The Go Lounge

The liquor selection is very limited. Just because you are punk rock does not mean you do not need to clean. That being said the owner is a very cool guy I only see this bar getting better. Live local music is a big plus for me wish it was more frequent

I really want to like this place but, they make it too difficult. its so dark in here it gives it a creep vibe. The drink selection is horrible if not laughable. there’s only three of each kind of alcohol., that means not even stoli. I could deal with that because of the fact that they have bands here but, its so inconsistent you’ll never know when one is playing. this place has huge potential but for now if there’s no band on stage I walk right back out the second i arrive.

What can I say I like dive bars! So this one fits the bill for sure…
Right as you walk in there’s a pool table with leopard print then just to the left of that propped up sitting on the red vinyl bench couch is a armless hooker mannequin, pure awesomeness!
The bartenders have always been super friendly… They have a decent selection of beers on tap, bottles and hard liquor. Just beyond the bar out in the back they have a nice semi covered patio area with more vinyl bench seating, make sure to wear pants on a hot summer day otherwise you will be sticking to them! If you’re looking to go out to a solid dive bar or for a make out sesh with an armless hooker mannequin then this is your place!

Kinda dirty, seems a bit shady, not like a cool dive bar vibe, but a basement. It seems less like a bar and more like a house that’s being rented out by a bunch of drunk college dudes. The staff is really nice though, just the building and drink selection needs work.

Hailey and Angela make this place amazing. Great service, great prices, great selection, great people. No complaints. So much love for this place. Take it from a local who gets around, check out Go Lounge! So much fun every time.

Went here for the first time in about 2 years and MAN has it gone downhill quick. This used to be the spot my friends and I would meet at for good times and karaōke, but the place is now literally falling apart. Everything is filthy and all the seats on the patio outside are decomposing. They don’t even have karaōke anymore. Pretty sad to see.

If you are looking for the best place to get a drink in San Diego, search no further. A quintessential dive bar that solidly hits on all of the best defining qualities of a dive bar. Full bar, fantastic local draft beer selection, knowledgable and friendly bartenders, live music (without discrimination-​rock, punk, country, DJs, hip hop, rap, among other genres), great regular crowd, incredible non-​regulars that always return, jukebox, drink specials, excellent interior design, best spacious patio in San Diego… what else could you ask for?
The perfect venue for anyone, whether you come with friends, with a date, by yourself, for a special event, or otherwise. This is a San Diego gem hidden in plain sight. Stop in, you won’t be disappointed.

I was on a first date and I was smitten so I coulda been damn near anywhere and thought it was the bee’s knees (I don’t know what’s up with me and my antiquated phrases today).
The Go Lounge is a dive bar with all of it’s divey atmosphere and on the Monday night that I was there it was pretty quiet. My date and I grabbed cheap drinks from the sociable bartender and made our way to the outside patio area that we had to ourselves. No real complaints at all, just not sure I’d go all the way out to La Mesa on a regular basis…

My friend’s band was playing here one night, so I thought I would check it out. It definitely has a rocker vibe. The regulars were nice and the bartenders are welcoming. One unique thing about this bar is they sell absinthe shots prepared with the sugar cube and fire– kind of cool. My only complaint is the inside of the bar is tiny. The outdoor patio is fairly spacious. I wish the music could have been outside. While this bar might not be for everyone, it definitely was a fun and memorable experience for me.

I’ve been in this place many times now. I keep going because a few friends of mine live walking distance from this bar. We usually go to The Blvd, but sometimes for a change and sometimes to avoid annoying people, we go to The Go Lounge.
Again, I say, I’ve been here many times always dragging my feet. I just don’t like it. The vibe is just off to me, but hey, that’s just me. Not any cause to write a bad review… right? Just my opinion… however…
Proof was Monday when we went to enjoy a celebratory drink with my friend who just got a new job. We sat at a table because all the old guys were spaced out perfectly at the small bar and wouldn’t move down. That’s okay, there’s tables and comfy booths. We all had a beer and a shot. There were five of us. We talked, laughed, drank, and watched a bartender named Daisy do 6 shots of Crown Royal with the men at the end of the bar in the matter of one hour. Damn, girl! She’s the only one on shift, no other employee is there. Wow, that’s a lot to drink for one little girl. She talked to the men at the end who were buying her shots and she pretty much ignored everyone else.
Now…I realize more than most that table service is annoying for bartenders. BUT!!! If there are five people at the bar drinking slowly and five people all laughing and happy at a table, (half of your bar is at the damn table…) then COME OVER to us and at least ASK us if we want another round. Five beers and five top shelf shots!?! You don’t want our money? Or… a tip? I’d have tipped her ten bucks if she would’ve brought us something, anything! I’d have even relayed the drinks from the bar to the table for the rest of my group! She just needed to freakin’ acknowledge our existence!
Drinking behind the bar is ILLEGAL and something bad IS going to happen. How do I know? My friend’s car was stolen from outside the Go Lounge a few weeks ago when she was responsible and did not drink and drive but rather left her car in the parking lot. Went back at 6am (six hours later) to pick it up and it was gone. There is shady business going on El Cajon Blvd, you need to be alert and able to help rectify a situation if it occurs. This ain’t La Jolla, honey.
A drunk employee is a careless sloppy employee.
Everyone I was with was very upset and we opted to get some bottles and head back to my friend’s house to finish out the night.
I LOVE meeting bartenders, conversing, commiserating, getting to know them for next time. This girl won’t ever remember anyone’s drink let alone their name as long as she’s drunk on whiskey.
Mackenzie, wherever you went, you were the only one that saved this place for me. You’re a good responsible bartender.

I stopped by here with a girl friend on a Friday night a few weeks ago because a band I liked were there. We arrived about 9:30 and they were playing. There weren’t many people there, and I felt bad about it, but I didn’t want to stay because it’s a dump. Not, I’m sure, the «hipster dive» they are trying for, but anything you have to try for, especially that, should be avoided. It was just tiny and dumpy and cold. I didn’t try a drink. Maybe with the right person and after other drinks it would be ok, or maybe in the afternoon, but I doubt I’ll be going back unless it’s to support a band and I’m in the mood. I’m fed up with places that just don’t what they look or smell like, don’t clean, and try to pass it off as a «dive bar». A real dive bar is one that is a hole in the wall frequented like old men who have been going there since they were young, which is still in it’s original ‘50s or ‘60s décor (or even ‘70s! but you never see that), a dive bar would not have a band– maybe a jukebox with 45s in it, and you find the place by accident because it is not on the hipster list or reviewed in City Beat.
The Go Lounge quite far east down El Cajon; almost La Mesa. Plenty of free street parking there anyway.

Awesome little secret nook in La Mesa.
Cheap drinks, great people, live music, and a beautiful woman in the back room who apparently is taken by everyman in the bar.
I would recommend this place for anyone who is just looking for a low key place to grab a drink and play some pool. Also great for aspiring musicians to play a cozy little show in front of as many people that can fit in there.

Once Upon a Time, my cousin and I were driving around Lame Mesa and its surrounds looking for a beverage. We went to Shenanigans — CLOSED (it was early), we went to Wongs had drink, went to the Boulevard and had a drink, but I wasnt feeling any of them that day. Something about needing the right setting for an afternoon drink. So my cousin had found some bar on his phone and we went to check it out. We were driving trying to find it when we passed the go lounge. THAT LOOKS CUTE i said. So we backed up practically a whole city block and went in.
What a find! Its little, its dark and has a jukebox and full bar. AND a lil stage. The owner, Marcus, was serving the drinks that day and we got to talking to him — super nice guy. Subsequent times, I’ve gone and have found all the bartenders to be friendly and cool. AND they have a crazy great happy hour and an after happy hours happy hour on Tuesdays.
Maybe youre like me and you like sweet dive bars — if so, check it out. And dont forget to ask to meet Lola (you wont be sorry!)

Dark corners — check
Pool table — check
Jukebox — check
The Go Lounge met all of my criteria for a solid Friday evening dive bar experience. I guess we were too early that night (930pm) since no one was really there and the scheduled DJ was no where to be found. Which worked out in our favor as we happily watched ESPN on mute and listened to 90’s rock. We had good beers and later witnessed the progression of a college-​age looking kid drink himself into an early bedtime.
Friendly bartenders and low-​key vibe!

I like this little place. Don’t think you could possibly find anywhere littler though, Fire-Marshall’s sign says capacity 48!
I’ve never seen such a cheap happy hour, $ 3 pints for even the premium beers, that’s impressive.
Surprisingly large partially-​covered patio, pretty sure it’s bigger than the interior, with red-​vinyl booths that look like they’re salvaged from a cheesy restaurant, but it works well.
Cool music with a kind of retro-​British-​punk leaning to some of the décor.

Drinks are cheap especially during happy hour and $ 2 You-​Call-​Its on Tuesday nights 9 – 11. All the bartenders are amazing and friendly. Free Live Music and DJ. Great place to have a themed party or any party for that matter and you can request Karaōke for a party. Lots of regulars, including me, so everyone either knows each other or makes you feel welcomed. Awesome décor and huge back patio to hang out at with a projector for Free Monday night movies. They do special events at least once a month so check them out on Facebook, they always keep people up to date on there. Don’t forget to say Hi to Lola.

What a gem! The only bar in the neighborhood to have a successful re-​do that truly improved on an establishment, and still keep it’s customer base. No pretentious staff here, just honest good service, with good prices.
There’s always some new and creative special going on, and unique items you won’t find in this neck of the woods (like black cherries). It’s hard to make a dive seem classy, but they’ve managed to pull it off, with out shoving it down your throat.
Lola is cool, and always prepared to take a picture with you… she’ll never snub you unless you steal her wig, then you deserve what you get.
I’d give it a five save for that the tap selection is small, no wi-​fi, and they have no food. But they certainly make up for the tap selection with the liquor choices… just so happens that I’m a preferred beer drinker that likes to have a food choice when I’m on a marathon drinking session and wi-​fi access if I choose to take my work with me. But lacking those factors does not in anyway take away from my experience (I’m just a particular broad).
One of the few places I’ve come to that I have zero negatives things to say!

So glad I found this place… like literally! Its really hard to find because it looks dark and vacant from the outside so its easy to drive right past it! Once you’re inside tho, you feel like you’ve stepped into a downtown gem, minus the pretentious attitudes and overpriced drinks. Its a cool little place to chill, the people are friendly and from all walks of life… the décor is funky, the patio is awesome and the music is great! Is there such a thing as an upscale neighborhood dive bar? Apparently so…

Cute place. Say hi to Lola. Come out on a Thursday for open mic. Say hi. Everyone is your friend here.

This place is great!