50 Best Dive Bars near National City

“Used to go there after work at. USN. back in 1982-3. They had excellent chili and a great cheeseburger. I think it only cost a buck at the time😀“

“Great local vibe. Competent staff...friendly. Wings and Philly quesadilla were wow. I needed a chill night on my travels and they delivered Cool dive bar experience.“

“One of my favorite bars in San Diego! They’ve got pretty much any whiskey you can think of, and the staff makes you feel right at home. Special shoutout to Lee — hands down one of the best bartenders in town.

There’s a fun arcade room, pool tables, and a laid-back outdoor patio with a local food truck. And I almost forgot — they have free popcorn! Solid vibes all around.“

“You can't call it a dive bar when they have $300 bourbons on the shelf! Erin is great. We went there twice and will probably go back again later. And there are pinball machines and a pool table and other arcade games. Fun place.“

“Love the food joint that’s been added to this bar. Amazing food and people!“

“Definitely not a place that gets going all night like a club would but a very cool and quaint spot to grab a drink with a group friends. Pool tables and a variety of drinks on tap. Bartenders are receptive as well. Juke Box is a plus to play music of one’s choice.It’s honestly kind of it’s own place in the middle of everything, but wouldn’t mind staying here for a night and drink the night away. The Elwood is nearby too.“

“Great local hangout!!! Great food!!!“

“Cocktails are great and the kale salad cannot be missed. I've just found on the last few visits the pizzas and patas are very tired though and haven't been changed in so long. Menu needs a little liven up. Wine by the ounce is so good though!“

“This venue is a true classic. We were there last night to see Cory Cross and it was great. The venue was clean, bar service was perfect and the staff was super friendly and helpful. I recommend going to see a live show at this venue and sticking around for a few drinks after! 🍸“

“Didn't eat so hard to rate but anywhere willing to have a kitchen behind the bar has gotta be pretty cool .
Drinks wre amazing. Duno what brand of champagne they had but it was the BEST champagne I've EVER had.
10/10“

“My absolute favorite place“

“THANK YOU CINDY ❤️I won $466 in my first try gambling. Good luck to anyone returning or first visiting. I passed by here while getting my cars windows tinted and I would never regret the comfy environment they introduced me in.Served the special they had on the board and beers I was happy with entering and leaving.The taco shop next door served me rolled tacos fast so If your hungry that’s ++Chill served liquor is available. Games like Pool and table tennis or ping pong are at the ready with regulars. A lot of hugs I notice.Small but cozy with food on the side ~Zen“

“great service.....small crowds. the best part is that they have a fuzzball table. whatever you do, do not do not play against Ms. Tracy Osborn. The women will take your soul! great bar“

“Great staff, great food.... one if San Diegos hidden gems!!“

“Great little tavern in South Park. Nice area, amazing old school vibe. Friendly staff, reasonable drink prices. Good music!“

“Depending on the day you will see some seedy characters. People of the streets often frequent this bar. But it is a neighborhood bar and the drinks are inexpensive and have a decent amount of alcohol in them. It is worth it to stop by and have a drink or two after a hard day.“

“I’m A wonderful place to go. Although I’ve had some experiences with An ex partner who to belittled me and said bad things about me to the ownership. Now I have been a constant customer for the last 10 years. I have done nothing but promote attract customers. Basically an ambassador. However, I was 86 because my ex cast dispersions upon me.And the people that were my friends. Took their back to me. I will not go back as of soon. But once MANAGEMENT and myself clear this up I’m sure that it will be my home bar again. But do enjoy this establishment.!!!“

“I came here after work on a Friday night. It just so happen to be a Padres vs Dodgers game and this place was packed! I mean, for your regular local bar... it was poppin'!
Everyone had a good, positive vibe watching the game regardless of the rivalry (there was a mix of both fans here) they didn't have the jukebox playing, so it was strictly game time vibes!
But as soon as the game ended, Jaqui, the bartender at the time, turned the music UP!
Jaqui was the ONLY bartender serving the patrons all night! She not only was running around like crazy but she kept such an inviting, friendly smile the whole time! She made sure to keep a conversation going with her guests as well.
While I was here, I didn't hear of any complaints about the service. Jaqui made sure my refreshments 😜 were always full as well. She's by far the best I've seen yet!!
Overall, it's a cool bar to chill at during baseball games or even to have a night cap after work! & with Jaqui as your bartender, you'll leave here on a positive note and I bet you'll be back 😋😉“

“Dive bar vibes, but good and very affordable non-blended cocktails. The bartender ladies are always AWESOME! Major props to them. They all work so hard. I’ve probably ordered from at least four of them and they’re all wonderful and attentive.“

“Old dive bar! Been goin here for awhile… 25 plus years! Xoxox.. glad they cleaned it up but kept the dive feel“

“"Hi Barbie!"
"Hi Ken!"
Team Barbie and I rolled in Coronado's sole dive bar around 9:30am on Thursday, July 4th. A little preparty before marching in the famous Coronado 4th of July Parade. Interior is from the 1980s or 70s...but still clean, dark, faded red carpet, vintage wood panel walls, beer decor, a single pool table in the back, an older, friendly and gentlemanly bartender, and a clientele that was 90% men at this early hour.

Three craft lager beers and a generous mimosa was $29, which I thought was very reasonable in an expensive, ritzy, and yuppy filled city like Coronado.“

“First time here. It’s your typical dive, don’t expect anymore, don’t expect any less. Quarter machine was out of order so could play some of the games we wanted to but the bartender was pretty nice which is always great when it comes to drive bars“

“Great beer selection awesome vibes and great service“

“This place is like Cheers. So many fun games to play as well“

“Had a lot of fun. Highly recommended“

“Lived in San Diego for decades. Rarely went out but always passed Chicos. Finally went there. Just found a neighborhood watering hole. Met a nice regular, a chef from the Grant. Bartender was great. Using the website, he made the unique frappe I asked for. Next it was beer for me. The selection was good and prices more than competitive. There are several pool tables and the Padre game was on the biggest screen. We'll be going back.“

“Basic bar serving basically a few Mexican beers. For sure a dive bar with low prices and friendly service. Found it a good place to practice my Spanish with the folks there, if you are in the area and like to explore then put this one on your list.“

“First time back in 19 years to what used to be our Tuesday date night spot. Still a great bar.“

“Its a fun little place to go to before Padre games .. Dorothy ( I think thats her name ) is an AWESOME bartender.. The guy on the grill was funny too .. he can grill a burger 🍔 thats for sure !!“

“I love it here and love the bartender Jess and Bernie and the djs“

“Cool Spot! Always an interesting spot to hang out, have a few pops and people watch...“

“Love this place, the owners and the bartenders. Amazing Blood Mary's and breakfast.“

“Great neighborhood bar. I've gone there off and on for 30 years. One pool table. Touch Tunes jukebox, smoking area. Close to restaurants. Only packaged snacks are available. Affordable prices. An intimate and friendly atmosphere. This is a gay bar and welcoming to respectful non-gay clientele as well.“

“Love love love this place. It’s the perfect mix of great drinks and mellow vibes always with shows next door. Instantly a perfect vibe for the weekend or last minute after work drink. Padded bar makes it a comfy spot, and Hannah is always pours well.“

“GR8 service, friendly atmosphere, cold drinks and Happy customers.“

“I love coming to Grover's Tavern to grab an Ice cold $10 mini pitcher of space dust or modelo, when the beautiful bartender Ruby is working.On Friday Night's & Sunday afternoon's She is a whole vibe. Her happy, positive energy is contagious & unforgettable. What a wonderful time it is when Ruby is serving her specialty drinks while providing amazing spectacular hospitality. She is pure Gold. Ruby Keep shining bright like a diamond ?“

“I first started going to Nunu's in 2000, way before it became hip. On a recent trip there, I was happy to see that it still has a fair amount of seediness, although I prefer my seedy bars to be more dimly lit! Btw, what happens at Nunu's, stays at Nunu's!!!“

“Great venue. Right on the beach. Has inside bar area and great outdoor patio. Knocked off 1 star because the drinks are pretty weak. $9 for a tito cranberry in a small glass with a 3 count pour. They could suffer to be a tad more generous with the booze at a dive bar.“

“Great staff, great atmosphere, great karaoke!“

“I had a great time at lamplighter tonight“

“Great dive bar, easy access off and on the freeway and a great oasis on the way to magnolia to see a concert Friendly staff as well as the patrons“

“good place to eat and relax“

“I had long time that I didn't really like going out until I came across this place it's very welcoming and the vibes are great I also feel taken care by the bartenders nino and nena are great and friendly. I just love how comfortable and safe I feel there 😊“

“Great bar“

“I’ve been literally obsessed with this place for the longest time. However, it’s EMBARRASSING that their playlist is repeating itself every hour-ish! Seriously!? Their busiest day!? The music was so much better when there was a DJ. He was really good. Bottomline is: if you’re going to save money, at least make a proper playing to avoid embarrassment. 😘“

“Best dive bar in San Diego“

“The Catalina Lounge has been our "football hang-out" for the last few weeks and we've had a BLAST. Speaking of Blast-From-The-Past" we found two of our favorite bartenders here Brie and Brandon working the football crowd. It was refreshing to see that they remember all of us as soon as we walked in (by name!!!!) and what was also awesome they remembered what we drank, talk about those two making us feeling special. The ambiance on Sunday's is football, football, fun, and good times. During half time my husband and his friend like to play pool and additionally they put out some good eats (for FREEEEEEEEEEE) - yesterday it was nachos, 7 layer dip, juicy full size hot dogs (not the cheapies) and some yummy cookies and cakes. I don't know any other bar that goes that far. If you enjoy your SunFunDays watching games with friends (or by yourself, people are extra friendly there) having a ice cold beverage of choice and a GREAT time head on over.....Thanks AGAIN Brie and Brandon- you gave 10 PLUS service yesterday, see you NEXT Sunday!“

“Love the 80s night and the live music“

“Been coming here since 2021, love the staff and the people that come in. The one neighbor upstairs sucks tho and deserves a wedgie; constantly crying and complaining about anything that happens at the bars/restaurants in that neighborhood. It’s like moving to lower manhattan and complaining that there’s too many skyscrapers or purposely moving next to an airport and complaining that they planes flying over you is too loud. But nonetheless, it’s a great bar for both regulars and newcomers. Decently priced drinks and pretty good food.“

“Love Jaime and the chill environment“