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San Jose Outskirts
AJ's Bar & Grill
Hours: Mon-Sat, 8am-1am Sweat, testosterone and a slight whiff of failed romance permeate this workingman's bar, where scantily clad dancers shake a thin line between dreams and reality. Not for the white-wine-spritzer matrons. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A cat--alley cat or pussycat, all sleek and purring.
Alberto's
Hours: Daily, 9am-10pm Killer sopes and industrial-strength margaritas keep families, downtowners and gay men side by side like a Tequila Sunrise. Smooth and low-key, the tiny bar is a chimney glass of various flavors--all real. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A Chihuahua, stout and proud
Alex's 49er Inn
Hours: Daily, 6am-2am More construction workers than Netscape nerds, Alex's is a bastion of Redwings, not Topsiders. Leave the Mudslides and Fuzzy Navels to your fancy bars; this is the kind of place to throw back a boilermaker and pray that one of the dancers from the nearby Pink Poodle will sashay through the door. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A caiman, a serious reptile
Almaden Feed & Fuel
Hours: Sun-Thu 10am-11pm, Fri-Sat 10am-2am Just like Marshal Dillon's saloon, but Miss Kitty rides a Fatboy and is the one wearing the chaps. Little bit country, little bit biker, real down home. Warm the belly with a brew and, if you're hungry, a handful of ribs and links. Good-time, rip-it-up dance place. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A horse, right at home. OK, a stallion.
American Pizza & Sports Bar
Hours: Sun-Wed 11am-10pm, Thu-Sat 10am-1:30am Sports and hops, hops and sports and now 'n' then a little pizza. With TVs everywhere, including a honkin' big-screen, count on getting a jersey fix with that reasonably priced draft. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: An American eagle
Angelo's Arena Cafe & Grill & Sports Bar
Hours: Daily, 7am-2am Although it's been here since long before the Sharks were a spark in some sports promoter's eye, Angelo's is now teal-central. Swim in and dig the great Greek and Italian menu or suck up a few after the game. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A remora that gets along with sharks
Aqui Cal-Mex Grill
Hours: Sun-Thu 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat 11am-9:30pm Right there in the upper ventricle of Willow Glen's heart, this upscale taqueria's bar brings in a young crowd that knows its tequila from its Tanquerey. Good thing, too, because Aqui has a fine selection of cactus juice to lubricate social intercourse. And when it's time to sop up the excess liquid? Grab a plate of nachos from the restaurant. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A coyote, wily and wistful
Bay 101, Sutter's Sports Bar
Hours: 6am-2:30am The real action's outside the door with the croupiers and card sharks. But when the casino shakes 'em dry, this is the place to head for libations. A guarantee--most of the customers are either very, very happy (Yippie, I won!!) or very, very unhappy. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A racehorse
Branham Lounge
Hours: Daily, 9am-2am Just like its name promises--a lounge, replete with Sinatra, firelight and the requisite lizards and lizardettes. Privacy trumps socializing here, so think of this as a destination bar for the drinking doubles-living single kinda life. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: Bearded dragpm, the coolest looking lounge lizard
Britannia Arms Almaden
Hours: Daily, 11am-2am This friendly sports bar draws a diverse crowd of regulars, Brits and newcomers who come to enjoy the many amenities it has to offer. Traditional British fare such as Steak and kidney pie and Britannia Arms' famous fish and chips are enjoyed with British brews, darts tournaments, live UK soccer and NHL games as well as live bands and karaoke on Sundays. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: Scottish terrier.
Cafe Cameroon
Hours: Wed-Thu noon-10pm, Fri-Sat noon-2am, Sun noon-11pm Hot as the tropical sun and even more sensual, Cafe Cameroon serves up south-of-the-Equator sounds and eats to those who wish to experience Africa without the expensive airfare. Plan to boogie till you drop on Saturday nights to Afro-Caribbean tunes. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: African elephant, for the beer that you never forget
Cardinal Lounge
Hours: 11am-1:30am Older boppers and longtimers find a home here in a dark interior that's easy on the nerves. Take a load off and hang out with the regular Joes and Josephines before the Cardinal's '50s feel puts it in mortal jeopardy of being "discovered." If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: Cardinal, of course
Club Max
Hours: Mon-Sat, 4pm-2am Still known for its signature happy-hour buffet, Club Max keeps 'em hopping each night to danceable tunes. For the commitment-phobic, this is a great place to meet and greet out-of-towners, never to be bothered with them again. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A wild one
Club Rio
Hours: Wed-Sat, 9pm-2am Next door to Club Rodeo on Coleman Avenue just north of downtown San Jose's club scene is Club Rio, a dance spot that plays mostly Spanish rock and musica tropical. Occasionally featuring national Mexican bands, the spacious Club Rio draws a mostly Hispanic crowd that dances the night away under stringed lights and disco balls. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: Pink flamingo
Club Rodeo
Hours: Vary according to events
Just when you thought there was no place left for a lonely cowboy, along comes the updated Club Rodeo. With six bars, four dance floors and a huge outdoor patio all designed around banda and country music entertainment, there's no bigger or better place to hoe down in the South Bay. Free dance lessons corral 'em in every Wed and Fri, and live bands play frequently. Sat nights, if you don't speak Spanish, you may be left out in the frio. Your best bet is to call for a schedule. Friendly warning: Eat elsewhere beforehand. If your bar could be any animal, what would it be? Buckin' bronco
The Drying Shed
Hours: Daily 4-10pm plus lunch Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm and Sunday brunch 10am-2pm One of San Jose's veteran establishments where neighboring locals find solace from the wicked world. Old-school furnishings plus walls of farm tools and country living still work to great effect here. The bar remains a friendly place to enjoy generous cocktails made by barkeeps with loving dispositions. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: Golden retriever
Espresso Garden
Hours: Mon-Wed 6:30am-9pm, Thu-Sat 6:30am-11pm Tucked in a small mini-mall across the street from Valley Medical Center, it's easy to drive by this little cafe on the edge of Campbell, but it's worth stopping in. This is a real coffeehouse, and five nights a week it's also a hot spot for acoustic blues, folk and jazz, among other things. Not only is it the antidote to Starbucks, you also might catch owner Judy Hackett rehearsing old jazz standards on a slow Tuesday night. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A leopard, beautiful and unpredictable
Fifth Quarter
Hours: 11am-2am Lovers of athletic endeavors pour like gin into this place. Raucous chitchat grows to a deafening roar in the evening. Football is usually the main topic of discussion in and around the bar, but baseball is starting to creep into the dialogue. Rock & roll takes over on the weekends, when dancing becomes the main sport of choice. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A raging bull
The Foxtail
Hours: Wed-Sun, 5pm-2am Foxtail remains San Jose's premier gay dance club. Casual atmosphere stripped of pretensions makes this place warm and inviting. A well-stocked full bar with plenty of premium beers, some by the pitcher, continues to please discriminating imbibers. Those needing a break from the lively antics can relax among the flora in the patio or backyard. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A fox, naturally
Garden City
Hours: Mon-Thu 11:30am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-11pm, Sun 5-10pm Step inside the Garden City and step into another time, another place one might call Las Vegas. The trappings of high-stakes gambling hum in the background of the restaurant like a nuclear reactor. Premium red meats and old-school continental cuisine is served at high-backed booths under tall alpine ceilings. At the bar, Martinis are shaken and stirred to the war stories of the card room. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A mink
The Glen
Hours: Mon-Sat, 4pm-midnight The Glen is an all-in-one billiard hall where you can dine on good food or simple snacks, buy cigars, sip espresso or just watch. There is an upscale look to this place, but it's actually very casual and comfortable. The bartenders know the latest drinks and will mix them up without hesitation. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A tropical fish, like the many in tanks here
Goosetown of Willow Glen
Hours: Tue-Fri 11:30am-2pm, Tue-Thu and Sun 5-9pm, Fri-Sat 5-10pm One could not ask for a friendlier place to while away the evening in the company of friends. Elegant furnishings allow for romantic interludes in both bar and restaurant. A feeling of big-city Rome and its worldly trappings comes to the senses on silver slippers. Owner Gary Rovai remains the perennial charmer, and the food next door at Cafe Adriatic is fantastic. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: The goose that laid the golden egg
Hard Work Cafe
Hours: Daily, 6pm-2am The Hard Work is the everyman's getaway, where friends can meet without worry or stress, where the spirit of community prevails. Once you enter the place you become part of the family, like it or not. Latin bands on weekends belt out tunes that dislodge the most sedentary. And you don't have to know the steps to have fun on the dance floor here. Bad attitudes take a hike. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: Australian Cattle Dog, the working breed
Harry's Hofbrau
Hours: Daily, 11am-11pm Harry's is the definitive populist mead hall where adults of all ages come to quaff mugs of frothing lager while digging through wholesome steam-table comestibles. The aromas of roasted meats and sauerkraut waft like silk veils along the long row of bar stools. It's a rollicking, good-natured establishment with enough German bric-a-brac and patron chatter to keep the sensibilities on red alert. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: German shepherd
Jack's
Hours: Daily, 6am-2am There are many TVs at Jack's; most are showing sports (all satellite games are on) but some are showing other options like sci-fi movies for people who aren't in the mood for a game. The crowd here is mellow and composed of many regulars who gather for a good time; when they are feeling wild, they've been known to let loose and boogie to the jukebox music. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A jackal
Kubota Restaurant
Hours: Nightly 5:30-10pm plus lunch Mon-Sat 11:30am-2pm A popular restaurant with a sushi bar for at-your-whim California rolls, Kubota also has another bar, fully stocked with a fine selection of top-shelf sake and Japanese beers. Kubota is divided into four dining sections and offers good, affordable Japanese food and yummy desserts like Bananas Foster, tiramisu and green tea ice cream. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: Silvery sea bass
Lou's Village and Shark's Cove Bar
Hours: Mon-Thu 11:30am-10pm, Fri 11:30am-11pm, Sat 4:30-11pm, Sun 4:30-9pm The full Lou's Village East Coast seafood menu is available at the adjoining Sharks Cove sports bar, including Cajun popcorn and lobster. Since 1946, Lou's has offered free bar appetizers weekdays from 5 to 7pm. The Sharks Cove features authentic sports memorabilia from Pele to Steve Young, the Sharks to the 49ers, and a huge collection of longboards and Sharks signatures on the walls. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A shark, hands down
Patty's Inn
Hours: Daily, 9am-2am A neighborhood bar that has enjoyed the customers generated by the opening of the nearby San Jose Arena, Patty's Inn is the place to get drinks before a concert or Sharks game. A 1930s-era watering hole that serves up pizza and sandwiches, Patty's features affordable prices, generous pours and karaoke on Fridays. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A hockey player. That's an animal, right?
Pauly's Rainbow Lounge
Hours: Daily Patrons of this new gay bar in San Jose are greeted by a rainbow flag at the entrance and plenty of interesting artwork. Located at the corner of Taylor Street and Coleman Avenue, this fun and friendly bar with upbeat, two-tone aqua and blue walls is a popular place that welcomes regulars and newcomers alike. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A fluffy cat
Pink Poodle
Hours: Sun-Thu 11:30-midnight, Fri-Sat 11:30-2am Ambience: San Jose's only all-nude strip bar, established in 1963, gets the party started early--at 11:30am--for those anxious to see the Poodlettes take it off. Next to Babyland at the corner of San Carlos Street on one side and an adult bookstore on the other, the Pink Poodle offers table dances and regularly features porn stars. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A Great Dane, hoo-boy
The Place
Hours: Daily, 10am-2am This small neighborhood bar has a friendly atmosphere and a DJ spinning tunes for those who feel like dancing. Wedged between a fix-it shop and a tire store downtown, The Place has entrances on both First and Second streets. Regulars and newcomers gather to drink Corona and play Megatouch or pinball. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A condor
Plaza Inn
Hours: Daily, 1:45pm-12:30am Located in Willow Glen behind an office building, the Plaza Inn has a friendly atmosphere, authentic Mexican food and drink and killer salsa. Choose from a fine selection of tequilas or try a tangy margarita while waiting for your food and listening to the sounds of laughter and Spanish music. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A bucking bronco, for the cowboys here
Red Stag Lounge
Hours: 6am-2am daily Pool, lotto and cheap but potent drinks are the order of day at this straightforward neighborhood bar. The Red Stag's half-timbered pub look has pretty much been usurped by tropical Corona ads and Budweiser bikini babes these days, but one way or the other, that doesn't seem to faze the crowd of relaxed regulars who come here to shoot pool, try their luck at lots of different lotto-oriented games, or crank up a tune on the jukebox. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A big stag, like Bambi's dad
Sam's Log Cabin
Hours: Mon-Wed 11am to "whatever," Thu 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11am-midnight When it comes to well-established drinking establishments, Sam's Log Cabin is an oldie but goodie. Founded in 1933 (the year Prohibition was revoked, as a menu declares), Sam's holds one of the first liquor licenses ever issued in California. The place is appealingly cluttered with ephemera, everything from stained glass lamps to a football signed by Steve Young to a "cactus" made of twisted grape vines and adorned with Christmas lights. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A beaver, something to go with all the logs
Sangria Restaurant
Hours: Sun-Thu 10am-9pm, Fri-Sat 10am-10pm Sangria's decorator had a healthy sense of whimsy--and perhaps a slightly malicious sense of humor: the lights hanging the foyer prove that sombreros make mighty fine lampshades, but the stools at the bar, outfitted like saddles, are definitely suited to the most agile of tipplers--oh, and don't even think about trying to sit sidesaddle. But the unconventional furniture is part of what makes this brightly painted, friendly restaurant so appealing. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A colorful and talkative parrot
Seven Bamboo
Hours: Open Tue-Sun 3pm-2am; closed Monday From a Japanese love song to a decidedly screechy version of the Oakridge Boys' "Elvira," the walls of venerable Japantown karaoke spot Seven Bamboo have heard--and withstood--it all. Friday nights bring in the most rambunctious and diverse crowd; the onstage antics can range from stone-cold-serious torch singers to a woman waving around a sex toy like a microphone, but where else could you find such folks so blissfully coexisting? If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A panda
Sharky's of Willow Glen
Hours: Daily, 10am-midnight Sharky's has real sports bar chops, right down to the bikini girls 'n' motorcycles calendar hanging behind the bar and the sports memorabilia hanging everywhere. Sure, there's a good whiff of testosterone in the air here, but females don't seem to steer clear. After all, as its name and mostly teal décor imply, the cause that Sharky's champions transcends gender, age and everything else: rooting for the Sharks. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A great white shark
South Side Cafe
Hours: Daily, 10am-2am This local hangout might seem a bit intimidating when you first step inside the door. But don't worry. Its natives may be restless, but they're unlikely to bite. The fairly rustic décor includes spacious booth seating, four dart boards and a pool table. Tuesday and Thursday nights draw in a dedicated karaoke crowd that tries its hand at everything from Garth Brooks to Aerosmith. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A dancing bear
T's Cabaret
Hours: Mon-Sat, 11:30am-2am Making a play on words with its teasing T&A moniker, this dimly lit gentlemen's club features alluring bikini-clad dancers. The club's well-designed setup--a center runway and two side-stage areas--allows for three girls to perform at once. Its bikini-only policy makes this adult club as much a hangout as a not-quite-nudie bar with people socializing and drinking while the dancers strut their stuff. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: An ocelot, exotic and rare
Three Flames
Hours: Sun-Wed 11am-10pm, Thu-Fri 11am-11pm, Sat-Sun 4-11pm; bar open till 1:30am As a bar, here's one that serves as a reminder of a bygone era; now, even a bygone century. The regulars at the bar tend to be an older, moneyed crowd that feels right at home in the fairly old-fashioned atmosphere. The air of extravagance and the Vegasian flair do come with a price tag, though. The younger set looking to partake in some of the passion and romance of decades gone by may find their pocketbook can only afford a couple of dances. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: King cobra
Uncommon Grounds
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-11pm, Sat-Sun 8am-11pm The name and owners may have morphed in the past few years (Cafe Leviticus, Bank Cafe), but this coffeehouse--now Uncommon Grounds--has kept the beauty and history of the old Bank of Italy building alive. Enjoy the classic architecture of H.A. Minton while sipping a latte and reading the morning paper. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A gazelle, light and airborne
Vahl's Restaurant & Lounge
Hours: Wed-Sun 11:30am-10pm; bar open daily until 11pm or midnight Tucked away on a quiet street in Alviso, a million miles from the fast-paced rat race of Silicon Valley, is Vahl's Restaurant and Lounge. A funky combination diner and cocktail lounge, Vahl's is known for its hearty American fare and a full bar stocked for a more mature crowd well-versed in the arts of ordering a real drink. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A white Persian cat
Willow Glen Coffee Roasting
Hours: Mon-Thu 6am-10pm, Fri 6am-11pm, Sat 7am-11pm, Sun, 7am-8pm White-washed walls with black-and-white-checkered floors and lots of plants fill this charming 1930s-era edifice. Small rounded tables are topped with fresh flowers, something you won't find at the corporate chain across the street. Ditto for the live music and historical photos. Munch on pastries but don't look for more than that if you're hungry. For a change, they serve up those bubble-tea drinks, too. If Your Bar Could Be Any Animal, What Would It Be?: A friendly neighborhood dog
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From the July 18-24, 2002 issue of Metro, Silicon Valley's Weekly Newspaper.
Copyright © Metro Publishing Inc. Metroactive is affiliated with the Boulevards Network.
For more information about the San Jose/Silicon Valley area, visit sanjose.com.
