Top 3 Bars in San Diego, California

San Diego is full of fine establishments and high end clubs. You can go downtown any evening and find at least a dozen quality clubs and bars that you could frequent and this is a relatively small area. The list is just enormous. Trying to narrow the choices down to the top three is no easy feat. I do have a couple of ideas that will provide a great time, but they are by no means an end all list to the clubs in this town. These three are some that I had several fun and adventurous outings with my fellow Marines while on active duty. They all offer some great happy hour specials and a one of a kind type of experience. Before anyone gets upset that I left out their favorite digs on this list I have to reiterate that I could only fit three. There are easily twenty that could make this list, but here are my three must see establishments.

Shout House

This is truly a one of a kind experience that is best experienced in a group. It has been awhile since I have been to the Shout House, but it is still one of the most hilarious and fun clubs in the country. This one should be on everyone's list of places to go. This is no date spot though. It is a comedic experience like no other. This bar has two "dueling" pianos that compete for laughs. There is nothing sacred here as the pianists will ridicule and belittle each other to popular show tunes. The audience is highly encouraged to join in. You may even find yourself the target of a few barbs from the pianists. The entire place is just one raucous insult fest. If you liked the ballroom scene from "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" where they are singing to each other, you will love this place. You'll like it if you just like quick wit, harmless barbs, or roll on the floor comedy.

Margarita Rocks - CLOSED

Canes Bar and Grill - CLOSED

Excelsior Brasserie and Lounge (aka Prospect Bar and Grill)

Excelsior is a great little place to just relax and unwind. This is a very classy type of place that is known for its views of the ocean and La Jolla Cove. It is also known for some of the local and international celebrities. You will want to dress up a little and not make a scene, but you could easily be tapping glasses and rubbing elbows with some very well known clientele. There are many actors and athletes that reside in the northern part of the county and several of them are known for the occasional cameo at Excelsior. That is not the only highlight to this club, though. Most of the time, you will be so enamored with the beautiful view and relaxing atmosphere that you will not even notice the celebrities. This is the perfect place to unwind and just chill with a friend or romantic interest. With the very private and intimate atmosphere, this is a top of the line club. One word of advice though, don't ask for any autographs or anything. You may find yourself being escorted to the door. This is just a place that everyone goes to enjoy the quiet ocean waves and luxurious views.

In Cahoots

If you ever have a hankerin' to do a little two-steppin', In Cahoots is THE premiere place for it in San Diego. Surprisingly, there are more than just surfers in So Cal. There are some cowboys, and those cowboys (and cowgirls) are known to frequent In Cahoots for a great time. This is one of the few country dance clubs in the area, so it is often busy. They have some great happy hour specials and decent music (its great if you like country). This is a mix of everyone here since it is one of the biggest dance clubs outside of downtown. There are a lot of military and locals in this bar. I have been there a couple times and have never had a bad time. They have a huge dance floor and there is line dancing and country swinging every single night of the week. In Cahoots is such a great place to go that you will often find more than just country-western fans here. You can usually find someone from all different styles and classes here. It is a country themed melting pot of fun and dancing.

This is really only the tip of the iceberg. There are so many clubs and bars in the area that you could easily spend years trying to make it to all of them. This list was originally going to contain Margarita Rocks and Canes, but unfortunately these two establishments have closed. Margarita Rocks will be down for good, but Canes is looking for a new location to move into. Once they do, Cane's is the place to go in San Diego for live entertainment. The thing about bars in San Diego is that when one closes, two more are ready to take its place. My recommendation is to go downtown and get lost for a couple hours. You can easily find a bar that fits whatever you are looking for. From dives to exotic, to rock, to classy, San Diego has them all.