Ditch the glitz and glamor of a swanky bar or fancy club and bring on the cheap drinks, comfortable clothes, and jukebox jams at one of the many hole in the wall dive bars in San Diego. Check out some of these local favorites!
The Waterfront Little Italy
Chaffee Grant and Clair Blakley opened the Waterfront, shortly after the prohibition was repealed, with a new custom bar, a few bar stools, a juke box, slot and pin-ball machines and some food snacks on the bar…and this is pretty much how its stayed. The Waterfront claims to be San Diego’s oldest tavern, a spot where local fishermen would congregate and indulge in an ice cold beverage. Known for being a locals bar throughout the decades, the “colorful characters” that frequent it are rumored to be inspiration for the movie, “I Cover the Waterfront.
The Alibi Hillcrest
The Alibi is a larger dive on the main street of Hillcrest, with a perfect combination of tried and true locals and curious tourists. They have all the standard digs a dive must have: a pool table, jukebox, and a smoking patio in the rear, live bands on the weekend and heavy handed bartenders…although you’ll probably find yourself ordering a tall boy. Located in Hillcrest, it’s probably not a surprise that the Alibi is now popular to the hipster crowd of San Diego.
The Turf Club Golden Hill
You might have to search a little bit to find this little gem in the middle of Golden Hill. Since being renovated back to its 1950s glory, Turf Supper Club has become a local hangout hot spot for San Diego’s hipster crowd. The bar is complete with fake leather booths, cowboy wall paper, an original jukebox with some out of this world selections, and a grill in the middle of the room where steaks are fixed do-it-yourself style.
Pacific Shores Ocean Beach
Pacific Shores or Pac Shores as it is known by the locals features an aquatic theme complete with a giant shell that covers the bar area. Drinks are inexpensive, but definitely stiff. The decor is tacky, and we mean this in a good way. Comfy booths, jukebox jams, and deliciously greasy food round out the amenities of this much loved dive bar.
The Silver Fox Pacific Beach
You more than likely haven’t heard of the Silver Fox unless you’re a true PB local. This hole in the wall bar hosts three pool tables, an electronic dartboard, video games, pinball, and eight TVs…definitely not what you would expect from first glance. To top it off, The Fox features daily happy hours from 6am to 10am and 4pm to 7pm, $2 bottle beer of the month specials every day and $2 U-Call-It’s from 9pm to 1am every Thursday. Yeah, this is one perfect dive bar!
