The Monk's Kettle

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.

What an incredible find! We've been locals in the neighborhood for many years, and this spot in Rockridge is easily one of the best we've ever experienced.The food? Absolutely amazing. The flavors were spot on, and every bite felt like a treat. And the service? Top-notch! Travis and Lorraine were an absolute delight--superb in every way.It's such a joy to have a place like this right here in the neighborhood. Can't wait to come back for more good vibes, great food, and wonderful service!

I had high hopes since I'm familiar with the SF location, and I agree with the general sentiment here regarding the staff and service. We walked in early on a Friday around 11:30 AM for a table for two, without a reservation. I asked to sit by the window but was told all those tables were reserved--even though the restaurant was nearly empty at the time. Fine, but does that mean reservations allow you to request specific seating? Seemed odd. When ordering, I requested a side of chicken thigh, as listed on the menu, but received breast instead. Again, fine--but if they're not able to keep consistent on their offering, maybe just leave that detail off the menu? The Greek salad was good, and the crispy chickpea croutons were a nice touch. The mushroom toast was delicious. The potato leek soup, however, was just okay--it could have used more flavor, especially for the price. I lunch in Rockridge regularly since moving from the city four years ago, and I was surprised to see their suggested tip range was quite high given the mediocre service. Overall, I'm not sure this is a standout spot on College Ave.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

I went here twice for lunch. Great service, super pleasant atmosphere, and the lunch I had was fantastic! I you go here for lunch, I recommend the Monk's Burger or the Bricked Chicken Sandwich. The Bricked Chicken was the best chicken sandwich I ever ate! Well done!

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 :(