O’Brien’s Pub

Came here as an out-​of-​towner to watch the US Men’s National Team vs. Ecuador in the Copa America, as this place was formerly named «Best Soccer Bar in America» circa 2012 or so. With a review like that, I figured I couldn’t go wrong with a place that serves a legit selection of beer and has rabid soccer fans, so I caught an Über up from Mission Beach to check it out…
First, I know it was for a fairly «big» soccer match, but the place was packed to the gills 1.5 hours before gametime. On a Thursday. So, I did what every other person in America does and found a thin spot at the bar, and waited to order my drink. After about 5 min, the bartender said «Oh, we have a „process“ here. If you want something and don’t have a seat, go stand in line…» and motions over to the front door. Turns out, there is a line like a sandwich shop would have to order beer. Not inefficient, just very strange. I’ve traveled extensively and never seen a beer ordering line at a bar — much less a Pub — ever…
So, drink in hand, I start looking for a seat. I’m solo, so shouldn’t be too hard, right? Yeah, not so much. People were «holding» seats all over the place, and the square footage of the bar is SMALL to begin with. So, you have a big soccer game, small bar, in what was once voted a «Best Soccer Bar» and you have a recipe for disaster. Bar fail.
Eventually, I scoped out some middle aged dudes in the back playing darts. The patrons were respectful of their game, but one was SALTY to say the least. He kept cursing about the soccer fans, dropping expletives all over the place because apparently it was throwing off his chi or something. I saw him as a weak link as he also had a bar seat, and was eager to get out once his dart game was complete. Took some patience, but it worked out for me once Mr. Salty departed.
Once seated, the experience was much better, if average. Service was good, food was decent although the wings were way overfried, and beer was tasty.
As far as the «Best Soccer Bar» title? Listen, I love the American Outlaws — I am one! But, compared to AO’s in Tulsa and Cincinnati, as well as countless other places I’ve watched USMNT games of consequence, San Diego needs to up their game, big time. I have attended watch parties in Tulsa and Cinci in the past 2 years, and both were better venues and better fan-​driven atmospheres than San Diego. Very few coordinated chants/​cheers, and the ones that happened were repetitive. Again… the fans were decent, just not top-​tier as advertised.
Overall, it was a decent experience, although it certainly wasn’t «Best Soccer Bar in America»…and probably not even best in San Diego. O’Brien’s was fine enough and would probably be an above-​average bar on any other night, but it’s not the venue to host a USMNT Supporter’s Group like the American Outlaws.

Super chill pub. Awesome craft beer selection & outdoor seating. Go, for sure!

Great beer selection that is always changing. The grub is great as well. Our server was very knowledgeable about the beers. Only comment is there could upgrade the wine selection. How about a simple new Zealand sauvingon blanc? Kim Crawford for the person who isn’t a big Brew fan?

Awesome beer selection, food, and service. Ambiance is divey and dark. You’re likely to find your grandpa sitting here at the bar talking about ‘Nam which is a REALLY GOOD THING.

Absolutely love this place. They have a great selection of Craft Beers and they also have amazing food.
The patio is a great place to sit back and unwind, enjoy some garlic fries and sip on a brew!
I would recommend trying the tuna melt, it’s out of this world and its stuffed with capers and jalapeños. It’s a must, and I never eat tuna at restaurants. The chicken sandwiches here are also to die for and they usually have a couple of specials each day too.
The enchilada soup and the mushroom soup are among the best I’ve had in my life. I believe this is the pub in all of San Diego and if you try it, you will too!

Never thought I would ever come here in convoy until my co workers took me here to eat and drink. We meet up with some of our friends and had amazing time eating/​drinking and having a fun time. Gets very noisy when it’s prime hour. Has indoor and outdoor seating.

O’Brien’s is one of the best beer bars I have ever been to. The selections of beers both on draft and bottled is fantastic. There is something for everyone here food, drink, TV’s inside and out on the dog friendly patio! And don’t let the pub vibe fool you… some of the best food I have had in San Diego! Their specials menu by the front door always has creative and yummy dishes. My favorites on their main menu are the wings, the beer battered garlic fries and the PePe sandwich.
Also a great place to gather with a lot of USA Soccer fans and watch games!!!

#24 of 100 Unilocal Reviews 2016
I would have visited here earlier if I knew how low key and chill this bar is! St. Patrick’s Day had this place packed, and there was a spotlight out the door for beer! This did not deter me from getting a worthy pint and a spot at the bar.
This pub shares the same parking lot as Crab Hut, Rakiraki, and other restaurants on Convoy St. That being said, be prepared to search your way along the back streets for a parking spot. During peak times, this can be stressful especially if you just want to get a pint. But patience, young grasshopper as the wait is indeed worth it.
There are a few outside dining tables/​chairs, but it was quite cold in the evening and preferred to stay inside. The pub looked like your average pub, but what they had was a pretty excellent selection of local craft brew and garlic fries that paired well those brews.
There are other bar food menu options, like burgers, wings, etc. Being that it was St. Paddy’s day, they served specials like Guinness/​craft beer mixes and of course corned beef hash.
It was great to celebrate this annual holiday in style. I am planning to head back here and chillax with a fresh craft brew. Too bad the parking availability in the plaza kind of makes you wonder if you should take the risk that to come see the spot. I love the place, what are you waiting for? Try them out!

The best off the radar place to be in San Diego. If you like Belgians you will not find a better selection. The service is always exceptional. Hopefully you are fortunate enough to run into Tyson or Alli. If anyone knows how to provide a FANTASTIC expeience at a true local pub they do. Hint: ask about the beer dinners.
CHEERS!
PS. LIONS PRIDE is the best beer in the whole wide world.

Let’s start with I hate sports bars. But this one goes above and beyond! Tiff and the kitchen made our difficult night (daughter in nearby hospital) better! All went out of their way to meet our allergy needs, etc.
Wd write a lot more but suffice it to say we needed this more than I could express, and they made it for us.
Thank you!

Came here with some friends and we really enjoyed ourselves. Pave was clean, food was good (not 5 stars, but what you would expect from a pub) for all you beer lovers out there they have an amazing selection of beer! Bartender was nice enough, quick to take our orders with no mistakes.
Would definitely come back

Good beer selection ! The people who work there are great and friendly. They let you have dogs outside which is awesome because I am a dog person and love to bring them everywhere with me when I can. Their garlic fries are amazing, give it a try when you go!

Small Place with big tastes… not a lot of room for fat people, loved the comfortable chairs. Great beer selection of local brews, great prices on Huge sandwiches, fast service. Parking is hard to find, small busy strip mall, little dive with some serious locals that are very loyal, so lots of help if you ask around on whats good food wise, you find most everything is good, nice to know. I wish they were bigger but then it wouldn’t be O’brien’s anymore. Outside is nice, inside to but as I’ve said always PACKED.

O’Briens has the best beer selection around. Great servers behind the counter and a great food selection that’s not over priced.

Came here on a Friday to relax and spend time with some old friends. I’ve never been to a pub before so I was expecting a very different place. However, to my surprise, O’Brien’s was clean and not too loud. It was well lit and their beer selection was on point. I’d definitely go again to catch up or just hang out. Very nice atmosphere.

O’brien’s has one of the best selections of beer in San Diego. For that, it is one of my favorite spots to drink in the city. They are my consistent provider of Russian River’s Pliny the Elder, one of the holy grails of beer!
In addition to Russian River beers they have been known to carry Bell’s Two Hearted Ale along with the usual selection of amazing San Diego craft beer: Alpine Brewing Co, Societe, Ballast Point, etc. O’Brien’s has taken a few of my beer virginities. It’s the first place I tried Alpine’s Nelson (love love love!) and Ballast Point’s Victory at Sea (heart be still).
If you are a beer lover I guarantee you will enjoy your experience at O’Brien’s!
Be warned that parking in this plaza and the convoy area can be difficult during peak hours.

This is my favorite bar/​pub in San Diego for sure. Tyson runs The bar and is a super nice guy very knowledgeable. The beer selection here is top notch they get rare and delicious IPAs and other beers from around the country.
The only three real beer bars in San Diego are O’Briens, Toronado’s, Hamiltons. O’Briens is my favorite for sure.
The food they cook here is also very good they make great sandwiches and hamburgers. Decently priced to only around eight or nine dollars

I’m nervous to tell you the reason I’ve never been to O’Brien’s Pub in Convoy. So here it goes — I thought everyone there would be irate at Asians because that parking lot sucks so bad. There. I said it. I half kid but the truth of the matter is that I’ve eaten at every single place in that plaza EXCEPT O’Brien’s Pub. I knew they have a great beer selection (told to me by non-​Asian friends), play soccer matches, and probably serve non-​Asian food. That was the extent of my knowledge of O’Brien’s Pub. But now, I am a fan of this little pub here in Convoy. I’ve gone a handful of times and have been impressed.
They have heated outdoor seating with a large TV playing sports in their front and side patio. Plus, they offer Pliny on tap (call ahead of time as we’ve only seen it there one time).
We ordered:
BEER BATTERED ONION RINGS (we order this EVERY time we are here now):
Not sure if I discovered onion ring *gold* because I think I just discovered a secret item on their menu. Ask them to add parmesan and garlic to the onion rings. Hands down — swear to all things epic — BEST ONION RINGS E.V.E.R. The onion rings came out piping hot and so incredibly crispy. The batter had just the right amount of thickness to it that didn’t frighten me off. The pungent fresh parm and garlic brings these crispy onion rings off the ‘OMG-​richter’ scale for me. A side of ranch is .50c but well worth it as who doesn’t love garlic parm onion rings with a side of creamy ranch dressing.
FRENCH DIP:
This was a nice and hearty beef dip sandwich. The french roll tasted toasted and buttery. This was after a dunk into the au jus sauce. I’m not sure if they make their au jus in house but the jus tasted fine nonetheless.
PESTO CHICKEN PROSCIUTTO MELT:
The chicken breast was moist and the spinach was plentiful. Even better was their SUPER buttered bread for this sandwich. Goodness gracious the buttered bread was unreal.
PAPA’S PATTY MELT:
I usually don’t like marble rye but the rye worked well with the hamburger patty in this sandwich. The sauteed onions tasted sweet and the softness of the onions added an almost creaminess to this patty melt that I hadn’t experienced before. And did they skimp on the cheddar cheese — nope. The ooey gooey cheese was simply awesome in the patty melt. Funny as friend said ‘There’s too much butter. It needs (instead), like, bacon.’ Funniest statement ever.
Allie is our favorite server there and we look forward to seeing her every time we visit. She’s personable, always has a smile on her face, and works hard. There was no rush to have us order more food or more drinks before we were ready. There were groups of friends, couples, singles. We even saw the same man, who recommended the beef dip to us last time, sitting at the same table as before. I absolutely recommend this place, especially when Allie is working and garlic parm onion rings are being ordered for the table.

Best place in convoy beer selection is top notch…

Nice place to hang out and grab some food and beer. Large selection of beers available and servers are very knowledgeable if you have questions about any particular beer. (This is especially true if you are a hop head and are looking for an IPA.) Tell them what you like and they’ll find you a good recommendation. Tyson is awesome, but so are most of the other staff.
Food is surprisingly good for a pub and you should always keep an eye on their daily specials. Can’t go wrong with most of the burgers or salads. Some of the sandwiches have proven to be pretty good as well. Tom’s Torta and the Cobb Salad (I actually like honey mustard or the spicy avocado dressing for this one) are my defaults when nothing else screams at me. Ingredients are always very fresh.
last note — If you don’t watch soccer, do not come on a game day because there will be no room for you (especially if USA is playing).

We come here for the awesome selection of brews and believe it or not for their food as well!
Let’s start with an order of beer battered fries with garlic and parmesan. They definitely don’t skip on the parmesan or garlic. Their fries are well cooked to a nice crisp. How about a pint of beer to wash it down? I like how they have rotating tap list of not just local brews but also from OC, LA, even all the way to Norcal and other states.
Price wise — reasonable.
Parking — terrible. I suggest to just park on the street, don’t even bother going to the lot. It’s just a mess.
Location — maybe after some rounds head on over to Crab Hut or Kula or Dumpling Inn for dinner. But honestly, this place is one stop shop. Awesome food, stellar beers!
This place gets crowded, I mean really crowded during big games. But hey, that shouldn’t deter you from visiting. Just chill and enjoy the vibe!

I don’t get it – I SERIOUSLY do NOT understand the draw of this place:
Location (1 star): An Irish Pub in Kearny Mesa of all places (oddly enough), tucked away in the corner of a small, crowded suburban strip mall — ya get the picture? Trying to find parking in the adjacent lot takes a miracle. Even parking on the near-​by streets involves either a great feat of sorcery, sheer luck, or major credits paid to the parking karma gods. In any case, to say that parking is a challenge is a total understatement. Saying that the location is breathtaking or even somewhat scenic, for that matter, is a complete lie.
Ambiance (1 star): Imagine «dive bar». There is both indoor and outdoor seating. The front patio seating overlooks the parking lot. All of the tables, regardless of their location, are crowded together in limited space. Tables get «cleared» eventually; but regardless, it’s first come, first served for seating. Getting your table actually «cleaned» is an entirely different adventure and generally involves some self-​initiative. You have to wait in line to order at the counter as soon as you enter the door. There is NO table service. Expect the line to be long and the wait time to place your order to be excessively long. They do have a few coin-​operated games tucked away in the rear of the restaurant and a few flat screen TVs available as well. Why the place is always «packed» (not just «over-​crowded») is way beyond me (misery enjoys company, perhaps?). You should also expect the relative noise level to be commensurate with the number of patrons. I would go with extremely loud and energetic, as in NOT a place to chill and have a quiet conversation. Clientele primarily consists of mostly blue-​collar types commiserating with beer and some pub grub.
Menu (2 stars): Food consists of the typical, nothing special, unhealthy, pub grub that exudes no creativity nor extraordinary taste. There is no extra charge for the heavy deep frying and/​or grease, for that «hardening of your arteries’ boost in your diet. They do have a somewhat good (NOT wide) selection of beers, provided that you care for the particular style of beers that they offer. They seem to favor craft IPAs.
Pricing (3 stars): Reasonable, but NOT good enough to go out of your way for. The saying that «you get what you pay for» seems to apply well here.
Staff (1 star): If you’re a «regular», you’ll get a different welcome and level of service than if you’re an infrequent patron (i.e. picture the television show «Cheers»). The staff pretty much does what they want, when they want to, with no apparent operational guidance or customer service metrics involved with their decision making, level of service provided or incentive plan.
I am NOT a «highbrow snob», but this establishment still did NOT clearly meet my requirements nor expectations. It is NOT the type of venue that I would frequent on a regular, much less irregular basis. I simply did NOT enjoy myself nor feel like an appreciated customer. Therefore, as a result, I will NOT be returning.

Disclaimer: I come here for the soccer matches.
Somewhat random location. For years, it’s always seemed a little bit out of place being on Convoy, but sure enough, it’s busy. Often.
Most important fact: parking is tough. Forget the poorly built shared lot, and good luck on the street.
Equally important fact: they have good beer. Excellent taps and bottled selections. They rarely carry lights and wheats in draft, so prepare accordingly for a plethora of IPAs in craft.
Other incredibly important fact: great fan atmosphere. When the US National Teams play (men’s or women’s) you can expect it to get super crowded so if you want a spot – either inside or on the patio – get there early or you’ll have to stand in overflow areas. There are plenty of screens all around so try to ignore the claustrophobia and enjoy the watch party. It’s an official US Soccer Bar in San Diego and the AO (American Outlaws) contingent gather here for most games. And yeah, we chant.
Standard pub food resides here, though I honestly don’t remember much of it the few times I’ve ordered. Just the drinks and compatriot company. The servers are efficient at taking orders and weaving their way through from the bar. Just try not to obstruct the path.
With the amount of patronage they receive, O’Brien’s could totally upgrade to a larger space for the soccer enthusiast crowds. However, the corner location is a San Diego staple, and its current digs are what make it what it is: a favorite semi-​divey sports pub watering hole for the locals.

With a name like «O’Brien’s Pub» you should really know what you’re getting into… it’s an Irish Pub… Wait, an Irish Pub on Convoy? Yep. I suppose stranger things have happened.
Oddities aside, the place appears somewhat divey inside and out but the beer selection here is enough to make anyone whole likes decent (craft) beer feel welcome. They had a nice selection of craft beers on tap including Alpine’s Duet, Racer 5 and some other ones that I can’t remember. Pricing was anywhere from $ 5-​$ 8 (IIRC) depending on the beer style/​ABV. I went with the Duet for for $ 5.50 which wasn’t bad on a Friday afternoon.
It’s pretty warm inside during the summer but luckily there’s plenty of patio seating outside which makes for great, lazy, dog days of summer.
I can’t speak for the food here because it’s probably like every other Irish Pub I’ve ever been to which albeit adequate, is a little boring. So it was just about the beer this time.
When all is said and done, O’Brien’s is what it is; a somewhat divey Irish Pub tucked away in the corner of the K-​Town & V-​Town strip with a greatly priced and surprisingly good beer selection. I’m not sure there need be any more qualifiers other than that but go ahead and see for yourself.

Over all I would give this place more of a 3.5. The beer selection is great. I forgot how great it was looking through the bottled beer list. The food has improved a bit since I last visited and it has been awhile. I ordered a burger and it was ok. The bread over powered the burger a bit but overall it was about average. The fries were hot, crisp, and well salted. If I remember correctly, they do not offer samplers which I can understand. It is a lot of work with very little return. Staff is sort of friendly and the place is a little small inside. It is one the original craft beer places in town but there seems to be one in every neighborhood now these days.

Still the same awesome place, with a few positive changes and upgrades.
I noticed that about half the big swivel chairs indoor have been removed and replaced with small tables and chairs to accomodate more indoor seating. Also noticed a couple more flatscreen tv’s.
The chicken nachos are even a bigger portion and come on a nice plate.
Can’t go wrong with their basket of fries; beer battered or beer battered with garlic or even just regular with or without garlic/​fresh parm.
The pastrami sandwich here is still hands down the best I’ve ever had.
And of course Obrien’s always gets the top notch beer selections from the tap to the bottles of beer. Wine is also available along with a soda dispenser for your designated driver.
Still plenty of food and beer to try here on my next visit.
NOTE: Outdoor food is not permitted on the patio nor indoor.

Beer selection is a 4.5, food is a 2 and concept is a 1. Always curious about this place passing it so many times going to all the amazing food places in the area. Go in and looks cool with a lot of regulars bellied up to the bar taking up all the stools. Look over the menu and have to go with a corned beef sandwich. Notice you have to order up at the counter for all food and beer if you don’t have a bar stool.
Go up to the counter and wait in line. Got a jackass in front of me wanting to sample a beer before committing to it. The fool was having a casual conversation about beer with the bartender and taking his sweet time ordering while the line was building up out the door. I was very impressed they had Pliny the Elder and had to get one. Would of given them 5 on the beer if they had the grapefruit Sculpin on tap.
Food comes out pretty quick. The corned beef sandwich would of been OK if it had any corned beef in it. I was bummed that they put it on the grill. The should of put it under from the grill section on the menu. Tasted like they fried 2 thin slices of prosciutto. Very salty and the chopped tomatoes were all piled up in to a ball in the middle of the sandwich instead of spread around. They should be ashamed their name is O’Brien’s and serve bad corned beef. Bread had a lot of grease on the bottom of it. Fries were slightly below average. Even though this place drove me nuts, I think if they made some basic changes it could have a lot of potential.

Friendly staff n amazing beer selection. Parking blows. But there’s a great beer & burger special here, unlike the elbow room they will charge you for more depending on what beer you pick. However food here is better than elbow room :)
Cheers!

Love this place! One of the few non-​Asian restaurants in the area and a cheap place to boot, which makes it even better to go to. The inside isn’t huge but it’s a decent size. They play a ton of different sports here, and the outside seating is great in the summer.
The prices are great and their food is really tasty. The sandwiches do have a lot of butter/​oil on them if you get a hot one but it’s still really great. I’m really into the Spicy Chipotle sandwich and the Pesto Chicken Proscuitto Melt. Their salads are actually pretty decent too and size wise are great for the money. Their selection of beer is also great and they have a ton of local SD beers. I definitely recommend this place!

Man yesterday was PACKED! At least I think it was, it was my first time here.
The place is a pretty chill pub with a great selection of beers.
The setup is you get in line when you walk in the door (assuming it’s not already out the door) and then you order food there. Find a table, they bring the food to your table. It’s quite a simple situation. It can suck though if you can’t find a table.
Food: 3*
I ordered a burger with side of Onion rings, and a basket a fries. Onion rings were beer battered and tasty and the burger was cooked well with a nice pink inside, just how I like it. The overall flavor of the burger was decent but the bun was just too big and a little overwhelming. It’s really nothing to write home about. The onion rings were good. Fairly straightforward beer batter. Lastly, the fries were also very typical.
Beer: 5*
If you don’t know what Pliny the Younger is, I’m guessing you’re not a beer snob. O’Briens had 3 kegs of this beer which just screams about how well connected they are to get great beers on tap. They tapped 2 kegs last week I think, and last night was a charity event. You pay $ 20 for a ticket a couple weeks ago and you can come back and drink it during the designated time. Otherwise, you can try to wait in line afterwards and hope they have some left after the 3 hour block.
They had a TON of great beers on tap and they’re all fairly cheap. I got a Dank and sticky which was absolutely delicious and it was only $ 5! (I think) A great deal for the quality of the beer.
Ambiance: 3.5*
You know those bars that have regulars? The ones that are welcoming to each other and will also strike up a conversation with you if you’re just waiting for someone or waiting for a beer? This place is filled with them! At least they were there last night. The place was dark and crowded but the crowd seemed very welcoming. It’s definitely NOT your trendy bar and they’re not going to give you an appletini with a sugar rimmed glass so dont’ even bother coming here if you want that. It’s kind of a no frills bar/​pub and I love that.
Parking: 1*
SUCKS. Not their fault, I blame all the self entitled BMW/​Benz driving asian drivres who take up 2 spots so their precious cars don’t get «dinged»
For the years I’ve lived in San Diego, I’ve always walked right by this bar. Why? The tofu house next door used to be a go to place for me. There’s a lot of asian places in the shopping center which are good so I never went in here. Now that I have friends who appreciate beer, they’re open to coming here and I’m really glad we did.
TL:DR — No frills bar/​pub with great beer selection.

Here is proof that you can have a good beer selection and still be super janky and creepy.
That about sums it up.
Super old nasty fat gross creepy dudes who look like they live here sit at the bar at at random tables staring at waitresses who look like they’ve been smoking and standing in the sun for too long. Dirty, busted, ripped, blown-​out chairs and nasty tables. The whole place smells like it’s clingy on to the days when you could smoke and puke in here at will. Though the latter is still allowed I don’t think anyone here would mind. One way or the other.
The bathroom is disgusting.
The beer selection was good, but it’s San Diego. Just go a few blocks down and hang out at an actual brewery. There is no reason to come here. Ever.