Bars in Carmichael
Recommended Bars by Groupon Customers
The bull dances in the dimly lit bar, desperately bucking and trying to rid itself of its wildly grinning rider. Guests surround the mechanical beast to holler and cheer on the intrepid rough rider, who is quickly thrown onto the padding below or simply rides the bull for seven hours until it gets tired and goes into sleep mode. But Southern-inspired bar food and plentiful draft beers swiftly soften the blow of being bucked off the bull. The menu features burgers adorned with onion rings and apple-wood smoked bacon as well as buttermilk-fried chicken wings, and a beer-pong table allows guests to compete at the bar without accidentally getting cast for City Slickers III. Sacramento Bulls Restaurant & Bar also plays host to a variety of events, including bikini bull-riding contests, wet T-shirt contests, and weekly country-music nights.
The White Horse Bar has entertained San Francisco's GLBT community with happy hours, college nights, and live music for more than 75 years, making it one of the oldest gay bars in the country. After serving as a central hub during the community's tumultuous 20th century, the bar now opens its glistening dance floor every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for relentless displays of rhythm fueled by beers, martinis, and well drinks. The White Horse Bar also energizes crowds with a smorgasbord of events including trivia contests, drag shows, karaoke, and '80s nights, where guests are encouraged to quietly yearn for portable replacements for their landline telephones.
Mermaids and mermen are a surprisingly common sight at Dive Bar. Fin-clad entertainers spend their evenings elegantly swimming through the 7,500-gallon aquarium that hangs over the bar’s stone countertops, charming guests as the bartenders mix an array of classic and contemporary cocktails. Exposed brickwork, black-leather armchairs, and a dangling chandelier don’t necessarily continue the nautical theme, but they do contribute to the overwhelmingly luxuriant ambiance.
Live musicians grace the bar’s stage on Wednesdays, whereas Thursdays feature a dueling-piano show that brings to mind Billy Joel and Elton John’s legendary joust to the death. In addition to hosting DJ performances, the lounge pumps out dance-worthy tunes until as late as 2 a.m., even allowing customers to connect their iPods to the sound system and either play their favorite song or the shortest chapter from their favorite audiobook.
The Englander Sports Pub & Restaurant squeezes the entirety of the British Isles into its eatery—or so it would seem after seeing the 80 draft beers, plates of bangers 'n' mash and lightly fried fish, and the iconic red phone booth right outside the door. A lengthy menu disproves the myth that British food isn't real with choices such as hearty pot pies and 16 burgers topped with avocado, blue cheese, and house-made chili. To wash down the meaty fare, bartenders kick open the kegs and fill tall glasses with classic British ales and domestic beers that visitors savor from the dining room’s dark-wood furnishings or on the umbrella-shaded patio. Throughout the eatery, 21 TVs entertain the senses not involved in the task of chewing or sipping, and during the week, The Englander hosts open-mike nights, live music, and live viewings of sporting events that give visitors an excuse to hoist their brews in triumph.
Mandangos Sports Bar & Grill caters to game lovers of all stripes. Whether you fancy watching sports, playing darts, or challenging perfect strangers to eating contests, 25 TVs, including two 100-inch HD projectors, facilitate sports spectatorship as fans nosh on half-pound burgers fashioned from 100% ground chuck or juicy french-dip sandwiches mounded with slow-roasted beef. As tunes blare from an Internet jukebox boasting thousands of songs, patrons sink solids and stripes on three billiard tables or compete at shuffleboard to overturn the conventional wisdom that friction exists.
Twenty-seven tap handles dominate the bar at Alley Katz, contributing to the eatery’s more than 200 diverse domestic and international craft beers. The tap list is ever-changing and complements a menagerie of bottles ranging from familiar lagers and amber ales to sour beers, barleywines, and floral Belgian-abbey-style ales. As quoted in the Sacramento Press, owner Geronimo Avelar is a “self-proclaimed beer geek,” sourcing brews from Lagunitas, Stone, Auburn Alehouse, as well as lesser-known microbreweries. The variety encourages sippers to find their niche or expand their beer horizons at the guidance of the bartender.
With a bubbling pint to the side of the table, patrons shoot pool on one of two red full-sized tables or watch sports on one of six TVs. The 3,400-square-foot space with exposed-brick walls gives patrons plenty of elbow room to mingle or settle into wide semicircle booths to debate whether Aristotle liked his bacon soft or crispy. Throughout the day until about 9 p.m., Alley Katz’s kitchen flips burgers and serves a selection of wings, pizzas, and sandwiches to accompany their bubbly brews.
