By The Kevbeaux, PubClub.com Nightlife Blogger Goodness gracious, Great Balls of Fire! For those who want to relive that iconic moment from the iconic first Top Gun movie, you can do it at Kansas City Barbeque, San Diego's famous Top Gun bar. This is not the bar featured in Top Gun: Maverick. That's the I Bar on Coronado's North Island Naval Air Base and is off limits … [Read more...]
San Diego’s Best Burger Is At Rocky’s Crown Pub In Pacific Beach
By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com San Diego Blogger Several years ago, when I worked at Bob Thomas & Associates Public Relations based in Redondo Beach, CA, I went to San Diego for a client and Bob told me while I was there to go to Rocky's Crown Pub for one of the best burgers on the planet. Bob loves a great burger and when the man whose name was on the door … [Read more...]
The Nightlife Blogger: Daytime Drinking In A Dive Bar
Getting An Early Start To The Weekend By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Nightlife Blogger It was the end of a long week – a lot of work, a lot of successes – and I had just completed a bike tour (one of my side occupations) with a visiting journalist from Vancouver and a cute tourism PR rep from Toronto. By the time I finished giving the two Canucks a tour of … [Read more...]
Why Is It That Dive Bars Have The Best Burgers In America!?
Sit Down Gourmet Burger Restaurants & Chains By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Blogger It is my experience in my traveling and eating adventures that if you want to get a great burger, go to a dive bar. Forgot those upscale places that serve "gourmet burgers" that cost as as much as a good steak. For a really good, thick and juice burger, you want to go … [Read more...]
Carmel Best Happy Hour Bars: Vesuvio Rooftop & BarMel
A Lively Atmosphere & A Good Dive Bar Some might argue that Happy Hour in Carmel is any hour you are awake in Carmel. It would be a valid point. Especially if you are in one of its many wine tasting rooms on the Carmel Wine Walk. But Carmel does have Happy Hour and here are the two best ones. Because of the times, you can hit one, then walk to the other in five … [Read more...]
The Best Dive Bars In Waikiki Beach Honolulu Hawaii
Arnold's, A Dive Tiki Bar, Tops 6 List By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Nightlife Blogger In a town of tiki torches, tourist spot and high-end lounges with double-digit priced Mai Tais, there are also dive bars. A considerable number of them, too. PubClub.com lists its favorites here, all within walking distance of places like Duke's and Rumfire. 1.) ARNOLD'S … [Read more...]
Mooning Of The Amtrak Continues The Fun In 2013 Review & Photos
Trains Get Mooned And The Party Continues In Mug's Away Saloon I am happy – actually thrilled is a more accurate word – that the Mooning Of The Amtrak is alive and well. Sort of well, really. But still fun! It always has been fun and, apparently, always will be, despite efforts by the Orange County sheriff and Laguna Niguel City Council to throw a wet blanket on it. So … [Read more...]
Goodbye To The Fun Waikiki Beach Bars Until, Well, The Next Holiday
Dive Bars, The Strange Liquor Law And Run-Ins With Hookers All Part Of The Nightlife Experience Parting is indeed with such sorrow. But instead of some distant land – the Greek Islands come immediately to mind – at least this one is close. I'm one buddy pass away from returning. Hawaii is easy to reach from where I live in L.A. It's one direct 5 1/2-hour flight. LAX-HNL. … [Read more...]
Arnold’s A Great Dive Bar Discovery In Waikiki Beach
Hawaii Tiki Theme Just Part Of This Honolulu Attraction Let it be stated for the record that I love dive bars. And also let it be known that I'm no trend guy. Just because dive bars have become "in" places (I credit $15 "specialty cockatails" at places that suddenly have become high-end lounges) doesn't mean I follow the passing interest. I have always loved – and … [Read more...]
Carmel’s Best Bars And Most Fun Nightlife Is Mundaka And Ody’s
Hip Lounge And Dive Bar Make For A Fun Combination In Monterey Bay You will never mistake it for Paradise Beach on Mykonos, New Orleans or even down the coast in Hermosa Beach. But Carmel, CA, has some fun nightlife, and my two favorite places are Mundaka and Ody's Tavern. There are the two best bars in Carmel and frankly, probably also expanding to Monterey. They are … [Read more...]
I Never Want To WInd Up Like Those People In Billy Joel’s Piano Man Video
Never Serve Me A Drink Called Loneliness Have you ever seen the original video to Billy Joel's "Piano Man?" It's a great video to an outstanding song. An American classic. But it's also a warning not to wind up like those people in it, individuals past their prime who feel they have nothing to look forward to so they cling to their past by going to the same bar … [Read more...]
Why Dive Bars Outlast Trendy Lounges And Clubs In The Nightlife Scene
Simplicity Wins Out Over Sophistication In The Long Run One of our local dive bars, the Poop Deck in Hermosa Beach, is celebrating its 56th anniversary this year. Think about that for a moment – 56 years. Eisenhower was president of the USA. Cars were actually stylish then and the only bikinis – crated just 10 years earlier – had yet to make it off the shores of French … [Read more...]
Poop Deck Hermosa Beach’s Dive Bar Celebrates 56th Anniversary in 2013
South Bay Legend Has Stood The Test Of Time (And Generations) It has survived the fun patrons from volleyball tournaments taking place right out its door, spirited flip cup games on his back patio, buzzed (and bad) pool players, a Hermosa Beach makeover that saw other dives replaced and weathered heavy winter storms that had ocean water rolling over the beach wall. And on … [Read more...]
Here Are The Perfect Elements That Make Up A Good Live Music Dive Bar
The Best Live Music Bars Are Dive Bars That Highlights The Music Not Decor There's a small place I went to on occasion that I just learned is closing. It was a live music venue that featured really good local bands, and I'm sad to see it disappear from the scene. It had all the elements that made a perfect live music dive venue, and even had the word "dive" in its … [Read more...]
Back To The Drawing Board For Sale Of Hermosa Beach Dive Bar Mermaid
Bar And Restaurant On The South Bay Strand To Remain Open On Weekends It was a mixed marriage to begin with, a long-standing dive bar being sold to a big-time developer. Perhaps the Party Gods decided it wasn't the right time or place. So for now The Mermaid remains, well, The Mermaid. "The escrow agreement between investment group One Pier Avenue LLC and Mermaid owner … [Read more...]
At Certain Dive Bars, You Just Feel Like Having A Budweiser
Classic Dives A True Taste Of American Drinking Establishments I often look at drinking establishments as I do people. Certain ones have particular characteristics and distinctive personalities. Yes, bars can have personalities. In my world, there are position bars, closer bars, poser bars and hoser bars. And there are Budweiser bars. The latter is actually a … [Read more...]
Los Gatos CA Nightlife Top Bars For Singles
Carrie Nations, Mount Charley's & More Fun Party Spots For Single People Not far from San Francisco are some fun towns that have a thriving bar scene all their own. The Peninsula refers to an area south of San Francisco that encompasses Stanford University, the hippie and surf community of Santa Cruz, techy San Jose, beautiful Capitola Beach, exclusive Los … [Read more...]