The Tower Bar

Great little live music spot cozy loud and a lot of Fun

Best bar in SD. Best live venue in San Diego. Always playing cult classics on vhs. Heavy pours and heavy riffs!

Great place. If you're lucky, you'll get to see our local tattooed redhead OF star sitting at the bar(you can't miss her. Big vulture tattoo on her chest) she's usually there "interviewing" guys to work with. Good luck!

Decent little dive bar, went to watch some friends play live. The drinks were good at a reasonable price, the bartender friendly. It's a small place but it didn't feel too crowded. The band is called Leavers.

My favorite part of the show was watching this guy’s back the whole time because even tho he clearly saw us watching he still decided to stand right in front of us. Not worth paying for.

Dive bar work of art. Small dimly lit with stuff all over the walls, a few booths, and movies playing on the TV. Decent beer selection and cheap drinks with a few speciality drinks. Sometimes live music. You'll love it if you love dive bars and/or the punk/metal scene.

The Tower bar is a historic San Diego dive. It’s literally a tower! Pretty cool exterior aesthetic. This place is divey as hell but it has soul. They’ve got a good beer selection and have a lot of live music, usually harder rock and punk bands. It’s not the most modern or comfortable place but it’s got history, vibes, and a solid bar.

Cool spot I spent Christmas Eve with my girl friend Jesika before going to my parents house for Christmas lol

I love the Tower Bar. It offers a wide variety of music, cool t-shirts, and, perhaps most importantly, cheap drinks. Patty and I saw the Soda Crackers and TK and the Deadlist here last night (07/05/2024). They were both loads o' fun. 16 oz Hamm's? Four (4) dollars.

I stopped by and the bar was alright and that's keeping it nice very very small but cool looking I guess the bathroom is very very tiny with red light bulbs and the sink looked so dirty.... now imagine with actual lighting :D Personally didn't care for the vibe of the place unless you're into the heavy metal/screamo type of music there was a $10 cover to go in , i'd assume it would go towards the bands playing cause this place isn't worth the $10 cover... the guy at the front made sure to watch me and my friend take money out of the ATM to pay for the entrance. Parking yiiiikes get here super early or park in one of the neighborhoods in the area!

Quaint little bar off university ave, kind of diverse one might say. Located one block east of Euclid Ave. Attended to support my daughter & friends performing. Drinks are cool & not overly priced. They even have specialty drinks. Not sure how it is at night. We were there late afternoon. Men & women designated restrooms available & the women's was clean. Very dark inside that when the door opens you will be blinded. And that day they were charging for entry so there's that. But we were with the performers so no charge. Not sure if that's because of the acts they were charging or or just in general. Bit this the 2nd bar I've attended where the charge at the door. Do be prepared just in case.

I went to see a friend's band here and it's a tiny place. Total dive, which happens to be my jam. Very cheap.and different cocktails. One drink was called Hello Kitty Farts which was tequila and watermelon. I would guess that is exactly what a Hello Kitty Fart would smell like. The day I was there they were advertising Free Nachos and I thought that was a band that was playing later. But much to my delight, they were actually serving free nachos. The kind you get at the movies which I one of my secret downfalls. I pigged out. It was a cool place to see a band. It's way far from where I ever typically visit but I did enjoy myself. And nachos!!!

Nothing worse that having people serve beer with a disgusted look on their face because of the color of your skin. Didn't know we were back in the 1840's. My light skin friends were in the clear, they had such a good time but they left as soon as they noticed what was happening and what conversations were had on the outside. They look the part so no one bit their tongue when they were nearby. For a place located in SAN DIEGO you would think they would recognize where their business is standing and/or relocate if they dislike, mistreat and discriminate certain types of people. Can't control other people, but you can definitely control where you do business.

Dropped in at Tower Bar after happy hour at Key and Cleaver. Met Mick and he was so cool. He played yacht rock on the tele for us old farts. The Eggo liqueur from Gatlinburg, TN was the bomb. Had the waffle, syrup and butter taste to a T. Friendly folks at the bar. Such a cool vibe. We'll definitely return.

First time here I heard music from outside and I was looking for a good bar in the neighborhood. I was delighted when I came in and met Jenna the bartender. She's great and down to earth with her guests. It's been a year now and I love this place. Today I came in and was happy to see the regulars here and Jenna behind bar. For me it's nostalgic. I work in the industry and live close by! This place is great. People are always enjoying themselves. Jenna thanks for your kindness. I'll just say everyone here is great and I love tower bar! It has tons of history. Ask for the history book and a drink while you read ! I'll be back even if I move away from the area. Tower is a great spot! I love bringing friends here

Loud! Good service. Very tiny space. Punk rock bands and music videos. Crowd is lots of fun and friendly...gotta be cuz it's so small!

I've always wanted to come here for the historical aspect of this bar. Surviving a car crash and becoming a landmark are some of the main reasons I had to visit. This bar gave me a punk/mosh pit vibe and I absolutely loved it. It was grunge, dark and felt like as you were sitting time had stopped. The history on the walls, the bands that had played all gave it a euphoric feeling. Their drinks were cheap and got the job done. We had came early evening right when they had opened so we didn't get to hear any live bands. Next time we go, we will make sure to come when a local band is rocking out!

Fun small bar! I came here for my brothers band. Never heard of the place before. Very unique building. This inside is SMALL. Luckily it wasn't crowded when we arrived and we were even able to snag a booth seat (only 4 or 5 of them). The only other seating is at the bar. Punk atmosphere. They had my favorite beer on tap so that was a plus!

Great spot. Perfect neighborhood dive bar feel. Cheap drinks, long happy hour and some of the best staff. They have local and touring bands from all types of genre. Definitely recommend checking out their calendar and stopping by if you haven't yet.

Pop in for a beer or sit and enjoy the dark corner while music is blasted by a local band. Bones helped me out like douche bag Great beer and great bartenders. Chill vibes till the music starts. I'll update you guys as it goes..

Came here a few weeks back to check out my friends band, Western Settings (Dopest punk rock band in all of San Diego, btw....if you ever have a chance to catch them, do so!). Bar was super divey! I liked the atmosphere. Small, a bit cramped, but it gave it some personality. Been here forever and a day...my inlaws remember this bar from when they moved to San Diego back in the 60s/70s. Good sound, attentive bartenders, party vibe. Only thing I didn't like was the sticky floor. JESUS that thing was nasty. Literally had to put force into your step to unstick your shoe from the sticky ass floor. It was rather disgusting and I had to wash the bottom of my shoes off before I entered my friends house as to not drag in layered filth. Other than that, had a great time and would come back to see another show!

Excellent place to ho have a beer. My kinda place. Good music too. TK& Deadlist. The perfect bar!!!

gr8 place for cheap drinks and strange music. small venue that houses some nice cool off-beat bands. if yo girl likes music, she'll dig this spot.

**City Height Neighborhood What a fun dive bar. A bit hipster but we didn't mind. We mainly came here to check out the tower, which was very cool. Never been to a bar with a tower. I need to explore more. As we got there, we weren't sure where.the doors were. Thanks to someone upstairs, the tattoo store, guide us to the tower bar door. According to him, many got the tattoo store and the bar confused because everyone thought the bar must be at the top. Woohoo, we stopped in at the right time because they were having their happy hour. Don't get too excited now, happy hour does not include their top shelf, however, drinks were cheap! Top shelf bottles were still cheap compare to fancy places, they're about $6. Happy hour goes on daily and they are $3 wells & drafts (Guiness, Fat Tire, Blue moon, Sam Adams, Newcastle and 3 other beers) from 4pm-7pm Don't forget they also serve Absinthe for $10. Yup, not sure if you want to go there. The bartender (lady) was nice and had a great pour. Not to forget to mention that she also gave us 20 credit on the house for the Jukebox. Thanks! It's not the cleanest dive bar I've experienced, but at least the floors weren't sticky! Other entertainments to keep you company would be one pool table, punching bag machine game, and I think there's dart, not sure on that. Recommend this place if you're on a budget, just want to chill with a group of friends or yourself. The reason why I love going to dive bars because they allow customers to bring food in here. Already got that confirmed with the bartender.

"girls dont wear shorts in this neighborhood after the sun goes down." ...my friend whispered to me as i entered tower in jean shorts and heels. i kind of gave a blank stare to the obvious shock my outfit caused. hey, i was just embracing the warm evenings we were beginning to have. it somehow slipped by me when looking up the address that i was entering the heights (def not part of my routine hangout spots) - and my outfit was actually more appropriate "work attire" than "hang out at a bar and look cute, attire." oops. in an attempt to hide my embarrassment and newfound discomfort, i grabbed a seat at the bar and asked for a vodka soda...$3.50..i ate free popcorn that suddenly made an appearance in front of me, i watched B&W foreign porn...i sipped a friends absinthe...i did not like, blegh....i took pictures like a good yelper does. then i ran back to my car before i could get any unwanted business :-| i think i can cross tower bar off my list now...

I came to the Tower Bar for the first time the other night to see a friend's band play. There's a stage, but I call it a ledge as it's tiny. And it seemed so small that the lead singer and guitar player were on the floor with the rest of us. Or maybe that was just their choice. Nothing wrong with this bar at all, and I was able to get a Sculpin IPA on tap. But it is a dive, and is not quite near me. Won't necessarily be back unless another band is playing that I like. At least it was a cheap cover charge!

Best dive bar in SD. Stiff drinks, prices are cheap and the bartenders are grumpy. This place is a dream..

Wow! I've lived in the area my entire life and have never stepped foot into this bar. I remember driving by as a kid and looking up at the colorful tower wondering what was inside of it. My friends and I, who also live in the area, wanted to top the night off with drinks after dinner and decided that this was the night we'd finally enter The Tower Bar. If you aren't from this area, it would probably look ghetto and unsafe, but it's really not that bad. The lot is small, but we had no trouble parking since it was night time on a weekday. Inside was dark, dingy and also small with a bar, dancefloor? and stage. As newbies in the dive bar scene, my boyfriend and I ordered Moscow Mules (my go-to) and kind of felt ridiculous with our copper cups. My other two friends got Fat Tires on draft, which tasted really strange. To our surprise, we came before a punk rock band was going to perform. They were pretty good; it was crazy loud and awesome. Our bartender, I forgot his name, but he was a cool guy, very welcoming. I'd probably return some time in the future? The drinks were cheap. Bottled beer, if they have any, would be a better choice. I'd probably ask for a different drink or for a glass instead of a copper cup to blend in a bit more.

Wack and super small. Too many weirdos and way too small. WS there 5 min and left too awkward

What can I say but; I am a local and I will not return. If you want unearned bartender ego attitude and badly behaved "friends" of the bartender as company...by all means, enjoy...plus, the inside does smell like the alley outside... Badly done Tower Bar.

Nice punk rock scene, the chics were young and silly, but deff nice to look at. The band was really good. I think next time I might dress up in a suit just to be funny

I used to be a Monday night regular before Lady Dottie and the Diamonds jumped ship for U-31. This bar was always hopping and the crowd was a bridge mix of nuts and chews-rockabilly, be-bop, rockers and mods. It's grown quiet these days, despite a reasonably priced strong-pour cocktail and excellent off-the-grid DJs like Old Man Johnson on Friday nights. He plays a great selection of 60's soul that has the few regulars dancing on their stools. The owner is a star and the bar hasn't lost one bit of it's unconventional appeal, it just seems to have lost it's patrons. It's one of the only bars in San Diego that you can catch random softcore porn (Russ Meyer and his bobbing boobs of thunder) or kitschy 80's dance classics . (Breakin'!!!!!) Come on back kids, don't let the Tower die.

Ok...i can't declare I am a fan since I was tithering between 3 or 4 stars on reviewing the bar. Like most dive bars, you don't expect much but you also get to see new things. Checklist: Small and dank bar - Check Various Characters (not sketchy but different) - Check Cheap to Standard to Draft Beers n Mixed drinks - Check Pricing - reasonable - Check Bathroom - Did nt check this but my friend Jen said the women's bathroom is clean - Super Check Music - Rock, Punk, Rockabilly - Check BBQ outside with the smoke coming in..- Check but Rossi cooks a mean Carne asada hot dog (got a taste but Roger can review it) The location itself is somewhere I have not been to before, City Heights and the bar itself _ Towers among the neighborhood. As our friend Jen said, I didn't know it was East of 805 then when i saw her, I said Jen its farther east, its east of the 15 (around Euclid/University). Came here to see Rossi and a couple of bands. Made it to the first two but my ears are not attuned to loud music for long periods of time. I had a good time with the group that were there (fellow Yelpers unite!). Overall, I wouldn't be scared to come again. Parking is neighborhood, although they do have a small lot. I think for an early show, I was comfortable to be here. I don't know about later in the evening. I should have taken a picture of the Tower, interesting landmark in City Heights! P.S. Videos played on the TV hilarious but for ADULTS only. I have seen worse, this was more exploitation stuff with nudity (probably rated R for violence not sex). Saw an animated talking D*ck on one of the movies, even in my experience of a lot of dive bars, this was hilarious!

A lot of people call casual or hipster bars dive bars and its a misclassification. This place, however, is an actual dive. Cheap drinks, nothing fancy going on, probably some cockroaches running around and then there's the bathroom...lets talk about that. So, this seems like the type of men's room that has seen its share of Jackson Pollack-esque fecal paintings and undoubtedly has spackled over a baker's dozen gloryholes. The smell is less of a smell and more of a thick, localized atmosphere; heavy on the humidity. The toilet is in working order but for some reason it is Saran wrap and duct taped off - save for a small hole in the center. Which means number 1 is ok but if you need to take a twosie, you're (pardon the pun) sh*t outta luck. Flip flops would be a poor choice here because the level of liquid, which has to be at least 50% urine, rides up about 1/2" off the ground. This is a dive bar. A real dive bar. I drank $5 tall cans of PBR all night and loved every minute of it.

This place. OH. MY. GOD. So yes, I've only been in there once in my life. After driving past it for years and always being curious, I bit the bullet one Friday night and did it. And... it was totally f*cking worth that three dollar cover- this place is pure magic. The crowd- super diverse, and I mean that in a "holy crap, how are people here not killing each other but actually having a good time together" kind of way, not the "it's a small world" kind of way. I don't know if it's always like that, or if it was just because the night's theme was "Punk Vs. Hip Hop," but it was cra-mazing (Crazy Amazing- yes I made up a word because it was that good). You had Mexican punk rockers straight from the pages of a Love and Rockets comic dancing in the mini mosh pit with white college girls as Asian American hip hop heads kicked it in the back next to the steampunk girl and stovepipe hat guy ordering drinks at the bar. Where else in SD could you find a crowd like this, in such a tiny bar too?! Also, did I mention that Jameson on the rocks was $4? FOUR FREAKING DOLLARS. So yeah... that may actually be the secret to everyone's happiness at Tower Bar. Whatever it is, this place is a wonderland of weird, and I love it.

Not sure how this place is still open, stopped in here after playing par 3 course down the street. I love dive bars and I am from a small town filled with dive bars, but this is step below a dive. Hot and muggy inside, the beer on tap wasn't even that cold... When we left after our beer, there was a crack head going through the dumpster out back.

I stopped In after work to come have a few drinks during there happy hour which started at 4pm! I left right away! This business is so filthy and depressing! The guy who was bartending was a complete asshole! He didn't seem one bit interested in being there or helping anyone! I will never go back! I guess your just upset at yourself for being a bartender at the age of 50 in such a shithole of an establishment!

Solid place for music and drinks. It's kind of small but I still liked the venue. Made for a fun night with friends.

Great place,just got in town and get there really good place to chill , good vibe, great music , excellent staff

Great punk bar in SD. I love how dirty and loud it is. Great prices. Never change. :)

It's a dive bar with local music. The beer lines are clearly dirty (beer tastes like shit) but if you're a true hipster drinking PBR or Olympia tallboys, then you're safe. Also, the music really only gets going around 10:30. I've showed up at 9pm before for a gig and the entire place was dead. Apparently I didn't get the memo. However, it's a classic spot. Set your expectations accordingly.

If you're into rock music and partying, first, take my number down, second, give this place 5 stars.

"Dude, you are going to die here of alcohol poisoning while watching softcore porn." These words coming out of a friend's mouth were one of our hero's last memories here on a Saturday night. Sailor Jerry's rum was being given away for free against the backdrop of softcore biker porn on the projection screen. The interior seemed like something Frank Gehry drew on the back of a napkin while drunk off his rocker. Even though Tower Bar's namesake tower has been removed, it's still fairly easy to spot on the street corner. With no security and 3 exits, it seemed like a place that was just as easy to escape from as it was to get in to. To get a sense of the atmosphere of this place, 24 oz cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon aren't referred to as "tall boys" (as they often are called by hipsters), but rather they are called "man cans." They are quite proud of serving PBR, Hamm's, Schlitz, and other beverages with a grade of "C" or less on beeradvocate.com. Luckily, our hero didn't die here; however, he was questioned by police officers when he left whether he witnessed a fight between some Somalians in the street by the bar. This is definitely one dive bar that you will leave with some stories and with more hair on your balls (which you will need to come here). PROS: - Cheap, strong drinks. - $2 man cans of PBR and well drinks every Tuesday, along with competitive eating contests as well. - A truly authentic dive bar feel, complete with a picnic table right in the middle of the bar and a pinball machine that could be from the 60's. CONS: - Located in a shady neighborhood. - Balls in their pinball machine often get stuck, requiring a little nudge. - The structural rigidity of the architecture is questionable. Load-bearing supports are crooked and look as if they could collapse at any moment.

I don't want babies. Not right now at least. I don't want to have to tap into my beer monies for diapers and formula and Osh Kosh B'gosh threads. no dice. No babies. They are like little, smelly people. Thats all they are. little people. They just stare at you, draining your soul like little psychic vampires. *makes sign of the cross with fingers. Babies are just little poo factories. They never know when to STFU. That being said...the only inspiration I have encountered thus far to make babies, is so I can buy my baby a little tower bar T shirt. That's the only reason. Outside of that, the only other way iI would prematurely bring a baby into this world would be by way of broken condom, which would kinda be cool because that would make my baby a .001%'er. He'd be an ultracriminal. Takin' names.

Yeah, tall can of PBR, a back of beam and can I get a little rock-n-roll with that? Whenever I walk into this bar I always feel a little more rock-n-roll. I get that "welcome to awesometown, usa." feeling. Love this place. Granted I am normally a step away from 3 sheets upon entering and if not, my friends ensure that I soon arrive to that spot. If you want a little dirt in your life. You have a desire to flashback to an old style rocker bar. You wanna see some good bands and not have any attitude thrown your way. Actually, I take that back. You might get some attitude. This place reeks of attitude. But then...you should have a spine and be able to handle it. It's cool. Just hang out. Sundays are normally tits. They occasionally have bands play or Marcus spins a pretty fluid mix of everything rock-n-roll. This all coincides with a little parking lot BBQ. Just plain ol' fashion good times.

Great little bar in the ghetto. Park close or you might get mugged walking to your car OR you might get your car broken in to. Good music, cheap drinks, good friends And happy people. That's my kinda place.

Yo, I totes felt like I was in a scene from 8 Mile last Friday at The Tower Bar. It was Rock Vs. HipHop night and the guys were battling! It was fun. I was a little disappointed that there was no old skool porn playing on the wall. I was told that Tower usually plays black/white porn on the screen, but I guess I came on a special night...no pornz ;( The people were super cool to me, but I think it's because I was there with a Rock Star. Good Times!

"Long Beach Hoe's." A friend had to work out here this weekend and had a hotel....So seven of us crammed in her suite and were ready for some "out of town" points. Someone recommended the tower bar...So we went...I saw an amazing band that I fortunately got to see in Long Beach the next day...The drinks here are cheap, and The door guy used to live in long beach, so he let me in even though I lost my ID at the Live Wire bar. (For long beach residents, this place is a mix between Alex's and the V room...Just a little smaller) But here is the best part of the story... We didnt feel like taking a cab back to the hotel...So my friend found some dudes to take us...These were the biggest bro's I've ever met in my life...They were so lame it was retarded...Dont get me wrong...At 2 in the morning, Im pretty easy to impress...If you're funny, and cool, then we can all be friends. Bro or no Bro...These guys were not funny, or cool....We had to kick them out of the hotel after they drank all our beer, ordered porn, and told racist jokes that werent close to being funny... When we went to the car the next day there were 2 notes left for us. "your pussy smells" "long beach hoes" And they're creative too! Thanks for making those letters the best ending to a mediocre trip out of the LBC. Needless to say, no out of town points were scored that weekend.

I was so wasted.............. I was a hippie I was a burnout I was a dropout I was out of my head I was a surfer I had a skateboard I was so heavy man, I lived on the strand I was so wasted PUNK ROCK WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! I had never been to the Tower Bar but realized upon entry that I would have dug the fuck out of this place when I was 14. When we got there, I showed my ID and immediately got a stamp on the inside of my wrist that said FUCKTARD.... PUNK ROCK WOOOOOOOOOO!!! I noticed that my Volcom hoodie was pegging me for a square or a bro so I took it off the instant I stepped up to the bar. I was only wearing a beater underneath so it allowed me to show off all my tattoos and immediately gain unanimous acceptance. To stick with the vibe, I got a miller high life and started talking really loud so that everyone around me could hear how punk rock I was. A girl that was as tall as me with a chest piece tattoo was eyeing me from across the room. I looked over and she started to approach where I was sitting. Girl: YOU COME HERE OFTEN!! Me: WHAT ABOUT POSSUMS!!! Girl: WANNA GO OUTSIDE? Me: WHY? I DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY!!! Girl: YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE!!! Me: WHAT!!! Then we left... This place is fun... I'll be back...

Why would you go somewhere else? You wanna go to a club so you can dance? Come here, everyone dances. Not to Kanye though, that sucks. You wanna pay $10 for a drink at a swanky rooftop bar? Come here, cheap drinks and everyone is so super swanky. You're really into the Mayan calander? Come here, Ryan the door guy will literally school you on that shit. Free education! You like softcore vintage porn but are too embarrassed to tell your friends? Come here. It's on da tv. You wanna pay $20 for parking so you can walk to a club you get to wait an hour in line for? Come here, parking is free and if there's a show, you'll probably never pay more than $5. You wanna sing really badly to some shitty Journey song? Good, go the fuck somewhere else.

This bar reminds me why San Diego kicks so much ass. I caught Los Sweepers at the Johnny Rad Fest last night. Total fun, yea, totally. It's one kick ass thing to see a bunch of greasy punks passing a liter of rum, purse hidden, around in the dance-pants audience ... and then three levels more kick ass to see the band take a few swigs. This is fucking rock n roll. My drink couldve used more bite potion, tasted more like the chaser. The walls were covered head to toe with old fashioned ornaments and eye buzzing delights. The bar has been around some 80 years. Great place to get wasted and watch the world spin. The neighborhood is not downtown, not la jolla, not the "new" north park, not hipcrest, it's not the beach. It's eastside. Deal with it, pussy.

You must love a classic dive bar that has Pabst Blue Ribbon in total abundance. I've only gone on Monday nights to see Lady Dottie adn the Diamonds, a 50's-60's rock/r&b/soul fusion band of white nerdy guys fronted by a 50-ish year old black woman, the incomparable Lady Dottie, whose fevered growls, brilliant voice, and smokin' moves only incite the silly SD hipsters that flock to this tiny yet AMAZING dive. Now, let me just say, as a 'Halfrican,' i like to think that i possess a modicum of rhythm. Equally acknowledging my Caucasian heritage, i know it's just a little rhythm, but I can dance. But for the life of me, I don't understand how the long haired, tight-pants wearing hipster emo tragic crowd can make these weird spastic movements--that totally work to the beat of Lady Dottie's traditional soul grooves. It's mesmerizing. If my gorgeous friend hadn't told me to dance with her, I'd have stayed up against the bar, sipping a cool PBR watching these hipsters and this beautiful aging soul goddess in utter bemusement. Check it out. The Tower is a San Diego landmark, and it's a legend in the making.

The Tower Bar. This is located in one of my favoritest areas in San DIego. Funky, grimy, and with some really good little places. Tower is one. First off, the place has about 1,000,000 things going for it because the owner is named Mick. Me personally, that is important. Mick's are really cool. Can't think of a Mick that is not. Seriously. That is not that important, though, to most. The place is a GREAT. It has a sense of timelessness and is blessed with a sensation of both hope and resignation ... a nice blend for a bar. On different days I drift from one to the other, so it is an accurate reflection of my moods and I can feel at home here no matter what. The place serves good drinks, is relaxed and friendly, and has little pretense. Pool tables, bar stools, beers and drinks. Good place to drink.

Tower Bar is not for the light-hearted nor people who fancy the downtown pretentious vibe. I would have to say that Tower Bar is becoming one of my favorite places: cheap beer, rockin' music, good friends...and entertaining porn. It's that simple. If you want a bar with polished floors, well-groomed people, $12 drinks, and a bathroom attendant wiping your ass, then don't come to Tower Bar. One of these days, I hope to get another tattoo at the upstairs parlor...

Great local watering hole/dive bar. They have live music shows and cheap drinks. The ambiance is definitely a dive bar; meaning dimly lit, loud music and interesting decor. Everyone I've met there has been a delight and the bartenders are also always polite. The music there is always entertaining and can broaden your horizons to something you might have never heard before. Been around for a while which says a lot about a solid business model. They even have BBQ events w food apart from the music and drinks. Check it out when you need a drink or look up the schedule if your trying to catch a great yet intimate live show.

A true American dive-bar. This place is old-school Americana. I'm not going to list all it's greatness, tje bending support column holding up that tower will one day give way..... But the odor of that bathroom will never cease. You'll feel like you'll need a tetanus-shot after you've visited...and that's why you went in the first place, you are out of the bubble in this joint, it's a true no-shit drinking establishment which as a true American I can appreciate. Scope that pin-up titty art on the walls... Yeah that ain't going nowhere.... A ton of old-school beer collectibles and the coldest beer in town. Pee-Wee Herman was on the screen V-H-S BABY.

Freakin' Tower Bar. I love this place and I have a good group of friends who are loyal Tower Bar costumers. I first came here on a Monday at 11:15 p.m. and I didn't know what to expect. The bar is kinda in a shady part of town, it is east of the 15 freeway and I don't go east of the 15 freeway that often. I got into Tower, and to my surprise, the place was going off like no other. The best rock band was playing and the small dance floor was packed with people gettin' down to the music. Tower is awesome because you can dance right in front of the musicians and the bands that play there play their music good and loud. The drinks I got were pretty strong and they affordable and the crowd at the bar was eclectic, but I got the impression that everyone there seemed that they were on the up and up, even the middle-aged, single dudes who came out to Tower Bar. There aren't that many watering holes in SD where you can go and have a blast and listen to really great live music on a Monday night, but you can do all those things at the Tower bar. The location of the bar is a bit isolated, but there is more energy here on a Monday, then some of the best downtown night clubs on a Saturday night. The only thing is, getting up on a Tuesday morning is pretty rough after spending a Monday night dancing and drinking at the Tower Bar.

I tell you what, the owner is great, the bartenders are great, the bathroom is always fully stocked with toilet paper. Go here for Lady Dottie and the Diamonds. Forget spin class or yoga or salsa or whatever the heck - dance your muffin top off right here, ladies. Oh, my. The drinks are cheap, the tenders are quick to notice when you want one, and the music is poppin'. Okay, so you've got to like soul and funk. On the up side, there are always cops roaming the streets. On the down side, there are always cops roaming the streets because some sort of shit is always going down in Uni Heights like a shooting or a hold up or domestic abuse. Anyway. Go on Monday nights. Meet Frank, the doorman, as well as Johnny and Danielle and that other guy I never order a drink from simply because I order a drink immediately upon entering the joint and don't get to that end of the bar. Ladies, if you're bringing your boy, don't get mad at him for gawking at the two televisions that are playing soft core porn-ish videos. Hell, you should be watching them too if at least just for the helluvit. Men, if you're going with your lady, try not to gawk at the two televisions that are playing soft core porn-ish videos. And if you are going to gawk, be proud of yourself! You're a man.