The Waterfront Bar & Grill
Best Dive Bar in San Diego · CA
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The Waterfront Bar & Grill opened in 1933, the year Prohibition was repealed, and is San Diego's oldest bar — a Little Italy corner tavern built to serve the tuna fishermen who once filled the harbor.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 2025 Centurion Award winner.
What they're known for
- San Diego's oldest bar
- Burgers & sliders
- Little Italy corner tavern since 1933
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Founding cohort: evaluated in 2026 on public evidence available then, labeled 2025. Selection follows the published criteria; The Waterfront Bar & Grill met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Operating in San Diego since 1933 — 93 years of continuous business.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in San Diego.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: San Diego has kept The Waterfront Bar & Grill busy for 93 years.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by San Diego regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Named best dive bar in San Diego for 2025 as the city's oldest tavern, still pouring cold beer in Little Italy more than 90 years on.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. Own this business? Claim the listing to manage it, or ask us to remove it.
Award record
2025 Centurion Award
Best Dive Bar in San Diego San Diego, CA · Awarded under the 2025 evaluationVisit The Waterfront Bar & Grill
The details, verified.
Clean, checkable facts about The Waterfront Bar & Grill.
- Legal / trading name
- The Waterfront Bar & Grill
- Category
- Bar
- Founded
- 1933, San Diego, CA
- Location
- 2044 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101
- Centurion Award
- Best Dive Bar in San Diego — 2025
- Record last verified
- July 2026
A signal you can check.
This is a dated award record published by The Centurion Awards after reviewing public evidence for The Waterfront Bar & Grill against the 2025 criteria for its market and category. The business did not have to apply for this page to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. The criteria are public. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. If an award stops holding up, we may revoke it. For anything current, like hours or bookings, go straight to the business itself.
Frequently asked questions.
What is The Waterfront Bar & Grill?
Little Italy tavern opened in 1933, widely known as San Diego's oldest, still serving cold beer and burgers to everyone from dockworkers to suits.
Is The Waterfront Bar & Grill award-winning?
Yes — The Waterfront Bar & Grill is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Dive Bar in San Diego, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best dive bar in San Diego for 2025 as the city's oldest tavern, still pouring cold beer in Little Italy more than 90 years on.
Where is The Waterfront Bar & Grill?
The Waterfront Bar & Grill is in San Diego, CA.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.