By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com San Diego Blogger
Welcome to PubClub.com’s ultimate Happy Hour page for San Diego. Here you will find honest, been-there-done-that, boots on the ground reviews of Happy Hours all over the city. I have either been to, or someone I know and trust, has been to all of these places. This article was researched and written by a human with no assistance from AI. I will keep adding places as I keep my boots on the ground to find places I like and don’t like for Happy Hour.
There are no categories but rather places are listed by areas. That makes it easy to find places rather than having it scattered by “best of” or whatever. There is a brief description of each place, “The Deal” with the specials, the review, address and – unique to PubClub.com – a “Will I Return” ranking on a 0-5 scale. I also have included the social vibe because that’s a very important element to me and the reason I go to Happy Hours in the first place.
San Diego Bay Happy Hours
Brigantine
There are several locations in San Diego of Brigantine. I’ve always liked the one in Del Mar because you can sit out on its balcony and overlook the Amtrak & Coaster trains zipping along the tracks and also the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Plus it and the other locations other than Portide Pier have an all-day Happy Hour on Mondays, 4-10.. That being said, the Portside Pier location is excellent as it’s right on San Diego Bay just north of Broadway Pier.
The Deal: Sunday-Friday 2-6. $5 beers, $7 margaritas. Appetizers, including clam chowder, less than $10.
The Review: The margaritas have a good amont of tequia in them so you’re not getting jipped during Happy Hour. They, like their sister restaurant next door (Miguel’s) add a splash of OJ which is okay but I would prefer not to have in my margarita. The clam chowder is really good and the beer price is budget friendly. The social scene is better upstairs at Top Sail (it has no HH) but sometimes you can get lucky with some fun people at the bar. There an also be boring people at the3 bar so I’ll walk in and check the crowd before taking a seat.
And while we’re in the neighborhood, Miguel’s is next door. It has a bigger bar and is not as touristy busy as Brigantine and I often like it better. Beers are $3.50 & $4.50 (beat THAT on the water!), margis are $6.50 & $8.50 for a Cadillac and sangria is $6.50. Tacos are $3.50.
Address: 1360 N Harbor Dr.
Will I Return Rating: 3.5 of 5
Ketch
An open-air bar overlooking San Diego Bay makes this a pretty sweet place to have a Happy Hour drink.
The Deal: 2-5 Sunday-Friday (3-6 in Point Loma). $6 beers, $7 cocktails & $7 appetizers.
The Review: Good spot, especially for sunsets. In the summer that’s well past Happy Hour but you can get a drink just before it ends and nurse it enough to get close to sunset. I always sit at the bar and not at a table. The social scene is decent and what I like about it is that it always has the potential to be really good.
Address: 1360 N Harbor Dr.
Will I Return Rating: 4 of 5
Downtown/Gaslamp Quarter/East Village Happy Hours
Nearly every restaurant and bar has a Happy Hour in the Gaslamp/East Village. The problem is that most of them are pretty empty because the area doesn’t get really cranking untl after 9 or 10 on weekends. The upside to that is you can always find a seat at the bar or a table.
The Whiskey House
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A high-class whiskey bar with a casual vibe, this is a really good Happy Hour spot. There’s outdoor seating on picnic tables for nice evenings and a cozy bar inside. The staff is always smiling and laughing. The social vibe is pretty good; best on Fridays.
The Deal: 3-7, 7 days a week.-$5 beers (add a shotof whiskey with it for $1),$7 wines & cocktails. Food includes a good burger ($10) and full meals such as pork chops ($12) and salmon filet ($14), plus a few appetizers fpor $7. It also has Taco Tuesdays (kind of odd for a whiskey bar) with $3 tequila shots. $4 beers and $4 birria tacos.
The Review: This is one of the best Happy Hours in all of San Diego. You get a beer (not the cheap stuff) for $5 and a shot of good bourbon for an extra buck in a classy lounge setting. It fills up on Fridays and spills past Happy Hour into the night. Groups go here. It’s not a wild singles scene but is excellent for small groups and especially for a date night.
Address: 420 Third Ave. (Third & J)
Will I Return Rating: 5 of 5.
Karina’s Seafood
This is a very cool and comfortable place with the best bar stools in San Diego (they are big and cushy). Hip music videos play above the bar and the staff is always smiling. The social vibe is pretty good tho most people do tend to keep to themselves or their small group.
The Deal: Tuesday-Sunday, 3-6. $5 select beers (including the Karina’s lager); $8 margaritas, martinis & well, $8 wines, $10 appetizers (includes sashimi, shrimp, 6 oysters. ahi tuna…)
The Review: The margaritas, while are pretty strong, are a bit tart. There are no comped chips & salsa (which are really good here) which is a shame because this could keep people there a bit longer.
Address: 755 Fifth Ave. (5th & G, next to Tacos El Gordo)
Will I Return Rating: 2.5 of 5.
La Jolla Happy Hours
Cormorant Boutique Hotel
You may not even notice this place but it’s worth going up to the rooftop balcony for a drink or two at the Birdseye Restaurant, which overlooks a park and the Pacific Ocean by the La Jolla Cove.
The Deal: M-F 4:30-6. $5 beers, $10 wines, $12 select cocktails. Appetizers $15 ($18 for a cheese board with Charcuterie).
The Review: Quiet but a beautiful view. The social scene is really up to you and can be great if you’ve got someone with you that you like or are trying to impress.
Address: 1110 La Jolla Blvd.
Will I Return Rating: 2 alone, 5 with a date
Hennessey’s
Pretty much every beach town along the Southern California coast has a Hennessey’s. I know this place well from when I lived in Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach.
The Deal: 4-7 M-F. $10 jumbo 23-ounce Lagunitas or Coors Light. $11 large beer & a shot, $7 & $9 cocktails, $8 snacks.
The Review: The fireplaces are awesome. There’s live music – usually just a guy with a guitar but that’s fine – and is the coziest Happy Hour bar in San Diego. It was once a house so it has several rooms. The best deal is the big beer. The Happy Hour weakness here is the limited food menu. The social scene is okay; sitting around the patio fire pit is the best place to be for socialzing.
Address: 7811 Herschel Ave.
Will I Return Rating: 4 of 5
The Spot
A sports bar with awesome French Onion soup and pizza I have to try, this is a comfortable place to have a few drinks in La Jolla Village. I like the fact that the seats, including at the bar, have sturdy backs on them, which I like way better than those super-uncomfortable metal barstools that are next door at Jose’s.
The Deal: 3-6, M-F. $1 off draft beer (making most of them $7), house wine, and well cocktails. $3 off all appetizers.
The Review: The big problem with returning here is that the Happy Hour specials are not that great. Then again, it is La Jolla and it is the Village.
Address: 1005 Prospect St,
Will I Return Rating: 2.5 of 5
Ocean Beach Happy Hours
South Beach Bar & Grill
Overlooking the beach and the OB Pier, this is a fantastic place to watch the waves and, when the timing is right, the sunset during Happy Hour. The ideal spot is on one of the outdoor seats on the patio or rooftop.
The Deal: 3-6 M-F. $7 Mai Tais. Does anything else matter? Oh, $5 mimosas, $1 off tall drafts $7 & &8 select coctails. there’s also, along with different taco specials different nights of the week too numerous to mention here. Half off appetizers, as well.
The Review: It’s so serene – and nice – to sit with a drink looking at the ocean waves crash just a few yards from you. I put away my phone and just enjoy the moment when here, and the Mai Tai for 7 bucks is one of the best drink deals in town. The social scene is pretty good, tho it’s mostly more reserved people rather than the party people, who go out later.
Address: 5059 Newport Ave,
Will I Return Rating: 5 of 5
Pacific Beach Happy Hours
Baja Beach Cafe
I like this place not just because it’s right on The Strand (hey, I refuse to call it a Boardwalk) but because I plopped down one sunny afternoon and ordered a beer. My server said “you’re gettin two because it’s Happy Hour. And if you don’t want it, then I’ll drink it!” That’s my kind of place.
The Deal: Monday-Friday 4-7. Saturday late-night Happy Hour 10:30-2 a.m. 2-for-1 drinks.
The Review: The thatched roof is enough enticement to go into the place. The beers are 20 ounces in a basic big plastic cup. Basic, not fancy and I love it. One thing I can’t figure out is that I think – but am not sure – is you’ve got to go to the small and narrow back bar if you only want drinks. The social scene is potentially great, depending on how many margaritas or big beers you and anyone else in there has, of course.
Address: 701 Thomas Ave., Just south of the PB Pier.
Will I Return Rating: 5 of 5
Hideaway
This is a well-run, well-managed bar. I know it well because the owners are responsible for one of the best singles bars in the history of Southern California, the original Sharkeez in Manhattan Beach. From that they have created a mini empire of sorts and really have their act together.
The Deal: Monday-Friday, 3-6:30. Half off shots, bottles & canned beers. The real deal are the 22-ounce cocktails & 32-ounce schooners of beer, $1 more than the regular price. Wines are $6.5-10.5. Food is various items from small to large for $7.5-$20. The best deals are on the drinks.
The Review: The place is cool and the social vibe is really good. Being in PB helps, of course, but the real reason is the postive vibe from the staff, which trickles down to the patrons. Everyone is happy in Hideaway. And how can you not be happy after a couple of those big beers?
Address: 447 Mission Blvd.
Will I Return Rating: 5 of 5.
Thrusters
A true PB dive with a neighborhood friendly vibe.
The Deal: I don’t remember but I got a beer there for $3 or $4 on a weekday late afternoon. This require more investigating.
The Review: I love this place. Afternoons, evenings or late at night. It’s especially good after you’ve struck out the other bars. The social scene is good because you’ll always strike up a conversation with a local if it’s busy or slow.
Address: 4633 Mission Blvd.
Will I Return Rating: 5 of 5
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