Porter's Pub

This review is SOLELY on the concert venue, I didn't eat here. I came here two nights in a row for Anamanaguchi and Lil B.

Parking wasn't a problem for me because I have a handicap placard. The parking lot outside of the pub has maybe 20 spots, 2 handicapped.

We arrived and got in line at 7:30 both times, only to find out that the doors didn't actually open til 9:30. When you advertise a show for 8:00 pm, I assume that's either when it starts or when you let people in.

Anamanaguchi was fun - there were a bunch of opening acts and the crowd was cool. I was at the very front and wasn't thrashed around too much. However, at the Lil B show, I was pushed into a wall where there was an open-hinged thermometer/air conditioner(?) and sliced my hand open. They need to fix that because I wasn't the only person that happened to.

It gets really hot, security is kind of lame (one of them shoved me onto the ground for no reason), the process of actually getting in the venue takes forever. I would try to avoid this place.

Great beers on tap! The owner of Porter's is a really cool cat. Chat it up with him when you visit, he'll be sure to make you laugh. This was my go-to lunch place when I was a student. Their lunch menu is nothing spectacular, but if I can get $3 for a meal, what's not to like?

I went here for a show. (GZA from Wu Tang) The overall experience was pretty rough. parking sucks. there's a lot of like 20 "3 hour max" pay spots, and that's it. one of the security folks told me there was "free parking right on the other side of this building". after driving around the campus for half an hour, I determined that she either lied or was misinformed. I ended up parking in some "parking structure" that the college website said was free, only to find that it wasn't. I think I had to pay $12 for a pass to last me the hours until 11p when it turned free. (?)

The next thing that sucked was that the show was purported to start at 8, yet, at 8:15 when I got back to the place from parking, the doors were locked and there was now some queuing going on.  We stood in line for I think 2 hours.

Finally got in. I got a beer. $10! san diego has some great craft brews and apparently isn't afraid to charge a premium for them. The bar tenders were nice though, for whatever that's worth. as I sauntered out of the super-enclosed bar area, I was told I couldn't have beer in the show area. oh, cool. fortunately there is an additional, fenced in bar area in the back, that you can mostly see the stage from. that bar had all the crash-and-burn college drink specials, like the Adios MF.

I waited through a DJ set, and then a few (probably too many) local acts. The sound sucked. Baaaaad. I assumed that they did it on purpose to ramp up for the headliner.. I was wrong. Smoke started becoming a major issue. I don't think I actually saw anyone smoking, but I could smell it strongly.. both kinds.

I decided to get some food. the bar had a burger and fries deal, so i got it. it wasn't bad, but it wasn't much more than that.

Eventually GZA took the stage. it was late. later than I wanted to be here. apparently his DJ had tech problems. they worked it out and started, but the sound was so bad, that he stopped mid-verse and just said " I can't rock a mic like this". then he jumped into the crowd. a cloud of smoke appeared above the area he was in. some time passed. eventually a dude who appeared to be the promoter came out and worked some kind of magic. the sound got better (but still sucky) and GZA got back up and performed for a little while.

This show could have been awesome, but it was kind of bad. still ok seeing GZA, he was very gracious about all the problems.

I don't think I'll go back to this place. hope they can figure out how to fix things, although I doubt it. most college run stuff like this sucks permanently.