I end up here more times than I acknowledge a la Yelp check-in. This is due in part to a certain close proximity to a fellow degenerate's casita.
All that aside, this place never fails me. They always have good stuff on tap (Abita Amber & decent ciders), excellent selections on the juke and a low-key vibe.
Bartenders are pretty chill. On a recent Sunday, one lady bartender even let our ladies-that-brunch bunch sample one of her personally crafted cocktails. (Something that tasted like chocolate milk, but had "Guinness" in the name description.) It was fantastic, btw.
Be prepared to come in standing upright, but leave sloppy jalopy.
excellent little bar which always stayed open until the last minute. this little dive bar was the cause of many arguments between me and the X but it was totally worth all the headache and drama the place caused. The girlfriend is gone but the memories i gained there.....they're gone too cuz of all the fun booze! so the moral of the story is... this place rocks!!!
Review Source:Lots of beers available. Stopped in for a drink, it was busy and a nice crowd. Loud inside and difficult to talk. Cool vibe, I wouldn't call this a dive bar, at least not by Canada's standards. This is just a darker spot, not ideal for conversation. A patron bought a bunch of pizzas for everyone in the bar, felt like I was back in Canada.
Review Source:Live Wire is exactly what it looks like from the outside - a small dive bar. However, it's slightly cooler inside than the looks of the outside. I never would've considered coming inside if my friend hadn't suggested it. The first time I went, it seemed cool. It had a hipster type vibe, a decent beer selection, dark moody lighting, and good music. I had previously enjoyed some booze, so that might've swayed my opinion a bit. The second time, I provided it as much hype as I could conjure, and sadly it was disappointing. The crowd was definitely different this time. So yea, dive bar, good beer selection, interesting people watching, period.
Review Source:I love my dive bars, stouts and porters, and places that are dog friendly. Love how I can have my pup here to socialize up until closing while shooting pool with some great regular players. Its a small crummy dive bar with only one pool table that I highly enjoy visiting. The music selection is great. Any place that has a variety of Stouts and Porters on draft is my kinda place. Wifi capabilities adds to the aim to please to the average dog owning, beer drinking, pool shooting local looking for a spot to relax for the night.
Review Source:I think I went on a bad night, but my experience was just OK.
Last Friday I rounded up a few friends and mobbed down to The Boulevard. I heard good things about this bar, and convinced everyone that we should check it out.
The parking is plentiful, and the location isn't bad. The bar sits at a street corner with plenty of "hip looking individuals" smoking outside. When I walked in, I quickly regretted coming here. It was way too crowded for the size and layout of the bar. It just looked like a long hallway filled with people shoulder-to-shoulder talking awkwardly close to one another. If I had come alone or with just a friend it wouldn't have been so bad. Coming here with 5+ people on a Friday night is not the greatest idea though. After hanging out in the nook where the DJ was spinning for a couple minutes, we decided to make our way through the crowd. It took a while to get to the counter, and a much longer while to finally order a drink. The bartender was flying back and forth, so no discredit to him. It was close to about 10 minutes before he finally got to me though. We ended up getting a booth and hanging out for a half hour or so. It didn't take long before we decided to migrate to another bar.
The drinks are pretty cheap, the music's not bad, and the vibe is cool. There was plenty of gorgeous women there too I might add (if you're into that indie-girl look). I think having gone on a less busy night would have cranked my rating up a bit. I haven't gone to many bars in the North Park area, so I'm not sure how it compares with the other dive bars in the neighborhood. I'll probably check this place out again in the near future.
I write this review with hesitation. Â This place is a 5 star joint. Â but I don't want you to know it. Â because then you will come here. Â with your bachelorette party or some shit.
and that would just suck. Â because this is a cool, dark, neighborhood bar. Â and it's nothing like Dick's Last Resort.
sorry.
I have been to 95% of the bars in North Park, and Live Wire is in the running for worst bar of them all. Sure they have a great selection of beer and pretty reasonable prices ($6 Delirium Tremens is the cheapest I've ever found) but what good is that with such a grungy bar and a crowd that seems to be hybrids of the douches of PB and the hipsters of North Park? The bar tender I experienced was the type where everything and everyone was an inconvenience to them, even after I informed them their beer is skunky and asked for different beer. Unless you live within walking distance, I'd go to a bar with a better experience.
Review Source:My favorite dive in all of San Diego. Perfect to relax mid-week and great (hipster) population on weekends. Red lights, strong drinks, AWESOME JUKEBOX, cult films on TV, long bar, pool table and elk shooting game. Also: tons of posters informing you of upcoming shows, and great bartender conversation.
Review Source:Red Alert - Hipster hangout!!
I wear a lot of plaid but I don't consider myself a hipster...I guess I am just not kool enough. The beer selection @ Live Wire is better than average and while the inside is small, they somehow manage to squeeze in booth seating, bar seating, pool table, and they have an area where a DJ spins the cuts on weekend nights. Not too bad for a bar that isn't quite a dive but isn't really in the now...I guess that's more confirmation of the aforementioned theme. Besides, where else can you drink a PBR, listen to a DJ spin 80's music, and watch old WWF Wrestle Mania reruns. Nowhere!
This place would be cool if the people that come here didn't come here. Â Obnoxious people that like to start shit and just act plain retarded. Â It's like super douchey people that think they're not douchey, but they're 10 times worse than the people they try not to be. Â I'll go hang out with the people that aren't a bunch of rejects that don't try to overcompensate for their lameness.
Review Source:I love this little dark divey corner of "The Boulevard"!
They got a good draft beer selection and a little chalkboard in the restroom where I can write my manifesta.
They also got this jukebox that features a CD titled "Musica del Diablo" and I am reminded of my Catholic mama, "Eso es musica del diablo!"
Remember Jackie Brown where Max Cherry the Bail Bondsman offers to take her out for a drink and she wants the bar to be dark cause she looks like she just got out jail and doesn't want people to look at her?
If Jackie Brown had taken place in San Diego, this would be that place where she can have her drink in peace without worrying about people looking at her, not because it is dimly lit, but becuase all the other patrons also look like they just got out of jail.
Rock'n'Roll Jukebox? YES.
Tecate Tallboys? YES.
Beards? HELL YES.
A qualified dirty Rock'n'Roll dive bar. If u smacked it down next to CBGB's in NYC it would make sense. If you have a friend from another Big City who likes the Ramones, Stooges and wears a leather jacket, they'll be at home here. On Thursdays, the DJ starts around 10pm and the crowd picks up. Somewhat hipstery but generally friendly. Bartenders are service-minded/worth tipping well.
DO: Play Ms.Pac-Man near the bathroom with a date.
DON'T: Ask for Pinot Noir
Advice: Get to know the Bartender and Doorman by name.
Oh hey (bartender) Thad, this is my friend Rho* - huge Giants fan, btw.
(bartender) Thad: GIANTS FCKIN SUCK!!!!!!
Me: FCK YOU AND YOUR PADRES!!!!
Thad: YOUR PITCHING FCKIN SUCKS!!!!
Me: UP YOURS, FCKER!
Thad: What happened to Lincecum? HE'S FCKIN DONE!!!!!
Me: ... .. . .. ... .. .
..... . .. ... ..... .. . .... . .. . .... .. . ..... ..
Thad: Â Here's your Jamo & Ginger sweetheart
Me: Thanks babe
An hour and some stiff drinks later -
Thad: GIANTS SUCK!!!!!!!!
Me: (whispering.....zoning in and out) ....Padres.......suck
Another hour later -
Thad: STILL A GIANTS FAN??!
Me: (zzZzz) huh wha? FCK YOU! (flips him off)
Thad: Here drink this redbull sweetie.
Me: Mmmkay. (totally didn't)
Half hour later -
*lights come on
**Rho* wake up. Â Bar's closing.
Me: ......Giants!
I heart Live Wire
I'd come back for the smack talkin
Hubba Hubba Hai Thad!
So before going here, I'd heard a rumor that this place was kind of shady and awful. I don't know where the person I heard that from gets their information, but they're incorrect.
The thing that really endeared me to the place was the amount of water the bartender put in my Scotch. Usually, when you order a Scotch and water, the bartender puts a lot of water in the glass. It's generally preferable to only put in a little bit of water to bring out the flavor (If you want more water, that's fine too. It's your Scotch.) and that's what this bartender did.
Also, according to my date, Live Wire has the best jukebox in San Diego. I'll take her word for it.
Fond and fondest. Â My heart goes out to those of you going here tonight....
My last  visit was all about the killer jukebox playing the original Rex Garvin version of "Sock it to 'em JB" and the movie "The Three Amigos" on the monitor - with a truly inspired cider called Anthem in hand.  Cherry finish in a pint for a warm August night. I'm alive.
Such a tap room. Such a sight. See the newbies rocking the joint.
To the intrepid SDSU freshman with the jewfro - go man go.
I'm old and done with the hip - let me fade away in a blissful buzz.
This is a place where memories are made. You'll never forget it - good or bad.
Have a beer - may it rise to the ocassion.
Maybe go outside and grab a bite up the street and come back? Have another beer, cigarette, and ride your bike home.
An old haunt now hitting 20 years. Congratulations.
Not a bad joint. We went here after a few review on yelp and the place is just as it stated.. a dive bar.
The atmosphere was what I was expecting a bunch of locals playing pool. The prices were average the the bar staff was pretty nice.
We ended up leaving after they started playing heavy metal. We would most likely come back due to the prices.
This is a fun bar with a cool vibe. It's not pretentious at all and doesn't try to pretend to be something it's not which is a nice break from the hipster scene in North Park. It's not a big bar and tends to get crowded around 10:00 p.m. on weekends to the point it's hard to get a drink or move around much.
The bartenders are down to Earth friendly and boy do they know how to pour a drink! I wouldn't call it a heavy hand, but they definitely don't measure! I am not sure how their drink prices are as I never paid for one, but it's a favorite haunt of my friends and I am sure I will be going back here more often.
Best bar in America. Not a ridiculous claim, I just know I will never see better. Dark, loud, sweaty, grimy, dirty, joyous, local, occasionally dangerous when Thad throws quarters at your head (its a good thing?), its everything I look for in a bar. Metal, thrash, surf, noise-rock on the jukebox! And the crowd is equal parts fem-roller derby/glam-tattoo/pbr-hipster/North Park beer snob. If it were 1982, I imagine there would be more denim-on-denim, multicolored mohawks, nose clams, bathroom sex...how do I say this...excitement? Well, in the aughts, its not that sleazy, but a heritage of edge prevails.
They have a committed and rotating tap list rarely found in places like this and they can pour a mean cocktail. For me, its hard not to go for a Macallan 12 (7 bucks!) and a double IPA, my version of a shot and a beer. Best nights? Every night, although weekdays you don't have to contend with bridge and tunnel  nonsense (here its those having to take the 5 or 805 or 15 to get here) looking for a night out in the "hip" North/South Park area. They usually don't stay long anyway.
In a city crowded with twee, family friendly beer bars and fratclown strongholds, Livewire offers a much needed antidote. It eschews pretension and everything that defines Gaslamp, La Jolla, and PB. The hardcore days may be gone, but along with Cherrybomb, this place holds it down for keeping a more punk aesthetic alive. Let's hope its stays that way.
LiveWire has a full bar and a great beer selection. It's hard not to get drunk when going here, especially during happy hour.
When available they get Pliny the Younger. Be careful, the beer is a lot stronger than you think. I like getting a Hendricks martini when I come here. It's a solid drink and at a good price.
Their juke box is a mix between popular and local music. I think they have even won awards for it.
A must try.
Scene. A Crowded Bar.
A young woman sits at the bar staring at her reflection; a thirty-ish man with a beard and a sleeve of tats sulks into his local brew; swirling around them are people clad in the black uniform of post-mod-dirt-chic drones, pushing towards the bar en masse to order drinks from surly, disinterested bartenders; loud DJ music reverberates off the dark walls; tendrils of blue-white smoke waft in from those outside the front door patrolling the scene with p-funks and american spirits. The bearded man spots the woman and walks over to her, shoving not a few people on his way.
Man - Â Â Â Â Hi.
Woman - Â Hi.
Man - Â Â Â Â I noticed you were wearing a black hoodie, that's cool, I like,
         have a few of those myself.
Woman - That's cool, I really like those tattoos on your arm. I have some
         on my wrist and calves. Â
Man - Â Â Â Cool. Yeah, so this place is cool, huh?
Woman - Totally, I really dig your beard. Â How long have you been Â
        growing it?
Man - Â Â Â Oh, I've always had this beard. Since I was like twelve, I just
         keep it trimmed. Um, can I buy you a drink?
Woman - For sure, I'll um have a vodka and soda.
The two sit there for 20 minutes while the bartender ignores them.
After my first trip to Live Wire I am compelled to give this fine establishment 5 stars, even though a 5 star establishment this place is not.
If you're a princess, this place is gross. Â It's grimy, gritty, falling apart, service is slow albeit friendly, and the bathrooms give off a faint whiff of Trainspotting. Â These are all the things that set my heart aflutter. Â Strange, I know. Â But especially in these times where gentrification has taken hold of my once gritty North Park and transformed it into a overly polished, sometimes contrived butterfly, Â Live Wire is a breath of fresh air. Â It's raw and honest, and will slap you in the mouth if you're being a dumb whore. Â I totally appreciate that.
Oh and I gave everyone SARS at this place last night. Â Merry Christmas.
Approximately 20 or so taps of fine craft beer and a full bar in a modestly sized, yet comfortable establishment.
Indulged in some wonderful ales including: Allgash White, Delirium, Racer 5 IPA, Blind Pig IPA.
Setting was relaxed and the booths were quite comfortable. Red lighting throughout the place was greatly appreciated. Preponderance of heavy rock music from the jukebox was less than appreciated.
A friend enjoyed the Frtios boat, available for free during Friday happy hour. Fritos chips with toppings in a plastic boat-shaped bowl. I, instead, opted to stick to only brew to satisfy carb intake.
Bike stuck in the sidewalk near the front door is quite an aesthetically pleasing contribution to the decor at Live Wire.
Overall, great, casual spot for craft brew on The Boulevard.
"And then the lesbian threw a drink in my face," said a man with a British accent to his friend. That's the first thing I heard upon walking in the door on my last visit to Live Wire. I shook the confused man's hand and thanked him for a proper welcome.
Naugahyde booths, dark corners, a pool table, jukebox, a video game (a shotgun hunting game as of Jan '10), dirty bathrooms.
And of course, good and cheap drinks (featuring an impressive tap selection that can hold its own against most craft beer-houses in town), with cool bartenders, in a space completely free of any airs or pretensions. This is what a dive bar makes.
They have special happy hours sponsored by a local brewery roughly every month. If you get there early enough (thankfully I work from home and live 4 blocks away!) you can get a commemorative pint glass.
This is a dive bar that surely has seen its share of people from hippie to hipster come and go over the years. Yet it refuses to lose its soul and sell out to any one of the ephemeral cultural fads of its clientele. It's the United Nations of bars, welcoming anyone with a few dollars and at least twenty-one trips around the sun under their belt.
When I was a kid my parents would take me to the blockbuster video on Florida st. (?) and El Cajon Blvd...Anyway, I would always see the Livewire and I was intrigued. I truly wanted to know what went on beyond the doors of that windowless little hole. The neon sign illuminated my curiosity and I longed to be like those cool kids out front sitting on the bike...
Well safe to say that Livewire lived up to any adolescent fantasies I might've had and then some...
I love a dark bar and this is it...A few spare lights and a string of Christmas lights for good measure keep it chill and set the mood for a night of drinkin' and debauchery. If the bar ain't your steeze Livewire has a few booths prime for picking right next to jukebox...
The bartender was nice and easy...just like sunday mornin'. There was no wait for my rum and coke and I gotta say...it was stronger than I had expected. Mix that it with the fact that he was giving out some free pizza (via Luigis around the corner) and I'm a happy camper...
I'm backin' Livewire and would recomend it to the curious as well as the seasoned...
I have 2 words for you: frito boat.  oooooh yes, that's right, free frito boats at happy hour (on fridays).  I've never seen such a thing!  that's frito chips, chili, cheese, sour cream and jalapeños in a plastic dish shaped like a boat.  i can't think of a cooler things to get complementary when grabbing a beer!
yes, it's the little things. Â the little, sloppy, delicious things that make life a little bit better. Â throw in a dim & lively bar, a row of comfy booths (get there early to snag one!) some very friendly and attentive bartenders, and a ton of flavorful beer on tap...and you got yourself one chill hangout. Â BTW, Jamaica Red is a good choice.
i shall be back! Â because apparently i missed the awesome jukebox in this place?
Why have I waited so long to review the Live Wire? Â This bar has become a staple of my weekends. Â If I am out someplace, and it is decidedly lame... we go to the Live Wire. Â The bartenders are awesome, they have a great beer selection, and maybe the best jukebox in San Diego.
Sure, it's a local dive, but personally, that's what I like about it. Â I know that for now I'm known as that (awesome) chick with Lety, but with as often as I frequent this place, hopefully I'll get to the point where my status includes my own name. Â Regardless, I love coming here. Â Plus, I can always walk home if I enjoy too many pints.
And now for my 100th review...LiveWire
Best Jukebox EVER! You hear that?! Because if you don't, then obviously you are not at Livewire. It's of great help that Thirsty Moon pays this grand-dive homage every so often.
This bar has some crazy history. Any place I've heard multiple fight stories from is hard. Like a dick. That kinda hard. Ferocious and protruding.
There's also softness and warmth here. Low lit red and low ceilings, Livewire will bring you in towards your friends. Go ahead, invade that personal bubble! Yours may be invaded as well. This may explain the fights and bathroom sex.
So over the years, this place has gone from ultra-hip to played-out to hell-yes!
When you come across a place you haven't reviewed yet, but you've been there numerous times, it's safe to say you're kind of a lush.
I was here last night and it's still small and cramped as ever. The juke box is dirt cheap, but the selection is lame. The drinks are still good, though everyone thought I was gay for my fruitastic drink selection--mainly Edgartronic and Nick, and they shared with the ladies at the bar my favorite drink is Malibu and pineapple juice, then the women made some lewd comments and suggestions regarding my drink.
Yup. Live Wire. Can someone gentrify that bitch already?
I had never been.
I was kinda ashamed really.
So I strolled down the Blvd to have me a pint.
Game 5 of the ALCS was on the TV. Â Rays lead 5-0. Â Sox down 3 games to 1. Â
I sit at the bar. Â The bartendress is totally hot (Yelp Tendresses excluded). Â Not only that, but she is a damn good bartender. Â She knows her stuff, makes good referalls to the spirits and beer that are offered, and knows her clientelle well.
Behind me sit a group of not too young psuedo-hipsters. Â They think they are pretty cool and play old Punk on the Jukebox. Â The songs are good, but their attitude about them is not so. Â Like these kids know anything about what California Uber Alles means. Â In the immortal words of the Arcade owner in Wayne's World ... They don't know dick.
BUT ... the future Yuppie of America chick playing pool and drinking Rum and Diet sings along (like it means anything to her).
I keep drinking and the Rays go up 7-0 in the 7th. Â Rays vs. Phils I think to myself.
I keep drinking.
The dudes beside me come back from a smoke.
They talk tough. Â Parole. Â Jail time. Â They look tough, talk tough, but I have a feeling they ain't so tough. Â
I keep drinking.
Some jackass former UCSD student is talking like he is tough and knows how to score Italian Chicks. Â He seems to think he is the master of all that is soccer. Â He talks and talks and talks.
And talks.
I keep drinking.
Sox are up. Â Big Poppie. Â He comes through big with a 3 run jack to close the lead to 7-4. Â On to the 8th.
Mace's buddy Josh shows up. Â He is there to drink and play pool. Â He is legit. Â No pretense.
I get another beer.
It is good.
Sox tie it in the 8th on a 2 run dinger from Drew.
dang. Â 7-7.
I keep drinking.
The bar is 99% populated with pretencious morons.
The beer is good.
I drink.
Sox come through with the win. Â Amazing.
Soccer dude suddenly is the most knowledgable Baseball Mind on the planet.
I leave.
Why is this bar so cool?
It rises above the morons it attracts and continues to be an awesome bar.
The air was thick and smelled of lucky strikes and urinal mints. Anonymous cars and bikes passed up and down the boulevard, speeding towards another weekend. Â There was something different about the people lurking outside of the Live Wire; they reminded Ryan R of something but he couldn't put his finger on it. Perhaps it was nothing... perhaps it was a warning... There was nothing on the docket for the evening because Ryan R makes no plans. He had come to the Live Wire to scope it out before deciding whether or not to meet up with various recalcitrants later in the evening. Â
Upon entering the bar he was greeted by what could have been mistaken as hostile glares; Ryan R knew better though, these idiots were just drunk at 6pm. He sat at the bar and took in his surroundings- noting the fastest exits and the various items that could be used to kill someone. A dark figure sat at the other end of the bar. He sat alone, in a leather coat, guarding his beer. Â His face was masked by the shadows and this made Ryan R uncomfortable. Never trust a guy in a leather jacket...Who was he... He reminded Ryan R of someone but he couldn't remember who... Suddenly, Ryan's concentration was broken by a voice, it was the bartender... He looked like Leif Garret....
Leif Garret: Can I get you something?
Ryan R: I like your selection of beer. (eyeing the shadowed figure)
Leif Garret: Thanks, let me know if you want to try anything.
Ryan R: (under his breath) I bet you got laid a lot in the seventies.
Leif Garret: What was that?
Ryan R: I'll have a Pliny the Elder...
Leif Garret: Sure thing.
As the child star poured Ryan R's beer, the shadowed figure moved slightly into the light. It was Guy Davenport! Immediately noticing that Ryan R had made him, he darted for the rear exit. Ryan R raced after him only to be greeted by an empty street.
Ryan R's beer tasted better than any beer he had ever had. He now knew the truth...Guy Davenport wasn't dead! That sonuvabitch!
Ah, Live Wire...I *heart* you.
You will always hold a special place in my heart.
----------------------------------
Ruggy was the one who suggested meeting up here...
It happened on Tuesday...wait- no. Wednesday.
This is the first place I ever got drunk.
It wasn't drunk, like fall on your face drunk...
I was just freaking happy and buzzed and the world was all
pretty and good...which was a nice change from the threads
that night.
I sent a mass txt to whoever I thought might like to show up,
and we actually had a pretty good turnout.
---------------------------------
Thank you bartender (sorry I forgot your name)
for the wonderful recommendation...
I could've sworn you said it was a Malibu, but Jeanna insists
it's  a Long Island Iced Tea. Whatever.
And thanks for holding on to my card. I can't believe I forgot it... ;p
What kind of dive bar doesn't have the Doors on the jukebox!? Â Great selection of tunes, other than that. Â I satisfied my taste with some Zombies. Â It's nice to go to a bar where they don't have one of those new fangled digital contraptions to choose music from... makes me feel more chillaxed.
The last two times I was here I wanted to get nekked and bump uglies because it was like an orgy of sexy scenesters.
This time, last night, I wanted to get nekked and bump uglies because I was with fun people, getting drunk, on a Wednesday (hump day). Â ha. Â That always calls for sexy time.
Usually parking is terrible in this part of town, but I guess that's mainly on the weekend. Â
-Outside is a large, long bench for smokers and Fritos eaters. Â
-Next door is a liquor store. Â As you walk into the bar, it's almost eerily dark but the bartender will probably smile, say "hey" and something easy going and you won't feel so dark anymore. Â
-Head straight to the back and find the pool table, and probably me!
-Feel the need to relieve yourself? Â The rest room was clean and large with one of them wall-length mirrors - always good for checking ourselves out, ladies. Â
-The booths are comfortable and fit five people very well. Â Next time I think I'll dance on the tables because they are big and sturdy.
The Live Wire sometimes has DJ's. Â As a matter of fact, I heard a heart warming story about Edgar DJ'ing here with Ruggy once! Â How lovely. Â You should ask him about it.
What the hell else do you want to know? Â Go to the bar and find out for yourself what it's like. Â Now. Â Tonight, even.
I've been going to Live Wire for a minute. They used to just rock the beer/wine thang, but now, they're a complete bar with all the liquor your liver can handle.
I live roughly two blocks away from Live Wire and consider myself extremely lucky to have such a cool bar right down the street.
First of all, they have the best juke box in the history of dive bars. It's really diverse and you'll never hear a song you don't like...unless you hate awesome songs.
The drinks are cheap and the bartenders are always really friendly. For being a small bar, they accommodate all walks of life. In any given night, you'll find hipsters grooving to the likes of DJ Junior or another local turntablist, you'll find guys playing pool, and you'll find people just chillin' in booths.
If you're trying to entertain friends from out of town or can't quite figure out where you wanna indulge for the evening, Live Wire is always a solid choice...you really can't go wrong here.