I love the wide open patio and fun, interesting environment at Hop Monk. Â Nice menu, with some nice additions to the usual tavern menu, like whole artichokes with aioli. Good quality in everything we had. The place is looking a little well-worn and too-much loved since my first visit last year, and the beer menu had some disappointing sell outs, but its popularity is understandable.
Review Source:Friendly, friendly service, large comfortable space with lots of indoor and outdoor seating (with barbecue pits!), excellent selection of beers. Â I still have not eaten here yet, but am told that the fish tacos for $3 at Happy Hour are excellent. Â I'll try these soon. They have DJs on Wednesdays and sometimes have live music.
Review Source:Definitely a great place to grab a beer, and up and coming as far as a music venue. I'd say their abbey is one of the better intimate places in Sonoma County to see a live show or a DJ at this point. The bartenders are attentive.They have a good amount of space for dancing inside, great sound system, an ample amount of hang-out space outside, and a nice chill vibe overall.
The food I would say is adequate, decent- pretty much typical bar food with a Sonoma County flair. Probably better after a few brews.
I would love to give a fifth star, but I would really like to see Hopmonk take it up a notch with the current music/performer selections. We need a wider variety! There is so much good stuff here- and coming through here- that there is really no excuse to have such a repetitious music calendar!
I was honored to hold a wedding rehearsal dinner for 40 people in an area with which I am not familial. Â My nephew mentioned Hop Monk Tavern as a possibility. Â I contacted Kim and everything went so well from there. Â We decided on a menu, bar orders, outdoor seating, the time line and all was done via e-mail. Â This has to be the easiest dinner I have ever done. Â
When we got there (15 minutes early...) we were treated very well, escorted to our area which was outside and perfect. Â The food was super good (loved the braised short - ribs) and even the kids got "kid food", the drinks and variety of beers available was great! Â Stephani and her serving crew did an admirable job with a large & demanding group. Â I am extremely happy and will use this restaurant again if the situation arises.
In the meantime, we will drop by for food/drink while visiting the area even if we don't have 35 or so of our closest friends.
Hopmonk Sebastopol was sort of a second choice, but I'm glad I went there the night of Sun., June 16, 2013. I had something else in my sights, but this looked more interesting. Parking is very easy off street, which is nice in Old Town Sebastopol. This was not crowded on Fathers' Day evening, which I found a little surprising. I think most dads would enjoy this comfortable low-key fun place with a big selection of food and beer, decent little wine list, and full bar.
Outdoor area where I sat was spacious and comfortable, and pretty festive with lights and decorations.
I had the pulled pork sandwich, and it was fine. I did regular fries - I am not a sweet potato fries fan. Price was very reasonable. Some reviews cite problems with slow service and wait staff, but my server (Karli) was pleasant and attentive without being overwhelming. She was friendly when my beer order led to an empty keg after they'd only pulled half a glass - that was complementary - and helped find something else good.
Music was a flamenco program in a separate indoor area called The Abbey. i did not attend, but could hear some of the show from my table near the door. What I heard sounded good.
Mostly, though, this was a pleasant beer garden atmosphere with satisfying food on a nice late spring/early summer night in small-town Sonoma county. Yes, when I'm in town and in the mood, I would come back and bring others to Hopmonk.
The portobello sandwich, with onion rings? To die for! Get sweet potato fries and add an Ace cider and you have a great night out (I'm also a fan of the samosas). The beer garden here is spacious enough with comfortable seating and plenty of heaters. Also try the Novato location.
We had a bit of trouble getting the server's attention on St. Patty's Day but the manager finally was able to help us.
OVERPRICED tourist trap. Ate here SAT afternoon with my husband. Took forever to get our food. Husband's Philly cheese on nan bread was cold my fried calamari was so bad -tasted like greasy overcooked batter- no calamari taste at all.
After a lengthy time trying to flag down our waitress I replaced the calamari with the chicken sandwich which took a long time to appear.
The bacon on the sandwich was burnt to a crisp, the grilled chicken was overcooked and tasted like cardboard. I didn't have the heart to send it back again.
Folks this food is not cheap! I never send things back but everything was disappointing. French fries do not a meal make!
We visited HopMonk as part of a brewery bus tour. It's a really great space - outdoor and spacious, yet cozy and homey. The beer was also excellent - we enjoyed chillin at a picnic table with a Tavern ale in hand. They also didn't blink an eye when I broke a glass (whoops).
I hope to return and try the food.
Had a wonderful Sunday afternoon gathering with my family. Â The beer garden is perfect when you have a kid in tow! Â The staff was attentive and the service was great. I loved the fish & chips!! Â Not knowing beers so well, the wait staff helped me with what turned out to be a delicious choice!!! Highly recommend this place!!
Review Source:It was a few months ago when I was here, but considering I still remember it vividly, I think that speaks for itself. I really liked the atmosphere, the food was great - had the mussels and the fish & chips - as well as a great beer list.
This place also hosts shows and the only hiccup was there was nothing pointing new customers out to the restaurant when there is a line for a show... nothing a quick ask didn't help.
Second time here, sat in the covered patio while it rained. Â Awesome. Â Beer selection is incredible and descriptive (thank you Dan Gordon). Â The food is imaginative and scrumptious. Â We started with the cheese, arugula, and pancetta flatbread, and finished with the reuben. Â Service was excellent. Â Comfortable to hang out and drink any kind of beer you can think of....oh and snack on excellent food between.
Review Source:Just finished a long, leisurely lunch her w 15 friends; couldn't wait to Yelp! Cause everything was so dialed.
This place is A-one:
FOOD: best veggie soup ever, phenom calamari, friends told me mac n cheese sausage bites were also  great. All main plates were large portions but polished off - I had the salmon, which was deftly prepared.
SERVICE. Hope, our waitress, was amazing; everything arrived as ordered and fast too,-she was busting her b w a smile on her face. Bill, the GM also came by to make sure our large group was satisfied.
ATMOSPHERE. Tons of beers, full bar, NCAA games on inside and sunny, quiet seating outside.
I will be back for sheez!
The atmosphere is great, especially the amazing beer garden, and they have great beers like Pliny. Come here to hang out and catch some great music. However, the food looks like hip gourmet pub food on the menu but it's not quite there in there execution... yet the price is. I paid $14 for a burger that was creative in ingredients and not bad, but also not well seasoned and therefor nothing special to warrant $14. My friend paid the same for a pretty basic chicken sandwich that was not bad but also not special and not worth $14. I have also had the pulled pork sandwich and it was decent. If your looking for a decent meal at a cool place and aren't worried about price this is a decent place and you will enjoy.
Review Source:If you are in the area then the Hopmonk is a great place to stop for a beer. Good choices of own made beer and craft beer from other great breweries. The food was okay and that ambiance was very pleasant.
Only downside for me was that we visit on a Saturday afternoon where parents with screaming kids took position from the beer garden. Sad enough for the parents who had their kids under control.
So if I ever comeback it's probably at night.
Was in the area on Sunday so thought we would give it a try, had never been before (did go once to their Novato location).
Got there around 1pm Sunday afternoon. Was surprised to see that just a couple of tables being used inside. A few open tables outside. Hostess said it would be 20-minutes until a table outside would be available. Was told they were short handed and they didn't want to over burden the outside waiter/waitress's.
Went to the bar and got a couple of beers on tap (Great beer selection). Went out and sat on a bench in the beer garden. Beer garden seemed like a cool place to just chill and enjoy of brew and people watch. Â About 20 minutes later our table outside was ready.
Staff was friendly, and even though they were short handed we had very prompt service. Waiter and busboy we talked to were friendly and helpful. I had the pulled pork with garlic fries which was good (the side of coleslaw that was served with it was very good) Â The Mrs. had the fish and chips, which she said were good. We split the quinoa salad, which I had never tried before. I give it a thumbs up, it was tasty.
Since it was our first time there I would give it 3-and-a-half-stars...will definitely
try it again some time. Like the vibe of the Sebastapol location over the Novato one.
I am known to go to Hopmonk shows twice a week, often enough to befriend Nicholas the ever so polite doorman and Danielle who makes the best mixed drinks. Â (If all the bartenders made drinks as well as she, I would give 5 stars.) Â It is still truly the best venue in Sonoma County for consistently great live entertainment. Â Tickets are affordable and Patrick does an excellent job of booking local and international acts. Â Bonobo, Sambada, Locura, Delhi to Dublin, Beats Antique, Cannonball, have all played here. The food is good too. Â I especially like the salmon on a plank and the quinoa salad. Â Bill DeCarli is a friend of mine from our good ol' singer songwriter days and it's always nice to go in and to share a big hug. Â If you want to sweat hard to a great line-up of music and tip back a beer from their extensive list, then you know where to go.
Review Source:We had a bad experience the 1st time here, but we came to Hop Monk again... Party of 6. 3 adults & 3 kids.
Our experience this time was excellent! There service was awesome & like last time the food was suburb! The Mac n Cheese & Chicken Strips were probably the best I have ever had. The kids didn't like the Chicken Strips but I did, so that's all that matters to me!
Thank You Dean for inviting us back. I definitely will be back again & again & again..... for the chicken strips.
We did a day of beer tasting in the North Bay including Lagunitas and Russian River Brewing, and between all 3 - Hopmonk came in last not because it was horrible, but because they don't brew their own beer. Other than that, the patio is pretty cool and there is a nice full bar, but for true beer tasting, it didn't seem authentic not to brew your own beer.
Review Source:The food is great. My personal favorite: Grilled cheese with side of tomato soup - because I have the maturity of an eight-year-old.
More than that, I had my wedding here earlier this month.
The Beer Garden: Hell, after the remodel it's awesome. I love that they strung up lights and included nice details like bike hooks and custom-made benches. They maintain it very well and continue to make improvements. All 186 of us fit comfortably outside with the buffet on the patio.
The Abbey: What a great way to have a space for crazy dancing and drinking away from the nice quiet of the outside for those who need to breathe and cool down. People loved dancing on the stage.
The Food: Delicious. People especially loved the late night snacks.
Wedding Logistics: Kim, the event coordinator is a very busy lady but she was totally open to making whatever weird changes I wanted and letting me put up decorations all over the place, given I didn't hammer away beams n' shit. I thank her for making the hectic day go as smoothly as it did, and for giving me peace of mind.
Overall: This place continues to improve. I wanted a wedding that could accommodate a bunch of people with an open bar that went late into the night. This place was exactly that and much more.
This is an update to my previous review. I have always wanted to like this place. I used to go to shows there, and really wanted to support a local music scene. The food is not (always) bad, and at times it's even been pretty decent. Service, well, that's pretty hit and miss.
I had taken a break for a year or so after some miserable food/service related experiences. I stand behind my criticism - if I don't like someplace, I don't go there. I figured I'd give it another try after a pretty good hiatus, and had a nice dining experience on the patio. Good food, and good service.
The next time I went back, to see a show and have dinner, things reverted to full-blown hell. While waiting for a friend at the end of a show (I was the DD), one of the thug bouncers let me know they were closing by throwing a beer in the fire pit - and splashing a combination of beer and hot fire beer on me. I asked him what that was all about, and he made a threatening move towards me and told me to "get the fuck out". Nice one. Since he seemed to think he was above the law, and general courtesy, I asked for his name so I could discuss it with the management - to which he responded by swearing at me again, and then told me he was going to call the police. Thugs rule the Hopmonk, apparently.
What frustrates me more than the fact that the management hires these people, is the way the management followed up with me when I registered a complaint (on hindsight, I probably should have pressed charges instead). They told me they'd look into the issue after taking a full statement from myself and two friends who witnessed the confrontation with the bouncer. They told me they'd follow up after then investigated the issue - and they never did.
From that, Â I can only deduce that they don't really care about the quality of their customer experience, and take lightly claims of their employees threatening their (sober) customers. The way I see it, the management is not showing up. I wish that I had taken legal action against them - perhaps then they would have done something, but really, should that be necessary?
I won't be going back. I can't support a business that has no control over their staff, and has no regard for their customers.
I love Hopmonk!!
By far my favorite lunch place in sebastopol. The grilled cheese is amazing and such a good deal because you get soup and a sandwhich for 11 bucks :))
I love the atmosphere there, its always lively and the music is good too.
Sometimes the food is hit or miss there though. I got the jambalya there and wasn't impressed but other things are amazing. So my best advice is find what you like and get again and again!
I cannot believe I haven't reviewed the Hopmonk. Â I used to go to Hopmonk like once a week! Â And, I still frequent at least once a month. Â They have great beer, great wine, great food, amazing service, and so much variety. Â You want restaurant, sit inside. Â You want garden, sit outside. Â You want bar scene, sit at the bar. Â And, if you like to dance, go to the abbey--where there is a second bar for your amazement and fun!
And, recently, on of my good friends had her reception at the Hopmonk, and it was FABULOUS! Â I was so impressed! Â They catered the food (buffet line for appetizers and dinner), provided the service of never-ending supply of alcohol, set up the beer garden, jam station for the band, sound, photo booth, evening dancing in the abbey, DJ....it was amazing.
I'm not sure if the event organizer was the fault of Hopmonk or my friend, but she was so on it!!! She was amazing.
I've been to both locations, Sonoma and Sebastopol. The service, menu and settings are all very similar however I prefer the Sebastopol location based on their shows. Â SO many great bands and artists. The outdoor seating is really nice for the afternoon as well as the evening with the fire-pit. Â The building where they hold indoor music can get really hot and almost uncomfortable to dance but when the music is right a little sweat isn't gonna stop me.
I like the wide assortment of beer, the food is different that other "pub" type places (i liked that!) Â I recently read they were going to open one in my town, Novato! I am anxious to check it out and give my next review.
Despite being the offspring of a mega brewery chain, Hop Monk is the perfect representation of a great bay area dining experience. Â Here's why you should want to eat here:
1. A high quality, well executed, straightforward menu that runs the gastropub gauntlet, from staples like mussels, calamari, and really good burgers, to indulgent mac n cheese, pulled pork sliders & a giant reuben, to local produce inspired dishes like the meat & cheese plate, summer citrus salad, and the AMAZING cole slaw (yeah, who gets excited about cole slaw, really?) to beer accompanying favorites like Sausage & Mustard mash, Steak Frites, and Fish & Chips. Â Every dish is well balanced and stands out from the din of sense memories associated with your previous experiences.
2. Over 20 beers on tap. Â A half dozen brewed especially for HopMonk, and a cast of favorites from Stone, Lagunitas, Russian River, and beyond. The wine list is well chosen, with very good price points, and a nice local selection.
3. Â Easily the best looking waitstaff apart from some trendy club in Hollywood. Â And its a big waitstaff. Â Must be the water in Sebastapol.
4. Â A great big outdoor patio/beer garden with lots of couches tables and space to move around.
5. Live music from the adjoining stage next to the beer garden. Â I've been here several times, and the music has always been worth listening to. Â That may seem like a flat, underwhelmed statement, but that's saying a lot coming from me.
and finally, because they just do it all right. Â It's easy to hate on a big chain, but that's not the experience I've had. Â They obviously have good management, well trained staff, and everyone seems to like working there. Â And so I like staying there... for a log time, to make it worth the drive from Mill Valley. Â When are we getting one here down here?!
Worst ceasar Salad ever!!!! Fishy taste, way way to much parm. Pulled pork sandwich was terrible, mac n cheese gross. Sweet potato fries were ok.
It's a shame because the restaurant/beer garden is a cool place to hang out, plus they have Pliny sometimes.
Great place for a beer, but your better off eating somewhere else.
Its also that good......in a bit different way.
My favorite live music venue period. Â The Abbey is such a great room for live shows. Â The revamped garden/courtyard is first rate. Â On a nice day....lifes good. Â Damn fine burger and a brew.....free Cope show this past week. Â I'm F..n spoiled man.
I have to update this. Â I have grown to really like this place. Â I still think the entres are over priced, but the burgers are damn good. Â But we recently went her again mid way through a sunny day bike ride. We ordered a bunch of appetizers to share one being a meat and cheese platter which was AWESOME! The Tavern Ale is really really good and well priced. Â Again the beer selection is always fantastic!
Anyhow wanted to update and say I am happy I gave this place more chances especially cause the Music venue there is really cool!
Cheers!
Food is pretty darn good but I'm the type of person that once I find something I really like on a menu, I tend to just order that every time. With that said..all I can really speak on, food-wise, is their parmesan encrusted grilled cheese + ham sandwich. A-mazing.
The night life there really kicks off on certain nights as well. Monday night is an all time fav, reggae night. They get some pretty awesome bands there as well. Hopmonk is overall one of my favorite places to go in all of Sonoma County.
P.S. The peeps working there are pretty rad too..
We ONLY had beer. Â Will be back to try the food.
I had the Hopmonk's wheat. Â It was a SUPER pour and the flavor was GREAT! Â Not like any wheat beer I have ever had. Â My husband had Pliny.
We sat outside in the beer-garden area. Â It was lovely weather and just perfect for enjoying a good beer!
The bartender was great. Â He let us try a couple of different beers before we ordered. Â I was sad as the black beer was out and one of the others wasn't cooperating while coming out of the tap (gave too much head...That sounds soooo dirty!!!) so we couldn't get that beer either.
Looking forward to another visit - sooner then later me hopes.
This place was kind of funky but in a good way. Came her with my husband, 2 kids, and in laws for a quick bite to eat before heading to Bodega Bay. The staff was great as my family was early and my in laws stuck in traffic. They had a nice children's menu for the kids, we ordered the chicken strips and grilled cheese. The chicken strips had a nice hint of lemon and the grilled cheese was done to perfection. The chicken strips aren't your "average" chicken strips, they're puffy, pretty much like a tempura batter you'd see in a Japanese restaurant. None the less my daughter loved them along w/ the fries.
My husband and father law tried a couple sampler beers, which they were different, good thing they tried it first lol. I ordered the reuben sandwich, it was AMAZING! I'm very skeptical and critical of my corn beef because of how fatty it is, this corn beef was lean and delicious. Nice thin slices, hardly any fat, yummy toasted bread, and their own housemade sauerkraut. I ate it ALL!! My husband tried the pork sandwich and he enjoyed it. There was A LOT of pork on the bun, so much my husband had to take a fork to it. It comes with a side of their bbq sauce, it's a nice sweet, tangy bbq sauce, I wouldn't mind ordering it next time around. My in laws also had a reuben and the hamburger and said everything was done just right.
The service was good especially for the party of our size. The total bill wasn't bad either, we had 2 beers, the beer sampler, 2 reubens, 3 kids meals, pork sandwich, 2 hamburgers, and a glass of wine, with 18% gratuity because of our large party size came to $130. I'll be back, this time for less food and more beer :)
We were in the area and needed a place to grab some lunch and Hopmonk seemed the best option. Â Service was a bit lacking, we stood for a while before someone showed us to a table, we waited an equally long time for a waiter to bring menus and take drink orders but we weren't in a hurry so I guess it could have been worse. Â
I went with the fish and chips and it was pretty good. Â Not the best I'd ever had but considering our experience so far it surpassed my expectation. Â Our orders did seem to take forever to come out, but perhaps it was just because we were hungry. Â I will say that someone got the sweet potato fries and these were really good. Â If you have the choice go with them.
Good beer selection- some IPA',s Belgians, Pils and dark beers, I tried new stuff I wouldn't have bought in the store.
Solid calamari appetizer and great homemade tomato soup, delicious.
Out of three entrees, fish and chips was the best, beer sausage and muscles tied for second. All around great food and service.
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