The Strand Bar and Grill

The Strand Bar and Grill
608 N Coast Hwy
Oceanside, CA 92054-2436
(760) 722-7831

Or maybe just bar... for the life of me, I could not find a "grill" anywhere in this place. But then again, it doesn't really need one with Angelo's right across the street. The Strand seems like a really cool place. The bartender was a cool older lady who seemed real friendly but I didn't get her name. Seems like it is a real neighborhood place with working folks and surfers as the primary customers. The outside looks very intimidating but once you get inside there is a lot of room and a big bar. Entertainment consists of 2 pool tables, an electronic dart board, an Elvis pinball machine, a cd jukeboss (classic rock mostly), and 5 TVs including one large nice LCD on the wall behind the bar. This is a beer and wine bar and they have a good selection of brew on tap including "The Strand Amber" which was pretty tasty. Overall, it seems like a cool place to stop for a beer and shoot some pool.

El Paso Bar

El Paso Bar
113 S Coast Hwy
Oceanside, CA
(760) 722-5968

The El Paso is really a crap bar. They just have bottle beers and not a big selection. They have two pool tables and the jukebox is mostly mexican music. With a little work, this could be a really cool dive but as it is, it's not much fun. This bar is very close to my house so I wish very much that it would be a little friendlier... but at this point, I have to recommend that you avoid it.

Bub's Whisky Dive

Bub's Whiskey Dive
301 Pier View Way
Oceanside, CA
(760) 757-2827

This was a really good trip. It was Lisa's first day and she was an excellent bartender. The clientele was mostly young marines with a scattering of older beach folk, both men and women. This is a beer and wine bar only but that may change soon. Until then, they have a wide variety of beers on tap including Karl Strauss, Fat Tire, and Guinness. It is close to the beach and has a nice view of the pier which is its biggest selling point. Bub's has a stage for live acts and features a happy hour that runs from 4-6 weekdays. There is always plenty of free popcorn (freshly popped and serve yourself) and peanuts in the shell (chuck the shells on the floor). They have a pool table and an internet jukebox. I met and talked with two of the new owners and they are investing heavy into downtown Oceanside.

Sand In My Drink

The point of this is to create an online directory of all the dives along the northern coast of San Diego county. The road might be a little bumpy until I find a format I like. The bars I will focus on all have to be north of La Jolla and west of the 5. They have to be open during the day. Customers should feel comfortable wearing flip-flops, a t-shirt, and shorts. That is the start anyways...