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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This place has some messed up hours ... today is Saturday 9:58pm I called to place an order but the employee answered that they closed and hang up just like that ... so I called back to confirm their hours but the employee answered "I am going to call the cops on you if you call again " .... my question to this place is how can you treat your customers that way? On your yelp page it says that this place opens until 2am ... very shitty customer service and super rude I would never recommend this place to anyone !!! read more

ALERT: The Hipster species has officially invaded El Cajon, or at least this bar. I thought this was Desert-Bro territory? Doesn't that violate the Hipster Manifesto? This trend unfortunately bled over to the bartenders who seemed to avoid eye contact and service whenever possible...even when there was no one around. If you want a beer, come prepared with several flares, an industrial flashlight and a bull horn. If you manage to flag them down, they're actually really helpful, which makes this anomaly of a bar even more befuddling. Beer selection: Exciting, fresh and creative. Try the Cherry Saison if yer in in the mood for som'n less hoppy, The Brown Shuggah from Lagunitas might just be the best beer I've had in years. They have a cool card system where u can write down the beers you've purchased for future rewards. In the end though, I need a better reason than good beer to travel to El Cajon, and endure all of this. read more

This place is pretty nice, I ordered some great brews and I ordered the Mushroom Swiss Avocado Burger with fries and it was rather tasty! I also ordered some jalapeno poppers but never received them. Not a big deal the bartender was working alone and she was left and right dealing with everyone so it was understandable. They also had TV's with football on, I assume this place is great for big games and any game in general. Patio is dog friendly which is a plus, will be coming back with my pups. read more

Came here first time, bartender told me the only way to drink is to order food. So that made me believe this was gonna be the place where we could eat and enjoy a beer. First off the bartender didn't say that they were serving food late so waited... then I noticed tpeople who had ordered after us were being served food.. not once were we told there was a delay.. Waited and 1 hr before being told this is more a pub than a restaurant. Seems to me the service is not very good unless you're friends with the bartender. Wouldn't come back here again. Service is lousy. read more

Wow a lot has changed since things have been revamped. Dad's only request for Father's Day this year was to go drink some brew at his favorite bar, so we did. I've never been here on a Sunday and man was it interesting. $3 bloody marys and mimosas. Needless to say mom and dad got a little inebriated with there friends. The food has definitely changed for the better. The nachos are way better and not all runny with beans as before. I plit the fish & chips with my mom along with their veggie wrap. That thing was absolutely amazing being a vegetarian and assuming there would be barely anything I could eat based off the old menu. This place was among the top of my bars beofre for the El Cajon area and it's good to see changes to make it even better. read more

This place and EVERY person here has made me feel welcome and appreciative of my biz since the first day I visited. The food is just awesome... the shrimp taco plate is the best ...or so say I.... And the local craft beer selection is second to none. Love this place. read more

Came in on wed 7/25 evening with my husband and order the usual wings naked x-crispy and a burger we were in mo hurry cuz we know the wings we order take time. Food came out the wings were ok no seasoning the tasted bland and my Burger was served RAW!!!!!!! And the cook seemed annoyed he had to remake it. I waited for my food while my husband was done with the wings. Lets just say note to self I won't be coming back On the days "T" is off. Food just plained sucks when she is off... and its sad this place a very cool place. The bartender was quick and nice "jan" i think her thats her name. Left hungry and went to get food somewhere else... read more

Best place to watch UFC. Attend Evey month fur the past 1.5 years. Brittany, Jenn and the chef rock.

Great craft beer selection, nice people, and they even have food available. There's a back patio area where there is also an entrance/exit. People can smoke out there if they'd like. Staff is so-far-so-good. They make sure the place is tidy and safe. Heard their happy hour is exciting and cheap. Parking isn't very tough. They have a lot out in back that is shared with neighboring businesses. I personally parked on the street where they stop enforcing their 2-hour limit by 6pm. I'd come here again. That way, I can see how it is at other times/nights. read more

Pumpkin Cider was awesome! The atmosphere was nice. Not too crowded and definitely comfortable. We were there for karaoke for about 3 hours without a dull moment. Could I have done without the 3 different limp biscuit fans invading my personal bubble? Yes. Was I okay with that the cute firefighter I ended up talking to? Yes. And was I okay that every song I requested to sing was available and I got to sing them all? YES! Good time, good friends, strange crowd. Overall: I'm pleased read more

Main Tap Tavern - Bomb Pumpkin cider is bomb. Refreshing! - Sports Bars Near Me - El Cajon, California

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Randomly found this place when we were on a mission to watch football on a Sunday. Kirsten makes the best bloody Marys EVER!! They are so good we make the 20 mile trek on a regular basis just to have the bloody marys! The food is really good too. We weren't expecting much since it's a dive bar, but the food is awesome. I highly recommend this place. Super mellow crowd and over 20 beers on tap. read more

OK, they deserve their 4-star review now. Now that I drink beer I can appreciate how awesome their beer selection is and how knowledgeable the staff is. We enjoyed the San Diego Beer Week Greenflash flight and my curry coconut stout was out of this world. We ordered fish and chips this time around and they were good for the price, but would be even been on Sundays when they are only $6. Oh, and their beer prices aren't high at all. I'm not sure where other people are drinking craft beer, but $5-$6 seems pretty damn reasonable to me! We'll keep visiting for sure. read more

Not only a great hang out spot with nothing but the most rock bottom prices on draughts but a great selection of liquor. On top of all that they got a 5 kitchen staff that are killing it on the grill be it burgers or whatever! read more

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This is one of our favorite places! Excellent happy hour food, huge selection of craft beers, a jukebox, & most importantly - dog friendly! We tend to go more on weeknights & it's never crowded. We go for the craft IPA's, happy hour tacos, fresh cut french fries & chips n salsa n guac. We love that it's local - and it feels local. If you live in El Cajon & haven't been here yet you're missing out. read more

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Outside patio for beverages and food but all areas for smoking not a healthy environment

The fish and chips are delicious and the service is great. Nice variety of beers on tap, too.

Love my local bar. Anyways friendly environment and great for happy hour. TVs around the bar, so not a bad spot. Good selection of beer and some times cider. read more

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

My favorite bar in East County. They always have an amazing (probably best in town) beer selection and because they clean thier own lines, the beer is always tasting perfect. Aside from beer, they have a full bar with anything you would want. Thier food is some of the best bar food that I have ever had. They have a lunch special during the week that's only something like $10 for an awesome burger and a beer. Both of their cooks are world-class and repair excellent food. Plenty of parking is available in the back lot as well and they have a patio if you happen to smoke or want to have a cigar. read more

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

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I usually like coming here. The food and entertainment is excellent, most of the bartenders r outstanding but there's one bartender named Sam. Not very good! I had a beer and ate good. Didn't offer water, no napkins. Didn't check on me. Too busy socializing in the corner with other co workers. Unprofessional. He sucks and shouldn't work here read more

If you left less then 5 stars it's not them it's YOU! By far my favorite bar in San Diego. The most amazing and courteous bartenders and Tiana and Hector are talented cooks. Tiana can hands down cook anything you want, to order and it'll be the best burger or salad you've ever had. The bartenders are great with remembering faces and the types of beer you like. Speaking of beer, they have local favorites and the usual Corona or Bud Light. Honestly, I come here with my wife and we always enjoy ourselves. I've come here alone and still enjoy myself. There's tons of street parking and there is additional parking in the back. I've come here in a button down a few times and other times I've come in leggings and a sweater. Amazing place, amazing people, and amazing food. If you haven't figured it out, his place is AMAZING. read more

Bottled beers are only $3.75 Service is welcoming and upbeat they have pool table full of happy customers. I highly recommend this place for a casual conversation with new friends, play pool. read more

Awesome food! Awesome bar! Awesome entertainment! Kirsten is the best bartender! Awesome owners!! You will not be disappointed at the Main Tap. read more

I would give this place 1 star if the food wasn't so good and cheap. The cooks are 4 stars. They also have good bear. But they have the worst bartenders. Ever meet somebody where their personality is like a cheese grater. Well one bartender here is slowly grating away at my soul. The only way he could get a job here is if he is related to the owner. First encounter HIm: What would you like to drink? Me: A Bud Light and a burger Him: Eww a Bud light really Me:Yeah (Can I just have my beer dick Ive had a long day and this is east country its what 90%of the people drink out here) Second encounter (Burger and beer come. Ketchup bottle is half full make twww noise) HIm:Would you like more ketchup? Me: No its fine i have more then enough. HIm: Would you say that bottle is half empty or half full? Me: hahaha(fake laught....plz go away your ruining my meal) This is what kill me worst then his jokes. He goes out side to wash the widows. 5 customers walk though the front door. He contuines to wash the windows. He's the only bartender. He makes them wait till hes finished These reviews kill me the most. I want to like this place. I want to see them do well. But the service really kill me every time i go there. I wont be back until the servers change. read more

Dear Jebus, Please let me come to the Main Tap at least once a week. Let the many beer choices satisfy my soul. Bless me with good food and friendly service. And may this all be close to my home. Amen. Yea God! ~~~~~ Oh, shit! it's my new favorite bar! Taps for miles (24 by my count), many more in bottles. A full bar plus a killer menu. Don't let me gush too much but man we had a good time here. The bartender was awesome and friendly. A totally cool crowd too. Food was simple and tasty. Two pool tables and one foosball, jukebox, big patio. Fuck yeah, El Cajon finally has a great hang out spot!! read more

You can paint a turd but it don't make it taste any better. 20+ taps fail at being populated correctly, shitty food, and trashy ambiance. Main Tap, did you really think having clear taps with tacky led lights was gonna fool moi? I think not. Next bar please. read more

Tucked away near the corner of Main Street and Avocado, nestled between Valley Music and the arabic market in the heart of El Cajon, Main Tap Tavern has it all. Awoken on a hung over Sunday morning, I drug my ass to church to repent of my sins from the previous night then headed over to the tap for some hair of the dog and Charger action. I didn't know what to expect, but my buddies swore it would be worth our while. I was the first to arrive and was immediately capitaved by the wall of beers to choose from and the inviting atmosphere. The decor is modern, and there is no wall in the back, it just opens out into a sweet patio complete with a fire pit and a bbq which was serving up complimentary hot dogs to its patrons. The second I got there I was invited to sit down with a group of boys while i waited for my party arrived. Turns out they were all workers there and started giving me insider tips. Sunday has $2 mimosa's and bloody marys...can't beat that. So as the day progressed the place filled out and I got hungry. The chicken strips melted in my mouth. It smelled and tasted like crack. I couldn't believe how good they were. All the food is outstanding. After the game, my buddies and I decided, heck why not lets stay...Sure, I had to beat off the line of male suitors ranging from 21-81, got asked to dance, had my palm read, was given 3 phone numbers, a 10 dollar bill to fill the jute box, a lesbian request, a tour of the kitchen, cornered by two brothers "dammmmnnn", and managed to wash down at least twenty drinks by 9 o clock (had been there since 1pm)...but I was able to walk out with a whoppping bill of 20.00, a smile on my face and ready to rage... I will be a proud "regular" and would be honored to achieve this status. Main Tap Tavern, I welcome you into my heart. read more

So, it's a pub. On Main Street. Downtown. It wasn't immediately a place I thought, "Oooo! Let's grab a drink THERE", but got a random call to meet a friend there on a Friday night. I parked illegally, in a lot adjacent to the front door, as it was terribly confusing to find the main parking for the restaurant (if street parking is taken up, you gotta initiate the wild goose chase for something legitimate*). But the booming of a live band, playing right inside the door, made me forget my parking woes and tread zombie-esque toward the music. I adore that I was carded. The lineup of beers on tap is not only impressive, but eye-catching, as each handle is lit up with a design that woo's the passive patron. You get quite dazzled (read: confused) on which beer to order, because you secretly just want the bartender to grab your favorite colored handle and pour. And while that isn't the WORST way to choose your poison, I HIGHLY recommend the Pilsner. We popped in for lunch a couple of weeks later, and for $2 (yes, you read it right), they added the most incredible burger to my noon beer (don't judge), and one of the regulars gave us a 20 minute, unsolicited run-down of their menu, with colorful commentary and item-by-item pricing. It was more information than I cared to know, so I ordered a 12:15 beer and called it good. Surely I'll end up there again soon, staring at the shiny taps and deliberating which exotic import ale (try the Blueberry!!!) to add to my VIP beer passport (you know the kind). *Turn onto Roanoke, and look for the humble little sign* read more

Liked how they announced the UFC fights were playing on their website. They have a pretty awesome food menu for a bar. Not that ugly frozen good stuff. The garlic cheese fries are so yummy we ordered two basics. The place is small and seating is limited but it seems like the vet customers love this place so much that they brought their own fold out chairs. Haha! Will come here again for fights. PS: Buffalo Wild Wings don't show the UFC fights anymore! read more

This is definitely the first bar that got me really hooked onto craft beer and all of the different SD breweries. I first started coming here when I turned 21 (I'm 25 now) and always had a blast. Unfortunately it shut down for a while however it opened back up and is as great as ever. As far as I know, there is no other bar in East County with the variety of beers on tap that the Main Tap has. The other cool part is all of their taps are hand blown glass, which is unique and cool to look at. The food is also pretty decent - I generally don't eat here but I used to get their lunch special burger often and it was quite delicious. The bartenders are always friendly here too and super knowledgeable. All in all, this is a great bar if you're looking to try some new/different beers and it's definitely one of the best bars in East County. Also be aware that they have a parking lot in the back. Street parking right on Main is going to be a hassle, so make sure to hit up that back lot. read more

Been here a few times... The microbrew selection = decent The quality of food = decent The entertainment = good The ambiance = good Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let get real about the "service" at this place. The bartenders and wait staff don't seem to care for anyone that's not in their circle of friends. Most of the bartenders have the "when I get around to it" attitude and even if you run in here with your head on fire, don't expect to be extinguished until they're done socializing. I'm adding a star for Brian. He has a great understanding of how to take care of his clientele. I really want to like this place, but you really don't feel all that welcome here. read more

Went there for my first time on Labor Day! I was impressed with the service, Cain is awesome! He was not only very attentive with everyone sitting by the bar but was also welcoming to anyone who walked in. He recommended a few beers & made sure we knew about specials the Main tap had. The food was good & variety of beers were awesome! I most definitely was impressed with the service. Thanks for a great first time experience Main Tap Tavern ! read more

There are few places that exude more home-town comfort for me than Main Tap. Sometimes I'll talk about how East County lacks this and that, but Main Tap doesn't try to be anything that it's not. It's as if someone managed to purify all the good parts of East County and distill them into a concentrated experience here. Of course, in addition to the environment, Main Tap gets a lot of outside help with its beer selection. I've seen places with more total offerings, but few places come to mind with the depth of selection that Main Tap has. Not only have I never had a bad beer here, I don't think I've even had an average beer here: everything is good. I'm also impartial to the green jolly rancher shot (only $5 and totally worth it), which really does taste like what it says it does. Food? Yep, they have that too. It's nothing special, per se, but it fits the bill for quality bar food (read: grease and salt). I personally usually go for their garlic bread and onion rings with their horseradish-y house sauce. read more

I have a little bit of a mixed review for this place... I love the beer selection and the atmosphere, but I feel some of the bartenders there are a little bit snobby when I try to order what I like. Excuse me, I can drink whatever the hell I want and you cant tell me what to order, let alone, completely deny my request and pour me a more expensive beer then charge me for it! I have been there a few times and enough to experience different bar tenders, and I'm sorry, but they all seem to act the same way. Not cool with me. read more

Keep in mind that I am not a beer or even a bar fan for the most part, but our evening at Main Tap was great fun. This place is laid out really well, utilizing the space perfectly with a good-sized outside patio (with a huge fabulous fire pit to gather 'round), plenty of tables and chairs everywhere, a pool table, a long bar and plenty of room for a band at the far end from the entrance. Behind the bar the beer taps look like artwork, each a different blown glass sculpture with backlights that make them glow. I can imagine those "main taps" being mesmerizing to a drunk person! There was a huge selection of beers from which to choose, including a ton of microbrews I had no idea how to choose from. The bartender was a super-cute redhead (which I am partial to, as a redhead myself) who was patient with my n00b skillz ordering and then asked how my beer was within seconds of taking my first sip. When I made a fucchi face and said it was kind of bitter (my fault for not knowing what to order), she smiled and poured me another pint of a different beer, then suggested I try that instead. I liked the second beer much more, and asked how much we owed her for it, but she insisted that we take both beers and "share" the first one with our friends. We tipped her and walked away happily. The servers who came by to clear our collection of empty glasses were friendly, the food looked damn good (but we had already eaten) and the band was covering some good music all evening. While I certainly don't go to bars often, Main Tap definitely isn't a dive or a meat market like the bars we usually end up in downtown. If we didn't live 25 minutes away, I would be down with coming to Main Tap on the regular for a pint. Keep your eyes peeled for the cute redheaded bartender! read more

Went for the UFC fight with my brother, 5 buck cover ( COOL)! The place was crowded almost, but we found some cool seats, two or tables (multiple chairs) were reserved! Showed me that this place is laid back and a liking to people! We had our beers , I had a cherry tasting type which was yummy! I had Stella, my bro drank some dark beer( chocolate/coffee tasting,). We had the buffalo wings platter, The hot and spicy wings were best. The menu was good and reasonable priced also. I enjoyed my time here, I'll be back soon! read more

What do you get when you combine Karoke, Pool, Fire Pit and booze? A good time that's what you get. Been coming here since it opened and it is just an laid back fun place. You will find every kind of person at this bar from the old man who smokes 2 packs a day and drinks like a sailor to the typical east county girl with her tits hanging out and skirt too short to the house wife who just needed a break from the kids... Drinks are good and decently priced, many different types of beer on tap, and the staff is always uber friendly. I thoroughly enjoy coming here and will continue to do so until they make me stop! read more

I went here for the firs time last night (6/16/12). There was a reggae(?) band playing in the corner so the atmosphere was loud. Not complaining. The bar was full, the guests were friendly but kept to their own parties. Not a big mix of people. I'd say upper 20s to 40s casual crowd that just comes to take the edge off after a hard week. I went with my best friend. Neither of us sampled any beers, we are hard liquor gals. Bartenders were both cute and funny. Decent drinks- not too strong to where the drinks tasted bad, but not completely watered/mixed down to where there was hardly any booze. Decent prices too. I'll take a 6 or 7 dollar margarita and no cover in El Cajon over anything downtown SD. We also tried the fries. I should have listened to him when he said they were already salty when I requested the salt shaker... Boy, salty and peppery! Nearly 24 hours later I feel like this constant heart burn is directly related to those fries. But they were SO GOOD. We sat outside, by the fire pit for most of the night. It's big enough so that two different groups can mingle around it. There are two pool tables inside. Makes it hard to play since they are in the middle of the walkway. We left around midnight. I'm curious to see the environment when a band is not performing live. I will definitely be back. Especially because I can walk home from the bar! Score! read more

I love the Main Tap. It is the only bar in E l Cajon that I keep going to even now that I live closer to the beach. Lets face it, El Cajon is ghetto to the core. Mostly because I have become a beer snob and I get tired of drinking pitchers of crap beer ie: Bud, Coors, Miller etc. They have at least 15 beers on tap all the time and they rotate all the time so you can try different ones. The food is pretty damn good as well. I have tried most of the menu and I haven't found anything I haven't liked. Most nights its pretty quiet but it gets pretty crackin' on fri+sat. Great atmosphere to watch football even now that "wide-right Kaeding" ended our postseason. Anyways, I give it two thumbs up. Love, Skeeter read more

I'm so glad this place is within walking distance. It truly is an oasis in the ghetto. They have 24 craft beers on tap and a bunch more in bottles, and the taps are cycled quite well. I LOVE a good IPA and they always have several. It's clean and have a very cool place out back. I spend my time inside though. Yelp is interesting in that there is no editing obviously and some people don't mind slander. So, I'll admit some of this review, especially when it comes to people that work there, is somewhat of a reaction to the mean spirited slander I've read here. It's not meant to even things up, just give my honest opinion. I have my favorite bartenders, but admittedly, I don't drink mixed drinks, save one. I either drink beer or the straight stuff. I don't fruit the booze. So I can't honestly comment on any bartender's ability to mix drinks either here, or in any bar. So far, they all make a good bloody, and that is my only mixed drink indulgence. So having said that, I'll say that when I first started going there, I did have to wait longer than I thought reasonable for a beer, but I haven't seen that for quite some time. The bartenders I see there, Bob, Danielle, Ashley, and Mari, are very attentive and friendly. Danielle and Bob are especially knowledgeable about beer and it's great to talk to them about that. My beer glass is seldom empty before I've ordered my next. Mari is a little ray of sunshine. I've never seen her in a bad mood and she seems to constantly smile. She is extremely attentive, and always improves my mood. Karaoke is some of the better karaoke I've seen. The KJ is fun and doesn't dominate by singing every other song. He has a great selection if you're into that. I often stop by with my sister after band practice on Tuesdays and belt a couple out. I love the food too. The potato salad is awesome. The burgers are some of my favorite burgers around. The only think that keeps me at four stars instead of five is that I just can't figure out the kitchen hours. I've been in there parched and the kitchen was closed. I've been in there other times when I assumed the kitchen would be long closed and cold, and food is rolling out. So, if I could figure that one out...add another star. read more