The Story Behind My Unexpected Encounter With A Movie Hero At San Diego’s Kansas City Barbeque
Walk into Kansas City Barbeque in San Diego and you’re stepping into a piece of Top Gun movie history. But I wasn’t expecting to find “Maverick” himself sitting at the bar, wearing flight gear and those unmistakable aviator sunglasses. Naturally, I pulled up a barstool and joined him for a beer. It was one of those unexpected nightlife encounters that makes San Diego so much fun.
Great Balls Of Fire, you won’t believe who I ran into at the Top Gun Bar in San Diego.
Call sign Maverick.
Hanging out at Kansas City Barbeque, dressed in full flight gear and sporting those signature shades, Maverick was sitting at the bar having a beer. A Top Gun Lager, in fact.
And I joined him.
We had a few laughs, clinked our mugs, exchanged a “cheers” and took some photos with the famous piano in the background. He was nice, polite, had that distinctive smile of his on the whole time and eagerly posted for photos with not just myself, but everyone else in the bar.
Goose was not with him, nor was Charlotte or Carol, or Iceman, Viper, Cougar, Jester or Merlin.
I found out that Maverick still flies; he takes to the air at San Diego Sky Tours, a company that provides biplane tours of this sunny city. Including aerial combat.
You can definitely see him yourself at San Diego Sky Tours. As far as seeing him at the Top Gun bar again, well, you never know. I certainly was not expecting to see him there that day.
And you know what – I like going into Kansas City Barbeque because it’s a funky bar, a dive bar with characters for bartenders, who instantly loosen up the patrons. The Top Gun beer is pretty good, too.
So maybe I’ll see Maverick again in the Top Gun bar. And definitely at San Diego Sky Tours, tho I don’t want to get into any aerial combat with him. Then again, maybe you’ll be able to call me Iceman.
The Nightlife Blogger is the bar columnist for PubClub.com, An award-winning journalist, Kevin Wilkerson has spent more than two decades covering bars, nightlife, destinations and events around the world, always searching for the stories and experiences most travelers overlook.
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