Super chill dive bar, affordable spot to hangout and drink affordable drinks I'll definitely be back

Staff treatment is disappointing. My friends and I love BLVD and have been making a point to come every week. Had my ID denied this week, the bartender lied that it scanned as "not a real ID" twice, despite it being my government identification. I'm from out of state, so I understand the speculation. We live down the street & I waited outside while my friend brought my passport. They shut all the doors and windows on us while just waiting outside, which is excessive but understandable. Eventually they turned away a 10+ group deeming all of our valid IDs as underage, including my passport. I understand compliance, but being unnecessarily rude to regular customers who provide business was frustrating. Not surprised SDSU students don't go anymore. None of us will be returning. On a better note, Corbin's and The Mesa down the street are much more fun & welcoming! Highly recommend giving your money to a better business. read more

Questionable customer service and how they treat people but the spot is alright. Ambiance is good

Krissy and Francesca were great! Nice little dive bar, service was attentive and friendly.

Hated it! Haha, sorry, Blvd Bar, I'd love to rate you guys better it's just not my scene. I can't even put my finger on what's wrong with this place other than the awful male-female ratio, but it's just not a bar I enjoy. And just reading Brad B.'s review makes me realize how I had an enjoyable night here compared to him!!! read more

I've been coming to this bar for over 2 years now and I absolutely adore Hireem. He is absolutely amazing and as a young woman I feel the safest when he is working. If there is ever a situation where I am uncomfortable I feel more then comfortable talking to him about it and he always takes proper precautions to fix the situation. He makes the atmosphere more than welcoming which is why I continue to come here. Also I love Rachel she is the best! read more

Best Dive Bar in San Diego... awesome vibe and atmosphere which makes it a great place to chill and relax! Hiram the doorman keeps the peace and the bar tenders remember your name... a must visit for your bucket list! read more

I personally love this bar and consider myself a local. The reason for my continued patronage is for hireem the bouncer. Hireem has always been on top of the cleanliness and professionalism of the bar. Most importantly, I am a young woman and I will never feel as safe in any bar unless hireem is there. If there is EVER any problem he is on top of it instantly with the perfect level of reaction. He keeps me and the entire bar safe. The entire young woman demographic. The entire male demographic safe. From my first time walking into Blvd, he has been nothing but kind, considerate and respectful to all who act appropriately. He is the reason I return to Blvd consistently. Shout out to Rachel too, she somehow knows when I finish a drink and instantly a new one appears in front of me. Love ya Rachel read more

Julie is an absolute saint along with the Mexican food Tuesday and Thursday! It is 5 star! The is a certain stank on this bar right now I wont return until Hiram is gone. A new hire did nothing wrong and tried to quit tonight. This guy is bad business and has no place here. read more

This place was fun, brought with my older sister. We came out for st patty's day and didn't know where to go. Our Uber took us here and I was happy with our destination. Some good drinks and everyone was so nice! So nice it was close to home! read more

The bouncer folded my ID in half to check its legitimacy and then ridiculed my friend for having hers bent due to someone doing the same thing. We arrived well before they closed and were met with attitude from the bartender and fake bouncer who was really the barback. Save your energy and go to a normal place like Majorette that isn't infested with creepy men and can tell that my 25 year old ID is real by looking at it not snapping it in half. It may be time to retrain your staff! read more

No doubt this is at the top of the list of many SDSU students as the coolest Dive Bar in the college area! I'm not sure if they actually serve food...but the drinks are great (yup nice and heavy pours...:), the daily tap special are unbeatable and, of course, the service, second to none! Go there early, or ginger after 1 am...you will not be disappointed! read more

The drinks are cheap, but the staff are very mean. Bartenders and security. Buyer beware.

I have been visiting this spot for years. Had a long ride Saturday, stopped in to relax a little before going home. As usual, service was great and the atmosphere was chill. Jessica was tending bar, friendly and full of smiles. Can't see myself forgetting about this place anytime soon. Thanx! read more

Great place!! Excellent drinks and prices. Local spot w cool clientele.The bartender ,Rachel, is the best

Every time I come here I realize why I never come here.(That's not true with the at least 6-7 check-ins.)Huh? Doesn't make sense does it? Well, it makes perfect sense to me because mainly it's on a quick wrong turn. I have been known for not so good choices.. Beckoned by the $2.50 Bud Light draft on a occasional basis on hot days. Thirst quenching cheap ass beer. I know, you say why? Those that know me would obviously question, what the hell am I doing drinking this cat piss beer? Frugality my friends, is my best answer. And they serve it VERY cold. It's really all I got for now. Let's change the subject. Crowd here is mostly the barmaid harassing hell raising, working class, loudmouth type. Oh, wait, I'm sorta working class too... I can go months without stopping in and still see the same faces. But there is some diversity. All places should have some balance and peeps willing to co-exist. High mileage types and has-beens are very common folk. Not trying to judge at all. It's ok with me as I know what's in here. Not really my type of place overall though. I've heard about the fights and such, but let me just say this, if you put yourself in these positions you're chances are much greater than if you just avoid being there in the first place. So, if the day crowd is somewhat rowdy, I probably would not set foot in here at night. This does make real sense. There are many other places around here to go that are so mellow and chill and won't tolerate drunkenness on this level. This place seems to, until it's too late. Keep this in mind if you stop in. Just raise your level of awareness, you'll be better prepared just in case of unplanned confrontations. Well, like the saying goes, "Common sense just isn't so common these days is it?" read more

The BLVD Bar - Ice cold Bud Light draft $2.50 til 700 - Dive Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great customer service, great food, great ambiance. It's a welcoming place, staff is very friendly. I really love coming to this place.

I am 21 and they refused to let me in because I have a Florida ID. i know for a fact that they let people under 21 inside their bar, but when it comes to out of staters, they are so ridiculously rude and won't let you in even if you are 21. don't go there and waste your money. The older white guy with a mustache physically pushed me away from the door when I tried to enter after they scanned my ID and it was green. This is the worst bar I've ever been to in my life. They are so rude, don't waste your money. read more

I've been coming to the BLVD regularly for the past several months, having been here several times over the last fifteen years or so. I have gotten to know the bar staff, who are great. I usually come in the evenings, and have gotten to know Rachel and Christina, who bartend. They are great attending to the needs of the customers. The bar has a very eclectic group of people from retirees, working class to students. For the most part, the patrons are very friendly and respectful. It is not uncommon for them to go out of their way to say hello, shake you hand and introduce themselves. On the nights I usually go (Tuesdays and Wednesdays), the doorman/barback is Hiram, who warks around and says hello to everyone and checks in to make sure you are being taken care of and your needs are being met. I find he is very personable and gets along with everyone from us crusty old guys, to the young SDSU students who frequent the bar and play pool or sing karaoke. He makes everyone feel at ease, knowing he will resolve any issue that may arise. I am surprised how the SDSU students gravitate to him and talk and laugh at the things he shares with them. They truly feel safe and comfortable in his presence. He pretty much greets you with a handshake and wants you to say good bye when you leave. He makes sure you are alright and cares about the patrons. Overall, it is a fun place to hang out and watch the variety of different people that hang out there. People like Christina, Rachel, and Hiram make it a pleasant experience so that you feel welcome and will want to return. You will soon get to know that a lot of regulars drink the Hooker tap beer, as it is good and reasonably priced at $3 a pint on most nights. Come down and check it out. Whether you play pool or just hang out, you will get to know people there and have a good time. read more

I hate to put this out there this place is great. Easy going. Good pricing. It's great. TV pool and an amazing view of El Cajon Blvd. read more

The BLVD Bar - Good pour - Dive Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

The "bouncer" demanded our ids after we already got in and took them out of our hands, he insisted the my friends, who is 22, id was fake because it was from Florida, and kept insisting that it was fake because it was from out of state and "glowed green" which non of us saw, and made us leave because of it. The bouncers have no clue what they are doing and will find any excuse to kick girls out of the bar, even tho I have seen them take fake ids many times. DO NOT RECOMMEND. read more

** ZERO STARS FOR KOURTNEY THE BARTENDER** I walked in with high hopes of making the BLVD our new spot. We kept seeing it on the side of the road and it looked like a laid back spot. I seat myself at the bar and Kourtney makes eye contact with me and says "one sec", cool. 20 minutes goes by and Kourtney is tending to everyone but me - in this 20 minutes of waiting I seen her get snobby towards other people at the bar. She finally asks what I'd like to drink which I said "tequila pineapple & a long island" she said okay and continued to help other customers. ANOTHER 15 MINUTES GOES BY AND STILL NO DRINKS, I watched 4 other drinks be made and not a single eye contact from Kourtney. She then starts make 2 whole drinks of 99% vodka and gives it to me, I thought these were freebie shots for the wait. After many more minutes of waiting we decided to leave and go to The Luau. I asked for the credit card back to see that she charged my bf $12 (still no tequila pineapple or long island at this point). She then starts to say that the $12 is for the two 99% drinks she poured. I told her that's not what we ordered but she insisted that's what our drinks were. Kourtney lacks customer service, communication, and is not competent enough to bartend on her own. The BLVD now has a bitter taste in my mouth that isn't the tequila pineapple or long island unfortunately... Mgmt, please further train Kourtney as this is not the experience you want your customers to have. NEW CUSTOMERS BEWARE!!!! read more

Great bar pool tables amazing service friendly local bar. Live music on weekends!! Lots of parking.

It's a dive bar, but who doesn't love a good ole dive bar?? We went to see Christina the Bar Tender. We love her, she's our favorite little fireplug bar tender! read more

This is my absolute favorite bar in San Diego. I just moved here last year and have been coming every Saturday and Sunday since I moved. Hector and Mesa make this place feel like home. They're both so welcoming to everyone and make drinks fast even when it's absolutely slammed. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't ever come here. My coworkers and I always come here after work and we've never had an issue with the bartenders. We always have fun playing darts and pool and hanging out with the regulars. read more

First time here and never again. There is a racist atmosphere in the air for sure. Customer service was subpar. The thing that really made me upset is when I was using the restroom someone was kicking the door knowing that someone is inside, I kept saying "someone is in here" like about 3-5 times. I have a feeling it was the security guard with them steel toe construction shoes. Definitely ruined my night. That was very disrespectful and I am not with it. read more

Went on a night when the band cancelled. The bartender only took care of their regulars and were not interested in actually serving. The owner was rude as well. Live in walking distance and will not be coming back, wish it was Fannies again. read more

Not a friendly atmosphere. The security staff were very unprofessional. Unclean, unwelcoming, not impressed.

This guy who's APPARENTLY the bouncer came up to me and my friends at the bar and extremely rudely demanded our IDS. All of me and my friends are over 21 and he ripped the IDs out of our hands and scanned each one. Our oldest friend who's 22 he SWORE her Flordia ID was a fake because it "glowed green" which was absolute bullshit. This place has always had problems and the bouncers have NO CLUE what they're doing. Get some manners and figure out how to do your job. The man was SO rude and swore it was fake because his "daughter lives in flordia" he doesn't know what he's doing at all and shouldn't be working the door at all. This happened Saturday at 11pm read more

Denied my REAL ID. It's comical that my REAL ID didn't get me let in. Sorry I'm from Pennsylvania?????? Please learn that some REAL ID's are vertical. read more

___I've been visiting The BLVD Bar since moving into the community in 2017 and I really enjoy the "Realness" of the establishment. They're super dog-friendly & the drinks are priced fairly. I've read the bad reviews on this forum & I question all the backstories of those walking into a bar with any expectations in general. ___This is a community dive-bar. If you're scared, go to church. If you're looking for trouble, trouble will meet you in the middle. If you're cool, kind & friendly,..... new friendships are underway! __Aside from being the local watering-hole for the community & it's inhabitants, it has also become the closest dive for SDSU post pandemic. That being said, you're going to find a diverse range of age groups & a plethora of people from various walks of life all through-out the week. In my opinion, that's a beautiful thing. If you can't handle that, go buy a six-pack and stay home. ___Aside from Disneyland, The BLVD is the happiest place on earth! read more

I can't say enough good things about this bar! Everyone is so friendly! My best friend and I like to go on Saturday nights for Karaoke, it's one of very few places we actually feel comfortable and safe enough to sing! Mesa is an excellent bartender, she hovers around making sure everyone is taken care of, her and hector make a great team! These guys on top of it, this place gets BUSY! My friend never knows what she wants to drink and Mesa always does a great job with the drinks she comes up with for her. 10/10 recommend checking this place out for a good homey dive bar! read more

Came yesterday-a Saturday night and the bartender Mesa was so nice and makes the drinks fast-even when it was packed. Will definitely being going back! read more

Great establishment. Great bartenders and they make the drinks strong. Highly recommend. Hector is the GOAT and an amazing bartender. He deserves a raise. read more

Angel is amazing!! she has such a positive energy and is so attentive! she made my friend's birthday an amazing night! come on mondays when angel is working for an amazing experience!! read more

One of the few dive bars left in San Diego. Cheap drinks, an interesting crowd (recommend not going at night, as this is sometimes a "rough and tumble" bar; during the day seems pretty safe though). No food besides bags of chips. read more

just went here tonight and honestly had a meh time. the bartender (brunette) was absolutely so rude. she made comments about how we were going to pay and proceeded to say "cough it up". not only that but came up to my friend saying "what'd you say" with the worst attitude when it was actually me who said something. the rest of the staff was awesome but her however she should not be working customer service with that attitude. read more

I've been coming to this bar for about a year now and it will forever be my go to bar and recommendation to others, esp on the days Hector works, to guarantee the best experience there could be in every aspect you could want and ask for at a bar!! We lalalalalaaaave you Hector!! *hearts&smooches* read more

Sunday bartender is always really cool .. I always come here with my coworkers after our Sunday shift

This is a dive bar after all, so I don't know why people complain about that aspect. I've been a handful of times and never run into trouble. Not the kind of place you wanna start flapping your gums to the patrons as some are bikers, but if you are a respectful, non-confrontational drinker you should be fine. They have Sculpin and Stone IPA on tap which I always love. Decent beer selection for all sorts of beer drinkers and they have a good selection of liquor (nothing too fancy, but Glenlivet 12yr so not too bad). The daytime bartender on Saturdays Nicole) is awesome!! Very high energy read more