The Shanty Cocktail Lounge

Surprised I haven't rated the best dive bar in San Diego yet. I just love this place. $8 for 2 hard kombuchas. I wish I lived walking distance so I could be here every day. It's divey but in the best possible way. Their happy hours are basically all day - 10am to 9pm. It's near the beach, its cosy, the staff are friendly, and they have games. What more can you ask for in an old school OG dive bar. They sometimes have food trucks too but also are close to some chill restaurants too. Check it out if you're ever in north county looking for a vibe.

Cool spot. Went here for nico's. The heaters made it nice to sit outside. The bathrooms were kinda dirty though so I didn't wanna use them.

Had a horrible experience with the bouncer and owner and after reading some of the other reviews was just glad it wasn't just my group.We drove a long way specifically to get food at a pop up here and one of our friends lost her ID the day before so only had a photo of her ID and passport. The bouncer refused to let us even sit without drinks which at first we thought was extreme but understood but then we saw him let in another group without checking their ID's. When confronting him, his response was "well i know them"....After asking the owner for a second opinion he also said (in a very condescending tone) that we needed a physical ID and after again explaining that others were let in without checking IDs said "He knows them, he doesn't know you all" which completely contradicts the "strict rule of needing a physical id". Finally after agreeing to get our food to go we were told we had to wait on the sidewalk ~10 feet away from the patio because one person didn't have an ID. Clearly guys with nothing better to do on a power trip that made their day to be able to tell us where they're allowed to stand.I literally never write reviews or am confrontational at all but I am so taken back at how rude these two were to me that I had to.

Sat outside. Dog friendly. Nice turf for my pooch to lay on. Wine list is limited but the red blend was decent for the price. Bouncers did good job on carding, some people in another group had to leave bc they didn't bring their ID. Cool hip vibe near the campground. Easy walk and nice place to hang outside with heaters. Service outside was prompt as soon as I sat down.

Where has this place been all my life? I love any dive bar, but this one has big outdoor space, a sea view, friendly service, happy crowd and lots of adorable neighborhood dogs which for me is a huge plus. I didn't have time to sample the Copper Kings Burgers and fries grilling outside but they smell and look delicious -- like what In-n-out is supposed to be. Parking is a challenge but I got insanely lucky as someone was pulling out of a prime space just as I arrived. The house beer on tap (Shanty Blonde) is just ok, but they have others and it's really not the point. Best vibe ever. Can't wait to come back!

Been here a few times and bartenders are always nice. Drinks are pretty decent and love how they have a pool table. Parking is usually pretty easy although it's located in a neighborhood so expect to park there. They have great hours so if you're in the area and it's a late night, it's one of the few places to be open. There's no food unfortunately so don't come hungry but there's a pretty good Mexican spot about a mile or so just east, across the freeway.

Yep! Shanty's a good spot. All the bartenders are super nice and they often have an outisde area to hang out and order food/alc. this is a great local spot if you're in the area! Aaron is a superb bartender. Enjoy!

The bartenders are rude, they ignore you, the bathrooms are gross not kept up with even on slow days! Every time I go in there they give me a hard time even with my US PASSPORT will NEVER go there again

No locals go here unless it's super late night. A million other places to go. Don't go here.

I tapped on an employees shoulder to ask where the women's bathroom was. This was my first time at this bar and he immediately turned around grabbed my arm and started screaming at me saying " I was Messing with him" grabbed my drink out of my hand and slammed it onto the bar and kicked my whole group out. He escalated the whole situation and I will never feel safe at this bar again. The bouncer with long beard and grey-ish hair.