• 2025-05-13
• san-leandro
• cocktails
• brunch
• dinner
• comfort food
• sons of liberty
• seasonal ingredients
• fish and chips
• review
• sons of liberty review
• restaurants
• Sons of Liberty Alehouse
• 13 May 2025

The 411 on Sons of Liberty Alehouse #

Address: 150 W Juana Ave
San Leandro, CA
Website: (https://www.sonsoflibertyalehouse.com/)
Phone: 510-352-SOLA

The Vibe: Sons Of Liberty Alehouse is one of the best options for American bistro-style fare in our local area. It’s also one of the few options: we are blessed with amazing Thai, Mexican, Korean, Filipino, Italian, and more, but upscale American restaurants are harder to find. That said, Sons of Liberty would shine even if we overflowed with them.

The San Leandro restaurant is nestled in a downtown shopping center, which can get hopping between the Safeway, several Chinese and Japanese restaurants, and the Fieldworks beer garden. Pro Tip: You’re more likely to find parking spots toward the middle of the lot than next to the restaurant. Sons of Liberty will welcome you with this inviting patio.

A dining room full of a dark wood bar, booths, and tables waits inside, if outside is too chilly. They offer brunch on Sundays, and lunch and dinner every day.

Sons of Liberty has an exceptional cocktail list that updates seasonally. Some standards, like their Old-Fashioned, simply switch the flavor of bitters and type of vermouth involved, but others get a full reinvention, like the Mules (currently blackberry, lime, and ginger). There are generally ten to twenty options in all.

My Take on Sons of Liberty #

The Food: When we lived in Rockridge, Southie was our go-to bistro, starring amazing crostini and tasty seafood and salads. In Grand Lake? It was Shakewell (RIP) with an excellent brunch and Mediterranean influences. Sons of Liberty’s special sauce is classed-up comfort food and those seasonal updates to their standard menu items, which extend to food as well as drink.

Even with the current prices for eggs, I find it hard to resist ordering a round of deviled eggs at Sons of Liberty.

I’ve tried so many versions of their deviled eggs, and rarely do they disappoint—only once that I can recall. The one pictured above mixes miso with the egg yolk filling and tops each half with chili crunch, pickled cucumber, and scallions. Every bite is a creamy, crunchy, savory textural treat. Another version I’ve had came with whole mustard seeds, chives, and cherry pepper slices (I think).

The deviled eggs are a can’t miss. But if you’re at Sons of Liberty on a chilly evening, in need of serious comfort, you must order their creamy tomato-basil soup and grilled cheese. Somehow, I have no picture of this buttery sourdough hunk of heaven that drips with a blend of four cheeses—you have my sincere apology. The sandwich is perfect for tearing off sizeable pieces to dunk in the rich, smooth, and vibrant soup.

But I do have pics of another great comfort food pic—the fish and chips!

Their Maui Waui IPA beer batter is one of the best I’ve had for coating that thick, fluffy cod. I’m ambivalent about Sons of Liberty’s fries, as you often end up having to eat the smaller bits of freshly cut potatoes with a fork, which is annoying. But it’s worth the upgrade to garlic-parmesan if you’re in the mood. Or opt for a side salad instead.

Speaking of salads, it’s easy to get distracted by other Sons of Liberty menu items, like their duck carnitas tacos (so good!), smoked brisket plate and nachos, or the fried chicken sandwich with a spicy slaw. But the salads are well worth your consideration!

Their ingredients also change seasonally. On our last trip, my husband had a wedge salad with plentiful bacon, blue cheese, and cherry tomato. I went for the charred beet salad with chimichurri, fennel, and crushed walnuts. It was delicious! And I felt less guilt for picking a lighter dish.

Of course, if you’re indulging your comfort food tooth, there’s always mac and cheese!

Sons of Liberty makes theirs with sharp cheddar, gouda, gruyere, and garlicy breadcrumbs. You can add bacon and roasted or fresh jalapenos. There’s even poutine if you prefer your cheese cravings in curd form.

I’ve only been to brunch twice. The brisket omelette is overflowing!

But I do think the home fries need better seasoning, despite loving that they come with bell peppers, too. No points off for the “Mezcal Mary” cocktail, though! It comes with bacon, pepperoncini, and a smoked salt and celery salt rim.

Whatever the time of day, Sons of Liberty is ready to feed you.

The Drinks: I have had so many amazing cocktails here. Before I jump into highlighting a few more, I must also compliment their beer list, which is always solid. So are the extensive wine and spirits lists, but I confess, I never get past the menu’s cocktail pages. The best one I’ve ever had at Sons of Liberty is the Clearly A Mai Tai.

It featured Appleton Estate and Real McCoy 3-Year rums, house-made orgeat, lime juice, and turbinado sugar all clarified with coconut milk. That resulted in a bounty of tropical flavors that you just don’t expect from a clear liquid. I wish it were still available.

On the current menu is a Mac Mai Tai with a rum specially made for Sons of Liberty, dry curacao, a house-made macadamia nut orgeat, lime juice, and a dark rum float.

Also good, but like many of their fruitier drinks, I wish the ratio of ice to cocktail came out more in the cocktail’s favor. So I often lean toward options like the barrel-aged manhattan instead.

It’s one of the few barrel-aged cocktails I enjoy, as a barrel’s flavor tends to overpower the cocktail aged within, in my humble opinion. But Sons of Liberty has found the right balance, so that the woodiness of the aging process grounds the Rittenhouse rye, sweet vermouth, and bitters well.

I don’t have a picture, but I do recommend getting She’s Giving Me Mother while you can. This fun drink combines Barr Hill Honey Gin with lemon juice, orgeat, honey, egg whites, basil, and eucalyptus bitters. Your tongue will strut.

Would I Go Back? Why yes, every few months! If I’m craving an expertly crafted cocktail in this area, Sons of Liberty blows all other competitors out of the water. And what would I do if I couldn’t try their next amazing deviled egg vision?

I look forward to each visit back. And I haven’t even mentioned dessert…

I hope you enjoy some delicious eats and drinks at Sons of Liberty, too!

Reviewed at multiple visits since 2021.