The Starry Plough Pub

I don’t eat at the Starry Plough… I go there for the Sunday night Irish music jam sessions It’s been going on for decades. It is super amazing … Whether you are a Musician or you are there to just listen. Sunday night… Especially between 7 and 8 PM… Is a special time to be there. On Monday, there is a great Irish band on stage and lively Irish dancing in the room. It’s like being transported to Dublin! A very special place!

This is a great Irish pub. The employees are cheerful and friendly and very helpful. The atmosphere is fun and lively. There is plenty of seating. They have some outdoor seating too. They have dartboards. They have a live band that is really good. I highly recommend the Starry Plough.

This review is just for the Open Mic show Tuesdays. It's quite a mixed bag, as you'd imagine. I appreciate the democratic approach; anyone can sign up. Musical acts vary from quite good to just okay. But the stand up comedians vary from one laugh per 5 minute set to absolutely abysmal, did-this-person-even-try-these-jokes-on-anyone-else? bad. Last time I went there were twice as many musicians as comedians, which was a blessing.

Awesome people are working in this sanctuary. Loved the place. They got live performance incredible.. Love all the heroes working there. I'll definitely revisit the place as long as I'm a life. You should definitely try the hand cut 🍟 Love all the crew

I traveled and lived around the world and The Starry Plough in Berkeley, California is my favorite Irish Pub … ever! … Family owned and operated since 1973 … now in its 3rd generation … this is the place for family, friends and community. Live Music Thursday-Friday-Saturday, Poetry Slam, Open Mic, Monday Irish Dance Lessons, on Sunday Live Irish Music Session … Often with Colorful Weekend Day Events For Children, Parents and Care Givers/Receivers. The food is delicious and is served until 10:00pm. Corned Beef Cabbage a Pub staple, Hamburgers, Shepherds Pie, Chicken Wings, Fish & Chips, Sandwiches, Fries and Garlic Fries, Homemade Soups, Salads … Root Beer Float … and of course; Draft Beers, Wines, Ciders, Irish Specials and Non-Alcoholic Beers, Sodas, Juices, Iced Tea, Tea & Coffee. Photo credit unknown

This is by far my favorite Irish spot in the Bay Area. Everything about this place is awesome (and authentic). The people, the food, the nightly programming is outstanding, they allow folks under 21 until 10pm (making it great spot to take my son). It’s grand. Happy days for those who make it here. Five stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Wow, I tried their Irish Kelly dancing class on Monday, and it was so much fun 😄. If you want to try something new and good beer and some Irish cuisine, this is a nice place. It's really accessible on BART, too.

The place was fun :) There was a little concert with a lot of instruments inside and that was giving quite a vibe to the whole experience. Great choice of beers - also Guinness+ cider! - and interesting choice of food. Chicken wings were very tasty. I saw on the menu that they do the desserts with beers, which should be quite an experience.

Great community of folks here & especially love coming for trivia nights hosted my Ms. Jenna!! It's a blend of old time regulars, college kids, artists and everyone in between is welcomed. There's a variety of events hosted making it a real staple and cultural hub. The bar serves up beer, cider, wines and some non alcoholic options like tea and soda, while the kitchen cooks up classics like fish & chips, Mac & cheese, and a rotating menus of deliciousness. The compassionate crew tops it off and deserve recognition for all their hard work!

This place is awesome. They have fantastic food and great selection of drinks. Everyone is supper nice and friendly. Great music and a perfect way to spend a night.

Absolutely baller Irish dancing night. I also love that you can stash your bag behind the bar to keep it safe while dancing. Solid beer menu. Didn't try the food.

My second time here for a live performance and it sure was lively. The stage is amazing and sound quality is too. Little light on the bartenders but service was good.

I have been to The Starry Plough Pub during several Saint Patrick's Day Celebrations. This is an Irish bar with reasonable prices (for this day and age). I was able to find a dry cider--yum! What a celebration this 2023 Saint Paytrick Day was!!! It was standing room only. They had Irish bands, Irish dancers, and it was an open mike for singing Irish songs. They offer foods like Corned Beef and Cabbage, Fish and Chips, and Bacon Cheseburger, but we had dinner before going there. They looked good, though. The Starry Plough is a hangout for Irish and Irish wanna bes. They have live music, Irish music, and even Irish dancing.

This is a badass place. Music is vibing. The bartenders are great! Ethan was our bartender and he was attentive and a super great guy!

Coming from a wing addict+wing snob. The wings are top 10%. Crispy, decent meat, Buffalo very sauce was perfect, good blue cheese dressing and nice mix of drums and flats. Fresh cut fries. Service is on point...both bartender and cook. My son and his girlfriend enjoy live music here...and today was my first visit. My son and I played darts(yes two real.dart boards) and had a wonderful visit.

Great local bar, the open mic is one of the best in the Bay Area, bartenders are legit. Dog friendly!

I would not be writing this if I hadn't JUST received a denial of a refund for an event I had to cancel my ticket on back in OCTOBER! I bought the ticket on October 21, 2023, and I requested the refund on the day of the event due to illness, which was October 27, 2023. Today is MARCH 8, 2024!!! I finally got an email saying, "Sorry but we paid the band before this request was made." So you paid the band on the morning of the event? I would hope you'd have paid them by the end of the night, at the very least, but to email me at this point and give me this load of BS is inexcusable. I figured out back in November that I wasn't getting a refund, thanks for that. Why bother at this point? My health is still in decline months later, so I sure didn't need the reminder that I missed yet another event thanks to long COVID! I think I've said all I can say without the review being taken down for use of profanity, so in closing, even if I could travel to Berkeley, I'd skip The Starry Plough. It's far too cramped and the restrooms are horrendous, anyway. Here's the email I received, copied and pasted: Your refund request has been declined. Message from Starry Plough: "Sorry but we paid the band before this request was made." Event: Tempest's 35th Anniversary and Reunion Order #: 8105424159 Refund Request #: 15873999 Contact the organizer if you have any questions or view this order

They pour a great Guinness and have a rad team running the place. Live music and great food.

Food , service , ambience , history , rebellious sacred duty , this place carries all that within it's walls . Go there . Experience it .

The Starry Plough is a good neighborhood bar with great fries, but the set up for events and other food can be a bit meh. I came in on a Wednesday night for a veggie burger from my nearby hotel and had no idea where to order or how things worked since it was more of a bar than a place to eat. Thankfully a very friendly bartender saw my bewilderment and helped me out by directing me to the far counter with the register where I could order. There was a hockey game on TV and I think background music. The Irish was all over the walls and other than bar seating, there were a few tables and chairs. My food came out pretty quick, but I was the first to order before a ton of people showed up for the poetry slam later on and they looked like they had a wait. The veggie burger was black bean and I think quinoa based, but had so much jalapeno in it I found it mostly inedible (was pretty hungry so I had just a small amount of patty and lots of bread, leaving 3/4 of the patty on the plate). The fries were on-point! Loved the crisp, skin on fries, but didn't appreciate the dregs of the bag being included (little strips of fried potato skin). While the poetry slam was advertised for 8pm, which I waited for and then passed, it still hadn't started by 8:35 and I gave up. The lady in front collecting funds noted they should have started already, as 8:30 is more typical but I had to get going with my night and the organizer was not looking like it was going to get started for a bit despite expectation setting with announcements. They had placed a bunch of chairs in front of their stage, which were mostly filled by the time I left, so popular event for sure. Unfortunately the sound people didn't really know appropriate levels for 10-15 minutes and the bass made me sick to my stomach. Good fries, beers and popular events await you at the Starry Plough, but come prepared for waits and maybe stay away from the veggie burger if you can't handle the inferno.

Came on a poetry slam night with a date! Cute ambiance and tasty ciders for fair prices. The fries were a really good snack to munch on. Fairly big place, and really good service:) Would come again!

The Starry Plough is my local bar and what a great local it is. I haven't been before because I just had a kid, and times away are few and far between. However, I was recently here twice in a matter of just a few days. Once for a low key dinner on a funk Thursday and one for Fleetwood Macrame, a Fleetwood Mac cover band. They have live music every night here. Thursday is the only night where the is no cover. The DJ was spinning some tunes early on and we left before the band, but dinner was good! The fish and chips were solid, not too flavorful, but thick cuts of battered fish perfectly fried with freshly cut and fried potatoes. The roasted vegetables with homemade pesto were delicious! Great beer selection (only beer and wine here). The cover band was a $15 cover, and that was way too pricey. Although fun, the band was dece and I'm not quite sure was worth the $15 and spending a ton on drinks. I discussed with friends and we all agreed - $8, $10 tops is the most one should pay for an average cover band at a bar/venue. I think I may be more of a preshow drinks and eats local here unless that band is really enticing me to pony up the dough. But for that early evening beer and burger, The Starry Plough is a no brainer!

Live music is enjoyable here while grabbing tap beer and maybe bar bites if one wants the munchies! It's a bit rundown and the music performers were senior. I thought it would be more of a hip kind of bar place. Darts shooting available. I looked up the ceiling randomly and there was a poster of a girl. That made me smile. Ah, the random things in life, makes it fun.

Got the fish and garlic chips. Tried the fries years ago and thought they were incredible and they still hold up.

Best bar ever! Good food good beer good music good vibe. Great place for anyone to be whomever they want to be.

Starry Plough is a great local Irish Pub. It's got beer, cider, burgers, stew and desserts and they are all good. There's Irish music Sunday, Irish dance with lessons for begginers on Monday, Poetry Slam and other stuff other days. Well worth going to just sit and socialize as well.

This Pub always seemed random to me. I actually grew up not to far away from it. Before 2020 I generally avoided this place. The Food and Drink here are top notch. Most of the time I went to other places in the area. It sucks that The Starry Plough isn't open part of the week, because I would love to go here on Friday and Saturday night.

Love this place up down and sideways. Such an institution. Great food and drinks. Old school ownership. Great people!

Still a great local Irish tradition. Still partially closed to limit crowds on the weekend. Hoping Thursday funk night will be back soon! The video is from Sunday night, a real Irish folk music performance. Musicians welcome

I love open mic. This was definitely one of the coolest I've ever seen. The sound guy did a great job. Not easy. I would definitely recommend if this is your thing. Play here. Come watch these talented people.

This is either my second or third visit as I have been here previously for other Brazilian music events. So when a friend asked me to join her, I jumped at the chance to go back to this cozy, intimate place for music, food and dancing. We got a great table with a great view of the stage (as I like to take photos/videos of the bands) and the prices for the drinks of beer and wine are reasonable. Ordered a pear cider and Lagunitas IPA for $12. Then I forgot to check in on YELP before ordering the drinks and discovered there is a discount upon check-in which I will save for my next visit. I noticed they have food here ranging from appetizers to burgers to sandwiches to pizza at reasonable prices but all I wanted tonight was a bag of chips. Luckily they had one plain bag left for $2 at the bar. I will have to try the food next time too!

Starry Plow has great vibes. It's very much a friendly neighborhood bar with a community feel. They have live music and lots of cool social justice/activism oriented decorations. Because of that though, it's definitely a bar you go to when you're looking for social interaction and music, not when you're looking for somewhere to watch sports (there's only one TV). Food is average-above average bar food depending on what you order. I've had fish and chips there that were kind of bland and I've had mac and cheese with rosemary and a few kinds of cheese that was quite good. Happy hour is long which is a plus, but the deals aren't great which is a minus. You get a dollar off a drink but the drink has to be under $6 to begin with, which doesn't leave a great selection. Overall, not a bad place to go get a drink with friends but not my favorite.

Drove to come eat and it was close. Please keep an updated schedule. Good looked great but it'd a bummer.

Haven't been to this pub since I left the bay area, but it was always a great place to check out local poets and musicians during the open mic sessions. Really created a sense of community, met a bunch of really neat people who I'm still in touch with. Good drinks to!

Quite frank, place brought some disappointment impression from the minute we've stepped in, HOWEVER, polite and responsive service, deliciously cooked food, good tap and friendly party Irish atmosphere made me enjoy my time and want to come back. Thank you, guys, for being there since ..... 1972! Cheers. "Many will call me an adventurer - and that I am, only one of a different sort: one of those who risks his skin to prove his platitudes" - Che Guevara Sorry, but unfortunately change my mind to single star after visiting the place yesterday, Sunday, August 7 at 2:00 pm for delicious lunch, placing an order and waiting for one hour without that order even reaching to the kitchen. Left at 3 PM hungry and angry. No more! Done with this place. Let the revolution begin!

Loved this place. Anyone know when it might reopen? Miss it. Had great times there. I reviewed it in full 4 years ago.

Great mf food hella flavor fresh cooked, coolest bartenders in the world and they give ppl a mic on tuesday nights to spit your issue. Open mic tuesday night is turnt up hella local artists

I had a great time even as a one-time visitor! Very cozy, wholesome, not loud. It happened to be Monday dance night, so I really enjoyed the merry tunes of Irish folk music while soaking in the happy vibes from the dancing class.

Yet another update.... Still happy they're back, but the schedule really sucks. Closed Friday and Saturday nights? Who's bright idea was that? Losing a lot of revenue there. Many times we haven't gone because they're not open Friday or Saturday and those are the best days for us, and many other people who work. So, we'll still go when we can, unfortunately it just won't be weekly like it once was. Closed to monthly now

A long standing family owned business, they have friendly staff and quality food. I come here every week for Irish céilí dancing on Monday nights, and once they opened back up following the Covid-19 shelter-in-place, I realized how much of myself I was missing without it. An excellent place to grab a bite or a drink with friends, with live Irish music on Sundays and Mondays, and plenty more interesting attractions throughout the week!

Great good! Great food! Great people! I especially love Sunday night Irish music jam and Monday night Irish dancing. They serve Irish fare, shepherds pie and corned beef and cabbage, year round. So lovely that it's in our neighborhood!

I like this bar quite a bit. It is a very short walk from the Ashby Bart and they rotate their taps every once in a while and always have a good and full selection. Their happy hour deals are not bad either as you can get a pint for $4 at that time. In terms of their bar food it is not more special than any other bar food with the usual things being offered like burgers, sandwiches, and mac and cheese. There is also only one TV that isn't accessible everywhere in the place but they're always playing the most relevant sports that day. What is really cool about this bar is that fairly frequently they have live bands perform and different shows. Usually the cover charge is $10 but that does also get you a beer. So if you are looking for something fun to do and like bars and small local bands I would definitely check this place out.

Tried their fish and chips, a couple of their burgers; (Mushroom & Swiss, bacon and blue cheese) the food is great, beers they serve, include both Guinness, and at least one Irish red; the atmosphere is comfortingly Irish-American, and it's a short drive, from the beautiful Berkeley Marina, and several hotels, near there, and in Emeryville; they even let me play harp there, with a quartet, in 2020, once! Thanks, Starry Plough!

Music food and good politics! It's the best pub I've been to since the closure of the Poet and Patriot pub in Santa Cruz! A real pub and grub stop! It's getting five emeralds in my book!

Awesome pub with a great open mic night and friendly staff. Check it out and have a drink and listen to some good original music on Tuesdays!

I haven't been here in years, but we stopped by today because our dog's circus school teacher was playing in the fiddle jam--how's that for an East Bay intro to a Yelp review? XD The fiddle band was really fun. The bartendress was nice and poured me some beer samples, but actually, their house Cabernet was solid for $7. We ordered the Irish poutine which was a little bit odd. Fries were fine, and there was a decent melty cheese, but no curds. The gravy was beige, and there was a ton of onions and green onions. I suspect there are better food options at the bar. The Starry Plough is a cozy place to hang out on a Sunday afternoon. There's some natural light, good beers on tap, and friendly staff. Would definitely return.

This bar is good, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. They seem to attract clueless millennials who aren't who aren't ready to be parents. I'm trying to watch the debates in a bar. Don't to this bar. The local children run amok, screaming and running all l we threw place. It just shows how fucking stupid and clueless these people are. I can't wait to see how your chidden turn out with your direction. If it was my Pub, it give you a warning and then cut you off. It's OK to have a locAl pub, but to be successful you need to create a welcoming en environment . If you let a couple millennial parent , who are oblivious of child-rearing run a-mock, you completely destroy your brand.

This place is amazing! The staff is so sweet and make you feel at home. Plus, the live bands on Sat night were too cool. So much talent in such a small place! Good food? Check. Good service? Check! Great entertainment and energy? Double check!

Great customer service! Great food! Fantastic ambiance! I went for poetry night. Will definitely be going again !

I'm neither Irish nor white, so the idea of checking out the Irish pub near an area I frequent didn't seem too appealing to me. But one day I wanted both food and a beer, and Starry Plough popped up in my good ol' Yelp app, so I figured why not. Turns out what I had envisioned this place to be was a little far off. Yes, there are Irish themes (and actual Irish clientele), but also a variety of other folks (I'm assuming from the neighborhood) who frequent this cozy little spot. Since then I've came in a few times for happy hour, and have tried a couple food items. Earlier today, I had a regular ol' cheeseburger, and I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. The patty was seasoned and charred just right and the homemade mayo was a perfect accent. I'm not a pickle person, but even those were really nice! I'd come back for that alone.

I don't venture outside San Francisco enough, so when it came time to plan a hangout with my friends who live in the East Bay, we decided on somewhere in Oakland. The Starry Plough seemed close enough to the Ashby BART station, so we met up there. Upon walking in, it was cool to see a group of musicians jamming out on their instruments! Seemed like they were friends that do this often. We were originally planning to eat dinner here, but it turns out the kitchen was closed. Probably remodeling. That's too bad. We did enjoy a beer before heading to our next destination. They have a decent selection of beers, though I wasn't too thrilled about the cleanliness of the seating areas. It was a mediocre place to hang out. I wouldn't be thrilled about coming back here again, but I'm sure some customers have made The Starry Plough their regular, comfortable watering hole!

Some come for the good selection of beer, some come for the fun nightly events, personally I come in for the freaking amazing food. Seriously, the chefs here know how to make a mean burger (I strongly recommend the jalapeño burger--and they do too) and the fries are so delicious they're a euphoric experience in and of themselves. One time I ordered an apple bread pudding dessert and the entire bar was in awe with the amazing, glorious piece of culinary perfection they whipped up. As for the setting, the plough has the perfect "casual, local bar" vibe mixed with the exciting event atmosphere. It's rare to find a chill bar that simultaneously caters to the hardworking after-work drinking crowd as well as artists AND families. it's a nice feeling. Reminds me of home.

Love this place. I lived on the same block as the bar for 11 years, met a good friend there on open mic night 15 years ago, we're still good friends. I love the crusty old customers, the regulars, I've seen them on the corner or in their stools for over 16 years, couple of them have died, some day I'll die, but in the meantime, I'm really glad this place exists for the space it holds for the community, there's something for everyone every night.

Four stars because it's a local staple, been coming here for as long as I can remember. Audio - kinda loud for the size but the acts they book - including regulars - is eclectic and the vibe is good. Food - it really depends on what you order; keep it simple and it's ok (e.g., grilled cheese sandwich, fries)...anything requiring quality or technique (e.g, hot pastrami), you might be disappointed. Overall, a fun, simple, inexpensive neighborhood joint.

Stopped by in the middle of a Sunday afternoon to find a great band called These Wiley Coyotes playing. Good beer selection. Great diverse crowd. Nice sound system. Thoroughly enjoyable. I'd heard a lot about the place over the years and it didn't disappoint.

We checked out the Starry Plough Pub since I had 2 tickets to see some band Th 4/11/13. It's walking distance from Ashby Bart so you don't need to drive. They have a bar & sell food. B. got fried calamari $6 - he ate a bunch & gives it 2 stars, it was crispy, but didn't taste like calamari, I didn't try it. He also got 2 glasses of red wine - he seemed to like it. Band - was forgettable. Bring earplugs!! otherwise you'll go Deaf!! They charge you to hear the band - Not free. Sliding scale, I think she said $6-12 when we went. After that band we left, but there was suppose to be a bunch more until Midnight! If I lived closer maybe I'd go back, not in any hurry.

super cozy place and open mics every tuesday night! very excited to continue hanging out here and enjoying the general vibe