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A Little More Than Just a Place to Eat in Carlsbad Village

- by Renee Lewis

Carlsbad Village is one of my favorite spots to venture to on the weekends.  Only a 40-minute drive from downtown San Diego, Carlsbad is an adorable beach town with fantastic beaches and a great variety of restaurants and bars. We found a new place a couple of weeks ago.  But the thing is,  Park 101 is a little more than a bar or restaurant.  It’s a place to come and hang out a bit, watch some games, play some games, maybe listen to some music and enjoy the day, all the while sipping on a drink or eating some good BBQ or lobster. Dogs and kids are welcome. This is good news for me since going out without my pup isn’t something I like to do too often or for too long.

After walking around the village for a bit, it was nice to stop by Park 101 and grab a couple of drinks. Because there were lots of options from an intense beer list (ranging from American Lagers to Stouts), hard kombucha,  ciders, hard seltzers, wines, and cocktails, we had a hard time deciding.  I ended up going with one of their signature cocktails, a New Fashioned (bourbon, cherry, orange bitters, and cacao bitter). It was refreshing and light.  My friend tried the Watermelon Mule (Absolute watermelon, watermelon, bitters, and ginger beer) and he loved it.

BBQ and Wicked Maine Lobster… Yes, please.  We actually passed on the lobster, but it’s an option and it looked amazing.

It was a BBQ kind of night for us. We indulged in pulled pork, brisket, mac & cheese, Brussels sprouts, French fries, and coleslaw. It was all very good and I have to say, I’m not a huge coleslaw fan, but it was good! The meat was done perfectly, the mac & cheese was decadent, and the Brussels sprouts were on point!

 

 

The only thing I regret about the evening is not getting there sooner to enjoy a little more daylight.  I feel like this would be a fun place to just “be” during the day. Our next day trip to Carlsbad will surely include Park 101.

 

Renee Lewis

Renee is a New York-born travel enthusiast with a passion for yoga and a West Coast spirit. As a travel writer specializing in the West Coast and beyond, Renee loves to explore new destinations and share her experiences with others. She has traveled extensively, gaining a wealth of knowledge about the best places to go, things to do, and where to stay. Renee's writing style is immersive, taking her readers on a journey to the places she visits. Although she doesn't consider herself a professional photographer, Renee is passionate about capturing the beauty of the world around her and loves to include her photos in her travel writing. With her New York attitude and West Coast soul, Renee is a force to be reckoned with in the world of travel writing.