Park & Rec

Great, casual but stylish bar! Spacious. It’s always a nice surprise when I come here with friends… it’s a big space with multiple, diverse spaces. Live music on weekends without cover, games to play, in door, out door spaces. 2 bars here: 1 inside with long marble table top, and a smaller one outside. Basically whatever ambience you’re feeling, you’ve got it here, with attentive, friendly service. This bar’s got it all! I’ve been here for bday parties, live music, dates, etc… it’s a good place for any size party and space to walk around for fresh air in company you’re not feelin if you know what I mean… Small tables and long stables available.
Every time I come here, I have a good time, whether it’s a busy weekend, or a slow Wednesday like yesterday. If there’s not a concert going on, pick up paddles to play ping pong, shuffle board, bean bag toss, or just hang out with nice people.
The bartenders were super cool. I walked in last night with company, and Mike immediatly greeted us with a smile. Tony, another bartender introduced himself and the other bartender before even taking our order. The cocktails were good (beers also available), but Tony offered to modify them to our taste. We had our drink at the bar, without feeling rushed. In the Wild was playing on TV above us. It has real cool, but classy vibe. A diverse bar attracts diverse patrons from younger people to older folks…
Their happy hour is M-​F 4−6pm, Trivia nights 7pm, Live music on weekends… NO COVER.
If you’re not into it for whatever reason, there’s plenty of other spots on the Park Blvd strip to visit! Street parking.

I love to go here and play corn hole with a group of friends. PBR and a whiskey shot for 2 bucks more is just right after a long work week. The customer service is above average as well, making you want to come back again.

I’m slightly in LOVE with this place. I’ve been there twice in a 7 day period. On a Sunday afternoon to hang out and have a beer in the sunshine while we rode our bikes around town. And Saturday night where we shook our booties off to the DJ with the jams (80 – 90’s style).
They also happen to serve Steigl which I can’t get enough of at the moment. Radler which is their essentially grapefruit malt liquor. Might be the best concoction… ever.
Well maybe there park bench cocktail is the best concoction ever. This is a bourbon drink (possibly don’t quote me on that) with a grapefruit kick. I must be fighting scurvy as I see a theme that I’m in like with grapefruit this season.
I don’t think you can wrong here. It’s a completely chill place day or night. And the DJ was pretty amazing. Solid find.

Stopped by over the weekend for a friends b-​day and had a great time. The staff were so accommodating and friendly! Drinks were delicious too. And there was a full size Connect 4 — AWESOME! Definitely a great place to stop by when you’re out and about with your pals!

We came here on a Friday night after eating at Bahn Thai.
Decent alcohol /​cocktail beer selection. I got the old fashioned and it tasted alright, although it was a bit too sweet compared to the usual ones I’ve had. but no complaints. this ain’t an expensive whiskey bar!
This place gets major points for its atmosphere! Our group was relatively large (about 16 people) and this place was so spacious that everyone was able to converse in a normal volume, without yelling, and have a great time!
Music was pretty good. typical rock.nothing special.
Come here for a good time!

Checked this place out for the first time. It is big with multiple rooms. It kinda has a New Orleans feel to it. When we were there, there was a live music which was not too loud. There is both indoor and outdoor rooms. You can play cornhole among other parlor games. The bartenders were cool and the vibe was chill. Good place for a drink.

I really like this spot.
The staff is chill, they have multiple bars and it seems on weekends they usually have live music. The crowd is a mix of gays, normals and hipsters.
Cheap drinks, cool environment, good spot to go in the heights.

Came back for another try and wanted to get some burgers from Royale… Unfortunately Royale was closed for renovations but we grabbed a few drinks.
This time it was a much better experience. Somehow we always get the cool lounge next to Royale with cheese window… A great area to lounge. We got the Bloodys and it was very good! Totally satisfied my Bloody Mary craving.

They’ve done a really nice job transforming this space into a more modern establishment. I like the vibe. It appears to attract a nice mix of neighborhood folks, but not too much of any one group (sorry y’all but I can only handle so many hipster beards and stashes at one time). I don’t love all of the separate rooms which stayed as is in the remodel, but I will admit that it is nice is some ways. On our visit Friday night, the back room had a band start later in the evening, so for those of us reliving our 80’s memories, this was the place to be. But if you’d rather forgot about that era of music and terrible hair, you can hang out in the front bar, or chill in the outdoor space, perhaps over a game of ping pong. Variety is the spice of life.
We had a couple bourbon drinks, both quite good. Everyone was friendly. It was busy but not crazy crowded. There was a higher than average number of very tall men in the bar. As a tall woman, this is something that I of course always take note of. And the «tall men spottings» are quite rare in San Diego. So I must run and tell my single tall ladies to check this place out real soon!
Good spot, I look forward to another visit, and maybe some day drinking and outdoor games next time.

This place kind of gives off the feeling you’re at a college party while being at a bar at the exact time, it’s weird… but it’s a cool addition to the University Heights area!
Went here on a Friday night with a group of friends. No cover, wasn’t too packed, and there was a live band performing covers of 90s rock and pop music. We didn’t stay too long, but from just admiring the layout of the place and the overall atmosphere, I really liked it! There’s plenty of room to sit down and catch up with friends over a beer or cocktail, there’s a dance floor in the other room, and shuffleboard, darts, and other games you can entertain yourself with.
Cocktails were also on point and reasonably priced. I got the margarita (really strong!), and my roommates got The Slide and See-​Saw, both equally delicious and can get you buzzin! The bartender was also pretty chill to talk to as well.
My friends and I were bar hopping around the area so we didn’t stay too long, but I’d definitely come back to try the other cocktails and maybe even the food too!

Fun, exciting, happening, trendy… drinks upon drinks upon drinks. The fountain of beers, alcohol, and spirits. I ordered the Mudslide, very tasty… it reminds me of a jello pudding pop, but with an extra goody for adults. I accompanied it with a royale with cheese. Music, games, and fun for everyone, over 21 that is! Beware of the rain, there are very few spots to keep dry. Other than that, it was a great visit.

After eating at one of the restaurants nearby, make sure to make your way to Park & Rec! My friends & I came in on a Sunday night & explored the many sections of this bar. Unlike most bars, this bar is spacious and has a few open air areas. There are 2 bars, Shuffle Board, a ping pong area (which we loved!), & plenty of space to just hang out & mingle.
Good selection of local beers & cocktails.
Carousel — Slightly sweet & refreshing.
Customer service was friendly!

This place is really cool. I came in with some girl friends on a Thursday night for my first time and I couldn’t stop saying how cool I thought the place was. The place is pretty big and has many areas that you can go to. Once you enter, you’re inside and at the main bar and on the Thursday night we went, there was a performer singing and he was really good and enjoyable. The other areas within this venue is mostly outside where you can stand around and enjoy people’s company while sipping on your drank. Beers on draft were around $ 6-​$ 8. It’s pretty at night too because they have lit up lights, which sets a nice and chill type of ambience outside.
At the end of the restaurant, there is a tiny little place where you can order food from called «Royale Cheese». I ordered a full order of the tater tots which was around $ 6 and they were AMAZING. I loOoOve tater tots and these ones definitely hit the spot. They were perfectly crispy and delicious. A great snack to complement my IPA! I’m a huge fan of these little food spots and I’m excited to try more of their food whenever I visit Park & Rec.
There’s also some games too that you can play in the venue as well as Ping Pong. Really cool spot to hang out with some friends! I’d come again and would love to try their cocktails.

This is a fun, welcoming bar. The environment is relaxed and fun. There are ping pong tables and shuffleboard (?) and darts. The shift from indoors to courtyard to ‘barn’ is unique. Park & Rec is clean and its bartenders are helpful and knowledgeable. There’s a couple big screen TVs. There is a full bar and a moderate (but quality) list of beers, both bottled and tap.
For part of the night, there was live music by a guitarist.
Will definitely come again.

I really like the atmosphere of this bar and its relationship with the grilled cheese restaurant in the back. The games were fun and interesting to watch! My main criticism is that the drink selection and price is not stellar, especially when it is competing with places like SmallBar where there is a very substantial diversity of interesting beers to taste. I have to say, although this is a fun place to hang out, I was not impressed enough by the drink selection and price to want to return. I think I would prefer to walk a few extra steps and try the larger selection a few doors down.

Same as Giena who I met from the same Unilocal event; I decided to check it out once more more or less because I had won a $ 50 gift card from the Halloween Unilocal event/​raffle. Walking in, we just missed happy hour by 2 hours — which was okay as we wanted to avoid traffic.
The bar was pretty full on a Thursday Night. All the seats at the bar were taken so me and Mr. W had gotten two drinks — me the Pimms cup and him the P&R Old-​fashioned. He was pretty surprised at the taste and said it was quite refreshing. We sat outside for a while before heading back in. They have those heaters outside so it isn’t too cold. Originally was going to grab something for dinner but seeing that there were 2 seats free at the bar, we settled in and just tried out some other drinks. Got the Carousel and I do not remember which drink Mr. W got the second time but do recall it had ginger in it. Might have been the Dos Ojos as it was pretty fizzy. I remember tasting it and it was pretty bitter. Carousel was alright — you could really taste the grapefruit after squeezing it in. The one that topped all of it off was the Slide. Mr W liked it also — and it was our finishing drink. It was like a ice cream milkshake but better with alcohol in it ;)
The only downside was that the bar could not get the tip from the gift card so we had to tip on the side which was not too bad. And eventually got the gift card to drop from $ 50 to approx $ 1. Which had been a goal to do for a while — so goal accomplished!
Their beer selections were approx. $ 4~$ 10 depending on what you got and there is also tax on it. Same for their cocktails.
And for food here — there actually is none. Royale w/​Cheese located in their courtyard is a separate business from Park & Rec which I was surprised to find out. It is quite unique to have 2 businesses within the same location though the sign only claimed Park & Rec on the inside.
Parking is only street parking or you could try the residential areas nearby. Bathrooms located between the bar and the Royale w/​Cheese. Conveniently have TV screens broadcasting the basketball game at the bar and also in the other section (the playhouse I would call it). Would be game to come again.

I had previously checked this place out at a Unilocal event, and decided to come check it out with a few of my friends tonight.
They have happy hour from 4−6pm, with $ 5 drink specials (and some other as well). Their drinks run about 7 – 9 bucks a pop, so happy hour is a great deal. Also, in LOVE with their Pimm’s cup, the Pimms is house made and delicious. Their beer selection– tap and cans, are also reasonably priced.
The menu may be confusing, because there is food there… but you actually have to order it in their courtyard at another window, because it’s a different vendor and not a part of Park & Rec. I believe it’s called, Royale w/​Cheese (?), and they also have a burger with the same name. It’s mainly grilled cheeses, a burger, tots and a salad. They bring your order to you wherever you’re seated at the bar. I wanted to try their vegan royale, but they were out of it. So I tried something else (I forget the name, but it had mustard in it) and my bf got the royale w/​cheese w/​a side of tots that came with sriracha aioli. It was all yummy.
As it was Monday night, we were watching football as well, and they have multiple screens inside and out for you to catch the games.
I want to check it out on a Sunday for their brunch drinks.

Such a fun event here!!! Great drinks (that mud slide!!!). The tater tots and sandwiches were so tasty!!! Great people always at these events!!! Thanks so much for throwing the event! We will definitely go back to this place!
The music was spectacular also!!!

Loved this place. The atmosphere lends for a lot of social activity among patrons. I had to wait at the bar for a little but, but it was fine because all the people around me wanted to chat. It was great meeting new people and everyone was really friendly. I definitely don’t like when I go to a bar and people keep to themselves, I don’t know if this is usual for Park & Rec, but I approve of meeting strangers.
When I asked the bartender to make me a drink according to my tastes but to limit the alcohol, she was happy to oblige. She liked the idea of being creative and didn’t use any hard liquor. I was very happy with what she concocted, a mixture of cucumber, lavender and elderflower in soda. Very delicious. I was grateful that she accommodated my request and still delivered a superior cocktail.
I’m excited to go back to try the food options from Royale with Cheese. Soon… Very soon!

This Great place to relax, unwind, have a few drinks, and play some ping pong! Seriously, I stopped in on a early Friday evening to relax, participate in small talk, and have a few drinks. I ordered a pint of a Fall River Pilsner for $ 6.
The Pilsner was nice. It had a crisp initial feel then finished with a little bitterness and a hint of citrus. The service at the bar was very friendly, but I did not stay there very long, because I took my beer and headed outside to the back patio. There I discovered a large Ping Pong table were a groups was at a heated match, filled with lots of laughter. They also have a Corn Hole game but it was not being used. Inside, they also have a Shuffle Board.
I like the way they had tables and chairs arranged in a communal fashion and a more intimate manner as well. I sat at a communal table where it was not very long I started to participate in friendly small talk with some locals. Outside, you feel like your in someones backyard hanging out having a good time. The patio was well kept and organized. They also have and outside bar, that opens up later in the evening, when it gets busy.
In the end, I enjoyed the couple of cold pints I drank, the atmosphere and set up of the place, and most importantly the great eats from Royal with Cheese who was pumping out burgers that particular evening in the back patio. An experience, I will leave for a future review!
Nice place…