Cafe Sevilla

★★★★☆ 4 (4443) • $$

"Fried calamari, enormous portion and tasted great. Shrimp tacos, chicken tacos, both outstanding. Shrimp and halibut ceviche top notch. The only thing I wasn't very fond of, the bacon wrapped dates. Somehow I missed the fact that it's bacon wrapped to start with. Just not very flavorful. Inadvertently came in during happy hour so prices were quite reasona"

Casa de Maria

★★★★☆ 3.5 (349) • $$

"A little difficult to find, reviews said the best breakfast burritos were made here. After parking twice and walking a block or so, we found Casa de Maria and ordered a couple of chorizo con huevo burritos to go. They send along a few chips and salsa. A little on the pricey side, we were glad the burritos were very tasty. The burritos were large so there was enough to save for a second meal, great rewarmed. The salsa was really good. Easy, free parking just outside the square."

Park & Rec

★★★★☆ 4 (455) • $$

"One of the only places left not charging a cover.... And that's why it's PACKED 24/7! Park & Rec is a good time with some good drinks and great music. There's indoor bar, there's outdoor bar, there's a little secluded area where a full on rave is going on and sometimes if you're lucky, they're making and selling taco's outside! I love this place, but if you're claustrophobic, stay far away. It is crowded. I feel like I lose half my drink from everyone just bumping into each other. The drinks themselves are good, but pricey. You're definitely not paying dive bar prices here. I haven't tried happy hour yet, but I'm sure it's even more packed than usual. Service is always good and they're playing some of the best music here."

Black Cat Bar

★★★★☆ 4.2 (146) • $

"My friend and I stopped in Black Cat Bar for drinks before a nearby show on Saturday night. It is a cute place that felt very cozy and welcoming on a cold, rainy night. there are a couple pool tables, a small bar, and an upstairs balcony with a fancy sofa, and an area that I couldn't see from the bar. There are cute black cat decorations everywhere. When I walked in the juke box was playing Joy Division, followed by several more dark wave tunes. I didn't have the chance to go through the juke box, but I liked what I heard. It wasn't crowded at 7:30 on a Saturday night, which was nice because there was plenty of space, but hopefully they draw a good crowd later and on other nights.I was drinking whiskey sours. They were simple, but the prices were great. Three Bulleit sours cost only $18. If I lived in the neighborhood, I would definitely make this my home bar.... cute place, friendly bartenders, cheap drinks and good music!"

Space Bar

★★★★☆ 3.8 (37) • $

"I came here for a punk show. The place is pretty small and might be hard to spot if you don't know what to look for. There's one small "Space" sign out front, and a small parking area in the back. If you're here to see a show, it will get hot but I hardly noticed since I was into the bands I came to see. The stage area isn't raised much, so if you're short like me, you have to get there early to see anything. Drinks were good and strong for me. I ordered a Long Island ice tea and it wasn't just a cup of ice with a dollop of alcohol in it like at the last music venue I was at, so I was very pleased. I would definitely come back again for another sweaty punk show. :-D"

The Merrow

★★★★☆ 4 (97)

"A lot of super drunk people were in here in the middle of the day on a Sunday. I didn't like coming inside hearing drunk people arguing, but the bartender was nice, and the lighting and decor were cool. They have seating inside and outside (sadly you can smoke outside), pool tables inside, as well as a stage inside for events and karaoke (with lots of loud, bad singers). The prices were good though. Not really my style of place, but not a bad place."

Deano’s Pub

★★★★☆ 4.4 (42)

"No one listen to Katee D. She is a liar who got removed from Deano's for being an aggressive drunk (my group witnessed the whole thing go down) She's bitter hence the bad yelp review. Deano's is an awesome place for all adult ages. Come play bingo or come to a theme night and you are guaranteed to have a good time. The owner is great and the staff works their asses off the make sure everyone is having a good time and taken care of!"

The Bancroft Bar

★★★★☆ 4.1 (66) • $$

"Okay, I admit, this is not my venue. But what can you do when you have no choice as that one live performance of W.o.R. (www.worband.com) that I promised to attend was just there and nowhere else. Again, not the place I would normally go to, but I did enjoy it nonetheless and it was a memorable performance."

Cafe 21 Gaslamp

★★★★☆ 4 (4336) • $$

"The food is really good even though the portion sizes do looks small. If you order drinks, you'll end up feeling stuffed.I can't remember what we all ordered but we all enjoyed it. We also shared a couple bottles of champagne to make mimosas. Some of my friends tried the mimosa flight and the espresso martini flight. Beautiful!My friend also got a latte and they put it in a glass, placing a dried blood orange on the edge.It's a cute place. Love all the decor. Great for groups! But I also saw folks come to eat or drink alone.Service was alright. Our server was not all that personable but it's still worth it to check this place out!"

Beach House Tequila + Taqueria

★★★★☆ 3.5 (1025) • $$

"Beach House Tequila was alright.I was expecting so much more.The service was ok but nothing to write home about.They claim to have mixed drinks but then say they don't have blenders to make them.So beer was the only choice.I really wanted to have a Pina colada on my birthday on the beach but had to settle for beer.They had tacos cooking, but to be honest, they smelled horrible.They overcrowded this place, and it wasn't really a reggae concert.It was more like a DJ playing rap but not the good stuff.Then, a few wannabe reggae artists, finally The Don came one and partially saved the night.Overall, it's not my kind of venue."

Juno's

★★★★☆ 4.3 (310) • $$

"Super cool friendly wine tender. Amazing organic wine!! I mean really really good organic wine!! If this place was down my street, I'd be here consistently. I was waiting for a Yelp Elite event ;) so stopped by here. Atmosphere was very chill. I had the hummus app, I liked the hummus vey much. If ya wanna chill at a spot with organic wine, this is your spot."

My Yard Live Beer

★★★★☆ 3.6 (580) • $$

"If the food had some diversity, and the quality of the food was better.This place would blow all the other local breweries out of the waterFood is eh.Drinks is drinks.Atmosphere is"

The Bar at Moniker General

★★★★★ 4.7 (32)

"Okay I've never been here for live music before but I definitely will be back again soon for it. Some friends and I stopped by Moniker on a Friday evening for some live music that they had posted about on instagram. I love this spot during the day to work but I love it even more at night! The cocktail bar is truly amazing with a ton of creative cocktails along with beer and wine. They even have a small tapas style appetizers as well they are super tasty. We got the charcuterie board to share just to have some small bites which was super good. It wasn't too busy this evening so service was quick and the staff is awesome! I really need to go to this spot more because I always have a great time and parking is easy!"

The Shout! House

★★★★☆ 3.9 (1602) • $$

"This piano bar is such a unique and entertaining experience with delicious drinks to match. James and Martha in particular were great, and I highly recommend going on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings because of the no cover special. I love that you can request songs and note the inspiration or occassion for joining. You're hand stamped upon entry, but we were asked to show our hand stamp to enter the restroom."

Mr. Peabody's

★★★★☆ 3.9 (557) • $$

"Once a month Deb and i take what we call F*ck off Friday and try a new spot. Today we went back to a spot we haven't been to in a while. Part watering hole, part great restaurant and fantastic staff and vibe. Sports everywhere and inside and out debauchery. Just what we needed after a long week. Emerald and Tessa took such good care of us even after i spilled a huge glass of water everywhere.... Started with mimosas and then had burgers and i went turkey burger. Both huge and delicious! Fries were some of the best ever. But both Emerald and Tessa made it a perfect no work Friday and I so recommend this spot!"

Border X Brewing

★★★★☆ 4.3 (456) • $$

"I went to this brewery a few weeks ago to check out a Morrissey cover band called "Still Ill". It was my first time at Border X. I am mot a beer drinker so I don't go to breweries unless there is an event. This review is more based on the atmosphere and experience, as I cannot judge the beer. Per usual, when I go to a brewery, I look for the "non-beer" drinks. I chose the watermelon chammy seltzer. I'm actually not a big seltzer fan either, but I appreciated the salty sweet flavors and the cup decked out with chamoy and lime. I also tried the "tequila" shot which appeared to be made of some sort of soju. They also decked out the glass so it looked cute.Aside from the drinks, I really liked the venue. It was a warm, friendly environment. At first, it seemed overcrowded, but we found a good vantage point to check out the band. We got to chat with some of the other patrons who were positive and outgoing. I think as long as the crowd isn't too big, it is a great venue, but could be prone to overcrowding.All in all, I felt very welcomed there and had a great time."

Kensington Club

★★★★☆ 3.6 (149) • $

"Great local dive!I love the structure: one side is a narrow bar area with seating and a pool table in the back; the other side is an open room for shows. This is great so you can still enjoy a drink/conversation if you have no interest in hearing a live band. Saw my friend's band here (check them out: Nights Like Thieves) and loved the venue.Cheap drinks too! PBR tall boys!"

De Oro Mine Co

★★★★☆ 4.4 (61) • $

"the best local bar in the area! heavy pours great beer selection with juke boxes and pool tables with plenty of tvs to watch the games . it can be a lil rough in the late hours ppl will fight but that normal, the service is great and always friendly apart from that and plenty of parking in the front"

Full Circle Saloon

★★★★☆ 4.3 (59)

"What a rad dive bar ! Live music , pretty good drinks and the customers are all super cool and friendly. This place is definitely my kind of scene . The cover bands that play are pretty good. A lot of dancing . I really enjoy myself when I visit this cute bar."

The Search Bar

★★★★☆ 3.9 (240) • $$

"Great place to come watch the games. They have multiple TVs including a giant one. Ordered the search bar wings that was on special for game day $7. Very good wings. The service was ok. Lots of seating at the bar. Tons of Hig tables and booths as well. I saw hookah which is an option here. Parking was a bit challenging since it is shared by multiple places. K-1, a jump park for kids and a couple more places."

Dirk's Niteclub

★★★★☆ 4 (43) • $

"Being that I work around the corner, I have had the pleasure to meet the owner Dirk. He was very nice and polite! The bartenders here are also very welcoming, at first glance the inside of this bar seems a bit dark but you start to enjoy the laid back atmosphere. Also, who's going to complain about the every day Happy Hour special? EVERY DAY, AS IN WEEKENDS INCLUDED. They also have game nights and some days even food trucks. I've been here a few times and have no complaints. The drinks are strong and affordable, they even have an outside area with games!"

Jacked Up Brewery

★★★★★ 4.5 (203) • $$

"One of the few breweries in the area that opens at noon so we stopped by. They have an awesome display of guitars on the wall and a TV for sports. Staff was friendly and informative. They had a little stage area with a drum set on there so likely live performances often. Great open atmosphere.The beers were decent. Mostly on the lighter side with less body. Very refreshing. Their Foam Ranger DIPA was my favorite. They had a very unique Dragon Fruit IPA which was very interesting and something I haven't had before. Overall a decent brewery."

The Holding Company

★★★★☆ 4.3 (471) • $$

"Come for the view, stay for the wings.I've always loved THC but I was recently reminded how lucky we are to have places like this in our fine city, especially in December when we can still sit comfortably on a rooftop patio.There's no shortage of Skrewball being served her, and IYKYK why, and I'm always good for at least two of them. The live music is eclectic and fun, and this is certainly one of the best spots in OB, which has recently started to grow on me a bit more."

Beaumont's

★★★★☆ 3.9 (809) • $$

"Beautiful spot for brunch, a lot of cute shops around.Brought our dog to the patio and food was great I had the breakfast tacos.Wasn't planning on brunch but walking by it looked so cute, I'm glad we stopped"

Til Two Club

★★★★☆ 4.1 (98)

"If it's a dive bar you're looking for, this is a great one. I'm a little bias because my boyfriend and I met on our first date here . It's his usual spot, and now it's becoming somewhere I frequent with him. I can get intimidated walking into neighborhood dive bars... everyone seems to know everyone, it's all regulars and sometimes the service is pretentious. I always wonder "do they know I don't live around here??" NOT here though. Everyone is friendly and service is attentive. We've come for a punk concert which was fun too. Doorman is really nice and chatty! It's nice to see the owners around and the same cool bartenders on repeat visits. What really sealed the 5-star review for me was the holiday cocktail menu. I WISH I had taken a picture so I could remember the names for you, but alas, I didn't. We tried 4 off the menu and I loved every one! That's pretty rare for me. They weren't your basic holiday cocktails. Each one was creative, surprising and delightfully drinkable. A good mixture of smoky flavors, cinnamon, sweet... yum! I think it's fun that they do a "naughty" or "nice" mystery shot for $5. One day maybe I'll be daring and try it. Fun place, good people."

710 Beach Club

★★★★☆ 3.7 (500) • $$

"Awesome spot for cheap drinks, karaoke and good vibes. The Thurs night karaoke DJ is such a chill guy (and has a good voice too), the bar staff are extra friendly, and the bucket drink specials are worth it. Karaoke stage is well positioned, I got to sing immediately (en espanol!) and the sound system is perfect for letting you bust out your fave tracks for a mellow audience yet forgiving if you miss a beat or two. Can't wait to come back!"

Kettner Exchange

★★★★☆ 4.2 (2292) • $$

"One of the city's finer spots! Very Classy and a bit trashy... well once the drinks hit, any place can turn trashy.. lolGreat vibes Beautiful people, wicked drinks! Service is great and so are the mixologist! Could be a bit pricey for some, but hey...thats just the way things are these days. I really enjoy this place! It's a Must try for sure!"

Bolt Brewery

★★★★☆ 4.3 (287) • $$

"Husband and I went here for a quick bite and some beers. We were happy to see that there was a hotdog vendor there and the food went well with our drinks. There was a private event when we went so most of the patio seating was available with heat lamps around us. The service is more pick up vs table side service, which we didn't mind. The only thing I would advise others is to be prepared for the very limited parking around this area."

KaffeeMeister

★★★★☆ 4.3 (192) • $

"Smell good walking in the shop. Open at 7 am. Drive thru and call to order options. There are 5 tables inside. Quaint and homey deco. WiFi free. Some light breakfast sandwiches dish besides Pastries biscottis scones muffin cinnamon rolls. Relax and enjoy the morning kaffe"

BAR by Red Door

★★★★☆ 4.3 (40)

"Our table was not ready at Red Door so one of the workers offered for us to wait next door at the bar and he'd come and get us when our table was ready. This bar used to be The Wellington. Well lit and live harp music. Great selection of drinks and they offer the same menu as the restaurant since it's the same owner. Once our table was ready our server walked my drink over to the restaurant through the kitchen. Awesome service."

The Harp

★★★★☆ 3.5 (242) • $$

"Marlene is hilarious! So full of energy, sassy, cute and funny.Go to The Harp for drinks and food, stay for the Marlene show! You'll love it. A regular stop when we're in OB.Cheers!"

Navajo Live

★★★★☆ 3.8 (51)

"What a fun place to hang with friends and catch + groove to some homegrown bands on a Friday night. Bartenders are friendly and the drinks are reasonably priced. Nice vibe- looking forward to coming back soon."

Juan Tequila Bar & Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.9 (313) • $$

"I ordered the sliders and a margarita. The sliders were delicious!! The live music was great! I just didn't like the lack of service (slow at bringing the food and drink, and not picking up empty glasses and plates) they wouldn't split the bill because they were busy."

Prohibition

★★★★☆ 4.1 (964) • $$

"Omg when in Gaslamp you have to check this place out ! So we were walking around Gaslamp and this location was on my list . There will be no sign whatsoever, but there will be a door and someone standing near it getting your ID before entering. There was no cover charge when I went . After that u go into a basement feel speakeasy very intimate. There is a bar on your right side as well as the restrooms. This place could get pretty packed. You gotta keep an eye out for a seat. I like this place so much that I came twice on my visit to San Diego. What I really enjoyed was the live music. They have some talented artist the both nights I went the live music was amazing. !! They did not serve food just drinks . The menu for the drinks is pretty cool it's on a vinyl record . We had such amazing time the both nights we were here. I highly recommend coming checking this place out . I would definitely be back."