Starry Plough

DOWNTOWN BERKELEY. Irish music and dance are regular features at the Starry Plough, along with local and regional performers of every stripe – folk, blues, bluegrass, rock, and more. Open mic night is Tuesday, and locals say it's the best in the Bay area. Wednesday is the Berkeley Slam, a poetry slam unlike any you've ever seen before, with judges picked randomly from the audience and bands or DJs finishing out the evening. A fun, relaxed and artistic ambience permeates the pub every night of the week, and there's a full range of draught beer – Guinness, Fat Tire, Budweiser, and Newcastle are among the twenty or so available.