Great nice meets divey bar with fun vibes and games and good drinks! Staff is quick and friendly…read moreand we love popping into aero club!

$34.00 (before tax & tip) for two burgers: Patty Issues (3 patties) and This Burger Understands Me…read more(2 patties). I'll definitely be back for the bar, the pinball, and those burgers! We walked in and found out that they have a strict age limit, which I discovered when they insisted on scanning my ID into a machine. I'm closer to the tomb than the womb, so I'm not entirely sure what they were expecting to find. But apparently, the machine needed to verify that I'm legally old enough to be there. Afterward, the bartender thanked me by name. My person who is closer to the womb than the tomb forgot their ID. It could have been Justin Bieber, or myself for that matter, but it wasn't going to happen. The burgers would have to be, to go. First impression is the decor is classic, and the place was absolutely immaculate. Later, I noticed the bathrooms were spotless, and perhaps most importantly, there was no graffiti on the walls. It's a class act establishment where civilization survives. There's a back covered patio surrounded by ferns, a great game room, and then the backyard where the food trailer is located. It was Sunday around 2pm, and while talking to the bartender, they mentioned that they had wings out for happy hour and the games. But I had my sights set on the Wagyu burgers. If I must say so myself, it was an excellent choice on my part. The patties were perfectly seasoned, and the toppings mixed with the Wagyu juices to create a delicious little sauce. I happened to have some chips underneath the burger, and they basically became the lucky recipients of all that wonderful burger grease. Very, very yummy. Walking around while waiting for my food, one can't help but notice that the bourbon selection is fantastic. While my person was booted, I can still say that all the employees were cordial, friendly, and genuinely welcoming. No attitude, no nonsense just good service. While it's listed as a dive bar, it's way too chic for that classification. I love a welcoming bars with great burgers, an excellent bourbon selection, and enough character to keep me coming back. Which I plan on doing in force!

We love a good dive bar, so while exploring San Diego's Old Town we did what any responsible day…read moredrinkers would do... we Googled "dive bars" & ended up at Old Town Saloon. And honestly? This place was exactly the vibe we were hoping to find. The second we walked in, I loved the vintage feel of the decor. It has that authentic old-school saloon energy that can't be manufactured. A genuine neighborhood watering hole with personality - a little worn in, full of character & packed with stories. One of the best parts of our visit was the bartender, who also happened to be the third-generation owner. He struck that perfect balance of being super friendly & welcoming without being all up in our business. You could tell he genuinely cared about the place & its history. He shared some great stories that made the experience feel personal. We settled in for some drinks & soaked up the atmosphere. The history of San Diego Old Town swirled around us as we enjoyed our time at the Old Town Saloon. Highly recommend.

This is a great spot to grab a drink when there is a crowd outside. We were waiting for the Whaley…read moreHouse tour and stopped in for a drink. Liz was awesome and even made recommendations for restaurants for us. She was talkative and engaging while also serving everyone quickly. Looks like a great spot for the evening, but we were just starting out the lunch drinkers for the day!

I share my birthday with my best friend and this year our online gaming group decided that they'd…read morebe going to San Diego to celebrate. Erikka had mentioned Oculto 477 as one of the places she wanted to check out after seeing it on Tiktok, so I made reservations as soon as they were available. I would definitely recommend doing so, as there is really limited seating. When one of our friends mentioned that they wouldn't make it in time for our original time slot, we made a quick change, which was easy to do online but we ended up losing table seating and got bar seating instead. Since this is a speak easy style bar, you enter into Tahona, check in with the host, they give you a QR code for their rules, one really important rule is confessing a sin. My friends are a little shy and not really comfortable speaking with strangers, so I said I would confess their sins. We were then taken into a dark space to confess and low and behold each of us had to confess. They definitely had to step out of their comfort zones for that. I was the DD so I opted for a non-alcoholic bevvy called the Humility, it had like an essence of mezcal and for $15 it was definitely more ice thank drink. My friends, got a couple drinks each, I did taste theirs and it was good apart from the drink with sweet potato. Definitely not for me. The bar seating lets you see the bartenders make all the drinks, they're really friendly but I felt so bad for them to be in such a hot bar. They also gave my friends complimentary shots for our birthday. The drinks are strong, the team is friendly but damn is it hot in there.

This speakeast is located inside the Tahona bar restaurant next to a small cemetery. It is…read morerecommended to make a reservation. We went on a weekday and was easily able to make a same day reservation. To get in, you check in with the host at Tahona and they lead you to the back where you have to go through a mini confessional to get into the speakeasy. You have to disclose one of the seven deadly sins or a sin of your choosing to gain entrance. Once inside, it is dimly lit with faux candles and moody lighting. The light fixtures are singular hands holding onto light bulbs, creepy and cool at the same time. Everything looks dusty, old, and worn adding to the occultesque vibes. We ordered a few cocktails and all were great tasting and carefully made.

Starlite delivers that quintessential sleek, mid-century modern lounge atmosphere right along India…read moreStreet. The iconic geometric wood ceiling, dramatic chandelier, and moody lighting make the space feel effortlessly cool. The craft cocktail program is legendary, and the elevated gastropub menu is just as impressive, the grilled octopus was tender with a wonderful smoky char, the Jidori chicken was remarkably juicy with perfectly crispy skin, and the sea bass was delicate and flaky. Taking off one star because street parking along India Street can require quite a bit of circling during peak evening hours, and the dining room gets rather loud and dim once the crowd settles in. Still, an absolute San Diego staple and a top choice for a stylish date night, late-night craft drinks, or dinner with friends.

I had a reservation for Thursday and it was packed but took less than 5 minutes to get seated. They…read moredo check your ID at the entrance it's 21+ only. Parking is a nightmare good luck finding parking within a mile of the restaurant. Pros: atmosphere, drinks, service Cons: food wasn't great for the price, restaurant was small and crowded, no parking Service: All of our servers were friendly and very accommodating. Gave us some knowledge on the menu and recommended cocktails based on our preference. I had spilled my drink and they were quick to make me another one. Food: I had intended to get the prime ribeye cap steak but they ran out for the night around 8pm. I shared the steak sampler which came with four different cuts of steak and 4 sauces. I ordered medium and it was cooked medium/medium rare which was fine with me, it also had a good sear, almost burnt though. Out of the four steaks, we only liked two based off flavor and tenderness. The other two were more tough and gamey. None of the sauces really stood out but the bordelaise and horseradish were good. For our sides we got fries, roasted broccoli, and the grilled wedge salad. Fries were average. The roasted broccoli had really good flavor, I expected the broccoli to be al dente but it was cooked to mush and drenched in sauce. The grilled wedge salad was decent, there was a slightly bitter taste to it. I know it says grilled wedge but the experience of biting into the salad and it being both hot and cold was not pleasant. Cocktails: I tried the Honey Ryder and New Wave. These were recommended as the more fruity/sweet cocktails. You can definitely taste the alcohol but it's only 2oz so it's not too strong. Ambience: 10/10 I got seated downstairs by the bar. Only thing about downstairs is that it's too dark to take photos unless you use flash. Overall, I agree with the other reviews saying to go just for drinks and appetizers. I would go again just to sit upstairs and get drinks and take pictures. We left unsatisfied and ended up getting in-n-out after.

False Idol is a tiki bar and speakeasy hidden away at the back of Craft & Commerce. Although…read moreindistinguishable from the outside, the entrance to the speakeasy is clear once you enter Craft & Commerce. Our hostess was really nice and let us sit although a couple of our party members were running late. On that note - reservations for a table are quite hard to get here. My friend just happened to see one pop up on OpenTable and immediately grabbed it. If you don't have a reservation, it's standing room only.  After walking through a cavern of glowing skulls, you emerge into a lively Tiki atmosphere. Colorful glass baubles hang from the ceiling suspended by a rope netting while Tiki effigies stare at you from the walls. There's even a small waterfall in the back corner. The atmosphere inside is lively and busy. The floor is packed with standing patrons chatting about. Lucky for us, we got to sit at one of the few tables they had available. Every once few minutes, the ceiling thunders because one of the groups orders a punch bowl, complete with sound effects and pyrotechnics. My favorite drink of the night was the Mac Nut Chi Chi. It was sweet and creamy, which contrasted very nicely with the salted macadamia nut. I liked it so much, I even asked for the recipe. Another drink I enjoyed was the Saturn, which is a classic Tiki drink. In comparison to the other drinks of the night, this one felt a bit more posh. It was served up and simple and elegant in its presentation. On the nose, it was very refreshing and citrusy, and on the palate, it was light and refreshing with floral notes. I also enjoyed the Reserve Mai Tai, which was quite strong. I can definitely see why it's so hard to get a table at False Idol. I had an amazing time and would totally come back.

We ate at Craft and Commerce and decided to jump in line for False Idol as walk-ins. Luckily we…read morelined up near opening because there were quite a few reservationists that showed up on a Friday night. We were led into a dimly lit speakeasy soon after lining up. Fortunately we got bar seating. The bar then quickly filled up with many standing as the bar got crowded. As far as drinks, their menu had many listed drinks. Wifey and I started with Rum Old Fashioneds and they were delicious. Our second drink was a King Kong Old Fashioned and it too was yummy. The bartenders were very friendly and attentive. The place was hopping and packed. We will definitely return.

Imagine walking into a dark bar and feeling like you just busted in on a funeral, except everyone…read moreis welcoming you and suddenly you're hanging with the locals. The lamplighter is a classic neighborhood hang in mission hills- I think it's a dive bar by day; but I think it gets "hipster" by night. I enjoyed the ambiance, bartender, patrons & music. Mackenzie was an outstanding bartender ! Made me feel right at home! And fellow stool mate Anthony was warm & fuzzy like a big old teddy bear! Note: cash only. No food, but you might get a candy apple vendor coming through...

Ella is the best! From the moment we walked in, the energy that Ella and the security guard brought…read moreset the tone and had me expecting a great experience. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case with a couple of the bartenders. They came across as snarky and condescending, and it felt like I was inconveniencing them just by placing a drink order. The contrast between the warm welcome at the door and the service at the bar was disappointing.

This was such a cool bar with very nice staff…read more It's easy to find, street parking was a nonissue, and they have a huge selection of cocktails with a decent selection of mocktails as well. I love their menu design. It gives a lot of attention to each drink with a clear description breakdown along with the level of alcohol meter. A lot of the drinks are STRONG and their presentations are magnificent.

We had such a great experience at this space themed bar! One thing that I would make a note of is…read morethat we did make a reservation for 10 pm on a Saturday night, but still had to wait in a very long line out the door for a good 15 minutes. We were confused, along with many other folks in line. I think they were just preparing their tables way longer than expected. Other than that inconvenience, the bar itself was beautifully decorated and very on-theme. The drinks were very much giving "tiki bar but in space" and were veryyyy strong. They have an alcohol strength spectrum on their menu so you can guide yourself through the drinks. We got drinks that weren't even on the strong side of the scale and they were still pretty strong. This would be a great place for a pregame for sure! They even have some food and seasonal soft serve other than their normal drinks. Overall, great service, strong drinks, and fun vibes. Perfect place for a pregame!

GEORGE was exceptional last night! Coming from a couple from the service industry and we do alot of…read morebar hopping George really impressed us!. He was fun fast and attentive to all his surroundings! Sheesh what cab this man not do!? Prices were great! There is a ami jukebox to play tunes too! Love love love 10/10 would come again!

When I visit San Diego, The Loft is at the top of my "must visit" list and is normally one of the…read morefirst places I go after getting settled in. Situated on 5th Avenue in beautiful Hillcrest, The Loft is a small, but mighty place that is near and dear to my heart for a variety of reasons. From the bartenders, to the patrons, and of course the drinks...this spot is an absolute vibe! Everyone is beyond welcoming and fun here. The space is a great combination of indoor/outdoor. The drinks are strong and well priced, which is not a combination you can find many places these days! They don't serve food, but they are fine if you want to bring your own, which many folks do. We have enjoyed a cocktail and UberEats'd something so we didn't have to leave. Overall, while I am not a San Diego local (yet), I consider The Loft my local spot. Love this place!

Amazing food. Amazing staff. Best bengals bar in San Diego. Dan is amazing. Ciera is a chiefs fan…read morebut she has love for the bengals

Sports bar with a huge outdoor area and lots of places to sit and relax and watch tv in any…read moredirection. We came midday and most of the tables were sticky and dirty even though it was 85% empty so the staff doesn't do a good job keeping it clean. While my guy got a beer to enjoy during the hot, summer day, I only like sours and they, sadly, didn't have a single sour on their menu. Small menu to choose from, but prices were pretty steep. My guy and I got the Totchos (beans and sour cream on side) with chicken (they were out of pork) at a coworker's recommendation. These were actually impressively good! The tots were crispy and only slightly oily. There was a decent amount of chicken and other ingredients involved and the portion size wasn't too bad. Getting the beans on the side was the right move because the tots stayed crispy the whole time. Honestly, I would come back here for the totchos again, but would enjoy it more next time if they had a sour to pair with it.

Good food and amazing service by Ana! All the food tasted amazing and Ana was so attentive with us!read more

Great tortillas and salsa and great, ambiance. We drive an hour and 10 minutes to eat here.read more