There was no karaoke on Sunday which is a major component of a Sunday evening at Flicks: regardless of what's planned for thatI was quite disappointed that there was no information about it. Please karaoke on Sundays no matter what is happening externally read more

Last night was my second time going here on a Saturday night. I took a bunch of people ( they wanted to try the gay scene) and OMG we had a blast!!!! I read all the negative reviews and honestly I have had a completely wonderful experience. 1 this place is pack so if you have personal space issue this is not the place for you. Since there is a lot of people the bartenders are always busy( because they are making our drink as fast as they can) so they don't converse much which is fine with me because again it gets pack and they are making a lot of drinks so be patient. They will get to you believe me.( they had to make 5 drinks for my group) now entertainment value is great. The hostess is great she been there the 2 times I have gone and she is lovely and has a great personality. I did get a little drunk both times and security has never been rude like a lot of people say. And believe me I have done plenty of obnoxious things to give them reason to. So my recommendation if your young or young at heart this is the place for you to go out on Saturday night specially for the underwear contest!! Flick you have yourself a returning customer in me! read more

Flicks - The amazing hostess!!!!!! - Gay Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Now I feel lame, but again our first week in San Diego, we had visited Flicks before our move, tonight everyone was super friendly (like everyone we meet in SD), the music was great and the drinks were strong. So far, so happy with our move and places like Flicks reassure us every day! read more

Flicks - Gay Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

The trashy snot bar, where the staff are as rude. Besides an attitude, they CHARGE for drinks to what (they want,) certain bartenders charge one amount, then the other, a higher amount. Not cool. All my friends and I will NOT be going back. Just like immature High Schoolers! read more

Enjoyed this bar for years !! Except this last time I was served by "Stephan"....WORST experience ever. He got into my friends face cussing and yelling. So unprofessional and rude. Never again. read more

My friends and I ventured here after a filling dinner and drinks. Good music and great people watching! read more

Flicks - Gay Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

In daytime at least, this place is dismal. Unsociable staff, dreary interior. Just blah.

This place was rude and service sucks! Said we had to order food in order to drink ok we order fries and charged $15 well give us what we paid for! We didn't tip because my hard earned isn't free! Robbed us! Take ur money to Rich's! read more

I had the worst experience of my life at flicks because of the server named Paul. He was the most lazy server ever. We had to ask for water 3 times as he would complain about how he was working. I will never come here again because of him PTSD for days. read more

The atmosphere here is always so positive and loving!! Went here for my 27th birthday feeling a little self-pitiful but as soon as I walked in everyone made me feel so young and beautiful. drinks were good service was great music was even better! read more

Alright Alright...I can't deny it! I had a great time in this bar. Security guard was just totally amazing when I walked in and once I told him I was ready to let my hair down & have a great time, he informed me that I was in the right place! I was in San Diego for the weekend and had heard about how crackin this bar was. I came on a Friday and it was PACKED HOUSE! From the outside patio to inside it was standing ovation. Music was off the chain and everyone was dancing having a great time. I even found myself being pulled around to dance and at some point I even got on the stage to dance! OMG! HAHA. Bartenders are all nice! They seem to have special deals for each day of the week: ~ Sunday: Open: 2pm Beer Bust: 3pm-7pm | $1 Pints Karaoke: 9pm-Close ~Monday: Open: 4pm Happy Hour: 4pm-7pm Karaoke: 9pm-Close Tuesday: Open: 2pm HAPPY HOUR ALL DAY! Karaoke: 9pm-Close Wednesday: Open: 4pm Welfare Wednesday / College Night $2 Well Drinks Thursday Open: 4pm Happy Hour: 4pm-7pm Friday: Happy Hour: 2pm-7pm Late Night Happy Hour: $4 Well Drinks 7pm-Close Saturday: Open: Noon Underwear Contest at night! New low prices on all drinks! As you can see the BEST nights are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. If you like Beer then Sunday is great all day! Flicks, you totally introduced me to something new! I was totally digging the swag in this peace! I couldn't go wrong with strong cheap drinks! I have to admit yall live life to the FULLEST in here! I will make sure to make a special visit when in the area! Until next time Flicks! read more

I've had great times here until I experienced Paul as our server. He was ignoring our drink orders and being inattentive.

Flicks. Videos, cheap drinks, gay men. A Will and Grace experience ensues... I wanted to write about a place that I normally would not write about, saw a review of flicks on someone else's page and decided "why not, I know that place" When I moved into Hillcrest years ago, I started dating this girl who worked at a local bar. She suggested I pick her up one night at said bar. Said bar is Flicks. Over time I got to know the staff and owners of the bar and since I had worked in bars all through my college years (which I was just out of) and when the owner, Nigel, suggested I fill a niche there, I accepted. I worked at Flicks for about a year and had a great time. As the straight guy (I wasn't the only one there but we breeders were rare) working in this place, I was the subject of a lot of teasing and speculation. Regardless, I had a great time working there. The owner was a blast and the crowd was cool, too. As other reviews have mentioned, this place is packed on Wednesday nights and for good reason...$1 you call its. The place packs up quick with lots of men, mostly young(er) working professions looking to pre-drink before hitting the clubs on hump night. Isn't every night "hump night" in the gay community? As I remember, there seems to be a large amount of straight women in here. For some reason, gay men with straight female hanger ons flock to this place. As I recall, the official term is "f*g hag" **EDIT** also known as "fruit flies" **DISCLAIMER** neither of these terms are particularly polite. They have a VJ working most nights who is 'spinning' videos onto the multiple flat screens throughout the place. There is a patio for all you smokahs! Pretty dirty bathrooms as I recall. 1 pool table and they 'theme' it on most nights. For instance one night may be karaoke night, another is dating game night and yet another (or so I heard) is Texas Hold'em Tournaments with the proceeds benefiting the local LGB&T community somehow. I have not been in Flicks since I quit years ago but they seem to be doing well. The place is straight-friendly but narrow minded people should skip it. If you are a good looking straight man, prepare to be accosted a lot. Other than that, if you want a lively cheap spot to pre-party prior to hitting the Hillcrest clubs, Flicks might be "right up your alley". Heh, right "up your alley." I crack myself up. read more

Super cheap drinks. I think I bought like 3 cocktails and a beer for like $24. Which is awesome. I would definitely recommend coming here to pregame and then bar hop around Hillcrest. This was my very first gay bar and it was pretty cool. Lots of friendly people, although the place is extremely crowded. Not much space to dance or walk around. And they like to have underwear contests and things like that. No cover charge. Large smoking patio area outside. Decent music. The bathrooms were quite interesting, I just so happened to go into the "all gender" bathroom, so there's a toilet for women and urinals for men all in the same bathroom. Overall, definitely a sausage fest, but at least I don't get hit on. Lol. read more

Out of town? This is the place to go!!!!! Everyone is fantastic here best bartenders great place to catch a game or dance. There's no place better than here read more

It is definitely the best club and bar in Hillcrest and no matter the age differences, everyone gets a long. That's community.

Service is poor, seemed like the door guy was confused.. I had to ask if he wanted to see my I'd because he wasn't sure if he was supposed to check it I guess and when time to close they abruptly escorted me out..... read more

Awesome place to come grab a drink. They have discounted drinks on Wednesday's (Welfare Wednesday). Vibe is really fun. They also have karaoke on certain nights. Be warned, it does get EXTREMELY packed here especially at night. Pricey drinks on normal days. read more

As being a member of the LGBT community for several years in New York City, I find it highly disappointed of the lack of service I didn't received at this establishment. The bartender blatantly refused to serve my girlfriend and I. Waiting for the bartender to make his rounds down the bar we waited until he came back up. He went to serve the gentleman next to us and then turn right back around and started serving the people on the other side. We waited several moments to see if he would come to take our order but he never did. We then proceeded to walk out. We will never be returning here. read more

Went on a date here back in April of 2010. It was on one of their welfare Wednesdays where well drinks are just $2. I thought it was going to be a quiet laid back lounge. It was more like a gay dive bar. There was still thumpa-thumpa music blasting so loud they had to use the audio description for the hearing impaired on the TV's. They had American Idol on for a while, which I absolutely despise! I couldn't wait for them to put South Park on. At the bar, I asked for a virgin lemon daiquiri. The bartender said they don't do virgin drinks. How hard is it to make that?! Take some lemonade and ice and blend it up. When I refused to have a drink he then made an exception. Except he gave me a plain iced lemonade instead. Later when the cheap well drinks started, I asked for a sex on the beach without vodka because I was driving and wanted to be responsible. Hence wanting the virgin daiquiri. I was still charged full price for it while my date got his tequila sunrise for $2. I felt the bartender wasn't giving me equal treatment while he gave the preferential kind to others, like my date. I certainly didn't tip him for that kind of service. Needless to say, I've never gone back to this place since then. read more

Came here last night with a bunch of great friends and we decided to show our Halloween spirit..as soon as we walked in, a bunch of the people in here were staring at us with almost a disgust look..... why so pretentious people??? I can celebrate Halloween 2 days earlier...I don't need anyone judging me and my friends... Regardless, we stayed and had a drink...not even 15 min into it.... a friend of mine got scorted out.... the reason being is he wanted to take a photo leaning on the pool table. Sadly, the security here are also pretty lame and told him he couldnt.....over a freaking photo that will last 15 seconds.... As we were exiting out, one of the Security guy had the audacity to say bye in a sarcastic tone...wtf? Seriously, this place sucks...... So me and my friends of 15 people took our business somewhere else.... that's what u get flicks, u obviosuly don't care much about business that it didn't matter to u that u lost 15 people.... I WOULD NEVER COME HERE AGAIN AND I WILL MAKE SURE A LOT OF MY FRIENDS WON'T EITHER AND WE WILL TELL ALL OUR OTHER FRIENDS.... 2 bad flicks....2 bad.... read more

I love Flick's! As a straight dude, who happens to like hanging out in Hillcrest, it's hard to find a place that shows sports and has good beer on-tap. Flick's delivers this and more. Of course, there are those moments to remind you that you're in Hillcrest, but I don't mind it and wouldn't recommend this place to anyone- straight, gay or both. read more

Definitely some if the rudest security I've ever encountered. I'm an easy going guy, but these guys just push buttons. I have videos if Management wants. Not a business I'd ever recommend. Unfortunate a gay business treats its customers so very poorly. Best of luck with your business. read more

The other day i went into flicks, i go there multiple times a week and its always an amazing expirience. The other day, this bartender, patrick kept ignoring us at the bar rail, he was talking to his friends and hanging out on his phone. When we politely said excuse me to get his attention he got mad at us, almost violent. He pourrd our drinks even smaller than they usually do. He tried to over charge for two wells. $26? And he was still super passive agressive after we asked about it. I know flicks prices and that doesnt make sense. I disputed it on my card and im waiting for a response. He does not belong here. Ive never had a bad time here but it really ruined it for me. I felt almost threatened by him. read more

I don't usually frequent this bar in Hillcrest. We came here because friends were visiting from out of town and we wanted to show them around the gayborhood. I didn't know what to expect on a Monday night in Hillcrest but Flicks was sure to please. It was karaoke night and the talent that showed up this night was unreal. We had a lot of fun singing along with the crowd and cheering on the singers. Definitely a fun way to spend a Monday night! Pro tip: head over to Uptown Tavern on university Ave for some awesome food before walking over to Flicks. You'll be happy you did! read more

Flicks is absolutely the best. I went this past wednesday and Nick - I don't know if he was a bouncer, supervisor, or manager - was the best. He was really phenomenal at his job and created a fun and exciting environment. Great customer service and all around great person. And this is on top of each of the bartenders being great and making amazing drinks. I know me and my 8 friends I went with cannot wait to come back. THANKS! read more

This has got to be one of my most favorite gay bars in San Diego. Especially on Wednesday nights and on the weekend. The vibe is fun and hip. It's not pretentious like the other clubs or bars one might be familiar with. They've got a pool table on the side, a stage for karaoke, or wet underwear contests. Two bars with quick service and a small patio for all those smokers out there. It is a video bar, so that definitely gives this place bonus points because if you're having an awkward moment, you can direct your attention to what's playing and focus on that. One issue though, the bathrooms. They're really dirty (like most bar restrooms) and there are no paper towels. No one wants to touch a bathroom door handle these days! Lastly, this place is great on Wednesday nights: $2.00 you call it from 10:00 pm to midnight. They used to be a $1.00 but just like everything else, prices go up. I've heard many people complain about having a headache the next day from consuming too much of their well vodka, so be aware. The drinks are cheap for a reason, they're not serving us Grey Goose here. Great decor, loud atmosphere, and no cover! Enjoy it! read more

This is the worst bar ever. A fight broke out in the bathroom and a guy tried to cut me off. The security guard shoved me. I've been here a million times and it's always a terrible time. The people are very rude. read more

I actually just joined Yelp only to get the word out about how terrible this place is. I know that is a negative thing to do, and generally not my mode of being, however the neighborhood might be better served if this place went out of business due to bad Yelp reviews and something better went in that prime location. Or maybe it will be a wake-up call to management to change some things. I stopped in Flick's as part of the annual Taste of Hillcrest event, in which participants can stroll through about 50 venues for "tastes" of their foods/beverages. Flicks was participating in the event, but they had run out of whatever they were serving by the time we got there. It also seemed like there was only one person (a bartender) working in the whole place. Considering both of those factors, they should have just passed on even participating in an event that brings out some several thousand people. Either way, we thought we would stay and hang out for a bit. We were thirsty from walking all over Hillcrest. There were maybe a handful of people in there and the bartender looked overwhelmed and pissed off. We still waited about 10 minutes for service and he acknowledged us, so we continued to wait. I was forgiving at first because I used to be a bartender, but then it just got a little out of hand. How could be be taking so long serving an empty bar? Maybe he was new? But then a group walked in and he served them right away. Maybe they were his friends. Or maybe it's hard for two girls to get service in a gay bar (not usually the case). Doesn't matter. We left. That is just uncalled for. I will never go back. read more

Flicks gets 5 stars because that's where I met my boyfriend. Seriously, if you are looking for a boyfriend, Wednesday night at Flicks is the best place to start. Guys are a lot easier to meet than Bourbon on the weekends because they are wasted and it's the beginning of the week. And the place is jam-packed with them. Get there before 10 if you don't want to wait in a huge line. The dollar liquor is cheap, though. You will pay in the morning. But, for true love, that's a small price to pay. Oh, last Wednesday while waiting in line to get in, someone drove by and threw an egg at the line. Guess who it hit?? Not the person in front of me or behind me. Just ME!! Motherfuck!! Sunday karaoke is fun. It is the only gay bar in San Diego that has an actual stage for karaoke which makes a big difference to me. Tom is my friend, and he's a great host (although I wish he'd stop singing those Elton John songs, even though he sings them very well, just want some variety from him). Any other time at Flicks is very chill. I notice a fair number of people at Happy Hour whenever I go to Ace Hardware after work. Beware that the smoke from the patio totally blows into the bar. Even if you don't set foot on the patio and stay in the back of the bar, you will probably leave stinking like the Marlboro man. One more thing, if the owners/managers of Flicks are reading this, I have a major beef. Why the FUCK are people allowed to play pool on Wednesdays when the bar is packed so tight that there is a half-hour line outside??? Besides being obnoxious, those cue-brandishing idiots are a safety hazard for all of us stand-and-posers. Can't they handle one night without pool?? Who's with me!!?!?! read more

This is a twink bar, let's get that out of the way. But that's not the bad part. You see a lot of older men frequent the place and again that's not the bad part because the older men are the hottest part of what you will see. However, there is little to zero customer service. If you are not a white gay man chances are the bartenders will not serve you immediately. But even that pales in comparison to the actual drink. They do not know how to mix or make drinks at this bar. To date, these are the worst drinks that I have ever tasted in my life and the drinks in question were apple martini and a screwdriver for me and my date. We could not even drink half of the drink because it was terrible. If you want a good drink you might want to go to Lamplighter which is much better in terms of customer service and drinks. read more

My friend and I went here last night, and the place was dead. There was a strange man at the bar who shook my hand and started blabbing about the meaning of life. How people were born with no purpose, grow old and die. I felt like lecturing him and telling him to live his life to fullest and to make a difference in the world instead of getting drunk in the bar to talk about death. Geez.... To top it all off when I ordered a Zinfandel, the sweet bartender gave me an expensive bottle of Zin with a label that says "7 Deadly Zin". What the hell? What kind of message is the universe telling me? I'm a sweet, innocent guy who does my best to develop the seven heavenly virtues. Maybe that was the message. Don't go to bars, or you'll meet weird people. Now as far as the Zinfandel, the drink was opulent, rich, full-bodied and sweet. However, I had to take a shower to cleanse my aura and recite some prayers when I got back to my hotel. I had to get rid of the low vibes I experienced at the bar somehow. lmao..... read more

An older security dude named Mark O' Brien turned me away on friday night from entering the bar for "appearing too drunk." I explained how i was following the crosswalk sign on the way to the bar to disprove his "judgment" but he didn't bother to hear it and shunned me anyway, for everyone to watch. My friends had to leave as soon they got in because of him. Not only that, when I refused to let this 'profiling' slide, my friend called me overdramatic and ditched me for the rest of the night, and out of his life. So thank you so much Mark O' Brien. I hope you get age profiled somewhere in your life. That's happening pretty much anytime now. UPDATE (2/12/16) I returned here, reconciled friends and all, to watch Mark O'Brien turn another hopeful customer away for "swaying..." Really now? So apparently we have to form a straight line and act like statues, to appear worthy enough of entry. Nevertheless, I passed his rigid sobriety test and got in. He actually remembered me and mentioned to have seen this sordid (but accurate) review, and said he was just doing his job (um, conducting police-grade sobriety tests). Oh well. I had a positive experience this time.... read more

I love Flicks Mon nights is one of my favorite because they have the dating game and if you win you get FREE PORN. Who can resist that. The drinks are really reasonable and the crowd is super friendly its not hard to meet people there at all. I always feel like a rock star when I go... read more

Nice little bar with friendly bartenders, outdoor seating, and a decent amount of space. They play pretty good music and have a nice ambiance. It has a feel that is a mix between your local neighborhood bar and a hopping night club. read more

It's got its pros and cons. Can't move when it's busy, some bitchy guys. Overall it's improved since they expanded to the neighboring space. The bathroom can be scary and gross sometimes. Only one complaint: I paid $8 for two drinks, $4 each. I paid with a $10 bill, and the bartender kept my change. Didn't set it down for me, just assumed he was getting it. Yes, I was going to tip the usual $1 per drink (even with mediocre service). I don't remember his name or anything, but he was a younger guy in his 20's. A little bit too assuming if you ask me... read more

Trashy, but that's ok for a neighborhood dive bar. :) This is my favorite hangout place in Hillcrest. Poker is popular on Thursday, Cheap drinks Wednesday, and Hot Tranny Messes in Wet Underwear on Saturdays. Nigel has done well in boosting the image of this favorite bar in the neighborhood. Just don't start charging cover like the straight bar across the street. read more

Stopped in here for a drink after dinner and the service was amazing even when slightly busy with everyone out celebrating the holidays!!

Was ok. Went in on a Thursday night and was a super weird crowd. Seems like a pretty run down bar for being in the heart of Hillcrest. I'd go back though. read more

So, this past Saturday evening I was on my own and decided that I would go out to Flicks. I've been going on and off since 1987 and have always had a good time (yes that's right, I'm old :). The bartenders are nice to me (one is from New England which is where I grew up) - and security at the door is always friendly to me as well. Over the weekend however, I had a very different experience which I'm confused about and wanted to share it here. I was drinking beer that night and was pretty much keeping to myself. One younger guy was interested in me at one point but it wasn't mutual and I politely excused myself after a conversation of approximately 15 minutes. I probably had 4 or 5 Bud Lights that night which would have given me a little buzz but I've been drinking beer a long time and it takes more than that to get me drunk. Vodka is a very different story but this was strictly a beer night - I prefer to drink in moderation; I'm thankful for it the next morning ;) So again, there I was minding my own business (in a non-wobbly fashion), texting a few friends on my phone and purchasing some of the songs (via Shazam & iTunes) that were playing when a member of the security team approached me and said that he was going to walk me out of the bar. Now, if I had been drunk, this is possibly where I would have made a scene but I wasn't and actually I was pretty much ready to go anyway so I just said OK, found a nearby table to place my beer and quietly followed him out. He thanked me - for not giving him a hard time I assume. When I was out of the bar and waiting for my ride share driver I was tempted to ask the guy why I was asked to leave but figured that there was no requirement for him to explain himself to me so why even bother. I felt bad since I honestly had no clue what had just occurred and I've been frequenting this establishment for many years without one incident. I've given them many dollars over the years!! When my Lyft driver showed up I shared my story with him. He kind of chuckled a bit and told me that he had been asked to leave Flicks in the past as well. He also shared his "opinion" that security at Flicks had a reputation of being "difficult" (not the word he used but I'm keeping it clean) and that they liked to exert their power and kicked out many people often. I personally cannot vouch for this though I do look at this place a little differently now after this weekend. If I've done something wrong, I'm willing to pay the price but when you're in a bar just enjoying the music, keeping to yourself then abruptly kicked out of the place - that kind of sucks and though the establishment has the right to serve whom they choose to or not; an explanation would really be nice. It was embarrassing and unnecessary. What's really ironic to me is that there were drunk people all around me - though they were younger...hmmm?? Has anyone else had a similar experience? I'd really be curious to know. Thanks. read more