Latest reviews from Palo Alto

“Came here on 27.11.2023. Very simple English Pub in the old part of Palo Alto. I like the dark and wooden ambiance although everything seems to be quite old and a bit unorganised. Very different to the modern and stylish beer bars opening nowadays. The highlight is the beer menu. At least 5 beers from Russian River on tap + beers from Europe like Franziskaner, Spaten and Delirium. Excellent quality ! Small food menu, mainly Burgers.“

Schlenkerla 191 days ago

“Whole Foods de emphasized beer many years ago, and this location is no exception. The selection is even smaller here than other stores. Very single cans/ bottles. No locals. Only large micros. Lame.“

wetherel 984 days ago

“Almost hesitant to rate this place since it's a bit of a hidden gem, but since like 8 people still use RateBeer, I think I'm okay. Unassuming liquor store from the outside. Inside, they have a very large selection of beer, wine, and spirits. A long set of shelves right when you walk in full of beers, ciders, and meads. There are also a number of coolers with six/four-packs and some single cans as well. They have a good selection of all sorts of styles. Definitely skews towards what's popular these days, particularly in the hoppy beer department. They do have some odd things out on the shelves that you wouldn't expect to see that much anymore and do sometimes discount older bottles. For instance, I've scored some old Mikkeller ticks for a good price. Service is helpful and these guys seem to do a good job getting new stuff in, too. Definitely worth stopping by if you're in the southern part of the Peninsula.“

brokensail 1011 days ago

“Dropped by during covid for lunch and a place rating. No beers at this time, though the menu said “draft beer,” but it wasn’t available. Not a beer place anyway. Chicken shish-kabob was quite good, and comes with a nice large salad, and rice and bread for $17. Good place for food, but there are better places for beer.“

wetherel 1243 days ago

“Bikes by on the way to Redwood City. Nice Whole Foods like market. Decent selection for 2010, but not so special for 2020. Some Russian River, Belgian beers. About 50 different varieties from large craft breweries. Not worth visiting, because other places are better.“

wetherel 1285 days ago

“Great place to visit in downtown Palo Alto. Surrounded by a beautiful town with many shops and restaurants. Very English pub style food (e.g. fish and chips). Great selection of 6 beers from Palo Alto brewing. This may be the only place to get their beers. Nice outside patio with live music in the park beside the pub.“

wetherel 1292 days ago

“Dropped by during CoVid. Wow. Excellent selection. Even some some awesome, but expensive Superstition top50 meads. Some rare beers I’ve not seen elsewhere. Lots of single cans for rating. About 50% (e.g. hoppy beer) in the fridge. Reasonable prices as well!“

wetherel 1326 days ago

“Whole Foods has really gone downhill generally since their change in ownership. By the lower standards of typical Whole Foods, this one is especially barren. Your average Safeway has better selection. This is basically just a little better than a gas station when it comes to beer. Pass.“

WestCoastHawkeye 1659 days ago

“Agree with bytemesis, I went to brunch at the place next to this and was pretty blown away when I poked my head in here while I waited. Made a point of hitting it up a few times and you can get some really good stuff from here - good selection of both foreign and domestic, and in addition to the IPAs, some damn nice stouts here as well if you're a stout guy like me. Now they just need taps so that you can drink delicious beer while shopping for delicious beer. Until then, GHS will still be my goto.“

WestCoastHawkeye 1660 days ago

“Wow, Its totally crazy that this place was not already in the database; I think it may have the best selection in the entire south bay! Prices are good too. Unbelievable. Thanks Nolan for the tip! OK, so this is a pretty nice liquor store on Middlefield. Sizable parking lot available. Beer is front and center when you walk in. They have a row of bottles down the center with really good selection. A number of rarities, including all three of the recent De Garde releases (the "The" beer flew off shelves in the more frequented stores). They keep all perishable beers in the fridges, which is always a good sign. One great thing about this place is that they get shipments of both Alvarado Street and Moonraker; they might be the only place on the East Bay to accomplish that feat. Wednesday deliveries for Alvarado, not sure on Moonraker. They don't sell can singles, but if you want to pick up some hoppy heaving in four packs, this is your place. Regular rotation, initiated!“

bytemesis 1713 days ago

“There are SO many places rated much higher than this which are no better. They have some decently interesting drafts (but nothing which really grabs you and is a no brainer something that you have to get) - mix of very local and Euro - bar only service, solid but unspectacular food - basically I would go to the Redwood City places over this, but if you're craving a pub atmosphere with some good beer, this is a good place. It's a solid single - don't go out of your way for it, but there are so many worse places than this on this site. Oh, I got a 2012 Sucaba to take home from here. So there is some good stuff here if you're willing to shell out for it.“

WestCoastHawkeye 1826 days ago

“Ya, this is an amusing add, but them rules say no deleting, and they do usually have a couple of taps with something "craft" running at any time. Proximity to Keeble and Shuchat means that i have stopped in a few times after spending too much money on camera shit. Otherwise its your typical neighborhood bar.“

bytemesis 3357 days ago

“Best place for a beer lover in Palo Alto. Can get crowded in the evenings; I always go at lunch or just after. Always something interesting on the taps. Dark pseudo-Brit pub inside, picnic tables outside.“

k6rfm 3450 days ago

“Visited October 11, 2014.

This is kind of a weird place. It’s a small grocery store / market in a very small shopping center along with some auto repair places. It’s right on San Antonio not far from 101. The problem is that my GPS tells me to make a U turn but there is no way that the old Pontiac would make that. I had to resort to making a sketchy U turn further down the street. Not sure exactly what the best way to get here is if heading south on San Antonio.

Beer aside this is an interesting little market. They have a whole section for jellies, preserves, and syrups. I was tempted to by some black elderberry syrup for Berliner. The beer section isn’t much to look at it. It’s really just a couple of small shelves full of bottles. Nothing is refrigerated but you can get all the Weltenberger that you want here. They also have some Czech, Latvian, and a few other random beers.

Not a worthy beer stop but I feel like you could have some fun mixing syrups and beers.“

t0rin0 3525 days ago

“Visited January 19, 2014.

First time in an Umami Burger despite having been to Anaheim Brewing several times since the Umami opened next door. As mentioned below it looks like a library. Kind of neat I suppose, but not sure what the point is. I can see sipping a beer and reading a book but I don’t think I’d trust people with booze or greasy burgers around my books. Then again, I didn’t look very closely to see if they are actually real books.

The burgers look really good. Small buns, thick patty, interesting toppings, square plates. Very high prices. Not really my style but if the food is good I’ll be back to try it. Actually, what I really wanted was a beer but they don’t have a bar. They weren’t interested in seating me nor was I interested in taking up room at a table by myself with just a beer and people crowding around waiting for a seat. The beer list is kind of sad. Two taps (Allagash White and Goose Island Matilda) and 20sih bottles. Actually the bottles they had aren’t bad but I’d much rather have something on tap than a $23 bottle of Allagash Curisux or Goose Island Sofie. Over all I’ll be scrolling past this particular location. Maybe after I try one closer to home and if it turns out that I like the food enough to pay $12 for a burger (with no fries) I might consider coming back.“

t0rin0 3788 days ago

“Visited January 19, 2014.

I’ve been fairly impressed in the last couple months by the selection at Whole Foods over all but this one was nothing to write home about. A good portion of the selection is in six-packs and there are some big bottles as well but over all it’s fairly minimal. Tons of Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas, Firestone, and New Belgium along with some singles of St Bernardus, Duchesse, Goose Island, Bruery, North Coast, Rogue, and Clown Shoes. That’s most of it. By grocery store standards it’s not bad but when the Whole Foods in Oakland, SoMa (SF), and a few others have three times this selection and also have some obscure things mixed in I get a bit spoiled and expect more. Prices, food, service, parking, etc are all the same as any other Whole Foods: bad, weird, scarce, available (respectively). Won’t be making this a regular stop.“

t0rin0 3788 days ago

“December 29, 2013.

Mollie Stone’s has a surprising selection of beer for a grocery store. In fact all of the northern California grocery stores have a much better selection than what I’ve gotten used to in southern California. This isn’t an amazing liquor store by any means but if this was my regular grocery store I’d probably buy most of my beer here.

When you enter you’ll immediately see the beer cove. There is a large display of Sierra Nevada in the middle surrounded by refrigerated bottles and six packs. Lagunitas, Speakeasy, Sierra, Palo Alto, Gordon Biersch, all the northern CA staples. There is also some garbage beer like PBR present. All around not bad selection for your occasional six pack needs.“

t0rin0 3797 days ago

“Visited December 29, 2013.

What? TickD added this place? It’s a cool bar but not only is it a dive, they don’t have much beer available. I did spot a PBR tap along with Sierra Nevada pale and a handful of others. About a dozen taps in total with some macro bottles in the fridge. I did spot a six pack of Lagunitas IPA among the Bud Light bottles but I don’t think this is really a beer destination. Might be a fun place to hang out as the other patrons at the bar were nice and so was the bartender but yeah, I won’t be making a trip down the peninsula for this.

I love there is no website or really any info online about these guys minus a yelp page and a facebook page that they’ve never actually posted on.“

t0rin0 3807 days ago

“Visited December 29, 2013.

This is pretty much across the street from the other two places listed here. This one is a restaurant with a small beer selection. They actually do have a handful of taps including Devil’s Canyon scotch ale as well as a Pyramid "hefe" tap. I went mostly for the place tick but also for the Turkish beer, of which they have two in the bottle. You can eat your food and rate your Turkish beer outside on the patio if you’d like. The food menu is pretty interesting (Mediterranean) but I didn’t order anything. Not sure this place is a beer destination but if you need that Turkish rating and want some (presumably) good food to go with it then check it out.“

t0rin0 3807 days ago

“Cool little place with a library motif. Beer list is decent, but nothing amazing. Service is good. Burgers are top notch. Go for the food, take the beer as a bonus. High prices.“

bytemesis 3871 days ago

“Wait, NOLA is in here? The food is indeed excellent, but it is not a beer destination. Hmmmm“

bytemesis 3929 days ago

“Gourmet burger joint. High prices. $15 burger $7 beer $3 fries. I should have skipped the beer.“

mrhoppy 3965 days ago

“Very little selection as compared to the other area Whole Foods, and they are not using the space they do have for impact.“

bytemesis 4076 days ago

“FANTASTIC food. The price is steep but definitely worth it. The beer selection is limited, but obviously a bit push on Abita brews, which is cool. Otherwise, grab a local brew somewhere else.“

AcctError236499 4124 days ago

“Relatively small selection and store compared to other Whole Foods. But they do have some decent beers and a good amount of local stuff. They carry mostly six packs and 750ml/22 oz bottles of some of the more common beers, but some lesser known local beers, tool.“

brokensail 4124 days ago

“Visited 4 or 5 times over the last 4 years. The place stays pretty much exactly the same (same bottled beers that dont move, same bartenders, same food menu, always full) but thats not necesarily a bad thing. 4 years ago I went to meet with some BAs for one of their first Bay Area meetups.

There are always a few interesting taps going. The owner has something to do with Palo Alto Brewing which is all contract brewed. They usually have at least 2 or 3 offerings on tap along with a dozen other interesting beers. The bottles are crazy expensive but where else can you find Anchor OBA or FW XI at a bar?

I dont go to Palo Alto often so I’ll continue to stop in when meeting someone in the area.“

t0rin0 4216 days ago

“It is what it is. So so service, unnaturally crowded at night, decent beer menu at high prices. They do have a pretty interesting "executive bottle" selection if you have the cash to spend. One of the places to get Pliny the younger in February, which is cool, but otherwise there are better places to hang out.“

bytemesis 4300 days ago

“Food is great, and its a place to go and get a Turkish beer checked off your life list...“

bytemesis 4351 days ago

“Drug my brother, who lives in the area to this pub and had a great time. I had Firestone Walker’s Parabola on tap, as well as Pliny and some other California beers. Will be headed back to SF in a month and will arrange a meeting of friends for darts and great beer at the Rose & Crown. If you are in the area, you would be remiss to not visit. Sure, it’s far from perfect, but has all the charm you could want out of a great beer bar.“

TheBrewSherpa 4360 days ago

“Classic British pub. They had a solid tap list when i was there. The bottle list was really nice, but pricey as bottle lists can be.“

fidel 4398 days ago

“What is interesting about this place is its selection of Eastern European beers. If you are hankering to try the national beer of Latvia, this is the place to go!“

bytemesis 4412 days ago

“No one has reviewed the Rose and Crown for over two years, so I had to speak up. I’ve had many great beers here. I had my first sour (RR Supplication) during a 2010 SF Beek Week event. I had Lost Abbey Angel’s Share for the first time. On my last visit (last weekend) I had Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A. and Sierra Nevada Estate Harvest Ale, passing up the Highwater No Boundary IPA since I had already had it. The food is so-so, and the service is variable, but I’m not aware of other places in the area with such a good (and changing) selection of interesting beers.“

mweston 4604 days ago

“Not a great beer selection, but the food is fantastic and the specialty mixed drinks are quite original and absolutely delicious. Love the layout with the main seating area being a courtyard surrounded by wrought iron railed balconies, definitely gives the NOLA feel even in CA“

GypsyHead 4632 days ago

“New Orleans style restaurant. Nice location, with an interestingly decorated courtyard, and some decent food. The beer selection is nothing to go out of your way for, though. The only semi-unusual offerings are two Devil’s Canyon Brewing lagers on tap (one house-branded as "Nola Voodoo Brew"), and a bunch of Abita beers in bottles.“

Delirium 5281 days ago

“I stumbled over this place by acident - was looking for a place to have a tuna steak, but on the way wanted to see if the original locoation of Gorden Bierch might have something appart from the standard lineup, which they didn’t - saw an ale house and found that they had 3 beers on tap and 4 in bottles I hadn’t tried. Was hungry, so I had their fish and chips, which was edible, but not great in any way. Two of the beers were from Palo Alto Brewing Company, brewed under licence at Mayfield in Belmont - I have to enter them on RB - and the bottled beers were the three Iconoclast from Mayfield, though at 45 USD a bottle I didn’t buy them and they had one bottle left of Sonoram 100 at 85 USD, which I didn’t want to spend either. The service was OK, but the different waitors didn’t know that I had a tab running, so they kept asking - that’s what happens when there’s 3 waitors overlapping with no coordination, but they were friendly and had an OK beer knowledge. The place is tried to be kept in English style - and for a place in the US the job is done quite nicely - except for the fact that they had no cask beer. If you find yourself in Palo Alto or the vicinity you should go - if for nothing else the seldom Palo Alto beers.“

Ungstrup 5437 days ago

“Extremely small compared to other Whole Foods. I found Goose Island bourbon county stout that other stores didn’t have. So I left very happy. They don’t let you take singles.“

mrhoppy 5450 days ago

“Good place to grab a beer before and after you eat.“

mrhoppy 5450 days ago

“I go here pretty often but never for food, just beer. I mean screw food - Living in Palo Alto, it’s probably the only decent beer bar within a 30 minute drive. The beer selection is pretty good and they do a solid job of offering seasonal beers. I would like to see at least some American brews on the menu however - I would say that 90% of the menu is imported. The decent list of Belgians is a plus however. It would be nice to see local breweries (Russian River, Bear Republic, Speakeasy, Lagunitas, etc) featured on their menu more often. My main complaint, not that it’s a major one, is that the service is average at best. Bartenders will sometimes sit there seemingly in a daze for minutes while people are waiting to be served. In addition, they are not very knowledgeable about beers on the menu. Last time I was there, I heard someone ask, "What is your favorite tripel on the menu?" to which the bartender responded, "I don’t know, I haven’t tried any of them." I really don’t trust“

nickd717 5594 days ago

“Fun place to hang out, drink beer, eat nuts, and shoot pool or darts. Selection is limited, but they usually have 10-20 beers on tap and more in bottles. Mostly macros and more widely available craft brews, but you can usually find some decent offerings on tap like Fat Tire and Lagunitas IPA and stuff like Franziskaner Hefe-weissbier in bottles. Adjoining taqueria is excellent but not always open. Great value for the area.“

nickd717 5603 days ago

“Good selection of British beers. Nice patio and some good events (e.g. comedy night). Hasn’t changed in many years and is probably the best place to drink some real beers in downtown PA.“

bnselby 5773 days ago

“Best place in Palo Alto to go drink all night but still have a good selection. Four pints of Drak’es IPA served from a cask coupled with a dozen games of darts is a good way to spend the night.“

Berserkir 5774 days ago

“Some time between my mid-twenties and today, the crowd traded their rough look for sweaters and scarfs, the smoke cleared (blissfully!), and tap list went from boring imports to a quite enjoyable if modest-sized selection of California micros (I had a SN Harvest and a Racer 5). Pain in the ass to get a beer, though, from the solo bartender who was badly swamped. This is a decent place to drink, despite the cheesy faux-british decor.“

OldMrCrow 6041 days ago

“The beer selection is fairly limited. The most interesting thing on tap when I went last weekend was Drake’s IPA. Everything else was fairly widely accessible English Ales and the like. The place feels a little dirty. Nevertheless, they now have a narrow outdoor patio. On a Friday night at midnight, neither the Empire tap room nor Gordon Biersch were open, but this was. So they get points there. Can be a pretty fun place. If you’re in Palo Alto and looking for good beer, start at Empire, then Gordon Biersch and then to Rose & Crown. All are on Emerson street within walking distance. Fanny & Alexanders, also on Emerson can also be fun and they have a decent selection as well.“

ElGaucho 6418 days ago

“The most disappointing beer selection of any of the handful of Whole Foods I’ve been to. Roughly half the selection that the Redwood City store has. They clearly pay attention to their beer as they have signs telling you that an employee will help you pick something out you might like. However, the execution just isn’t there. There are other places nearby with a lot better selection, like Beltramos in Menlo Park and Whole Foods in Redwood City, so skip this one.“

ElGaucho 6690 days ago

“Very small store w/very small beer selection. What they have is good but nothing that you can’t find at most Safeways or Liquor stores. Their selection of singles is very small and random.“

brianprentiss 6771 days ago

“Good place for your Pub type ales and English/Irish imports. Don’t go looking for the rare microbrew, but quiz night is pretty fun.“

ervan 6834 days ago

“They will stock a few Belgians, a few (but generally good) six-packs, and sometimes a random gems (e.g., Island Starry Night Stout) that I never saw anywhere else. The beer section is small. If you happen to be staying downtown and need a place to go to within walking distance, then this is probably your best bet.“

jazz88 6874 days ago

“one of the tiniest whole foods markets in the US. beer selection is not as good as the San Mateo store which is 20 minutes drive north up the 101 (with medium traffic). hard to get help b/c the workers are scrambling around.“

MullMan 6927 days ago