99 Bottles of Beer 110 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.459.9999 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 4-6pm is happy hour, plus 99 Bottles of Beer has added even more happy hours after 10pm 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. Acapulco 1116 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 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 4-6:30pm. There are good times to be had at the Santa Cruz Acapulco until 10pm or 11pm on Friday and Saturday. The Asti Café 715 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.423.7337 When the Santa Cruz weather is nice, hop on your skateboard and ride on over to The Asti Café in downtown for their pool tables, video lottery games, and their amazing jukebox. The bar has happy hour every weekday from 4-7pm and has "Pint Night" on Thursdays. During football season, Sundays have more specials than you can handle. The Asti Café is the late night place to go in Santa Cruz, open until 2am. The Attic 931 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.460.1800 The Attic isn't just another live music joint in Santa Cruz County, they also serve as a bar, coffee house, and café. 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. The Avenue 711 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.426.3434 The locals, the University of California Santa Cruz students, and even some visitors have found The Avenue in the big Santa Cruz County. 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 5-7pm and Wednesday's "Drink and Drown" night means discount pitchers after 8pm. 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 923 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.423.7117 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. Café Limelight 1016 Cedar St., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.425.7873 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 Café 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. Callahan's Pub 507 Water St., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.427.3119 Minutes away from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Callahan's Pub is serving up brews and cocktails. Their 5-7pm happy hour on weekdays—and 5pm- 2am 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 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.423.1336 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. Clouds Downtown 110 Church St., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.429.2000 Late night dining on weekdays—until 10pm, 11pm on weekends—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. Club Dakota 1209 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.454.9030 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 4-7pm 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 1222 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.425.7871 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 4:30-7pm, extends all night on Mondays and Tuesdays. Costa Brava is an exciting Santa Cruz location to enjoy a meal and a drink. The Garage Sports Bar 603 Front St., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.471.5555 The Garage Sports Bar has all the essential accoutrements of a sports bar: pool table, TVs, and beer. To add some spice, or maybe just because it's Santa Cruz, The Garage Sports Bar has karaoke on Thursday nights. Their weekday happy hour is 5-7pm, the perfect time to head from the beach to the bars. Jose's Cantina 1336 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.425.7575 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 4-6pm in the cantina and 6-9 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 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.427.2227 Live jazz several nights a week make the Kuumbwa Jazz Center quite the Santa Cruz joint to hang out at. 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. Mobo Sushi 105 S. River St., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.425.1700 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. Pearl Alley Bistro & Wine Bar 110 Pearl Alley, Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.429.8070 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. The Poet & Patriot Irish Pub 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.426.8620 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 5-7pm and an open mic event from 2-6pm on Saturdays. Red Room 1003 Cedar St., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.426.2994 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 4:30-6:30pm happy hour. The Red 200 Locust St., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.425.1913 Upstairs from the dive bar-esque Red Room, The Red is a swanky Santa Cruz restaurant and bar that seems more LA than Santa Cruz Mountains. The elegant ambiance is far from the stale smoke of downstairs and often times music improves the atmosphere with low-key soul, hip-hop, and the occasional jazz band. Rosie McCann's Irish Pub 1220 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.426.9930 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 4-6pm. Thursdays- Saturdays means DJs spinning for the dance crowd. Rush Inn 113 Knight St., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.425.9673 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 105 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz, California; Tel. 831.423.2020 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.