Live Wire

I just love this place. It's an OG spot here in SD. First off, it always stays chilly inside so it is a great place to come and get some AC. Most importantly, this dive bar is awesome. The staff members are great. Awesome beer selection. They can get very busy, but it's definitely a fun, chill spot.

Great bar for pool tables, great beer and local flavor. The crowd is so cool! Wish I could have my birthday here. Put your name on the list to play pool.

Live wire is my neighborhood dive bar that I have been to a few times since living in San Diego. Its dark interior makes it look mysterious from the outside, but once you are in, I have experienced nothing but friendly vibes from the bartenders and people patronizing this spot. This is a no frills spot with a decent amount of seating and a pool table in the back. They also have a virtual jukebox too. You can't go wrong with their $5 pints of draft local beer, which is probably the reason why I like coming here. No food is served here, but it's conveniently located next to Luigi's next door which has great pizza and other bites. Glad that this spot survived the pandemic as it is an establishment in the neighborhood!

Live Wire is a hidden gem tucked away in the neighborhood, and if you're into the laidback, dark, and grungy dive bar vibe, this place is a must-visit. One of the things that struck me immediately was the ambiance - it's unpretentious, cozy, and gives off that perfect dive bar feel. The heavy pours here are legendary, and what's even better is that it won't break the bank. This place is one of the few in the area where you can actually enjoy your drinks without feeling like your wallet's on a diet. One thing that sets Live Wire apart is that it's an affordable neighborhood bar that doesn't discriminate against cashless folks - a rarity these days. It's a small space but always filled with a fun-loving crowd, and the music they play adds to the lively environment. Plus, the fact that it's right next to Luigi's pizza is a double win. Live Wire is a fantastic place to hang out, whether you're unwinding after a long day or looking for a low-key night out. If you're in the neighborhood, I'd definitely recommend swinging by for a drink or two - or three. Cheers!

Live Wire is what a dive bar should be like. Great beer on tap (they have a relationship with Russian River), great music on the jukebox, great service. I recommend bringing in pizza from Luigi next door, but there are other options in the area, too. I like the classic movies that they show (with subtitles, of course). Prepare to be carded. The crowd is pretty young, which is fine by me. Unlike in some dive bars, I don't sense any hostility from the crowd. Maybe I got a couple of looks when I sat at the bar last night, but it may have been my crazy t-shirt. In this economy, I really appreciate that we were charged $7 a beer. Who thinks Live Wire opens at 1? Hours are 5 pm to 2 am. Cold Beer. Warm Friends. I am not lukewarm about Live Wire.

Livewire is a golden nugget in San Diego. Simple as that. A borderline national treasure.

Excellent water. It is cold and with ample ice in a good-sized glass. You can request water from the bartenders. The service was fast. I recommend this water.

This place is the dive-iest it can get. This spot has become a favorite neighborhood go to. It sits on a corner in North Park and stays open super late, even on the weeknights. I love coming here to play pool, or grab a causal drink with friends. The bar is honestly nothing special visually speaking, but the vibes are amazing - super chill, easy going, and fun. It's always a great time here, especially on the weekends. Live wire is honestly usually filled with a good amount of people and the drinks are very reasonably priced and decent. Recommend coming here after a night out or for a night cap!

Horrible service , horrible vibes , horrible drinks, horrible bartenders, all in all horrible bar. Its a bar just like the show shamless but 10 times worse. If you drink there you honestly probably have a sad life or just lost in life.

Drinks were fine. 1 star for a betray of trust. Pay attention to your check! Bartender had tip amount set to 69%. Just in time for unsuspecting St. Patricks day weekend patrons.

Knowledgeable staff, delivering reasonable prices for the upmost in quality of product. 30 years in the community bringing strangers together, that eventually create pillars of a San Diego foundation. Credit Cards accepted.

Such a fun place. Everyone is nice, bartenders are quick, affordable drinks. Def a fun dive bar!

Love this place! My boyfriend and I were in the area just looking for somewhere new to check and we stumbled across this gem. Cool vibe and really nice bar tenders who know how to make good drinks. Definitely will be coming back!

It's a dive that allows dogs and still knows how to make a proper cocktail. Typically at a place like this you should stick to a whiskey and coke type of drink but these guys are capable bartenders, let them make something better for you.

+ 5 Russian River beers on tap + 4 High on Fire albums on the jukebox + 1 dog sitting on a barstool like a person = a great way to spend a couple of hours We were at the recently opened Pure Project taproom up the street, and it was a complete zoo. Left after a beer and decided to try Live Wire, and it was waaaaay more our speed. Dark dive with an excellent jukebox (mostly punk, metal, surfer rock, and some good ol' Desmond Dekker). A beer selection that rivals O'Brien's without the strip mall vibes, and the beers were $6 a piece, crazy. Nice bartender. Clean bathroom. I've been staying out of bars during the pandemic, but I love a good dive. In SF, my local was the 500 Club, and in Chicago it was the Rainbo Club. Live Wire is cut from that same cloth. We came here in the early evening, so no idea how it is late night, but will definitely be back.

This is an atrocious bar, the environment, service, and drinks are all equally bad; the only thing worse is the fat bartender, although I imagine this doesn't narrow it down much as it's likely they're all just as disgusting. However this one in particular has less personality and hospitality than my drink had alcohol. Leading to my next point, as I mentioned before the drinks are bad - I ordered a Bacardi and coke and I genuinely don't think there was alcohol in it and it wouldn't surprise me if they use pepsi or some off brand coke as even if it lacked alcohol it was still disgusting. We also tried to tip the bartender 5$ with a 20$ bill and we asked for 15$ back in change and the bartender asked "Why?" in a tone I can most easily describe as entitled. Furthermore, the people sitting next to us were being xenophobic and just generally rude by making fun of what we were wearing implying we must be foreign and not understand anything. If you want to experience this bar save yourself the money and just admit yourself to a psychiatric ward, though you'll almost certainly get better service there.

Customers that arrive on motorcycles are extremely rude. Blasting their loud pipes in the middle of the night, waking the neighborhood. Owner has been made aware of the problem and apparently doesn't care. Unfriendly neighbor and bad for the neighborhood. 0 stars. Motorcyclists continue to loudly rev their engines and race through the neighborhood, setting off car alarms at all hours. "Bouncer" at 9:45 pm on 3/6/22 was laughing with the motorcyclist prior and encouraging this behavior. Owner has been made aware many times and still does not care. They are a bad neighbor and a nuisance in the neighborhood. We are tired of their loud and obnoxious customers waking us up late at night (late as 1 or 2 am).

The short chubby bouncer had 2 braids, I asked if he was is indigenous, since I am was hoping for camaraderie. He said "No" as he snatched my ID from my hand. Should have realized at that point what a toxic environment this was going to be. #SDE My 2 friends, that are women proceeded to the bar where a very young-looking girl wearing cat ears was bartending. At first, she ignored us. There were very few people there and we were the only women patrons. When she finally decided to take our order, she looked angry like she just wanted to serve men #pickmegirl and we were bothering her. As I was ordering my basic ass drink, Vodka Soda I attempted to talk to the little girl. Mentioned my friend was also a manager at a dive bar down the street. Somehow that offended her, as I turned to greet 2 guys that I had asked to meet me there for my birthday, the rolly-polly bouncer, grabs my drink and said I need to leave. I look at the bartender and she has this smile on her face now. I asked for my money back as I am outside, which he declined but I was able to reverse it via my credit card company. My friends and I walked over to Gilly's where we had a blast. Live Wire is trash but if that's what you are into, go for it. Gilly's has always been a fave. Protip: I don't like writing shitty reviews, especially during covid but people be acting up and need to be checked.

The bartenders suck here . They take forever to serve you unless you're a regular . Been coming here for while now . I guess is a little better than Gillys The good reviews are from their regulars .

All drinks under $10. All beers are $6 straight across. Try the Mexican candy drink.

This place reminded me of a drunk girl; starts the night off with a bang and then turns into a fucked up mess by last call. Now I've been told by people with discerning taste that this is the best dive bar in SD and I was on board with that drinks 1-3 (which were Pliny the Elder). The bartenders were friendly at the beginning of the night, the pours were substantial and they moved quick. By the end of the night they were complete dicks to everyone. There was a girl sitting at the bar watching the bartender mix drinks and he said "why the fuck are you eyeballing me." My fella ordered the same drink all night and it was a different price every time he paid. The pours got shorter as the night went on and so did their tempers. Chill out, people are there to have fun.

Went in last night with 4 friends. There was 5 of us total and we were celebrating and ready to spend money. We got a booth and I went to the bar to order our drinks. Took the bartender at least 4 minutes to acknowledge me then he finally walked past me and said I'll be with you. Then he proceeded to walk down to the other end of the bar and wait on people that were just walking up. I raised my hand to get his attention and he made eye contact with me then turned around and waited on the other guests. And, I just have to add this part, WE WERE A GROUP OF GAY BLACK MEN and the bartender blatantly ignored us. If you're anything but a white person, this is not the bar for you. We left without ever having a drink and we were there for 15 minutes. Went to Pecs and spent 300 dollars there

I'm just so sad to post a 3* review of Live Wire. Full disclaimer: I still appreciate this bar for what it is, but I don't think it's my kind of bar anymore. I haven't been to Live Wire in like 10 or 15 years, as I moved out of San Diego and just returned last year. It's rad that it's still here, and I always drive by and appreciate their sign out front. It's classic San Diego. But when I went in last weekend, it was super crowded and the bar was understaffed. I had to wait so long for a drink, I decided to just skip ordering a drink at all and just catch up with my friend. The jukebox was almost exclusively playing old Rocket from the Crypt, which I will never ever complain about. That is rad, but it was pretty loud. There's a ton of people in there, all trying to talk to each other, so they're yelling to be heard over the music. There's a balance in there, and I know it's a rock and roll bar, but don't make your patrons shout. Damn I sound old. But for reals. I guess I should go again on a non-Saturday and maybe I'll be more into it. I don't usually go to bars on Saturdays, I'm usually working.

This is a great neighborhood bar with a great selection of whiskeys and find. The G&T that I got was awesome and my friend loved her whisky mule. If you are in the neighborhood, you should definitely give this place a try. They will not disappoint.

My friend wanted to go here, insisting it was the Best Bar Ever, but we didn't stay long. They have a juke box with a good selection, but it's turned up so loud you have to shout. The pool queue was messed up and there were some folks hogging the table.

Been coming for years off and on, then I lived across the street for a year and a half. Came here a lot during that year and a half. The bartenders are friendly, and on point when you are a friendly customer. Don't come in here and act like you're better than the staff and customers and you'll have a good time. Great beer selection and strong/cheap drinks. Thad, Christina, Freddy, Matt S, Melissa, and Anthony are all very good at their jobs. I have since moved to Golden Hill and carve out at least a night a week to come have a beer here. Also, it is punk rock, as it should be

Wow, this place is still cool. Started frequenting again after not having been in a while. I like coming in here with my food from Mama's next door, listen to metal, and drink a Cuvee Des Jacobins Rouge. It's usually on tap here which is lovely. It's one of those great dark bars that you can sit and people watch from a dark corner. And this is a good place to people watch. All creepiness aside I just like to chill in a dark place after work. You can do that here until about 7-8pm (ahem..happy hour ends) and then it's busy and loud with the night owls. They used to have The Twilight Zone, or something equally interesting, on one of the TV's all the time, but the last few times they were all sports...Yawn. As I mentioned before though, the people watching here is good, which means the people are interesting. Some of the best bar conversations I have ever had have been here. Good times, good beer, good music, good bartenders, tiny bathrooms, one pool table, shitty parking.

Smells like gam gam and pop pop's basement in here. I must be home. Live Wire is your typical punk rock dive bar with loud music and even louder customers. Do not be deterred though, this place offers so much life and local spirit(s) it's hard to leave once you've plopped your booty down at the bar and ordered a strong, but cheap drink. The bartenders here are unique. each one has his own personal style of drink slinging and if you're lucky, and don't piss them off, you'll probably hear some amazing anecdotes. "So this one time, my pet snake..." Meh, you get it. The Jukebox has a ridiculous music selection, so after you have slammed a few whiskey shots along with a tall can of "Hipster Juice", why not thrown on some Minor Threat and enjoy a nice peaceful game of Buck Hunter. Pew, Pew, Pew! If you happen to stay here a little longer than you anticipated and get the munchies no need to worry. Luigi's, the pizza place next door, usually brings over their extra slices after they have closed. So help yourself they offer them to the hungry customers at no charge, but hold up! The bartender always eats first. "Cold Beer, Warm Friends" - Live Wire Cheers.

Live Wire is one of those dive bars that is thankfully dark, because you probably don't want to see it with the lights on. I imagine it would be something akin to being stuck on Space Mountain when the lights come on, when the Disney magic is replaced by a depressingly dirty dinge. With such concerns out of sight and out of mind, however, you can enjoy a reasonably stiff drink at a reasonably fair price with some reasonably loud rock music put on the jukebox by the reasonably hipster clientele. Throw in a pool table and the melted bicycle out front, and it all works pretty well for a dive bar. The atmosphere isn't for everyone, but if you like your bar dark and a touch on the quirky side, this is the dive for you.

My boyfriend just got kicked out of here because one of the security guards thought he was doing doing coke in the bathroom (but he literally walked in for 2 seconds). All he was doing was blowing his nose because he has the flu. The guards didn't even give him the benefit of the doubt and AGGRESSIVELY grabbed him and threw him out. I'm disgusted by the rudeness and nerve the security guards had that they accused my bf of something he would never do. Wouldn't recommend coming here anyways--it's dirty and the grimiest dive bar I've ever been to (that is, unless you want to be physically assaulted).

If you are reading this it's probably because you haven't been to the place and are thinking about going. It may be a great time or it definitely has the potential for suck. Lots of it depends on when you go and who is behind the stick. I have been coming to the LW about three times per year for 10 years or more. So maybe the staff recognizes me, but I'm definitely not a regular. Just moved into the neighborhood, so now I'm close. Anyway, the place is VERY cliquish. If you are a regular, and know the bartenders and the clientele, then, of course, you are part of the family and are treated well. Hence the 5-strar reviews. If you aren't part of the club, they are much less patient and friendly with you. The place is crowded and the jukebox is way up, so it's painfully loud in there. Trying to ask the bartender about a drink over all the noise is frustrating. There is a pool table in the back, but there is a very tense vibe back there that is unfriendly as hell. Pours are good, beer selection is on-point. Prices reasonable in line with Dive Bar genre. So, if it's your first time, better to go with someone, as you will not be welcomed with open arms, and will get mostly ignored. It might be better on a random weeknight, the place is a zoo on the weekends. The question is, do I stop by more often and begin to be recognized as a nice guy and decent tipper until I'm part of the club, or do I just go to Lancers or the Alibi, where the people aren't so cool, but I get treated every time with a friendly greeting and a smile? Do I want to put forth the time and effort to be a Regular at the Live Wire? Meh, not right now. Maybe in the summer when I can bike there.

Garbage. Bouncer was rude and obviously doesn't care about anything going on besides making $7 an hour and looking at IDs. Hipster bearded clownish bartender flipped out over a misunderstanding over the music. Vibe was bad and locals were just odd. I would not recommend to anyone.

One of the better dive bar's in SD. Bartender is fairly quick at providing you with your libations. Super chill atmosphere and its very dog friendly. Not that I have a dog or care for dogs roaming all throughout the bar... i'm just saying, in case you have a dog, its very dog friendly. They have one pool table that is rarely played and a vid game to shoot up some deers like all the other bars out there. Also a pinball machine. The bathrooms used to be pure junk but they done fixed that up. I recommend the Tall drinks for $8 and they sure pour them niiiiiiiiiiiiice!!!! Someone lost a bet ;) so she had to take a shot of whatev. So she wanted a smooth shot, I asked for Patron but they didn't have that. I asked what they got... they had a $6, $7, $8 & $9 tequila shot. I requested the $9 but dude said that's more for "sipping". Funny cuz that's what she did anyway but dude said the $8 is best. And damn!!!!! It was some goooooooooood tequila. I can def see myself ordering it on the rocks and just sipping on the $9 one. This is a gr8 place to kick off a night or end a night. I also hear a pizza place is right next door. ;)

I'm a regular mostly because of its close proximity (read: stumbling distance) to my boyfriend's apartment. We usually come here toward the end of the evening for a couple of cocktails before calling it a night. I have a difficult time deciding what to say about this bar. It's like a neighborhood dive bar with a dark/edgy/hipster side to it. Lots of bearded men and handle bar mustaches, lots of tattoos, lots of Chuck Taylors and leather jackets. The jukebox leans toward the punk/alternative/metal side (no top 40!) so there is typically a pretty good soundtrack for the evening, and there is usually a cult film playing on the television. They have a nice selection of beers on tap, although at $6.00 each, they're just slightly pricier than other neighborhood dive bars. They also have PBR and Tecate in the big cans for those looking for an el-cheapo option (or looking to appear extra hipster-y). The cocktails are also strong and the bartenders can make some brilliant shots. (Bearded Matt makes a shot called "pepper popper" that is da' bomb!) The staff are all super friendly - but being a regular I can't speak for the masses on this point. My only complaint really would be the seating situation (huge oversized stools in disrepair, stationary and set too far apart with seat backs that are constantly getting bumped/jostled by ppl walking by) and the lack of places to sit or stand on a crowded evening. They pack this place really full.

Ok came here for the reputation. Nice spot overall but I'm going to be 100 percent real. If you are not a local you are instantly looked at and treated like a stranger. Everything on the outside says friendly times but, the rule only applies to locals. Once more I was playing a game on my phone, mind you it may have been loud but the way the bartender approached me was totally not cool he spoke loudly to me and said " this is a public place you know" all the while the interior music was blazingly loud. He could have been like, bro can you turn it down which I would have been totally cool but instead he was a dick head. (Bearded plaid shirt) I wasn't confrontational because it's pointless but his attitude definitely left a bad impression on this establishment. I'm half black and half Filipino and I could totally feel the "who the fuck are you and why are you here" vibe I won't say racist but , I definitely received the cold shoulder. Its shameful because I love dive bars and every friend I know in San Diego loves this spot but, omg you do not feel welcome I definitely felt unwelcome here.

oh hell ya... it's all good here... been a while since i've been here but i've made my return. yes it's loud yes it's crowded and i like that! drinks are stiff atmosphere is casual staff is super friendly they serve my tequila (Fortaleza Anejo)...that's a bonus in my book! bathroom is clean yup...i'm sure i'll be back start at Gilly's then round off the night here at the Live Wire.

Chill ass bar. Bouncers are cool as hell and from left to right I was getting birthday wishes. After a crazy few hours in PB lead to end up leaving my brother miggs intended on coming to live wire. I keep calling it lime wire lol but I would come back to this spot idk about the music but it didn't bother me :) we ended up singing oldies while playing some pool and enjoying a fresh cup of beer

Any bar that puts a cardboard Yeti on top of their bar every Christmas season deserves all the stars in my book. Aside from that, this is a solid diver bar with all the dive bar essentials. Amazing array of craft beer half moon booths , and a random music assortment on their jukebox . Don't go if you're expecting natural light or cute interiors (which I appreciate but not what I look for when going to live wire) This is dark dive bar one goes to when you just want to unwind with friends and drink beer. Another bonus: bathroom is relatively clean

Night started out great! Group of 15 locals walked from the red fox to live wire... The bartender was so rude! Not only did she ignore us.. When we finally did get service you would have thought we smacked her or somthing. 2nd and last time I will EVER go there. 15 people. None of us will go back. Shitty service even shitty drinks. Bye local watering hole. We will take out biz somewhere else.. Warm drinks friendly service? Ha! The service was colder than any beer in town!!

They tried to charge me 30 dollars for two beers. My bank declined the transaction (I wonder if they tried to charge me more than once; this being the reason why my bank declined the transaction).

I really liked the atmosphere, but believe me, it was thanks to the lovely Door man, and the patrons. The bartender was surly, and acted like it was a hassle to take a drink order. Maybe she was having a bad night, though no one there was being a jerk. Just her. Stayed for half a beer, and walked out the door. I can get good beer anywhere in this town, I don't need to get it from someone who treats me like something she found on the bottom of her shoe. That's too bad, too. I do love a good dive bar. I'll hang out at the Aero Club instead.

Everyone else I know LOVES this place. I however, can't find out why. It's ultra divey like a place you'd go in the late 90s to watch a punk show. The bartenders take forever to get you a drink. However my female friends say they get them in seconds and others don't share this, so I will say "Maybe it's just me". Drinks aren't bad prices, you totally could take home someone here with little to no effort. Hipster and "Hipster hopefuls" frequent this spot. Parking is pretty easy from what I can see. I walk usually if I get talked into I.

A local neighborhood bar where you can bring your dog, your own food, and drink for cheap?? I'm sold. We came here on a Friday night and my friend told me that happy hour is until 8pm! $4-$6 for a good strong drink or a delicious beer. They have plenty of local brews and the favorites on tap and everything is served in a timely manner -- even if there is only one bartender holding down the fort (BAMF). We got some wraps from Mama's Bakery next door and brought in our pup and were able to score a sweet booth. This is a local dive bar people; not some fancy shmancy high priced cocktail bar with mason jars and potpourri in the bathroom. Though, the women's bathroom was very clean and had some chalk for you to draw to your hearts content on the bathroom walls. Hang out in good company and enjoy the local North Park vibes! Also, there may or may not be a whole bar singing along to the juke towards the end of the night.

This is one hell of a place to throw a good old fashioned termination party. You know, when a handful of your friends get fired? Time to throw a termination party! That's what we did. Shucks, it's a great bar for just about any occasion. The juke rocks. Tons of great San Diego music to take you on a little trip back in time. Prices are cheap so I go for the rye on the rocks - this will run you about $6.00 for Bulleit. Tecate tall boys, a slice of pie from Luigi's next door and a game of Big Buck Hunter are always in the cards, and don't forget to wear your beard! You'll fit right in...

Love this place. A perfect night out for me is grabbing some beers at Live Wire and then getting some pizza next door at Luigi's.

I have 2 words for you: frito boat. oooooh yes, that's right, free frito boats at happy hour (on fridays). I've never seen such a thing! that's frito chips, chili, cheese, sour cream and jalapeños in a plastic dish shaped like a boat. i can't think of a cooler things to get complementary when grabbing a beer! yes, it's the little things. the little, sloppy, delicious things that make life a little bit better. throw in a dim & lively bar, a row of comfy booths (get there early to snag one!) some very friendly and attentive bartenders, and a ton of flavorful beer on tap...and you got yourself one chill hangout. BTW, Jamaica Red is a good choice. i shall be back! because apparently i missed the awesome jukebox in this place?

It was raining the last time I stopped by Live Wire. I sat at the bar alone--waiting on my ex-boy turned Mr. Social bisexual man to arrive (he's very, very busy you know, you can't expect him to actually show up on time, that would be sooooo uncouth). I ordered a beer (pretty cheap) from the 'tender--I don't remember his name, but I'm pretty sure he plays guitar in Bartender's Bible. I took a few sips then realized either I had peed my pants or I was sitting on something wet. Turns out, the bar has a few leaks. When it rains, don't sit on the third bar stool from the left. You'll look like a drunk the rest of the night! I guess what I'm trying to say about Live Wire is it's a freakin' dive. Not a Beauty Bar fake dive; it's a real goddamn dive. Unfortunately (I think it has something to do with the hot DJs they've been bringing in) the bar is starting to fill up with young, beautiful hipster babes who look like they just left Tyra Banks and America's Top Model. Good for all you straight boys and lez girls out there. Bad for average-lookin' gals like me who used to count on dives like Live Wire to sustain their sex lives.

Live wire was a true diamond in the rough. The owner was bartending and he was amazing. The place was cranking too. Had a great time here and will be back

Rude staff, terrible drinks, very unclean, I'm sure people shoot up in the corner. local people staring like we are from another universe. The bouncer seems on edge and is very unprofessional. Like the corona virus I'll be avoiding this place too.

Mathew was a great bartender! Told us some great stories and served great drinks! Would highly recommend on any night of the week!