I love this bar! In fact I have a story of how much I love this bar! Donald wasn't the head security guard of Moonshine Beach, but folks treated him like one all the same. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a sun-creased face and a steady hand that could calm a horse or draw a walkie talkie in a blink. He wore a security guard t-shirt, but people said his word carried more weight than one. The town had learned that the hard way, years back, when a crew of violent patrons drifted in on a tide, looking to do what they pleased. Donald had stepped off the stage and into the dance floor, his boots sinking as he squared his shoulders. "You can drink your fill," he told them, voice even as the surf, "but you won't spill blood here." The way he said it--firm but calm--left no room for argument. The patrons sailed off by morning, and from that day forward, Moonshine Beach looked to him for protection. Donald never bragged about it. He checked IDs at the door, cleaned up every mess that was made, and tipped his hat to bachelorette parties the same as any ranch hand would on the prairie. But when gulls circled low and strangers lingered too long by the exit, he'd appear, quiet as the tide rolling in, watching with eyes that didn't miss a thing. One evening, word came that underaged guests planned to sneak in and get their hands on the Beach's alcohol. Instead of rallying a posse, Donald saddled his badge and security guard t shirt and radioed in alone. Beneath the silver moon, he cut them off by the breakers. No shots rang out that night--only the hiss of surf and the thud of fleeing boots as the children scattered like driftwood in a storm. By dawn, the bar was safe, and the townsfolk found Donald leaning on a piling, sipping coffee as if nothing had happened. They never called him a head security guard, but to Moonshine Beach, Donald was something more--a steady hand, a quiet guardian, and the reason the town could sleep sound each night. read more

The bouncers and employees were incredibly rude and disrespectful for no reason. Zero professionalism, terrible attitude, and the whole place had a bad, uncomfortable vibe. Definitely not worth the cover or the time. Plenty of better bars in San Diego. read more

HORRIBLE if i could leave 0 stars i would. i was kicked out for NO reason. i left the larger dance floor, went to a quieter area outside to call my boyfriend and security approached me and simply said "you need to go" and that they had "given me multiple chances" throughout the night - i was with 2 of my friends and my brother and we were all very confused by what was transpiring. horrible environment, horrible service, horrible security, do not go here read more

It was my first time at Moonside Beach Bar, where I attended a Theo Katzman event after a friend invited me. The venue is cozy, clean, and offers plenty of activities even when there isn't an event. We were fortunate to find parking right across the street. They have some great happy hour deals. read more

The best place ever to watch the niners!! Food is great, SERVICE even better! I was lucky enough to get a table on 11/9 and waitstaff went so above and beyond even though it was super crowded. Shoutout management team, your hard work really shows. Rock on :) read more

I come here for Salsa Bachata nights ( every so often). Security is on it. They are doing their job so well; At same time courteous and pleasant. Thank you. You deserve acknowledgment. A blonde young man in particular; great job. read more

Moonshine Beach - Dance floor - Country Dance Halls Near Me - San Diego, California

Went here Saturday and had a great time!! Rachel Horter performed and was amazing!! Staff and drinks were excellent. Crowd was diverse and very friendly! I don't even like country music but I'd come back again for sure!! Also came here for a Niner game Sunday and it was almost better than being at the actual game!!! The TV was huge and the sound system was nice and loud!! I was happy to hear the game on a huge speaker system!!! If you're a Niner fan- this place is a must!!! read more

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The bouncers are power tripping losers. I was yelled at and not allowed in because of a case of mistaken identity. I haven't been here in 2 years but apparently I was kicked out last week somehow. read more

Vic is the best bouncer and always keeps us safe! Wouldn't feel as excited to go every week if he wasn't there to say hello. 11/10 best bar in sd read more

I've never left a review on yelp before but made an account after this experience. The ambiance is usually great I love country music but this time the staffing was horrible. Some super tall lanky guy at the door was on a power trip and calling customers the "R" word for the way they were lined up even though the line went all the way around the corner. He claimed to be the manager but wouldn't give us his name. We ended up going to Hideaway instead to celebrate Halloween and had an amazing experience!! Would never recommend MB again. read more

So this happened during the football season last year I found this in my notes because I told some friends about the experience and figured I should post it here, I got to the bar early for the 49ers game, got my table, ate some food. Partway through the first quarter manager says the table was supposed to be reserved and tries kicking me and my girlfriend off the table, His offers went from Buy your next round of drinks Buy the rest of your food and drinks for the game (I already paid for food and ate so this offer was dumb) third offer was Now here's a small table off to the side (one of the small barrels) I Had to argue hard just for a table Then he didn't even let me keep the high chairs, Gave us shorter stools After being unhappy with the lack of a view I said can I just be reimbursed and we can leave He says yes, thennnn says actually no I gave you the "vip experience" and why should we pay you for food you already ate, you didn't pay for that table Like bro NOBODY paid for the table, those reserved tables are friends of the owner. I'm not sure how getting kicked off your table for a terrible view is a "VIP experience" seems like the people that took the table I was at got the VIP experience. After arguing with him he got his boss and he was willing to cover the cost of the food we ate there and gave us some gift certificates or whatever for $50 which was fine, I thought I'd go back and use them but I was so unhappy about what happened I never went back. Also after asking some questions it seems like those front tables (not the one I was sitting at) are always reserved for friends of the owner and they give it some little club name that no one is allowed in, it's just friends of staff or whatever, sucks that no one can get those tables because I would've been happy to pay to reserve one, the people that always sit at them are so damn tall you'll never really have a good view watching the game over there. While the atmosphere there is cool for the 49ers games I wouldn't recommend because you just can't get a good view read more

Moonshine will always be one of my favorite concerts venues. You can get right up front to just about any of them. Hannah is the best around and most accommodating! read more

Hannah was an excellent host! I am coming back just to see her! Her energy was unmatched and really made the night fun

Vic, the door guy, was so nice and helpful. Loves to make a quick convo and bust kids with fakes. Although his shadow casts a large image from the dim lit side walk, he is rather short. read more

I love this bar with my whole heart. Sherilynn is the best bartender in all of pacific beach! Keep it up!

I got covid. This place has NO ventilation inside. I went for the niners game. Me and 5,000 fans inside with NO ventilation. I'm Sooo angry. I'll never go back. read more

I love moonshine. The vibes are always immaculate. The bartenders always do a great job as well as all the other staff! I really like the bouncer Donald, very nice dude. read more

Was a fun night with my friends. Had an issue that Donald the security guy solved. He was the happiest guy I've ever met with only positive energy. read more

Nice venue. Indoor and outdoor space. NOT a place for traditional country dancing at all. Line dancing at beginning then DJ hip hop. It was ok but was hoping to country dance. read more

Establishment is good especially this one bouncer they have. His name is Donald. He always makes sure there is no funny business going on while being a friend person, he's a good person read more

Jacob the bartender is AMAZING customer service. Made. My night!!! He gets 100 stars!!!!

Charge a $10 cover when INSIDE and then took my friends actual ID never coming back. Actually ridiculous. Vick did not handle it well.

Jackson was so accommodating at the door! He truly went above and beyond to make our night fun and stress free. The music was great too and lots of people were dancing, with fun drinks, especially the buckets. But really Jackson was the highlight and the main reason we will be back!!!! read more

This place is so much fun! Live music, dancing, games like giant connect 4 and pool. Everyone's so friendly and the service is top notch. We didn't try the food so can't comment on that, but if you're looking for a place to hang with your friends and just have a great time listening to country music, this is it! read more

My friends and I went to go see ty myers and was very crowded and we couldn't breath so my friend passed out due to medical issues. Another girl passed out right after my friend and was let back in. They told my friend he wasn't allowed back in due to policy but let the other girl back in right after. They kicked us out and wouldn't let us back in. I wouldn't want to let gender or race be brought but i feel like it was a big role. read more

Great place to see concerts, very intimate and good sound! All the staff is very nice and made it a great experience for my friends and I.

We came here on a party bus for a bachelorette party night out and had a blast! We knew we were coming here for line dancing but had no idea how this bar would transform throughout the night. We got there right at 8pm when they opened for line dancing. There were people who work at Moonshine out on the dance floor doing line dancing. It seemed like many regulars were also there who knew the routines. My friends and I attempted to jump in and learn the dances, some were definitely easier than others! We had a great time trying to learn and even getting the hang of some of them. One of the guys who works here was really helpful with trying to help teach us! They do lessons a few nights a week for line dancing, this was not one of those nights. However, they did have a segment where they taught one line dancing routine for about 10 mins then we all did that dance to 1 song. That was a fun way to get more people to participate! They did a high kick competition which my friend won, then one of the staff members bought us all shots to celebrate! The line dancing was all to country music and lasted about 2 hours. After that, a live band came on that did some covers of popular songs! It was quite different than the line dancing and we couldn't believe how fast the place filled up as the night progressed. We loved getting to sing and dance to some live music! After the live band ended, the whole placed turned into what felt like a club with EDM type music. We all joked at the end that it felt like we went to 3 different bars because of the super different vibes throughout the night! We loved the variety and had a great time. There were multiple different bars to order drinks from, so it seemed like there was never a wait. They even had multiple different bathrooms to choose from which was great to see at a bar where girls usually have to wait in long lines. Our night out at Moonshine was definitely a highlight of the trip and I would highly recommend it for a group night out! read more

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Line dancing... it is the best we've been to the sister bar downtown and this one has a larger dance floor footprint. Coming back after the shutdowns from the pandemic and seeing a lot of familiar faces, really awesome. Bar is friendly - excellent service- and I yelled out a line dance and the dj played it. Could have been a coincidence but still hilarious! They now on Saturdays charge cover starting at 7- get on the guest list to avoid this. We really only go once the dance hall opens around 8 and leave when the live music starts around 9:30-10. Which some may argue is when it gets turnt. I have a few notes about the bouncers- this seems to be a popular topic on other reviews. The bouncers and security that I've seen have always cleared drinks, kept people safe and kept the place running super smoothly. It's part of the reason we keep coming back. They don't let it get trashed or let over served people ruin it for others. Tip: they have dance tutorials on YouTube if you want to see a few before dusting off your boots. read more

Moonshine Beach - Dance hall - Country Dance Halls Near Me - San Diego, California

Came here for a Niners game. Crazy packed but got bar seats because we were lucky they just opened the doors to the main bar area. Good bartenders, they worked their asses off. There were some nice beer bucket specials for the game and the food came out surprisingly quickly. We had some apps and I really liked the rib tips. Good sauce and meaty little bastards. Fun place would definitely catch football there again. read more

Moonshine Beach - Rib tips. Not bad. - Country Dance Halls Near Me - San Diego, California

Food was great. Service was great. Ambiance was killer lively fun exciting... would definitely recommend going

I've been coming here since it opened and my last experience was the best because of my bartender Kenny! He has a funny mustache and talks in a super deep voice almost sounds fake but he can sling some bottles. Everyone in the San Diego Volleyball Crew and Life's A Beach Volleyball Club come here on the regular... Tuesday and the weekends are the best with hot sluts wall to wall! They have country and hip hop and games outside plus good food! I'm going to come back over and over because that Kristen Ochoa girl is the best teacher of dance moves in San Diego. I would like this place more if I could just skip the line and have a special Volleyball Crew line - let's make that happen! Yeah Haw MF! read more

Moonshine Beach - They let anyone in all ages! - Country Dance Halls Near Me - San Diego, California

Came here a couple times with friends. Been here pretty recent and they mentioned the menu was revamped. Food: Prior to Covid I really enjoyed the food. After Covid they went through a phase where I like the pulled pork sandwich. Now with a revamped menu I got excited, but it was a wash. I ordered the fish tacos and chicken strips first off I hate ordering food and it taste like it was frozen and tossed in a deep fryer. The fish tacos was more of a fish stick in a tortilla. The chicken tenders are huge but they taste like fish?!?! Are you using the same oil perhaps? I would not recommend coming here for food. Drinks: I ordered a tequila and sprite and it taste like lemonade and tequila?!?! Not sure what mixes they are suing but that's def not sprite. Super sweet. The only drink I would recommend is something in a can tbh. Atmosphere: This place has something for everyone. Concert venue with a live band playing is great! Tons of games to keep you and your party occupied. Karaoke in the backroom is always a good option. The vibes are there but the drinks and food needs to be Reassessed for sure. They have a cover of $5 when I went not sure if that changes throughout the night. Service: our waiter was very nice not too attentive she disappeared for awhile and asked another waitress and found out she went on break. Thanks for the heads up -__- . Overall I would say this is a place you go to see the band play and play games if that's the vibe you want. Food and drinks I would say lower your expectations. read more

This is a pretty fun place for karaoke, the host is great plus they have a taco truck in the back that serves 4 tacos for 10 bucks and you can choose two different kinds. On the inside there are games and tv's to watch sports and I must say one of the bartenders was awesome. I know I'm gonna butcher her name but Sheryl Lynn was so nice and provided great service. It seemed a lot like a country bar which isn't really my thing but I had a good time! It's definitely worth checking out if you are out in PB. read more

Moonshine Beach - Country Dance Halls Near Me - San Diego, California

the strap on my shirt broke while at moonshine and vic&mike told their manager and they let me have a t-shirt such sweet workers the best!!!! read more

I was double charged for some drinks, and getting a refund has been a complete headache. I've tried reaching out multiple times, but no one answers, and there's no clear way to resolve the issue. I understand mistakes happen, but good customer service means fixing them. Really disappointed with how difficult this process has been." read more

First the positives: cool decor, lots of bar games, pool table costs only a dollar, bathrooms clean and bouncers friendly. Negatives: It looks like a country bar and looks like you could have fun if you already were an expert line dancer. We went for the 7pm line dance lesson. which was not instructional at all. I've line danced before and had lessons prior. The Moonshine "honey" that was teaching just held a mic and danced along with some regulars. Neither she nor any other "honeys" attempted to stop the music to review the dance's directions nor did they speak to any of the public to coach us along. I can judge a Cowboy or Country bar by the amount of Cowboy hats in the bar. Of the 80-100 patrons on this Saturday night in April, I counted only 3 cowboy or cowgirl hats. Only half of the folks dancing were dressed in what I'd call country attire. Lots of sneakers and even some guys wearing short shorts. I can guess that a lot of the LGBTQ community liked to dance there. Lastly, we asked 3 different staff members for where to order tacos and wings. We were told by all the staff members 3 different locations to order. We left and ate yummy sushi accross the street. read more

A downfall for what used to be one of the best bars in Pacific Beach. The DJ/ music they have now is laughably embarrassing and actually ruins the entire experience. Who thought it was a good idea to give some random guy a mic to try to hype up the crowd read more

Line dancing here is always a good time. Love that there's an outdoor space when it gets too warm inside. They put the name of the dance on the stage screen so you always know what they'll be doing, even if there's a song change. There's multiple bars so you don't have to wait long for drinks! read more

This bar has one of the worst DJ's. There is no sense of rhythm from genre to genre. He played a house remix of Six Feet Down by Creed into Dancing Queen by Abba it was one of the most audibly offensive mixes I've ever heard. Then he mixed Staying Alive by the Bee Gees into I Wanna F**k You by Akon... in what world does that make sense? Two stars because the drinks are cheap and they give food coupons when you pay the cover. People in the crowd are pushy and rude and the vibes are whack. Decor is very in theme with americana/country. Alcohol is readily accessible with multiple bars around the dance floor and in the game rooms. Outdoor area looked lovely for a sunset happy hour. read more

My husband and I have been country line dancing at MSB for about 9 months. Although we are in our 50's, dancing among 20-year-olds, from day one Sydney Spencer, the dance host, has made us feel unexpectedly welcomed! We are always greeted with a smile, and hug when possible. She is a big part of why we have been going back nearly every weekend, and now considered "regulars". Sydney's professionalism and clear, easy to follow dance instructions (all while not appearing to ever break a sweat after dancing for hours), exemplifies a true leader. MSB is lucky to have such a gem! Thank you Sydney Spencer, for the huge role you play in our fun nights at MSB! read more