Sweet Springs Saloon

Named after the natural area at the edge of Los Osos-Baywood Park’s back bay, Sweet Springs Saloon is a favorite bar with the locals. Residents call it “Sweeties,” and it lives up to its name as a sweet spot for stiff drinks and live entertainment. A classic dive bar that has served generations of locals and visitors, Sweet Springs Saloon is known for its friendly hospitality. The wrap-around bar holds hundreds of bottles of spirits, with a robust whiskey selection, in particular. Cocktails like negroni, old fashioned and mint juleps come in generous tumblers and are very affordably priced. Beer drinkers will appreciate the 10 taps in rotation, including local heroes like Firestone-Walker, SLO Brew and Barrelhouse Brewing. Bartenders also pull pints of imported brews like Modelo, Stella Artois, Stiegl and Guiness.

Order a drink and pull up a stool to relax at the long bar, chat up the bartenders and make new friends. Or plan to come in for any number of fun extracurricular activities. Several large-screen TVs hang over the bar for watching the game, and a jukebox plays tunes for quarters. Many folks come to the bar for a constantly-updated lineup of live bands and musicians who play the Sweet Springs stage. These range from hip hop and reggae artists to folk and country musicians, both local and touring from outside the area. The musical calendar at Sweet Springs includes live music throughout the week, not just on weekends. (That means any night of the week, you might find your new favorite band at Sweet Springs Saloon.) On nights not scheduled for live music, karaoke is often the entertainment, so be sure to warm up your vocal chords. For gamers and pool sharks, the bar offers two pool tables and a shuffleboard table, all bathed in the glow of classic neon beer signs.