The Monk's Kettle

willjschmidt

California

4.58/5  rDev +4.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$$

The Monk's Kettle is a new "gastropub" in the Mission. It focuses on craft beer with a full food menu. It's a rather small place. A small bar and only half a dozen tables. They have 24 taps with a good mix of Belgian, German, British, and American craft beers. They also have a huge bottle selection with over 100 beers to choose from. The beers are all served in appropriate glasses with some of the Belgians being very expensive. For example, a 12oz glass of McChouffe was $10.75.

The menu consists of slightly upscale pub food. A good selection of appetizers, lots of salads, sandwiches, burgers, and a couple of entrees. I ordered the turkey burger which was on the dry side. My wife had the macaroni and cheese which was quite good.

I definitely recommend checking this place out. It's a welcome addition to San Francisco's craft beer scene.

12-16-2008 17:37:31 | More by willjschmidt

nrb1

California

4.41/5  rDev +0.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.25 | $$$

Always a good selection of beers, both on tap and bottles. Also, pretty much always a wait to get in. Both American craft brews and imports are well represented. Lots of Belgian beers. Food menu is limited but good quality. Staff is friendly and knowledgable.

04-26-2013 23:25:14 | More by nrb1

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +0.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

I am sure everyone says this when they walk in: but that's all the seats? The Monk's Kettle is great. It's like La Trappe, but a hard SoMa vibe. Selection is nice. Lots of different stuff from around the globe and around the neighborhood as well. Food was awesome. I loved the unique selection and stepping out there to do different kinds of things. This should be a must visit for anyone into beer. But might I suggest that you visit for lunch as it's going to be packed and difficult to get sat late at night.

01-04-2013 17:58:26 | More by RblWthACoz

excalibur

Kentucky

4.8/5  rDev +9.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

An outstanding pub with a great selection of beers: Californian, national and Belgium. A comfortable place with booths and a nice bar. We visited in the early afternoon and it was quiet. We sat at the bar and had enlightening conservation with the very friendly staff. The sweet lady bartender even suggested a great pub in Occidental which we visited. We had an order of pommes frites which are large and very tasty. I highly recommend this pub and we will always make the effort to visit whenever we are in town.

11-07-2012 02:56:44 | More by excalibur

CraftedBlackout

4.95/5  rDev +13.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

Stopped here my last night in town on a bartenders recommendation. Glad I did. The food was top notch as was the service. Can be a bit of a wait after 5:00 as its first come first serve but grab a seat at the bar and eat there.

For the traffic in this place it was shocking how receptive the staff was and how they kept everyone filled and informed. With the sours in house not sure why you would try anywhere else. Fantastic

Oh and they open some rediculous large formats to serve by the glass with food pairings how great is that.

09-20-2012 03:01:35 | More by CraftedBlackout

doho95fu

California

4.55/5  rDev +4.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$$

Stopped in for a few beers and a snack. Small lively place with a few tables and bar seating for 10 or so. It was President's Day at 3PM and it was packed. Had a seat at the bar and had Racer X on draft. Nice beer served correctly by someone who knew beers. Service was very friendly but not over the top. They give out a bound book which lists their selection which is medium sized and well thought out. Food was good, especially the pretzel roll and the burger. The location is good if you are in the Mission or can use BART, the 19th Street stop. Would stop here again.

03-01-2012 20:41:53 | More by doho95fu

writerLJBerg

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +1.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 5 | $$$$

Stopped here after my flight landed on January 29th. I had avoided this destination because of its price reputation before, but I mustered up the funds this time around. *Cough* Business trip *Cough*

First impression: Tiny. Certainly not a knock on the restaurant, but if you're planning a visit, know this isn't a spread your wings place with lots of empty tables. It's packed, which I very much enjoy in my beer destinations.

Tap list quality was quite good. As expected, there was a good local selection (Reality Czech is a must have every visit to SF, IMO), as well as some Belgian kegs which is rare enough. Prices are 2 or so dollars more than other places for locals, St. Bernardus was a whopping 10.75 for 8 oz. That's more than a 750mL bottle, if you're keeping score. So the selection score gets dinged a bit. It's not really a selection if you can't justify buying the beer for that price, is it? I argue not.

My server was very good. Knowledgeable and patient. Talked me through the menu and paired my meal up with the aforementioned St. B (Business trip, remember?).

Which leads me to why you should visit this place. The food is fantastic. Truly delicious. I chose the Braised Beef Short Ribs over seasonal vegetables and potato puree. Meat falling of the bone, potatoes laced with a light (and awesome gravy)...yes, this is the food of Belgian kings. And the Abt/quad really brought out another level in the meal. 5.0 here and highly deserving.

So, get out your checkbook, forget to the check the prices, and enjoy. Recommended.

02-08-2012 05:13:58 | More by writerLJBerg

tewaris

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5 | $$$

I had a few hours to kill in San Francisco before heading off to other places, so I chose The Monk's Kettle. I had been warned (fairly so) about the relatively higher prices, but chose it anyway because of its proximity to the BART station.

The beer selection was truly great with multiple styles well represented, along with the right dose of rarity. I got to drink Beatification Batch 3 that the bartender was kind enough to hold for me as I waited for my friend (it was their last bottle!). I also had a couple pints of Reality Czech. There were other well known beers on the huge list but one can only drink so much.

The beers were served in the right glassware and the glassware shelf was impressive. Food tasted of high quality, not necessarily equal to tasty, but then there are limited vegetarian options so I didn't have much choice.

Monk's is a crowded place, as one would expect for a top notch beer bar. I am sure it is struggling to keep up with the demand as are the brewers, so expect to wait for a table/spot at the bar; and expect average service in terms of speed. However, I am sure that the staff was doing its best so I can't blame anyone but the demand!

I highly recommend this place, especially for someone out of town like myself.

02-07-2012 19:36:56 | More by tewaris

adsomers

California

4.65/5  rDev +6.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Came here a bit early and just barely beat the dinner rush. Our hipster waitress seemed to have a chip on her shoulder at first but she turned out to be a sweetheart. Beer selection is top notch. We had a Marin seasonal and a De Dolle oerbier. Food was outstanding. We had mussels, frites, Brussels sprouts, winter lettuce salad, and their absolutely fantastic hamburger. The vibe and decor is perfect for what it is, though I do think this place is too small. I heartily recommend Monks Kettle but would advise going mid day to beat the crowds.

12-07-2011 15:59:14 | More by adsomers

colonelforbin

California

4.38/5  rDev +0.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $$$

Excellent, if pricey spot for a beer in the Mission. Located only two blocks from BART, Monk's Kettle is very conveniently located, and worth visiting if you are in this part of the city.

Draught list is great, 20 or so beers on tap at all times, and always changing. I stop here from time to time and the selection is constantly rotating. I really like that about this place. The bottle list is very extensive but is honestly way too expensive! Stick to draught beer here, there will be plenty of great offerings.

Pricing is interesting, some beers are served in 8 oz. servings, others in 12, 16 or 20 oz. servings, priced accordingly. Some are priced reasonably well compared to other local spots and some are a bit expensive. Want to emphasize the the great draught selection though, one of the better places in the city for this because it constantly rotates.

Atmosphere is nice, but it's always crowded here, no matter what time of day. They have a small bar, and a few small tables. Also, a few spots to sit/stand to the left of the bar. Many times it can simply be too crowded because this place really is not too big. The owners are opening a new restaurant/bar a few blocks away very soon, so that may alleviate some of the space issues at Monk's Kettle, but we'll see about that.

If you're into beer and you're hanging out in the Mission, stopping by Monk's Kettle is a no-brainer. Check it out.

11-17-2011 07:25:52 | More by colonelforbin