OMG - worst bartender award EVER goes to the girl working here on Tuesday, July 9th during the day! Â I went to Oceanside for a few days with a friend and went to this bar. Â The girl working, with blonde hair and poorly-done tattoos all over her body, was sooo rude it was unbelievable. Â Basically, she slammed down our drinks on the bar, ran my credit card, and then went back to the corner where she proceeded to text on her phone! Â I would never go back. Â Even though that's a bummer - because the place seemed like it could be pretty cool. Â I have A LOT of friends that know I am a bartender and know SoCal well, so they are constantly asking me where to go. Â This is one place that I will tell them to NEVER go. Â Bitch - get a grip and have some conversation with people. Â You suck. Â Oh, and btw, those tattoos are horrible. Â I have seen better on 50-yr-old women!
Review Source:Came in here before and enjoyed it but tonight made me never go back. The bouncer accidentally bumped into my boyfriend and made him spill all my drink. He apologized and told the bartender to pour us a new drink. She went on her business and never poured a new one. I went to explain what happen to the other bartender and she turned into a super bitch. She could have explained everything nicely and I would have understood. But the way she treated me was the worst customer service ever!
Review Source:it's a bar...they make drinks...
it's pirate themed which is cool...
we were there on a friday and it was kinda crowded...in a brief conversation with the bartender on duty we learned that the other bartender had called out and she was there all alone...she seemed a bit frazzled...
we hung out for a bit and had a couple drinks but the place was a little too crowded for our liking...although, it does attract a diverse crowd
Cool idea but poorly executed.  This bar is DIRTY!!  A lot of pirate paraphernalia that hasn't been cleaned....EVER.  The skeletons hanging look like they have afros...those  afros are freaking DUST.  You can see the dust on the shelves once a bottle has been removed...The bartender didn't wipe down several drinks that spilled on the bar...simply replaced the drinks...but when she felt like it....1 after smooching a dude on the far end of the bar...then 2 after the "door security" (I use security lightly...that guy was a joke) let her know someone was outside waiting...we saw her run outside leaving the bar unattended to make out with some dude in a tow truck!  She was out there for about...90 seconds...It took about 10 minutes we got our drinks.  She looked right at us and stood there talking to the other people at the end of the bar (yes, every so often smooching the non-tow truck driver) ..finally she came over to us....HEAVY pour and reasonably priced.  Not complaining about that part. Â
Took several times asking for our bill (3 drinks total) to finally close our tab. Â After our movie we wanted to come back to a spot and relax, have a few drinks and possibly play pool or foosball. Â If this place had been a little better...we would have come back. Â They NEED a cleaning crew and a re-vamp on training their lackadaisical staff. Â I was a bartender for quite some time...I would have been fired on the spot for that crap. Â And rightfully so.
This place is genuinely cool looking, Pirate Themed. It's in downtown oceanside at a pretty good location just across the street from Cabo. They have a pool table and a foosball table. Could probably use an expansion but it didn't feel as cramped as it did the first time I came here a while back. Went here on a Tuesday night, probably like 20-30 people in there with a max capacity of 90 so it wasn't that horrible at all.
Funny story: So my buddies and I are playing foosball with each other, then some old guy starts watching us play and saying how that seems like such a hard game, wondering why we don't spin the handles. Because we play no spins ( and because only D-bags spin, bro) So I play a couple games then go have a seat next to the girl and let my buddy play this old dude. Old guy spins the shit out of the handles and thinks he's boss hoss at the game after beating my friend. Â OK, maybe that wasn't that funny... but some people are just born to suck is main point.
I'd come back here, I just wish downtown Oceanside could clean its act up a little bit. Some dude got hit by a train right before we got down there, so it was kind of a spectacle.
We had a great time at the Pirate Party, open buffet was yummy, artichoke dip, meats, rum cake, and more. Drinks were flowing,and not expensive, we brought our own grog mugs, and pirates everywhere, at the end of the night as we were leaving, Sam an employee showed concern and offered to have a cab take us home if we needed one, I stopped drinking an hour previous and was ok, but I like the concern she showed toward ours and others safety, we'll be back, POPEYE and VIXEN PIRATE, TOOT, TOOT!!
Review Source:Friday evening, around 6pm. pretty full...always is....got first drink, only one bartender who decided to take a break......No way to get a drink...she came back, made  a couple drinks and left again.....so ridiculous that becomes funny. I thought there was a hidden camera for a prank.
Place can really use some deep cleaning and fixing...but then again, its a dive bar
If you're not a local, don't bother coming here. Seems to me they don't really like "out-of-towners". Hubs and I came in after dinner for a drink and this place is definitely the definition of a dive. I think the pirate theme is great. AND I love dive bars. But, the clientele and "security" is bleh. I felt like if we looked at someone for half a second, they wanted to start a fight. Tables were all wobbly and one thing they have going for them is they definitely don't skimp on the alcohol.
So, we had one drink and we went across the street to Davina's. Too bad.
I thought this was a gay bar for YEARS. I think it used to be. Either way you really cant tell the difference now - its always packed full of DDs ... and not the double Ds your hoping for... im talking bout devil dogs & douchebags. Oh and if you think it smells like pee, thats because i make sure to piss on the place anytime im coming from any other bar in the area. ENJOY!
Review Source:SO yes most the negative things u read about this place are true but its a local dive bar thats a pirate bar also. LoL i have seen more people have good nights in here then a lot of place been in my days. The prices are not that bad but also not that strong from what i hear. My wife had to buy a shot on top of the rum and coke to pour in to make it as strong as she wanted it to b. I just drink beer so couldnt tell ya on that one. It can take a long time to get them to notice u when trying to order drinks but hey thats why u make sure ur tip is big enough the first time she always comes back rite....lol really though just tip em fat the first time and they will take care of ya.
The really big down side to this place is they do not have any food. So if u are wanting some just bring it...no shit ive seen people eating outside food there and they dont trip so it makes up for it just a lil.
Like i said its a local dive so if ur not a local dont b suprised if u get ignored but that pirate theme is pretty cool and worth coming in and having a beer while at the beach or in town for what ever.
When you think of the Haunted Head, there are several words that should pop into your mind...
Pirates. Â Pool Table. Â Foosball. Â Average drinks. Â Sausage fest. Â
So really? Â It's the theme that sets it apart. Â It has a great atmosphere and staff. Â Their pirate parties are a blast, and you'll find lots of locals and marines. Â (It's an Oside bar. Â No real surprise there.) Â
It's a little pricey for what it's worth, and it's so small - REALLY noticeable on those prime time weekends and party nights - but it's still a nice place to go, and if you have guests who want to feel like locals, it's a good place to take them.
Ok bar. Â Used to be much better several years ago. Â
For the 2 star rating: Â It really upsets me as a paying customer to not be acknowledged when I approach bar and endure a longer than necessary wait until the shift bartender is finished with their small talk with another customer. Â
At times, Marines can get a bit aggressive here.
Went here for Monday Night Football whilst in the area, very loud, people seemed to be enjoying themselves but they all seemed to be locals, no one spoke to me and seemed against me joining in the fun of watching football, when I tried to see the TV, placed at head level, people kept pushing in front of me.
Bar tender was covered in tattoos, way too many for such a small girl, everything was pretty dusty inside, looks like the halloween-esqe decorations have not been cleaned in years, the place also smelt like pee, gave up after 1 beer and moved on.
DIVE bar to the max! Old and dusty pirate decor above the head and vandalized dollar bills all over the bar. Pool and TV's for sport viewing. Cheap pitchers and friendly bartenders.
It's a cool spot if you can appreciate a bit of a seedy vibe. Somewhat of a Marine bar but a lot of characters come through this place. You never know what you're gonna get.
This place is really pimp to chill at.
The bartenders were really nice. The other people there were also friendly.
I didnt think the prices were crazy.
Some of my friends were drinking PBR pitchers for like five bucks. (redneck)
But the Bar is ah cool place to start your Friday/Saturday Night.
I will totally go back with my buds to slam ah few before we tear the town up.
Didnt try the food if they had some.
It always smells like pee in this bar.
Saturday was no exception. I counted 4 visible tramp stamps, 3 whale tails, countless marines, and I stopped counting how many times I saw a drink spilled.
Ehhh whatever, it all adds to the flavor of life. But this is not the kind of bar you want to go to if you're interested in chatting with friends. The music (which is good) is super loud. We left our much coveted table due to having to scream over the music. But, if you want to just go to hang out and play pool or get your pre-movie buzz going, then this is the place!
Important note: DRINKS ARE CHEAP!
They have PBR on tap. I bought a pint of PBR and Sierra Nevada and it cost $6.25 total. **Special note: they will not accept plastic (debit or credit) unless it is over $10.** So if you want to cruise in for one beer before you go to the movies, bring cash.
One of the best Oceanside has to offer. It's a bar in the  middle of the downtown area and the decor is very Halloween-esque, a little bit campy, but not totally geeky. It's a very cool vibe and a fun place. It is packed to the gills with young, fresh Marines... Yes. Plus, mixed drinks are inexpensive and a bit strong, too! This place will get pretty full though, so it can be tough to play a game of pool. And some asshole will put Freebird on repeat on the jukebox. (But stereotypes exist for a reason, right?) All in all, a fun place. And the ladies' room is ... weird.
Review Source:This place can be good under the right conditions, but the aging blonde bartender won't even give you reasonable service on a Thursday unless you're wearing an Affliction shirt and enough Axe body spray to poison a small child.
I can get past the fact that the men's bathroom has a urinal that is completely visible from a hallway that doesn't offer a door. The women's restroom is two toilet, separated only by dirty shower curtains.
But would timely service kill you? It'd really encourage me to tip you more than the two cents and nasty letter I left on the last receipt.
This place is HOPPING on Saturday nights. Â So much so that we saw a dude getting kicked out of there for being too drunk and it was only about 10:30 at night. Â The vibe is really cool and the theme (pirates galore) is very awesome and unique. Â There is pool available, but watch out for the crowded room. Â It is a tiny place, so it is bound to happen.
Cheap beers ($3 bottles of Bud Light) and really cute bartenders to keep the young Marines happen that they are stationed at Camp Pendleton.
Drink up, mateys! Â Arrrrrrrggg!
This place is fun! I like the pirate decor, and the dude that works security at the front was really nice and welcoming.
The drinks were strong, the only thing that made them a tad less enjoyable were the super creepy weird dudes that were talking to us, and there seemed to be quite a few. Â Other than that, the crowd seemed mellow.
It's a fun little place, and I'd definitely go there again if I found myself in the area.
This place is great and brings an solid A - for people watching on a boring  Saturday. Â
My enjoyment last week was watching this dude in jean shorts and a wife-beater practice at pool by himself. Â He was rocking some fancy pool player protective arm band..this shark meant business! Â He walked around the table like a panther stalking it's prey, we were about to watch a master at work.
"Ummm, yes a few pitches of Bud Light over here, thanks!"
He continually chalked his cue while his unique engineering skills lined up the next shot (I'm sure it was a crazy trick shot only pool-ninjas could pull off). Â What seemed like a life-time later he FINALLY cracked the cue ball towards a triangle of bored, yet colorful, pool balls! Â With so much build up my friends and I had some major side bets running...I was certain he was going to knock all the balls in with one shot!!!!!!!!!!
Umm, yeah not so much he totally whiffed, it was freaking hilarious. Â What was even better??? Â He had to be the worst player I've ever had the pleasure to kick back, drink beer and burn a Saturday watching.
The Haunted Head is a fun day-drinking spot. Â Cheap beer, cool staff, they allow outside food and the pizza next door is amazing when you're drunk. Â BTW this place is totally decorated by Jack Sparrow's stunt man..enjoy!
I give this place 7 "This hyperlink in the opposite of what I witnessed" out of 10.
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DZrjSqK7xPLE&s=59f46545b8aa27b22c16948d25d62861d629bc1860c7aa08b6f2506d43ccc339" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>
Who knew there was so much damn pirate memorabilia in the world? ha it created a cool vibe there.
I didn't go on a weekend night so I don't know how crazy this place gets on a Friday or Saturday night..I was actually there on a Sunday afternoon.
Bartender was very cool. Â At one point i waited a while to get her attention but no hard feelings i was in no rush. Â They had a nice list of specials, I myself am a tequilla person so I went for the tequilla sunrise for 4$. Â First one was nice a strong 2nd a little weaker but still tasty!
I like that they have pool, fussball (ill kick your a$$), new juke box and a misc. electronic gambling game. Â I liked the atmosphere. But I can see how sometimes it may get over-run with drunk a-holes. Â I am good at avoiding pests like that though.
My only beef or perplexed moment with this place was in the women's bathroom! Â If you go you will get where I am coming from. When I went it was dead so not awkward but on a busy night I just don't know how that curtain thing would work lol. I guess they figure everyone is so drunk and has the same stuff they wont care.
My girlfriend and I stopped by the HH other night after seeing the reviews on Yelp, as it sounded like a fun place to check out.
Even before we were in the door, we had drunk soldiers and non-soldiers outside making inappropriate comments and gestures towards my date. The doorman never moved an inch as the scene was getting uncomfortable, but luckily we were able to enter with no further issues.
The interior was very cool and Disneyland-ish, with lots of atmosphere, however the drunken knucklehead Jack Sparrow Wanna-be's, and slobbering goons all around continued to make my girlfriend uncomfortable with their perverse "been out to sea too long" advances, so we left for safer shores.
All ye drunkard pirate-lubbers, this be yer place.
Arrgghhhh, matey! Â Fun, fun, fun...
Stopped by Haunted Head Saloon on Sunday afternoon because we had some time to kill before our movie (Black Swan, eh, more on that film in my next review) started at Regal Cinemas around the corner and wanted to catch the end of the Ravens-Chiefs game. Â We heard the game playing through the open door when we walked by Haunted Head, so in we went.
Wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling, this dark and brooding bar is awesomely pirate-themed. Â Very unique. Â In additional to pirate memorabilia of all sorts, there's a pool table, foosball table, at least one game machine, a jukebox, a fireplace, and just a handful of tables. Â There's a whole, whole lot to take in despite really minimal square footage.
Other than me and my boyfriend just a couple other customers, the owners and/or managers, and a friendly and efficient bartender were present during the hour we spent here in the early afternoon. Â
I'd love to see what the nighttime scene at Haunted Head's like, so should I find myself in Oceanside any given evening I'll plan to do just that.
Decor:
I was amped when i heard this place was pirate themed. I love me some pirates. I think this place might be best enjoyed after dark. Went here during the late afternoon and it was just ok. I think it would look much cooler at night. There was a pool table and foosball table, both of which were occupied.
Service:
Front door guy, was super nice. Bartender was a doll. She gave us a quick run down of the specials and we ordered.
Drinks:
We ordered kamikazies, and vodka red bulls to start. The shots tasted WEIRD. Not sure what the deal was there, but if that's was their version of a kamikazie, I'm not a fan. Can't really go wrong with vodka and redbulls though. We were going to continue ordering, but decided against it and closed out our tab and left. Â
Overall, it was a little smaller than i expected, but not a bad place for some cheap drinks, although, i'd probably stick to beer next time. Seems like it's a hang out for the marines, so ladies, if you're looking for a miltary man, this is a good bet haha.
This place is more of a novelty than anything else. I don't really get how someone could come here every weekend, or even once a month. First of all, it's in devil dog central. Second, the whole pirate theme is pretty overwhelming.
However, they have some great parties. I went there on Halloween of '08, and it was THE BOMB.
Also, the bartenders are cool. There was one who was really hot... I wish I could remember her name...
Pretty chill in the daytime, too, and the bouncers are some cool and friendly dudes.
Typical bar prices, so nothing crazy there. The ceiling is really high, which makes it seem like there's a lot of space.
Beware of the bathrooms & their curtains.
Aye, the Head. That's where me likes to be. Yo-ho!
I'm a bar wench. I prefer downtown Oceanside to Carlsbad any day.
There's a decent amount of bars downtown, but the Haunted Head is pretty much my favorite one for just hanging out, drinking grog and talking shit. Arrr!
It's always packed on the weekends. The bar staff is great. The crowd is usually amusing. They have a pool table, foosball and a juke. The ladies restroom situation is a little different, but hey - it's a toilet.
Don't forget to say hi to Esmeralda, the pirate mannequin (and her cleavage) while you're there.
We stopped in here on night for a few cold ones. The Place was packed! But we were able to grab a few spots at the bar. The bar
tender was real cool. This place looked like the bar from Tortuga kind of. My bro and I had 3 pitchers of firehouse beer . Which is real good, that's why we had 3. Â The jukebox had a good selection of music. Â Also if you can leave your mark on a $1 bill and the bar keeper will hang it above the bar for all to see. Look for the one that has red ink on it that has my last name " THE ********** BROS"
The 5 stars is solely for the bartenders and bar staff, particularly Erin, who is a rock star no bullshit bartender that will be your best friend or worst nightmare. All the staff there are great as long as you aren't a prick!!!
My friend and I schlep up to the HH from near downtown SD where we live and it's so worth it. Despite some of the asshole patrons there it's a good time and there are some fun people there, and by people I mean guys. The girls I've seen tend to be really bitchy for no good reason...they're not that hot shit!
So, if you're in the hood it's worth it to stop for a few drinks....ya never know what may happen!!!! Â Arrggghhh!! Â =)
The Head, as we call it, is a really cool place to hang out when there's just the locals hanging out. Â But come night time, especially around the weekends, steer clear, unless you like getting into fist-fights with marines.
Full bar, beer and booze, no nuts or popcorn. Â There's a fireplace in the corner for those cold nights. Â A single pool table and a fooseball too.
There's not a category for Oddly Themed Bars, but this is one, in addition to being a dive.  A great dive too, complete with post-hot bartendress, just the right amount of spilt beer odor and floor grit, faint reminants of last night's shenanigans  in the air, friendly drunks smoking outside.  The pirate theme takes the edge off in a way that's hard to explain but completely tangible once you experience it.  How can one feel too serious in a place with iron maidens, wooden pirates, and improbably skeletons about?  One should not, nay, can not.  Yet, unlike bubbles or loud techno and beanbag chairs or cosmetics or some such junk, the theme does not intrude on the dive bar experience or cost money. Â
Reviewers on other sites take issue with the service. Â My experience was that I got some lip immediately upon entering, returned it with a pirate sneer, and had a fine time! Â It's a pirate bar, not some pussy hipster bar. Â So don't come in unless you can be a pirate for a few hours and not whine about dumb stuff. Â I found the grog strong and the service snappy. Â I get the strange feeling that girls dig the place too, so it's unlikely to be some kind of sports bar sausage fest at any given time.
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