Sade’s

Awesome little dive bar… and I do mean little. The bartenders have always been great the few times I’ve been there. Because it’s so small and there aren’t many (any?) other true bars in downtown Carmel it can get pretty busy if one wedding party rolls up on a Friday or Saturday night. I was there one night when the father or the bride opened a tab for the entire place… whether they were with the wedding party or not. That kind of place. Cash only as other reviews have noted.
Hands down my favorite bar in Carmel.

This is a true locals bar and we loved it. I can see why some people rated this bar very low, especially people from out of town. But overall we had a great experience having a drink, meeting the locals and hearing about the best places to eat in town.
I did dock one star because they completely ran out of Jameson which is a pretty standard alcohol to have at a bar… Otherwise, it was great!

Love. This. Bar. Went there last night while visiting Carmel. All the comments about Frank are true-​which makes me love him even more. I certainly don’t agree with all his stances but I don’t have to to have a good time. All those that are so easily offended is what’s wrong with America! He called me dumb multiple times but I know he’s just seeing who can take it-​dish it back and who can’t. By the end he was hugging me and full of compliments. He’s an old guy who’s earned his freedom of speech. Pull up your big girl panties people!

If I could give you no stars, I would.
My boyfriend and I were in Carmel for a wedding the weekend of Oct. 24 – 25, 2015. We found Sade’s on Unilocal (the only dive bar in Carmel-​sadly) and the reviews looked decent. Frank greeted us as we walked in, told us it was a cash bar only, so we left to return with cash. We ordered 2 beers and a shot. My bf was talking football with Frank, then Frank brought up Pg&e and it just so happens my BF works for Pg&e. I was walking around the small bar looking at the old pictures and pointed at the picture of Sade (the woman the bar was named after) hanging above a door, and asked if this was the woman the bar was named after. Frank responded «Yah she looks like an ugly alien, another illegal» OKAY.
My boyfriend is a Mexican/​Caribbean/​American (he was born in America) and he has dark skin, I am Ecuadorian/​Columbian/​American (born here too) but look white. Neither of us have accents. My Spanish accent is horrible.
My BF told me to just ignore it, he’s old, nothing I will say will change his way of thinking. Why waste my time? OKAY.
My bf asked Frank if he watched basketball? Frank says No, he doesn’t trust Tall people. OKAY.
Regarding the Pg&e conversation, Frank was saying he didn’t understand why Pg&e wasted money on trying to fix their image after the San Bruno disaster, they should put that money toward fixing the pipe lines (that somewhat made sense). My BF said Pg&e was trying to fix their image all around, creating a more diverse company. Frank said that was a waste of time, not necessary. My BF just laughed and changed the topic, back to sports.
My BF asked if he could buy a cigarette off of Frank, Frank gave it to him for free. The second time my BF asked for a cig, he told him to go across the street and buy his own (that’s fair LOL)
While my BF was out, Frank told me I looked smarter than my BF and thank god he at least was working. I had BARELY spoken. I do not understand why he made that comment when my BF had been completely patient with Frank and engaged him in polite conversation despite Frank’s asinine responses.
Do I think Frank is racist? YES.
When we first walked in, there was a political commercial on tv and my bf asked what he thought of our candidates. Frank said he was a Trump supporter and only Trump could fix this America with all it’s illegals. Why I did not walk out then, I do not know. I did not want to start this review with that because everyone is entitled to their opinion, but he went too far in insulting my BF who was the one being tolerant of Frank.
Frank, You have every right to support whom ever you choose, but to then insult your customer who had tipped you beyond your worth, is outrageous.
My BF told me as we were leaving (I was fuming that he had tipped so much) that he hoped Frank would see how well he treated him despite his blatant racism, and maybe he would understand that we (Immigrants-​well our parents) are not the enemy.
Frank, you are lucky to live in a beautiful town, Carmel, but you are blinded in seeing the real back bone of that town and the surrounding towns. Immigrants have helped create the beautiful place you call home, Immigrants are the back bone of America.
Show some god damn respect.

Great drinks and even greater patrons. This is the type of bar we wish we had back home. Thank you, Frank and Amy for a great time!

If you’re looking for a nice little dive bar in Carmel, this is the place for you. My dad and I had just finished dinner next door and were not quite ready to end our night. The server at the restaurant recommended we try Sade’s, that’s where she ended up going after she got off work too lol.
The bartender, Amy was great. She seemed to know most people that came into the bar — plus it was her birthday! Everyone sang happy birthday which was fun. The place was really lively & lots of locals seem to come here. It’s fun but tiny. I don’t think there are too many options for bars in Carmel but this one was fun!

F***ing amazing! I don’t think saying anything more is necessary.
Loved every minute and can’t wait to stop back by one day!

The perfect dive bar. Get ready for some lively banter with Parker and bring cash… credit cards not accepted.

PARKER
Forever grateful for that cigarette drag
The bar: dark, small, old fashioned, and wonderful. On a Friday night, no other place on earth you should be.

This little spot is definitely a ‘Local’ in every sense of the term. I had an interesting and entertaining 2 hours in here while my wife was getting a massage down the block.
It is a no frills pub that still allows smoking. Amazing, I know. The patrons all seem to know each other one way or another, and everyone seemed to be friendly and happy to interact.
They have a full bar, but I think this spot is for whiskey and beers. Feel free to light up a cigarette or cigar without getting the stink eye from anyone.

Worst customer service ever. My cousin asked if they had fireball, told no; ordered a drink with diet coke, told they don’t have it; tried to figure out what we wanted to order, told «you’re the asshole holding up the intersection.» took the hundreds of dollars and tips we would have spent somewhere else.

Like many have said Sade’s is not the place for the average person. It’s a down to earth, easy going, real bar-goer’s type of bar. Parker can be rough around the edges but he’s a great guy and awesome bartender. Say hi to the dog!

Music is dominated by Parker. I feel like I’m back in high school. Cute Cougars and fun vibe.

I love this place, Amy, Parker, and Frank are great. Small locals hangout. Couldn’t find a better place for me. Always worth the stop.

Been going to Sade’s since 1968. Been there rarely since I quit smoking 30 yrs ago. Wife & I went in tonight and was relieved to see smoking only outside. Had a wonderful time and met newlyweds (in their 50’s) from Brussels, a mother of 8 with her boyfriend, a young French Orvieto vintner and watched Parker justly 86 an obnoxious drunk who deserved it. Nice bar, clean modern unisex bathroom and Parker is a hoot. Everyone talked and had a great time. Try it but must have cash.

Had a great time at Sade’s. They have a limited selection of drinks, and their craft beer selection was non-​existent, but it didn’t matter. The bartender, Parker, was jovial, singing Christmas songs with the locals as I walked in. After having a brief conversation with him, you could tell immediately that he wasn’t putting on airs. He was very genuine and just a fun guy to be around. Living in the Bay Area, I get really tired of bartenders going through the motions with half-​assed conversations littered with small talk.
What’s more, the locals that were there were the nicest people ever. It had an insular, small town feel, in the sense that you could tell everyone know eachother, but at the same time they were very inviting. One guy bought be a drink just because I was sitting next to him. Another guy introduced me to half of the bar, who all went to high school with him, and they all were super down-​to-​earth people. I can’t wait to come back.

Locals hangout, tourist welcome, right off Ocean Ave on Lincoln.
Cold Beer & Premium Spirits.
ESPN & Music on Ipod.
Liars dice — plus.
Great Window view.
Remodeled Bathroom.
Taxi service is quick.
Parker — savy bartender & great conversation.
Amy — super lookin woman, friendly & welcoming.
People from all over the world visit.
Know as the Smallest Bar on America.

Ha! I love how the bartender feels the need to try and justify his behavior in a response to a Unilocal review! Tool. At least get your facts straight. It should be noted that this is a bar, in a Tourist-​driven community. Good luck staying open with quality reviews like this, pal. Again, only gets one star because I have to.

For reference, I grew up in Carmel, and do want to say that my friends and I used to love Sade’s. It’s the the epitome of a dive bar, terribly small, cash only for some stupid reason (get with the times), full of smoke, etc. But at least it was a dive bar that you could be loud, drunk, etc. Now the bartender Parker has decided to ruin it by being a huge dick. He acts like it’s the royal palace and if you step out of line, he will just be a huge jerk to you. It sucks now that he has ruined one of the places I used to love. I will not be coming back here ever again and neither will anyone I know, thanks Parker.
Update: Parker sent me this message: «Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on here Sam. And don’t think for another second your charade won’t come to bite you on the ass. Same goes for Allen. Reviews come down or war begins.»
I tried to reply to him, to keep it civil, but he proceeded to immediately block me. What are you nine years old Parker? Threatening me over the internet? And who and what are you talking about man? What war is going to begin? Thanks for verifying everything I said above, I hope everyone gets a kick out of this.

Easily offended? Not a fan of smoke/​smoking? Do you order frou frou drinks with sodas and umbrellas in your cocktail? If you’ve said yes to any of these questions, move on to another bar and make room for people replied «No.»
This bar is a no nonsense kind of place, basic drinks, don’t mess with Frank with an intimate bar setting that leaves you basking in secondhand smoke.
I honestly like the place, it’s simple and hey this is the kind of bar that sticks with the good ol’ classic drinks. My friend asked for some kind of fruit syrup here and Frank nearly threw a fit, good thing there was a football game on. The bar has an old timey vibe to it and is quite small and intimate. I got a «7 and 7», which was pretty good– then again when isn’t it?
Great place, badass bartender (don’t let his looks fool you), good drinks and one of the few places where smoking is an A-​OK inside!