Belly Up Tavern

Awesome! Fish tacos are to live for and everything we ordered is DELICIOUS! Eat here!

This place is an awesome venue for live performances! They put on great shows and it’s just a great bar overall. It can get packed so come with good vibes!
The main reason I’m writing this is because I had an awesome customer service experience last night. I had a little issue with reserved seats I purchased a few days ago (for a future event) and Precious, one of the managers, took my call and fixed the issue. She was super sweet and honest. When other people will BS you on an excuse she was straight up and I just really appreciated her honesty and sweet ass personality.
Tip: if you think it might be packed for an event or holiday, etc… wear less clothes! It can get super hot and sweaty when it’s packed and you’re dancing your tushy off!

What happened to the sound quality. Tonight was total garbage. Whoever was running sound needs to be replaced. When I leave half way through one of my favorite bands because I can’t listen to the band due to the garbage sound you have a problem.

Well
I liked the venue, went to see one of my favorite bands. LOCAL H. Lead singer was a complete and total asshole. I shouldn’t have expected much more for the crowd. But over all, don’t waste
Your time for a shit band that has been a shit band since the 90’s. No artist that is that rude to any of their fans is not worth any waste of money. I finally understand why this band never went anywhere. LOCAL H TREATS THEIR FANS LIKE SHIT. That’s why they are shit. Sorry belly up. I hope you never invite a band that acts that way towards their fans. I’ll never feel the same way about that band.
What a damn shame.

Security is rude and overly eager to get in your face, quite aggressively. Not sure why they stamp hands if there is no re-​entry allowed. But when I pointed out that this was not the best way to retain customers, I was told «fine, don’t come back then.» This place needs to get with the times and quit acting like people don’t have other alternatives.

My favorite venue in all of San Diego!
The Belly Up has been around since the early 70’s, and has changed just a little bit over the years (I obviously wasn’t going to it when it first opened, but I have been going to it for many years!).
They used to have a pool table and a few video games, in the days when it was more of a hangout for locals, and less about high-​profile concerts. They still have some of the old autographs on the walls, including Soupy Sales (you may have to Google that one if you didn’t watch vintage comedy as a kid like I did…).
The best venue because it has a lot going for it: free parking, good food from their restaurant that’s up front, actual seating if you want it, and a small venue for good viewing. You may pay more for a ticket, because of artist’s minimum guarantees, but seeing them up close is almost always worth it.
I can’t even keep track of all the acts I’ve seen here over the years. Ranging from Howard Jones, Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright, the Dead Milkmen, the Reverend Horton Heat, Cowboy Mouth, the Marley’s, OK GO, the Punch Brothers. There’s tons more, but it shows how eclectic the selection can be.
And I’m looking forward to CeeLo and Squeeze coming up soon!

One of the best venues we’ve attended in recent memory. The sound was fking fabulous, the drinks were just strong enough, the vibes were rad, and the place is beautiful.
This is what a well-​run club is like. I was happy to spend my money here.

Belly up is such a fun venue! I saw Atomic Groove on Friday. They are great! Happy hour is from 5:30−8. They cover disco songs and are so fun to watch and dance to.
I also saw Tower of Power here and it was a blast. You can order food from the restaurant next door, which is very convenient:)

Really cool venue, it sounds really good in here too.
Full bar, and yes it can get really crowded, that is part of all the fun! There are some tables and also general admission standing. There is premium seating upstairs for extra $$.
Saw «the ann wilson thing» here, was a killer show.

The Belly Up is a fantastic place to catch a show in San Diego… It is a nice intimate setting, small, but not too small. I like being close to the bands and I’m glad for a smaller venue that they have lots of stalls in the restroom. If you want to have a seat for the show you either need to pay extra for a seat in the loft or get there super early so you can claim one of the few seats below. Parking can also be a little hard to find depending on what day of the week it is. You can always grab a beer before the show at Culture Brewing Co at the end of the block, but they have a nice bar here too.

I love the Belly Up! It is a nice, intimate experience, the crowd is always great, the venue is small but not too small. I prefer this type of venue to the giant venues where you get lost in the crowd and the perfomers look like ants because you are so far away.
The bar staff/​waitresses are always nice, the beer selection is good, parking can be a bit on the difficult depending on the night of the show.

The 2016 Unilocal 500, Review #027:
Great venue. Got to the show an hour late… still there was plenty of good music to be heard (we had only missed 9 of the 21 songs on the set list). I found this place to be spacious for the Valentine’s Day Oingo Boingo fans that gathered to see the amazing tribute band Dead Man’s Party.
Since we had recently had dinner, I didn’t inquire if food was available and I can’t recall getting anything to drink or even using the rest room. I was sober (since 1985) but, this was a first date scenario with roots reaching back to July 2011, when we met on the Dead Man’s Party Facebook group.
I will say that I would most definitely return. even if I based that statement off the acoustics. The sound quality was just that good.
Parking was in a lot a short walk down the street and toward the back of the building.. best part it was free.

So the truth has a way of coming out. Yes, guilty for as much as I travel, eat, listen to music, and review… last night was my first time at the Belly Up in Solana Beach.
Came here to see a live show, you might have heard of him… Johhny Marr.
I love the location, easy to park, building is intimate for the events yet… holds a sleu of people.
We came half an hour before the show started and scored a killer spot in front of the band.
I really appreciate how the speakers hang from the ceiling. In that they are not placed right in front of the fans.
The bathrooms through the show were well stocked and clean. I did not sample food nor drink, perhaps at the next show.

I’ve always heard about this place but never went until now…
We came here to see Black Tiger Sex Machine!
PROS:
1. There were tons of street parking when we arrived (right around 9pm), we practically parked in front of the tavern. I did notice some private parking lots next door but not sure if that was a shared parking lot with Under Belly or not.
2. Entrance was easy. There is one guy who scans your tickets and checks your ID. Yes you can show your tickets on your phone.
3. They say they have three bars but I only noticed two bars that night. Not only did we order drinks from the bar, but a waitress was constantly going around getting orders too so we didn’t even have to leave our seat!
4. Drink prices are normal priced. Beers are around $ 7 and cocktails around $ 12, etc etc.
5. There’s so many places to sit! It’s amazing. One of the things I can appreciate most is a place to sit when you’re tired from dancing. And they have plenty of it. And you can’t go wrong with the view no matter where you sit.
6. They have a pretty big dance floor for a tavern, which is also great.
7. They have a very up close, personal and intimate stage! The artists are super close to you, and most of them will come out onto the dance floor and greet you!
8. The special lighting effects is pretty good too for a tavern set up as well. You really get that concert feeling, with smoke machine and everything! lol.
9. Sound and speakers are loud and clear!
10. They have a HUGE smoking area in the back, the biggest I’ve ever seen anywhere. And it’s right next to the train tracks!
11. Admission tickets are generally really cheap here as well. It can be anywhere between $ 12-​$ 25 only. Which is a steal!
Overall, this is a great venue to see some of your favorite artists! It wasn’t crowded at all when we went, but I’m pretty sure it does get packed for even bigger artist names. I had an awesome time and would definitely love to come back!

Belly Up is a hole in the wall venue, blink while you’re driving by and you’ll miss it. Parking for the venue is either on the street (3 hours only 9a-​5p). There’s a parking lot to the right of the venue but it’s 4 hours only. I was here this past Saturday to see Nick Carter (yeah, THAT Nick Carter) on his All American tour. Did the whole VIP experience and then saw the show that evening.
VIP concert goers were allowed into the venue first, with the line forming on the inside through Belly Up’s restaurant. The interior looks small at first but looks are deceiving because you can pack some serious people inside. There are some bar tables along the side and then some seating upstairs, but otherwise it’s standing room only. Of course, Nick’s girls wanted to be plastered up against the stage, so tables and chairs were left to friends and significant others that were dragged to the show.
The lighting and acoustics were good. The show was intimate and AMAZING. Nick is an angel in white boy’s clothing, I love him, there was nothing wrong with him or his show. The standing room in front of the stage was well ventilated with fans blowing cool air over the hyped up fans, very thankful for that.
The Belly Up staff appeared on top of things and were nice for the most part. There was a fella that was working security there that barely looked legal and was obviously trying to show us who was in charge. VIP concert goers were in no way rowdy, but he was acting like we were all of a sudden gonna rush them and so he continued to wave his invisible baton around and make unnecessary comments.
It appeared that there wasn’t an area for guests of the artist/​act to watch the show undisturbed. I think Nick’s wife was there and peeked out from behind the curtain backstage but had no where to sit down. I might be wrong about this though.
Had a decent experience overall and I’d happily come back for other shows.

Great location for a local’s concert venue. Really a good place to catch a show, dance, and put back a couple drinks.
Parking can be a tough in this little town, but walk a block or two and you’ll be just fine.
Free coat check, which makes a Winter visit nice.

I love this venue. I saw Odesza here and loved every moment of it. It’s not extremely huge, but a good enough size and more intimate. The place is very clean and well kept and the sound system and visuals and lights they incorporate into the performances are really well done here as well. There’s also bars in the venue, so you can buy drinks here. If any of my favorite artists were to play here, I feel like them performing at this venue would simply make me love them even more because you’re just so close to them and everything about this venue is great. It’s a bit far and in a random more beachy area in Solana Beach and parking can be a bit tough, but it’s worth coming to for sure.

Only been here once back in 1998 when I saw Raekwon from The Wu-​Tang Clan. This was my first concert so Belly Up will always be special to me. I had a great time here yes there was security but a few people brought in Bob Marley. It seemed like it was no big deal so that was different and seeing how this was my first concert I just went with flow. I haven’t been to Belly Up since so maybe I’ll go back to enjoy myself.

Concert canceled, no signage, just dark. Not even on website. Actually, the Casbah had a note, but not these asshats

Honey honey and JD McPherson tonight. Amazing music and a lot of drunk hipsters who are incredibly dedicated and loyal fans that dance in very big circles when they are entoxicated.
The bands totally killed it tonight and the crowd was almost more entertaining to watch. Lots of guys with beards and mustaches in denim and vests. Definitely a night to remember and stoked to have been at the end of the tour road for two incredible bands. MUST GET HONEYHONEY ALBUMS.

This is a SD weekend must do. Best happy hour hang out for the locals and visitors. Bring yourself back in time with the fab music and super fun atmosphere. Small cover charge is worth it. Go early if you want to secure a table. Bring your comfortable dancing shoes because I guarantee you will be on the floor jumping and dancing like you were a teen again. So much fun!

This is the premier music venue in all of San Diego for medium sized touring bands. The small club vibe with a great history and years of building the right lighting and sound. Been coming for 20 years and will come 20 more.

Small venue — — - but great atmosphere. My friends and I usually come here to see some of our favorite artists that come into town that are playing here. If you want to get a table down in the main area, make sure to get there super early because they have limited seating for any concerts that they have (that’s the only downside)

I absolutely loved it here. I have been to many music venues in my time, and this one takes top prize. It is just a really open layout, where it seems like every seat has a direct view. The sound is great. I can’t vouch for the drinks, since I didn’t drink when I was there, but the bar is super spiffy, and I’m sure they have great beer. Come to the area before 6 pm, and you can shop in the nearby shops, all of which are hip and a little off-​beat. I especially liked the one across the street that has 101 little booths, many with handmade things for sale. I’m sure I’ll be back here again in the future. Driving down here from Orange County really wasn’t so tough.

Having a no in and out policy is complete crap! If you have your ticket you should be able to take stuff to your car and return to the venue. I will never want to see another show with a policy like that all they are doing is creating bad times not good. Other places let you have in and out with tickets and wrist bands.

Love love love this venue. Every show has been unreal. The sound quality is fantastic, they serve food, and it’s small. Parking isn’t an issue if you go to an evening show (past 7:00pm), if going before that it can be a little hard to find parking. Staff is friendly and helpful, they don’t try to act like they are too cool to talk to you. I recommend hitting the bar on the other side of Coast Hwy called the Saddle Bar if you are trying to hold off on going inside for the opening act.

Wow 20 plus minutes in a reserved table upstairs and still no service. Wow. Why did we even buy the most expensive tickets? Not sure if
Management even cares. The guy upstairs guarding the upstairs said they are short staffed. Interesting way they do business here.
Hope the beetles band are good!
9pm update– drink in hand 42 minutes later. Band is great! Just not sure why this place can’t figure out the service piece. It’s kind of a big deal the service piece
Being in the service Industry???

LADIES: a man security guard will be patting you down.
EVERYONE: Be prepared for super deusch security. There was a pesron I met while at a show there whose heart was racing just from her interactions with multiple security folks just trying to explain her situation to the desk person. Multiple people at the most recent show I went to were disappointed, insulted or felt disrespected by security. Security are acting as if they’re the guards on Hardcore Pawn or a prison or something, acting with too much attitude and intimidation with very little to no provocation, in a venue where, by and large, people behave themselves, in a nice part of San Diego where I don’t think much theft or violence occurs. I could be wrong.
Have always loved watching music here in past, the sound is great and the place isn’t too big to take away from an intimate experience. Your experience WILL HINGE UPON the little tact and respectfulness of the security, WHICH IS A GAMBLE! So just go with that in mind.

I like it there. A lot. Maybe because I go there so often and always have a blast, but the fact is that it is a great venue.
Decent sized venue. Not too big, not too small. There’s always room. Nice dance floor, a lot of seating area –arrive early if you want to get some — for those non-​dancers. Decent bathrooms.
The only issue I have is parking. It is always a pain to find something along that tiny street but o always end up finding anyways. The cover to get in varies depending on the attraction. I’ve paid $ 20 to see an 80’s cover band that played for three hours, but I’ve also paid $ 55 last night to see a famous Brazilian singer that played for 1.5 hour. The quality of the sound is decent, sometimes they need a few songs to get it right. He concerts always start at the right time, which is good.
Drinks are decently priced and the beer is always cold. Bartenders are fast but not the most friendly in town. Some of the staff could get a little refresher on friendliness (bouncers and security guys must be tough, but not rude) but I don’t care about it much. I’m there for music, and I always get good music.
Other than that, it’s my to-​go spot for live music.

High end entertainment for a quiet town. Excellent sound, large dance floor.
Poor air conditioning and bar service. Never a thank you from a bartender. I’ve stopped tipping them. Takes a while to get their attention and the prices are above average for alcohol. Weak drinks also, I only order beer now.
Also once you enter, you cannot leave. There is a large smoking area though where you can have normal phone convos. Too loud inside.

American Express refunded me 100% because it was
an AMEX Sponsored event.
Thank you for the great service American Express.

I came here recently for a show and absolutely loved the venue. It’s very intimate and the fact that they have two bars that you can go to that still have a view of the stage is a win in my books.
I really liked that they still had the tables and chairs out while the band was playing so that if your feet get tired you can take a break and still jam along to the artist comfortably. I didn’t get to try the food that they were serving but everything looked and smelled delicious.
I will definitely keep checking their website for future shows because this place rocks! Also there is plenty of parking south of the venue. It says that the parking is only reserved for certain businesses during their hours but after that it’s fair game! Can’t wait to come back.

There once was a man from Nantucket,
Place a drink before him and he’ll suck it.
A beer or a wine, a whiskey’s just fine;
But if he’s had too many, get a bucket.
His Uncle Frank hailed from Santee.
He would stop at every pub he would see.
When the clock struck «2», pity the fool,
For off to Bea Arthur’s, he would be.
Uncle Frank had a friend from Del Mar,
Who’s pastime: «Belly Up» to the bar.
Great bands and food, put you in the mood…
And Solana Beach to his cave, ain’t that far.
Stay thirsty my friends.

Great place to catch live music any night of the week. They got the sculpin so they good on beers. The attached barstraunt provides a nice meet up point and good way to start a date night. The venue is pretty spacious so you’ll always have room to groove to the tunes. I once watched the absolute worst artist in the history of art here, Foxygen, they SUCK AZZZZZZZZZZZZZ live and are purest shit ever. But the venue still rocked!!! They also got good beer eats inside belly up. If you see an artist thats playing here, get tix! You can also cruise over to Caruth before the show for some good pricey wine.

I used to visit Belly Up for a show at least once or twice per year. Honestly, until tonight it has been awhile since I have been to a show here.
Sometimes, my husband and I would get to Belly Up early and go «groupie» with our general admission tix, but as most of us as we get a bit older, we look for a more refined experience. We started booking the loft reserved seating for other shows, just to know we had a space and didn’t have to fight the crowds. The only problem with this is we felt so far away from the stage and the wood railings are a little higher than one might wish them to be.
Tonight we went to see one of my favorite performers, «Nellie McKay»…we knew her show would not sell out (as most Southern Californian’s would just not get her… unless you are a theatre fan perhaps)! We also want to see her continue doing what she does, because she is highly creative and unique! Her new album is a play on the Scholastic Book Series. She is also very funny!
Our experience this evening was smooth, although the doors were open 20 minutes past the «doors open» time on the Belly Up website. We were approximately 25^th in line to enter, got a great table seat, which worked well with the positioning on stage. We ate dessert first (prior to arriving) and got a couple appetizers and drinks which were good and decent in price. The table service was excellent, attentive, steady and the tables clean.
The sound and lighting were both good and the aesthetics of the place has been improved over the years, this is not a dive bar experience, but a true live music venue that continues to provide great acts in North County San Diego.

The Belly Up in Solana is absolutely a beast as a local music venue. IMHO, this place is the best music venue in San Diego county and they continue to amaze with their lineups and surprise shows time and time again. The layout is awesome with a couple of bars, a good size dance floor, a well appointed stage, some seating for early arrivals and some fantastic loft seats just above the stage. The overall place is usually heavily staffed and well secured so you can enjoy your night and take in the entire scene. Overall, I’d highly recommend that you check out the events calendar and make your way to the Belly Up for a show, it’s awesome!
Pros–
Location
Shows
Calendar
Unique shows
Surprise guests
Bars
Service
Sound
Acoustics
Loft seating
Cons–
Sells out quickly
Mobile website kinda stinks

This is probably my favorite venue I have ever been to. Its the best to see a live band. The sound quality was amazing, the vibe is great (huge bar, lots of seating), and ticket prices were very affordable.
I saw Matisyahu here and thought it was great. I want to replay the night over and over.