[ Index | Bars & Clubs | Silicon Valley | Metroactive Home | Archives ]

The Metro Bars & Clubs 2005 Guide [ Intro | 20 Years of Bars and Clubs | Bartender Profiles | San Jose | Campbell | Cupertino | Los Altos | Los Gatos | Menlo Park | Mountain View | Palo Alto | Redwood City/Peninsula | Santa Clara | Saratoga | Sunnyvale ] Campbell Boswell's The Pruneyard, 1875 S. Bascom Ave, Campbell 408.371.4404 The song remains the same, as Led Zep might say, and Boswell's remains the way it always has since its '70s-'80s heydays. Cover bands play on the bar's small stage Wednesdays through Mondays with Tuesdays reserved for karaoke fans. Campbell Billiards 1777 S. Bascom Ave, Campbell 408.377.9886 Is Campbell Billiards bachelor heaven or what? Shoot some stick as well as video games and pinball and a jukebox. A small snack bar offers chips, candy bars, soft drinks and beer. Fridays and Saturdays may bring a waiting list to get on a table. On Sundays, the hall hosts open tournaments with a $5 buy in. In the evenings, tables are $10.80 an hour for two people, but there are discounts during the day. Ask at the snack counter. Caper's Eat and Drink 1710 W. Campbell Ave, in the Kirkwood Plaza, Campbell; 408.374.5777 Gargoyles preside over patrons at this bar in the round. According to Caper's staff, the gargoyles ward off evil spirits. Good spirits are more than welcome, though, in drinks like the Caper's Cooler, the Bermuda Triangle and the Bocce Ball. Sports memorabilia decorates the walls and Giants games broadcast on Caper's many TVs. Cardiff Lounge 260 E. Campbell Ave, Campbell 408.374.7477 The Cardiff Lounge existed as a scruffy neighborhood bar for most of its existence until it got a modern makeover. The infusion of plasma screen TVs, turntables, backlit bar and young people thrust Cardiff into player's playground territory. Trucker hats are still worn but it's a safe bet that nobody there knows how to operate an 18-wheeler. Coach's 2240 S. Winchester Blvd, Campbell 408.379.2654 By day, kids are welcome to enjoy Coach's menu of burgers, sandwiches and nachos, but after 9pm it's strictly grown-ups. This neighborhood bar offers plenty of distractions: darts, Megatouch, foosball, pool and a well-stocked jukebox. But when there's a game on, it becomes the center of attention. Friday is karaoke night; every other Saturday the bar brings in a hip-hop DJ. Effie's Restaurant and Bar 331 W. Hacienda Ave, Campbell 408.374.3400 Stepping into Effie's is like stepping back in time to the dining deck of a luxury liner. The building—a lovely shade of honeyed lemon peach with white trim—looks out of place just off an industrial stretch of Winchester Boulevard. Frosted-glass front doors open to reveal a delightfully unintentionally retro restaurant where every flower and napkin sits perfectly in place. Effie's crowd tends to be an older mix of business people, lawyers and contractors. Elephant Bar 499 E. Hamilton Ave, Campbell 408.871.8401 It's a jungle in here: fire dances in the lanterns lighting the stairway; tropical fans swing lazily overhead; and a giant elephant head stares down over multiple levels. At the circular bar ringed by a brass rail, specialty drinks include the Jungle Colada, the Ivory Coast Margarita and a creamy liqueur with a fruity flavor from South Africa called Amarillo Cream that's rumored to be an aphrodisiac. It's sports-only on the TVs, and happy hour runs 4-6:30pm with drink and appetizer specials. The Garret 1777 S. Bascom Ave, Campbell 408.559.7930 Done up in warm, sturdy red brick and rich, solid woods, the Garret offers lots of booth and table seating and a comfortable atmosphere. Future athletes and today's sports fans happily co-exist inside this cheerful family-style restaurant and neighborhood bar. While area Little Leaguers battle their post-game hunger over pizza and sodas, sports enthusiasts hang out with the TV in the bar area and talk strategy over hot appetizers and cold brews. Gaslighter Theater 400 E. Campbell Ave, Campbell 408.866.1408 This historic theater has become as well known for its rock, metal, punk and emo shows as it has for its vaudeville. Some Fridays and every Saturday are reserved for theater productions, but live music takes the stage most Wednesdays, Thursdays, Sundays and Mondays. The Gaslighter has a cozy bar in the lobby that serves soft drinks, beer, wine and snacks. The Heritage Theatre 1 W. Campbell Ave #32, Campbell 408.866.2797 Located at the Campbell Community Center, the Heritage is establishing itself as the local hot spot for golden-oldies entertainment. The historic building has hosted Tony Orlando, the Manhattan Transfer and Todd Rundgren. It's not the hippest of rosters, but it's one that clearly appeals to a demographic with deep pockets. Jersey's Tavern 1781 S. Winchester Blvd, Campbell 408.374.1415 A sign out front deems Jersey's the West Coast Home of the Philadelphia Eagles, and in addition to its Philly cheese steaks, its pizza sandwiches are a popular order. Broken into several rooms with a TV in every one, Jersey's is a family-style restaurant and bar with tall wooden booths with bench seats and one Hulk-sized wooden-spool table surrounded by smaller bobbin bar stools. Katie Bloom's 369 E. Campbell Ave, Campbell 408.379.9687 Irish pubs, by their very nature, are celebratory establishments, and Katie Bloom's is no exception. The heated outdoor patio is a huge draw, but inside, TVs broadcast sporting events and the jukebox is stocked with Irish sons like Shane MacGowan, the Chieftains and U2. The restaurant offers high tables and booth seats and a menu of fried appetizers. Khartoum 300 Orchard City Dr, Campbell 408.379.6340 Named after the capital city of Sudan, Khartoum is an instantly inviting destination thanks to its colorful Tiffany-style lamps and backlit stained glass panels that depict scenes from the bar's African namesake. Khartoum does broadcasts all major league baseball games on its eight TVs. King's Head Pub & Restaurant 201 Orchard City Dr, Campbell 408.871.2499 The pub and restaurant known for its rocky medieval mood is a popular stomping ground for Anglophiles, with its authentic British grub and frequent appearances by Beatles and Rolling Stones cover bands. King's Head keeps up Campbell's reputation as a hard-rocking outpost. Left at Albuquerque The Pruneyard, 1875 S. Bascom Ave #50, Campbell 408.558.1680 Wild West meets Mexican fiesta inside this restaurant and bar, where American flags fly over Dos Equis and Tecate piñatas, and longhorns and cowboy boots decorate the walls. In addition to frosty margaritas like Johnny's High Plains Drifter, Left at Albuquerque provides more than 75 tequilas to choose from. For tequila lovers, that's reason enough to turn left here. Whether spicy and smoky or more meat-and-potatoes, Southwestern dishes can be ordered at the bar where TVs broadcast sports. Off the Hook 2369 S. Winchester Blvd, Campbell 408.374.3257 Pool tables, pinball and air hockey, along with house specialty drinks like the Ankles in the Air and the Starburst Kamikaze, attract regulars. This neighborhood bar offers free pool every Sunday from 9pm to closing; Power Hour happens every Monday-Friday, 4-6pm, with free appetizers. There's also a large outdoor patio out back with picnic tables, patio furniture with umbrellas, a glider, benches and a pool table. Rock Bottom Brewery The Pruneyard, 1875 S. Bascom Ave, Campbell 408.377.0707 Beneath a giant Boulder Creek Pale Ale water tower sits the Rock Bottom Brewery, a haven for microbrew lovers. Rock Bottom has five standard brews on tap with one to three specialties dictated by the season. The most popular brew here is the Raccoon Red, in part because it has an alcohol content of 6.5 percent. Inside, the spacious restaurant is decorated with artistic beer signs. The outdoor patio is dog-friendly and draws crowds when the weather's nice. Specialties include the mug club, semiannual brew fests, brew dinners and beer-to-go from the $6.95 1/2-gallon Growler to the $85 15 1/2-gallon keg. Send a letter to the editor about this story to letters@metronews.com. [ Silicon Valley | Metroactive Home | Archives ]