Casual food and great drinks are what's on the menu at these Sonoma County pubs.
McNear's Saloon & Dining House, Petaluma: It doesn’t get much pub-ier than this historic Petaluma watering hole. Find a quiet spot and nibble on nachos or try the Korean Pork Tacos, made with braised pork shoulder. The old school patty melt is tops. 21 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma, mcnears.com. (Scott Manchester / The Press Democrat)
Brewsters Beer Garden + Restaurant, Petaluma: One of the rare drinkeries where the food is as good as the booze. A 250-set indoor/outdoor space (technically a beer garden) has great smoked brisket, St. Louis style ribs, my favorite fried chicken sandwich (with goat cheddar), and seasonal salads. 229 Water St., Petaluma, brewstersbeergarden.com. (Heather Irwin / Sonoma Magazine)
Mac & Cheese with onion rings from Brewsters Beer Garden in Petaluma. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Brownie Sundae at Brewsters Beer Garden in Petaluma. (Heather Irwin / Sonoma Magazine)
Pub Republic, Petaluma: Lots of modern pub grub on this menu, which includes lunch, dinner and brunch. Brussels sprout tacos, fried chicken and mashed potatoes, truffle parmesan fries and house-cured salmon crostini. 3120 Lakeville Hwy., Petaluma, pubrepublicusa.com. (Chris Hardy / Sonoma Magazine)
Twin Oaks Roadhouse, Penngrove: An old-school honky-tonk juke joint, with a modern twist. The fried chicken sandwich is a must-try. Hopmonk owners rehabbed the bar recently, so if there are some menu overlaps, it’s intentional. 5745 Old Redwood Hwy., Penngrove, twinoaksroadhouse.com. (Chris Hardy / Sonoma Magazine)
The pulled pork sandwich with beans as a side with a glass of HopMonk Tavern Al at the Twin Oaks Road House in Penngrove. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
The fried chicken sandwich at the Twin Oaks Road House in Penngrove. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Belly Left Coast Kitchen, Santa Rosa: An excellent selection of beer, plus solid pub fare like surf and turf tacos, pork belly pizza, chorizo Brussels sprouts, lobster mac and cheese, and smoked pork nachos. 523 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, bellyleftcoastkitchen.com. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Hawaiian Kalua Pork Tacos from Belly Left Coast Kitchen & Taproom in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Toad in the Hole, Santa Rosa: Authentic English pub fare like fish and chips, bangers and mash, and savory meat pies. You can still get a burger, but wouldn’t you rather have a sausage roll with your pint? 116 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, thetoadpub.com.
Steele & Hops, Santa Rosa: A brewery with plenty of taps, cocktails and family-friendly pub food. Bar bites like beet-pickled deviled eggs, porky pig pulled pork sandwich, hefty burgers and brick-oven pizzas. 1901 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, steeleandhops.com. (Beth Schlanker / The Press Democrat)
Black Bean and Beef Chili and Beet-Pickled Deviled Eggs at Steele and Hops Public House in Santa Rosa. (Beth Schlanker / The Press Democrat)
Ricardo’s Bar & Grill, Santa Rosa: A favorite neighborhood watering hole with a full bar and a wide range of pub fare, from beer-battered onions and nachos to Brie and pear crostini and grilled ribeye steak. Reuben egg rolls with Thousand Island dipping sauce are irresistible. 2700 Yulupa, Santa Rosa, ricardosbarandgrill.com. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
The Reuben sandwich from Ricardo's in the Annadel Shopping Center in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Ausiello’s, Santa Rosa: Their under $10 lunch menu features a burger, fries, salad and a soda — a killer deal in downtown Santa Rosa. The Sunday "Bloody Mary" brunch burger comes with Bloody Mary aioli, bacon and a fried egg. Ausiello's features rotating taps of local craft brews, sassy cocktails and tv screens as far a bro can see. 609 5th St, Santa Rosa, ausiellos5thstreetgrill.com.
Palooza Brewery and Gastropub, Kenwood: The food is always solid, and this burger is one of our faves. If you’re not wanting heavy pub grub, they’ve got tasty salads and wraps. 8910 Sonoma Hwy., Kenwood, paloozafresh.com. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
The Deep Dish Cookie from Palooza in Kenwood. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Hopmonk, Sebastopol and Sonoma: Modern pub dining with a focus on great beer and beer-friendly dishes. Internationally-inspired bites like fish tacos, tavern samosas, currywurst, a chicken Philly sandwich on naan bread, burgers and pulled pork. 230 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol and 691 Broadway, Sonoma, hopmonk.com. (Courtesy of Hopmonk)
Outdoor seating at HopMonk Sonoma. (Courtesy of HopMonk)
Bear Republic Brewing Company, Rohnert Park: A lakeside location for great burgers and brews. Try the cheesy poutine and the signature Black and Blue Burger slathered with blue cheese and bacon remoulade. 5000 Roberts Lake Road, Rohnert Park, bearrepublic.com. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Bear Republic Brewing Company, in Rohnert Park, has a long list of home-brewed beers that the company considers family. Stop by their outdoor seating with your family (dogs included) to get a taste for yourself. 5000 Roberts Lake Rd, Rohnert Park 94928, 707-585-2722, bearrepublic.com. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
The Publican, Windsor: If you’re not up for the Peanut Butter Burger (a cheeseburger with bacon and chipotle peanut butter), the Porkzilla Burger (with apple coleslaw, carnitas, miso Dijon) or spicy chicken and waffles. Solid brunch includes banana foster creme brûlée French toast and omelets. 9057 Windsor Road, Windsor, thepublicanwindsor.com. (Jeff Quackenbush / North Bay Business Journal)
Russian River Brewing, Windsor: The Santa Rosa pub menu is standard fare, but the Windsor location has an expanded menu with honey-glazed chicken wings, Pliny fries with white cheddar fondue, roasted beets with faro and heartier two-handers like their pork schnitzel sando or tri-tip steak frites. Wine and cider available if you are among the rare birds who don’t love Russian River beers. 700 Mitchell Ln., Windsor, russianriverbrewing.com. (Heather Irwin / Sonoma Magzine)
Duke’s Spirited Cocktails, Healdsburg: It’s not exactly a pub — more of a mixology lab — but they’ve got some seriously good bar bites from their Healdsburg kitchen. Mini corndogs, Korean fried chicken sliders, togarishi fries, crostini with mushroom conserva and sherry-fernet syrup. Tres chic. While you’re there, don’t miss the Rangpur More, made with aromatic Sipsong gin, lime shrub, pink peppercorns, and saffron bitters. 111 Plaza St., Healdsburg, drinkatdukes.com. (Heather Irwin / Sonoma Magazine)
Co-founders Tara Heffernon and Laura Sanfilippo mixing drinks at Duke's Spirited Cocktails. (Photo Credit: Nat and Cody Gantz)
Pubs aren’t usually known for their world-class cuisine, but we’ve found 15 Sonoma County pubs (along with bars and beer gardens) that go way beyond microwaved chicken fingers and chili. Serving everything from fish and chips to Brie and pear crostini, there’s plenty of great food that will also lay a solid base for a night of revelry.
