I LOVE this bar. The bartenders and owner are as nice as they come in San Diego. Even when kicking the drunkards out, the bartender was discreet and friendly. Their White Russians are the BEST in SD and I highly recommend sticking to just one or two, after that your night will be pretty hazy! They often have popcorn or other snacks for free and if you’re hungrier than just snacks you can bring your own food in with you.
Bridget W.
Place rating: 4 Fair Oaks, CA
If Lady Gaga meets a dive bar this is it. Red walls, crystal chandeliers, dim lighting and an eclectic crowd. We took over the jukebox with Prince, Madonna, MJ, and Britney. And yes, even a little Gaga. The vibe was fun. Our group had just left the YSB Soirée and needed to kill some time. Wow did we ever. Some people can’t handle going to a place like this. To them I say have another drink. One minute they’re having an anxiety attack and the next minute they’re rubbing elbows with a tranny. Alcohol makes us all friends after all ;) The bartenders at SRO know how to pour. And it’s cheap! So much so that we made a second trip back before the weekend was through.
Nina L.
Place rating: 5 San Diego, CA
SRO is a great place 2 go. Ernesto, Brian, and John are amazing bartenders! And fun 2 hang out with. I highly recommend the SRO club!
Alex T.
Place rating: 4 Sacramento, CA
yay i am glad i made it as the duke for this place. . It all started with the day after the soirée, we didn’t know where to go after that, to kill some time before the UYE. Some how we ended up at This awesome strong drinks and cheap too. . Since i am an oder gentlemen who loves his gin and tonic with extra cherries and lime in it. It was one strong drink, where chugging is not possible but sipping it classy with a pinkies up. I already know this place is going to get everyone shiet face, i moved to a table instead of being tempted by sitting at the bar. . When we first arrived it was slow. When we were really enjoying the moment, all of a sudden it is all packed! everyone was bumping into each other and my little bubble was being invaded. . Anyways my friends got so messed up one lost all her lip gloss and cash, lol… The other one lost her charger, and the other one left her purse in the lyft car. SMH! I was the sober one babysitting all my betches… loll… . Overall we all had so much fun! Just beware of strong drinks, and don’t over drink til you are incautious. Watch your belongings because there are lots of tall sexy salinas who can you reach over and grab them without you noticing. This bar has made some memories that we came back during the day time to experience it again. lol. Thanks for reading and don’t stay thirsty.
June C.
Place rating: 5 San Diego, CA
Have this place another try and this time I dressed for the occasion lol! Met a couple girls from the community which was awesome to hear their stories over some stiff drinks! It wasn’t super crowded while I was there but it started to pack right when I was leaving. I was only there for a drink. Cute place. Guys are kind of creepy but I was there to hopefully meet some sisters to befriend.
Gregory s.
Place rating: 5 La Quinta, CA
loved this place! not sure what I was really expecting but I really liked this place. the décor has seen better days and reminded me of a cocktail lounge from the 1940’s. patrons were fun and the staff were very attentive. owner on hand to make sure you are having a great time. jukebox was playing a great mix of old and new favourites. will definitely be stopping here again.
Brad B.
Place rating: 4 San Diego, CA
Hmmmm… I love this… wait, let me start again. Hmmmm… I like this… and again. I enjoy this bar? I enjoy this bar. I enjoy this bar! Sure, it’s got a reputation for being an amazing tranny bar, but that reputation is served up without the crowd or hoopla that a place like Lips gets. That and a killer martini! Oh, how about that complimentary popcorn? Seriously, I’ve plowed through buckets of that stuff over the years and keeping the bowl filled is a surefire way of getting me to order plenty more of, you guessed it, the martini! Is this a place that I take a shower, put on deodorant, do my hair… errr, throw on a hat for? No, in fact it’s never a destination for me. What SRO is and always will be to me is a friendly place to get a few drinks at the end of a long day of drinking. You may get your bald head rubbed by a regular(yeah, yeah, it’s happened), but you may also get a healthy dose of dating advice with it — those dudes who dress as girls who like guys sure do know a lot about women! So there you have it! SRO: Fun crowd, cheap drinks, stiff drinks, head rubs, girl talk and popcorn. What more could you possibly want?!
X O.
Place rating: 5 Chula Vista, CA
So my friend took me to this bar on Thanksgiving because, apparently, he said the drinks are not expensive. He ordered a Greyhound and I ordered a Racer 5IPA. Both drinks? Seven bucks. He was right. So we ended up ordering several more rounds. What was supposed to be a nice holy day for me — I love God! — turned out to be a night that I thanked Him for making it home safely(shout out to Über). What I found interesting is that the hype of this place(see other reviews) did not match the music I heard when I came in… gangsta rap. I should have ordered a 40 oz. So after several rounds of IPAs, this crowd of guys walk in and sit by us. They were cool until they proceeded to order us some Rumple Minze shots. Alright, so I never knew what the hell these were until that night, and the only reason why I know how to spell it is because my stomach(not my butt) did not feel good the next day so I had to Google it. Fortunately, Google comes up with the right term after I typed in «peppermint tasting Rumpelstiltskin» on the I’m Feeling Lucky search box. Anyway, it didn’t help that my friend(we’re both like arrows by the way) decided to match the Rumple Minze shots by ordering shots of Fernet… WTF? Anyway, that combination of drinks that night turned out to make for a rough next day. So as a recap, I should end up going back to that bar at least one more day in the future because of the relatively inexpensive cost… and oh yeah, the Bears beat the Packers.
Mitchell P.
Place rating: 5 Lincoln, CA
Love the SRO. Fun neighborhood bar and always feel, welcomed by the regulars when we stop in while in San Diego.
Darya T.
Place rating: 5 CA, CA
I’ve always loved this bar when I’ve visited San Diego. Very warm, friendly bartenders and crowd, usually. Gets packed on Friday and Saturday. LGB and very T friendly, and relaxing. Loud but happy usually. Looking forward to dropping by soon.
Mary B.
Place rating: 5 La Mesa, CA
Love this place! As a new to town trans girl I was so happy to find a great Trans/gay bar. Super friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Bartenders are awesome!!. Strong drinks, super transgender friendly! pool table is great but be warned SRO means Standing Room Only and they r not kidding, gets crowded with lovely happy people.
Nathan B.
Place rating: 5 Lemon Grove, CA
I ordered a Bloody Mary. It was spicy and salty as I ordered. Well poured and chased it with a Stone IPA which was good as usual. I will definitely return. Good Atmosphere and good music as well.
Deborah R.
Place rating: 4 Santa Fe, NM
Cool place to escape. a lot of history from frequent locals. If you ever want to find things to do in San Diego stop into this place better than any book guide get the real experiences. The pour is very reasonable the bartender gets an A+
Gloria V.
Place rating: 5 Santa Fe, NM
I happened this really great throw back gay bar… my girlfriend and I were on vacation and looking for a great martini. I am so so happy we found this bar, the atmosphere is great, the bartender poured the best martini with class… the best! ALOT of San diego history if these walls can talk old time class that does not exsist anymore… at least not readily available!
Walter M.
Place rating: 4 Oceanside, CA
I came here to kill some time before a nearby event and rather than walk thru the heat up the hill this was the nearest open bar. When you’re a drinker like me and you walk in like you own the place it doesn’t matter what kind of bar it is. I’m a bit of an international man of mystery so I maneuver seamlessly across the world, but found this place to be perfect for locals. I’m straight, but that doesn’t stop the offers from coming. I try to let them down easy and well before they are offering to buy drinks, I still get a few even after they know. It’s got a mixture between 1980’s Chinese restaurant vibe mixed with weird hotel steak house-ness and a traditional bar designed for a much bigger location. I dug the chandelliers and the fresh weekly flowers. The fully lined mirrors made the smallishness seem less noticeable. The carpet and décor was red and the dark wooden accents were nice, but the booths were that fake pleather as was the bar pads. The stools were all patched and wobbly, but Matt was an excellent bar tender. Prices were fair, but they lacked some of the classier sprits like Fernet and their beer menu is dive bar ish, no craft. I don’t go to gay bars so I can’t tell if this is a trend in them not being up to speed on craft beers. We are the mecca so knowing their trendiness this was surprising, but I guess this is a dive, gay bar. The crowd is full of characters, mostly locals, but people you can really talk to. It’s an older crowd and apparently gets popping on Fridays when the drags come out. The weird memorial alcove is kind of creepy. I half expect to see portraits of someone’s old dead relatives with flowers and personal effects. When it’s Friday and busy is the best time to come because you’ll probably have more people introduce themselves to you than anywhere/time else. If your new to the city I would actually recommend this. You’ll have a gaggle of new friends within minutes, all willing to show you around. It’s a little hidden if your looking and actually quite unassuming for a bar in general.
Marie D.
Place rating: 2 Sacramento, CA
Gay dive bar. I’ve definitely found better. I just feel like they shoved the gays in a dirty, dank bar to get them out of the main downtown area. Bartender was nice and helpful about telling us about the area, but other than that I wouldn’t be back. Based on other reviews, maybe I just went on the wrong day?
Lisa G.
Place rating: 5 Torrey Hills, San Diego, CA
Love this neighborhood bar with elegant décor, fresh flowers and the bartender Ernesto is HOT
Jonnie D.
Place rating: 5 San Diego, CA
Straight girl pleasantly surprised by a gay bar. What a gem! First off, don’t let the street fool you. A little challenging to find from the street, but once you enter the strange metal door on the street, you will enter a world of glimmering glass chandeliers and beautiful décor. The shape of the bar lends itself to conversing with one’s neighbor and friends alike. Awesome drinks! Wow. Strong and reasonably priced. Bartender Matt is an breath of fresh air! The entire experience made me feel like I was home. Brian is the owner and what a prince. Friendly, funny, adorable, and attentive. I’m in love with a gay man. Didn’t want to leave. They have a pool table, btw. Overall, cool joint.
Hayden T.
Place rating: 5 Oceanside, CA
So this is a question not a review I am what you I guess could call a tranny chaser is this the right place to go if I would like to find a nice good lookin tranny? I have been looking for a place where I can meet them and not worry about who is around oh I’m new to the tranny seen and I am just kinda curious
Andrea T.
Place rating: 5 Lemon Grove, San Diego, CA
This place rocks. Everyone is having a great time. Drinks are strong and cheap. Love the people being themselves and having fun. If the cross dressing and transexuals freak you out GOSOMEWHEREELSE. DUH! I will be going there for a long time.