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Ok, I'll up it a star, even though I still challenge the title of "Irish pub" when they aren't serving hard liquor (notably: Jameson).
Cute bar! It's very comfortable inside, and I felt like I was sneaking into somewhere since it seems so quiet and unassuming from the outside. The show I went to see was well organized, with very talented bands (holla, Birds & Batteries!), and I was surprised that the cover was fairly inexpensive (and went to profit the bands), plus the drinks were pretty reasonable (note: the house wine is totally tolerable).
It's two blocks from my house, and I will definitely return for more shows. It's a comfy bar in a residential area, and despite the surly bartender (who also ignored us for ohhhhh, ten to fifteen minutes because she was hitting on one of the other bar patrons), it was definitely worthwhile. Plus, she was nice when we came back for a second round.
Next time I have to try the garlic fries. I could smell them, but our group didn't get our shit together for food until the kitchen had been closed for awhile.
The Starry Plough is an Irish pub that doesn't serve whiskey.
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Such a great place! I have been coming here for many, many years. At least eighteen, I'm pretty sure.
A great variety of music and creative bookings for sure! St. Patty's Day and the Murder Ballads show are two events I ALWAYS look forward to here. The have a great open mic/poetry slam night, too. Not my thing but if you're into that sort of thing, you'll dig it the most. Also Irish music jam nights and ceilis (I know I spelled that wrong...community dances in other words).
I actually really like the fact that you can only get beer and wine here. I'm sick of going to bars and dealing with classless people who can't hold their liquor and try to ruin everyone else's good time over it. Especially when I'm just there to dance and have a good time without some sloppy-ass drunk spilling their drink all over me while they stumble stupidly all over the dance floor.
Decent food, good grubbage for a night of drinking. Their fish and chips are pretty damn good and their burgers hearty. Yum.
I have so many great memories from this place. I've met boyfriends here, made friends here, got laid here (well, not here, but afterwards...aw yea!) discovered amazing bands here, watched my son win a Mingo 2000 dance contest here during a day time all ages show, etc. etc.
I love the Starry Plough! They're my neighborhood night spot and and I'm so glad they're here.
One thing I'm unhappy about? When they remodeled their bathrooms, they painted over over twenty yeas worth of latrinalia (bathroom graffiti) and my favorite bathroom graffiti EVER is now gone. I have saved it to memory, though.
Someone wrote:
Some jaded miscreant sat here and thought about life for awhile...
And directly under it someone responded:
Thanks for hogging up the bathroom!
Haha! Fer reals! I don't know why I find that so hilarious, but I do.
Jacques the doorman was awesome. Where the hell is he these days, anyway?
I like my Irish pubs in Oakland. That city has a proud tradition of grungy tattooed Mics that make you proud to be Irish. Then I went to Berkeley's Starry Plough and.... Well nothing changed.
Why is this place a phony?
To begin with the place is so clean that it is lacking a tough love that makes Irish pubs endearing. I want to see hard nosed cats drinking Irish beer and Whiskey, instead I am in a room full of thirty-somethings sipping wine. And what Irish Pub has banners of Che and Obama hanging just as high as the Irish flag? I mean okay maybe a banner of Obama, maybe..., but what Irish person gives two shits about Che? Real authentic!
Top that with 5 dollar pints and you got a place trying too hard to be a dive at non dive prices. Sure they got Smithwich, Murphy's, and Guinness, but where my Bushmills and Jameson? No whiskey at an IRISH pub?? No whiskey, but look at the nice quote by James Connolly and IRA posters hanging on the walls. Pish!, I don't care if you get Dennis Leary as the bouncer, you're a poser and no amounts of Irish themed kitsch or fish and chips is going to change it.
Oh, good music though!
I love Starry Plough. It is loud and friendly like a British pub with a distinct Berkeley flair. The food is good the cheese pizza is my favorite. I always order more than I can eat, so that I can enjoy it for breakfast. You know pizza is good when it tastes good cold.
Another plus is that they have Wider's Cider - my favorite. When my day has been worse than average, I head over here for pizza, cider and enjoy the entertainment of the night. It is nice to have such a solid neighborhood pub.
If you can make it to this place before the bands start (usually around 9), it's a solid 3 or 4 star bar with an all right beer list and some nice greasy bar fare. After 9, you will have to contend with some terrible performance that often goes late into the night (and, to add insult to injury, pay a steep cover charge for the privilege). This place is located in an area with practically no other bars, and so it's perfectly positioned to be a neighborhood center. It's too bad that it's a crappy venue instead.
I've been here a couple of times on open mic night to support a friend. The crowd is mellow and it doesn't get too packed that you can't find a seat.
I have to admit - some of the acts are good and some are a bit off.
I haven't eaten here, but they have a decent selection of beers at reasonable prices.
The Plough is a Berkeley institution. I've been here a few times to hear friends' bands play, and this is the only reason i'll come here.
Although they have a large selection of draft beer, it's a beer/wine only bar. The food selection is limited as well -- burgers, fries, sandwiches, and pizza. I like their fries -- it tastes homemade. The kitchen closes at 10pm. Other nights may be different, but every time I'm here I notice more than 50% of the crowd drinking juice, Snapple Iced Tea or water, which is not a bad thing. You wouldn't want belligerent drunk during a show. It's also nice to be at a bar where you can feel comfortable ordering a cup of tea, which I did last night.
Beer sells for $4.75 - $5, and the quality can be inconsistent. I had a very pleasant glass of Liberty Ale -- good pour and chilled glass. Yum. And then I had yucky Murphy's Stout -- taste was off, a little bit watered down, and too much foam.
The sound guy should be fired!!! This guy never showed up last night. No phone call. Nothing! The whole show was delayed by over an hour. My friends called around friends and friends of friends and got a guy to come out and rescue three bands that were lined up to play.
The crowd is very diverse -- young East Bay/SF hipsters, baby boomer hippies, arm-pit haired and no arm-pit haired ladies. Some people def have BOs.
Went in for a burger and beer on a Monday night, need to check-out the weekend scene.
I want to love this place. It's my local pub, the people who work there are generally friendly and sometimes they have amazing bands...
HOWEVER, the sound system is so crappy and/or unreliable, I pity any band that dares to play there. I heard a rumor a couple of years ago that they FINALLY, FREAKING, FINALLY bought a real sound system. This rumor seemed substantiated by the one or two incredible shows that followed. And then...they pawned off the new sound system for the old shitty one? I'm not sure. All I know is every single band I have seen there since has been tortured with horrible feedback, etc. Are the engineers to blame? It's hard to say.
PLEASE STOP SUCKING, STARRY PLOUGH! YOU COULD BE FANTASTIC!!!
Went for the first time on a night that happened to be open mic night. Some of the talent was really great, and some, well not so great. But the crowd was really into it, so there was a really great vibe in the place.
They have a good, but small beer list with wine and non alcoholic drinks. The prices are pretty reasonable, and the bartender was awesome.
After an hour here I had:
- found a dancer for our St. Paddy's Day event
- gotten my cards read, "child of the worlds" (hey!)
- gone to town on a few Smithwick's
- met a balloon man who created a shamrock with a penis out of biodegradable latex
- learned a waltz
Relaxed, welcoming and delightfully local, the Irish spirit is especially alive during ceili dancing on Sundays and Mondays. Slainte!
Yeah, its loud. But that is okay when the music is Irish and the musicians are jammin'. The bartender should be able to track the customers in a place this small; not knowing a black and tan when you only serve beer and wine is ridiculous. My non-drinking friend was thrilled with the tea selection.
As other yelpers have noted, quite a few Snapple drinkers. What kind of Gaelic sould would find solace in that? Lets lift another pint. I will be back for the music.
Ohhh, I'm a crazy Irish Dancing Scallywag!
St Paddy's Night - Guinness, Irish Fiddle-Music, More Guinness, Dancing, Even More Guinness! and some Fun times!
Love this place. From open mic, poetry slams, to Celtic Music and Dance on Sundays. Nothing beats the Plough for a wonderful evening with friends!
A music venue, an Irish Pub, and a social center all in one place.
I came here to see and friend-of-a…
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1. They have food...what looked to be mostly pizza. Although I didn't sample any it looked yummy.
2. They are a beer and wine bar (at least from what I could tell). They sell Red tail. This made me happy as it can be difficult to locate and is my second favorite beer.
3. They host many different types of shows here. The sound is very loud so if you are on a date that is telling you all about how he was on a date with someone else right before you met up, there is a good chance the sound of the band will drown them out for the most part.
4. My beer was only $4...good deal.
5. The doorman checked my ID as an afterthought. Yay me!
6. It's walking distance from Ashby BART...approx 2 1/2 blocks ( don't drink and drive).
Overall, I would like to come back here, but not on a date. It's not really a date venue. Generally I like to hear what my date has to say. This night was not one of them so the loudness and crowdedness was A-OK with me.
I love the Plough for the wednesday slam.
Great beer on tap, served by the Persian of Perversion.
And some damn fine verse.
Flannel shirts, skinny jeans, Irish beers, and guitars. Berkeley's attempt at an Irish Pub!
I went here last night for the Open Mic night to see the amazing Nojos play!
And I was pleasantly surprised by the talent that graced the stage. Some guy even played a shovel he made into a guitar!
They have slam poetry nights too - a very community oriented Pub! The best kind....but the beers can be a bit pricey! $5 for a Guinness?! Yikers.
My friends and I intended to meet at the Starry Plough tonight to eat, drink, and listen to the California Honeydrops (local blues/folk band). We showed up a bit early around 8 (show started at 9:30) and found seating easily in the main area in front of the stage. None of had eaten dinner so we ordered a couple of pitchers of beer, a mushroom/olive pizza, and some garlic fries. The beer was good (great selection), but the food was just okay. The fries were definitely made from fresh potatoes, but they were a bit undercooked to me. The pizza, too, was standard. But who goes to a pub to order food anyway?
We ended up having to leave before the show started, but the room was definitely getting packed as we walked out. The crowd looked fun and pretty diverse, which is a definite plus. If I lived closer, I'd definitely give it another shot...maybe next St. Patrick's Day...
Go for the music! If you are a Grateful Dead fan you will love this place.
Unpretentious music... original songs... great voices ... local talent like Jayde Blade who belts out her original song "Bless... our helpless disguise" like she was a latter day Joan Baez. What a great experience to know there is talent like this in the Bay area and this IS the place where it is showcased. The ambiance is great... relaxed... informal enough for audience participation and interaction. However, the food sucks. Garlic Fries... bring your own garlic!
This is a great neighborhood bar, with a definitely Irish twist, that features live music, poetry, open mic nights, and on Sundays, a Celtic music play-along/sing-along that I can't stay away from. I guess I have some deep, deep Irish roots or something, but this music just lifts me. Or maybe because I play the violin (badly), but wish I could fiddle like some of these guys. I dunno. I think the only thing I'd like more is if they allowed smoking inside...this place seems to call out for it!
If you're starving, the food isn't bad. Definitely what is called Pub Grub, and as such, well prepared, especially the fries. (Guinness and Fries for dinner. Sign me up!)
My recommendation if you are going to hear a band you like is to get there really early, like at 7 or so, and grab a table in the main room. Otherwise you're going to be perching and hating those bastards who are sitting where you wish you were sitting!
If you drive, please don't block the neighbors' driveways. This is a neighborhood with real people. Try taking BART. The Ashby station is just a few blocks away.
I love this place. Good beer selection, good food, good music, good people.......pizza and beer and people playing guitars.....I'm sold!
They must have a new sound system because it all sounded great (I saw Mushroom there last week). Really great beer selection at decent prices ($15--$16 pitchers). The pizza I had was pretty tasty (and priced at $7--two meals there). The folks there were cool, the bartender and cook were genuinely friendly...a good time was had!
So this is what happens when you open an Irish pub in Berkeley. You get a hippie-communist Irish pub. It's hard to picture, but I swear it's true. Huge banners of Che, other leftist propaganda, a stage for slam poetry and local music meets an Irish pub serving Guinness, Smithwicks, Harp, and fried food.
Really hard to imagine until you walk in. Then it all makes sense. This place should get 3 stars for being what you think it is. But the constant local music, the community presence and neighborhood feel and the fact they have Sierra Nevada Porter on tap bumps it a up a notch for me. A place definitely worth checking out at least once.
Don't come here unless this particular brand of ambiance does it for you
If you want to compare it to your favorite restaurant or your personal beliefs about what a pub should be, you shouldn't be rating the place in the first place.
I like how I feel when I get here. Every show I've been to here, people talked to each other, and who needs whiskey with all the great beer flowing for a steal.
And its pub food, and the best of pub in my opinion.
I sometimes like to go to Edinburgh Castle in San Francisco, and they serve Fish and Chips that feel like they've been in a warmer for awhile. And NO one is saying its bad. Matter of fact I love having it because it is what it is.
I love the cabaret/bizzare/jazz fused, rock fused music in the local scene. Always fun and the music is never boring. I wish I didn't have to cross a bridge to come hang out and have fun at the poetry slam.
Sounds like the people who run the place know makes for bringing people together to interact and enjoy themselves.
And.. the people who work here and the customers are relaxed with a cozy feeling. I don't experience that in other venues.
Alrightie. I would say 4.5 because I am never satisfied. But really I cant imagine much better. Unless the food was better.
Pretty limited menu and with a wide variety of acts and so great you want to stay a while I would hope the food would be better. I had the steak dinner and a shirly temple and was so excited I took a picture. And yes for now I am too lazy to post that picture.
I went for poetry slam but was really excited to see they have an event pretty much every night. It is like a teen rec center for misfits and hipsters. Yea there are a lot of hipsters which can be a little eh. But I love it. The poetry slam was better than expected. I also like the location. Sketch enough where a pot partaker could partake but not so scummy I was constantly worried my bike or parts of my bike would be stolen for crack. A wide variety of clientèle and no cross cultural hating going on like you can find elsewhere in Berkeley/Oakland.
Oh yea I had a cider for you yelpers to survey price and for $5 I thought that was fair and $2 for my temple. I think $7 for my steak/potatoes veggie dinner. Fair price even for a cheapskaker.
Starry Plough
If this establishment were a woman, a woman with low standards and a little drunk, a woman who hasn't been laid in awhile and is willing to give me a chance, I would make nectar sweet love to this woman.
I would impregnate this woman and have little revolutionary babies with this woman. We would feed our lil' Huey P.'s, Guinness Stout and corn nuts. We would read to them the court transcripts from the Chicago Seven trials and bedeck their baby asses in only the finest of hemp made Che' attire.
This is how much I love this place. I would want it to have my babies, even though I hate babies SO MUCH. And puppies.
However, I'm willing to sacrifice my convictions, throw aside my hatred for cute things, and overcome my fear of tiny hands and wobbly heads, just to have one night of bliss with the Starry Plough.
5 Stars!
Great music and laid back crowd. I was tipsy and the food was still terrible.
As an Irish chick, I give this bar a solid 3. Yep, no whiskey. What's gonna go in my IV before I kick the bucket? Whiskey. Why? Because potatoes won't fit in the tube.
I can't believe it took me this long to get there, but it was a bar. Just a bar. Like my man said, a very well-lit bar...too well lit. And the bathrooms a bit too clean--not that I'm complaining. But it didn't reek of rotting wood, cheap perfume and regurgitated alcohol--which is what I'm used to in an Irish Pub. If it's anything different, I am suspicious and there must be bodies buried under the stairs.
The bartender was great, sweet and attentive, so ploughy stars for that. She keeps a smile on even though it looks like she's working in a hostel.
It did smell a bit like old man in there. It could've been the gaggle of Bukowski's sitting around drinking, playing cards and going apeshit over the Sox game. They had fingers like Cheeto's and reeked of stale smoke when you walked by. I chose to sit by an open door.
They serve pizza. And burgers. And sell T-shirts. I don't know if I'm down with that. I DO like the fact they have open mic nights, Celtic music (not that you'd catch me doing any Lord of the Dance bullshit) but it's admirable that they are a host to so many diverse events.
If I'm in the neighborhood I may stop by again. If there is a good band playing, I'd definitely stop by. And bring my own flask. Shhh.
Hmm... What can I say after my first foray into Berkeley nightlife?
I'll stay in San Francisco, thank you very much.
Went to the Plough last night to see a friend's band play. A folky, bluegrassy, hand-clappin', foot-stompin' crew. We were prepared for a good time; we'd heard good things about this place. That it was a great little pub-venue for local acts. We were expecting, well, um, FUN.
But alas, this place was a real dud. First off, the kitchen was closed when we got there, at 10:00. Um... okay. What now? We'll get something to eat in the neighborhood! Only there's NOTHING in the neighborhood.
But hey, it's not the Plough's fault the neighborhood is a snore. Also not their fault is the lame crowd that gathers there. The place was full. Full, alright. Of people drinking coffee and water (and one guy SLEEPING) and engrossed in conversations that I'm sure were way too sophisticated for us SF hoodlums to join in on. Because the joint had the most unfriendly vibe of any bar I've walked into in the Bay Area.
They listened politely enough when the music started -- TOO politely. But they also never smiled. I kid you not. There was no smiling in this bar. I felt mildly retarded, grinning and swiveling to Martin's music.
And they golf clapped. Once again, I kid you not. Golf clapping. To bluegrass.
But again, that's a product of the people and not the bar. What IS the Plough's fault is that their sound guy SUCKS. Maybe it's because it was 4/20. Maybe he had a little too much wacky tobbacky, if you know what I mean... But he clearly was not hearing the same music we were hearing. Dude, vocals up. Stage monitors, perhaps? Seriously. It's not that hard. Four people shouldn't have to come up and tell you.
Or maybe it's true: the Berkeley-ans are more intellectual than us San Franciscans. But our ears are definitely more refined.
Well...there's the Starry Plough in Berkeley. There is the Plough and the Stars in Inner Richmond. One is an authentic Irish pub with music 5 nights per week, the other probably hosts music on a similar schedule but really shouldn't.
I was slightly interested in going to Berkeley last night & seeing Wayward Sway perform at a bar similarly named to one of my favorite Clement St bars. They usually rock whatever venue they enter, but this was definitely an exception & not even their fault. From the start of their set, the sound was horrible.
I'm not over exagerating, either. It sounded like the audio engineer was deaf--the instruments were about the same level as the vocals. A friend in the band mentioned that he didn't have stage monitor the entire time.
For a "live music" venue & pub, this place horribly fails. Maybe it was a bad night for the audio guy, or maybe the apathetic & stuffy Berkeley
types forced him into a downward spiral of not caring either.
BEST PART:
Thomas Kemper Root Beer on Draft
IF YOU ARE ASKED OR HEAR THAT A FRIEND'S BAND IS PLAYING THIS VENUE, TRY TO TALK THEM OUT OF PLAYING HERE AT ALL COSTS!
The Starry Plough hosts many different events. Which means that you should probably check what event is going on there before you head out, because maybe you're not the kind of person who wants to spend their Tuesday night watching depressed Berkeley girls with shaved heads twang away on their acoustic guitars while singing about lust. I know I'm not. Thankfully, Starry Plough has a decent enough selection of beer so you can at least get nice and hammered during the Tuesday night open mic session. Bounus points for you if you pass out.
This place, I think, has plenty of ambience. It just isn't the hip kind that you can get in San Francisco at nearly every bar you go to. The Starry Plough is laid back as hell, and it's more of a community atmosphere. Friday and Saturday nights are their live music nights. Once again, a very hit or miss thing. Awesomely awesome bands like Charming Hostess, Idiot Flesh (rip) and The Kehoe Nation have played here, but that don't mean crap. They're really lax with their booking policies so you could end up watching some group of 17-year-olds who have no practice outside of their mom's garage.
Another heads up: a lot of the regulars at the plough are weird as hell. Middle-aged, former hippies who damaged so many brain cells while dropping acid that they now forget to wear deodorant. Personally, I find it endearing.
An authentically grungy Irish pub-cum-cultural center situated in south Berkeley ("Broke-ley") near Ashby BART, the Plough is a home away from home for grayhairs and willowy maidens alike. The food is greasy (but fairly decent) and dirt cheap ($2 burgers! Even dirt isn't this cheap!), the bar keeps BOTH Guinness AND Murphy's on tap, and is often tending by a charming 30-something dark-haired Irish lass who taught me a few words in Gaelic (ga ha mahagith to you too, darlin').
Their website calendar isn't updated frequently, but know this: weeknights you can expect a local cadre of regulars to bust out their fiddles, mandolins, and guitars to work up a feverish jig while patrons nurse their stouts. Weekends usually feature a line-up of newly minted bands straight from their garages--not a good time for a quiet conversation.
And here's the biggie--a dealbreaker for some--Wednesday nights are Slam Nights, when the Plough charges a cover to support bad poetry. The only time I was ever impressed by the quality was about five years ago when Mike Cirelli dominated the local poetry slam scene with his odes to waitresses and Point Reyes (dude even published a chapbook called "My Tarnished Heart Still Blings" before getting out of the inbred Slam scene for good).
Still, for a local hangout with no pretense, no meat-market, and good vibes (a good thing, in vibe-friendly Berkeley), the Plough is a Brokeley favorite.
A dirty ghetto cool vibrant musical venue.
Different bands and diverse crowd.
Sorry I don't have much else to say - I was very sleepy and hungover when I went.
This is a mediocre Pub. Firstly they don't serve whiskey, which is an outrage. The music is often decent, but the wait staff doesn't work the floor, which means you can get trapped away from the bar at a table and unable to get a drink, especially when it's crowded. They could significantly increase revenue if they had cocktail waitresses to bring you drinks, instead they compensate by sticking you with a COVER CHARGE OF UP TO FIFTEEN (15) DOLLARS. I don't pay that much on my let's-go-all-out-in-sf nights, let alone for some back roads Berkeley "pub." The bouncers can be pretty snooty about the cover charge -- don't think that by arriving early for dinner you're escaped, instead once the band arrives they'll go around and take a collection. Pay up or get out!
While the kitchen can be good (and I'm generally a huge fan of alcohol establishments that cater to the late night munchies), the quality varies widely. One time I was informed that they were only servering the daily special, which was lasagna. That certainly sounded good enough to me, until I saw the woman go to the back, scoop lasagna out out of a Costco foil tray, and then stick it in the microwave.
They also boast to be a "former home of the Berkeley IRA." Here's a question: if you're a member of the IRA, and your organization's purpose is to fight for the independence of Ireland, should you be in Ireland fighting for independence?
For about 6 months, a couple of years ago, I played open mic here every Tuesday. Sometimes it would go until 1pm. I enjoyed myself, even though open mic can be brutal here (as I guess it can be most anywhere), because people are getting wasted and they want something entertaining for the most part. They don't want you to express yourself artistically so much as make a fool of yourself, which is fine. Definitely fine.
Anyway, I like the Starry Plough. I appreciate people getting up and doing whatever it is they do.
I think the Poetry Slam Wednesdays is a lot bigger than open mic Tuesdays.
Their beer selection is poor, but that's an Irish pub for you -- it's all about the Guinness.
i like this family owned bar.
i've been to several shows and a couple of poetry slams and i totally had an amazing time. the cool thing about this place is its utterly eclectic..
so i recommend it plus they have a great beer selection...
They have a decent selection of beers, but the lack of ambiance and the crappy food doesn't really drive me to hang out there and pay $4/pint. The fish 'n chips I had last night were horrible. They serve frozen fish, like a big fish stick and it smells bad. The chips were soggy and made me sick to the stomach.
I agree about the quality of their draft system, the first pint of Lagunitas IPA I had was off, the second was better. I've put down more than a keg of that beer in my time and visited their brewery at least twice...I know what that stuff is supposed to taste like.
If you're coming there to see a band you like, then go for it. But don't go there for the food or drinks.
I went here for a slam and fell in love. Like the venue was awesome and so diverse! Yeah I love seeing a rainbow of brown, pink, yellow, and orange skin tones lolol I am definitely coming back here!
dude, love the Starry Plough.
it's small, it's groovy and it's super ultra Berkley.
you can catch a scenster, a breast feeding hippy and a square with a neck tie all in the same room, diggin' on the same tunes... PRICELESS
the bar only serves beer and wine, which for me is great. means my drunko ass wont be crawling out of there at the end of the night..
the food is good! fries are big a tin a sort of potato chip like, really good!
they host all different kinds of bands and poetry slams. (cheap admission)
if you have never been to a spoken word show, try it out at the Starry Plough. and maybe if you are lucky, you can catch me there... watching my man's band The KnockOut Brothers (http://www.myspace.com... )
I love love love the Starry Plough. Memmories galore. The staff (and most of the patrons, for that matter) are super-friendly. Very warm vibe. You can go either just to hang out participate in one of their theme nights.
My favorites:
Sunday night: I don't especially like Irish people or culture but Irish Sunday nights are badass! Real Irish people playing real Irish intruments (what is that drum/ harp?) making real Irish music ("The night before we sailed away," etc.) Feel free to sing along or just get shloshed.
Tuesday nights: Open Mic night--always a guarenteed good time- even if the acts are shitty. This is my favorite. Some of the acts are OK, many horrible but it is a very interactive affair and always very entertaining. Plus the flamboyant MC and her soundgirl(Girl George) are gratious and hillarious hosts who make sure everyone is having fun.
Cheap beer, bar food etc.
Especially good for entertaining visitors.
I usually had unpleasant experiences at the Plough...getting hassled by the angry drunken regulars for one reason or another while minding my own. I knew one of the older bartenders who worked here a couple nights a week in the late 90s, and the tap beer gave me enough brevity to strike it home alone on Prince Street at night.
The crowd does change (meaning, a few nice women actually show up for that night's event) later on for the better...they even send a sad old hippy guy (wait....they're ALL sad old hippy guys) around to get you to pay to stay at a certain point. But I wouldn't recommend any women go here alone for the first time, unless you've built up a hard shell against the creepy stares of the regulars.
All in all I think one word sums up this pseudo-Irish pub, including its beer, food, patrons as well as interior: DINGY.
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Berkeley, CA
Category: Pubs
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