Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Hangin' with Mom at South Park Abbey

Wings smoked and fried, 4-buck beers, Skerry Pickles...

Though a little scaled back, philanthropy still figures into South Park Abbey's mission.
Though a little scaled back, philanthropy still figures into South Park Abbey's mission.

The locale on the corner of Grape and Fern was built in the late ‘40s as a laundromat and went on to operate as a thrift store, a lighting store, and a “Cuban restaurant with a questionable reputation,” according to Darlene “Mom” Neitzke, who you can find sipping wine at the end of the bar most evenings in her spot designated by a small placard.

Darlene cashed out her retirement to help her son Adam open the South Park Abbey in late 2011. At the time, the idea was to donate 3 percent of proceeds to various charities, hence the bar’s byline: “Delicious food. Great beer. Philanthropy.”

Place

South Park Abbey

1946 Fern Street, San Diego

The initiative proved too cumbersome for the young business, which instead hosts fundraiser events for groups such as the Renegade Rollergirls and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. The dog- and family-friendly sports bar is home to a contingent of ‘Bama Crimson Tide fans and boasts the most extensive beer menu in South Park with 36 taps, a few bottles, and a tap of room-temperature red from Fallbrook Winery for good measure. A rotating beer of the day goes for $4, which is what a well cocktail will set you back during happy hour.

Sponsored
Sponsored

However, it’s easy to rack up a sizable bill here if you aren’t careful. The Abbey’s famous wings are slow-smoked out back and then fried in the kitchen, and some say they’re the best around. At $10 per half dozen (or $18 for 12), they’d better be — this economy...am I right, guys? The truth is they’re pretty damn good — big, juicy, flavorful — and you can take 6 for $6 on Mondays, when burgers (which come with a tantalizing, San Diego–brined Skerry Hot Pickle) go for the same price. Wings come with a choice of nine sauces (one per order), including house favorite “dirty” sauce — a mix of ranch, sweet & spicy, and buffalo.

The Abbey’s breezy windows and patio overlooking the Target Express make it a popular destination during brunch and weekend dinner hours, which means that service can occasionally take a hit. But that shouldn’t stop you from showing up for $12 bottomless mimosas from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends. The crowd is generally a mix of sports fans, beer geeks, families, and neighborhood regulars. If you stick around long enough, you may even have a chance to clink glasses with Mom as karaoke kicks off.

Capacity: Seats ~80 inside, ~15 patio

Food: New American pub fare

Happy hour: $1 off beers, $4 wells; 3–7 p.m., TUES–THURS; all day MON.

Prices: $5–$8 beer, $5.50 wells, $6–$12 cocktails, $6–$9 wine.

Specials: $6 burgers and wings Mondays; $2 Taco Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m.–close; open-mic Wednesdays, 8:00–11 p.m.; $15 fish and chips Fridays; karaoke Sundays (pending cabaret license).

Hours: MON–THURS, 3 p.m.–12 a.m.; FRI, 11:30 a.m.–1:30 a.m.; SAT, 9:30 a.m.– 1:30 a.m.; SUN, 9:30 a.m.–12 a.m.

The Deal: $4 beer of the day

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

The vicious cycle of Escondido's abandoned buildings

City staff blames owners for raising rents
Next Article

Why did Harrah's VP commit suicide last summer?

Did the fight the Rincon casino had with San Diego County over Covid play a part?
Though a little scaled back, philanthropy still figures into South Park Abbey's mission.
Though a little scaled back, philanthropy still figures into South Park Abbey's mission.

The locale on the corner of Grape and Fern was built in the late ‘40s as a laundromat and went on to operate as a thrift store, a lighting store, and a “Cuban restaurant with a questionable reputation,” according to Darlene “Mom” Neitzke, who you can find sipping wine at the end of the bar most evenings in her spot designated by a small placard.

Darlene cashed out her retirement to help her son Adam open the South Park Abbey in late 2011. At the time, the idea was to donate 3 percent of proceeds to various charities, hence the bar’s byline: “Delicious food. Great beer. Philanthropy.”

Place

South Park Abbey

1946 Fern Street, San Diego

The initiative proved too cumbersome for the young business, which instead hosts fundraiser events for groups such as the Renegade Rollergirls and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. The dog- and family-friendly sports bar is home to a contingent of ‘Bama Crimson Tide fans and boasts the most extensive beer menu in South Park with 36 taps, a few bottles, and a tap of room-temperature red from Fallbrook Winery for good measure. A rotating beer of the day goes for $4, which is what a well cocktail will set you back during happy hour.

Sponsored
Sponsored

However, it’s easy to rack up a sizable bill here if you aren’t careful. The Abbey’s famous wings are slow-smoked out back and then fried in the kitchen, and some say they’re the best around. At $10 per half dozen (or $18 for 12), they’d better be — this economy...am I right, guys? The truth is they’re pretty damn good — big, juicy, flavorful — and you can take 6 for $6 on Mondays, when burgers (which come with a tantalizing, San Diego–brined Skerry Hot Pickle) go for the same price. Wings come with a choice of nine sauces (one per order), including house favorite “dirty” sauce — a mix of ranch, sweet & spicy, and buffalo.

The Abbey’s breezy windows and patio overlooking the Target Express make it a popular destination during brunch and weekend dinner hours, which means that service can occasionally take a hit. But that shouldn’t stop you from showing up for $12 bottomless mimosas from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends. The crowd is generally a mix of sports fans, beer geeks, families, and neighborhood regulars. If you stick around long enough, you may even have a chance to clink glasses with Mom as karaoke kicks off.

Capacity: Seats ~80 inside, ~15 patio

Food: New American pub fare

Happy hour: $1 off beers, $4 wells; 3–7 p.m., TUES–THURS; all day MON.

Prices: $5–$8 beer, $5.50 wells, $6–$12 cocktails, $6–$9 wine.

Specials: $6 burgers and wings Mondays; $2 Taco Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m.–close; open-mic Wednesdays, 8:00–11 p.m.; $15 fish and chips Fridays; karaoke Sundays (pending cabaret license).

Hours: MON–THURS, 3 p.m.–12 a.m.; FRI, 11:30 a.m.–1:30 a.m.; SAT, 9:30 a.m.– 1:30 a.m.; SUN, 9:30 a.m.–12 a.m.

The Deal: $4 beer of the day

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Jazz guitarist Alex Ciavarelli pays tribute to pianist Oscar Peterson

“I had to extract the elements that spoke to me and realize them on my instrument”
Next Article

At 4pm, this Farmer's Table restaurant in Chula Vista becomes Acqua e Farina

Brunch restaurant by day, Roman style trattoria by night
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader