The Spot @ VEC

first worst and last time ever coming here. horrible service period just ughhh i wouldnt recommend coming for drinks or pool food is like no bro

Literally this is the spot to go to. A dive bar close to home. The Dj plays a variety of music ranging from hip hop, reggae tone, country, to the latest music out. He pretty much judges the type of music he plays depending on the crowd. You can also go up to him and request any song you want. It doesn’t start to pick up until 10 pm. They have 2 pool tables and I believe a photo booth in the corner, at least they had one when I was last there which was in April. They have bar stools and other seating. They have security before you enter so make sure you have your id. They give you a wrist band, if your not 21 years old I think they put an «X» on your hand so your not able to order drinks. The drinks are cheap, they have a medium size bar area. Usually 2 – 4 bartenders working depending on the day. Pretty slow during the week, but when the weekend comes you see more people it almost has a club vibe but without going all the way to San Diego and wasting gas, and money. It’s really fun if your into drinking, having fun and playing games. They have a pitcher of water at the bar area which I help myself to and plastic cups right beside. You got to try the jungle juice it’s a fruity shot with vodka but I like it so much I ask for it as a regular drink with a splash of pineapple juice. For me, it gets the job done after I’ve had a few. I believe the bartender charges me $ 5. You can order food at the food court outside, where the bowlers are not sure if you can bring it back inside here, but I don’t see why not.

Everyday California, La Jolla Caves Kayak Tour. great time, wonderful guides and a good workout. Highly recommend for family adventure when you want to pull the teens together! Pete and Sammy were cool.

this isn’t too bad for being super local and just down the street. the drink prices are very reasonable! they usually have a dj from what I’ve seen. I’ve only been about 3 times and it was all on a Friday night. it’s a very laid back environment, jeans and a t shirt does it all. nothing too fancy. most nights there is a good crowd and super fun but once in a while it’s a slow night with an empty dance floor. still not too bad for driving 2 miles down the road for a few good drinks and music!

Dive bar feel with a DJ that plays hip hop music with a little old school tossed in. Drinks are cheap and there is plenty of security which are two things that are important to me when I hang out in Vista.
Things to know… they won’t let you in after midnight and if you try and leave your car in their lot overnight it will get towed.

My husband and I would come in mid week while kids are in school to shoot pool. That was fun, but recently my friend and I were looking for a place to go for a few drinks. My husband suggested the spot as a joke but we went.
What a surprise it was. Arrived a little early, maybe 10 people there but by about 9 this place was packed. Music, dancing, pool tables. It’s a fun place.
Some reviews said ghetto, well its not fancy that’s for sure. BUT its a fun local bar, clean and full of fun local people. As far as local dive bars rate this is a good choice. They do use plastic cups but I’m a flexible lady. I can tailgate, wine bar, dive bar, beach bon fire. It’s all fun to me. So if your snobby or looking to show off your Jimmy Choo shoes then pass on The Spot, but if you think fun people in a clean local bowling alley bar while holding a plastic cup sounds fun then come join the party.

Ok, for a bar that is inside a bowling alley, this place is not bad. My co-​workers wanted to go here after work for a few drinks and at first I was hesitant, but it ended up being a nice spot just to hang and have a few drinks. I don’t think that I would come here again unless I was actually bowling or anything, but it does make the thought of doing so more appealing knowing we can get a drink if we do.

Ghetto.
They give small clear plastic cups, not even half the size of the red solo party cups.
And they’re like 6 – 8 $ or something insane.
Their beer comes in basically a double shot glass.
Beer should be in a larger cup not a damn shot glass…

Bowling alley bar complete with pool tables and a few tvs. They serve the beverages in little plastic cups but they have a nice selection of draft beers. I was surprised to find Ballast Point Sculpin on tap (my favorite wooo!) The beer is really cold so that’s a good sign. The biggest problem is all the little flys!

If you haven’t been to The Spot for a while you might want to check it out again. They redid the whole thing and it is really nice now. The service is still good as always and they still have all the fun stuff like Karaōke. The prices are already good but they also have drink specials where you can really get hooked up more than the already heavy pours. As they should, they have a good selection of local craft beer. Although the bar is nice don’t think you have to stay in it to drink. Take your drink and go bowl a round!

Cool. Karaōke, booze and bowling. The security is super lame, but I’d be lame too if I had to deal with tweens all day and night.

Probably the best idea VEC has ever had, the bowling alley bar is no longer just a dated and aged extension of 4 beer taps for league night. It’s as hip and cool as any part of Vista can be really. Considering Village Pub, Smitty’s and Hennessey’s are all aging dinosaurs who haven’t seen renovation this decade.
They do a good job of keeping underage drinking down with wrist bands on entry and a good amount of security (boy do I sound old). The bartenders are pretty quick and heavy handed. Security was surprisingly mild mannered. Prices are not bad at all and they actually have a small selection of local/​craft beers (a well documented favorite of mine Sculpin). They do carry some top shelf liquors. Cash, card, tab, all good. I did find the architecture a little weird with the lounge and the dance floor karaōke is on the complete other side with the pool tables between them. TV’s don’t detract like many bars. Still not sure what category I want to place it under, perhaps just Local will do. I’m not a fan of the plastic cups, but I believe that’s more a factor of the environment. Lighting is weird as people move in and out of the light like vampires I don’t think you’ll find much talent. Weekends can be popular, but weeknights are dead. I wish you were able to order food at the bar from the snack bar.
Fly under the radar here because they have been known to ban people.

This has been a «spot» for many years, but now just recently has a name instead of just the VEC. A dive bar, but it’s a fun dive bar. It’s connected to the bowling alley, but they have entrances from the inside or you can just come right on in from the outside corner.
It was recently remodeled to give it a more updated look. They have a full bar, updated deco, and karaōke nights. Not sure when, but by the looks of it they are fairly full on the days that I have gone. They have a couple of pool tables as well.
They have lots of drink specials, although I just stick to a couple of pints when I go out. Plenty of parking in the lot, but if you come to the bar it’s easier to park along the street.
Add to the list of bars in the Vista bar crawl along with Backstreet Brewery (Lampost), Hennessy and Smitty’s.