Sweetwater Music Hall

Great place to see Live music! Nice venue not too dark. Feels like you are up close to the band. All the staff were friendly and nice. Casual and fun with a bit of nostalgia. I expected Steve Nicks to walk through the back door at any minute. We saw St. Splendor and they were amazing musicians. Kate can really sing and they have fun energy!

What a great place to see a rockin dance band. I can’t believe I had never been there before, but I was very impressed by the sound the big old dance floor and pretty much everything. I saw Zepparella there and I would go back to see anybody that had me out on the dance floor. There are not seats for everyone so if you want a seat, you have to get there early.

Great venue! Cafe outside music hall and full bar inside... They choose great bands to host. I always enjoy Sweetwater and have been going for years!

Our wedding reception (hosted here) was absolutely epic! The entire experience at Sweetwater exceeded all our expectations, and we couldn't be happier with how everything turned out. The staff were exceptional--professional, attentive, and so genuinely fun. The service was impeccable, and they made sure that every detail was handled with care and efficiency. We felt incredibly supported throughout the entire event. The food was truly delicious! Our guests were raving about how good everything was. We had fun putting the menu together, we appreciated the suggestions. It all came together amazingly. The vibe was on point! The lighting on stage during performances was perfect--creating a magical atmosphere that complemented our theme beautifully. The way everything was set up was just right and made the evening so special. We especially appreciated being able party late - the fact that we could stay until 1am was very unique for a wedding venue. It made for an extended night of celebration and joy that we will cherish forever. The planning process was smooth and enjoyable. The team's dedication and attention to detail were evident in every aspect of the evening, and we couldn't have asked for a better venue to host our wedding reception.

The music is awesome. Sweetwater has some great bands, and appreciative crowds. The hall is just the right size, the music sounds great from wherever you are. We also had an early dinner at Rock N Rye restaurant which was also very good

Lovely small venue. Great, intimate setting and the sound system was just perfect for the space. So many venues seems to have too much PA for the space and for me at least, that gets unpleasant. This was a perfect cap to a weekend trip to the SF area. Thank you Sweetwater.

Good food, great music, great sound system

What a spot! It’s intimate, right downtown Mill Valley, great acoustics, great drinks. Not overly packed, even on a sold out night. What a treat to find this spot. Can’t wait to go back!

Sweetwater Music Hall is a legendary music venue, from 1972 in Mill Valley, California. This place has invited many artists to perform musics from all genres in the San Francisco Bay Area. It's a non profit art organization which promotes easy access to music to everyone! The hall is old but vibrant, intimate, indoor, with the perfect musical experience and sound. There are a few seating areas but its best spot is standing by the stage. The best part is the Rock &Rye SweetWater restaurant, right next door where you can grab your favorite food and drinks before the concert. There's also another bar at the music hall. Everyone works here is friendly and nice. There's plenty of street parking around the venue. Don't dress too much as you will get hot when you start hearing your favorite band and dancing! Are you ready for a music event? SweetWater Music Hall is your perfect venue! Enjoy!

people going here to ostensibly hear a band never shut the f up! so. much. freaking. talking. if you want to hear a band, this is not the place to go. also, for whatever reason, people in the club area have no sense of personal space and will stand directly on top of you, bump into you repeatedly until you move, swoop in and grab you to do-si-do unprompted (even if it's obvious you are in the ADA area!) Loved the old Sweetwater, and Mill Valley is cute, and the bartenders make a mean cocktail, but this is honestly not a good place to try to hear your favorite band play.

Pleasant venue, basic box with bar in back stage up front, bar crowd makes way too much noise to fully enjoy the music. Very limited seating, limited crowd size makes it possible to find enough space and not feel crammed together. When the music is at proper levels the acoustics are OK, however most bands are too loud and sound gets muddy.

2/20/2023: The Sweetwater Music Hall is literally across the street from Mill Valley Market and the public parking lot; from 1980 until, the mid-2000, I used to photograph so many international musicians performing on the weekends. Ironically, I never visited Sweetwater during the day in all the years I worked as a Concert Still Photographer; during the day visiting Mill Valley for my 68TH birthday, I couldn't fathom the entire property was eerily, strangely quiet! Whoa~I was emphatically aghast wondering if, Sweetwater is the SAME Sweetwater I photographed so many musicians~LOL!

What an awesome venue for dinner and a concert. This is the real deal and they get an amazing lineup of musicians. Crowds are limited so there is space to enjoy, get a drink at the bar etc. Definitely a top spot in the Bay Area and with Terrapin currently closed the only game in Marin!

We had tickets for a benefit concert and paid the premium meet and greet before the show. There was a buffet with delicious sliders and salads. The host joined us in the concert hall and signed autographs. In short, the meet and greet was great fun. The show started with an all-star band and, for the next three hours, we were treated to a parade of special guests. The music hall's sound system and out front sound person were up to the challenge of providing excellent sound the entire night. The only negative is that, at least for this show, Sweetwater Music Hall is a standing venue. There is very little seating available. Three hours is a long time to be standing.

Staff was incredibly rude to me and my friends. We went for a concert, which was all ages but had different colored wristbands for 0-20 (yellow) and 21+ (green). I'd seen the man at the door giving green wristbands to the group in front of us and then he automatically put yellow on me. I knew what it was for and told him I was 22, he responded that he didn't believe me and I insisted again that I was 22. I eventually did get the green wristband but ID should have been asked for in the first place and he shouldn't have been rude when I corrected him. My friends and I didn't get drinks anyway so we were some of the best behaved people at the event, yet staff acted like us walking around was a huge inconvenience. We all heard them making comments as we walked by. We were staying to ourselves, just needed to get around, and apparently that was an inconvenience to them. But the sloppy drunk middle aged people weren't a problem at all... This wasn't everyone working at the venue, but a handful.

Wonderful venue for cocktails and music. Had a great time enjoying the show. Shana Morrison (hometown girl) was terrific. Arnold Schwarzenegger said, "I'll be back".

Food over priced and no flavor. I never use salt but for the burger I ordered medium well came back almost rare.

Really like how they are always updating the menu! Also, love how the Sweetwater is going strong in providing live music in little ol' Mill Valley. Love the Black Lager, definitely my favorite brew on tap.

Great musical venue!... Greg Koch was "off the charts "... Nice outdoor patio, ordered a few appetizers, steak bites and polenta fries!... Perfect for a quick and light bite! Sweetwater is a great and intimate venue to watch live music!... Definitely will return!

Having attended Moonalice the night prior I had forgotten my debit card at the bar, completely my fault and a mistake on my part. I showed about an hour prior to open the next day hoping to retrieve the card. The place while not yet open, was packed with people preparing for a party later that night. Walking up to the bar I inquire about my card to a gentlemen I heard others call "John". I asked John if he could help me get my card. His reply "I just got here" threw his hands up in the air and proceeded to shake his head at me. I then asked if there was someone who could help me. "Find a host" he said pointing towards the front. Walking around the venue for about 10 minutes looking for help, he proceeded to just make chit chat with patrons standing around. Great venue but this guy was in his mid 40's and acted like an entitled teenager. Terrible customer service and has me rethinking attending more shows here in the future. Never did retrieve my debit card, ended up leaving without it. All the while John discussed the finer points of bad customer service with seemingly more important people.

Always a good time here. They were very diligent in checking Covid cards AND ID's so I felt a bit more secure in being inside with a bunch of random people. Great dance floor size. Great selection of beverages at the bar. Get there early if you want a seat and beware people will put their drinks and such on 'your' table.

Paid to attend show but no seating available. Had to stand entire two hours. Able to purchase coffee to drink from restaurant next door which was worthwhile. Will attend additional show next week as friend is performing.

We had a brilliant time @Sweetwater Music hall. Nice quaint venue with a wonderful sound. We saw two bands that we LOVE who happened to be playing there together. The Uninvited & Young Dubliners. Drink prices were reasonable as were the show tickets. We ate at the attached restaurant Rock-n- Rye which I will review separately. Suffice to say it was very good very convenient & excellent service.

We had a huge party/wedding here and it was amazing! Staff were easy to work with and the event was memorable. Food was amazing and the location was perfect!! Thank you.

Great food, music,and beers! Small venues does not get better! Worth the visit, The food has changed for the better

Met some new friends today, Hannah awesome server and kickass Joe at the bar. Always a fun time at sweetwater with music and the bad ass workers. Much love! Restaurant industry.

Rude, arrogant and incompetent staff. Expensive and watered down drinks. Poor sound quality.

Lovely food. Friendly, relaxing. The most attentive and engaged service we've had in a long time! Loved it. Top notch Burger, coconut fish stew, polenta fries and the best tomato salad ever. Very pleasant indeed. On the return to eat in future list.

Happy 2023, you can't have it all, except if you stop by. ( music,food,drinks,coffee,ac,heaters,indoors,outdoors ). Fresh local sustainable food. Friendly service. Great awesome ambiance Support local business.

The sound the night I went to see a show was so off and crazy load. Many folks left the show. Kept thinking someone would correct it but it did not happen Miss the old Sweetwater....tables and chairs throughout, giving you intimate comfortable place to enjoy music. Now there are very few places to sit while see a show....if you do don't mind standing for the show, great..if you need to or want to sit down ..better get there early to grab one of the few spots.

Fantastic live music venue featuring many world class acts, (and many clearly on their way there)... as a bonus, you will also find surprisingly good food and a wonderful patio.

I wanted to do an event here. I tried several times, in several ways, to reach them. They never got back to me. This makes no sense. Don't they want my business?

The front of the restaurant area was covered and maybe table changes, but pretty much the same. Food was good and the service was great!

Great music venue. Good food, good service and great music. A good time is had by all.

Wonderful venue! Loved the show, bar, sound, space and even restroom was good. Only reason for four not five stars is it's a little more difficult to share/give ticket to someone else after purchase. You have to give a copy of your i.d. And write a note - not really an electronic way to transfer it. Other than that inconvenience with their ticket system, this place is awesome.

Mill Valley has changed so much...but Sweetwater will always feel the same to me. Great food and beer. Great music always. I suppose nothing can ever stay the same but we will always come back to the Sweetwater.

They've been through alot of changes, but they're still standing when many clubs have gone under. Over the years, they've settled into a nice neighborhood vibe with some national acts coming through. The staff seem happy to be working there, and are invariably polite and friendly. Great sound and lots of interesting music choices. It's expensive, but that's a fact of life in Mill Valley.

Been many times to Sweetwater but this was different. Went fir a music school concert and actually had tome to sit and enjoy some nibbles. Our servers were soooo nice and accommodating. Especially "Averafe" Joe. Apparently there are three Joes working there. He claimed himself as the middle or average Joe. Nothing average. Super sweet guy. Thanks! The fries just perfect. The shrimp Louis fresh but a tad lacking in flavor. I asked for lemon amd extra dressing. Could use horseradish. But still good. What didn't work out that evening is we were there to watch one particular performer. And of course he was first. They didn't have enough people to get the line moving quickly enough and we missed two of three of his songs. We waited in like for at least 30 mins despite having purchased a ticket. Likely checking vaccination cards slowed it down but wished they were prepared for that. I feel for the parents that missed their children's performances. The kids did a stellar job.

What can I say, Sweetwater's menu was enticing enough but the flavors were right on point! We had the Nikkei Tiradito and the deviled eggs as well as an order of oysters to start with a glass of rose and the Sweetwater's Rock and Rye. We followed that with the seafood gumbo and the buttermilk chicken cutlet with Mexican corn salad, both dishes were delicious and full of flavor, just the right portions as well. We finished with the summer berry pavlova and the creme caramel with caramelized pineapple. The atmosphere, the service, the delivery and upkeep of the food and table were all on point! We will be back! We want to try the rest of the dishes and enjoy a gig afterwards! Well done chef!!

I have always loved their food but it was so limited- those bodied little sliders on a plate too big for the 2 of whatever you ordered. I always forget about coming here. And now the menu is much more flushed out! 7-8 salads, 7-8 Sandwiches and 5-6 Mains, 5-6 starters. The back of the menu is Drinks Galore. First off we ate inside cause we were cold- the sun has just come out/ but it's cold. We ordered London Fogs and we joked they were googling it- which they did and asked if they hit the mark. Yes! They make their own Vanilla Syrup by chance We got some special Tater Tots , the Warm Chicken Salad and The Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich. It was ALL so delicious!! And so many more choices we'd like to come back for. I was torn between 4 and 5 starts but this local place is Mill Valley's gem- albeit not in its original incarnation but they always have great music come through and the games on if it's that time of year. *At the bar there is gear for purchase and a very sweet Tee you must snag!!

This place has great potential and lots of room for improvement. Have never eaten here so can't speak to that...Last night was my second visit, the first also being for a favorite band that we are so lucky to have locally and in such an intimate venue. My first visit left me feeling like there was a lack of diversity in the crowd (my friend and I were the only POC and probably the only ones under the age of 65) and a lack of appreciation for the music, as we were the only ones dancing. To Rebirth, a New Orleans Brass band? Come on Mill Valley . The tickets were expensive and the sound guy took all night to get it straight. The band was playing one of two shows that night so it felt as if they were reserving their performance energy for the later show (not the fault of the venue but they could not book two shows in one night maybe) so I would definitely choose the later show next time. Second visit, the website to buy tickets was extremely frustrating and not user friendly, it took me about 6 tries to figure out how to get around the glitches and get tickets. We arrived at the door and a blue haired teenager asked for our proof of vaccination, when we produced them she said " oh we also need proof of your second and third vaccines and your second and third booster". Um. What? If it had said anything like that on the website (I would have noticed after my 6th try) I would not have purchased tickets. They were about to not let us in. I explained that our boosters were not noted on our cards and she said "ok but next time you need all of that to come in". Probably a good idea to leave that in a disclaimer when people are paying $30 per person to see a two hour music event. The band was great as usual but the sound was awful and again it took all night for the sound guy to get it right. I ordered the same drink from two different bartenders and they were completely different. Again I felt that the crowd lacked any diversity and the band was distracted by the sound issues. Fixing these few issues would make this place a really great experience.

I recently came here to tech for a gig. From my hurried entrance fo find a bathroom to the after hours of a long night, I felt welcomed and grateful to meet the staff. The crew there is genuine in their service and works hard to run the venue. The food there was solid, I only got a cheeseburger and didn't get to experience the full menu. But needless to say, they cooked a burger medium when I asked for it. It had a unique seasoning that compliment the burger. I'll write an updated review on food next time I visit. The crowd: an average of 30-40s with a old school vibe. Many were laid back and brought great energy. There were some typical heavy drinkers but that's common in a venue like this. Can't wait to come back next time, thank you to the staff for being friendly and hosting so kindly.

This is still the best place to catch live music + drinks in southern Marin. I came back here recently for a New Orleans-style brass band concert. SO much fun! Although it was a packed house, the acoustics were great, and there was even some room on the dance floor to bust a move. There's never a long line to get into the club (so long as you purchase tix in advance). Most shows are reasonably priced ($25-$40 range, depending on the band). And although it can get crowded inside, I usually never have to wait to long to buy a drink. It's always a lively, local scene. A funky mix of yuppies, hippies, and hipsters. But once the band hits the stage, the music unites all walks of life. I also enjoy coming here on weekends for an espresso. They have a nice patio area for sipping/nibbling/people-watching. If you live in the area (or find yourself passing through), make it a point to visit the Sweetwater. It's a Marin County institution.

Ok I just went there to have a glass of wine in their restaurant area and noticed to doors that people were entering so my friend and I entered and we were welcomed by a very very rude gentleman that yelled in our face WHERE IS YOUR WRISTBANDS!!!!! As I was trying to answer he pushed my friend and I out another door and got in my face and said " I SAID WHERE IS YOUR WRISTBAND YOU HEARD WHAT I SAID GET OUT!" Sorry dude I'm not trying to sneak in a $10 show we just had dinner at Playa and want a night cap. WOW WHAT AN ASSHOLE! All you had to say nicely "Do you have a wristband? Oh you don't? Please go up to the front desk and purchase a wristband" I would have said ok no problem thank you. Don't get in my face like I'm a teenager sneaking in. Maybe practice kindness instead of assuming everyone is out to get over! Adult to adult be a nice human being thanks! Go to Bungalow 44 for a cocktail they treat people kindly.

We came here for a concert and also had a meal here beforehand. 4 stars for the venue, 3 stars for the cafe equals out to 4 stars total. Sweetwater is a former Mason Hall. There's outdoor seating for the cafe, which I would recommend as there are just 5 tables and a long booth. The small table for two we shared inside kept getting bumped by staff and clients alike. We ordered a burger with fries and an appetizer of fried mac 'n cheese balls. The burger was almost raw in the middle, and the fries were cheap shoestring. Definitely not worth $17. The appetizer was OK; it lacked salt, the cheese was unappealing. The waiter seemed a bit overwhelmed and asked us if we got our food - he brought it to us - then didn't check on us before dropping off the check. The concert hall is really small. It holds just a couple hundred people and the seating is along one wall. We drove down from Seattle so we got our butts in line early. You have to stand outside with the line down the sidewalk to then check-in with a lady at a trunk case standing outside vs. an actual ticket booth who looks at a printout and your ID to verify your online ticket purchase before you walk into the venue. A barmaid came around and took our drink orders and offered to open a tab for us. The sound was all right for the concert. The band had to key to the sound guy to fix the issues which were a handful in the first few songs. Parking is horrible in this area. It's street parking only and there's not much of it.

How can you go wrong with a venue that has stood the test of time, is owned by one of the former band members from Grateful Dead (Bob Weir), and is in a such a cute town like Mill Valley? Free parking after 6, plenty of food around to nab a bite, and overall good vibes. The show I saw on Saturday provided one of the best live crowds I've been part of in a very long time. No one pushed around to get right where you are standing, people were respectful of space and friendly. The venue is small, maybe 500 peeps can enjoy the show with you? But boy does it pack a punch! Stage is low to the ground so you are up close and personal if in the front row. Drinks are reasonably priced. It cost me $30 (with tip) for 3 mix drinks and a beer. It was like Christmas to pay prices like that at a live show! Sound quality is fantastic, vibes are excellent, bathrooms clean, and people friendly. You really can't go wrong here.

My spouse and I recently had an excellent Sunday brunch on Rock & Rye's appealingly designed patio. This was our first visit here and because we had such an enjoyable experience we plan to make more visit here to try additional items on the menu. The staff is fantastically welcoming, friendly, knowledgeable, upbeat and a pleasure to interact with. We wish other dining venues had such great servers as the one we had, whose name is Tomas. We both selected egg scrambles with chorizo and avocado (can't recall the actual item name) accompanied by Tequila Boody Marys, which perfectly complimented one another. We highly recommend the Rock & Rye!

Parking is a HUGE problem. This area doesn't not have great parking, no garage or lot where you can park for the day or even more than just two hours. Everything is street parking 2 hour max. It's very inconvenient and frustrating. Don't know that I will come to this venue again unless the city fixes the parking issue.

I think I went to the restaurant on the wrong day, given that so many others had a good experience there. Mine was well below average. My cocktail, I think it was the spicy margarita, tasted like it was made days ago and the citrus started changing flavor. When I ordered extra limes (to improve it) I got a few slices that were clearly oxidized on the edges and made the drink taste even worse. Appetizers were passable but nothing to talk about: the cevice was ok but weirdly sent without any chips, the shishitos were okay, but I counted 10 little peppers for the portion, very much on the very small side. The real disappointment was about the entrées: I ordered the grits with forest mushrooms. To my astonishment I got a dish of a very soupy and totally flavorless rice in a cream sauce, almost like a risotto but without the broth. When I asked the waiter to check in with the kitchen they told him that they ran out of grits two days ago and were ''experimenting'. My companion ordered the Brazilian collard greens, which again were disappointing (I am Brazilian). I understand this is a new place, new chef, and I even brought all these issues up with the waiter. Hopefully this might help them pay a little more close attention to the food.

This was such a good find. My brother and I got tickets to see Brian Fallon on a Friday night and arrived to find easy parking, a great patio, and an intimate affair. Yes, like the other reviews say, you're going to be standing to watch the show, but don't expect it to be jam-packed like the Fillmore or other places in the city when you're standing to watch your favorite artists. This place has a solid bar inside the actual venue, and it has a restaurant and bar outside of the venue (it's connected). You can even order things to go, but be warned, there's only one waiter working the entire inside and outside of the restaurant, so you're probably better off getting something to go. Hey, you can also watch Warriors games here. Couldn't really ask for much more. By the way, you're close enough to touch the performers, not that you should...The only downside? It's in Mill Valley. Parking is super easy, and cocktails are strong. Have fun. You'll thank me later.

I would knock a star off for the prices being excessive but it is Marin county and the part of Mill Valley that it's in is extremely nice. Also the music scene at Sweetwater is top notch and the staff are all very attentive to the patrons even if you aren't buying food and drink. If you have a ticket to the show you are very welcomed. Seeing Bobby's brother there nightly creeping on anything female that will give him eye contact is almost a guaranteed and he doesn't care if it's your wife so be prepared to hold in your jealousy because he will stare at your wife with you right there. Take it as a compliment to her beauty and don't get butt hurt and give her a reason to go in the back room with him. It's a pretty green friendly place but outside only unless you have a pen. The place holds less than 300 people and has insanely good acoustics and the floor is made for dancing.

Probably the worst experience I've ever had at a music venue. I get every facility has different policies due to COVID, my problem was with the staff at the front checking people into the event on Saturday 8/6. Me and my whole family bought tickets, and some weren't aware you have to have a booster or take a negative COVID test on-site to get in the event. When we called ahead, they said we COULD NOT bring our own rapid test from home and we had to buy theirs on-site for $10. Once we got there; they had already ran out of rapid tests to sell. Many people who came prepared to buy a test, and already bought tickets, had to be turned away and could not get in. Including some of my family members. And the older woman at the front was the absolute worst. No professionalism, no etiquette, and tremendously rude. Did not care about our experience at all and was not helpful in anyway. She told us we could have brought our own rapid tests from home to take on-site, like we were stupid. We informed her when we called ahead, they said we were not allowed to bring our own. The venue is inconsistent with the information given out to guests and money and time was wasted from many different attendees. I also ate at the restaurant, one server covered the entire outside patio.. understaffed. He was great, but The food was delayed for so long and he was overworked. I will never be back.

Sweetwater Music Hall is a land mark in the heart of Mill Valley. This venue hosted great artist like Led Zeppelin who shaped Sweetwater into a music hall it is today. I have been here few times and I never had a negative experience. I love the space; its fun, spacious, and creative. It is a combination of inside with outside patio, whichever suits your mood. During the day young people come to play and its fun listening to different types of music while grabbing coffee or even breakfast. In the evening, Sweetwater Music Hall hosts various artists and tickets are different in prices. I saw great reggae band here and it a great evening experience. Most of the time I have been here was to grab coffee, drink or breakfast. I love love their breakfast. The positions aren't tooooo large but for fills your desires. I always leave the place satisfied and wanting more. Its a cool place and fun. Remember, its Mill Valley--its historical!

As I made my way into the Sweetwater Ska show, I was impressed by the hordes of well behaved people & sweet smelling air, absent of the funky bouquet found in younger, drunker, sweatier crowds. Everyone was very polite & kind. Cans of beer start at $6, and drinks range from there. The stage is pretty accessible, which is a plus! There are wall benches for seating, reserveable for folks who need an extra cushion to rest on. We all enjoyed getting up close to boogie!

The music is great, the food is awful. We had chicken sliders. We were expecting real fried chicken. It was some kind of children's chicken patty. There wasn't enough slaw. It's like we got the dregs of the batch. The spring rolls had good flavor, but the outer rice sheet was WAY to thick. The buffalo wings were average and the blue cheese dip was too chunky.

Saw The Purple Ones 1-7-19. Band was fine. Ticket said arrive at 8:00 , Doors open. But after arriving, Long Haired doorman tells us that it is now 8:45 they will let all in. He was nasty how he said it and snapped at all that questioned him. We are parked right in front, so we go to wait in car. It was less than 40 degrees out and light rain. At 8:40 we leave car and get behind 20 people, out in cold. Others tickets said 8:30. People in line all said he is a jerk. Some would go up and each time, he would say "in the next minute we will open doors. Not till 9:15 or later did the doors open. Whole experience of all was quadrupled bu this sad excuse doorman. If he had acted at all like he cared or at least have pretended to care it would not have felt like extreme mismanagement.

Just go for the music. The service in the food area was very poor. First we had no reservations but was reminded about 10 times next time get reservations. Seriously just say no tables available if its such a inconvenience for the lady at the door. Ordered drinks and never came. Had to ask for them after the meal arrived. Salad never arrived so had to ask for that after everyone is eating. For the price you would expect top notch service and a friendlier atmosphere. The bar tenders were very good inside the club and actually friendly. Next time throw out some seats for watching the music so people do not have to stand for 3 hours.