I love this bar-Toby Keith It's a heat dive bar with 24 craft beers on top a full liquor bar and 4 brands of tall cans and lots of bottles of domestics and imports the food Id also great and good prices with the most expensive dish at $14.0 the service is very friendly from the entire staff Hector, Kelly and Danielle as well as the cooks, they have karaoke on wed and Friday and every day of the week there is different things trivia comedy night and they will host UFC fights! There is a cover charge on fight nights it's quite expensive for the ridiculous price of $5.00 only yup five bucks! So come on over check the place out. read more

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Food service is amazing the ambiance the Karoke owner and bartenders are wonderful as do the Karoke host ..you will enjoy if you come here chill dive bar .. read more

Main Tap Tavern - Sports Bars Near Me - El Cajon, California

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This place was a 10/10! I would 100% recommend and will 100% be returning. The bartender, Kelly was the absolute best. She waited on us in a timely manner, was super polite and funny! They have a little outdoor patio area that they have a fire lit for and a pool table inside. Drinks are decently priced, the locals that go in are very nice and great company!! read more

Customer service good they have my drink Hennessy, but the food disgusting I wouldn't give it to my dog read more

We walked in and sat at the bar around 10pm. Not a bartender in sight. We waited 8+ minutes, no one. We walked to the backroom, the back patio.... no one. Plus the atmosphere is still and Smoky. Avoid. read more

My husband and friend went there yesterday, sept 7. First the beer was warm, they gave them ice to cool it . Then they ordered tacos. My husband ordered chicken. His friend beef, my husband was told they were out of chicken and cheese. So he ordered beef. His friend was waiting for his tacos. Didn't come. He said cancel them. Waitress said can't order already in. So he waited, my husband shared his. His friend never got his, waitress said oops! Didn't put order in. Friend went to bathroom, said it was disgusting. It's pretty much a dive bar. First time there won't be going second time. read more

I didn't try the food, but the drinks were acceptable for the price, especially if you stick to basic beers and canned beverages. However, when I ordered mixed drinks, I found them subpar and lacking authentic taste. The atmosphere is decent, and the patio area is nicely lit at night. It's a charming little hole-in-the-wall bar, but be prepared for mixed drinks that may not meet your expectations. The service is satisfactory. read more

Came here to watch the UFC fight and paid $5 to get in. There is multiple seating inside and out. It took awhile for us to order drinks and food and it took awhile to receive our food as well. I ordered the carne asada tacos and shrimp tacos. They were pretty tasty. I just wish the service was faster. There was a dog in there that kept biting a man and he started to bleed all over the floor. The dog bit him multiple times and I have no clue as to how the dog was able to stay. read more

Good ambience for friends or a hot date. Good selection of drinks to choose from. Barfood was good too. Servers were on point and friendly.

Way better than those dive bars in santee like The Alibi. I love Karaoke and the amazing bartenders plus all the games for you and your friends to play. Who would think El Cajon would have a better bar than anything in santee read more

Main Tap Tavern - Me on my birthday enjoying a nice night with a girl I met at Main Tap! - Sports Bars Near Me - El Cajon, California

Good selection of beers and decent (bar) food. Service is horrendous. Getting a beer (or any drink) will take forever. This is how I imagine the bartender interviews going: Interviewer: "Are you able to ignore customers for extended periods of time?" Potential Bartender: "Yes" Interviewer: "What if you already served them one beer and they have an empty glass in front of them, can you ignore them then?" Potential Bartender: "Yes" Interviewer: "What if they have an empty glass and money out on the bar and are making direct eye contact with you, can you still ignore them?" Potential Bartender: "Yes" Interviewer: "You're hired!" read more

I would not recommend coming here. We were there tonight! And the a girl was talking to my husband and then her boyfriend started a fight. That is so ghetto. Ghetto!! Ghetto! Ghetto! Really!!! He almost started a fight. But he wants kicked out. They were allowed to stay. Maybe maybe because they were white. And we were not!!' That's so racist. But what do you expect from east county San Diego. The bartender or staff did not try to eliminate the problem. If you don't kick our people for starting a fight then Don't come here!!! It's not safe. Especially if you are not white!!! Food is not good!!! Blah! And beer is expensive. Go elsewhere! Many other places to choose from... read more

Main Tap Tavern - Great bar! - Sports Bars Near Me - El Cajon, California

This place used to be my favorite. The last few times I came here the female bartenders were rude . If you're wondering why there aren't any pretty women customers here anymore it's probably because the insecure and rude AF current bartenders chased them off . I'm not kidding yesterday I told the bartender that "hey we're Down there at the end of the bar, when you get a chance can we get some drinks please "We had been waiting like 15 minutes and she hadn't even acknowledged us by saying ,I'll be with you in a minute . You know some kind of good customer service. Her exact reply was" I'm busy and I have 3 customers ahead of you , if you want you can go to another bar " I stood there in shock that somebody working for tips thought it was okay to speak to me like this . This wasn't my first experience with a rude AF bartender here. Another woman was extremely rude a few weeks ago too . I don't know these women's names , it's definitely not Brittany, Brittany is without a doubt one of the best bartenders in East County. I feel like these two bartenders are very insecure women . Im not trying to spend my hard earned money in an environment where I'm talked down to by terrible bartenders . read more

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Called ahead to see if they'd be playing the Charger game & sure enough they said yes. Hole in the wall place w/ a nice little outside space, fire pit is nice. Parking isn't an issue. Beer is good, tequila is better. I ordered the mushroom burger, which was FIRE! Best thing about this place.. Buuut, the food took forever & the customer service was trash. Other food ordered were wings, chili cheese fries & Caesar salad.. chili cheese fries weren't good & Caesar salad & wings were basic at best. We didn't get any napkins or silverware. Bartender, or any other employee for that matter, were missing half the time. When the game started, the sound was off. We stayed the first half of the game, bc they got the sound to work.. I don't think we'll ever be back, but I'm hoping it was just a bad day. read more

We went to this place because it had good review but the only thing good about it were the tequila pours & mushroom burger There was only like 5 other people there, food took forever & didn't come with napkins or forks until we asked the bartender whenever she came back. The staff was no where to be found a lot of the time. A couple people came in and left because nobody was there to serve them. The server lol.. literally dropped the food and ran off so quick - hence why we had to ask the bartender read more

Me and a few friends chose to try this place out since it had a 4.4 star rating JUST to find out they're not even close to that level... Customer service was non-existent, food took forever even though the place had maybe 8 people inside total and the food quality was BELOW average! My stomach was not feeling right after that garbage. DO NOT go to this place! read more

Service was great, drinks prices were reasonable, and the vibe was chill. I don't go to a lot of bars but I heard they do a comedy open mic night on Sunday nights at 9p so I wanted to check it out since there aren't really any east of clairemont that I could find. Only a couple of people went up but I'll come back and see if that's how it usually is or if it was just a slow night. Good times either way. read more

Main Tap Tavern - Open mic night stage set up - Sports Bars Near Me - El Cajon, California

Sucks when you try to order food and they tell you the kitchen is closed but 20 min later they serve a group of people food. I ask the person bringing the food out if we could just get fry's and she was so rude. It was like I was asking for a liver. Also the bartender pulled a whodini and waited forever for a beer. We get the hint read more

Main Tap Tavern - Sports Bars Near Me - El Cajon, California

Yet another great experience with food here!!! Same bartender as last time, Brittany, is an amazing person and so helpful and kind. Jennifer was an absolute pleasure to talk with as well. I'm a HUGE NY ranger fan and the bar has the NHL package (why I'll be here a LOT over the season), and the beer selection is interesting even for a non beer drinker. Loved their wings and they have a Thurs special! Bbq and the buffalo are the two I tried. They are packed with fresh cooked meat and not skimming on adding sauce! read more

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Walked in walked out. Reeked of cigarettes. The people sitting at the bar leave their lit cigarettes smoldering in the ash trays on all the patio tables while they drink at the bar. read more

Stopped in here for Karaoke. Wrong night. Very quiet. Have to try again another time.

Love this place, great wings, good beer and great bartender (Cheryl). Very attentive and goes over the top to make her patrons happy. She'll even go back and cook up the wings when no one else is available. Highly recommend this place as well as the bartender Cheryl. read more

Has a larger selection of drinks off the tap. Noticed they are typically closed earlier than posted hours.

I stopped in for some dinner, rather then indulge in their libation, but it is not to say I did not have a ice cold glass of fermented hops. For dinner, I ordered their Angus Beef Patty Melt with a onion rings instead of fries. I had to pay a little extra to upgrade to the onions coming to a total of $10. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/main-tap-tavern-el-cajon?select=fz8ResMDw1BzONxxLKl-0Q#a_560LzKk06yJ7BoAIbKpg) The patty melt was served with thick sourdough bread which came well toasted and crunchy. The Patty melt tasted good with its sauteed onions, melted Swiss, and Angus Patty (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/main-tap-tavern-el-cajon?select=fz8ResMDw1BzONxxLKl-0Q#e6ODKPPem27cgFF3DEb3ZA), but the 1/4 patty was underwhelming due to its small size. This tasty patty melt would be better served with at least a 1/3 patty which would allow for more accurate cooking temps if someone would to order one medium or medium rare. Nevertheless, this patty melt looked good and tasted good, but was not, for least me, not as filling as I thought it would be. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/main-tap-tavern-el-cajon?select=fz8ResMDw1BzONxxLKl-0Q#v8ICSGLZcGZjLQLUxkivHg) The onions rings were great. They were perfectly fried and not the least oily. They came with great color, crispy, and the onions inside were tender and sweet. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/main-tap-tavern-el-cajon?select=fz8ResMDw1BzONxxLKl-0Q#Vt7h6zMWNoFP_ZUWZMaTdQ) The seasoning was spot on and they used a more course salt which was even better. The patty melt was good, but that 1/4 lb patty just got lost amongst all that goodness. If you have a beer, the glasses come iced cold and frosty, always a plus. Service was a little slow to order, but the food came out quickly. read more

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Summary: Local customers seemed friendly. BARTENDERS (two female) a HOT MESS! Half hour of my life, I can't get back. Met with several friends for a show and walked here after, hoping to have a little time with my group before we all went our separate ways home. Walked here and found the bar half empty but lively with karaoke. Batender2 was wandering around the table area, so i asked if i should order at a table or walk up to the bar. She was clear "the only service is at the bar. " i saw another bartender working, so I made my way up to the bar for our group order.... and waited - cash in hand- while Bartender 1 (seemed friendly but busy and alone behind the bar) told me with a smile, she'd be with me in a minute. The other customers at the bar were outgoing and friendly, but as time passed, I wondered why Bartender 2, who worked there, wasn't helping her coworker... I waited so long that the other guys at the bar were offering to hop behind and help get my order, I laughed and insisted I was next. My friends from the table came over to check if I needed anything, but I insisted I would be helped soon.... but I waited. I waited patiently as other customers were helped, assuming I was after them, and again, and again, finally, bartender 2 stepped behind the bar right by where I was standing and got a drink for the guy next to me. Then BITCHILY SNEARED AT ME when I looked shocked at the obvious snub (so bad the other customers were shocked too) then, just to confirm my guess... Bartender 2 hissed at my face "That's right" and walked back out from behind the bar! Decided it was better to leave with my group, and health intact, then to wait around longer and risk whatever she might do to my cocktail! First time in my life, I've gotten an "antifreeze in my drink vibe" from a bartender! read more

Excellent food and cold beer. Excellent!! Thanks. Very affordable!! All day Happy Hour. Where do you find that!! 5 dollar Breakfast burritos. Fish and chips that's comparable to England's!! A hidden gem! Truly!! read more

Great bar for the area. Great beer selection, amazing customer service(especially from Denee), and just an all around comfortable feel. Highly recommended if you're in the area and craving a beer and/or wings! And yes the wings from this bar are as good as an place if not better! Honestly I would get the wings everytime I'm here if I was here in the area more often. So when you get good beers(locally crafted and more), and some tasty wings with a kick butt sauce and customer service that makes you want to come back over and over. 4 stars anyday. I recommend Main Tap to any local or passers-by that's looking for a good watering hole to end a long day with. Happy hour is a deal and not the best but honestly, when you're in the mood for beers and food, does it really matter? Especially in EC! read more

Located only two blocks from my house I absolutely love this bar. And it's within walking distance! I wouldn't classify it as a bar per se.. it's more like a tap room. With more than 20 craft beers on tap, the most economical and delicious happy hour specials will ever find! Quite simply it's my favorite place. And my home away from home hahaha. The bartenderers are always fast and friendly and treat you like family. read more

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I have been going to Main tap for about 6 months now and The Bartender Chasity is An Angel! I love her , she's always on her toes rather the bar is empty or full , and she never keeps you waiting long . great music , great diversity , fun karaoke and an amazing staff ! And you definitely can't beat the prices ! read more

My local bar! Best place is my area to just sit, drink, and strike up a conversation with the neighbors. They keep it real!

Came here for lunch the other day. Sat outside to enjoy the sun. My bf ordered the carne asada fries which were amazing. I ordered the tavern burger which was super good. The service was great but the soda was a lil flat. I will be back to enjoy lunch here again. I hear they have karaoke here as well . read more

Main Tap Tavern - Tavern burger - Sports Bars Near Me - El Cajon, California

Best bar in El Cajon ; great food, service, beer selection!! Kinda pricey if u don't go during happy hour but still not outrageous. Kinda dead atmosphere, usually mostly empty when I go but still like it!! They actually remember your name! When u make vip u get some beers for $3.50 on Monday and Tuesdays. 4 time VIP here! read more

Awesomely fun and entertaining the place lost my sight on the IPAS they had. They all can adapt overcome and improvise any situation that arises when you walk in. read more

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Fun joint. Tasty bar food. Friendly peeps. Great outside area with fire pit. Good bartender who knows how to pour.

Best bar in El Cajon! Great people, great bartenders, great food. Gets busy on weekends but that's to be expected. read more

Update review, glad they got a new karaoke person. But man did the bartender give the worst service ever! Think her name is Chasity, but she's the one with super bleach blonde hair. Sat at one end of the bar to wait 20 min before getting up and going to the middle and stand there to finally get noticed! Clearly only worried about flirting and serving what seemed to be regulars. HOT GARBAGE! Maybe have other bartenders work on busy nights! She can work Mondays or something read more

Man. The food was yummy for a bar. Chips were fresh spicy salsa. Typical stuffed jalapeños. Fresh cut fries with yummy dipping sauce. Craft beer heaven but they have a full bar in case that's what you're into. Karaoke. Pool tables. I love it. East counties finest. read more

Main Tap is a great little bar. I go here to see the fights on Sat night. Pros: Big HD TV's, Nice selection of Craft Beer, nice menu, good food, fair pricing, outdoor patio, access from front or come in the back, big parking lot. Cons and room for improvement: When it get's packed they are undermanned and getting drinks and food takes a while. Our small order of chips and tacos took over an hour. The bathroom overflowed and no one was available to fix\clean up. These issues are only because the place was PACKED with customers!! Obvious fix would be to just have more people on hand for fight nights. But I don't pay the bills and understand it cost to employ more people. It's a good problem to have! read more

Main Tap has some of the best fresh made fries our hero has ever had. These aren't like In N Out's fries either; they are made with quality spuds deep fried with the skin on and come out warm and crispy. Judging by their tavern burger (which has a nice blend of spices rolled right into the patty) and their fries, this place has some pretty bangin' bar food. This is really an oddity in El Cajon. It's an extremely clean bar that serves mainly kick ass Californian craft beers from breweries like Karl Strauss, Lagunitas, Lightning, and Lost Cost. They also serve Bud and Bud Light on tap if none of that means anything to you. At $5.25 for four 4 oz. tasters of any of their beers, it sure beats going to most beer festivals. Beers are pretty reasonably priced and they have specials every day of the week and a super awesome weekday lunch deal on burgers as well. When our hero went, they had a few strong barley wines specially priced at $3 a pour! A few of the other reviewers have whined about service here, but in our hero's experience, Andy was a very helpful bartender and food came out fairly fast after ordering. Can't complain much about the bartenders or kitchen, and the rest of the bar crowd mainly keeps to themselves. Why must you be in El Cajon, Main Tap? If our hero lived any closer, he'd probably work this bar into his regular rotation. PROS: - Excellent burger and fries. - Plenty of street parking outside. - Great selection of local microbrew beers. CONS: - Located way out in east county. - The "girls of the month" printed on their menu look like Suicide Girls bench warmers. Ick. read more

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Been back here a couple more times with my buddy that lives over in El Cajon. Place is growing on me. Tryed some more of their menu items and it is hit and miss. Got their jalapeno bacon burger , bacon, cream cheese, topped with fresh jalapenos lettuce, tomato onion , and side of fries for $9.( http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/9xC0AztcFEbTuU4wcEmq2g?select=bOVCHPauej_11I8xFo6D4A#bOVCHPauej_11I8xFo6D4A ) Good combination of flavors on this burger the salty bacon, spicy jalapenos, and the cool down on cream cheese, well done.Crispy hand cut fries. On Saturdays they have a 5 buck meatball sandwich. ( http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/9xC0AztcFEbTuU4wcEmq2g?select=bOVCHPauej_11I8xFo6D4A#6RkcPBzMhSf5hV6fOBmpqw ) Not bad the meatballs seemed to be house made and so much cheese on top you can barely see the roll. Not that great of a sandwich, dry needs more sauce. They also have happy hour now , which includes appetizers for around $4.50 and buck off pints. If you enjoy cask beer they tap a new one every Wednesday. I had the ballast point sea monster one 10%, pretty good but , smell it directly you might pass out! Another cool thing here is the Tavern VIP passport.( http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/9xC0AztcFEbTuU4wcEmq2g?select=bOVCHPauej_11I8xFo6D4A#JxDgFTOKjNVOQ-WF9nbGwA) It's a card they give you ,every time you drink a different beer , you add it to the card. After you drink 10 beers you get 2 bucks off a beer, 20 you get a free appetizer, if you drink 50 you get a t shirt you name on the wall and every Sunday all their beers are only $3.50 for VIPs! Nice It's going to take me a while to hit 50?!! Good selection of beers here but the beers average from 5 % to 10%, mostly IPA's, few ale's, etc. Their beer line up changes weekly and they have the UFC but charge a $5 cover. My buddy was telling me that the there are two owners now and it seemed to make a difference since last time I was here. Not really sure if that's true but seemed like it's change for the better! At least go so you can hang out with the Beer Rabbit!!!!( http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/9xC0AztcFEbTuU4wcEmq2g?select=bOVCHPauej_11I8xFo6D4A#uDKJHsrmbpGdd9TXz4XaNw ) read more

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