Books and Records ★ 4.4
$$$Hillcrest{'monday': '17:00-21:00', 'tuesday': '17:00-21:00', 'wednesday': '17:00-22:00', 'thursday': '17:00-22:00', 'friday': '17:00-22:00', 'saturday': '10:00-22:00', 'sunday': '10:00-21:00'}
Books and Records on Fourth Avenue in Bankers Hill, opened September 2023, is the 80-seat San Diego restaurant and listening bar with live jazz Thursday through Saturday and a vinyl rotation.
Tip: Reserve through the venue site for the jazz nights; the bar is walk-in. New Orleans style jazz brunch Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00.
Aero Club Bar ★ 4.5
$Little Italy{'monday': '14:00-02:00', 'tuesday': '14:00-02:00', 'wednesday': '14:00-02:00', 'thursday': '14:00-02:00', 'friday': '12:00-02:00', 'saturday': '12:00-02:00', 'sunday': '12:00-02:00'}
Aero Club on India Street, established 1947, is the Middletown San Diego dive bar pouring from over 1,200 whiskeys, with an arcade, pool table and a food truck on the patio most nights.
Tip: Open weekdays 14:00, weekends from noon, to 02:00 daily. Cash and card; dog friendly. Happy hour 14:00 to 19:00 daily.
The Tipsy Crow ★ 4.2
$$Gaslamp Quarter{'monday': '12:00-02:00', 'tuesday': '12:00-02:00', 'wednesday': '12:00-02:00', 'thursday': '12:00-02:00', 'friday': '12:00-02:00', 'saturday': '12:00-02:00', 'sunday': '12:00-02:00'}
The Tipsy Crow on Fifth Avenue occupies the 1874 Spencer-Ogden building in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter, three levels of bar, beer hall and basement dance floor open daily noon to 02:00.
Tip: Drink Exchange happy hour Monday to Saturday from open to 20:00 drops prices every five minutes. The Underground basement is the dance floor.
Cardiff Beach Bar at Tower 13 ★ 4.2
$$Carlsbad / Encinitas (North County coast){'monday': '11:00-23:00', 'tuesday': '11:00-23:00', 'wednesday': '11:00-23:00', 'thursday': '11:00-23:00', 'friday': '11:00-00:00', 'saturday': '10:00-00:00', 'sunday': '10:00-23:00'}
Tower 13 on South Coast Highway in Cardiff is the beach bar across from lifeguard tower 13 in North County San Diego, with 27 beers on tap and two oceanfront patios.
Tip: Open 11:00 to late daily; happy hour weekdays 15:00 to 18:00. The west-facing patio empties slowly at sunset.
Til-Two Club ★ 4.2
$North Park{'monday': '16:00-02:00', 'tuesday': '16:00-02:00', 'wednesday': '16:00-02:00', 'thursday': '16:00-02:00', 'friday': '16:00-02:00', 'saturday': '16:00-02:00', 'sunday': '16:00-02:00'}
Til-Two Club on El Cajon Boulevard is the City Heights and Talmadge dive bar in San Diego booking rock, punk and karaoke seven nights a week from 16:00 to 02:00.
Tip: Happy hour 16:00 to 19:00 with $4 wells, $5 drafts and $3 shots. Live bands, DJs and karaoke rotate nightly.
Coin-Op Game Room ★ 4.1
$$North Park{'monday': '17:00-00:00', 'tuesday': '17:00-00:00', 'wednesday': '17:00-00:00', 'thursday': '17:00-00:00', 'friday': '17:00-02:00', 'saturday': '14:00-02:00', 'sunday': '14:00-00:00'}
Coin-Op Game Room on 30th Street in North Park is the San Diego arcade bar with classic cabinets, pinball, craft beer on tap and a full cocktail program open to 02:00 on weekends.
Tip: Open from 17:00 weeknights, 14:00 weekends. 21+ all hours. Tokens for the cabinets bought at the bar; Mario Kart and Big Buck Hunter draw the queue.