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Dirty Birds
Categories: Nightlife Bars Sports Bars Restaurants Burgers Restaurants Chicken Wings Sports Bars, Burgers, Chicken Wings [Edit]
4656 Mission Blvd(between Emerald St & Diamond St)
San Diego, CA 92109
Neighbourhood: Pacific Beach
(858) 274-2473
- Hours:
Mon-Wed, Sun 11 am - 12 am
Thu-Sat 11 am - 2 am
- Delivery:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Mon, Tue, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Drive-Thru:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
208 reviews for Dirty Birds
Review Highlights
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"Honey Hot and Maple Chipotle BBQ were GREAT." In 6 reviews -
"but I highly recommend the happy hour prices." In 48 reviews -
"That damn Fried Cheese Cheeseburger." In 5 reviews
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208 reviews in English
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Review from Dmitriy S.
San Diego, CA
Dirty Birds has always been one of those places that I bookmarked when I first moved to PB, but never got around to visiting. I finally had the chance to go on a Tuesday night, which is the famous all day happy hour.
That's right, happy hour ALL DAY LONG. Half off wings and domestic pitchers. In my opinion, best wings deal in town. Can't beat that.
We started out with the Loaded Tots, which are your basic tater tots with melted cheese and your choice of meat (we got shredded steak). These guys take tots to a whole new level with this dish. Loads of cheesy meaty goodness that was devoured within minutes. These surprisingly go really well with a pitcher of Stone IPA.
On to the wings. Hungry and tempted to try them out, we all got 15 pc of wings, which comes out to about $10. I've had cheaper wings before at other happy hours, but not with this variety and quality. Garlic Parmesan, Honey Mustard, Teriyaki. There's nothing else you need. These wings are fairly hefty and fall right off the bone. As always, ranch, celery, and carrots are provided to add some contrast to your pallet. Get you napkins ready, because it could get messy but is all well worth it.
The service and atmosphere here is pretty relaxed and a good escape from the typical bro-ed out PB scene. It's fairly relaxed and a great place to casually catch up with old friends. The waitresses always check up on you, despite having a full house of guests.
The website shows more flavors coming in, so I'll be sure to make a visit soon. -
Review from Gin K.
San Diego, CA
5/23/2012
Uh, hi Dirty Birds. Where have you been all my life?
For the past few years, I've been scouring the city for the best wings in San Diego. I've found a few worthy contenders, but I think Dirty Birds takes the cake. They have a long list of sauces to choose from (great if you like options; not so much if you're indecisive...like I am), and they're served with your choice of ranch or blue cheese, carrots, and celery. I know that seems pretty standard, but I've run into enough places that come without the fixin's to deem it worthy of a mention.
Ninja was my favorite (no, not because I'm Asian). The wings came bathed in a spicy (with just a little bit of sweet) sauce, that was just a little bit thicker than the traditional buffalo. Lemon pepper is good for people who like to go the naked route, and the traditional buffalo (can't go wrong with Frank's) is a safe go-to. Skip the RPG (the sauce was too heavy -- I couldn't have more than a couple), and anything that sounds like it doesn't belong on a wing.
On Tuesdays, they have happy hour all night. 1/2 of wings and domestic pitchers. Get there early-ish, or you'll have to watch everyone enjoying our wings from the sidelines. See you there. (: -
Review from Dalton N.
Overall, a pretty good wing place. Being in PB, however, parking is a little tough. We had to walk a few blocks before getting to the restaurant. The restaurant itself is not along the beach, but the beach is around the corner.
The interior is a sports bar/game type place. If you are heading to the bar, which is in the same area as the restaurant, they'll check your ID at the door.
We tried a bunch of different flavors of wings. The more you buy, the cheaper they get. I see why it's better to go on the half off days because the wings aren't cheap. The flavors we got were: General bird, lemon pepper, sweet chili, dirty ranch, ninja, and sweet and spicy. None of them were that spicy, even though we chose some 4/5 spiciness. Sweet chili was a favorite, as well as dirty ranch. The rest were alright. It's nice that they gave us carrots and celery for the wings, but we ordered more because what they gave wasn't enough.
We also got a salad with ranch and thai peanut sauce. The thai peanut sauce was gross. Don't get it. -
Review from Nicholas C.
Escondido, CA
4/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Tasty tasty wings!
Went here on a saturday night, and had a blast. A small tight little dive bar with some good hiphop/rock music mix. The wings were definitely really good. Not sure if there the best in san diego, but definitely up there.
The waitress was cute and very nice, even tho a packed place she never forgot about us in the corner. Beer was good too.
Only negative is the noise level. This seems like more of a place to hang out and chill with friends, not a place to sit and really enjoy a semi quite meal.
Over all good time and will have to go back in the near future. -
Review from Mike S.
San Diego, CA
4/19/2012
Best wings in San Diego! Try the diablo wings!
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Review from Angelo F.
Dirty Birds, you are officially in my top 3 Best Wings category!
Cool atmosphere, dive bar feel. Labeled as Top 10 Best Wings in the U.S.
Loaded Tots with BBQ Pulled Pork - This was excellent! The tots alone were good and to add BBQ Pulled Pork and cheese sets it off! What I like most was that they didn't skimp on the pulled pork! There was a lot of it! Be prepared to share this so you don't spoil your appetite.......... (Picture posted)
Fried Cheese - Cheese Burger - This was a first for me to try this type of burger. The overlapping cheese can pretty much be a chip! The burger was a tad on the dry side since it was ordered without specifying medium rare so that may be the reason. Otherwise it had good flavor and the fries were good too. The size of the burger is about average if not just a tad smaller than usual.
* Wings are served in a basket and are good in size. The chicken wings were full of meat and all cooked perfectly. You can order them in quantities of 5, 10 or 20.
20 Piece Buffalo Wings - These were good. Buffalo sauce was nice and potent. Always a favorite for everyone.
20 Piece Lemon Pepper - One of my favorites! No ranch dipping needed for this. Highly recommend it. We originally ordered 10 at first to try it out but ended up ordering another 10.
10 Piece Salt & Vinegar - First thing that came to my mind were the Salt & Vinegar chips that I always get.... so I had to get this. I swear these were close to the chip taste! What I liked most was that there was a lot of the salt & vinegar sauce on the bottom so you can just dip and re-dip the chicken in it!
10 Piece Maple Chipotle BBQ - This had a savory / bold / terriyaki taste to it. I like this one a lot! A friend of our highly recommended this and Im glad she did! The asian in me almost came out since I was tempted to ask for rice! This would go soooooo good with rice!
10 Piece Garlic Herb - This one was ok. It needed to have a more pronounced flavor. Maybe add more of the seasoning since it was pretty faint. Then again, I've already been eating some seriously flavored wings so my taste bud may be overloaded already....
TIP: Come in a small group. Seating can be challenging for large parties. But come in a group so you can try a variety of wing flavors. Definitely coming back to try the others. -
Review from Lina J.
La Crescenta-Montrose, CA
3/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm not a fan of wings. But if I were, I'm pretty sure I would've given Dirty Birds 5 stars for as good as it gets. My roommate (an avid wing-lover) nearly died of happiness here. She devoured 15 wings in 10 minutes & added Dirty Birds to her list of everyday cravings. This review is for their chicken tacos.
My advice: DO NOT ORDER THEIR CHICKEN TACOS!
Super bland & there's nothing inside but chicken and bits of purple lettuce. I guess it's my fault for ordering tacos at a restaurant that specializes in chicken wings...but seriously...?? No salsa, no cheese, no special sauce....??? The chicken tacos were served with a side of chips & salsa. Unfortunately, the salsa was nothing special and the tortilla chips were slightly overcooked. And to make things worse, our food took forever to come out. 2 stars for my tacos +1 extra star for the nice man that served us & refilled our waters every five minutes. -
Review from Nida K.
Wings may be one of my favorite things to eat. I've been told I'm strange since I only like the wings (not drumsticks). I also carefully pick through each wing so I don't eat yucky things like veins, cartilage, and even excess fatty skin. So when most of my friends eat their wings clean to the bone, it looks like I've barely ate any of mine.
I was excited to come to Dirty Birds because I heard or saw somewhere that they have some of "best wings" in the US, maybe? Something like that. Dirty Birds has a dive-bar type feel to it. There isn't very much seating especially for large groups. Their wing selection is incredible, there must've been at least 20 different sauces. I really liked being able to try 4 different kinds. Their wings were big, which I liked since that means that there is more meat on them.
My friend had gotten their habanero wings and man, oh man, those things are intense! My spice-intake level is pretty high and I couldn't hang with those. I also saw they have a hot wing challenge. I believe you must eat 5 of the hottest wings they have within 5 minutes with no water or napkins. You also have have to wait 5 minutes after you eat them before you can go to the bathroom, drink water, or use napkins. Only a dozen or so people have been able to conquer it. One of the servers told us that one guy was so messed up afterwards, he was laying in the middle of the street outside. I can only imagine that these wings are literally burning your insides after you consume them and they're probably causing stomach ulcers or some other sort of serious bodily condition. I still would like to witness it though.
Since I was only able to try 5 of their flavors, I'd love to come back to try more. I think Wing Stop might be better in terms of flavor, but I do like how their wings are bigger.
Come during Happy Hour!
Mon - Fri / 3PM - 6PM
1/2 Price Wings & Domestic Pitchers
Tuesday is Happy Hour All DayListed in: The Best Happy Hour Spots (SD), Get Down & Dirty
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Review from K. W.
San Diego, CA
Food was great but server "Dance Machine" is extremely short and non- personable. Still recommend the food and a good patron always tips @ least %15 so whatever. I hate to rate low simply because of her, but driving from Mira Mesa on a week night for our Dirty Bird fix deserves more than, I'll give u more time, what would u like, how's everything tasting, do u want another refill, all rushed and short. Don't be average this placed is known to be the best. Lastly, the toilet threatened to overflow. I almost died!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/23/2012
Service is great! Owner gave us an order on the house since the buffalo blue wings (or could've been… Read more »
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Review from Erin H.
2/23/2012
My bros and I ordered 100 wings to go since we weren't sure if we could get a seat. We called ahead and ordered: Buffalo, Spicy, Maple Chipotle, Honey Hot, and Garlic Parmesan.
Ok, so the only reason why we decided to have a wings and beer party for dinner was because one of my pledge bros is so g-damn loud about hating on Phil's BBQ. He just absolutely hated it for no reason -_____- UGH! Anyway, he was like DIRTY BIRDS. LETS GET WINGS RARARARAAAAA~~ and so, we succumbed to his volume and got 100 wings for 9 ppl.
Unfortunately, it wasn't wings night, but pricing didn't seem too bad (very typical, I guess). As for the flavors, they have a ton! We chose the 5 that I mentioned in the beginning. My favorites were the Buffalo and Garlic Parmesan. The Maple Chiptole & Honey Hot were too saucy; I didn't really like that. However, I LOVE GARLIC AND I LOVE CHEESE = I LOVED THE GARLIC PARMESAN!! It was soo good. AHHH~ I also really love buffalo wings, so they were derishuz as well. The spicy wings... I think they were a lil sweet and not spicy at all. They were ok haha
Not many of my friends in SD even knew about this place, so I guess it's not really one of the "must-go-to" eateries; nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed their wings and hope that I can hit up their happy hour some time. -
Review from Yong L.
San Diego, CA
3/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Unfortunately when I came here, I was on a stupid diet which restricted me from eating fried foods. Which includes wings. Which sucks. Anyhow, I had their Dirty Chicken Sandwich, but it definitely left something to be desired. No veggies, no pizzazz, no spark. It was good, but as I was starving I think if they placed a live chicken in front of me I would have snapped its neck and devoured it. So that doesn't say much. It was just ok. The sauce was good, as was the chicken, but it was kind of small and the sandwich left a sort of dry taste in my mouth that even my beer didn't get rid of. I honestly can't wait to come back here to try their wings and hopefully update their review, but based on my experience from that one time, three stars is all I can give. *mustering up best Arnold impression* Ah'll be baaack.
p.s. the bathroom was clean. Niiiceee. -
Review from Ben S.
San Diego, CA
3/22/2012
Meh, I've had better.
Went here to check out some of the great reviews and the claim that they have the #10 wings in America. I had the hot honey mustard wings and an order of pulled pork BBQ tots, and 2 beers.
The quality of the wings was very good and the flavor was interesting, but it was listed as "Hot" and it most certainly was not. It always bothers me when places don't get the heat scale right, or perhaps the cooks don't know how to make the product. hard to say. Go to Wings and Things and you'll get better wings, a predictable heat scale, AND a lower price.
The tots were a first. I was happy to have them. Interesting idea, that I enjoyed trying, but I wouldn't do it again. Probably stick with the old standard cheese and bacon fries for some artery clogging goodness.
I came for the happy hour prices for wings, but then they gouge me on the tots and beer. My dinner cost $28 (tip included) and that's just a bit much for wings and beer on a Wednesday night.
Bottom line, with all the great places to eat in Pacific Beach, this one just isn't worth my money. -
Review from Eva H.
1/29/2012
I was okay with Dirty Birds, though not exactly enthralled. After the shitshow that was the PB Ale House, I was in need of a nibble and DB delivered, however.
The boy stuck to Diet Coke and I nursed a fairly priced $4 bloody. It wasn't all that potent and the mix could have used more horseradish, but it was fine. I, of course, managed to knock my drink over and spilled 2/3 of my bloody all over myself. Normally, bars will give you a gratis refill when the majority of your drink ends up on your person. DB does not appear to adhere to that policy. Whatever.
We got the diablo wings. They had a nice kick, which I appreciated, though they didn't have the crisp skin that is the hallmark of a good wing. They also came out faster than our drinks, leading me to believe they were pre-cooked and just sauced to order. Sad--the sauce itself was great, but we were there at a low-turnover time so my guess is that the meat was under the heat lamp for a couple of hours.
Service was okay--not exactly enthusiastic but did the job. Which is kind of my summary of DB: not prosaic, but fills your belly.Listed in: Stuck in the middle with…, Outside the 'Crest
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Review from Valerie L.
San Diego, CA
2/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
I went during their happy hour, so 50% off wings is a great deal! However I wasn't impressed with the wings. All of flavors they claimed were level 4 or 5 on spiciness weren't even spicy.
I usually go to Wingstop, and Dirty Birds doesn't compare to it. I prefer my wings to be crunchy and more flavorful. Dirty Birds wings aren't as good as Wingstop! -
Review from Bill B.
Updated - 1/26/2012
Totally different review from the Bill B. here. Yes, Dirty Birds has a great vibe, good beer selection, friendly staff, terrific wings (they were written up for having some of the best wings in the universe... or country, something like that) and burgers, along with great specials... but don't sleep on these guys when it comes to their 'unique' events.
Was in last night for a food and beer pairing they did with Stone Brewing. There was a 'side' menu with new items, as well as a beer pairing list that featured brews from Stone they don't usually serve on tap. Marissa was our server and on point getting us grub and beers off the 'normal' menu.
This is a come as you are bar. Roll out of bed for an early Baltimore or soccer game, come sweaty after skating the Clairemont Y (like me), come for lunch, a casual dinner, for a quick one before you get your grind on at the Thrusters dance floor or late night for a couple quick ones. Always a solid time.
So yeah, don't sleep on these vents. Get on Dirty Birds Facebook page and get plugged in. It's a PB gem in a marsh of... marshness.Listed in: My PB tops for good times and…
14 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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9/19/2011
Football & breakfast!
Came in Sunday with some friends after I was told they're serving breakfast… Read more »
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Review from Carol C.
2/20/2012
I love this place! They have specials almost everyday of the week for wings with a huuuge variety of flavors! I'm usually ok with the standard spicy/non-spicy, but this place has flavors like lemon, garlic, hawaiian, etc etc.
My only reason for not giving 5 stars is the inconsistency - some wings have this really old/dry/overcooked thing going on. But still, if you come during their specials, their wings really cant be beat! -
Review from Jack G.
San Diego, CA
2/7/2012 12 Check-ins Here
Dirty Birds is the closest bar to my house, probably about 100 feet or so, and that means I'm here alot. The atmosphere is very chill, typical of a PB bar that doesn't think it's downtown (err... Bar West / Johnny V's) and people are pretty friendly inside. There are a bunch of TVs all around and they will either already have the game up or will switch it so that you can watch what you want. Unless you're trying to watch something during a Ravens game. Make no mistake, this is a Ravens bar, and trying to get in becomes impossible by kickoff. When the Ravens aren't playing, the Chargers get the game audio. Whoo!
The food is pretty good, standard pub grub, solid burgers, but nothing to write home about... except for the WINGS! They've been voted as having the Top 10 wings in America, and for good cause. My favorite are the Lemmon Pepper, Garlic Herb and Garlic Parm. What can I say? I hate vampires. They've got like 20+ other flavors that you can (and should) try, and an awesome deal on Mondays: $13 for all-you-can-eat wings. The only drawback is that they're so good that you end up eating like 40 of them and want to become a vegetarian afterwards. You can even try them 5 at a time in any flavor you want. They come with unlimited fries or tots and some celery and carrot sticks, cause we're all about health here. But seriously, BEST WINGS I'VE EVER HAD. Perfect for Monday Night Football!
They also have a great beer selection, and a standard full bar. On Sundays you can get a "Manmosa" which is a mimosa served in a large beer mug. You can also get it "dirty" style, which adds a shot of vodka, just in case champagne wasn't hard enough at 10am on a Sunday morning. Not exactly a great dance venue or pick-up bar, which is perfect because you don't come here to do that. You come here to watch football, drink, and grub on the best wings ever! -
Review from David H.
Went here on Tuesday for the half price wings night. I went with a couple of friends and we all shared our various wings. So many choices. I ordered a ten piece order of lemon pepper (5 pieces) and garlic herb (5 pieces). My friends got teriyaki and Hawaiian, Dirty Ranch and Buffalo.
Out of all the ones that I tried tonight I liked the lemon pepper and garlic herb ones best. We also ordered a quesadilla and tater tots and shared everything. So we had 30 wings to share between the three of us plus the quesadilla and tots. Mmm, I love the fact that they serve tots here.
The wings they serve have a little crispiness to them which makes them good!
Monday night is all you can eat night and Tuesday is half price on all wings night. I suggest that you come on one of those nights. I thought it would be more crowded on the half price wing night, but we were able to walk in and got a table right away. Parking is on the street but we were lucky and got a parking right out front.
The price for an order of 10 wings on Tuesday's is $6.00. Normal price is $12.00 so save yourself some money and come on down. Sodas are $3.00 (really)? I could have got a beer for $3.50 (but I don't drink alcohol).
It's a little noisy in here, but what do you expect from a bar, eh? Nice thing is that it's not all young people here. There were various ages from 21 on up to at least 60+ in here tonight. They've got tons of big screen tv's here with almost any type of sporting event here. I guess the owners are Baltimore Ravens fans, but that's okay.
I'll be coming back here for more wings. They also serve burgers and salads too. -
Review from Serena H.
San Diego, CA
2/6/2012
They don't let anyone under 21 in after 6pm, but it's okay, because that no longer applies to me.
Wings are expensive if you come on a non happyhour, non-tuesday, so I suggest make it here on those tuesday nights if you ever get tired of world famous shrimp tacos or are busy on wednesday. They have ALL FREAKING DAY happy hour on tuesdays. whaaaaaaaa? -
Review from Michael G.
Chula Vista, CA
2/14/2012
Came here around Christmas time. The staff was actually really cool. The bouncer had to ask us to move out of the door area in case of a fire and we was joking about how we'd push everyone out the way if there was one. that was funny. Huge plus when the staff has a sense of humor. The waitress's didn't make fun of me because i didn't order beer. I know some wing spots where they make you feel low when you don't order beer (those bastards).
The wing flavor variety was awesome. I felt like a college kid all over again...wait i never went to college. Who cares, I still wore my SDSU hoodie so i looked like an alum. Had my fraternity up on the hoodie too, its called "I PHELT A THIGH".
Anyways, definately check this place out, food is good, service is good. Just a little small and tight. This place is so small when I reached for the ketchup, the people at the other table was like " aye, get your own kethcup". -
Review from Sang P.
1/18/2012
Came here on a Tuesday night with half-off wings and pitchers. What a deal! The wings are seriously a steal! Got the lemon-pepper and spicy-and-chilli while my friend got the ranch and sweet-and-chilli.
We chose those four because those were the usual flavors I got when I journeyed upon here a year ago and I couldn't forget the taste.
And one year later, I was still impressed. All of the flavors were very impressive. I know they're good when they all have different texture - meaning they don't just cook like 500 wings and marinate it differently (or at least I didn't think so). I only had a slight problem with the lemon pepper (it became too sour at one point).
I really like how they have so many different selections for flavors - the variety is so great that I'm pretty sure anyone will have at least one favorite.
Only problem was that 10-wings was not enough for me and I was craving for more.
Atmosphere is great - very laidback, relaxing, and not the typical PB bar where they're rowdy inebriates jumping around everywhere. Some of my favorite sports games were on so I was able to enjoy my food even more.
Would come back again, but probably not on a regular weekday but only on tuesday nights! -
Review from Sumit C.
La Jolla, CA
5/6/2012
I grew up in Buffalo. Short of flying home to get Anchor Bar or Duff's, this is as good as it gets. Enough said.
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Review from Alvin B.
San Diego, CA
12/29/2011
I love me some wings and Dirty Birds did not disappoint. The selection of flavors are quite amazing and they each are very good and different; some I've never even thought of before.
The food in general there has always been good and comes quickly. And the servers are friendly. Another plus of this place is that it isn't directly on Garnet so parking isn't as bad. -
Review from James Z.
Chicopee, MA
5/9/2012
Went here last week while on vaca in SD. We drove up to Pacific Beach and ended up stopping here because we were craving wings. The interior is small and kind of dark, and looked like the back room at a Hooters. The honey mustard wings are AWESOME! We also got Diablo wings and they were also great! Diablo weren't as spicy as I thought they'd be but they are flavorful. We both also got ostrich burgers (first time having ostrich) and they were great! Ostrich is very lean and flavorful. Looks and kinda tastes like beef, but has that poultry (ground turkey-ish) kind of aftertaste. They tasted great and were cooked perfectly. I recommend this place! They also have SO many flavors of wings, i suggest splitting your orders into 2 flavors.
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Review from Kaitlin J.
San Diego, CA
12/3/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I love this small cute bar! I've been wanting to come here and then a friend and I came unexpected and all a sudden it clicked I have been dying to try there wings! :) YUMM I love them all so far. A couple were not as hot as they were rated but I'm okay with that! :) Honey Hot and Maple Chipotle BBQ were GREAT!!!!!!
The staff was very friendly every time I have been there. Which is not easy to find at the bars around PB. I've been here on there 1/2 Tuesdays and around dinner time on a Sat. with no trouble finding parking.
I will be back just like everyone else! :) -
Review from Jeff S.
La Jolla, CA
5/7/2012
This place has the best wings on earth! Half off wings and pitchers TUESDAY nights.
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Review from Christina T.
San Diego, CA
3/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Tasty wings to satisfy your poultry needs! I love, love, love their garlic parmesan, honey mustard, and salt and pepper wings. The place gets extremely crowded on Tuesday "wing" nights, so be prepared to stand around the bar and drink some beer :) Don't forget to bring your 21+ ID so the friendly bouncer will let you in!
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Review from Rob W.
San Diego, CA
12/24/2011 2 Check-ins Here
(-1 Star for inattentive waitresses. Also be prepared to hawkishly pounce on a recently cleared table, if you come during peak hours)
That aside, Dirty Bird's is the only place I go for wings. Deep fried, then baked for juicy tender wings with just a touch of crispy brown on the outside, you just can't say no to that level of attention to detail.
Tuesdays are perpetual happy hour, so wings and pitchers are half off all day. You're welcome.
There are literally a couple dozen varieties of wings to choose from and just about everyone one of them is delicious.
(I have to say though, I tried the Maple Chipotle BBQ off one of many yelp recommendations and found myself underwhelmed at the generic Kansas City style flavor. Just your standard ketchup, brown sugar, salt, and vinegar.)
Some recommendations:
**Lemon Pepper: AMAZING. Perfectly done, flavorful chicken with just the right amount of lemon zing to it.
**Sweet and Spicy: Tart, sweet, and SO TASTY. The heat on these is moderate, and adds just enough variety to the flavor presentation that it doesn't get played out. Hands down my favorite variety.
**Habanero: Punishing at best. If you aren't sweating profusely with snot dripping out of one nostril after 3 of these, there is something impressive about your tolerance for pain.
Grab some friends, a couple orders of wings, and a pitcher. I promise you'll never want to leave. -
Review from OC R.
El Cajon, CA
12/9/2011
Best wings ever
I look forward to going back.
Great service
goog food what more can you ask for? -
Review from Alexander Y.
Rowland Heights, CA
So now it's #10 in the U.S. eh? Well, can't say it doesn't deserve it. Some damn good wings here. Had the garlic herb, dirty ranch, maple chipotle BBQ, and habanero. Dirty ranch definitely takes the cake, but there are so many great flavors here that it's hard to go wrong. Garlic parmesan fries weren't too bad either.
Great place for football, since there are HDTVs everywhere. It's a Chargers/Ravens bar, so just keep that in mind on Sundays. Also, it's just really small, so expect crowds. Plus the fact it's in PB means you have to find street parking somewhere, but it shouldn't be too bad because it's a bit off Garnet.
I only fear for myself if I come here on a Monday because of those $12.99 all you can eat wings... -
Review from Captain H.
San Diego, CA
11/4/2011
So far no one has mentioned DB's shrimp, and my bf and I were really impressed by them, so I thought I'd add my 2 cents.
Their wings (I've tried a lot of the flavors and my favorite is dirty blue), tots and even sliders have never failed to hit the spot, washed down with a nice cold Guinness (alas they used to have draft but a bottle of the dark stuff is better than no Guinness). Last night my bf and I tried the shrimp on a whim and were impressed by the size, taste and firm texture of the meaty little creatures (too bad we inhaled them before I thought to get a pic to post...next time).
We got an order of 10 and asked our smiling and attentive server if they could do 1/2 grilled and 1/2 fried. She said she'd try, and she made it happen. The fried came out without wing sauce but with a seasoned southern-style (beer?) batter that was crisp and tasty without being thick and greasy. The "grilled" ones were probably steamed or pan fried and were big and swimming in wing sauce: a tasty AND healthy option in the unlikely event that you find yourself at DBs and don't want to break the calorie bank. We asked for a side of wing sauce to dunk the fried ones in, followed by a dunk in the ranch that comes with them (side note, my boo loves his blue cheese but has become a convert for DB's signature ranch). Ah, heaven!
Also of note, this place is 21 up so it's a laid back bar scene without the screaming kids. Enjoy! -
Review from Chris H.
San Diego, CA
12/15/2011
Best bar in San Diego. I used to practically live in this place until I moved out of walking distance. Still my favorite bar.
20+ flavors of wings, and voted one of the 10 best wings in the country. Definitely the best place for wings in San Diego. -
Review from Mindy Y.
San Diego, CA
2/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
This just might have to be my new stop for wings. I normally go to Wingstop because I am inlove with their lemon pepper. Flavor wise, I still favor Wingstop's lemon pepper, but Dirty Bird's own version is pretty darn close. Because they have a wider selection of other flavors, I think it would be more worth it to come here for the variety. Plus their chicken is meatier. Aside from lemon pepper we also tried Dirty Ranch, Flamin Honey Mustard, and Garlic Parm. All were tasty in their own way, and still so many others I must come back and try!
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Review from Steve Z.
San Diego, CA
8/30/2011
One of the best happy hours I have ever been to.
Service was great, our waitress was extremely courteous and pretty hot too.
Wings can be pretty expensive outside of happy hour, but they're definitely some of the best I've had in the area. The garlic parmasan is pretty bomb. I was actually a little disappointed in the habanero wings, didn't really have too much of a kick for something that's suppose to a be a 5 on the menu.
Would definitely be a returning customer. -
Review from Alison F.
San Diego, CA
9/1/2011
My husband and I came here to witness a friend of ours attempt Dirty Bird's hot bird challenge. Our friend is pretty accustomed to hot food, but this one defeated her. She ended up throwing up and laying down in the car. Seriously, unless you are the guy on man vs. food, don't attempt this. Only 18 people have succeeded. Anyways,here's what I thought:
Pros:
Delicious wings, meaty and lots of interesting flavors
Half price wings during happy hour (3-7 daily)
Parmesan garlic tator tots were awesome
Good drink deals during happy hour
Super sweet staff- they came to check on our friend frequently
Cons:
The bros and hos in PB can be a little exhausting to listen to while you're trying to have a good time
Parking in PB can suck, big time
It took a pretty long time to get our bill. Otherwise, I probably would have given a rare 5 star rating.
Come here for delicious wings and drinks. Be prepared to have to circle PB for parking, but definitely worth the pain. -
Review from shany c.
El Cajon, CA
9/11/2011
My husband, a good friend, and myself went earlier today because my husband wanted to take on the fiery wing challenge. He beat it, but the hardest parts for him were the fact that he couldn't wipe his face (his nose ran like a volcano eruption) and he threw up all evening; it's not for the feint of heart, so tread carefully.
The folks were all nice and very personable, which I appreciate. The food is very much worth the cost, as it was all fresh and flavorful. My only complaint would be the mixed drinks, which were horribly weak and just not very tasty. Just have a beer if you go there, don't spend anything on the mixed drinks.
We live in El Cajon, but would definitely go back for the food, location, and ambiance. Nice place with a killer challenge. We are all glad we went (get there early, though, cause parking is ridiculous to locate). -
Review from Scott D.
7/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Was craving wings so headed there on a Tuesday at noon. Place wasn't too busy. Patio wraps the place a block up from the beach so you get an ocean breeze. Waitress was very friendly and immediately fell in love with my dog.
Wings "by the pound" are $10.99 and come with fries which I don't want and won't eat. Despite not being very large wings, it seems 6 of them constitute 1 pound so by my calculation I was paying almost $2 per wing. I may be showing my age here but I do recall a time when wings were $0.10 cents a piece?
BOTTOM LINE: If you want wings here, come on Mondays when it's all you can eat. Dirty PRICEY birds. -
Review from Anthony N.
San Diego, CA
7/25/2011
All you can eat. Deliciousness!
I've tried about 6 flavors here and have loved them all.
I'll go here on monday for the happy hour to start drinking then the all you can eat to finish up.
One of the better wing places in San Diego. -
Review from Glad E.
San Diego, CA
2/4/2012
Every time I've been to Dirty Birds, I've left super drunk and super super full. (Those lemon pepper chicken wings are the business). I can't comment on anything else cuz I'm usually too busy stuffing my face.
Listed in: There's a party in my tummy...
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Review from Kelly G.
Been coming here for the last 3 years and loving it! DB's is a small place and attracts a good crowd. I've never seen anyone totally wasted there--and I like that. Everyone seems to be having a good time, but no one is going crazy overboard. So happy they got their full liquor license so we can get our favorite mixed drinks (since we aren't beer drinkers).
My man always gets the Dirty Chicken Sandwich. It is one of his favorite meals and I think they must put something addictive in that dirty sauce. DB's has a pretty big menu and there are lots of choices for sides. Fries are awesome-- spiced & similar to Rally's fries. Macaroni & cheese is good. Tots are okay, but I'm not a tots kind of girl. Grilled chicken sandwiches with salads are pretty good if you are feeling the need to be a bit healthier. My favorites: BBQ burger, JaColby Burger, Bluebird Sandwich, BBQ Western Sliders, and Wings with a variety of sauces!
They have free delivery to the PB area (but we usually do take out if we aren't dining in). Parking can be difficult since its right by the beach, but it's not horrible. Bathrooms have always been clean and a step above the typical PB bar bathrooms.
We love Dirty Birds and will keep coming back. It's always been solid service with the food coming out hot and quickly. ENJOY!Listed in: Let's DRINK!, Pacific Beach, BURGERS
