University of California - San Diego - Nightlife

Aubergine is home to a young crowd. Make sure you are dressed nicely and have fun dancing to techno and hip hop. There is a restaurant and smoking lounge attached to the club.

Café Sevilla has a more casual, friendly crowd than some of the other Gas Lamp clubs. Most people are in their mid-20s, and, in the summer, there are lots of tourists. The club is unique because it plays mostly Latin house music.

Club Safari is the most common place for UCSD students to go when they head down to TJ. It is always crowded with college kids and military boys looking to dance the night away and occasionally make out in the corner. There is a $5 cover charge ($10 for guys) and free drinks all night. Fridays and Saturdays are very popular, along with College Night on Wednesdays.Make sure you bring your driver’s license or passport, otherwise, it is difficult to get back into the U.S. When going to Mexico, always go in groups and be sensible—it is no fun to spend the night in jail in a foreign country! Club Safari is open until 3 a.m.

E Street Alley is known for its excellent DJs. Also, there is a sushi bar attached to the club. However, it is know to be a little cliquey and mostly caters to a predominantly Asian crowd.

On Broadway is one of the best and biggest clubs downtown. It has four different rooms, one room with electronic music, two with hip hop, and one with ‘80s. On Broadway is also keenly decorated, each room has with a different theme. There is a high cover charge and drinks are very expensive.

Seven is similar to the other clubs in the Gas Lamp District. However, there are drink specials, and it tends to be a little cheaper.

The Blue Tattoo is known as the “ghetto” club of San Diego. There is a very strict dress code to prevent a crowd that may fight at night. The crowd is older and mostly filled with regulars. Although they play some good hip hop, tourists and most college kids don’t usually go there.

The Che Café is a club on campus that caters towards independent music. It regularly has concerts featuring San Diego bands. It also is a hang out place on campus, and every Thursday serves a big all-you-can-eat vegetarian dinner. Alcohol is not served here.

Cane’s Bar & Grill is more like the Pacific Beach bars in that it is casual and cheaper. However, it has different musical acts playing almost every weekend. The crowd is mixed with college students and older people. Local radio stations often host nights.

Dick’s Last Resort is one of the most causal bars downtown. It is a restaurant during the day and attracts an older crowd in the evening. Every year there is an infamous Elvis impersonator contest, and the winner gets a free trip v

PB Bar & Grill is extremely popular and usually crowded almost every night of the week. Famous for the amount of people celebrating 21st birthdays, drinks are usually cheap, the dress code is casual, and there’s always a line to get in.

The Bitter End is a causal bar located in an old renovated storefront. There is an upstairs dance floor which plays ‘80s music some nights and hip hop others. Like most of the Gas Lamp bars, it is expensive.

The Tavern is like all the other bars in Pacific Beach, but it is a lot smaller. If you come late, it can take hours to get in. There are drink specials on Thursdays similar to Typhoon Saloon, and each month there is a different beer special on tap. The dance floor is awkwardly placed so there is less dancing, but the bar is still always packed.

Typhoon Saloon is a lot like PB Bar & Grill, with a casual college crowd, cheap drinks, and a big dance floor. It does have a more entertaining atmosphere, featuring a country look and also mechanical bull riding competitions. There are drink specials all night on Thursdays with $4 mixed drinks and $3 32-ounce beers. On the weekends there is a cover charge of $5 after 9:30 p.m. The lines do sometimes get a bit long. The dress code for men is more strict than for women.

Before they are 21, most UCSD students go to Tijuana. Most of them end up at Club Safari, which has a $5–$10 cover charge and free drinks all night long. Just don’t drink the water! There are always parties at the International House. I-House is on campus but is not patrolled by the campus police. The National Comedy Sports Club is also popular.