Tracey A.
Yelp
Perusing reviews for Blackie's it dawns on me that the experience you have here is heavily dependent on the time of day, your state of mind, and your affinity for dive bars.
A longtime fixture of the Newport Pier area, Blackie's has been around longer than I have. It was the place that the guys I dated back in the late 1970's drank following their summer day jobs at the beach. I still harbor an impression of it being stuffed to overflowing with men spilling out the open front. Good memories.
From a booth across from the bar, late in the afternoon on a chilly weekday, Blackie's was perfect. Clean restrooms, excellent service, stiff cocktails and cold IPAs (both topping out at $8 apiece) were exactly what vacations are all about. With the sun making an appearance before it set, beams were making their way in through that ever open front. Good jukebox music, a million things on the walls, ceiling, and floor to look at, and a host of TV sets featuring surfing, baseball, basketball, and the like. My Greyhound went down quite easily here.
Blackie's was low key and at a nice, conversational decibel level during this visit and there was absolutely nothing I didn't enjoy about it. If an institution of a beach-adjacent dive bar is your thing don't miss it.