The Manhattan

Regular bar Regular Vibes tbh as a passer-througher....... But! Was actually open when we were trying to get a beer in town versus our closed down option down the st. early on a Sunday night. A slice of the nightlife experience. Super poppin! Chill people. cute girls. Pool tables are cool ,jukebox, and workers seem on top of their game always doing their job with a smile while protecting their bar/clients/business. Good times lol. 5 stars for seeming popularity&somewhere chill for a drink

So this place is apparently loved in Chula Vista. Honestly I used to go there all the time so I can't really disagree. Loved the vibe, loved the bartenders, the entire shebang. The ownership from what I understand is a shared one, as the same owner runs both The Elwood and Manhattan I've kept my mouth shut for awhile for any unwanted attention. I've had my differences with various bartenders at both places, but at the end of the day it's all respect. Now it's time for a real review. LITERALLY the only bartender I've ever had a problem with is CeCe at The Elwood in my 7 years here in SD or Chula Vista . She 86'd me for being hype the Phillies were playing and winning and me being excited about it. Now I'll be the first to say, I can get rowdy but this bartender literally let a dude do a bomb on his skateboard off of the ROOF OF THE ELWOOD and lightheartedly laughed about it on a podcast. Unless I'm in there throwing punches at people I'm pretty sure nothing I've done is worse than that. Fast forward. She now owns both establishments. Mind you, upon receiving that information I made it a point to never go to the Manhattan again. If you're the type of person that's going to 86 me for literally nothing, I won't waste my money or time. She'd receive healthy tips from me anytime I came in. Always respectful even when she was the complete opposite to me. Not to mention her regulars sit in the back watching bonanza letting the n word and other racial epithets fly with no repercussions. Last night. Through all the bs, the Manhattan is a bar I was at a lot for the past couple of years, and after the Phillies game, I said to myself Ted, you're being extra. Be the adult and go have a drink. I've made a lot of friends there. Met cool people that I know still frequent the place. So I went in. Perfect evening. Great time. Saw my friend that was down bad last time I saw him and now he's doing well. All congratulations and love on both ends. How it should be. Hugs, shots, beers, the whole thing. LITERALLY SOME DUDE RANDOMLY PUNCHES ME IN THE FACE. Not making this up. I'm drawing this post out to stress the point that this is directly after CeCe took ownership. When she 86'd me, I expressed my concerns and she blocked me because she wanted no parts. CeCe (if that's how you spell her dork ass name), is a pretentious, racist, character. I can't support that. Jenna was waaaayyy better as a 1 percenter. I think it's like 1% of the bar she owns? Idk. Either way. Don't pull up. She's not nor is the bar worth y'all money or time. My lawyer said he stays away because it's bad news. Don't support that place.

Coming here for years and suddenly new bartender suddenly takes orders if you're in line? WTF what's the point of standing at the bar? She completely ignores you as you were not there. I'm sure establishment is suffering from a decrease is alcohol sales. Btw.. she just stands there like she owns the place!! Get rid of her or a lot of us won't be back!!

Was waiting to get a table at EL PATIO so friend and I decide to get drink at The Manhattan which is next door. Definite local divey type bar. I've lived literally all my life in CV and had never set foot in this place. You can tell walking in it's a local spot. Many blue collar guys around and several couples. We sat at the bar and quickly were told by bartendress that it was cash only. Hmmmmm. Luckily I and friend had cash. He ordered a Manhattan and I ordered the special, a Whisky Sour. Bartendress asked what kind of whiskey we wanted- impressive. She also asked my friend what kind of cherry he wanted- Luxardo or Maraschino. Impressive. She took a nice time preparing our drinks and had to say they were pretty good. While seated I noticed they had Hamms, Olde English 800 and PBR in cans. Hmmmmm. Overall decent experience but wonder what type of crowd shows up later as we were there about 5:30. They also had a decent array of craft brews on tap.

Ok dive bar in chula vista, went here on easter sunday. The first 15 minutes were fine , cash only here. Me and my friend were one beer deep, were never carded.. interesting. Started to go down hill saw one guy high on narcotics inside ( not weed) then another guy walked in high on narcotics. then some folks at the bar were looking to fight each other. We got the fuck out of here. Also our uber driver was about to abandon us due to previous fares he has picked up from this establishment being violent and unpredictable. If this place is this bad on EASTER sunday at night.... Dont even want to know how many people get stabbed on friday- saturday night, the staff needs to hire door man here 24/7 cause this place is in very rough shape! Staff was friendly to us though so theres that..

It's a local dive bar that has been around for many years. It has changed a bit but it's still Manhattan. You can choose music to play and they have different events on the weekends. The tall girl bartender was attentive and knew here way with different cocktails. Suggestion would be to fix the pool table in the back. The white ball got stuck all the time. Staff did open it up and retrieve it every time upon request. Oh it's cash only so be ready for that!

I waited 5 mins at the bar to be served. Then got tired of waiting. Went to the restroom and came back. Waited another 5 and no bartender wanted to serve me. So after 10 mins of being there she glanced over me 3 times and chose to ignore me. Never again.

Probably the first time we went to Manhattan Bar was 2014 during Christmas time. It was a fun time. Yesterday 4/2/2022 Saturday we went to have a drink while waiting for a table at El Patio, next door. I ordered a Coffee Oatmeal Stout. It was good, cold and nice flavor. My partner ordered a Michelada. She said it was the best Michelada she has ever had. The female Bartender was very sweet. Drinks are reasonably priced. We would go again when in Chula Vista.

Stepped into a time capsule at this dive bar - dimly lit, muggy, and oozing with old-school charm. Enjoyed two brews in the nostalgic haze while the bartender, a veritable fox, skillfully manned the taps. A great spot for an atmospheric drink; just be sure not to fall for the bartender - those drinks might hit harder than expected!

My all time favorite dive bar. The best micheladas in town. The staff is sweet and nice, I've become friends with a a few of them! Cash only, good vibes. I wish they didn't have to stop the music nights! I'll still be a loyal customer tho ;)

I've been going to this bar since I turned 21. Years and years ago, actually since before the new owner. I like the new owner but I haven't been into the Manhattan in a few years because I stopped going out as much. Anyways. My friends and I decided to go in today and yesterday just for some pool and a beer. Yesterday we met the bartender Austin and he made us feel so welcomed. We had a great experience. Today we went back in and Adriana was working. She was very very rude to us. My friend made a comment to me (not her) and she went completely off on my friend. In front of all her customers. Very unprofessional. We didn't even order our drinks yet before we were met with her rude attitude. Then the pool table in the back wasn't working properly and she had an attitude having to fix for us multiple times. She made our experience here very uncomfortable, so we had one beer and left. I've been coming to this bar for years and was disappointed by how Adriana treated us and made us feel uncomfortable going to a bar we grew up going to. Matt really needs to rethink the people he hires. Really disappointed!

EDIT: There's nothing wrong with wanting to document an accurate account while it's still fresh in the mind. Not sure what time has to do with it? Assumptions were made because my friend said hi to someone that was supposedly selling to people all night, yet was continued to be served without issue, UNTIL this incident. This was clearly a power trip, nobody was doing drugs at all but nice try! I don't frequent this bar too much but I supported when they got crashed into, because I liked them enough... so I bought a few t-shirts... HOWEVER I met some friends here tonight. As soon as we walk in, they both have to use the bathroom. On our way there, one of them sees an ex. She starts telling us gossip on him while we're waiting in a long line for a stall, so we all walk in the stall with her, to hear her finish her story. Not even 2 minutes later, as they take turns using the toilets, someone bangs on the walls yelling "whatever you're doing in there, YOU NEED TO GET THE F*CK OUT" we start laughing because, we don't know who is this person? We were literally just having a private conversation because the music was loud outside, we couldn't do this anywhere else. We walk out joking about how we didn't know there was a time limit. As soon as we step out, the person in the other stall steps out as well & we all look at each other pretty surprised. AGAIN, didn't know who this person causing a ruckus was... it was a huge WTF moment. We then went to order drinks & across the bar we notice the old lady from the bathroom fiasco, speaking with the "manager/owner". Saying who knows what! I recognize that she's bartended before; older lady- thinks she's pin up material, with gray hairs all over. 2 minutes later we're being kicked out because of the assumption that we were doing drugs in the bathroom, & she had to wait for a stall. It was not even 5 minutes of us walking in, altogether. The bouncer at the door verified this for us, because he knows when he checked our IDs. We were only kicked out because the old lady can't hold her bladder anymore. Get some Depends & get over it.

Worst service ever bar tender was very rude. Came to redeem a bar chip and the bar tender treated me like crap when it was time to redeem. I also would like to have watched the game but she made me feel extremely unwelcome. This place is garbage!

Made a quick stop to get beer. Chill bar during the day. There's two pools tables and a stage for karaoke. Good selection of beers.

So many neighborhood bars look the same from the outside. But the Manhattan Bar really shines inside. They have better beers on tap than I expected, and a well stocked liquor setup, with a few premium bottles and several staples of each kind. The cocktails are well made. There are a few TV's for watching the game, a pool table, and decent music. Even though it's cozy and clearly a neighborhood joint, it's fresh, bright and welcoming to new customers.

Great chill spot for a quick hydration. It's usually our final stop every time we go out in town. Service is great majority of the people are great. Cash only bar but if you get caught off guard they have a atm inside! You can Grubhub your food if you should get hungry.

Cool local dive bar. Good spot to shoot some pool and grab a beer and a shot. Parking can be difficult so good luck.

I'm already missing this little bar. Old school deep cuts, new school hits: https://bit.ly/2WMhODt https://bit.ly/2XqvtiA

Somehow I always randomly end up here. Maybe bc going downtown San Diego is pricey and time consuming bc of limited free parking! Never planned but always fun. The bartenders are awesome! Crystal is my favorite. This divey bar has been here for decades and it's pretty apparent! Cash only which is nice bc it makes for fast service! They sometimes have live music and they have a small dance floor that fills up! They also have pool tables. Very chill and chill place!

Always a fun crowd, and great staff. Entertainment is a plus and last night was a treat, the (Traveling Fools) we're playing, very talented and entertaining. Recommend you give this place a try, been here Forever.

It's an okay local bar more of an older biker vibe. It's pretty calm and laid back. Cheap beer and drinks Only thing that I didn't enjoy was the smell of the place. It stank like urine, they lack ventilation... maybe the carpet is really old and the setup of the whole place is very dated ?

First of all I love the fact that this bar stays open a little more later then normal places in the area. Having awesome craft beer selection's on tap is just a plus for me! You got live band's, karaoke and pool tables.. I'm so glad I finally checked it out, I'm always running into friends and I'm always having a good time. They have this shot called the Mexican candy shot. Order it. Don't down it, sip it and enjoy it... it's pretty darn good! They recently had an event, and I'm pretty sure the tap is still the same until they go dry from Alesmith brewery. I was actually in heaven though, you guys know I'm a big fan on stout beers.. If you are a fan of the dark side check it out before those selections tap out.

This is my go to bar always has something new and yummy to try and there is always seats. Always get attended to fast LOVE IT

I was just at the bar last night for the old school night .I was with friends and family. we love the bar tender she was so Kool and very good at job. Her name was Dria . I will be back there soon hope to see her there again.

The best place to hang out live bands or Django there is always something to get te stress out pool tables draft beer the best micheladas !!!

I just moved here and fell in love with this bar! The atmosphere is great and they have the best micheladas! The bartenders are amazing and always friendly (shout out to Dria)! The girl is awesome. No matter how busy it gets that girl multitasks and does it with a smile. Definitely recommend this bar and love that they have live bands or djs on the weekends.

Oh Manhattan you hidden gem I do love you .I heard you were taken over by some dude who likes beer and boy am I glad he did. I have came a few times, solo with friends and of course with my sistah! It can be pretty full when they have live music so plan to be patient if the bar is full. I have waited a bit and also been VIP...the only person in the bar so I've dealt with both situations. My last visit was pretty awesome! I took my sistahs on the first Sunday of the month...AKA Brook's Badass Bloody Mary day ****Swoooooooooon**** I'm not really a bloody Mary girl but Brook converted me. I had talked to her the week before and she explained that she made Bloody Marys that were fully loaded....she had me at bacon. Our Bloody Mary had BACON, meat, cheese, olive, spicy pickle and a shrimp. It was pretty much breakfast with a vodka drink. The bar was pretty mellow, you have the occasional riff raff walk by and possibly walk in and talk trash but It doesn't bother me. It's usually a mix of regulars, hipsters, beer lovers and crazies like me. I'm glad this place is close to my house because I can see Brook kicking my ass with her strong ass drinks. Have a beer if you don't drink hard liquor there are always many great beers on tap. Thank you Manhattan for making me feel like home, it's going to be hard to get rid of this crazy biker chick when you pour beer like that and employ a people like Brook! I'll see you all the first Sunday of the month...don't eat all the bacon before I get there! Don't forget to stop at the bank before you go, it's cash only. For the love of monkeys pick up extra cash to TIP YOUR BARTENDERS!!!

Walked in this place today and they dont even have a functional urinal. Dont come here if you are planning on drinking beer. This place blows

Great dive bar with an excellent beer and bourbon selection in an area that is severely lacking in both departments. (Chula Vista) I really enjoy the vibe the bar exudes, especially being that it's in Broadway in West CV. The owner Matt, is a great guy and you can see how much he works his butt off to make sure to please as much people by holding so many different concerts and overall events to get people excited. The staff also are polite, attentive, and seem to enjoy themselves. The place itself is pretty spacious for a dive bar, except when it gets crowded weekend nights, have a super nintendo to have fun with, and have an excellent selection of music on their jukebox. (Lots of heavy metal, the patrons sure do love it.) They have plenty of tvs for sports and movies, plenty of pool tables, and one of the best happy hours in town. ($2 off all beer Tuesdays after 7pm) Only downside is that it's cash only, and I hope someday they change that, as I don't always carry cash most of the time, but overall a great place to grab a drink and relax.

Very friendly neighborhood bar they have fun bands and events love their Beer ! The bartenders are very nice and helpful and nice look at very nice and helpful !

Most definitely a locals dive bar. The crowd ranged from old die hard country boys to young Hispanic males. Not too many other women there, but that's typical. Drinks were reasonable prices and the female bartender is a cutie and a sweetheart. Very formerly and knowledgeable about everything they offer Chalkboard full of IPA and Seasonal Ales offered too

I was in town for the holidays from Las Vegas and stopped by this bar solely on the name and the fact that it was open on Christmas. What a great bar! Great beer selection! I went to a few beer spots and I'm glad this place had a real selection unlike the typical 80% IPAs and Pale Ale bars. Very good whiskey selection for the type of establishment it is. Any bar that carries Mellow Corn knows what they are doing. The bartenders were also great. It was busy and they were very efficient and friendly.

Would you trust a place with a bar manager that condones roofying? I loved this dive bar up until a few nights ago when sitting at the bar a guy shared a story about how horrible it was to get roofied. He shared that it happened to him by drinking a cocktail that was not meant for him because the girl that it was meant for thought it was gross and he drank it for her instead. Then the person behind the bar who was listening looked up and asked, "but was she hot?" Then I said, "so if she's hot that makes it Ok??!! That's not ok." He just looked away and left. Afterwards, my husband, who I was with, went to find this dude outside and tried to explain to him why that comment was completely out of line especially since he's behind the bar and he's talking about daterape. The dude didnt seem to care at all and acted like it was whatever because as he explained "he's been in this business for X years and he doesn't take things personal." As a woman, I've learned to be extra vigilant when I go out anywhere and drinks are involved. But from now on, especially at this bar I will definitely avoid getting anything that's not in a can whenever this guy is behind the bar. Since he left, I asked the woman bartender what they guy's name was, she said his name was Peter and he was a bar manager I loved this place because it's close to home, they have amazing craft beer and a good bar. But if this is the kind of people this place hires, I can't feel safe going there when I know someone behind the bar didn't care enough to refute the impression that he won't intervene if he knows someone is getting roofied because "she's hot" or that it's somehow excusable that a bartender roofies someone if they're hot. Date rape is not a joke, don't make it one, bar managers. Stay safe, ladies.

Was great if their atm worked because it's a cash only bar.... had to leave to 7/11 for cash.

Had a great time at the Manhattan while stopping in for a weekend in San Diego!! As far as dive bars go, this one is fabulous. This is the type of bad I would frequent as a local favorite if I still lived in town! It isn't too far from downtown if you are living or staying there, and just about a mile off the 5 Exit or trolley stop in Chula Vista. They have a full bar, along with huge craft beer list. We went on a Friday night, and there was an awesome rockabilly band playing! One of the people there told me they also do karaoke every Thursday night, and they have lots of live bands coming through. They have 2 pool tables, and it was fun to watch some games and meet new people. There were a few patrons that had a little too much to drink, but other than that the crowd was pretty laid back! This is definitely a dark, grimy bar, so if you're looking for something classy and fancy, this is not the best stop. If you're looking for a fun, casual bar full of awesome locals, stop in!

My boyfriend, neighbors and I have enjoyed this establishment over the years but after our recent visit we left with a sour taste in our mouths. We came in on Saturday 4/21 for a couple of cocktails.. the good- the bar wasn't overly crowded, we enjoyed the live band that played a mix of music from different genres. The bad- we had noticed a very tall woman walk in, we paid her no mind but obviously she was a transgender female, (regardless of her sexual orientation, she was beautiful), and she sat near the back, waiting for friends to arrive. We then noticed that an older woman, that I've been told is the owner, was starring at the tall woman from across the bar. She even commented to us that she's " not looking at us, we are just in her line of view", that she's "watching the he-she behind you guys". I made no remark back, shocked by her blunt remark of judgement. I was confused. What was the tall woman doing that obligated the owner to be so rude? Is there no gender equality at this establishment? The owner then made matters worse, by kicking the tall woman out the back door and announcing it to the whole bar stating that she told her "I know what you are. You are not welcome here. Get the F**k out!" She ranted about her exploits. Making not only us but other tables uncomfortable. The "owner" came off ignorant and I was disgusted with her singling out someone like this. We left without finishing our drinks, as did a couple others. We won't be back.

Seems like a solid dive bar, they had live music which was nice, two quarter billiards tables, which seemed to be in good shape. Beer was decently priced as well. I hate that its Cash Only however

Awesome old dive style bar in Chula Vista. Best part - they feature an amazing selection of craft beers! They also offer a pretty fantastic selection of whiskeys. The staff is friendly and there are a couple of pool tables. While we were there, they had a band playing and they rocked! Downside: Cash only My friends live just a few miles from here so I'll definitely be back the next time I visit!

Great selection of beer! Best bar in Chula Vista hands down. Great thing about this bar is that every time I go there is a different selection of what's on draft which is awesome. I visited this location on a Wednesday night and it was moderately packed but not too packed. All the workers were very nice and music selection was pretty solid. Overall I feel like this location does a good job accommodating to all different age groups and is a good location to come have a beer or two and habgout.

It's a dive bar in the very best of ways! The fun bands and rockin' music make it fun every time....so does the great beer selections and the yummy jello-shots! The staff is super friendly, too!

Great music , delicious Bloody Marias, excellent bartender, friendly crowd, pool tables, $1 jello shots

Holy shit. It's midnight and I just had THE BEST FUCKING bloody mary ever! Brooke is off the hook... just ask her to add horse radish :) my boy lost his mind over her michalada... but on Sundays they add bacon and shrimp. So this is a win win at all times!

Could have gone to a better place to say it in a very nice manner. The customer service aspect of this establishment could easily improve.

This spot is legite! Complete with craft beer, plenty of open pool tables and a low key no drama environment!

Great craft beer bar in Chula Vista. What makes this craft beer bar so unique with the ubiquitous hipster bars popping up around San Diego is that they've kept the true dive bar atmosphere where you can drink a Bourbon County yet play a game of pool or darts and watch the game. They have about 12 taps, all craft beer and mostly local gems. Also have a great on site consumption bottle selection for very reasonably priced. For instance, a BA Stone release for only about a dollar more than the brewery was selling it for! If you have that friend or parent in town who is set in their ways and won't drink anything but Bud, this place will appease them as well because they have all of the macro bottles AND a full bar. I frequent the craft beer scene in SD but most places don't offer all of the macros for that one person in the group! The south bay is definitely stepping up their game and the Manhattan is a great place to go!

This place is dope! Just a straight up chill dive bar, cash only. Come have a drink. Cool vibes. I heard a bartender say Thurs night is karaoke.

SUPER slow service. Bathrooms were horrible.Cash Only. Nice interior though.And an ok Beer selection.

The best 'dive' bar in Chula Vista!! Awesome bartenders, diverse customers, great performers, fun atmosphere!!! Only ones who complain are those who cannot hold their liquor!!! Cheers!!!

I came here as a joke. As a native of the South Bay I have seen this place for years, and truly never even thought about patronizing this place. I am sure glad I did. This isn't a 20 something bar, this is your parents bar. On weekends they have a live band that plays songs from the 60's -70's, and most everyone there was most likely alive when the songs came out. The drinks are rather small and about $4 for wells. The service though is pretty damn good, the bartenders the nicest ladies in the South Bay. If you a looking for a chill time come here, if you are looking to get drunk and act a fool, go somewhere else.

This is the diviest dive bar I've ever been to. The crowd was middle aged to older adults that look like they've been sitting at the bar since they turned 21. There are a couple pool tables and they had a pretty good live band the night I was there. It's a little cramped waiting to get a drink, but I can't complain. The mixed drink I ordered was pretty good and their tap list of local craft beer was decent. They only take cash, but there is an ATM inside. It's not necessarily my favorite place, but it was better than I expected.