Cherrybomb

Cherry Bomb isn’t for everyone, but if you’re into dark, edgy, and unapologetically punk rock energy, this is hands down the best spot in the city. Come solo and you’ll find endless entertainment just by taking in your surroundings. What will you spot? Garbage Pale Kid, Squashed Josh, tiny hands flipping you off, someone valiantly pretending to enjoy Fernet… the list goes on. Even the bathroom is a visual adventure, with walls you could study for hours. There’s a pool table if you’re feeling competitive, no air conditioning if you’re feeling hardcore, and a vibe that’s as authentic as it gets.

Barman Tyler and some locals Gabe and Courtney made me feel welcome. Couple games of pool and some well priced drinks. Great place to check out if you like dive bars and rock music.

I haven't been there. My son was waiting for his Uber outside and was attacked & robbed by 4 guys. They beat him so badly and chased him until he was able to get help from some people who called the cops and an ambulance. This happened this Wednesday morning around 2:30 or 3am after the bar closed. If anyone saw anything or found his belongings or clothes please let the bartender know. He's in bad shape.

Went a few years back with a few friends who were regulars. Put my coaster on my drink and got up to go smoke outside. Before I got out the door the bartender threw an ice cube at my head. He thought I was dipping but when I said I was going to smoke he yelled at me to get out.

A serious dive, but they basically pour a triple when you buy a well drink, so $10 goes a long way here. They have pool, foosball, pinball, a jukebox, and an ATM. Good place to start off a night in Bankers Hill/Hillcrest/Downtown.

Pinball is confusing, Nikki was awesome and they served us fresh fruit. 10/10 would recommend if you are looking for an hour to kill while your AirBNB is being cleaned.

A great spot nestled between a taco shop and laundromat. Quick drinks and heavy pours. I used to drop in here with coworkers during breaks lol. Don't tell anyone! Remember to tip well.

Cherrybomb puts the d in mediocre. I don’t get it. It’s shabby, tiny, and dark, and the bartenders are just OK. Who cares if the bartenders add an extra count of cheap booze to your drink? There are two liquor stores across the street, and it’s probably more pleasant to brown-bag it on a bench somewhere. That’s my choice, at any rate. And I grew up listening to the Sex Pistols, the Clash, etc. Meh.

Place is just as I remembered. I moved overseas for twenty years and I come back recently and decided to stop into this classy joint. I swear a tear swelled up in my good eye. Great music good wholesome people.

Very dark and unlit place. It is a dive bar so I get that aspect of the place. Only takes cash which is not typical of a place in big city. otherwise you have to use there atm which will of course charge you fees to take money out. not a place I'm trying to revisit or recommend friends to.

I would give the place a zero just to keep people away. I like it for my own. But it's a great bar. Affordable drinks nice bartenders. One of the best Dive bars in San Diego.

One of San Diego's local meth dens. This place is disgusting, the bartenders are rude, and the drinks are awful. I watched someone get stabbed with a bottle and there was blood everywhere. When i mean everywhere it was all over random people in the bar. Anyone who likes coming here is a regular and most likely an alcoholic or homeless. Don't come here expecting a warm welcome.

Went to the "new" El Cajon location for a Meetup last night. Very unassuming location from the huge parking lot of the strip mall. Step inside though, and it's as divey as dive can be. Strong drinks, good prices. Plenty of pool tables and chairs. Even a nice back patio if you want fresh air. Good music, not too loud. Interesting drawings on the walls. You can actually get there by bus if rideshare is getting too expensive. I took the bus from North Park, then connected to the trolley, then the local 748 bus which dropped me off about one block away, decent. I had a good time and the bartender knew his drinks. Great little watering hole to cool down at in East County!

On February 16th, the girl working claims that on 2 previous visits there, I left without paying, which is hard to believe since it's a cash only bar and you pay in advance! So be aware of her scam, everyone! Needless to say that establishment won't be getting my business anymore!

I mean something to consider, I left a bad review, the bartender I mentioned in the review sends a "thanks" and the next day the review is gone? Kinda sketchy. Do not go to the one in El Cajon. Nikki was rude and provided terrible service.

Perfect dive bar. Pool tables. Metal/punk music. Dimly lit. Slightly dingy. Graffiti in the bathroom. My fav go to drinks. Say less.

Not my type of ambiance. Headbangers ball, but cheap drinks. If you like loud and death metal you will enjoy the night here. One and done for me. Cash only.

Ladies do not come to this bar! The tall, blonde, male bartender with the man bun wouldn't serve me a second drink because, get this, MY GIRLFRIEND DIDN'T TIP HIM ENOUGH. That audacity cannot be made up. Before refusing to be served because he didn't feel his tip was enough, I asked for quarters for the pin ball machine. I had my hand out like a normal person. HE TOSSED THEM TO THE SIDE OF THE BAR INSTEAD OF HANDING THEM TO ME. I shouldn't have given him the benefit of the doubt then but I did. This is how woman are apparently treated here, it was just me and my gf. I've used yelp for ages and never felt compelled to write a review. This is by far the worst customer service experience I've had in my life (and I was a server for years).

Best dive, best drinks. Awesome owners. Definitely my kinda place. Best Budweiser for 3500 miles!

My name is Danielle and I was physically assaulted by the Cherry Nob manager with the blonde straight hair in a ponytail. I have lived in SD for twenty years and I often go to the diner named Hob Nob next to this Cherry Bomb Bar. Last week after eating dinner (completely sober) at the diner, I wanted to get a drink at Cherry Bomb. I walked into the front door and the manager/door man was playing pool. He asked me for my ID and I told him that I did not have it on me, and he very aggressively told me to get out of the bar. I told him that I have no problem getting my id, but there was no need to take a very aggressive and extremely rude tone with me for no reason. He then even more aggressively decided to stick his finger right in my face and yelled "get out of this bar." I am 5'6, very nice woman, and I have never been treated this way by a male before. I was extremely shocked. I decided to defend myself and I placed my finger back in his face and said "Don't you dare place your finger in my face ever again." He continued to yell at me and I kept my finger in his face for a bit, to show him that just because I am a woman does not mean I will tolerate this behavior. After a few minutes of this back and forth banter, he then decided to push me with both hands pretty hard and then pushed a second time until I was all the way out the front door. I never touched this man and he assulted me twice in front of everyone inside the bar. Everyone inside the bar did nothing. As I finally made it out the front doors I said to him how dare he push a woman and he then said "I wish I could have punched you." I am in shock that any man would push a woman. I wish I knew his name. Blonde straight hair in a ponytail. I have reported this bar to the better business bureau for assault.

Wonderful dive bar, cash only, drinks are strong as heck, what more do you want? Don't worry they have pool tables too

Oh man, their website even advertises strong drinks. They almost taste like rubbing alcohol they're so strong! Always a good time here!

GUYS DEFINITELY COME HERE. The tall,blonde, male bar tender with the stylish man bun made sure my drink was never empty. Great service, great people, and great atmosphere. Make sure to always tip your bartender guys when they offer great service.

We came here for a quick michelada since Hob Nob doesn't have a real bartender. Ginger dude behind the bar made us feel right at home. Good company around the bar too. It's dark and dungeony just like any good dive should be. Service is fast and friendly, they have games, and it doesn't even smell like shit in here!

Came here for some good music and drinks and walked out with a new friend )JESSE YOU ROCK). FROM OREGON - we love you!!

Service was awful. Didn't even get the chance to order a drink because of the waiter's rudeness.

This is the best bar in San Diego, every bartender is amazing and the patrons are amazing. Don't walk in here expecting any bar in San Diego, it's locals, it's industry it's regulars and you will be met with a warm welcome. Don't come in this bar with a bullshit attitude. You will be met with the same Bullshit you come with.

Female bartender was extremely rude because she didn't know how to make a simple vodka cranberry. The drink was literally clear with a HINT of red. The establishment is very small as well. Go to any other bar and I guarantee you'll have a better time.

Horrible. All the way around Horrible. Games don't work, toilet was clogged, not a place to bring friend unless you're homeless.

Was really excited to check this place out after moving into the neighborhood. I ordered a beer from inside and was told I had to buy food, so I did. I put my tip in the jar of the guy making food, assuming it would be split between everyone on shift. I was then confronted by the bartender (who walked to our table/ we were the only ones there) and he said verbatim "just so you know... if you don't tip here you won't be served again". Super weird. Super aggressive, and a pretty big bummer overall. I'm also in the service industry and understand the importance of tipping, but acting rude and unprofessional due to an honest mistake isn't warranted in this situation, and ruined my experience there overall. Oh well.

If I had check-ins for every time I've been here, Yelp might think I lived at Cherry Bomb for the last 6 years. Cherry Bomb is family. They care about their people more than anything in the world. They see you for you and we all take care of each other. I've been a lot of things at this place, but I've always felt safe. The owners and staff will see to it if anyone ever needs anything because they feel they need protected (bar culture 101). It could be some bias how much I love this place because I've been so invested here over the years, but I've also never seen anyone turned away unless they really were awful. Most people don't go to Cherry Bomb without knowing what it's about. When I first came here I'm not sure what I was expecting, but anyone who knows anything about dive bars knows it's not the same as other regular bars. Reading reviews about bartenders laughing at people is comical in and of itself considering the entire nature of what a dive bar represents. I'm sure that happens a lot of places. You really need to know what you're walking into beforehand. So that being said, if you plan to have a good time on a budget and are respectful to the owners, staff and regular patrons, you'll get along great here and you'll have a great time.

Nice little neighborhood dive bar that reminded me of a couple of places I hang out in NYC. Generous shots, cool bartender, nice patrons, a game of pool, and heavy metal...works for me! Will definitely be back! Decent taco place next door and good restaurant up the street if you get the munchies.

I'm definitely too old for this bar. But, to be fair, I wouldn't have liked it when I was younger... I came here on a Saturday afternoon with a small group of friends. We had been over at another nearby bar having a hamburger and we decided to venture over to The Cherry Bomb. The sign in the parking lot still has the name of the previous bar. I don't recall what it was. The Cherry Bomb is tucked away in the corner between a laundromat mat and a taco shop. Part of the problem might have been that it was light out when we were there. The bar is really dirty...maybe you wouldn't notice it at night with mood lighting. There is chalk all over the pool table felt. There was actual trash on the ground under our table. People were smoking outside and the smoke came right into the open door. In fact, I thought people were smoking in the bar. I really don't know how the bartender was. I didn't go up to the bar. I do know that it's "cash only" which I don't have a problem with. I can see that this bar has their regulars and it might be a comfortable neighborhood bar. It's not a place that I care to come back too though. They won't miss me...lol.

I've only been here once , but I liked it. No frills. Nice bartender . I wish I had more to tell ya but that's it. Taco shop and laundromat next door.

As a woman, if you want to get assaulted or touched inappropriately, this is the bar for you. If you expect door security to back you up, there is a good chance they were the ones that assaulted you. Do not go here unless you plan on keeping 911 on speed dial.

My alcohol tolerance is low nowadays. I love my vodka pineapples and boiiiiii that drink was stiiiiiiff! Bartender was nice enough to add more juice so I can finish the drink without gagging. Needless to say I was buzzed after one drink. Drink prices were good! Cash only but there's an ATM. Nice atmosphere to just hang and chat with your buddies. I would go again if I ever go back to the neighborhood.

Dude bar tending was an ass I tipped 15 bucks for 40$ worth of Drinks and was treated like an ass after having an ass day great thanks

Dive bar, only takes cash. They don't have any wine, which is strange - they have beer and liquor, but no wine. I used to love this little hidden dive spot with great drink prices, but I haven't been there in a while. The bartender was extremely rude to us, to the point that we probably won't ever be back.

Fun dive bar in Bankers Hill. One of my favorites for stiff reasonably priced drinks and a fun atmosphere. There is a Mexican food place next door and they let you bring outside food in. Which works out great if you are stopping by after a run and want to get some nice burritos to go with your beers. Street and on site parking available.

Great place. Nice cheap drinks that'll hold up the whole night. There was a couple of dogs walking around when I went, so if you're allergic, beware. They were sweet dogs tho, they just liked getting pets. It's also a rock/metal bar, but even if that kind of scene isn't to your liking, the place is still great. I had a great time. CASH ONLY!!!!!

It's a dirty dive bar with a cement floor. Sure there's motorcycles parked outside...No you won't get stabbed. You won't get in a fight. The juke box has heavy metal and Johnny Cash. There's pool and Big Buck and foosball. Drinks are strong at $5. Cash only, ATM on-site. What more do you effing want?!?!?

If you're looking for a dive bar with a good vibe, this is your spot. Not your average hipster downtown SD bar, more of a local/rock/punk vibe. We were couple hours early for our flight out to Vegas, decided to try it out. Glad we did! Will definitely be back, locals were cool and had us feeling like we belonged. Two thumbs up for Cherry Bomb

What a great dive bar. Super stiff drinks at a good prices...just how I like them! Great decor, music, and vibe. Something different than the fancy cocktail bars that are everywhere.

Tired of watered-down chi-chi drinks in pretentious hipster bars? Cherry Bomb is the antidote. Hands down the best dive bar in San Diego. Solid basic well drinks made right at bargain prices. But if you go here for any length of time, do not plan on driving home!

What can I say this place is sooooo cool!! Chip is the bomb in this cherry!! You will not be disappointed the drinks are so damn good!! Good vibe! Very welcoming! A must when in San Diego! The juke box is off the hook! Love me some punk rock!!!

Perfect little dive bar adjacent to tacos, car repair and a historic breakfast spot for the parents and out of town visitors just arrived at the airport. Honestly kind of special.

CASH ONLY *+*gets middle fingered by johnny cash*+* this no-frills dive bar is a nice place to get a five dollar pint of budweiser draft, especially if you're doing laundry, or just had mexican food next door, or you like billiards, foosball, deer hunter, jukeboxes, motorcycles, rock music, alcohol, etc. the bartenders are cool. don't be fooled by yelpers that expect barkeeps to kiss their asses

Stepped into this place and my gut instinct was to turn around and walk back out. But I was meeting a friend, spent 20mins finding this place and parking was not plentiful. One drink and we are out! Friend arrives and my first question to her is why this place? I don't know how, but Yelp had this place rated at 4stars. Drinks were disgusting, the jerk bartender was the owner, and don't go into the restroom if you value your health. This place isn't a dive bar. It's more reminiscent of an episode of Hoarders without all the clutter

Update: 4/9/19 Not sure what happened here in the last several months but they refused to serve me a martini. The appropriate glasses were there and they still had a shaker, but bald bartender said the owner wouldn't allow it. Weird. Ordered a gin and tonic and left. Disappointed in the ol' Cherry Bomb.

The kind of mini-mall, cash-only, stiff-drink, dive bars we like. Despite having a locals-only and Rob Zombie vibe, the bartender and regulars were friendly to us "tourists", particularly Jason, who resembled a handsomer younger Charlie from It's Always Sunny.

I wish I could give 0 stars. If You want to contract Hepatitis ,this is your spot. Absolutely filthy. Toilets don't flush and the glasses are dirty. Staff are rude ,entitled POSERS. Hopefully the Board of Health will close this sh%#hole. Not a cool dive. An absolute waste of time. Also, experienced some light racism from one of the bartenders, real fun.

Owner/Bartender was actually a good guy. Read some reviews that said otherwise but it sounds like they were probably some terrible people. Had an absolute blast. Plus my Don Julio shot was a full glass. Love a good pour.

Right off the bat this place had a very dark alluring aesthetic that I was looking forward to experiencing. My friend hadn't really let me know the vibe and i was wearing some very girly floral clothing pieces. Wish i could say this had nothing to do with my experience, however, the amount of gawking disrespectful eyes that I met walking in was astounding. Made me feel so out of place. I'm not one to really give a s%^* so I continued to vibe regardless. That was until the lovely bartender decided to raise his voice to an absurd level. There was all of 10 people in the bar. The literal most he had to do was wave a hand at me and I would've happily walked over to show him an ID. Instead he chose to act oh so big, tough and "manly". It was embarrassing. He didn't show the same behavior towards my friends who he was serving at the bar, so what was it that made him so triggered for absolutely no reason. No individual should ever be spoken to in such a harsh manner, especially coming from the bartender. Sad to say he met my expectations of being an insulting rude male worker. We are humans. Doesn't matter if you work in day-care or in a dive bar, you should know to treat everyone the same because at the end of the day you don't know what someone's been through.

most random, fantastic nite EVA. this place is like a death metal version of Cheers...where everybody knows your name, but also likes to rock out to lamb of god. \m/ \m/ F@&*Yea! seriously surprised to have liked this place. located in the corner of a lil shopping center right next to a laundry mat, my friend and i cautiously walked into the dimly lit bar on a friday nite. the massive screamo playing in the background was definitely intimating and made us skeptical, but we had already made the journey here (after scouring the streets to even find it) based on the yelp app...and highly rated businesses on yelp rarely steer me wrong. i think the reason this bar has become so successful is that it was partially constructed by the local patrons. one thing people say over and over on here is it has a fantastic jukebox. you know why? because it's a collection of music provided by the customers themselves. Ask the owner (and bartender) Josh - who has a nose ring and fully tattooed sleeves - what song is playing and he will shrug and say "I have no idea, I listen to classical." Awesome. Such an easy-going, cool guy, you can't help but want to spent the entire evening chatting with him (which is what we did). He doesn't try to be anything but himself, and that radiates through the bar as well. it's not some pretentious hipster bar...it's just a local goth decorated dive playing the music the people want to hear while they are poured stiff drinks. Our vodka soda and rum & coke ran $4.50 each (CASH ONLY). And this is a spirits bar...not a place to get the la dee da local craft beer. in fact, i think he said if it was up to him they would have one drink: whiskey. Stay into the wee hours of the nite a bit before closing and you get to enjoy the leftover pizza (quite good by the way) from the neighborhood joint on top of strong drinks and laid back, friendly company. totally worth checking out.

I wish it was not cash only :( The staff is really nice. They have a great selection of beer. I also like the music they were playing.

Serious awesomeness inside. Banger music? I read a review that said that, and the music termed "banger" does not apply. It's metal. It's hard rock. It's awesome. I'm not a metalhead by any means, but the music definitely suits the atmosphere. I went with a few friends. One had gotten a tattoo a few blocks away, and apparently the tattoo shop and this bar have the same owner. She told me he's also the bartender. He was a super cool guy. Just think of Sam Malone with tats. And instead of playing baseball, Josh is a tattoo artist. The place is decorated in deep reds and dark colors. It's a very low-key, low light feel that seems to make any conformist uncomfortable at first. The place does grow on you. The people that go there are also very friendly. We were able to strike up conversations with just about anyone. The regulars were all having a great time and it's due to the fact that people really respect each other. Some patrons came in and talked with the bartender, but the bartender kept poking fun at the man ordering drinks. There's a certain rapport that people have with the place and I think it keeps them coming back. Unfortunately I live pretty far away and I can't see myself going here that often--but now I have another bar in my arsenal of boozing and I highly recommend this to anyone seeking to try something new and low-key. Cheep, strong drinks, good people, hot girls, lots of tattoos. You won't regret it!

I got a buzz from 2 sips of my mixed drink. In fact I'm not even sure if it was mixed... quite possibly straight up ethanol. There was a dog licking my leg, a roller derby looking gal licking the dog, and someone was spray painting graffiti on the bartender... or maybe they were tattoos. Too much ethanol. There's a TV but you can't hear it, a toilet that was wrapped in a garbage bag, and clients who were extras in Mad Max. That said, I loved it.

You get what you pay for. In this case, you get a very loud and rude bartender who screams things like "That is stupider" really? But you always get a stiff drink, and don't complain because they'll just charge you extra for a weaker drink. Just ask for water and make friends with someone's dog. That's your in. And smokes. You gotta smoke there. Puff puff *loud story* puff puff* hahahaha! You can only drink outside, and the bums will ask for money and a smoke. Horrible death metal, filthy bathrooms, dirty place. But they like it. I wouldn't go there unless you're wearing black and like to play pool. Tattoo sleeves a plus. They have the best Budweiser in town. They go through so much of it. It's the only beer on tap. 5 dollar large ice cold beer. And the owners try to look mean but they're really cool. Most of the people at the Cherry Bomb are really nice, its just their place, and they're going to keep it that way. If you like heavy metal and stiff drinks, you'll like this place. Don';t come here if you're a yuppie (who me?) a hipster (please, stay home) a boomer (it's way too loud to hear) or an idiot.