The Waterfront Bar & Grill — San Diego, CA
2026 Centurion Award winner

The Waterfront Bar & Grill

Best Dive Bar in San Diego · San Diego, CA

Bar · San Diego, CA · Since 1933

The overview

San Diego's oldest tavern, since 1933.

The Waterfront Bar & Grill opened in 1933, the year Prohibition was repealed, and is San Diego's oldest bar — a Little Italy corner tavern built to serve the tuna fishermen who once filled the harbor. Nearly a century on, it still pours cold beer and slings burgers and tater tots to old-timers and newcomers alike.

A San Diego institution approaching its centennial, the Waterfront is the 2026 Centurion Award winner.

What they're known for

  • San Diego's oldest bar
  • Burgers & sliders
  • Little Italy corner tavern since 1933
The award record

Every award, on the record.

Each Centurion Award is a dated record tied to one year’s evaluation — earned annually, never carried over. Open a year for the full citation and verification details.

2026

Best Dive Bar in San Diego San Diego, CA · Awarded under the 2026 evaluation View the 2026 award →

Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.

Visit The Waterfront Bar & Grill

Location2044 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101
In business since1933

A signal you can check.

This page is the standing record for The Waterfront Bar & Grill (2026). It was not bought, voted on, or sponsored — only winners are published, and an award that stops holding up is revoked, not quietly removed. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.

Run a business like this one?

If you’ve put in the years, you may already clear the bar. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.