Polite Provisions

PP has become a regular spot for my friends and I for the great people here. Jeff is a standup guy and will always greet you with a smile. After Javi left, Jeff did a great job filling his shoes. I would be genuinely surprised if someone disliked Jeff!
Lily is a great server who is very attentive and genuine. She goes above and beyond to keep everyone happy. She also has a very sharp fashion sense!
Katie is another standout employee. Whenever we are here (frequently: check the check ins) she is always hustling keeping her tables happy. With a great smile and winning personality, you will be in good hands if she is your server.
This is a great place to bring a date for after dinner drinks in a cool ambiance. I haven’t tried the food, but it always looks good. If you have a small group, grab a punch bowl and kick back. The cocktails are tasty and there is a solid beer list but If you are not a big drinker (like myself) they have some good soda options too.

Been coming back to Polite for its vintage ambiance and oldfashions. Typically not on their menu but their version is hard to beat. Come early to beat the crowds because after 8 on a Friday or Saturday it gets pretty packed. The bartenders and service is good and honest without the pretentiousness of typical hipster spots. And snack food next door at soda and swine is convenient as well.

So I love polite for far too many reasons.
My normal place for a night cap, Megan is one of the best bartenders around, the place is really inviting and the drinks are awesome.
I came with J after we both got off work. I wanted to hear about her day and what better way than to have a quality drink or two and give her 100% of my attention. Great time, only reason we left was to eat as Soda and Swine may be incredible, but a little heavy for the night.
I got the Old Fashion, ⁹⁄₁₀. Really killer. She got a couple different things, th e blackberry marg and a drink with celery in it. I also added a modelo and shot.
Service is a ¹⁰⁄₁₀ every time here. Weekends are busy but you can see why.

I stand by my previous reviews and also want to add that until last night I haven’t experienced a Monday night here. It is super chill and there’s actually open tables available. The waitress we had was super nice and on the ball. She was super knowledgeable and friendly with our tipsyness. It was a score not getting kicked out of this place again.
Try the communal bowls for 24 $ if you are a group of 2 – 4. Then if you run out you can always order another.

Just had dinner and you want to relax with a nice cocktail? Are you on a budget, but still trying to impress that Tinder date? Did you grow up in the hood, but want to pretend like you fancy? If any of these apply to you, this spot is for you.
Polite Provisions is located on the quaint corner of 30^th and Adams Ave. The outer façade is notable for its sign implying it is a pharmacy and its large and beautiful paneled windows. Once inside, you get a mild sense that you’re in ancient Greece floating through the Doric and Corinthian Orders as their architecture would have you believe. Tall ceilings, wood panels, and aesthetically conscious décor set the mood and a good mood at that. The colors are dominated by an always pleasing gold and white, the latter of which is almost pearl or marble-​like. The front door is equally impressive and it is where you will generally be greeted by Jeff or Javi — both of whom are some of the friendliest faces in the local bar scene and always a pleasure to see.
When settled in, you can either make your way towards the bar or have a seat in one of the many tables. If at a bar stool, grab a menu and order away, otherwise wait for a waiter to tend to you. My personal favorite is Anjali. Anjali is composed and courteous and has a smile that will have you melting faster than a Flintstones Push-​Up pop during a mid-​day summer jaunt in East County. When I first saw her, I was convinced she was an angel. After a couple seconds of mindless thoughts about her and I running through a field of flowers in ancient Greece while wearing our toga/​stola, I gathered myself and realized the dim golden lighting had set the mood perfectly and the old fashioned’s were kicking in. Speaking of, PP has some of the better old fashioned’s and sazerac’s in the area. The draft list is not too shabby either. The handles rotate frequently so make sure to check the menu or ask. If you have a larger party, I highly recommend ordering a punch bowl. If split between your friends, it can be had relatively cheap while still getting you that buzz that brought you in here.
Moving on to the other things people care about, the two bathrooms tend to have relatively long lines — specially on busy Friday or Saturday nights. With enough motivation and consent, you can have two people in there at once. Note: I’m not sure if this is technically allowed, but I’ve seen it happen. In addition, I learned from experience that as a single person, you cannot order a punch bowl for yourself. You must have a certain number of people accompanying you to share it. The punch bowls are large and will easily accommodate four people, but I’m not sure if they are deep enough to fill that void in my soul; I’d like to find out one day. In typical San Diego fashion, there is also an outdoor patio. Its small and can be a bit cramped, but it serves its purpose. Just make sure to turn away when the MTS 2 bus is passing by as it may kick up some dust, otherwise its a solid spot to relax and have a few drinks on Tuesday morning.
All things considered, PP is a solid 4.75 stars (I rounded up). Very few detractors from its great atmosphere, venue, and hospitality. Throw on a nice button up, pick up your Mexican friends (tell them they also have Modelo on draft), have Jeff stamp your wrist all the way around so it looks like a tattoo, grab a cocktail and relax — you won’t regret it.

Love this place. Love the speak easy vibe you get once you walk through the doors or from the walkway in the back connecting to Soda & Swine.
Came here with some friends and enjoyed it thoroughly! Great customer service from both establishments especially with the ability to order at SS and have it taken over to PP. Ordered a punch bowls and it was so refreshing. Sadly can’t remember the name but will be sure to have it again. Love the décor and vibe from the whole place. Noisy but in a good way to where you still can hear the person at your table.
Truly recommend stopping by Polite Provision and ordering some mac & cheese w/​bacon at soda & swine and having a drink at Pilot Provisions. You will not be dissapointed! Well, maybe when your food and drink are gone.

Happy Hour is popping! Great staff, delicious cocktails, and a great atmosphere to relax with friends or grab after work drinks.

We stumbled into this cocktail bar on a sat evening early but hungry for the thirst of good cock of tails and drips down our gaping wet throbbing throats of desire.
Upon arrival we heard they may know about the legendary ipa cock of tails. We spoke to the first tender and to his Dismay he was not able to quench our burning throbbing desires for the mix of elixirs… however upon his call of arms, a shining knight by the name of Eliot came to arrive and save us to create exactly what we were desiring to quench our burning throbbing throats the legendary ipa cock of tails!!!
Nevertheless he poured shaked and tailed us three of these ipa cock of tails which we consumed with burning desire and passion. We also decided to have the coal miners daughter which was a French toast mix of whiskey and heaven in your mouth and throat… after I tossed multiple round after round of tumbles in the hay with the coal miners daughter I was ready to explode in ecstasy and Eliot knew how to please my desires and burning thirsts for passion…
When u cum here make sure u ask for Eliot to pour round after round into your throat to really feel the full girth of perfection for a night of pure bliss… I wouldn’t have it any other way and the pictures in my post are proof for how much passion was consumed that night with Eliot it was a night to remember.
Thank u Eliot (t) for making us consume round after round after round as we awaited nothing but pure heavenly bliss and pleasure… we will definitely be back for more.

Polite Provisions was small bar that you can’t miss in North Park area. My friends and I went there for a birthday celebration on a last minute notice. I’ve seen this place a lot but never paid a visit. The bar seems to be a restaurant during the day time and becomes a bar lounge at a certain time of the night judging from the set up of the place. The lighting there is pretty dim but sets a good atmosphere for the place. It can get packed and hard to find seating but you can just find a spot to stand by until you come across some seats. They have a good menu for beers and mixed drinks but this visit we bought a couple beers and shots after we enjoyed one of their punchbowls.

The expectation is hipster… But it’s not! If you want a good drink menu with a diverse crowd, then check this place out. I’ve been here a few times now and I have enjoyed each time equally since I knew what to expect. Tip: Check the back parking lot first for a spot. If its full, you may need to do a couple round-​abouts around the block to find a spot. This time around, we were lucky enough to get a table where we can sit, chill and drink. It would be nice if they offered more seating. But the service was good and the vibe was cool. Plenty of cocktails to try out.

I’m the wine drinker my boyfriend is the whiskey bourbon type and omg he loved it here. Try the Kentucky Buck! Also order food from soda and swine & it’s delivered to you Here! This place is so cool & good.
Their brocollini was flavorful and perfect along with the macaroni and cheese with thick bacon bits=) everything was tasty. The banh mi and the swine is what we went with! We will definitely be back!

So I FINALLY made it to Polite Provisions after years of hearing all about it. This place is cool, plain and simple. It has an old soda shoppe/​apothecary feel to it, complete with gas (oil?) lamps on and around the tables. The floor has black and white tiles. The bar is stocked with every kind of bitters kept in small glass bottles, vials and all. Paintings of old men line the halls. The ceiling over the bar is glass, much like a greenhouse. It was very cool during a rain storm!
The drink menu is chock full of classics and twists. Some drinks are actually on draft, ready made. The bartender started us with Old Fashioneds, which is an easy way to tell how awesome a bar is. Well, PP is awesome. Huge ice cubes are always a great touch. The service was fast, despite having a crowd, and I never had to wave and dance to get a bartender’s attention.
This place seems like the perfect place to try new cocktails and perfect your old favorites.
TIP: Don’t drink hungry. On your way in, head next store to Soda & Swine and order up. Walk your number to the bar and they will deliver to you.

I started off my San Diego trip with mixology and Polite Provisions seemed to be one of the more popular cocktail slinging bars in the city.
The place seemed very old fashioned in terms of theme. Very old speakeasy-​ish type décor with a lot of antique looking furniture and a long bar that extended from door all the way to the adjoining hallway.
Although I don’t specifically recall what drinks I ordered, I do remember that I didn’t feel intimidated or talked down to by the staff behind the counter. They answered my questions and provided me guidance as to picking the right cocktail that I wanted to try.
For the type of interaction and cocktail drinking experience, it makes it worth the money you spend at places like this. If I’m ever back in San Diego, then I’ll make sure to make a stop here again.

Went there tonight for the first time. Wednesday around 6:30pm. I read so many reviewers complaining this place gets packed and you can’t ever get a seat… Well, maybe nobody ever went there on a weeknight. It was fairly empty, no issues on that. There was even parking in the back!
Well, first impression was: wow. I absolutely love the ambiance. What a cool spot. It feels like you’re entering a movie from the 20’s. Everything from the walls, floors, aged mirrors, gas lamps, pictures, bathrooms, everything feels vintage. Great place for a date or to bring someone from out of town. It really makes an impression.
Server came quick and was very attentive and nice. I asked for drinks suggestion (I’m a wine or whiskey person but their crafted cocktails are so many and so fun, I had to try) and went with her suggestion of the Kentucky Buck. Loved that drink. Very grassy, spicy, kinda like a Moscow mule. For $ 8 on a tall glass, great choice. Got me buzzed on the first round. My friend had his traditional bulleit rye old fashion and it was the first place where we saw a traditional, real old fashion. With that nice big fat ice rock in the glass. I tried and it was flawless.
We had three rounds of drinks and got some food from next door. I can’t wait to go back.
The music, the service, the quality of the drinks, all was so good. This place is kinda like a speakeasy but the drinks are not as pricey. Still has this very unique atmosphere, tho.
Totally worth it!

Great atmosphere and strong drinks!
Not much to say about it except that you’ll have a good time here :)

My husband and I met some friends here for drinks. It’s a cool bar that takes you back to the prohibition days. I only ordered beer and a jalapeño margarita. I’m not a big fan of spicy drinks and this one was no exception.
The thing that I thought was great about this place is their old fashion and traditional style. They serve your cocktails with a large brick ice. My husband loved this! He hates watered drinks. The men went with some Old Fashions and enjoyed them.
The one thing that we did enjoy, however was the constant change in servers. We went through 3 servers within a short period of time. We even lost track of who was helping us because of the constant changes. Our friend was placing a drink ordered and when he turned around he was startled by our new server and our server responded a little rudely back to him. We explained that we were being helped by someone else and she informed us that she would be taking our order at the time. Okay. I would think twice about going back. If we end up going back I would most likely just sit at the bar.

Nice ambiance. Always crowded. Drinks expertly made.
I ordered the Oceanside, very light and refreshing. It’s on the smaller side so it’s a sipping drink.
There’s a narrow patio with seating if you want to sit outdoors. Their windows open like french doors so it can really open up the inside to outside. Street parking only.
Free water wells at the bar. I didn’t order food this time but heard the sliders are really good. I’ll have to try those next time.

Came here spontaneously with my bestfriend since we heard so much hype about this place. Were not exactly the one to get beer were the more «mixed drink» and «cocktail» drinkers. I must say this place is really pretty on the interior and the exterior as well. It wasn’t busy when we went as well which was a plus. We came when the sun was setting so we watched the bar illuminate into what it was at night. All the pretty lights and decorations making the bar look really pretty and glamourous.
DRINKS:
I don’t know what I was thinking when i chose my drink but I guess I really wanted a strong hard-​hitting drink and boy was I in for a trip. I got their zombie cocktail which on the side it said «limit 2 per customer» meaning holy sh*t this drink was gonna be strong as heck. The first sip i took was literally just all alcohol. Like it didn’t seem like a mixed drink. But i let it sit for a little and soak in the fresh fruit and it started to taste more fruity but I have to admit that drink is STRONG. Caution while ordering this drink btw. My bestfriend got their chi chi drink which tasted very diluted and tasted more like a piña colada as it was REALLY sweet. but it was to her liking and she enjoyed it a lot.
I think a cool feature about polite provisions is that soda and swine next door connect and you can order food from soda and swine and have them deliver it to you while your staying next door at polite provisions. Pretty neat ! I would definitely come back and try their other cocktails especially their alcoholic punch that you can share with up to 4 people ! that looked really tasty !

Excuse me while I get my drink on.
It’s no surprise to me that San Diego is able to produce magnificent cocktails, after all, the cocktail revolution has been happening up and down the West Coast for the last decade now.
What’s amazing is, I can go to a place like this in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Admittedly, I am extremely jealous of the people who live within stumbling distance of Polite Provisions. I’m impressed with the classy décor, the white marble bar, the fancy display of spirits and bitters behind the bar AND on the bar. Even fancier is the old style soda fountain dispensers. Props to the designer of this bar.
You will have a hard time deciding what to drink: with over 25 cocktail choices on the menu, not including the elixirs, sodas and beers on it. I limited mine to two since I was with non-​drinkers. The Hukilau was a nice choice to start with. It had two different kinds of rum, (Demerara and Jamaican) fresh orange juice, lemon and orgeat. The rich citrus notes paired with notes of brown sugar and almond. It came in a heavy glass goblet filled with ice chips which cooled my drink fast. This also means, drink it right away or it will get watered down.
Since it was Negroni week when we visited, I had to order a Negroni. This bar doesn’t have a shortage of premium spirits and even with Plymouth gin, it was only $ 9. (easily would be $ 12 in SF!)
Superb cocktails, very affordable and a classy atmosphere.
I dig ya.

I believe it’s time for an update. Since our first (very crowded) encounter, we’ve only been here exclusively in the mid-​afternoons or early evenings when grabbing a seat at the bar or at a table isn’t an issue.
The drinks are always tasty, but results can be inversely proportional to the crowd. The emptier the place, the better the drinks come out. Regardless though, the bartenders do a great job and the ambience here is just the cherry on top.
Prices are more than reasonable at about $ 8 each and I can’t complain about having Soda&Swine next door.