Laughing Monk Brewing and Gastropub - Scotts Valley, California

Shahram M.

First time visiting laughing monk brewery. We came here since it was ranked as #1 place to dine in Scott’s valley on yelp. The place was packed and the parking was full. There was a private party in the patio by the parking lot Inside there were a few open tables so we were seated promptly. We ordered a flight of beer which all tasted fresh and nice. For dinner I got the chicken pesto sandwich and my wife got the mahi mahi tacos and my son ordered the brewsky burger. They were all put tgeyher nicely and tasted good but nothing really special. Service was fairly fast. It’s an all around solid 4.

Phillip H.

Awesome brewery atmosphere, new & clean, excellent service & delicious food. Definitely a new favorite spot in the Santa Cruz area. Had the onion rings as appetizer which were excellent. Fried chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries was also super tasty.

Deanna D. P.

EDIT: went back and enjoyed the beyond burger!

I loved the atmosphere and the waiter was nice but my food honestly sucked. I got beyond steak tacos and the meat was so hard my fork couldn’t even stick into it. It was hard as a rock and dry. My husband really enjoyed his burger even though he did as for no onions on his burger and had to scrape them off. The coke was also very flat. I will be back to try some other items eventually but the tacos were not a good choice. Maybe consider a beyond beef crumble rather than chunks if they’re going to be like rocks.

My husband really enjoyed the wings and the cauliflower was good as well.

Hanna B.

I love it here! Tons of vegan options (including vegan cheesecakes), good drinks and mocktails, and great service. The staff who stayed open late to support my dance students’ party were so kind and helpful.

The Laughing Monk is next to a big field, so if you have bad allergies (like me) be sure to take allergy medicine and maybe pack eye drops!

David S.

Beautiful late afternoon Sunday on their patio. Derek, out server, was very friendly and helpful especially with advice on our food decisions, but also on our choices for our beer flight. I'm not an IPA drinker, and over a third of their beers are IPAs. I had an amber ale, a Belgian wheat, a fruited sour, and a stout. The stout was my favorite. The bourbon burger with Gouda and caramelized onions was stand out.

Robert C.

My expectations weren't that high but I decided to try something new and pick up family dinner from Laughing Monk. My kids are I were shocked at how good it was...it's the real deal. The pretzel with cheese sauce and mustard was an A+, hands down the best I've had in the Bay Area. Mahi mahi tacos were delicious, my daughter's squash salad was fresh and full of flavor, and my son loved the cajun pasta. This place has moved right to the top of our favorite take out places.

Claire M.

We sat outside pretty promptly- food was ordered and delivered- with a little errors but corrected. The server didn’t check on us once after food was delivered to see how the food was or to refill water or any other beverages. The girl who was the food runner was amazing because she corrected the issues with the server- beautiful blonde with pigtails. We ordered a lot of food and overall food was a hit.

Regular fries - yum (can’t go wrong if you like fries)
Garlic fries- yum (most flavor- if you like garlic these are a must)
Sweet potato fries- yum (most crispy out of all 3) if you are trying a healthier version- pass and go for a salad-

Side salad- nice size and yummy

Pretzel- huge- warm- delicious- the table winner amongst everyone.

Brussel sprouts- too oily for my liking- has a little spice/flavor nice to have a veggie, but again if you are trying to be healthier- all that oil- better to have a side salad

Most people order burgers- all were cooked well and tasted good- the buns for the bread were great.

I had portobello mushroom sandwich - the sandwich was drenched with a mayonnaise type sauce- I could pass on that, and ask for open face next time and sauce on the side so I can control the amount. (Just because restaurant meals end up being 1200-1400 calories otherwise)

Overall I would recommend eating here. It’s family friendly and the food is tasty.

We just had a server that had his friends visiting and he was hanging out with them. This could have been a one off scenario. Not enough for me not to say
Don’t come back- but just be aware. Chill environment.

ava M.

We ate here thursday night and sat on the patio- our server did a very good job. The sectioned filled up really quickly but he stayed calm and was very nice the whole time. The food was good too.