The closing of de Vere’s has left a hole in Downtown Davis
By OWEN RUDERMAN — opruderman@ucdavis.edu
The Downtown Davis area has a lot to offer students and residents alike. Unique little shops like the Kobe Mini Mart and Armadillo Music dot the busier streets of downtown, and there always seems to be a restaurant nearby to grab a snack or sit down for a filling meal. You can spend a whole day wandering around downtown, window shopping and exploring.
When the day turns to night, you can head to the G Street area to get a drink or two, and, if you’re lucky, you might end up participating in a trivia night or singing karaoke. Despite the plethora of options that Downtown Davis offers, however, it feels like there’s a piece missing.
That missing piece is, I think, a pub. And we used to have one — de Vere’s was an Irish pub that opened in Downtown Davis in 2011. The first and only time I visited de Vere’s was a magical experience. A friend and I went in the evening to grab a few drinks and chat, and de Vere’s was the perfect backdrop. The music wasn’t too loud and the atmosphere was calming. We had delicious European-style drinks to sip on as we sat and talked for hours. It really felt like a hidden gem — a classic Irish pub experience.
But since de Vere’s permanently closed in October 2021, there doesn’t seem to be a place in Davis where you can find that sort of vibe. Where else am I supposed to get a delicious plate of fish and chips and a Guinness? Where else can I go to feel like I’ve been transported across the pond? After de Vere’s closed, it left a hole in Downtown Davis.
You might point me towards a place like Three Mile Brewing Co. or University of Beer, claiming that these places are similar enough. But the sad truth is that there simply isn’t another place in Davis that can declare itself a pub. Luckily, not all hope is lost.
A new restaurant is filling the space where de Vere’s used to be, and I’m cautiously optimistic that it could be the place I’ve been looking for. The new place, called Bull ‘N Mouth, is aiming for a September opening and is a “modern American pub.” While I was hoping that the new restaurant would also be UK-themed, I’ll take what I can get. I’m just hoping that Bull ‘N Mouth can replicate the chill vibes that de Vere’s Irish Pub had cultivated over its decade of operation in Davis.
If not, I’m worried that we might never get a proper pub in Davis, but it’s important to give new establishments a chance. I’ll be going to Bull ‘N Mouth in the fall to see if it can fill the empty space left by de Vere’s.
If you’ve also identified this gap in Davis’ nightlife, I’d encourage you to voice your interest in a pub in Downtown Davis. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll finally find that missing piece.
Written by: Owen Ruderman — opruderman@ucdavis.edu
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