Josh is a horrible bouncer, calling patrons names, pushing them into walls, refusing them admittance under the accusations of being drunk. Even if the person had had a few drink he assumes they are drunk even if they are not. Refusing business and pushing people around is unprofessional and a bully. Never is it ok for a man to push a women up against the wall and call her an idiot, drunkin idiot, horseface or loser. I myself have had one drink. There is a reason open bar is called open sore.... read more

There seemed to be a lot of dancing. I remember the bathroom being fairly acceptable to take a #2 in. Maybe it wasn't covered in vomit yet. 5 stars minimum. read more

The bouncer was unprofessional and my friend's purse was stolen. It seemed like they ran this bar like a party rather than a professional business. read more

The worst place I have ever been to. This place charged my friends 76 dollars for a shot and two beers and gave them lip when the refused. Normally I would be down but the Long Island they poured me and my friend were weak. I would never go back again and to be honest the atmosphere was whack! I wouldn't go back here if I had a ten foot pole. read more

Spent each evening of our vacay here, Jason was our bartender one evening and he was the best!

Warning!! people this place is not safe after 5 or at all. The bartender girls are rude and ratchet very unprofessional, I heard them tell the bouncers to escort people out if they don't like them. I've read the reviews and majority of time people complained about people getting treated like bad and losing their belongings. Some co owners think they're entitled to being rude for no reason. Some bouncers are nice before sunset and some are not they think they are cops trying to hurt people by kicking them out. It's the majority that speaks poor of this place and the one giving a good review are locals probably. The bouncers are used to dealing with belligerent people so they think everyone is the same I supposed. Very disappointed the only decent person their is probably the taco man and the tacos lol read more

I bought 1 round of two gin and tonics ($5.50 a piece) at $11 total and tipped $2 for a total of $13 and they charged me $30. That's not cool at all. It was our first drink for the night as we traveled through PB. read more

After a quick stint across the street, we rolled here to take down a few more drinks with hopes of a smaller crowd and a much more divey vibe. It's been many years since I've been to Open Bar and it really seems that not a thing has changed. It's still grimey, service still kind of sucks, it's still cheap(ish) and the patrons are a little rough around the edges - classic Open Bar. If you're a local and are looking for a good way to mix up your typical routine, give it a shot. Hell, take a shot. If your a tourist staying down the street at a 5 million dollar vacation rental, this is not the place for you. PB is already riddled with opportunities to get punched in the face and going here will only increase those chances with an accidental stare or hitting on the wrong girl. Recap: it's a local dive, great for adventurous locals but could be a bad play for an uncomfortable, out of place tourist. Enjoy your margarita at the Bahia. read more

Bouncers are extremely nasty, rude, unprofessional and hostile. And funny enough it's not just me! I have no idea how this place is still in business with the shutdown, COVID and terrible service. Yet other places closed because of the pandemic, shame on this place for being so unappreciative for business during a national crisis. Do not ever come here. I've been to literally every other bar in PB and have never been treated so badly in my life. Tell them to get better customer service if you do decide to come here. I will never come back and tell all my friends to avoid this place. read more

This place is a smoker's paradise! A huge outdoor patio with loads of people lighting up add a smoky smell to the premises. A diverse crowd can be found here imbibing cheap beer and playing foosball or pool. Our intrepid hero found the popcorn a bit questionable and would warn visitors against consuming any, unless they were really desperate for free food (if it could be called food), or just plain drunk. Some of the patrons were a bit sketchy, and there were some creepy old (in their 50's) guys here as well. Generally, the scene here was more mature dressed-down blue collar folks compared to other PB bars. PROS: - Nice big patio - Washrooms (for guys at least) are relatively clean compared to the rest of the bar - No cover CONS: - A bit run down - A night in this bar probably takes a week off your life from all the second hand smoke read more

Really shitty bar!!! Very bad service & bartenders. The bartenders are very rude and unprofessional. If you don't enjoy your job then maybe you should go to college and actually get a degree. Don't recommend at all. read more

If you want to get drunk and not care what people think of you... this is the place to be. Full of people who aren't looking or dressing to impress, the Open bar is the diviest bars in PB. A kick ass juke box, cheap drinks, dirty tile floors, the smell of bleach, a decent patio and a popcorn machine basically describe Open Bar. Here you'll find people who don't shower, others coming straight off the beach, or cute girls who aren't feeling the need to look their prettiest....and chances are, they'll still hook up! Still, Open bar is a great place to get drunk without pretense. It's a fun stop on a pub crawl, or to grab a cold beverage while hangin' at the beach. No matter what... it's always a good time! read more

Rich is the BEST bartender ever!!!!! The drinks were perfect. He remembered our names, and we never had to ask for a drink. And my personal fave. Great taste in baseball teams!!!!! read more

Dear Open Bar, Why do you hate me? I understand that I am not blond enough( naturally or unnaturally) for the area. I realize that I am short, but why, why do your bartenders CONTINUALLY ignore me when I am standing directly in front of them? I am not rude. I was a bartender for years, I under stand your plight!! And yet why does it take 15 min to get a drink on a slow night? Open bar.. I extend my middle finger to you. We are done. read more

Noisy low class crowd. I actually witnessed a human oreo cookie grind on the dance floor. Let me just say, that if the woman in the middle were filling, it would've been a cheap mayonnaise. Music and DJ were good, though, they should probably look to another venue to show off their talent. I will opt NOT to return. read more

I truly enjoyed my time spent at Open Bar on St. Patty's day. Although my judgement was a bit blurred by the Irish Car Bomb's and shots of whisky on the walk past a few bars down Garnett, I am staying solid with my 4 stars. Most places try and bust your balls and wallet on St. Patty's. Open bar had $8 pitchers of Red Trolley and the same regular Monday Night specials. I spent.. nothing. Sweet. That is actually a miracle. The drinks were cheap enough where even my tight friends could afford to buy a couple rounds!! The patio (deck) is super chill and I was pleasant as pie parked out there with my leprechan friends. Obviosly this place is a little less crewd to the billigerantly drunk because none of us were harrassed or bothered the entire night. Sweet. I will be back. Fo Sho. Probably on a Monday. read more

Looking to fight? Looking to get bumped into incessantly by 'Zonies staying at neighboring hotels? Looking for guys that take their foosball too seriously??? THIS IS YOUR PLACE! It does have outdoor seating and is close to Pac Drive skate shop. I could see this being semi-passable before 5 PM. read more

Hey Any Of You Gals Want Some Crackers? It's better than the book club. Yeah, OK. Let's get to the politics of this unpretentious morning, afternoon or late-nyt drinking shack where the locals go. At least a dozen cheep beers on tap. Pitchers. Free music over the air. Lots of laughter. Your outdoor voices are fine. And if your already drunk, no big deal. How do they manage to create such a fun and unique experience? I don't know maybe it's Rock-It Science Baby~ read more

Normally not my vibe but once I met Lisa, she literally handled all my bar needs. Sweet drinks, good vibes, and all over great customer service. Literally ever other bar was mean rude and nasty while Lisa and the open bar staff remained calm nice and collective to deliver quality service and great customer appreciation. Literally can't think of a better spot with better staff! 100% service every day of the week! A read more

Reasons to visit Open Bar: -Novelty glasses - MINI PITCHERS! -Patios for enjoying San Diego sun! -Clean (enough) bathrooms! -Drink prices that don't drain my wallet! -Friendly bartenders! -Free popcorn! -People watching! -Foosball! -Rad bouncers like Eric! See all of the exclamation points!? What are you waiting for? It's Beer O'Clock!!! read more

So random. Wound up here randomly. Service is eh. Drinks are unremarkable, variety is limited. Area is slightly ghetto. Interior is cramped and has peanuts in a rice cooker. Crowd is lacking in diversity. BUTTTTTT this Saturday night the dj was pretty sick. Great dancing music, hip hop rap and bay music. Was such a surprise. Plus the people watching is pretty entertaining. Grab a beer and have a good time. Come to dance. read more

Love this place!! We always have a great time and we always run into someone from Holtville. The drinks are awesome and the music is great too. Oh you can't forget the yummy warm peanuts too. read more

This place is junk ! Rude employees just lost about 1k in sale. Had a group of 30 and off to the next place ! Good luck. Stay away from this place. Go one block up on the beach and check out a real nice spot. With employees like they have I'm not sure how the doors stay open. Good luck owners you better get ahold on them before it's too late... read more

The most unpretentious crowd in PB. I used to call this place the Open Sore because it sorta stinks in here like bleach and something else. Cheap cheap drinks, dirty sticky floors, large patio that is usually packed on sunny days, pool tables, and a popcorn machine. This is a beach dive. The crowd here is mostly people that are not feeling like impressing others, and getting overly done up. Which works just fine for me. There is still plenty of eye candy just not covered in hair goop (the guys) or makeup. When I was single, I met many a hottie at this place but without all the pretense you sometimes naturally exube when you're at a non-divey bar. One of my favorite boyfriends I met at this bar-so yes you can meet nice men at a bar! He was actually quite handsome, if not one of the hottest guys I have ever dated, and we tapered off because I think he wanted more than I wanted to give at that time in my life. Note though: he was NOT from San Diego, he was from Southern Florida. Mom you are so wrong- I did meet a nice boy at a bar, it paid off! I like dive bars and high end places all the same, I go for different reasons to each. I have never had a bad time here, the staff is always friendly, the door guys know my name though I don't always remember theirs, I always get a nice buzz on, and the company I come here with is always fun. read more

I would've given this place a couple more stars, but I had to knock it down to one after my experience here last Saturday night. I've been here once or twice before and had an okay time getting wells drinks that were of predictable quality (not too strong, but also not too expensive either). Last Saturday, I ordered two Adioses (AMFs) so that my out-of-town guest could try one with me. These were $8/each, and I almost could have sworn that I didn't see the bartender put in anything else but blue curacao and soda; my companion didn't see anything either, and commented on how fast the drinks were made. I didn't want to jump to assumptions, so I had my other friend try my drink; she said it tasted like nothing but sweet and sour. I brought the drinks back to complain and ask for them to be remade, and the bartender swore he put in 4 shots each as per the recipe and said he would not remake them. There's no way that as much blue curacao and soda could have fit into those drinks if there'd already been 4 shots in each; I didn't see even a full shot in each one. Neither my partner or I felt anything, even after finishing the drinks, and neither of us had had anything to eat in a few hours. I'm really disappointed in this place and in the bartender who seemed to think he could rip off a couple of people who weren't locals. Music at this place is to my liking, but it's definitely a bit too loud; maybe I'm too far beyond my 21-year old college days. Decent that there's at least a smoking patio where people can go outside and hear each other talk. read more

A block from the beach, really affordable drinks ($23 for four drinks, including a pitcher of diet coke and Captain Morgan!), free hot peanuts (this changed everrrrything), and a nice "bouncer"/security guard. I'll return to this dive bar on my next trip, no doubt! read more

Eric the security guard makes me very uncomfortable with his hostile personality. He was extremely rude when checking my ID. I am 23 years old and there was no reason for him to be insanely rude. The new security Troy makes up for the lack of hospitality with Eric. read more

I created a Yelp account just so that I could give Open Bar some love. This place rules. Less than a block from the beach with a decent sized patio. The indoor area is also spacious with a lot of t.v.'s. I've been here many, many times without disappointment. The bouncers are cool once they realize you're cool too. If you're some pooh-butt that can't handle your booze, then you probably won't like them. The bartenders are all awesome. In fact, they greet me and my buddy with pitchers of PBR as we enter the place. Why PBR you ask? Because they're $3.25 for a 32 ouncer pretty much every day except Friday and Saturday. Yes, this isn't the classiest joint in the world, but the people that work there are great and the booze is cheap. What more do you want from a dive bar near the beach in P.B.? read more

I always want to avoid this place but somehow always end up here. It seems to have a strange gravitational pull after ingesting some alcohol. Hmm, I now dub this place "the PB bar that most resembles that vaguely attractive girl you call, when drunk, to fuck , who is always game for it too, but then you feel a little dirty about it later and don't want to be hanging out in daylight." I'll think of something catchier later...oh, wait, I guess booty call bar kinda works...oh well. Last note, I consider myself somewhat of a dive bar aficionado, so don't discount this review if you think I'm not down with places that could use some cleaning or customer service lessons. Quite frankly I prefer them. This place still seems to draw at times a douchbag crowd though. read more

I love this place! Good DJ, cheap drinks, and a great ego boost if you're in your 30's and want to get hit on by barely 21 year olds - which I don't, so I sit at the bar and order drinks. I love coming here on weekend days and sitting on the patio watching riff raff float on by. Door guys and bartenders are always nice! read more

Staff was completely inappropriate at the door. I went in with 3 friends around 9pm last night and then went outside to make sure my sister (who was from out of town) got to the location okay. The door man told me I would have to wait back in line, and once I did, would not let me back in. Door man would not give me any excuse as to why. When I spoke to the manager, he stood by his decision even though he agreed he had no reason. This created an unnecessary situation and my group opted to go to another bar. Last time I checked, door men were there to make sure the bar abided by laws and only let in people of age, not to discriminate against patrons for clearly no reason. Will never come back to this bar. Also, says a lot about a bar whose main picture is a man giving the middle finger. Stay classy, San Diego. read more

A small sports bar with several big screen TVs for when the game is on. There's also a pool table in the back. I love that it's located right next to the beach, literally less than a minutes walk away! I came here as the first stop of a bar crawl with some friends. We each got a can of PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon) as per my friend's suggestion. He said it was the beer of his college days. I've personally never had it before (or even heard of it) and I'm already done with undergrad now.. but anyways, it was cheap beer with the taste to match. We stayed only for about 30 minutes before we went on to the next stop of our bar crawl adventure. read more

Probably the best place to really dance in pb is at Open Bar. Great music and a fun atmosphere. Drinks are cheap and there is enough space to get your grove on. Like most bars in the area, it is pretty packed and you got to wiggle around to get anywhere. It is a bit of dive bar and kind of trashy. I didn't try out the food when I was here but maybe next time. As far as I could tell, this is where I would go if I'm looking to dance and not just lean up against a wall. As far as everything elese, questionabld. Overall, Open Bar is a nice spot to go. Definitely worth checking out. read more

Hahahaha this place gets pretty bumping on a Sunday night! I've also been there on a Monday afternoon. Such different vibes!! The daytime was super chill and a very random crew of day drinkers. Had a blast both times and the service was quick. Not the cleanest place but so much fun:) read more

Walked by and saw it with my GF so we decided to go to have a drink and chill. We walked in the wrong entrance and when we sat down the body guard walked up and asked for ids (I don't blame him because we did go in the wrong entrance so it looks a little suspicious), but he wasn't cool at all. He said we had to leave because he wouldn't accept my gfs id because her hair color is different now and she didn't have another form of identification on her. Pretty embarrassed we had to leave. Quite a disappointment because we were excited to try the place out. We walked next door to "Beach wood" and sat on the beach view roof and watched the waves and had a couple drinks instead. Kind of a bummer about "Open Bar", but next time well most likely give it another try! read more

I'm going to pop my yelp cherry with Open Bar "The poor blind man's Abbey. I decided to take advantage of the beauty that is living in Pacific Beach and go for a stroll in the sun before meeting up with a friend who I will later talk into meeting me at Open Bar. While walking, I couldn't help but to hear Kesha bumping in the distance. Sadly there is something about the tune of "Jesus on my neck a lace lace lace lace that draws me in. She like Greek siren calling me in to kill me, I can't resist. Kesha called me surprisingly into Open Bar. As you walk up to Open Bar it is very open (surprise surprise), a nice but small outside area with primo location to the beach. The place has a traditional dive bar pool table vibe and presences even down to the crowd of people that were drinking away a sunny afternoon. A pretty eclectic of the frat guy/sorority girls, local alchys, cougars and the beach tourists. Excellent people watching. The bar was busy but not over crowded, plenty of spare stools for the taking. It was 3pm though... Now what sets Open Bar aside from your traditional dive bar is definitely the music selection ranging from Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Kesha to Beyonce. None of the people at the bar seem like they would be interested in this type of music but everyone seemed to be having a good time. One cougar might have dropped it like it was a little too hot. If I closed my eyes and didn't know any better I would think I was back home sipping down a beer at The Abbey in West Hollywood. It actually made for a really interesting vibe that enjoyed. Now unlike The Abbey the prices were very affordable and the bartenders were quick with the drink orders. After grabbing a seat I had a frosty Sierra Nevada in hand in less than a minute. I only drank beer so I can't comment how they make the drinks but there was a good selection of beers on tap. There however didn't seem to be any refrigeration and all the drinks were kept in coolers but this just adds some charm to the bar. I will definitely be going back to listen to some Rhiana and chug some PBR on tap. If you looking for a low key dive bar, Open Bar is a good choice. Oh yea let us not forget free warm peanuts and chili for the taking. Get it Open Bar. Get it. read more

Best dive bar at the beach. Cheap drinks. Great staff. Hilariously diverse crowd of regulars. All types of folks always welcome. Doesn't get any better in my opinion. read more

I like this place. They seem to have great jams on most of the time. Save the one time someone loaded $800 into the jukebox to feed their heavy metal need. They have cheap beers. They have warm nuts. No joke. There are 2 or 3 crockpots full of shelled peanuts just keepin' warm, ready to wash down your beer with. And don't worry, you can throw those shells right on the floor. They have a patio. For when you need to soak in some rays, or yell at random passers by. They have foosball. Duh. It's a fun, unpretentious bar; a pearl in the douche-sea that can be PB. read more

One of my favorite spots to continue pounding cheap beers when the sun goes down and you're moving the party from the beach to the bars. With a couple of fuse ball tables, you can start a nice tournament, instead of having to deal with the crowded tables and 21 year-old frat kids at Plumcrazy down Garnet. The outdoor patio can get pretty packed; I've seen people literally spill out into the street trying to drink here and stay upright. Good thing it's only a few steps down. read more

Loved Open Bar! Seriously just a block off the beach, had a great time! Came with some friends that were meeting up with a bunch of co-workers for a birthday. We got set up at our own little end of the bar...and just drank the night away. Our bartender (Mike? I think) was awesome - let me try a few beers, even while they were busy before making an ultimate decision. Super friendly, great bartender! This place has a foosball table, pool, looked like there was plenty of room for dancing on some nights. Peanuts for grabs in a heated crock-pot thing lol...so divey. Definitely not the cleanest place I've ever been...but I think that's just a very minor con to the whole atmosphere of this place. It was great! I'll definitely be back in. read more