Norm's Cocktails

Locally owned & operated

Family-owned & operated

My friends and I stopped by The Hills Pub for breakfast, and we definitely left happy!…read more We ordered the all-you-can-eat waffles, and let me just say--they are very much worth it! If you're a waffle lover, this is definitely something you'll want to try. I ordered the Breakfast Burger, and it was delicious! The flavor was on point and definitely worth trying. It also comes with fries, which were a great addition to the meal. And if you're a ranch lover, this is your spot! They do not disappoint when it comes to ranch. Overall, we had a great breakfast, and the food was flavorful and satisfying. Definitely a place I'd come back to!

Very cool hip bar lounge family friendly spot in La Mesa. Great place to have happy hour or hang…read moreout with family. Does not get rowdy here from times I've been. Plenty seating, TVs, and great service.

Remodeled back yard

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Hoops

Sportsman Pub

4.3(23 reviews)

1.8 mi

Great dive bar in lemon grove. 2 pool tables a dart board,…read morebeer pong some nights. Friendly bartenders 20 beers on Tap Great Vibes!

I went there on a random Tuesday night and it looks like they were playing bingo. All you have to…read moreis buy a drink, which was why I was there in the first place, and if you get a bingo you get to spin a prize wheel! It was really fun and everyone seemed super nice. The bartender was amazing and attentive. They had flyers for bingo which look to be every Tuesday night at 8pm

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Always a great place to meet somebody.

Del's Hideout

4.3(1.3k reviews)

2.8 mi

Dale's Hideout is a hidden, but not-so-hidden gem! From the moment we arrived, the customer…read moreservice was wonderful. We were greeted and assisted by a tall gentleman who was incredibly kind, patient, and helpful as my friend and I took our time going over the menu. The restaurant offers plenty of indoor seating, including a bar area and ample space for table dining. There's also a lovely outdoor patio, and with such beautiful weather, we decided to enjoy our lunch outside. Now, let's talk about the star of today's visit... THE MAC & CHEESE! Our waiter recommended it as one of their favorites, so naturally, we had to give it a try. When it arrived at the table, I wasn't expecting it to look THAT good! It was piping hot, incredibly creamy, cheesy, and absolutely delicious. I'm not exaggerating when I say this was some of the best mac & cheese I've had at an establishment outside of my own kitchen--and trust me, I make some pretty amazing mac & cheese! I already have my eye on the brisket for my next visit because the aroma coming from it was absolutely mouthwatering! That visit I'll definitely bring my fellow Yelp family to feast on the meats Today, though, I'm perfectly content basking in the deliciousness of that mac & cheese and being grateful we stopped in. If you're ever traveling along Highway 8 and happen to spot Dale's Hideout, do yourself a favor: pull up your GPS, make that stop, and show this local business some love! Great hospitality, a lovely atmosphere, and mac & cheese that deserves its own standing ovation! As always, you can thank me later!

Cool looking place with indoor and patio seating, kids play area and game area. There are plenty of…read moreTVs and a wide bar area. Great place to hang out for all ages. Service was a little slow. Food weren't hot and super dry. Honestly, the sides were more enjoyable than the BBQ themselves. Maybe it was an off day? Or did we came at the wrong time? I don't know but it was quite disappointing.

Main dining area

Bar

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The best mac & cheese

The Hearth House

4.6(219 reviews)

1.3 mi

You gotta be high if you think Patrick isn't the best in town. Memory is sharp as it gets,…read morehospitality and service from him is second to none! This MF'r oughta be mayor of la mesa too! He is the reason I go there and it's gonna be a sad day when he leaves! Truly, The Goat and I mean that , Patrick!

Another great night at The Hearth House. So glad we made it out in time for steak night Thursday…read more Always great service & chill vibes. The music is always on point too.... After we shared the steak plate we enjoyed an adult beverage. What we ordered: * Steak plate * Jameson Black Barrel Old Fashioned - The hubby * Aero Club Whisky Sour - Me I decided to try a different drink this time around. Regretfully it was a whomp whomp for me. Oddly enough it tasted like a crayon.... The hubby was nice & fell on that grenade. The bartender made it right and comped that drink for us. The hubby shared his drink with me which I really liked. It was very much negroni adjacent..... Till next time Hearth House!!

Bartender on her phone

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Dirty Birds

3.6(897 reviews)

1.3 mi•Rolando

Thought the wings were great - particularly on a Tuesday evening when they have a Happy Hour for…read moreHalf Off Wings. Food: 4/5 We tried the Lemon Pepper Dry, General Birds and Flaming Honey Mustard. I've always been a big Lemon Pepper dry fan, but it doesn't hit the same here (probably my least fav of the 3), because it wasn't as flavorful/tart as ones I've had in the past. General Bird's is their version of General Tsou's Chicken which is savory, but my favorate was the Flaming Honey Mustard. I'm a sucker for honey mustard anyways, and the kick was good. None of the 3 were that spicy. Service: 4/5 They weren't that busy on a Tues evening, and service was relatively prompt. The wings do take about 10-15 minutes, and drinks came quickly, but it did take a few minutes to get our order (probably cuz a sudden influx of people). Will def go back as we explore the different Dirty Birds, but this so far has one of the larger locations and great for Sports Viewing!

It's a nice sports bar. Their menu revolves around mostly chicken…read more It was a fun lunch stop for me, we had mimosas, but be advised the juice they serve a bottle of champagne with us about 10oz. Definitely the spot to go if you want to get hammered early. I ha

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Flaming Honey Mustard

Mastiff Kitchen - La Mesa

4.5(323 reviews)

1.6 mi•Cajon Heights

Private parking lot, 2 gender-neutral restrooms and space available for large groups…read more We drove down to La Mesa just to check out this place and it was worth it. We ordered the 'That's My Boy' and 'Meet Meat' pizza plus their fries. Their deep dishes were light and crispy. I loved the sweet sauce, jalapeño and ricotta cheese combo on That's My Boy pizza. The Mastiff Fries had a wonderful crispy texture. They are like thinly sliced potato wedges. (Our order is without cilantro which normally comes with it) The staff was super friendly and the restaurant was clean. They did have two tv screens playing the sports channel and had a variety of draft beer options.

Found my way here for a burger. I had heard of it but never had been. So my expectations were…read moresomewhat up. Since I am gluten free I got my burger lettuce wrapped. I had never had a smash burger before so again my expectations were a little more than the average person. They did not disappoint the flavors were so delicious. I especially enjoyed the garlic aioli more than I thought I would (it is more like a mayo for this burger). The burger came with a a handful of pickled peppers and mini pickles on side. They were good but felt a little out of place for my taste. This place is definitely more of a bar feel than I expected and smaller than I thought it would be, and the seating was tight with most all the tables being bar height. The last thing to keep in mind the parking lot is small but there is street parking, but is leads to residential area so it can be limited to. Overall the burger had good flavor and I will be back to try more on the menu. If you are looking for a beer with your burger there was a lot of choices. Also, if you are into sports, there are several televisions on with a few different events playing.

Double Smash Burger

Left is 'That's My Boy' and right is 'Meet Meat'

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Mastiff Fries

Hooleys Public House

3.8(702 reviews)

1.7 mi

Flew in to town for brief business stop and friend recommended meeting here. Excellent choice to…read moreenjoy pub style food and drink while catching up. Good for groups big or small. Service was in point and food was quickly prepared. Staff is attentive to ensure a good dining experience!

We came after we saw a post for their Irish New Years toast! I have to say this will now be a…read moreyearly thing!! So much fun!! Absolutely love the vibe! Our server was Allie, and she couldn't have been better!! We hadn't the Guinness, bratwurst, and the large pub pretzel which is our usual go to anyways. But wanted to try the bratwurst this time. It was so good! There's cabbage... really a must try even if you were as a side. We will be back before next new years, but wanted to highlight the New Year's Irish toast, because in looking for places to hang out and go to to celebrate before the actual midnight time is hard to find. Love it!!

THE BEAUTIFUL BODD LOOKING MAGICAL

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My New Friend Kenny. He's A Cold, Dark Little Guy

Deano’s Pub

4.3(69 reviews)

0.7 mi

First time visiting, looking to try something new. Something more than just drinks. I give this a 5…read morestar review and I will tell you why. 1. They have a calendar of events, like open mic, karaoke, country social, trivia night, live music and more fun stuff. They also had two pool tables and TVs for watching sports. 2. The drinks are pretty well priced. While they do not offer food, they do welcome outside food. Which is cool if you have a specific craving that wouldn't normally be at a bar/pub. 3. Tonight was live music and the band had a really chill vibe and had good musicians. (Lunar conspiracy ) 4. It's not a huge place but it had plenty of seating, a dance floor and outdoor seating. 5. Last but not least they have friendly service. I wasn't in the mood for alcohol, and they were accommodating. I plan to go back and check out some of the other events. Tonight was not a packed night, but I'll have to compare it to other event nights in the future. If you are in the area you might already know about them but if you don't, I say give it a shot.

I had a lot of fun hanging out at this bar. There was a 80s cover band playing that was pretty…read moregood..The customers were friendly and I felt very comfortable. My only complaint was the drinks were not good. That was kind of disappointing ,so we didn't stay very long, but the atmosphere is really great..

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The Regal Bar

3.9(144 reviews)

1.1 mi

Came out with the hubby to visit one of our favorite bartenders Angel. She just recently started…read moreworking here. First time at this bar. Very cool vibes & music. Drinks were amazing as always.... We can't wait to visit again!!

We went as our Bartender Angel from another bar was there it was her first day and we wanted to…read moresupport . Love the vibe of the place excellent service and the decor was awesome . They have a Hot dog vendor also on Fridays the have a farmers market so a plethora of options.

Outside

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Pete's Place

4.0(197 reviews)

1.1 mi

What a great locals bar in La Mesa. Cheap pool table play. One of the better old fashioned drinks…read moreI have drank at a bar. Place was poppin on a Saturday night.

The security guard with the beard was extremely rude and acted more like a barback than security…read more We've been coming here for years... and last Friday a group of people took a table we were using, even though two of our friends were already sitting there and told them the table was taken. We were a group of about 7-8 people total. When we came back after grabbing drinks, we saw that the other group had completely taken over the table. They said they didn't care that we were regulars and called the security guard over. We explained the situation, and his response directly to us was: "I don't care, you can shut up, close your tab, and leave." We had already spent plenty of money there and were not asking for special treatment, but the lack of professionalism was awful. I've worked in customer service for almost a decade and have never spoken to a customer that way. This is exactly how a good place can lose loyal customers because of incompetent staff.

A couple pool tables

Bar

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Old fashioned

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6 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Ross M.

8 years ago

Norms is a dive bar, nestled between Seedy motels that offer transvestite hookers. The bar tender at night, a man with a huge beard is strange and aggressive. We had a group of 12 guys showed up and we took up the tables, he over road the jukebox music to play the most offensive music possible which drove out the rest of his customers. He ignored our group serving others that were not waiting, and walking to the other end of the bar and talking to customers instead of taking orders and pouring drinks. He did pour good drinks when he was bothered enough to take our orders. He was aggressive and stared the entire night in a attempt to make us feel uncomfortable. read more

Keith S.

162

12 years ago

Show up with a couple girls. Literally nine dudes. They won't take out card without a ten dollar charge. Order a shot. Bartender says he doesn't want to pour me a shot. I tell the woman to shave his beard. He throws the beers we have. Get our card back. Bar decides they want to fight me. I'm crow hopping down the street against probably 7 dudes. After I decide I can take the first two, they pansy out and go back to their hell hole. Place is filthy and full of washed up loser old men. Hope it shuts down. read more

Andrew J.

8 days ago

If you are looking for a fantastic drink in La Mesa, you absolutely need to visit Norm's Cocktails and ask for Jen. She is an outstanding bartender who went completely out of her way to craft the absolute best Bloody Mary I have ever tasted. I really appreciate her hard work and dedication to providing exceptional service, which makes this bar a place I will gladly return to. read more

John G.

103

150

16 years ago

Great neighborhood dive bar. Great staff, strong drinks, and great prices. Breakfast early Saturday mornings. Great, pint-sized bloody-mary's. Lots of friendly regulars make this a great place to spend a couple hours and not break the bank. Kudos to the new bartender - Stacy - great improvement. read more

Vicky H.

4 years ago

Jennifer "manager" has horrible managing skills! She's rude and unprofessional. I will never go there again

Bryan M.

2 years ago

Great place to go to relax and have a beer. Awesome atmosphere, with amazing staff. Highly recommend

Norm's Cocktails - sportsbars - Updated November 2026

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