Pop’s Liquor Cabinet

Pop’s has a perfect vibe, top shelf drink menu and a mind-​blowing mixologist behind the sticks. Stop in if you want to try something different and hang out in the smallest and coolest bar in San Diego!

Place is pretty cool but it get’s crowded pretty damn quickly! You are limited to what the bartender’s specialties are and no draft beer is available. So in essence this place is quite honest when they say Pop’s Liquor Cabinet. We all had a Moscow Mule which was one of the best that I had ever tasted.
Atmosphere is very similar to small 3 – 4 person maximum bars that you can find all over the major cities of Japan. It could be an amazing experience meeting new people or if there is a rotten egg in the crowd you will want to leave immediately. There really should be more of these places in the US and Pop’s Liquor Cabinet is certainly a step in the right direction

Don’t judge Pops by its size :) This little bar packs a big punch. It’s very easy to miss when walking by and only having a max occupancy of 12 people I believe it’s the smallest bar in the gas lamp. Serving up some of the best cocktails by great bartenders. Andy is the best! Don’t let his big old beard intimidate you, he has the biggest smile and cheery personality. He will take good care of you, giving plenty of recommendations of tasty cocktails and some good conversation.
I highly recommend to stop by, pull up a seat, have a drink or two and make sure to bring cash.
Cheers!

This place rocks!!!
Amazing cocktails
Super nice staff
Loved it!!!
Local regulars added some real color to the proceedings as well

While tight and cozy pop’s liquor cabinet has to be San Diego’s finest hidden jem. a cocktail lounge hidden in plain site from the doofusaurus Rex ‘s that walk the streets of downtown looking to fight and fornicate. With a knowledgeable and meticulous staff it’s refreshing to know you can get a stiff drink downtown for a reasonable price, or you can just spend 20 $ for a watered down vodka do what ever you want .This Is where you find warm friends and unprotected acquaintances. cheers Hipsters!

Go HERE!!! This place is as small as a walk in closet but it is more fun than some really swank, hip bars that Ive been to. The drinks are good, the bartender is so nice and its an excellent spot to laugh loud & people watch.

Seriously some of the best drinks I’ve ever had, and I live in Vegas. The bar is small but the talent is huge. The drinks took long to make, but if your drink is made quickly it probably sucks. My boyfriend is not a big cocktail guy at all and he was impressed. The vibe is super chill and the bartender was easy to talk to. I recommend stopping by for at least one drink, you won’t regret it, unless you have 4 more like I did and then drive back to Vegas

You can literally shut this place down! It holds 12 people max, so if you roll up with 11 friends you got the place on lock. No worrying about people causing problems, waiting in w forever line at the bar, nothing. It’s got a jukebox so you can be your own DJ and not worry about crappy songs. The bartender is a cool dude so come thru!

Went here in June and had a great time. The bartender created delicious concoctions. I highly recommend going. It is small but an amazing experience. Sitting at the six person bar helps with the experience.

This place was right up our alley! JJ treated us well and we really enjoyed his company. The max capacity of this place is 12, so you can make friends with everyone in there. There is a jukebox for good times! It’s good for a 30-​something crowd that doesn’t need to get trashed to have a good time. We stumbled upon this place accidentally and are so glad we did and ended up back here the next night as well. There was even a spontaneous sing-​a-​long that started up while the jukebox rebooted. We had an awesome time!

This is the cutest little bar! Only seats eight people — maybe six comfortably — but the drinks are good and VERY reasonably priced! I asked for a White Russian with Frangelico instead of coffee and the bartender didn’t look at me like I was mental and didn’t protest in making the drink… It was excellent. His service was impeccable and always with a smile.
Cash only… and a few of the other patrons inside were a bit annoying. The music was also just a little too loud.
All in all, it was a fun and enjoyable experience. I’ll definitely be back, but most likely when obnoxious people aren’t flanking me at the bar :)

New favorite bar — JJ is the best bartender around!

.ever. JJ is awesome! Moscow mules were delish. You make friends with everyone since the capacity is… 12. Play some awesome music on the touch tunes, hang out with some new friends and enjoy on of the best bars ever.

Great place for a drink. Just like being at home, except you have your own personal bartender. JJ was so welcoming and fun to talk to. BTW, he has this cucumber infused water that I was so in need for to stay hydrated.

Love this place! JJ is the owner and works here most nights. He is super personable and knows his drinks. Cash only bar… So you know it’s legit ;P. It’s a small spot, so don’t plan on bringing a huge group. But this is definitely the place to start of the night! And the drinks are out of this world! Quality!

Went to this place by total accident last Thursday. Well, almost as a total accident. Thought it might be a good idea to ride the bull at Double Deuce; took one look at the bartenders wearing bikinis and legions of middle-​aged men, and decided to high-​tail it next door.
Pop’s seriously is such a cool, little bar. I was with with three other gals and we had an absolute blast! JJ was super friendly and chatted with us all night. He let us play some music on the jukebox for free when we first got in. We obviously ended up pouring more money into the jukebox later, but that was really cool.
Max occupancy is posted as 12 and it was really hilarious to think about even that many bodies being in there. But really, JJ has to hop over the bar to get behind it and you can defintely reach your limbs across and touch both walls of the joint. That’s the charm though. It felt like our own private bar for the night. A couple of other folks came and went the three hours we were posted up, but it was pretty quiet due to it being a Thursday. Curious to see this place on a weekend night. Haha people pouring out of the little place.
Definitely want to go back and try more of their cocktails. Only had a beer since I was driving that night, but had a sip of a friend’s sloe gin fizz and it was delicious. The «daisy» was calling my name. Next time.
One of the far better bar experiences I have had. So nice to not be surrounded by the usual barflies.

I’ve walked by this place a few times and finally had the opportunity to stop in last night. JJ is one of the most down to earth friendly people in the industry. What Pops lacks in size, it more than makes up for in personality. In fact, one of the reason this place is so cool, IS its size. I had an Old Fashioned, and it was great. So many bartenders, or «mixologists» mess that drink up. I could have sat there all night. Everything about Pops is cool. Go! Go now!

Cool little spot! I was skeptical walking in to the smallest bar I’ve ever been to. However, the ambience, the drinks, and the friendly service made this place stand out. We grabbed a seat in the corner and JJ was super friendly and poured us some strong drinks. I got the Last Word (Gin tart cocktail) and it was just as good as any I’ve ever had. My girl got a vodka cocktail that she loved as well. We met some people who were in town from Boston and actually had an enjoyable conversation with strangers. Drinks were heavily priced, with is why this place loses a star. I dropped $ 30 for 2 drinks plus tip. Kind of absurd. I dont know if I will come back simply for that reason.

Great place to coming to visit. Bartend is a great place is small but this place is awesome rallies any place in the gaslamp

So what is it that makes a place special? I appreciate unique experiences, things you can’t find every day. I tend to lean towards quiet and intimate places with a couple of good friends instead of large rockin’ places with a dozen casual acquaintances. I think I have found the perfect little spot… and I do mean little.
Pops is one of the smallest bars I have ever seen or heard of. About the size of a large walk-​in closet, there is no room for large crowds or bridal showers here. Space for four at the bar with an additional six or so against the wall rail and you are pretty much at capacity. With standing room, you could fit a few more but things would get tight. We had a great time chatting with JJ and enjoying drinks with several interesting people from different walks of life. The old fashioned and sloe gin fizz are as good as they get, made with care. The décor is fun, like grandpa’s basement bar.
If you are looking for a new social experience, something you can’t find just anywhere, you might drop by for a drink. Don’t forget to bring cash… Pops does not take cards, at least not yet. This place is unique, go enjoy it.