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    Knotty Barrel

    4.1 (884 reviews)
    ModerateGastropubs, Pubs
    Closed 11:30 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    KNOTTY BARREL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Happy hour specials

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    Knotty barrel St. Patty's Day Special. Ig @mel_foodie_ventures
    Melanie P.

    A quick search for some pubs that offer St. Patty's day drinks and food, yielded Knotty Barrel in Downtown. Conveniently close to the parking garage that I usually park at, this place was close enough to Gaslamp but far enough from the crowds. The ambiance is your typically dive bar with multiple TV screens showcasing March madness on a Saturday afternoon. Waitress was nice but only brought one water instead of bringing water for everyone in the table. I guess you have to be specific. Of course I ordered the St. Patty's Day Special, which was the Stout Braised Corned Beef Reuben (on rye bread) and a green margarita rimmed with Tajin. Marg was delicious! I ordered two! The sandwich was hearty and the meat flavorful. I upgraded my side to Parmesan Garlic fries and these were super crisp with the right amount of seasoning. I also tried the Rosemary Tater Tots, these were fried perfectly and were not too oily. Price point is reasonable. Definitely a solid place to get some good bar food and watch some sports! I would definitely come back again!

    Phuoc B.

    Came for happy hour and it was our first time here. The place is very spacious. There is outside and inside seating. We live down the street and didn't have to look for parking cause we walked. It seems like they were short staff the day we came because it took a little while for someone to take our order. We ordered a single smash burger and a double smash burger with fries. I'll start with the fries! Cause they were actually good. I thought it was going to be overcooked but it was perfect. I do want to say the burgers didn't taste like a smash burger. It tasted like a beef patty. Super thick and not smashed. That I didn't like. Super cool thing on the menu: deep fried twinkies! I never had deep fried twinkies before and this did not disappoint. If I came back for anything it would be for this

    $1 oysters on Tues
    Melody D.

    A lot of businesses run out of steam after being open for many years, but not Knotty Barrel. I came by two different times on a recent trip back to San Diego and both times the service and food were as good as I had remembered. It is still San Diego's version of Cheer's, the friendly and fun neighborhood pub. I ran into old friends and played darts while enjoying some non-alcoholic cocktails and food. Their grilled cheese is seriously the best, along with their chicken strips, and new smash burger. I also love their protein bowl and ahi stack when I want a healthier option. They are still getting it right and I will continue to come back during every visit to San Diego.

    Chicken strips
    Nikki R.

    Been coming to Knotty since I moved here in 2017. It quickly became a second home. It's a NY Giants bar on Sundays and as a NY transplant, it definitely helped my transition. The staff and owners have become a second family over the years. You wouldn't think bar food is anything special, but i have never had a bad meal at Knotty!! Their chicken strips and steak sandwich are my favorites

    Menu QR codes
    Vanessa P.

    Watched a football game here recently with friends. We ubered so didn't have to stress about parking. QR code menus. Overall I had a great time there and the food and drink were great. Service was good. Casual environment. I would come back again when visiting San Diego.

    Southwestern Chicken Salad
    Leslie G.

    Been so many times and really thought I put a review. Food is always great. $7 happy hour smash burgers. Yes please! The chicken salad is a fresh choice loaded with salad toppings. Love getting the potato chip nachos and adding buffalo chicken. Great place to watch sports or hang and chat.

    Bobby D.

    I finally got to attend my first Padres baseball game of the season, but before we walked to Petco Park, my best friends wanted to pre party before the game. One of my best friends recommended Knotty Barrel and I trusted his choice because he hasn't let me down yet when it comes to selecting restaurants that serve delectable food. I was so hungry that I couldn't wait for the grub to come out. My buddies are beer drinkers and I'm a foodie, so Knotty Barrel was the perfect Padres pre party restaurant for incredible food, refreshing drinks, and a good vibe. When my buddy mentioned Knotty Barrel, the name was familiar to me because there's a Knotty Barrel in Rancho Peñasquitos, so it's a small chain restaurant with a location in North County San Diego and this location we visited in Downtown San Diego. This was my first time visiting a Knotty Barrel and for this East Village location, it's a short walk to Petco Park, so it's an ideal pre party location. My buddy parked at the 4th Avenue parking garage and the 6th and K parking garage isn't too far, which means paid parking is your option. The restaurant is on the corner of Market Street and Ninth Avenue. It is across the street from Lotus Thai and Modern Times Coffee, diagonal from Krisp, and opposite of Floyd's Barbershop. We got to Knotty Barrel a couple of hours before the ballgame, so the restaurant was packed with diners. There is bar seating, high top tables, booths, and outdoor seating. The restaurant is spacious; there are tvs mounted all around; there are sports teams banners, pennants, and other sports decor; I enjoyed reading the painted quotes around the restaurant; there are kegs manufactured into urinals; and the main focal point were wall displays of beer taps. Our server Maren was friendly and did her best to take care of our group, but I didn't think she checked on us as often as I would have liked, so I have to take off a half star. For me, Knotty Barrel's food was the star of the show, so if you're looking to satisfy your hunger and not have to worry about paying the exorbitant stadium prices for food, I suggest you do like my buddies and eat here before the game. I knew Knotty Barrel was going to serve some righteous food after I took my first sip of the Shirley Temple I ordered. When an establishment serves a refreshing and with the right amount of grenadine syrup Shirley Temple for a non alcoholic drinker like me, then I know that restaurant takes attention to detail seriously and it will be reflected in their food. Since we were going to a Padres game, we decided to order a bunch of appetizers. My buddies asked me to order the food, so I selected traditional Buffalo Knotty Wings, Potato Chip Nachos, Pretzel + Beer Cheese Dip, and Fried Pickles. Seriously and I'm not exaggerating, every appetizer was carefully prepared and they were tasty from the first bite. If I had to pick my faves, I thoroughly enjoyed the fried pickles and the potato chip nachos. The pickles were perfectly coated with cornmeal flour and were fried to just the right crispy crunch. Dipping them in the ranch was satisfying. The nachos had house-cut potato chips, blue cheese English cheddar, jalapeños, horseradish cream, and we added shredded chicken. Those nachos were yummy, hearty, and every component of that dish blended well with each other. The wings were savory and hearty. The pretzel was shareable and dipped really well with the beer cheese. After the appetizers, I decided to try their special of the day, which was a single smashburger. It was only $8, but that seriously was a tasty burger with the meat grilled to perfection, melted cheese, grilled onions, and toasted soft buns. I savored every bite and make sure to save room for this amazing burger. I left Knotty Barrel happily stuffed. Big ups once again to my longtime best friend for choosing a memorable eatery like Knotty Barrel. It was a blessed time breaking bread with my buddies eating delish food, chowing down on an amazing smashburger, washing the grub down with one of the better Shirley Temples in SD, and we were just a short walk from enjoying a Padres game together.

    Grilled cheese panini with truffle fries
    Nick N.

    I went here with my friends for lunch today and wow this place is great!! It's located in a big parking lot so you don't have to worry about parking! It was my first time here and they have brunch type food including burgers, salad or sandwiches. Both my friends got the Knotty burger and you must try the chili lime sweet potato fries it might be on the sour side, but interesting and tasty. I got the grilled cheese sandwich with truffle fries which was awesome. The service was great and the ambiance is very casual and we sat outside because it was nice and sunny. Overall I would definitely recommend you to try this place with a group of friends or your family!

    Pliny the elder
    Matthew E.

    Our food was great. Our server was amazing and attentive. They had Pliny the elder! It's comic con weekend and we had a great time.

    Knotty Burger and fries

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    Knotty Barrel Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Knotty Barrel

    Do they have a dart board?

    No.

    Is this a football Giants bar? What time do they open on football Sundays?

    Yes, it absolutely is a NY Giants bar. They have watch parties for all the games. As for the hours for the games, I believe it is 9am, but just for football season.

    What areas of the establishment are dog friendly (if any)?

    The front patio is dog friendly. I've sat at the part that opens directly to the bar and there are hooks where you can hang your dogs leash. They gave my dog treats here! I've also had my dog on the back outdoor patio, and seen many other dogs back… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Stopped by The Field Irish Pub in downtown San Diego for a Guinness and a bite on St Patrick's Day,…read moreso as expected, it was absolutely packed. Despite the crowds, service was impressively fast. We grabbed seats at the bar and were taken care of right away, which was a pleasant surprise given how busy it was. Food-wise, the fish and chips were good, but not amazing--solid, but nothing to rave about. The sausage rolls, unfortunately, were a bit underwhelming for me. I was hoping for a crispier, flakier pastry, but they fell a little short in texture. One thing I really miss is the live music they used to have before Covid. It added so much to the atmosphere, and I'd love to see them bring that back. Outside of big events like St. Patrick's Day, the place can feel a bit quiet, so the music would definitely elevate the overall vibe. Overall, still a great spot for a pint and good service--especially impressive during peak crowds--but there's definitely room to bring back some of that old charm.

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    Nice fireplace

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    We went to Long Story on a Friday for an early dinner and to watch the band perform. We found a…read moretable with ease and ordered food at the bar. Everything we ordered was delicious. My favorite was the Philly cheesesteak. They were also kind enough to make a basic cheeseburger for my 5 year old, and offered free refills for soft drinks. The place slowly started to get crowded around 6pm, but it still felt family friendly as we were heading out.

    Well... This was our attempt for this months New places with old friends. We ended up just having a…read moredrink and heading elsewhere. I hate leaving questionable reviews.. but also feel when we researched places we didn't get an accurate story. This is a true neighborhood pub.. the place you come so everybody knows your name. Which I love and can appreciate. But as an outsider it was kinda chaotic instead. A bartender came to clean a table for us. The largest grossest bugger hanging out of his nose, he had sweat marks so large there was no need to lift his arms to see them. He proceeded then to do shots at the bar with costumers. Which again... I totally can appreciate having a good time in a good neighborhood pub. The floors were so dirty around the booths. The menus dirty. Just over all couldn't stay and eat here. Did get some good laughs watching a few very inebriated customers, had some good drinks and went on our way. We personally wouldn't come back, but again if you live in the neighborhood and it's just that place you come to for your hang with friends, it's looks like it's a fun place.

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    8-1-24

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    Werewolf

    4.5(6k reviews)
    0.2 miGaslamp
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    We stopped in for breakfast before we head to the airport. The staff was so sweet and amazing. The…read morerestaurant was half fall when we first got there but completely full including bar seats by the time we left. There were so many choices and we both ended up with BISCUITS AND GRAVY * Scratch made sausage country gravy - two biscuits - cheesy chive scrambled eggs - breakfast potatoes. Huge. Delicious. Wonderful experience overall.

    On a Wednesday evening, we stopped by Werewolf for dinner. While I'm a vampire, I was willing to…read moremake an exception to check out this highly-rated bar. Located in Gaslamp, street parking is your best bet. For most spots, you have to pay metered parking until 10 p.m. I was able to find an exception to the rule around 8:30 p.m. Ambiance (3/5): Werewolf is a pretty laid back bar. Which is right up my alley. This happened to be karaoke night. This may be an unpopular option but I'm not a fan of karaoke. If you are, you're golden. I would've enjoyed the ambiance a bit better on a standard night. We sat at a wooden booth in the back of the restaurant. Service (3/5): You order at the bar (both food and drinks). They were fairly busy on a Wednesday and only two bartenders were working. As a result, service was a bit slow. After placing my order, I closed out. Their cocktail list doesn't list prices. Not a fan of that. I asked the bartender how much some particular cocktails cost, and he didn't go. Not a good look. Drinks (4/5): Werewolf has an interesting list of craft cocktails. Plus a full bar. Just list your cocktail prices on the menu! Food (4.5/5): The food is surprisingly quite good. I went with the wings appetizer (and made them sticky for a dollar extra). Sweet with a little kick. The wings were fried just right with a crispy exterior and juicy inside. Finger-lickin' good! I also couldn't say no to papas balls lol. This appetizer is their version of hushpuppies. Taken to a higher level. Stuffed with mashed tater, bacon, cilantro, cotija, and drizzled with house sauce. Normally, papas balls would scare me, but these are scrumptious. The two appetizers combined were filling for a full meal.

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    Werewolf - Service with a smile

    Service with a smile

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    My brother-in-law and I were looking for places to drink....And we just wanted somewhere chill. We…read moreknew that any bar by tacos el gordo would be too wild for us, so we walked a couple blocks and approached Noble Experiment. I would say this was probably our highlight of our trip in San Diego. Garrick, the bartender there, was super accommodating. Not only was he and the other bartender were making damn good drinks, they would legit talk to you. The ambiance of the place is cool too. Felt like I was going inside some continental room like John Wick. Definitely my vibe and definitely coming back. But if you ever get Garrick as your bartender, you're in for a treat!

    The Noble Experiment: 9/10…read more Aesthetic & Ambiance: 9.5 - This place gives "speakeasy haunted mansion" vibes. You walk into the barrels, down the mirrors, and into the skull room...IYKYK no less. The waits to get very deadly so make sure to put your name on the list early. Service: 9/10 The host was chill, and we had Quintin as our mixologist. There are no menus he told us, he just went off of our flavors, and palate, so I can't really speak for how to order the same drink. First drink: 9/10 (profile) Vodka bases with cucumber and strawberry. Second drink: 8.5/10 (profile) Smokey, deep old fashion. Overall a MUST-GO to if you're in the area stopping by!

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    Noble Experiment - Spiced banana flip! Delicious!

    Spiced banana flip! Delicious!

    Noble Experiment - Bartenders creations.

    Bartenders creations.

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    Knotty Barrel - gastropubs - Updated May 2026

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