Second Wind

Sometimes you want to have a beer after work. On top of that. Your not in a big hurry to get home. A place you don’t know anybody; or hope you don’t know anybody. A place not too fancy. A «come as you are» type place. I think Second Wind fits that bill.
Open until 2 AM and kind of hidden on Navajo Road. You can have a beer or cocktail with nobody bothering you. After a long day at work. That is not bad. The place is a little seedy. Low lighting. A few characters. Again, not bad.
The décor is plain but the bar is big and there is tables and chairs throughout. They have a stage with lights and a mic with a dance floor area. The bartender lady said they have live music and comedians perform on some nights. On those nights they charge a cover. They also have karaōke. So the bar is trying to do other things. Which is cool.
Did I mention they have a Galaxian and a Big Game Hunter coin-​op machine in a back corner? What they don’t have is food. I asked and I was told that they don’t serve anything to eat but you could bring your own food in. There is also a pizza place a few doors down. So as long as the pizza joint is open you are good.
Can’t say too much more about this place. The bartender lady was nice. It was good to just sit and drink a beer with no drama. They had some good rock music playing in the background. I would come again after another long day at work.

This is an actual dive bar. Dark, dirty, loud and seedy. It’s exactly right when you want cheap, boozy drinks and to be left alone, or to chat with some local weirdos. Monday night karaōke is rad. Local music is usually dive bar bad/​good/​amazing. I suggest it to those who aren’t too high class to enjoy the darker, dirtier side of life.

True dive bar nestled in the clutches of San Carlos so you probably won’t get stabbed. That being said, Kudos on the live music and comedians during the week. Adds an element of entertainment to the area.

Nice little dive. Great classic rock cover bands during the weekends with a reasonable cover charge… around 7 bucks, but sometimes it’s free. The music can be very loud though when the bands play.
They have a neat little pool table but it’s hard to play since it’s enclosed in a small room, so you’re constantly banging it against the hole-​covered walls. It isn’t the newest or cleanest table but it’s FREE.
Cheap HH prices. You’ll find a cluster of regulars here, a little older, as well during the weekends. We’re in our early 30s and we’re usually the youngest people here.
Budweiser bottles are $ 2.50 ALL THE TIME. So, that’s a good deal.
They open early, around 10 am and it’s very quiet and chill, a plus for early-​bird drinkers: D

Finished my pedicure, and decided to have a drink before heading back to work. I’ve lived in the neighborhood for 15 years, and never walked into Second Wind until this afternoon.
So here’s the thing: I read the reviews posted here, and leaving aside comments about the evening crowd and live music, I have to say that most of the observations made by other Unilocalers seem accurate, but I don’t understand why their issues are issues.
The room is dark? The people are older and seem to enjoy drinking? The bar smells like a bar? Perhaps this is a generational thing, but I tended bar in Washington DC in the Eighties, & I can say that Second Wind isn’t much different from any classic bar I visited, as an employee or a patron.
Bars weren’t hip, nor were they places one visited for quality food, excellent music, or to meet beautiful people. They were supposed to be dark, providing a comfortable environment for people who wanted to drink quietly and visit with their neighbors.
As for the smell, I can only imagine how put off these kids would be if Second Wind allowed smoking. God, I miss that smell.
I’m not sure when it happened, but somewhere along the way, people stopped going to bars to drink. Or rather, drinking became secondary to having fun. For those who never moved on, Second Wind is a fine respite.

if your looking to find some of east counties best go here. You can score anything you want have seen drug deals go down in there, 70 year old crack ladies walking around and the owners are way less than nice. I recommend getting a staying away from this place very horrible. This place is a step down from a dive bar. But hey if your looking to score drugs or hooked this is the place to go.

The music sucked. It looked like it was more meant for the enjoyment of the DJ. It could be a bit more mainstream. It was also too loud. After half an hour, my right ear started to hurt. This was a Sunday evening, and my first time there, so I hope this is not the norm for this place.

Love this place! Every time I go, the music has been kick-​ass awesome. The bartenders are great and the people are always fun and friendly.

Went to this place for a quick drink on a Saturday night. They had live music that sounded horrible, the place was hot and moist and the atmosphere seemed almost hostile. If you are into loud music and a crowd this place is for you. If you want a drink with friends to have a conversation, this place is not for you.

Ok, it’s a dive bar. Staff is friendly enough and the bands, well, the drinks are strong! It’s close by and I end up there often enough to call it my watering hole.

Same owners as Second Wind in Santee. I could cut and paste the review with the only difference being the 2 pool tables are in a better location.
One step above a dive bar, bad drinks, lots of seating, smaller dance floor and horrible bands. The parking is plentiful and there is no cover, which are the only positives. I am going to stay downtown for my dancing fix.

Ah my local dive bar… a place I can walk to, grab a couple drinks and not care what I look like LOL
Positives
Walking distance
Serves cider
Colorful cliental
Negatives
Bit scummy
Some odd characters
Weird location
This place doesn’t pretend to be anything it isn’t. Its a dive bar with an eclectic cliental, a couple pool tables and mood lighting. If you just want a drink and not be on parade its great or deal with going downtown. If you feel like dressing up and having a little class you obviously go elsewhere.

Your experience will change here nearly every time you go unless you’re a regular. Good place for a informal chat while getting hammered. Has some good bands sometimes. Full bar, smells like an old night club (a real old one). Faint smell of puke and all. Good place to lose your class while having a laugh.

Sure this is a dive bar but I have always had fun here because live bands play music on Fri and Sat night. No wonder the girl Jessica had a headache she was drinking red bulls with liquor all night not too bright the body gets confused. I would recommend this place to any one so what if its a nothing fancy. Cougars that guy must have been lucky that night because it’s usually all guys. No tweekers just east county down to earth people who don’t care for the hip hop scene or DJ music. Unfortunately east county is the only area that has good live rock and roll bands anything from 70’s to 90’s depending on the band.

Not my kind of place at all…
Older crowd, crappy bands and expensive, who would have guessed?
Servers are rude and not the most caring of employees.
Gave it 2 tries and was disappointed both times.

I had been here a few times and the music had been so loud it gave me a migraine and I had to leave. Tonight we walked in and it seemed different… quieter. We enjoyed the atmosphere then it was time to close my tab out. We had 2 half-​off hornitos shots (as told by the bartender), 2 bar pour rum diets, a vodka red bull and a draft bud light. My tab? $ 52!!! I asked for the write-​up of charges and they refused! They gave me a tab of $ 28 which is STILL too high but I was so mad I signed it and left. They take advantage of drunk people and will try to charge you double… fuck this bar! They shouldn’t assume everyone is drunk because I was perfectly sober and I am going to make sure everyone knows about their business practices. AVOID THIS PLACE.

Good. a little scary but good. I walked in this place and every cougar, MILF, and GILF looked like they wanted to eat me! I felt like i was a piece of meat. If i was into them older ladies i could have had a buffet. They had a live band. The guys looked like they were in their 50’s playing pretty good music. The bar was pretty full but yet not a single person in the bar was dancing or moving. I went out on the dance floor started dancing and interacting with the band and started up the party! I was pretty drunk from the cute chick at the first bar we stooped by. Her Lemon drops were tight! I don’t normally get soo F-​ed up from a few shots. Maybe it was the no dinner that messed me up.
The good. Hmmmmm… Cool 80’s music?!
The bad. Older crowd, tweaker 80’s chicks, if you are between 25−34yo them old ladies will attack! Even while they are sitting next to the old man.
Overall fun if you show up drunk!

Words cant even begin to describe this place. You truly have to go there and experience it.
Went there on a friday night with a group of friends, and it is exactly how it is described on here, to the T. Tweekers, cougars, and drunk security were all magically in place. The security crew there are kind of douchey, but not bad if youre just minding your own and not being stupid. If youve ever wondered where the cougars that are on the lower part of the totem pole are at on the weekends, check here. There were definitely some cute girls there, dont get me wrong, but you cant get over the sex panther perfume the older ladies were rockin.
Overall, its a fun place, just go in expecting a good time, and it will be just that. Dont wait for that place to impress, because it wont!

My friend flew in from Virginia and we wanted to get out somewhere close by. She asked if there were any clubs near and I said «Um in Fletcher Hills… Very doubtful» «I do however know of this small so-​called dive up the way that use to be called The Navajo Inn and we could stop in for a drink» She said «Great, let’s go»
Second Wind is located in the far back corner of a strip mall shopping center. Albertsons, Rite Aid and Kragens are the front stores with many small shops to the side. When entering you literally walk through the side of these shops until you get to the entrance which looks like a cave door opening. The bar is fairly large with a dance floor up front with tables all around. Live rock band playing, diverse crowd all around; Bikers, hipsters, and girls night out. We had fun, actually a lot of fun, we ate, drank and danced and by midnight when we both got sleepy we even got our SECOND WIND and stayed until the band said goodnight. Never thought I would find a night spot in this neck of the woods but I must say it beats the high cover and weak drinks you get served downtown.

Where everyone knows your name!
I discovered the Second Wind when I first moved to SD 2 years ago, and have been going back ever since. Last I was there, the American beers were between 2 and 3 bucks. Mixed drinks went fore between 3 and 5 bucks depending on the quality of the liquor.
As an added bonus, you can bring outside food into the place! Walk over to the Wendy’s grab some grub and have a beer with you burger. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Depending on the night you go, there may be karaōke or a band playing, for which the prices go up a little and there may be a cover. There’s a pool table in there as well.
Second Wind is a first order dive, but for those of us who live in La Mesa and nearby — it’s worth it. You don’t have to go downtown to get a good drink, in a relaxed atmosphere.