# Sports Bars - San Jose/Sunnyvale CA **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 3, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-bars-san-jose-sunnyvale-ca/432188 "2008-01-03T21:43:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-bars-san-jose-sunnyvale-ca/432188/1 "2008-01-03T21:43:31Z")
Help! I will be in Sunnyvale/San Jose, California next week for work. I am trying to find a good sports bar in the Sunnyvale (or close to Sunnyvale) area to watch the BCS National Championship Game on Monday night. So far I have not been able to Google-Foo my way to beer, wings, and big screen tv happiness! Almost everything I’ve run across is a restaurant with a bar and maybe a couple t.v.'s. (BJ’s Brewhouse type places) Not the rowdy sports-bar environment I’m looking for. I want to go somewhere that will have: a.) enough big screen televisions through the bar to be able to watch the game. point being that watching the game should be a focus, not “oh yea, the game is on the one t.v. over there behind the bar” type place. b.) beer… preferably good selection of fine beers but standard domestics will do. c.) sports bar type food: wings, cheese sticks, nachos, etc. d.) not a total shit-hole dive as I will also likely be joined by other co-workers who are flying into the area and going out with me. Anyone here on the SDMB in the area and can make some recommendations? MeanJoe ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-bars-san-jose-sunnyvale-ca/432188/2 "2008-01-03T21:45:35Z")
Well, there’s always The Bronze. Oh, wait, that’s _[Sunnydale](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunnydale)_. My bad. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-bars-san-jose-sunnyvale-ca/432188/3 "2008-01-03T21:49:41Z")
[QUOTE=JohnT] Well, there’s always The Bronze. Oh, wait, that’s _[Sunnydale](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunnydale)_. My bad. 😉 [/QUOTE] If you are not going to be a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem! 😉 MeanJoe ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-bars-san-jose-sunnyvale-ca/432188/4 "2008-01-03T21:57:02Z")
Except for only having two big-screens, I’d recommend going a few miles north to The Sports Page in Mountain View. > [@](#): > > from [MetroActive](http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/06.16.04/bars-0425-mv.html): > The Sports Page > 1431 Plymouth St, Mtn. View > 650.961.1992 > The Sports Page clientele love sports. And beer. Which is why there are more than 24 local and international beers on tap, $10 pitchers and two big-screen televisions tuned into notable sports events. The Sports Page actually has a small sports arena of its own: a full-size beach-style volleyball court. When not spiking one over the net, customers can dance to the live-music performances on Friday and Saturday nights, belt one out during Karaoke on Tuesdays or take a wild guess on Trivia Thursdays. The Sports Page also serves casual American food and decent mixed drinks and has two pool tables, video games galore and a heated outdoor patio. (AB) Otherwise check out the links on [this page](http://www.sportstavern.com/ncalifornia/sanjose.html). Babe’s looks good. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-bars-san-jose-sunnyvale-ca/432188/5 "2008-01-03T22:42:53Z")
[QUOTE=garygnu] Except for only having two big-screens, I’d recommend going a few miles north to The Sports Page in Mountain View. Otherwise check out the links on [this page](http://www.sportstavern.com/ncalifornia/sanjose.html). Babe’s looks good. [/QUOTE] You do NOT want to go to the Sports Page. It is quite close to my office and I have been there many many times. It is NOT conducive to watching a major sporting event. They have one rather old big screen TV with fuzzy picture ( **not** two - no idea why they would say that) which you will not be able to see nor hear due to the number of people that will be in there. There’s smaller TVs that are up top but you can do better than that in any bar. The big screen sits on the floor in front of a large table which will certainly be full. A much better option would be the Tied House on Evelyn street in downtown Mtn View, or the Irish bar (Molly Malone’s? Molly McGuire’s? Something like that) on Castro street in Mtn View (no, not that Castro). If you do want to go into San Jose (which isn’t all that close to Sunnyvale) then there are dozens of good options. Babe’s is as good as any. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-bars-san-jose-sunnyvale-ca/432188/6 "2008-01-03T22:49:33Z")
Go to the [New Old Pro](http://www.oldpropa.com/) in Palo Alto. Funny name, but they’ll explain it to you there. Downtown Palo Alto is way cooler than San Jose. Or go to [Double D’s](http://www.doubleds.com/) in Los Gatos. ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-bars-san-jose-sunnyvale-ca/432188/7 "2008-01-03T23:03:38Z")
I was going to jump in and recommend Double D’s also. It’s a resturant/bar, but with 20 something tvs and 2 big screens, you wont feel the need to be quiet. It is generally 80% sports fans when there is a game on. It is also in walking distance of many other bars if you are planning on hanging out for the night. I recommend The Black Watch. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-bars-san-jose-sunnyvale-ca/432188/8 "2008-01-03T23:08:36Z")
[QUOTE=RedSwinglineOne] I was going to jump in and recommend Double D’s also. It’s a resturant/bar, but with 20 something tvs and 2 big screens, you wont feel the need to be quiet. It is generally 80% sports fans when there is a game on. It is also in walking distance of many other bars if you are planning on hanging out for the night. I recommend The Black Watch. [/QUOTE] Kamikaze, anyone? I’d rather get a Chillum at CB Hannegan’s ,though. LG ant PA are both fun towns. You can find plenty of cool places to hang out in both areas after the game. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-bars-san-jose-sunnyvale-ca/432188/9 "2008-01-03T23:13:14Z")
BTW, where are you staying in Sunnyvale? PA and LG aren’t too far, but they’re not right next door, either. You should be able to get to either place in about 15 minutes (if you’re near the freeway to start with). Around here, that’s nothing. No offense to our Sunnyvale friends, but you want to get away from there. It’s great for business, but it’s not a place to hang out. And SJ isn’t much of a city, considering its size. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-bars-san-jose-sunnyvale-ca/432188/10 "2008-01-03T23:32:03Z")
Another vote for Double D’s in Los Gatos. It’s my favorite sports bar in the whole area, and quite close to SJ. ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-bars-san-jose-sunnyvale-ca/432188/11 "2008-01-04T00:10:20Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Kamikaze, anyone? I’d rather get a Chillum at CB Hannegan’s ,though. [/QUOTE] Yes, but can you buy them by the pitcher? 😉 After the game you can try Boswells in Cambell. Its kind of a hole, but they have live music Thurs - Monday. The band on Monday is good. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-bars-san-jose-sunnyvale-ca/432188/12 "2008-01-04T03:40:27Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] BTW, where are you staying in Sunnyvale? PA and LG aren’t too far, but they’re not right next door, either. You should be able to get to either place in about 15 minutes (if you’re near the freeway to start with). Around here, that’s nothing. No offense to our Sunnyvale friends, but you want to get away from there. It’s great for business, but it’s not a place to hang out. And SJ isn’t much of a city, considering its size. [/QUOTE] We are staying at the Country Inn & Suites in Sunnyvale. It is on Chesapeake Terrace which is near 237 (?) if I recall correctly? I have only been there one other time and I do seem to recall it was all business parks and really not much in the way of entertainment or dining. All - Thanks for the tips, I’m going to look them over. Keep them coming if you have any more ideas! MeanJoe ---
**Author:** ![Pigs\_in\_Space](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@Pigs\_in\_Space](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pigs_in_Space)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-bars-san-jose-sunnyvale-ca/432188/13 "2008-01-04T05:45:20Z")
You might consider the Britannia Arms in Cupertino. They concentrate on UK sports, obviously, but they put on American sports if it’s on. I haven’t been in a few years, so I can’t speak to the TV situation. It’s not what I’d call close, but it’s a straight shot down Mathilda. Avoid the Blue Bonnet. It’s a dive. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-bars-san-jose-sunnyvale-ca/432188/14 "2008-01-04T06:27:25Z")
The Garret in Campbell isn’t _exactly_ a sports bar, but they do have a strong sports focus. They have one big screen TV and several smaller screens scattered throughout the bar. The place gets pretty rowdy when they have a big sporting event going on. They have a good selection of beer and bar-type food, and their pizza is very good. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2008, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-bars-san-jose-sunnyvale-ca/432188/15 "2008-01-05T05:49:57Z")
[QUOTE=RedSwinglineOne] Yes, but can you buy them by the pitcher? 😉 [/QUOTE] Robert doesn’t do them any other way! And it has to be cranberry, and the good stuff. You either pay tonight (for the good stuff) or pay tomorrow (for drinking the bad stuff).