1st Street Bar

1st Street Bar occupies a building with deep roots in Encinitas, a structure whose history dates to the late 1800s and whose musical identity has been shaped by decades of coastal California bar culture. Located on South Coast Highway 101, the bar sits on one of the most iconic stretches of road in Southern California, and the venue's personality reflects that: it is a local community bar first, a live music room second, and entirely unpretentious about both. The programming is constant and democratic. Live bands appear Wednesday through Saturday nights, karaoke happens on Sundays, open mic on Tuesdays, and Monday is reserved for seasonal football. The genres are eclectic, covering blues, rock, reggae, funk, hip hop, jazz, and more, reflecting the wide taste range of the North County San Diego scene. The stage has earned consistent praise for surprisingly good sound given the intimate setting. The bar has views of the sunset through large open walls and windows, pool tables, shuffleboard, a jukebox, and a genuine neighborhood crowd that skews older and more music-literate than a typical beach bar. Free entry on most nights makes 1st Street Bar a remarkably good value for the level of consistent live entertainment.