The Ould Sod is my absolute favorite bar. It has such a cozy atmosphere and has something for everyone. You will not get a better Guinness pour in San Diego. The bartenders are friendly, but also not afraid to tell someone when they need to get it together. You can sit at the bar and chat with the staff all day and leave feeling like you've found your new Irish family. I highly recommend visiting during the day, as opposed to late at night. It's a much chiller atmosphere with lots of space. If you're looking for a rowdy scene, then Friday and Saturday are perfect. There is karaoke in the front bar area and if that's not your jam, the back bar area has foosball and plenty of TVs and other space to hang out. You can bring in your own food, as they really only have chips. There are a ton of places nearby to choose from. Also, they don't allow dogs (other than service dogs) and they don't allow anyone under 21. It's a perfect Irish pub in the heart of Normal Heights. read more

Been solidly pickling my liver here since moving to San Diego and never thought to write a review. Neighborhood bar with neighborhood vibes. Stiff pours, solid AC when you need it, fast service, decent bathrooms. Never a dull moment. read more

The Ould Sod is a couple steps above a Dive Bar, it's got some festive Irish decor and leather boothes, but still feels old and dingy. Drinks are reasonably priced, and the crowd is casual and friendly. Most importantly, Karoake on Friday and Saturday nights! The overall talent level is mostly average to poor, so it's one of the few places I have the courage to sing. read more

Ould Sod is a neighborhood favorite. The best staff, perfect location and chill back patio. Warren is a great guy and outstanding bartender. It's always fun to meet friends and neighbors there. No food but you are welcome to bring your own from other neighboring restaurants. I love bringing food and sitting in the front window. read more

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We made the bold decision of coming here with a big group on St Patrick's day - and the risk paid off! The bar is actually massive fit with a big outdoor patio. We enjoyed a ton of guinesses and the staff was awesome and seriously held it down. The bar was fully decked out with clovers, guinness decor, etc. Would definitely return - it has a ton of character! read more

The Ould Sod - Guinness galore! - Irish Pub Near Me - San Diego, California

What can I say - I love the Ould Sod - great homey Irish bar in the amazing Normal Heights neighborhood. Fantastic and friendly bartenders, an eclectic band of regulars - and a terrific Songwriter's Round every Monday night featuring new and established San Diego (and beyond) musical talent. Go be awed at The Sod! read more

Rating this pub 5 stars for various reasons! Their happy hour has all draft beers for $5.50 including Guinness and they have a great selection! The bartender was super friendly and everyone in there was just so welcoming. It definitely gives a local neighborhood bar! read more

The Ould Sod - Irish Pub Near Me - San Diego, California

Went on a Tuesday book club night. Not crowded in bar area. Weird that they didn't have plain soda water. Live music was playing after club was over. I left at 10:30 and the music was still playing. It was nice to watch and listen to Irish music. read more

We had a party of about 15 when we strolled into The Ould Sod in Normal Heights. We found our way to the expansive, partially covered patio in the back and found plenty of open seating. A bridal shower was happening too and there was still plenty of room. It is a huge patio! It was pretty crowded on a Saturday afternoon, but service from the bartender was great. He kept up with the demand very well. It was a fun spot with a cool crowd. Lively and fun vibe. Really cool Irish bar. During football season The Ould Sod is a Detroit Lions bar. read more

I love the ould sod. I would love to know when Danny is the KJ or more so when he's not gunna be here. I get bummed when he's not here. Not a fan of fern. read more

Goodness, I love this bar. The "Sod" is the kind of place that if I lived closer would be my hangout a few times a month or if I'm feeling frisky, a few times a weekend. I've been coming since before the back patio was opened an operational and while it makes a world of difference in crowd control, it never felt like it needed more space before it was added. The bartender's faces rarely change, the pours aren't measured, the prices are still pretty good, though they have gone up quite a bit it seems, and it has the feeling of a true neighborhood bar. It's certainly the "Cheers" for the folks that live within striking distance, sipping Irish beer and singing karaoke... it's that kind of a bar. read more

Amazing staff and karaoke off the chain! Great place for any celebration, and a good time to be had!

Favorite place for karaoke and to stop by for a drink after work. The entire staff is amazing! Friday karaoke kj is awesome and the Saturday karaoke kj is also wonderful. You will not be disappointed! Don't forget to tip your KJ'S and bartenders! They deserve it!! read more

Went here on a friday night to sing karaoke but the weirdo dj said we had to TIP him money to go up. we waited HOURS... im very disappointed in you ould sod. very unprofessional and disgusting behavior. i will say the bartenders that night were very nice and the service was as quick as they could be since it was a busy night. read more

Best Guinness in San Diego. Have tried Guinness all over San Diego / SoCal / USA and this is #1 by far.

Kareoke starts at 9. REQUEST CHAPPEL ROAN. they have a huge selection of chappel roan and sabrina carpenter. trust me the kareoke host loves it read more

I actually have come to like this bar. Gets really packed. They also have Karoake which is fun. People here a generally nice including the bartenders. Good vibes here overall. I would say parking is as it would be expected; can be hard to find. But if you do manage to find parking you also have the option to go to other local spots on the same street so you can just walk. read more

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Sometimes you just want to go to a bar. Not interested in food or dancing, just a good bar but not a fancy bar. You want a stool and some booze. The Ould Sod is that kind of bar! It's a good bar because it's well stocked for the classics, not pretentious, the bartenders are friendly, and (most importantly in the summer heat) they have a/c. Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows it's not cool to have swamp ass and maybe, if you're here frequently enough, they'll know your name. Is The Ould Sod a dive bar? Sure, techincally, but it's a nice dive because as you can see it's an Irish pub which makes it at least 50% nicer than your standard American dive. Might be the accents. I met some friendly regulars, even took one with us to another stop later in the evening on our hunt for post-drink eats. There are plenty of tasty joints around the neighborhood so you can make a whole night of it. Happy hour (M-F 4-6) saves you a couple bucks per drink. Since I'm still touring around all the dives in SD- I was here for an old fashioned, or three to be honest, the spacious patio that's out back if my group needed to spread out, and a bit of that aforementioned a/c. Important bar note- the bathrooms are clean and they even have a spacious handicap accessible bathroom my fat ass appreciates. If you're looking for some weekend fun- Saturday nights (after 9 pm) they have karaoke. As with any bar the later it gets the rowdier it'll be. As for me? I'll be back on another chill Thursday night, early, sipping a house old fashioned, and being happy my friends like this bar as much as I do. Hopefully yours feel the same way. Invite them and find out! read more

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Art BANGS at karaoke Sarah legendary bartender If ur not here on Thursday you are basically wasting your time - best bartender/karaoke person in tandem makes the vibe immaculate plus you get to actually sing the song you want to sing Energy great, drinks great and cheap, come read more

I absolutely love this place! Great atmosphere and friendly staff! They even have an Irish band that comes and plays there it's incredible! I highly recommend you check it out read more

Me and my friends were so excited to sing karaoke tonight and we signed up right when karaoke started. TWO HOURS pass by and we noticed the same people going up to sing over and over, me and my friend asked our spot in line, the dj said "you won't be on the list unless you tip" and continued to tell us we weren't singing unless we give him money! Which is absolutely insane considering this is an open karaoke bar. Very disappointed and ugly behavior. Will be sticking to lamplighter or redwing from now on. read more

Be it for a sporting event, party, or just meeting up with friends, The Ould Sod acts as Ol' Reliable as the perfect spot to grab a pint and make a memory! read more

The Ould Sod - Guiness - Irish Pub Near Me - San Diego, California

Great ambience, great service and too many great memories here. I love this bar, it has everything

Nice little pub. Had a Guinness there for St. Patrick's Day Eve. Seemed full of regulars and people were having fun.

Great little old fashioned Irish Pub . Large selection of beers and spirits and a good time for all who come in .

For a bar in the heart of Normal Heights, there are some really creepy people who go here. Tried it several times but the creepy factor definitely never left. Don't leave your drink uncovered. read more

Service is so ass. Went once with my boyfriend and we were never helped. Bartender never came by to ask what we wanted. However, she did make sure to help the two gentlemen that came in after us... then proceeded to act as if we weren't there. After multiple attempts to get her attention, we left. Definitely one of those places where they make sure you don't feel welcomed. If you know, you know. Just gonna leave my little review and move on. read more

Dingy decorations and terrible service. It's an Irish pub that has bar and booth seating. They have a large patio area in the back. However I did not appreciate the bartenders treatment to our party. They were not attentive and dismissed us quickly without listening to our concerns. The bartender had poor customer service skills through the way she looked at us and attitude when talking to us. There is limited food options and no clear menu for the drinks. read more

All right, this dive bar is super cool! It looks very small when you enter but it is actually very long. If you keep on walking, there is a back area with heat lamps. & then an outdoor area. They have several bar games all throughout. Fun bartenders & drinks are cheap! read more

Love this place for the vibe and outdoor patio is super spacious. There's a bartender who's always there, been there for years I believe. For some reason, this person is not exactly pleasant. I'm sure it's just busy when I come in but they seem to not be there. I don't want to ruin anyone's day so I won't specify who but other than that one staff member, I do enjoy coming here. read more

The bartenders are #1 casual bars are still alive and youth need to realize customer service.

If you need a neighborhood hangout, this is the place to be. Great staff behind the bar who are friendly and great on the service. The back area is a great addition and expands the space to for a great experience. The music and karaoke nights are fun and usually bring in a great crowd. As an Irish pub , the owners are very involved in the Irish community, hosting fundraisers throughout the year and supporting the St Patrick's Day parade and festival. Pricing is great for the beer and drinks and a variety of excellent food options nearby. Parking not easy so expect up to a few blocks or best to get a ride in. read more

Play play some Tuesday nights for pick up and Irish song whiskey here except etc. Schecher read more

The Ould Sod - Irish Pub Near Me - San Diego, California

San Diego's best kept secret. Friendly staff, reasonable prices - absolutely love coming here!

Friendly neighborhood pub with the charm of a small, Irish-owned business. The best Guinness on tap in San Diego. I've made great friends here. It's a great place to become a regular. read more

Whenever we're in Normal Heights, this is a regular stop for us at some point in the night. It looks small from the bar front but is actually very spacious in the back bar and patio. You won't find fancy cocktails here which really isn't the vibe anyway. High recommended for a casual night out with friends. read more

The Ould Sod - a group of people sitting at a table - Irish Pub Near Me - San Diego, California

I had heard about this place for a long time and finally got the chance to go- and the stories are true... it's amazing. It has a very cozy and comfortable feel to it and everyone there was laid back and having a good time. Everyone that works there were pleasant and helpful. The atmosphere is top notch and the bar itself is fantastic. If you're looking for a great place to go with your friends and have a great time - this is the place to go. read more

People of color beware! There is one woman bartender who has the most hideous personality. She's about 5'5, appears to be in her 40s, with badly dyed black hair, generally dirty/unkempt appearance, large mid-section, with yellowing teeth... If you're a person of color or woman, especially a good-looking one, expect her to have a bad attitude with you. I've noticed this the last several times there. There are also no black or brown people employed here. She clearly hates her job; terrible manners, drinks shots all night, and is very slow to attend to customers. This week as we were leaving at the end of the night, she gave my friend a credit card belonging to a different patron. And by gave, she practically threw it at him, and said "byeeee!" No regard for the financial security of the customers and no class. Miserable people shouldn't work in the service industry. What a buzz kill! There are several other bars in the area that have great, fun, amazing staff members. I'd recommend any of them over this waste of space. read more

Lively atmosphere on a Saturday night with live music and great drinks

Great drinks and good quick service for my large party, but bartender gave my party attitude on the way out after noticing a small tip on our tab ($95) despite the fact that we tipped ~ $15 in cash throughout the night. Left feeling confused about the experience overall. Perhaps I'm unsure of the culture? read more