Eddie W.
Yelp
This review has been a long time in the making, but I know feel that I have enough experience with it to actually form an opinion and give an accurate narrative.
Why the wait? If you've ever been there you know it changes everytime the wind blows. Not just the employees, but the decor, the games, and to some degree, the vibe.
That and the fact that it is so dive-ish (not in the good way) that I really don't ever think of going to this place unless I've had a few or I am on my way back from some place else. I have honestly never sat at home and said, "Hey, I fell like going to Shooters". Let that be your first indication of the type of place it is.
Now, the experience.....
The FIRST time I walked into Shooters I had to walk back out and check the parking lot. The lot was dark and empty, but the place was packed. I walked out the back to check the other lot and it was empty too. I asked the bartender where all the people came from since there were only two or three cars in the lot. She said, "The Trailer Park". Which made me laugh.
Right up until I realized there was a trailer park behind the bar. After about 30 minutes I began to believe the bartender wasn't kidding.
The second time I rolled into this bar I took a few friends and it was one of those ,"you gotta see this" type of trips. And we weren't dissappointed. As we walked in the door and large and manish woman was trying to hit a high note in her karaoke performance when she abruptly stopped, grabbed her crotch and yelled," I felt that one all the way down in my uterus". Game On!
The next time I went in (notice I rank it low, but I keep going back) we met a nice guy named Loco who told us he owned the bar. He bough all our drinks for our group of 8, played pool with us and told us all about the motorcycle tattos on his head. Suzuki if I remember clearly. It was a fun night. When we went in the next weekend I asked about Loco the owner and the bartender told us he didn't own the bar, he just tells people that and he's been banned for life.
Last year my wife read in the Union Tribune about the guy who pulled out a gun and shot his cheating wife across the bar at Shooters, so it was moved to the off limits list. I tried to explain to her that with a name like Shooters, you have to expect a couple of shots fired sometime in it's history.
So last weekend I'm on a boys night out and after four stops, it's time for a trip to Shooters. This time I'm the driver. Pool tables have moved, karaoke in full swing, Packed bar, lots of people, lots of drunks. I like to people watch, so it was a great time. The woman that was so drunk we couldn't understand a word she said hitting on my friend was worth the trip all by itself. I think she was homeless, but I'm not sure. Again, one of the beautiful things about this place. Everyone gets in.
So, the summation.
Go to this place! You have to. I don't want it to ever close. It's like an aquarium full of life/love/misery I never get to see. And the drinks are cheap, tall and strong. What more can you ask for?
Just don't expect to find Mr. or Mrs. Right hanging around.