I grew up in El Cajon but haven't lived there for many years. Anyway my friend and I went to visit and got thirsty one afternoon, so we went to the EC Grand. There were a lot of odd-looking guys there, not quite hip-hop, not quite skater, not quite biker... all tatted up with their baseball cap bills flat and sticking up... WTF?? I later found out that was "East County" style.
Anyway we ordered "Jamesons neat", the bartender was a young guy and says "what's that? I'm new here." I pointed to a rocks glass and said "put a shot in this glass". So he pours the two rocks glasses all the way full to the top!! Jackpot!! He only charged us $4 for about 4 shots of whiskey each. We hid our drinks from the other bartender, downed them, then quickly ordered another round. Four drinks and we drank most of the bottle, all for $16 total. We left him $20 (keep the change!) and were off with a brand new outlook on life.
Even at the regular price of $4 for shot of Jamesons, it's a good deal.
I've been here 3 or 4 times and I'm not a huge fan. It's not horrible, and there are some seating areas which is nice, but I'd rather go down the street to Main Tap.
At The Grand I feel like it can take a little too long to get a drink and I'm not really into the kind of crowd they bring in. A lot of east county 'bro's' in my opinion.
I do really like that they have a large outside patio area, however, i can't step foot outside without inhaling lungs of smoke.
I'll probably go there again because they do have some good bands that come in, but unless it is for a band or some kind of event, I'd recommend main tap right down the street. More low key in my opinion.
This is a good bar in downtown El Cajon. Good drinks a good selection of beers on tap, also great entertainment. Â There is a really cool backyard with horseshoe pits. Â The ownwers are a hard working couple who really seem to care about the bar & patrons. We went recently during a power outage and the owners welcomed us even though the bar was dark. Go in on a Saturday or Sunday morning and try the Bloody Mary. Â Check out their website for listing of bands.
Review Source:As dive bars go it is difficult for us to find a place we both like- it has to be casual for me and unpretentious, but at the same time not dirty or run down/ugly inside. We have been going semi-regularly for a couple years now- maybe one or more times a month, and have not had a bad experience. It is our go-to bar in East County. The prices are just ok, but the staff is usually nice and the crowd for the most part is friendly without a lot of pretense or attitude except for the various biker gang people who used to come in and out- the owners have addressed that by setting a dress code and we no longer see that so much.
They tend to have good bands play- usually local SD ones but occasionally from the LA area too- and there is a decent sized patio outside for the smokers or to get away to a quieter area. There is also a set of horseshoe pits out there if you wanted to do that. In the door to the left are a couple pool tables that seem to get a lot of use.
UFC fight nights are usually a good time to go as they almost always have a band or two afterwards- turning it into a full night out.
They do not have a kitchen per se, though some afternoons they have hot dogs and other little snacks out and during charger season they do burgers (free) during the games. They have no problem at all with people bringing in food from other places. Jack in the box is next door and we have more than once gone over and brought back a bunch of the best drunk food ever- tacos.
Occasionally they do parking lot parties- I think the last one we went to was Cinco De Mayo- and they are a blast- great bands and they close off the lot to make room for the party. Â
Obviously, we like this bar- 4 stars is a lot for us- and I will say there is a reason you should like it too. If for no other reason than this: they offer a shuttle on Friday and Saturday nights to a 5 mile radius of the bar. Perhaps there are other places in El Cajon with cheaper drinks (though I doubt they are as nice) but a deuce is WAY more expensive than a slightly pricier beer or drink.
Give it a try- you'll see.
My favorite neighborhood bar, I guess you can say. Â It's cheap, trashy, and always promises a wide variety of east county characters. Â The pitchers are around $7 each which you cannot beat and I think it's Friday nights that they have a totally kick-butt DJ that will have you reminiscing about the 90s and dancing your a$$ off!
***4 months later***
Forgot to finish this review until now.
In short, go here. Â They have horseshoes in the back. Â Booyah!!
This place would have gotten a good review from me BUT...
Well - the story goes:
They had a bikini contest there on the 30th (The second annual) and I was able to get a booth in their lot, which was cool - for me AND THEM because with my company brings massive exposure, models, photographers, awesome product that can be found at their establishment that day, etc...
I had 2 tables set up, product for sale, promotional items etc. Â There were about 4-5 other booths as well, food, etc etc... Â So it was your basic 'private lot bikini' block party. Â All in all - the scene was cool, lots of cool people showed up, got some good pics with a lot of biker dudes (The Violators) and like someone else said - cops swarm around this place like it's a bee hive but when you create honey with your establishment - bees are exactly what you get...
So - to cover the event - I told them I would be providing a photographer - and since I work with some of the best in the industry - I would be providing one that is pretty awesome and they would get massive exposure from the photos since they would go on my events fanpage  - not just for people in El Cajon but internationally as well...  (Think tourists wondering where to go when they vacation here etc)
At some point - after covering the event and the bikini contest - I guess there was an ACCIDENT - in which one of the waitresses carrying a tray of Jager shots(I guess they were actually "Fireball" shots) - bumped or was bumped by my photographer or his friend - and the shots spilled (well most of them I guess) and it caused a little stir. Â The bikers were RIGHT THERE - they saved most of it from the tray (by drinking it right off the tray lol) and then gave the girl like $60 to cover the loss - even though it wasn't necessarily their fault so that was really cool... Â But I guess that wasn't GOOD ENOUGH for the staff...
Motherf*ckers insisted he or his friend pay $40 to cover the spill.
First off - who the hell does that? Â Bars/Clubs are bonded and covered for this and it's all factored into the cost of running a bar/club - plus - it was an accident, the bikers paid that and then some, and sh*t happens... Â This would never happen in the mainstream industry but someone forgot to tell the staff here how things work out in the REAL world of Industry I guess...
So basically - they tried kicking my photographer out and his friend - they made him finally pay $20 to the bar so there wasn't a fight and when I finally got wind of it - I was able to negotiate them staying inside the bar but in the end they decided to take off and so did I...  Why the hell would I want to stay in a fuckin' shithole bar  that acts like that?
Other than THAT - the bar itself is pretty cool. Â They have a pretty awesome fish tank right when you walk in on the left which adds a bit of eye candy to the establishment and I think that's really important. Â They have a HUGE outdoor patio and a HUGE "backyard" area as well, big stage... Â But the staff - not so great and/or industry educated...
***UPDATE***
I was contacted by the owner directly regarding this incident - and we discussed the details, amends were made and I am one for moving forward but I still think their staff and customer service is dogshit with no real understanding of how the Industry works...
There are MUCH better bars to go to - so go THERE instead...
Overflowing pitchers of PBR... heaven.
I spy:
Lenny Kravitz??
A blow out
A mullet
A transgender (love)
A funny white boy dancing, perhaps on some kind of upper?
The Carlton dance from Fresh Prince
Fred Durst bartender
A handle bar mustachio
East County boys (smee-smeeeee)
A really really cute shot girl
The place is nice, newer. Â Not what I expected. Â The DJ was g-reat, it was hip hop night. Â I don't know how many times I thought, and heard, "I love this song!".Throw back songs, and current, with music videos as a back drop. Â Didn't break the seal, so I'm not sure what the bathrooms were like. Â The dance floor was packed. Â They have a heated patio, horse shoe pit.
The bartender messed up my girl's tab, and mine was perhaps under what it should have been, Â We ordered drinks on separate occasions and we couldn't tell if he was saucin' behind the bar, or what. Great for me, sucked for her. Â It was packed, so the service was a lil' slow under the circumstances. Â Entertaining nonetheless. Â I think collectively, with everyone in the bar, we could have made a full set of teeth. Â My friend says, "Let's not get crazy, at least a bottom row."
Beware, cops tail you, and are swarming all over the place once you leave. Â Be safe, they have a free shuttle service within about a 7 mile radius! Â NO EXCUSES!
Now that i am living in EC (did you ever notice that El Cajon and East County have the same acronym? maybe some people cant pronounce the soft "j" sound.) anyways, now that i am living in El Cajon i am able to go to The Grand much more frequently. My rating hasn't changed but i wanted to put an update: the karaoke is really fun, and the bands are great, they draw in a decent crowd.
Daytime or night, the Grand is... well... grand
Sorry Fellow Yelpers, as much as I like downtown and miss North County, it looks as if I'm an East County Chick these days.  However, seeing as fellow Yelper Dean V. already reviewed The El Cajon Grand I can feel pretty safe  in what I have to say.
I've been to a high school alumni happy hour which went as smooth as could be. Â Okay, so someone was flashing their personal belongings but hey!!! who am I to judge? ???........Rack em baby!!! Â Pool that is! Â Nice area to play pool and I must say a nice area to dance.
Let's see, I saw the band Cold Shower here, which if I had to give stars, they would rate 5! Â Nice area for a band to play. Â However, not enough seating. Â There is also an outside area which for some reason I believe people may have been playing, ummm Horseshoes??? Someone or anyone can correct me if I'm wrong. Anyways, the bar area was nice and roomy and most seemed friendly. Â Well, most except some chick who apparently was not happy working the night I was there. Â Something about complaining that tips weren't good. Â Sorry girlie, don't complain about your tips to a good paying patron. Â You just lost votes.
I guess a fair vote would be 3.5 stars so I'm going for 3. Â Dean went 4 so I'm sure our rating system will even out somehow.
Also, pricing was decent. : ) Â Enjoy!
So much can happen in an hour!
Stopped by here to check this place out, heard it was an interesting place. Typical dive bar , nice long bar, beer and alcohol, pretty good beer selection , free chex mix (homemade) , Delicious.....
Now for the fun stuff , bartender was a cool guy. After talking to him he walked way and a lady looking a little glazed over came over and asked me for a book of match's, strange? As soon as I said no she left and the bartender came over and asked me what she wanted ?r I told him and he said, "I thought she was asking if she could do you a favor?"
He said she has been in and out of this place with a couple of guys and he was thinking of throwing her out. Few minutes later the bartender said  look at those meth heads outside, If they come in I might have to throw them out, but most of the time they just sit in the corner  in the dark.
O Yeah almost forgot there  some horseshoe pits in the back if you like to play?
The drinks are reasonably priced and my friend used the bathroom he had no complaints!
Enjoy El Cajon
STAY AWAY UNLESS YOU LIKE BEING IGNORED.
First and last time I went to the new location.
Short and sweet. Â After 30 minutes of sitting at a table and talking with no one waiting on us, it became a joke and we decided to sit there instead of going up to the bar to see just how long it would take. Â
We left, THREE HOURS LATER without ever having anyone come over to ask us for our order, or to tell us that there were no servers available.
We would have sat at the bar except for (a) there were no two bar stools together that were vacant, the bar was full of "every other one", and (b) we wanted to talk privately and not be part of the bar line conversation.
It's pretty bad when you can't review quality or cost of drinks or food because the service was so bad you literally never had a chance to.
Just moved to the EC recently. An SD native and I never knew much about this place. My wife and I dropped in since its literally a skip and a jump away and we wanted a grown up night out. The cover band playing was decent, the girl pimpin out the jello shots was nice and they were pretty good. (couldve been a little bigger but what do you expect for a buck!) Bartender was a nice guy and never left me standing there parched. Pretty nice place reminds us of a bar in Oregon we used to frequent. We will definitely be there for NFL this season.
Review Source:I was pretty impressed with this place. A little far and out of the way from where I normally hang out.
I was a bit concerned with the older tweekers that were eating next to me at the Jack In The Box next door. While there were some strange folk that eventually entered the bar, most of the clientele were cool.
The bar tenders were all nice and quick to get you a drink.
There were a few bands playing that night and the sound there was pretty damn good. The leopard printed wall behind the band added to the rock vibe.
There was a huge patio outside as well if you needed an escape from the music or to have a smoke.
The patio had beer pong and horseshoes as well.
Once you get passed the initial feelings of, "Holy shit why in GOD's name am I in El Cajon?" You might find The Grand, or The El Cajon Grand (whatever you want to call it) a pretty decent bar.
There's something in the water in the East County. First the Riviera popped up in La Mesa. Now, The Grand in El Cajon. It's as if the rebirth of these two cities that have typically been known for Bro Assholes has finally begun. I welcome the change. Seriously. The last thing San Diego needs is another fuckhead bro with an SRH sticker on the back of their lifted Ford F-150. What they -do- need, is cool bars that cater to lots of folks, not just the peckerwood crowd that El Cajon is known for.
The Grand is a welcome breath of fresh air to what used to be the biggest shit hole ever, The Carousel. That bar could have easily been renamed, "Meth Dot Com" as it was the game in that bar. It's different now. A new coat of paint (and stucco) have made way for a decent bar with pool tables, AMPLE back patio room including horseshoe pits and plenty of covered seating, a stage for bands and karaoke alike...etc. One of the old door guys from Scolari's Office even works here now. (What's with that? One of the bartenders from the Casbah works at The Riviera, too!)
They pour strong drinks, they have a good selection of beers including my personal San Diego favorite, Ballast Point Yellowtail. And there's even a Jack In The Box next door for your late night food cravings upon exit. The Grand is a pretty legit beacon of light in a city that frankly, fucking sucks. Hopefully they keep the business coming and provide a haven for people who aren't quite into burning crosses in the front yards of black people, or doing meth until the sun comes up...etc.
Downside? Card minimum is $10. I had a tab of $9.75 and the bartender would not round it up to $10. He said, "It has to be a purchase." So I bought some cheap ass Bud Light which tasted like crap of course. His tip went down for that, and a star went down for that, but let's be honest here -- if you're reading this it means you're probably in El Cajon and are on the verge of killing yourself if you can't find something worthwhile within city limits to check out.
That place, my poor friends, is The Grand.
(This place has closed its original location on Main St and has moved a couple miles down the road next to a Jack in Box.)
The original El Cajon Grand was a REAL dive bar. We went in there one night for karaoke, and we were the only two people in the place.
I'm not kidding. Not even a bartender!
It was really odd, so we left.
The new place is "newer" inside and out. It now occupies a building which used to be a car-hop back in the day.
If you're impressed by fancy wood shelving, back-lit bottles of liquor, cutesy little track lighting, and flat plasma TV's, then by all means....go here.
The place was not my scene. Middle aged guys with their Tommy Bahama shirts singing Jimmy Buffet songs to younger girls who couldn't give a shit.
Then there was the young "hip" crowd who was trying to make this place into their local hangout where they could sip those overpriced dark beers which are all the rage.
(Now when I say "hip", remember, I'm talking about El Cajon here, so keep that in mind.)
The karaoke guy and his book were some of the best I've seen though. In fact, not only was his music selection awesome, but his sound system rivaled that of any bar I've been to lately.
The set up is OK there: Pool tables off to the side, way out of the way from the bar and the rest of the seating.
It looks like a lot of money was spent on this place, and I hope the guy who owns it realizes that the location is cursed. I've been in the area for a long time now, and I've seen a few places come and go. Good luck my friend. You're gonna need it.
Another random dive bar. Â We went for a drink, but the lady turned us down! :( My roomie was turning 21 @ midnight and she said we had to wait till the following night! LAME! I have never heard this before EVER! Oh well... she was nice about it and welcomed us to come the next night! Â There was a good group of people there and they were around the ages of 21-35. Â Would I go back??? Perhaps!!!!
Review Source:
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