Pal Joey's Cocktail Lounge

A San Diego institution. Neighborhood and destination bar\lounge. Friendly staff, pool tables, stage and dance floor with live entertainment, sporting events on the bar TVs and Touchtunes jukebox. There is easy access to pizza, mexican and Foster Freeze to take-in very close by. Loved by locals for generations.

Love the touch tunes! Our bartender was super friendly and you could tell she remembered and had a great relationship with her regulars.. great early spot for night shift workers looking to wind down.

Pretty cool spot. Came hear one night with friends randomly after getting hamburgers next door. Really cool band called 8 track highway was playing. Wow they were tight. Drinks were good, will be back.

Julie was very professional and accommodating. I watched the Padre game, had a couple brews and a Jamo. Nice spot for sure. I will definitely be going back.

Free pool on Sundays! Great vibe otherwise. Bartender was super very friendly and made me a heavy but tasty drink

They have karaoke with a good group that comes out and an awesome dj running karaoke. Two pool tables w purple felt. Pretty cool. League is done here. I don’t know if they have food but I know people will have food brought from next door and eat that. Bar is good with many options and service is decent. All in all, I like this place and recommend you check it out at least once (:

Pal Joey's is a really good time with live music, along with great management and the bartenders make awsome drinks.

The food place next door is great and the bartenders are great RO and JUDE. They have been having alot of good bands playing there and i have been going there for many many years. SPD have been busy in that area of late so get a ride and be safe.

Great times and a fun crowd for Thursday nights Karaoke. Many many excellent singers here.

Been a patron most of my adult life, until recently. a joke that started out about black women then abruptly stopped I assume someone saw I was there. I asked, what about black women? I love a good joke. Every single white man: *not one would look at me. Me: no, say it with your chest. What about black women? Them: idk, I didn't hear it. He didn't finish Owner: nothing, just let it go. *owner was the one that started the joke Naw, u felt it was funny. Let's all laugh.

Great place. Live music. People happy cutting a rug. Get down wit yo bad self. Drinks and service is awesome.

Drinks and service really depend on who is working that night BUT most of the time the drinks are strong and the service is decent. There are two pool tables and plenty of seating, which I love about this dive bar. They have live bands, karaoke, and the vibes are always great! Weeknights are mostly full of regulars and older folk while on weekends the crowd is much younger. I feel fairly safe here and this bar is far better than other dive bars in the neighborhoods of San Diego.

So fun good people good prices great service . ambulance is car show fantastic. People are happy and fun to talk to. Go ahead and have a little fun . Love the pictures on the walls

I have re-discovered Pal Joey's in the neighborhood I grew up in. You'd think there'd be a line down the street and a cover for the fun I had. It is in a local sweet spot of Grantville on Waring Rd and is still what a good bar once was in San Diego. The bartenders are spot on taking care of business while neighborhood friendly. Live band 90 Miles Per Hour was fantastic. Surprised to speak with a woman who rattled off the names of the other kids I grew up with here.

Super chill dive. Bigger inside than expected. Really friendly bartenders. Clean for a dive

Love the atmosphere and locals that come in here. Mexican food and a Pizza spot next door if you're hungry.

This place is great. I'd def go back! Fun stuff on the walls, lots of room, super clean. Great bar!

Great local bar for folks near and far! Just up the hill off Waring by Foster's Freeze. Tons of parking available. This place is a hidden gem, as it has a little bit of something for everyone; from live bands to karaoke, loungy booths as well as comfy bar space and 2 Purple Pool Tables! Yes! The staff are always super welcoming and the vibe is definitely a fun energy no matter what time of day! Thanks Pal Joey's!

I used to have fun here. If you're into weak drinks, karaoke & bad service, this is your joint on a Wednesday night. Used to love it's dark lighting, stiff drinks and chill vibe. Gentrification before it hits the neighborhood? Miss the hood ole days w legit bars for locals.

This was a really fun place. The decor feels very old school. We went to hear a friend's band. It's a smaller area. So get there early. A meetup group tried to block us. (Not a fault of the bar.) The prices for drinks are reasonable. And since they don't have food, you can bring in food. There are some to-go places nearby. Tacos, pizza, ice cream. Friendly staff. Easy, free, ample parking.

Great local dive bar. With two pool tables,solid juke box playlist and great selection. Travis, Julie, and Jamie are favorites but the whole team is pretty great and hospitable. They have bands a little to often for my taste but still a good time, just start the band after the games end.

I like this place nice lounge plenty of opening seating & good music. I requested a couple tracks for the night!

I finally did it Yelpers. I found the perfect dive bar in my neighborhood. It's located at 5147 Waring Road San Diego California 92120. It's near the Grocery Outlet store in a small shopping center. This dive bar is much bigger compared to JT Tavern. The other difference is Pal Joey's don't serve food, but you're welcome to bring outside food. I went next door to this El Rodeo taco shop & grill and bought Carne asada nachos and rolled tacos. The food was delicious and they deliver to the bar. At Pal Joey's, there's a good deal of $6.00 for a small pitcher for domestic beer. The beer was tasty and cold. I enjoyed the different celebrity wall. I saw Brittney Spears picture and had to take a picture with her. The bar was decorated with Halloween decorations and there's a costume contest on Monday. The prize is $400.00 to the winner . The bartenders were all nice and conversed with the patrons. I was there to watch my Steelers beat Miami on Sunday night, but couldn't quite pull it off. Afterwards, we played some free pool , because on Sundays it's free. This dive bar had a great vibe to it. It has good bartenders, good cold beer, pool tables, Halloween decorations, good music and a tasty Mexican food next door. I give this place a 5 star rating. Yelpers, if you're in the area definitely come and enjoy this dive bar. You will not be disappointed.

Gives off dive bar energy, but with a little flare of class. Drinks were pricey- but they do have a great and large selection. After 10- bar got extremely lively and the one bartender seemed very busy, but his smile never left his face. Pool tables were filled the entire time, with guest who were playing competitively. The other side of the bar had karaoke, which rotated the same 4 people many times, but kept the place lively. The chairs and booths were all very clean and comfortable (best part about the bar). Felt very local and San Diegians definitely were vibing. Super cool decor!

Pal Joeys is the sickest dive bar still left in San Diego. Red, Kylie and Jude are absolutely amazing. When Red works, the vibe is completely different- such a fun time and it's always going up. Red literally has a cult following and if you get the opportunity to experience her exceptional service one time, you'll understand why. Kylie and Jude are phenomenal as well - attentive and their customer service is always rendered with a smile! It's a total locals bar where everyone knows each other. Doesn't matter if it's your first time - if you're cool, you find yourself in one of the most accepting and kind environments regardless of where you come from. Karaoke with Devyn on Thursdays and Sunday's is such a vibe - you won't regret it; she makes everyone feel included and does such a great job with karaoke. The owners are also very kind - Mike is a true gentleman and his annual car show is a MUST VISIT! Peter's hilarious if you ever catch him at the bar!! And even their security, Mikey, is a pretty funny and kind dude, if you can get him to talk to ya haha! I took away a star for Noah. Drinks are trash, service is slow and the worst part is his fragile male ego makes him a horror to be around. His attitude is horrendous and he likes to call customers names if he's offended that day. It's funny because when he first started working there, it took EVERYONE six months before they would take a drink from him - people would literally line up and wait 20-30 min for Red because that's how bad his service and drinks were. While his drinks have gone from a 1/10 to a 1.75/10 in the almost two years he's been there, his social skills have and continue to rapidly decline. He has a handful of regulars and those are the ONLY people he attends- he'll ignore everyone else to serve them/ talk to them. I have tried to give this dude the benefit of the doubt but I have a hard time accepting his disrespect, especially when I've personally diffused and stopped people from trying to fight him. Moral of the story: pal joeys is a cool spot if you order a drink from literally anybody but Noah. I have absolutely no clue how he is still employed there other than staff shortage. Someone who feels too good to serve others should not be a bartender, nor be around people at all honestly. He need a major attitude adjustment - that man is bad for business. He makes it easy and fun to say no to him and literally evokes emotions in me to NOT give him money. If you visit pals, avoid Noah and you're guaranteed to have a great time!

Pal joeys is always the best time, I play pool out of here on Wednesday some of the best people you'll be around! Jude, and Billy are both incredible, and of course you have your trusty security guard Mikey. Over all great vibes! Pool is free Sunday's & Wednesdays the best part is whiskey Wednesdays!

Little bar with great drinks and karaoke on Thursdays and Saturday, the crowd is a mix of college and middle aged people. People are very nice every time I go.

Chill neighborhood type bar! Cold beer, live entertainment plus comfy lounge booth type seating.

Luv there drinks /cocktails here but don't care for karaoke night that much Fun place

Horrible service.. rude waitress, and horrible atmosphere on Saturdays lol idk how you let those people on karaoke..literally lasted only 15 mins at this bar got a beer and left after 15 min. Wont be coming again thats for sure!

The drinks were bomb AF. For some reason it's telling me my review needs to be 85 characters. That's seems pretty biased. Why can't I just say the drinks are good? Shame on you Yelp, shame on you!

Ok Doke everybody, listen up! This will only take a second!! We love Pal Joey's! Today, Ali took real good care of us and we are always happy when we leave!! Great cocktails! Excellent Jukebox! Very hospitable staff...whether it be Auggie, Michaela, Sarah, Red, Ali or any Pal of Joey!! This hospitality team wants you to leave happy!! #ShoutOutToCookieAt #HearthHouse Also bands on the weekends typically kill it!

Me and my girlfriend stopped by like we do every week or so and my man Noah sold us on a drink he made. It was good, a strong sweet shot.

Went there last night, band was great had people dancing. I love it. Came from Northern California to see my daughter n we came out to dance. Bartender was great too.

I have been to many places in Allied Gardens/Grantville. I hadn't ventured to Pal Joey's until the last year. Red welcomed me with open arms and has been such an awesome bartender. I have added Pal's to my regular circuit because of her!

Wonderful steak dinner, only available on Monday nights after 5:30pm. I had seen the ads for this and finally got the H to take me here. You see the bar when you first walk in, then at the back there are tables. The cook, BBQ Bill, comes over and takes your order, maybe even sits down with you to chat a bit. It's cash only since the dinner is separate from the bar tab. For $7.95 you get a good size steak grilled to perfection out back, a side of "spicy beans" (they had a nice kick but didn't set my mouth on fire, real good flavor) cooked in a pot, and a nice Cole slaw, plus a roll. Not bad for $7.25! We each got a beer to go with it and really enjoyed our meal. The crowd was enthusiastic, especially due to the football game playing, but not overbearing. We will definitely be back for more. On a side note, Bill is going in for surgery and will be out for a few weeks. He was training a replacement, his "apprentice" he said, to carry on in his absence. We wish him the best outcome possible and hope to see him again soon.

I like the bar. I like the area. I like the jukebox, if I can get the bartender to turn it up loud enough to hear the music I paid to listen to. On two different occasions, two different bartenders, neither one made a good bloody mary or red beer. Stick to easy mix drinks and you will be fine. People seem to be very friendly, so that's a plus. Now, the karaoke guy on Thursday, (the only night I have been for karaoke) SUCKED. He was rude, lousy sound system, not friendly and unprofessional. Needless to say I won't be there for karaoke again. Not sure if the same guy is there for their other advertised nights of karaoke. The taco shop next door is a huge plus for PJs that's for sure. Most def I will go back, I like it but it does need some twerking.

It say I only have checked in here twice but I can tell you I definitely have been here more times the that! I mostly get excited because this bar is by far the most chill, neutral & at times energetic bar I have been to in the allied gardens area. I'm glad I have friends who grew up in this area or else I would have never known about this joint. The bartender is hilarious and gives great service hands down. She even plays pool... If your looking to get beat!, They have a good selection of beer but I'm a whiskey man so I don't go for the mugs. The dance floor is open and great, they have 2 pool tables with a huge amount of room which is by far the biggest bonus ever. Mostly because its hard to find a bar that has room for you to play pool without the butt of the pool stick hitting the wall. One of my other favorite parts if this place is the seating areas. Comfy and the chairs even roll. I have no complaints, clean place great service and good times.

Love this place! Its like an old gangster hangout. Very dark pace. Perfect for nursing a hangover The leather booths around the small stage in back look like a really cool setup for live music. There are people of all ages in here and are very friendly. It was crazy to see such a clean bathroom in a small neighborhood bar. I'd come back. They are what makes San Diego "Stay classy."

I am sad to say I will not be returning to Pal Joeys until a certain bartender and her security guard husband are gone. The bartender picks and chooses who she wants to serve to, more specifically I have noticed it with women. However she will drink shots with the guys. She is rude and makes rude comments to customers, particularly if you have come in more then once. The security guard is equally as rude borderline verbally abusive. I have tried to ignore it, however my friends and I are over it and will visit places where people are nice and don't pick and choose who they serve to. I am bummed because this place had great music and it can be fun, however I will no longer tolerate ridiculous behavior from the staff. If you are a guy go! She will drink shots with you and you will be served!!!!

Love this bar in Allied Gardens. Always a good crowd, definitely eccentric crowd at times. Traci and Red are awesome bartenders, always friendly and make great drinks! Some good music here on various nights as well. If you're in the area stop through.

Great friendly Bar with awesome people, dancing to live bands every weekend, and great Staff. My favorite bar to go to every weekend to dance.

As a setup it s ok. For some reason the AC wasn't working. Was very hot and humid. The band "Serious Guise" was great. HOWEVER, the drinks are completely diluted. We've ordered margaritas and got some flavored juice. Total ripoff on drinks. My advice, don't be disappointed on drinks, have some before going inside.

Live music, cheap drinks, fun people, cheap drinks, close to my friends house, cheap drinks, great bartenders, cheap drinks, occasional karaoke, cheap drinks, dancing, cheap drinks, Cindi's pineapple upside down shots, crazy laughing girls, cheap drinks.......but I mostly come here for the stimulating conversation. Ask Laura D. About the cabbage incident. That little prize escaped her forever. Sigh. Cheap drinks ;-)

It would have been a great place if you could get a drink. One waitress and the bar was 3 deep.

This has been an icon in Allied Gardens for decades. Used to live down the street when Fro Brigham Band played. Great place then. New owners took over. Renovated it into an even better watering hole. This place is still iconic and a smash at having a great time! Stay Pal Joeys my friends...

Super fun !!!!! Kareoke !!! Ladies night !!! Fireball Shots and the crowd there is down to earth !!!!! We had a blast !!!

We came into Joey's on Friday night to check out their karaoke per their website. We were sad after our arrival that karaoke is only on Sunday evenings "he thinks". The security guy was nice. Guess what night it was? Live band "Wash Khaki" & pajama contest night. Boy did we stick out like a sore thumb. In today's day and age there is no excuse for a business not to have updated information on their website. The band was actually pretty fabulous playing all different kinds of music. During the bands break they have a really cool juke box (which they are probably making hundreds per night). Their sound system is pretty fabulous! The barmaids were both very friendly but my favorite was on the right side closest to to band. The creepy guy factor was minimal only one, but he was sweet. Their bathrooms are clean and the lighting is good. The pool tables were up to date and the rotation was great due to their chalkboard that actually had chalk. Parking is plentiful... you just have to pass the smokers walking into the place. We had a good time, but my single friend wished there were more single guys there.

I was having a bad day went in this afternoon the bartender Tracy was so nice and friendly . She made my drink perfect even though she never made it before. Great drink and great customer service. Going there tonight to check out the kice band and dance.

Nice dive bar with a couple of pool tables and table shuffleboard. Little bit of a older crowd. But a nice atmosphere, the place is clean and so are the restrooms. And the staff are very nice and friendly. The bar is much bigger then the outside would suggest.

Ugh, no, I'm not a dive bar gal. Funny how this place comes up when someone searches "cougar bar" or "cougar den" in San Diego...are all cougar bars associated with dives? Really? I have no idea. I only went here because my date wanted a place to drink and this was the only place I could think of that was near my house. This is really more of a locals joint than a happening place to go to...and the fact that it's in a shopping center, it totally SCREAMS dive bar. Reminds me of the Tumbleweed's bar in Huntington Beach where my ex and his friends hung out...except this place hardly has a lot of people and the ladies aren't as hot (sorry to burst your bubble to all the young men who like cougars...go to a different bar because the ones here aren't attractive). My roommate told me that they just remodeled the place. It's not too bad and it looks clean. There are a couple of pool tables. There is a karaoke machine which is god awful because not only is the music turned up really loud but you also have intoxicated drunkards trying to sing terrible 80s/90s songs all the while being off-key. Maybe I'd have a better time if I were with a bigger group and if I drank more...but I don't think I'll be back unless I desperately have to.

The phone number on YOUR MAIN WEBSIT says "the phone number you have dialed has been disconnected." Does that mean you can't pay your phone bill?

Located in a local neighborhood strip mall. Plenty of parking. Good drinks and specials, tvs for watching sports, playing pool or karaoke later in yhe evening.

Amazing bloody mary's and drinks. Old school feel to the place. We will be back for sure.

I was looking through my bank account the other day, and noticed two bills totaling 40+dollars. Someone charged somebody's tab to my account. Without my knowledge or permission. I believe this is what's known as wire fraud. Anyway when I saw Sara, the manager, she laughed. She made no attempt to repay the money that was stolen from me. These people are thieves, watch your money.

Came for drinks stayed for bartenders and drinks... Sarah and Trac"I" will have you rolling

Friendly service in an attractive ambience. Competitive prices. Come in when Traci is tending bar. Traci will do right by you.

Been going here for close to 14 years. Its honestly turned to garbage in the last 5 years. I keep giving it a chance since i grew up in the neighborhood but this place is the crown jewel of dives. As a local regular, I am more than happy to recommend many of the local places like the Library, JTs, or Camels breathe over a crap hole like pal joeys. This places is boring, the bartenders are rude and serve bad drinks, overall atmosphere is of a cougar bar gone sour and stale.