When I was in San Jose for a conference recently, I stopped into the Bourbon Pub for a Happy Hour beverage and a bite to eat.
Happy Hour is Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m.
It was relatively quiet in both the pub and the Bourbon Steak restaurant given that most workers were headed for home and it was not an evening for a business dinner. We had walked through the pub when we had dined in the steak house shortly after it opened, but never had the opportunity enjoy the pub. The pub is the center of the members-only tailgate parties during football season.
The limited Happy Hour menu is a real value featuring sliders with bacon for $4 and chili cheese fries for $5 or Buffalo style wings for $5.
Sitting at the bar, I was struck by liter glasses of Bud Light ($5 during Happy Hour). I had not seen glasses that large since I was in Munich at the Hof Brau Haus.
I selected one of the flights—Michter’s —from the whiskey cart. What a delight. A friend told me about the bourbon. It was great to try three versions of it (rye, sour mash and American whiskey). Flights range from $18 to $120.
Chatting with the guys tending bar, they said that lunch is busy most days.
As you would expect in a pub located in a stadium, flat screens abound so you can follow your favorite team.
The pub menu offers Michael Mina quality at a more approachable price point. Entrees range from $10 to $30. There’s the extensive bourbon and whiskey list, plus craft cocktails and a wide variety of beers and wine.
The pub is open during the week for lunch and daily for dinner.
By Tim Hunt