I am not sure there is anywhere in North County that is anything like Sound by the Sea. It has such a great laid back, chill vibe that you can feel walking in and never leaves you while you're there. We went for some drinks and something to eat after an event and it was the perfect place to wind down, listen to some great music and just enjoy yourself and your company. We had the charcuterie board with meat and it was perfect. There were a lot of different meats and cheeses I thoroughly enjoyed and a perfect accompaniment to the drinks, which was my main focus. I had the Exotica '58 Tiki and my gf had the Midnight Driver. Both were delicious and potent and looked incredible (see pic). We will definitely be back here but next time we might bring some folks to join the vibe... or maybe not. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!! read more

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Came here 8/29 Saturday night and had a not great experience. Ambiance & vibe is cool! But, my group ordered 3 drinks in total here and they were the worst cocktails I've had in my life, and they were $17. My friend ordered a "sexy boy" and it tasted like straight up Pine-sol. I LOVE something a little herbal or bitter-- this was not that, all 3 of us agreed it was undrinkable. She brought it back to the bartender for a lemon drop, that ended up being made sickeningly sweet, like biting into a cinnamon roll!! Can't we just get a normal drink!? There's a wide, wide range between Pine-sol and cinnamon roll. It almost felt insulting, honestly, like a bad joke.. I ordered one of their "specials" and it also came out tasting like cleaning solution. I know bitter Italian liqueurs, I'm not freshly 21, and I can usually get by with a drink I don't prefer, but this was (once again) soooo over-the-top bitter. It just didn't taste like something you should even put in your body-- cleaning solution is the most accurate descriptor. I was excited because this place has great reviews, but we must have came on a bad night.. I'd come back for the DJs, just order water or something in a can. read more

I'll admit, I'm never in Oceanside since it's a bit of a drive compared to the other beach towns. My girlies and I decided to stop by here on the way home from being in OC, and the vibes did not disappoint. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by the host (I forgot his name, but it starts with a V?). Super friendly and helped all of us feel at home; Would occasionally check-in to make sure our needs were taken care of too. Sometimes you walk into bars and deal with judgy/pretentious people or service workers and we didn't get that impression at all from any of the staff here. My girlies and I ended up sitting in the outside area, which honestly was a great choice due to the humid weather AND we got a great view of the beach sunset. It's a bit stuffy (when it's hot), but still nice inside the establishment. We also ordered some drinks and tiramisu to make the most of our time there. Overall, Sound By The Sea is a great spot to catch-up and unwind during one of those longer summer nights (cue the Summer Nights song by Lil Rob lol). I hope you also enjoy the same fun experience my friends and I shared yesterday. Thank you. :-) read more

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Honestly, I am not so sure about this spot. Is it trendy? Yes. Do they play good music? Also yes. I'd say it's a cool spot to grab drinks and enjoy a few accoutrements alongside them, but if you're coming to fulfill an appetite, I don't think it's the place for it. The music definitely makes you want to hang out, and the interior decorations are super trendy. I was one of few guests, and before my food had arrived I was asked to close my tab. Not normally an issue, except that the pizza I ordered (the truffle mushroom) didn't come out initially, and I was served the margarita pizza. There's only two pizzas on the menu, and somehow they made the wrong one. They kindly fixed the mishap, but I might have taken notice of this before I tipped. read more

Sound by the Sea - Truffle mushroom pizza - Wine Bars Near Me - Oceanside, California

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My friend was performing here on a lovely Sunday afternoon. Here was my experience. AMBIANCE: Parking: Street parking. I didn't have any issues really but I can see it getting busy if there's a major event happening. Seating: Plenty you have the choice of indoors or outdoors. Room for maybe 40 people - great for groups or individuals Vibes: Oceanside is a pretty neat area. Its in its name, like a clean beach town. The spot itself is pretty neat - clean and unapologetically a space for music lovers - from the vintage audio gear, comfortable seating, and local vibe. Daytime wise, the space is clearly built for listening, not shouting--so you can actually talk, relax, and soak it all in. FOOD/DRINKS: Mint Condition (Recommend) Refreshing! I enjoyed the zest of lemon, refreshing mint flavor, bubbly sparkle and the calmness of the tea and cucumber. Truffle Popcorn (Recommend) If you're looking for something lite, this is what you're looking for. Well-cooked popcorn with well mixed truffle and parmesan. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Awesome! Friendly people that were invested in the experience. TL; DR OVERALL: 4.5 Stars. Good stuff - music, food, drinks, and vibes. If you're looking for more than "just another bar," this place delivers: great atmosphere, music you can enjoy, and smart food & drinks. I'd definitely come back with friends or for a relaxed date night. TIPS: * Arrive early or check their socials for events. read more

Sound by the Sea - Wooo! - Wine Bars Near Me - Oceanside, California

Sound by the Sea is a bar that focuses on music. I am so happy I stumbled upon this place because it's truly one of a kind. It looks like they frequently feature various DJ's to play through the day. Their sound systems look expensive and feel top notch - hearing the music was one thing, and feeling the music was another. The service is great, but I can tell the staff get busy. I came on a weekend night, and there were lots of people coming in and out. Sometimes it took a while to get a hold of the staff for taking our orders or checking out, but it all went through slowly and smoothly. Everyone is required to order something. I got a rose lemonade that came in a bottle - it was floral and not too sweet (I personally didn't love it). Overall, I'd love to come here more frequently to enjoy the music and atmosphere. I hope they expand to more locations because I truly believe there needs to be more places like this around! read more

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MOST AWFUL DRINKS IVE EVER HAD. So disgusting I had to case ever sip with water to avoid gagging. The only reason I finished it was because it was $17. DJ was enjoyable though. read more

My friend organized a '70s-themed beach party in Oceanside, and we ended up at this cool spot for appetizers and drinks. This was my second time here, and I love everything about this place. First of all, kudos to the bartender--I forgot her name, but she was incredibly generous and kind. She accidentally forgot my drink and kept apologizing, but I told her it was totally fine since we had a large party. To make up for it, she gave me two shots instead of one and even added a big discount. The ambiance of this place is unique and very artsy. If you're looking for a cool, one-of-a-kind spot to hang out, this is it. There's so much attention to detail throughout--even the restroom door is thoughtfully designed with a modern, creative touch. My friend ordered a variety of cocktails, and everyone enjoyed them. The food was great as well. I ordered the hummus plate, and it was the best I've ever had--so fresh and served in a generous portion. My friends tried the pizza and a few other items from the menu, and everything got a thumbs up. If you're in the area looking for a cool place to hang out or planning a party, this is the spot. I'll definitely be back again soon. read more

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This spot is inviting with the music you can hear from the sidewalk. We had no intention of entering here, but we were curious what this place was because besides the sign on the building, we saw an auto body shop sign in front (which was located behind their shop). They basically play vinyl and offered drinks and snacks while you chill and listen to live vinyl music played by the DJ at the bar. We sat at the bar and he didn't interact with us once. We thought that was odd since we could've chosen to sat anywhere else; there was other seating inside and a whole patio outside. Sitting at the bar is awkward enough to not be welcomed by the person working behind the counter, you know? Drink menu consists of different alcohol and non-alcoholic options. A few of the snacks you choose from are flatbreads, empanadas, or charcuterie. The flatbread comes from a spot in San Diego so they are toasting it for you. It was good. They offer combo deals which I thought was cool. Two beers of any choice and flatbread was $25. This place was not bad, a bit too hipster that would probably do better in North Park, but cool concept. The bathroom is literally behind a farm barn door near the bar. read more

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The Sound Bar has a really fun vibe and is a cool place to hang out with friends. The music and energy make it feel lively, especially in the evening. It's a good spot if you're looking for drinks and a social atmosphere. The DJ had a great selection of music. The food selection was okay. I had the truffle popcorn which was great! The staff was very nice and the place is family friendly. read more

Sound by the Sea - Vanilla latte and truffle popcorn - Wine Bars Near Me - Oceanside, California

I've been going to this place for a while and I love it! It has the coolest vibe and is a great place if you just want to get a cocktail and chill. My boyfriend and I did the 2 cocktail and a dessert combo for $35 which I think is a pretty good deal! We both love the Tago Mago which has a nice mango flavor a little bit smoky. Definitely going to keep coming back! read more

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What a fantastic spot!! We still need to come in for a regular bar experience, we came for the Night Market, which we enjoyed! So many adorable and niche vendors there. Thank you for having affordable and delicious drinks available, you don't see that often where a place has great entertainment followed by affordable drinks! This place has been talked about by all my friends and I'm happy i got to experience it. Can't wait to come back for more DJs sets!! read more

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Came from 8-9pm on a Friday night. I love how eclectic this place is. Lounge vibes are strong. Loved the tiramisu and truffle popcorn. Husband liked the El Golpe (so smooth because of the soju). I had the Sweetest Taboo, but I'd opt for a glass of wine next time. DJ was great. Check insta for their lineup. read more

Sound by the Sea - Tiramisu and truffle popcorn plus cocktails! - Wine Bars Near Me - Oceanside, California

Gals and I bar hopping decided to hop in here. Love the vibes love the space. Service was great. We had wine for the time being one bottle was good enough for 3. We will come back and try out more! read more

This place was so cute! Parking is along the street which wasn't too bad on a Tuesday night. The ambiance is amazing, love the vibe. Inside & outdoor space were equally aesthetically pleasing. Service was fast, friendly, & thoughtful. Loved the DJ of the night, also liked that there was an actual section to buy records. We got some tumeric tea, truffle popcorn, 2 empeñadas (spinach/mint/beef, & then chicken), also got the flatbread which was delicious. Will definitely be back! read more

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We wanted to try something new so we checked this place out for a date night. It's clean and had lots of natural lighting, but not as lively as we expected. It's literally a dude spinning vinyl in the center of the room. I didn't see any requests list option but, it's possible that I just missed it. Friendly servers, good return time on items ordered. Prices are a bit high for Soju based "craft cocktails". read more

I had the pleasure of attending ASMOTthe first special event by **Sound by the Sea**, featuring a five-course East African fine dining experience by chefs Chris Nshimye, Davin, and Jason, Every dish was rich in flavor, and the warm, welcoming staff created a chill yet sophisticated vibe. Adding to the magic, Captain Planet curated an all-vinyl tribute to African Funk and Jazz, perfectly complementing the evening. This was a truly unique fusion of food and music, we hope this is just the beginning of many more events to come! Thank you to the staff and chefs for a magical experience read more

Sound by the Sea - Chapati and tea - Wine Bars Near Me - Oceanside, California

Oof, I really wanted to like this place. But this wasn't it. They have potential but they're not there yet. First off, they have a "wait to be seated" sign at their entrance, but it took a while to get anyone to seat us. When we were inside, we noticed there was another entrance and people were just walking in, so "waiting to be seated" was just an option? We ordered a beer and seltzer and it took easily 10-15 minutes to get our drinks. Drinks that were in cans by the way. Music was good, DJs were good, but the whole vibe of the place is kinda everywhere. This lighting in this place needs to be more dimmed. DJs are spinning right in the middle of the room, and there's a clothes rack just chilling against the wall. The baristas are way in the back, and you can't really tell who works there. It took equally as long to get the check as it did to get my drinks. We only had 1 round of drinks. I dunno, waiting for canned drinks just threw me off. I can't imagine how much longer it would have taken to get a mixed cocktail. I only saw one guy mixing drinks and a bunch of women just hanging around. I'm assuming workers that look like they don't work there. read more

The place to be.. music flows, as well as conversations. Good variety of food and drinks. Service is a little slow but overall everyone is nice. Small space, make a reservation for parties. We enjoy it there every time. read more

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I came here on my visit to O'side last month. I was happy to find it was a short walk away from my vacation rental, too! But I can't speak to the parking situation because of that. My immediate impression was great. Moody, colored lighting, DJ was already spinning, it was packed. I sat at the bar space in the middle where the DJ was since I was by myself. Loved the music. I think my experience may have been a little better if I was at a table though. They seemed to prioritize larger parties in terms of service. It took so long for me to get served. I mean, they were busy, sure. But I was watching their staff. And they kept congregating by the bar, talking to each other. Meanwhile, it took 15 minutes for me to get a drink. And then I ordered one of the pizzas, which was a mistake. Apparently these are artisan pizzas made fresh but I read that on the menu which was the only thing I could do while I waited. What that really means though is you have to wait nearly an hour to get a tiny pizza that's like maybe the equivalent of 2 slices. The pizza was tasty, but for the price and wait time and the fact that I was still hungry after -- not worth it. And I was never informed it would take a long time. Even worse, all I got was an apology from the waitress. No discount, no "we want to make it right here's a free appetizer," no coupon. Just a sorry for the wait, an hour after I ordered a tiny pizza. I might come back here just for drinks and to listen to the DJs. But I'm never ordering food from here again. I really hope they work on their customer service and get a faster/better kitchen! The space is really cool, especially the back patio. But please be more attentive to your patrons! read more

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Went here the other day for a friend's birthday and we were immediately greeted with great service! The drinks were great and came out quick! Honestly the best vibes and best apperol spritz we have ever had read more

Sound by the Sea - Wine Bars Near Me - Oceanside, California

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Lots of potential! Just not quite there yet. Beer was good, how could it not, it was canned. Though that part was not mentioned in the menu or by the server (they should fix that). Cool concept, just felt more like a North Park place rather than O'side. The seats looked like they could use some cleaning. The dj, was playing some cool tunes, introduced himself to everyone that would come to his area and sit, except me and my date. It felt intentional I had a question for him and had initially wanted to make conversation to compliment him on his music choice. But I was either ignored or he couldn't hear me? I hope it was the latter but I cant help but wonder since he introduced him self to everyone at varying times, except us. We ordered a flat bread, it was good! It was my birthday and I wanted to explore some places that maybe wouldn't otherwise do. Needless to say we won't be coming back. Bummer. read more

Sound by the Sea - Beer menu. No mention of canned, bottled, or draft. - Wine Bars Near Me - Oceanside, California

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An absolute home away from home. Been coming to Oceanside for ions and to the SBTS since it's opening. Dom the owner is welcoming, warm and makes you feel like kin. He absolutely nailed what the listener experience should be. His expertise with the SBTS leaves you feeling electric and inspired. Dom's support of musicians and artists is invaluable. Most music establishments believe you need to be turned up harshly loud in order to create a good music experience. Dom's engineering background proves that the accurate soundscape matters and his attention to detail on all levels has made this my favorite place to be while at the beach. This is not a pretentious place despite how rad it looks. This is not a 21 and over place. I feel this is a great contribution to future musicians. Respectful kids who come here and get to visually experience music played in this special way, very well can spark a magical musician within themselves. Thank you SBTS for creating a stellar space for actual listeners and for contributing a human experience to the community. read more

Sound by the Sea - Ryan Güt - The Shastafarian Listening Gathering 6/10/26 - Wine Bars Near Me - Oceanside, California

I love this place. Great ambiance and music. This time we got to enjoy a live DJ set and enjoy delicious cocktails. I was surprised that their cocktails were only soju based. We came too late for food but they had a pretty good selection of bites. Overall, we had a good night. Our friends even won tickets to Proper NYE Rave through the cocktail offer they had going on! Highly recommend! read more

Great vibe! They had a dj who was playing the different albums and he was playing good tracks. I highly recommend!

It was 10000 degrees in there. Cooler outside but there was a fair going on with a smelly generator. Food was really bad. Weird red hummus with old carrots with white marks on them. Place was dirty and very rough around the edges. Music not too loud which was good. Liked the $7 hard seltzer option, other cocktail was meh! If you don't mind dirtiesh bar vibe hot as hell then yeah. Maybe if I was 25 again. read more

We arrived around 3pm on a Sunday, and planned to have a couple of beers and play some cards while we listened to music. The DJ was good, the mix well curated. Great concept with music that crucially is not too loud, so you can both enjoy the music and hear your companions. Limited but adequate beer and wine selection. Bottles and cans, no draft. Non-liquor cocktails made with soju and such, and some kombucha along with non-alcoholic options. The service ranged from uneven to outright hostile. Ordered two beers at the bar. Was handed two $9 cans, no glasses were offered, even though there was a wall of glassware behind the bar. Asked for glasses and the bartender looked confused, then disappeared into the back for several minutes with no explanation. Stood at the bar awkwardly wondering if I should just go sit back down. They finally reappeared with two pilsner glasses for our IPAs. Wrong glass, but at that point I just wanted to sit down and drink my beer. Very strange. Not like there was such a crowd in there that they had run out of IPA or even just regular beer glasses. Hopefully just an inexperienced bartender, though "beer in a glass" isn't exactly an exotic drink order. A pleasant hour or so after we sat down, a couple of customers and staff starting setting up for what looked like a birthday party. Fine, ok. There was no sign out front about closing for a private event or anything. We were in the far corner on a 2-top, and one person said we were not in the way and the party wasn't for at least an hour anyway so no worries. About 4:45 we were 3/4 finished with our 2nd/3rd drinks and planning to leave after. One employee started putting decorations up behind us. My companion scooted her chair to make room and said to the woman "Sorry, let me scoot out of your way a bit." The employee turned to face us and snapped "We have a party booked at 5, so I'm going to have to ask you leave." What the F!?!? It was so completely RUDE that we were just gobsmacked and didn't know what to say. Again, there was NO sign outside about a private event, and nobody had said a word to us about it closing. No previous "hey just to let you know, we have a private party coming at 5, so last call" comment, nothing. No warnings at all. Just a hostile "GTFOH!" from a staff member out of the blue. After picking our jaws off the floor, we waited until she left and waved the manager/owner guy over and said what had happened. He seemed very apologetic and said "you can stay as long as you want" but at that point we just wanted to get the hell out of there. I'd have liked to visit again, hoping the staff either changed or got some retraining. But my partner adamantly refuses to go back there again after that experience. A real shame, because it's a neat concept and right here in Oceanside. read more

What a gem! This is the perfect late night spot in Oceanside with great drinks, atmosphere and music. I hosted a party of 12 here for my birthday and the restaurant was very accommodating and easy to work with on the booking. We will be back! read more

This place was extraordinary! If you're in oceanside, You'll have to pop by! The ambiance was incredible, had a very lively mood and had a great vibe. The atmosphere was very pleasant, the chairs are very plush and comfortable. DJ was incredible, the music and sound was awesome. Service was excellent, we got served right away! Our server was very nice and professional, and drinks and food were out very quickly. Food and drinks were delicious. I had an expresso martini, it was very refreshing and good. It is a bit expensive, but if you are coming here for the experience it's worth it. This is definitely a great place to chill and drink, I really recommend it. read more

Sound by the Sea - What a cool vibe! Live DJ - Wine Bars Near Me - Oceanside, California

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I really wanted to like this place. Came here last night with a 7pm reservation and everything started out fine. We were seated at the bar and the music was great. Problem came when 22min later no one had come to check on us or take our order....it was so bad we awkwardly asked the DJ if we were supposed to go to the bar ourselves. DJ said we could so I went to the bar and got 2 drinks ($40) total and was told they would bring them to us. Another 10min later I watched our drinks sit on the bar while no one bothered to bring them over so I grabbed them. Very cool place but it's small and for how much they are charging this customer service is unacceptable. I'm hoping I just caught them on a bad night but my friend and I left with a bad taste in our mouths. read more

first of all, lower your expectations. SOUND BY THE SEA is NOT an over-the-top glitz fest. then again it's not an all sizzle and no steak or all steak and no sizzle kind of place either. it's modest, unassuming, and a cozy spot to listen to music. what did Mammy say (in Gone with the Wind) about Scarlett and Brett being mules in horse harnesses and not fooling anybody? these guys aren't trying to fool anybody. they are perfectly comfortable being who they are and it's reflected in the place's energy. the wife and I shared a glass of Malbec and a TRUFFLE and SPINACH FLATBREAD with a prosciutto add. both were delicious. a perfect way to spend a lovely and relaxed Friday afternoon. read more

Sound by the Sea - TRUFFLE and SPINACH FLATBREAD with prosciutto add - Wine Bars Near Me - Oceanside, California

The vibe was chill when we arrived but became high energy late evening when the music became fully immersive. There was a dj playing along with live performers simultaneously. Totally different than any other place we've been to and loved it. read more

Sound by the Sea - Chill beats late evening - Wine Bars Near Me - Oceanside, California

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Came here to celebrate for a friends birthday, it was all of our firsts time. The ambiance was really nice and everything was going great for the most part until one of my friends found what looked to be a Zyn pouch at the bottom of her beer glass. We couldn't believe it. We came up to the bartender and he proceeded to look busy while shrugging it off tossing it in the sink. We stayed and asked to speak to someone else who could make sense of it and when the other waiter came by the bartender lied about throwing away the zyn. They decided to comp the bill only 30% while the manager never came to discuss what happened. Would not come here again. read more

Great place to relax with a delicious drink and enjoy one of the best sound systems in probably Orange County. The service is great too, lots of attention to detail by the staff. read more

This is the coolest place I've spent my Friday evening and I would love to spend all my future evenings here! I can't speak for the food but they do have flatbreads and little apps. The cheese board that someone ordered by us looked really large and shareable and good! They have a wide array of drinks from teas, coffee, mocktails, and other alcoholic beverages!! The vibes are 100... love all the comfy seating lounge areas and the outdoor patio with fire pits. Definitely a fun place to go with a small group and enjoy some vinyl being spun! read more

Fun Place, great sound system, good people. Recommended to anyone who wants to hear great music and likes a good vibe.

The music and sound system was really nice and unique. The service however was extremely slow/nonexistent. We had a table but didn't see a waitress for 30 mins, so we went up to the bar to order. As I waited to order, another customer was upset because she tried to get her bill and waited at the table for over a half hour for a coffee, 45 mins waiting for the bill and then when she went to the register to pay, no one helped her when the card reader wasn't working. After ordering at the bar, I stood there for another 15-20 mins waiting for the drinks to then bring back to the table. The waitress was very sweet but they were extremely short staffed read more

Very cute place. Snack type foods and chill vibe. Was on a date night and thought it was quaint. Djs that night were meh, def didn't read the room but overall it's worth a try. read more

Paid for a table reservation for my pregnant wife and me. When we got there they let us know they were having a private party so we could only sit on one side of the place which resulted in us sitting at the counter. No big deals just wish they let us know there was an event before we paid for a reservation. Took our order. Flat bread came out, was kind wet for some reason? Waited an hour for our empanadas when we finally just got up to get our check. They said "oh you're the reservation.. Uh well take the empanadas off for you" well thanks. Service was pretty much non existent. Nice sound system. Wanted to like it, sadly disappointed. read more

Friends came along with me to this beautiful space. The aperol spritz's were flowing. There's plenty of places for parking, if not in parking lot then on street. Super clean and the staff also didn't disappoint. read more