Ah, the Kraken, a study in contradictions. This low-ceilinged dive has surprisingly excellent acoustics and gets a lot of fun bands. The drinks aren't dive-bar cheap, but they are strong, and grow stronger in proportion to the strength of your tipping. Speaking of strong drinks, there isn't a lot of parking nearby, which is probably a good thing. If you plan to spend more than 10 minutes there on a weekend evening, Uber/Lyft/etc should be on the agenda. By day, it's more biker scene; by night, the crowd is fun, somewhat diverse (especially for coastal north county), and can get rowdy at times. There used to be a guy with a trailer selling BBQ, but I never saw him post-pandemia. I'm sure you can bring your own food, and like anywhere, bringing a couple pizzas is the fastest way to get a dozen new friends.

Great place! Fun people and love the bands! I enjoyed the 3 sections with pool tables and stage. Friendly servers. Go check it out!!

The Kraken is hands down the best dive bar ever! It's the perfect mix of a laid-back dive bar vibe with a high-end twist, located across from the beach in a very exclusive area. The atmosphere is always lively, and they consistently feature great live bands that keep the energy high. The bartenders are awesome and always make sure you're taken care of, adding to the overall great experience. The back area has pool tables for some extra fun, and they have a nice dance floor, which adds to the excitement. It does get super crowded, especially on Fridays and Saturdays when the live bands start at 9 PM, but that's just part of the charm. I always expect a busy night and still have an amazing time every time I go. If you're looking for a fun, energetic night out with fantastic music and a great crowd, The Kraken is the place to be!

Props to the great door guy who told me I had lipstick on my teeth! Good dude right there!

Fun place for dancing and drinks. Usually has a band Friday or Saturday nights. Crowd is usually 40s-50's and very friendly. One of my favorite spots in town.

This is a fun, casual, little beach bar! They have live music, pool, music and dancing as well as pool tables in the back. The bartenders do a great job, always friendly. They have a food tent out back where mini burgers are cooked. The downside of this place is that they have a tiny parking lot. You sort have to cruise up and down the street to find parking sometimes. Otherwise, it's a great location, right across the street from the beach.