We stopped in for a quick bite between events and this was an easy in and out for us, even though they were a bit busy. There is plenty of space, and a fairly open air location, so we didn't over heat, and had plenty of shade. Our server was super kind and gave us all the best recommendations! They even showed us where the SDCC menu corresponded to the normal menu. We ended up splitting the Big Boss burger, French fries, Mac and cheese, tots, Caesar salad, ribs with sauce on the side. It was recommended to mix the ribs with the Mac and cheese, and I have never been happier with a recommendation in my life. This is precisely why I like to ask for the servers favorites! read more

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This is a cool spot in the gaslamp district, offering a restaurant, bar, and both pub games/table games throughout and an arcade in the back. According to the bartender, ping pong and shuffleboard are free, the pool table and foosball take cash or card, and for the arcade (with skeeball, video games, etc.), guests get a game card. We just played some foosball while having dinner there this past Saturday, and I of course beat my bf. We really liked the quirky setting and old school items like the Pee-Chee folder menu cover and Blockbuster VHS case for the guest check when we paid our bill after our meal. At arrival, we were able to find a couple open seats at the bar as the place wasn't too busy during the early evening, though it did get busier hours later during comic-con weekend. We put ourselves on the waitlist for a table for four (since we were waiting for 2 people in our party who attended the crazy Avengers panel at Comic-Con), and the wait wasn't bad to get a table, about 20 minutes or so. The food here did not stand out, but wasn't bad in terms of taste. We had the chicken nugs appetizer at the bar, filet-o-fish sandwich, baby back ribs (dry) with a side of roasted veggies, and two orders of the wagyu burger with veggies. All of our dishes were typical bar food quality, and came with small portion sizes. The drinks we got were okay, and on the weak side. This included the rum potion and power up punch (Comic-Con menu special). Service was strangely lacking, even before it got busier with the Comic-Con crowd. At the bar, we bought our bartender a shot, she then forgot about us completely when my bf ordered another drink and asked to close out (so we could move to a table). Another bartender ended up helping us. At our table when our whole party was there, service took FOR-EV-ER, beyond what's reasonable for Comic-Con weekend. We joked that we could have just left after eating and they wouldn't have noticed till an hour later. I guess that's just how they do things here... yep they're slow. 3 stars for overall value and experience. read more

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We were able to seat a fairly large group in a reasonable amount of time, and the inside of the restaurant is nice and comfortable. There's also a small arcade room with some classic coin machines to have a bit of fun. Food was quite good, but the portion sizes are enormous. If you eat regular portion sizes, the entree or sandwich is probably enough food. The "sides" are the size of mains or shareables, so we ended up wasting a lot of tater tots and mac n cheese because we couldn't take leftovers. Do NOT order two sides unless your appetite is enormous or you can take home leftovers. You'd just waste food otherwise. Drinks were also delicious, waitress was kind. Only complaint is that it took almost an hour to get food, so beware if you are on a time crunch. read more

The Smoking Gun - Arcade room - American Near Me - San Diego, California

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I enjoyed this! Their BBQ was pretty good but the atmosphere was impressive. It's a huge space with a bar in the middle and outdoor seating. There is also a small game room in the back. They put a lot into the theme and decor! It's in downtown and not a far walk from Petco Park and they also have show games on the TV. As for the food, my friends and I ordered a bunch of things but their floutas were my fave! I also split a burger and I thought it was good, but it's a just a simple cheeseburger. I like the corn bread, but I believe it had corn in it which my friends didn't like. Mac and Brisket were delicious! I did think their chili could use improvement because it was just meat and no beans. It was also a bit runny. Lastly drinks were great and server was attentive and friendly! read more

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The Smokers Gun in San Diego was such a cool late-night spot with friendly people and a fun atmosphere. Our bartender Mike was great, and may Mai Thai ($14) defiantly did what it needed to do. It was sweet, strong and served with the cutest bear-shaped glass with a beautiful purple flower on top. One drink had a girl feeling tipsy. We ordered from the late-night "midnight Bites" menu, which was the only thing we could choose from at the hour of our visit. Everything we selected was really good. Wed got the Frito Pie ($12), Chicken thigh tenders ($7), and Tots ($7). The frito pie presentation was my second favorite part (after the bear glass drink), It came in a all-clad style bowl with the chip bag cut open inside, loaded with Texas-style chilli, melted nacho cheese, and shredded cheese. It was so good I even started adding tots in there too. The tots and Thigh tenders had the perfect crisp! They have sweet and sour chili sauce for dipping with the chicken which was fab! The retro decor made the place even better. I loved seeing the old Blockbuster VHS tapes and music cassettes displayed around the bar. My little eye also spot the Dallas Cowboys flag! Texas energy is definitely in the house. There's also a small arcade area in the back, and my eyes instantly lit up seeing PAC-Man. We didn't get to fully explore the game room because we were trying to make it to Ghirardelli Ice cream & Chocolate shop for dessert before they closed at midnight too. Thankfully everything worked out perfectly since our car was parked right in front of Ghirardelli. NO military discount was honored here even though the owner is a veteran, but overall I still had a really good experience and would definitely come back whenever I'm in the Gaslamp district in SD, Cali. (Oops posted it on a smoke shop in Texas. This review was meant to be shared here) Update: Response to owner: Joe V. That was the best response from any owner I have ever received!!! I love that you mentioned yall haven't been mistaken for a smoke shop in Texas, that Mai Thai last mea bit. Yes sir I reckon it did. read more

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We came back here and there was hardly anybody in here! They weren't that packed at all and the hostess says it's going to be ten minutes to get a table during PADRES/FiFA season lol. read more

If you are downtown, you've just got to stop by the hippest space on Market Street. The Smoking Hun has your grammars couch, cassette tapes lining the walls, pool table, ping pong, football and an entire room filled with nostalgic games you'd find at the boardwalk arcade. They have got an amazing happy hour selection, which includes their Butter Burger for $9 and Nachos too! We went on Thursday and were delighted by their all you can eat Bone Nugs special. It starts with 10 juicy pieces of plump chicken thighs in a light and crisy batter tossed in your choice of sauce, with additional rounds of 5 pieces each. Our server was super attentive, making perfectly timed stops by our table AND continuing to serve us while we were in the game room embroiled in the battle of the walking dead and other retro games. Thanks, team Smoking Gun for creating such a cool space to hang. read more

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Mixed experience here. The food was definitely the highlight the butter burger was delicious and gone in under 12 minutes! The kitchen did a great job, but the service was a major miss. Our server completely disappeared after taking payment. It took forever for her to bring out a box, and just as long to get our check. Good food, but the service needs some work. read more

The Smoking Gun - Wagu burger - American Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great drinks!! These little bears are so cute, I think the drink is pre-mixed but it was pretty strong. I keep hearing people rave about the wagyu burguer!! Def a reason for me to come back. read more

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We were referred here for a pre-padre game happy hour. They prices were good and so was the food. The music created a fun vibe. They have games and ping pong which we definitely played. Service however was really slow. I would love to say it was because it was busy but it wasn't. We did not get one of the items we ordered, and ordering a second drink took a long time, probably would have been faster ordering from the bar. But definitely will try this place again, I loved the nostalgia read more

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OKAY secret hidden gem. I came here with my friends and I loved it. It's so fun inside. The food is great; for bar food. The fried pickles were sooooo good and the maple siracha wings.The elote was good too. You meet so many cool people here and can play games. It's a super cool place to go out. I'd 100% come back. The only struggle is parking. Service was decent! read more

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We were greeted warmly and seated immediately. My boyfriend and I had had a sample of their food at the Yelpie Awards and loved it so we finally got to try it. The atmosphere is very good but on game days it goes full "bro-bar" so know it can get noisy. Our server was great. We were interested in a nice, slow pace and they understood that. With their reccomendation we ordered the brisket taquitos. They were fine but... when you call them brisket we expect on your face brisket taste and that was not there. The texture was fine. It they were not taquitos (no hard cook on the shell). They were more like a meat cannoli. Again, they were good but not sure we would order them again. The drinks were very tasty and on the happy hour menu they are about $8 - a bargain. Since we were not overly enthused by the taquitos we went straight for the meat. We each got 1/2 pound of brisket and we also got one order of fries. Yummmmmmmeeeeeeeee.... Now we are talking. The brisket was excellent. My boyfriend thought it was the best he had had and it was a reminder of the night we had the taste at the Yelpies. The bbq sauce was good and the fries were great. Soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. All in all a nice time and a good place to chill and eat brisket. read more

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We stopped in on a whim during a vow renewal experience and we had such a great time. The staff were so encouraging and fun. We played games and took some pictures and they came out so cute! Definitely recommend stopping in! We had some drinks but no food so we will have to go back! read more

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Went here for a holiday party where we rented out the entire bar/venue. I have to say this is one of my favorite spots to throw an event! I loved that they had great food, amazing service, and games!! It was spacious enough to fit everyone comfortably. The only down side was as a sober person, one of the bartenders refused to make a mocktail and said he would only make me red-bulls with soda as a mocktail option! read more

The Smoking Gun - American Near Me - San Diego, California

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Decent spot for food and drinks. My hubby got the Japanese lager and I got the hard kombucha. Loveee. Lots of space with an arcade. Idk y''all not much stood out to me. Excellent service but not extraordinary. We got here around 4:30-6pm and it wasn't super busy which I'm here for. Good customer service. Good vibes~check them out. Thank ya! Enjoy! read more

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Great ambience , drinks and food .Likes the games and servers were nice overall . Only negative was foosball not working . We put money into it and no ball came out, told a bartender and he brushed it off as he didn't care. We just didn't want anyone else putting money in and losing money also since it didn't work . There was no ball to play with . Everything else was great . read more

I came here on a Thursday evening, and the place was pretty busy. The service was awesome, and the energy was great. They've got plenty of seating, and a bunch of TVs playing different games. They also have a pool table, basketball, air hockey, and a few other games. The setup is fun, but the pricing is a bit much. Even getting a $5 card didn't really get you through more than a round of basketball, which felt a little steep. That said, the vibe is solid. There's always people in there, the service is great, and they've got a really good selection of drinks too. Overall, it's a cool, laid-back spot to hang out, even if some of the game pricing could be better. read more

My partner and I decided to stop in for a quick drink for happy hour. The bar has a few things connected to it which is pretty cool. They have a coffee shop and arcade attached to it. I ordered a prickle & chill which is a cocktail on tap! It's vodka, passion fruit, & prickly pear. It was little bitter yet delicious! My partner got a mai tai which came in the cutest bear cup. We downed our drinks pretty quick since they were super yummy and chatted with the bartender. I highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area! The vibes and drinks are amazing! read more

The Smoking Gun - prickle & chill and Mai Tai - American Near Me - San Diego, California

I was looking for a spot to hang out at before the Padres game and decided to give The Smoking Gun a visit. Overall, I was pleasantly delighted and had a great experience! It's been a while since I've been at a bar, so I asked the friendly bartender for her recommendation on mocktails. After she gave me a few options, I ended up ordering the non-alcoholic strawberry margarita with a salted rim. This was SO tasty, refreshing, and well balanced! Not too sweet and just tart enough; everything I look for in a mocktail. I quite enjoyed the open bar seating, which also included USB charging ports and regular outlets on the underside. The plentiful daylight was a great touch. I didn't meander around for too long, but I did see that there was an arcade in the back, as well as a pool table and ping pong table. I imagine this spot to be poppin' during the evening hours! I highly recommend folks give this spot a try! I'll definitely stop by again for a pre-game mocktail in the future :) read more

The Smoking Gun - Strawberry margarita (non-alcoholic) - American Near Me - San Diego, California

Met a buddy of mine who lives locally in SD and he suggested we meet here for some early afternoon Burgers and beers. They have great prices on Fridays. the bar was a great place to have a late lunch and the bartenders were funny and talkative. We got the cheese burgers with tots and one with fires and shared. Both were excellent. The thing that I really like about the burgers here is that they are a "smash" type of burger: nice and juicy The bun was very soft and tasty as well. Tots and fries were awesome and they have some great sauces to try as well. I was a little bit bummed that they charged us for a side sauce, but oh well. Truly recommend this place before a Padres game or just for a quick lunch. You wont be disappointed. read more

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Came here for a visit from Anaheim and I was absolutely blown away with the hospitality from Chef Andy. The food came out in a great and timely manner and the bar staff were amazing. Coming from a distance my expectations were blown away. If I'm coming a distance I'm looking for the full experience of drinks, appetizers, entrees and dessert and everything was great. The butter burger was a perfect portion but the skillet cookie was an awesome treat to go with my coffee from the cafe next door. Chef Andy and his team really hold this place down! Thank you so much for the hospitality, I would recommend this place to anyone trying to have a good time watching games or even have a nice friends night out. read more

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This is the place to go, the food was a 10/10 get the fried pickles with the ranch. Special shout out to our bartenders they were great!!

SUPER attentive staff. Really sweet & welcoming from the hostess to the server! Always mad sure we had everything & doing well. The food and the location is great. The restaurant is definitely a vibe. There's an arcade & pool table to hang out & grab a drink with friends by the bar. I'm going to be 100%.. the food was SOOO hot when it came out my husband and I burned the roofs of our mouths :( it was hard to enjoy the food after the first 2 bites.. but hey, I'd rather the food be hot than cold! We had the Wagyu burger, the hot chicken sandwich, fries & the fried pickles.. burger was a 6/10, chicken sandwich an 9/10 (the bacon in it was perfect!) & fried pickles were an 8.5/10. Scores probably would've been higher but my mouth hurt while eating.. I also wish the burger/sandwiches came with a side. $15 for just the burger/sandwich is steep. The sides (like fries) are like $7 extra. We went around 5pm on a Sunday to watch the mlb game. Not crowded at all & food was quick! They had tons of tvs all around so it was easy to eat & watch. I recommend this place for sure! But just make sure you let your food cool off before taking the first bite! lol. I'll definitely be back to try again soon! read more

The Smoking Gun - Creative way to give the bill! Haha threw me back to the early 2000s - American Near Me - San Diego, California

Try the Double Wagyu Cheeseburger! You will not he disappointed. They also have an AYCE Wing Special read more

The Smoking Gun - Amazing Happy Hour M-F 3-7PM - American Near Me - San Diego, California

Great service and great spot. Definitely a must visit. Friendly service. OLD Skool video games.

Saturday afternoon of comic con. Since it's several blocks away from the convention center, the place was steady but not packed. The food came quick. But the food runner didn't supply anything to eat with (napkins, silverware). Tried to get bartender's attention but she deferred me & dealt with other customers. The patron seated next to me at the bar [edit: was quite friendly and I enjoyed chatting with him.] He was already eating and had a jar of silverware & napkins in front of him, but [edit: he informed me each customer gets their own]. So the food sat for 10 minutes and I couldn't actually eat it. When the bartender finally came around I said the food's cold, I'm paying for just the beer and leaving. She didn't offer to have the meal remade or a discount or comp or anything, so I paid for the beer and left, & won't be back. read more

The Smoking Gun - Food & no attention. - American Near Me - San Diego, California

BEST FRIED PICKLES IN AMERICA'S FINEST CITY anyway I will calm down but if you are here for Comic-con highly recommend not too busy just a few blocks away from the action but not busy enough in the daytime to get decently priced real food healthy and not healthy. Lost of seats and views to people watch all of the great costumes. Our waitress Lacy, a wonderwoman! pun intended she was so kind and made sure we had all of our items and a great time. The host and bartender were kind as well. Highly recommend and literally opened yelp for the first time in years to provide a great recommendation in the heart of Downtown and Gaslamp read more

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This place is awesome! Only had a drink, so can't comment on the food, but the staff was super quick and friendly and the vibe was unique.

We came for their happy hour and they did not disappoint! I was pleasantly surprised that their burgers are wagyu with not one but TWO patties! They have plenty of tvs here which are perfect for game days. read more

The Smoking Gun - American Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great job tonight. Prank night! Ronnie & Steph took care of us. We will be back for sure. Great burger! read more

The Smoking Gun - American Near Me - San Diego, California

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Shout out to the smoking gun for being a great bar and place to hang out before the padres. Loved the cute bartender with glasses, I think her name is Taylor, she took great care of our group and I will be making this a regular stop when we visit the city. read more

Well, they can't make an Irish Coffee. They don't have coffee..... hmmmm... really?? Now I'm mad, because the place looks fun. They have the leg lamp, fussball, video games, all kinds of games, but we can't stay because they don't have coffee!!! Why?? Why would a bar not have coffee???? Please explain that to me!! read more

The Smoking Gun - Beer and champagne wells - American Near Me - San Diego, California

Walking in we had made reservations just incase it got busy! We were seated right away and were greeted quickly!! The mojitos were really good!! Now the food we all got cheeseburgers and let me tell you those were so good!! We also tried the chicken sandwich which was amazing as well!! I know I got no pictures of the food because I went straight to eating but I will most definitely come back!! We didn't go into the game area but it seemed fun! read more

The Smoking Gun - Mojito - American Near Me - San Diego, California

The food and atmosphere were good, however, our server, a ginger-bearded man, was incredibly rude and condescending. When asked basic questions about the menu he gave attitude and was pointing and laughing at our table with other guests. Overall, he ruined our dining experience, which is unfortunate as it seemed like a cool place! read more

5 stars easily for their breakfast sandwiches. Those things are huge and the price on them is just right considering you're at the gas lamp. Their brunch menu is full of good stuff but the bacon, egg and cheese was my favorite. Hey have hashbrowns that are like the McDonald's ones that taste soo good. Another good breakfast or brunch sandwich is the wagyu brisket with an Au Jus you can dip it into that has a great taste to it. Either way brunch here is amazing. You definitely need to try it out next time you're at the gas lamp. The arcade area is a lot of fun as well. The restaurant is huge so there is plenty of space and the arcade is at the back. Kids had a lot of fun playing back there. read more

The Smoking Gun - Mai Thai - American Near Me - San Diego, California

Service here is ALWAYS amazing, Zack, Taylor, Ernesto are always super attentive and fun but Randy decided to change things here and make it less Fun, the menu is Boring now and other things that make smoking gun UNIQUE he solely decided to change and the regulars that come here have noticed and aren't happy about it. read more

Place smelt horrible and we just went for a last drink. Security started yelling to get out at 1:39, thought the place closed at 2 am. It was a very odd experience, I wonder if the owner is aware of how his staff is executing the closing of his bar. read more

Showed up here after a concert...so hyped, but tired & starving. It was decently busy, but we were able to cop a booth! It's a great post concert spot. You can be in the mix of everything or be at a table and focus on your crew. Gary helped pick out some bangers for the table to share. This was the most balanced spread you could've asked for. Some greens, some fried shit, so protein, some nostalgic, & a significantly better version of a pazookie to top it all off. read more

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Always a great place to grab the best high quality food and drinks in San Diego. Top 5 in the area - a gem. The service was awesome - wasn't sure about coming here during comic con weekend either, given the amount of people. Huge shout out to Erin, Ernesto, Alex, and Mark for handling so many bar visitors at once - utmost respect for this team handling such high demand at times like this. Anyone visiting downtown San Diego should start here and then see what the rest of the day and evening offers! read more

Girl night out started at The Smoking Gun and boy did we have a blast. They have a decent happy hour which brought us in, the service is what kept us there longer than we planned. Shoutout to Lacey for keeping our service top notch. read more

The Smoking Gun - American Near Me - San Diego, California