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Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
"FIREHOUSE ROCKS!!! This is the only decent bar in San Jose where the bartenders and crowd are awesome, the drinks are stiff, and you'll for…" read more »
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Only been here 2 or 3 times. I saw a lot of reviews that this place is quiet enough where you can read.. Haha, I didn't have that type of experience at all. It was really loud the few times I've been here but that's not a bad thing :) It was just really hoppin' and poppin'. I think this place is a popular hangout after Shark's games.
Also, I love the game area. I had never experienced playing drunken board games in a bar before Trials, and it was a blast. I definitely killed the patient several times over playing drunken Operation!
This bar is really chill and the patrons are pretty friendly. The bar itself is kind of small and can get crowded, but always had good times here. Prices are pretty cheap and bar food is decent.
Oh! and one time after dining at Teske's which is next door, we stumbled over to Trials to end our night.. and WEE MAN was drinking a beer outside of the bar!! I was already drunk from the liter beers at Teske's so I think I just jumped on the dude. He was totally cool too. Yes, I like this place.. :D
I love sitting in the comfy chairs in the front of this bar and watching all the talent walk in & stumble out.
Cool bartenders. Nicely poured drinkies.
One very happy Michael H because they have Guinness.
Warning: There is only one toilet in their bathroom and I have spent many o' nights nearly pissing my pants because some individuals enjoy extracurricular activities in their restrooms. Monitor your bladder accordingly.
FOOD:
1.) Curry Fries = Pretty good, very interesting combination
2.) Pot Pie = Very hot, the chicken pretty tasty..
3.) Bangers & Chips = O dear, sausage that melts in your mouth?? haha... why does this dish teem with potential innuendoes.
SERVICE:
Well it IS just a pub, not a real restaurant. But I guess I like real restaurant service.
ATMOSPHERE:
Atmosphere is cool for a pub, but not really a restaurant. So if looked as a pub that HAPPENS to serve good food, then yeah it's all cool. Sometimes the music is really... not my taste. Mostly rock alternative, the like. There was some like.. country?? haha... but the real fire place is cool... the provision of connect four and other board games is cool...
For Nightlife
1.) Trivia Night = on Mondays there's trivia night where if your group finishes the…
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Love this place.
Good vibe, pretty good food (you're eating at a bar not Tavern On the Green), beer selection is best in the area and the bartenders are either worth talking to (Thang, Larry) funny but foolish (Bosco) or the Angry Chick (the Angry Chick).
My favorite pub/bar in the area! Granted, I'm not a night-life kinda gal, but I appreciate Trials for it's awesome food and good alcohol. It's small, so it gets kinda crowded. If you show up early, you'll find seating, tho. I like just chilling, eating and drinking with friends here.
Food: DO try the various fries (curry, canadian and garlic/cheese)- all are good! Bangers are amazing! Fish and chips are also very good! Shepherd's pie bland, though.
Drink: Reasonably priced with a wide range of selection. I like my traditional guinness, but I also like my Strongbow Cider and Frambic Lamboise (or is it Lambic Framboise...?).
I did come here on St. Paddy's Day last March, and it was VERY crowded. If that's your plan, arrive early or you might never find a seat!
If I could improve this fine establishment in any way, I would make them play Irish music (with occasional live performances). ::sigh:: Right now, they just place the regular alternative stuff.
I'll break it down for you so it's easy to read and make you choice.
I've only had the beer here so.
Is the beer good? Yes.
Is it priced well? Yes.
Are the staff nice? Yes.
Would I come back? Yes.
It can get over crowded tho.
One of my new fav places to hang out. They have great beers on tap, pretty good prices. Too legit to quit.
Definitely the place to be if you are tired of the generic bars in downtown San Jose. Very cozy, not too loud place to be on any given night of the week. Especially if it is a cold evening and you can pull up a comfy chair to the fireplace. On top of having a really good beer selection available in whole and half pints, the pub food is great. The burger is simple but amazing, as is the irish BLT. There aren't really many more good things I can say about Trials that haven't already been said.
Trials is a place that you go with friends and just relax and drink a little. They have a large selection of unique brew here so if that is to your liking then this is the place for you. For me its the cider, Im not a beer girl but boy do I love the cider...Strong Bow on tap and you have my heart...quite literally.
The place is pretty small and that means that when it is crowded that you will either need to come early and claim a space or mush around in a crowd standing. So with that said ladies please wear flats here, no need for the club clothes in fact they will make you really stand out.
In my opinion its a bar/pub that everyone needs to try and I think everyone will pretty much like if not love.
Its taken almost a year to visit this place even though I live across the street.
Came here on Friday to celebrate my sisters job offer. The three of us stroll into hipsterville to be pleasantly surprised at the friendliness of the 2 bartenders. We grab a table and bring it outside to start drinking some beers and playing "mushroom" the drinking game.
All in all it was a good time and the bar staff was helpful and attentive. We also asked how many beers on top and they have 17, including 3 hand pumps. They also carry a few other brands like Red Stripe and uh - ok so that's all I remember at 1 am after a night of drinking.
Love this place! Rob makes the best chicken curry, ask for it "spicy as hell" and you'll be stoked!
All of the bartenders are super nice and fun, if you haven't been to trials, you're missing out. Its the perfect bar to go chill with friends at a table with pub grub, a pint and a game of darts after. If you're looking for a wild time, this isn't the place, this spot is more for relaxing over a cold pint with friends and I'm all about relaxing these days.
We were weighed and measured and eventually found innocent by the barjudges. All the pub folk greeted and congratulated us on our nights victory. It was great. There was no anger or pretense at Trials.
I came here after the Ducks whooped and whaaped the Sharks 5-2 with two other friends this past weekend. We were a bit hesitant to stop in Trial's Pub because of our Ducks paraphernalia we were wearing. Well... Veni, Vidi, Vici!
Trial's Pub is one of the better pubs I've ever been to in the States. While it's not perfect representation of a British pub it sure comes close. The beer is pretty much all British and Irish. The ambiance is Euro sport. From Futbol to cycling. Flags are appropriately displayed everywhere and there is a nostalgia that brought back memories of backpacking trips and the excitement of where I was going to sleep that night.
My nights libations consisted of Fat Lip, Dragon Slayer IPA, and a Monks Brown Ale. The Dragon Slayer IPA was at a level above the rest that night. Very balance flavor and not too bitter. The Fat Lip was supposedly the most sold beer at this PUB and one of the biggest sellers in the US. It tasted like an unfiltered wheat beer and was okay. The Monks Brown Ale wasn't as good as a New Castle or a Smithwicks.
Trial's also has a dart board which we played till closing. It was a blast!
Came here Friday evening with a couple of fellow Yelpers. Very cnveniently located on 1st St, right next to the light rail. Provides for a quick vehicle free option for a late night out. Parking is quite easy once the courts have closed and the work day has drawn to a close.
~ 5 stars for location
Walking up to the pub, you see the small groups on the sidewalk tables outside - it's very informal, people hanging out drinking, smoking and they do serve you outside as well.
The pub itself is quite small - it appears to have been a house that has been converted to a pub. Very charming interior with a little lounge-y area by the window and a narrow bar with a row of stools. There is also an area in the back with tables for those who want more of a sit-down dining experience. The bar area is covered with all kinds of eclectic junk from across the world - no doubt contributed by bar patrons from across the world! Very cool and informal.
~ 4 stars for ambiance
Quite a selection of beers on tap - and $5 for a 20oz Imperial pint for most beers = excellent deal! I had the Dragonslayer and then a Stella. Food menu is quite typical pub fare - the curry chips sounded good. We ordered the mild curry chips and a platter called the Ploughman's Plate ($9)(menu describes it as wedges of cheddar, brie and pepper jack, and green apple served with a sausage roll, salad, bread, pickled onion and Branston pickle). The Brie was quite good - and the bread was bakery fresh! The Branston pickle was quite interesting - I couldn't figure out what was in it though.
The sausage oll was awesome - what's not to like about sausage encased in pastry and deep fried? Mmmm - perfect bar food.
Curry chips ($6) were meh -a little soggy and the curry was just kinda ladled on top so once you were done eating the top layer, you just had some fries underneath. If they hadnt been soggy, they probably would have tasted OK.
~ 3 stars for food
~4 stars for beer selection and prices
Bartenders are friendly and attentive (it wasn't too crowded)
Good times with good friends.
I give it a solid 4 stars
# 60
This was where the first long night with my favorite yelper began (surprise surprise....). So my sentimental side is at its peak when beer guzzling is involved.
We sat at the bar and spent a good amount of time observing the crowd here. The standout was one poor desi dude who was laughing into his beer and very obvioulsy mumbling to himself periodically. Then there was the group of self important young college guys who came in grinning confidently as they asked for 7 jaegerbombs- money! there were couples quietly sampling beers, a lone but laidback single yuppie trying his luck with the affable chubby blonde chick next to him, and a mean looking dude with a goattee staring menacingly while clenching his beer in one hand at the end of the bar. Not a very uniform or definable crowd, but on the whole mostly in the mid 20s to early 30s.
Chill place to sit back and sample beers with your date or have a little conversation with a friend. There are quite a few beers to try, and talking about beer preference/taste/or just the weird sounding names of the beer is a nice icebreaker. If you're like every other romantically (or sexually) frustrated bar hopper in san jose (single male) and hoping that your night at trials will be where somehow everything'll fall into place and the magic will finally happen, there are probably better options for you. It can get pretty crowded though, so go a little early to grab a seat.
I love this place. I have been coming here for years. my work is right around the corner and this is a central location to meet with friends (well where my friends live). The staff is kick ass, place always has regulars in it, trivia on mondays and cast conditioned beer. I like to play darts as well.
The only drawback for me is that there is never a happy hour. but otherwise i have had some great times here. when im back in san jose i will be back there for sure!
I show up on Mondays to play trivia. The drinks are average price. The bartenders aren't assholes. Nobody bothers me.
Sounds like the recipe for a winner.
I live around the corner and it's such a nice alternative off the beaten path (i.e. downtown San Jose). Laid back, but can get crowded later in the evening, and people tend to stake out spots. All part of the game, really. I love their selection because they serve Strongbow and there's nothing more refreshing than an imperial pint of cider after work, before dinner, after dinner, and before going to sleep. You know how it is.
So far, the food has been hit or miss with me. Full English breakfast was pretty tasty, but I think my fave is still the traditional Irish breakfast at Katie Bloom's (sorry). Mozzarella sticks were a win, nice and fat, not skinny and limp like, well, you know. On other occasions I've had curry and fries (curry was a bit salty for my taste) and French onion soup, which was good.
They also have board games and books, so it's also a nice place to kill some time and relax with friends. Or even by yourself! They have an outside "patio" until 11 pm and trivia on Mondays, although I've never been.
So Trials, I know you have a full bar and board games, two of my favorite things, but you've really won me with your cider.
I love this dimly-lit little place, especially because they have Strongbow on tap. They also have a few cask-conditioned ales, something you don't find everywhere. The guys that work behind the counter are funny and attentive for the most part. When it gets busy it takes them a while but that's expected of a bar.
I wish this place was either bigger or had a patio, because then it would be even more awesome. Darts in the back of the bar is always fun. I like the fact that I can show up in jeans and Chucks and not feel like I'm being scrutinized for being under-dressed. I feel very comfortable here, even though I'm not a regular.
Not a bad place overall. Could be better. They have a good drink selection. Come here for the drinks, hardly for the crowd. Not a great looking bunch and very cliquey. A lot of pseudo Europeans and college kids wanting to be sophisticated.
Food's OK, not great, and kind of expensive for what it's worth. Good drinks though.
There's nothing like pub trivia to make you realize how little you know about anything...
A friend and I came here Monday night for pub trivia. They might want to spring for some air conditioning because it was hot hot hot. After a while it cooled off in there but it was definitely a bit uncomfortable for a bit. We both ordered Strongbow cider (I always prefer cider to beer). The drinks were very reasonably priced and the bartenders were really friendly. I'll need to study up on my history and current events next time we go for pub trivia, but it's definitely a good time and I recommend getting together a group of friends and going.
Trials Pub stands heads above the sleazy, overpriced, LA-wannabe nightclubs/bars that give downtown SJ nightlife it's... unique... reputation. No sketchy thugs, no risk of getting caught in crossfire - just a fun, chill place to throw back a Boddington's on tap over some delish bar food, all at reasonable prices. I'm a fan!
Best pub in San Jose.
I love the atmosphere. Laid-back bar with good music played low enough to hear the person sitting across from you. No TVs - sorry, sports fans.
The beer selection is great even though I always get a Newcastle. One night they were out and the bartender suggested I try one of their cask ales. I got the Monk's -- good call. The price is cheap, too!
The pub food is good -- Monday night trivia is always extra fun when accompanied by some curry chips. I get them medium because I am a wimp.
Bartenders are friendly and funny. I'm not a "regular," but go here often enough and I've never felt uncomfortable or like an outsider.
Good job, Trials. Five stars.
I lived a few blocks from Trial's until recently. I will say that Trial's has given me several buzzes, a full blown wasted, and about 10 great meals. The place is small and if you go toward the back, you may have to leave at the end of the night because its tight squeezing by the bar. Its like getting off an airplane when you are in the back. I saw all of Jackass there too, minus Steve-O and the other big one. But I saw Steve-O at LAX like a week earlier, so its cool.
I almost always get the Chicken Curry, medium spicy. It's an English pub style curry, which is different than like a true Indian curry dish. It's been anglofied, but I apply the Velveeta effect here, (As cheese goes, Velveeta is not very good, but as its own melty Velveeta thing, it's very good) . It sometimes has a little mold taste though, but just put more curry on it. If I am drunk, or feeling hungry and shameless i will add the sausage rolls to the order. Delicious, but clearly bad for you and embarrassing to eat.
The people here are either very real, as in writers, artists or tech nerds OR they are total posers who are unemployed but look like writers, artists or tech nerds. Its hard to tell the difference since they all come in on beach cruisers.
Monday is Trivia night, and its harder than you think. Bring a science guy, a pop culture guy and an Irishman and you should do OK. People are really sad because they all start getting on handheld devices and googling the answers, because they can't stand to have something on the tip of their tongue. I get hammered and just patrol looking for cheaters, then i smash them and drag their answer sheet to the bartender who looks at me like I'm some sort of deranged lunatic, then i check into SJPD for assault. But its better than Googling for a $30 beer credit because you are a know-it-all geek who doesn't know shit. But I digress...
Really its a fun spot, board games, darts and booze. I really recommend it despite my trivia frustrations.
The service is horrible. I have left the last two times I tried to go there because I couldn't get service at the bar. The bartenders are uniformly rude and surly.
It is crowded and the place reeks of cigarettes because the "smoking area" is right in front of the door.
The "regulars" seem to be from the circus freak training academy or the Salvation Army, which is close by.
A much better place for a drink is the German restaurant right next door. They have a full bar, better service and better clientele.
I must confess that I like going to Trials to hang out with friends because it is extremely "chill". By that I mean that they forgo the typical bar strategies to get you to drink more: ear-drum bursting music and painfully dark lighting. Trials is great if you want to go out with friends yet still be able to hold a conversation and see them.
Unfortunately, the bartenders at Trials knocked down the rating significantly. It doesn't reflect well upon a bar when its customers are pleasantly surprised at receiving adequate service. On more than one occasion I stood at a sparsely populated bar while the bartender stood around and chatted with the person directly adjacent to me. I don't take well to being blatantly neglected, much less when I'm trying to overpay you for beer then hand you an extra dollar for pulling a simple lever. I rarely fail to tip, but I have done so twice here because I'd rather keep my measly dollar than have it go to a smug rockabilly's hair grease purchase.
I recommend this place to grab a pint, unwind and chat with buddies. Beware of the hipster pompadour wearing bartenders; they are pretty shitacular.
I've been searching for a great neighborhood pub. Trials, how come I JUST found you??
ATMOSPHERE: I've spent a lot of time in real Dublin (Ireland, not California) pubs and have not been able to find anything comparable ... until now. Trials isn't 100% Euro-authentic, but I'd give it a 75% grade.
Low-key, dark wood, not too grubby, informal atmosphere/servers - and only $5 for a 20oz glass? NICE!
FOOD/DRINKS: Cask-conditioned beers. Win. Hard-to-find STRONGBOW cidar! Win! Pub food that ACTUALLY tastes good?? More win. I highly recommend the curry fries.
If you visit the First Street area and like a good beer, then you will love Trials. But if you are looking for a Santana Row and white tablecloths then you would be in the wrong place. It's about the beer, the bar and the conversation. Chicken Curry is always a safe bet. I personally like the fireplace and the taven-like setting.
Come for the beer and the chill neighborhood bar atmosphere, not the food. Beer, very good. Fabulous, in fact. Five-star beer. Beer-licious.
Their take on english and german "inspired" food? Not so much, thanks.
nice spot. fun place to walk to from the house and have a low key evening. way better than any "club" in san jose, are you kidding?
curry chips = good. smoke drifting down the narrow interior to the back = bad. overall, though, a quality establishment.
I came here for the Canadian fries and I was disappointed, but the rest of the experience was great so four stars.
As a Canadian, allow me to give a short lecture on Poutine (what they call Canadian fries at Trials Pub). They are made with cheese curds, not a small amount of grated cheddar. The gravy is not supposed to be quite as thick (this gravy had the consistency of sour cream). Finally the fries are supposed to be thinner such that a greater portion of the fry can soak up the gravy. Nevertheless I appreciate the attempt to cater to us Canadians who need an early heart attack.
Other than the "Canadian Fries", the place was everything a pub should be. Lots of beer, great food (the burger was fine), and friendly people. It wasn't too loud that you couldn't talk. The couple next to us was friendly and outgoing, and one of the bar patrons was an artist that made an impromptu sketch of my friend who I was hanging out with.
Please fix the Canadian fries, and I'll be back more often.
I used to live right by here! This is a real neighborhood pub. Everytime I would drive home from work, I'd see the same people sitting outside and be jealous that they were having fun. It's really chill with sofas and chairs in here and fun games to play. Real laid back.
There are some things that, once heard about through the grapevine, are so intriguing they must be experienced, even when said "mystery thing" is known ahead of time to be awesome (as in the case of bacon-flavored chocolate bars and cartoons about talking fast food items) or heinously awful (like milk-flavored beer and two girls, one cup). Not even three hundred years of logic and reason can never hope to compete with blind curiosity.
When I first heard about Trials' curry chips, my brain put everything on hold for a few minutes while my brain tried to comprehend it.
Curry (addictive, masochistic spice of spices) + Chips (fried potatoes...you know, PO-TAT-OES, boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew) is equal to or greater than FUCK YEAH!? Hmmmmm.
This must be tried. If not for science, then for a potential yelp review.
The next time I was out in the bay area I insisted that I be brought to this "pub".
Oh, they call it a pub, how quaint, I thought. Perhaps they'll put a union jack in my cheese sticks served with a beer I totally didn't order because they didn't stock the one I ordered.
When we showed up at about 9pm, I sat outside on the patio while Misty S and Dave R went inside and did all the ordering. Given my knack for attracting attention and bullshit, this was probably for the best.
While I sat outside, taking pictures of myself with my phone (don't judge me, fuckers), I could over hear people talking, in like real British accents. Be still my beating heart. A pub where people are actually from the culture.
Next you'll tell me that my chips will be actual, no-shit British chips, and not those pencil-thin scrapings we call "french fries".
And the curry will actually burn my tongue with spiciness.
Oh my god. Is that my Lindeman's Framboise that I ordered as a total joke because I didn't think they'd have them.
And is that...is that POUTINE!??!?!!?
Will you please check my head for any bullet holes, stab wounds, any sign that I might actually be dead?
Oh, I'm not dead? This is happening in real-time? Sweet. I mean, I'm bummed that we'll actually have to pay the bill, but this is beyond my wildest imagination.
The curry chips were amazing. Afterwards myy mouth felt like someone lit a match on my lips. A feeling that was only further exacerbated with all the hot gravy and cheese I was shoving into my face.
This is the sound of me adding "gravy and cheese" to my list of things not to give to a friend whose complaining of the heat from a hot buffalo wing.
I was tempted to order their curry chicken (apparently their specialty) or their bangers, but thankfully before I could further embarrass my party with my uncivilized naivety and piggish overeating, they closed the patio, and as I had managed not to get any gravy or curry on my outfit at that point, I felt that going inside would only expose me to the risk of ruining my otherwise fuck up-free night. I figured I'd cut my losses and get something to eat back at the hotel.
But I'll be back soon. And by then I will have failed so many times to make good curry chips at home that I'd be willing to pay double the normal price to eat it off of yesterday's newspaper.
You probably didn't need to know that.
I heart Trials Pub.
Over the past few months my friends and I have been coming here on Monday nights for trivia. We love trivia nights so much now and we have actually started looking forward to those dreaded Mondays! For pub food, this place is good. They always have a special dessert too. The drinks are awesome and not over priced. Also, pretty much everyone that works here is wonderful!
Amidst all the trashyness of the downtown bar scene, you can still find a nice and non-judgmental place to hang out.
p.s Thank you to Vince for introducing this place to me a long time back!
so THIS is where all the "gueros" in SJ are at! LOL i was impressed by the monday night turn out.
felt like i was in a pub in london or wisconsin. either way, i felt out of place yet in place. am i making sense? prob not.
my dear friend was leaving Y! and san francisco, so we HAD to bring him somewhere that would remind him of how cool the bay area is. SO-cal is going to be SO plastic to him. lol.
good euro beer. good atmosphere. good times. ;)
I think a more accurate name would be "Bonerkill's." This is a cool bar to have a pint during the day, but at night it turns into a hipster bar. If I was a single dude, I wouldn't be here to meet women.
Maybe my problem with Bonerkill's is not the pub itself, but the people. I love the quality beer selection and the look, but the people suck.
bar is LONG and NARROW
the night I went was very crowded
back against the wall, sucking in the stomach.. holding purse as close to me as I can do people can walk by
bathroom is a single bathroom with at all times 5 girls in line..
bartenders do not pay attention to anyone
we stood there for a good 10 minutes at the front of the bar and no one helped us...
the bartenders were talking.. chatting it up... and refilling other peoples beer
..we left.. didn't spend a single cent in here.. I will come back though because I want to give this place a fair try but the first time around was a huge disappointment
Love coming here to relax with a pint of Strongbow. I love the fact that they have a game cabinet, nothing beats drunken Scabble :)
It's a chill place, but can be crowded on peak nights.
When I want to hang out somewhere calmer and more relaxing for a drink it's ALWAYS Trials. i like the idea that i can bring a book with me and actually READ it there. i always get my pints quickly and with smiles and i love going for Sunday Burgers. Canadian chips with cheese and gravy is lovely too.
the people there are usually pretty relaxed and very friendly. there's always a good time on quiz nights too. just a good place to meet up with people or have a quiet pint alone. it's nice to meet some of the regulars who bring their puppies to hang out outside as well.
Whenever were looking for a well poured pint without pretension, we find ourselves at Trials. Trials has yet to disappoint.
The best bar in San Jose. Large, well-priced pints. Many beers on tap. Good food. A friendly, neighborly atmosphere. The fireplace is nice during the cooler part of the year. This place has many, many pluses and I've enjoyed thousands of hours here.
San Jose, CA
Category: Pubs
San Jose, CA
Category: Dive Bars
San Jose, CA
Category: Nightlife
San Jose, CA
Category: Lounges
San Jose, CA
Category: American (Traditional)
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