Trials Pub

www.trialspub.com

The appropriately named Trials is located next to the county courthouse on First Street. Opened in 1997, the original owners were Brits who instilled some authenticity with the real hand pumped beers that you won’t find at other places and the English pub menu created by the culinary school trained wife that they still serve to this day. Where else will you find a Hot Chicken and Bacon Salad at a pub?

Aside note: the wife also used to scream “Drink more beer!” at people all the time at the bar and that became the unofficial motto of the pub which is inscribed in Latin on wooden engraving above the cash register (Bibere Amplius Cerevisia).

It has gone through a few owners. An ex-Army sniper ran it for a while and decorated it with the flags and swords. One of the original bartenders now runs the place.

They have real darts in the back (none of that electronic stuff) and serve true imperial pints. Prices are really good as well for a Bay Area bar.

I really like the oldness of the place. I’ve been told that it used to be a hotel with a brothel upstairs (I believe they say this about every old building in San Jose). One of the owners told me that there is still an old jail in the basement and that he was convinced that a ghost resided below.

It’s in one of the few true old buildings in San Jose and I hope they will keep this corner as is and never put a high rise on this site.