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The Waterfront Bar & Grill opened in 1933, the year Prohibition was repealed, and is San Diego's oldest bar — a Little Italy corner tavern built to serve the tuna fishermen who once filled the harbor.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.
The Waterfront is also recognized by DiveBar.info, which listed it in its guide to San Diego dive bars as of September 2026.
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 record was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. 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.
The details, verified.
- 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
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.
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. The verification above is from the latest published award. Open a year for that year’s citation.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Dive Bar in San Diego San Diego, CA · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 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
A signal you can check.
This page is the standing record for The Waterfront Bar & Grill (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
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 for free to manage it, correct it, or remove it. If you want the award kit (badge, certificate, and announcement), you pay after you claim. Through December 31, 2026, publishing is $99. The evaluation itself is free. The $99 covers the first year only. Renewals are $199/year. That fee never buys selection.
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.