5 Great Places to Watch the Game - OUTDOORS

Luke Young, guest blogger and owner of My Local Thrive

With most of the world on hold while we wait for waves of Covid to pass us by, we've been looking for ways to feel like life is normal for just a bit. Luckily, the world of sports has kept turning and gives us an escape from the DIY crafts and Netflix we've been filling our time with.

For this week’s post we scouted around and found a handful of great locally owned restaurants with outdoor TV's. Get your jersey on and your air-five's warmed up, these five places are ranked in order of the number of TV's on their patios, with a bit of a surprise for the last one!

Gusto Pizza and Pasta

1901 Fremont Blvd, Seaside

If Pizza's your go to, you need to check out Gusto! Located on Fremont Blvd in Seaside, this gem of a restaurant produces some of the finest pizza and pasta in the bay. They adapted well to the changing times by putting up a large tent, complete with heaters and two flat-screen TV's.

They're really leaning into being one of the best places to watch the games by offering specials which let you save a few bucks on appetizers, a $10 pepperoni pizza and $6 beers on Thursdays, as well as a Sunday brunch. 

Sur Burger

409 Alvarado St., Monterey

If you're looking for a quick bite and don't want to miss any of the action, head over to Sur Burger on Alvarado Street. It's no secret that they're turning out great food, but they've recently placed a TV in their window, so diners on their patio can glance up at the score while marveling at how good a burger and fries can taste.

Mulligan Public House

5th and Dolores, Carmel By-The-Sea

Mulligan’s in Carmel really nailed it as far as the sports atmosphere goes. Their selection of American comfort food, an $8 Tullamore dew Irish coffee for those early games, and a beer and bacon flight (three types of bacon, three beers....thank us later) all pair perfectly with their three TV's spread out between two dog friendly patios.

Carmel might not be the first place you think about when it comes to sports, but Mulligan's has what it takes to be our new Sunday hangout!

*They open at 9 AM on weekends, so you'll have plenty of time to get a spot before the morning games start!

Melville Tavern

484 Washington St., Monterey

One of our favorite stops on the Old Monterey Food Tour is Melville Tavern. The old brick building sets the scene for some classic American cuisine. Easily approachable and always delicious, you really can't go wrong here. If you're out to share a plate we recommend trying out a pizza from their new pizza oven, but at some point you have to try their meatloaf (trust us on this one).

*They've flipped a TV around in order to show the games on the patio. To avoid any glare from the window in between the TV and patio, we recommend heading here for the night games!

Big Sur Taphouse

47520 CA-1, Big Sur

Nestled among the redwoods in the iconic little town of Big Sur, the Big Sur Taphouse is the watering hole of choice for many hikers and road trippers passing through.

It feels a bit strange driving for the better part of an hour with no cell phone service, only to end up in front of a flat-screen TV in a forest, but thanks to the magic of satellites we can have a scenic drive, a walk in the woods and be drinking some great craft beer in time for kickoff.

If you want to earn your lunch, there is a mile long trail known by locals as “Taphouse Trail” which winds through Pfieffer Canyon, bookended by the Taphouse and Pfieffer State Park. It's a wonderful shaded walk, crossing streams and meadows through redwood stands, and a perfect start or end to any relaxing day on the Taphouse deck.

So there you have it! From an Irish pub in downtown Carmel to a Taphouse on the edge of nowhere, you have plenty of options for places to escape for a bit and have something to cheer for.

About the author: I'm Luke Young. I started Local Thrive as a way to unite a community in Monterey, and to leverage the power of the group to make it easier to live well here! My goal is to use Local Thrive as a vehicle to create some positive change (15% of the proceeds will go to two local non-profits). I've lived in a lot of places and i've never loved anywhere as much as I love Monterey County. Nobody needs to make this place cool, I'd just like to make it more affordable.

You can find me on Instagram @my_local_ thrive or find me at Alvarado Street Brewery, where i'm slinging beers in the back yard damn near erry day.