Nightlife
After a hard day playing outdoors, who wants to have more fun? Most of us in San Diego. While the city isn’t known for the kind of trendy, chic, and wild nightlife you might find in Los Angeles or Manhattan, San Diego’s after-hours persona is alive and well.
Here you can choose from a smorgasbord of nighttime pleasures. In this chapter we’ll give you the rundown on clubs, bars, brewpubs, and independent coffeehouses. We didn’t list Starbucks or other chains; just follow your nose to find them.
If there’s a cover charge or a specific dress code for a nightspot, we’ve added that information, but keep in mind that things change. And don’t be shocked if you’re carded. Club owners and barkeeps have the right to ask anyone for ID at any time. Even if you’re in the over-30 crowd, you’ll need to carry identification. There’s nothing more maddening than being turned away from a happening club, crow’s-feet or gray hair notwithstanding.
Remember that in California there’s no smoking in public establishments, and that includes bars, lounges, and restaurants. To cater to their smoking customers, quite a few bars have installed outdoor patios or rooftop lounges. Casinos and entertainment venues on Indian reservations, of course, are exempt. Most respect both smokers and nonsmokers, but call ahead if your preference is for an absolutely smoke-free zone or if you want to puff away with reckless abandon.
While there’s plenty to do outside the Central San Diego area, the Gaslamp Quarter, in downtown San Diego, is definitely one of the hottest places to party. Relative to the old (in both senses of the word) venue in Hollywood, the House of Blues serves up food, firewater, and “nothin’ but the blues”—oh, and funk, jam, rock, and alternative tunes, too.
When we formulated our list, made phone calls, and took field trips (it was a tough job, but someone had to do it), one thing was clear: Clubs, pubs, coffeehouses, and other entertainment venues change. One spot might be hot with rock music and a month later spin house music or mashups. The next time you visit you might find a jazz band, a poetry reading, or a passel of square dancers. So though we’ve tried to make our listings as current and accurate as possible, it’s best to call ahead and inquire about the types of music or entertainment you’ll find.
With all these caveats out of the way, it’s time to introduce you to San Diego’s abundant hot spots. Enjoy!
City: San Diego, CA
Category: Nightlife
City: San Diego, CA
Category: Nightlife
Address: 770 Fifth Avenue
3. ’Canes Bar And Grill
City: San Diego, CA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (858) 488-1780
Address: 3105 Ocean Front Walk
Description: This is a lively spot located in Belmont Park in Mission Beach. On a normal night the crowd is usually made up of twentysomethings, but special concerts will draw a mixed-age group. Some concerts are open to revelers as young as age 16. In addition to concerts, ’Canes has music festivals, local bands, and lots of special activities. The rooftop deck overlooking the ocean offers a nice respite from the activity below. Admission varies according to the event; usually it’s between $6.00 and $12.00.
4. The Casbah
City: San Diego, CA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (619) 232-4355
Address: 2501 Kettner Boulevard
Description: Open daily from 8:30 p.m. to the standard 2:00 a.m. closing, the Casbah is one of San Diego’s cutting-edge clubs, offering happening young local and nationally known bands. It’s a super bargain, as the cover usually ranges from $8.00 to $14.00 for the likes of Party of One, The Rugburns, Ben Harper, The Breeders, and Royal Crown Revue. The club has a smokers’ patio and game room with a few pool tables and video games.
5. Croce’S Restaurant & Jazz Bar
City: San Diego, CA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (619) 233-4355
Address: 802 Fifth Avenue
Description: Croce’s has become an institution in San Diego for its fine dining and outstanding entertainment. Owned by Ingrid Croce, widow of singer Jim Croce, the bar features international jazz talents and an occasional appearance by A. J. Croce, son of the legendary crooner. The bar showcases rhythm and blues nightly. The cover charge is $5.00 during the week, and $10.00 on Friday and Saturday. (There’s no cover when you dine in the restaurant.) If there’s a special event, the cover might be slightly higher.
6. Dick’S Last Resort
City: San Diego, CA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (619) 231-9100
Address: 345 Fourth Avenue
Description: Granted, this is a chain outfit with a reputation for being slightly uncouth. But take it from us, there’s some great music going on here. Talented local bands play every night, and folks of all ages dance, have a beer, throw wadded up napkins at each other by way of introduction, and just generally let their hair down. Give it a try; you’ll find all types of music, from rock or pop to R&B, every night except Monday. There’s no cover charge.
7. 4Th & B
City: San Diego, CA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (619) 231-4343
Address: 345 B Street
Description: No wonder we’re not sure in which category to put it: 4th & B bills itself as San Diego’s “multipurpose, multicultural entertainment and special events venue.” A wide variety of shows are held here, from the yearly Brazilian Carnival celebration to sit-down concerts featuring well-known rock or blues artists to stand-up Latino comedy. This indoor concert venue has really made its mark on San Diego’s music scene. Hot bands as well as legends from the past appear regularly at 4th & B, including Mobb Deep, James Brown, and Alejandra Guzman. Tickets are available at the box office from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or by calling Ticketmaster at (619) 220-8497. You must be age 21 or older to get in.
8. House Of Blues
City: San Diego, CA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (619) 299-2583
Address: 1055 Fifth Avenue
Description: The warehouse-like main space serves drinks and sports a DJ, all without much charm. The back room is a concert venue where known jazzmen and purveyors of other types of tunes perform, but mostly its standing room only despite ticket prices of $20 to $40; there’s a small balcony where for a surcharge you might get a coveted seat. Don’t bring a camera or you’ll have to check it at the ticket booth. The best thing about House of Blues is their Sunday gospel brunch. Say halleluiah!
City: San Diego, CA
Category: Nightlife
Address: 2241 Shelter Island Drive
10. In Cahoots
City: San Diego, CA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (619) 291-1184
Address: 5373 Mission Center Road
Description: Polish up those boots and get ready for some line dancing and two-stepping. Dancing to DJ-spun country music is what’s happening here, and this is a great place for singles of all ages to meet and mix in a friendly atmosphere.Drink prices are inexpensive, but the main draw is the dancing. The cover charge ranges from $5.00 to $6.00, but Wednesday and Sunday drinks are $2.00, and there are free dance lessons from 6:30 to 8:00 on Tuesday through Saturday evenings before things really crank up. Learn a little bit of everything, from two-step to swing to “cowboy cha-cha.”
City: San Diego, CA
Category: Nightlife
Address: 615 Broadway
12. Onyx/Thin
City: San Diego, CA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (619) 235-6699
Address: 852 Fifth Avenue
Description: Refined and often full of glamorous-looking twentysomethings, the intimate Onyx/Thin is a basement-level venue. The decoration of this retro-style piano lounge is classy, the mood is upbeat, and the lighting both red and subdued. Martinis are the specialty of the house, and there’s a dress code: no athletic shoes or sandals, no jeans. It’s open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights until 2:00 a.m. In the back room a DJ spins records on Tuesday and Thursday, and there’s live jazz at least once or twice a week. You’ll pay $10 on Thursday, $15 on Friday, and $20 on Saturday, but there’s no cover Tuesday.
13. Patrick’S Ii
City: San Diego, CA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (619) 233-3077
Address: 428 F Street
Description: When you’ve got a hankerin’ for the blues, look no further than Patrick’s II. A mainstay in the Gaslamp Quarter for years (long before this area was even called the Gaslamp Quarter, or was even halfway chic), this small club is usually packed with people of all ages soaking up the blues and soppin’ up the brews. Quarters are close, but the crowd is friendly and the music can’t be beat. During the week there’s no cover charge; Friday through Saturday the fee varies.
14. Sevilla
City: San Diego, CA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (619) 233-5979
Address: 555 Fourth Avenue
Description: Nibble on Spanish tapas or enjoy a full meal at this trendy restaurant/club in the Gaslamp Quarter. In the downstairs nightclub are dinner shows (weekends only) with a set menu for $40 Friday to $48 on Saturday per person. It’s tango on Friday night; on Saturday customers are served Spanish paella as the main course as they watch a flamenco dance show. In the club there’s dancing every night of the week: Monday to Latin hip-hop; Tuesday through Thursday to tropical tunes (with dance lessons for the uninitiated). On Friday Sevilla hosts a Latin-Euro Dance Club. During the week the cover charge is $5.00 to $10.00; on Friday and Saturday it’s $10.00 and $15.00 respectively. Like most places in the Gaslamp, the age of the crowd varies.
15. Winston’S Beach Club
City: San Diego, CA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (619) 222-6822
Address: 1921 Bacon Street
Description: This beach-casual club in Ocean Beach features standout bands ranging—or should we say raging—from reggae and ska to alternative, blues, funk, soul, and acid jazz. The crowd is mixed; you’ll see all ages here, depending on what type of music is playing. The cover charge ranges from $5.00 to $15.00, based on the band and the night of the week. There’s other stuff, too: Open-mic comedy for local talent, space for area artists to show (and sell) their art, and karoake are examples of nonmusical offerings with no cover charge.