KC’s Bar and Grill

Recently visited Santa Cruz and realized I may miss a Big BB game in Midwest that wasn’t available on my hotel TV. I called KC’s Fri night and was told they would let me in at 11 AM Sat so I could watch the game. It turned out to be a fun friendly place and I was invited to come back Sunday for their Super Bowl Party. I attended and it was great. Over a hundred nice people there. Spending all afternoon and after meeting KC many of the others I felt like ‘family’.
A relatively new venture and I would say KC has formed a championship team.

I love this place. It’s one of my favorite spots to come hang out with good people. The staff is probably one of my favorite parts besides the killer food and drinks. They’re always super accommodating and let you know that your business is appreciated. Its not some yuppy sports bar with a crazy rich owner who’s in it for the money. Its just another SC local trying to make a living and wants to see his business boom! For that, I say, support local business and have fun while you’re doing it.

We stopped in to watch a playoff game while visiting Santa Cruz. Great place to watch a game or just have a drink. Bartenders and locals were super nice to visitors like us. We didn’t eat, but the food looked and smelled great. This place is definitely worth checking out!

Ask kc for he cucumber drink. Awesome place under rated. It’s not on the main down town street but worth the walk.

Boyfriend and I decided to go shopping at Patagonia and afterwards wanted to swing by a close bar to watch the football games. Bar was a little loud but fun at the same time. We didn’t order much food besides the buffalo wings, which was decent.
Just drank :)

Forever on the hunt to find the perfect spot to enjoy sports and food, I must, once again, thank fellow Unilocalers for leading me here. This is the first place I’ve been where I can clearly see a TV from any seat without leaving with a kink in my neck. Not only could I view my game on 3 different screens, I was able to catch several other games on the other 22 screens. Yep, 25 screens total! Now THAT’S my kind of sports bar!
I was happy to learn that they open early (9:00am) on Sundays and that they offer a good breakfast menu. I arrived at about 10:00 am, which was perfect for finding a good parking spot and an open table.
There were plenty of open metered parking spots on the street and 2 hr free parking in the lot across the street. I’m not sure if the 2 hr limit is very strictly enforced since most folks here seem to be parked there and stayed much longer.
Most of the seats at both the indoor and outdoor bars were already taken but I prefer a table anyway so I grabbed one in a corner, out of the way. Unfortunately, once it got busy I was a little bit toooo «out of the way». The tables are really close together so, once the ones near me were occupied, the servers had a hard time getting to me. I felt somewhat «trapped & abandoned» and I was praying I wouldn’t need to use the restroom because I had no clear path to get there. I probably would have had to ask like 8 people to get up if I had to go. Luckily, I didn’t have to but I had «I-hope-I-don’t-have-to-pee» anxiety the whole time.
Oh, the other thing about the tables… silver metal that looks cool but is way too COLD in the morning. The room temperature was fairly chilly as well so, although the food was served piping hot, it didn’t take long for it to get cold once it hit the table.
All of the employees were very nice and showed great teamwork. Before it got busy, I had 3 different people tend to me. When the girl came to take my order, she actually sat down right beside me. I liked that because I prefer a relaxed atmosphere and it made me feel welcomed into KC’s «home».
The food was really good. I had a 3-​egg scramble with spinich, tomatoes & onions and country potatoes. The portions were ample and the prices are very reasonable. Definitely a win-​win combination that’s harder & harder to find these days.
Other than being a little too cramped, the atmosphere was great. It was obvious that many of the patrons were regulars because they all seemed like good friends with the staff and each other. Considering how busy it was and that sports bars are usually loud, it didn’t get annoyingly loud (well…except for one guy at the bar who yelled reeeeaallly loud at the tv a few times). LOL
After my game was over (we won in OT. .yayyy!) and I had finished my meal, I actually wanted to stay to watch the next games and try something else on the menu. However, it was just too cold (despite all the body heat) because the glass doors separating the main seating area and the outside patio & bar were partially opened. Had I not been trying to get over a bad cold I would have stayed but I had to call it a day.
So, other than being too cold, it was a great experience. Good food, good people & good games… win-​win-​win! I will be back next Sunday!

I love to go here and watch sporting events. The staff is very cool and friendly and they seem to have learned the faces of lots of people. They’re very welcoming!
The beer is good, the drinks are good, the food is kind of typical bar food which I’m not in love with, the restrooms are clean and well maintained, the whole place is clean, and the atmosphere is great. I’ve met KC and he’s a nice guy and very professional — clearly in control of the staff and in my mind what an owner should be.
If there was one thing I would change it might be to put up something to absorb the noise. It’s a sports bar so it gets noisy… no surprise there. But anything to dial it back a bit would be nice.
Frankly, Santa Cruz desperately needed a place like this and it is really a gem.
**TIP** Oh yes, Parking! There are two free public lots at the intersection of Laurel and Front. Meter parking is a pain in the ass. Now I’ll probably get stuck hunting for a space again.

Pickle juiceeeeeee!!! The best, every time we come in we receive the best service. The go to spot before and after we go to parties. KC the opener and bartender is so nice too!!! It’s a great clean spot, and they have a nice brunch!

I went into this place for a beer a few weeks ago. It’s different but I like it. A couple bartenders were watching the door so I thought it was going to be a douchey club at first. It wasn’t. It had a good laid back vibe. There is a bunch of TVs covering sports and a lounge area too.
I sat at the bar and watched Formula 1 on a couple different TVs and had a beer. There was a group next to me doing shots. The DJ was playing dance music in the back of the bar. It wasn’t so loud that I couldn’t watch the race coverage. The bartender was good and the staff seemed cool.
I didn’t stay long but I would go back.

Strolled in here after a few minutes at the card room next door, and boy was I lucky! This place not only had food. but bottomless pasta on Thursdays (although I only had one plate) NO lie. best chicken alfedo pasta ever!
Not sure how the other food Is but judging from the PASTA. AT A BAR. I would bet my bottom dollar that most everything on the menu is bombastic!
Outdoor area is cool as well, with nice murals on the walls.
But be warned. the bar next door is nothing like Kcs. its just a bar you can smoke in. no kitchen and not pretty.

We went here not knowing what to expect, but this place is awesome! The first thing I noticed is how clean it was, plus the lighting and liquor display was on point. There are large TVs everywhere so must be great during a sporting event. Since we went on a Monday night around midnight it wasn’t packed at all, meaning we were able to talk to KC himself for a while. Next time I’m we’re in town we’ll definitely be coming back!
Also, get the bloody mary!!! He makes his own mix and it’s pretty fantastic.

The amount of screens packed into this great Sports bar is overwhelming.
This is the best place to watch the game. Not only can you see multiple events on multiple screens at once they also have a very large and very powerful soundsystem to match.
The food is extremely underwhelming. Stick to the liquor.
We came to watch the Warriors absolutely devastate the Houston Rockets. Arriving about 30 minutes before gametime we got the last available table. Talking to the people in the surrounding tables we found that the majority of the people found this place on Unilocal!Hello. After a few minutes our waitress brought us our drinks and after that it was all downhill.
The service was fine but the food was absolutely disgusting.
We order the combination pizza but really I think it was French onion soup. The onions were sautéed perfectly and the cheese melted just right. All of the ingredients were fully cooked but it came out of the oven a little to early.
We will be back the next time we are on vacation and or favorite team is playing.
Thanks Unilocal

KC’s is great for Santa Cruz! My friends and I discovered it at the end of my last year of college, but I definitely wish it was around before. All UCSC students should really take advantage of it.
It’s a really good place for just grabbing beers and chatting, especially earlier in the day. They have a super nice patio where you can sit and hang out. I’ve tried their bloody mary’s too, which have been on-​and-​off, but mostly pretty good.
The food is pretty nice, too. They have really good cheesy tots and fries. Their meals are better than average bar food.
The only thing is that it’s too bad they try to open a dance floor on weekend nights. They should save that for places like Motiv. And the bartenders are not always friendly. But overall, I’d definitely recommend it for downtown Santa Cruz.

This place is no Stanley’s, Smoke Eaters, or Old Wagon Saloon but for a small town that doesn’t seem to be big on sports, this place is pretty decent. I was home then realized the Cowboys game won’t be airing on local channels so I called and sure enough. they will air it and the sound.
Meter parking is a pain. Yes, even on Sundays.
Don’t expect speed but expect an extensive menu, moderate to somewhat pricey items, and overall friendly service. I was there w/​Gavin and wanted buffalo tenders. I asked the server if the tenders can be grilled instead. Moments later I was told that they could grant my request.
Score!
The hottest is so not hot. Not even a little bit but I appreciated their effort the chicken was juicy, the sauce was generously applied, and the bleu cheese was the perfect compliment to this finger entrée.
Took a long ass time for me to get the bill.
Outcome: Romo carried the team to a win that day.
I would only come back if my games aren’t airing.

Super good food! Came for happy hour got a giant mug of beer for only 6 bucks! Awesome wings and onion rings. Didn’t try the burger but it looked good. The server was horrible though. Barely attended to our table. And the place was pretty empty.