The Waterfront Bar & Grill

Good drinks. Good service. Any and everything could be better but sometimes good as as good as it gets!
No complaints.

Great burgers and good drinks! Can’t wait to visit again soon!

Super fun. Mixed crowd of interesting people.
Had a heat time. Bartenders were friendly.

All my Unilocal friends know I love an «after-​party» so, when we were invited to The Waterfront Bar & Grill after the Under the Sea YSB even, I was all in.
Not only was this an after-​party but it was at one of the (if not the) oldest bar in the area, a definite «locals» place, casual, laid back, bar.
No AC, Open concept — there’s an outside seating area but almost merges with the inside. Some tables inside, very dim lights, and a bar that has obviously seen years of fun and loyal customers.
They have a full bar, not sure if they have specialty drinks, I just went with my usual rum-​ginger ale. Bartender wasn’t too friendly but, I think they are when they see you there often.
What they do have is a menu, and even though I didn’t look it all through I’m going to tell you, you must order the Sliders.
These were perfect bar, delicious, comforting sliders. With a side of fries, and drinks, you are set.
It is a great place to hang out with friends, unwind after work, and just chill.
We even got to meet one of the managers/​owners who gave us a little background of how they started and how much they enjoy what they do.
Thanks Brad for introducing us to this place and a fun last night in San Diego.

Reasonable price, great service, breakfast is excellent! Can’t go wrong with their breakfast. Haven’t tried their lunch yet. I would ask for the mimosas! Cheap! It’s not on the menu, but ask them.

This place has a good food and bar selection. I’ve been coming here off and on for the past 8 years. The staff are usually friendly. Sometime you catch them on a bad day. The parking kind of sucks because everything is metered in the area or paid parking lot parking. The meters are free until 8am. The food always taste fresh and doesn’t take too long to get once it’s ordered. Plenty of seating for small gatherings like after work get togethers. I recommend them for anyone in the downtown area.

Fantastic, Chill, Eclectic Site «On The Waterfront»…
SITREP
…or at least it once was, as the owner-​manager informed me proudly! My buddies Cherine, Greshka and I joined our San Diego friends Brad, Trish and many other yooligans for some drinks and munchies at this esteemed establishment after a wild weekend of Spring Breaking.
THE SETUP
Back in the day, the water’s edge came right up to this establishment. But years and decades of «land-​filling» has pretty much moved the water far away as Downtown San Diego has developed.
But there’s still a great view of the water from this location! This is why I discovered «The Waterfront Bar & Grill» (Waterfront) has become a beloved mecca for those looking for an escape of the hassles of the week, of the job, the tax man, etc. etc., and can just come and drink some fantastic cocktails, and enjoy some outstanding food!
THE MENU
* Excellent Fries and Burgers to be had! In particular, I really enjoyed the bacon-​burger sliders:
* Outstanding, inexpensive drinks to be obtained. The dames got their cocktails, and I got my Pale Ale brew — joy was sustained:
***WARNING***
However, be forewarned that this is a den for surly characters to hideout within. [HIde yer daughters, just sayin…] ;)
THE LOWDOWN
So now when an attractive dame glances at me all *clock & dagger*-like, and whispers, «Meet me at the Waterfront», this is the place I’ll be going too. ;)

Waterfront bar and grill had good food and a great atmosphere. However, nothing impressed me here and you must order from the counter.
We ordered «House Battered Corn dogs», «Seared Ahi Tuna Sandwich» and a side of tater tots.
House Battered Corn dogs — 3.5÷5 rating. The sticks supporting them were flimsy. The house batter was fairly spicy. Jalapeños are mixed in to the batter not mentioned in the menu.
Seared Ahi Tuna Sandwich −4÷5 rating. I was pleasantly satisfied. The tuna was seared longer than I would like but still tasted great. The sandwich it’s self was essentially a California style burger with fish instead of beef to give you context.
Tots are tots.
I would likely come here again but other options abound.

Went in for happy hour at 3pm. It was bar service only, which was fine by me. Customer service was excellent and food came out fairly quick. I like that they had free food for those who are only there for the drinks.
I wanted to try out their tacos during Taco Tuesday. I ordered the fish taco, shrimp taco, and carne asada taco. I did not care for the carne asada one at all. Flavor was not as expected. I must be too used to authentic carne asada street tacos and did not like the «baja» twist. The shrimp taco was excellent, great flavor. The fish taco seemed average.
For Taco Tuesday prices, they didn’t seem too special. Fish and carne asada were $ 2 each. The shrimp taco was a bit more expensive at $ 4 each.

What can I say about Waterfront, except it has hosted us on multiple occasions and it has never fail me.
Asides from their affordable drinks, we always get the tots and wings… you know cause is always about dem tots…
in its arsenal, Waterfront provides TVs… perfect for watching those games, a juke box, you know just in case you feel like playing some tunes, patio seating… for those perfect san diego nights or afternoons, Live music on certain nights… as if this wasn’t enough… customer service is always on point!
thank you waterfront, I am super glad I was able to visit 2x on my last visit to san diego, can’t wait to stumble in once again!

I always drive past this bar & there is not one day that it is not poppin’!
Great throwback music, classic arcade games in the back, but very small & crowded. Watch yourself for drunk girls because after 5 minutes of being inside, I was already getting spilled on. Outdoor seating available to get away from the craziness inside but even that is crowded! It is a cool place to grab drinks but definitely not the place if you want to catch up with friends.

Waterfront is one of my favorite places in SD. I’ve been a fan and regular customer for years. First off, for being a «dive bar» the food is actually really good. The servers are all really chill, friendly, and fast. My favorite time of day to come here is for brunch.
My food favs: The breakfast menu is so good. The Santa Maria breakfast burrito is one of my favorite breakfast burritos in all of SD. The Lone Wolf (steak and eggs) is another great breakfast option too. The chili cheese fries are a must-​try. The fries are always super crisp and the chili on top is flavorful and they don’t skimp on the cheese. I also love the Chopped Waterfront Salad — chicken breast, avo, capers, bacon and cherry tomatoes topped with this delicious green vinaigrette. Another note — most days the popcorn machine is going and it’s free. I LOVE their popcorn. I think they put tabasco on the kernels and it adds so much flavor to it.
Drinks: this is a no frills bar. There are no crazy, fancy drinks here. These are bartenders not mixologist. Most customers are ordering jameson or beer. It should be noted that on the weekends you can get a bucket of champagne and juice for $ 10.
If you’re looking for a chill night out or a new brunch option, you MUST visit the Waterfront. Hands down one of my go-​to spots. If you’re looking for fancy — this is not the place for you and you’re probably not the person for them.

Cute little dive downtown. Prices are a little higher than I would care to see but you pay for location! Service is always friendly and the drinks are pretty strong. They always have some sort of free snack available for your pleasure but if you are a buffalo wing fan I highly recommend passing on the snack and going straight for the good stuff. These guys do wings right!
Breakfast was so/​so and on the pricey side and what it was. There are plenty of places in little Italy that will leave you weak in the knees after a morning bite but this isn’t one.

been back… again and again…
i love me a nice fancy dinner at Kettner… but when that’s all done… i want to be here at the waterfront. good drinks, friendly service and you can actually meet cool peeps here!
love the food too! sliders are yum./.free popcorn is the best!
there is always good music here…
one of my favorite places to spend an evening

Shocked that I haven’t done a review for the Waterfront. One of the first places I came to when I first moved to San Diego. It’s also the first time I met some Unilocalers IRL… bites nails. I met with Alisa and Todd the Unilocal Elite Super Couple of SD and the Cougar Hunter. At first I was afraid, I was petrified… that must of been early 2009 and we are still all Besties and I love these guys.
So lucky to be a able to get the back story from relatives of this fine establishment, thank you Todd and Alisa. Did you know it’s called the waterfront because back in the day they were on the water, now there are business in houses where the ocean used to be. Gotta love the bathroom that slants a bit and the cheap dranks.
Protip: If you have time to kill before our flight I would recommend The Waterfront or Aeroclub.

If you’re visiting SD, you it is a MUST that you stop in at The Waterfront, since it’s the oldest bar in SD! — a historic monument of San Diego!
At night, this bar’s name is lit up with green lights and from what I remember (since I stopped into this bar after coming from another one.) the outside looks like a train car? — don’t quote me on that ;/​
Anyway, total dive with a bar that extends from wall to wall and a ton of bar top stools. The crowd is mixed, but mostly older folk. My friends and walked in for a couple shots of Jamo, and the pours were very generous.
Safe to say that my first visit to the oldest bar in SD was a success…

So, if you want to go out in San Diego in a non-​party neighborhood, where people are mad chill and from all over the continental United States, AND they are bumpin old Skool jams, AND putting out decent drinks and a late night menu… This is the place. If you put a card down the bar staff will remember your name (#1 thing in my book). Also they have sick sick sliders available late into the night. I HIGHLY recommend the waterfront to a local/​regional establishment that accommodates to both tourists and locals all the same. Who cares what the price is. San Diego is white people central, you just do what you gotta do. If not, there’s a $ 37 bus to Tijuana that leaves every hour. Good luck with that.

The Waterfront is an institution in San Diego and when you’re there, you instantly know why.
First: The bartenders are always awesome. I mean always. They are super friendly and are very attentive to empty glasses no matter how busy they are.
Second: I don’t think I’ve ever been to a bar that is so diverse in its patronage. There is literally no single type of person that comes here. You get everyone and I love it.
Third: THE FOOD. I’m obsessed with the sliders, but the burgers are amazing and any place that serves tots is A-​OK in my book! My husband also claims that the Waterfront has the best California Burrito in all of San Diego. Yep, you read that right: The Waterfront.
Fourth: Free popcorn! There is absolutely nothing better to satisfy my drunken munchies than a few handfuls of spicy popcorn!
Fifth: I don’t know what it is about this place, but I can’t think of any other bar I have more fun in. Seriously. Sometimes I think I’m just going to go for a couple drinks and somehow I wake up the next morning wondering what the heck happened. In fact, it’s one of the only places I have ever accidentally left my tab open after I left and I NEVER do that! Sorry bartenders!
My only complaint? The women’s restroom only has one stall so it can be a bit of a wait. But what do you expect from one of San Diego’s oldest bars?

Waterfront was the first stop I made after landing at SAN Airport after a year since my last visit to SD. And I’m glad to say that even though it was my first visit, it will definitely not be the last.
The first and oldest tavern in SD, Waterfront used to be literally at the waterfront of the pier/​Ocean. It’s crazy to think that the ocean is so far away from this spot due to the change in tides and nature’s work. This place has a lot of history going for it, and their service and lunch choices are a close second.
I enjoyed a veggie melt (with avocado spread!!! YAS) along with a Sierra Nevada IPA. I’m bummed they didn’t have any local stouts/​porters on tap… but they rotate their taps from time to time, so that’s positive! My friend and I were treated like locals/​homies with our amazing and friendly server. He was a great guy to chat with, and he found a way to connect with us which is always a hard thing to do in the service industry. I see you! As a server in the dining industry myself, I felt drawn to this space because not only was our server the best, the bartender immediately greeted us and invited us to sit anywhere at the bar tops, and the manager even came out to shake our hands and give us «Drinks on Us» cards for a free drink for our next visit!
Homey staff, chill atmosphere without the best service and quality of food for a tavern! This place totally ups my perspective on pubs/​local «watering holes.» They also have outdoor seating (complete with a tarp in case it pours) in case you don’t want to be inside the darker ambiance’d bar. It smelled great (which is no smell at all) for a tavern, as I usually expect it to smell like gross carpet or wet dog with divey places. But this place had so much going for it.

«SD’s oldest tavern» is their claim. Came here for taco Tues with my friend, and had a great time.
Pros: Tacos were your standard, nothing special about the flavor except they tacos were stuffed/​meaty.
Cons: They used Mexican shredded cheese. Beer battered tacos were stuffed, but fish loses its crisp quickly.
Starts at 4pm till they run out… I came at 8pm and they were still bangin ‘em out!
$ 2 fish and meat tacos
$ 4 shrimp specials and their special.
It’s a great dive bar vibe in little Italy with plenty of flat screens for sports, a few, cool 80s music videos on other screens, and a few beers on tap. Crowd was mixed but mostly in late 20s-​30s. Lots of space. Friendly staff.
I’ll try other places before returning here for tacos, but a good place to also grab a beer!