Gilly's House of Cocktails

It was because of Ig that my friends and i went to check out this holiday pop up at the back of Gillys. Just letting you know, this is definitely worth a visit because even though it’s divey vibes, it feels homey. Probably because the front of the house is snap and divey. But once you reach the patio, it’s like a Christmas wonderland.

Craft Cocktail Bar It’s Gilly’s. Of course I had to do this. Met a friend & we had the Kentucky Buck, & played pool. It was fun, a quality hang to be had with friends. Vibe - ☘️☘️☘️☘️ Food & Drink - ☘️☘️☘️ Value - ☘️☘️☘️ Service - ☘️☘️☘️☘️ Overall - ☘️☘️☘️

We had fantastic cocktails at a reasonable price. It’s definitely elevated dive bar vibes and service was great!

Cool little dive bar-esque spot in the heart of El Cajon Boulevard. The Lafayette is across the street. Nice outdoor area in the back with additional bar. Danielle was a very friendly bartender, looking forward to coming here in the future.

Incredible drinks and great crowd. This dive bar is so charming, you really feel like you fit in here. Whether you love craft cocktails or beer on tap, they got you. The cocktails are very creative and always balanced. Best part, it won’t break your bank.

Loved coming here for the last 13 years. Was excited to see how it had changed after the buy out but we will not be back. I've never met an espresso martini I didn't like, but this nice lady bartender made us two undrinkable martinis. When we let her know we thought something might be off she told us thats what you should expect from a dive bar. Please take the option off the giant menu if you're not going to make it correctly. It had whiskey in it when it was advertised as grey goose. $40 plus a tip for 2 awful cocktails and a bad attitude. Also, no music playing, just politics on TV instead of the football game.

This place has been ruined yet again by CH. you go in and wait 30-40 minutes for a drink, the staff is unengaged and not friendly. Takes away from a fun atmosphere. CH is slowly ruining San Diego favorites

Fantastic since the new ownership. The cocktails are top notch at a price you can't find anywhere in San Diego these days.

I want to emphasize that everyone that works and represents this establishment are the greatest and most fun people I've had the pleasure of being a customer of. I work in the food industry and these people do a great job and keep the atmosphere so comfortable and moving. Tyler is the coolest guy and made my girlfriend and I so welcome and excited to be there. Still my favorite bar and will continue to spend my money there. They also make great drinks!

It's like the dive bar I want to love but can't. I love the pop ups. The food in the back. Playing pool. The great cocktails at fantastic prices. Bear the bouncer is amazing. I've been coming here once a week for about a year. There's so many issues. Last time: we put our name on the pool list. 45 minutes later, after two minutes of play, we're kicked off due to Gillys new "rules" by a guy who tries to start a fight with us and when we tell the manager she says "they come in every night". Sooo he's allowed to call me rude names, insult my friend because she scratched (we were playing casual but apparently that's no longer allowed at Gillys, professional players only?) And our money isn't as good because we don't come in every night. If this was the first time, fine. But it's not. It's more like the third or fourth. If you stay away from the pool you're fine, but that's half the reason to go (though apparently not anymore). Go for the drinks, pop-ups and Bear the bouncer. Ignore everything else.

Instagram does a pretty good job at giving you holiday FOMO. It was because of Ig that my friends and i went to check out this holiday pop up at the back of Gillys. Just letting you know, this is definitely worth a visit because even though it's divey vibes, it feels homey. Probably because the front of the house is snap and divey. But once you reach the patio, it's like a Christmas wonderland.

The cocktail menu refresh has been great. I have been enjoying the no frills, reasonable cocktail costs vibes at Gilly's, especially during busy nights in North Park when there are long lines to get into everywhere. Service is quick. There's something on the menu for a wide variety of tastes. The French Riviera has been my favorite drink so far and I'm looking forward to trying some of the other cocktails. Need to check out their HH one day.

They have a small indoor bar with a couple pool tables and arcade games. They also have a back porch with an outdoor bar, tables and holiday decorations. We got there around 5pm on a Friday. They were not busy but it took a while for the bartender to take my drink order. The outdoor bar was not open yet at that time. It was cold outside and I would have preferred more heat lamps.

The NBA playoffs were on during my stay at The Lafayette across the street on El Cajon. My cuz and I came here to watch a game, b4 heading back to TL to cap off the night. Gilly's doesn't serve food. You can bring in food from the pizza and East African place next door. Although they do not serve food, they do serve inexpensive drinks. My ranch water with Cazadores was $6! They also have some of their own creations for about $11. The staff is super cool. Gilly's also has a couple of billiards tables, and an outdoor patio for smokers. A great place to hang out with friends, meet some new ones, and get cheap drinks.

Super cool local spot in North Park. Great beer and spirits selection, strong cocktail menu. The staff are on point with knowing their sh#t, and the venue inside and out back is really fun. Def recommend for drinking spot

We had fantastic cocktails at a reasonable price. It's definitely elevated dive bar vibes and service was great!

Garrett makes the best drinks ever! We got lucky and visited during the Christmas pop up and we couldn't be happier! The vibes and atmosphere was on point! And did I mention how amazing he made our drinks! Such a happy guy! He definitely put tons of love on our drinks!! Thanks again Garrett for the awesome drink! (I had the jungle all the guye and my partner had the butter me up pumpkin!)

Place is great they have the dive bar vibe with high quality drinks. It's one of my new favorite places. The staff is friendly and welcoming. They have a very cool Christmas location as well and it's not incredibly crowded

Great drinks, great atmosphere and great bartenders! Asa makes a mean tequila soda. Big shout out to bear!

New ownership kills the vibe. Same dive bar, but no karaoke?? I can only conclude that the owner hates a good time. This new owner's other empty-headed change to this bar was banning smoking on the smoking patio. That's like, the point of the patio. Will miss bringing friends here for karaoke. It was a longstanding tradition.

Gilly's House of Cocktails offers a classic dive bar experience with an inviting atmosphere and attentive service. I visited during happy hour, Monday to Friday, 1-6pm, and enjoyed great drink deals. While the espresso martini was too sweet for my taste, the option to switch to a beer was appreciated. The small size and dive bar aesthetic make it a cozy spot, which, while quiet at first, began to buzz as people got off work. It's worth noting they don't serve food, but the allowance to bring in outside food is a plus. I can imagine it's quite lively during nighttime.

This place was pretty fun. Went for a padres game and everyone was pretty lively. Drinks were reasonable. They had a guy BBQing in the back but he ran out of food quickly. Luckily there is a pretty tasty pizza place right next door. All in all I'd go back.

Me and a friend went to Gilly's last night. Standing at the bar directly in front of the bartenders not once were we served or spoken to meanwhile groups of people on both side of us were At one point a woman bartender flirted with a guy right next me taking his order/making drink. After almost 20 mins we watched a second bartender come up to ask if anyone needed drinks completely ignoring us. We were two black guys it was country music playing and majority white people so were the bartenders.we were out of place it seemed. Did not feel welcome NOT A FAN AND WILL NOT RECOMMEND people of color to go.

Great staff, love the remodel and bringing the cocktails up to par. And pretty sure it's cheaper than it used to be for a lot better of an experience.

They did a great job with the renovations, it's become a great balance between cute and casual. Great cocktails, great staff and great prices. It's become a neighborhood go to for me!

Drinking alone at home is sad. Drinking with people at an unfamiliar bar is better! I decided I hadn't visited enough of the bars around SD, so I started a new dive bar adventure series with my meetup group and friends. I don't go to one every weekend, but every other week or so works just fine by me. I kicked off this series at Gilly's and honestly it was a great choice. Gilly's has a great neighborhood bar vibe. It has that dim interior I like, a spacious private patio out back to enjoy some fresh air, and pool tables if you're in the mood to play. Like other reviews mention- the women's bathroom is clean. The big stall didn't even lock, so maybe that'll get fixed before I'm in again. If not, my luck of not getting seen mid-whiz might run out. Currently I'm on a 3 1/2 year streak and I'd like to keep it that way. But if not- "Hi!" Because I headed in early on a Sunday evening so it wasn't busy, but I still got to enjoy some people watching and an Old Fashioned before my friends showed up. The bartender was friendly and the bar well stocked. I rather enjoyed my old fashioned so I had a couple more. I didn't upgrade it, just drank the well, but the cherries were so good. Most places use those red maraschino cherries, you know the kind. Not here at Gilly's! Here they're using the darker cocktail cherries. Not a fancy brand, but they add a little something different to the drink that I enjoyed. I bought the exact same ones for myself at home, but but I don't know, something about drinking it at Gilly's just hits different. If you're looking for a great bar to hang out with your friends or drink alone- Gilly's might be the one for you! It's affordable, comfortable, fun, and welcoming. Head in and try the old fashioned or your drink of choice and hopefully you'll have as good of a time as we all did. (Post-drink eats rec: Flavors of East Africa is two doors down and very tasty!)

Dive bar trying to be a cocktail lounge? I was really excited to try this spot after reading about it on Thrillist and hearing that the spot went through a small rebrand after being acquired by Erick Castro (Polite Provisions, Raised by Wolves) and Jacob Mentel (Youngblood, Wormwood)-- a few AMAZING cocktail spots. Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed by my visit. The ingredients listed in the menu sounded amazing, but the drinks fell flat... way too sweet and lacking in complexity. The bartenders may need some retraining... that is if they weren't too busy flirting with the male patrons and paid attention to the other clients. I think we sat there for... 10 minutes before even getting acknowledged, and we were sitting at the bar, before it even got super busy. I think the spot has a lot of potential... I was expecting some kind of Anthony Bourdain-esque vibe... a little dingy with phenomenal drinks and warm service... still need to work on the latter two. I think it's a good spot if you're going for the dive bar alone.

Stef just whipped me up a rum drink with cinnamon that is out of this world! She said it also works with tequila. Highly recommended! Ask for Stef and the cinnamon drink. Thank me later

went with some friends last night & had a grand time; bartender was very kind and even gave recommendations & a special drink off the menu that he made for my friend, hair ties & clips are in the womens bathroom along with mouthwash not sure if its the same for mens but 10/10 drinks are good & the outdoor area is cute; i love the vibe of this place definitely coming back!

Gillys is my go to! My #1 bar and I recommend all of my friends to come with. I've brought at least 10 of my friends here on separate occasions and they love the vibe. Drinks are poured generously and shots are perfect size. Special shout out to Tyler, one of the workers, for always being so kind !!

Wow, they have free lady products in the bathroom. The bartender was very personable and I got a new years hug. No food that I could smell but we had already eaten. But there a pizza place next door. Espresso martini was on point. Just what I needed. A little kick to take me into the evening festivities. It was delicious. Played some pool. And everyone was so friendly. I'd go back there.

Great bar all around. The perfect balance of dive bar. Proper drinks, chill atmosphere, next level staff. And have you seen their happy hour....?

I've been coming here since the previous owners. It was one of my favorite old man smelly dives. Interesting characters, cheapest drinks, mostly decent bartenders- some rad some absolute shit. Still, I was sad to see it go and figured it would just become another soulless expensive Consortium bullshit. So I didn't go, for months. Well I was out and about and decided to stop by. Not much has changed! Out went the smelly carpet and the dirty old men. Good drinks, still cheap, great happy hour. Still have steak night! Been a few times now. The staff is an upgrade. I like the dude who looks like Steve from Stranger Things- he makes a mean cocktail- and the big guy who has a different pair of glasses every time I go in tells a great story and gives the best travel advice. The dude in a bowler at the door is also a gem- not your typical muscle head dick standing at the door. I'm glad that it hasn't lost its charm!

I wouldn't come here, bartenders are so rude. Especially the gentleman with the long hair and glasses. I used to like coming here after a nice dinner with my wife at pomegranate. I will no longer be coming here, thank your bartenders

I love this bar! Got invited by a friend of mine who is a born+raised San Diegan and she kept warning me that it was a dive bar and not to expect much. Um, hello.. it's a great dive bar. Very cozy, great drinks at reasonable prices, and some weird characters that hang around adding the right kind of vibe. I feel safe at this bar and I definitely also felt welcome. This is a good place to begin or end a night, and you should absolutely check it out.

We went to Gilly's for the first time to hoist a few drinks and watch the sdsu basketball game. It was early in the afternoon and we had our choice of seats. The environment and staff was inviting and comfortable. We can't wait to go back.

So I am still a little sad about Gillys being revamped but STEFANIE the bartender makes it worth it. Not only is she an amazing bartender but she is totally personable and super adorable

Cheap happy hour, great service. Lots of rumors saying they are expe and connect3d to LAFAYETTE Hotel, all not true....Great up beat , fixed up local bar with 2 pool tables. Again, worth hanging out in with friends

Lonnie is the best bartender I've ever encountered. He has a warm welcome and top notch customer service. Each drink recommendation was perfect, showcasing a deep understanding of flavors. He made this most tasteful watermelon concoction. I think I inhaled it. Lol. Lonnie creates a welcoming and fun atmosphere, making every visit memorable. If you want great drinks and even better service, Lonnie is your go-to!

This place is awesome. I live close and used to come in every once in a while but they recently got new owners and have made some awesome changes. I love the vibes and already have been back several times. And plan on being a regular going forward.

Only been here a couple times but I'm hooked. Such a laid back and cool dive bar. Jacob the owner and the rest of his staff were so fun and really made it a chill place to hangout.

Took a few pals with me to Gillys and was blown away by the customer service. I Was served by a tall black guy who I think was named Connie and I was throughly impressed by his suggestions, I don't like the strong liquor tastes but I love a good drink and when I mentioned that, the kid introduced me to my new favorite.

I have been to Gilly's a few times since the new ownership. I loved it the first couple of times I visited but it has gone downhill. I have had to wait over 30 minutes for anyone to take my order because the female bartenders are so busy flirting with the male guests. There was even one time when the tall blonde bartender pulled a guest off the floor and they went into the walk-in together for quite some time. The bartenders are usually very drunk, so when they finally take your order, they forget all about it. I would recommend everyone to take their business elsewhere.

I normally don't write reviews but in the women's bathroom they have free dry shampoo and Bobby pins and deodorant and mouth wash and more and I felt so supported. 10/10, thanks

What a great place! Local, friendly and non pretentious. Just a super chill place to hang out and drink the afternoon away. Eli and Sara took great care of us. It was our first time there and I was amazed how they knew just about everyone's name that walked in the door. They have a wide selection of beers on tap as well as a wide variety of spirits. Really good prices too. After several top shelf margarita's, several rounds of beer and a few shots of patron we figured out bill would be about $110 only $80. This is my new favorite San Diego watering hole

Was excited to checkout Gilly's, but unfortunately left very very disappointed. The biggest issue was the visibly intoxicated bartender, who I watched hit her head the second I stepped inside. At first I thought it was a clumsy mistake, but she repeatedly hit her head throughout the night and broke a few glasses and not only could she not remember my order, but after seemingly forgetting to give my card back, she then proceeds to try and give it to another patron. The other bartender working was not much better. While they did not seem as intoxicated, the wait time for drinks was unreasonably long, orders were mixed up and they struggled to maintain a level of professionalism. While the cocktails are very good, I highly doubt I'll return.

Great neighborhood spot, amazing bartenders, always a good vibe. 10/10 check it out. Since the new owners took over it's amazing

Mixologist Tammy is Fcuking awesome, I am definitely coming back! I had several drinks, and they were all good!

I've been coming to gillys for the past 7 plus years, most of the bartenders are super friendly. This past weekend I was celebrating my 32nd bday and decided I would finish off at Gillys with 16 of my close friends, the bartender working there named Elijah, was such a douche with me and my friends to the point where he kicked us all out. The disrespect this man had for a customer who's spent thousand upon thousand of dollars with this bar over the years. I will never be stepping inside this establishment again and neither will any of my friends who I introduced this bar too. I hope the owner of this establishment realizes he lost a loyal customer plus all the business I brought to his establishement. As a business owner I make sure I take care of my clients and make sure my workers don't step out of line.

Prompt service, delightful bartenders, and immaculate vibes! What's not to love? An excellent, laid-back watering hole to belly up at and get to know your neighbors. Whether you're enjoying some specially crafted cocktails, a nice cold draught beer, or your go-to domestic can, Gilly's is a winning choice!

Stopped by on Saturday night- apparently it's under new ownership. You could tell because the new owners were there, introducing themselves to darn near everyone in the bar and buzzing around making sure good times were had by all. Very welcoming experience! Bartenders were fast and attentive as well

Great water. You can order it from the bartender. It's nice and cold. However, there was a bit too much ice. I would appreciate more water in the water-to-ice ratio.

What an awesome place! If you like a friendly dive bar with good pool tables, great karaoke on the weekends this is your spot. Fantastic bartenders, cheap drinks, Great times!

Strong tower security Jonathan is a good man to have here he keeps things in order make the environment feel safe Jonathan is definitely going Above and beyond

Friendly staff, great cocktails, loves seeing everyone having a good vibe at the bar, including bouncers to ownership. Can't beat the quality for value here.

Great bar, very welcoming staff with a wide selection of beers and stiff cocktails. Music is on point and it's a big space with pool tables and darts. Epitome of a great dive bar.

Gilly's, I back you. Gilly's is a great neighborhood dive that isn't on my radar nearly enough. Though a "dive," this place breaks the unwritten-dive-bar-rules by having a really nice staff of bartenders, which you just don't find too often. Yep, the fine folks behind the stick are friendly, chatty, genuine, and can serve a quality drink while at it. Do they still offer steak night on Tuesday? I don't know and I forgot to ask, but I always remember it being awesome and well worth the price. I'll do some investigating and if the deal is still current I'll see you soon, most likely on a Tuesday!