By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com San Diego Blogger
One of the (many) cool things about living in San Diego when you are not originally from here is the ability to connect with people from your hometown or university because of the large number of “transplants” that have moved to this city.
One of the best places to do that is at the various college alumni bars where people from that school gather on college football Saturdays to watch their alma mater. Those gatherings are often weekly highlights of socializing in the fall and winter. Personally, I prefer to be in an alumni bar watching my team, high-fiving with fans, singing the fight song and mutually complaining with others about curious coaching decisions and bad calls from the officials than watching it alone at home.
Many others feel the same way and with that in mind, PubClub.com presents this list of the best college football game-watching bars for alumni and fans in San Diego. It’s a complete list for most the top-ranked and locally popular teams, tho I’m always open to adding new places. Commentary is added based on personal experiences.
• Alabama: Smoking Gun, Gaslamp Quarter. This is one of the best – if not THE best – alumni game-watching chapters in all of San Diego. Each Saturday, 50-100 Alabama alumni meet up to watch the games with cheers and the fight song plus the “unofficial” fight song playing from a DJ. Smoking Gun has replaced Bootlegger as the official alumni bar for this year. The really good thing about the Alabama alumni bar is that it is very social. People just don’t sit in their seats and watch the game; they talk to others and move about the crowd. That’s a scene unlike any other alumni bar in San Diego. Food: Good. Atmosphere: Outstanding.
• Arizona: The Tavern Bar, Pacific Beach
• Arizona State: Good Bar, Point Loma
• Boise State: Sandbar, Mission Beach
• Clemson: Union Kitchen & Tap, Gaslamp Quarter
• Florida. Bay City Brewing, East Village. The Gators relocated here from Smoking Gun after the Alabama alumni group took over that bar. Food: Good. Atmosphere: This is a small bar behind the old Bootlegger on 8th Street that can get loud and exciting, depending on how the Gators are playing, of course.
• Michigan: The Local, PB. Food: Good. Atmosphere: Fine.
• Nebraska: Duck Dive, Pacific Beach, Food: Very good. Atmosphere: Depends on the game and how Nebraska is doing that year.
• Notre Dame: Tom’s Watch Bar, East Village (by Petro Park); Hooley’s in East County and Tower 13, Cardiff-By-The-Sea (all official alumni bars).
• Ohio State: Break Point, PB (official alumni bar) and American Junkie, Gaslamp Quarter. Tho not the official alumni bar, American Junkie is at near-capacity every Saturday (which is saying something since many Ohio State games start at 9 in the morning). It’s a large bar with two sections; on one, the game is shown against a back wall, making for a gigantic big screen.
• Oregon: PB Ale House, Pacific Beach and Hasta Mañana Cantona, Gaslamp Quarter. Hasta Manana is trying to create a downtown Oregon Ducks bar so it’s growing. The food there is very good.
• Penn State: Knotty Barrel, East Village. Food: Good to very good. Atmosphere: Sometimes very lively but not every week.
• South Carolina: Union Kitchen & Tap, PB
• Tennessee: Cardiff Beach & Sports Bar, Cardiff-By-The-Sea
• Texas: Home & Away, Old Town. You had better get there early for a big game if you want a seat and a quick beer. There’s a packed bar area in the front and a huge patio with a Texas-sized big screen in the back. Food: Very good, especially the smoin’ porky sandwich. Atmosphere: Very good tho most people stay at their seats or table and are focused on the game so mingling opportunities are somewhat limited.
• Washington. Fairplay in North Park. Food: Good (it has several craft beer selections, hardly surprising for North Park, of course). Atmosphere: Pretty good, especially for big games.
• USC. Guava Bar & Grill, Mission Beach
Is your bar or school missing from this list? E-mail us!
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