I've lived in Oxnard most my life and I've also lived on Silverstrand and Hollywood beach part of my life, and not till my 31st  year of life did I make it to the Rudder Room. The Rudder Room doesn't offer the best drinks, or even the coldest beer, but they do offer an atmosphere, that is complete authenticity of a dive bar. Though the Rudder Room is not your average dive bar, its a dive bar with view, and you can drink on the sand in front of the bar. How completely cool is that? Plus Seth Mcfarland has been here. I enjoy the Mai Tais, though they are completely dependent on who makes them. There is a juke box there too, which has gotten more money out of me then a Venetian Hotel slot machine. Don't go as many years as I did not checking out the Rudder Room, it's a true dive, with a view.
Review Source:Like other reviewers have mentioned, it has potential.
The Good: Great location on beautiful Hollywood Beach with chairs in the sand and volleyball nets.
The Bad: It smells like piss when you first walk in, it's cash only and the younger male nighttime bartender is always angry and extremely rude.
I'd spend more time there if I felt it was a friendlier and cleaner atmosphere but there are better places to spend time at in the harbor like The Lookout where the staff is amazing, food is good and  they take credit cards.
Where do you go when you've hit rock bottom and your want to enjoy a world class view from a world class dive bar? Â The Rudder Room my friend. Â Walk through the front door and you're hit with the strongest odor of urine you're likely to ever encounter. Â Continue on past the cloud and you get to a great bar with great drinks and a great view. Â You can even take your act outside for some much needed fresh air.
Review Source:What's not to like about the place? The bar is on the beach, views of the water, volleyball pits and the ability to sit out in the sand in the warmer months and enjoy a beerage. The bartenders pour a decent cocktail and if you tip well, they use a heavy hand, so be kind to them and they will return the favor. Be warned, the place is a dive bar and please leave your LA expectations at the door. The locals look like locals, and the weekend folks up from LA usually stand out for all the wrong reasons. Heavy military patronage both active and retired but the stories are great. During the summer tanned naked flesh is in abundance on the beach, makes for a sexed-up mix. Also, a plug for the little restaurant outside the front door, they have a great tri-tip sandwich and the clam chowder is rich and thick, and they will deliver your order to the inside of the bar our outside on the beach. If your goal is something fruity and with an umbrella, you will be sorely disappointed at this place so please trot on down the road.
Review Source:We recently stayed the night in Oxnard and were looking for a looking bar for a srink. Â After reading the reviews, we though we would give Rudder Room a try. Â We had a blast. Â
It is definitely a tiny, dive bar with a great atmosphere. Â The drinks are inexpensive, you have a great view of the water, you can sit inside (limited seating) or out back at the picnic tables or in a chair in the sand. Â Inside they have a pool table and video games, outside they have a volleyball net.
The customers were all friendly and welcoming, and the bartender was friendly too even though he was crazy busy keeping up with the drink orders. Â
The age of the crowd was mixed. Â There were some in their 20's and 30's, and plenty in their 40's and 50's (which is my age group). Â We will stop in again the next time we are in the area.
As dive bars go, this is as good as it gets. Â Outdoor seating as well where you can watch the sunset and you can bring in the food from the grill in front. Â I love the Rudder Room and will always come back from time to time secure that it will be just as it was 20 years ago when I first went.
Review Source:One of my favorite dive bars in Ventura County. First off, the location is super duper awesome. There's not very many places in Ventura county that you can have a drink on the beach, well at least legally.
Not a fan of the nighttime bartender, Mark. Every single time I have gone in there, this guy seems to hate his life and his job. Rather than seeing a busy, popping bar as a good thing for business, he easily gets stressed out and takes this out on the patrons. Mark makes me want to completely write off the Rudder Room, but it is the ambiance, and also my friends who love the atmosphere who keep me coming back. Not to mention the foul smell of piss when you first walk in, but what the heck, it's a dive bar... Having said all that, I will continue being a patron at this bar but only about once a month rather than once a week bc of their horrible bartender(s).
Might I also add, this place is cash only. They offer an atm on location for a nice little fee.
Wish there were more good things I could say about this place. It has great potential, but definitely  needs a little help.
The babette and I swung by here on X-mas day on a lark hoping to self medicate prior to attending another obligatory "family" holiday gathering. It came as no surprise to find them open, packed and populated with like minded patrons. It was like a scene out of "Bad Santa" minus Billy Bob Thorton. Got to love this place!
Review Source:The best part about the Rudder Room was having a corona out on the wooden benches behind the bar watching the sunset and waves :) It was really relaxing and felt like a dream.
The not-so-best part about the Rudder Room was upon entering the bar, EVERYONE stared at us (2 girls and 1 guy all in our early 20's). It's definitely a local's spot since the bartender told us that everyone that comes here know what they want and we didn't know what to order lol
I also thought they had happy hour deals but I guess not :(
They do get points for having pool tables and the dive bar atmosphere where it's not a place to get dressed up for but just bring your casual self, friends and only cash :)
Went here on a Thursday night after work- had Veterans' day off. Completely 4got abt cash only. YEAH for a reallly nice bartender who took what ones and change I had and poured me an associated amount of Jameson - thank you! Met up with an old friend and a few of her people. Shared a round. Then hit the beach - literally. We got a night beach volleyball game going that lasted til 1am. It was a blast. And the crowd was very easy going, yet had a fun streak.
Review Source:Best dive bar in Oxnard - Period. Â You can grab a drink at the bar and pull up a chair on the beach and enjoy the sunset. Â Where else can you do this where the beers don't cost $9.00? Â This is an awesome local bar with awesome people and awesome prices! Â Can't go wrong here, especially on a sunny day in the Nard.
Review Source:Cool local hangout; the place hasn't changed since I first went there back in my Navy days! Â Paneling on the walls, the smell of urine as you walk through towards the bar... great people watching, great prices, and you've got to get a bowl of chowder from Manda's in front!! Â Fun pit stop on a Sunday motorcycle ride.
Review Source:This is my favorite bar on this, or any other planet.
Years ago I attended a dog wedding here,really.
 I never tire of the stiff drinks and soft prices. I almost hate to rave about it because I don't want it to get too crowded. Fabulous in the afternoon to sit on the sand in an Anorodac chair with your best friend, Spike. After dark, its a little more dicey, but the kind of place you will never be the worst nor best dressed (usually). They still make Bloody's and Maggie's the old fashion way, by hand with a dash of sarcasm. It never gets old.
Total Dive! I love places like this! I went one night with friends, we had already been drinking...and pretty happy right now. We came in and played darts and pool...it was hilarious because when we were going up to get more drinks there was this strange people picking up on people...well soon they started picking up on my friend...come to find out they are swingers!!!! OH MY GOSH! This was both nasy and funny...I loved it. Anyway...totally go here...it's a blast!
Review Source:With temperatures hitting triple digits on the coast two weekends ago I was planning on swimming but got lured to the Rudder Room instead. My personal trainer, that takes me drinking more than he trains me (yes I am aware this is a savvy business move on his part) had friends over at the Room and boy am I glad that they suggested we stop by.
It was early afternoon so we were drinking Kettleone bloodymarys that were prepared with care and fantastic! We kicked back with our friends that touted the Rudder Room as the best bar on the planet and I have to agree with them. The sun was shining, my toes were in the sand, football was on the TVs and there was even a local playing the guitar... insert refreshing aah here. Memories from this day are sure to fill my thoughts during every miserable work moment for the rest of my life.
Bottom line the ONLY place to be on a sunny Sunday, Saturday or any day is the Rudder Room!
Just what I expected (hoped for) & more. Full true dive bar. Genius! It was almost dark but the rag-tag view was still epic. Right on the beach, stuff all over the walls, salty dogs saddling up, pool table arguments, a smoke room, and a couple of 6's upgraded to 8's. Â Good pours too!
Review Source:We call it the Gutter Room. Â I totally love this place. Â The drinks are strong, the bartenders are kind of cheeky and flirty, and very professional. Â The view of the beach and sunset are spectacular. Â Folks are friendly - it's kind of down and dirty but not in a bad way. Â It reminds me of the tacky bars in Santa Monica and Venice, before it got all upscale and weird.
Review Source:Now this take is based on comparisons to other dive bars.
The best two dive bars in the world are the Rudder Room in Channel islands, and the Marlin Club in Avalon, Catalina.
Now, for the Rudder Room:
Excellent place to stop for a drink. Safe, fun place for girls to come in too. And they do.
Superb, attentive bartenders.
The Rudder Room has hit it's sweet spot with customers, and the owners don't dare change a thing.
And that's good.
Friendly, always fun, no kids, no credit cards, clean restrooms with dry floors, and the food window on the street serves above average food with pagers so you can wait in the bar.
HDTV's with most sports, pool tables, games, smokers patio, super casual.
It's a destination quality spot for most, but at the least worth a look for sure.
best bar in Southern California. Â drinks on the beach, play some volleyball, shoot some pool, have some tri-tip & mini corn dogs. Â old friends (yo Bobby Lee!), extremely strong drinks. Â be careful though after the sun goes down -- don't be a jerk, cause you'll end up in a fight with marines. Â if you're a fun-loving person looking for a great time and to make some friends, go to this bar. Â cannot find a better bar in Southern Cali.
Review Source:We just happened upon this place at random this week - in town visiting for Cowboys training camp (b-day present for the boyfriend...), and were trying to cab it to someplace interesting near the harbor. Â Then we needed cash, and the ATM we hit at some bait shop was all screwy, but the guy there told us that The Rudder Room had one. Â We ran in to get cash for the cabbie, and after paying, ran right back in to have a nice beachfront cocktail. Â Great dive-bar vibe, everyone was cool to us even though we were obviously out-of-towners (though we live 1/2 a block from the beach in our own town, so it's not like we don't understand sand, sun, and dive bar drinkin....) Â At any rate, friendly folk, strong drinks, beautiful location - if we're ever back in O'nard, we will definitely be poppin in for a drink or 3. Â Thanks for the hospitality, Oxnard!!!
Review Source:This dive bar is an venue location for year-round partying. Â It offers a great location directly on the beach, sand volleyball courts right outside, plus it's located at the mouth of Channel Islands harbor and the Pacific Ocean.
I lean towards the daylight festivities rather than at nighttime primarily due to the occasional unsavory element that shows up. Other than that, inexpensive, strong drinks, great location, and set in a nice neighborhood.
Extra bonuses
- Comfortable outside chairs for sunning & drinking.
- Food stand out front serving a variety of sandwiches, chowders, etc.
- Beers @ $3 and mixed drinks @ $4.
- ATM machine.
Photos:  <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/MdZiWbKpcOAvjD8Cyu2QaA?select=0W7_W7Et8PyB4J26B-nq9A">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
I knew this place was for me when I asked an old lady for directions and she replied, "You're not going there are you?"  Oh yeah, I am.  This isn't the sort of place you bring Mom, unless your Mom  just finished getting the tattoo of her ex-husband, Smokey, removed from her breast and is looking for a quick replacement.  Beers are domestics, the drinks are poured strong, and best of all the beach is right outside.  Great place to catch a sunset, wish you had a cool handlebar mustache and a gravely smokers voice too.
Review Source:
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