The Place

I had the best two times at the Place on Sunday Nights. It was so nice to be in an establishment the welcomes customers and truly believes in Customer Service. I was so impressed by the happy, up-​beat, positive, efficient staff. I felt like I was somebody Special. That is how the staff at the made me feel. I was positively pleased. They also had all this wonderfully home cooked food. Tri-​Tip roast, homemade potato salad, fettuccini Alfredo pasta and yummy desserts too. It was so delicious. Mouthwatering. The place is the Bomb. Cool Staff. Cool Patrons. Very mellow yet Not boring at all… I Love It There… I will go again. Sooo Much fun to be had there. Don’t miss this BAND !!! that plays there I think every Sunday Night
The best part of the whole evening was because of the Band. Wow !!! They are Fabulous. This group of professional entertainers, well how can I explain it? They put a Smile on Your Face and Make You want to Jump out of your Chair and Dance… They did this Prince Song that was to die for and they did a lot of old school, funk R&B Classic Dance tunes to your Hearts Desire. I can’t remember the name of the band, but they were Hot! Definitely Smoking’… HOT !!!
They are such a talented Band and Especially the lead Singer. He was the Best !!! This band is Amazing if ever you get a chance to see them I definitely wood… This is a Beautiful Bar to Visit and I recommend it… I Give The Place Ten 10 stars

most discusting place ever ! if your a druggy and a drunk tho its perfect for you ! trashy place

If you’re looking for a place to «hide» and get your drink on without being judged, this is the place. It reminds me of the hundreds of corner bars from back east.
Cheap drinks, jukebox, pinball, pool, lotto, and people who mostly keep to themselves are what you’ll find here. You can definitely have a good time if you’re the type of person that can bring fun to the table without being entertained.
Give it a go, or don’t. You’re not missing anything if you don’t stumble in, but you could end up having one of those «I don’t remember much from last night» kind of nights if you do.

«Have you ever been to the longest bar in San Jose?» my girlfriend asks me one thirsty Wednesday.
«No, but it sounds like somewhere I should be.»
Indeed, the landmark bar stretches from first to second without a parking lot to speak of. We nabbed primo parking on 2^nd and headed in. The place seemed to attract a «Usuals» sort of crowd with a pool table, old pin-​ball machine and a kitschy bar-​type decorations. Well, except for the fine art directly over the bar in the middle. ;)
Margaritas were $ 8.25 a piece, but the bar staff was fantastic. I love this little dive, I just wish it didn’t hurt my pocketbook so much. :/

..It’s great for parolees, and people who are enjoying their first night of freedom from Elmwood.
However, i actually did enjoy the pinball, pool table, and music for the short time i was there. There was one loudmouth that actually ruined the vibe for me. He was drunk, and challenging everyone (including me) to a fight.
The bartender was cool, as was the beer. but, naaah, i wasn’t in a mood to scrap with the dude who couldn’t handle his alcohol.

**********The longest Bar in San Jose***********
Why the longest? It goes from ist-​2^nd st. yeah. the bar is that long!
It’s difficult to find this bar. Driving North on 1^st street it was to my left but then again-​was blind until I went back the opposite way. Street parking is premium.
It is the place alright! Had fun here alright! But now it’s over :)
The bartender was really cool. She was loud and funny and soo cute! Good priced drinks and stiff! Separate bathrooms for ladies and gents.
Looks like some regulars where there that night. Santiago’s name is stuck in my mind!
Cute” VIP Lounge area”. Red pleather with some sense of privacy and exclusivity. BUT the lights in this bar are pretty bright… I’d prefer a more low light. It matches the mood better…:)

In 2006 I traveled from Washington state to attend my 30^th high school reunion in San Jose. I left San Jose in 1979. I went into The Place to have a few drinks and check the place out. When I told the bartender that I was from Washington and was there for my reunion, she welcomed me back as did all of the patrons at the bar! Complete strangers were buying me drinks and welcoming me back. It was an amazing experience. I will never forget how friendly, nice and welcoming that bar was. I really liked the atmosphere and hospitality. I felt as though I had never left that city.

Was not impressed. Parking was crap! Sketchy side streets and overall area, plus you can only get in on the 2^nd st. side, so make sure you checkout that side for parking first. Beer was fine, mixed drinks were watery but huge. Pool table in back and strange faces (I think they are giant magnets) on the wall. Place was just odd… probably wont go back.

Cheap drinks, friendly bartenders, pool, surf decore, and lotto machines, what more could you want from a local dive? Oh, it also has a dart board and arcade games. Sold!
Just make sure you come early, they close at midnight.

I’ve been meaning to check this place out. It has great reviews, but when I drive by it always looks dingy (sp?) and empty on the outside. Finally convinced my GF to check it out with me.
I was pleasantly surprised. It is a classic dive bar with a small upgrade, they have 2 flat screen TVs. They have a bunch of specials, including free pool every tuesday, and cheap bloody mary’s and beers on tap.
I didn’t care for the bloody mary or the beer on tap (they only had Bud and PBR), so my drinks were pretty expensive.
What REALLY impressed me was the customer service. The Bartender, Diana, was hella cool. She chatted with us, and was genuinely a nice person. The most important criteria for ANY business should be customer service. I don’t mind paying more/​extra money for good customer service. Which is why I will come here again.
BTW they have a full bar, so you can get pretty much any drink here, including bottles of beer.

I was there with some friends from Urban Diversion after a funeral it was walking distance. It really looks like a dive bar I like that. They had PBR on tap and the drinks were strong and cheap!!! They have lots of random stuff to look at and its supposed to have to longest bar in San Jose. They have a pool table and pinball to. We were just going to have a drink to toast our lost friend but stayed till late a good time after a sad time.

great random stuff covering the walls! didn’t seem too long, but i believe them that it’s ‘The Longest Bar In Town’! fun crowd! mostly older men & women who all seemed pretty friendly! cheap drinks! + i ran into a friend of mine there! def. not as sketchy as some Unilocaled! but i can see how some uptight and/​or younger people wouldn’t like it, but oh well– nobody at The Place gives a crap & that’s what makes it cool!

I love The Place! This dive bar is the perfect spot to hang out with friends and grab some cheap drinks. Bud pitchers are only $ 6.75 all day. It kind of sucks that they only have Bud and Pabst on tap, but I can’t complain about cheap beer. The bartenders and patrons are one of a kind. I prefer to go in the day since it seems safer and less shady. Also, free Sloppy Joes on Wednesdays. I cannot turn down free food and cheap drinks, which is why I love it here.

Oh my gosh… words just cannot adequately illustrate one of our latest dive bar finds… The Place.
Having been a downtown San Jose resident for many years now, I’ve often driven past The Place and have wondered what kind of crazy things could happen in a bar that looked slightly sketchy but always had patrons coming in and out. The biggest kicker is a sign that they proudly display on the outside that reads «Longest Bar in San Jose». Curiosity was too much and on one random weeknight, I dragged the bf and a friend in.
Upon entering, I felt like we were in a movie scene – as if the music suddenly halted to an abrupt stop as all of the regulars stared at the newbies at the door! The décor was such a mis-​mash of old bar memorabilia from the 70s. From old beer signs to half naked paintings of women to hysterical signs like one that read «Helping people get laid since 1970». Ridiculously awesome.
We moseyed up to the bar and grabbed three stools… I was a bit skeptical to touch anything but heck – when in Rome! The barkeep, Ronnie, was the perfect character to the setting. She was a little crass and heckled at the regulars of the bar. She was fabulous. But the BEST surprise of the night was when we ordered 2 draft beers and a Grey Goose tonic (yes, I order Grey Goose in dives…) and it came up to a whopping $ 10!!! Holy Cow, that’s a deal!!!
We ended up only staying at The Place for under an hour… just enough to grab a few more extremely cheap and strong drinks while listening to Ronnie yell at some more customers. :)
Will we be back? HECK YEAH! But just a word of advice, if you’re one of those folks who like to go to «dive bars» because it’s somewhat trendy to do so… The Place isn’t for you. It is truly, in EVERY sense of the word, the original dive bar.

A little shady, but a good place to grab a cheap drink. The food is overhyped (even the bartender told us we didn’t want to touch it), but The Place is pure, kitschy dive bar. Hang out for a couple beers or so and you’ll hear some crazy stories that will make your walk or drive home that much more enjoyable.

I have to agree, The Place is an experience. My friend and I rolled in one Friday afternoon to grab a beer. Parking was a bit tricky (there’s no parking lot and it’s between two one-​way streets) but we were greeted with $ 6.50 pitchers of Bud and $ 3 Philly Cheesesteaks on arrival. The Place is definitely eclectic. I particularly enjoyed what we called the «VIP Room» (think red pleather and cast iron) and the granulated powder soap in the bathroom. I love a good dive bar and will definitely frequent The Place!
Update: The Place has the longest Happy Hour I’ve ever heard of: 6am to 3pm for $ 2.50 pints! or 6am to 10am for $ 2.75 cocktails!

Find yourself in The Place, and you’ll find yourself in a place you never expected. «The longest bar in San Jose,» The Place spans an entire block 1^st to 2^nd Street, and boasts the sexiest art collection in town.
Seriously, don’t sit down at this bar if you like to sport sweatpants – you could sleep a troop of Brownies in the tent you’re gunna pitch.
Dancin’ starts pretty early around The Place, so you may want to get a little sauced before you slide into this one. I suggest you catch a cold one at the Keyes Club, pre-​Place, but then, the K. Club is a whole other place entirely.