Chubs Bar
Chubs Bar operates as a multi-level American sports bar in the Gringo Gulch area of downtown San José. The second floor is its signature, decorated with Boston Red Sox gear and giving the place a specific personality that plenty of expats and American tourists find immediately comfortable. The menu runs through burgers, sandwiches, and appetizers, all serviceable and reasonably priced. Multiple screens cover NFL, MLB, MLS, and international football.
What to Expect
A comfortable American sports bar that doesn't attempt to be anything else. Cold beer, flat screens, and American bar food in a compact space that fills up on game days.
Casual, friendly, and unambiguously American in its references. A reliable base for an evening in Gringo Gulch.
Sports TV audio and background pop/rock
No code
American expats, sports fans, and budget travelers who want recognizable food and a familiar bar format.
Cards and cash (CRC and USD)
Price Range
Beer $2-4, food mains $7-13
≈ €2-12 / CRC 1,000-6,800
Hours
Daily from noon to midnight or later
Insider Tip
The second floor is the better spot. Check what major sporting events are scheduled if you want the bar at full energy. The Red Sox corner is a conversation starter if you need one.
Full Review
Chubs Bar operates as a multi-level American sports bar in Gringo Gulch, with the second floor decorated in Boston Red Sox memorabilia that gives the place a specific personality. The layout is compact but well-organized: screens on every wall, a bar that handles the basics efficiently, and food that runs through burgers, sandwiches, and appetizers at reasonable prices.
The crowd is American expats, sports fans, and budget travelers who want a familiar format. The atmosphere is casual and friendly, particularly on the second floor where the Red Sox decorations serve as conversation starters. Service is straightforward. Game days, especially for American sports, bring the best energy.
Chubs fills the budget American sports bar slot in Gringo Gulch. Sportsmen's Lodge is more upscale, SCORE in Phnom Penh does the same thing on a larger scale, but Chubs works for what it is: a compact spot to watch a game and eat a burger at San Jose prices. The Red Sox theme is a quirk that either works for you or doesn't.
The second floor is the better spot for atmosphere. Check the sporting calendar before visiting to catch the room at full energy. The food is serviceable and fairly priced. Come for the sports and the company rather than the venue itself.
The Neighborhood
Chubs sits in the Gringo Gulch area of central San Jose, serving the American expat and budget traveler community with sports, beer, and familiar food at local prices.
Getting There
In the Gringo Gulch district of central San Jose. Walkable from the National Theatre area. Uber from other neighborhoods takes 10-15 minutes.
Where to stay in San Jose
Compare hotels near the nightlife districts. Free cancellation on most properties.
Other Venues in Gringo Gulch
Blue Marlin Bar
The ground-floor bar inside Hotel Del Rey, open 24 hours. Draws a rotating cast of expats, fishermen passing through, and tourists, with live music several nights a month and sports on plasma screens.
Key Largo
Entertainment complex across from Hotel Del Rey with four separate bar areas, a dance floor, pool tables, and a live Latin band playing every night of the week.
Sportsmen's Lodge
Upscale sports bar set in four wings of a restored 1906 mansion. Multiple TV screens cover American sports events, and the elegant wood-paneled interior sets it apart from the rougher bars nearby.
Poas Bar
Recently revamped expat-owned bar and restaurant that survived the decline of the surrounding strip. Serves comfort food and cold beers to a loyal crowd of regulars and downtown workers.