Tivoli Bar & Grill

$ 8.25 for a beer. $ 8.25 for a beer. $ 8.25 for a beer. $ 8.25 for a beer. $ 8.25 for a beer. $ 8.25 for a beer. And the bartender was drunk.

Best Bar, Best Staff. This is one of my usually spots

Cool little «whole in the wall». I like the atmosphere and they play a great mix of music. This is a great spot to stop and grab a few cheap drinks before you head out.

This place was LOUD! I believe the pitchers of PBR were $ 11 that night and the young locals were getting a little rowdy. The place is cool, great spot for a younger crowd.
Unfortunately this particular night happened to be a little tame for us and the yelling was a bit much. Yes we could have gone outside, but it was chilly and I didn’t have a jacket.

Nothing spectacular about this place. Yeah it has history. It’s a basic dive bar to me. We had good service, but we only had beers and a round of shots.
So if you’re looking for a place where people drink with their pinky out, this is not your place. If you’re looking for a cool refreshment on a hot day, this is your place only if you’re seated in front of the box fan. Not worth a return visit for me.

This bar and grill was a shock. There were four people in there including staff. The bar was not run by the food vendor whose menu was
Limited to Burgers, hot dogs, tacos at very
low prices. Where did those 4stars come from!?? Don’t be fooled?

Currently sitting at the bar waiting for the food to arrive. It has been over an hour for 2 hot dogs. People around us who came later have been receiving their food. I don’t get it. Come here for the drinks not the food.

Stopped by before the Stones concert for a quick snack and couple of drinks. Place was PACKED. Front bar staff was overwhelmed. Was about to leave when someone mentioned there was a bar in back too. Bartender was super nice and poured an excellent Long Island (I find that 1 in 5 bartenders pour them well).
We had the Romero Dog and Carne Asada Street Tacos. I got the dog based on the recommendation of the lady taking orders. It was SUPER good. The tacos were good, but not great. Super greasy and more beans than Carne. Sat outside and enjoyed some people watching. I liked the place and will definitely com back.

Divey. Dark. Smokey. Glorious. Merica.
That’s the only way I can describe my experience at Tivoli.
It was fairly dead with just a handful of characters — a couple of older dudes stuck to their bar stools and a bigger white guy with dreads who seemed to be the mayor of the joint, holding court and telling the same old stories.
There was a whacky drunk dude wearing me down with his nonsense — he was dying to play pool but I gave him the slip. Sounds annoying but it actually added to the experience to be honest.
The bartender was super cool, friendly and engaging. It was the beginning of March Madness so they had the games on — I couldn’t care less about basketball but found myself watching anyway.
They had Modello Especial in the can for like $ 2-​$ 3 bucks — yeah buddy!
Anyway, if you’re a lover of dive bars, this place will definitely scratch your itch!

I have Brad B to thank for popping my Tivoli cherry…
All I have to say is…
Dirty.
Sexy.
Money.
Great for late night shenanigans and general fun. Strong drinks, gritty look, fun people. My kind of place. Bartenders are friendly and love to share a laugh… it really doesn’t get much better than this…
Stumbling out at 1:30, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Another night another late night guinness. After a rough day I can’t think of a place a like better than this place.
Bartenders always remember who you are. It’s like our own version of cheers but cooler and less

What a friggin’ dump.
I love historical restaurants and bars. I love walking into places like this and feeling the history, traveling back in time, and discovering why this place of all places has withstood the test of time, development, etc.
Tivoli claims to be the oldest bar in the Gaslamp and it should have been condemned and razed along with the grumpy, personality-​defect a-​holes that own the place.
We closed a big deal at work on Thursday, plus March Madness!, so we snuck out to downtown early to celebrate and watch a couple games. Along the route we hit Tivoli’s. It had been a decade since I last poked my head in. It sounded like a great idea to grab a drink and continue to enjoy our afternoon.
We walk in, order drinks and then go and put some money in the jukebox. FYI, there is nothing special at all about the décor or the interior. The place is empty. There are two working behind the bar, one cooking food, and a table with three old turds. When one of the songs came on that we paid for, we could barely hear it. We asked the bartender to pump up the volume.
The bartender was the most passive-​aggressive tool that I’ve ever met. He damn near threw a hissy fit about how we asked him to turn up the volume (apparently we didn’t kiss enough ass when we asked), and then once he calmed down, pointed to the turds and explained that the owner was over there and did not like loud music. We got that he may not want «loud» music, but we could hardly hear the song at all. Plus, we are in a friggin’ bar, not church.
Anyways, we ordered a couple tacos that they were cooking up front. My buddy took a bite as another buddy cracks a joke. He laughed and a piece of food flew out of his mouth and onto the floor. Passive-​aggressive bartender comes over immediately… «C’mon guys! Really?! Are you kidding me?» He put on a big show about the piece of food on the floor. «Someone could slip on this!»
We pointed out that he didn’t need to worry about any customers slipping since we were the only three customers that he had. He then points to the table full of turds and told us that they were complaining.
My one buddy was so fed up with this routine, he went over to the table and asked, in a very sincere and non-​threatening tone, if there was something we’d done to offend. The toothless turd that opened his mouth could barely get a word out. Fumes from all the alcohol that he had been drinking that afternoon (and probably since that morning from the looks of him) enveloped him instead. He couldn’t even formulate a word in response. Pathetic!
We left, as any self-​respecting patrons would do. From the second we walked in until the second we left, they were all over our case. Sorry fellas for trying to give you some business. I hope next time I get the bright idea to grab another drink there in ten more years the place is gone.

One of those spots you just can’t get enough of! No matter what kinda mood you are in or what kinda outfit you are wearing this place just fits!
Perfect for a starting point, meeting spot before Padre game, meet after a Padre game, add it to a beer crawl or a night cap.
This place is crawling with every kind of character and that’s exactly why we love it! It’s definitely not for everyone but everyone is welcome!
Bartenders are solid and if you need bar munchies they have that too! Specials on the regular. They have $ 2.50 Taco Tuesday, other popular items chicken tenders, fries, burgers and a garden salad for those that are watching their intake. Just enough grub to keep you on that bar stool a lil longer.
If you take a moment to look around you will find family photos (RIP Mike), memorabilia, old paintings of naked ladies, new paintings of naked ladies and everything in between. The bar itself is beautiful rustic and old as shit and its a piece of San Diego you just gotta see.
Until we meet again…

So what does the oldest bar in the Gaslamp area do? What do you do when you’re here? Why would an old, divey bar get four stars? All good questions…
Before you even think about hoping that this is some upscale, classy sports bar, just stop right there. It isn’t. What you’ll find here is your cheap beer, typical bar food like chicken tenders and fries and probably most importantly, shots of Jameson. That’s what Tivoli does.
On a night of birthday bar crawls, hammering the final nail in the coffin here at Tivoli with a group of friends seemed like the only logical thing to do. So with bar bites, cheap beers and multiple shots of Jameson Whiskey to wash away the apprehensions associated with being one step closer to the clutches of the grim reaper, Tivoli played it’s role in a night of debauchery quite well. Share some chicken tenders and fries, slam down some cheap beer and chase it with some shots of Jamo because that’s what you do here.
So with all the aforementioned fun and debauchery outlined above, Tivoli pretty much put the finishing touches on a long night filled with food, alcohol and memories (or lack thereof) and does it reasonable priced. I can’t necessarily guarantee you as equally fun of a following morning but at least they’ll help you make a great night of things. So as far as an old dive bar in downtown goes, this place gets a solid four stars so bring your five star friends and have some fun.

Like Danny W, I can’t believe I haven’t written a review of this place!
I’ve been to San Diego twice in the last 2 years and I’ve spent a handful of afternoons and evenings at this place.
I stumbled upon this place while walking around one afternoon by myself waiting for my husband to arrive in town. I was greeted by a very friendly bartender and sat myself right down. We were sure to come back later in that night for another visit.
Our other trip to SD, we again came here one afternoon for a refreshment on a hot summers day. Then, we brought other people back and sat there all night long. Reminds us of our local joints in St. Paul, MN.
The drinks are delicious, the Padres game is always on and the service is very friendly. I think this is a must stop on any trip to San Diego!

Update: tried to contact a manager about being overcharged and was told The manager was not in but they took down my name and number. Never got a call.
After placing a call and leaving this review its clear that integrity isn’t a concern when both are ignored.

JP Totally gives great service. All I want is a D*Stresser, so a car Bomb does the trick. Okay and a Stella to follow. Been here a few times and that’s why I return. I need to try the food.
Thanks Tivoli

Quoting my last review, «gotta give the Tiv a little bump up — they’ve earned it.»
So yeah, they went from a three, to a four, and now to five sexy stars for me, and at the risk of making people believe I am a country music fan I must say, I love this bar!
So you may ask me, «what changed? Why the upgrade?» Well, the answer is simple, friends — it’s the people! I am a huge advocate of giving props where props are due and Andrea and JP have converted me into a Tiv-​enthusiast. They are polite, kind, engaging and a true asset to this gem of a downtown business.
They are not the type of bartenders that you’d expect at a «dive» bar and unfortunately what most of us have become accustomed to. Yeah, I said it. As patrons we’ve come to accept that dive bars and s#!tty service go hand in hand. No! It doesn’t have to be that way and these two (Andrea and JP) prove that you can get a cold beer, a stiff drink or much needed nitecap served with a smile, not a snarl.
Tourist or local legend, belly up to the bar at the Tiv and order yourself a drink or two — everyone is welcome. If you are fortunate enough to waddle in there on a night that either Andrea or JP are pouring, you are most certainly in great hands.

Came with a large group of friends before the Padres game and were very well taken care of by the separate «shot» bar near the bathrooms… and by that I mean we bought all of her liquor and she had to shut down and go get more for after the game.
The bathroom situation was a little awkward but a great little spot to grab drinks before or after the game.

Favorite place in Gaslamp, hands down!
Casual, laid back, comfortable and totally chill. Perfectly located for people watching, close to the stadium (for your baseball fans) and also to other Gaslamp locations, outdoor seating as well as open window seats. We met the dude who said he was the owner, we met the manager and we had some conversations with just about everyone on staff the afternoon we spent here… everyone was a keeper!
Prices are totally reasonable and just about anything you want to eat or drink (from a divey, hometown bar) is here. I asked for chips and salsa… oops, they don’t have it… but yay, they made it for me anyway! BONUS!
If there weren’t so many other places to visit and check out, I think we would have chosen to stay in this place all day (or all weekend!) long.
Walls are jam packed with crazy cool stuff to check out and don’t forget to stroll down to the unisex bathroom to take a gander at the Rolling Stone urinal. Guys, it may give you a size complex though…
Definitely best bar in the Gaslamp District!
CHEERS!!!