San Diego’s Grrrevolution: Top Spots To Get Your Bear On!

Get to know the "gay bear" scene

Type “gay bear” into Google and you’ll get pages of entries all trying to define exactly what a Bear is. Purists may tell you that a true Bear is a heavier-set hairy man who is, for all intents and purposes, the epitome of masculinity (hence the often used grrr & rawr descriptors.) Others will tell you that being a bear is merely a “state of mind.” In the LGBT community, Bears are not some new phenomena but their escalating popularity certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed. What can be said is that the Bear of today has emerged into the gay everyman, noted easily by his friendliness, approachability and unpretentious “come as you are, all are welcome” attitude.

San Diego itself is (not so) quietly becoming one of the most popular Bear enclaves on the West Coast. Thanks to five friends with a penchant for chat—and the tech savvy to pull it off—America’s Finest City is home to one of the most popular and downloaded podcasts on the web: 619 Bearcast. And, from online to in print, the editor & publisher of A Bear’s Life magazine is also a San Diego big boy. Here, there are Bear social clubs, Bear pool parties, Bear contests, Bear charities and a schlew of regular Bear nights at local bars and clubs. So, whether you’re big, hairy, or just a chaser fond of the fur, here’s where San Diego goes to get their Bear on:

Pecs Bar – Whether you call it A Man’s Bar, or Bear Country, Pecs is the quintessential bears’ neighborhood hangout any night of the week. MP3 jukebox, pool tables, stiff cheap drinks, newly enlarged outdoor patio, burgers, hot dogs, pizza and big pitchers o’ beer. This place has it all, and then some, including several ‘Bear-centric’ regular events:

·      Bear Happy Hour – every Friday 5-10 p.m. with $8 pitchers, drink specials, free pizza and DJs spinning tunes inside and out.

·      WOOF! – 2^nd Wednesday of every month, 8 p.m.-1 a.m. No dancing, no drama, just bears, tunes, good times and happy hour drinks all night.

·      Cub Club – Thursday, May 19 (and returning monthly) this is the party for the young, hairy and hot lot. DJ Shane Stiel, cubs and cub lovers hit the Pecs ‘den’ 8 p.m.-2 a.m. for drink specials all night.

The Hole – This pretty much world-famous dive bar has been a bears’ lair since I was of drinking age. Sunday Funday at this out door Point Loma hole in the ground (literally) is affectionately referred to as ‘Church’ by the hordes of men who flock to ‘mass’ for $5 pitchers and a Flaco Burger, one of the best in the city.

Bear Night – The 1^st Saturday of every month at Numbers nightclub in Hillcrest, Bear Night is where the furry & furless go to frolic on the dance floor. In its three-year history, Bear Night has become the ‘it’ event to head out and shake a tail not just for the bears, but for everyone with a penchant for pretension-free fun! 9PM-2AM, $5 cover (before 10PM) Miller, Coors & Svedka drink specials & a full-on Bear Café with nachos, tacos, burritos, burgers & more.

Rampart 2.0 – Monthly at the Brass Rail every 1^st Friday, Rampart 2.0 brings the big muscle bears & cubs back to the regular bar scene for a night of hard beats, cheap drinks & muscle-bodied man candy for all to oogle. 9PM-2AM, $5 cover ($1 off with Pride Card before 10PM) $1 Svedka drinks (9-10PM) $5 massive pitchers & $3.50 wells.  

L.L. Bear – Billed as SD’s largest Levi, Leather & Bear event, L.L. Bear has been going strong at Rich’s nightclub on the 3^rd Saturday of every month for almost 5 years. Hosting a rotating roster of nationally renowned DJs like Bill Bennett, John LePage and others. $10 cover, 9:30PM-2AM, two dance floors, VIP area, bottle service + more.

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