Category: Nightlife

For the ultimate girl’s night out, you absolutely must visit Jack's La Jolla. With three restaurants and five different lounges, there’s no shortage of food, drink and entertainment.

Truly an establishment for the upscale single girl, Jack’s La Jolla offers three spectacular restaurants, including The Dining Room, the Grille and The Ocean Room.

The Dining Room seems to offer the most bang for the buck, so to speak, including delicious food, cozy atmosphere and live entertainment.

If you’re more interested in relaxing and socializing, invite some of your gal pals out to a night on the town and have a drink at The Wall Street Bar, one of five different lounges within Jack’s. The Wall Street Bar seems to offer busy, young professionals the perfect after-work atmosphere to talk to similar-minded people and socialize.

If, on the other hand, you and the girls want to party over the weekend, choose The Beach Bar, open Thursday through Saturday until 2 AM. It’s the perfect lounge to kick it with friends, or hook up with eligible single men.

You can party until the wee hours of the morning on one of their spacious dance floors, or enjoy the killer ocean views, open air courtyard and large, extensive bar.

Honestly, Jack’s La Jolla offers the quintessential environment for a girl’s night out with an upscale and hip flair. You can expect to pay upwards of $10-50 per entrée and/or beverage depending which lounge or restaurant you choose to spend your time.

It makes for a bit of an expensive outing with your girlfriends, but it’s totally worth the price. Take it from me – there’s no better place in San Diego to find attractive, young men, a cozy atmosphere and a great place to drink, dine and have fun.

If you want to see and be seen, check out Jack’s La Jolla. You may want to consider visiting during happy hour (typically from 3:30 to 6:30), as that seems to be the best place to mingle with the other party-goers.

The phrases “sports bar” and “family-friendly” don’t normally go hand-in-hand, but at D Street Bar and Grill in Encinitas, both adults and kids can enjoy a meal and a fun atmosphere. Adults will appreciate the abundance of flat-screen TV’s showing just about any game they could want to watch and, if you ask your server, he or she will usually change one of the TV’s to a cartoon channel for the kiddos and provide them with headphones so that they can hear their show. This little detail has allowed my husband and I to have long, leisurely dinners and conversations that our three little darlings would not normally let us have while eating out.

As kid-friendly as D Street is, it also has a cool atmosphere and is very popular with both college kids and 30- and 40-something locals, which is confirmed by the large crowds on weekend nights. There are dj’s Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, a large beer and wine selection and a menu that is a step above the standard bar fare of chicken wings and French fries. My personal favorites include the Wicked Chicken Cheese Steak sandwich and the Chicken Parmesan, which is so yummy that it inspired me to start preparing it myself at home. The portions are oversized, so either split an entrée with your date or prepare to take it home for the next day’s lunch.

The kids’ menu is pretty typical: mac & cheese, grilled cheese, chicken tenders, noodles with butter, cheese pizza, but my kids always clean their plates at D Street (and often request to go to dinner there). The prices are decent and the service is reasonably good—some servers are excellent, some are only so-so, but as long as the kids are fed and entertained and my beer glass stays full, I’m content to spend an evening at D Street Bar and Grill.

If you’re looking to scope out singles, the San Diego bar scene can be a great way to meet people and find potential dates.

I met a guy at a combination bar and grill that eventually turned into a two year relationship. While we aren’t together anymore, I don’t regret ever making the commitment. We still remain friendly to this day!

Before you go, I’m going to show you some of the best bars in San Diego. Forget those dives and hole-in-the-wall establishments – these are the cream of the crop, and may even score you a first date (or two or three…!)

Pacific Beach Bar and Grill is the place to go for potential dates, dining and entertainment. Scope out prospects in their large outdoor dining area, or catch the action indoors while watching the latest sporting event on their 72” televisions.

Enchant the child within you at Dave and Busters, a grown-up arcade, restaurant and bar. It’s a great spot for a first date, or to find a date for next time! Even though I struck out when I went, I did manage to play Skee-Ball with a guy – and he gave me a stuffed panda to take home afterwards.

For an Irish-flavored evening, check out Maloney’s Tavern, located in the heart of San Diego. Great for the singles scene, you can enjoy a selection of Irish brews or mixed drinks. Their menu isn’t too shabby, either!

The Wine Lover. You’ll love the different crowd that tends to hang out at these places (I thought some of them were a bit snobby, but a lot of them are down to earth), and you won’t have to constantly worry about some cheese-ball hitting on you. Even if you aren’t much of a wine connoisseur, you definitely want to check The Wine Lover out. It’s a classy wine bar that can be a lot of fun.>

While these are only a small selection of bars in San Diego, you will undoubtedly meet someone that strikes your fancy. Forget about the dive bars you’re used to and give one of these establishments a chance. Dating in San Diego is already difficult enough, but if you’re persistent you can make the most of the singles scene.

I know San Diego, and I guarantee you’ll love these bars.

Have fun!

A very little walking uncovers a whole lotta shakin' goin' in downtown San Diego these days! Many of the Downtown restaurant spaces have turned what were formerly either wine cellars or just plain cellars into late-night discothèques for the youthful and their admirers, but many of the traditional above-ground music venues have bumped matters up several notches, as well. The scene once boasting little more than the Croce's stage has become the go-to neighborhood for the late-night music lover with hips to bump ‘n grind, fingers to snap, or an air guitar with which to kick out the jams!

The House of Blues' music calendar ranges from rock to reggae, blues to funk, soul, r&b, and disco. 4th and B caters to a broad range of tastes, from across the musical spectrum, while new kid on the block Anthology is making waves of its own with a jazz, blues, roots, rock lineup guaranteed to keep you coming back for more than just their excellent cuisine.

And while downtown has its share of venues offering a mix of musical genres to choose from during the week (before going younger on Friday and Saturday nights), there are still a few hold outs who've managed to stick to their guns by offering the faithful regular helpings of what they do best.

Patrick's II dishes up all the blues you can use seven nights a week, while The Shout House features dueling rock ‘n roll singing piano players on a nightly basis (really!). The Westgate Hotel, Georges on Fifth, and The Dakota Grill & Spirits provide Carlyle Hotel-style piano jazz & pop entertainment to the never ending delight of the swells, while Latin flavor can always be found at Cafe Sevilla's Club Salsa. And if they never stop rockin' at Dick's Last Resort, Henry's Pub serves up an assortment of rock subgenres ranging from alternative to classic, rockabilly to 80's new wave - still managing to keep open a side door to the odd blues act or two—just to keep it real. Even the Borders Books has its weekend folk performances as Dublin Square gets its Irish up seven nights a week. Top of the evening to ya!

Yes, downtown squeezes as much music as two ears could want into a 10 square block radius, so if its singin,' dancin,' strummin,' and drummin,' you want, head on down to downtown!

Long an enclave for area aesthetes, Ray Street plays host to a gathering of the artistic, the inspired, the imaginative, and the merely curious eager to rub elbows with the creative element in this nocturnal celebration. Convened on the 2nd Saturday of each month in San Diego’s North Park neighborhood, and located between University Avenue and North Park Way, the PM gallery walk takes place between the hours of 6 PM and 10 PM. It affords access to as many as a dozen venues with live entertainment, food vendors, and even finger food and glasses of wine made available in galleries themselves (in exchange for a small donation).

Participating galleries include: Clay Artists of San Diego Gallery; The Arts & Entertainment Center; Warp 9 Imaging; Andrea Rushing Fine Arts; John Stewart Studies; Sharp Gallery; Planet Rooth Studios; The Rubber Rose; 4 Walls Gallery; Expressive Art Institute; Gallery 3060; ART Produce Gallery; and Gallery 504.

In addition to the galleries, there are those establishments on the surrounding streets whose doors remain open later on Ray at Night nights. Dessert and coffee after the walk? How about Clare de Lune or Heaven Sent Desserts? What about dinner? Try Ranchos Cocina, Old Word Restaurant, or Lumber Jack Grille.

Feeling the need to get your nature on or stick it to the man - or how about both? The Sierra Club is open during Ray at Night to fulfill your every environmentally friendly need, while The Controversial Bookstore has what ails rabble rouser in all of us. Fight the Power!

But Ray at Night is really about the galleries and it is the art and the artists that will keep you coming back - many locals make the pilgrimage all twelve times each year and you will be tempted to as well once you too have caught a little bit of the spirit and the joyous celebration that is Ray at Night.

The perfect place for a night on the town with friends, Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery offers a friendly atmosphere coupled with handcrafted beers and a unique menu you won't find anywhere else.

Their on-site brewery ensures you'll get a fresh, delicious beer time after time. With over 100 beer awards to their name, Rock Bottom Brewery definitely knows what they're doing!

You can also peruse their diverse menu, where you'll find everything from soups and salads, to hamburgers and homemade desserts.

Try their Buffalo Fajitas or Honey Rosemary Chicken for a delicious twist on the evening. Or you can always throw back a delcious brown ale and chow down on a Hickory Burger.

Whatever your taste buds crave you'll be sure to find something that'll have you coming back for more.

If you are looking to have a night out on the town or a rowdy rendezvous with friends, Dave & Busters will be the perfect fit!

A restaurant that's like the adult equivalent to Chuck E. Cheese? Who wouldn't be stoked to play a few games, have a nice meal and throw back a cold one or two?

You might think you'll have trouble sitting down to a meal with all the fun things you can do at Dave & Busters, but trust me - with such amazing food, you'll have no trouble packing on the pounds!

Whether you go for the classic Philly Cheesesteak or try something new with Black Jack BBQ Chicken, there's something for even the pickiest eater.

Then it's time to hit one of two fully-stocked bars where you can choose from a wide assortment of drinks including margaritas, martinis, beer and wine and other delicious beverages.

Whether you choose to play games at their exciting midway before or after you've had a few is up to you, but either way you'll have a blast! Choose from over 200 games ranging from classic arcade-style of old and the latest and greatest video games. You'll feel like a kid again!