Pretttttty random that I ended up here yesterday. I don't typically go out for drinks because 1) I like to stay pretty healthy 2) Booze sometimes makes me sick 3) It doesn't taste very good and 4) it's expensive ($9 for a drink? I can buy a box of carne fries). Â But I ended up here because my friends wanted to go out somewhere and drink and I was just kind of dragged along. They couldn't think of a place... so apparently we ended up at Norms because it was already 1130pm and I wanted to go to sleep (I'm old, whatever) and so they compromised with me and choose Norm's which was just around the corner.
Apparently this is a local old dive bar for the neighbors in the area. It was empty as I expected but for my guy friends... booze is booze. I had a simple bay breeze and I could tolerate it.. simple. The bartender was awesome and was very funny. Decent dive bar for the local neighborhood if you just want a drink without the boughy trendy sh!t.
The term "5 Star Dive Bar" has been coined by another establishment, but Norm's easily earns a 5 star review. Â Been frequently visiting this place for years, and EVERY time is a good time. Â
It all starts with the bartenders. Â All of them are attractive, efficient, and they know what good customer service means. Â No, it does not mean heavy pouring - it means checking up on their customers, remembering their names, making sure they are happy with their drinks, and getting the drinks out FAST. Â This is the first step to making a customer feel welcomed.
The next best thing at Norm's are the regulars. Â This is a highly inclusive group, surprisingly welcoming each and every time. Â As some of the other reviews have stated, there is an older group of people, but they are feisty and always ready to share a good joke. I think the regulars here help this place strike a balance between chill, but interesting and fun.
The bar itself is great - large windows in the front and side let in lots of natural light. Â The bathrooms are clean. Â The jukebox is state of the art, and they play at a good level - you can definitely hear the music, but you don't have to shout at each other during a conversation. Â Except maybe on Thursday nights - it was pretty crowded during our last visit. Â But again, friendly faces all around.
Prices here are fair - $11 per pitcher for domestics, $3 pints, and $4.50 for cocktails. Â But as I noted above, I am happy to pay these prices for the competent customer service and relaxing vibe. Â
I wish we lived closer to this little gem. Â Every time I leave I have a warm feeling in my heart for this bar. Â Thanks, Norm's!
Well well well.......I work the graveyard shift and even though it's only 7:30 in the morning when I get off, it's still the end of my "night". That's when Norm's comes into play. It's the only nearby bar I've found that opens at 6am and welcomes the night crew and other inhabitants of the early hours. The drinks are good, and strong, and the company more than satisfactory. Thanks for being open Norm's, see ya another morning!
Review Source:Fun dive bar, about a dozen beers on tap, and a big selection of liquor. Â It's not too crazy of a place, but usually good company to be found. Â The bartenders here are great, never had bad service once. Â They run a pool tournament every Thursday at 8. Â Speaking of pool its only $.50, pretty cheap by San Diego standards. Â Music is via a jukebox with the internet download search available. Â Overall, a great place to stop in and have a few without spending the big bucks you would downtown.
Review Source:Ah, Norm's... the only nearby bar that's open when I leave my job at 7 a.m. Â I've never been at night, so my review is based solely on the early morning crowd, but I have nothing bad to say.
Norm's is a dive bar, and it's everything that a dive bar should be. Â If, like a certain other reviewer, you think this means that all its patrons have no teeth and only pay with coins, you'd be best served to not show up here in the first place. Â If, like me, you enjoy a nice cheap drink, friendly service, and lots of local "color", then stop on by. Â At 7:30 or so, if you please...
Jay is the best, he always makes me laugh and is generous with the beverage dispensing responsibility that has been entrusted to him. Â Also, the whisky selection is acceptable and reasonably priced, as it should be at a dive bar. Â The beer selection is limited, but that's to be expected, and it's better than most other dives.
If all that weren't enough... Â ice in the urinals! Â What happened to this trick, and why is Norm's the only place to continue it's glorious tradition? Â The anticipation of watching the frozen mountains crumble upon themselves and melt away beneath a steady stream of my (sometimes asparagus scented) used beer is enough to keep me coming back all by itself.
What better establishment to take my yelping cherry than my beloved/loathed local haunt. Beloved you ask? The selection in the alcoholic beverage department is decent. Fuck, considering its location in a not so super stretch between the festering crotch which is College and the magical hills of La Mesa, on El Cajon Boulevard none the less, its mind blowing. This dive is cheap, which it ought to be. The bartenders have a heavy hand, which is A-OK by my standards. I'm fairly confident I won't contract a mystery VD by sitting on any of the luxurious, low back, vinyl stools. All kinds of grimy, questionable, seasoned drinkers frequent this place like the plague and are stoked to yuck it up with just about anyone. If you are expecting to sip Hypnotic while listening to the sweet, deafening, nonsense of booty clapping, this is not your place. If you're looking for a cheap easy night equipped with billiards, a smoking patio, one of those high-tech jut boxes, then let good ole Normie's bend you over and give it to you straight and hard. And yes I teeter on loathing this joint because I find it terribly hard to drink elsewhere.
Review Source:If you don't have teeth, a life, a home, pay with all coins and don't mind drinking out of cans then recycling them to get more crappy beer ~ THIS PLACE IS FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would of never had gone here but my friend got a gig behind the bar for a few weeks. Â It was so awful she moved to Minnesota!
I don't think Mr Belvedere resides here, I was too fascinated by the locals to notice...
ho' lawdy no holla~
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