Just a note that whereas this bar apparently used to be dog-friendly many years back (based on multiple pre-Covid reviews), their current policy is that only service animals are allowed inside. My experience here has always been a good one, with great beers on tap, very friendly servers, and just a fund place to hang out for foosball, pool, or darts (albeit I think they only have one of each of those, so on a crowded night there might be a line to get to your game of choice); if memory serves they also have a stack of boardgames people can use while there. read more

Spontaneous visit to Sidecar Bar and it ended up being one of the best decisions of the night. We just kind of wandered in without much planning, and it immediately had that perfect San Diego bar energy. Their Old Fashioneds are seriously on point. What started as a quick stop turned into us hanging out longer than expected just because the vibe was that good. read more

Sidecar - Michelada and Old Fashion - Dive Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Walked across the street from the Cordova Bar to check this spot out, and it did not disappoint. Service was great from the start, and the drinks were solid as well. They've got basketball, pool, and a few other games. Reasonably priced too. One game of basketball is only $1! I ended up playing a few rounds of basketball and had a blast. Overall, great energy, fun crowd, and a solid place to hang out. Definitely a good spot to come with friends and just enjoy the vibe. read more

Sidecar - Dive Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Came here with a group of friends on a weekday so it wasn't too busy. I can imagine it could get busier on a weekend. Parking could be a little tricky but they have street parking and a small parking lot in the back. The service was pretty quick and they have a spot outside where you can order food. They have Wing Wednesday, I can't remember the price but it's pretty decent for what you get! read more

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We came back again today for a casual grab a drink Sunday. My fiancé and I met here on our first date:) so we decided to come here to celebrate our date and enjoy the great vide and drink here once a while. The bartenders here are super friendly and never disappointed us on the drinks. Great hang out place to enjoy the couple time with some drinks, pool time and arcade games. read more

This place is pretty great. They have alot of options as far as alcohol goes. 1 pool table. Couple old school games. They have a burger spot right outside of the bar- the burgers are really good. Fairly a good amount of seating is available. Long table top bar. It does get very loud in here. Staff is pretty pleasant. But I will admit they need a new security guy. He was lazy. Initially when I got there I pulled out my id to show him and he just waves me by. Then my friend offered his and he just says your good. Didn't even check our IDs at all. That is a tad concerning considering the crowd was fairly young, college students it seemed. Parking isn't to bad here because its a residential area you can find parking. read more

Sidecar - Dive Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great ambiance Great service Plenty of seating Reasonably priced drinks Highly recommend read more

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My favorite dive bar in town!!! Kyle is the best bartender ever and I highly recommend asking him to surprise you with something!!

This is fantastic with a lot of entertainment! The energy is great with cool people! I strongly recommend this place.

This place was GREAT!!! I am not a Colts fan by any means....we didn't know this was a Colts bar prior to walking in. We were just driving by and said "Oh this looks fun!" If only there was a picture of my face walking in with my 9ers jersey and my 9ers shoes when it hit me.....BLUE and WHITE everywhere!!! Atmosphere was fun and loud! Staff and patrons were so nice and service was amazing!!!! Drinks were nice and strong with great beer selection! Good times!!!! read more

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The Sidecar cocktail as been one of my favorite cocktails for many years. As many San Diego cocktail bars don't serve brandy, it can be a little more difficult to find. The Sidecar Bar opened up a few years ago, and, somehow, I had not visited until recently. It so happened, that we had tickets to check out a band at a venue just around the corner, making Sidecar the perfect place to grab a drink and a bite. I had expected a chill dive bar scene, especially knowing that Sidecar is sort of known to be a biker bar. However, it was absolutely packed when we arrived. The bar felt to be more of a mainstream bar, with customers from all walks of life, the majority being in young, casually dressed adults. It was pretty cool, in that they had lots of games on one end of the bar and a small stage area for bands at the other end. We came on a band night. I have no idea who was playing, but it was a cover band and they seemed quite popular. It was cool to see the the Sidecar was the first cocktail on the menu. I ordered a Sidecar and my husband ordered a Sazerac. Somehow, despite the crowd, we were able to order our drinks quickly. Also, somehow, we found our own table on the side of the bar. The drinks were very well made, so we ordered another round. It is rare to get cocktails as well made as these for $12. Since we hadn't had dinner, we both ordered protein bowls from The Shed, the small eatery that is attached to the building. We ate inside the bar with our drinks. All in all, it was a great stop before our show. I would gladly head back for more Sidecars, but would prefer to go on more of a chill night. read more

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Came here for a quick stop along my night. I was able to sit at the bar. This place was definitely popular at the timeframe that I got there. Definitely really fun vibes, but can be overwhelming if you are just by yourself, especially at certain times. The beer selection they have on tap is really good. Overall though it's a really nice spot to check out. read more

I love it here it's a perfect local dive bar without all the questionable old men lol. I would still consider it more on the hipster side tho. They've got a pool table as well as a few arcade and board games with extra seating further towards the back. Bar service is great and they do a great job remembering their locals and making you feel welcome. My BF and I started coming here because they have a smash burger joint called The Shed on their patio. Lemme tell yall sum... BEST SMASHBURGER IN SAN DIEGO, but I digress aha this is also a great place to grab a casual drink, ya just can't go wrong. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ read more

Can drink inside. Not on the patio near the street to smoke or anything. So had to down a beer to puff on a cigar.

Yup!!!! Sidecar is still one of the best!!! Made it back down here today with my now fiancée and we tried a couple new drinks that I hadn't yet tried. After a traditional old fashioned we decided to order a penicillin which was a fantastic cocktail with great flavor and then we both had a paper plane. Albeit we just had our first experience here a couple months ago, Sidecar remains one of our favorite bars now. read more

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Nothing great but nothing bad. Need a drink go here. Parking is not the best but that is San Diego. Does have a chill atmosphere. a lot of USD students. Cool games (currently the record holder on pac man). Service is great. read more

This bar is full of locals you might get some looks when you walk in. The bartenders are very flirty with each other and sometimes theyre paying attention to each other more than the patrons read more

I was drawn here because this place was the only spot in town that had Melvin 2x4 IIPA, 9.9%. This beer is quite elusive to find on tap. They always have some rarer ones on draft. It was well worth the visit, and I noticed this is a really lively place as the night progresses. While the crowd was primarily younger Gen Y and Z, this Gen Xer had no problems feeling out of place! Then again, I'm at the age where I don't care anymore about petty stuff like this.. Not really a biker bar, but this is also a hangout for newer age dudes with motorcycles. All types of bikes. You don't need a Harley or Indian to park it outside and feel like you fit in. They seem to have some interesting and creative cocktails, which I would come back to try without a doubt. This was specifically a beer mission that was accomplished. The other cool thing is they have games! Not on the arcade level, but still quite a few to enjoy with your friends while drinking. I dig this place, and just wish it was a little closer to home so I could hit it more often. read more

Sidecar - Dive Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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This place is scuba hidden gem! Kind of located in a weird area with not a lot around it but you can come here and stay here all night! Came for a friends birthday party and they were able to rent out the back area which was nice for a small group of friends. They have great cocktails with fresh citrus and they are really well priced and very spirit forward! They don't serve food at the bar but have a food truck that was delicious. read more

We stopped by for drinks with friends, I don't really like bars or crowds, but it was surprisingly light and quiet on the night we came by. The vibe was pretty chill, they had a nice selection of beer and cocktails to choose from. We will be back to try the food and other cocktails. read more

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Delicious drinks, hearty and flavorful food, and awesome service - definitely make a stop here to grab a burger on-demand with a cold drink and chill out. Thank you for the awesome service, Emmanuel! read more

Sidecar - Entanglement - Dive Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

To be honest I've been here before and it's nothing special but tonight sucked. I had a bad day at work so I figured why not grab a beer, sat down at the bar to have the bartender look at me multiple times, walked by once, walked by twice, I'm trying to be chill and patient, well guess what I never got my beer because no one said a god damn thing to me. I dont get it dude, don't you want to have customers return? Was really surprised and bummed out, just ended walking out after 5 minutes of nothing. Just read a 1 star review and guess what? They mention the same exact thing, what a surprise. I feel like this might be one of those establishments who get a good consistent crowd and are only friendly to the locals. read more

Hosted an informal retirement gathering here. Bartenders and owner were nothing but accommodating and courteous. Food and drinks were great. Love this place!! read more

This place is hands down thee worst bar I've EVER been to. We stood AT THE WELL, at the bar,for over 5 mins which is fine. But, when THREE TO FOUR "bartenders" walk past you in those five minutes more than THREE times each, you have a major problem!!!! We will NEVER come back here for any reason, drinks are mediocre, at best and the service couldn't be worse. 0 out of 10, would NEVER recommend! read more

Sidecar - Empty glasses because their bartenders SUCK BIG TIME!!!!! - Dive Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Colts bar! Cool atmosphere especially for football. Great beer selection and tasty food. They have games and lots of TV as well!

Sidecar is officially my new favorite place and Chase is the reason. I asked him to make my drink "not so cold," and somehow this man warmed the ice up for me. Don't ask how. Just know it was perfect. 20/10 would recommend! read more

Stopped by during happy hour. Bar was full so we grabbed a table in back. Great service and perfectly made rye old fashion!

Visiting in town, and stayed in a nearby hotel. Saw this place when we visited a nearby gas station and decided to stop by for lunch and a drink. Both the burger and cheese curds were AMAZING! Extra points for having Coors Banquet on draft. The bartender was very friendly and easy to talk to! 10/10 would recommend this place. read more

Sidecar is awesome. Pretty unique beer list compared to most places, great staff, and good vibe. One of my favorites read more

Sidecar - Inside - Dive Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

cool new games bar across from cordova bar. my boyfriend and I decided to stop here after a drink at cordova. it has a small dive bar feel but with proper cocktails and games. I loved the vibe. I could have my fancy mezcal cocktail and play Billiards all in one place. read more

Updating my review. Although my fella and I haven't yet had a chance to give Side Car another go because of the busy holiday season, we will definitely be back as soon as we can based on the response by the owner and bartender (which totally blew us away, so refreshing!) My fella (who loves Pliny) is in food service too so completely related to the POS challenges you had the night we were there. We look forward to our next visit-happy holidays to you and yours! read more

This place is so laid back . I love it. Bartenders are so attentive and have good personality. Anyway no mask needed No food . But they allow you to order food or deliver food and eat it there. Would recommend it to anybody I know . Tasty drinks. read more

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Side car is one of my fan bars the drinks are amazing. I love the penicillin the food is also a must have the Birria quesadilla is my favorite and the pinball. read more

Love this bar! Anytime we go out it is our top choice! Can never turn down the vibe, food and drinks!!

The redhead short female bartender is horrible and rude! Her drinks suck and she over charges for poorly made drinks.

Great Bar with good prices! Came here during a Monday afternoon and loved their beer selection. They have a couple of games you can play there, Pool, Basketball, and Pinball. Overall good vibes! read more

Typically, this bar is what you ask for. Dark. Quiet. Good drinks and some cool games. Today, we experienced harassment. The old man I posted below said sexually suggestive and inappropriate things. I told the bartender, and she simply responded "yeah, I'd suggest moving, he says that." We'll certainly steer people away from here unless, you'd like to encourage harassment. read more

Love it that they have board games and a few arcade games (and the usual pool & darts) Reasonable pricing and simple restrooms - not a ton of parking but decent street parking around read more

I ordered water at the bar. Although it is cold and comes in a tall glass with plenty of ice, the water had an odd flavor to it. I do not recommend the water. read more

Sidecar - Water - Dive Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Love the chicken and sides. Service was great. Spacious room. Friendly atmosphere and service.