West Coast Tavern
2895 University Ave., San Diego CA 92104 (North Park)
619-295-1688
Happy Hour: 4 to 6 p.m., daily
By Dr. Ink
If you can spare a $2 bill, which most of us readily can’t because of their obscurity, West Coast Tavern will gladly accept it and then charge you and your unlimited party only $2 per drink on the first round. If the happy hour deal seems difficult to achieve, co-owner David Cohen makes it a little easier. He’s put about 4,000 of the bills into circulation by handing them out as change to his customers, or at times, simply handing them out. The deal, he says, will remain in effect indefinitely.
But if the odd currency has yet to land in your wallet, West Coast’s daily happy hour also brings to the table well drinks, house wines and a decent selection of craft and domestic beers for $3 apiece. In addition, you can graze from a specific menu of good, medium-size eats priced at $5 a plate.
The tavern, which doubles also as a popular restaurant, allows happy-hour folk to move about freely. In other words, you can seize a high top or big circular booth in the dining area and still seize the deals. Ditto if you sit on the sidewalk patio that sits under the historic marquee of the Birch North Park Theater. Establishments that do otherwise basically shoot themselves in the foot as their customers cram into confined bar areas while balancing their martinis. Dr. Ink has been knee-butted too many times to mention under those stifling circumstances.
The front doors to West Coast’s tavern room are usually kept wide open, showing off its large namesake sign that formerly hung in the back of the 80-plus year building when it was the Fox West Coast Theater. To anyone strolling the street for end-of-the-day libations and chow, the place ropes you in with open arms.
An interior brick wall behind the bar gives more the impression of an “East Coast tavern.” The ceilings are high and the vibe is decidedly social rather than clique-ish. The adjoining dining room features a yet second bar to its rear — empty during our late-afternoon visit although vital for when the night owls start filling the joint.
Visiting with a wine aficionado, we took a table in the dining room against the big front windows and amid Cohen’s clever installment of framed plasma screens emitting eye-catching urban scenes. Wines by Alice White were in the offing, prompting my friend into a glass of cabernet that he described as “good for the price.” I chose Belgian ale, which paired swimmingly with a basket of Buffalo-style hot wings as well as an addicting house-made ketchup infused with apples, which accompanied a tall order of nice, skinny fries.
The “triple dip,” however, is a universal fit to any alcoholic beverage you choose. It features red pepper romesco, hummus and warm artichoke dip served with chip-like pita and raw veggies. Or opt for the “mini” mac-n-cheese, which isn’t so mini, and you end up with a bowl of corkscrew pasta in mild curd sauce.
With all of your creature comforts duly met, Dr. Ink will bet a $2 bill that you’ll end up hanging past the happy-hour cutoff.
RATINGS:
Drinks: 5
Though wine drinkers are limited to only three varietals by Alice White, there are nearly a dozen beers to choose from, many of them craft, plus any well-brand cocktail known to man.
Food: 4
Dips, O-rings, Angus sliders, wings and more are in the offing; all served in sizable portions and with a tad more flair than your average neighborhood bar.
Value: 5
You’ll be hard-pressed lately to find wine and craft beers selling at $3 a glass. And the $5 food plates qualify as dinner for two if you order a few of them.
Service: 5
Adequate staffing equates to fast service here, allowing the servers to greet you in a relaxed, friendly style.
Duration: 4
West Coast now caters to those who work late on weekdays, having recently added happy hour on Saturdays and Sundays.
