My favorite bar, the bartenders pour strong and are always good for conversation. the jukebox has goo punk music too!

First bar I visited when I moved here and it reminded me so much of your typical San Francisco dive...which I love! Feeling a little homesick a friend of mine mentioned it, so I came here! Enjoyed the awesome jukebox selection, great conversations with the bartender and patrons. Number one on my list of SD dive bars! read more

Great place to go when you just want to grab a beer and not have to dress to impress. They have pool tables, a couple booths, decent beer selection and it's not too crowded. I'm not the type to hang around the jukebox but i'll admit i picked a few songs, they have a good selection. read more

ew wee!! live wire this place is pretty much the ultimate bar. people mistake me for being gay because i don't weigh 200 pounds, don't eat meat, don't harrass girls, and i'm attracted to lesbians with short hair. but not at live wire. it's all fair game here. i've seen it all in this bar. this place has it all from hipsters to straight up dorks. and it's cool with the bicycle culture. there is even a bicycle right in front of it. they have a cool jukebox with a whole lotta old shit in it. old gangsta shit and old rhythem and blues and old rock. the girls are super-tight. they are so cute with thier "back in the day" hair cuts. i've even seen a girl with hairy legs here. see, everything is fair at live wire. girls can't have hairy legs in pacific beach or you're a freak. you can be human at live wire. and most of the boys are stylish and shit. the drinks are really cool too. they have tall-caned pabst blue-ribbon, but i only fuck with that if my cash is on low. i like the russian river pliney. i think this bar is the only place in san diego where you can get russian river. it is so strong. you'll be spitting you're best game to the ladies. they have some of the coolest bartenders and they have djs that come in to play every once in a while. but i would avoid going on thursday. i think the hipster crowd is cool, but too much is too much. it's like a mixture of hipsters and poseurs. sometimes the poseurs over do it. and that's the only problem with live wire; poseurs ruin all things good about a movement. yeah, i would consider live wire to be a part of a movement. and the last thing is no "bros". Bros hate live wire. yeah, live wire is "bro" free. you know who bros are right? okay, let me tell you. bros are these guys that like a lot of violence. they dwell in pacific beach, el cajon, santee, and some can be found scattered around the county. they pretty much watch ultimate fighting (ufc) all day and lift weights with the hopes of fighting men that weight 100 pounds less than them . they support the war in iraq and think anyone from that region is a terrorist. all they want to do is harrass girls, get drunk, and fight. don't let them over run your favorite bars. they are growing in numbers. read more

I'm a local to the North Park area and always am out and about trying new places. I love beer and have the same few places I always go to. I decided to finally give live wire a shot last night since I wanted to show my friends a new bar that we had not been to. We went and the place was crowded and dive bar-ish. Beer selection was decent. However, my experience was quickly ruined by a very rude bartender. I ordered a beer and the bartender, a black man in his 30s, asks me if I wanted my card to remain open or closed. I told him that I wanted it closed (I was only going to have a beer) and he tells me that he if I'm sure? I said yes, please close my tab. He said if he does that, he will not re-open my tab or accept my card later. I thought this was extremely rude and unprofessional. I rarely write reviews and I wrote one in hopes that someone working at live wire will read this and find it unacceptable. As a business owner I am personally shocked that you can have an employee working there saying this stuff to customers. "I will not run your card again" ummm you're a bartender and its your job to provide service and increase revenue. That experience killed it for me and my friends. We were in a group of 10 people and all left after I explained. Nevertheless, I will never be back here, and be going to my regular bars. Such a shame, this place had potential. Please don't go here, the black bartender is awful and will ruin your experience too. read more

Short Version: Awesome Dive Bar with great music, people, staff and drinks. Take note; this is a DIVE bar. If you are expecting bottle service, limos, celebs, bling, booty shaking or any other "high class" amenities do not come here. Downtown has plenty of locations to serve you. Good Version: It was summer of 04 when I discovered what was going to become my home away from home, on Thursdays, for many years to come, aptly named Live Wire. These were the halcyon years and scenesters were in full bloom. Shark Attack spun for us, pint sized Crown and Cokes flowed from the heavens and cash only was the currency of the realm. This was the greatest dive bar in all the land, or at least San Diego and most of LA. The bartenders knew us, the bouncers always had good stories and the patrons usually had the good sense to stop playing pool around 11:15 as the crowds moved in and filled the crimson pleather booths as well as every available inch of space from bathroom to bathroom. Dancing was tolerated only in the 3 feet in front of the Jukebox and the far corner by the pool table at very long increments. In front was usually a gathering of just as many kids taking their turn smoking and conversing, usually about the next or previous nights events. Nothing but the nightlife existed for us. Multi-colored hair draped over peoples faces was a sight as far as the eye could see. The dudes rocked girls black jeans, many sizes too small, black screamo band t-shirts and more eye-makeup than Sher. The girls would come sporting the finest 80's inspired home brewed fashion and accessories ready to spread their legs for any dude with a fauxhawk and an eating disorder. This truly was a magical place where no down-townie or PB flunky would dare step foot. But alas, nothing lasts forever, and so the short lived but memorable Live Wire scenester revolution had come and gone. As the word spread about Live Wire, and North Park in general, a more main stream crowd moved in and with it changes came. Noise complaints, culture shock and crowd tension led this once exalted yet squalid and dilapidated place to almost fade. Drinks became measured, credit cards became standard and the sea of eye shadow had become a sea of popped collars and club wear. It was a dark dark time for the fringe kids and the great exodus from the Wire occurred, leaving the trend hoppers to have their fill. Little did we know that it was only the beginning. As this once minority dominated and criminally abundant neighborhood started to improve more and more higher class locations started to pop up. Dive bars were torn down and in their place abominations were erected. Scholaris Office became The Office...Shooters....our training ground....became True North. Yet some how, Live Wire stood its ground and survived in tact. I had taken a 2 year hiatus away from Live Wire in the height of the takeover, but I recently returned only to be pleasantly surprised. The scene might be dead, but all the things that made us love Live Wire are still there. The red mood lighting. The pleather booths. The dingy bathrooms. The wonderful staff. The strong drinks. The great beer selection. It is all still here, and even though many of us are now older, calmer and more clean cut, this wonderful shit-hole in the wall will always be our Cheers. read more

pretty hip dive bar. jukebox, lots of plaid wearing tight pantsed males. meh.

only been once but had a great time. the place was packed on a saturday night and the bartenders were keeping up with the pace. tall cans all around and a pretty festive environment. the one thing i will never forget about this place is that when going to the bathroom to take a piss i was greeted by this poor guy who apparently really had to take a s**t. this only being a problem since the door to the toilet was missing. the guy simply apologized and explained his situation. i had to accept it and go about my business. other than that one slight mishap, the place is a solid san diego dive. which puts it way ahead of most of the other bars in the country. read more

Love the wire, holds a special place in my heart. Welcoming atmosphere, strong drinks, good people, awesome happy hours, good mix of music. One of the best bars in SD hands down. Salute! Keep up the good work! read more

So this bar is pretty awesome, it's really tucked away and sure....it made me feel claustrophobic because of the low ceilings, but they threw in an awesome old school game in the corner here, pool tables at that end, a jukebox in the middle, and random movies in a super little tv....super good selection on beer...man i'm set! read more

great happy hour and staff..some hard to find beers on tap as well.

I've been here a few times and I have mixed feelings about this place in general. Bartenders are spot on and super quick and the juke box is sick but I think the crowd is a bit on the try-hard side. The week nights are quieter and mellow but Friday-Sunday the crowd seems very hard to try and get noticed. Wannabe hipsters and punk "af" crowd condensed in one, drunken spot. Not really missing out read more

skinhead reggae in the jukebox. my kinda spot.

This is the first bar that I went to when I moved to San Diego in November of 1999 and I have been going there ever since. I had just moved into the neighborhood of North Park and I had been walking around when I came across a sign that read "Live Wire Cold Beer Warm Friends." I thought the message was sweet so I walked into the establishment and was pleased to find a great ambiance and slick tunes. read more

I really wish I enjoyed this bar more.. It's super convenient.. I could throw a rock from my home and hit it. I mean who wouldn't want a bar across the street from them? My roommates and I have tried this bar a few times and each time it disappoints.. It's way too packed. It takes a bit to get a drink and is sooooo loud for being such a small bar. I saw there was a pool table but is too crowded to even play.. I would just be annoyed the whole time. There's an interesting crowd. They seem to let anyone and their dog in there (literally... They allow dogs inside)... Doesn't seem to have a dress code...we had a guy come up to us last time and tried to sell us spam and Jesus plates..I guess it would be better if you get there at 5 when they open. Then you can play pool and wind down after work. Overall, not my fav. read more

No windows. Depending on the night, you may be surrounded by hipsters drinking Pabst; or just chatting by yourself with the bartender. But really - you come for the beer. And some damn fine beer it is. read more

good place but lots of people who go here think they are way too cool for school. i mean come on guys... you're in san diego. i grew up in hollywood so i'm jaded. read more

scenester,,,hipster,,,,whatever you want to call it..came here on a thursday...half the ppl rolled up on fixies..and the guys had tighter pants on than the girls...skinnieeesss....but with that being said....it was a blast...they serve you way too much alcohal..has that ever been said about anywhere..?like its a bad thing..right..well i shuda rolled up on the bike too because i could not drive home that night....the dj booth is wierd...its facing a wall so the djs back is turned to the crowd....alot of punk, ska and ok hip hop on the thursday i went..and alot of the girls there looked like the better half of the suicide girls calander..if they had one..do they?.. read more

after i throw back a few, i like to ride the bike parked out front.

small hole in the wall bar. cheap drinks. pool table. music. fun times with friends.

solid establishment with good jukebox. bicycle out front adds a certain j'nou se quoi but doesn't help me with my french. down and dirty joint, watch out for pool sharks. any bar that serves beer in cans is top-notch in my book. read more

probably my favorite dive bar in san diego. it has the best juke box i've ever seen. and a very solid selection of beers. great people and great staff. read more

if youre into dive bars come here. theres a jukebox, a pool table and a few tables for seating. it's dark lit in there - i like that. fun place to hang out with friends or i guess if you're into sitting at bars by yourself is pretty cool too. read more

if you're looking for a no bullshit dive bar this is the place to be. jukebox, one large pool table, a few booths, good cheap beer, and liquor. luigi pizza a few doors down for when you have the drunchies. love this place read more

Best dive bar. Best jukebox. And, most importantly, best beer at the cheapest price. Got a pint of Stone 15th Anniversary for $4! I paid $5.50 for a sippy cup at Toronado. Great place. Don't let the Hipster vibe scare you off. They all have iPhones. LOL! read more

I went to Live Wire for the first time a couple of months ago, and have been going back every chance I get. It's a great place to get dirt cheap beer (along with a variety of some great brews on draft), listen to good music, and play pool with your buds. The red lighting offers some much needed relief to your eyes by not being super harsh, but bright enough to actually see what's going on around you. The jukebox is full of great punk, ska, and other music and a dollar pays for more than one song. There's free pizza on occasion, and it's a great place to go after a show. read more

one of my personal faves. i can roll in wearing scrubby clothes and i dont stand out. awesome jukebox. cocktails in large glasses and tall boy paps were my drinks of choice....a pooltable as well. plus the chalkboard in the gals bathroom is great for shit talkin... read more

I lived down the street from this place for a year, so my roommate and I made a few trips. The atmosphere was very dive bar and perfect for the hipster in most of us. The bar tenders were engaging and interesting, especially early before the place starts to fill up. There's an interesting assortment of beers on tap and I was able to try a few of the ones I had never heard of before landing on a drink of choice. Oh yeah, and you gotta love watching things on VHS. Sit at the bar or in one of the very red booths, or maybe just play some pool. It's a good way to spend a night. read more

hipsters flock here like the salmon of capistrano. and the beer flows like wine-- it's a cute tap list for a dive bar, with many handles dedicated to local breweries (as it should be.) sometimes it's too crowded. sometimes it's too cold. but, always, without a doubt, it's chock full of hipsters. so, i recommend wearing your tightest jeans and that stupid oversized amvets shirt you found for $4. although, i currently saw a woman in crushed velvet bell bottoms... maybe the tide is changing and the hippies are taking over. read more

This place was awesome! They easily had one of the best juke boxes in SD. And Thaddeus (sp?) was super rad!

Best Bloody Mary's ever. Sweet jukebox. Friendly bartenders. Pool table. Smells funky as you're walking in but you get over it. Love Live wire! read more

San Diego's best jukebox, great beer selection, cool bartenders (thad, matt & patrick ) one of my favorite bar's in town , if your looking for a new bar to try this is it !!!!! read more

I've been coming here for the past few years as it's down the street from my house. It's just such a cool place to hang out, with a very diverse, and friendly, crowd, extremely mellow and entertaining. I really have no clue what a dive bar really is or what a hipster is, as I am just sort of a nerdy people-watcher, but I find the crowd here to be quite enjoyable just about anytime. There's nothing extraordinary about this place, but it's not really trying to be anything extraordinary, which is exactly how a neighborhood bar should be. read more

Great dive bar, excellent music on the 'box or someone sampling music on some tables. Not gonna lie, I do prefer coming here in the middle of the week as opposed to the weekends. Wall to wall plaid shirts and black framed sunglasses on the weekends. Definitely a lot quieter during the week. Also, seeing as how I like to go out by myself at times, it's nice that I can sit at the bar and not be harassed by males of any kind. Everyone is really chill and keeps to themselves. The one time a guy bought a drink for me, Matt the bartender vouched for him being a nice guy and Jacob turned out to be a friendly face I run into a lot which is nice considering I'm still relatively new to the area. I love the skate videos that are on a lot, either those or old classic or odd movies. If you have a group there are round booths that are comfy as hell. And there's always a friendly game of pool kickin'. All in all, this is one of my fav dive bars to relax in. read more

I have't been here in awhile, but I enjoyed the dive bar feel and good music. It's great for chilling with friends and playing pool. My only problem here was on my 21st I came at midnight and the guy checking my I.D. told me I shouldn't be in there and that, I quote, " this isn't a fucking 711". Well mister, I have completed my LEAD handlers training and asked the instructor if this rule existed, and it doesn't. So FUCK YOU and your inability to understand state laws. But the bar you work at is nice. read more

If you don't mind rude a$$ bartenders who need an attitude adjustment, then you'll love this place. I went there last weekend with a friend for the first time. One of the bartenders, bigger (chubby) guy with a hat on, was making a couple of drinks for other patrons. My friend asked him if he was making Moscow Mules and you'd think she completely asked a rude question. He looked at her like he was completely interrupted and said, "Yeah", like " duh". Then, later I asked for some chili (which was not so great, but I was hungry) and he gave me a huge, heaping bowl with two spoons. I asked why and he said my friend wanted some so we can "share". Excuse me??!! "I don't share my food", I say to him. Then he tells me how rude I am!!! Then he tells the other bartender how rude I am and laughs. You are a complete Dumb A$$ and you will NEVER get another dime from me. I will make sure I let others know how my experience was there. Jerk! Get over yourself. Seriously... read more

last night was my friend mosh's brithday! i don't give a carp about birthdays, especially his, since he ruined mine by yelling at the owner of tobacco rhoda's the other night. but i figure since he has no real friends since he got married, we could catch up and maybe crack some jokes and have a laugh. after an 8 minute walk i arrived at the door and was greeted by the sounds of ROSE TATTOO who i love. i sat down and got ready to order a beer. a firned of mine started talking to me about some stupid stuff like rain and bald headed eagles so i didn't have the oppurtunity to look at the tap lineup. i asked about the modern times beer, a coffee stout, and i was all "oooh i want an ipa" and was pointed to the mother earth ipa. i drank one of these and it made me want to drink another. and another, and another. by this time i was ready to give my birthday'd bretheren a hug. i tore up some coasters and the lady seemed mad at me until i told her i have a condition. someone played descendents on the jukebox. the first episode of "idiot abroad" was on the tele. the bar let out a collective EEEEEEWWWWWW when elephant boy's hippie friend started rolling up his dingus with a stick and twisting it like salty water taffy. 4 ipa's in and i proabbly woudl have done that myself if the bouncer was smaller than me. then someone brought their dog in. i thought mosh has let one go but then i realized this awesome dog had an owner that wouldn't bathe him, so the whole bar smelled like pizza and dog with an emphasis on the dog. i had one more beer before i gagged stinky dog smell and had to leave. well, i had to leave because it was tuesday and if i showed up to work today drunk, the part of the day i sobered up would suuuuuuuuck like my marriage. isn't that how it goes? you get married and it's all lovey dovey til you sober up. i'm definitely going to come back here. hell, i've been coming here for 20 years. the beer is the same price. back then that sucked. we used to say "warm beer, fake friends" but now, we say "let's just go down there for a couple, why not, it's a weekday!" read more

on some nights it can get local drunks drama kinda weird. but its all made up for with the cheap and strong drinks and a jukebox that has the jesus lizard and sleep on it. the bar tenders are too cool to care, but its the kind of place where its validated. read more