10 Bars In Turlock (CA) That Locals Love For Drinks, Fun & Vibes!

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Last updated on January 17, 2023 by Wandering our World

The State of California is home to Turlock, a city and its surroundings that’s full of fun things to do! Which luckily for us includes a fun nightlife and bar scene.

There are bars that offer line dancing lessons and country music shows in Turlock, as well as the likes of a stylish beer garden on a brewing plant, a bar that hosts parties and resembles a nightclub, a sports bar with over twelve TVs, and a modern Mexican tequila bar, among others.

However with such variety it can be hard to choose which of the bars in Turlock you want to spend your time and hard-earned cash at. That’s where we can help!

Below we show you our ten favorite bars in Turlock. Let’s get started!

CONTENTS:

  1. The Two Best Bars For Cocktails
  2. The Three Best Bars For Dancing
  3. The Three Best Bars For Food
  4. The Best Bar For Sports
  5. The Best Dive Bar
bartender making a cocktail
Photo for illustrative purposes only: iStock.com/santypan

The Two Best Bars In Turlock For Cocktails

1. First & Main

Modern restaurant/bar that offers a wide array of classic cocktails, one-of-a-kind signature drinks with unusual ingredients, Asian-influenced dishes, and has an outdoor seating area.

This restaurant/bar could very well be considered one of the best spots in Turlock for tasty and modern dishes with photo-worthy presentations.

The lunch and dinner menus feature an array of small plates to start your meal, in addition to Asian-inspired recipes, such as dumplings and ramen bowls, and several alternatives like cheeseburgers, salads, sandwiches, and sweet dishes.

However, while the food at First & Main is famously outstanding – which is why we’ve featured them before – the cocktails are this bar’s lesser-known point of difference that deserves to be brought to light.

The bartenders can mix anything up, from shaken and stirred classics to tiki drinks, often using South or Central American spirits—the mezcal, tequila, rum, cachaça, and pisco make several appearances on the extensive cocktail menu.

First & Main focuses on classic drinks, but it also offers four signature cocktails, two of which follow the same line of Asian fusion cuisine as the food in terms of ingredients. The Mr. Milkman and Hello Kitty include sake, lychee, and yuzu citrus, creatively combined with other fresh and tasty elements.

You will not find cocktails as unique anywhere else in Turlock, so make sure to visit First & Main when you are in town from 11:30 am to 8:30 pm Monday through Thursday, and from 11:30 am to 9:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Address: 100 W Main St, Turlock, CA 95380

Expert barman is making cocktail at a bar.
Photo for illustrative purposes only: iStock.com/santypan

2. Memo’s Cocina and Tequila Bar

Elegant Mexican restaurant/bar that serves authentic dishes, beer, wine, and slightly modernized typical Mexican cocktails. It also offers happy hour deals that include appetizers and drinks.

In a modern and luxurious venue, Memo’s Cocina and Tequila Bar brings Mexico to Turlock by offering an authentic gastronomic experience both for food and drinks.

Boasting over a hundred tequilas and a slightly less extensive mezcal selection, Memo’s crafts 20+ artisan cocktails are second to none.

The recipes are not your usual classics, but rather typical Mexican drinks with slight twists. If you want to try agave syrup and like blackberries and lime, we recommend La Jefa, a favorite tequila cocktail.

To top it off, every dish on the incredibly extensive food menu just seems to get better and better. You can start your meal with an appetizer or antojito, followed by some street-style tacos, rice bowls, seafood, or burritos, and finish with a postre or dessert.

Expect some serious flavor and spice, as these dishes are not watered-down—they are 100% cooked Mexican-style.

The drinks and the food are included in the Monday-Friday happy hour deals, which are available from 3 pm to 6 pm and offer discounts on some appetizers and a different drink each day of the week. They are specified on the happy hour menu, which you can check out on the bar’s website.

Memo’s Cocina and Tequila Bar opens at 11 am Monday through Saturday and at 10 am on Sundays. Closing hours are at 9 pm Monday through Thursday and on Sundays, and at 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Address: 139 W Main St, Turlock, CA 95380

bartender making cocktail
Photo for illustrative purposes only: iStock.com/iMaximFesenko

The Three Best Bars In Turlock For Dancing

1. The Udder Place

Fun country-themed bar with karaoke nights, line-dancing lessons, live music performances, a bar food menu, and happy hour deals that include drinks.

The Udder Place is a bar where you will never get bored as there is an exciting program every night of the week! On Tuesdays and Thursdays, it is karaoke night. While during the rest of the week there are other events, such as beer pong competitions and live music shows.

Apart from karaoke, Thursday nights are also for line dancing lessons. From 9 pm to 1 am, you can learn the how-tos on this country-style dance and maybe meet new friends, as it is a group activity and the place gets packed with people.

As you can see, although there is a seating area, this is not a sit-down, quiet bar, so expect loudness and fun!

All the dancing and singing will make you hungry and thirsty. Luckily, The Udder Place has the antidote in the form of appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, and burritos. The portions are very generous, and the ingredients are of great quality.

For drinks, this bar offers ice-cold bottled beer and cocktails, which the bartenders make with house spirits and fresh garnishes.

And keep an eye out for happy hour deals—usually available until 7 pm—to save some money when getting your drinks.

Hours of operation are from 5 pm to 2 am Monday through Friday and noon to 2 am on Saturdays and Sundays.

Address: 110 W Main St, Turlock, CA 95380

country music guitar and boots
Photo for illustrative purposes only: iStock.com/BrianAJackson

2. Log Cabin

Lively country bar with a backyard and a fire pit that offers daily dance parties, live music shows, games, bar food, draft beer, well drinks, and daily happy hour deals.

This bar is a bit off the beaten track and the perfect place to live the authentic country bar experience. As its name states, it is a small wooden cabin in the middle of Turlock’s rural area, near growing zones and agro-processing plants.

However, this bar being further away from the city center than other bars in Turlock doesn’t discourage customers from visiting it and enjoying all the parties that it hosts.

Log Cabin offers live music shows by DJs and acoustic bands who bring music to the evening while the crowd dances on the small dance floor.

However, the fun at this bar does not end at live music and dancing—it also boasts a pool table, arcade dart games, TVs, and a fire pit in the backyard where everyone gathers to chat.

Log Cabin serves bar food, such as tacos and burgers, and many drink options featured in the happy hour deals.

You can choose from eight draft brews, bottled beers, shots, and a few well drinks crafted by some of the friendliest and most welcoming bartenders you will ever meet.

Hours of operation are from 2 pm to 2 am every day.

Address: 9519 W Main St, Turlock, CA 95380

guitar player at a live music show
Photo for illustrative purposes only: iStock.com/Pro2sound

3. Cru

Lively bar with a club atmosphere that hosts DJ performances, live music shows, nightly parties, and themed celebrations. It serves small and main plates, with wine and cocktails as drink options.

This bar is ideal for those looking for a more nightclubesque evening. With a sleek and dimly lit ambiance, a spacious dancefloor, and late closing hours, it is one of the best bars in Turlock for partying into the small hours.

At Cru, a different DJ takes over every night and plays hits from the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s and newer songs as well for the crowd to dance along to.

This bar also hosts live music on its stage and themed parties on special occasions like Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and Halloween, with specific dress codes and decorations.

Cru has seating options behind the dance floor, where you can sit and enjoy the food on the menu. It features small plates like the hummus bowl, sandwiches as the main dishes, and some sweet treats.

Beside the tables is the bar, where bartenders craft high-quality classic cocktails. You can also order a glass or a bottle from the vast local and international wine selection.

Cru operates exclusively on Fridays and Saturdays from 8 pm to 2 am.

Address: 130 W Main St, Turlock, CA 95380

Dj decks with people dancing
Photo for illustrative purposes only: iStock.com/alexkoral

The Three Best Bars In Turlock For Food

1. Dust Bowl Brewing Co.

Fun brewery that offers various homemade meals of great portion sizes and over thirty beer selections while providing a pleasant atmosphere and comfortable indoor and outdoor seating options.

Dust Bowl Brewing’s enormous pet-friendly venue is the brewery’s industrial building, nicely redecorated to feel like a stylish tap room.

Its laid-back, fun atmosphere attracts many families and big friend groups, while the numerous seating options ensure everyone’s comfort. There are indoor and outdoor tables and a beautiful beer garden with picnic tables and umbrellas.

Customers love every one of the crafted brews in their impressive thirty-two-beer selection—which includes every kind of flavor you can imagine—but the food truly leaves them in awe. With homemade and artisan dishes in portions big enough to count as a whole meal, not only does this brewery offer quality, but also quantity.

Variety is also on the menu: tasty Mexican food, excellent burgers, salads, rice bowls, loaded brick oven pizzas, seafood, and even desserts are all available.

There are also vegan options, gluten-free alternatives, and a kids’ menu. A range this extensive is not the norm in breweries, which sets Dust Bowl Brewing Co. apart from the rest.

Hours of operation are from 4 pm to 9 pm Monday through Thursday, from 11 am to 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 11 am to 9 pm on Sundays.

Address: 3000 Fulkerth Rd, Turlock, CA 95380

wood fired pizza on table
Photo for illustrative purposes only: iStock.com/JulyProkopiv

2. Center Street Grill

Traditional family-run restaurant/bar that specializes in meat and serves classic dishes, with a wide selection of wine, bottled beers, and a varied cocktail menu.

This restaurant/bar has been operating in Turlock for fifteen years and offers a classic ambiance and menu, perfect for traditionalists looking for an alternative to the newer bars that provide more modern or edgy experiences.

The menu presents many appetizers, salads, burgers, and sandwiches. The common denominator among these meals is meat, be it steak, chicken, or seafood.

As Center Street is a grill and meat is the specialty, it is always cooked to perfection and paired with all the right ingredients to enhance its flavor.

Wine is the ideal companion for this kind of dish, which is why this bar boasts a long list of domestic and imported reds and whites, in addition to over twenty bottled beers.

Cocktails are also an option as Center Street Grill has a full bar—you can choose from signature mules, martinis, and numerous specialty drinks like mojitos, sangrias, margaritas, and bloody marys.

Hours of operation are from 11 am to 8 pm Thursday through Saturday.

Address: 120 N Center St, Turlock, CA 95380

beef steak display
Photo for illustrative purposes only: iStock.com/lisovskaya

3. Table 26

Chic restaurant bar that offers outstanding pub food and gourmet dishes, with a full bar that serves an array of drink options like cocktails, wine, and draft beer.

This restaurant/bar’s dark interiors create an intimate and elegant atmosphere while maintaining a friendly and laid-back vibe.

The venue also has several well-distributed seating options: the various tables in the dining area and the stylish (heated) outdoor patio, and the bar stools.

The food matches the upscale-but-relaxed decor, as Table 26 serves elaborate dishes with fancy ingredients and, at the same time, typical pub eats.

The best exponents of the restaurant-like meals—and two customers’ favorites—are the Rib-eye and the Ahi Tuna. Regarding pub food, the most popular dishes are the Poke Nachos and the Mac & Cheese, which, despite being simpler plates, are excellently elaborated and seasoned.

For drinks, Table 26 has a full bar with first-rate spirits, draft and bottled beers, an extensive wine selection, and around seven craft specialty and signature cocktails. This bar has good happy hour deals that include all the drink options mentioned above, which you can ask the staff about anytime.

This bar opens at 4 pm every day and closes at 8:30 pm Tuesday through Thursday, at 9:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 9 pm on Sundays. You can also visit Table 26 from noon to 3 pm on Sunday’s midday shift.

Address: 2600 Geer Rd, Turlock, CA 95382

wine glasses
Photo for illustrative purposes only: iStock.com/AV-Photo

The Best Bar In Turlock For Sports

1. Jams Sports Bar and Grill

Family-friendly sports bar with twelve TVs, a relaxed atmosphere, and daily drinks happy hour deals that serves meals and various draft beers.

If you want to watch your favorite team play while eating some of the best burgers in town and drinking cold beer, visit Jams Sports Bar and Grill!

One of the best things about this bar is the atmosphere. Sports-watching tends to create a loud and tense environment, especially during a decisive match. Yet at Jams Sports Bar the atmosphere remains pleasant and calm, no matter who is playing, which makes it a highly family-friendly bar.

Another of this bar’s assets is the sports variety—with twelve TVs featuring cable connections, you can catch almost any game you want at Jams. Each TV streams a different sport or match, even the ones unavailable on regular channels.

To make the experience even better, this bar serves outstanding dishes, ranging from appetizers like the Knockout Nachos and the Calamari to main dishes like the Jams Western Burger with garlic fries, an all-time favorite.

You can pair your meal with one of the twenty beers on tap, which are included in the 3 pm to 7 pm daily happy hour deals.

Hours of operation are from 11 am to 10 pm daily.

Address: 2317 Geer Rd, Turlock, CA 95382

Beer and burger display
Photo for illustrative purposes only: iStock.com/NatashaPhoto

The Best Dive Bar In Turlock

1. Staley’s Club

Friendly dive bar with a retro ambiance and a welcoming atmosphere that serves bottled beer, well drinks, and snacks.

Staley’s Club has been one of the most popular bars in Turlock for years. It has a retro vibe, with round cushioned booths, pink tube lights, and a jukebox where customers play whatever songs they like.

The booths and the outdoor area are good seating options for groups, but seating at the bar is a completely different experience. You get to spark a conversation with other customers—usually frequent visitors and a small welcoming crowd—and the bartenders, who are happy to talk and get to know everyone.

While you’re at it, you can spring for a cold pint, a mixed drink, bar snacks, and even a cocktail—apart from being friendly, the bartenders know their craft and will mix up any classic well drink you want with the spirits and garnishes they have at their service.

You can join the fun from 11 am to 2 am daily.

Address: 426 E Main St, Turlock, CA 95380

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  • Wandering our World

    Hi and welcome to Wandering our World! This article was written by one of the Wandering our World team - a team of travel enthusiasts who live around the globe.