Dog Haus Biergarten — Restaurant in Berkeley

Solid effort by Dog Haus! First time going after hearing tepid reviews but thought we'd give it a shot. So glad we did!

We went on New Years Day after a 7 mile bike ride with no food in sight, so we were starving and anything would've tasted good, but I was really craving french fries. This place did not disappoint! Nice long, plump, russet fries done really well and tasted perfect, IMHO. We split the Bad Mutha Clucka and fries, onion rings, and each ordered a pint, plus the kids chicken tenders meal, for $50.

Prices are reasonable, which is not in line with what I'd first heard. Yes, you're paying $9 for a loaded brat or dog, $11-13 for a sandwich or burger and $8 for a pint, but that seems to be where we're at these days, so caveat emptor. Kids meal prices are really reasonable, with chicken tenders, fries and a drink running at $7. A steal.

The 2 tenders were huge and all breast meat, though our little reviewer found the breading "a little spicy" and picked most of it off. Even without it, the meat was juicy and tender, but crispy on the edges, so nicely done. She loved the fries and the endless root beer!

Our Mutha Clucka was not spicy, though we didn't order it that way, and could've used a bit more flavor on the acid side (pickles are on it, as is a slightly sweet slaw), but was very good nonetheless. Fries as I said were crisp and tender at once, as were the onion rings, and nicely fried. The onion rings come in a huge bucket for $4!

Beer list is amazing with a really wide representation of types and styles from N. CA and beyond. I know it's Berkeley, but points for serving, on draft, Michelob Light, and in a pitcher (albeit for $29), as not everyone is in to super niche IPAs. I was also surprised to see they somehow had a full bar with cocktails! See attached photo for some Haus specialties.

Also lots of TVs showing the Rose Bowl and other sports of interest to the bar patrons at the time. Good luck finding a nicer sports bar in Berkeley than this. Everywhere else we've tried is pretty dingy and run down.

The biggest improvements I can think for them to make that they can control is that 1.) the space is open to the outdoors so that people aren't getting each other's germs, but the food is served on stainless steel trays, which makes it go cold immediately. Keep the trays in the warmer of an oven - problem solved. It was a shame to eat cold fries after 5 minutes. 2.) I know this is touchy, but do not allow people to have their actual dogs inside the restaurant. This was not a service dog as it was barking and pacing the entire time. This is a health code violation, and this place has a large patio, so no excuse, really. That the employee on duty did not enforce it says something about the food safety culture at the restaurant. Luckily there were no gums stuck under the table or I would've had to downgrade them another star! I will note that they did seem understaffed that day, and I empathize with the extra headache and likely work this would've caused for the employee vs the stereotypical Berkeley customer.

Overall a very good choice for a family or low key friends gathering around some burgers, beers, and dogs, and we'll definitely be back to sample more of...

This review is not about the menu, the prices, or the ambiance. I never even made it past the entrance. My visit was a brief, stark lesson in the difference between following a rule and exercising basic human decency. ​I arrived at this establishment in distress, genuinely sick and in urgent need of a restroom. I approached a staff member—who looked me directly in the eye—and politely asked if I could use their facilities, explaining my immediate need before I planned to sit down and order something. ​The response was immediate and without a trace of compassion: "No, you can't. It's for customers." ​I was in a moment of vulnerability, and in return, I was met with cold, rigid adherence to policy. I simply said, "Thank you, I really appreciate that," and left. ​To the management: I left not because I was rejected, but because your employee's reaction showed me everything I needed to know about the values of this business. A momentary lapse in judgment for a few seconds of water use would have been an act of goodwill. Instead, you chose to prioritize the sanctity of your restrooms over the immediate physical need of a person who intended to be your patron. ​If your policy cannot bend for a sick person in desperate need, it is a bad policy, and you are running a business, not a community space. Kindness and common sense are always better business practices than rigidity. I highly recommend taking a moment to reflect on what matters more: a few cents of water, or your humanity. I will...

Was considering having a party here so I wanted to try their food. Went to the Berkeley location for Happy Hour at little after 3pm and was unable to get an order placed with the discounts. I signed up using my phone number in order to get the special discounts (or so I thought). Placed the order for the 4 Chopped Cheese sliders , The Ruben Tots, and 2 other items that were supposed to be 1 dollar off each.

The person who attended to the order said he only started 3 days ago and couldn't override or give the discount. It was extremely frustrating and was told that the manager was there and would see about it. Never had the opportunity to speak to the Manager as they never came out. Strangely, there wasn't any customers around and so that could have also been a sign. I assumed that the system would discount the order through the kiosk order system but it didn't and only the full price was being charged.

They should look into this problem, I just couldn't understand why they couldn't manually input the price with the discounts for Happy Hour to allow the discount so ended up just leaving after 30 minutes of attempting to order. I was ready to spend almost 50 for food, but sadly I never was able to even order to take advantage of the Happy...