I appreciate the "divey-ness" of this place - I truly do. I'm from Portland, OR where dive bars are easy to come by and are a lot more comfortable when you don't have to worry about spilling and there's always good music blaring somewhere.
I agree with the other reviews though that the cigarette and cigar smoke for a non-smoker as myself was not pleasant at all. I didn't think places like these existed anymore. I would imagine it's a hidden gem for smokers to congregate and swap stories over a smoke but for me it was like walking into an establishment and being hit by a thick wall of smelly smoke. Still, it was my choice to visit this place and overall I'm glad I did.
I feel that there are enough hoity-toity places to eat and drink in Carmel, so Sade's was the black sheep out of the herd. While my stay in this bar was short and sweet while I threw back a whiskey neat, the bartender was rough around the edges but funny and the other patrons were jovial and lively. It was simply an "A-OK" experience.
You have to understand that this is a really particular kind of place. If you need a place to get some serious drinking and smoking done, look no further.
I have a few friends I grew up with who always seek out the most hardcore, hole-in-the-wall dives in a town as soon as they get there. If you're that type of person, this is your place. In fact, I never would have guessed a place like this existed in Carmel. Hell, I was surprised to find a place like this in California. It reminds me of the places the southern guys I grew up with would take me whenever I'd visit them or whenever they'd visit me after we'd all gone our separate ways, back around Texas and Louisiana. When we saw each other we'd need a place to do some serious sitting, drinking, smoking, and palavering. You absolutely have to respect this place for what it is, and that is a bar.
And I can tell you the bartender, Parker, is a stand-up guy and a gentleman.
From Ocean, walk the way a ball would roll on Lincoln, and it's just there on your left.
This bar isn't for everyone. As an aficionado of bars, this is a rare gem. Please don't show up expecting fancy cocktails or an obscure scotch. This is a place for professional drinkers, seeking fun and comrades in crime. Don't be a jerk or you will be treated in kind (deservedly). The drinks are strong, the customers friendly, the dice warm... a little wager between friends never hurt anyone, right?
Of all the many places I've been in Carmel, this was the ONLY place I met people I really liked and wanted to be friends with - a true "Locals" place but welcoming enough to an LA girl like myself. Â I met half a dozen cool people that I would hang out with again in a heartbeat. Numbers and emails were exchanged a-plenty.
We often treat bartenders and waiters with a ridiculous disdain like they are indentured servants. True, we are customers, but this is an egalitarian place. Treat Parker with respect, humor and a bit of flirty charm and you will go far. Â You have to have respect for that. Â Who wants a bland, kiss ass bartender with nothing interesting or contrarian to say?
And extra point for the fact he likes Texans. :)
A sad place. Has potential; but, you need to enjoy breathing cig smoke, watching cop shows on a blaring TV, being insulted and  -- frankly, these drunk locals are not interesting in the least.
Sad. Boring. So 1950's; our fathers place to melt away the hours without anyone knowing your name.
We came here after a dinner. Cash only. Not bad.
Local-y spot. Kinda hard to find.
Some hard-pressed locals talking about their stuff. Wish I had Sparknotes, it sounded interesting. Not too chatty, not too quiet.
Strong drinks, doggie wandering around.
Would be back for later night libations.
This was a fun find, and Parker is a hoot. Â My female friend and he had a crazy stare-down contest and of course he won. Does he really have a glass eye? Â I digress. Â Parker made us some bizarre coffee/booze-laden drink that we shot. Â It was DELICIOUS. Â The smoking is horrible, but other than that we had a blast.
Review Source:Cons-Cash only. Small bar. Basic drinks only.
Pros-Charismatic bartender. Friendly patrons. History behind the bar. It's one of the only bars open late.
It's a small dive bar but there is a sense of community here. No one was smoking indoors when we went, everyone had to go outside so I didn't have any problems with ciggie scent.
Parker is welcoming and took a little time to ask my friend and I about our trip. He even told us the history of Sades, which was pretty cool.
Stop by and have a drink, it's not your average "townie" bar.
Cool place that reminds me of Cassidy's in Newport Beach. Nice waitstaff with laid-back crowd. CASH ONLY folks.
Dive bar, absolutely, but that's what makes this place fun and cool. As I wrote on my Brophy's review, (the other best bar in Carmel), this place relieves me of visiting Jack London's and its sub-zero bartenders.
Seriously, this is the drinkers bar only. Only serious drinkers need apply. Any questions..... Â You should not be here.... :)
Great place for what it's for.... It's Carmel history and I'm  not kidding....  Cash only and great drinks for the late night deal makers.  It's a happy place for sure!
Parker is atrocious! Upon closing, he gave me a single warning and 20 seconds later - ripped the beer out of my hands and poured it out in front of my eyes. (a seemingly illegal act). Next time I visit Carmel by the Sea, I will NOT revisit Sade's. I'd drive 20 miles to Monterey to avoid this disgusting man and horrible venue.
Review Source:After a fun and fabulous dinner at Mundaka we decided to check out the only "dive bar" we heard of in Carmel (also the only place open as late as 2am that we knew of.) We were suspicious about what a dive bar in Carmel would actually entail, but upon seeing the cash only sign and being shot down after attempting to order a fancy drink that involved sparkling wine, we were pleased to conclude that it fit the bill! We were even more pleased with the local and random crowd, specifically with Abalone Joe and his beautiful shells that some man decided to buy for everyone in the bar! Quaint, intimate (and permissive of giant dogs) this little spot was the cherry on the top of one surprisingly fun night in a town we thought ourselves at least 20 years too young to enjoy after dark!
Review Source:Looking for a local Carmel dive bar to get your drink on? Here it is. But if you want any special kind of drinks... you are out of luck. They didn't even have diet coke.. just your basic drinks. But sometimes, the simpler the better right?
My friend ended up playing dice with the bartender most of the night, while I attempted to learn (and failed miserably). The screwdrivers I was having probably weren't helping...!
Overall, a great little place with friendly people. I would come back to have a drink or two if I wanted to just have a chat with someone. It's very small and intimate which makes it easy for conversation!
Tasty drinks poured expertly by an obviously experienced bartender. If you're seeking a froufrou tropical blended drink, this isn't your place. If you're not a fan of clouds of odious carcinogenic smoke, this isn't your place. If you're offended by active banter, resident locals of various stages of intoxication or loud dice games, this ain't the place for ya.
If you like gritty, genuine people and an obvious sense of community, if you like inexpensive drinks with a side of sardonic humor, suggestively flirty bartenders, and friendly, funny locals, then this is absolutely a stop for you. I'll probably drop in again when I'm in town, but sadly I can't stay long or I smell of ashtray in the morning.
Sade's is a pretty good representation of the bars in Carmel. Insanely small, old, and maintaining odd rules.
First off, cash only bars are for places much more urban than carmel-by-the-sea. It's ridiculous.
Also, depending on your stance on smoking, it can be almost unbearable. It doesn't bother me personally, but if you have sensitive folk with you, skip this stop for sure.
And finally, please please please get a SLIGHTLY larger selection of beers and liquors. On the few occasions I did end up in Sade's, I saw no fewer than four patrons ask for simple drinks or "higher" end liquor, only to be denied flat out that there was nothing even close to what they were requesting.
I know there are only a few places to go in carmel, but do yourself a favor and put this towards the bottom of that list, if you are looking to enjoy yourself.
My husband and I recently visited Carmel for 3 nights and we found ourselves in Sade's on 2 out of the 3 nights! Â We strolled by after dinner one night and stopped in to check it out. We felt right at home. Â
Here are the things we liked about Sade's...
- small, dive bar, nothing fancy
- the smoking (please note, my husband and I do not smoke and do not care for it, what we liked is that the smokers didn't give a darn and did what they wanted!)
- the music, played from the bartender's ipod, he even took requests
- the dancing, when people can just get up and make a dance floor at the drop of a hat when a good tune comes on...gotta love that
- the sarcasm, don't be too sensitive or too uptight, have fun with it
- and the number 1 thing we loved about Sade's...the people!! Â We had the pleasure of meeting the owner and his family, the bartender and my husband had some kind of a "bromance", we met multiple couples that we'd like to stay in touch with and some other random folks who were extremely interesting to say the least!
Here are the things we didn't like about Sade's....
- our hangovers, obviously we are getting too old :-(
We'll probably remember those trips to Sade's for the rest of our lives...good memories and hopefully we'll be back someday to make some more :-)
Sade's is exactly as described above- a complete dive. Â Sometimes those are fun, but you would have to drag me kicking and screaming back into this place. Â This crawl space is as basic as it gets, the only fresh air coming from the door and the place reeks! of cigarettes, the floor is sticky and the lighting is so dim. Â I would hate to see how it looked during the day. Â Of all the great places to go in this area, why Sade's? Â At least the staff is friendly, and you can't complain about the prices, a beer costs what a beer should.
Review Source:If there is such a thing as a dive bar in Carmel, this is the place. Â Nestled among all the boutiques and the fancy-schmancy hotels is this little hidden gem. Â About this size of my office cubicle, this no-frills bar offers up a great little place to grab a beer (bottle only) and hard-alcohol drinks. Â They don't have food, and I'd steer clear of the wines. Â This place has a nice mix of locals and tourists from all walks of life. Â It also has just one little TV and is cash only.
I love this place. Â I was there this past week, and the bartender was awesome and very friendly. Â She made some great drinks and had all kinds of music blaring from her iPod that she'd let folks choose the songs they wanted. Â There was a great mix of people there that night too, making it feel like a great little neighborhood bar. Â If you are in the Carmel area and need a late night drink (I'm pretty sure it's the only bar open in the entire city late at night), I highly recommend stopping by.
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