From Happy Hour To Live Music, Here’s A Guide To Carmel’s ’19th Hole’ Watering Holes
For those looking it up to tee it up in the bars of Carmel during the 2019 U.S. Open, this review is right down the middle of the fairway, clear of any hazards, your complete guide to the 19th hole of watering holes.
It is important to note there are no addresses in Carmel, so locations are listed by street names and intersections.
Where To Drink Wine In Carmel
You can hardly walk down the street in Carmel without running into a glass of wine. Part of that is because there are a dozen wine tasting rooms, which means you’ll pass one every few steps (most are located south of the main street, which is Ocean Blvd.). If you want to hit a lot of them, get the Carmel Wine Walk pass.
Keep in mind most of these tasting rooms close at 5, so you can’t do this after a day at the tournament.
Carmel’s Bars
Brophy’s (4th & San Carlos, across from the family-run Hofas House hotel) is a comfortable, casual and nice sports bar that’s very popular among caddies and the occasional celebrity or sports figure. Sit at the bar and it’s easy to find some fellow hackers (or hacker-ettes) to strike up a conversation and order another beer. The pub-style food is pretty good, too.
The Mulligan Public House (on Dolores, SE of Ocean) is not only an ideally-named place to sling back a few after being at a golf tournament but the menu is divided into categories it calls Caddyshack, Tee Box and Hole In One.
Yes, there’s a dive bar in upscale Carmel! It’s Sade’s (Lincoln & Dolores) and it’s a basic dive bar, great for slamming down a few after a day on the links.
AW Shucks Cocktail & Oyster Bar (Ocean Ave., between San Carlos and Dolores) is an oyster restaurant, but sit at the bar and you may find yourself in a conversation that will have you stuck in your seat as if you’re in a sand trap.
Barmel (San Carlos, between 7th & Ocean; go down the steps) is what passes for a nightclub in Carmel. It’s the only place in town with live music. It’s also open until 2 a.m., long after most places in Camel have pulled the flagstick out of the hole. Beers are just $5-7 here, too.
The Village Corner (Dolores & 6th) has a nice patio for a drink but go downstairs to find a really cool, quiet and quaint beer-drinking bar.
The Hog’s Breath Inn (once owned by former mayor Clint Eastwood) is a cool hangout bar; walk down the stairs.
If it’s been a while since you’ve been to Carmel and your looking for Jack London’s Bar – once the rowdiest place in town – well, it’s now closed.
Carmel’s Happy Hours
The rooftop at Vesuvio (6th & Junipero) – officially called the Vesuvio’s Starlight Rooftop Lounge – is Carmel’s prime place for Happy Hour. It goes from 4-6 p.m. You’ll be ordering wine here but if you want food, the popular items are the mesquite-grilled burger and pizza out of a wood-burning oven. Be sure and have a jacket or sweatshirt handy, for it gets chilly in a hurry in Carmel.
Sur restaurant in Barnyard Shopping Village is a friendly bar made more friendly by its powerful margaritas. Beers, wines and cocktails are $6, with speciality drinks – such as the margarita – coming in at $6.75. Happy Hour is 3-6 and again from 8-9 (nightly!), and 3-9 on Tuesdays.
If you can’t pronounce it don’t worry; just know that Cultura Comida y Bebida (Delores, between 5th & 6th) has Taco Tuesdays ($3 tacos, $5 beer, $8 margaritas) and half-off wine bottles on Wednesdays.
Mulligan’s has a Taco Tuesday with $1.25 tacos.
Carmel Food Tours
If you want to get a real taste of Carmel, begin your week or weekend with the Carmel Food Tours. This is a guided group tour that samples wines and restaurants (with wine or cocktails) and gives you a real guide of where to go later in your stay.
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kevinwilkerson says
Correct. And neither is Baja Cantina, as this article focuses on bars in the village of Carmel-by-the-Sea within walking distance of one another. But to tell why you think Mission Ranch should be included here. Cheers.
Glamper says
No mention of MissionRanch????? Seriously?