I’ll be honest, when I got assigned to write a story on Coronado’s nightlife, I wasn’t feeling very confident. In my mind there was no way a town with an average age of 41.9 would know how to get down, but boy was I wrong. I started my Wednesday night at McP’s Irish Pub and Little Club, and it was the perfect cure to my Hump Day blues.
Orange Avenue was dead as can be, the buzzing streetlights highlighted the empty sidewalks. However, as I approached McP’s I heard the sweet familiar sound of glasses clinking and booming conversation.
When I walked into McP’s I was not anticipating the full bar I was met with, and not only that, everyone seemed to be having the time of their lives. Socializing, drinking, laughing. Everyone seemed to know everyone. It felt like I walked into a party I wasn’t invited to.
I am nothing in my soul if not a dive bar girl. Neon lights suspended by chains illuminated the military patches stapled to the posts around the bar. I felt right at home.
I picked up a conversation with Chris Hutton, who has been a regular for around 20 years. He explained that this was not only the premiere Navy SEAL bar, it was one of the last mom-and-pop establishments in Coronado. Hutton said the giant patio attached to the bar used to be a gas station, but due to zoning restrictions, they couldn’t build on top of it, so they decided to transform it into a patio. Now the giant outdoor space is a huge selling point, allowing patrons to party right on Orange Avenue, the main artery of Coronado.
Former Navy SEAL Greg McPartlin founded the bar in 1982, and it has been a cornerstone of Coronado’s nightlife ever since. With live music four nights a week, a large menu and a great atmosphere, it’s easy to see why.
Hutton told me one of the craziest times at McP’s was in 2011 on the night Osama bin Laden was killed. He said it was packed, people brought in American flags and calls were coming in from around the country donating money so that members of the military could drink for free.
“They went through eight kegs of Guinness that night,” Hutton recalled.
Some patrons recommended I check out Little Club next, wanting to ensure I hit another Coronado classic. Happily, I obliged.
Yet again, I was surprised with how many people were there on a Wednesday night at 11 p.m. Little Club is a dive bar, with plush bar seating, a jukebox and pool table. The lighting was dim and warm with a quieter crowd. Everyone kept to themselves and their hushed conversations. With the exception of three guys in their early 20s, they sang every word to Sade’s Kiss of Life over a game of pool.
I ordered a beer and got talking to Caine Noteware, who has been a bartender at Little Club for 17 years. He explained that the client base is pretty consistent, even with the fluctuating tourist seasons.
“Everyone here knows each other… you might not have that connection in places like Gaslamp,” Noteware explained.
And this idea seems to be the crux of Coronado’s nightlife, rooted in deep community but welcoming to new faces. When I set out to write this story I naively thought it would be a bore, I couldn’t have anticipated all the locals and new friends I met along the way that were excited to share part of the Coronado culture with me.
McP’s and Little Club aren’t your only nightlife options in Coronado, here are some other bars and restaurants you should consider.
- Babcock & Story Bar: open seven days a week, Sunday to Thursday from noon to midnight and open until 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday
- Coronado Brewing Company: open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Dive: open seven days a week, Sunday to Thursday 8 a.m. to midnight and Friday and Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.
- Danny’s Palm Bar & Grill: open six days a week. Tuesday and Sunday from 2 to 10 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
