OCEAN BEACH

 

The 3rd Corner Wine Shop & Bistro

2265 Bacon St., Ocean Beach
www.the3rdcorner.com
One of the first places in town (maybe the first) to do the pick-your-own-bottle-of-wine thing. There are, like, 1,000 wines to choose from, and you can purchase one up until 1:30 a.m. (Kitchen closes at 1 a.m.)

Arizona Café

1925 Bacon St., Ocean Beach
619-223-7381
Formerly a classic dive, the AZ is a curiosity in O.B., with nary a dreadlock in sight. In fact, it’s one of the few spots where one can spot the ubiquitous SoCal bro outside of his natural P.B. habitat. Good fries and sliders, though.

Blue Parrot

4993 Niagara Ave., Ocean Beach
619-222-1722
The sort of place where you lean your board against the wall, knock back a pint and then head back out to the surf.

Cheswick’s West

5038 1/2 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach
619-225-0733
An O.B. institution and a chill spot for long-time residents. The Harleys line up in front, sometimes 20 at a time.

Dream Street

2228 Bacon St., Ocean Beach
www.dreamstreetlive.com
The place should be called Bacon Street, because it’s the most likely place you’ll see a band called Swine Flu or Death Pigs from Space.

Gallagher’s

5046 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach
619-222-5300
Gallagher’s refers to itself as a “wee bit of Ireland in the heart of Ocean Beach.” They have a four-day St. Patrick’s Day celebration in March, and once a month a band called California Celts play here. Punk-rock Irish ska, anyone?

The Harp

4935 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach
619-222-0168
Another new Irish bar with big front windows that open up to the street, plus Lady Dottie and the Diamonds on Thursday and Irish bands other nights.

Lucy’s Tavern

4906 Voltaire St., Ocean Beach
619-224-0834
Loyal patrons come here to play pool, shuffleboard and foosball. Some of them might have been there all day, and one might be named Edwin Decker.

Mac’s Cocktails

2205 Mendocino Blvd.,
Ocean Beach
619-223-4106
Everything you’d expect from a place called Mac’s located in Ocean Beach.

Pacific Shores

4927 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach
619-223-7549

The closest thing you’ll find to a hipster bar in O.B. You won’t hear any crappy reggae cover bands at “Pac Shores.” Plus, the interior looks like the set from the “Enchantment Under the Sea” dance in Back to the Future (and we mean that in the most complimentary way possible). Great Scott!

South Beach Bar & Grill

5059 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach
www.southbeachob.com
This is arguably the winner of the contentious title of “Best Fish Taco in San Diego.” Damn good tacos, anyway, and they’re only $2.50 during the all-night happy hours on Mondays.

Sunshine Company

5028 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach
619-222-0722
Their logo’s a grinning cartoon sun holding a mug of beer that screams for its own T-shirt. It’s 1970s-er-iffic. Lots of pool tables and a nice upstairs patio with a bar.

Tilted Stick

4970 Voltaire St., Ocean Beach
619-222-6895
Tilted Stick will always be dear to us, as its back patio was the location of CityBeat’s first writers meeting. It’s beloved by locals, so treat it well and behave yourself.

Tiny’s Tavern

4745 Voltaire St., Ocean Beach
619-523-1002
The beer-and-wine-only spot has built a solid reputation for its food. And, as one fan once put it in a letter to CityBeat: “When Newport [Avenue] is pouring with dirty drunkies on the busy nights, Tiny’s is a local place that’s open to all and rarely shines a flashlight in your eyes.”

Tony’s

5034 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach
www.tonysoceanbeach.com
A nice, dark-wood, pool-table bar, for the sort who need to escape the beach scene. Their logo is a martini glass and, lucky for them, they do it right, ’cause if they didn’t, there’d be trouble.

The Vine

1851 Bacon St., Ocean Beach
www.theobvine.com
This wine bar claims to have “one of the finest beer lists in Southern California.” Oh really? Let’s see: 65 bottles to choose from, lots of locals and an A-plus rating from Beer Advocate.

Winston’s

1921 Bacon St., Ocean Beach
www.winstonsob.com
Winston’s has a lot of different ass-kicking nights: Don’t miss the weekly Drunk Poet’s Society readings, “Think & Drink Trivia” and OB-oke with host Jose Sinatra.