Um, favorite place ever perhaps?! First, amazing people. Mike, the manager, is one of my longest friends going back to when we were in middle school. He is such a great guy, especially when he's working. He's so funny & very nice. He likes hugs, just so you know. This other bartender I had the other day, James, was very sweet & cute, perfect to hang out with. Second, they have specials everyday of the week, the best being IMO Sundays. They have $3 mimosas and bloody marys and THE BEST BREAKFAST BURRITO EVER!!! OMG it's so good, I get one everytime I am there. They also have BOMB fries with garlic on them. On Sundays they also have FREE pool! Third, they have an amazing beer selection with like 20 beers on tap and even more amazing beers in bottles. They also can make you any drink you want if for some reason you don't love beer. Fourth, they place is always super clean, AND they have bar hooks under the bar for your purse/jacket. Which doesn't sound that important, but now I find myself going to other bars and LOOKING for a bar hook to no avail... and then I'm stuck with my purse on the sticky floor, or getting in the way on my lap. Lastly, the outside area is very cool, nice firepit. read more

Great Service and WAY ABOVE average food for a bar. The burger are good sized for the money. Pretty much phenomenal for a bar. They have a TON of beer on tap and sometimes makes it a little tough to pick, but kudos for selection. If you're in El Cajon is a great place to grab an ice cold beer, a quick bite and enjoy nice service. In the Downtown area of El Cajon there are a bunch of places to go but this one is clean, affordable. Great service and way above the norm food for a bar. Its not bar food. read more

This place is amazing! It has everything! The staff is ridiculously awesome, the beer is constantly changing and delicious, the food is way above your average bar food, and who doesn't love blown glass toppers. I am a craft beer junkie, but I can invite my non beer drinker girl friends to meet me because they have a full bar! I've never been a disappointed or had a bad time here. Sign up for the passport (it's free) and dedicate yourself to the challenge. Trust me, its fun! Kenny is the man!!! read more

Real good Good food Good service Great selection of beers Good food Pool table Patio Karaoke Fish tacos Burgers read more

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This is a decent place to go to drink and socialize. Gets busy around 4:30 ish, which is great but the inside is a bit small and the outside seating area is okay. But what more could you ask for in El Cajon. read more

Th food here was delicious I got there bacon grilled cheese and it was cooked perfectly. My husband got the fish an chips and thought it was the best by far. Also the selection of beer is amazing! Lastly the place was very clean and very well organized. Plus the staff are very friendly! I plan on coming here a lot more often. read more

Main Tap Tavern - The closest is docs hard cider and the furthest is made by hanger 24 both very good. - Sports Bars Near Me - El Cajon, California

We went last Tuesday night for kareoke and had a blast! Apparantly this was the KJ's first night there and he did a great job, really kept things moving. I always say I'm not singing but then I have a few drinks and . . . Very nice atmosphere, formerly a dive bar (the old On The Rocks) but the new owner has done an excellent job making the space feel a lot more upscale. Not that dive bars aren't fun but I really like the updated feel. The glass handles on the tap beers were beautiful. Sadly, no tables inside, just bar seating, but there are tables outside on the patio. We didn't sit there but we could see a fire pit going. But we were there for kareoke ! I hear they have excellent food, especially the fries - will have to have dinner next time. I think we have found our new East County kareoke location! read more

Great beers, awesome staff, beautiful building and patio. Lots of metal on the juke box (LOVE it), pool table with good cues, sweet fire pit and dog friendly on the patio. read more

Main tap is absolutely amazing because CAIN was the best bartender that ever lived... I love him so much so professional and so friendly. I def recommend this place !!!! read more

I was born and raised in Texas, so I would like to think and know what I'm talking about (). Without question, these were the best fish tacos I have had in my life. Would strong recommend "EVERYONE" to come and try. You will not be disappointed. My compliments to the chef!!! read more

I really love this bar! Came here tonight around 6 or so. Not too many people, but it started filling up a bit. Parking spot right in front. Got their buffalo wings with blue cheese and was very pleased! Flavors were there and there were a decent amount of wings! Happy Hour is from 4-7 I believe, so I got a beer as well. Since it's like 7 minutes from my house, yes I will be back again for sure haha read more

Awesome service in a friendly atmosphere. Recommended highly. The beer selection is to die for.

Denee was very nice and friendly the environment was very nice and also the food was pretty damn good overall great experience read more

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

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Good food, drinks, and service. Laid back atmosphere perfect for a casual night. Just enjoyed the hot wings, and the nachos were delicious!

Just got word that they hired a new bartender. Her name is Brittany. She's awesome you should go by Saturday night and introduce yourself. Tell her Robyn sent you! You'll love her, I promise! read more

This is a great place. The bartender, Cain, is awesome. He always has great drink recommendations for the beers/ drinks you enjoy. The craft beers on tap change regularly; so it's fun to try new beers each time you come in. The food is always wonderful! read more

I really wanted to like this place. I saw all the five star reviews. Saw the place had an outdoor patio so I wasn't crammed into a tiny, poorly lit bar, and this place doesn't serve up the usual beer you can find at the grocery store for way cheaper. Then I went to this place last night. First off, finding park was a pain. There was no clearly marked parking lot, so I had to drive around for a bit before finally finding a spot down the road. I couldn't be there for too long because of the two hour rule. Still, I figure that two hours was enough to enjoy a few beers. Then I went inside. I was overwhelmed by the number of choices, looked at a menu, and after a few minutes decided on a nice Strawberry lager because it sounded interesting enough. So after waiting ten or fifteen minutes one of the two bartenders finally notices me and comes up to take my order. I get my drink and sit outside to sip my beer in peace. Until one of the waitresses comes around trying to get me to take part of whatever their drink special is for the night. I end up chatting with a regular there and based on their recommendations I go back inside to try a different kind of beer. I end up waiting another fifteen minutes, with three other guys, while the regular tries to get the bartenders attention. It still took that long before one of them comes over to us, and at that point I'm done. I had been there for an hour and had only managed to get one beer. I've never been anywhere where the service was that slow or I had been ignored that much. It wasn't even that busy, and I wasn't being mean or rude, but it still took forever. At that point I figured I had had enough and decided to close my tab and leave. Even during happy hour it was still $5 for ONE BOTTLE of BEER. Forget that. Between the terrible parking, high prices, and non-existent service I decided that I would rather take my business elsewhere. I gave it two stars for the unique selection and the nice atmosphere, but there is no point in going if I can't even get a drink. read more

Adore this bar. It's the perfect local hangout with amazingly delicious food and good prices. Beer options change regularly so there's always something new to try. The staff is kind and helpful, they work with you to find just the beer you want. The best place to spend an evening in El Cajon read more

Cain is the man amazing bartender and the awesome bouncer bear will send any trouble packing love this place.

Heard some ok things about this place so thought I'd take my wife here on a rare 2 hours away from the kids...blonde bartender really nice and quick service for orders but after 50 minutes waiting on an order of 12 naked wings when it wasn't even busy I asked where they were.....10 minutes later a crazy looking buzz cut lady came out of the kitchen scolding us that we should know it takes a minimum 20 minutes to fry wings....first of all that's crazy and secondly it had been 60 minutes....wings sucked and were hard and overcooked with a wet generic sauce...horrible experience and waste of a night off... read more

I'm so bummed to have a bad experience here because it was highly rated. I'm not sure if my friends and I just came on a busy day since it was Friday but it was completely packed with nowhere to sit for a group of 4. We wanted to come for food but I would say it has a complete bar feel and felt awkward if you just wanted to eat. We went to the edge of the bar table and no one was asking us if we wanted anything until we waved them down for a menu. After that, the bartender said something is wrong with their system and they can't serve food at that time... read more

Inexpensive, even if you don't go during happy hour. Food is amazing, the chick they have running that kitchen is amazeballs. The service is great for the most part, like 99.9% of the time but it's not their fault. I can see how they get overwhelmed when they have fights, but there's a girl who frequents the place that just is always sloshed and cuts in front of people or cuts into others' conversations... it kind of makes me not want to go and that makes me sad because I love me some Main Tap! All day happy hour on Sundays and they do trivia on Wednesdays, I believe. Can't recall what other specials they have, but definitely worth checking out! Firepit is cozy and space heaters and pretty string lights on the patio with two large tvs read more

So I had been using this place a a tasting room on my way home to east county from working downtown. Only a few places that rotate therir craft beer selection in East County.4 stars for beer selection. The food is decent. I like the Tuesday night Fish Taco's but have to order the burger with Peanut Butter & bacon so it has at least some some flavor. The chicken wings are deep fried and then tossed in slimy red hot sauce (c'mon wings are quintessental to Pub Grub and need to be cooked & serverd properly). 2.5 stars for food. The place is kept clean and the back patio is nice for hanging with friends (especially if you grab the fire pit). There is a pool table and Foosball, but not really enough room for playing pool seriously... especially if its busy. 3 stars for facility. I liked the old staff that I met when Ifirst started frequenting the place but I know how it goes and owners will always try to make their place better by replacing the people. Too bad they can't replace all of Main Street in El Cajon first. read more

First night here, great place, super clean, great selection of beers, patio with and fire pit, great bartender ask for Rocky! Highly recommended!!!! Must go!!!! read more

Main Tap Tavern - Love this place!!!! - Sports Bars Near Me - El Cajon, California

They told people around the bar I was on drugs when I just have a hyper personality The people I came with and I were so confused about why I was being kicked out I wasn't violent or rude to anyone even after being kicked out I got no warnings about anything. nothing was broken It was karaoke night so people were singing Couldn't give me a reason when I asked why I had to leave read more

I don't know why I haven't reviewed this place before, considering how many times I've been here. This most recent time I was blown away so I had to review. I love this place. I was surprised to find out that they have amazing food. I always just thought of it as a bar, but every time I've ordered something to eat, it has been amazing! They make good drinks as well as great food. Everything is fairly priced and service is good. Favorite bar in El Cajon! read more

My bf and I came here to watch a UFC fight. It was a cable fight so there wasn't any entrance fee. We sat at the bar and watched the fight. There was an older blonde woman bartender and a Middle-Eastern looking man too. I think one or both were owners, I couldn't tell, but their customer service was horrible. The Middle-Eastern looking man then sat at the bar with other customers, I assume friends, and watched the fight and downed some beers. It took forever to get a drink. We were trying forever to get eye-contact with the older blonde woman, but she didn't give a hoot if we stayed or left. There were about less than 20 people in this bar and service was horrible. This was my first time here and the burger sucked and customer service sucked. Never again I say! read more

They have a great selection of beer... Too bad there is never a bartender behind the bar during the day to find out about the different types they are usually too busy cleaning per owners orders.. Seems that the owners/management don't have much expertise in the field besides beer.. They used to have a great night bartender Kaitlin and that was the only reason we went there but now that she is gone I'm sure we will venture elsewhere.. If you are hungry you might want to call in your order before you get there since they seem to have an issue with getting tickets back to the kitchen.. read more

We heard about Main Tap back in September '08 or so from a friend who stumbled in there while waiting for his girlfriend's car to be repaired. We travel the beer scene pretty regularly and were excited to hear that there was a place in El Cajon serving good beer. We've probably visited 30 times now and have NEVER been let down. The beer selection is great. 24 taps ranging from bud light to (last time we were there) Ballast Point India Pale Lager and Victory At Sea. We've found Deschutes Abyss there, Firestone Velvet Merken as well as many others covering the entire beer range. There are usually a couple IPA's, some good craft beginner beers and some exotics in the line up that is constantly changing. Their bottle selection is also great. Last time we were there I had a Lagunitas Hop Stoopid and the time before I had a Lagunitas Ruben and the Jets from their Frank Zappa series. One thing I haven't seen any of the other reviews mention is that the Main Tap has a to go license. It's not like some of the other to go licenses that exist at other great beer bars in town that are heavily restricted by the ABC where you can only take one bottle of beer to go per day and it has to be an imported beer. Main Tap's liquor license is OLD and therefore it allows you to take as many bottles with you as you please. The food is also WAY better than you'd expect it to be at a little bar like the Main Tap. We're always on the hunt for the best burgers in town and Main tap ranks way up there on the list. They have, I think, 3 burgers on their list. A regular cheese burger, a bacon blue burger and a western burger and they're all insanely good. They're hand formed and when they come out, they're almost too hot to eat which is a very good thing. The quality of the ingredients is fantastic too. Their blue cheese that comes on the burger and with the wings is simple perfection. Their fries are also to die for. They come sprinkled with season salt and I don't think there's ever been a time that I haven't eaten every single one on my plate. They also have a chicken tender sandwich that my non red meat eating brother in law ate in about 2 minutes the first time we took him there. They have the previously mentioned monte cristo as well as an Irish Reuben. My wife likes the fish and chips and their wings are good too and their wing night special makes then really cheap. Everyone that works there is incredibly nice. They honestly appreciate you being there. They answer your questions and pay attention to you and are aware when you need a refill or maybe another napkin. I realize that because we go there a lot we've gotten to know everyone fairly well, but trust me, everyone gets the same treatment. They have bands that play there. They show all the UFC fights and they have karaoke. There's also an email list you can join and it tells you who will be playing in the near future, what new beers are on tap and what new bottles have come in. They also have a beer passport you can get. Once you drink 50 different craft beers you join the VIP club and as you drink your way through your 50 beers you hit certain milestones where you'll get a dollar off your next pint of $2 off your next bottle, a free appetizer and even a free tavern burger (basic delicious cheese burger). A lot of people may be thinking "ehh...I'm not to keep on EL Cajon" and to be perfectly honest I was a bit worried that things might regularly get out of control, but we've never seen a fight/argument/disagreement. A lot of the every day regulars really take pride in the place and would regulate if need be I think. A lot of them have also learned about craft beer and we've seen them go from pitchers of bud light to pitchers of Firestone Double Barrel and beers like that. All right, I've raved enough. This place is established, it's not going to go anywhere and I can't wait to spend my summers there. You should definitely check it out. Hopefully they'll be able to show Padre games. read more

What can I say about a place that rewards you for drinking beer. It took me 5 months but I am officially a member of Main Tap's VIP club. Drink 50 different craft brews and you too can be a VIP. This is a wonderful pub with fun and knowledgeable staff. 24 taps and many many bottles to choose from. The Tavern Burger is good and the fries are yummy! Order when you get there as yes there can be a wait but hey have a beer while you wait. I love the patio area. The Fire Pit is a favorite spot and plenty of room for everyone. The crowd is friendly and the many regulars will help you if you don't know what to order. I could go on and on about this place. It's simply the best bar/pub/tavern in all of El Cajon and East County. Oh and they have hooks for your purse under the bar-very cool feature! read more

I was in San Diego for a concert a few Fridays ago, and didn't have anything going on Saturday, except trying to find a place to watch the UFC fight, so I didn't have to pay the sixty some dollars PPV is now charging. My friend knew of a place in El Cajon, he lives in Mira Mesa, so not too far, that we could go to that he said he thought he heard of the fight showing there. Sure enough, we arrived about 1/2 hour before the fights started, just before the crowd really started packing in. We got a good spot right in front of one of their hi-defs, had some dinner, a few select brews recommended by the bartender, and enjoyed the evening. Main Tap is a nice locals place that seems to have that "where everybody knows your name" ambiance, except with a younger crowd. I maybe saw one or two faces that were over 35, quite a feat for that part of town I think. An excellent selection of local beers, and a very knowledgeable staff when it comes to selecting a beer that is just right for your individual palatte, and if you happen to order something off of their well constructed menu, a beer to compliment what is on your plate. Overall, Main Tap is a nice place that is just off the mark of the newly established downtown El Cajon area, but I believe that in time Main Tap will be part of the new heart that is El Cajon. I will definately return when I make it back to San Diego! read more

I have been meaning to write this for a while, and I guess my morning coffee that helps usher out last nights headaches is a good place to start. Main Tap is a surprising place. When I first heard there was a "Beer Bar" in the east county I had my doubts, wondered if I would have to fight my way out as a young lad growing up in the Ozarks and Kansas. yes, I know my rednecks and was shocked that anyone from California would consider themselves hardcore. But then I met the east county. But I digress. My first time I walked around the corner and into Main Tap my eyes went wide. What a cool looking bar, pretty good selection though I wish they had more of my beloved New Belgium on hand. I was also really pleasantly surprised they had hard liqour on hand, cause lets face it-sometimes I need the bottle. But this is not why I am writing. This place seems to be a haven in the east county for those who want something more than a natty ice and a bar fight. I can drink anywhere. I dont go to a bar for the beer or the bottle. I go for the people. Lets face it, San Diego has become a meca for beer, I can find what they have on tap at other places, what sets it apart for me is the people, and in direct reference I am talking about Mari and Bob. Everytime I see Mari she is smiling and having fun and instantly makes me feel better and brings a much needed smile to my face. And in this crazy world, someone making me smile is priceless. Whenever I see Mari I instantly think of Stella from Silverado, pint sized awesomeness. I know Mari wont let me drink anything less than a stellar beer and if I need my bottle, the drinks she mixes are just right and does it cheerfully and puts up with my stupid jokes. And lets face it, I am not funny. And I mean the Stella reference in the highest regard as Silverado is one of my favorite movies and Stella was one of the coolest characters ever invents. Or is Mari the 8 oz glass, once again I digress. I can be having a horrible day and when I see Mari bouncing around having fun its hard to not smile. The other is Bob. Bobs great, when Bob is tending I never worry and Know whatever is my glass will be exactly what I need. I have complete faith in Bob to not know what I want but he always knows exactly what to pour, Lets face it, I dont always know what I am thirsty for but I feel completely safe knowing Bob wont pour me the 'special' and whatever liquid gold is in my glass will be exactly what my tastebuds were seeking. Like I said, Main Tap is a cool little bar but there are tons of great little bars, and for me what sets bars apart is the people. For my money when I walk into Main Tap and See Bob or Mari I know my day, night just got a little better. read more

I love this place! It's close to my cousins now house, it's fairly clean, has a decent diverse crowd, OK events weekly, and some deals, the drinks are good and the staff is...well just mediocre. I do like the pool tables though. All in all it's a decent place to hang out with some friends and get some drinks, but nothing special. read more