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The pub is a simple idea that travels well: a room where you can get a decent pint, something hot to eat and a conversation that is not drowned out by music. Palo Alto has one pub in the British mold. The next towns along the Caltrain line add three Irish pubs and an English-style brewery that pours real ale from the cask. Together they cover the essentials, from Sunday fish and chips to a 2 a.m. last round on Murphy Avenue.
This guide starts with Palo Alto and then moves to Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Redwood City. Each pub was confirmed through its own website or a verified page in our business directory in late October or early November 2026. Hours are as posted and change, especially on holidays and game days. You must be 21 or older to drink. Pubs check ID.
Pubs at a glance
| Pub | Town | Style | Kitchen |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Rose & Crown | Palo Alto | English pub, craft beer | Yes, pub menu |
| Molly MaGees | Mountain View | Irish pub with back patio | No; bring takeout |
| Fibbar MaGees | Sunnyvale | Irish pub with The Snug lounge | Yes |
| Alhambra Irish House | Redwood City | Irish pub and restaurant | Yes |
| Freewheel Brewing | Redwood City | English-style brewpub, cask ale | Yes |
The Rose & Crown, 547 Emerson Street, Palo Alto
The Rose & Crown is Palo Alto's English pub, a block off University Avenue in the downtown bar cluster. It calls itself the city's oldest bar and the first in the area to bring in craft beer. We have not found an independent record of either claim, but the pub has been an Emerson Street fixture for a long time. Metro Silicon Valley's 2025 bar guide described its look as a Tudor-style farmhouse.
The food is English: fish and chips, cottage pie, a pub burger and tikka masala fries, a nod to the curry houses of modern British pub culture. The beer list is Northern Californian. Taps rotate through Bay Area and West Coast breweries and are grouped by style, with sections for hoppy beers and for ciders and sours among others. Most pours come by the pint or the pitcher. There are bottles to go, wine, cocktails and a non-alcoholic list too.
Posted hours are 2 to 11 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 2 p.m. to midnight on Thursday, 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday, 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturday and 1 to 11 p.m. on Sunday. Scotty's Bar & Grill across the street is a neighborhood bar rather than a pub, but the two make an easy pair.
Molly MaGees, 241 Castro Street, Mountain View
Molly MaGees has been downtown Mountain View's Irish pub since 1997. It sits on Castro Street, about 6 miles south of Palo Alto and a short walk from the Mountain View Caltrain station. The bar stocks a large range of Irish whiskeys, American whiskeys and bourbons and pours dozens of craft beers on draft, including Russian River beers, with new taps rotating in weekly. A large back patio has its own full bar. There is a pool table too. DJs play on Friday and Saturday nights.
Two things set Molly's apart. It has no kitchen, but it invites guests to bring in takeout or order delivery from any restaurant, which on Castro Street means dozens of options within a block. And it keeps late hours, listed as 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. every day. Our Castro Street guide lists places to pick up dinner first.
Fibbar MaGees, 156 South Murphy Avenue, Sunnyvale
Fibbar MaGees, Molly's sister pub, has stood on Sunnyvale's historic Murphy Avenue since 1994. It is about 9 miles from Palo Alto and a few blocks from the Sunnyvale Caltrain station. Fibbar's says it has the South Bay's largest selection of Irish whiskeys and pours craft beer from brewers such as Russian River and Altamont Beer Works. Unlike Molly's, it serves food, with daily specials such as a $10 steak and baked potato on Thursdays.
The pub has 16 TVs for NFL, rugby and hockey, patio seating and a quieter lounge called The Snug. Trivia runs every Tuesday from 7 p.m. and DJs take over on Friday and Saturday nights until 1:30 a.m., with free entry. Posted hours are 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Monday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Our Sunnyvale guide covers the rest of Murphy Avenue.
Redwood City: the Alhambra and Freewheel
Alhambra Irish House, 831 Main Street
The Alhambra Irish House is a pub and restaurant that says it pays homage to seasonal Irish pub cooking. It sits on Main Street in downtown Redwood City, a short walk from the Caltrain station. Its online hours run from 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. on Sunday and late morning on Saturday. It closes at 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and 9 p.m. on Sunday. Its October 2026 posts advertised Thursday trivia at 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday line dancing. Holiday party packages start at $30 per person, with private and semi-private spaces. Mondays bring a Speak Easy night, according to its website.
Freewheel Brewing, 3736 Florence Street
Freewheel is the nearest place to drink English-style real ale. The brewery has used traditional English methods since 2012 and is known for cask-conditioned ales, which finish carbonating in the cask and are usually pulled by hand pump, cooler and softer than standard draft beer. The kitchen serves burgers and fish and chips. The Redwood City taproom opens daily at 11:30 a.m. Our breweries guide has more.
How pubs work here
- Order at the bar if in doubt. Service varies. Some pubs bring drinks to your table and others serve only at the bar. If nobody comes over, walk up.
- Pints are US pints. An American pint is 16 ounces, smaller than the 20-ounce British imperial pint.
- Tip per drink. A dollar or two per drink or about 20 percent of the tab is normal in California.
- Read the fine print. Some bars add surcharges or automatic gratuities to large tabs. Check the menu.
- Quiz nights matter. Fibbar's runs trivia on Tuesdays and the Alhambra on Thursdays. Our trivia nights guide has more.
St. Patrick's Day
March 17 is the busiest day of the year at every pub on this page. Expect lines from the afternoon and possibly cover charges or limited menus. Molly MaGees says it celebrates St. Patrick's Day every day with drink specials, but the real thing is another level. Our St. Patrick's Day guide covers the 2027 plans and the San Francisco parade.
Drinking responsibly and getting home
All three Irish pubs and the Rose & Crown are within walking distance of a Caltrain station, which makes a pub night one of the easiest to do without a car. The catch is timing. Molly's and Fibbar's stay open long after the last train, so decide when you are leaving before the second round. Our Caltrain guide has the late timetable. Rideshare and Waymo robotaxis cover the gaps. Pub measures can add up quickly, especially with stronger craft beers, so eat, drink water and never drive after drinking.
Good to know
- Molly MaGees has no kitchen; bring takeout or order delivery.
- Molly's and Fibbar's list 2 a.m. closing every night. California bans alcohol sales from 2 to 6 a.m.
- The Rose & Crown and Scotty's sit across Emerson Street from each other. Scotty's is closed Sunday.
- Hours here are as posted in late October and early November 2026. Bring ID.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an English pub in Palo Alto?
Yes. The Rose & Crown at 547 Emerson Street is an English-style pub with a Tudor look, a long rotating craft beer list and pub food such as fish and chips and cottage pie. It describes itself as Palo Alto's oldest bar.
Is there an Irish pub in Palo Alto?
Not inside the city that we could confirm. The closest are Molly MaGees on Castro Street in Mountain View, about 6 miles south. The Alhambra Irish House on Main Street in Redwood City is about 6 miles north. Fibbar MaGees is on Murphy Avenue in Sunnyvale.
Which pub near Palo Alto has the best Irish whiskey list?
Fibbar MaGees in Sunnyvale says it has the South Bay's largest selection of Irish whiskeys. Molly MaGees, its sister pub in Mountain View, also stocks a large range of Irish whiskeys along with American whiskeys and bourbons.
Does Molly MaGees serve food?
No. Molly MaGees says it does not have a kitchen, but guests are welcome to bring in takeout or order delivery from any restaurant. Castro Street has dozens of restaurants within a block or two.
Where can I drink cask ale near Palo Alto?
Freewheel Brewing at 3736 Florence Street in Redwood City brews in the English tradition and is known for cask-conditioned real ales, served cooler and less fizzy than standard draft beer. It also serves burgers and fish and chips.