Where everybody will say they know your name

Since this blog has no real direction or plot (I mean that in the best way possible) I’ve decided to start making regular contributions about bars in San Diego.

Today I’d like to talk about the Alibi, a bar I’ve driven by nearly every day for two years but never went into until Tuesday night. And I gotta say, I’ve been missing out.



Located in Hillcrest and with a doorway that’s often obscured by crusty old men, I’d long suspected he Alibi was a place for 60-year-old alcoholic closet cases. There may be a few of them there, but it’s also a place for straight looking guys watching the Padres, punk rockers playing pool, and my friend Tiffany’s birthday party. It had a really good jukebox with everything from Pavement to Marvin Gaye and the bartender was very friendly and cool. (He kicked us a few free shots for the party).

Summing up the Alibi’s décor in one word is easy: dark. The lighting is dim and the wood is almost black. This could turn a lot of people off, as dark tends to equal seedy, but I actually liked it. I imagine that back when you could smoke in bars the place may have been a bit dank, but now it’s rather cozy. There is not a lot of seating, which wasn’t a problem on a Tuesday night but could make it tough on the weekends. There is one of those old school Pac-Man video games, which I think are fun.

I’ve heard it can be kind of a hipster hangout but I didn’t see that on Tuesday. It was a cozy, relaxed place to get inappropriately buzzed on a work night.


Name: The Alibi
Location: 1403 University Ave
San Diego, CA (Hillcrest)
Fun Fact: The façade was used in an opening scene of the Fox show Prison Break
State of Guinness: On tap, served in an American-style pint glass, tastes about average for San Diego