Star Bar

You have to appreciate a dive bar. On vacation happened to stop here right behind the nbc building and a cross from Hortons shopping center. Very friendly bartender, quick and excellent service. 6 $ Hawaiian Moscow mule, had two to start the day! Smoking and capping outside big clean bathrooms and lots of locals. If you just want a quick drink, great fun place but not a destination by any means and you have to appreciate a bar crowd to go here. No drink menu, trust your bartender or have something down n dirty.

the OG aunties keep this bar on and crackin. the male bartender needs to pay attention to his customers. And another thing people need to stop pissing on the floor. I’m slap somebody next time I slip on fall in the bathroom.

This place is great! The bartenders are always friendly and the drink are always cheap! Its a great place to pre-​game before the clubs or the spot to wind-​down after the clubs.

Well, the service was decent. The prices were okay, but labeling this place as a dive bar might be a little too generous. So far, other than the one song I’ve played on the jukebox, we’ve heard nothing but top 40 hip hop songs and watched the gentleman in the flat billed cap C-​walk in the corner alone. Game over. You can do better.

«It’s like like this: you’re married to a Harvard graduate super model, right, but every once in awhile you want some really nasty girl in cheap heels with a really trashy Queens accent who chews gum. You know, like a girl who has to pull the gum out of her mouth before she puts your manhood in.» — Bourdain
Star Bar, you are San Diego’s cheap whore. And this is why we love you. Every time I walk through your doors I’m confident I’ll wake up the next morning on a rarely-​vacuumed carpet somewhere with dusty cat hair in my mouth. You’ve never let me down when I needed a good stiff Jack n Coke on the cheap with the slummers and cougars orbiting the fresh raw meat. I sleep better at night knowing you’re out there, even if I have to get a little dirty to enjoy you.

This is a pretty cool bar to check out if you are downtown San Diego. I would say I’ve been here several times now when bar hopping with my friends.
It’s a little narrowly designed but there is still room to the back where the pool tables are. Definitely a good place to socialize, drink and hang out. The price isn’t too bad either. Along with a nice selection of alcohol to choose from.

Dive dive dive bar! It’s dark place with cheap drinks with asian bartenders, what more can you ask for? Great spot to start the night out at or go while you’re trying to kill some time. There are two bars on each side on a large «hallway» with a pool table in the back. They have a juke box that you can put $$ in to request songs but I would prefer if they would just play music without us having to pay for it. Drinks are okay but CHEAP and get the job done, definitely a different mix of people that come and go here. We are regulars here for sure!

A dive bar for sure but cool staff. Beer is good. Definitely a local crowd.

Best Dive bar in Downtown! Cheap beers and a solid pour but you may get stuck to the sticky bar itself. Kinda grosses you out but Hey! Cheap beer!

Cons
No A/​C
The place got busy and the prices were good for a dive bar. However, not did not seem like a place to really meet other people. Most people came in huge groups.

Great watering hole. I have to say I love dive bars and this is a great one.
Great drinks, prices and service. Also a great location in DT SD.

Out of all the years I have partied in Downtown, this joint has the cheapest drinks! The bartender who made may Goose and Red Bull made it pretty stiff! Each sip brought back memories of times where I have had way too much Goose and got hella loose –any ways, its a great place to either start your night or get charged up during your night. –And did I mention that their drinks are cheap and stiff? Just that alone is a strong selling point! Cheers!

Just like you set you set your computer to your default browser or search engine, I’ve set Star Bar as the default bar to visit when I’m in Gaslamp. It doesn’t matter when, early or late, I’ll have no objections to going. Yes, It’s a dive and there’s not a whole lot going on inside, but I’ve been in a lot worse. I’d rather be sitting at a stool in the bar and able to converse with my companions, rather than be pressed up against someone or unable to move in a club where I’m paying double for drinks.
There is wide range of clientele and I’ve conversed and even taken photos with some interesting people. There are young and old Filipina bartenders that do well handling the volume and are funny, but they won’t take any crap if you give it to them. The jukebox or pool table can add to your entertainment value while enjoy your cheap drink. Any trip to Gaslamp for me won’t be complete without a stop to Star Bar.

Maybe I’m getting old… maybe I’m getting nostalgic… I don’t know but I loved the old Star Bar I visited 10 years ago. Back then it really looked like a Southeast Asian Dive/​Sailor bar, where the bar servers would have a shot with the patrons, where old sailors hung out to have some drinks and where you could drink for cheap.
Now, it just looks like an old bar. Gone are the strings of red lights and the year round Christmas tinsel. There’s still a few old sailors hanging out, but it’s mostly full of folks pre-​gaming before heading out to the clubs. Lots of Bros, sometimes some woo girls, but at least the drinks are still on the cheap side.
Service is sweet. Not a place for foofee drinks. Beer, simple cocktails and shots. Oh and no Chicharron snacks? Only Sun Chips? What the Hell.

5 stars if you manage your expectations! This is a dive bar! But it’s awesome. What’s so awesome about it? First, it’s been here forever, since the rough-​and-​tumble days of downtown San Diego, and it looks like it. Second, It’s dirt cheap compared to everywhere else in the Gaslamp, and there’s a sticker with a price on every bottle, which is kinda weird.
It’s also off of the beaten path of 5^th Ave, so you get a breather from the crowd. The floors are plywood, so if you spill something, or someone vomits, not a problem! And finally, the same two Filipino aunties have been working the bar since I can remember some 8 years ago. There’s also a single pool table in the back, if you’re interested. I’ve begun and/​or ended many a night here!

I have been here before to close the night, was too faded, forgot to checkin, so I didn’t write a review. But this time I started the night here, and my opinion was the same: This is a great dive bar!!! Star Bar is on E Street & 4^th in the Gaslamp.
One of the best things about this bar is the cheap drinks: Stella, Heineken, and most other beers are $ 4. Top shelf liquor is about $ 5.50 (and that is after a price raise): 5 Stars. In addition, the service is really good. We started w/​an older lady serving us, and ended up w/​Rachel (my sister from another mister) serving us. Rachel is from Mid-​City on O’ahu (the area between UH and Aloha Stadium, and she is hawt!). To top it off, we are shoulder piece and half sleeve tattoo twinsies!!!: 5 Stars.
The only downside is the ambiance, but what do you expect for a dive bar. There are two long bars on both sides, TVs, and a pool table in back. The mens restroom is pretty nasty: 3 Stars.
Star Bar is definitely on my rotation when I hit the Gaslamp. Its prolly better to start the night here, because there is a line late night. Who wants to wait in line for a dive bar!!!

Looking for a place in downtown to pregame beforehand? Star Bar is your place!
My friends & I went here on a Friday night before AD Nightclub. There was a line to get in but it went fast & there is NO COVER. I have not been here for 3 years & I was pleased to hear that they take credit cards now. The bartenders (Aunties) are attentive, funny, & are generous with the liquor. I paid $ 33 for 4 drinks which is a steal & if you are ordering a Red Bull & Vodka, know that they serve different kinds of Vodka. If you fancy a game of pool, they have a pool table available. Overall, good place for inexpensive drinks & old school beats!

Oh Star Bar…
that ONE place that you have to stop by whether it be to…
1. Start your night here. Prefade/​Pregame here first because cheap drinks.
2. Stop by here somewhere in between bar hopping or club hopping for cheap drinks.
3. End your night here and get more wasted because cheap drinks.
PROS:
1. No cover
2. Cheap drinks.
3. Pool table
4. Separate gender bathrooms
5. Bar machine games
6. Nice auntie bartenders who actually pay attention to you.
7. Good place to chill
CONS:
1. Very limited seating because it gets pretty crowded
2. Very long narrow bar walkway.
3. Music is ok. Lots of oldschool stuff.

Star Bar is a really fun ambience. I watched the GB vs SEA game here and it was fun while having good beers.
They have Boddingtons on tap which is really hard to come by,
The bouncer opposed to everybody elses opinion was actually doing his job checking ids at entrances and making sure everything was in order. Bartenders are great and you make automatic friends with the clients that have been coming here for years. Deff my new go to bar.

Ok ok this place doesn’t suck ass that bad…
It only suck ass because the bouncers are idiots. Place wasn’t even full and they made us wait in line for awhile. We got in and were like…“uhh seriously?! Where’s everybody?“
I was with 2 Filipino girls and I guess this is a Filipino bar. Just the basics and cheap drinks. The bar back (we called him Kuya (brother)) was nice, we had some funny good conversations with him. The other girl bartenders were busy.
2 shots of Patron and 1 midori pineapple…$ 14! LOL. Crazy cheap. That being sad, we predrank here before heading out to other downtown places. Terrible idea because we drank one to many…

I’m not a person who frequents dive bars often but I was brought here last week with some friends and it’s a great spot, strong drinks, inexpensive and it has a good atmosphere.
It’s actually a good starting point which was exactly what we did before going to Basement across the street where the cocktails are $ 14 a piece. A lot of people like being in the downtown atmosphere but don’t want to be at all the fancy bars and clubs so this is a great spot for that person or for anyone who wants to get liquored up for a little cost!

THEY NOW ACCEPT CARDS!!! ($ 10 min though)
Dirty cheap drinks right smack dab in the middle of downtown. This is as divey as you can get in terms of dive bars. No fancy décor, EDM, fancy cocktails, or young people (depending on the night) but who cares. $ 6 mixed drinks is the only reason I come.
This is a great place to get the night started if you are downtown. This place does get packed with people having the same idea before heading out to the clubs. Crowd can be a bit older… and I mean real old but just go have a good time!

Classic dive including good top 40 music and pool table. Try the rubber ducky and Chocolate cake mixed drinks!
Drinks were cheap. It’s NOT CASH only any more!