Retro Dive Meets Modern Glam at San Diego Beauty Bar

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While the San Diego Gaslamp District is busy promoting lavish affairs at posh, newly designed nightclubs, there also exists an alternative nightlife scene for those seeking a good time without draining their wallets.

San Diego's chapter of the Beauty Bar chain lays tucked away among the Vietnamese neighborhoods along El Cajon Boulevard. By day, this modest building is easy to miss, being too distracted by the fact that you've been transported to Little Saigon.

Yet at night San Diego's trendy youth flock to the one and only place around that combines a fully stocked bar, newly revamped music venue and a slick dance floor complete with a DJ booth and go-go dancing platforms for anyone and everyone.

The Beauty Bar's ironic location backs its dive-authenticity, while its entertainment schedule and drink specials pack the house every week with regulars and newcomers. If you're looking for an escape from the downtown hustle and bustle, let San Diego Beauty Bar wow you with a little something other than half-naked Amazons dancing on top of your drinks.

The Beauty Bar proudly offers $3 wells, wine and drafts during Happy Hour from 8-10pm 7 days a week. Catch the Beer of the Month specials; for June, grab yourself a $2 PBR or a $3 Pacifico. For all your winos, watch out for upcoming wine tasting specials and an increasingly upscale wine list. Trust you'll never pay more than 10 bucks for top shelf liquors, so buy a round for your friends.

Signature beauty services such as “Martinis & Manicures" are offered any night of the week, typically between 8 and 11pm, by appointment only. Ladies can relax and enjoy a complimentary manicure with a $10 martini of choice, while rocking out to the nightly bands and DJs in style.

Don't fret about cover prices either. Visit the Beauty Bar Sunday through Thursday for free. You can also expect the cover on a Friday and Saturday night to be no more than the price of a drink. However, if you're coming for a big name act or special event, shell out the extra dollars, the intimate music venue is worth it.

Recently the Beauty Bar empire has broken into fashion, enlisting in underground wonders like SPRFKR, heebeegeebee, and others to create special pieces of clothing to convey the Beauty Bar vibe. The Beauty Bar collection boasts several t-shirts, dresses, and hoodies proudly sporting the signature Beauty Bar logo of a woman's profile with their own twists on intricate designs and colors. Neighbourhood Boutique is currently the only place in San Diego to find the Beauty Bar collection.

“This is the only place you can go sip on a martini with one hand and have the other manicured, while listening to a live band and then have a DJ save your life," says Sara Knook, the new manager of the San Diego Beauty Bar.

Since taking over the reigns in early 2008, Sara's aim has been to bring more diversity to an already blossoming regular crowd. She has integrated more musical acts spanning genres such as folk, singer/songwriter, funk/soul and punk to spice up the usual electro/rock line-ups. She's also upgraded the music venue, mounting the speakers on the walls and integrating a higher-grade light system to enhance your musical experience.

Several nights a month you can catch resident DJs Dangerdanger. Corey Biggs and Adam Salter are notorious for spreading an epidemic around San Diego's night owls. Symptoms may include: extreme anxiety to get on the dance floor, uncontrollable convulsing and twitching to heavy beats, hyperactive responsiveness to remixes of the summer's best dance songs, followed by an overall feeling of euphoria when retiring to the smoking patio for a drag and a break from the sweaty dance floor.

Every Thursday you can count on Myson King to surprise you with all those one-hit wonders you forgot you loved. Fairly indefinable into any genre, Myson spins oldies but goodies everyone can get down to.

If you haven't been to Beauty Bar yet, come on a Thursday and let Myson King help you pop your cherry. Then, when you think you're ready for some heavy action, hit it up on virtually any Saturday night with Dangerdanger. Their name says it all; beware of a manage-a-trois of cheap drinks, great music, and heavy dancing. Just like any good work out, you need a healthy cool down session. Hop in any week day for a chill set of live music and a $3 beer before 10pm as part of the recovery process.

The Beauty Bar speaks for itself. It has been a long-standing nightlife staple in San Diego since its opening and likewise at its sister locations in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Austin. The idea for the original Beauty Bar in New York came from the old hair salon they built it in. The retro floors, wall art, and vintage hair-dryer seats complete the feeling of getting glammed-up for a night out on the town.

Check out party photos at Beauty Bar with Fieldtrip Entertainment

For more nightlife insight, discover the underground art scene let by Fieldtrip Entertainment here, the emerging music scene with Sleeping Giants here, and learn to play with fire from Lipstik Ink here.