Norm’s Cocktails

A tad overpriced for a dive, where rotgut house mixed drinks go for $ 4.50 during those hours when other bars are offering happy specials.
That said, the patrons were nice, barkeep was quick and funny, and the place has charm and decent TVs for sports.

This is the hole in the wall of all holes in the wall. The ambience is decent, beer selection mediocre and the regulars are just that… Always there. They are a friendly bunch though. Go here if you want a quick and cheap beer.

Have been here a number of times over the years was a great bar. Went in today smells like a sewer terrible gagging stench. Had a beer and gulped it down had to leave

One of the few remaining true dives.
Love the bleachers and marine décor.
Only big downfall is the weak beer tap selection.
Get some ipa’s get 5 stars.

Nice bar, if you’re a local, this is good hand.
Just stop in for a cold one.
Look for Erika or Chino. Best bartender in town.

Exactly what a dive should be. Norms is the place I unwind after work, the patrons are really nice (some more interesting then others) and two of the coolest bartenders with chino and Erika work here.

After working night shift this is chill bar to stop by for some Post work cocktails at 0730 am. —(don’t judge! 12.5 hours is a long time!).
Jay is awesome ! Has my Jameson and ginger beer ready before I order it!

Show up with a couple girls. Literally nine dudes. They won’t take out card without a ten dollar charge. Order a shot. Bartender says he doesn’t want to pour me a shot. I tell the woman to shave his beard. He throws the beers we have. Get our card back. Bar decides they want to fight me. I’m crow hopping down the street against probably 7 dudes. After I decide I can take the first two, they pansy out and go back to their hell hole. Place is filthy and full of washed up loser old men. Hope it shuts down.

I use to go here at least once a week back when I lived in the area and it was always a good time. It’s just what you would expect
from a dive bar I hadn’t gone for a couple years after moving and decided to check it out. Sadly, it wasn’t the same Norms… they should change their name to The Bar Formerly Known as Norms. The crowd, bar tenders, entire ambiance changed. I guess that’s just how it goes sometimes.

wednesday evening: awesome female bartender ~ Megan? I think
:)
Like it here and love that they open at 6am
Very helpful when I was calling to try and find my phone

Stopped by with friends for a few after dinner drinks last night.
Misty, the sweetie behind the bar, was doing a great job keeping the regulars happy. And the regulars were happy…
They were a good mix of folks enjoying some excellent juke box selections. More than a few of the locals stopped by our table to say hello and talk.
One pool table (fitty cents a game).
Just a cool little hang out.

Norms cocktails, the place where you will see at least 3 bald guys with ponytails every time you go. It’s a cool place to come hang out and get a mason jar of beer for 5 $.

Was at norms about 2 months ago and received horrible service from a bartender named Kelly who tried to sell me a beer that she opened for someone else for cheaper I was offended by this and told her she was wrong for trying to sell me a beer that was already opened an argument then pursued and Kelly called me an asshole in front of other customers the owners daughter was also there her name was Kim and she runs from the back of the bar and tells me to leave. I tried to explain to Kim that Kelly I was trying to sell me a beer that was already opened and Kim did not even care to listen to her paying customer. Now I only live about a block away from norms so I would consider myself a regular customer and I’ve been there on many occasions when Kelly was the bartender there and every time I always left her a tip. I felt very disrespected that night Kim threatened to call the police which she did because I refused to leave when she did not want to listen to my complaint. She then I called the police and told them that I drank 3 beers when I had a receipt showing that I purchased only one beer that I was still drinking. So Kim completely lied to make it seem like I was a drunk customer which I feel was completely unprofessional. There are plenty of other cool bars in La Mesa where the owners and bartenders actually take the time to listen to their customers and do the right thing for their customers and not disrespect their customers and treat their customers like human beings. Don’t waste your time or your money at norms.

Pretttttty random that I ended up here yesterday. I don’t typically go out for drinks because 1) I like to stay pretty healthy 2) Booze sometimes makes me sick 3) It doesn’t taste very good and 4) it’s expensive ($ 9 for a drink? I can buy a box of carne fries). But I ended up here because my friends wanted to go out somewhere and drink and I was just kind of dragged along. They couldn’t think of a place… so apparently we ended up at Norms because it was already 1130pm and I wanted to go to sleep (I’m old, whatever) and so they compromised with me and choose Norm’s which was just around the corner.
Apparently this is a local old dive bar for the neighbors in the area. It was empty as I expected but for my guy friends… booze is booze. I had a simple bay breeze and I could tolerate it. simple. The bartender was awesome and was very funny. Decent dive bar for the local neighborhood if you just want a drink without the boughy trendy sh! t.

The term «5 Star Dive Bar» has been coined by another establishment, but Norm’s easily earns a 5 star review. Been frequently visiting this place for years, and EVERY time is a good time.
It all starts with the bartenders. All of them are attractive, efficient, and they know what good customer service means. No, it does not mean heavy pouring — it means checking up on their customers, remembering their names, making sure they are happy with their drinks, and getting the drinks out FAST. This is the first step to making a customer feel welcomed.
The next best thing at Norm’s are the regulars. This is a highly inclusive group, surprisingly welcoming each and every time. As some of the other reviews have stated, there is an older group of people, but they are feisty and always ready to share a good joke. I think the regulars here help this place strike a balance between chill, but interesting and fun.
The bar itself is great — large windows in the front and side let in lots of natural light. The bathrooms are clean. The jukebox is state of the art, and they play at a good level — you can definitely hear the music, but you don’t have to shout at each other during a conversation. Except maybe on Thursday nights — it was pretty crowded during our last visit. But again, friendly faces all around.
Prices here are fair — $ 11 per pitcher for domestics, $ 3 pints, and $ 4.50 for cocktails. But as I noted above, I am happy to pay these prices for the competent customer service and relaxing vibe.
I wish we lived closer to this little gem. Every time I leave I have a warm feeling in my heart for this bar. Thanks, Norm’s!

Unfortunately one of the best bartenders is gone. Still a decent place, not sure if I’ll visit as often… especially since the tender is a HUGE part of enjoying a bar… wish you luck Norms…

Well well well… I work the graveyard shift and even though it’s only 7:30 in the morning when I get off, it’s still the end of my «night». That’s when Norm’s comes into play. It’s the only nearby bar I’ve found that opens at 6am and welcomes the night crew and other inhabitants of the early hours. The drinks are good, and strong, and the company more than satisfactory. Thanks for being open Norm’s, see ya another morning!

Fun dive bar, about a dozen beers on tap, and a big selection of liquor. It’s not too crazy of a place, but usually good company to be found. The bartenders here are great, never had bad service once. They run a pool tournament every Thursday at 8. Speaking of pool its only $.50, pretty cheap by San Diego standards. Music is via a jukebox with the internet download search available. Overall, a great place to stop in and have a few without spending the big bucks you would downtown.

Ah, Norm’s… the only nearby bar that’s open when I leave my job at 7 a.m. I’ve never been at night, so my review is based solely on the early morning crowd, but I have nothing bad to say.
Norm’s is a dive bar, and it’s everything that a dive bar should be. If, like a certain other reviewer, you think this means that all its patrons have no teeth and only pay with coins, you’d be best served to not show up here in the first place. If, like me, you enjoy a nice cheap drink, friendly service, and lots of local «color», then stop on by. At 7:30 or so, if you please…
Jay is the best, he always makes me laugh and is generous with the beverage dispensing responsibility that has been entrusted to him. Also, the whisky selection is acceptable and reasonably priced, as it should be at a dive bar. The beer selection is limited, but that’s to be expected, and it’s better than most other dives.
If all that weren’t enough… ice in the urinals! What happened to this trick, and why is Norm’s the only place to continue it’s glorious tradition? The anticipation of watching the frozen mountains crumble upon themselves and melt away beneath a steady stream of my (sometimes asparagus scented) used beer is enough to keep me coming back all by itself.

If you don’t have teeth, a life, a home, pay with all coins and don’t mind drinking out of cans then recycling them to get more crappy beer ~ THIS PLACE IS FOR YOU!!!
I would of never had gone here but my friend got a gig behind the bar for a few weeks. It was so awful she moved to Minnesota!
I don’t think Mr Belvedere resides here, I was too fascinated by the locals to notice…
ho’ lawdy no holla~