Belly Up

The Belly Up Tavern keeps winning best concert venue in San Diego for good reason: it's simply an excellent club. The size is large enough that you only rarely feel crammed in there, yet intimate enough that you can practically touch the featured band while they play (not that this is recommended). The venue offers a combination of theater-style, individual, and bar seating, small cocktail table clusters, booths, and a central dance floor. The bar features a few high quality local beers among its taps, and none of the drinks are offensively high-priced. The staff is mostly friendly and helpful without getting in the customers' way of seeing the show. Parking is a breeze; even if you can’t get a spot in their modest parking lot, plenty of free street parking is available and a spot can be found even during sold-out shows if you’re willing to walk a few blocks. And with features like their classic glowing-eyed shark, how can you not love the Belly Up atmosphere? Concert attendees are amicable, and the typical clientele reflect the attitude of the band playing each night; concert-goers for a Kenny Loggins show are a fun, older crowd while those at a Slightly Stoopid show are a young, though no more rowdy, group. And that might be the best part of BUT: they practically guarantee a genuinely great time without any chance of having to endure what could turn into a seedy or negative experience thanks to their combination of a laid-back environment, subtle security, and affable customer-base. Show prices are agreeable for what they are; most shows’ tickets go for 10 to maybe 25 dollars, with legendary performers of Willy Nelson or John Lee Hooker’s caliber going for upwards of $100 which, while steep, give you the opportunity to see them closer than you’d ever thought possible. And Belly Up boasts a great variety of acts, including pop, hard rock, comedy, reggae, singer/songwriter, and world music, and everything in between. While ideal, BUT is not perfect.

I saw Barrington Levy at the Belly Up Tavern and it was so much fun. They had cheap bar snacks to eat before the concert actually started, cheap drinks and it was huge. There are cool booths and plenty of seating for concerts. The waitresses were a bit rude but that was probably the only bad thing.

Belly Up is definitely the place to go if you want to enjoy, great live music. More spacious than your average bar, but maintains an intimate setting, which I think is one of its biggest strengths. The acoustics are top notch, and the acts are pretty diverse, so there’s something here for everyone. Reasonably priced booze and food, nice staff. Just thought the bathrooms could use a little more cleaning.