We came here for a casual dinner with friends before going to the Civic Theater to see wicked. This is a really fun establishment, with Pub food, and the service is great. The servers were really friendly and they checked on us periodically. Steven said he worked there for 2.5 years, he was very friendly and happy to take care for us. My husband and I got the Cuban sandwich for dinner and also the pretzel bites, and I asked for a side of honey mustard and horseradish, which the server did get for me, no fuss. Our friend's got the fish taco and chicken tenders which were good. The music is really good, laid back 80s last night. I believe he was the manager, Sean, came by think about times to check on us. Overall, would recommend coming here for a bite before a show or just to grab a drink. It's very casual. Parking can be tricky since it is near the Gaslamp, but I got here around 530pm so it wasn't bad. read more

See all

I sat in the bar area and ordered with the bartender. One looked past me quite a few times and helped other guests. I ordered the Buffalo Cauliflower but asked if they could be tossed in BBQ instead of Buffalo, to which they said it would be no problem. When it arrived they had tossed it in Buffalo with a side of BBQ. It took almost 30 minutes for the food to arrive, so I didn't bother sending it back. The food itself was fine, nothing to write home about. read more

See all

I really like this place! It's very cozy and they have great options! Our server was really nice and I always appreciate that! I got poke and it was VERY spicy! read more

The Local Eatery & Drinking Hole - Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Perfect place to grab food before catching a show at the Civic Center. A lot of other customers had the same idea too so the place was a bit busy. The service was quick and the food was good. I would say it's elevated bar food. Everything was tasty and our group enjoyed what we ordered. No complaints from anyone. I ordered the Peach Tom Collins and I think they forgot the peach puree. It was clear so no puree there. I did ask the waitress and she confirmed that it was indeed the Peach Tom Collins. It was a disappointment so don't waste your money on it. The shrimp tacos were delicious. The fish tacos were good too but I like the flavor of the shrimp tacos more. The wet burrito was humongous. It came with both red and green enchilada sauce. The red enchilada sauce was better imo. We also love the big loaded nachos. That was a great choice for our appetizer to share between the four of us. read more

See all

First came to the Local many years ago because it is an ASU bar! After about 9 years I'm finally back in San Diego and happy to see it's still an ASU bar. Unfortunately things (management/ operationally) have changed. For example, the kitchen used to close later but we came for a 7:30 kickoff and tried to order food to go around 10 but it was closed. Luckily I did order the nachos during the game and the food is still good (my friend had the chicken Caesar wrap which I had half of and it was definitely yummy). Really the negative part was that they had no idea what beers they had available.. the taps were there but were either empty or just not in the rotation. They didn't even have Coors Light! The bartender was cool though but I felt bad he had to keep explaining what they didn't have vs what he could make. Hopefully things will turn back around bc it's really a great place with great food! Oh also another minus star bc the group of people next to us got kicked out for no reason. You know how in sports it's normal for friends to talk sh*t to one another? The manager or whatever her role was decided they were "fighting" and made all 5 of them leave. We had talked to them during the game and it was not anywhere close to being a "fight". Just friendly banter which I think should be appreciated... read more

The Local Eatery & Drinking Hole - Poke, James and the Giant Peach, brisket taco - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

We found this place after grabbing a drink at another spot nearby. We sat down and they gave us water right away which I appreciated. Hubs liked his mango Paloma and our friend enjoyed the beer he ordered. The chicken Mac and cheese had great flavor and was perfectly cheesy. It needed more salt, but that was a simple fix. Hubs ordered the chicken sandwich and he said it was his favorite chicken sandwich in San Diego which says a lot. The chicken was great and crispy. I ordered the wet burrito and everything about it was good. The sauce was spicy, but I really liked that it was red and green sauce. The rice and beans were cooked well inside and the chicken wasn't dry. It had great flavor all around. The service wasn't great and we had to find our waiter after waiting for some time after our meal to get the check. We all liked the ambiance and it had a great space inside. It was loud, but that's expected at a place like this. It was a bit farther off the busy area of gaslamp, but we were pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food. We would come back! read more

See all

My husband and I have been regulars of this place for over 7 years. I love this spot when I am in downtown area, the food is good (especially the brunch items with killer tater tots , buffalo cauliflower, ahi wrap, Santa Fe chicken salad, the Big A$$ burrito and nachos, and their secret recipe dry rub chicken wings) The servers are nice and attentive, especially Steven, Lauren, and Bailee. They remember us, give us good recommendations, and overall just lovely people to interact with. It's a bummer with Resident Brewing closing they lost all those amazing local beers. Hopefully more of the taps will be filled with other local breweries to keep that "Locals" vibe going. A bummer for us and means minus one star is they have switched their opening time as of February 1st to 12pm, which was confirmed by the manager Zoe when I was trying to make a reservation. We always looking forward to going here before a San Diego Broadway show at Civic Center but need to be there by 12:30pm to get through security and be sat on time for the 1pm showtime. The average meal takes 45 minutes so it's just not realistic to come here beforehand unless we were able to pre-order and have the food ready by 12:05pm, heh. I know many fellow Broadway goers would come here before the 1pm show too, so I hope their change in hours doesn't negatively affect their business too much :( I'll keep my eyes on the operating hours if they change them again. Ideally even just opening as "early" as 11:30am is the difference of us eating here or not. They will still be our go to for other times, just not for Sunday brunch. Bummer. ETA: my husband suspects this may be an excuse to fade out brunch... we shall see read more

Update - Hours posted on their website are incorrect. Today (Sunday) they were already closed before 8:40pm (website says 10pm). Instead of apologizing or explaining, they just said brashly "we're already closed". We left a game early to make sure we could eat here and regretting that decision now. read more

The Local Eatery & Drinking Hole - Ahi tuna wrap - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

My friend and I came here before a House of Blues concert and made it in time for Happy Hour. They have a great happy hour and everything came out in a timely manner despite them being packed! We go the wing sampler, popcorn chicken, and the buffalo cauliflower. ALL WERE SO GOOD! The wings were our favorite. Would happily come back here! We both got the espresso martinis and they were sweet and good, then got the cinnamon cocktail and it was like a spiked spiced apple cider (dangerously good). read more

The Local Eatery & Drinking Hole - Wing sampler ($5 off for happy hour) - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

My sister and brother-in-law were in town and we got some dinner before a show. Started with a hazy IPA and ordered a Cuban. It was wonderful. A little pricey, but it is San Diego. read more

See all

We spent a Sunday Brunch here to watch NFL action while we were in town. Although this is clearly the home of GB Packer fans they also showed the other games on various tvs in the place. We showed up without a reservation but seating was still available around 10:30am. If you do the same, recommendation is to show up early as the place did fill up before 12pm. Drinks were "ok" and the food was limited to just "breakfast" items so be prepared for that. In the future should we return I'd likely stick to beer as they seemed to have a good selection of those. read more

See all

I met a couple of coworkers for happy hour at The Local Eatery & Drinking Hole on a Tuesday around 5pm. Great spot located in the outskirts of the Gaslamp District. Plenty of seating, big bar, and awesome service. My coworkers had a nice time catching up over beers. read more

I've been to this place for Happy Hour and the appetizers we had were pretty for a bar. The nachos were okay but a pretty good size. This was the same pretzel with dips. The best appetizer that night was their buffalo pizza. They also have a nice selection of draft beers on tap. Though it does seem that they were running low on stock when we went, the draft on tap I wanted was out. They also had mentioned a lot of their cocktails on the menu were out but no note of which ones were available. I would come to this place again for Happy Hour. read more

Four of us met here on Saturday to watch college football. The service was impeccable! Although our server David, and one other server, were the only two front of the house staff, they were hustling, and provided GREAT service. I had the salmon power bowl for lunch, and it was delicious. Other items ordered: spicy tuna crispy rice, the ahi poke bowl, and Baja fish tacos. We all agreed that the food and drinks were yummy. We will definitely be back! read more

The Local Eatery & Drinking Hole - Salmon power bowl - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

So bar itself located not in the best part of downtown and from outside looks a little bit sketchy... But do not let the looks to deceive you! It is actually my favorite bar in the area - it is very spacious and plenty of sitting, very friendly staff and great food option. From the looks of it, I would it expect it to be a tiny dive bar, but it is actually pretty lovely. It is now one of my favorite bars in the area read more

food was fine, drink was fine....service was....weird? Met a friend here - she had been sitting at a "seat yourself" table for 5 minutes, no one came up to her, 10 minutes into me being there someone came over and asked if we'd been helped. The waiter said "you guys want beers?" we were two dressed up girls...kind of a weird assumption. I asked for a drink menu, no drink menu, he just listed off all of the different types of hard liquor they had. Isn't the local a "DRINKING HOLE"? Give at least a few options other than straight liquor. My drink was actually decent, got a mojito. Food also decent, had tacos. We ordered a shot to send us off for the night. The waiter (who somehow changed without them saying anything to us) brought us two glasses of water as if we had drank too much since we ordered the shots...pretty awkward to bring glasses of water AFTER a drink and a meal, never got offered water, never asked for water. Shots took 10 ENTIRE MINUTES to come to us (mind you there were about 15 people in the restaurant - it was a Wednesday). the whole thing was weird, I wouldn't come back, I wouldn't recommend. The whole place felt like it was their first time being in the restaurant just like us. Go....anywhere else. read more

We walked over to The Local after a recent event at The Civic Theater. We specifically picked them because they were listed as being open longer hours than other establishments in the area and we wanted to eat. Upon walking in we noticed a sign to seat ourselves wherever we liked. We started walking toward a table before being rudely pointed over to the bar. It was apparent the waiter wasn't interested in waiting on more tables and had already done a lot clearing of condiments from the tables. So needless to say it wasn't exactly a positive first impression but we were hungry so we followed his pointing and found a couple of seats. Needless to say, I'm glad we did because the bartender, Kiante, was great and made up for the rude start. The only reason I'm giving 4 stars for service in this review is due to the initial waiter. Kiante would be deserving of five stars if he were to be rated by himself. He greeted us promptly and helped me pick out a drink. We ordered a Brew Pub Burger and a Grilled Romaine salad to split. The Brew Pub Burger was fantastic. It is a short rib burger cooked to perfection and loaded with all sorts of toppings and a healthy serving of crispy fries. It makes my mouth start watering just thinking about it again. We would definitely order that again....and again. The Grilled Romaine Salad left a lot to be desired. It was served with a Tzatziki dressing, tomatoes, fried chick peas and onions. The dressing was minimal and didn't add much taste - it was bland and boring. We would not order it again which is a shame because it was plated well and sounded good when reading the menu. To drink I had Turquoise Barn Passion Peach Cider. That was also really good if you're into hard ciders. Overall Kiante, the Brew Pub Burger and the cider saved this visit from the off-putting first impression. If I were to give management one suggestion it would be to pay attention to when there are shows at Civic Theater and plan accordingly. It turned out the waiter did end up having to take additional tables as we weren't the only people who walked over after the show and there wasn't nearly enough room at the bar for so many people. I've since read in other reviews that our experience wasn't the only bad first impression so there's definitely room for improvement. read more

See all

I was looking for a spot to get a quick dinner before going to see a Broadway show and the Local was conveniently located between the trolley stop and the theater. We sat at a table on the sidewalk and I've got to give major props to the staff. As we were dining, a homeless woman who seemed to be on drugs started throwing a fit and tossing trash bins into the street. The restaurant staff immediately jumped outside to make sure she didn't come anywhere near the diners on the patio. As for the food, I ordered the rosemary chicken mac and cheese and was impressed by both the quality and quantity. My friend and I should have shared it in hindsight as we had to toss our leftovers before entering the theater. read more

In transition but still open. Great food. Cheese curds during packers games!!! Been coming here for 15 years.

I have been here a handful of times. Most times it has been just for drinks and to watch a game. This last time, we came for happy hour on a Friday. They have good drink specials, including $5 Resident Brewing drafts. Resident shares the space, so they always have a great selection of their beers, amongst other breweries as well. We shared 3 items - the lumpia and popcorn chicken, which are on special during happy hour and a tuna bowl. The popcorn chicken had just the right amount of breading, and the dipping sauces were both really good. The other two items were good as well. The servers there have always been friendly, and it's nice that the location is not right in the Gaslamp. It keeps it from being overcrowded. I like that they have some typical bar food, but also some more elevated options if you are wanting something more. Great spot to watch sports or just hang out. I will be back! read more

The Local Eatery & Drinking Hole - Lumpia, Popcorn Chicken, and Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

I love the Local. It's the same great place it has always been. A friend and I went before seeing Tina at the civic and they seated us as part of a 6 top with another party which was fine. They brought our drinks right away. A dirty martini extra dirty and extra cold and a gin based drink with an empress floater. We ordered the food and the spicy tuna on crispy rice cakes were our favorite. Came with seaweed salad and pickled ginger. So good. The fiesta salad with grilled chicken was also delish. I love the chicken, black bean and corn combo. And the dressing was solid too. The buffalo cauliflower was gluten free which automatically made it a standout. All in all, great place before a show with an awesome drink list. read more

See all

My wife and I were downtown for a matinee, and were looking for someplace to grab a bite. Yelping away, we came across this place, just a few blocks from the theater AND with solid reviews. We got there at 12:30, in the middle of a Padres game. Needless to say, all ten screens had it on, with a solid patronage watching from around the place. Nonetheless, we found a table and were greeted quickly by a waiter, taking drink orders. After perusing the online menu, my wife ordered rabbit food....er...the Fiesta Bowl, while I opted for Popcorn Chicken w/fries. About 10 minutes later, our order showed up, and both dishes were excellent! Definitely a great find! The ONLY negative was the DJ, while playing most awesome music, clearly was a Nigel Tufnel fan, and had the volume at 11. Yeah, I clearly am getting old, but it really was just too damned loud. We'll be back, for sure, but will be scouting for far quieter seats...guaranteed... Ignoring the volume (which is a challenge), this place is da bom! read more

The Local Eatery & Drinking Hole - Popcorn Chicken w/fries - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Seems to be the place to be for before and after a show at the Civic Center. It's only a couple blocks away. We ended up sitting at the patio which was fine since it seemed pretty packed. Service was slow. Our waiter informed us there was only two of them working the place. I had a drink and appetizer as well did my company that came with me. Wine serving is smaller than I am used to. I had the Copolla Cab. Food was just okay. I had the pretzel bites with cheese dip. We spent over $100 for 3 drinks and 3 appetizers. I can't speak about the inside of the restaurant since we sat outside. It was just okay. read more

See all

Awful, won't ever be back. Service was horrible and I don't say that lightly since I've been server and know how hard it can be. But I know that being rude to your customers and blaming them for the kitchen being behind is not the way to go. The food came out cold, drinks overpriced and took 30mins. They take advantage because they are in a good location and near the theatre. But if you know you'll be busy when there are shows, it shouldn't be hard to plan accordingly and staff adequately. More than the service, I blame management for clearly overworking their staff, offering subpar food, all because they are in a convenient location and can. Don't waste your money. read more

Booked a hotel in the area and was looking for a steak house. Came here and princess Di is Amazing!!

We came here because it was close to our hotel on a recent trip to san diego. There was a sign saying to wait to be seated but after a few minutes the server told us to just seat ourselves at any clean table. About half the tables were dirty. I think they were understaffed because it took the waiter a while to find us. I appreciate their extensive beer and alcohol menu but they were out of almost everything we asked for. The food was tasty. Got baja fish tacos which were crispy and big. My friend got carnitas which were very good but they but guacamole on them when my friend specifically asked for it on the side and was told it doesn't come with avocado on it. The playlist was surprisingly gay in a good way. Every catchy gay dance tune from the 90s and 00s from madonna to abba to britney to cece peniston to cher to scissor sisters. But the decor and ambiance was super straight and sports bar. There are seven screens over the bar playing four different things for those who have adhd. They also had very campy pics of tom cruise and marilyn, various movies set in san diego/camp Pendleton The restrooms are called shitters and our waiter gave me super bro vibes but also is an ally. The food came out in mere minutes before i even got my drink. Overall not a bad place. Loved the playlist. read more

See all

The shorty brown hair bartender is a work HORSE! And is a pro, but the kitchen is awful. It took 2 hours and we never got our food, people who came way before us got their food. We had to leave. Got there 2.5 hours before a show. That's insane. read more

We love the Local! We stop by for dinner every time we are in downtown. The padres game was on so they were offering discounted drinks! I had the salmon burrito, I love how they melted the cheese onto the tortilla. Our server was prompt and attentive. It's unfortunate the homeless have moved closer to the Local which has made a big negative impact on their business. I really hope the Local survives, we will definitely be back! read more

This bar was conveniently located within walking distance of the Civic Theatre. I stopped in for a drink and a bite to eat. It is a bit off the beaten path for the main strip downtown. The glasses could have been cleaner, but beyond that, I had no real complaints. The tacos I got where awesome. They pack a lot of cabbage in there, but once you remove some it's the perfect taco. The shrimp were quite large and the hot sauce on the side brought the heat. If ever I go to another show, I will probably pay these guys a visit. read more

See all

They charged me 20$ for one beer when it was supposed to be 10$ noticed this after I left since they initially charge 20$ when you open a tab but never gave me the rest back after 1 10$ drink. Customer service was super slow considering I was 1 of 3 individuals there... read more

Cute interior and lots of TVs are the only positive things I can say about this place. Service is very very very slow on non busy night. When I told server I am glad to see her (after being there for close to 15 minutes), she developed an attitude. Beer selection is the biggest disappointment. I am not an IPA drinker and prefer lagers blondes and wheat beers. Well selection of these is minimal and what they have is not very good. I ended up sampling 8 different beers which ranged from tolerable to disgusting. Barrel Keeper they carry is the single worst beer I tasted in my entire life. Pumpkin by Doug tastes like seasonal pumpkin ice coffee mixed with beer. The best beer there was Compadre and that's a pretty average one. Two IPAs No No Joe and Puka Shell (who came up with that name) were decent. I asked for some standard bottled beers like Blue Moon to wash my mouth after gross Barrel Keeper and they had none. Frankly not sure why these guys exist. I suppose someone likes the product they put out, or it's just location, location, location.... read more

See all

Stopped in for a couple drinks before seeing a show at the theater. It was a cute like place with lots of beers on draft. A nice happy hour and friendly service. read more

Great spot in San Diego for a work lunch setting. Salads are huge. Food is really good similar to other bar food spots. Ordered nachos to start and those were really good. We then had the different items but I tried the fiesta salad which I couldn't finish and tried someone's wings - so good. Would definitely come back! read more

See all

Second time heading over to The Local, went during a Wednesday rush hour for a couple of drinks at the bar. At lunch time, they allow open seating anywhere in the restaurant due to the place not being busy. They do have a lunch special where they select a beer that cost $5 a pint. I opted to be adventurous and try what Resident brewing has to offer. McNeils stout ($8) is an Irish type of imperial stout that provides a unique and robust flavor that typical stouts do not have. Chasing Mosaic ($8) is a citrus filling hazy IPA that is easy drinking. They did not have Spreadsheet Superhero at the time which was a red IPA which sparked my interest. For food, I opted to order the popcorn chicken at the bar based on other people reviews. I would say that the chicken is 'OK' but what makes it good is the two sauces that they provide. I've find myself dunking it because of how tasty the sauces are. Overall, The Local, is a great hangout spot with a variety of craft beers, cocktails, and food. Give it a try! read more

The Local Eatery & Drinking Hole - Wing Sampler - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Bar food is low on my preferred choices to dine on, but The Local is a great lunch spot with good food options, great portion sizes, and friendly staff on hand to serve. Also, I'm a Packer Backer so I absolutely support this joint. Our large group was seated at a long table in the back and we didn't have to wait long to be served drinks. Our meals were served shortly thereafter and I enjoyed my shrimp tacos very much with black beans and rice. Pepsi products on tap here, by the way. Again, you will love the portion sizes here on everything from their salads to their monster quesadillas. In the downtown San Diego area, check out The Local for a decent lunch and what appears to be plenty on tap to enjoy, including IPAs. read more

See all

Food was great and the service was outstanding!!! I highly recommend this place to everyone!

Fast and friendly service. A lot of televisions for sports. Full bar with great food selection. Ambiance is a sports bar, so exactly what you would expect. Food came out fast and perfectly prepared. Great sports bar. read more

The Local Eatery & Drinking Hole - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Hands down the bed beer I have ever tasted Packers bar .. great vibe! Excellent selection for everyone on the menu! Great find in San Diego read more

The Local Eatery & Drinking Hole - Imperial stout aged in rum chai mead barrels - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

The BEST lemon pepper wings! This place has a wet lemon pepper sauce and it's soo good! Bummed they are closing down but I'll be there when they reopen in Dec! Fish tacos were bomb too! read more

Wouldn't let me in at all. I had to use the restroom and he said it's for customers only. I said I would buy something and he told me no that I had to go. I'd never go to this place. Very rude 0-5 stars f*** that place read more

The Local Eatery & Drinking Hole - The worst place ever - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California