasted the rest of the food cause too dry It was a lot of food tho read more

The Monk's Kettle - So so. Would get it again. Only enough sauce to top layer. - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Came here for the first time with two kiddos and the husband. Ordered steak for myself and the kids and we weren't given steak knives to cut with. Asked for an extra side of ranch with the steak knives and our server (Sarah H?) was a little snarky about bringing the knife without the ranch when I asked about it (kids don't like sharing sauces). Said she had the knives right there and hasn't been to the kitchen yet. I also saw her check in with other tables around us if everything was okay and she skipped us. As another reviewer said, this place calculated tip based on the total taxed amount which is not cool. The beer selection is good here and I like that you can get a 5oz kids meal with steak but not sure about the snarky service and tip calculating practice. Server also said the kids meal steak couldn't be done except well done ... luckily they brought out both steaks medium rare. The chicken sandwich was good - nice side salad. Requested the steak frites order to have the fries come on the side because another reviewer said it's better this way and am glad I ordered them on the side so the fries weren't as soggy. The pretzel rolls with cheese and mustard and the beets were probably my favorite. Bill came out to $110 before tip. read more

The Monk's Kettle - Pretzel Rolls, kids steak frites, regular steak frites with garlic fries on the side, and Bricked Chicken Sandwich - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Had a lovely time at The Monk's Kettle. They made a really solid burger, and the staff were very friendly. The ambiance was perfect, too - we got a nice spot out on the patio. Would return! read more

Somewhere in the back of my mind, the old SF location of this spot had the BEST burger I've ever eaten. This location did not have that burger. Burger was decent. Bun tasted stale but fries were yummy and service was exceptional. Cool local spot with lots of beers on tap. Would go back to try other items on the menu. Lots of seating inside. read more

Solid gastro pub in the cozy Rockridge neighborhood. Menu is small, but the signature Steak Frites was an easy choice (make sure to order your fries extra crispy -- the dish is JUICY!). Ordered the charred octopus on the recommendation of the waitress, and it was an excellent suggestion. The octopus was tender and full of flavor. The waitstaff was attentive, if a bit overeager, but it's awesome to have a place like this open late. I'm sure their burger or chicken sandwich would be perfect after a night out. read more

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My old review was for the old location in SF. I've had a better experience at the new location than my last visit, many years ago, at the old Mission one. It's not cheap but I like the burger & fries, which is pretty consistent. It's still a notch down from the burger the old location used to make many years ago, before it went downhill. I also wish we could specify the cheese type. I didn't care for the Ahi Nicoise, which I found to be too salty. I won't order it again. A friend loved the lamb shank. I would like to see some specials like meatloaf or bangers & mash, and more variety with the apps like brussel sprouts. The beer selection is really good. read more

Joined friend for casual lunch and chose patio seating. It's outdoors but feels like extra storage space given corrugated walls and dense shade screen. Our server was friendly but one single menu modification was overlooked. A bricked chicken sandwich pretty ordinary and friends' mushroom toast a small serving. We did not order beer, which other reviewer finds special. With wine our tab plus tip over $85. Monks Kettle was just ok read more

strange vibes inside here. i walked in and a bunch of white people just turned and stared. no one greeted. then i walked to the patio and was asked if i would buy dinner, was turned down from a table i wanted even though the entire patio was empty besides two people. felt like some bankers / boys club except gastro pub vibes. i took my ass down the street to chocolate dragon and had a normal experience read more

A hesitant five stars from me. The good: Food was well plated and tasty. Despite being full, it did not feel crowded. If you're looking for fine dining with both tables and bar it brought that and felt both classy and casual. The bad: Pricy enough that I would not go here on a 'regular' night but not really nice enough to be an extra night out. Staff didn't refill our water and the bill did that suggested 20% tip thing when we were a small party of three. 20 minute wait for a table. Despite that^^ I think it earns its five and a recommendation. read more

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While I wasn't particularly impressed with the food here, I was blown away by the beer menu. I took an embarrassingly long time to decide on a beer, but when I finally did, it did not disappoint. Got a Belgian Dark Strong called Abt 12 and loved it. They have a huge and diverse menu, something for everyone. Also, the server and hostess (who maybe was the owner) were beyond welcoming and friendly, making for a wonderful evening. read more

The Monk's Kettle - Incredible Belgian Strong Dark called Abt 12 - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Went to Rockridge for some walking around and browsing/shopping but needed a snack and didn't realize The Monk's Kettle was now in Oakland. I have been to the San Francisco location and remembered they had a great beer selection, but was doubly excited for the food! I got a Vienna lager from Urban Roots and we shared the burger (which you could tweak to be an impossible burger) and it came with fries, soup, or Kale salad. We had it with the potato leek and all of it was delicious. The space was styled nicely and they have a large outdoor space in the back. Service was quick and helpful, and we were checked in with often for more water, if we wanted anything else, and for the check. Would recommend, especially if you love beer! read more

The Monk's Kettle - On tap beer menu - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

It's really nice but so small the roar of the large tables overwhelmed a table for 2. Small menu but good food and beer. Dinged 1 star for calculating the tip on tax. Use your calculator instead. read more

We walked past this place as they were freshly painting the establishment's sign. It's a relatively new establishment, but not a new business. We took a quick peek at the menu and decided that we'd have to come back. We were in the mood for breakfast/brunch, and the (current) menu is pretty solidly in the lunch and dinner neck of the woods. The following week we decided to check it out for dinner. Reservations (currently via OpenTable) are highly recommended, but we were fortunate enough that the hostess was able to accomodate us at the bar even as walk-ins. This place is one of the most home-y and welcoming establishments we've seen in years. Every single person we encountered working there - from the busser to the owner - were absolutely pleasant and joyful. Service was fabulous, and the food was tasty. The menu is meant to be (and is!) delicious, but simple and unpretentious. It was so good on so many levels that we came back for lunch the next day. Again, it would have been lovely if they offered more brunch-like offerings (and could even have some strong competition for some of the breakfast places nearby), but we ended up with a veggie burger and the veggie sandwich. This time we sat outside on the back patio, which was woody and cozy, and again, we felt like we were among friends. This is our new favourite neighborhood haunt, and we'll be back - again and again. Oh, word to the wise - if you order the pretzel roll(s), do yourself a favor, and get two. It's a better deal, and if you only get one, it'll be gone before you know it, and you'll be jonesing for a second. read more

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Cute little gastropub on College! I went around 7pm and the place was pretty popular! It was dark and moody in the best way possible. I got the pickles, mushroom toast, and octopus for appetizers. The octopus incredible! Tender and flavorful, swimming in this incredible light bean broth. I was definitely scraping the bottom of the plate. For the main I got the steak frites, the fries were very garlicky, I love garlic so I couldn't get enough! The steak was cooked perfectly and ridiculously tender. Service was wonderful, they were all very attentive. The beer and wine list was impressive. Great place, I will be back! read more

The Monk's Kettle was a great find while we were out exploring the area and decided to stop in for lunch. The place immediately stood out with its cool, relaxed vibe and welcoming feel. The food was really good and hit the spot. We ordered the mac n' cheese and the black bean burger, and both were excellent. The mac n' cheese was rich, comforting, and flavorful, and the black bean burger was one of the better ones I've had, well seasoned and satisfying. The beer selection is also a big highlight. There's a solid variety to choose from, making it a great spot whether you're a craft beer fan or just looking to enjoy a good drink with your meal. The atmosphere makes it easy to hang out and enjoy your time without feeling rushed. It feels like a place that works just as well for a casual lunch as it does for a longer visit. Cool place, great food, and an excellent beer selection. I'd highly recommend stopping in, especially if you're in the area and looking for a relaxed, quality lunch spot read more

So excited they are open in Rockridge. I'm not sure but I don't recall the menu in SF being so good! I waffled between all the salads, even considering a sandwich! I rarely do a sandwich. But everything looks good. The three of us settled for two Salad Niçoise and a Smash burger. Grabbed a few beers and shared some hop fries. Didn't get a burger review but the salad was excellent. The fish pieces were generous and dressing very good! The fries don't need extra salt, love that! We sat in the back heated and covered patio. There's a lot more seating than the front suggests. There's two bathrooms. The left one is tiny, just. FYI. Excited to go back for the mushroom toast, Caesar and Greek salads and of course, their delicious beer selections! read more

The Monk's Kettle - Salad Niçoise - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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I had an excellent sandwich here. And I loved the large selection of beer. Bricked Chicken: 5/5. The chicken was cooked perfectly. And the other ingredients (chinese mustard mayo, kazu cucumber relish, gochujang hot oil, slaw, burger bun)_ made for a perfect sando. Well done! read more

Welcoming space with an extensive beer selection. They didn't ask how we wanted our burgers cooked and one of them showed up extremely rare. Just know going in to state your preference. The quality of the ingredients was top-notch. I upgraded from the housemade chips to fries (+$5) but after tasting the chips, I'll go with those in the future. I also upgraded to add avocado and the avocado was just perfect and added a lot to the burger. While we were there, quite a few people walked in and ordered food to go and had a beer while they waited. Not a bad way to go! read more

The Monk's Kettle - Great burger! - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

New location, new flavor I visited the new location. It was somewhat of a disappointment. The alcohol menu, specifically the beer list, is much shorter than the Mission location. They didn't have my partner's favorite beer. We ordered the steak frites and curry plate. The curry plate lacked purple sweet potatoes which is why I ordered the dish. The steak was chewy and had a good flavor. It's not a shareable portion size. The pretzel roll was fantastic but how hard is it to mess up a pretzel with beer cheese. The vibe is low key and super quiet. It was not busy and there was no wait. I prefer the Mission location but that's no longer option! read more

Service is amazing and the food is amazing! This used to be my partner and I's favorite date night spot. We wish we lived closer!!!

As expected, amazing beer selection! And the food was pretty good too! We came during SF Beer Week and they had a ton of interesting sour beers on the menu. They also had a cookie & beer pairing (3 options) -- we did one (they were a bit pricey each), but it was a super good and unique macadamia nut cookie with sage & brown butter icing, paired with a strong and tasty imperial golden beer. The mac & cheese with bacon, pretzel roll with cheese sauce, potato & leek soup, and chicken sandwich and fries were all quite tasty, decent sized portions, and had great flavors. The grilled octopus had a nice flavor but was a little mushy, which wasn't great. The service was not great as we had to wait really long times for water refills and the bill. Plus the cookie from our pairing came out 10 minutes before the beer did, which was pretty annoying. Still, great food & drink make up for that quite a bit. read more

Everything was perfect. Mac n cheese and Eggplant "massaka" absolutely smacked. Great tunes and lighting. Service was great. Will absolutely be back! read more

I like supporting local spots in Oakland, but we came in at about 6:30 with no reservations and got the weirdest attitude of annoyance towards us when we told the host we didn't have reservations. After going through that, we said sitting at the bar would be fine and we did. Then when I wasn't sure what beer to get I got grilled with questions like I was an idiot about beers when I said I'd like a light beer maybe a pale ale. Most places in the neighborhood give suggestions of what they have on their menu, not questions like you're an idiot. The experience was not a good one and we've moved on from this place. read more

Found this place when looking for a place serving good quality late-ish night food...harder to find than it seems. We ordered the vegetarian moussaka (used Impossible), mushroom toast with burrata, and a cookie plate (three different types...warm out of the oven). All were excellent and I look forward to trying other items on the menu. Happy they stay open later than other places. read more

The Monk's Kettle - Mushroom toast with burrata - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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I'm so confused by this place. Maybe just because they're new but I've had wildly different takeout experiences each time. First order was great - hot, fresh, tasty, ready for me at the front counter. The host grabbed some utensils for me. Fantastic. Second order - good food, but weird service. I waited up front for 5 mins, host was in the back but two other staff stared at me while not saying anything. Kind of rude, a hello welcome would go a long way. I also wish the double order of rolls came with double the sauce, because otherwise you have to pay for extra. Third order- weird. The staff member was friendly but had me sign a receipt (not done before) with an option for tip, even though I'd already tipped online. I asked for utensils and they said they don't have them. Odd because I got them last week, and also why would you not offer utensils for takeout orders?! Also no napkins included. The pretzel rolls were not at all hot (even though I arrived before ETA) and they tasted quite stale. Sad :( read more

Disappointing. The beer pours average $8.50. A glass of wine, including the two on tap, is $15-16. Unreasonable. The burger is too soft and too wet. They said it came medium and it was pink all the way through. The fries were basic. Nothing special, nothing compelling. Poor ambiance during my visit. Boisterous and obnoxious employees in a quiet room. The imported beer menu is excellent. read more

Monk's Kettle is a great little mission neighborhood bar! They have a HUGE beer menu. In my opinion the food is just alright, but the beer selection and cute outdoor patio make it great. Friendly staff. I love a sour beer and they have plenty to choose from! Interesting that they serve them from a wine glass, but delicious nonetheless. I've dined in and ordered takeout, so I've tried a few of their food items. My personal favorite is the Soft Pretzel. Each pretzel comes with a really good beer cheese and spicy mustard. The other items I've tried have just been okay. The Monks Burger, Fried Chicken Sandwich, Mixed Greens Salad and Fries. read more

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Went here with some friends for an early dinner. As expected, we were in-between services, so we did not encounter a crowd. Service was friendly and quick. We all went with the burger and nobody was disappointed. Cooked as requested and accompanied by a generous order of french fries. The beer selection here is vast, so you can satisfy your thirst and taste. I'd like to come back when this place has more business, but for a quiet conversation with friends in the late afternoon, the food and ambiance of this gastro pub was perfect. read more

Great New Spot, but Missing the Old Favorites We lived just two blocks away from The Monk's Kettle in the Mission and were regulars there, so we were sad to see it close earlier this year. Coincidentally, we moved to the East Bay just a couple of months after they closed the Mission location, so we were excited to see them reopen in Rockridge and finally made it in for dinner. The new spot has a similar cozy vibe but was packed, which is great to see. It feels like they've found a better fit here with a more family-friendly crowd and a great location. The back patio looks charming--we sat at the bar this time but will definitely try it next time. As for the food, it was solid but didn't fully capture the magic of the Mission menu. I got the bricked chicken sandwich, which was flavorful and had some of the familiar tastes we loved, but I really miss the fried chicken sandwich from the old location. My girlfriend had the Monk's Burger, which tasted just as good as we remembered. The fries, though, were a bit disappointing. These are denser, skinny fries--likely the same as their Terra Linda location--and don't compare to the amazing Kennebec hop salt fries they had in SF. The bartender explained their fryer situation is smaller here, which might explain the change, but we really miss those fries. It's great to see them thriving in this new home, and we'll definitely be back. Still holding out hope that the fried chicken sandwich and those perfect fries might make a comeback someday! read more

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I went to The Monks Kettle around 3:30 on Monday 27 January 2025. I must say apart from excellent service and ambiance shortly after I arrived at home and in the evening I. got food poisoning. I think it was from my chicken sandwich. I noticed the bun was not filled with pieces of freshly cut chicken meet, but instead filled with a square or rather rectangular slab of pre processed chicken meat. I was throwing up the entire night. read more

Delicious, inventive gastro food. Has a terrific burger. Service was attentive. Ambiance is super casual. Don't expect a full bar-beer and wine only. read more

The Monk's Kettle - Monks Burger with aioli, sweet onion jam,cheese and pickles. - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California