Churchills Pub & Grille

Neighborhood: San Marcos

887 W San Marcos Blvd
San Marcos, CA 92078
(760) 471-8773

Hours: Daily 11 a.m.-2 a.m.

  • Bar Type: Pubs
  • Restaurant Style: American, Bar Food
  • Meals Served: Lunch, Dinner
  • Alcohol: Full Bar
  • Facility Features: Jukebox, Live Music, Outdoor Dining, Takeout/Carryout

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Buzz about Churchills Pub & Grille

  • eh
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aunderscorek posted a photo of Churchills Pub & Grille

2010-03-13_19
posted on June 11, 2010
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aunderscorek wrote about Churchills Pub & Grille

Churchill’s and I have a torrid long-distance romance.

It’s the place where I got my first ecstatic revelation of craft beer (Santa's Little Helper from Port Brewing) and where I discovered this concept of a "bottle list"… FOR BEER! NOT WINE! BEER! It's where I would go with my girlfriend (now fiancée) when she would be with her parents in San Marcos; because Churchill’s and the San Marcos Fry's (to my knowledge, at the time) were the only things San Marcos had going for it. It's where I first tried Pliny the Elder (which I’m now sick of), my first Dogfish Head beer experiences (Aprihop and Festina Peche), and where I stopped for lunch when I was en route to asking my fiancée’s parents for their blessing (long story about that). I have a gnarly emotional attachment to this place now.

But on top of my emotional attachment, this is an incredible pub even for first-time visitors. They have some of the best jalapeno poppers in the county (me and my fiancée know, we've tried them all), super authentic pub grub (Scotch egg, anyone? A pasty? Tikka masala on chips? Perhaps some beef wellington?), and, as of late, 50 craft beers on tap.

FIVE. ZERO. FIFTY. You read it correctly.

On top of this is the aforementioned (I really HATE using that word) bottle list, which has several hundred bottles from which the enlightened drunkard may choose. The list’s brilliant red cover holds about 10 pages or more of 6-point-font writing, detailing beers from around the world, sorted according to country of origin.

When Miss Lady and I go here with friends, we'll start by splitting a plate of chips and curry, maybe get some jalapeno bottlecaps or poppers, and if we're still hungry, I’ll usually order the Supreme (a prime rib sandwich with cheese and grilled onions, which I’m always a sucker for, grilled onions, that is), the Cobb salad (like you don’t know what’s on a Cobb salad), or whatever's on special that evening (the Paninis are surprisingly good for a British pub). At this point though, it doesn't even feel like I’m going to a bar or pub anymore. it feels like I’m going to hang out with Emily the waitress, Josh the bouncer, Fredo the gigantic singing chef (who has now moved to greener pastures), Tony the drunken British bartender (whose presence offers serious street cred), and maybe see owner Ivan wandering around.

I’ll say that San Marcos doesn’t have much going for it. But man, the long tail of the San Marcos beer community is real easy to warm up to. Churchill's is a great place, if not the best place, to start your journey through North County’s beer culture.

NOTE: I recommend parking in the strip mall on San Marcos Blvd. and Bend Ave., going west right before you get to Churchill’s. The Churchill’s parking lot has a pretty bad history with cars... in particular one of Miss Lady's friends has had TWO of his cars totaled in the lot... ONE PERSON. TWO CARS. TOTALED.

The more you know.

posted on June 10, 2010

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  • 2010-03-13_19

    Churchill's Finest Hour!

    Date taken: March 13, 2010

    Got to taste this inaugural-release imperial stout made by Port/Lost Abbey for Churchill's. Dangerous.

The Buzz Snapshot

  • eh

    What exactly is 'eh?'

    Eh. I don’t feel strongly about it either way. I don’t hate it or love it, I wouldn’t recommend it or dismiss it, it just is.

  • don't like it
  • 0
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