El Cajon's 2025 Oktoberfest was ran by German American Societies of San Diego and includes a selection of traditional Bavarian food and beer. AMBIANCE: festive, loud, and a crowd Note: there's no water fountain - water's sold $2/bottle. Entry fee: $5 Sunday. BEERS, $8 each 3 of 10 beers sold out Sunday 2pm. I would not have bought the Fest Lover's Package (includes 2 beers) had I known this before hand. 4/5 RADLER: Austrian, citrusy and sweet 3/5 HEFFEWEISSBIER: light, did not taste the advertised banana flavor PASTRIES: 4/5 Bienenstich or bee sting cake: Bavarian cream sandwiched by a yeast dough bottom and topped w caramelized almonds. More cake would balance this out. 4/5 POPPYSEED (pie?) w streusel topping: very sweet, poppyseed is nutty FOOD Food options include pretzels and cheese dip, potato pancakes w applesauce and sour cream, bratwursts/wieners 4/5 PLATE: sauerkraut, red cabbage, mashed potato, ox. The horseradish elevated the food for me. PARKING Parked about 1/3 mile away on residential streets as the event parking lot was full. read more

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So good here every year! Beer, Brots, Bread and lieblichen .we love Octoberfest 2025 read more

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First time and great fun! They actually had Spaten Octoberfest beer, Ur-Marzen as Spaten calls it. FYI "Original March" is the translation, where they starting brewing it in the 1300s and March is when it's brewed to be ready. That said, enjoyed Jimmy's Buffet doing JB tunes set to German theme. Had a great giant pretzel as we walked through the many vendors. read more

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There's no Oktoberfest as great as the El Cajon German American Society's. Real German food, real German beer , desserts and the band is flown in from Germany! 6 days of fun for the young and old. Plenty of vendor booths to stroll through all st reasonable prices too! read more

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What a fun Oktoberfest, it was my first time coming here with some friends. The food was really good and they had real German beer, I had a radler that was very citrusy and refreshing. We spent a couple hours there enjoying the music and watching everyone in the outfits. For food I had the ox, red and white cabbage and a yummy serving of German potato salad. I will definitely be coming back next year. read more

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Lots of people lots of food lots of fun . Great German food . It's great. I beer is from Germany.there is a German band from Germany. Everything is great. Go Have lots of fun dancing and singing. read more

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This is by far the best Oktoberfest in the county! I go each year, often multiple days, as there is fun to be had each day. It is a the German American Society so there is a permanent German-style clubhouse. This Oktoberfest is in the clubhouse and a huge covered outdoor area. They always have a band that comes from Germany, and often a smaller band in the clubhouse. They do all types of fun, traditional German dances and games. There is German food, shopping, and an air pellet shooting range. This year I enjoyed bratwurst, pickles, potato cakes, and German spirits. I bought German hat pins, browsed the booths, and danced a lot. They played all the traditional German dances. We also enjoyed the folk dance performances. It's always a blast.... wear your lederhosen or dirndl, and take a spin on the dance floor to some polka! read more

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This was my first time going to the El Cajon Oktoberfest. They had a good selection of actual Oktoberfest and German beers on tap. It was well organized and the food and music were great. I think I will go back to this one again. It defiantly had the real German Oktoberfest vibe. I had the ox, red and white cabbage and some German potato salad. read more

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We've been going to this every year for the past 5 years. It's usually the last weekend in Sept and first weekend in October. It's alot of fun. This year, 2024 was 15$ to get in. Credit cards accepted. You can pay at the gate. Food tickets can be purchased in a plate combo or a la carte. We got the slow roasted ox plate w Sauerkraut and German potato salad and roll. 15$. The Cucumber salad was not good. The didn't strain the cucumbers so it was very watery. Rookie move. A la cart items are between 7$ and 8$. Giant pretzles are 10$. Beer Cheese is 5$. Water and cans of soda are 2$. Lots of different beers. The pastry desert booth is about 7$ per item. No ticket required. Lots to choose from. We got cherry streudel and German choc cake. There's a german music band. Lots of vendors selling fun things like beer steins and German hats and flower crowns. Cards accepted. There's usually a raffle for a trip to Germany. It's held in a giant tent w fans. Sponsored by the German - American Elks lodge. Wheelchair accessible. Lots of long picnic tables to sit at. This event is popular so free street parking is better the earlier you go. We'll see you next year for sure! read more

Best most authentic Oktoberfest in San Diego County! They fly the awesome band and beer in from Germany every year, and the food is real German food made there on the spot. I look forward to the ox roasted on the spit, and the homemade treats every year! Everyone that works this event is a volunteer, so everyone is cheery and having fun while "working" which makes the environment that much more welcoming. read more

Well that was not fun! After waiting in line for 45 minutes and spending $83 we got inside with our beer tokens and good purchases. Yes, we could have purchased tickets online but that line was nearly just as long. We spent the next 2 hours waiting first in the beer line, then the brat line only to learn brat plates was a different line UGH!, moved to the correct brat line, then waited for a place to sit and eat. Once we sat down some drunk girl placed her elbow in my potato salad gross! We hurried and ate. Why you ask? Because we still had the fricken pretzel line to wait in. Finally got our cold pretzel. We had never attended before so I won't say I regret the experience but now I know to NEVER do it again. Except for the 10 minutes we sat to eat the mediocre food, we spent the rest of the evening literally standing in a line for something. We never saw the band, the little shops were hard to get to because most were blocked by people waiting in some line. Once we got our pretzel we decided to call it an evening. We still had a 15 walk back to the car. The best part of the evening was the warm beer cheese at least it was delicious for my cold pretzel. read more

We go to this festival every year and it's always bigger and better. If you enjoy an Oktoberfest that has a more authentic feel then this is the Oktoberfest you'll want to go to. Lots of food, beer and polka music to dance the chicken dance to make for a great day. read more

If you are going to do an Oktoberfest in San Diego this is the one to go to. They have 2 separate weekends, and its run by the German Society of San Diego so you know it's as authentic as possible. Grab a beer or 10, a plate of amazing Ox tail, and build your cup tower while singing along with German music and watching traditional German games like eat the hanging bratwurst. If your so inclined you can even purchase true traditional German garb, lederhosen anyone? read more

Oktoberfest - Local Flavor Near Me - El Cajon, California

Very cool, chill, family-friendly Oktoberfest. Pro tips: 1) Bring cash 2) Allow time to find street parking 3) Use the $10 or $5 (Sunday) for the Cash Only admission line and just get in! 4) The cashiers want you to decide on everything you want to eat and drink. You can do all of that inside. Just get in! Again, at the front they don't tell you about the giant pretzels $6 each or small for $2 or the potato pancakes $4 each or 2 for $7. So try to delay your food decisions until you can get in and cruise around to see what's what. read more

I had just come back from the real Oktoberfest in Munich...Prost! If you never make it to Munich, El Cajon's Oktoberfest is nowhere near as awesome, but it is as close as you can get to the real thing in San Diego... PROs: -Real Ompah Band flown in from Germany...YES! -Everything is setup similar: shared community tables, food booths, vendors -Lots of real German beers on draft, including unique ones. -You can drink said beer anywhere on premise, you're not trapped in a fake beer garden -Food is decent and reasonably priced at $10/plate, or less. -Beers are a reasonable $6 each...and you can bring your own mug! -People are dressed in Lederhosen and Dirndl dresses. -Friendly staff, including the real police officers. CONs: -$10 cover charge -Very crowded(even with that $10 cover charge!) -LINES!!! Line for beer tokens...line for beer...line for food tickets...line to get your food I would stay away from the food lines between 6-8:30pm. Took forever to get it all. -A few douchey guys around...but that is anywhere with beer nearby. -Not the real Oktoberfest Conclusion: I'll probably come back again next year...UYE anyone? Prost! read more

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This will be the closest thing to Octoberfest in San Diego that you will get. Decent food but not the best. Good beer at $6 a pop. Decent pretzels. Outstanding desserts. Plenty of seating and a real good German band playing. The band plays classic sounding oompah music and covers that you are familiar with. I would describe the surroundings as a oversized beer garden with some vendors and a live band playing. You pay a $10 entrance fee and everyone under 21 is free. Which isn't bad at all. Plenty of little ones running around. If you do bring your little ones just keep track of them. There is a lot of beer drinking and occasional drunken behavior. Parents be warned. The Oktoberfest holds a raffle for prizes. Dancing here and there. The Chicken Dance is a popular one at this event. A sauerkraut eating contest. Lot's of fun Oktoberfest type activities throughout the day at the event. Overall, a fun time. Again the closest thing in San Diego to Oktoberfest. Will be back next year. read more

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I love Oktoberfest in El Cajon! Everyone is so friendly and I always have a great time! The Oktoberfest queen this year is sooo pretty and wonderful; she didn't get sloppy drunk. The music is good: they always play the best songs and there are super fun dances too. I don't mind the long lines as it means there is more organization. Also the boys at the soda booth who got my Dr. Pepper were very nice and funny!! A very authentic experience, I felt special. The MC is very entertaining and you can tell she works hard to make sure everybody is happy! read more

First time attending - food was really good; dessert tent was AMAZING. German chocolate cake was out of this world. Loved the band and atmosphere. Only disappointing news...the vendors. Only one booth was Oktoberfest theme. Would be fantastic to have more focus on culture and goodies. read more

I don't know if it is just the post pandemic effect or we went on the first weekend instead of the second but the vibe was not the same as it use to be. I bought 2 tickets online for entry, food, and beer to speed things up. We still waited 45 minutes to enter while the cash only line was instant. While trying to find a table to sit 3 fights broke out. When we found a decent spot some dude in his infinite wisdom decided to pretend to trip and throw a doll that was wrapped up like a baby which caused some person to spill their full beer on my girlfriend trying to catch it. We told one of the security people there but they seemed too concerned about the height of peoples stacks of cups to act right away. By the time they did anything the guy was lost in the crowed. We gave a description of him but saw him close to closing doing the same thing. The food line took over an hour only to be sold out of the oxtail, potato salad, and sauerkraut only to be told in an aggressive manner I should have been here earlier if I wanted something else. I told the guy I literally could not coming directly after work which he so politely said "so I've been working all day too". The red cabbage was terrible, it was soggy and flavorless, the bratwust was okay but not worth the price of a plate when I could have just purchased it seperatly, and the roll was super dry. Desserts were just as bad, the only thing they had was a gingerbread cookie and a cold pretzels. The band that they fly in from Germany which is usually amazing only played county songs with some ABBA mixed in. It was pretty apparent they were not familiar with the songs and multiple occasions the singers just gave up and stopped singing l. Lesson learned don't pay ahead of time, bring cash to skip all the lines, only purchase a bratwust not a plate because food sells out fast and what is left is left for a reason. Really hoping this was just because we went the first Saturday not the second or people eventually remember how to interact in public. It was once a really fun event, it just sucks now. read more

My favorite local Oktoberfest. Great people, great band, and great food. $7 beers are super cheap when compared to other festivals, and represent a wide range of German beers. (Sorry craft beer fans, the only non-import is Coors light.) Parking sucks, especially late at night, but you should probably be taking a ride share if you're drinking a bunch of beer anyways. There's a bunch of food options. If this is your first time, take time to look around at all the food stands and menus before trying to order anything so you can plan it out. On that note: lines can get long (especially when they first open and late at night,) but they generally go fast. If you know what you want, they go faster. P.S. Ladies, there are porta-potties by the food area that rarely have any wait at all, and are kept really clean. My wife hates porta potties and still uses these exclusively. I've heard people say it can be hard to find seats, but we've never had an issue before. Then again, we're generally there before 5. When we are there super late, we tend to not want to sit anyways. Lot's of people in traditional dress, but you won't be in the minority if you're not. If you do feel left out, you can get real lederhosen and dirndls there for under $200. You probably will feel awkward if you try to wear the $40 Halloween costumes though. If you just want to relax, eat food, and drink some beer while watching the band, go during the day. If you want a more raucous atmosphere, go at night and understand that lines will be longer and you're probably going to be standing, or more likely dancing. read more

Held at the German American Societies club in El Cajon. One of my favorite events of the year. Traditional Oktoberfest with REAL German food and beer. The best German band and super fun entertainment. I look forward to this event all year and love the vibe. The Ox meat plate is super tasty as well as the German pastries. You can also get a traditional bratwurst on a roll. Parking can be a bit tricky but it is worth the walk. Get there a little early so you can get your seat. Does fill up because it is so popular and a small intimate venue (not like that other Oktoberfest in East County... which is really just a street festival with a beer garden). This is the real deal. If you go into the GAS clubhouse you will see all the members and the many events and activities they do all year long in photos throughout the entrance hall. $10 entrance and plates are around $10 for meat, sauerkraut, potato salad, and roll. Good value! Loads of beer selections!! You can even bring your own stein and pour your beer in it to have that authentic German feel. Fun music and games for adults and kids. Everyone is nice and friendly and you can have a great time for under $40 (depending on how much beer you drink). I love when attendees stack their cups to build a "cup tower" to show how many beers a group of people drink! (The hostess did urge people to take a Taxi or Uber so they don't drink and drive. They will even call the Taxi for you!) Don't forget to do the Chicken Dance! The most popular German dance in the world (except for in Germany). I've been going to the GAS for my entire life and the Oktoberfest is one of the ways the club raises money to keep in running. Two weekends in the fall (last weekend in September and first in October). All the servers and helpers are all VOLUNTEERS and put a lot of time into making it a fun event for all ages. Get your Dirndl and Lederhosen out and have a good time! See you there! Prost!! read more

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Easily the best Oktoberfest in Southern California! Great selection of real German biers! Roasted Ox! Sausages, potato pancakes! Full bar! Family friendly! A band flown in from Germany! I love, love, love this event!! read more

THIS IS OKTOBERFEST. Okay, admittedly, the only other Oktoberfest I've been to is the La Mesa abomination, so this was definitely an amazing change of pace. It was $5 to get in, but it was immediately worth every penny. The entire area is shaded and protected from the demon sun, which is a MAJOR plus to me. I hate the sun and since everything in SD seems to be outdoors, I quickly lose steam at events. It was so nice to finally be comfortable and willing to stay for hours. There were plenty of food options, including snacks, dinners, and desserts. More people were dressed in their Oktoberfest gear than weren't and everyone was just there to have a great time. A German band was performing what I'll assume were traditional Oktoberfest songs and all the people seemed to know the dance moves and when to yell back at the band. The vendors were Oktoberfest specific and all very interesting. No corporate BS there, everything was actually crafted or thrifted in some way. The big booth with all the thrifted steins was so much fun! I even found a vendor selling beautiful crystals. I came home with a nice amethyst and a couple quartz crystals. Bonus round! Anyway, we'll definitely be back next year and we are already looking forward to it. Skip La Mesa's Oktoberfest. It's just a street fair with shitty beer. Come to El Cajon and experience something friendly, community driven, and authentic. TIP: If you see a dessert you'd like to try, buy it immediately because they will sell out. We decided to wait 30 minutes and by the time we got back to the dessert booth, the Black Forest cake I wanted to try was long gone. read more

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Great idea and once upon a time a great experience, but this event is a prime example of something that due to popularity has scaled beyond practical capacity. Parking: had to park in the residential neighborhoods and hike at least a half mile to the venue. And that half mile was no exaggeration. Bet the residents just love that. Then after the hike, a 20 minute wait in line to get in past security. Then upon arrival, a good half hour in line to buy beer tokens and meal tickets. Beer and meals don't accept cash, so get in line and there are only two spots to do it, each only with two people working. Cash only on top of it all. After burning almost an hour post-parking, getting a beer was quick. That's good because it's now back in line for another 20 plus minutes to get any sort of food. After waiting, you then find there is absolutely NO seating available it's so clogged by lines. The whole place is so clogged with tables, lines and confusion regard what line is for which purpose it really should be renamed communist/socialist festival because it really exhibits the lifestyle and breadlines experienced by the proletariat of the former Soviet Union. Total time in line to get a meal: 1.5 hours. Time to eat: 10 minutes. Both of my beers were consumed in line. The whole experience in this socialist fantasy camp is pricey. Each beer (12oz cup) is $6. Dinners, which were a meat and two sides were $8.50 or $9.50. Meats selections were spit broiled ox, brats or leberkase, which is basically German spam. The sides available were kraut, rot kraut (sweet pickled red cabbage) or potato salad. All dinners came with a bread roll as well. You could save a buck by getting just the meat and a roll. For two diners, a couple of beers each and a brat dinner with a shared leberkase roll cost $44 plus another $10 for the entry to the event. The sausages were wood grilled and good. The potato salad was decent and the rot kraut was great. The leberkase was a large meatloaf sized slice of warm spam. After all that, back into another 15 minute line for dessert from the pastry booth. Lots of choices and they, unlike the beer and meals, took cash. Once that was finished, we got the hell out of Dodge City and hiked back to the car. I'll mark this one down to "did it, been there". Unless there are significant changes to the logistics, I'll not be back. One side note. The cops were all over the place. That's good. But the crowd size was far beyond safe capacity for the venue and there were no emergency exits visible. What if there were a fire or some drunk idiot doing something horribly stupid? It would have been a tragedy of thousands dead. Where was the fire marshall? They mess with so many other events and this was one occasion they were needed. read more

El Cajon Oktoberfest! That's German for "Best Oktoberfest in San Diego." Really. If you want the true feeling of celebration, joy, fun, and German spirit, you go here. Because why? Because we sat next to Germans--of the real sort, like, straight up from Germany with accents and all-- and of all San Diego, El Cajon is the Oktoberfest of their choice! Booya. I mean, it helps that this Oktoberfest is hosted by the German American Societies of San Diego. And that the focal point is the center stage upon which Guggenbach-Buam is glorified for all their German goodness, where they put up and even celebrate wholeheartedly with new converts as my asian self, like teaching us the chicken dance, polkas, and how to blow through an alphorn, for example. There are crafts for children, vendors that compliment rather than interrupt the spirit of the event, and plenty of people who drink, eat great food, and are delightfully merry. The thing about this Oktoberfest is that nobody feels out of place: families, young hip people, old hip people, old beautiful people (props to that incredibly beautiful couple who cut the rug with their dance moves on Saturday. Seriously!): everybody can be here and have a good time and make friends. It's as though all the sloppy drinkers of the world forgot their bad manners but remain happily drunk to maintain and even brighten the peace. Only a $5 donation to get in, and parking may get a bit hectic at night, but nothing ridiculous as compared to other areas. $5 American beers, $6 imported goodness. Bratwurst and wieners at $5 a pop, pretty hearty meals at less than $10, and desserts to die for from $3-5 each. That's like at minimum $20 for a whole day of awesomeness. Legendary, I could say. ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit! read more

Oktoberfest - Best hosts in town =) - Local Flavor Near Me - El Cajon, California

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Wow!!! Hallo to the best Oktoberfest in San Diego. It's not that the La Mesa one is bad persay. It's that we on San Diego are spoiled with so many street festivals and farmers markets that you really have to do something different to wow us! Well, the El Cajon Oktoberfest did that. They do charge a $5 admission but I didn't mind that. If anything, charging a small admission ensures that the people who are there really wanna be there and aren't just people who are bored looking to cause trouble at a free party. The highlights: -Reasonable Prices ($4 for bratwurst, $6 import beer) -Large Variety of German Beers (the only domestic was Coors Light) -Tons of food options -No smoking accept in the designated area -Plenty of port-o-potties -ATM onsite if you need it (this is a cash only event so be sure to bring some) -Authentic German band flown in from Germany for the event We started our day parking at the church on the corner of Chase and Mollison. They were charging $5 to park there. We opted to pay than to search although it appeared you could have reasonably found parking in the area and walked. No better or worse than any other San Diego event. There was a short line to get in where they were checking IDs for those wishing to enjoy some delicious beverages. As soon as we got in we headed to the ticket booth to buy beer tickets. Now here's the thing, you HAVE to buy tickets for beer if you want it. They do sell food tickets as well but several of the food spots took cash as well. Also there is food such as potato pancakes and pretzels that are not listed on the menu where they sell tickets. Kinda odd, but no biggie. There are multiple locations to purchase beer tickets as well as multiple food stations. We were there in the daytime and it was busy but we didn't really wait in any long lines. After having some beers and some food we did a little shopping and I got a beer stein. I've been wanting one forever so this seemed as good of a time as any. We walked around and enjoyed the sites and sounds. Made our way to the bakery towards the back of the festival. We picked up a box full of delicious treats. My husband is from Germany (he lived there until he was 16) and he said this is about as close to an authentic Oktoberfest as you are going to find in San Diego. I'm so glad we discovered this gem of an Oktoberfest. I'm looking forward to going back next year! read more

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Authentic food, German beers, good family fun. The best Oktoberfest in southern California. read more

First timer here! Lots of people were here having a grand old time, with German music in the background, beers in hand, and the smell of bratwurst trickling in the air. 5 dollars gets you in and into the bustling festivities. Well dressed fraulines (both young and old) with their traditional wear frolick around the area and men in their lederhosen boast impressive hats bring an original flair to the fair. I don't know much of the food or culture Germany has, but I had fun talking to folks that informed me the ways that Deutschland offers. You need to get beer tokens and food tickets in line first before actually getting the said items. 6 bucks per drink for (on tap) beer and the food items vary in price. However the combo items are at 10 bucks. I suggest the schwarzbier and spaten oktoberfest beer. I had this leberkase combo plate with sauerkraut, white roll, potato salad, and of course the leberkase. The meat tastes like salty German bologna in which the sauerkraut compliments quite well. Kartoffelpuffer or potato pancake for translation was like hash Browns that were a bit salty. The sour cream and applesauce definitely balanced out that taste and was quite a surprise. Tasted gut! A lot of German style mugs, clothes, and house decor. Lots of friendly people even when it was really crowded. Prices were a bit on the higher side but it's a festival of course. Thanks for a great time and would come again next year! read more

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Love this Oktoberfest. This year's date are Sept. 27- 29 & Oct. 4 - 6. Parking is tough, so Uber or Lift. read more

Oktoberfest - Local Flavor Near Me - El Cajon, California

It's the best Oktoberfest San Diego has. That being said, there is a far better one in Anaheim (http://www.yelp.com/biz/phoenix-club-anaheim). You make the call whether or not the one in OC is worth the drive. (Put it this way: I would recommend San Diegans drive up to the one in Anaheim. i would not recommend folks outside of SD drive to the one in El Cajon.) The good: Good food, good music, excellent selection of German beers on tap, a small, but enjoyable kids' area, and reasonably priced kids' activities. The ok: The vendor stands are generally themed toward Oktoberfest, although a few of the stalls looked like they were hawking crap straight outta their garage. Seriously? Old plastic cups? The not so good: Parking (pretty much non-existent so park on the street somewhere and hoof it, no big deal, really), and the system of buying food and drink tickets. In theory, buying your food and beer tickets and then redeeming them sounds good and efficient, but in practice--hey organizers--IT DOESN'T WORK. LONG lines to buy the tickets and then-as others have noted--if you run out of tickets, back to the ridiculous lines you go. OR, if you end up not wanting as much food or beer as you originally thought, you are stuck with the tickets you already purchased. Not cool and not necessary. Figure it out. The event is held in a somewhat cramped area but it's the best SD's got. I prefer the Anaheim event, by far, but this one is pretty good and it's well-attended. read more

Don't bother. Even if you buy tickets in advance online. You will wait in line for an hour at least to get in. Then once you're in your will wait 45 minute to buy tokens for beer and/or food. Once you have your tokens you will wait over an hour to get your food. Once you have your food there will be nowhere to sit and eat. You'll think you found a place to perch and shove that brat down your throat, but you'll be asked to leave by security because it's not a designated table eating area. Have to use the facilities? No ma'am. You will wait another 45 minutes. Have you seen the band yet? Nope. They've played 2 sets and you've been waiting in line. You finally see them after 3 hours and raise your glass in a rousting version of "Ein Prosit" only to have the team of wasted ex sorority chicks spill their half full beers all over your feet. Prost. read more

Definitely the best October fest I've been to! La Mesa October fest used to be my favorite, but now I have a new favorite. My husband and I were invited by co-workers to come down and enjoy the festivities this year. Nothing but good vibes, smiling faces, singing voices, kilts, and some good eating and drinking. You might even learn a few German dance moves. I heard people speaking German, dancing German, eating authentic German foods, Singing German, on and on and on. You get the picture. The food was very good! The lines moved pretty good. Beer was very accessible. Festive October fest attire was everywhere. Now parking wasn't so good, but doable. We parked in a nearby neighborhood and it was a 5 minute walk. No big deal. The port ta potties weren't so bad. We really had a great time and we will be there again next year. read more

So fun! Great food, great beer, tons of happy people, wonderful music and dancing, and very I retesting vendors. We never miss it and wish it went on for three weeks. read more

After living in San Diego for all of my years, I decided I should probably attend one of our Oktoberfest celebrations. I'd never been, and after doing some research I learned that people tend to consider this version in El Cajon to be the most "authentic." It's put on by the German Society, so I figured they'd know what they're doing. They had a nice selection of German beer, and many of them had Oktoberfest options. There was also a selection of food, a larger one than I expected. That being said, I knocked this festival down a star because the lines were crazy. This line for the beer tokens, that line for the food ticket, this line for the actual beer, that line for the actual food and so on. It kind of felt like I spent a lot of time in line, but I do understand that they wanted organization and lines/tickets/tokens help with that for sure. There were some cool vendors, I especially liked the "beer girl" aprons...but alas I didn't get one. Maybe next year, because I have a feeling we'll venture here again...if only to attempt to build the biggest empty beer cup pyramid (with help from our friends of course.) read more

"Zi German" came here by accident as his friends went to a different Oktoberfest in La Mesa. Was ein Wahnsinn- what a surprise! He didn't expect Oktoberfest to be that popular in Southern California. Ready to get some "Kinkerlitzchen"? Stop at one of the many booths in the front and get your German paper flag, a beer krug, or a mini Bavarian lederhose. Follow the smell of Bratwurst and Sauerkraut and enter the main area. "Bierzelt 1" on your left, and "Bierzelt 2" in the back. Buy some beer tickets at the "Ticket Schalter" and taste all the different Pilsner, Hofbraeu-Gemisch, Weizenbier, or Becks (?!?!!?) for $5. Hungry? Weisswurst, Blutwurst, and all the other authentic sausages are are served by tall, blond girls in Dirndls. Many people (visitors/staff) actually make an effort and dress in Dirndl, Lederhosen, and Jodler-Hut. After a few Weizenbier you were able to see them dancing to traditional Bavarian tunes performed by a live band from Bavaria. However, being a German and experiencing the American version of Bavarian Oktober festivities made me feel a bit weird. But yeah, I'm in SoCal, so what the hell. Everything goes. read more

In 2010 I was on a mission to find the best Oktoberfest I could find, without having to spend $3k+ on a trip to Germany. After reading on the internet that La Mesa has the 'granddaddy' Oktoberfest in San Diego, of course I went there first. What a disappointment! German atmosphere? I didn't see any. Do you really want to be trapped in a small, pathetic space (beer pit) to drink beer and eat brats from a fair-type booth? Where was the German music? Where were the potato pancakes? In my opinion, it was just a big street fair with not-so-impressive products being sold (with the exception of a few). I went to five in all... El Cajon, Big Bear, Huntington Beach, Ramona and La Mesa. That, by the way, is the order of best to worst (in my opinion). El Cajon Oktoberfest... FABULOUS! I haven't had the pleasure to attend one in Germany, but this one was as authentic as I can imagine. I wasn't surprised since it was put on by the German American Societies. The food, beer and desserts... everything we tried was outstanding!! The atmosphere was so much fun; music, dancing and happy people (including the people working there). They had booths selling product but not too many to take away from everything else. Just enough to keep your interest and maybe buy something to remind you of the fun experience you had. Did I mention you can walk around while browsing the booths and standing in line for food with your beer in your hand? =) I'll definitely go back every year! read more

I'm writing this although I am Chairman of this event, not to toot our horn, or put an additional plug, but to make some suggestions. So, I hope it doesn't get yanked... First, as it is in a residential area, parking is limited. We do have onsite parking, so you can come early to get the best parking (and leave it overnight if you need to, we don't tow!). Room on the neighborhood streets, we contract with a church a block away for additional parking, and there's a school a couple blocks away. Plenty of handicapped parking but it still fills up. Also, anyone can drop passengers off and go find parking. Carpool is cool, taxis are on hand, they can take you to trolley station if desired. Second, if you want all the flavor but less crowds, come on a Sunday! It's more of a family day, too, than Friday or Saturday nights. And we're kid friendly, plenty of stuff for them to do, and even their own designated alcohol-free fun zone! read more

An outstanding, ausgezeichnet good-vibe at this Oktoberfest. Many (including myself) are dressed in Old World German attire which makes it even more fun. There are sunscreens hung above most of the space, so direct sun exposure is limited-- good planning. Deliciously authentic German food in a great atmosphere. Food + drinks are cash only, but on-site ATMs are available. Don't let the lines scare you-- it's a perfect time to strike up a conversation with somebody in front or behind you. The band is from Germany and they play fairly-long sets with entertainment and contests during the bands' intervals. They play well-known traditional songs including audience favorites like The Chicken Dance, So ein schöner Tag (Fliegerlied), and Cowboy und Indianer (Komm hol das Lasso raus!) -- making it really F-U-N. They even stand on tables in the audience to play a song -- good times =) The music isn't blaring loud, so you can have a conversation at your table and your ears won't ring afterwards. Merchant booths line some of the perimeter selling items such as clothing-- real german stuff too!, bierkrug / steins, knick-knacks, jewelry, and other goods as well. As the evening moves on, the restroom lines do get longer as this event enjoys large (crowded) evening turnouts. Why I like this Oktoberfest so much is the gemütlichkeit (good-feeling) that abounds. It's more than just the beer-- it's the music, the food and the people. There is an indoor bar for those seeking the harder stuff. The inside is also air-conditioned. Several announcements about being safe and making good decisions to get home safely are made by the very well-spoken emcee. They have a free shuttle departing every half-hour to-from the El Cajon Transit center and to-from the El Cajon Oktoberfest. If at all possible- do not pass up the desserts!!! WOW-- an excellent assortment (making it a delectably difficult decision). My favorite was the Marzipan Ball, but a close second was (of course) the Apfel Strudel, and also the Blackforest cherry cake (Schwarzwälder kirsch kuchen). I did take home a Lebkuchenhertz (heart-shaped Gingerbread) for later enjoyment. Lastly, this fun-spirited event takes place over two-weekends, and is, in my opinion, the BEST Oktoberfest in the area!!! Zigge-Zagga Hoi Hoi Hoi !!! read more

I can't believe I never reviewed the German club in El Cajons' Oktoberfest! I have been coming here every Oktoberfest for several years now. This place is AWESOME. At many other alleged "Octoberfests" in the San Diego area, their main beers are bland every day boring ones like Coors or Bud. Not so at the Germanic club in El Cajon, son! They offer a wide variety of German biers (that's beer, kiddies) to whet your palate. Spaten Dunkel is my favorite, but they don't always have it. Beer tokens are inexpensive. 6 bucks for a cup as of 2013. When you're done getting your beer tokens (don't let your eyes get the better of your stomach!), chicken dance yourself over to the food plate area and pick up yourself an Ox sandwich in a bun or a brat in a bun. Ox is just castrated bull - it's beef. But they slow roast it on the spit so it's extremely tender. It reminds me a lot of Prime Rib, but obviously it's not the same cut. Do not - I repeat - Do not forget the horseradish sauce on the side. This stuff is seriously like crack. You can skip all other condiments if you like, but don't skip this, you'll be sorry. You'll also be sorry if you pour 2 whole ladles on your Ox like I did last Sunday. Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo horseradish nose burn! If it's warm out or if you just want a change of pace, inside they have a nice air conditioned auditorium with a big screen which can be playing the game of the day. And there is a A/C'd bar in the back which accepts the same tokens as outside (just not the same selection of beer), plus the most gracious bartender-ess (I see you every year and don't know your name!) will make you some mixed drinks if you like. When you mosey back outside, there's a desert table for all you with sweet tooths and if I wouldn't get fatter then Roseanne barr I would eat at it. There's also a soft pretzel and potato pancake (hash brown) with applesauce stand in the middle. For fun they have a german band fly in every Oktoberfest and play live music. All your favorites, including the chicken dance. It's 5 bucks as of 2013 to get in. Although you don't need to be 21 to get in, you do need to be 21 to drink. The place is kid friendly for families although it could really use an infusion of more single ladies. This year wasn't too bad though, lots of cuties runnin around! So there you have it. This place is AWESOM... wait.... nevermind... I don't want a bunch of dudes showin up at one of my favorite hangout! This place sucks! Stay away!! (If you're a dude) To all the ladies, this place is totally worth the drive to get to. I know El Cajon isn't the happenin place, but seriously you can hang with your friends almost all day and have some fun. I'd recommend some waters between beers though, you'll get dehydrated fast. I drive about 30 min to get here. Don't go to some cheap pale imitation Octoberfest with terrible beer. Come to El Cajon Oktoberfest and have Bier! Zigi zagi zigi zagi oi oi oi! Prost! :D read more

I used to enjoy El Cajon Octoberfest. It's so popular now that you spend the majority of time waiting in line. You wait in line for a ticket. Then wait in line for food or beer. Why are they doing tickets at all? Just take the cash. You charge for admission already. I do like the atmosphere of the bands and the people but this year seemed like a cluster of disorganization at every turn. read more