Had some friends in town and decided to stop by SoCal's Tavern. A great dive with a lively crowd for a Sunday. Dana was bartending and made us up some of these Watermelon shooters that were amazing! Small smoking patio out front and laid back environment. Great place to stop if you're in the neighborhood. read more

Socal's Tavern - Watermelon Shooters - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

Bartender was great. Vibe was great. Prices are decent. Need a new bouncer. When a 37 year old small woman walks outside to have a cigarette amd accidentally has her beer in her hand, the appropriate response is "ma'am, you can't take that outside" then you offer a solution such as she walks back inside or you offer to set her drink on the table for her. You dont get aggressive with her as a 350 pound 6'3" sumo wrestler and physical grab her beer from her hand. Maybe if it's happened before and she didn't listen or gave attitude. But not first hand response to a woman. What's worse, is when this is explained politely to him, his response was "well, that's how I handle it". read more

Dropped in a for a few today. It was my first time but I was impressed by how friendly the bartender and fellow patrons were. For a neighborhood bar everyone was sure inviting. $7 for a tall Michelob ultra on tap. Bartender kept them coming. Super attentive to how much was left. The bar is older both on the outside and inside but it's full of character. An Irish bar that welcomes everyone while staying true to what makes it unique. Pool, TV's and plenty of tables for larger crowds. I'll be dropping in again soon to visit and talk life. Also would make a fun St. Patty's day bar to add to a crawl. read more

Socal's Tavern - Quick one - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

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DO NOT COME HERE TO PLAY POOL! If you're looking to have chill night and play pool with your friends, this is NOT the place. My boyfriend and I got bullied out of a pool table by a girl with blue hair claiming she was in the "pool league". She came up to me four times in ten minutes to tell us the "rules of the table". At that point I was so uncomfortable I had to leave. Super disappointing because I have come to this bar multiple times over the years and always had a nice time. Looks like some patrons now think it's a serious pool hall.... I won't be coming here again and I encourage everyone to do the same. read more

Wow! Can't believe this is my first review here. Huge supporters of veterans, the staff is always freaking amazing! Alison and Dana are top-notch! Always a smiling face, and very easy to make friends there. The regulars are all fun to be around! They offer shuffleboard which is kinda hard to find nowadays... Enjoy your stay! read more

Have been here a few times now and it's always been a very chill place when I've gone. My cousin likes coming here and has been here in busier nights and has also had great times. The bar is divey, has pool tables, great priced drinks, and the bartenders are great. I'd recommend this place if you don't want to go downtown/midtown but want somewhere to hang out with your friends that's not gonna break the bank. read more

Socal's Tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

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This is my neighborhood bar. The bartenders are amazing. Strong drinks. Great dive bar atmosphere. Nothing bad to say about this place. read more

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Good people bar. Female bartenders are the best, weekend day Dana is down to earth and attentive

I used to come to SoCals all the time when I worked nearby. I still make out there but not as frequent. I miss it. It was a great crowd, friendly bartenders and it still felt like a dive bar. You can bring in your own food, they're agreeable. I miss it read more

This is definitely a cool corner dive bar. The bartenders were fun and the patrons sat and talked about all sorts of things. Even though we were from out of town, everyone made us feel welcome. I would go there again. read more

Great local bar. It's like your at Cheers. Everyone knows your name. Great place bartenders are amazing. Me and the cousins come here all the time. Love this place m' read more

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It was okay. Door guy did that thing that people do when they hand something back to you and instead of letting go when you grab it, they hold onto it for a couple of beats too long. It was weird and kind of uncomfortable. Then I got called a "player hater" for explaining why the Garth Brooks song "friends in low places" is an absurd song with an outrageous premise. Really peeved the guy off. He was probably in his late 50's, which is entirely too old to have a big boy crush on Garth Brooks. WHERE ARE THE BODIES, GARTH?!?! It was okay. Mostly wack though. Nice enough lady tending bar. read more

SoCals was one of the first bars I ever went to after I moved to Sacramento. I came in during the day and was served by Dana. She was so incredibly kind, attentive, and makes the best Kamikaze shots I've ever tasted. I continue coming to this bar because of her. If I come by and she's not working, I will leave and come back another day in hopes of her being there. I have never been to a dive bar with better service than what Dana brings to the table. I love the vibe, drink price, and smoke pit this bar has. Definitely an East Sacramento staple, but wouldn't be the same without Dana. read more

Came here with Joe K & David O. the night after the Yelp "White Hot Bubble Party", which was a Sunday evening. Met up with several other fun, diehard Yelp friends to continue the festivities. This is one of the local bars located on Folsom Blvd. I found it to be a very cozy place to socialize at. The bartender was nice to talk to and he seemed to enjoy his job. The drinks were good and reasonably priced. There was no skimping on the alcohol either! This place has plenty of room for a medium group of people to get together, listen to music, watch TV, play some shuffle board, darts or pool. All the amenities a decent tavern should have. There's also a separate room for smokers which looked, small, boring and out of place. But I'm not a smoker and wasn't too concerned! This is a good place to include on your agenda when bar hopping or just stay put! I think you would like it here! read more

This is a very cool place for a dive bar. The crowd is a great mix of people...very friendly and easy to talk to . I met up here for a quick drink with some of my friends and we loved the music and the "1990's-ish" ambiance. I found the lending library that Evangelina mentioned in her review...and yes its pretty cool. I have a few books I will bring next time I come here to set on the shelf for others to "borrow" and read. There happened to be an Anchor Steam beer special the evening of our visit where you pay $5 for any Anchor Steam beer and you get $3.50 refills and you can keep the glass. I actually was able to purchase an extra glass for $2.00 as well (that way I had pair to take home.) This is a great bar to play pool and table shuffle board. The only downfall I had with this bar is the fact that the ladies RR is in the back of the bar downstairs near the pool tables rather than in front near the bar and pub table seating, other than that I most defiantly with return to SoCal's. read more

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Bartender that pays attention and makes good drinks! They know there stuff, the angry orchard cider is ridiculous and they have shuffleboard and pool tables! The jukebox is super cool and modern- good waste of money but still awesome. I am a fan of Socal's. read more

Socal's Tavern - The amazing Lucas the bartender - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

Great spot. Had a good time there on Saturday. Forgot the bartenders name but she was amazing. Hit it up. Fun place to play pool.

I was at the pre- party for the tattoo convention over at the Royal Peacock and needed a stiff jolt of old sour mash, so I decided to check this out since it was across the street. Man, I am glad that I did. What a great little place with strong drinks and great bartenders. Our bartender Johnny with the tattoos was excellent. We were impressed with how fast he was with getting the glassware clean! We will be coming back! read more

Socal's Tavern - Outside - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

This place is a jewel. Nothing pretentious, just a solid dive bar with plenty of seating, great beverage prices, and excellent service. With the relentless number of faux upscale bars opening all over sacramento it's encouraging to see great little authentic spots like this continue to shine. read more

Nothing beats a local dive bar and this East Sac place is a true gem. It's been years since I've been here, like 20, and it's just as welcoming. You're always guaranteed a nice nice stiff drink and now they have a great beer selection on tap. I love that they have shuffleboard and old school video game. It's pretty cool that they have nightly specials and events to keep the locals engaged. I promise not to wait another 20 years before coming back. Thank you for a great night! read more

Socal's a dive bar that's popular with the student crowd who can take over the shuffleboard and pool tables on many evenings. The activity level can range from totally dead during mid-afternoon to "call 911" on a Friday night. Bartenders are amiable and easy going, even if you happen to accidentally set off the fire alarm like I did (hint: place your hand over the speaker and it'll reduce your embarrassment considerably!). Smokers will enjoy the enclosed mini-patio that occupies part of the sidewalk. I don't think non-smokers will if it's crowded, though! Honest pints of Guinness poured here, served in 20-oz Imperial pint glasses. Every pour's "over the line." Great for St. Paddy's Day with genuine (and complimentary) corned beef & cabbage! read more

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Great dive bar! Bartender (I believe his name was Alex) was super relaxed and awesome. Had nice pool tables and a great beer selection and wasn't overpriced read more

Drove and met some friends here for our weekly outing and had a great time. Food and drinks were great! Prices are very reasonable and the service was better than expected. Friendly and fast. Great decor and atmosphere settings. Will be coming back again. read more

Such a solid "dive" bar, it's near perfect. Great drinks, fair prices, fun locals.... $3 well Wednesday is legendary.... Thanks Socal's. read more

If you want to go drink and get a bit crazy then this place is the place to go. Classic rock, rowdy crowd, just this side of dangerous, games in back, big fat drinks. It's loud and a bit crowded and very dress-down. Not a place for a quiet drink, not a place to dress up and dance at. Take a taxi - have some fun. read more

Socal's Tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Shoutout to Socal's Tavern for a great New Year's Eve experience! My group and I didn't stay here for too long - we were celebrating at a friend's house for the majority of the evening - but Socal's was a convenient (and cheap!) Lyft away, wasn't too crowded, had great specials, and provided us exactly the kind of quick experience we needed out to feel like we were really celebrating. They've got pool tables and shuffleboard. We definitely had a blast playing some shuffleboard. The spot also provided us with complimentary champagne as the ball dropped, along with some finger food like catered sandwiches. I didn't expect anything, but it was a nice touch that didn't go unnoticed. It's not a flashy spot. It's a dive, but those are my favorite kinda places to go. Where Socal's excels above others I've gone to was their commitment in giving everyone a solid experience when bringing in the new year. I'm not out in that area too frequently, but it's forever on my radar now, whenever I'm back in that side of the hood. read more

Best local dive! It is emphatically what it is, and I love it. Great jukebox, solid drinks, excellent bartenders. Don't get fancy, So Cal's!

We were driving by during a day of running errands and my boyfriend commented that we had driven by a million times and never stopped. SCREEEEECH! Why not today? It was like 2:00 pm on a Saturday, not exactly party time. The bar was about 1/3 full with a 50+ crowd watching football and eating pizza (not from the bar, so that's kind of interesting). When we walked in, it felt like walking in to a friend's living room. The barkeep greeted us at once and was super friendly. One thing that I really dig about this place is that they actually have a menu, clearly marked and easy to read, with what they have AND all of the prices. I got a $2.50 PBR tall boy and the mister got Boddington's on tap - Nice! We scored a table near the smoking patio, which is a hilarious teeny patio on the other side of a sliding glass door, and enjoyed our chilly beverages. The bathroom was clean and stocked, and on my way there I noticed they have an adjoining room with pool, shuffleboard, and an arcade game or two. All in all it was a nice, relaxing break in our errands and one will be probably repeat in the future. Given the distance, I'm not sure I'll end up here at night, but I still think this is a pretty solid neighborhood bar. read more

Socal's Tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Why have I not reviewed this place?? This is my favorite neighborhood bar! There's a couple in East Sac, but this is hands down my favorite. My favorite bartender is Julie! She's pretty cool and loves to chat about sports games. They also have really good bar snacks and they let ya bring in food if you want. (Watching a game with a drink and a sandwich from the spot across the way -- The Shack -- is pretty awesome!) Julie usually provides bar snacks like popcorn too. The have shuffle board, pool, and darts for pretty cheap. They also have this trivia game that I think is rather new. You can play against other people in bars across America! It's pretty fun. Great place to watch sports games too. read more

This classic pub is more than one would expect as the staff, serve favorable pours to a hep crowd which ensures a righteous atmosphere. Saturday night's are a favorite as Queen Gretchen, handles the libations with grinning aplomb. I do honor her as a queen, for she rules the pour as no queen has before. I'll be in soon! read more

Best dive bar in ALL of sacramento! 3 dollar well drink wednesday's with Jules are the way to go! ice cold beverages, the tunes cranked up loud on the juke, and overall great energy! Super fun locals all around you and an even better staff to match. My favorite bar read more

Casual. Classic. I love this place. And not ONLY because of the dogs painted on the side and cool pretzel-shaped bike lock area. The clientele are older than at your average bar, at least when I was there, so it's not as annoying or trendy as many places! The bartenders were friendly, sports on the TVs, and the shuffleboards were a-flying! This is the kind of laid back bar I can enjoy! Plus...I didn't feel out of place in my baggy jeans and t-shirt. Beers + friends + sports + laid-back fun = I will be back. read more

This has been my go-to spot for a handful of years and have never had an issue here. Keep up the good vibes! I would like to note, however, that they are NOT open on Thanksgiving evening as the precious reviewer mentioned. read more

Great Atmosphere! Lots of history. Great Service! Good prices....$9 Rombauer Chardonnay. This place is a can't miss for when you need a dive bar fix. read more

This is one of my favorite go to bars in East Sac. Great neighborhood bar with amazing staff. They have daily drink specials, darts, shuffleboard and pool! They always make you feel welcome here!!!! Come on down and check it out. :-) read more

Socal's is a chill, just-north-of-dive bar located in East Sac across the street from The Shack and just down from Trader Joe's. The bartenders are welcoming and attentive, which is great when I'm feeling like I need to be Norm for the night. The crowd is cool and I've never run into a creeper there. The guys just want to hang out and play shuffleboard, pool, or Buzztime trivia. Unlike many divey bars, Socal's isn't stinky. The bathroom could use a little TLC but it's not the worst I've seen. There's a full bar with a decent beer selection. I could use a few more options but I drink a shit ton of beer so maybe it's just me. The jukebox has about a bajillion songs on it and you can use an extra credit to bump your song to the front. This comes in handy when woo-girls load it with Journey. If Jules is working, make sure to order Jaeger. She's kind of a big deal when it comes to the Jaeger. read more

Loved Socal's Tavern! We went on the Saturday night before New Year's Eve and it was pretty slow. In all honesty, we are parents of a 1 year old so we ended up at the Tavern by 9p. This worked out beautifully for us because we got to chat with Lucas and we made friends with another couple at the bar. We quickly made our way to the shuffleboard table and had a great night playing games with our new pals. My wife and I love going to dive bars where we can drink and play games, and this place suited us perfectly. Thank you Yelp for helping us find this gem! read more

I was purposely avoiding Socal's for a long time due to its reputation as a weeknight "college" hangout. Not that I have anything against the college crowd, it's just that elbowing my way to the bar on a Tuesday for cheap drinks isn't my idea of fun. But then my friend Joe organized a bike ride UYE and pub crawl that concluded at Socal's. The place has a lot of charm, the bartenders are super friendly, and the drinks are as stiff as a week old corpse. However, I was still skeptical because we were visiting in the middle of the afternoon. I came again as the host of a Yelp CMYE on a Tuesday evening and was again impressed. The owners took great care of us, offering up $2.50 well drinks and even a sandwich platter! Throw in good friends, trivia, and all you can eat pretzels and popcorn and you've got yourself one great dive bar. The "college" crowd did start filtering in toward the end of the night and it began to get crowded, but by that time I was already digging the vibe. I found that that crowd I was avoiding was just what I needed after all! read more

Cheap drinks, great bar staff, FREE SHUFFLEBOARD, pool tables, trivia, and juke box. Yelp - me likes! I've been here a few times and I have enjoyed every experience! The bartenders are great! Super friendly and helpful. Even if you're not a regular, they make you feel like one! The drinks are stiff and cheap and frequent. I really like that they have a separate area for the games. Two pool tables, a couple arcade games and, eh hem, FREE shuffleboard. Seriously folks, why is it so hard to find shuffleboard tables?! The trivia is fun too! I've never been much of a trivia player, but I've played a couple times in here and had a lot of fun. I wish I lived closer or this place lived closer to me. Then again, I would probably become a regular so maybe it's best we only meet occassionally. read more

I love this place! I love the bartender Julie, Every time my twin sis or I walk in she shouts out "LaRue! Wanna play?" She knows I come in for the trivia. I love that trivia. There are drink specials every night of the week. But PBR is always $2, so I usually drink that. They have Buzztime Trivia, shuffleboard, pool tables (yes, pluralized) and darts, I think they have a video game machine too- but I rarely leave the bar stool to find out-, a smoking patio that lets you bring drinks, and a really sucky Jukebox. Hence the 4 stars. There always seems to be country music playing, which makes me want to slit my wrists with a butter knife when I hear it. I know, its the patrons that choose it, but the music selection is slim pickins, hence all the country options. Also, I thought the 4 star review would be fitting after our CMYE last night, where Alex L so fondly (not really) gave me the name 4 Star Review LaRue. Sorry Alex!! But The CMYE last night- if reviewed- would be 5 stars! I loved it that the few Yelpers who showed, all played trivia, some from the game consoles, others from their Iphones. Near the end of the event, or 10pm for reg time, the place filled with a bunch of new med students. Hot young doctors in the making, and I left very happy. read more