Santa Cruz, California Nightlife
99 Bottles of Beer
Downtown Santa Cruz is home to 99 Bottles of Beer, a pub with over 40 beers on tap, a wide selection of California wines, and various hard ciders. Each and every night at this Santa Cruz local bar hangout is exciting with different events throughout the week. Every weekday from 4-6 pm is happy hour, plus 99 Bottles of Beer has added even more happy hours after 10 pm on Wednesday "Quiz Nights" and all day on their "Thirsty Thursdays!" If the mission is to have a good time, ride your bike to downtown Santa Cruz on Monday for 99 Bottles of Beer's karaoke night or go on Tuesdays for happy hour prices on selected beer all night. 99 Bottles of Beer is one of the locals' favorite bars in the city of Santa Cruz. Visit their Site
Acapulco
Located at 1116 Pacific Ave # ASanta Cruz, CA 95060 (831) 426-7588
Acapulco is the perfect cocktail lounge to head to after a day on the Santa Cruz boardwalk. The margaritas flow during the Monday-Friday happy hour from 4-6:30 pm. There are good times to be had at the Santa Cruz Acapulco until 10 pm or 11 pm on Friday and Saturday. Visit their Site
Moe's Alley
A little off the beaten path, Moe's nevertheless attracts some of the hottest blues, world, reggae and jam bands in the nation to its big stage. Featuring a superb sound system, Moe's brings in quality national acts to its cozy confines. Visit their Site
The Asti Cafe
When the Santa Cruz weather is nice, hop on your skateboard and ride on over to The Asti Cafe in downtown for their pool tables, video lottery games, and their amazing jukebox. The bar has happy hour every weekday from 4-7 pm and has "Pint Night" on Thursdays. During football season, Sundays have more specials than you can handle. The Asti Cafe is the late night place to go in Santa Cruz, open until 2am.
The Attic
The Attic isn't just another live music joint in Santa Cruz County, they also serve as a bar, coffee house, and cafe. The Attic serves beer, wine, sandwiches, salads, and soups as well as a heaping serving of live entertainment. On nights without live entertainment, The Attic closes at 4pm, but expect to be out in Santa Cruz later if there is a performance. Visit their Site
The Avenue
The bar has pool tables, sports on nine TV screens, and a outdoor back patio for those that need a smoke break. Happy hour is daily from 5-7 pm and Wednesday's "Drink and Drown" night means discount pitchers after 8 pm. For those with a hankering for barbeque, The Avenue serves up a better meal on the back patio than any other restaurant in Santa Cruz.
Blue Lagoon Cocktail Lounge
Local bands rock the stage of the Blue Lagoon on Wednesdays and Fridays, but most other nights the club is open to those who are looking for dancing and good times. Although the Blue Lagoon Cocktail lounge used to be Santa Cruz's ultimate gay bar, the scene has shifted to a different crowd. Monday's dance night, "The Box," has a mix of industrial gothic jams while Tuesday switches over to hip-hop beats. '80s on Thursday and "The Boom!" Top 40 on Saturdays round out the week for the Santa Cruz bar. Visit their Site
Cafe Limelight
After a long day at the Santa Cruz Beach, what could be better than a hot panini sandwich, fresh soup and a salad? How about a beer or glass of wine at Cafe Light in downtown Santa Cruz? The daily happy hour from 5-7pm. is out of this world with featured local wines and an extensive cheese menu. Visit their Site
Callahan's Pub
507 Water StSanta Cruz, CA 95060-4112
Phone: (831) 427-3119
Minutes away from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Callahan's Pub is serving up brews and cocktails. Their 5-7 pm happy hour on weekdays and 5 pm- 2 am on Thursday include free pool and discounted prices. Callahan's Pub is the ideal Santa Cruz bar, and you'd be crazy to pass up free pool!
The Catalyst
The Catalyst has seen some of the top rock bands in the world pass through its doors to play, as well as local Santa Cruz bands. The venue was a bowling alley in its previous life but now is a bar, pool hall, nightclub, and great place to catch a live show. With three bars, pool tables free pool for bar patrons on Tuesdays and plenty of drinking, there's no better place to be in Santa Cruz than The Catalyst... no, not even the beach. Visit their Site
Clouds Downtown
Late night dining on weekdays until 10 pm, 11 pm on weekend doesn't mean a greasy spoon. Clouds Downtown in Santa Cruz actually specializes in fine dining for quite a reasonable price. The good times don't stop there! Award-winning martinis, California wines, beer, even champagne and cognac are served at this fabulous Santa Cruz restaurant. Specials created by the best chefs in Santa Cruz change weekly, so you will always be surprised and never get tired of the cuisine. Visit their Site
Club Dakota
Every night at Club Dakota is a good night, especially if you're looking to dance 'til you drop. The Santa Cruz club has a weekday happy hour from 4-7 pm with a different event each night. Wednesdays are "Women's Nights," Thursdays are men's, and the rest of the week has an amalgamation of house, hip-hop, and even old school hip-hop.
Costa Brava
The South American inspired Costa Brava is a restaurant and bar in downtown Santa Cruz that has cuisine inspired by various cultures and drinks that can bring cultures together. A daily happy hour, from 4:30-7 pm, extends all night on Mondays and Tuesdays. Costa Brava is an exciting Santa Cruz location to enjoy a meal and a drink. Visit their Site
Jose's Cantina
Adjacent to the El Palomar restaurant, Jose's Cantina is where the real good times are going on. The bar in downtown Santa Cruz has a happy hour Monday-Thursday from 4-6 pm in the cantina and 6-9 pm in the taco bar. For the University of California Santa Cruz students, there are Tuesday "College Nights" with $2 pints and $1.50 tacos. Wednesdays have $5 Mojito Madness and along with Thursday nights, more selected $2 pints of beer.
Kuumbwa Jazz Center
Live jazz several nights a week make the Kuumbwa Jazz Center quite the Santa Cruz joint to hang. They have a wine list with various California wines, bottled beers, as well as several beers on tap. Some of the best jazz musicians in the world, as well as some little known rising stars, have graced the intimate Kuumbwa Jazz Center's stage. Visit their Site
Mobo Sushi
Besides the great sushi, Mobo Sushi in downtown Santa Cruz knows how to serve up a strong drink in their cocktail lounge. It makes the Santa Cruz restaurant the ideal place for a few rolls of sushi and a few more drinks. Visit their Site
Pearl Alley Bistro & Wine Bar
Dedicated to using the freshest, organic, and sustainable ingredients in their restaurant, the Pearl Alley Bistro & Wine Bar is a quaint location in downtown Santa Cruz to visit. The extensive wine list features wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains to Washington to Italy and back. The bar also serves up cocktails if you're not in the mood for a red, white, or champagne. Visit their Site
The Poet & Patriot Irish Pub
When you're just in the mood to kick back, relax, and enjoy a good beer, there is no better place to do it in Santa Cruz than at The Poet & Patriot Irish Pub. The bar serves up perfectly room temperature Guinness while locals hang out after work playing darts and taking it easy. They have a weekday happy hour from 5-7 pm and an open mic event from 2-6 pm on Saturdays.
Red Room
The Red Room a great dark and smoky bar with low red lights and red velvet-lined booths and bar stools. Check out the lounge upstairs for a little swankiness. The downstairs dive to the upstairs bar, The Red, the Red Room is a hip little local joint in Downtown Santa Cruz. Smoking is usually allowed and a jukebox keeps the volume up. Strong pours and a relaxed crowd, often University of California Santa Cruz students on Thursday nights pack the bar. Weekdays are the best days to go especially during the 4:30-6:30 pm happy hour. Visit their Site
Rosie McCann's Irish Pub
The perfect place to mingle and to enjoy a few pints, Rosie McCann's Irish Pub in downtown Santa Cruz is a must see. They have a nice cocktail lounge and a weekday happy hour from 4-6 pm. Thursdays-Saturdays means DJs spinning for the dance crowd. Visit their Site
Rush Inn
Arguably one of the best bars in downtown Santa Cruz, the Rush Inn attracts hipsters and locals alike. University of California, Santa Cruz students are always sure to pop up alongside the regular neighborhood folks at this happening bar. Everyone mingles over cheap pitchers, pool tables, a Johnny Mneumonic pinball machine and, of course, the jukebox. Bartenders are friendly and yes, there are even still video game machines.
Soif Wine
Live jazz on Monday and Tuesday top off the already fabulous atmosphere at Soif. The downtown Santa Cruz location features wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains to various other regions alongside their delectable gourmet dining choices. The bar stays open until the customers stop drinking, so expect to make friends with the bartender. Visit their SiteSee the Santa Cruz County School District map of the school districts in Santa Cruz County that your child may attend. Click on the plus + or minus - buttons to enlarge the map. Before making any decision on buying a home, call the school district to be sure your potential home is in the district you want. As schools face economic problems, some schools may close or the boundaries may have changed. You can contact the Santa Cruz County Office of Education at 831-476-7140 or visit www.santacruz.k12.ca.us/schools/public_schools_administration.html for the information on the website of the schools or districts and call the appropriate one.