I’ve never been to San Diego and not had a good time.
It might be credited to the climate – some say (okay, I say) this Southern California city on the coast has the best climate of all of North America. Others attribute the likability of the city to its people: a laid-back, easy-going crowd of retired and active-duty military, mixed with surfers, business-people, students and everything in-between. In a word: eclectic. And perhaps nowhere is this most represented than in this city’s bars – perhaps some of the best in any city you’ll find in the U.S. The crowds, the climate, plus the cocktails, make San Diego one of the best bar cities in the country.
Aero Club Bar
3365 India Street
Take as Exhibit A, Aero Club Bar. Opened in 1947 by a female airplane pilot (rare in that age) who wanted a watering hole in which to mingle with other high-flying drunks, this bar has been a mainstay of the afterwork crowd for decades.
Though in the 1970s and 80s it became the bad kind of dive bar. But in the early 2000’s it was bought and renovated by New York native Bill Lutzius whose first task was to relieve the Aero Club of the “assholes” who had overtaken the bar.
“The first thing you do” he told me, referring to cleaning up the joint “is find out what kind of beer the assholes drink, and then get rid of it.”
Hence you won’t find a lot of cheap, American, Fizzy lagers on tap, but instead craft beers. The real treasure of Aero Club Bar, though, is the wall of whiskey. The place features well over a thousand different kinds of whiskies and are happy to give recommendations for you depending on your mood or tastes. While in the past the place was a ghost town at five, it’s not like that anymore, and you’ll have to elbow aside the suit-wearing lawyers and accountants to get to the bar. But when you do, it will be well worth it.
“The first thing you do is find out what kind of beer the assholes drink, and then get rid of it.”
— Bill Lutzius, Aero Club Bar owner.
Tivoli Bar and Grill
505 Sixth Ave
Another great find is Tivoli Bar and Grill in the Gaslamp Quarter. This the oldest bar in the city – and that’s saying a lot considering the city was founded in the 18th century (more or less). Tivoli, though, dates from the late 19th century.
The place has seen cowboys, sailors, prostitutes, and opium lords, and that was just last week! (I’m kidding., of course) In all seriousness, the bar has been one of the few things unchanged in a city, culture, and society that’s seen nothing but change. Strolling in here is really like stepping back in time, with the kitsch on the walls and the long, solid wood bar. It’s a taste of what San Diego used to be like, like back when Wyatt Earp called this place home.
Waterfront Bar
2044 Kettner Blvd
Our last Exhibit is in Little Italy of all places, where you find the Waterfront Bar. Founded right after the country came to its senses and revoked prohibition, this little watering hole is one of the busiest, but most charming in the city. At any given time you will find the most diverse assortment of flotsam holding court on the stools inside.
I was once next to a sailor who had been away for nine months at sea. He’d bought an entire bottle of rum, which he used to refresh his tall rum and coke while telling me all about the charms of Thailand…I won’t say any more about that.
It’s impossible to find a seat in this place in the evening, so it’s a good idea to show up early to secure a stool. In one night alone I met high-ranking city politicians, the owners of some popular local breweries, and a rowdy group of strippers. Eclectic enough for you?
So if you are in San Diego and seek a place to tip the elbow, these spots are not to miss. There are plenty of modern bars in town, to be sure, but who knows if they’ll still be open by the time this article gets published. Start with the classics, then work your way to the new hot spots. If you ask around I guarantee the locals will recommend these three bars, but congratulations, you’re already in the know.
"I was once next to a sailor who had been away for nine months at sea. He’d bought an entire bottle of rum, which he used to refresh his tall rum and coke while telling me all about the charms of Thailand…I won’t say any more about that."
Clint Lanier is a professor in the English Department of New Mexico State University. He is also the co-author of Drunken History, Bucket List Bars: Historic Saloons, Pubs, and Dives of America, and Craptails: the World’s Worst, Weirdest, and Most Disturbing Drinks. He has also written about spirits and travel for The Huffington Post, Fodors, Eater, and Liquor.com.
