In 1975, Bill and Denise Dalton opened an English-style pub at 10th and R streets. The building was a warehouse and factory, more than 60 years old, fronted by bricks with high ceilings.
It was an unlikely setting, a traditional English pub in an industrial part of town.
Fifty years later, Fox & Goose Public House is a permanent fixture. The pub helped launch music careers, political careers and hospitality careers. It inspired convivial evenings of laughter and friendship for generations.
Named after Bill Dalton’s hometown pub in Yorkshire, Fox & Goose is more than a good bar, more than one of the city’s best breakfast spots. The Goose’s dedication to community, arts and Downtown is exceptional.
Throughout my life, Fox & Goose has been part of the city scene. I’ve eaten plenty there, drank many pints, performed at open mic, won a pub quiz, lost several pub quizzes, and broke bread with family and friends in nearly every decade.
The first thing to notice at the Goose is the unparalleled conflict between cozy trappings of a traditional English pub and the soaring vastness of an old warehouse. Ceilings reach to unnatural heights. Old posters advertising English cigarettes, beers and various sundries are placed high enough to put a crick in your neck.
Yet the old brick bar lined with British ale handles and the preponderance of wood create a coziness unexpected. Metal framed industrial windows let in more light than any drinking establishment in town.
Pubs in England are known for food, some notoriously so. Others adopted the ethos of the “gastropub” as the English food scene improved. At the Goose, the dinner menu offers serviceable fish and chips, a fine hamburger and worthy shepherd’s pie.
Breakfast made the Goose legendary.
The crumpets and olallieberry scones are worth the visit. A house-made corned beef hash, full English breakfast—with fixings from tomatoes to beans—or the rarebit omelet pull customers through the door.
One recent Wednesday morning, I almost couldn’t get a seat. With politicians and office workers dining alongside residents of revitalized R Street, busy mornings at the Goose are standard.
The bar is a treat. Beside traditional lagers and ales, a decent wine selection is available. Creative cocktails move beyond standard two-ingredient pub drinks.
The Goose is a cultural institution. Open mic night was a proving ground for Jackie Greene, Cake and other acts that became famous. The monthly traditional Irish jam is a can’t-miss for fans of Emerald Isle music. The run of musical performances from folk to jazz and more make the Goose a landmark.
Current owners Peter Monson and Jessa Berkey continue 50-year-old traditions without a hitch. Monson started working at the Goose more than 25 years ago as a busser and host. When he and Berkey took over in 2013, it was a passing of the torch.
I’m not alone in wishing Fox & Goose Public House a happy 50th. Raise a pint to one our city’s cornerstones next time you’re in the neighborhood.
Fox & Goose Public House is at 1001 R St.; foxandgoose.com; (916) 443-8825.
Greg Sabin can be reached at saceats@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
