The Penngrove Pub

The Penngrove Pub is one of Sonoma County's most genuinely treasured live music destinations, a cash-only neighborhood bar on Main Street in the tiny town of Penngrove that has been welcoming locals since 1907 and has somehow only gotten better with age. The pub sits in the kind of small-town California setting that most people have to drive an hour to find, where the regulars know each other, the bartenders know your order, and a great local band playing on the patio on a Friday evening feels like the most natural thing in the world. The outdoor patio stage with its dedicated sound system has become a signature feature, making this one of the best outdoor live music spots in the North Bay for warm weather shows. Live music runs every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with a calendar that spans boogie woogie and blues, country and bluegrass, roots, soul, and Americana, featuring both beloved local regulars and nationally recognized touring acts. Past performers have included soul blues legend Johnny Rawls, and the venue has maintained a relationship with the California Bluegrass Association, making it a go-to destination for bluegrass fans in the North Bay. Food comes through a window from Tip Top Taco next door, delivered right into the bar, which is one of the more inspired dining arrangements at any music venue in the Bay Area. The staff including bartenders Elaine and Charlie have become local legends in their own right, and the overall atmosphere is exactly what people mean when they describe a place as having soul.