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O'Connells Goes Red, Back in Time: The Griffin

O’Connells' green trim has gone red. A Morena staple since the '70s, the no-frills dive changed owners and reopened in July as The Griffin.

Suggestive of a casino-that-time-forgot from the outside, the venue’s Irish motif has been swapped for a medieval-tavern interior. New wood siding everywhere makes the place smell like a Home Depot (in the good way) or the inside of a barrel.

A full suit of armor overlooks the shuffleboard. A mounted boar’s head observes the bar. Electric candles flicker from the chandeliers. The bartender serves $2 PBRs to an afternoon crowd of maybe ten regulars, mostly older gentlemen.

The Griffin’s proximity to 24-hour Mexican food (MXN/Santana’s - 1975 Morena Boulevard) already makes the place a winner, but with names like Styletones, Dead Feather Moon, and Gabe Vega on the calendar, I wouldn’t be surprised to see The Griffin become a hap’nin nightlife destination, despite the odd time-space location.

Check out their Facebook for upcoming events and Here’s the Deal for more on The Griffin and other anachronistic boozing motes.

The Griffin - 1310 Morena Blvd.

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O’Connells' green trim has gone red. A Morena staple since the '70s, the no-frills dive changed owners and reopened in July as The Griffin.

Suggestive of a casino-that-time-forgot from the outside, the venue’s Irish motif has been swapped for a medieval-tavern interior. New wood siding everywhere makes the place smell like a Home Depot (in the good way) or the inside of a barrel.

A full suit of armor overlooks the shuffleboard. A mounted boar’s head observes the bar. Electric candles flicker from the chandeliers. The bartender serves $2 PBRs to an afternoon crowd of maybe ten regulars, mostly older gentlemen.

The Griffin’s proximity to 24-hour Mexican food (MXN/Santana’s - 1975 Morena Boulevard) already makes the place a winner, but with names like Styletones, Dead Feather Moon, and Gabe Vega on the calendar, I wouldn’t be surprised to see The Griffin become a hap’nin nightlife destination, despite the odd time-space location.

Check out their Facebook for upcoming events and Here’s the Deal for more on The Griffin and other anachronistic boozing motes.

The Griffin - 1310 Morena Blvd.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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